> The Festival of Lights
>  by Dusk Melody
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue - A Thousand Years Ago
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

One thousand years ago. 

Somewhere deep under The Badlands of Equestria.

It felt so still. The air wrapped around her like the touch of a cool bed sheet. Below, the lake surface lay shining and perfect as a mirror. Blue lights danced around the cavern, reflected by the water.

Lady Alethea closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. As if she was slipping gently to sleep, the world seemed to shrink around her. She felt not a breeze and heard not a sound. A jumping cave fish shattered the silence; a resounding splash echoed up from the lake and set the mirror surface to shimmering. Silence left her as quickly as it had come, and she once again heard the sounds of the ceremony from the city above. Alethea sighed, cleared her mind, and continued down the long spiral staircase that led to the Tomevault. She had work to do and this would be her last chance in an exceptionally long time.

Inside the Tomevault, Alethea hurried to the central chamber and readied the Crucible. The angular stone inside seemed to catch the light from the room and cast it out again like a prism. As she had done many times before, Alethea removed the stone from the Crucible and replaced it with another. She stared for what felt like an age into the white gem – such a vast wealth of knowledge inside, and it had kept them safe for all these years.

“And yet not safe enough,” she said aloud without meaning to.

“I know you wish it hadn’t come to this, Lady Librarian,” a voice from behind called out to her, catching the aged red earth pony mare by surprise. It was Evenlight; how long had she been there? “I feel the same way, but it is for the best. For all of us.” the white unicorn smiled at her, and Alethea looked from Evenlight down to the stone she held in her hand which cast reflected light across her eyes.

“All the knowledge in here, all of our history, our tradition. Will it be forgotten as Umberfoal will be?” Alethea gestured toward the stone and looked back at her friend. Evenlight was the younger of them by far, but Alethea noticed for the first time the creases beneath her eyes. Perhaps time was catching up?

Evenlight, known as the Wise, was the most gifted unicorn mage in Umberfoal. Not that she would ever stoop to using such a title herself. “Perhaps,” Evenlight said as she gathered her long robes around her body, “But this is not forever, my friend. To us the years will pass in but a peaceful moment. What is forgotten can be remembered.”

She had toiled long and hard with her friend to prepare the very enchantment they were about to cast. Yes, the price was high, but it was one worth paying to save her people and her city from the Lord of Chaos.

“You’re right,” conceded Alethea, “As always.” she smiled back, “You should return to the plaza for the final preparations. I will be with you soon, after I have attended to the Crucible.” Agreeing, Evenlight turned and trotted away and soon enough, Alethea heard her begin the winding ascent back to the city. She stood by the tall archway and listened intently until she could no longer hear the hoof-falls, then she hurried back into the main chamber.

Pulling away a cloth, Alethea revealed an intricate device sitting on a stand. It seemed at first to be full of water – black and inky as the Deepwell itself, but soon it started to shift and turn. Shapes began to appear in the device; a single strand of silk wove its way out of the blackness, framed by the image of eight long legs that almost seemed like they would reach out and grab her, but instead they curved and distorted around the thread. A slowly rising hissing and clacking began to fill the room as the silk began to resonate, and a singular voice echoed out toward Lady Alethea.

“Have the final preparations been made?” it whispered through the vibrations. Alethea closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Breathing out, she looked around at the library that was her home. She plucked at the thread to reply.

“Yes,” she said simply, “They have.”
> Chapter 1 - A Thousand Years Later
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Us. You want us to go to Umberfoal?"

Twilight felt her eye start to twitch at Cloudburst's question. "Yes, that is what I said."

"You want us three to go back to the Badlands?" the pegasus, sat on Seafoam's lap, pointed to Sparkler and Stonecutter.

"Yes, Cloudburst, that is exactly what I want."

"Um, begging your pardon, Headmare Twilight," Stonecutter asked, "But why us?"

“That's simple," Twilight smiled, "You three were the ones who lifted the enchantment of the statuettes. You bought the city and its inhabitants into the modern day. Evenlight the Wise has invited you to the Festival of Lights."

Sparkler spoke up, "We were invited?"

"By name, yes," Twilight responded, "To attend the first Festival of Lights in a thousand years."

"No."

As one entity, four pairs of eyes - one twitching - turned to Cloudburst. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said, no. With respect, Headmare, I'm not going."

"May I ask why?"

“Yeah," Stonecutter exclaimed," What gives, CB? I'd have thought you'd be happy to attend a party in your honour."

"Well, I'm not." the pegasus asserted, "I'm not going."

"But, but the Festival of Lights is a big deal!" Sparkler added, "It's like the Crystal Faire in the Crystal Empire, or the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot!"

"I'm not going, because the last time I was in the Badlands, I was almost kidnapped by bandits, I was almost eaten by a tatzlwurm, I nearly had my wings broken and I was very nearly killed by Moonbeam. And now, I'm even more pregnant than I was then."

Seafoam reached around his pets’ waist and protectively held her rounded belly. “If my pet says no, then she says no. Please respect her decision."

"I'm sure it'll be safe, CB," Stonecutter started, "It's only a festival, what can go wrong?"

"For us?" Cloudburst snorted out a laugh, "Just about everything? We were only supposed to watch the pets and look how that turned out."

Twilight then raised a hand for silence before Seafoam could again ask them to back off. "Cloudburst, I had no idea you were pregnant. May I offer you both my congratulations?"

“Thank you, Headmare," Seafoam smiled, though he gripped his pet's belly protectively.

"Of course, if you are pregnant, then you are excused from attending the festival," again, she held up a hand for silence, this time from Stonecutter and Sparkler, "That being said though, I do feel the pegasi need a representative. How about Inky Rose?"

"Inky?" Cloudburst burst out a loud laugh, "I don't think so, Headmare."

"And why not? Last I looked on her, she doesn't have many friends, this could be a turning point for her."

"Because," Cloudburst explained, "Inky hates loud sudden unexpected noises. She sheds feathers if you slam a door near her without warning. Send her and she'll come back bald."

"Hmph..." Twilight had to concede that would be a bad look, "Okay, then what about Night Glider?"

“With respect, Headmare, can I please make a suggestion?"

“Of course, Cloudburst, go ahead."

"Cloudy Skies."

Other than the fact that Cloudy Skies was a transgender pony, transitioning from stallion to mare, Twilight had to admit she didn't know a lot about Cloudy Skies. "What makes hi... pardon me, her, a viable choice?"

Sparkler and Stonecutter began listing off the pegasus's attributes, "She's loyal, hardworking, dependable, resilient, she can wrangle clouds..."

"If you send her," Cloudburst cut in, "Then you can send Blackbeak as well. She won't go anywhere without her Master, and you can tick off diversity too."

Twilight’s eyes shone with possibilities. "Hmm...it is entirely possible that the ponies of Umberfoal have never seen a griffon...yes, excellent! You go and find them; I'll make the arrangements with Evenlight. Please meet me back here in three days."

As Stonecutter and Sparkler stood up to leave their Headmare's office, they noticed Cloudburst had not moved from Seafoam's lap. "Hey, CB, are you coming?"

“Yeah Stone, we'll catch you up in a minute, we want to ask the Headmare something first."

"What is it?" Twilight asked when it was just the three of them in her office.

Cloudburst smiled when Seafoam gave her a reassuring, if surreptitious, pinch on her ass. "Thing is, Headmare, we both graduate in six months, and well, with me being pregnant and all, we were planning on leaving Ponyville to start a life on Mount Aris..."

"And you want me to allow you to go now, correct?"

"Yes Ma'am," Seafoam nodded, "My parents are members of Queen Novo's Palace guard, they've guaranteed me a job, and they already have a house for us."

"And I've been training as a weather pony, something the Hippogriffs are in need of to control their weather."

"Well...I could allow it, write your remaining few months off as a field trip, set you Friendship assignments to complete, however, you would need to return for a few days each month to report your progress."

"Thank you, Headmare Twilight Ma’am," Cloudburst leapt from her Master's lap and hugged the alicorn tightly, "You're the best!"

Far from being startled or surprised, Twilight hugged Cloudburst in kind. "So, I've been told, much to Luna's displeasure," she smiled warmly, "Consider it my personal thank you for being one of the three who saved my friends and I from the statuette enchantment."

"Aaw...Headmare, you don't have to do that," Cloudburst blushed, "But, if you wanted to say... I dunno, show your gratitude by giving me a reference to show the Mount Aris weather team, I'd be amazingly grateful."

"Consider it done, was there anything else?"

Cloudburst looked at her left forearm, at Moonbeam's bracelet, "Yeah, how is Moony? How's she doing?"

“Moonbeam has volunteered to go on my friendship retreat at Hope Hollow. It just so happens to coincide with Mayor Skies' Rainbow Festival."

"Good," Cloudburst looked down at the floor, prompting Seafoam to get up and hug her from behind, "She's a good pony, she just needs a chance to show it."

"Oh, I know," Twilight smiled, "That's why she has the second chance. She earned her redemption, because of you." the alicorn lit her horn and she levitated over a photo from her desk drawer. "She wanted you to have this."

Cloudburst held the photograph in her hands, of a smiling Moonbeam posed at the central fountain of Hope Hollow looking much happier than the pegasus had seen her the last time she had seen her.

"She also sent you this," Twilight passed Cloudburst a sealed envelope that felt heavier at one end than the other. "It's a letter," she explained regarding the questioning look she was given, "And a dragon seal. It's enchanted so your reply letter will always find her."

"We can keep in touch, wherever, whenever?"

"I think that's what the Headmare said, yes," snickered Seafoam into his mare's ear.

"Thanks, Headmare, this is really awesome," Cloudburst slipped the photo and the envelope in her bag to read later.

"You are very welcome. Now, if you don't mind going and finding Mr. Blackbeak and Miss Skies, I have work to do." she shot the pegasus a wry look, "I believe somepony needs a reference to start a job..."

With Cloudburst emitting the most girly squeal of delight ever witnessed, Seafoam dragged his pregnant mare from Twilight's office.

~ ~ ~

Outside the offices, Blackbeak and Cloudy Skies had been enjoying the morning sun. To say it was late fall, very nearly winter, it was still quite warm. The couple were currently sat with Cloudy on Blackbeak's lap, and the griffon was casually feeding his mare strawberries straight from the tray.

Alas, their peaceful together time was not to last. As they sat on one of the benches surrounding the central island and the fountain, a pegasus stallion hovered down from the sky. 

Almost immediately, a small crowd of excited students gathered around the stallion like moths drawn to a flame. It wasn’t hard to see why, he was wearing a Wonderbolts racing suit, complete with goggles.

No sooner had the crowd assembled around him than the stallion started boasting to his fan club, telling tall tales of his speed and his skill in the air. With every boast, he ran a cream hoof through his flame red mane.

Cloudy Skies, content on her Master's lap, paid the Wonderbolt no mind. She wrapped her long legs, which were perfectly framed by her black yoga pants, around Blackbeak's muscular waist and she took another strawberry from his beak.

"Mares and stallions, fillies and colts, if any of you can best me, the awesome, the amazing, the faster than light Fire Streak, in a demonstration of speed and dexterity, then I, the unbeatable Fire Streak, will bow to your excellence!"

The assembled crowd looked from one another, none of them wanted to put their hand in the air, and Cloudy smirked, leant into her lover and she kissed his ear tufts, "Blowhard..."

Blackbeak snickered, "You can take him, pet."

"Master, you know I'm not big on the speed, I'm a weather pony. Or I will be."

"Come my friends!" Fire Streak exclaimed loudly when he saw that nopony was eager to accept his challenge, "Won't any of you race me? How about I sweeten the pot, I'll wager a hundred bits that I will win!"

The mention of bits made Blackbeak's eyes shine. Quickly he stood up, drawing some attention to him, as he was so tall, and he thrust Cloudy forwards with a shove to her back, "My marefriend accepts your challenge!"

"Excellent!" Fire Streak clapped his hands as the small crowd parted to let Cloudy and Blackbeak pass.

"Master what are you doing?" Cloudy Skies hissed, "I can’t win a race against a Wonderbolt!" 

"Beat him, pet," Blackbeak whispered into her ear, "And not only will I let you out of your cage, I'll let you wear skirts and dresses for a month..." he leant in close, "And I'll buy you anything you want from the MiAC store."

Cloudy Skies was sold on the first thing her Master had said. "Bring it on, Wonderbolt! You're going down!" her wings bristled with readiness. The chance to be uncaged didn’t come around very often. She was going to win!

Fire Streak had the crowd cheering for him like it was the Buckball Cup final by the time Cloudy Skies was stood by his side. "The rules!" the pompous stallion cried, "First, a high ascent through the cloud cover and a race for three miles skimming the clouds east. Then, we dive and slalom through Old Mare Butterwick's apple orchard, then we turn back west and speed along the final stretch, passing under the arch in the bell tower and the first to get back here wins!"

Cloudy Skies gulped nervously. The cloud surfing, she was sure she could do, and the slalom didn’t sound too bad, but the sprint at the end? She knew she had no chance.

Behind her, Blackbeak could tell by the way her wings froze that his mare was having doubts. He placed a clawed hand on her toned rear, squeezing it through the tight yoga pants. "I believe in you," he nipped her ear, "Make me proud, my love."

Once they were both ready, Fire Streak counted down from five to one, and on the word "Go!" they both took off into the blue sky.

Towards the end of the very thrilling race, in which Cloudy Skies managed to keep the lead throughout the cloud surfing and through the slalom, though a few of the apple trees did suffer, Cloudburst and Seafoam came out of the school and they saw the crowd. They saw Sparkler and Stonecutter stood over by Blackbeak, who was looking up into the sky.  

Cloudburst looked up into the sky and followed the gaze of the students and she saw her good friend turning to face the west, "Why's Cloudy racing Fire Streak?” she asked, recognising the latest Wonderbolt through association, her parents were Wonderbolts, after all.

Watching with the cheering crowd, Blackbeak was amazed that his marefriend was actually a wingspan's length ahead, "I volunteered her."

"Why?" Cloudburst asked, "No offence, but she can't win." Sure enough, now the race was on the final stretch, the sprint, Fire Streak had overtaken her and was pulling ahead.

"I know," Blackbeak admitted, watching as second by second, the gap between the Wonderbolt and Cloudy Skies grew wider and wider.

Sparkler turned a confused look to the tall griffon, "Then why? If you don't mind me asking?"

"I like to see her try," Blackbeak smiled broadly, for even though the gap between them was clearly insurmountable, he was pleased to see his marefriend was still flying as hard as she could.

Sure enough, as inevitable as it was, Fire Streak passed under the bell tower and he arrived back at the school fountain with so much time to spare that by the time Cloudy finished, he had done three victory laps of the courtyard and signed all the autographs.

"Thank you, thank you!" Fire Streak bowed to his cheering fans, "Any time you want to see me win again, just follow The Streak!"

"Well played," a very sweaty, tired and exhausted Cloudy Skies extended her hand to the bragging pegasus, "You were great up there."

"Oh, I know I was," Fire Streak smirked obnoxiously, avoiding the mare's hand at the last moment and leaving her hanging, "Now, I believe the bet was for a hundred bits?"

"How rude!" Sparkler bristled and stepped forwards, only to be stopped by Stonecutter, "You could at least shake her hand!"

"I don't touch losers," Fire Streak sneered, holding his hand out for his winnings.

"Pardon me," Sparkler spoke up, "I believe that the wager of one hundred bits was to the one that beat you. At no time did you specify the one who beat you had to pay you money."

"Hey!" Blackbeak snarled, not caring for the technicalities, his talons extending from the tips of the griffon's claws as his wings extended in a threatening posture. Fortunately, Cloudy Skies gripped her Master's arm and stopped him.

"Fire Streak!" Rainbow Dash's raspy voice rang out loud and powerful with authority.

"Lieutenant Commander Dash!" Fire Streak snapped to a hasty salute just in time as his superior officer flew to a hover in front of his face.

"Cadet Fire Streak," Rainbow Dash spoke slowly and evenly, though her voice was dangerously low, "Captain Spitfire really wants to know why you aren't at the academy. I want to know why you're trying to shill teenagers when you should be training."

"Bu-But u-um...a-aaah we-well y-you see, I um..." Fire Streak stammered uselessly, impotently, under Rainbow's dressing down. As he flustered, the crowd, his 'fan club', started to disperse.

"Did I say you could speak, Cadet?" Rainbow asked tersely, and she was pleased that Fire Streak had the good sense to shut up. "You know you need the practice. Then you could beat somepony other than a school kid. Now, report to Commander Soarin' for your punishment detail. Oh, and give the nice lady the hundred bits."

"What? Why?" Fire Streak stupidly found his voice, "Why should I?"

Rainbow Dash, who had been about to fly back up to the sky, turned to face her cadet. "Because, Fire Streak, the pegasus you beat happens to be that exceptionally large, and incredibly angry, griffon's mate. You insulted his mate when you dishonoured her by not shaking her hand. If you don't cover the debt, he's honour bound - and capable - to rip your wings off and feed them to you."

Fire Streak hurriedly pulled out the money, five twenty-bit notes, and thrust them at the snarling griffon. "There's no honour or glory in beating somepony who can't beat you. Ten demerits from me, Cadet. Get out of here," 

When Fire Streak was nothing but a speck in the sky, Rainbow Dash turned to Blackbeak, who looked a lot happier than he had a moment ago. "We cool?"

"Honour has been satisfied, Professor Dash," he smiled, taking the money into his wallet, before bumping fists with his Loyalty teacher, "And, I was only gonna hit him a bit, I wasn’t...y'know, 'tear his wings off'..."

"Oh, I know," Rainbow smirked, "But he didn’t know that did he? Now, you six get to the hayburger, have fun." She sped off back to the academy, resolving to thank Gilda for the lessons on griffon culture she had given her back at Junior Speedsters Flight Camp.

~ ~ ~

“Okay,” Stonecutter said once their group was at the front of the queue in the Hayburger Queen joint, “Everypony put in their order.” 

“What are you...” 

Expecting resistance, Stonecutter quickly interrupted Sparkler, silencing the unicorn with an index finger to her lips. “I got this, and that is that, Mistress.” 

Realising it was pointless to argue, Sparkler kissed her marefriend’s fingertips and doffed her head. Just this once. “Well then, I'll have the Number One meal, go large.” her order given, she stepped away from the counter.

Next in line, Cloudburst looked hopefully to Seafoam, “Can I have the double hayburger and the cheesy fries please, Master?”

“You can,” Seafoam acquiesced with a smile, for he pictured stealing a few of those cheesy fries for himself, “Seafood special for me, Stony.”

“I'll have the Foal's Meal Number Six, please Stony,” Cloudy Skies said after she had made up her mind. She never ate from the adult menu. Blackbeak liked her to take care of her figure, to keep it as feminine as she could.

“I’ll have what CB had,” Blackbeak, studying the wall menu behind the serving counter, “But make it the Daddy size, extra-large, thanks Stone.”

“Got it,” stepping up to the very bored looking mare behind the counter, Stonecutter placed all their orders, and she ordered an extra-large meal for herself. Anything less just wouldn’t touch the sides.

“Let's get a seat,” Sparkler said while her marefriend was ordering, “Stony can bring the food over when it’s ready.”

“You got it, Sparks!” Cloudburst spotted an empty table big enough to seat eight over by the large window that looked out onto Ponyville’s market square and, when they were all seated, she turned to Cloudy Skies, “So, Cloudy, racing a Wonderbolt. Adventurous for you, isn’t it?”

“My Master volunteered me,” Cloudy threw Blackbeak a pout, to which he just kissed her lips and made her blush, “You know that hundred bits was to go for this meal, right?” she asked, deftly changing the subject. 

Sparkler shrugged, “Let Stony have her moment. Maybe Blackie will let you buy something sexy for the two of you with the money?”

