//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 
// Story: Luna's Mission 
// by kalawoof 
//------------------------------//

Starburst entered the hotel first, then bumped right into the rhyming zebra. “Zecora! I forgot that you were here!” she yelled. Darkecho and Luna entered next. They quickly told Zecora what was going on, which she connected to the mysterious flu that had started to take over Fillydelphia. 

“A sickness of crystals, that is what ails. But let me join in your quest, I will surely try my best,” Zecora said.

“Good! I went to your hut to see if you would come, but you weren't there! I’m glad we ran into you!” Star said, hugging the zebra. Zecora nodded. 

“We leave in the morning for the cave,” Luna said, walking up the stairs to her room.

In the morning, they took no time to have fun or explore. They gathered in the hotel lobby, checked out of the hotel, and took a carriage to the edge of Fillydelphia. “Here we go," Luna said, turning herself back into what she usually looked like. “Princess, do you disguise yourself often?” Star asked as they approached the mountain. 

“Yes, I like to go around Canterlot like that and act like a normal citizen,” Luna replied. Luna began to fly up the mountain, leaving Star and Darkecho to carry Zecora up together.

“Are you sure, Princess, that in this cave we will find success?” Zecora asked when they landed. Luna took a breath, ready to reply, then gave up and started walking into the cave. Darkecho used his magic to make a light blue glow to show the cave. They walked through tunnels, and there was no sign of any inhabitants. 

“Maybe we’re in the wrong cave?” Star asked, then jumped when she heard a smashing sound.

“This is the right cave. They just covered it up very well,” Luna said, lifting her hoof to show a shattered black crystal. 

“This was inching across the floor towards me. I’m sure it was trying to get to my horn to disable my alicorn magic,” she explained.
The light in the cave shifted as Darkecho started walking to a boulder in the center of the room. 

“This has a hoof print etched into it,” he observed.

Luna joined him at the boulder and said, “That’s not some picture etched into it, somepony has moved this several times in the same spot,” she said, placing her own hoof on the print.

“Here, let me try,” Starburst said. She shoved with all her might, but without success. 

“Why don’t we try in a team? If anypony is under they could show a light beam,” Zecora said, placing her hooves on the boulder. With everypony pushing, it finally slid out of place, showing a hole.

“Well, see you at the bottom!” Star yelled, jumping onto the underground slide. She held in cheers of excitement, in case there was an enemy at the bottom. She heard the others follow, one at a time. Once they were all at the bottom, Darkecho lit up his horn again. They found that they were surrounded by cloaked ponies. 

“Oh, I guess we should have suspected this,” Darkecho said.