The Disharmonizers

Questions

Slender fingers flipped through page after page of dry legal language, checking the bottom of each page to make sure it had been filled out properly. Princess Twilight Sparkle sighed. Even for her, this was tedious work, but she knew it was important. This latest treaty with Maretonia would ensure the safety of Equestria for as long as it remained in effect, and may one day lead to the elimination of the Disharmony movement.

No one remembered the beginning of the Disharmony movement, except for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Even Princess Cadance was too young to remember a time before the invisible threat had closed its grip around Equestria. History books told of days long ago when people were free and happy, when they could live without fear, when Celestia could rule by simply raising and lowering the sun each day, instead of being forced to martial law in an attempt to protect her subjects from the agents of Discord, the evil and destructive ringleader of the Disharmony movement.

Discord was the phantom menace that plagued Equestria. He had never been captured, never been photographed, but legends said that he was practically omnipotent, that he had magic even stronger than Celestia's, that he could destroy Equestria with a snap of his fingers if he chose, but preferred to let it rot in chaos instead. He had eyes and ears everywhere; nobody knew who might be an agent of Disharmony.

Celestia did not take this internal threat lightly. It was impossible for the average person to detect a Disharmonizer, but Celestia had magic that could identify them. If someone suddenly vanished from their home, their neighbors would whisper about how glad they were that Celestia had caught the traitor, and wondered how much the Disharmonizer had already told Discord about them. No one was safe while Discord was still on the loose, and his reign would never end peacefully. Discord was immortal, like the Princesses, and he had been threatening Celestia's reign for over a thousand years.

Hopefully, Twilight thought, as she ran a hand through her purple bangs, this new treaty with Maretonia would bring an end to Discord's reign of terror. Maretonia's biggest export was heavy weaponry, enough to blow the entire Disharmony movement right off the map.

"Twilight." A voice made the princess look up to behold her ruler, Princess Celestia. The woman was nearly six feet tall, with broad shoulders that seemed to carry the weight of the world. Her skin was pale and the hair that tumbled over her shoulders was striped with pink, blue, and green. She wore a flowing white dress, decorated with a golden sun at the hip. Her face was grim, and the pink irises of her eyes flashed with worry. Twilight frowned.

"What is it, Princess?"

The monarch crossed to the stained-glass window on the other side of the room and gazed down at Canterlot. "Reports of new riots breaking out in Ponyville."

Twilight winced, setting the treaty aside. This was the third riot in as many months across Equestria. It stung even more to know that these were happening in her hometown. "I'll go at once and calm things down."

Celestia nodded, and Twilight headed for the door, but before she could reach it, the princess called to her again. "Twilight?"

The purple-haired woman turned to look back at her leader, who still stood with her back to her.

"Am I doing enough to stop this?"

Twilight opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

"My subjects resent my security measures. I am beginning to think I am as feared and hated as Discord."

After a moment's hesitation, Twilight shook her head. "Princess, without you to protect them, Discord would destroy everything. Even if they don't understand, they're alive because of you."