//------------------------------// // An Honest Dungeon // Story: Sombra's Return // by Brawny Steed //------------------------------// Information on the ponies -- Tempest -- Specter -- Prince Romance -- Steel Beard -- Soothing Aura -- The first coordinates -- they won’t receive help -- Applejack is on her own -- Applejack vs Sombra -- Desolation Everypony who was relevant to the mission gathered around the hologram projector. Twilight took a look around. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Spike and the captain of the Spectrum, along with his executive. “So,” the captain started. “What are we up against, and who?” Twilight knew her friends already knew about Sombra but there was little information about the others that had been shared. The captain had also only met Shining Armor, if Twilight went by the assumption that they had both worked together at some point. But she had the files from Celestia which was enough. She flared up her horn and displayed the image of Sombra first. “Our main target is Sombra, a unicorn who uses dark magic. He has a history of combating Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. He is powerful, dangerous and smart. So far, we know that he does not have a corporeal form of his own, thanks to a curse that Celestia cast on him turning him to shadow. This means that he cannot be contained through normal means.” “Some unicorns, a binding spell and we got him,” the captain pointed out. “Ah’m not so convinced,” Applejack retorted. Twilight told them there’s more. “Sombra is also fond of mind control, and he has taken hold of a number of ponies. Including,” she showed them the image of Shining Armor. “my brother, Shining Armor, Prince of the Crystal Empire.” “Oh, dear,” the executive officer said. “High-level unicorn. Defensive magic, strong in hoof-to-hoof combat, tactical expert, impressive resumé as a captain, natural team leader,” Twilight said. “If there was anypony I know that would be dangerous to face as one of Sombra’s zombies, it’s him.” “Zombies?!” Spike yelled in panic. “Not that kind!” It almost annoyed Twilight that Spike only knew just the one kind of zombie. “Okay, new memo: When talking of zombies, it is to refer to ponies under Sombra’s mind control.” “Got it,” the captain said. “But by Celestia’s mane, we’re in for trouble if Shining’s working with Sombra. Any other military ponies we know of to be a zombie?” “There’s Tempest,” Rainbow Dash piped in. Twilight responded with showing up an image of the mentioned stallion. “A retired Wonderbolt,” Rainbow continued. “He’s a six-year veteran of storm flying along with 23 skirmish air-fights. He likes quick hit-and-fly tactics, using speed as a battering ram when he’s not using storm clouds or tornadoes.” “I take it you’re a fan?” The captain asked. “Hey, I’m a trainee at Wonderbolt Academy, and lead pony of the recruits. Spitfire’s impressed with my record, if you have to ask. I told her about all this and she gave me what info we needed on Tempest.” Twilight blinked. “You asked Spitfire for his info?” “Tempest was one of the better fliers among the ‘Bolts,” Rainbow replied. “They flew together for 2 years. And she wasn’t happy with what I said.” “And she gave you the info, anyway?” “On the condition that I, quote, drag his sorry and battered flanks back to the academy and plomp them in front of her, unquote.” Twilight blinked again. “Right… Anyhow, there are others to see, too.” She changed to another pegasus, this one having a grey coat along with a black mane, cut short to the point it was a buzz cut and blue eyes. “This one’s… Specter. Oh, guess he was caught.” “Oh, that’s him.” Everyone turned their eyes to Rarity. “That’s the stallion who nabbed my Element like it was…” She stopped there, but mumbled what Twilight could only assume were very unladylike words. “Well, if it helps you feel better, Specter here is a master thief that prowled through Canterlot for years. I’m surprised that he hadn’t been caught so quickly, but he has managed to avoid the Royal Guard for so long. Now, I guess somepony did catch him,” Twilight told her. “Um…” The captain seemed to hold something to himself. “Something you want to share?” “He’s not really a thief,” the captain told her. “Well, yes, he does steal, and he is hunted by the Royal Guard, but he is, in secret that is, a training exercise.” Everyone stared at him. “Well, how else would you explain that they always found the stash of stolen items but never the pony himself? He was even commissioned by your brother, in fact, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight merely said ‘Huh’ before noticing that Pinkie was eyeing Specter’s form. “Pinkie?” “He’s the one who took my element as well,” Pinkie muttered. “He broke a Pinkie Promise.” There was a moment of silence before the executive spoke. “I don’t follow.” “Not now, darlings,” Rarity informed. “We do need to consider the other ponies that have become, ugh… zombies.” Twilight took that as a sign to continue and displayed another pony. This one was a unicorn as well, having a red coat and a blonde mane, much like Big McIntosh but a smaller build and seemed much older. His cutie mark was two hearts tied together with a red ribbon. “This one’s another pony I know. Prince Romance, a lesser member of the royal family.” “Romance?” Rainbow snorted. “Wow, his parents must have been very cruel to name him that.” Twilight gave her friend a glare. “Romance isn’t like that.” “Oh really? Next we’ll find out that he’s a matchmaker or something.” Rainbow Dash had hit the nail in the board right on the head. Twilight gave her a glare until Rainbow Dash seemed to have gotten the picture. “Oh boy, you’re serious.” “Yes, but that’s not his actual job,” Twilight told her. “He’s a diplomat and the main ambassador for relations between Equestria and the Griffin Empire. He’s pretty much responsible so far for our good relations.” “And the matchmakin’ part?” Applejack inquired. “Since it’s his special talent and all.” Twilight groaned. She recalled one meeting that he had set up for her once a few years back. “Back in Canterlot, he and I talked a few times. He’s calculative, and he can see if ponies can work together or not. Where Cadance can make love blossom where there is a problem, Romance is more one who can see if two ponies suit each other perfectly. This did lead to a problem once when he tried to find me somepony.” Her friends’ eyes widened. “He tried to pair Twilight together with this young noblepony named Frazzleberry. Unicorn, taught old school, special talent was making “plebeian” ponies’ lives miserable,” Spike filled in. Twilight glared at him. “What? You didn’t see how he treated his maids when you weren’t around.” “That was not his special talent,” Twilight argued. “He was more a fencer. Anyway, I found out and I told Romance about it and said that I might find somepony one day but I was too busy with my studies. He still got my file somewhere for ‘future potential.’” Rarity looked curious. Twilight decided to take a wild guess. “It would be possible that if we get him back, he might take your case on, Rarity.” “Oh no, I wasn’t thinking about that,” Rarity protested. “I was just thinking that if he’s part of the royal family, how come nearly nopony’s heard of him before?” Spike cut in before Twilight could answer. “He never really bothered with any of that. I mean, sure, he’s this good diplomat and he’s a great matchmaking pony but he’s never stopped for a moment to pause. He’s always working, always on the move to someplace, always thinking out how this arranged marriage or that one will work out for the good of everypony. Only time I know he ever stopped was time for himself when he found his special somepony.” “He does have the odd mention in some magazine, I think,” Twilight continued, “but he’s old. He’s in his sixties and last I checked magazines tend to focus on young celebrities. He’s not bothered at all about being in tabloids.” “We gotta get him back fast,” the captain muttered. “He’d help get relations back with the griffins should it deteriorate.” They looked over the file of Trixie as well, most of them fully aware of Trixie’s skills and exploits. Then came the sixth pony. A brown coated earth pony stallion nearly the size of Big McIntosh with a grey mane, his cutie mark was a hammer banging on an anvil. “This is a non-combat pony. Steel Beard, Canterlot Castle’s current blacksmith. He’s a very good smith and has worked on the suits of armor for the Royal Guard.” “Any personal history on this one?” The captain asked. “Just met him once when he was making Shining’s Captain’s armor. He’s not the most sophisticated of ponies, but he’s polite and knows his stuff. Talked me about the art of smithing and its history while he worked.” Everypony stared at Twilight and she felt queasy. “What? I was interested at the time.