My Little Pony: Quest for the Forbidden temple

by IceStorm

Prologue

Tonight had been an amazing night in Ponyville. Of course, after one of Pinkie Pie’s parties, how could an evening be anything less that spectacularly fun!? They had everything that you could think of, games, dancing, streamers, punch, and of course, all of their friends. What more could a pony ask for? Alas though, even the best of parties eventually have to come to an end.

“Hey Pinkie! Thanks for another amazing party! It was totally Awe-some!” Rainbow Dash yelled before flying off in the direction of her house. “See ya tomorrow Pinks!”

“I simply must agree with Rainbow Dash. This was exactly what I needed after rushing to get an order finished for Hoity Toity. Of course that being said, I do believe I must call it a night as well. Otherwise, my order for Sapphire Shores will start falling behind as well, and, while I’ve apparently gotten used to cutting in close, I still actually need to go out and find all the gems I need for her ensemble. As Dash said though, thanks again though for a truly delectable evening. We should definitely do this again soon.” Rarity proclaimed.

With that everypony started going their separate ways Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy all giving Pinkie their thanks before making their way back to their homes for the night. It had already gotten pretty late, and Luna’s moon was already high in the sky. A slight breeze started rolling in from the Everfree Forest on their way homes, but nopony thought anything about it. After all, it was just a few gusts of wind periodically. That was, generally, nothing to worry about.

Twilight was the last to make it to the Library as she walked with Fluttershy to her cottage making sure she would be fine for the evening. After all, her cottage was the closest building to the forest, and was entirely possible that something could stray out of the forest that far.

“Ho boy! That was one heck of a party!” Spike said with all the excitement of a small filly receiving a new toy for the first time.

“Yup,” Twilight said with an obvious tone of exhaustion in her voice. “She certainly knows how to throw a super party. Now, however, I am super pooped,” she said leaning down to nuzzle Spike. “Good night Spike,” she said before climbing into her bed and quickly falling asleep.

When the next morning arrived, there was something that was… off. Ponyville was usually bustling with some sort of activity every morning, even with as small as it was. In fact, it was because it was as small as it was that it was bustling. The Market place and Town Square always had somepony or ponies in them either going to Town Hall, or shopping or setting up their merchant booths. This morning however, only flower sister’s flower shop was open along with Ponyville Day Spa, and Golden Harvest’s carrot stand. Even Sugar Cube Corner was still closed, and Twilight knew that Sugar Cube was one of the first places that opened in the morning.

“Hey Twilight!” She heard Rainbow yelling in a somewhat panicked tone. “Do you have any idea what’s going on? Almost the entire weather team is missing and we’re supposed to be preparing a rain storm today. I went to their homes and they were all still sleeping, so maybe I thought that they just simply over slept… but… but…” Dash said almost on the verge of tears, which definitely caught Twilight’s attention. Dash never cried, ever. So if she’s like this, Twilight knew something was up. “No pony is waking up… I tried everything I could think of including making it rain on them and they still won’t wake up. Please… If anything… please for the love of Celestia tell me they aren’t…”

Alright, something was definitely going down, and she now understood why Dash was so upset. In fact, hearing that something might have sucked the life out of Ponyville almost overnight was a daunting thing to realize. “Take me to them,” Twilight said firmly, completely in serious mode now.

Rainbow nodded and led Twilight to Flitter and Storm Chaser’s house. The pair was still very soundly asleep in their now, very wet beds. If Twilight hadn’t known what Rainbow did, this encounter might have been very embarrassing for the two sisters. She looked, and she could see that the two pegasi were still breathing, so them having passed was no longer something that was on the table. Twilight reached a hoof towards them. They still had a pulse. “Was everypony you checked on like this?”

“TWILIGHT!!!” She heard from behind her in Rarity’s shrieking gasp.

“Oh… hey, this isn’t what it…”

“I need you to come to my boutique NOW! I can’t get Sweetie bell to wake up at all and she’s barely breathing!” rarity said in tears.

“Looks like this is affecting more than just pegasi…” Twilight acknowledged. “Rainbow, Go Wait in the Library, I need to go see Sweetie Bell to confirm my suspicions,” She explained as Rainbow nodded and flew off. She then turned to Rarity. “Take me to Sweetie Bell.”

Rarity led Twilight to Sweetie Bell, and her suspicions were in fact confirmed. “Rarity, I need you to go to the Library and advise any ponies that you find along the way that haven’t been affected by whatever this is to come with you. I have no idea what’s going on, but I’m going to do my best to find out,” She told Rarity before teleporting herself to The Town Square. “Listen up everypony, your attention please! I am aware that something is wrong and that ponies are not waking like normal. I need everypony to the Library now so that we can all try to figure out what is going on,” she addressed before Teleporting to the Library.