“When I allow her to buy,” Blackbeak said, before affectionately nipping Cloudy Skies’ ear, “She always buys sexy.”

Like she had been in Twilight’s office, Cloudburst was sat on Seafoam’s lap. She leant her head back and she whispered, “Can I tell them our news yet?”

“May as well, as that won't change it.” 

Sparkler though stopped the impetuous pegasus before she could say anything more. “Whatever it is, please wait till Stony comes back.”

While Cloudy Skies was busy squeaking at her nipped ear, Cloudburst grinned at her friends, “Right you are, Sparks.”

A few moments later, Stonecutter walked over from the serving counter carrying two loaded trays, one in each hand, and she placed them down on the table. “Don’t be shy guys, grab your own.”

Cloudburst did have the restraint – just – to wait until Stonecutter had taken her seat next to Sparkler before she tried again. “Now can I tell them, please?”

Seafoam casually stole two of his mare’s cheesy fries, “Yes love, you can tell them.”

“Well, tomorrow, when you lot all go on your big trip to Umberfoal, Foamy and I are headed to Mount Aris!” the sky blue mare clapped her hands and she was so excited that she accidentally made static electricity crackle between her palms.

“So,” said Stonecutter after she had swallowed her first mouthful of her burger, “You're leaving Ponyville for good?” This wasn’t exactly news to her or to Sparkler. They both knew their friends were thinking of leaving, it was just a matter of when.

Cloudburst nodded, “That's the plan, yeah,” she replied thickly through a mouth full of cheesy fries that had not yet been stolen.

“My parents have a house ready for us, CB’s folks have been good enough to furnish it for us, and the Headmare has kindly allowed us to call it a six month field trip.” the turquoise hippogriff squeezed his mare gently, “We have to come back twice, and for grad day.”

“Well,” Sparkler announced grandly, “When we get back from the festival, we'll have to stop by and do a proper housewarming for you. First, we have to, it says so in a book I have. Second, I need to show off my fashion sense with your Mount Aris dress code.”

Smirking, Cloudburst shook her head, “Is there anything you don't get from a book, Sparks?”

Playfully, like she was pondering the question, Sparkler tapped her chin, then, before she could answer, Stonecutter said, “You want to tell them what I did?” 

Sparkler’s green eyes shone, “I didn't get that from a book!”

“You're not reading the right books,” Blackbeak snickered, “If you want, I can lend you a few.”

Laughing along with the rest of her friends, Cloudy Skies put her hand up like she was in class and she was trying to get the teacher’s attention. “Excuse me, but you just said, when you lot all go on your big trip to Umberfoal. Um, where’s Umberfoal?”

“Surprise!” Seafoam gave the transgender pony his best jazz hands.

“Surprise?” Cloudy Skies wore a puzzled look on her face, “What do you mean, surprise? Are we going to Umberfoal?”

Blackbeak frowned, “What's Umberfoal?”

“Headmare Twilight thought that a pegasus with a dick that looked feminine, with actual tits – sorry CB - and a culturally diverse griffon would be prefect for the Festival of Lights in Umberfoal.” 

Cloudburst gawped open mouthed at the yellow unicorn, “W-What!?” 

Stonecutter shared her best friend’s open-mouthed expression, “Sparkler!” 

Unabashed, Sparkler shrugged her shoulders and she innocently took a few bites of her meal, “What can I say,” she looked around at the arrayed stunned faces, “My mom is rubbing off on me.”

Blackbeak had his head to one side while Cloudy Skies was currently losing herself laughing, “Oh...is Umberfoal that thing the Headmare won't shut up about for the past month? That and that Moonbeam chick you three bought back from the Badlands with you?”

Stonecutter wore a profoundly serious look on her face, “You know, that ‘Moonbeam chick’, is a good friend of Cloudy’s.”

“Yeah,” Cloudburst bristled, her wings flaring dangerously, “That 'chick' is alright. Least she's making real friends now and not statuettes.”

“Hey,” Blackbeak held up his clawed hands in apology, “You guys know I didn't mean nothing.”

“You'll like her when you meet her. So, yeah,” Sparkler pointed at Blackbeak and Cloudy Skies then at Stonecutter and herself as she spoke, “The two of you are going with the two of us to Umberfoal. The Professor has a portal set up we can use, so we should just be two or three nights and then back.” 

“It will count for extra credit too,” Stonecutter added after she had finished demolishing her large stack of salty fries. 

“I’m not sure what they will do to keep the library clean without you, Master.” Cloudburst joked, timing her jibe just as her coltfriend had just stolen the latest of her fries.

Seafoam almost choked on the stolen cheesy fry, then when he had recovered, he sniggered, “I believe I'll pass on the cleaning duties to Compass Point. He's watched us enough times, him and Echo, that changeling he’s friends with benefits with.

“This is the place that was hidden for a thousand years, right?” asked Blackbeak, who was quite intrigued by this sudden trip. Plus, it meant getting away from the school – and the teachers – for a bit.

“Yes!” Sparkler exclaimed, joy on her face, “I can lend you a book to help you prepare for the festival!”

Blackbeak sighed, while he wasn’t stupid, he was by no means a studious griffon. Books did have a use, mostly for smacking his pet’s ass... “I can't believe I'm saying this, but if you could, that'd be great. Forewarned is forearmed.”

Giddily, Sparkler clapped her hands, “I do so love to spread knowledge!” grinning ear to ear, she kissed Stonecutter, “You may now tell them of your new gift, that I didn't get from a book.”

“I can heal wounds!”

Cloudburst erupted in a fit of giggles, “Yeah, you must need a lot of band-aids and antiseptic wash with a clutzy neat freak like Sparky!”

Not only did Sparkler roll her eyes noisily at her brash friend, she stuck out her tongue and gave her a loud raspberry to fully communicate her feelings. “No,” Stonecutter clarified, “As in magic. I just put my hands on a wound and I heal it.”

“No way!” Cloudburst immediately thought that such an ability would have been super useful back in the Badlands when Moonbeam had knocked her out. “Really? You can do that?”

“I can!” Stonecutter closed her eyes, she concentrated hard, and her hands glowed bright yellow.

“Her new gift prevented me from giving up on a promising teleportation career.”

“Can I get a demonstration?” Blackbeak asked, eager to see what his friend could do. When Stonecutter nodded ‘yes’, the griffon nipped Cloudy Skies’ ear hard, keeping up the pressure until blood started to flow. 

Seeing the blood, Stonecutter reached over the table and, with her glowing hands, she touched the pegasus’s bleeding ear, which healed instantly. “Ow!” Cloudy yelped and swatted her lover’s shoulder, “Warn me next time!”

Blackbeak gave his mare an affectionate lick, “Where's the fun in that?”

“You're lucky I love you...”

“The Magic of Love is Friendship 201,” Sparkler pointed out, not bothering to keep the smug tone from her voice.

Cloudburst snorted, “Teacher's pet...”

“Careful, my pet,” Seafoam gently nipped his pet’s ear, while at the same time he not-so-gently pinched her ass with his talons. 

“We leave in three days, so you have time to look at the book. I'll drop it off at your dorm room in the morning,” Sparkler said, trying not to laugh when Cloudburst jumped up and yelped out loud.

“Yeah,” Stonecutter added, “We're excused from classes till we get back. You and Foamy staying till we leave, CB, or are you taking off right away?”

Cloudburst shrugged, “There is packing to do.”

“Figured we'll leave when you leave,” Seafoam said after a moment’s consideration, “Give us chance to get settled on Mount Aris by the time you get back from your trip.”

“I'm so excited!” Sparkler let out a squee of sheer delight, “I get to visit places I've only read about!”

“Yeah,” Cloudburst said dryly, “And discover new and fun ways to get eaten, and places to run for your life in, amongst other things...”

“So, basically, a trip to the Everfree Forest?” 

“You laugh now,” Cloudburst said once they had all indeed stopped laughing, “See how you laugh when a tatzlwurm thinks you're lunch or a momma roc thinks you're her chick.”

“I can always wear my armour,” Blackbeak offered nonchalantly.

“Hey, Master, you only wear that for really special occasions!” Cloudy Skies pouted. Again.

“You're wearing your armor now, right CB?” asked Seafoam, and Cloudburst giggled, because she knew he meant her denim shorts and white tee shirt she was wearing.

“You're the one that kicked the tatzlwurm in the jaw and played chick chick for the roc, Cloudy,” Sparkler pointed out helpfully.

“While that is all true,” Cloudburst conceded, “And it was a blast, but...I think my adventuring days are done, or at least they’re restricted to weather duty.”

Stonecutter could understand and appreciate that. Her best friend had something to be protective for, the life she was carrying. “I still want to rub your belly before you leave.” 

“I second that,” Sparkler said quickly.

“Consider the motion thirded!” Cloudy Skies then gave Blackbeak an obvious hard nudge straight to his ribs. 

“Alright,” Blackbeak grunted with a roll of his eyes and a rub to his sore ribs, “I want a rub too. I’ve met the monkey; I should at least meet the organ grinder.”

“HEY!”

~ ~ ~

The thrum of pure magic echoed around the vast chamber as the wave of pure magic passed over the four friends. They stood on the other side of Twilight’s still open portal, and they felt the sheer power buzzing around them, making their fur and feathers stand on end. Manes and tails twitched involuntarily, as if they were coursing with electricity.

With the closing of the portal, the moment passed, and four pairs of eyes were drawn through the large circular opening at the end of the cavern. Where once the rune covered door had been closed, now it stood open. What first seemed to be torches lining the edge were in fact brightly glowing crystals.

“So, this is Umberfoal?” asked Blackbeak, staring around the huge chamber, “I thought it would be bigger. And have ponies in it. And houses.”

“Ah...no,” Stonecutter explained with a shake of her head as she hefted the large backpack onto her shoulders. Since they had not bought her wagon this time, and they didn’t anticipate needing food and water supplies, she carried everything on her back. “This is just the entrance chamber, Umberfoal is through there.”

“This is where we faced Moonbeam before,” Sparkler clarified. If this chamber had not already been documented, she would have pulled one of her many blank notebooks from Stonecutter’s pack and started writing.

“What are these?” Cloudy Skies walked up to what she had first assumed were two guards, but on closer inspection they turned out to be stone statues standing either side of the open door. 

Blackbeak stepped up to the twelve-foot-high statues and studied them closely. They were obviously carved, but they were perfect, his sharp eyes detected no tool markings anywhere on the ponies’ bodies or the armour they wore or the weapons they wielded in their stone hands. “Impressive,” he passed his judgement, “They remind me of the Guardians of Griffonstone.”

“They’re Pony Golems,” Stonecutter shuddered as she stepped up the dais towards the door, “Guards, enchanted to attack anypony – anycreature – trying to get in there who doesn’t have any business being in there,” she pointed to the open door before her.

“A-At-Attack?” Cloudy Skies gulped and took a big step backwards, her heeled horseshoes clacking on the stone floor. Suddenly, the statues didn’t seem as interesting as they had a moment ago.

“Don’t worry,” Blackbeak immediately wrapped a strong muscular arm around his mare’s waist, “I’ll keep you safe, pet.”

“Yeah,” Sparkler sniffed, “We had to fight two just like these the last time we were here,” in the far corners of the cavern, she just made out, amid the cleared rubble, the shattered remains of the two they had fought before. “These must be replacements. Don’t worry, we have passes, remember?” she pointed to the ID card hanging from the lanyard around her neck that bore her photo and Twilight Sparkle’s official Princess seal.

“I knew that,” Blackbeak fingered the seal that was attached to his ID card as he walked past the two silent stone guards. He tried to not let the deep breath he released once he was past them be too obvious. He almost succeeded. He was left with a new respect for his friends, for he knew that had it been necessary to fight them, the fight would have been a hard one.

Seeing that it was safe, Sparkler smoothed out her school uniform – her dark blue sweater with the School of Friendship crest on the left and her knee length crimson skirt – and took a step past the huge imposing guards. “Come on, we need to go this way,” she entered the dark passageway beyond the door.

Stonecutter didn’t much like her school uniform. She hated the way the sweater stretched across her fat belly, even though she wore a size bigger than she was. Cloudy Skies looked far better in her uniform, which just made her hate hers all the more. But she had agreed to wear it, because they were representing the school, weren’t they? 

Like Stonecutter, Blackbeak hated his school uniform. The crimson trousers were too tight, the sweater was made to itch him to death, and it tugged at the bases of his wings. He much preferred his regular dress of denim shorts and white tee. Still, it wouldn’t do to complain. He was after all getting extra credit for this.

As they all entered the dark stone passageway, with Sparkler at the head lighting the way with her horn casting a bright light ahead of them, crystals mounted in the walls began to glow with a mystical blue light, further illuminating the corridor. The way was wide enough where they could walk two abreast, and they walked in a diamond, Sparkler at the front, Stonecutter and Cloudy Skies side by side, and Blackbeak bringing up the rear. 

With the added light of the glowing crystals in the walls illuminating the way, the party were able to see through the gloom. Presently, after fifteen minutes, they came to a set of wide stone stairs that lead down even further into the darkness. “Good thing I’m not scared of the dark,” Cloudy Skies nonetheless held Stonecutter’s hand, and she was pleased to feel her friend squeeze her hand in return. “You think they’d have sent somepony to greet us...”

“They’re probably busy organising the festival,” Sparkler said from her lead position.

“And getting used to not being statues,” Blackbeak snickered helpfully.

“Yes, no doubt that, too,” agreed Sparkler. She bravely took a step onto the dark stone staircase and as soon as her horseshoe touched the step, she was amazed to see that it lit up with the same glow. “I don’t think light will be a problem, Cloudy,” said Sparkler.

As the group descended the stairs, each step reactively lit up whenever it was stepped on, leaving behind a soft blue underglow from the steps behind. Added to the crystals on the walls, which kept pace with their descent, the path was well lit. Still, Sparkler kept her horn lit, for one never knew what might happen.

After what seemed to be a long and winding descent, conducted mostly in silence, Sparkler, at the head of the group, noticed the conditions change slightly up ahead. Moving carefully, and lighting her horn even more, she saw that the chamber in front of her seemed to have no floor.

“Wow...” she breathed, for the staircase lead to an opening high up on the wall of a much larger cavern. Looking around, she saw no obvious continuation. “Guys, be careful here, the archway leads out into nothing,” she warned.

Thanks to Sparkler’s warning, Stonecutter was able to hug the wall and avoid the path to thin air. “That,” Blackbeak stood under the archway next to his friends and his marefriend, staring out into the cavern, “Is an excessively big drop...” it was so big, they couldn’t see the bottom.

Moments later, after standing under the archway for a short time, the cavern around them seemed to come alive with magic. The now familiar blue glow that had followed them the whole way from the door and had illuminated the staircase now spread along the walls until it filled the arch with the same blue light, only it was brighter, much brighter.

In a flash that was so bright it swamped the light from Sparkler’s horn, the light erupted throughout the cavern ahead; both shining rocks and strange looking fungi fill with the blue glow. Scattered across the walls they transformed into brilliant points of light like the stars that lit up Luna’s night sky.

As the cavern continued to fill with the soft ethereal blue glow, the party saw just how vast the cavern was. Vast, huge, immense, boundless, expansive, all adjectives that failed to convey the sheer scale of the space ahead. It was so massive that it was difficult even for Blackbeak to see the other side from where they were.

Below them, far, far below them, they could see in the added light the base of the cavern was filled with sparkling water: a subterranean lake. Rising up from the lake water were several towering pillars of rock, the largest of which was the closest. The pillar flared outwards towards the top creating a wide stone platform that was many kilometres across. On top of it they could see structures that were unmistakably buildings!

“Is this...” Stonecutter couldn’t finish her question. She was awed into silence by the sight that greeted her eyes, as were the others. Spreading across the main pillar and even scattered on the smaller ones – the smaller pillars were still easily three kilometres at the top – was a city.

“Umberfoal...” Sparkler breathed, at last finding her voice. “It’s...wow...” It was like looking at Canterlot, if the city was underground rather than on the side of a mountain. Under the circumstances, ‘wow’ seemed appropriate.

From the brightly glowing edge of the archway, a long arching stairway began to form. Not out of rock, but of light. Projected out into the expanse of the cavern, the ethereal stairway materialised fully, joining where they were stood with the sprawling city below and in front of them. 

“Sweet Celestia’s Grace...” Stonecutter breathed, completely awed and humbled by the magic on show. She slowly reached out her hand and, expecting to pass straight through the stairway, she was amazed to see – and feel – it was solid, if slightly transparent.

“The Spectral Stair!” Sparkler clapped her hands and danced in place, hopping from hoof to hoof.

“The what, now?” Blackbeak and Cloudy Skies asked together as one.

“The Spectral Star!” Sparkler clapped her hands and danced, giddy like she had just been told she had scored an A+ on a pop quiz in class – something that happened a lot – her eyes wide in wonder. “I’ve read about this! It’s the Spectral Star! The way into Umberfoal! Let’s go!” 

Taking advantage of the amount of open space, it was literally like being outside, except there was no sun in this sky, Blackbeak and Cloudy Skies both spread their wings and took to the air, content to hover their way down. Sparkler confidently stepped onto the transparent stairway, but Stonecutter remained rooted to the archway.

“Look at this!” Sparkler enthused, looking down at the lake far below through the transparent ghostly staircase, “It’s amazing! Such a feat of magic! What do you think, Stony...Stony?” she looked around and only then did she realise she was alone on the stairs. “Stone! What are you doing?”

What she was doing, was panicking. 

“I can’t...” Stonecutter shook from head to hoof, her ears were pinned all the way back to her scalp, sweat was pouring from her forehead. “I-I ju-just can’t...” the earth pony had stepped back all the way to the stone wall, and she was pressed against it like she was trying to merge with it.

“Stone, look, it’s okay, it’s safe,” Sparkler stepped away from the glowing handrail to demonstrate how solid the stairs were.

“I know,” Stonecutter whimpered, “But I... can’t!”

Sparkler sighed, for her marefriend’s fear of heights was as pronounced as her fear of germs and dirt. But she had a plan. She glanced left and right, to Cloudy Skies and to Blackbeak, and she motioned for them to stay where they were. “Stonecutter, do you trust me?”

“I... I trust you, Sparks, it’s just...oooh Celestia...it’s a long way down!”

“You trust me, Stone,” Sparkler’s voice took on a commanding tone, “Pet, do you trust your Mistress?”

“Yes Mistress, I trust you.”

“Good, pet. Exceptionally good,” Sparkler walked towards her scared marefriend until they were side by side under the archway. She lit her horn and, using her Creation skill, she magically created a long ribbon which, after she had taken hold of the earth pony’s hand, she wound around them both, joining their forearms together. Keeping her horn lit, Sparkler then created from the ether a thick blindfold. “Your Mistress requests that you show that trust. Can you do that for me?”

“Y-Yes Mistress, I can do that...”

“Good girl,” Sparkler used her telekinesis to tie the blindfold around her pet’s head. “Now,” she said once she was sure it was snugly in place, “We will walk together, because I trust you, you trust me, and we trust our friends.”

Stonecutter felt her Mistress take a step forwards, and then another step, and to keep up, she took the steps alongside her. She felt the rough stone surface under her horseshoes. One step, still stone. Two steps, still stone. Three steps, four steps, stone. Her fifth step however, that was smooth. Perfectly flat. Solid. She knew she was on the staircase.

Sparkler felt her pet start to freeze up. She was ready and she acted quickly. “Shh pet. You are not scared.”

Stonecutter squeezed her Mistress’s hand as they took a sixth step down together, “I-I-I'm not?” 

“No,” Sparkler said with utmost confidence as they took a seventh and an eighth step together, there was now a clear metre behind them between them and the arch, “You are not scared, because I have not given you permission to be scared.”