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and Rarity hid a smirk. Fluttershy remained impassive. Pinkie giggled as usual and Applejack was trying not to smile herself. Spike was deadpanned and the captain and his executive were in the dark. Twilight could see it on them. Twilight groaned. “So I have an interest in studies. You guys know all this since day two.” “Yeah, yeah, we know.” Rainbow Dash looked uninterested. “So was that all of them?” “Just one more,” Twilight told them and showed them another earth pony stallion. This one was more to the size of other stallions and had a soft green coat and yellow mane. His cutie mark was… some form of glowing energy around a heart. “Soothing Aura.” “The relaxation and therapy doctor?” The captain said out loud. Twilight had to open the folder holding the info on him. “Apparently. He specializes in helping ponies who suffered from trauma or cardiac arrests. He operated out in this resort at Neighara Falls where ponies went for walks in the nature and swimming. It came under Diamond Dog raids and he went missing. Guess we now know.” “Why would Sombra have someone like him?” Rarity asked. “He doesn’t seem to match some pattern.” “Yeah, it doesn’t make much sense at all,” Applejack added. “Think practic-like, for a spell. We have Shining Armor and Tempest, a pair of military oriented ponies, Trixie, a magic focused unicorn, Specter, an undercover member of the Royal Guard as an instructor, Prince Romance, a diplomat and Steel Beard, a smith.” “Where does Aura fit into all this?” The captain asked. There was a moment of silence before Twilight spoke again. “Nowhere, that’s what. Maybe Sombra nabbed him for the extra ponypower he needed.” “But he could have just grabbed anypony for that.” “Then we’ll simply have to ask him when we get him.” Twilight shut down the illusions of the ponies and flared up a rotating map. “We’ll start, however, with recovering the Elements of Harmony. For some odd but maybe logical reason, Sombra’s split them up.” “Why would he do that?” Rarity asked. “He took the Elements for a reason, I can’t see why he would split them up.” Twilight didn’t say anything, but she had to agree. Sombra must have some sort of plan for them and she couldn’t see it. Every variable she went through said that letting the Elements go was part of his plan, but she could not see his logic. Why would he do that? “...Let’s find out when we get the first one,” she said. “For now, we’ll get prepared for anything.” “Yeah,” Rainbow agreed. “It’s only day one. How long until we get there?” Twilight was silent for about a minute. “I don’t know.” The captain took charge then. “Full speed ahead. I want us there last week.” Even with the Spectrum going at full speed, it would be days before they got anywhere. The first Element was located to the southwest, somewhere deep among the Rearing Stones canyons in the San Palomino desert. They had to let Rainbow Dash out to fly on her own at least once a day so she wouldn’t go stir-crazy. Still, the weather was nice. But one can only play “Spot the Cloud” for so long. Along the way, they got to see first-hand devastation of small settlements raided by the changelings. Sure that it was out of necessity that the bugs did what they did, but it wasn’t necessary to turn well-built and hard-earned homes to rubble or ashes. Ponies put up bulletins of missing friends and relatives on boards in nearly every town south of Las Pegasus. Word started around also that some of the ponies were found again, though somewhat… loopy. Some were parents, others siblings and most were dating somepony who hadn’t gone missing. At Fluttershy and Rarity’s insistence, they stopped by one small town. It was not pretty no matter how you looked at it. One in particular looked much drained. He was unharmed as far as anypony could tell when looking at him, but he was… damaged, was the best word that they could describe. He looked straight ahead, he reacted to very little beyond the basic needs, and he barely recognized any of his friends and family. They seemed more like… strangers with odd faces to him. Rainbow Dash was fit to be mad. So was Applejack. The two of them may be concerned that peace was paramount, but to commit this while vying for it? Downright hypocritical, they said. They were about a day away from the town closest to the Rearing Stones, Mustangia, when they got word that there was suspicious activity not far from the last town they visited. Naturally, Rainbow Dash volunteered with the argument that she could there and back in virtually no time. Still, she had to cope with two crewponies the captain assigned her. She wanted to lose them so she could get over there faster, but no, they had to come with her. And it was only now that she noticed that it was very hot in the desert. The heat from the sun reflected from the sand and rocks making the air an oven for anything that moved. Rainbow could only recall sweating so much during Academy practice. The intel they had received wasn’t wrong. Rainbow Dash could see movement on a small ridge where one could see the town. But her temper grew when she saw who they were. Changelings! A group of about nine changeling drones following a leader were dropping off four ponies… gently? Something didn’t add up, but Rainbow Dash was just too angry to let them continue. “Alright, bugs!” She yelled, getting their attention. “You guys gonna pay for all you’ve done!” The changeling leader blinked at her before answering. “We were just leaving, anyway.” Rainbow Dash balked and landed with the other two. “Leaving?” “Yes, we were leaving these ponies here so they can go back to town and recover,” the changeling continued. “A new policy we have made for these necessary raids.” Rainbow stared at her but realized she had to find out. “Explain this policy.” The changeling didn’t seem annoyed, just… at ease with the chance to explain things. “Until these excursions with the other nations began, we merely started by just abducting ponies, never returning. Some realized it was a mistake as it only produced short-term effects. As leader for the raids, I enforced the policy that we were not to drain ponies or whomever we take completely of their love, ensuring that enough remains so they can regrow it. We also return them to where they came from originally or wherever we deem suitable so they won’t feel out of place.” Rainbow Dash was still angry, but she kept quiet. Mulling it over, she found it still hostile but she would hold onto it so Twilight could interpret it. For all she cared, these changelings should be dealt with. But she had a job to do first and nopony ought to know about it beyond those who already did. “...Do they remember anything from when they’re being drained?” She heard herself asking. “No,” the changeling replied curtly. “You guys need to stop,” Rainbow continued. “I’m not fond of you taking ponies and destroying their homes that they worked hard to get out here.” There was a moment of silence. “We are currently in the motion of reforms. Our raids will not stop, but if say a new solution were to be found, hostile actions will be ground to a halt. For some time, at least.” Rainbow Dash sighed. She could have taken them all on but there were innocents nearby within their reach and her two companions may not have fighting experience themselves. Plus, the changelings were alert now and that would make things harder. “Is that all?” she heard the changeling leader ask. “...Yeah,” Rainbow finally answered. “You guys can leave now.” Most of the drones took off immediately and headed east toward the Badlands. Two of them didn’t, staying with the leader, mocking the ponies with their formation. The leader stared at Rainbow Dash. “You are Rainbow Dash, yes?” Rainbow stared back in disbelief. “What? You couldn’t tell by my mane?” The leader stepped in closer. Rainbow stood still, knowing that she wouldn’t try anything. When they were close enough for whisper, the leader spoke again. “The Queen Mother knows all of you. She is most… displeased with choosing this course of action but she holds her temper at bay for the sake of the Hive.” Queen Mother? “What are you, the Hive Princess?” Rainbow whispered back. “Yes. I am Honeydew Wisp and I am to be the next Hive Queen. But since we’re on the road to potential peace, I would advise that you try your best to keep your temper at bay as well. I’d find it a bit awkward if two factions vying for peace would continue to spew insults and threats at one another.” Rainbow’s temper flared again but she kept quiet. “At least we don’t keep to shadows and turn our enemies against each other.” Honeydew gave no expression. “What happened in Canterlot should stay in the past. I look for peace and so should you. I do hope that next time we meet, we could be, as you say in Equestria, friends. Well, friends as well as two separate races can be.” Honeydew pulled back and took off, her two drones following short. Rainbow let out a breath she didn’t realize she held. Twilight would certainly have a field day with just that one. She turned to her two companions. “Guys, be honest with me here. Did we do the right thing in letting them just go?” The two crewponies took a look at each other before looking back to the four ponies unconscious on the ground. “Me, I don’t think there was a right thing here,” the left one answered. “Just a choice where things didn’t get ugly.” The other one just nodded in agreement. Rainbow sighed again. “Come on, let’s get back to the Spectrum. We need to report this.” The captain was in an uproar at the treatment of ponies. Twilight and co weren’t so enthusiastic about the whole thing, either. Rainbow Dash didn’t say anything to help support the changelings. Applejack thought it over. Practically, it made sense in some twisted fashion. It was much like farming. But it was one thing to harvest fruit at the right time and another to harvest ponies. Changelings may not work on the same morals as ponies did, but some things are just wrong. The Changeling Queen was probably doing this just to spite them. It was still a hot and cloudless day when they reached the town of Mustangia. The local militia captain was grateful for some needed supplies they needed but wasn’t happy when they heard that the Spectrum wasn’t there for defense. Their mission was strict need-to-know and most who they would meet would probably never know of it. Applejack had her stomach churning from that alone. She didn’t like keeping quiet. Then again, it was for the sake of peace. No one had to find out the Elements had been