Prologue: Enter the Dragon

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Twenty. Hours. Left.

That's how long she had until it was done; until the waiting, the planning, and the manipulating would finally end. One thousand years of isolation, separated from the one pony she could truly call family, with only mortal life to keep her company; life that lasted but a mere candle's lifespan of time compared to her own. She had set the board to the best of her ability: all the pawns were in place, the pieces set, and soon the dice would be cast. What would happen in the next couple of hours would determine the fate of not just the entire kingdom of Equestria, but the entire world of Equss as a whole.

Soon Princess Celestia would finally be rid of the monster that took her sister from her, and said sister would return to her side.
The white alicorn's golden horseshoes clopped against the stony floor, the noise echoing softly through the walls of the canyon, as she stopped in front of the cavernous opening of the hidden cave. She stood there for a minute, simply staring into the darkness, as centuries of emotions cascaded upon her mind like a raging waterfall.

It had been so long ago since she and Princess Luna had first discovered the tree...so long ago since they harnessed its incredible power to defeat Discord, and finally free the land from his influence...yet the memories still burned as brightly as ever. All the times she had to call upon the elements to save her kingdom and her ponies. All the times they had both saved the lives of hundreds...yet damn the lives of just as many.

The laughter of madness under the influence of chaos.

The cries of despair under the chains of an enslaved empire.

And the screams of absolute horror along with the ringing of that accursed bell...

And it was all about to begin again.

It was a natural event, just as predictable as the rising and setting of the sun: every time the elements awakened and chose new bearers, a new era of discord and conflict would arise; it was as though the elements could predict the approaching conflict, and awakened to see ponykind through it. All the evils locked away eons ago were finding their cages weakening with time. Nightmare Moon would be only the first in a long line of threats and evils who threatened her home; the spell Sombra cast was almost at its end as well, and Discord's statue was looking weak from age.

And only Faust knows how many others, both old and new, would arise.

She had done all she could to insure things would go better this time. The ones chosen by the tree were on their way to the ruins this very moment, and she had left many clues for them to find that would lead them to their destiny. Now, there was nothing left for her could do but pray: Pray that her student would be successful, and revive Equestria's greatest weapons for the years to come.

And maybe, just maybe, she would finally get her sister back.

As she stepped into the cave, she lit her horn up with a brilliant golden glow, lighting up the cave as if the sun entered it. The great, gleaming crystals of sky blue lining the walls and floor lit up in the glow, casting glimmers of rainbow light across the rocky surfaces. Celestia paid the beautiful display no mind as she continued forward, her wings folded protectively against her sides; she was here for a reason. One last measure, one of last resort, to the source of her sister's and kingdom's salvation.

And soon she reached it, standing before her at the very back of the cave, glowing with its own magical light like a great star: a massive glowing crystalline tree, larger than a full grown dragon. It's crystalline trunk twisted out and about, branching out at the top into five main branches ending in a solid, spherical end, forming out into an almost star-like shape, along with dozens of smaller branches, from which grew beautiful, glassy leaves and long vines strung with bead-like crystals. It's mighty base split into dozens of strong roots, anchoring it deep into the very planet itself, and within the trunk over said roots formed out three symbols: the symbols of a blazing sun, a crescent moon, and in the center of the branches, a great six-pointed star.

The Tree of Harmony. From which the Elements of Harmony, Equestria greatest means of defense against darkness, were found.

Celestia gazed upon the great crystal tree with an air of nostalgia, memories and emotions of times long past playing in her mind. Her feelings about it were torn: one side of her wanted to hate it. She wanted to believe that the tree was directly responsible for banishing her sister to the moon instead of simply purging her of the dark magic of Nightmare Moon...but deep down, even if that was the case, she couldn't.

What happened was Luna's fault; the crimes she had committed, against Equestria and the natural order itself, had to be brought to justice. And Celestia had come to accept this long ago.

But soon, in but a few hours, the millennia-long wait would finally be over: the seal cast over the moon was broken, and the lost princess had escaped from her celestial prison, still concealed in the black darkness of Nightmare Moon. Would her student find the means to awaken the elements and free her? Or would the black magic that trapped her in that wicked form hold out and result in another eon of loathsome separation?