“I-I’m...” Stonecutter found, as she walked with Sparkler by her side, holding hands that were joined together, that she was not scared. A strange, reassuring calm washed over her. She was with her Mistress. Her Mistress said it was safe. Her Mistress would make sure she was safe. Her Mistress wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Steps nine, ten and eleven came much easier. “I’m not scared, Mistress.”

“Good,” Sparkler descended the Spectral Stair, she saw Blackbeak and Cloudy Skies keeping pace with them, flying either side of the staircase. She was glad they were there, but she knew it wasn’t necessary. She could feel the magic of the stairs through her hooves. It was ancient, powerful, strong. “Good girl. We are on the Spectral Stair, you can feel it, can’t you?”

With her vision taken from her, and her fear not allowed near her, Stonecutter felt the surface under her hooves. She truly felt it. An earth pony draws her magic from the ground through her hooves. Now she was becalmed, she felt the sheer power of the magic on display. “I can feel it! It feels...beautiful.”

“Good girl, Stone, good girl,” Sparkler cancelled the magic she had used to create the ribbon, and she held her lover’s hand and they walked down the staircase as easily as they walked down any other. Twenty steps, thirty, forty, “We’re almost halfway there now. Umberfoal is so close. I’m going to remove the blindfold now.”

Stonecutter offered no resistance at all once the blindfold was removed. She looked straight ahead, she walked confidently. She was with her Mistress and her friends, and she was not scared. 

Fifteen minutes later, they had stepped off of the Spectral Stair, and they were in Umberfoal.
> Chapter 2 - Umberfoal Awakened
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Spectral Stair led the party of four down to a ‘landing platform’ of sorts which was built up to meet the lower steps. Stepping off the transparent blue stairway, Sparkler and Stonecutter once again found their hooves on solid rock, standing under another elaborate archway that matched the one in the cavern wall behind them, although this one was free standing.

“Stone...sweet, blessed stone!” Stonecutter sighed with very great relief as she stood on the firm, very solid and not at all transparent surface of the large stone pillar. It was like the best Hearths Warming gift ever!

“Happy there, are we, Stony?” Blackbeak snickered as he and Cloudy Skies came in for a landing on the smooth platform.

“Very happy,” Stonecutter grinned, bending a knee, the stocky earth pony laid the palms of her hands flat on the ground. She felt the ancient magic through the ground that was everywhere around them, she also felt the rock; strong, firm, unyielding. “I love this ground. I want to marry it and have its foals.”

“Hmmm...” Sparkler frowned good naturedly and playfully, she gave her pet a light smack on her bountiful rump, “Nice to know I’ve been usurped by a piece of rock, Stony.” As Blackbeak and Cloudy laughed, she lit her horn and retrieved one of her history books from the large backpack her marefriend carried. 

Now they had the chance to look at the city close up, they noted the architecture was unfamiliar. “Look at this!” Sparkler had her book open, and she was running her hand over the carvings on the archway they were stood under.

“Um, Sparkler?” Cloudy Skies drew her friend’s attention, “Forgive me, but what are we looking at, exactly? It’s the same as the one back up there.”

“This, look!” Sparkler pointed to the carvings and she received three nonplussed looks in return, to which she sighed and rolled her eyes. “The carvings! The language! Don’t you see?” by the looks on their faces, they clearly did not. “Ugh, look, the language here is clearly Equestrian, although it’s a very old style and dialect, some of the words don’t exist anymore.”

“So?” Blackbeak couldn’t see what was so exciting about that.

“So?” Sparkler couldn’t believe her friends were being so dense! “So? This is especially important. The message we deciphered on the stone tablet that Professor Gully Trotter found up in the Badlands was written in Old Ponish!”

“Sparks?” Stonecutter spoke up, “Not to sound dumb or anything, but what does that mean?”

“I have no idea!” Sparkler exclaimed gleefully, “But if there’s something I don’t know, it does mean I get to research it! This place must have a library!” Then, she pulled out from the backpack a second book, this one on architecture. “Look at those!” she pointed to the nearest buildings.

“What about them?” asked Cloudy Skies. She couldn’t see what Sparkler was so enthralled about. They were buildings. Not the wooden walls and thatched roofs of Ponyville, nor the white marble of Canterlot. Neither were they the modern brick of Manehatten or the eyrie style of Griffonstone or the organic flowing lines of Mount Aris. They were just angular functional looking buildings.

“What about them?” Sparkler wanted to facepalm so badly! “Do you three know nothing of history?” the trio of shaking heads that greeted her answered her question. “Uuuuuugh!” she held open her book, which showed a close up of Canterlot from nine hundred years ago. “Don’t you see? The style of buildings here and in the picture are similar! This means Umberfoal predates Canterlot by centuries! This is amazing! We had the ability to excavate all this before Equestria as we know it was even formed!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Blackbeak waved his hand dismissively, “I’m excited that you’re excited. Are we gonna stand here on this platform all day, or what?”

“Don’t worry, Mistress,” Stonecutter said with a reassuring smile as Sparkler huffed and put the books away, “I think it’s amazing too.”

“Suck up...” Blackbeak snickered, earning himself a raspberry from the earth pony, to which he just shrugged and stepped off the platform. 

As they moved into the city proper, they noticed that Umberfoal was arranged in a more or less circular pattern, with main avenues leading towards the centre like spokes on a wagon wheel. Every turn of her head, Sparkler squealed in delight. Every glance was a new discovery. They passed a few of the native ponies going about their business, though none of them paid them any mind.

Each street they passed was paved with stone and bordered by rows of stone buildings. While Sparkler was amazed at the architecture, Stonecutter was interested in the stone itself. When she laid a hand on the wall of one building, she could feel that it was a refined form of the rock pillar the city was stood on. 

They could see that the buildings were a mix of homes and shops on most of the streets they passed. Unlike Ponyville, there didn’t seem to be a dedicated marketplace, the stores were scattered throughout the streets. They could tell the nature of the stores due to the banners that hung outside. Larger buildings, consisting of three and four storeys, stood out on the outer ring and towards the centre of the city. While they couldn’t guess what they were for, they seemed important.

Above and all around them, the blue light continued to wash over the city, bathing it constantly in magical energy. Blackbeak, with his sharp eyes, was the first to notice the streetlights. Consisting of tall metal stands, they held more of the translucent blue crystals that had accompanied them on the walls. Every time the light pulsed overhead, the crystals in the streetlights glowed with a bright blue / white light. In some of the stands, there was even luminescent fungi, “Stormclaw’s tits...” he scoffed, “They don’t even have gas lights?”

“Yeah, funny thing, that,” Sparkler snarked, “A thousand years ago, Canterlot didn’t have gas lights either. In fact, they didn’t even use crystals. You’ll also find they don’t have cell phones or the internet. Y’know, due to the whole ‘turned to statuettes for a thousand years’ thing.”

“No internet...” Cloudy Skies took out her phone and, sure enough, not only was there no phone signal, there was no internet signal either. “No Wi-Fi...no Facetube or Mystable?” the thought of not updating any of her social media accounts was almost too much for the trans pony to bear.

“Guys,” Sparkler didn’t even bother to keep the frustration from her voice, “This whole place is a cultural time capsule, a snapshot of life a thousand years ago, and you’re worrying about lights and your phones!?” 

They walked on in silence after that, until they approached the centre of the city. Together, they entered a wide plaza into which all the radial avenues led and converged. At the end of these avenues, stood two remarkably familiar stone statues. The Golems again acting as staunch protectors, there to ward off any threat.

Again, the milling ponies went about whatever business they had, some shopped, some walked arm in arm with a loved one, while others, families, sat on benches around the plaza. It could have been any weekend day anywhere in Equestria. While Stonecutter, Cloudy Skies and Blackbeak observed the ponies, Sparkler was taken by the Golems. She followed the guardian’s gaze to the raised platform in the middle of the plaza. Upon it was a most peculiar construct ornately decorated, somewhere halfway between a cage and a vase. Inside it was a glowing glass orb about the size of her head. “Wow...”

“I see you are admiring the Crucible,” said a tall unicorn who had seemed to materialise out of nowhere. Taller than the four by at least a head, the slender mare had a strained expression on her face, though one that bore a pleasant smile. 

“Whoa...” Blackbeak turned to the sound of the voice which, though quiet, calm and reserved, nonetheless carried with it the undeniable weight of authority, “Check out Celestia the next generation.” the unicorn certainly looked regal enough, with the white robes and the necklace she wore around her neck.

“Celestia,” the tall white unicorn turned her gracious smile to the griffon, and she smoothed out a nonexistent wrinkle in the long white robes she wore. “And how is the young Princess? Still skipping out on Professor Starswirl’s lectures?” At their collective stunned faces, she held up a hand, “Forgive me, where are my manners? I am Evenlight, Head of the Wisery of Umberfoal, and you must be our saviours who lifted the enchantment.”

“Evenlight the Wise!” Sparkler all but levitated off the ground. She was so happy she forgot to curtsey, which she remembered after a moment.

“Please, just Evenlight,” the mage corrected the young mare, “Now, you must be Sparkler, Stonecutter and... forgive me, you are Cloudy Skies, yes?”

“I am, ma’am,” Cloudy Skies curtseyed respectfully after Stonecutter had done the same, “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“There’s no need to be so formal,” Evenlight kept her smile, a genuine, interested smile, without an ounce of falsehood anywhere. “Just Evenlight, if you please. And you,” she turned at last to Blackbeak, “I must confess, when Princess Twilight informed me of the itinerary change, I was quite intrigued. I have never met a griffon before.”

“Then it pleases me to be the first, Evenlight,” Blackbeak bought a fist to his heart in a salute and he respectfully bowed his head. “Blackbeak, of house Greyclaw, at your service.”

“Your house is well represented, Mr. Blackbeak, it saddens me that we never ventured over the southern sea in my time. Something I seek to rectify in yours.” Evenlight extended her hand, which he shook, and which she repeated with the others. “Please do pass on my respects to Miss Cloudburst. I should have liked to meet all of those who saved us, but I do understand why she could not attend.” 

“Excuse me, ma...” Sparkler caught herself just in time, “Evenlight, is it true you have a Tomevault, here in Umberfoal?”

“It is indeed true,” Evenlight replied, her smile widening when she recognised the fervour of a fellow scholar. “There are many thousands of books stored there, at the last count, it was over six thousand.” 

“Si-Si-Six...th-tho-thousand...” Sparkler could barely speak. The more she tried, the more she hyperventilated. She would have fainted, had Stonecutter not been there to catch her in her strong arms.

Evenlight walked with the group over to one of the empty benches dotted around the centre of the plaza. When they were sat, so that Sparkler could recover, Cloudy Skies asked, “It’s an honour to be invited to attend the Festival of Lights, Evenlight. May I ask when it will take place?”

“In two days,” Evenlight answered her, “And the honour is ours, I assure you. Were it not for you, we would still be under the effects of the enchantment, forgotten under the mountains of Dustmane Ridge.”

“What’s it like?” asked Stonecutter before she could lose her nerve, and she winced at Sparkler’s glare for asking what she deemed to be an impertinent question in the first place.

“Hmm? Like?” Evenlight asked, puzzled as to the earth pony’s meaning, “What’s what like?”

“You can’t ask her that!” Sparkler and Cloudy Skies both hissed simultaneously at Stonecutter.

“Y’know,” Stonecutter blushed heavily, her slate grey cheeks turning a deep crimson, “Being...well, ponies again, aah, after all that time. I wondered, what it’s like, if it’s not out of place to ask, I mean.”

“It is...” for once, Evenlight’s genial smile became fixed, well-practiced, fake, “Different, I suppose you could say. Imagine waking up from a very, very deep restful sleep. A sleep that lasted a thousand years,” she added wistfully.

“And ah, how have you found it, waking up in this time, I mean?” Stonecutter asked her follow up question.

“Different,” Evenlight replied after a few moment’s consideration. “We are lucky indeed to have ponies from Canterlot and... Ponyville,” she paused to recall the names, “That have come to help us adjust. Therapists, I believe they are called. Some of us have needed more help than others.” her smile returned, though it was a little wan, “That is why we are hosting the festival, to lift everypony’s spirits now we are back in the world.”

“And... how are you doing?”

Evenlight stood up abruptly at Stonecutter’s question. While not rude, it was something she was not prepared to answer fully just yet. “I am...well, because Umberfoal requires me to be so. Captain Flash Hoof!” she called to a passing charcoal grey earth pony stallion in military armour.

“Oh um, pardon me, ma’am, I didn’t mean to upset you...” 

Evenlight though ignored what Stonecutter had said, though Sparkler did not. She smacked her marefriend and pet upside the head when the Umberfoalian had her back turned. “Captain Flash Hoof!” she called out again, and the guard stopped and walked over to greet her with a low bow, “Captain, I wonder if you’d be so kind as to take three of your Duskloaks to Capstone Fort? Lady Alethea reports strange sounds, and you know how she worries.”

“Yes ma’am, Lady Evenlight, right away, ma’am!” the guard turned and marched away, his shadowy dark grey cloak billowing behind him as he walked. 

“Is everything alright, Evenlight?” Sparkler asked. After the adventure with the statuettes, the unicorn had developed a finely tuned trouble detector, and right then, it was making the hairs at the back of her neck rise up.

“Oh yes,” Evenlight gave her a beatific smile, “I’m sure it’s nothing. Lady Alethea is prone to the dramatic. She hears attackers when it’s just a loose pebble or a trick of the wind. The Duskloaks will see to it. Again.”

“Duskloaks?” asked Blackbeak.

“The name of the city guard,” Sparkler answered before Evenlight had a chance, “Named after the cloaks they wear. The Veil of Dusk enchantment upon them allow them to blend with the shadows.”

“Very good, Miss Sparkler,” Evenlight praised her, “Intelligence is a weapon as keen as any sword, and you wield it as well as any warrior.”

Again, Sparkler could have levitated off the floor in sheer happiness. Stonecutter though, frowned. Like Sparkler, she had a trouble detector, albeit hers was from a decade of knowing Cloudburst, and hers was going off long and loud in her head. “Evenlight, ma’am, would you like us to check it out?”

“Oh no,” Evenlight said quickly, “Bear it no mind. The ‘disturbance’ is likely to be Lady Alethea’s imagination. If not, the Duskloaks will see to it.” she gave them all her best smile, “If you’ll excuse me, I’m needed back in the Tomevault. But, if you would like to explore the city, might I recommend The Burrows and Founder’s Forge as places you might want to ‘check out’?” she stood to take her leave with a polite bow, “Come find me in the Tomevault when you’re done, I’ll show you to your hotel.”  

“Well,” Blackbeak scratched the feathers at the back of his head once they were alone, “She was something.”

“It felt like we were talking to one of the Princesses!” Cloudy Skies squealed, clapping her hands together.

Stonecutter shot her friend a good-natured frown, “You know we talk to one of the Princesses all the time, right? She runs our school, in case you forgot.”

“You know what I mean,” Cloudy Skies shot back, crossing her arms across her chest.

“I know what you mean,” Stonecutter grinned, “I was just pulling your feathers, Cloudy, I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Hey, there’s only one who pulls my pet’s feathers,” Blackbeak then demonstrated that by gripping Cloudy’s tertiary feathers on her left wing and tugged them, delighting in the way his mare went weak at the knees. “So, The Burrows or Founder’s Forge. Which are we hitting up first?”

Somewhat predictably, Sparkler had her history book out. “It says here that The Burrows are situated over on the west side of the city, accessed by a stairway from the plaza. They go down the inside of the pillar the city is built on...”

“Yeah, but what are they, Sparks?” Blackbeak interrupted her.

“I was coming to that,” Sparkler shot Blackbeak a glare that Headmare Twilight would have been proud of at being interrupted. “The Burrows is an underground residential area. The Umberfoalian ponies ‘burrowed’ into the stone pillar because there’s only so much room up top. The area is named after their resemblance to twisting animal burrows.”

“And ah, what about Founder’s Forge?” asked Stonecutter excitedly. She already had an idea where she would like to visit most.

Sparkler turned a page in her book and ran her finger down the text. The fact that she was sat in the middle of the very city the history book was written about, a very alive and bustling city, was not lost on her. “Ah, here we are. Founder’s Forge. A large building situated on the east side, the name refers not only to the building, but also to the group of skilled craftsponies who work there. The forges themselves are built down in a basement chamber. The ponies in the forge work stone as well as metal.”

That sealed the deal as far as Stonecutter was concerned. “The forge!” she and – surprisingly – Blackbeak said together.

“The Burrows!” Cloudy Skies and, a moment later, Sparkler joined in with her choice.

“The forge, really, Blackie?” Stonecutter asked. As a stoneworker herself, she wanted to go to see how these ponies worked stone a thousand years ago. 

“Well, yeah,” Blackbeak shrugged, “I can move metal, you know. I am a griffon. We do mine gold for our armour and weapons in the Abysmal Abyss. And, well, I’d rather go to the forge than go see some homes.”

Sparkler shuddered on the bench seat, “I can feel myself getting dirty just thinking about the forge. Okay. Why don’t we split up? You two head off to the forge, and Cloudy and I can head on down to The Burrows.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Stonecutter and Blackbeak shared a fist bump, “Meet back here in the plaza in say, two, three hours?”

Sparkler checked her watch, “Alright, so we’ll meet here at three thirty?”

“Behave, pet,” Blackbeak embraced Cloudy Skies and affectionately, he nipped the tip of her ear.

“Master,” Cloudy gave him her absolute best half lidded eyes, “We’ll only be apart for a few hours. I won’t run off with Sparks, I promise.”

“You’d better not,” Sparkler snickered as she hugged Stonecutter and kissed her lips, “I’m not dealing with Stony coming after me.”

After they had shared a genial laugh at that, the four friends split into their two respective groups. Sparkler and Cloudy Skies headed to the west side of the plaza, while Stonecutter and Blackbeak went the opposite way. “So,” the earth pony mare started after a few moments of pleasant silence, “How’s it going with you and Cloudy?”

Blackbeak chuckled, “Straight to the point, huh?”

“Well, I dunno about straight,” Stonecutter laughed, “But I am to the point. Just occurred to me that we don’t have a lot of time where it’s just you and me. Figured I’d make the most of it.”

“Eh,” Blackbeak shrugged as he walked through the avenues and streets, “Not much to tell that you don’t already know. We had a conversation about her transitioning yesterday. You know she’s been taking hormone medication for the past couple of years?” when she nodded, he continued, “Well, she’s at the point where she needs to make up her mind whether she wants the operation or not.”

“When you say, the operation, do you mean, ‘the’ operation?”

“Uh huh. ‘The’ operation.” Blackbeak said with a slight sigh, “We saw Nurse Redheart yesterday morning. She said everything’s going great, and if she wanted it, Cloudy could have it done before Hearths Warming Eve.”

“That’s good news!” Stonecutter caught the ‘look’ in Blackbeak’s eyes, “I mean, isn’t it good news?”

“Yeah, of course it is...”

“But?”

“But...now the time is upon us, Cloudy isn’t so sure she wants to take it all the way. She’s worried if she does, I won’t want her.” Blackbeak snorted, “I tell her every time, I don’t care what equipment she’s using. Penis or not, she’ll always be my cute little mare. As long as she agrees to wear my collar, she’ll always be my beautiful pet. Nothing will ever change that.”

“That’s the only issue?”

“Well, there’s the money too,” Blackbeak admitted, “We’ve both got a few bits to our name, but nowhere near what we need to cover that.”

“Then let me take care of it.”

“I couldn’t ask you...”

“You aren’t asking,” Stonecutter interrupted her friend as they neared the east side of the city, “I’m offering. And I’m happy to offer. Consider it a Hearths Warming present.” seeing that he was still about to argue, she added, “There’s no dishonour in taking help when it’s given, Blackie.”