stolen. She accepted that. They were all waiting for Twilight to come out of the mayor’s office. Rainbow Dash was walking back and forth on the street. Rarity was looking at this clothes shop from a distance. Pinkie and Fluttershy busied themselves with having a small game of naughts and crosses. Applejack just lay down by the stairs and listened. “What are those girls doing here?” “They were on that airship that just came here. Special forces?” “Hey, check out the white one. What a babe!” “Doesn’t that yellow one look familiar?” “I bet they’re just looking for trouble.” “No, you’re being dumb. No way good looking girls like that are troublemakers.” “Oh shut up, Tail Chaser.” “We don’t want any trouble so why are they here?” Applejack made it a mental note to listen in on ponies rumoring. It wasn’t until she felt prodding on her shoulder that she noticed Twilight was out. “Sorry. Ah wasn’t paying attention.” “It’s okay,” Twilight said. “We’re out of luck, though. The mayor isn’t going to help us on the grounds that we can’t tell him. I tried with the changeling approach but Mustangia hasn’t suffered any.” “Yet,” Rainbow Dash retorted. “Still, he’s not helping,” Rarity commented. “Did you at least get a map of the canyon?” “No, due to lack of willing fliers,” Twilight grumbled. “They say there’s a dragon resting out there, too.” “D-d-dragon?” Fluttershy shivered and became stiff. Applejack didn’t roll her eyes. “So we are on our own out there?” Applejack asked. Twilight nodded. “Shoot. Can’t we fly the airship out there?” “Fraid not,” Rainbow Dash said. “The captain asked me for a quick overlook of the canyon. Way too small for the ship to be in there for any length of time.” The gut feeling returned to Applejack. “Guess we’re walking there, then.” Back on the Spectrum, the captain insisted that the girls would prepare themselves with proper military equipment, such as armor, weapons and other requirements. Rarity refused, Fluttershy disagreed with her and Pinkie agreed so long as she could add her personal touch to it. Rainbow Dash said no because she wanted to remain speedy, so the only thing she took was her hoof-claw which she fitted on her right foreleg. Twilight wasn’t fond of wearing heavy barding and went instead with a light caparison cloth that Rarity insisted to modify at some point. The captain just thought she was daft in not even getting a helmet. His crew cornered Applejack and Spike, on the other hand. They didn’t have anything that would fit Spike but he was given a nifty little curved dagger that was given by a griffin years ago. Applejack, however, was forced to don barding and Rainbow couldn’t stop laughing at the sight of AJ being in armor. Applejack wasn’t too pleased about wearing hammerhooves and a peytral and flanchards. She took her hat along instead of a helmet and the captain called her daft as well for it. She did admit that the hammerhooves had a nice feel to them, how they went up to her knees and she couldn’t even feel kicking a stone when she tried them. Fluttershy had requested the most flame-proof equipment they had and was wearing mail armor along with the regular plate stuff and a helmet with closing visor. In addition, she got a big shield. First chance she was getting, the barding would be taken off. “Everyone ready?” Twilight asked the group. “Yes,” was the collective answer she received. “Good, now let’s go.” All seven of them walked off to the bridge for disembarking off the Spectrum. Applejack was ready for this mission. She knew that whatever came their way, they’d be ready for it… ...except for that crowd of townsponies waiting for them at the docks. “You girls aren’t seriously going to the Rearing Stones, are you?” “Well, yes,” Twilight answered for them. “We kinda have to. Important mission and all, with the threat of war imminent and so on.” “But there’s a dragon out there! What if you wake him up?” Another cried out. And Applejack saw Fluttershy keel over stiff. “Aww, ponyfeathers,” Applejack said. “And we just managed to get Fluttershy willing to get along with this.” “Let’s just tie her to your back so we can carry her there without her knowing,” Rainbow Dash said and started picking Fluttershy up. Twilight spoke to the crowd. “Listen, I know you are all scared that we might wake this dragon but chances are that we won’t go near him. We just need to be in the same area as him, that’s all.” “Yeah, and we’ve dealt with dragons before, this’ll be a pushover,” Rainbow Dash added. “Plus, if there’s a hostile group of changelings about as suspected, we could just push them straight to him.” “Rainbow!” Rarity scolded. “We are here on a reconnaissance mission, not to take out changelings!” “Guys!” Twilight yelled at them. Then she turned back to the townsponies. “We appreciate your concern, but we can take care of ourselves and we’re not budging on going to the Rearing Stones. Just have a little faith and we’ll be fine. Now we really ought to get going.” Without another word, they left Mustangia behind for the Rearing Stones. xxx A small distance away from the docks, a pegasus sat by an outdoor bar, sipping on a cider. The townsponies had drawn some attention to themselves at the docks, so it wasn’t hard to be one of many to watch the scene. He saw the six mares leave. He paid the bartender the regular fee and left for a small alley. “They’re on their way,” he said to the air. “I’ll handle it from here,”  it replied. The scenery wasn’t too bad. When you live in grasslands where near every patch of land you can see is covered in green, seeing bare land and rock beneath a scorching sun could be something you’ll always remember. Rarity didn’t regret her choice in not choosing any form of barding. There wasn’t even any dust from the ground coming up from their hooves as they walked on. Cloudsdale was gorgeous for being a grand city in the sky, and the Rearing Stones looked much like a grand city of the desert with sky scraping rock formations and maze of sandstone buttes. The similarity was uncanny. If there was a dragon out here, he certainly couldn’t just have picked the place because it was isolated. “...not going to the dragon’s lair, Rainbow Dash.” Rarity snapped out of her viewing the scenery to hear Twilight talk with Rainbow Dash. The pegasus was talking something about going into the dragon’s home for a dare to take something. Rarity rolled her eyes and sighed quietly. Hadn’t Rainbow Dash learned what happened the last time she had gone into a dragon’s lair? “I could make a quick in-and-out before he sees me,” Rainbow argued. “No. We are not here for that,” Twilight shot her down. Rarity felt good to hear that Twilight was in charge, as per usual. And she had a good reason to focus on all this. If she had a brother, Rarity would go through anything to make sure he’d be safe. Out of the corner of her eye, Rarity noted that Applejack wasn’t feeling so well. She hid it well, but there was a subtle change in her pace of walking. Applejack’s breathing was a tad faster than usual and there was some flicker in her eyes. She wasn’t having trouble with the barding she’d been forced to wear, Rarity could tell that much. Nor was it Fluttershy they had tied onto AJ’s back, who was still unconscious “...Applejack?” “Huh?” “Are you alright?” Rarity asked, just quietly enough for them to talk privately. “You don’t look too well and it’s not from heat or weight, I can see that much.” Applejack didn’t answer at first, but Rarity wasn’t pushing it. She hoped. Applejack turned her eyes away and then talked. “Ah dunno, really. It’s like… Rarity, have you ever been in a fight before? Not one where you argue and yell at each other, but one where you actually got dirty and used your hooves?” Rarity was silent for a few moments. There were a few times where she had gotten into trouble with some unpleasant customers, which was why she had taken self-defense classes to begin with. But nothing like what Applejack had described matched that. “No, I haven’t.” “It feels like tha, only… Ah got pummeled, but there’re no bruises, no bite marks or scorches from being shot by a unicorn horn. Ah feel weary the whole time and ah get this nagging in the back a’ mah head.” It was then that Rarity noticed the whole group looking at them. “Um… does it come in certain moments or…?” “It’s constant,” Applejack told them. “Not sure why.” She shook her head. “Twilight, any idea where we can find the Element here?” They all looked to Twilight and she seemed a bit unnerved. “I’m gonna cast the spell.” She lit up her horn and a small silver-ish light hovered above her head. It flew off before turning around the next corner to the right. “That way,” Rainbow Dash cried and took off first, the others in hot pursuit. Rarity found herself not fond of running in the desert, that tends to bring out the dust easily and it stains the coat not to mention- Badang! They all found Rainbow Dash slammed on the ground just a few feet away from the entrance of a deep cave. “Ow,” said Rainbow. “What was that?” “Are you alright, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked Rainbow as she got up on her hooves again. “Yeah, I was flying fine, the next I hit something that wasn’t there at all.” Twilight took a look at the cave entrance. She lifted a hoof and went for a rapping. Rarity thought it almost ridiculous. Almost was the keyword as Twilight’s hoof connected with something that made a sound. “It’s a forcefield. Shining’s design.” “Let me guess, it’s unpenetrable,” Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Impenetrable,” Rarity corrected and tried her hoof at the forcefield herself. She connected with it herself. “But there must be a reason why it is here right in front of the entrance