She would soon find out.

Which was one reason she chose the tree's cave to wait out Nightmare Moon's return, ironically right under the feet of her corrupted sister: one last prayer to the one power in this world that could bring her sister back.

"I know I have no right to ask for anymore than I already have," Celestia said as she laid herself down among the roots, tucking her limbs under her body, wings folded against her sides. "You've done so much for my people, and my kingdom...but I have to ask for this one last favor, even if it is just in mere longing."

The tree gave no response, neither physical or magical, though Celestia expected this. It was but a tree, after all.

"For a thousand years, I have waited for this day," She said solemnly, her voice level yet sincere. "For ten centuries I've been alone. Separated from the only family I have left: the only one I have to endure my time in this realm with. The mortal ponies, as much as I love them, can give no comfort or companionship that I can truly accept, for their lives are comparable to the flame of a candle, and they are gone before I know it."

She placed a hoof over one of the roots, feeling the smooth, glass-like texture of the crystal against the soft flesh in her inner hoof. A gentle, otherworldly warmth flowed into her touch; a powerful magic that predated all of Equestria, and perhaps even pony-kind itself.

And then...she wept.

Princess Celestia of Equestria, bringer of the sun and guardian of day, the pony many believed to be an unmovable goddess of unbreakable power and resolve, broke down and cried her heart out. The facade she had been holding up for all these years shattered like glass, and the world saw the alicorn for what she truly was.

Flesh and blood. A living pony, like the rest, and lonely beyond comprehension.

"Please...I beg of you," She whispered in a desperate tone, curling in on herself. "If there is any way for you to bring Luna back to me...to undo the mistake I made so many years ago...please. I can't handle another era of disharmony on my own; if there is anything out there that can help me protect my ponies from those who wish them harm...

Bring it to me...Please."

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DragonThroat Mountain.

There are not many in Equestria who know that name, and even fewer who remember it.

Deep within the heart of the Everfree Forest, far beyond the boundaries of what little was mapped by pony civilization, stands a enormous mountain. This magnificent landmark was once proud and fiery volcano in ancient times, famous for erupting with a ferocity and rage comparable to only the largest and most powerful of dragons. Though now it had long since gone dormant as the fire within its belly cooled; many today would not recognize it at all, but those with extensive knowledge of it would recognize it as the mountain where a certain group of legendary pony heroes rose up and defeated the Dragon Lord Torch and his dragons, who once lived in the mighty volcano, driving them out of the pony-lands and saving Equestria. That legend, however, faded into obscurity during Nightmare Moon's reign, as did many stories and records of that era, when the night alicorn destroyed the royal archives during her and Celestia's final battle.

But tonight, under the light of the first mare-less moon in a thousand years, DragonThroat Mountain would bring forth one last dragon upon Equestria.

One that would change the face of the very planet forever.

High within of the mountain's top, overlooking the smoking black crater, was a large cavernous opening big enough to hold full grown dragons inside. Within this cavern stood a set of ruins of their own. Very ancient ruins, large and strong, bearing signs and markings of an age and civilization that had past on long before pony hooves ventured down from the north. Towers of carved stone stood tall, regardless of wear and injury, some even torn banners and flags with dragon-themed symbols. The ground was paved in hundreds of smooth rocks, smashed into the earth by heavy dragon feet. There was even the broken remains of a massive bridge that once spanned the mountain's opening, though now it was simply too entrances on either side, the bridge itself having long given way.

But there was one structure that stood out from all the rest: located far back, barely touching the wall of the cave, stood a single lone structure. An arching gate of stone. It was large enough for a full grown dragon to fit through, and carved from a dark volcanic rock. It had long streaks of indigo rock along its flat sides, and five large emeralds fused into the rock in the symmetrical pattern of a star: one gem on the top, and four along the sides. The most peculiar thing about it was it's location: against the far wall, with no opening in the rock for it to tunnel into, and at the end of the stone path. It was if it was suppose to be a door, but there was no entrance for it to be a door to.

