//------------------------------// // Chapter Two // Story: Symbols: The Lost City // by Silver Inkwell //------------------------------// And with that said another set of doors slowly opened for them. “What’s with all the doors though exactly?” “The temple was designed to be a trap and maze for strangers of course.” “Ah, yes, duh.” “But before you go there is something you must take, our dictionary, use it, keep it safe, and may you have good luck against our enemy, they are ferocious. They are wild, they are warriors, and no pony else has survived them. And take this amulet too as well, it will keep the spiders away since it is powered by the temple, stay safe.” “Thanks for all the help, but why are you helping us out though exactly?” “Life is about helping, and I am very near death, and you must go and warn the others, repeat the message, keep it alive, and never come here again.” And with that said they took the book and amulet and left through the doors to go outside and when they approached the spiders with the amulet they instantly backed away. “Okay, every pony stay very closer to me,” Daring said holding the amulet now then. And with that said they slowly followed her back to the gates of the city, opened them up and left. “Where are we going now exactly?” “Home, it’s too dangerous for us to stay anymore, we need more if it is to be explored safely, but I have a feeling that we should warn the others first though.” “So this is it then? We’re just going to go home now and quit?” “We’re not quitting, we’re just saving our lives instead.” “Alright, fine then, very well, let’s just go already, shall we?” “I’m afraid that you’re not going to leave this jungle alive,” a new voice said. “Who are you? Show yourself!” “My name isn’t really that important, but what I am, that is.” And with that said a six-foot creature stepped out. “Hello there, ponies, surprised to see me here? I can’t say that I really blame you for your reaction.” “No, this is impossible, you were supposed to be a myth, a legend.” “But I am not, my race and kind are not, and we will always hunt you.” “But why?” “The jungle is very sacred to us, my advice, just run.” “Why are you helping us out though exactly?” “I’m not, I’m just warning you, giving you a fair chance and opportunity, it’s what we give our prey, but maybe you’ll get lucky, go now.” And with that said they ran, and using the power of Kronos they managed to escape far enough out of their terrain. “Well, it looks like the danger is gone,” Kronos said. “Not quite,” Daring said. “What do you mean by that exactly?” Daring smiled as she suddenly turned into a changeling. “Me and Mortimer, we fooled all of you, and now we know exactly what you do, we will come for the source of power in the city and we will rule Equestria.” “Huh, that’s an excellent plan, but you’re forgetting one thing, me, you never bothered to factor me in your plans, because you see my real true power isn’t time manipulation, it’s perception of time, looking into the future and past, and guess what, I knew your plan before even you did, and guess what, you’re not going to get what you want,” Kronos said. “And why is that exactly?” “Because, I’m a time keeper, I am of the blood of this city, and I will do what is needed to protect this city, I am the very last of my kind that can change and bend not only time, but the perception of it, why do you think that’s my cutie mark after all? My race is very special and unique, which is exactly why I have been lying to you this whole time, and the city has as well too, and the enemy that they fight, well that was a lie I just made up to be a myth and legend, because you see not only can the energy of the city protect it, but it can change perception and reality too as well, we haven’t been running away from a myth or legend, the city isn’t in ruins, it’s actually quite different when the spell is taken off, and in one moment you’ll see all the lies that have been hiding in the shadows and corners of your eyes, hiding in plain sight, get ready now.” And with that said suddenly everything changed, the city looked alive and vibrant, and suddenly there were no more six-foot tall creatures, but they were surrounded by pony guards. “In reality there never were spiders, the city keeps them very far away, there’s no such thing as a six-foot tall creature, in reality I cannot control time, I can only change your perception of reality, but still I think that it’s a very neat power, anyhow you’re surrounded and now you’ve lost, you’ll never go back to tell your queen anything, and do you want to know why? Because I’m going to erase all of your memories and you’re going to say that you failed, but the rest of you, keep our city safe or we will come for you, we will look and then we will eventually find and then kill you, our city is supposed to be secret, safe, and forgotten, after all, why do you think we call it the lost city?” And with that said Kronos pressed his hoof to the two changelings and erased their memories. “So how are you able to do that?” “What, Change reality? Magic, I could explain it… but no. Anyhow these two should be up soon enough, just act like you don’t know what they are, pretend and everything will be just fine, anyhow mind powers help with memory too.” “So wait, if you can change reality and what we see is any of this even real or will this be what you want us to remember instead?” He smiled, “You tell me,” he said pressing his hoof to their heads and then making sure that they were very far away from the city. “Good luck my friends.” And with that said they soon woke up to find their memories intact, all except for the changelings of course. They all said and agreed that they had failed and slowly went home, and when they did they spread their lie, and the only ones they felt that they could trust were princess Celestia and Luna and Twilight too as well of course. But they made them swear never to tell any pony else about this and to ignore the changelings as well too, for now at least. They did so, and all was well, and with time the city became forgotten except by very few, and so the myth and legend of the city lived on just like it always should be, after all, who wants any story to ever really truly end at all?