//------------------------------// // Shadow Grave // Story: Shadow Grave // by Composer99 //------------------------------// The base of the cliff offered shade from the heat of the sun-baked sands, although the heat was rapidly dissipating as the afternoon wore on into evening. It was a longer walk than Twilight had expected, but they eventually found an entrance carved into the rock. Much like the ruins, its geometry was off-putting, and the tunnel inside seemed to twist and turn oddly into the darkness. The rim of the entrance was embossed with the same black rock from the ruins, into which sigils had been carved. Twilight examined the doorway, her horn aglow. Everypony else was sitting or standing around. Their supplies were piled neatly nearby. “There’s magic here. Shadow Grave’s magic, for sure, but there’s more: it’s magic I’ve never felt before. I’d say this has to be it.” “Speaking of magic, is there any magic barrier keeping us from going in?” Spike asked. Twilight’s eyes, themselves glowing with the raspberry of her magic, swept the entryway again. “Doesn’t look like it.” “Great! Let’s go!” “Not so fast, Spike,” Twilight cautioned, pulling him back. “There might still be some carefully hidden traps. Also, I want you and Starlight and Discord to wait out here.” “What? Why?” Starlight and Spike asked, shocked. “I’m sure the princess’ reasoning is quite sound,” Discord said, barely-concealed relief in his features and voice. “If something goes wrong in there, Spike, I want you to be able to send word back to Princess Celestia,” Twilight explained. “Discord can get anypony left back to Ponyville if things go really bad. Starlight, I know you’re disappointed, but think of it as being our ace in the hole. “We need somepony who can either race down into whatever’s down there in a pinch if we need help, or go back to Ponyville and help stop Shadow Grave if we can’t get out. And I can’t think of a better suited pony for the job,” Twilight finished, smiling kindly at Starlight. “You’re right, Twilight,” Starlight said with a sigh, hanging her head. “It’s just – I just want to help.” “I understand,” Twilight said. “And besides, you have helped! You already made a big difference helping us get here at all.” There was a moment of silence while Twilight examined the stone arch further, before finally stopping. “All right, girls, the entrance is all clear. Let’s get going!” Twilight said bravely. She looked into the dark tunnel, and the brave feeling disappeared. She gulped nervously before slowly advancing across the threshold. Princess Cadance sat in the library, watching the mirror that was the portal to the world in which Sunset Shimmer still lived. After some discussion, she’d agreed to wait for Sunset, on the view that she might find Luna or Celestia too intimidating a first sight after emerging. They’d waited for Sunset’s reply before replacing the book on the contraption Twilight had constructed to keep the portal open. It was a remarkable invention, Cadance thought, idly examining it. She didn’t think there was anypony who knew more about magic than Sunburst, but surely there was nopony better at using magic than Twilight – not even the other Princesses. Cadance perked up as the portal flared into life. A unicorn mare with a light amber coat and a fiery mane tottered through on her back hooves, her front hooves waving uncoordinatedly as she rocked back and forth. “Whoa!” she managed before nearly toppling over, catching herself on all four hooves. She looked around with gleaming cyan eyes, starting when she saw Cadance. “Dea – I mean, Princess Cadance?” Cadance smiled warmly. “Sunset Shimmer. Twilight’s told me so much about your adventures. I know you’ve mixed feelings about being back here.” Sunset stared for a moment, but was put at ease by Cadance’s words. She reached up and scratched the back of her mane. “You’re right about that. But Twilight said she needed my help, so here I am. Is she here?” Cadance shook her head. “I’m sorry. She and the other Bearers of Harmony are off looking for Shadow Grave’s lair. We're hoping you can help us defend Ponyville.” “Defend Ponyville? And sorry, whose lair?” Sunset asked. “Shadow Grave. She’s some kind of unicorn who can animate skeletons – make them move around, fight for her, that sort of thing. I don’t know much about it, myself,” Cadance admitted. “Celestia and Luna know more about her: they confronted her a long time ago.” She motioned for the door with her head. Sunset started to follow and stumbled. She hesitated, glancing at her four hooves before starting off again. “Sorry,” she managed, “I’ve gotten used to walking around on two feet.” Cadance smiled in understanding. Ponies hurried around them as they walked through the hallways, carrying food, lumber, or big rocks. Sunset gaped at the building. “So this is Twilight’s own castle? Last time I came back to Equestria, I would have probably been resentful. Now I’m just happy for her.” She huffed with mild amusement. “Well, okay, maybe I’m a little jealous. I mean, who wouldn’t want their own castle?” “It’s pretty, isn’t it?” Cadance agreed. They trotted along in silence for a moment. “Are – are we going to meet Pri-Princess-” “Princess