Good thing it wasn't really a door then.

For the first time in over a thousand years, the dirt of the ground moved; around the base of the mysterious gate, the ground shifted and churned, until a number of roots sprung from the earth. These roots were not of normal plants, however; their crystalline forms grew up and about the gate's bases, spreading across the surface like weaving snakes, forming spider webs of glowing crystal roots. The tips of the roots dug into the rock, burying themselves in, before the whole thing came to a halt.

Then, with pulses of multicolored light, pure arcane energy began to flow through the roots. Flow up from the very earth itself, pulsing across the ground like ripples on a pond, into the gate. At first nothing happened, but as more magic began to channel into it, it began to change. It was if the clock was turned in reverse; the very dust of the earth floated back up and fused into the rock, sealing away the cracks and breaks in the stone, which began to lose it's whithered look and regain a freshly polished sheen. The magic was most effected to the emerald gemstones, which began to fill with magical light, taking on a fresh green glow on their own.

Suddenly, beams of light shot forth between the green gems, connecting all five in the center on the gate's arc, crackling with the dangerous growl of electricity.

Then, with a clap of thunder, the very air in the arc was torn open, and sunlight from an alien star filled the cavern as a long-closed portal to another world was open for the first time in eons.

For a few silent minutes, with the exception of the pulsing hum of the portal, the caverns remained silent...

...then the water-like surface of the portal ripped, and, with a bit of effort, the head of a curious purple-scaled dragon pushed its way through the portal and into the world of Eqqus, taking in the world with gleaming lavender eyes.

---

How does one define a Hero?

It isn't a hard thing to do; they've been immortalized in stories and legends dating back to the dawn of time, and I've seen them all. They are usually thought of as strong, fearless, and, as the title implies, heroic. They always fight for the right cause and do so with a heart unwavering and pure, never giving into evil and bringing hope to those most in need of something to believe in.

That is the very definition of a hero.

Which is why, when they are truly needed most...heroes are worthless.

You heard me.

Worthless.

It is for these very reasons a true hero cannot be counted upon when someone has to fight: their purity and sense of right are the very reasons they cannot be the ones to rely upon.

A hero's greatest attributes are often also his greatest weakness.

And when a hero falls to his own morals, who will save you then?

Sometimes, more often than not, to truly protect the ones you care about and do what is needed, you have to do the unthinkable and the unforgivable; it's not always the easy thing to do, nor the best thing to do. Hell, many times it's not even the right thing to do, but it's what needs to be done...and a conscious will only get in the way. Which is why a hero, who fights with a pure heart, cannot bring himself to do such evil, and never win against such odds...but one who doesn't can do what a hero cannot and crush the opposing force, and live with the consequences, unaffected by the blood on their hands...or should I say claws.

Sometimes a hero is the last thing you need to save the day.

Sometimes...

You need a Monster.

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TyrakaReborn Presents

A rebooted and rewritten Fanfiction Series created completely by Timothy L. Meinsen

THE SAGA OF SPYRO

THE QUEST FOR HARMONY

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(A/N): Some elements of this prologue are based off of episodes that, of this date, have not been released yet and will be updated when said episodes are released.

Alright, here we go again. Third Time's the Charm, evidently. Life for me has been rough recently, with the whole finding a job I like and trying to gain a foothold of independence in the world. Not a whole lot of time or motivational stuff to get me in the writing mood. But with the upcoming movie and potential Spyro remaster, I finally feel like I can start writing fanfictions again.

Once again, this story idea has been rewritten and re-executed to fit with the franchises they take from: while I'm sticking to the more 'Dragon-ish' Spyro I designed, his character will try to match that of the original games more so than the last versions. This time around, though, I'm going to try and keeping the chapters short (under 10,000 words each). So I can get them out more often than last time.

Also, as some of you may have noticed, I've changed the title of my story. Why? Because 'The Snakeasaur Saga' and the original characters I made in it have been repurposed for my officially original fantasy novel series I'm writing which uses the same name.

So, for the third time in four years, and hopefully the version I stick with, here's The Saga of Spyro: The Quest For Harmony.