Chapter Four: The Diamond in the Rough, Into the Cave
The night was dark, with stars but no Luna Moon. Shining Armor struggled against his restraints. “She was the Princess,” he muttered. “She must have thought I was so stupid!” he yelled with frustration and embarrassment. But the Guard had a good point? What was the Princess doing outside the Palace walls? And with a street-rat like me? Shining Armor thought bitterly.
“Hey, Shiny,” Twilight stood outside the bars on the window that led into the alleyways.
“Twili, down here,” she used her magic to put herself in the dungeon. “Help me outta these,” she smirked at him and he gulped.
“So, you and the Princess? Finally got to meet your lovely mare,” she giggled as he groaned.
Shining Armor shook his head. “By Luna Twilight, I’ve already been embarrassed enough today,” she giggled.
“She likes you too,” he raised an eyebrow and shook his head again. “Yes, she does. I could see it. Her Cutie Mark was glowing, bright blue,” he blinked.
“I didn’t see her Cutie Mark, it was covered by the cloak,” she shrugged.
“I didn’t either really, but I saw a bright blue glowing when you two were about to start tongue twisters with each other,” she laughed heartily as he blushed and sputtered in embarrassment.
Twilight used a lockpick to undo the bindings. “Yeah, but she was worth imprisonment. Despite my embarrassment,” he sighed sadly. “I’m a fool,” he shook his head.
A voice, a really creepy one at that, rasped words from the other side of the dungeon. “You’re only a fool if you give up boy.”
Shining Armor looked at the dark Unicorn pony warily, taking instant notice of the lightly curved horn and the red eyes. “Who are you?” he asked.
The other stallion slowly walked over to the two. He was older than both of them, with a graying mane and tail and dull eyes and a dark gray coat. “A lonely prisoner like yourself... but perhaps, together. We could be more,” though skeptical, and watchful of the other stallion’s moves, Shining Armor listened. “There is a cave, colt, a cave of wonders,” he showed the two his hoof which held blood rubies. Just one of them could set them on the right path. “And treasures enough to impress, you’re Princess,” Shining Armor’s ears perked at that.
“One problem, the three of us are in here. And that’s out there,” the darker stallion clucked his tongue.
“And why would you share this wonderful treasure with us?” Twilight added with an analyzing tone.
“I need a strong back and set of legs to go in after it,” the stallion stated. “Also, you would deserve a reward for bringing me the item I desire from the Cave. And you could get the Princess you want, and you all the books of Magic you want,” both looked interested now. “And not everything is as it seems,” he tapped his hoof to the wall, and it moved over, revealing a narrow but passable hidden room.
“Do we have a deal?” he held his hoof out. Shining Armor’s eyes met Twilight’s. She shrugged.
~The Cave~
Sombra had led the two Unicorns to the Cave and both stood there with awe and wonder and even slight fear when the Cave Heads opened. “Who dares disturb our slumber?” the three said in unison. No answer. They growled. “Who?”
“It is I, Shining Armor,” the Tiger raised a sandy eyebrow. “Proceed, touch nothing but the lamp of Chaos,” it opened its mouth.
“Now remember, colt,” they looked back at Sombra. “Bring me the lamp, the rest of the treasure is yours, but bring me the lamp,” Shining Armor and hesitantly walked into the cave mouth, with Twilight clinging onto his hoof.
The two Unicorns came into the Cave and saw all kinds of treasures beyond their imaginations. Just a hoofful of it would make them richer than the Sultan himself. “Just a hoofful,” Shining Armor chuckled.
“Forget the treasure, the stallion wants the lamp,” Twilight reminded and the stallion nodded.
Both walked towards the giant door that hopefully led to the lamp. “Wait...” Twilight froze and Armor turned.
“The Tiger’s Head said Lamp of Chaos...” she looked thoughtful. “I read about it before,” Shining Armor merely looked confused and she rolled her eyes. “The Lamp of Chaos, Chaos was the twin of Faust. But as Faust was the Mare of Harmony, Chaos was the Mare of her very name. She caused Disharmony and Pandemonium. Why would he want the Lamp that belonged to her?” Shining Armor shrugged.
“I don’t know, but there must be a reason,” Twilight stared at him.
“We don’t even know this pony and he wants the Lamp of one of the most powerful beings in Equestrian existence!” she all but screeched. She could knock out a Harpy if she wanted. “It’s dangerous to do so,” Shining Armor sighed.
“Or maybe he wants to do something better with it. Didn’t your book say that you could channel the magic of Chaos? Well why not use it for good instead of bad?” she looked thoughtful. “If anything happens, you could blast him. You’re more powerful than I am,” she blushed and looked just a faint bit of prideful at those words.
Neither noticed how they stepped on the carpet with the small baby Dragon on it. It had the designs and patterns of fire on it, Red Fire, Blue Fire, Green Fire, Black Fire, all kinds of Fire. In the middle was a purple baby Dragon with green spikes and darker green eyes. He had a small tooth sticking out of the side of his mouth.
After Twilight passed over it, the carpet came to life and the Dragon actually blinked its eyes. “Two new ponies? There hasn’t been a pony in here in millenia,” the Dragon whispered to himself. He looked at the Unicorn curiously. “She’s powerful,” he slowly followed her. He could sense the magic from her and her power resembled that of what Faust had called Magic. She was Kind as she was Loyal, Honest and could always find a Laugh, and Generous as well as Magical. Friendship, that was what Faust had called it.
He poked her in the shoulder and the moment she jumped and turned her head quicker than lightning, he flew above her head. Lightly and carefully he picked up the hat of her head and put it on the top part of himself. He ‘stood’ next to her and when she saw him, she screamed and practically ran into Shining Armor.