“And there’s no honour in refusing said help and struggling like a moron,” Blackbeak added with a wry smile. “I’ll talk it over with Cloudy. Promise.”

“Whoa...” Stonecutter breathed when she turned the last corner and saw their destination. “Now that’s what I call a forge!” 

Founder’s Forge was a huge three storey building right on the extreme eastern edge of Umberfoal. Several chimneys belched out smoke, and it even had an outdoor coal forge under a wooden awning situated next to the main stone building. An exceptionally large dark red earth pony stallion was busy working the glowing forge as they approached.

“Look!” Stonecutter was giddy with delight, “They actually use coal forges!”

“I know!” Blackbeak had the same joyful expression on his face, “I’ve got to see how they work metal without a power hammer!”

“Excuse me sir,” Stonecutter said as they got closer to the stallion working at the forge, “I apologise for interrupting your work...”

“By the Crucible’s blessed light...” the stallion cut across her when he looked up from the half-finished sword he had been working on, the glowing steel billet forgotten on his anvil. He took one look at the school uniforms they wore, and their ID badges and his face alternated from shock, to awe to a wide smile, “You’re the saviours! From Ponyville! Lady Evenlight sent word you might be coming!”

“Aaaaah...I-I’m...just a pony...” Stonecutter blushed, unaccustomed to the praise and recognition she was getting. 

“I wasn’t even there,” Blackbeak responded truthfully.

“Modest too!” the stallion clapped his hands. “I’m Molten Metal,” he held out his hand, and his guests shook it firmly, “Chief blacksmith of Umberfoal. It’s such an honour to meet you at last!”

Stonecutter found she was still shaking Molten Metal’s hand long after she had introduced herself. After five minutes it was starting to get uncomfortable. After ten minutes, she was starting to see why Sparkler didn’t like to be touched. “Sir...sir, please,” Stonecutter finally managed to get her hand away – ignoring the smirk on Blackbeak’s face, “Do you mind if we have a look around your forge?”

“It would be an honour to show such distinguished guests around my humble forge!” Molten Metal had a gleam in his eyes that made both Stonecutter and Blackbeak feel distinctly uncomfortable. “But first,” he ducked under his table and he reappeared with a wide wooden tray in his hands, “Gifts, from me and my team.”

“Sir...that’s really not necessary,” Stonecutter’s words fell on deaf ears though as Molten Metal set the tray down on the table.

“Whoa...” Blackbeak stared open mouthed at the display set before him. Weapons greeted his yellow eyes. There was a sword, a rapier, a mace, an axe, a warhammer and an array of short swords. “These are for us?”

“Aaaah...we really can’t...”

“Please,” Molten Metal shoved the tray a few inches closer, “Tokens of my appreciation, my small way of thanking you and your friends for releasing us from the statuette enchantment. It’s the least I can do.”

“Stony,” Blackbeak said as he reached his hand over the tray like he was scanning the weapons, “We’d be insulting the nice stallion if we refuse his kind offer,” the griffon’s left hand came to rest over the sword, three and a half feet long with a cruciform guard and pommel, “And I’m not about to insult anypony.”

“Yeah,” Stonecutter gazed at the weapons before her and, as a mason, she was drawn to the warhammer. The wide three foot long wooden shaft fit in her hand like it had been made for her and the business end had a carved snarling earth pony head and a wicked looking spike, “Headmare Twilight would hate for us to insult our hosts, right?”

“I assume these aren’t wall hangers?” asked Blackbeak as Molten Metal practically skipped around the table and he secured the sword and its scabbard around the griffon’s waist.

“They most certainly are not,” Molten Metal looked affronted, though his infectious enthusiastic smile returned when he affixed a leather lanyard and clip to the warhammer so that Stonecutter could wear it on her hip, “We are proud to supply the Duskloaks with the finest quality Umberfoalian steel, Master Griffon.”

“Nice,” Blackbeak grinned a very wide grin, “So, can we go inside? We’d love to see how you craft these beauties!” Molten Metal didn’t need any further urging. He was only too happy to show his two guests into his domain.

~ ~ ~  

“You really like this place, don’t you?” Cloudy Skies asked Sparkler as the two mares made their way from the Crucible over to the western side of the plaza.

Sparkler was nodding enthusiastically before she knew what she knew what she was doing. “I love it!” she squealed loudly in utter delight, so loud that a few of the passing Umberfoalian ponies turned to see what the noise was about. “How can you not? I mean, look at it! Practically unchanged from a millennium ago!”

Cloudy Skies giggled behind her hand, “Be honest, Sparks, when Evenlight said six thousand books, you had an orgasm, didn’t you?”

All at once, Sparkler blushed so hard that she was an inch away from bursting into flames. “Um...maybe?” she all but admitted to her friend – getting together with Stonecutter had not just come with Cloudburst like a step-child to a second marriage, but there was the extended friend network of Seafoam, Blackbeak and now Cloudy Skies as well. 

Not that that was a bad thing.

“I knew it!” Cloudy Skies clapped her hands in well-meant glee, “What set you off?”

“Well,” Sparkler shuffled her hooves uncomfortably, the bright yellow unicorn embarrassed to have been found out, “All that knowledge! Think of it, events of a thousand years ago are legend! Nightmare Moon, The Sirens, King Sombra, Discord...we learnt about them from history books, but even the best one was written a hundred and fifty years after the events. Here, they aren’t history, don’t you see?”

Cloudy Skies saw. “They would have been written contemporaneously as the events happened...”

“Yes!” Sparkler’s green eyes had a zealous shine to them, “Written as they happened, detailing exactly how they happened, with no veneer of myth or legend to colour the text!”

“Careful,” Cloudy Skies teased, “You’re going to need new panties at this rate, Sparks. I’m sure the fabric can only take so much.”

“Oh hush...” Sparkler’s blush was complete, “Was it that obvious?”

“You make an excellent tomato,” Cloudy Skies giggled as they reached the top of the wide winding stairs that lead down from the plaza to the inhabited levels below the city. “And yes, it was obvious. As obvious as the plot of a Columbo episode.”

“A what?”

“Columbo!” Cloudy Skies repeated like her friend was being deliberately obtuse, “You know, the police pony drama? You should know Columbo, being a Canterlot pony. It was set and filmed there.”

Something triggered in Sparkler’s brain, “Oh...yes, now I know what you mean,” grinning, the unicorn lifted up her hand to her head and, in a decent impression of the television stallion, she said, “Just one more thing!”

“Just one more thing!” Cloudy Skies copied Sparkler and both mares laughed, “Oh...I do love that show. Even though I have them all on DVD, when they’re on TV I just have to watch them. Unless I’ve been naughty, and then Blackie makes me watch them with a blindfold on.” she leant in conspiratorially, “He was my first crush, Columbo.”

“Really?” Sparkler lifted up an eyebrow as they started to descend the spiraling staircase, “Wasn’t he a bit...y’know, crumpled and untidy?”

“That was just an act, to disarm the villain!” Cloudy smiled, “I suppose you were a Holmes pony, huh?”

Sparkler paused on the stairs and turned a pouting look to her friend, “Is everything about me so obvious?”

“No,” Cloudy replied, “But Holmes was a book release long before the stories were on TV or made into movies, and correct me if I’m wrong, but you are a book pony.”

“Fine,” Sparkler conceded, though her pout remained firmly in place, “I’ll give you that.” As they wound their way down from the plaza, they began to notice other passageways leading off from the stairway. Down and down, they passed a dozen or so levels, like floors in a tower block, each with their own corridors and chambers hollowed out from the rock. 

Ponies of all tribes moved to and fro, going about whatever they were doing, navigating their way easily by the light from thousands of blue crystals mounted in the walls. After a noticeably short descent, they heard some noise coming from the level directly below them. Giving each other a look, they heard the sounds of a commotion; raised voices, the clattering of galloping hooves and an ominous rumble.

Nodding silently, the two mares decided to investigate the strange sounds rather than go further down the wide winding staircase. The headed on down the next corridor and, when they turned the corner, they were met by the sight of three fully grown ponies being carried towards them on a wave of water!

“Buck!” on instinct, Cloudy Skies spread her wings and hovered above the fast-moving water, while Sparkler just barely managed to avoid getting knocked off her hooves. As they made their way further along the flooded corridor, they passed several ponies who were stood helplessly with buckets trying to scoop up the water.

“It’s coming from there!” Sparkler pointed to the far end of the corridor, to a chamber that was a shop marked as an Alchemist, advertising the potion making skills of the amazing Doctor Fizzbang. The door was forced wide open and the water was pouring out like somepony had pulled the plug in the ocean.

“Help!” came a stallion’s desperate scream from inside the store, “Please! Somepony help!” 

“Come on!” Sparkler forced herself to walk faster against the seemingly never-ending flow of water, and Cloudy Skies flew alongside her. “Cloudy, can you create a cloud to soak some of this up?”

Cloudy Skies looked about her, scanning the rocky corridor. “Sorry Sparks, with no direct way to the city, I can’t siphon the water. The cloud would just clog up this corridor.”

“Fine,” Sparkler ignored the fact that her knee length school socks and her horseshoes were soaked through and she forced herself to the shop doorway, where she saw who she assumed to be Doctor Fizzbang foundering in the water. 

Then, she saw the vial on the desk. It was all pouring from that!

“Doctor!” Sparkler yelled, “What kind of flood is this!?”

“U-Um...aaaaAAAH!” the green earth pony stallion, who had just righted himself, was swept off his hooves once again by the raging water that poured from the ruptured vial. Spitting out water, he surfaced. “I-I’m not sure! Um...magical? Enchanted? Summoned? Charmed?” he flustered around in the torrent, “I need to find the Alchemical Neutraliser! It will stop this!”

Cloudy Skies flew into the flooded store, “Where is it? What does it look like?”

“It’s a small pale pink solution, in a conical flask!” the stallion yelled over the rumbling water, “I had it on the table, I don’t know where it is now!”

Sparkler looked around the chaos in the potion shop. Vials, flasks, test tubes of all shapes and sizes bearing fluids of all colours were floating all around them. It would take a lifetime to sort it all out. “No time for that.” Standing up, the powerful young unicorn planted her hooves and, lighting her horn, she channeled her magic.  

The exact source of the water might be unknown, but one thing was certain. It was grounded in magic. Magic was magic, regardless of its type. And she knew magic. A second later and a flash of green light shone from her horn and washed over the store. All at once, the water stopped gushing from the vial.

“What did you do?” Cloudy Skies asked as she hovered above the water in the room, which was quickly draining through cracks along the floor near the walls. Which left vials near the drains and many down the hallway.

“Simple dispel,” Sparkler explained as the store owner finally managed to stand up in his own store, “Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns lesson one, counter magic. How to stop somepony else’s spells.”

“That was amazing!” Doctor Fizzbang exclaimed as he stood gingerly amid the wreckage of his shop.

“It was nothing, really,” Sparkler said modestly, a faint blush colouring her yellow cheeks, “It was just a dispel...”

“Do you need any help clearing up this mess, Doctor?” Cloudy Skies asked as she finally landed now the water was all drained out.

“Oh no, I wouldn’t want to impose,” the earth pony stallion shuffled his hooves like a schoolcolt who had been caught misbehaving by the teacher.

“It’s no trouble really,” Sparkler countered, “My horseshoes are already wet through, might as well help.

“Well, if you insist, then thank you both, very much.” Doctor Fizzbang carefully stepped around his shop and started to pick up the many hundreds of misplaced potions from the floor. “If you could please pick up the potions and put them on the counters, I’ll sort them all out later.”

By the time the two mares had finished tidying up, Cloudy Skies had a counter full of potions, but Sparkler had gone one step further. Not only had she set the potions up on the counters, she had sorted them by the shape and size of the flasks, she had also arranged them from the smallest to largest, and grouped them by the colour of the contents. 

“This is marvelous!” Doctor Fizzbang said once everything had been cleared away, “My store has never been so clean and...” he caught sight of Sparkler’s ‘efforts’ and he froze, “Ahem...organised. Now, for your reward.”

Fizzbang ignored their protestations and he reached under his workbench, where he pulled out a sturdy looking leather case. Inside were over twenty potions, as well as what the two mares recognized as Ponybalm. “The pale blue ones are Potion of Water Breathing; this is what I was trying to make when it went a bit...wrong. These will allow you to breathe underwater for an hour.”

The alchemist then pointed to the deep purple potions next to the Water Breathing ones, “These are Potion of Darkvision. Drink this, and you’ll see in complete darkness, although not as clearly as if it was bright light. These last ones,” he moved onto the dark green liquids, “Are Potion of Wild Growth. Sprinkle a few drops onto bare earth or rock and new plants and fungi with burst forth in a matter of moments.”

“Sir, please, we couldn’t accept this...”

“I insist, please,” Fizzbang practically forced the strap of the leather case over Cloudy Skies’ neck, “It’s the least I can do for all your gracious help,” he smiled sheepishly, “Besides, I wouldn’t be a gentlecolt if I didn’t reward two pretty mares when they come into my shop.”

“Th-That’s exceedingly kind of you, sir,” Cloudy Skies stammered, blushing hard that she was so convincing a mare that the stallion thought she was pretty, “B-But I h-have a coltfriend.”

“And I’m gay,” put in Sparkler quickly before this poor stallion got too far ahead of himself.

“Alas!” Fizzbang raised his hand dramatically to his head, “No matter! You still more than earned the potions, please, take them and use them as you see fit.”

~ ~ ~ 

“Whoa...” Stonecutter breathed as she entered the Tomevault alongside Sparkler, Cloudy Skies and Blackbeak, “This place is huge!”

Huge was an understatement. Big was simply not enough. Massive undersold the sheer scale. Grand just about covered it. The Tomevault space was thirty feet high, with bookcases six feet across and twenty feet tall covering the walls and the aisles. Each one full of books, scrolls, crystals and artefacts the four had never seen before.

“That certainly is a lot of books,” Blackbeak commented, earning himself a dig in the ribs from his marefriend, “What?” he questioned innocently, though the twinkle in his eye said otherwise, “It is a lot of books! What do you think, Sparks?”

Whatever Sparkler thought about being in the presence of six thousand one thousand-year-old books, she didn’t say. Since setting hoof in the Tomevault, she had only been able to communicate via whimpers, squeaks and meeps. Holding her marefriend’s hand, Stonecutter snickered, “I think she likes it.”

“Look,” Cloudy Skies pointed to a wide-open space in the middle of the main room of the Tomevault, a space that was occupied with and dominated by a large round bowl-like structure. “That’s the thing that was in the plaza earlier, isn’t it?”  

“The Crucible,” Evenlight the Wise said as she appeared from one of the many halls that branched off from the central space – much like the plaza above – with a slightly smaller yet much older looking earth pony mare at her side. Both unicorn and earth pony wore long white robes, the older mare wearing round glasses perched on her nose. “When the Arcast is placed in the receptacle at the top, it is raised to the plaza above through the aperture in the roof and the Festival of Lights begins.”

“Why don’t you just go and tell these outsiders everything, Evenlight?” huffed the red earth pony mare as she removed her glasses that had been delicately balanced on her nose and cleaned them furiously on the handkerchief she kept in her robes for just such purpose. 

“Lady Alethea, please,” Evenlight said with a sigh in her voice, she looked drawn and tired, more so than when she had met the newcomers in the plaza, “These are the ponies from Ponyville, the ones who lifted the Statuette Enchantment. They are our honoured guests.”

“Well, technically...”

Stonecutter was cut off as Alethea walked straight up to Blackbeak and forced him back a step through her sheer presence alone. “You are not a pony, what are you doing here?”

“I am Blackbeak, ma’am,” the griffon saluted the earth pony and gave her a respectful bow, ignoring for the moment her brusque manner. “I was invited, along with my marefriend, Cloudy Skies.”

Alethea glanced down and noted the ID badge he wore, that bore the seal of the Princess of Friendship herself and she relented. “I see. Please, accept my apologies, Master Griffon,” she sniffed, her tone short and clipped, “Rumours of the eastern barbarians across the sea kept us here in Equestria.”

“No apology necessary, ma’am,” Blackbeak politely inclined his head, though his feathers bristled at the thinly veiled insult, “This ‘barbarian’ is pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Ahem,” Evenlight coughed rather loudly than was needed to draw attention back to herself, “This is Lady Alethea,” she introduced the earth pony, “She is the Chief Librarian of Umberfoal and the curator of the Tomevault and the safekeeper of the Arcasts.”

“Arcasts?” Cloudy Skies and Stonecutter asked almost at the same time, both mares sharing a confused look and a shrug of the shoulders with each other, “What are Arcasts?”

Lady Alethea was about to answer, when Sparkler, who had been previously only able to communicate via unintelligible noises, at last found her voice. “Arcasts are solid crystals that store information,” Alethea wore a stunned look on her face, while Stonecutter, Cloudy Skies and Blackbeak were used to it by now.

“This information can be in almost any form,” Sparkler continued, oblivious to the speechless look on the Chief Librarian’s face, “For example: words, images, sounds and even emotions! Sometimes there can even be a combination of many different types!” the yellow unicorn was well into her stride now. Nothing short of a natural disaster or monster attack would stop her, “Each Arcast can hold the knowledge of hundreds of books but it can only be accessed by placing the Arcast into the Crucible.”

“How...” Alethea was slowly remembering she could speak, while Evenlight, who had already sampled Sparkler’s encyclopedic knowledge, simply smiled serenely, “Forgive me, but...how do you know all this?”

“Oh, um,” Sparkler blushed as she used her magic to bring her History of Umberfoal book from Stonecutter’s bag, “I read up on Umberfoal before we came here, ma’am, I’m Sparkler,” she shook Alethea’s hand, “And even though I’ve read that book cover to cover, it’s a privilege and an honour to be stood here in a library like this!”  

“Well now,” Lady Alethea’s stern austere attitude towards the newcomers softened substantially when she saw Sparkler’s genuine enthusiasm, “It’s certainly refreshing to see a young pony so at home in a place of learning. Many of our own youngsters are not so acquainted with our history.” she spared the unicorn a rare smile, “You are correct. The information stored in an Arcast can only be accessed by placing it in the Crucible. In this way, the Crucible effectively ‘writes’ and ‘reads’ the Arcast. When somepony uses the Arcast in the Crucible, all the knowledge within is projected into their mind in the blink of an eye, or they can transform knowledge from their own minds into a new Arcast.”

“Yes!” Sparkler exclaimed, a look of foalish delight mirrored on the much older mare’s face, “I read that they are particularly useful for storing knowledge relating to enchantments, rituals and spells, due to their complex nature.”

“You are correct again!” Alethea smiled, and she wondered if her earlier judgement on these outsiders was in error. Certainly this mare, young as she was, was as clever as any of The Wisery. “I oversee all matters relating to the Crucible and its use in our ceremonies, as well as the creation and use of the Arcasts.”

“This is going to go on for some time, isn’t it?” Blackbeak asked out of the side of his beak.

“I’m afraid so,” Evenlight said quietly with a wry smile, before she lit her horn and levitated over four chairs for them to sit on. “But I do not begrudge Alethea this. The awakening has been hard on her, and I have not seen her clap her hands like a giddy school-filly in a long, long time.”

“Is it true there’s less than two dozen Arcasts in Umberfoal?” Sparkler asked, completely and utterly oblivious to the others now sat on the chairs and sharing a plate of biscuits that Evenlight had summoned.

“It is indeed true,” Alethea stated with a nod of her head, pointing with her hand to a large, wide, very ornately carved and decorated bookcase over by a wall, that had three shelves holding six one foot long white crystals. “Please, allow me to show you our most precious and important Arcast.”