to this… dark, and probably damp cave.” “There is,” Twilight told them. “It’s a minor forcefield of Shining’s design. It just keeps ponies out except for a few of his own choosing whenever he needed to keep certain ponies in the loop of something important. But I do know this,” she said and flared up her horn. “it’s not immune to a nice burst of magic.” She fired off a bolt. It went straight through without a fuss. Rarity noted that Twilight blinked twice, thereby giving the suggestion that wasn’t the reaction she had expected. Rarity lifted her hoof again and rapped. It still connected with the forcefield. “I daresay that Sombra has made a few modifications, darling.” “Eheh… seems that way,” Twilight reluctantly admitted. “So let me get this straight,” Applejack said while getting Fluttershy off her back. “Only one a’ us can go through that forcefield?” “Let me try something else, first.” Twilight teleported to the mouth of the cave, but got spat back out immediately. “Okay, four of us left to try. Who’s first?” “Me!” Pinkie bounced up to the air and bounced right off the barrier. “Phoo-wee.” Rarity looked to Spike and he seemed squeamish. Spike noticed her staring. “I think I’m sitting this one out. I don’t think Sombra’s forgotten about me this time.” Then the two unicorns looked to Applejack. “Applejack? Do you think…” Rarity started. “It’s got to do with mah headache?” Applejack finished. Rarity motioned with her eyes that Applejack could try this time. Applejack seemed less keen on it, but she walked up to the forcefield anyway. When she rapped her hoof, it didn’t connect. “Huh, look at that,” Applejack said with joy and walked straight through the forcefield. “Shame y’all couldn’t come through with me. Ah could do with the help.” “Sorry,” Twilight told her. “Even if it is one of Shining Armor’s designs, it has Sombra’s modifications and I don’t know how to work through those. And even if I did, it would still take time. Hopefully, I can get through this in an hour at most.” “Ah’d better get going then,” Applejack said. “Wish me luck.” With that, she trotted into the cave. “We’ll be right behind you, darling,” Rarity called after her. Then a giant stone slab came down and covered up the entrance. “Or not,” Rarity said with a forced smile. Applejack kicked the stone slab as hard as she could. One time became two times and that in turn became three. “Come on!” She cried and bucked it in order to get out. Taking on the cave on her own was one thing, not having an exit was a totally different thing. She gave up after the fourth attempt because she needed the strength to carry on. Sombra could easily swarm over her if she was exhausted. Applejack stared at the slab before looking further into the cave. To say it was dark was obvious. No light, no sign that it was going to end. Just endless darkness. Perfect for ambushes and traps that she couldn’t spot. “So y’all wanna get me separated from the others just ta get ta me, huh?” She asked the darkness. All she got was silence. “Fine, be that way.” Applejack began her trek into the dark tunnel and kept walking. She got to think over what could happen. On the train ride back from the Crystal Empire when they had managed to save it, Twilight had told them about the defenses Sombra had set up around the Crystal Heart. First there was the crystal that only responded to dark magic. Then there was the winding staircase down, followed by the door that showed you your worst fears. Applejack shook and hoped there wouldn’t be one here. Although she would draw a conclusion at this point: Sombra signed his work with the traps he had used at the Empire for a simple reason. They worked. Applejack couldn’t feel any stairs as she walked on, hoping she had brought a flashlight with her or at least something that brought light so she could see properly. Sombra or something left behind by him could be here, even right next to her. The thought kept her alert and made her take each step carefully. Applejack wasn’t a scaredypony, but even the bravest wouldn’t be so eager as to jump into a trap and she wasn’t keen on having… something happen to her. Now that she thought about it, what other traps were there that Sombra had used before? Twilight had mentioned more stairs after the door, even more than what would have been possible given the castle’s size. And if that wasn’t enough, the Crystal Heart had an alarm around itself, alerting him. Good thing Spike was there with Twilight. Thinking back on all those traps got Applejack thinking what kind of dangers Sombra would have in mind for her. He knew she was an earth pony, he knew that she wasn’t a big danger like Rainbow Dash or Twilight. Compared to them she was… not fully a threat. All she had were her hooves, a rope and her hat. And all of a sudden, a headlamp. “Huh?” Applejack had barely noticed the thing until her hoof connected with it by what could have been sheer accident. Or maybe not. And if not, why would Sombra provide her with a headlamp in the first place? He doesn’t help ponies, nor does he give them any hints.   Applejack got the mental idea that there could be another pony down here with her in the dark. Or something else. Still, a headlamp was a headlamp and it gave light in the dark. She donned it quickly under her hat. “Not gonna say no ta some light,” she told herself and walked on. Compared to the outside, the tunnel was rather cool and she didn’t sweat as much as she thought she would with her armor on. Felt a bit drafty too, even with the entrance closed. Applejack’s spirits lifted up, from having been underground before and she knew that a draft meant that wind was coming in, which in turn meant there was another exit somewhere. “Okay, now I know I can get out someplace else.” With that in mind, she began trotting ahead with the flashlight on full power. She got about thirty paces before she noticed that the ground just… stopped. “Huh?” Applejack went up for a closer look, stepping up to the edge. There was no slope, no wall, no ledges, just a sheer drop into the black. “Is this it? How deep is that?” A small pebble on the edge that seemed loose was perfect. Applejack gave a nudge and listened for a noise as it fell down. It took about ten seconds before she heard the pebble hit the bottom. “Oooh, that’s a long drop. How am Ah supposed ta get over this?” Applejack did have a rope on her, but as far as she could see, there wasn’t anything she could tie or lasso it to. Wait, is there something on the other side? Is there another side of this? She had to squint her eyes, but Applejack could see a ledge on the other side. “Ah dunno if Ah could jump that distance.” She took a measuring stare at the ledge she was standing on and other. “Maybe. Maybe Ah could jump this, but Ah could easily slip and fall down there. It feels like it’s just over what Ah can do.” A few moments later, Applejack decided it most likely wasn’t worth it and she would go back for another route. “Maybe Ah missed something earlier without the headlamp. Yeah, Ah should go back and-” The moment Applejack turned around, she couldn’t help but notice that huge wall of living and moving shadow in front of her obstructing the path. That big boulder wasn’t there before, either. Applejack had been expecting an ambush all along, only that she had been expecting goons, minions she could fight off. A large boulder enwrapped in shadow was not among those, and it didn’t look like Sombra’s idea. The boulder moved. The shadows shook it “awake” as far as she could and lifted it in the air. Applejack cringed as she recognized what it was going to do. She hurled herself to the side as soon as the boulder launched. It missed her narrowly and fell down the big chasm. It took a brief moment for Applejack to realize that. “Ha!” She yelled at the shadows. “How’s that? You can’t take out one mare, can you? Ah’ve seen mah big brother drunk with better aim than you. Why don’t you try with the regular ganging up tactic? That always-” Applejack felt rock slamming into her from behind, being thrust forward into the shadows. Somewhere her headlamp stopped working. The rock rolled off her and she could feel her legs burning with pain as she tried to stand up again. “Or I can simply attack you from behind while you were talking,” Sombra’s deep booming voice echoed around her. “This is easy, just as I expected.” Applejack heaved herself on her hooves and tried starting up her headlamp again. “Really? You lookin’ down on me, Sombra?” “You’re a joke compared to them, farmer. Your strong unicorn would be a threat, and your pegasus is too mobile to keep down but you have nothing that can equal them. What makes you think you are anything useful? It’s not like your own products are anything good, either. Cheap swill and moldy manure is what you are selling to Ponyville.” “Oh no, you did not just badmouth Sweet Apple Acres!” Applejack knew this was just to rile her up to make her do something stupid, but Sombra knew what he would say word for word. She had to give him that. “I did. And with you out of the way, the rest of your friends will fall easily. Even if the Element of Honesty would find a new bearer, it would take years before that will happen. So… do me a favor and fall down that abyss I prepared for you.” Applejack heard the boulder being lifted again and she stepped back. Her headlamp was still malfunctioning and she couldn’t see anything in the dark. She stopped moving when her hindhood ceased connection with the ground and she knew she was at the ledge. She could try to jump, but she couldn’t see the ledge on the other side. The boulder was gonna launch at her again and she wouldn’t be able to dodge it in time. It would send her over- Hang on. Applejack