“Spike! Spiiike!” she hollered. Within seconds he was Downstairs.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to oversleep. I” he continued before being cut off with a hoof.

“I need you to help me find anything you can on sleep effects. Even with all my knowledge there is something going on in Ponyville right now that I can’t Identify,” she relayed as a mass of ponies started piling into the library. Of course, much to Twilight’s dismay, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Fluttershy were not amongst the ponies in the room, and she instantly feared the worst. In fact, aside from her, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity, there were only about twenty or so other ponies that were in the library, and search as they may, they couldn’t find anything that could shed any hope as to what was happening.

Night had fallen, and Twilight could see the winds picking up again. “Alright, I think it’s best that everypony stays here for the night. While I can’t say this place is really any safer than anyplace else, I don’t really think it’s safe for anypony to go outside right now. Whatever caused this could still be out there, and our numbers are low enough… Spike, Take a letter please.”

“Dear Princess Celestia,

Something very weird has occurred in Ponyville. I have no idea what has caused such a thing to occur but almost no pony here in Ponyville had awaken today, and I’m very concerned about what could have happened. We went into everypony's house and they are indeed still breathing, but nothing we can do is waking any of them up.

The only thing that I know of that could have been remotely odd from last night is that the winds were a bit forceful last night and they seem to be at it again tonight. I don't know if they have anything to do with the situation that had occurred with me last night. The only ponies that are still awake right now are spike, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, myself, and a few other ponies from here. I have no idea what is going on. Please help.

Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle.”

Spike sent the letter and within a matter of minutes Princess Celestia was in the Library. "What's exactly going on?" Celestia asked.

"We don't know," Twilight panicked. "The only things we know is that no pony is waking up on their own, and no matter how hard any of us try we can't get anyone up ourselves either. Heck Rainbow did a sonic rainboom in the streets and not even that woke anypony up."

Princess Celestia walked over to the door and took a sniff of the winds that were blowing outside. Her eyes went wide. There was definitely a magical aura within the winds that blew through the streets. She recognized it. It was a deadly wild magic that had been sealed away long ago in an ancient temple in The Everfree Forest. Someone must have gotten to the temple and released it.

"No one goes outside," Princess Celestia stated firmly. The winds that are blowing outside are called the Nightingale's Feathers. It's a very dangers magic that will lock ponies into a deep sleep and as long as they continue to blow, the ponies locked in its trance will never wake up as long as they continue. Luna and I had sealed it away once in the forbidden temple in the Everfree Forest. Something had to have released it."

"Then we'll just have to go put back!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "I'm sorry princess but I'm not going to sit here while all my friends here in Ponyville suffer from not even being able to wake up. I may like a nap, but this is just scary. Not to mention having to be here actually watching your friends not be able to do nothing,"

"That's precisely why I need you, Twilight, and Rarity to be here Rainbow. Right now every pony here in Ponyville is defenseless so Having as many of the element bears together as possible watching over them can provide them with and abundant amount of protection, as will I," Celestia explained as an aura of magic burst from her coating everypony in a faint aura of their own. "This will keep everyone here immune to the effects of the winds for two weeks. That being said, I am going to need a group to go into the forest to seal the temple.” She explained before her eyes came across her sister’s pupil. A bit of good news that she’ll be able to relay to her that she was okay.
“Ice Storm, Luna's spoke of your ice magic, you know how to weaponize it if needed yes?" She asked watching Ice nod. "Good, get a team together and go into the forest and seal the temple. We will make sure everypony here stays safe."

“But… I don’t really know the first thing about what do or where to go…” Ice Storm protested. To be honest, she wasn’t sure that having the weight of everypony’s life on her was something that she could handle. “Are you sure I’m the right pony for the job?”

Celestia moved over to Ice Storm. “I’m positive. I may not know the abilities of everypony else in the room, but I do know yours, and I also know that you aren’t one to give up. I have every bit of faith that you and whatever team you decide to take with you, will succeed. Now, you’ll want to take this,” Celestia said handing her a map. “While I’m not one hundred percent sure where this temple is anymore, I know that it is in this region of the Everfree Forest.” She explained circling the north eastern region of the forest. “It should only take you a couple days to reach that area. After that, I can’t say how long it will take, but you have two weeks to find the temple, and ultimately, save Equestria.” Celestia finished. “You and your team need to be ready by dawn. Time is not luxury we have anymore.”

Author's Note:

Note: Luna will not be in the actual story until deeper in the story. Expect her in either Chapter four or Five. This is also going to mostly be an OC Story. All OC's used with permission.