“I see you took my advice,” Evenlight said softly to Stonecutter, “You went and visited Founder’s Forge,” she clarified by indicating the warhammer that hung from the new belt around her waist, and the sword that Blackbeak wore.

“Yes ma’am, Evenlight, ma’am,” Stonecutter replied quietly, “Mr. Molten Metal insisted we take these, he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“We didn’t forget the girls,” Blackbeak snickered, “We got them a letter opener each.”

“He means this,” Cloudy Skies showed off her short sword with a very loud roll of her eyes, “You’ll have to forgive my Master, Ms. Evenlight. He is under the belief he is a comedy genius.” It was a good thing that Evenlight was looking at Cloudy Skies. It meant she missed the dangerous warning look that Blackbeak shot the pegasus.

Lady Alethea opened a double door in the middle of the bookcase, and she showed off an Arcast. Unlike the other eighteen, this one was larger by half and glowing so brightly that they couldn’t look at it directly without hurting their eyes. “This,” the red earth pony mare said reverently, “Is the Arcast that holds all the history and magical knowledge of the Festival of Lights.”

“Why don’t you show our guests how it and the Crucible works, Lady Alethea?”

Alethea stared at Evenlight as if the unicorn had suddenly grown two heads and breathed fire over her most valuable possessions. “I beg your pardon?”

Evenlight saw the way her old friend’s left eye twitched and she shook her head at her foolishness. “Alethea, these are our guests. They are here at my invitation to witness and to take part in the Festival of Lights. They can hardly do that if they do not understand how it works. So, if you please, Chief Librarian, show them how it works.”

“Very well.” The Chief Librarian’s eye twitched again as she carried the Festival Arcast from the bookcase over to the Crucible. As much as she didn’t want to comply, there was an undercurrent, an implied statement of intent that if she did not, then Evenlight would. And that, she would not, could not, allow.

Not if her plans were to succeed.

Like she was carrying the first-born foal of a Princess, Alethea carried the Arcast to the Crucible, where she reverently placed the glowing crystal in the receptacle at the top. “Now, you four, come here and place one hand on the Crucible.” when they were stood around it like the cardinal points on a compass, Alethea continued, “Open your minds, clear your thoughts, and you will see.”

“This is stupid,” Blackbeak scoffed after five minutes of nothing, he glanced at the others, who were all stood with their hands on the Crucible and their eyes closed, “Nothing’s hap...”

Whatever Blackbeak was going to say was lost to the ether as the Arcast suddenly glowed with the intensity of Celestia’s sun and a beam of bright white magic shot from each hand to their foreheads. Then, their eyes glowed with the same bright white light. In the fraction of a second, the knowledge stored in the Arcast was dumped simultaneously into four brains. Just as quickly and suddenly as it had started, the light from the Arcast stopped, leaving the Tomevault feeling dark by comparison, even though it was well lit. 

“Buck...” Cloudy Skies was on her knees, her head held in her hands to steady the dizziness she felt. It was like being drunk, but not a pleasant drunk. It was as if the whole universe was spinning in and around her head.

“Stormclaw’s sainted furred ass...” Blackbeak was down on one knee, the griffon had to use a clawed hand to steady himself and to keep from falling over. His head felt like it usually did after a three-day drinking binge, namely, like Princess Twilight and Lord Tirek were reenacting their battle inside his skull and he was Goldenoak Library. “What...the infernal damnation was that?”

“That...was...incredible!” Stonecutter, who being an earth pony, channeled magic naturally through her hands, was not as adversely affected as her two friends.

Sparkler, who had a natural affinity with magic, being born under the Sign of Magic, was grinning so wide it was as if her head had been split in two. She was suffering no ill effects whatsoever. “Wow!” she squealed in awed delight, “I saw it! I felt it! I understand it! How the Umberfoal ponies fill their hearts with Friendship Magic! The festival is everything! It keeps the lights shining, it reinforces the magic wards to keep monsters at bay, it keeps the pillars that support the city standing! The Festival of Lights is a magical manifestation of everything that makes Umberfoal a home!”

“You see?” Evenlight said to Alethea as Stonecutter helped Cloudy Skies and Blackbeak up to their hooves and feet, “They do understand.”

“One of them does, at least,” Alethea replied coldly.

Evenlight was about to answer that when, in a loud clatter of hooves, a Duskloak guard came bursting into the Tomevault, panic all over his young face. “M-Ma’am...L-Lady E-Evenlight, ma’am...” he breathed hard, having galloped from the fort all the way down the stone pillar.

“What is it, Private Spearhead?” if Evenlight was concerned, she gave no outward sign of it. Her calm serene demeanour remained firmly in place.

“It-It’s Captain Flash Hoof, ma’am,” the earth pony stallion explained once he had caught his breath, “The scout patrol he lead into Capstone Fort have not reported back. And uh...um...there was...we heard...that is to say, the lookouts reported...screams, coming from inside.”

“I see,” Evenlight for once allowed a frown of consternation to cross her otherwise calm face. In a heartbeat, she turned to address her four guests, “I hate to impose upon you, but could you please go with the Private here and investigate this situation before it gets out of hand?”

“Us?” asked Cloudy Skies uncertainly.

“If you would be so kind,” Evenlight forced a smile on her face, “You see, the Duskloaks are city guard, police, I think your Princess likened them to. I am afraid they are ill equipped to deal with whatever monster has found its way into Capstone Fort.”

“What makes you think we can help?” Cloudy Skies asked before the other three could speak.

“You have faced and survived the Trials of the Badlands. You have lifted the Statuette Enchantment and you have returned us to the world. Those are no mean feats, my friends.” Evenlight addressed the group as a whole.

“What makes you think a monster is in the fort?” asked Sparkler quickly, before Cloudy Skies could correctly point out that it was just Stonecutter and herself who had done those things.

“Because the magical wards that keep the city safe have not been renewed in a thousand years,” Evenlight admitted with a deep sigh. “That is the purpose of the Festival of Lights. However, we have had reports over the past month of bigger and bigger creatures breaching our borders. Please, if you can help at all, please, I would be so grateful.”

“Let me guess,” Stonecutter spoke up, “This is a situation you don’t want the populace alerted to?”

“You guess correctly,” Evenlight nodded, “It would not do for the morale of the city to have the citizens panicking about monsters and jumping at shadows. If you could see to this quietly and discreetly, I would be most grateful.”

“Well, I guess we could take a look, right?” Stonecutter said, earning herself a dubious look from the other three.

“Excellent!” Evenlight clapped her hands delightedly, “You truly are the Saviours! Here,” she reached into her long robes and she pulled out a small circular token that bore her cutie mark of a single lit candle, “Present that to the Sergeant at the Duskloak Barracks and he will give you some things to help you.” 

“Thank you, Evenlight, ma’am,” Stonecutter took the token in her hand and, she walked away with Sparkler, Cloudy Skies and Blackbeak, following the Private out of the Tomevault, she couldn’t help but think of Cloudburst and what her best friend had said back in Headmare Twilight’s office. “Isn't this the bit when CB would say 'I told you so'?”

Blackbeak, who was walking with Cloudy Skies, one hand holding hers and the other resting on the pommel of his sword, asked, “What?” 

“Nothing,” Sparkler sighed, though her face was set resolutely, the unicorn resigned to the adventure that had found them, “Just another typical day...”

Cloudy Skies wore a confused look on her face, “But, I don't think CB has typical days?”

“Got it in one,” Sparkler agreed grimly, her mind running through and organising the offensive and defensive spells she knew in order of usefulness and effectiveness, “Let's go.”

Placing the Arcast back in the bookcase, Alethea watched them leave with a dark smile on her face. The outsiders had been unexpected diversions, but no matter now. ‘Insidira will make sure they never leave Capstone Fort...’ she thought with satisfaction.
> Chapter 3 - Capstone Fort
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stonecutter decided she hated Umberfoal and everything about it. The group of four were stood at one of the High Bridges, the only way to get from the main pillar to those scattered around the edges that made up the outskirts of the subterranean city. “How can I be under a mountain and I have to cross a bridge over a thousand-foot drop?” she complained.

“It is a stone bridge, though,” Cloudy Skies offered in an attempt to be helpful, “At least it’s not that light bright job.”

“I like stone. I know stone...” Stonecutter repeated her mantra over and over to herself as she gingerly set a hoof on the bridge, her hands at the high stone sides. She greatly envied the two fliers. They didn’t have to deal with falling. “Feels strong enough, at any rate.”

“You are strong enough, love,” Sparkler said gently, the smaller unicorn stood next to her and she held the earth pony’s hand. It was a tight squeeze on the narrow bridge, but it was worth it. “Let’s go adventure!”

Hovering by their left side, Blackbeak snickered, “Okay, that didn't sound like you at all, Sparks.”

“Light bridges, stone bridges...I'm beginning to think CB had the right idea...” Stonecutter grumbled as she stepped her hooves on the bridge proper and walked over, pointedly looking dead ahead, not up, not down, not at anywhere but her destination in front of her.

Cloudy Skies, who was flying over the gap next to Blackbeak, turned her head so she could admire her lover. “You know, you do look dashing in that armour, Master.”

Smiling, Sparkler took a moment to admire her own armour while her marefriend slowly made her way over the High Bridge. They had each gotten a full set of light barding from the Duskloak Barracks when they had presented the token with Evenlight’s cutie mark on it. “You could wear it to the Friendship School to show off your Griffon-ness.”

Stonecutter, the strongest among them, moved easily in her armour, while Cloudy Skies and Sparkler were taking longer to get used to the metal plates on their lower legs, arms and chests. “You might want to leave the sword in your dorm though,” she suggested, almost over the bridge.

Cloudy Skies, for what felt like the hundredth time, adjusted the breast plate of the barding to a more comfortable position. “Of all the things you could've gotten, you got a sword!” 

Blackbeak snickered. Being a griffon, he was the most comfortable in his armour. It reminded him of his ancestral armour he kept in his closet at school, the one heirloom he had gotten from his family in Griffonstone. “You know I don't care for archery, or the two-handed weapons. I do have claws.”

Moments later, and they found themselves stood before Capstone Fort. Partially cut into the surrounding rock, the fort rose up to meet the downward slope of the bridge. It was built from perfectly smooth obsidian, something that Stonecutter appreciated. Parts of the outer wall had crumbled over time, but it still looked formidable defense. Holding out an arm, Sparkler halted her marefriend before she walked into the closed doors. “I thought they would be open for us,” she huffed in a deep pout.

Blackbeak stood back and looked up at the huge dark timbered fortress doors. For a thousand years old, they looked quite solid. “They may have shut them to keep something from getting into the city.”

“Probably...” Stonecutter murmured, though she didn’t want to dwell too much om that. Like Blackbeak, she looked up at the double doors, “That private did say there were screams coming from the inside,” she laid her hand on the wood and allowed her earth pony magic to ‘read’ the wood. “Feels solid enough. Should be able to force it no problem.”

“I'll say this for the ponies here, they knew how to build things to last,” Cloudy Skies cast an appreciative eye over the black obsidian walls, “I mean, this could have been built now, but for the crumbling bits.” the pegasus stood aside and watched as Stonecutter put her shoulder to the door, easily hefting it open like they weighed nothing. 

The room they entered beyond the main doors was small, roughly ten-foot square, and it was in quite poor condition. A ragged carpet that might have once been red lay strewn across the floor. Two tall candle holders had fallen over and rusted with time. A layer of dust covered almost all the surfaces.

“So....” Cloudy Skies consulted a map she had picked up at the guard barracks, “This is the Antechamber. Through that door is the Long Gallery,” she pointed to the only door out of the small room they found themselves in. 

“Jeez...checkout all the dust,” Blackbeak said, for it was everywhere, except for the rather obvious sets of hoof prints on the floor. It was clear that they belonged to Captain Flash Hoof and his guards. “Guess they haven't been in here much since waking up, huh?”

“The place could use an interior decorator,” Cloudy Skies sniffed derisively once Stonecutter had forced open the slightly smaller set of wooden doors and let them into the gallery. “It’s a dump!”

A dump was an understatement. As soon as they entered the Long Gallery, it was obvious that everything in it had suffered the erosion of time. Damaged display cases and shattered glass covered the floor. Tapestries on the wall hung faded and torn. Despite that, the dust on the floor was not so thick. Looking around, Sparkler took note of the large pile of collapsed rubble that blocked their way to their right. “Only the city center was protected by the enchantment.”

Stonecutter flinched, “There’s noise is coming from the door straight ahead...” she automatically fell into a combat posture, her hand on her hammer.

“That leads to the...” Cloudy Skies again consulted her map, making sure she had it the right way round, “The Hearth Hall.”

“How are you doing with the dust, Sparks?” Blackbeak couldn’t resist a gentle tease, “I heard you were super neat and clean.”

“Adventure!” Sparkler declared loudly; her exclamation swiftly followed by a well-aimed eye roll. In truth, the layers of dust and dirt were bothering her, a lot, but she was trying her best to put her freak out to the back of her mind.

Marching ahead, Stonecutter placed her palm on the knob of the gold inlay decorated door. “Hey, the door is warm, that can't be good.”

“Pfft, I got this!” tired of the earth pony showing off how strong she was by constantly opening all the doors, Blackbeak roughly shoved open the door, revealing to them all the fire that Stonecutter had felt spreading out from the large old style hearth on the east wall. “Stormclaw's feathers!” he cursed, taking a step backwards.

Moving forwards, Cloudy Skies took the time to giggle at her flustered lover, “I got this, Master,” she snickered, just as the raging fire caught a long tapestry that hung along the hall. As the flames started to get high, she used pegasus magic to create two jets of water that shot out from the palms of her hands. 

While his mare busied herself with putting out the fire with her water, Blackbeak took the time to stick his tongue out at her. “A fire?” Stonecutter said once the inferno had been reduced to columns of rising steam on the drenched surfaces of the hall, “How did that happen when this place has been abandoned for a thousand years?” 

“Perhaps the scout party lit the fire when they got inside?” suggested Cloudy Skies, as she cancelled her magic once she was sure the fire had been fully extinguished. 

Sparkler though was looking at the floor. The bright yellow unicorn was studying the hoof marks in the dust and the scattered soot from the fire. In her mind’s eye she could picture the stallion’s hooves. “It looks like there was a fight in here.”

“A fight?” Stonecutter whirled around, her eyes looking everywhere at once, “Where?” 

Blackbeak saw the earth pony stroking the handle of her hammer and he smirked, for he was doing the same with his sword. “Check out the dust, Stony,” he pointed to the floor and the signs of the struggle that Sparkler was studying, “The dust that Cloudy didn't just wash away.”

“That struggle must have been the noise we heard,” observed Stonecutter, the hair on the back of her neck still stood on end, “But it’s silent now.” 

Sparkler shuddered, “Silent isn't good.”

“What’s down that way?” asked the earth pony, pointing to a narrow corridor that led off of the main hearth area. 

Sparkler, who was looking curiously over Cloudy Skies’ shoulder at the map, said, “The Captain’s quarters, a strong room and the rest of the Long Gallery.”

“We should probably explore the area a little bit, if we have the time.” Cloudy Skies suggested helpfully. She had seen the extremely bored look on her lover’s feathered face while Sparkler had been investigating the portraits and tapestries, “I know quiet isn't good, but we need to get the lay of the land, at least know where all the exits are.”

“Cloudy and I could go and check out the rest of the corridor we passed,” Blackbeak offered quickly, eager to be doing anything other than just standing around looking at pictures of dead ponies.

“The Long Gallery runs all around the outside of this room,” said Sparkler, not looking away from the portrait she was studying, “But you saw it was blocked in one direction outside.”

Blackbeak was getting antsy. “It might be unblocked on the other side.”

“Is that smart?” asked Stonecutter. She had seen enough cheesy B rated horror movies with Cloudburst and Seafoam to know that you did not split up when you were somewhere creepy.

“It will lead to the door at the end of this hall,” Sparkler stated, the unicorn, who had never seen a horror movie in her life, was utterly clueless to her marefriend’s concerns, “We can meet up there. I want to check out the other two rooms first. There might be clues.”

With that, and a four way promise to each be careful, the group separated. Blackbeak and Cloudy Skies went back the way they had come, and Stonecutter and Sparkler went deeper into the fort. “The Captain's door is unlocked, at least,” the earth pony mare commented as she tried the knob and it opened for her. “Seems that Flash Hoof guy was as neat as you, Sparks.”

Sparkler noted the cheek in her lover’s voice, and she filed it away for later under ‘naughty pet behaviour’. She was right though. Flash Hoof’s room was relatively tidy, and it didn’t seem to have been damaged over the years. “Could use a poster or two. Rather spartan,” she commented, pointing to the single bed at the north end of the room and the desk at the opposite end. “I guess they didn't keep plushies. Doesn't look like anypony has been in here recently.”

Stonecutter had to agree with that. What dust there was on the floor had not been disturbed like in the other rooms. “Look, the bed's been made, I guess the guy must've done it when he came in. He's cleaned his desk too, look there's no dust, even on that model.”

“Model?” that caught Sparkler’s attention immediately and she walked over to take a look. The model was of an ancient wooden sailing ship. There were three masts, each with six sails. It was perfectly modeled and scaled. “This is what they used a thousand years ago! It’s a merchant ship called a clipper!”

“A ship?” Stonecutter picked it up and straightaway it rattled in her hand, “Why would they have a ship underground?” out of curiosity, she shook it a little harder and one of the three masts started to wobble dangerously.

“Don't break it!”

“No ma'am,” Stonecutter smirked, and she set it down carefully in the stand then, she looked over the desk, idly opening the top left drawer. Her brow wrinkled in concentration as she read what was on the piece of paper she found. “What does this mean? Beats any clubs, diamonds, hearts or spades. The name holds the key. Some code?”

Off handed, Sparkler replied, “A trump card.” 

“Trump card?” Stonecutter repeated, and she smiled a wide smile. The base of the model was pointed to Sparkler, but she grinned all the wider because she put two and two together. “Look at the ship, Sparks. The name holds the key!”

Sparkler, who was admittedly highly intelligent, nonetheless suffered from the occasional blind spot, even though she was looking at the name of the model ship. “What, we need to go sailing?”

Quietly, Stonecutter facepalmed, “You may be the smartest mare I know, but sometimes you're clueless. The ship is called the Trump Card. The key is in the hold of the model! Now...how to get it out without breaking it?”

In an attempt to hide to hide her blush, Sparkler studied the model intently. “It really is well made, and I think the cargo doors open. They would drop in cargo from the top with a crane.” carefully, she fiddled with the model and opened the tiny doors.

Stonecutter watched Sparkler’s dainty careful fingers and smiled, “You had models in Canterlot, didn't you?” Not toys, or dolls, no, she just knew her marefriend had models.

“Hmm, but not like this. I had figurines like the Power Ponies, and the Princesses.” Tilting up the model, Sparkler retrieved the key from the hold, “Or action figures as some would call them. Okay, so what is this key to?”

“Huh,” Stonecutter resisted the urge to say ‘a lock’, “And I had you figured for models of the royal palaces.” the slate grey mare looked at the note again, “The Strong Room, over there.”

Sparkler’s deep blush returned in full force, “Well, um, my figures did need a setting...”

“Uh huh,” Stonecutter couldn’t resist a tease, “And I bet you spent months building and painting each one?” she giggled, “Don't worry, my dad does the same. Ask to see his airship collection, you'll see what I mean.”

“Okay, but you may not see me for hours,” Sparkler giggled, filing that away too for the future. “Is there anything left to check in here?”

“I don't think so,” Stonecutter walked out with Sparkler across the small hallway to the strong room, whose door was opposite the room they had been in. “Fair warning though, say goodbye to your afternoon. Dad's got hundreds of airships,” A blush now coloured her cheeks too, because one of the models was of the airship her parents actually owned.