took a deep breath and braced herself. The boulder came forward, Applejack didn’t move for it. She raised herself on her hindhooves and felt the rock slam into her, sending her flying down. All or nothing, now, she thought. She climbed up to the top of the rock and then… she jumped. Applejack had no idea how long she was airborne. A second, maybe two. It felt like minutes. But she felt reality kick in again when she landed on hard ground again, the armor nearly buckling from impact and her air went out the lungs again. She had to collect herself again with air before getting up. She tried one final time with her headlamp and miraculously, it lit up. Applejack swelled with joy on seeing she was finally on the other side. She could see Sombra’s eyes fill with rage and she couldn’t help but smirk. “Athletic skills and strong legs, THAT’s what Ah’m bringing ta our band of friends!” “You will die here,” Sombra told her. “You know how I work, but do you know what I have in here? You won’t get anywhere near your pathetic Element, because I’m going to kill you.” “And how are y’all gonna do that over there while Ah’m over here?” Applejack said that. She felt sapped in her legs, her armor was getting heavy but she was clear of him and she could move on. That’s when she heard the snarling behind her. Applejack had never been so grateful for two things in her life before. One, Sombra had vanished into the darkness and she wasn’t hearing his ranting anymore. Second, the captain had made a good point about wearing armor. The moment she had turned around, something huge had attacked her. It went straight for her headlamp, leaving her in the dark, and then it turned on her. Applejack couldn’t see what it was, but it had massive claws and raked them over her body as much as it could. She could hear its claws scratch across the tough metal of her armor and her hat may have taken a hit or two on her before she kicked it off her and ran faster than she could remember she had done before. It was now dark and her headlamp was slightly damaged. Fortunately, it was functional, but unless she was fast it would go out quicker than expected. She saw her hat damaged. It was torn and battered because of that attack and Applejack cringed at the claw mark. And all she could do was move forward. Sombra was still lying in wait for her somewhere and she couldn’t jump that gap again. Applejack could also feel bruises burning on her and with those, jumping would be impossible. She should have brought some medical supplies with her. How long have Ah been here, she thought as she walked on. It felt like hours, days even, but it can’t have been more than just one hour. Time flies when you’re having fun, they say, but Applejack can’t really say she has had any fun so far except for finding the headlamp. When she was feeling better, she stumbled over the next challenge. A path that seemed to lead up to a doorway. “Oh, this bit,” she said loud. “Ah bet this is one a’ them doors that move on their own, can only be opened by unicorns and leads to your worst fears if you use the wrong one.” Applejack felt like she should just break down the darn door, and walked onto the path anyway. Some adventurers would probably give up and go find some other dungeon to loot, not her. Applejack wasn’t going to give up on this one. Not like she could give up, anyway. There was the door. Applejack could already see that it was going to be difficult as she walked up to it. It was big enough for her to go through and she could it was an oak door. Those were some of the toughest and it was a good choice. Applejack gave the unicorn credit yet again for what he had cooked up. And then she noticed that the door had been blasted apart. “Huh?” Applejack rubbed her eyes and looked again. The door had been destroyed and split into nearly two parts with clear scorch marks of a bolt. Applejack could spot the results of a magic bolt easy and she decided she was gonna get Twilight something real nice once this whole thing is over. “Okay, time ta see what you have in here, Sombra.” It was a round room. When Applejack stepped in, lights turned on, revealing six circles of identical (or, at least they looked identical) various colors. Applejack turned off her headlamp, letting it rest a while. “Okay, now that Ah didn’t expect. Lessee…” Sadly, Applejack may have gone to school, but the only one she knew who could interpret magic circles was Twilight. Twilight had at a few times shown them some circles she know and they were for doing wards or teleportations between linked circles. All of these were… new? Old? Whatever they were, Applejack couldn’t tell which one was which and which could do what. “And no manual,” she complained. “Not like Ah was expectin’ one ta begin with. Ah could go with just going one at random at a time, but Ah dunno if that’s a good option. Sombra most likely wants me dead so Ah can’t just pick one and hope for the best. But Ah don’t see any other options.” This sucked. “Ah’m just gonna have ta wing it from here, aren’t Ah?” Applejack took a look at the colors: blue, red, green, teal, yellow and purple. Darn, this is hard. “Alright, next time, we’re gonna need a manual on the circles, along with some custom wings for those who can’t fly.” She first went for the red one. Red as her apples and apples were good. Applejack paused herself for thinking that, but she had made her choice anyway. “Okay, first circle. Here we go.” She stepped and waited. “If this sends me into a hypno nightmare, Ah think I’ve made a bad choice.” Applejack heard growling behind her and saw three manticores in the room. “No, it brought monsters. Ah made a bad choice, but it was not so bad at all,” she said. “Wait.” One manticore roared and attacked, swinging its big paw against her. Applejack dodged and thrusted her forehoof towards it. The forehoof was still clad in a hammerhoof and the manticore’s face almost broke on impact. The manticore moaned in agony and backed away from her. Applejack and the other two stood still in stunned surprise. Applejack looked at her hammerhoof and spoke two sentences that many a newbie at using hammerhooves for the first time have uttered at seeing the result. “Celestia’s shiny hiney! These things leave a mark!” Back in Canterlot, Celestia sneezed in private, having no idea why she was blushing at the same time. Applejack saw the other two manticores back away and figured that they were as stuck as her. They probably didn’t want to be here and ending up in a strange situation from where they used to be must have surely made them reactionary. Now one of them had gotten beat up by a pony and- darn, now she felt guilty. “Alright, Ah can’t understand you, but Ah think you understand me. Ah don’ wanna be here mahself, but Ah have ta be. You don’t. Ah dunno if there’s a way out of here but there’s wind blowing in somewhere. If you follow that, maybe you could get out.” The manticores looked at each other and then comforted their hurt comrade. Applejack stepped aside to show them the exit and much to her surprise, all three of them left. “Huh. Why do Ah feel like that wasn’t what Sombra had intended?” Applejack stepped off the red circle and examined the rest of them. “So the red one summons monsters. Ah think that one was a fluke and hastily made or Ah’m just lucky. Okay, Ah need to think for a moment on colors.” Yellow was an okay color, but Applejack wasn’t too sure about stepping into that one. Anything could happen with that. Well, technically, anything could happen with any of these, but since there was no other doorway, one of these would let her continue. If she picked purple, chances would be that she could end up like Twilight did up in the Crystal Empire. It was starting to give off that vibe. But if that was an illusion, then she could step into that one and a door could appear. Then again, it could be the real thing and a bluff on Sombra’s part to make her step in. What about green? Green was a good color. Some of her apples were green, but she wasn’t going to base her logic off that again. But what would that do? This is so frustratin’, she thought. Why can’t some just be dumb enough to provide a manual? Or at least some clue?! But no, not Sombra. It was one thing hearing Twilight talk about his defenses, it was a whole different experience to go through with them yourself. Then she noticed the blue circle. “Huh. Ya know, outt’a them colors that are here, Ah wouldn’t put much money on blue.” If she remembered correctly, Twilight had mentioned that the color blue in those circles was beneficial. But then again, it was a Sombra. Cons: This could end up horrible for her and she could wind up dead, entrapped or cause a cave-in, etc. Pros: This could be her only way forward. … “Consarn it,” she said and stepped in. “Ah’m taking another chance. Pretty much the only thing Ah can do.” The magic circle flared up with small lightning arcs. “Uh oh.” Then Applejack’s world went white and the next thing she could see was a rock wall. “What? Hah ha! Ah made a good choice. Ah can’t wait until telling-” CRACK! “What?” Applejack took a second look where she was standing. A very narrow and thin rock ledge in a very narrow fissure and the ledge was cracking under her weight. “Oh come ON!” And the ledge gave way, sending Applejack down to what could be a potential doom. Applejack screamed, clamoring with her hooves to get hold on a much stronger ledge or something that would slow down her fall. A rock there, some old root there, it all broke thanks to her speed. Applejack spotted another rock ledge just short of a large cave area that glowed and she aimed for that with her falling as much as she could. Fortunately, the ledge was big enough to catch