Celestia, yes,” Cadance finished. “We are. She said you’d probably feel pretty uncomfortable about it.” Sunset glanced down at the floor, frowning. “She’s got that right.” Princess Celestia stood on the central balcony of the Castle of Friendship, looking out over Ponyville, as Cadance brought Sunset Shimmer out. “Time to lower the sun,” Celestia spoke softly to herself. She concentrated, her horn glowing with a pale golden light. The sun gradually set, and the sky darkened. Moments later, the moon rose into the sky. Celestia turned, hearing Cadance and Sunset’s hoofsteps. Sunset was staring at her, her mouth agape. She was trembling slightly. Celestia smiled and stepped forward. “Sunset Shimmer. I wish we could have met again under better circumstances, when we were both ready.” Sunset bowed deeply. “I know my presence is cause for discomfort,” Celestia continued, “so I won’t ask you to stay long. Know that you have my gratitude for coming in our hour of need.” “Th-thanks,” Sunset stammered. “Excuse me, sorry,” Shining Armor said, stepping out onto the balcony. “Princess!” he said, saluting. Celestia turned to face Shining Armor. “You’ve a report on our preparations?” “Everypony in town is here at the castle now, and we’ve got pegasus patrols on the lookout for trouble.” “Good,” Celestia said. “Luna and a detachment of guards have taken up station at the Tree of Harmony. We feel it is Shadow Grave’s primary target. In the event she attacks the castle first, the Wonderbolts and I will remain here to assist in its defence, until Luna signals that there is a threat she cannot handle. Then we will fly over to help her.” “Amethyst Star and Mayor Mare are also working on a plan to get everypony out of the castle if we don’t think we can hold it against whatever Shadow Grave throws at us,” Shining Armour added. “A wise decision,” Celestia remarked. Sunset, looking down past the balcony into town, suddenly spoke up: “That fog wasn’t there a moment ago, was it?” Celestia started, and they all turned to look. Thick, dense fog was rolling through Ponyville, slowly but surely obscuring the streets and buildings. There were gasps and murmurs from ponies on the other balconies and standing at windows. “Something’s moving in there!’ somepony shouted. Scanning the town, Shining Armor pointed. “There,” he said. There was a hint of movement in the fog, and a yellow glow. Then, nothing. The night breeze stilled, and an oppressive silence fell over Ponyville. The fog thickened, forming a concealing layer that ended not far from the river and the Castle’s gates. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Cadance said. “Just how far down does this tunnel go?” Applejack asked. “It feels like we’ve been marching down here for hours.” “There’s a loooot of rock over our heads!” Pinkie Pie chimed. “I should know!” Her smile had an unhinged quality to it. “It looks like it’s been carved out from a natural cave,” Twilight said, looking around as far as the glow off her horn would allow. “You can see some differences where the stone was smoothed out by magic and where it wasn’t.” She batted at an ear with her hoof in between steps. “I’m sure that’s really cool and all,” Rainbow Dash said through gritted teeth. They continued in silence for a moment longer. Twilight jerked to a stop, looking back at the others. “Did somepony say something?” she asked, her ears twitching. Everypony else halted before they left the light she and Rarity were emitting from their horns. “Nope,” Applejack replied. “I don’t think so,” Fluttershy said. “Not a thing!” Pinkie Pie squeaked. “I’ve got a bit of a buzzing in my ears,” Rarity said, twitching one with discomfort, “but I can’t say that I heard anypony. Or said anything.” “Can we get going again?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I’m kind of hoping this tunnel opens up a bit.” “Right. Yes. Let’s get a move on,” Twilight said sheepishly. “Just me and my imagination, hearing things nopony said.” “Like what, darling?” asked Rarity. Twilight started walking down the tunnel again. She took her bottom lip in her teeth, ears twitching, glancing around and sweating. She abruptly stopped again. “Can’t you hear that?” “Nope.” “Nuh-uh.” “I still can’t hear anything, Twilight.” “Just that buzzing, darling.” “Noperoni!” Your friends think you are weak. Twilight jumped, startled. “Who said that?” She turned. The others were all looking at her blankly. Twilight glanced around. The susurrations had died down after that last audible whisper, but she could still feel an unpleasant pressure all around. “Are you all right, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked. She stepped toward the alicorn, looking concerned. Twilight gasped at the looming dark shape behind the pegasus. “Look out!” She grabbed Fluttershy and hauled her to the ground. The shape suddenly flattened. “Wha-?” Fluttershy jerked her head up to look. The dark shape rose up in tandem. “Twilight… that’s my shadow.” Twilight blinked. “Oh. Right. Sorry. I thought I saw… something else.” “I think the tunnel wall opens up just a bit further,” Applejack announced, squinting into the dim light at the edges of Twilight and Rarity’s spells. They trotted down a few steps and peered to the