Sparkler tried the door, it was locked, and sure enough the key they had just found did open it. “I sense magic in here. Objects.” the unicorn reported as she looked at the small pile of wooden chests in the room. Some had decayed over time, spilling their contents over the stone floor.

“Like the ‘magic’ in those yellow toys you keep under your bed?” Stonecutter grinned and she cracked open the first chest that Sparkler pointed to. “A pole? That’s magic, a pole?”

Sparkler muttered darkly, “I can think of uses for a magic pole on you,” she said as she placed it in her pack, and louder, she said, “That and the rope too.” 

“Let's not forget these gems!” Stonecutter picked up a handful of the spilled stones and weighed them in her palm. “There's easily over two hundred bits worth here. What does the rope do?”

As Stonecutter filled her pouch with the gems, something Sparkler did not object to, the unicorn cast an arcana spell on the rope. “Could have used this in the badlands. Toss it up and it will automatically connect to an anchor point. Sure grip makes it easy to climb.”

“I bet it can tie awesome knots too, huh?” Stonecutter wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, “Huh?”

Sparkler greeted her marefriend’s salacious look with a deadpan look of her own, “Are we feeling a bit frisky from our adventure, pet?”

“Following your tail always makes me frisky, Mistress,” she grinned and playfully slapped the smaller mare’s ass.

“We should get Sky and Blackie to watch then,” Sparkler winked and, wrapping the rope around her waist a few times like a belt, she walked out of the strong room and onwards to the door at the end of the small hallway.  

“Hey...” Stonecutter paused at the now open door, “Can you hear shouting?”

~ ~ ~

Having left the Hearth Hall, Cloudy Skies walked to her right around the gallery, and as she gazed at the many portraits on the walls, she started humming one of her favourite Blondie song, Heart of Glass. She turned the corner to the right with Blackbeak by her side and they came to a naturally hollowed cave in the rock which had caused part of the fortification to collapse. “This place really is decrepit,” the griffon snorted.

Cloudy Skies wrinkled her nose in distaste, “I know, I can practically taste the dust...” 

“The hall is blocked,” Blackbeak said as he noted the cave in up ahead of them. If they wanted to explore any further, the only way was into and through the cave to the left. “This cavern must have expanded. Let's check it out.”

Walking along by his side, Cloudy Skies wasn’t really listening to her lover. Her mind was wandering, as it often did when she was alone with him lately. She couldn’t help but think of something he had said to her a month ago. ‘I need you inside me, a toy feels good, but it can't compare to the real thing.’

Cloudy Skies had heard that in her head daily for the past four weeks. Every time Blackbeak had cuddled her when they went to sleep. Every time she woke up in his arms. Every time he had looked at her. She heard that sentence over and over in her head. ‘I need you inside me, a toy feels good, but it can't compare to the real thing.’

It made her skin crawl under her blue fur.

‘I need you inside me, a toy feels good, but it can't compare to the real thing.’ 

“There's a cave entrance there,” she said absent mindedly as she walked up to the mouth of the cavern that the griffon had just pointed out to her, “To the left. It looks big enough for us to walk in. Want to check it out?”

“I literally just said that,” said Blackbeak as he entered the cave, making sure as he did so that Sparkler and Stonecutter weren’t following them. Ever since he’d had the chat with Stonecutter on the way to their visit at the Founder’s Forge, he had wanted some alone time with his mare. 

“Sorry, my mind was somewhere else, Blackie.” It was somewhere else alright. She was so distracted by the sentence running non-stop loops in her head that she didn’t notice the shallow puddle of water that covered the whole of the cave floor. “Oh damn it!” she squealed, “Now my horseshoes are wet!”

“You didn't wet yourself?” asked Blackbeak, still looking around to make sure they were definitely alone.

“No, I did not wet myself!” Cloudy Skies pouted and stamped her hoof, which just made matters worse because now the water splashed up her legs and ran inside the armour she wore. “I did that one time! One time, and you never let me forget it,” she then noticed the griffon looking around. “What are you looking for, love?”

“If the others followed us,” he answered her, and after he had taken a deep breath, he continued, “Stony told me she would be willing to help with the cost of the surgery.”

He was expecting her to be happy. He was expecting her to jump up and down, to clap her hands and squee like an excited filly.

What he was not expecting was for her face to fall like he had offered her a tub of salted caramel ice cream only to give her a lettuce leaf at the last moment.

“Oh...” Cloudy Skies splashed to a halt in the shallow water. “Oh right.” she was less than enthusiastic as that cursed sentence ran through her head once more. “You spoke to her about me?”

“She brought it up,” Blackbeak countered. He wasn’t wrong. Stonecutter had broached the subject first. “It would take forever for us to afford that. It's what you want.”

“Hmm...” she turned away from him and she used her wings to shield her face. She didn’t want him to see her heart break into a million pieces in front of him. ‘I need you inside me, a toy feels good, but it can't compare to the real thing...’ It was what she wanted, yes, but was it what he wanted?

“What's wrong with you?” Blackbeak reached out a clawed hand to his mare’s shoulder, only for her to shrug him away. She had never, ever shrugged him away in all the time they had been an item! “A wet horseshoe and you're weirding out!”

Cloudy Skies didn’t turn around, nor did she lower her wings. “It's nothing, okay? Operation, great!”

That just served to confuse the griffon all the more. “Why are you being sarcastic? It's what you've dreamed of!”

Neither of them noticed the plant growing nearby in the middle of the shallow pool of water, a tall flower with petals the colour of a flaring bruise. Petals that grew bigger and glowed red as the couple began to argue.

“I said it's nothing!”

“What's wrong with you?” Blackbeak exclaimed angrily, snorting air through his nostrils, “I can't understand you if you don't talk to me!”

Cloudy Skies laughed. It was a hollow, humourless laugh. “It's what I dream of.” she purposefully put a heavy emphasis on the word ‘I’. “It's not what you dream of!” At last, she turned to face her lover, and in her temper, her wings flared out wide, “If I get it done, you'll leave me for a stallion!”

Of all the things he was expecting to come from her mouth, that was not one of them. Like the pegasus though, Blackbeack’s wings flared. His feathers stood up on his head, and his talons extended from his clawed hands. “What in Tartarus makes you say that!?”

“You!” Cloudy Skies yelled in the griffon’s face. “You admitted it, the day after Nightmare night!” she affected a deep, fake voice in imitation of the towering griffon, “I need you inside me, a toy feels good, but it can't compare to the real thing!” She was panting hard like she had flown through a hurricane, anger all over her muzzle.

“What...” Blackbeak had to stop and think about if he actually had said that. Thinking though was made hard by the fact that it was his mare shouting and yelling at him. She had never, ever so much as raised her voice to him before!

“You said it!” Cloudy Skies stepped forwards well into his personal space and jabbed her forefinger into his broad muscular chest, “You said it knowing full well I hate having this...'thing' between my legs!” she punctuated each other word with a jab of her finger, “It's hideous, it's disgusting, I. Am. A. Mare!”

“I'm not the problem here!” Blackbeak snarled, roughly shoving the pegasus back away from him, “You're the problem here!”

Cloudy Skies stumbled backwards two then three steps. She almost fell on her ass in the water. Her hands became fists, her body shaking with the release of the pent-up rage. “I only ask to be unlocked to please you! I...”

Whatever Cloudy Skies was going to say after that was lost to the ether as Stonecutter came panting into the cavern from the opposite end, “He-Hey, guys!” the chubby earth pony mare was slightly breathless, “What's all the shouting about?”

“I'm not shouting!” Blackbeak snarled, his own hands spread out, displaying his wickedly sharp talons and the intent to use them, “Sky is being an idiot!”

“Don't you dare call me an idiot!” Cloudy Skies stomped her hoof and splashed water over Blackbeak’s legs, “I'm not stupid, you're stupid!”

Just then, Sparkler ran up, coming to a halt by her marefriend’s side. The yellow unicorn took in the unfolding scene. Blackbeak and Cloudy Skies looking set to tear each other apart, and then her eyes landed on the glowing red flower. “Rageleaf! This is bad. Stony, grab Blackie and drag him back to the Captain's room. I got Sky.” 

“I'm not going anywhere till I talk some sense into this featherbrain!” 

“You're the feather brain!”

Stonecutter didn’t question Sparkler’s order. She moved up to the griffon and seized his wrist. “I got him, Sparks,” taking a hold of his arm, she started to pull him back out of the cavern. “Come on, let’s go have a sit down, huh?”

“Let go of me!” Blackbeak, in his rage, tried to use his extended talons to remove himself from the earth pony’s tight grip, while at the same time, Sparkler quickly wrapped her arms around Cloudy Skies from behind so that she couldn't fly off and she moved her back out of the cavern towards the Captain’s quarters. 

“Alright big guy,” while he was her friend, Stonecutter was not prepared to be a scratching post. As he tried to claw her, she slipped behind Blackbeak and she got him in a full nelson wrestling hold, and then she dragged him all the way to the Captain's room.

Once they were all four of them in the room, Sparkler sat Cloudy Skies down in the one chair, using her magic to keep her there. “You hold Blackie down on the bed till he calms down,” she ordered, “I’m making sure Sky stays seated.”

“Don't worry, Sparks, I got this,” Stonecutter then hefted the struggling griffon onto the bed and to end any further argument, she sat on him, and under her not inconsiderable weight, he was going nowhere.

Cloudy Skies, who was trembling and sobbing in the chair, couldn’t get up, thanks to Sparkler’s magic. For the moment, Sparkler ignored their shouts and curses, instead she pulled out a book from her satchel, Meadowbrook’s Guide to Umberfoal's Flora and Fauna. “Hmm...that was definitely Rageleaf in that cave...”

“Told you it was a cave...” Cloudy Skies snarked, but all the fight seemed to have been crushed out of Blackbeak by the weight sat on him. He looked utterly dejected and he didn't bother to argue back. Slowly, Sparkler’s words entered her brain. “Rageleaf? So, it made us argue?”

“Well, sort of,” Sparkler answered without looking up from her book, “It feeds of negativity. It made you think of reasons to argue.”

“It...didn't create the reasons?” Blackbeak asked, the griffon struggling to breathe under Stonecutter's weight.

“Um, no. It only amplifies issues to unreasonable and irrational levels. Sorry.”

“Oh...” Cloudy Skies sat calm and dejected in Sparkler’s glowing green aura, a sad look on her face.

Sparkler glanced over at the bed and she saw the gasping griffon turning slowly blue. “I think you can let go of him now Stony.” she released Cloudy Skies from her magic, and she gave her a hug. “It’s good to express your fears. I did that with my mom. I just wish it could have been a bit more controlled.”

“Yeah, I um...I'm sorry, Blackie, I shouldn't have raised my voice...” Cloudy Skies said softly, the pegasus unable to meet her lover’s eyes.

Stonecutter got off of the griffon, and she hauled him up one handed by the scruff of his neck and dumped him on his paws. “I, ah, we need to talk about this, Sky.”

Just then, there came the sound of a scream from somewhere in the fort. It was faint and muffled, and whoever it came from was clearly terrified, if the scream was anything to go by. It came from the direction at the other end of the hall. “Later, guys,” Stonecutter was on her hooves, “I think we're close to finding the guards.”

Sighing deeply, Sparkler got up. “Adventure. Let's go.”

“Yes!” Cloudy Skies exclaimed way too loudly, “Let's go!”

With her hand on her hammer, Stonecutter led the way out of the Hearth Hall, across the Long Gallery to a large double stone door that barred their way. The mason stopped to study it. Unlike the other doors, this had no knob or handle. Grooves in the floor and ceiling gave her a clue. “This one slides rather than swings.”

Sparkler looked at the flat featureless door and motioned for her marefriend to continue. “You are my official door opener, love.”

“Nice to have a job...” Stonecutter rolled her eyes and she pushed against the left door. It did not move. She tried again, this time putting her considerable weight behind her push, and it barely budged an inch. “HNNNNNNNG!”

Watching, Sparkler was used to seeing her pet easily overcome anything with her prodigious strength. She was not accustomed to seeing her struggle. “Oh my, Blackie can you lend a claw please?”

“Happy to,” Blackbeak didn’t look or sound exactly happy, but he went to the other door, placed his back to Stonecutter and he pushed along with her. He got nothing for his trouble but another inch of movement and a loud grating sound that went right through him. 

“Um...Sparkler?” Cloudy Skies spoke up, “There's a glowing ring there on the doors, perhaps it's magic?”

Cautiously, Sparkler laid her hand on the door and she cast her arcana spell to see if it was a mundane lock, and enchanted shield, and if it could be dispelled. While the unicorn was busy with that, and while Stonecutter and Blackbeak were both struggling with the uncooperative door, Cloudy Skies turned her attention to the portraits on the walls. 

Her sharp eyes caught on to a detail. “All these portraits of previous Duskloak Captains are different, did you notice that? Apart from those two on the east and west sides of the door.” That intrigued Sparkler enough to check out what the pegasus had said. “Look, that one and that one are both the same stallion,” she pointed to the identical portraits on the left and right of the stone door, “Where all the other portraits are different.”

Sparkler looked, and sure enough, the portraits were the same. “I know that portrait. That’s Captain Firemane. He was the first Captain of the Duskloaks.” What Sparkler didn’t know, what she couldn’t know, was that the stone doors were password protected. The password, which she also didn’t know, was Firemane. As she said it out loud, the doors slid open with a dull rumble, and Stonecutter and Blackbeak both ended up face first in the dusty floor. “Great work guys!” Sparkler congratulated her two door openers; sure it was them that had opened them. “Now to go in.”

Sparkler helped Stonecutter up to her hooves and stepped carefully into the next corridor. Cloudy Skies likewise helped Blackbeak up to his paws, though the two didn’t look at each other. “According to the map, this bit of the fort is called the Overlook.”

Leaving the short corridor, they stepped out into a circular stone room roughly sixty feet in diameter. Cobwebs hung everywhere from the high ceiling down to the floor, cobwebs that Sparkler was trying to ignore. “Those crystals on the right wall look a lot like the ones in that Tomevault place,” Blackbeak noted, pointing out the crystal array mounted on the stone wall. 

“They should be glowing though, shouldn’t they?” Sparkler asked, taking note of the fact that these crystals were neither glowing white nor were they humming like the ones in the Tomevault had been.

Before the unicorn could ask anything else about the unusual crystals, Stonecutter cried out, “Aren't those ponies over there the guards?”

Cloudy Skies followed where Stonecutter was looking and she saw, on the southern side of the room, in semi darkness, four stallions. “Sweet Celestia...they're tied up...is that...spider webbing?”

Blackbeak though was concentrated on the crystals mounted in the carved stone surface on the wall. “I remember from that Arcast thing, it's a shield array, powered by another Arcast back in that Crucible. It's not working though.”

When she heard the word ‘spider’, Sparkler lost her focus. She hated spiders. Everypony who knew her knew that she hated spiders. “We...Webbing?” she stuttered in fear, “Did you say webbing?”

“Yeah, look, they're all wrapped up!” Cloudy Skies pointed out to the quivering unicorn the white webbing wrapped tightly around the immobile guards, holding them as secure as any rope. “That's got to be spider web, right?”

“I hope they’re just knocked out, and not...you know...” Sparkler wasn’t listening to what Stonecutter was saying. The scared mare was deathly quiet, and her head was on a swivel, suddenly trying to look everywhere at once.

“You okay, Sparks?” Stonecutter took Sparkler’s hand in hers and gave it a gentle reassuring squeeze.

Sparkler was not okay. “No,” she squeaked, “No I'm not okay. I'm not!” there were spiders somewhere close, she just knew it. They had to get out of there!  

Blackbeak shrugged, “Let's untie them and see what happened.”

“I'm on it!” Cloudy Skies flew over to the unconscious guards and, quickly checking their pulses, she breathed easy. “They're alive!”

“Thank Celestia for that!” Stonecutter breathed a sigh of relief and she turned to Sparkler, “It's okay, whatever it is, isn't here now.”

Seeing that his mare needed help, Blackbeak walked quickly over the room, covering the sixty feet in a few heavy stomps of his paws. He started to rip and tear at the webbing with his claws and talons. “Definitely spiders!”

Sparkler still wasn't moving as she looked around in paralyzing fear. She remained rooted to the spot when Stonecutter tugged on her hand. “Come on Sparks, we need to help them.”

“Damn webs!” Blackbeak had to stop, his claws were all gunked up with the sticky webbing. The more he tried to tear it away from the unconscious guards, the more his hands were snarled up. 

In an attempt to get any kind of response from Sparkler, Stonecutter clicked her fingers in front of the unicorn’s wide staring eyes. “Come on, Sparks,” she tugged harder at her hand until she made three steps inside the chamber. Sparkler closed her eyes tight shut and allowed Stonecutter to pull her along. “See, it's fine...AAAAAAH!” the earth pony screamed as two giant spiders, each the size of a large cow, dropped down from the ceiling.

A split second later, and Sparkler started to scream because Stonecutter screamed, and she ran off blindly in a random direction before she even thought of opening her eyes. An excited glint shone in Blackbeak’s eyes, at last some action! “Guard the ponies, Sky.” he drew his sword and charged forward towards the closest spider. 

“Yes Master!” the past argument was for the moment forgotten. She had a job to do. Cloudy Skies drew her little short sword from its scabbard and placed herself in front of the guards.

The first spider, faced with a charging griffon, spat a web at the attacker’s legs, aiming to trip him up. Blackbeak flapped his wings and took to the air, easily dodging the web. The second spider reared up in front of Stonecutter and jabbed its pincers at her.  SC swings her hammer at it* Jeez it's huge!

While Stonecutter clumsily swung her hammer at the spider’s face, Sparkler ran over to a wall where she hyperventilated with no paper bag. In midair, Blackbeak jinked side to side to avoid the spider’s stabbing legs and he swung his sword at the creature’s upper body.  

“Sp-Sparks!” Stonecutter screamed as she just narrowly dodged a pincer attack, and she swung her hammer at one of the spider’s legs in retaliation. “We need help!”

The spider in front of Blackbeak reared up and jabbed both of its foremost legs at the flying nuisance. In return, the griffon fought back, displaying the combat skills he had learnt in Griffonstone that most didn't even know about to fight the spider back. 

Sparkler, who was paralyzed with sheer terror, couldn’t answer Stonecutter’s frantic screams for help. She just couldn’t! The second spider jabbed at the much slower and less skilled earth pony mare, and it succeeded in stabbing her in the thigh. The sharp tip of the leg going all the way through the chubby mare’s upper leg. Stonecutter dropped to a knee, hot red blood spurting out of the grievous wound. “GAAaaaAAARGH! Sparks! Sparkler! HELP ME!”

All of a sudden, Sparkler’s mind cleared. She heard Stonecutter scream, she smelled blood in the air. She was not scared. Just like that, she was back in the wagon facing down the three Diamond Dog bandits. She would not fail her Stony. Eyes glowing white, Sparkler turned and, horn lit, she summoned her fire. Channeling her fireworks into both hands, the unicorn shot bolts of coloured fire at each spider.

As soon as the magical fire hit the spiders, the creatures ignited into two giant fireballs. Screeching and thrashing, they rolled on the stone floor for a few seconds before they lay still as the flames consumed them just as Cloudy Skies managed to free the guards with her short sword. “Stormclaw's breath...” Blackbeak muttered, “Who knew burning spiders smelled that bad?”

Now the threat was for the moment over, Sparkler ran over to Stonecutter who had taken a knee and hugged her tight. “Stone! Stone...are you okay?”

“Y-Ye-Yeah...” Stonecutter gasped as blood spurted from the deep wound on her thigh. “I-I can heal...” she slumped on her back now that the fight was over. The earth pony placed her hand on the bleeding hole, and it glowed bright yellow.  