all of her, but she wasn’t sure if it would hold her weight. Beggars can’t be choosers, and she slammed down hard on the ledge. “Augh… goat cheese takeout, that hurts… Can this day get any worse?” She heard more cracks and closed her eyes. “Obviously.” CRACK! “AAAH!” At least the ledge had survived a purpose: She was still alive when she landed again. Or, at least she was in lots of pain. Big Mac once said when she was having her bucking lessons under him that pain was a friend, that it was there to tell you that you had bitten off more than you could chew and you should stop and rest awhile. Applejack couldn’t be happier that she was alive, but she wasn’t fond of the pain at the moment. “Ah’m gonna lay still for a while. Ah need a breather after everything that’s happened. At least this patch of metal is more comfy than rock…” Applejack took a few deep breaths and yawned, resting her head on the- Metal. Applejack’s eyes snapped wide open and she took a closer look at her bed. Gold. Specifically, gold coins. Stretched across were a number of big gemstones. She could feel her irises shrink down to little pinpoints. A piece of armor there, some shed scales here… She knew exactly where she was and it terrified her. “Oh, no~.” The sun was setting. All day, the rest of the ponies and Spike had been at the barrier, trying to break it open. Twilight had nearly run herself exhausted working on it. And they had been met with, obviously seen, mostly failure. Not to mention the big stone slab. They’d have to break through that as well to get to Applejack. Twilight was fit to be mad. It was the equivalent of having a test you had done before returned to you with new questions, only the questions had nothing to do with the subject the test was about. Just how did Sombra do it? How is he able to take somepony’s magic and apply it with his own modifications? That’s Twilight’s thing. “Rrgh, I give up, I can’t break through this.” Twilight walked over to a small campfire they had lit and plopped her haunches down on a rock. “I really dislike saying this but Sombra has me beat.” “How bad?” Dash asked her. “Like everytime I take one step forward, he takes two. Makes me wonder if he too has a special talent in magic. Wouldn’t surprise me at this point.” Twilight took a cup of water offered by Spike and drank slowly. “So Applejack is trapped in there?” Fluttershy asked, who had finally come to. “I can’t say that we won’t be able to help her, but we have to try another way. We can’t go through the obvious defenses and it would take too long to make a regular tunnel.” “And I don’t have anything with me that can help with that, not even sugar canes.” Everyone looked at Pinkie Pie. “What? I left most of my stuff back at the ship.” It was now completely dark save for the moonlight as they settled. Rainbow Dash took a moment to yawn. “I think we need to get some rest before we try again. Applejack can handle herself, we all know that.” “You didn’t see what happened when we were in that maze made by Discord?” Twilight asked. “No,” Rainbow replied. “I was separated from Applejack the whole time while he had put his hypnosis over all of us.” “Oh.” Twilight blushed at the memory. “But you may have a point- what happened to the light?”  “Why has the moon gone out?” Spike was heard asking. “I don’t like the moon going out, I’d like to have it go back on.” “Okay, that’s weird. The moon just can’t go out like that,” Twilight pointed out. “Um... why is there a mist coming across the canyon?” Fluttershy asked as fog clouds could be barely seen sweeping over them. “A mist shouldn’t come like this.” “Hooves where we can see ‘em!” The voice came all distorted and unnatural, but it was loud enough for them to hear it. Out of the mist came a multitude of griffins with spears and shortswords, wreathed in shadows to the point their eyes were all black with a very small red glow in the sockets. Their beaks were in a constant frown as if they were baring their teeth if they had any. Twilight gulped. This was going to get really ugly, really soon. “So much for that small nap...” Applejack on the other hoof was pretty certain she was just talking to thin air but there might be a chance that He was listening. “Ah feel like Ah need to use mah Manehattan accent for this and yes, Ah have a Manehattan accent. Ah just don’t use it very often.” She cleared her throat. “Sombra, if you are listening, I am going to use this whole cave adventure as an excuse to beat the living crap out of you.” Out of all things, Sombra had to install that teleport circle straight into the lair of the dragon of the Rearing Stones. Okay, there could have been worse situations - an underwater cave with no air, a open pit with spikes at the bottom, a pack of starving timberwolves. The possibilities could go on for hours. Even so, Applejack felt terrified being stuck in a dragon’s lair. And everypony knew that dragons didn’t take kindly to ponies or anyone else intruding in their lair at all. This is gonna be horrible. Please don’t notice me, please don’t notice me, please don’t notice me! Where’s the darntootin’ exit?! Applejack had good reason to worry about her hoofsteps clinking against the gold but as long as she could reach the regular floor she’d be safe there. “Good, now ah’m on the floor,” she whispered to herself. “Ah better find the exit and make a beeline out of here.” Walking always took time so a busy mare like Applejack with work to do was always trotting wherever she went unless she had a heavy load of apples to sort in the barn. Trotting did make a lot of noise and with the horseshoes she had, Applejack figured she could wake the dragon if she trotted. Speaking of the dragon, where was it? Was it already awake and outside? Was the dragon awake and inside in hiding? Was it still asleep? How the heck do ah know? And the dark, grim atmosphere of the whole room didn’t help either. Shouldn’t dragons have it well-lit so they could always count their treasure? Why were the lights out? “Your money or your life!” A yell from nowhere pierced the silence and Applejack turned around. Six shadow-wreathed griffins armed with swords and crossbows surrounded her. They didn’t say anything else, they just closed the gap between them slowly. Applejack took a deep breath and steeled herself. Most of Sombra’s traps were things she could not fight. This time? She could fight. “I wouldn’t try that,” a new voice said and everyone froze to look at the source. Applejack knew him on sight: Steel Beard. “No worries, they won’t hurt you much, they’ll just break your legs. Maybe slice your neck. It’ll be quick at least, no dragging it out.” “And you said Ah wouldn’t try fightin’ these griffins?” Applejack scoffed and slammed her forehooves into the first one that was sent flying by the blow. “Who’s next?” Another griffin went straight to attack her, and Applejack remembered her basic training. Most guards in Ponyville had been pegasi but they did teach her moves for Earth ponies. Applejack rose up on her hind legs and swung her forehooves in a controlled fashion to keep him at bay. Another circled around but Applejack had seen him already. When the griffin was in position, Applejack fell back on all four and jumped straight up with her rear legs pulled in for one of her famous bucking kicks. The griffin was sent flying into one of the gold piles and the money fell in an avalanche over him. Applejack held the other griffins at bay with her kicks and punches in a very controlled motion of her body and in less than a minute after the fight had started, Applejack stood alone in a small clearing of the floor surrounded by downed griffins still wreathed in shadow. “Alright, Steel Beard, y’all are next on mah things ta do, and ah think ah know somethin’ else.” “What’s that?” Steel Beard asked. “That mah Element of Honesty is in this very hall. Otherwise, y’all wouldn’t be here ta begin with. Why else would Sombra put you and these birds here?” Steel Beard closed his eyes, Applejack could barely see that and hummed. Though when he opened them again, his eyes were those of Sombra’s. When he spoke, his attitude and tone had changed completely. “You show yourself better than you look, farmer. But not by much.” Applejack frowned at staring straight at Sombra. “Ya know, Ah’m surprised that from what Twilight told me, y’all haven’t tried any of those ‘yer worst fears come true’ spells on me. Care to explain that?” Sombra sneered at her. “No. I’m not obligated to sate your curiosity.” Applejack just… stopped. He wasn’t going to tell her? “Really? That’s yer big answer? ‘I’m not obligated?’” “Why bother with telling you anything?” Sombra countered. “I have no need to tell you nor do I want to. Why would I willingly give you secrets that I strive to keep hidden from all but myself? There is no purpose in doing that.” “Is there a purpose to being annoyed by somepony?” Applejack asked him. “No, but then there is another question: What purpose would there be to having troops when you’re not using them?” “Uh oh,” Applejack ducked and felt her hat getting pierced by a swift arrow. Rrgh, why do they always go for the hat? Applejack spun around and saw one of the griffins go back up. The griffin in particular had been given a headblow from one of her hammerhooves and should have stayed down for at least an hour. He had gotten back up without so much of a scratch or even a concussion. “How?” Applejack whispered as the rest of them crawled out and stood up. Not one of them showed any kind of injury. “Well, my birds will keep you occupied if not dead, farmer,” she heard Sombra scoff. “Though since you made it this far, I’ll be moving the Element from here to someplace else while you’ll be left as food for the