left. There as a hole in the wall, about twice the size of a pony, but the light they projected was so dim that it was quickly swallowed up in the darkness. “Let me try something,” Twilight said. She concentrated with her horn, and a burst of light flared out, streaking through the hole in the wall. It stopped and hovered, then expanded, filling the cavernous chamber on the other side of the wall with dim light. “Oooooooooooooooh, creepy cave!” Pinkie said with genuine excitement. The gallery was dominated by a dark, still pond. Small sandbanks and rocky terraces dotted the sides of the room where the pond met the wall. Closer to where they were standing, a hemisphere of rock rose from near the pond’s shore, meeting with the wall. Twilight could just barely make out the tunnel exit at the base of the hemisphere closest to the pond. There was a ripple in the water, then a large splash as a dark shape briefly broached the surface, as if disturbed by the light now shining overhead. “I think I can see something at the far end of the water,” Applejack said. “Like a statue or something.” “I bet whatever’s there is whatever we’re looking for!” said Rainbow Dash. “Let’s go get it!” She flapped her wings and braced herself. “Wait, Rainbow -” Twilight began. Rainbow Dash sprang forward and stopped suddenly, her body caught in a field of smoky magic blocking the opening. She convulsed as magic arced into her, before toppling to the ground. Smoke wafted from her wings and coat. “Owwwwwwwww…” she moaned. “- there’s a magical barrier.” Rainbow Dash staggered to her feet. “I’m all right!” she said after shaking her head. “I could disarm it, but I don’t know that we have the time,” Twilight said. “Let’s just keep going.” They continued in silence for another moment. Applejack had come up to the front of the formation with Twilight. “You know, Applejack,” Twilight said with a smile, “I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you coming with us even though you’ve obviously been hit hard by what happened at the cemetery.” Applejack smiled back, blushing. “Aw, shucks, Twilight, thanks. I’ll admit it was a blow, this Shadow Grave character digging up Mom and Dad like that. But I know I’ve got to put those feelings aside for now, till we save Equestria.” “I sort of know how you feel,” Twilight said comfortingly. “Not the whole ‘unicorn with dark magic steals my parents’ remains’, thing, though. More of the ‘putting aside feelings you have to deal with’ thing.” “I remember, it’s why you came home early,” Applejack said warmly. “Well, anytime you’re ready to tell us what it's all about, Twi, even if it’s down in this here cave, you know we’ll all be there to support you, just like you’re here to support me” Twilight smiled, her eyes glittering with tears. “I know. Thank you.” They will all abandon you in the end. Twilight reared up with a shout, “Who’s there?” There was a drawn-out silence. “No offence, Twilight, but you’re kind of creeping us out here,” Rainbow Dash said. “Are you sure you’re all right?” Twilight looked back, twitching. Everypony was staring at her, except for Rarity, who was scratching at one of her ears in irritation. Twilight took a deep breath to calm herself, and looked at them again. “Hmmm….” Twilight hummed thoughtfully. “Well, let’s keep going,” she announced. “I don’t think we have much further to go!” Spitfire alighted on the balcony, standing at stiff attention and snapping off a salute. “Your Highness! Nopony’s seen anything but fog while on patrol. The fog’s spread into the Everfree Forest, but Princess Luna’s position reports no hostiles in sight.” “Thank you, Captain,” Celestia said. “Carry on.” “Yes, Your Highness!” Spitfire took to the air again, where another Wonderbolt was waiting, and they sped off on another patrol circuit. Cadance had gone into the castle to help maintain morale among the ponies within. For her part, Sunset had gone to one of the large balconies on the side of the castle, with the responsibility of being in charge of the defenders there. (“You may not feel ready, but from what Twilight has said of your ability to keep your friends in order, I have every confidence in you,” Celestia had said.) Celestia stood still, gazing down pensively at the fog, while Shining Armor paced around behind her. “What is she waiting for?” Celestia softly asked. She had spoken too softly for Shining Armor to hear. “Is she worried she can’t overcome Luna and I? Is this a distraction and she’s going somewhere else?” “Princess, down there!” Shining Armor said sharply. Celestia turned, her eyes following his pointing hoof. A pony-shaped figure had emerged from the fog, slowly ambling towards the castle gate. It was covered in a thick cloak. Celestia leaned forward, and her breath caught in her throat with a hiss. The cloaked pony’s legs were bones, unadorned by muscle or flesh. The pony brought up a hoof and slid the cloak’s hood down over a skull adorned by a horn. The sides of the cloak twitched, and two thin wingbones folded out. Yellow orbs gleamed in the skull’s eye sockets as the pony looked up to the balcony. “Princess Celestia,” the skeletal pony hissed. “We meet again.” Celestia furrowed her brow and frowned. “Shadow Grave.”