“Praise be for your skill, my love.”

“And to yours.”

Like the others in the Overlook, Cloudy Skies chose to ignore the foul burnt smell coming from the two charred remains of the giant spiders. It was easier that way. “Um...should we wake them up? I've got some smelling salts in this potion kit.”

“Let's get them back into the Hearth Hall,” Stonecutter suggested, “There are couches there, and no spiders.”

Sparkler shook her head, “We need to know what is happening, right now.”

“Alright Sparks, you're the boss,” Cloudy Skies looked through the potion bag she had received from Fizzbang in the Burrows and she pulled out a vial of smelling salts and she held it under the Captain's nose first.

The effects were almost instantaneous. “Uuuuugh...whu-what...” the battered and bruised stallion coughed and gagged. While Blackbeak and Stonecutter both stood guard, Flash Hoof trained his dazed eyes to those who had saved him. “Who...you, you're the saviours, you were talking with Evenlight!”

“And she sent us to find you,” Sparkler affirmed, “Can you tell us what happened?”

Struggling to gather his thoughts, Flash Hoof sat up and winced as pain lanced through his sides. “Evenlight, she said Lady Alethea heard a noise in the fort, so she sent us to investigate. The fort was deserted, or so we thought. We lit the fire in the Hearth, then five spiders ambushed us...”

“Two are there,” Blackbeak pointed at the charred corpses, “Where are the others?”

Flash Hoof had a strained look on his face, “They must have gotten through to the city!”

“You couldn't stop them?” asked Stonecutter.

“We had no warning!” Flash Hoof coughed, feeling bile rise in his throat from the smell in the Overlook, “The shield array wasn't working...” he trailed off to silence and his bruised eyes went wide as saucers, “Oh no...”

Sparkler shook him gently to get him to focus on her. “How do we turn it back on?”

“There's an Arcast at the Tomevault that operates it remotely.”

“Arcast?” That caught Blackbeak’s attention, “Only Alethea operates the Arcasts.”

“We need to get back to the city!” Flash Hoof cried out before the true implications of what the griffon had said could sink in. As Cloudy Skies used her smelling salts to revive the other guards, he tried to get up and he fell back down to a knee. “This fort isn't the only way into Umberfoal from this side!”

“There aren't any other way on my map...” Sparkler pointed out as Stonecutter laid her glowing hands on the Captain’s injuries.

“Is across the bridge the fastest way back?” asked Blackbeak.

“Yes, yes, it is,” Flash Hoof, now healed, heaved himself back to his hooves as Stonecutter worked quickly on his guards. He held Sparkler’s gaze. “These tunnels are not on any map, young mare, but there are hundreds of them in the rock from the Umber Depths, with the shields down, they're all open!”

Blackbeak didn’t need to be told twice. Time was of the essence. “I'll carry the Captain. Stony, you can carry two, and Sparks and Sky can bring along the last one. We need to move. Now!” 

“Move,” Flash Hoof agreed as the griffon hefted him onto his back, “Yes! Quickly!”

“I got 'em!” Stonecutter effortlessly picked up two of the guards - fully dressed and armoured stallions - onto her shoulders while between them, Sparkler and Cloudy Skies helped the last one as they all fled Capstone Fort as fast as they could move.

They reached the High Bridge in record time. From their vantage point, they could see Umberfoal. The city was in chaos. A vast silk web now weaved across the rock ceiling and they watched in horror as from it, wave after wave of giant spiders descended on white threads which hung like curtains over the pillar top.

The spiders had spread their webbing across the city itself, transforming it into a great nest web. The four could see the invading creatures tying up ponies who ran screaming in a state of mass confusion. The city’s guardian Golems were attempting to hold the spiders back, but they were vastly outnumbered.

For every spider a Golem crushed to paste under its stone fists, twenty spiders would swarm another and bring it crashing to the ground. Ponies who tried to fight back found themselves quickly overwhelmed and subdued. 

Down below, at the base of the huge pillar, they saw a dark, shadowy form several times the size of the other spiders, with a ridged black body striped in scarlet. Confronting this mammoth beast was none other than Evenlight, stood alone on the steps of the Tomevault with flashes of magic bursting from her horn, a powerful shield around herself protecting her from the creature’s vicious attacks.

“Hurry!” Flash Hoof urged them to a gallop over the High Bridge, “We have to save the city!”

Unusually, Sparkler was at the front of the charge. “We have to save the Tomevault!”
> Chapter 4 - Attack of the Spiders
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The spiders had spread their webbing across the city itself, transforming it into a great nest web. The four could see the invading creatures tying up ponies who ran screaming in a state of mass confusion. The city’s guardian Golems were attempting to hold the spiders back, but they were vastly outnumbered.

For every spider a Golem crushed to paste under its stone fists, twenty spiders would swarm another and bring it crashing to the ground. Ponies who tried to fight back found themselves quickly overwhelmed and subdued. 

Down below, at the base of the huge pillar, they saw a dark, shadowy form several times the size of the other spiders, with a ridged black body striped in scarlet. Confronting this mammoth beast was none other than Evenlight, stood alone on the steps of the Tomevault with flashes of magic bursting from her horn, a powerful shield around herself protecting her from the creature’s vicious attacks.

“Hurry!” Flash Hoof urged them to a gallop over the High Bridge, “We have to save the city!”

Unusually, Sparkler was at the front of the charge. “We have to save the Tomevault!” Desperately, Sparkler thrust her palm forwards and she shot several fireballs at the city, only for them to dissipate well before they reached their targets, “Damn, out of range! We need to get down there, quickly!”

Stonecutter was appalled and spurred on by her fear for the scattered ponies, “It's all covered in webs!” she could barely make out any of the buildings. Second by second, the webs grew thicker.

“Oh my goodness!” Cloudy Skies flew alongside Blackbeak as they helped the guards they had rescued down into the overrun city; she had never seen chaos like it in her life. Everywhere she looked, ponies were fighting for their lives, and all the time waves of spiders descended on webs from above, reinforcing those that the Golems killed, “There's so many!”

Captain Flash Hoof, while healed in the fort by Stonecutter’s magic, was far from fully restored. Still, he was ready. “Help Evenlight,” he ordered as he drew his sword and his fellow guards did the same amid the terrified screams of the beleaguered populace, “We will help the ponies up here. Quickly now!” 

Blackbeak shared a salute of swords with the guard Captain. Both warriors knew the chances of seeing each other again were slim to non-existent. He respected the earth pony stallion for charging into the plaza. “Just some bugs, let's move it!” he was determined to not waste Flash Hoof’s sacrifice.

“The Tomevault!” Sparkler cried, her horn lit ready with a host of spells, “We need to save the books!”

As they raced down the steps of the pillar that Umberfoal stood on, Evenlight the Wise was busy fighting a losing battle with the Queen of the spiders. Her magic had managed to hold her at the plaza for a short time, then she had been swarmed by thirty of the creatures. 

The distraction had worked. While the powerful mage had been able to defeat the spiders with relative ease, the Queen had forced her way down into the Tomevault from above. Smeared in dark green spider blood, covered in scratches and bruises, Evenlight ran at a gallop down the stairs.

“Books?” Stonecutter gasped, the fat mare breathing heavily from the exercise, “You seriously think of books at a time like this?”

“Yes!” Sparkler grabbed Stonecutter’s hand when she saw her out of shape marefriend start to slow down. She ran as fast as she could, following the much quicker Blackbeak and Cloudy Skies who were flying down the spiraling stairs.  

On the flight down the stairs, Cloudy Skies squeezed Blackbeak’s clawed hand like she did when she was scared, and she needed her big strong griffon to save her. To Tartarus with the argument or the bad air between them. That was for later. Giving her a glance, Blackbeak smiled grimly as they swiftly descended the pillar. “Look, it's Evenlight!”

“Ma'am!” Stonecutter forgot about being out of breath and running so hard she could throw up. She pushed all those thoughts to the back of her head, “Are you okay?” she asked, realising as she did so that it was a pointless question. Evenlight, bruised and battered, looked like she had been through a small war.

“Where did that big spider go?” Sparkler asked, a note of urgent panic in her voice, “Stony, I think she could use some of your healing.”

“I'm on it, Sparks,” Stonecutter walked over to Evenlight, her hands raised, “Ma'am, if I could just touch your face and your waist?”

“No time!” Evenlight cried, “You have to get the Festival of Lights Arcast out of there to safety!”

“It won't take but a moment, Ma'am.”

“Take it where?” Sparkler asked, “To Canterlot?” that was the first place she thought of, because Celestia and Luna were there, and they would surely be able to easily remedy the situation, dire as it was.

Evenlight didn’t stop Stonecutter from laying her large strong hands on her face, though she did flinch when she felt the earth pony touch her broken ribs where the spiders had breached her shields with her other hand. “N-No...” she gasped as the magic flowed through her body, healing bruises knitting bones together, “To the Agaricus Forest. Find the Agari to help you.”

Blackbeak walked to the closed doors of the Tomevault and looked through the vaulted stained-glass window. What he saw made his feathers stand on end. “That red pony is in there with the spider and they are both touching the Crucible!”

Cloudy Skies found her knees knocking together, “Th-The big size-of-three-houses spider is in there?” she pointed a shaking hand to the doors, “And we have to go in there?” She wasn’t scared of spiders. She was terrified of spiders that were the size of the town hall in Ponyville!

“What's Lady Alethea doing with the spider?” asked Stonecutter as she finished healing Evenlight’s many wounds.

“She...She…” Evenlight couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence she had started, because her brain simply refused to accept the truth of what she had seen. It just couldn’t be! 

“Is she being mind controlled?” asked Sparkler gently. When Evenlight shook her head, she confirmed what the young unicorn had suspected ever since Blackbeak had pointed out in the Overlook. Only Alethea used the Crucible. “Then she must be helping it!”

Evenlight just lowered her head, the full weight and gravity of the situation hitting her full on now she had a moment to breathe and gather her thoughts into some semblance of order. Alethea helping the spiders. It was unthinkable, but the evidence spoke for itself. “What's the plan?” Blackbeak asked, drawing the venerable unicorn from her reverie, “I don't think I can kick its ass.”

Given its size, he didn’t think anything short of a small army could kick its ass.

The beginnings of a plan began to form in Sparkler’s analytical mind. “If you and Stony can run distraction on the spider, and Sky can divert Alethea, then I can teleport the Arcast to me. Evenlight, does the Crucible have a magical defense?”

“Yes, when it is activated,” Evenlight forced herself to think clearly. There would be time enough for emotion later. “As long as they are touching it the defense mechanisms are activated. They prevent anypony from accidentally pulling out the Arcast while it is being read.”

“Ma'am,” Stonecutter spoke up, trying in vain to put the distant screams of the Umberfoalians out of her mind, “If we do get the Arcast, how do we get to this Agaricus Forest?”

“Through the Deepwell,” Sparkler replied for the older mare, “I wasn't planning on going there this visit.”

“Yes,” Evenlight nodded, “That's right.”

“To the Umber Depths through the Overlook back in the fort?” Cloudy Skies found herself looking at four incredulous stares and she shot them a defiant look of her own, “What? I read too you know!”

Sparkler smiled and she laid a comforting hand on her friend’s shoulder. “I know Sky. Let’s go and get that Arcast.”  

~ ~ ~

Inside the Tomevault, Insidira, the spider Queen, was half hanging from the surrounding columns, half standing on the floor, such was her immense size. “Quickly,” she hissed to the only other creature in the vast library, “I've waited a thousand years and I'll wait no more. Start the ritual Alethea, before that bothersome pony outside finds reinforcements.”

“As you wish,” Alethea wrinkled her nose in distaste, and she set her hand on the receptacle on top of the Crucible. “There should not be any reinforcements. I made sure the guard Captain and was fed to your spiders in the fort. If they can be relied upon...” Wisely, Alethea chose not to finish that sentence when the huge spider hissed threateningly at her, “I-If y-you can touch the Crucible too, my Queen, the ritual can begin...”

“I have many eyes on you, Librarian. Don't dare trick me this late in the game.” she narrowed those many, many eyes and she reached out one of her front legs to touch the Crucible. She knew how the ritual worked.

“As if I would, my Queen. I am your loyal servant, we need each other, do we not?” she rested her hand on top of the receptacle that housed the Festival of Lights Arcast, “For the future of Umberfoal!” the Chief Librarian cleared her mind of all other things, she silenced the sounds of the fighting, she put aside the muffled screams from the city above, and she activated the Arcast.

In an instant, faster than the blink of an eye, the vision of the Festival was given to Insidira and, a split second later, the gigantic spider used her considerable willpower to rewrite the Arcast, redesigning it to her own design. “Join me in creating a new Umberfoal Alethea,” her moment of victory was at hand. A victory she had waited many years to realise. “We can have the city we desire, the home we deserve!”

“As you command, so it is done!” Lady Alethea then added her own not inconsiderable willpower to the rewriting of the Arcast.

A moment later, and the terrible deed was done. A wave of dark magic erupted from the Crucible, surrounding Insidira like a swirling cloak of sheer power. Insidira used her formidable willpower to shape the wave of dark energy and send it blasting out of the Tomevault. “Yes!” she cried in delight, for she could feel the magic beginning to transform the city into a home more suited to her children. “Now raise this to the plaza and all will share our vision. You will rule this city Alethea, while I shall rule the world!”

“I shall rule Umberfoal!” Alethea declared, visions of her victory filling her mind. “The city and all its knowledge will be preserved forever!”

All around the city, the desperate fighting paused as one by one, the glowing blue crystals went dark. In the Burrows, where the fighting had been house by house and room by room, the lights went out. Umberfoal was cast into an eerie, dark red half lit darkness. 

Earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns, stallions, mare and foals, the incredibly young and old, fell as the Spectral Stair on which they had been trying to evacuate vanished under their hooves. Fresh screams filled the still air as they fell. The few pegasi managed to catch some of the falling ponies. They were few in number though and those tens, those hundreds of ponies they couldn’t help fell screaming to their deaths.

While the city was transformed above them, Blackbeak, Cloudy Skies, Stonecutter and Sparkler all crept quietly and, they imagined, discreetly into the Tomevault. However, even with their Duskloak armour, they were not as sneaky as they thought. “The meddling fools!” Insidira hissed as her many eyes caught the intruders, “Raise the Crucible! Raise it quickly Alethea! I will deal with these mayflies.”

“It’s the saviours!” Alethea exclaimed in alarm, “My Queen, do not underestimate them!”

Now they were inside, the sheer size of the spider hit them like a ton of bricks. “That. Is. One. Big spider!” Cloudy Skies exhaled before flapping her wings and taking off, heading straight towards Alethea to harry the librarian.

Blackbeak let out a vicious war cry as he charged straight to the spider Queen with his sword raised in his hand. To cover his somewhat reckless charge, Sparkler aimed a spread of bright fireworks right across the giant spider’s eyes. Unlike the griffon, Stonecutter went around the sides of the columns that the spider was resting on so she could attack at her legs.

Alethea’s first instinct was to protect the Crucible, but she couldn’t. Try as she might, the jets of water that Cloudy Skies threw at her forced the earth pony back down one of the aisles of books and away from the fighting.

Sparkler crouched for cover behind a low bookcase where she continued to fire blinding blasts of fire at the gigantic spider. She could see the Crucible from where she was hidden, but until the spider’s leg was removed from the receptacle, she could not affect the Arcast.  

If blinding Insidira meant she was any less of a threat, they were dead wrong. Stonecutter only narrowly dodged a thrust from the Queen’s foreleg as she wove around the columns where she could attack the other foremost leg, in an attempt to unbalance the shrieking blinded spider. 

While Stonecutter and Blackbeak attacked the Queen, Cloudy Skies was busy making sure Alethea stayed away, although the Chief Librarian showed no attempt to get in on the fight. She was content to hide. One of the spider’s legs came crashing down, narrowly missing Stonecutter’s head by mere inches. “How's it coming Sparks?”

Just then, a wickedly sharp pincer bounced off Blackbeak’s armour, leaving a long deep gouge in the metal pauldron protecting his shoulder that almost reached the leather rerebrace covering his upper arm. “We could do with leaving about now!”

Sparkler grunted in frustration, for she could do nothing until Insidira let go of the Crucible and the shields lowered. “Back the spider away!”

Upon hearing Sparkler’s frantic yell, Stonecutter summoned forth a furious rage and she swung her warhammer so hard that she almost broke the tip off of one of the spider's legs in front of her. Following her example, Blackbeak hacked at the spider with his sword, and, just for a split second, Insidira was at last separated from the Crucible.

It may have only been the span of a heartbeat, but it was all the time Sparkler needed. As soon as she saw the leg move, as soon as she felt the magical shields drop, the gifted young unicorn teleported the Arcast into her hands. “Run!”

“Sky!” Stonecutter yelled at the top of her lungs, “Time to go! Let's go!”

Blackbeak had lost interest in fighting a fight he couldn’t possibly win. There was no honour in just feeding himself to his opponent, and he had no inclination in becoming the spider’s next snack. “Come on! Fly!” 

Insidira, who was still temporarily blinded, thanks to Sparkler’s constant fireworks display, was thrashing about, smashing three of the huge stone columns in her rage and pain. “Alethea!” she screeched, “Stop them, now!”

Lady Alethea though, had no stomach for a fight, in particular a fight with those who had saved Umberfoal. Their reputation preceded them. The red earth pony mare was paralyzed into uncertainty, unable to take any action but to hide. “You fool of a pony! I'll do it myself!” Insidira screeched, not in anger or pain, she called down several of her soldiers from the city to give chase. 

As they fled the Tomevault, Stonecutter caught a glimpse back over her shoulder at the spiders coming down on webs to assist their Queen. Outside, she slammed the doors shut. “Evenlight, we got it, we got the Arcast, let's go!”

Evenlight though, did not run. She turned to face the closed stone doors and she used her magic to erect a powerful forceshield over the Tomevault exit. “Run, my friends, you must save the Arcast!”

Sparkler reached out for the venerable unicorn, “But...your shields will fail! They'll get you!”

Stonecutter pulled on her marefriend’s other arm. “She knows what she's doing, let's go!” 

After a second of indecision, where she was sorely tempted to try and teleport them all away, Sparkler sighed in resignation and nodded her head grimly. “This way!” she led the gallop up the spiral staircase, holding the Arcast close to her chest.

“Stony keep her safe,” Blackbeak ordered as he shoved Cloudy Skies ahead of him, “I have rear guard.” In that fashion, with Sparkler and Stonecutter at the front, Cloudy Skies behind them and Blackbeak at the rear, they ran all the way back to Capstone Fort.

They didn’t stop, not once on the way up the vast stone pillar, or on the way through the city. They ran at a high gallop, not looking at what they were running through. They ran through puddles of still wet blood, both red and green. They ran past the bodies of the fallen – equine and arachnid – without stopping.  

Once they were back inside the fort, they barred the thick wooden doors on their side and retreated to the Hearth Hall. “Pl-Please...stop...need rest...just a minute!” Stonecutter heaved on her knees, gasping short of breath like a fish out of water. Now she had stopped, and her brain had the time to work, she saw the bodies they had ran past and she felt like being violently sick.

“So...” Cloudy Skies panted hard, a haunted look on her face. She could still hear the sobs of the wounded, begging them for help as they had fled the city. What was worse was the silence of those that had pleaded for help then breathed their last. “Wh-What's the situation?”

Collapsed on one of the centuries old couches, Sparkler held up the Festival of Lights Arcast which, unlike it’s formerly glowing white appearance, was filled with dark black smoke. “Um, not good? Adventure? If CB says, 'I told you so' when we get back, please drop a rain cloud on her.”