dragon once he comes around.” Applejack didn’t have time to listen to him walking away since the griffins put her on the defensive. Her first priority at the moment was getting clear of them so she could pursue him before he could reach the Element. It was at that point she decided she needed more light in order to see. Jumping clear of the griffins from their attacks, she heard them coming up behind her and thought maybe she could blind them in the process. She reached up, flicked her headlamp on… And the griffins seemed to burn in the light. “What in the hayseed?” Applejack whispered to herself as she watched them trying to get away from the light by hiding behind the treasure piles. She looked at her headlamp and drew the dots together in her head. So light can hurt them, she thought. Now Ah got a clear path after Sombra. Applejack sprinted off for the sounds in the distance, knowing that could only be the fallen king. Being battered as she was, stopping for a rest was not possible at this time. She just had to keep going. Applejack saw Steel Beard just ahead, and seeing as she was sprinting, it was little wonder that he did the same without looking back. Steel Beard was well rested and unbruised and not wearing any armor, she could see that from her distance between the two and still she was catching up to him. But her own energy reserves were running out fast and she had to get there before him. But Applejack still had something with her which she thought she needed in there. She still had her rope with her. After confirming that the griffins weren’t following, AJ took it out and formed it quickly into a lasso on the move. If she stopped to make it, then Sombra would be too far ahead to catch up to again. With her lasso in mouth and twirling, she aimed and threw her lasso. It went around his neck and went taut when she stopped. She spat out the rope and kept going. “Meep, meep!” She cried cheerfully as she passed him with a darn smile on her face. “Gaarrgh!” She could hear him snarl behind her but she didn’t stop to smirk or be smug about it. Okay, now ah need ta find mah Element and git outta here as fast as ah can, she thought as she cantered along the gold piles. Now where would it be? Assuming Sombra hadn’t just plopped it in here, it would be most likely be placed in an elevated spot because there are some things that won’t change with some villains. That and the Element shone brightly like crazy when she got close to it. “There. Finally,” Applejack said as she approached it. The Element was secure in its necklace and it looked undisturbed on its pedestal. Thank the heavens it was undamaged. And yet Applejack was hesitant to pick it up. “Okay, wait, Ah have read enough Daring Do books to know that this is a trap,” she told herself. With limited time, Applejack debated to herself if it was boobytrapped and if it was, what kind of trap would it be. Okay, it looks harmless enough but that’just to lull ponies into a false sense of safety. Ah can’t have much time on me before they come again. Could Ah lure one into knocking it off for me, or do Ah just grab it and run like heck? “I’d rather not hurt you for your money!” She heard the griffins behind her yell with an angry Steel Beard in the front. He looked like Big Mac when he was riled up and that didn’t seem good to Applejack. “Mah decision’s made! Yoink!” Applejack just grabbed the Element and bolted from the pedestal as fast as she could in her state. “Don’t come near me! Ah have a headlamp and you can’t stand being in the light!” “Pray to your tyrant that you can outrun me!” Sombra’s voice boomed throughout the whole cavern and AJ saw a whirlwind of dust, smoke and were those swords from the griffins in there too? Applejack weighed her options and decided running in her battered and heavy state was a better option to being eviscerated by Sombra. So she bolted. Sombra’s whirlwind roared and flung crossbow bolts and large rocks in Applejack’s general direction as she ran from him. Applejack was fortunate that she could dodge most of them and that she was wearing armor as at least one bolt got deflected by it. Okay, Ah gotta get outta here NOW, she thought as she ran through the large halls of the dragon lair. This was an interesting architecture, she noticed and wondered if the dragon did some spare time carving rock. Wait, no, stop, focus on getting out of here, not admire the scenery. Applejack ran as well as she could with everything on and hoped that the hallway led to the outside. “I’m itching to try out my new sword!” She heard a griffin yell and fly straight at her from a shadowed corner with said weapon drawn in his talons. AJ blinded him with the headlamp and hit him with her hammerhoof when she had the chance and then bolted. The roaring noise of Sombra came closer to her, and still she ran. Had to get outside, had to get to her friends, had to get to the ship, had to- The crossbow bolt embedded itself in her left rear leg and the pain tripled. “Ah! Argh! Darnit!” She cursed some more under her breath and skipped on with the bolt still in and ohgoshhe’sstillontome! Then she saw a small door fit for ponies built in a much larger door, no doubt for the dragon. Why was there a door for ponies in a door for dragons? Why did she question it? Use it, you stupid girl! Applejack ran to the door, charged right through, closed the door and slammed down the bar blocking it. Just in the nick of time as well, as some force behind slammed the door once before quieting down. For the first time since entering the cave, Applejack could breathe slowly and calm down. She sagged down to the ground and looked at her leg. The crossbow bolt had nearly gone through with the arrowhead sticking out the other end. She cringed at seeing the damage and the blood. She wanted to pick it out, but she felt that would only cause more blood to flow. She was battered, bruised, exhausted, may have gotten something fractured, might have internal injury and now the crossbow bolt to add to the list of injuries. And then she noticed just how bright it was. She looked up and saw stars and the moon. “Thanks the stars, Ah’m outside at last!” She cried with joy. Forgetting the pain, Applejack wanted to cry tears of joy but remembered it wasn’t over yet. She had to get back to her friends and then back to the Spectrum. It hurt to get up with the armor and the bolt, but the captain would probably scold her for leaving it behind. However, she couldn’t walk far, as it turned out to a huge ledge. Fit for at least thirty ponies, or one big dragon, but she couldn’t see a way down. “What? No way down? Then why is there a door for ponies up here? Ah cheated! Ah came out from that door from the inside. Nopony was supposed ta do that, were they?” She concluded she must have been running upwards the whole time on a slope. Sneaky, sneaky, Sombra. He must have lured her into running up to the ledge which was a dead end so by the time he broke through that door, she would have nowhere to go and he could finish her off with no trouble at all. Ah need ta get down from here and fast, she thought and started looking for something she could use to get down. Shame she had left her rope behind on Steel Beard, otherwise she could have climbed down to some ledge down there. Small flashes of light occurred in the corner of AJ’s eye. When turning to it, she saw streak of magic beams with a familiar color to the farmer. Applejack reminded herself there was a reason Twilight was Princess Celestia’s top student. But she was also reminded that they were in danger. “Now Ah hope Twilight has some… long range teleport spell in her head, cuz we need ta git outta here-” Bang! Applejack turned to the great dragon door, which was almost dented from that just blow. And it kept on banging. “That’s not a good sound. Ah gotta get down from here.” She turned back to the edge and looked over for something she could use. All she could find with her headlamp was a thing ledge that looked like it could barely support weight. “That’ll have ta do.” Was there no end to these griffins? Twilight felt her horn ache through overuse, but the griffins kept coming. Rainbow swatted them away but they ganged up on her. Rarity kept to the back and protected Spike with blinding flashes on any griffin that came too close. Fluttershy kept close to Twilight and used what little self-defense skills she knew to keep griffins at bay from her unicorn friend. Pinkie was with Rarity and used her party cannon frequently. Nopony had bothered to point out where Pinkie had been keeping it. Twilight though felt like she was on fire. Between the moonlight going out, the fog sweeping in over them and the shadow wreathed griffins attacking them in total darkness and keeping a balance of distance and close range in their tactics, she hasn’t felt using her horn this much in self defense at all. The Canterlot Incident was close but this just exceeded it. Twilight really started to wish she had learnt more of tactics from Shining Armor than simply organization. Sure she had made decent so far, but this time it didn’t seem to be enough. “Any sign of Applejack?” She asked loudly. “None!” Rainbow Dash replied while dodging the griffins’ attacks with swift flying. “Twilight! Any chance to teleport us out of here?” Rarity asked. “Not without Applejack, of course, but we need to be away as soon as possible.” “Too short a distance for us to get away completely from them,” Twilight responded and blasted away another griffin, “but we can’t leave without Applejack and I don’t know if she’ll get here at all.” “Get back, you ruffians!” Rarity yelled and flashed her horn against a couple of more griffins. “This is certainly not going our way.” Twilight couldn’t help but agree. She was near exhaustion herself and had to reserve enough energy for them to teleport out of there. Hope Applejack would get there soon. “I’m out of party stuff here!” Pinkie shouted over the noise of her cannon fire. “I’m down to streamers and confetti!” “Applejack!