“Twili are you crazy?” she forcibly used her magic to turn his head. But to be fair the Dragon Carpet was only playing, she scared him. “A magic carpet,” Shining Armor gaped with a smile. “Come here, come on,” the Dragon Carpet dusted off Twilight’s hat and returned it to her. “Thanks,” Shining Armor nodded.
The Dragon Carpet, or at least the Dragon’s face, grinned toothily. “So what brings two ponies like you into the Cave of Wonders?” both of the Unicorns gaped with bugged out eyes. “What?” he asked with genuine confusion. “Haven’t you ever seen a Dragon Carpet before? You have right?” he pointed at Twilight. Both silently shook their heads, eyes still wide and mouthes agape. “Huh,” he shrugged as much as a carpet could shrug. “Well, here’s the Dragon Carpet from the Cave of Wonders!” he introduced.
“Do you have a name other than ‘The Dragon Carpet’?” Twilight asked. The Dragon head on the carpet nodded.
“It’s Spike,” he did a low bow.
“Nice to meet you Spike,” Twilight smiled. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, and this is my older brother Shining Armor. He shook their hooves.
“So what are you two doing in the Cave of Wonders?” he repeated.
“Looking for the Lamp of Chaos,” the green eyes of the Dragon widened. “Do you know where it is?” Shining Armor asked. He nodded and gestured for them to follow.
They entered a darker, yet still illuminated cavern. It had a dark royal blue hue, with a giant pointed rock in the center. A pure white light shown unto the where the lamp had been for the past millenia. There was a path of rocks that led up to the lamp‘s post. “Wait here,” Shining Armor ordered his sister.She pouted, folded her arms, and waited. That was when something bright red, a color brighter than Sombra’s crystals, eyes, and rubies, caught her own violet eyes.
It was a Colossal Ruby. It matched the ruby in the center of the Alicorn Amulet and had that same enchanting power, and the hooves of a grinning female Draconequus(Eris, if you will) held it out to her. Her eyes seemed to turn a shade of red that matched Sombra’s eyes. “Come and touch my heart, for you will play your part,” the chilling words possessed Twilight Sparkle. She slowly walked up to it as Shining Armor reached the top of the rock pile.
Spike tried to hold her back, he knew the effect of Eris, Chaos, and Discord and what they could do. Especially to ponies. Meanwhile Shining Armor carefully picked up the mismatched lamp. “This is it?” he asked, turning his body back to where Spike and Twilight were at. “This is what we came all the way down here to--” he saw the red in Twilight’s eyes. “Don’t!” he shouted, but it was to late, her hooves had touched the Ruby.
“Infidels!” the voices of the Tiger, the Goat, and the Serpent all bellowed at once. “You have touched the Forbidden Treasure!” the screeched. “Now you will never again see the light of day!” the blue turned to orange and red as lava and fire poured into the Cave. Shining Armor clutched the lamp and used his magic to move himself away. Spike picked up Twilight, though she still held the Chaos Heart in her hooves, and grabbed Shining Armor along the way.
They flew all the way up, with a few twists, turns, and screams from all three. Even Spike. They nearly reached the Cave mouth before a rock fell and trapped Spike to the floor. Twilight had disappeared for the moment and Shining Armor was clinging on to the rocks for dear life to not fall in. “Throw me the lamp!” Sombra ordered.
“Give me your hoof!” Shining Armor pleaded. Sombra shook his head rapidly, almost violently.
“First throw me the lamp!” he ordered once again. Shining Armor complied. The moment the lamp touched Sombra’s hoof he began to cackle as the thunder roared and lightning crackled across the black sky. “YES! AT LAST!” he laughed, placing it into his cloak. He noticed the purple coated Unicorn trying to help her brother up and kicked her out of the way, grabbing the other Unicorn’s hoof and pulling him up.
“What are you doing?” Shining Armor demanded. Sombra grinned dementedly. It could have put Bellatrix’s cackle and maddened gleam to shame.
“Giving you your reward,” his grin turned into a scowl. “Your eternal reward,” he raised the blade and saw that the white stallion’s eyes widened. But his sister would have none of it. She actually bit his ear, nearly ripping it off in the process. He screamed and let go of Shining Armor who fell back into the cave and he dropped the knife. “I can’t say I didn’t approve of the dirtiness of your trick, little filly,” he grinned sadistically at her. “But your reward will come from Magic, of the Dead!” he used his magic to throw her in after her brother.
The Cave Heads slammed shut as the thunder and lightning died down. He chuckled. “It’s mine... finally...” he dropped the glamour, returning to his dark Sombra glory. “It’s all mine, I--” he reached his hoof into his cloak, but felt nothing. “Where is it?” his heart seemed to stop and his stomach churned. “Where is it?!” he demanded. It was gone. It was gone! “NOOOOOOOOOO!” he fell to his knees and bellowed to Celestia and Faust’s Heavens.
“Nice job,” Chrysalis muttered in his ear. Big mistake. He rammed his Alicorn Amulet scepter into her face. “OW!” she screamed. But Sombra heard it not. That filly... That Unicorn filly. He began to chuckle maddeningly. Hysterically and crazed. His eyes became unfocused as he continued laughing with fury. Great he’s lost it. Chrysalis dared not to say it out loud, lest she get hit again.
“That pony... That...” he cackled like a banshee. “That FILLY. Dead as a doornail, and she stole the lamp! I know she did! If there is a CHANCE she’s alive!” he laughed for all he was worth. His madness nearly overtaking him once and for all.