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “Where are you!” “Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~” They could hear someone yell. “You guys hear that?” Spike asked. “HaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!” The next thing they knew, a large flat boulder flew in over their heads and slammed into the main body of the griffins. “Now that’s how we do it!” “APPLEJACK!” The others cried with joy at the sight of their friend. Applejack wasted no time in getting off and skimping over to them. It was only then that they saw Applejack’s condition. “Guys, we need light. They can be hurt in the light. Don’t worry about me, worry later once we get the heck outta here.” Twilight gave a nod to Rarity and Rarity flared up her horn immensely, spreading bright light all over the scene. The griffins reacted immediately, falling back into the darkness and far from the ponies. “Say, Twilight, any chance for us to get back to the ship like this?” “Depends on how long you can keep that light up, Rarity,” Twilight replied. “If not for long, then we will have trouble.” “Ah’ll say,”said Applejack. “Sombra’s here and he’s on his way here for sure. Ah dunno if the light will work on him but Ah don’t wanna stay here ta find out.” Twilight pondered this for a moment. “We’re doomed.” “Hey, what’s that?” Twilight took a quick look at Spike who pointed in a direction and then looked at the direction. A searchlight in the sky that advanced toward them. It took Twilight a second and a half to conclude what it was. “Fastest airship in the Air Force!” A megaphone boomed from the Spectrum. “YES!” Twilight gleed with joy and prepared her teleport spell to zap all of them onboard. “Alright, hold on. I’m doing a double.” “What’s-” Tamph! “-a-” Tamph! “-double?” Pinkie asked then looked around to see them all onboard the Spectrum. “Oh, neat.” “Captain,” Twilight addressed the officer. “Hard to starboard! Ease up the rotors, brace the foreyard! We’re getting out of here!” The crew leapt into action and followed the captain’s brief instructions with surprising accuracy of what to do. “Get Applejack to the infirmary straight away so we can take out that arrow.” “Much abliged,” Applejack said as Rainbow Dash and Rarity moved to support her. “And Twi, you better come with so we can discuss what ta bring on the next location.” “Hey, look,” Spike called to them and pointed on a large ledge. When the others moved to the observation rails, they could see a single pony out there lit up by the searchlight. “Is that…?” “Sombra possessing Steel Beard,” Applejack hissed in pain. Twilight had to squint her eyes but she could see rage and hate in Steel’s eyes, almost flaring with dark magic as he looked up to them. Then a flash of black smoke swept over and he was gone. Twilight swallowed hard and turned inwards. “Let’s go to the infirmary.” “What do y’all mean, y’all have to push it all the way through?” The ship medic and his assistant had seen the arrow sticking out of Applejack’s leg and Applejack was obviously not keen on their solution and demanded an explanation. Applejack laid on one of two beds that were in the infirmary, a small thin duvet with pillow and a log of wood above the pillow. Rarity had taken her hat for mending and her armor had been removed. The Element was in a safebox in the captain’s quarters with a combo lock only Twilight knew. “Arrow wounds are among some of the worst injuries anypony can suffer,” the medic told her. “You know those stories and fictions where a pony getting an arrow in his or her shoulder could just yank it out?” Applejack had read one such story and she liked it. “Yeah?” “Whoever came up with that idea first was an idiot.” The sentence was dropped like a lump of lead on the receiver. Applejack wasn’t keen on their solution of pushing it through anyway. “So we have to push it through and I will say that you were lucky that that’s the only thing we will do aside from sterilizing the wound and bandaging it.” “And just how am Ah lucky?” “Because if it had been embedded in your flanks or the arrowhead hadn’t gone through, we would have to use a scapel to carve up the wound even more so we could pull it out.” Whether it was the words that sunk in or that simple tone he used as if to describe riding a cart for the thousandth time, Applejack leaned back down on the bed and reached up to bite the log. “Just do what y’all need ta.” She saw Twilight walk up next to the bed and took her offered hoof while biting down on the log. She felt the medic take her leg and she cringed when they touched the arrow. “Okay, we’re pushing in three…” Applejack’s hold on Twilight tightened. “Two..” She bit down harder on the log. “One.” They pushed it through, it got out and all of a sudden they now had two wood logs above the pillow. Twilight was rubbing her hoof that was now free. Applejack felt relieved and breathed a lot easier than before with the arrow out. Then they applied the alcohol. “Oh, quit whimpering, Miss Applejack. You must have had worse back home where you live,” the medic told her and Applejack felt a desire to beat the living crap out of him alongside Sombra. “And there we go. Brave girl. Sadly we have no lollipops.” “Ah think Ah’ll… stick with apple cider,” Applejack stammered with Twilight rubbing her shoulder. AJ took a look at the new bandage around her leg. And then she saw the arrow. She felt rather pleased that that thing was out of her leg. “Oh, and do tell the captain Ah appreciate him forcing that armor on me. Saved mah hide a number of times.” “I think he knows.” The medic began to leave. “You should stay here for tonight, get some rest. Luna knows you need it.” And then he and his assistant left. Applejack calmed down and leaned down on the bed, chewing a bit more on the wood. “So…” Twilight began. “What would you say we need for the next location?” Applejack took a deep breath first. “Well…” Dawn broke and the tranquility of the San Palomino desert was shattered by a spotter’s sighting. “Smoke rising from Mustangia!” Most of the crew awake and Twilight and Rainbow Dash rushed to the observation railings to take a look. They saw smoke coming from the west as they had traveled east through the night. The captain stepped up to the railings. He looked to Twilight. “Ma’am, your mission takes priority. But I don’t want to simply ignore this until we come within signal distance of Appleloosa-” “And we won’t,” Twilight interrupted him. “You want to see the damage and help, go ahead. I don’t want to see this being a disaster we could have helped with.” The captain thanked her briefly. “Alright, Pegasi, I want volunteers. Two groups of four each. I want eyes on the ground ASAP.” Rainbow Dash was among the first to volunteer for the job and nopony objected when they made her one of the team leaders. Within half an hour, she and the other team leader Wind Singer lead six pegasi to Mustangia. “What do you reckon we’ll find?” Rainbow asked Singer. “Best wishes, just a local fire,” Singer told her. “If not that, then… I don’t want to think too much on it.” When they arrived, they found the worst scenario. Mustangia was utter ruins. Not one building was intact, a number of houses were on fire, some had even collapsed. It was a complete battlefield. But there was one thing that was missing to make it a battlefield. “Where is everypony?” Somepony asked. “Spread out,” Singer told them. “See if we can’t find somepony out there.” “You take the east end,” Rainbow told Singer. “I’ll take the west end. Ponies, let’s see what we can find.” Rainbow Dash led her team to the west end of town, spreading out in flight to look for something that said ‘look here for survivors’ or some intact building. Rainbow went northwest and flew lower than the others in her team for a closer look. Rainbow Dash felt anger rise in her as she looked on over the damaged buildings and she drew the conclusion who it was. Then a plank slamming on a floor caught her attention. Rainbow didn’t signal any of the others and went in first. “Hello?” She asked softly. “Is anypony there?” She got no response for a few seconds and then walked in further in the damaged house. “Look, I just got here with some other ponies, we’re here to help.” As silence greeted her more, she became more filled with sadness that there might not be anypony left. “Please be somepony here.” Rainbow was about to leave when she heard a sniffle behind some planks. She moved closer and saw a little earth pony filly hiding until she emerged, eyes packing with tears. “Hey, hey,” said Rainbow and gave the little filly a soft hug. The filly grabbed on and shivered and let the tears flow. “It’s okay, let it out. Take your time.” The filly calmed down after a while and Rainbow took the moment to signal the others. “They…” she started, catching Rainbow’s attention. “They came out of the dark. Mommy told me to hide… no warning at all, they just grabbed everypony in sight with their claws and talons…” Sombra. “I just… I just hid and stayed quiet.” The filly had stopped shivering with fear and Rainbow Dash stroked the poor girl’s back. “I didn’t want to be-” “Hey,” Rainbow interrupted her. “You did nothing wrong. I’m sorry we couldn’t come sooner and I’m sorry we can’t find your mom, but at the very least, we could find you.” She gave the little girl a hug. “And I promise you this, I’m gonna find the guy who did this. “And I’m gonna make him pay for all of this.”