“Princess Twilight!” Blackbeak exclaimed, and when he got three stunned looks, he continued, “Can't we get out to call her? Or the other Princesses? Or the Royal Guard?”

Stonecutter shook her head, “The Spectral Stair is gone, that means the outer doors are closed. Umberfoal sealed itself off.”

“I can't teleport out with the doors closed,” Sparkler added with a deep sigh, “It acts as a warding shield, a last resort defense.” 

“And we have no phone signal down here!” added Cloudy Skies gloomily.

“So...” Blackbeak breathed through his nostrils, “To sum up, we have a corrupted Arcast, no way out, no way to call for help, no help if we could call for it, and thousands of giant spiders on our asses.”

“That about covers it,” Stonecutter chuckled humourlessly as she watched Blackbeak tick off the list of reasons why they were bucked on his fingers, “Shame we can't call for Caldera. We could use a dragon about now.”

“Why are they called dragons?”

“Why?” asked Stonecutter, Cloudy Skies and Blackbeak together.

“Because they are always dragon their tails.” Nopony laughed. Sparkler didn’t expect them to. She thrust herself up to her hooves and took a step towards the door. “Come on, let’s head for the Deepwell. All we can do is what Evenlight asked us to do. Now, before the spiders catch up.” she placed a hand on her mare’s shoulder. “You good?”

“I'm good, Sparks.” she didn’t feel good. She felt even worse for lying. She’d deal with that later.

“We get to the Deepwell through the trapdoor in the Overlook,” Cloudy Skies said as they passed through the Long Gallery into the large round circular stone room. “There's a rope ladder down.”

“Rope ladder...right...” Stonecutter wasn’t exactly thrilled at that prospect.

In the Overlook, Blackbeak pulled open the trapdoor and she stared down into darkness of the void below. It seemed to stretch on for eternity. “I can help you down if you don't trust the rope ladder, Stony.”

“Look at me!” the stocky earth pony mare gestured at herself, “That is a thousand-year-old ladder!”

“You're looking beautiful,” Sparkler said with a chiding tone in her voice, “And they did build things here to last. Follow me.”  

Blackbeak watched the unicorn descend into the darkness and he turned to the fretting pony, “I got your back, Stony, trust me.”

Cloudy Skies spread her wings and she hovered through the trapdoor, using the light from Sparkler's horn to see. “So,” she asked tentatively, “Does this happen to you guys a lot?” she was starting to see now why Cloudburst had been so eager not to come.

“It all started with this cute little demon bunny...” Sparkler said as she descended the rope ladder. The bright green light from her horn shone out, illuminating a ten-foot bubble around her.

“Do you mean Angel? Professor Fluttershy's bunny? Aw he's adorable!” Cloudy Skies giggled. Above her, Stonecutter swore on the way down, partly in response to Cloudy's comment and partly to the swaying ladder.

“The good news is I got my relationship with Stony off from a rocky start to solid ground because of that infernal rabbit.“  

Flying down alongside his mare, Blackbeak shook his head, “That was so bad!”

Cloudy Skies giggled, “Adorably bad!” 

“Yeah, yeah, very cute and all,” Stonecutter complained on the ladder, trying extremely hard not to vomit due to the swaying of the ladder. She figured throwing up on Sparkler wouldn’t be particularly good. “H-How much further is this damn ladder?”

“Only to the bottom,” Blackbeak snarked, “And then it stops.”

“Oh ha, ha, ha,” Stonecutter didn’t find falling to her death very funny, even though there were two fliers who could save her. “Have I mentioned how much I am bucking hating this!?”

Sparkler sighed, “Not that I know of, love.”

When they were at last at the bottom, of the three-hundred-foot rope ladder, the four stood on the small shoreline of a large underwater lake. By the light of Sparkler’s horn, they could see the circular cave walls were filled by the dark cold waters. “That's it?” Blackbeak didn’t sound all that impressed, “That's the Deepwell? It's just water!”

Cloudy Skies laid her hand on her lover’s arm, “It is a well, baby...”

“I hope you can all hold your breath,” Stonecutter muttered under her breath, “Because Celestia knows how deep that is.”

“I'm sure you can, my love.” Sparkler giggled, the tension getting to her and releasing itself by way of giggles, “Can you break out the potions, Sky?”

Cloudy Skies wanted to facepalm. Why hadn’t she thought of that? “I have the potions! Everything you need if this is what you're looking for!” she opened up her potions case she had gotten from Doctor Fizzbang with a flourish like she was a magician’s assistant, “Water Breathing potions, get them while they're free!”

While the potions were handed out, Sparkler took a moment to look at her Umberfoal Flora and Fauna book. Blackbeak downed his faint blue potion, noting it tasted a bit like aniseed. “I hope your pack is waterproof, or your book's gonna get wet.”

Stonecutter saw Sparkler and her book, and she couldn’t help but feel uneasy, “Anything we should be aware of?”

Sparkler blinked and looked at Blackbeak like the griffon had grown three extra heads. “Like I'd let a book of mine get wet! The Deepwell Angel fish are friendly, but the plants like to eat ponies. There is something about a giant crab, which is basically a spider with a shell. We should avoid that.”

Blackbeak threw up his hands in exasperation, “This just gets better and better! Carnivorous water plants and a huge crab. We best get A stars for this when we get home...”

Stonecutter though had something else on her mind. “How long do these potions last?”

“An hour,” Cloudy Skies answered quickly.

“An hour?”

“Give or take, yes Stony. Come on, let’s get them drank and get on,” Cloudy Skies, Stonecutter and Sparkler all drank their potions together. Nothing outward happened, which disappointed the earth pony mare. She was expecting to grow gills at least.

Sparkler lit her horn, creating a dull glow. “I'll keep a low light. Stay together. We want the exit with the water current to get to the Agaricus Forest.”

Just as the last of the four potions had been drank, three giant spiders dropped down from the Overlook far above them on white silken webs. “AAAARGH!” Cloudy Skies and Sparkler screamed as one.

“Dive!” Stonecutter yelled as soon as the spiders landed, “Quick!” 

Sparkler was in the water right away, closely followed by Cloudy Skies’ elegant dive and Stonecutter’s awkward bomb. Blackbeak as ever bought up the rear, “I hope they can't swim!” he exclaimed as he powered himself under the cold dark water.

Fortunately, they couldn't. 

Once they were in the water, the four paired off. Stonecutter swam like a brick beside Sparkler up front and Cloudy Skies swam effortlessly next to Blackbeak behind. They hadn’t gone down extremely far when they passed a small shoal of Angel fish. Out of the corner of Sparkler’s eye, she caught sight of Stonecutter struggling. “Just breath normally. The potion’s magic isn't letting any water into your nose or mouth.”

Unfortunately, Stonecutter found it harder than usual to follow her marefriend’s suggestion. “This...is really bucking weird!”

Sparkler could see the panicked breathing coming from the struggling earth pony mare and she knew what to do. “So, do you want to get it on in the swimming pool at school?” she asked slyly.

In mid-swim, Stonecutter paused and blinked, her breathing suddenly a lot calmer that it had been just a moment before. “W-Well...I wouldn't mind...” she answered with a deep blush.

“Go you!” Sparkler grinned as she floated over and gave her lover a quick kiss on the cheek, at the same time steering her away from the carnivorous Maneweed plants, “I'm not feeling any current yet, we should go deeper.”

After a few moments swimming straight down, past a few more shoals of the Angel fish, Stonecutter nudged Sparkler’s side with her elbow. “How are you doing, baby?”

“Adventure. I'm saving my melt down for chocolate ice cream and being held in your breasts.”

“You don't feel the need to write an essay to the Headmare about killing spiders?” Stonecutter was only teasing a little bit, and she held hands with Sparkler as they swam. “All that stuff back there wasn't nothing, Sparks.”

It was a very subdued Sparkler who answered. “They are intelligent creatures, Stony. Evil, maybe, but intelligent.”

That confirmed it for Stonecutter. “You were in the Badlands back on the wagon again, huh?” she asked as she squeezed her hand gently.

“Your life was and is what matters. You may hug me till I fall asleep and keep away the nightmares.”

“I'm hoping there's a place to rest up in this forest we're going to,” Stonecutter said, resolving to do just as her marefriend had said. “Between getting here, exploring the city, the fort and the escape, I'm well and truly bucked!” she looked at her watch, which had stopped at eight pm, when they had entered the water.

“t's Alethea,” Sparkler answered after a few moments of silence, “I really liked her, but this. You think the power of friendship will fix this one?” 

“If not, I can use the power of a hammer upside her head,” Stonecutter smiled grimly. She understood why her lover was taking it so personally. Alethea was a book pony, like she was. “Honestly? I dunno, Sparks. I mean, this isn’t like Moonbeam. Those spiders weren't playing around, a lot of ponies died back there.”

“Evil doesn't value life,” Sparkler said determinedly as they swam, “One step at a time, find the Agari.”

“And sleep! At least for a bit. I'm whacked, and so are you.”

“You heard Evenlight. This is no time, not even enough to save herself...”

“And what good are we if we're fighting our own fatigue as well as an army of giant siders? Maybe my healing skill can keep us going? Besides, Evenlight's powerful. I bet she teleported somewhere before they um...you know...”

“I know, and I hope you're right. She was nice too.” Sparkler then turned to face Stonecutter in the water, “You're okay, so I'm okay.” 

When Sparkler squeezed her hand, Stonecutter returned the gesture. “I love you, Sparks.”

“I know, I love you too.”

Bringing up the rear, Cloudy Skies followed the light from Sparkler’s horn as they passed groups of the Angel fish and clumps of the billowing Maneweed plants. “You're quiet.”

Blackbeak pointedly looked dead ahead. “Mission first. Talk later.”

“I thought you said we needed to talk. Why not now?”

“We do need to talk,” Blackbeak admitted with a deep sigh, “I just need to figure out when I got so stupid.”

Putting on an annoyed face, Cloudy Skies lightly slapped the griffon’s claw, “You are many things, but you aren't stupid, love.”

“I talk before I think,” Blackbeak admitted, though it pained him a great deal to make the admission, “If I think at all.”

“At the time, I don't think you were thinking with your head,” Cloudy Skies affectionately stroked her lover’s dark brown head feathers, “Not this one, anyway.”

“What I said was true,” Blackbeak took a deep breath – the oddity of doing that while being underwater was not lost on the griffon – and he looked to his mare, no, not just his mare. His mate. “You will always be better than any toy. But I didn't mean it the way you thought I did.”

“While we’re admitting stuff, I should have said something before now.” Cloudy Skies managed to blush underwater. “Nightmare Night was a month ago now.”

“Sky, you'll always be better than a toy,” Blackbeak rephrased what he was trying to say. He cursed the fact that he wasn’t as good with words as he would like to be. “Before, now, and after. You, are better than any toy, not just what’s between your legs.”

“Blackie...I...I can't believe I let it eat at me!” she wanted to kick herself for being so dumb. But she couldn’t, because she was swimming. “Of course that was what you meant. It just...struck a nerve, I guess.”

“For being your lover, I don't think about what I say to you. I just say things.”

“I know,“ the pegasus smiled softly, “It's just...I want this operation so badly! You were right, in the fort. It is what I've dreamed of. For an awfully long time.” An awfully long time was an understatement. Since she was five, she had known she was supposed to have been born a mare. 

It was just a shame her parents and her brother didn’t believe the same thing.

Blackbeak though wasn’t quite finished beating himself up. “I was mad at myself for being unable to make that dream come true. I really thought telling you about what Stony offered would make you happy.”

“It did make me happy. It genuinely does make me happy, Blackie, now I know I'm not going to lose you over it; it makes me even happier.”

Lightly, Blackbeak punched the pegasus in the shoulder. “I may be an idiot, Sky, but I'm not stupid enough to give you up.”

“Damn right, you aren’t giving me up! Where in Equestria would you get a sub as hot as me, huh?” Cloudy Skies swam underneath Blackbeak and she gently kissed the tip of his beak. “I'll gladly accept Stony's offer.”

“And I'll gladly accept a toy as long as you're the one wielding it,” Blackbeak snarked at his mate, “Spear me, oh mighty warrior!”

Playfully, Cloudy Skies pouted up at him, “No fair, now you know what your Hearths Warming present's going to be!”

“Before you climb into the box remember to put air holes in it,” Blackbeak gave her a cheeky wink.

“Wise as always, Master,” Cloudy Skies kissed his beak once again, “And thank you for fighting off those spiders. That was scary!”

“I may need to replace this set of armour to take home with me. Not sure that gouge will buff out.”

“You should keep it,” the pegasus objected, “It shows you were brave, it's a marker to your honour, my love. That Queen was a Princess level threat for sure, and you didn't hesitate to get up close with her.”

“You know griffons, death before dishonour.”

“As long as you remember to keep yourself alive, Master.”

“Well, duh,” Blackbeak rolled his eyes at his mate, “You're much more fun to play with when I'm alive.”

About to say something very witty and extremely clever, when she saw Sparkler up ahead wave at the mouth of a wide underwater opening in the rock face. “I think she's found the tunnel we need.”

“This at least is going easy!”

Playfully, Cloudy Skies swatted the griffon upside the head, “Don't say that! You know that phrase is cursed!”

“Glad you two caught up,“ Stonecutter grinned broadly, “Sparks thinks this is the tunnel that leads to the Agaricus Forest.”

Sparkler swam in place by the opening in the rock. “This should be the forest,” she then pointed downwards to the dark depths below, “That way should be the Sunken Temple.”  

“Um...guys?” Cloudy Skies pointed downwards, but she could see what the other’s couldn’t. “That down there, the really big shape? It's a crab. A really, really big crab.”

“Okay, let’s move.” that made up Sparkler’s mind for her. “That’s a Carcinus. I don't need that much more adventure in my life.”

“Ditto,” Cloudy Skies shuddered, “That thing is massive!”

Since it was decided, the party all swam into the wide mouth of the tunnel. Almost immediately, they felt a strong current take hold of them and pull them along the horizontal path. After a very quick ride, light began to appear at the other end of the tunnel. At the head, Sparkler just made out a shimmering wall of energy. “Brace yourselves! There’s some kind of magic barrier ahead.”

Before any of them could respond, the current carried her and the rest of them into and through the barrier, where they were unceremoniously flung out onto the rocky floor beyond. Fortunately, Sparkler landed on Stonecutter, who absorbed the force of the impact. Hovering in the air, Blackbeak and Cloudy Skies looked behind them where they saw and heard the crashing of the water against the magical barrier.  

When Sparkler got off of her, Stonecutter hefted herself up to her hooves and dusted herself down. “Thanks for the warning, Sparks...”

“Eeeeeew!” Cloudy Skies squealed as she landed on her hooves on the rocky floor and shook out her wings, “I have wet feathers!”

“I have bruises in places that shouldn’t ever be exposed to bruising!” Sparkler retorted, while Stonecutter got on her hands and knees and kissed the sweet, sweet dry land.

Blackbeak stared at the tunnel up ahead of them. He could just make out the faint glow of ambient lights that caught his eye, almost inviting him forwards. “Now what, oh glorious leader?”
> Chapter 5 - The Agaricus Forest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The tunnel that led from the Deepwell soon opened up into a vast cavern that was comparable in size to the one that Umberfoal resided in, though rather than huge rock pillars and lake water, this cavern was filled with an abundance of life. 

From the low floor, mushroom-like fungi rose up as tall as trees, forming a great underground forest. Thousands of twinkling lights hovered and glowed around the strange trees like fireflies, illuminating the surroundings in gentle shades of blues, greens, oranges and yellows.

“Okay, mushroom trees,” Stonecutter marveled at the strange environment. Even for a land like Equestria, living in Ponyville next to the Everfree Forest, mushroom trees were not something you saw every day. “Did I eat a bad mushroom?” At her joke, Sparkler started laughing, which made the earth pony smile in turn.

Blackbeak saw the smile, heard the laugh, and cocked his head to one side. “What? What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” Sparkler giggled, “But what with all this stress I needed a laugh. If you think mushroom trees are something, wait till you meet the people who live here.”

Beyond the forest, in the distance, Cloudy Skies could make out an area of especially dense growth where the lights were more concentrated. To her eye, they looked just like... “Houses. There’s houses way over there!” she pointed to the dense collection of lights, then something else caught her attention. “Over that way, things don't look so good.”

They could all see areas on the western fringes of the forest which seemed to have been very irreparably damaged. The larger fungi there had been broken down by something, and a lot of the smaller fungi had withered away completely. Blackbeak did not want to dwell on what could have caused that, though it didn’t seem to be spiders. “Up there looks good,” he pointed his head to the houses up ahead, “May as well start there.”

Just then, after they had taken no more than a handful of steps, a movement caught Stonecutter’s eye. “Look at that!” Dumbfounded, she pointed up to the enormous shining form that rose over the forest on slow beating wings. 

The butterfly was a massive, stunningly beautiful creature. Its shimmering bright blue and green wings were easily thirty feet across, and as it flew languidly over the forest, it dropped sparkling dust on the upper part of the trees. “By Celestia's fat flank...that...is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen!” Stonecutter exclaimed, earning a nod of agreement from the others.

“It's so pretty...look how the wings glow!” Cloudy Skies was utterly entranced by the way the green and blue wings of the butterfly pulsed and glowed in shifting patterns in time with each slow majestic flap up and down.

Immediately, Sparkler had her flora and fauna book out and she was flicking rapidly through the pages. “It’s called a Sporedust Butterfly,” she continued to read, and her eyes went wide with wonder. “Wow, there’s only one of its kind! It’s well over a thousand years old. It says the Agari hold the butterfly in incredibly high reverence, as it plays a vital role in protecting their home.” 

“So, it’s like the Princesses then,” Blackbeak snarked.

“You know,” Cloudy Skies found herself almost moved to tears the creature was so stunning, “I'm glad we had to come down here now.” she said as she took out her phone and started to take the first of many landscape pictures.

“Yeah, me too,” Stonecutter readily agreed. As she looked around, the view was movingly beautiful. Like her friend, she took her phone out and took lots of pictures. “Hey...did that fungi just move, or am I really tired?”

When she heard that, Sparkler looked up from her book, eager to get her first look at a real life Agari. “What? Where?”

“Over there!” Stonecutter pointed to one of the sentient fungi. He, she, or whatever it was – it was quite hard to tell the creature’s gender from just a look – was standing six feet tall, had a creamy green coloured and a wide red cap on the top and was moving slowly away from them. 

“And there!” Blackbeak pointed to one that was roughly two feet shorter than the first, which was red and covered all over in white spots.  

The cursory observation proved to Sparkler that no two Agari looked the same. Clearly, they were as diverse in shape, size and colour as actual fungi were. “And those are the people of the forest. I hope one of them speaks Equestrian.” she walked over towards them, not looking to see if the others followed her.  

Quickly, the other three hurried to catch up. While the Agari didn’t seem to be aggressive, they didn’t want to be left alone or worse, lost and separated. “Hey, Sparks,” Blackbeak said behind her, “Do you know why all these fungi are growing so close together?”

“No, why do they grow close together?”

Too late, Cloudy Skies caught the evil twinkle in her lover’s eyes. She knew what was coming next, and there was nowhere for her to go to escape. “Oh no...” with a deep sigh, she accepted the inevitable. 

“Because they don't need mushroom!”

Sparkler though laughed brightly. She loved '‘dad’ jokes, and the awful joke was just what the unicorn needed to combat the tide of stress that had been constantly rising inside her ever since Evenlight had sent them into Capstone Fort. “You do need to meet up with Caldara!” she laughed hard, and with each laugh, she felt her anxiety seep out of her.

“It may be funny now,” Cloudy Skies said seriously, “I warn you; he has a ton of these!”

“He'll make a great dad then,” quipped Stonecutter, giving the pegasus a wink.

“Depends how thorough the operation is...” Cloudy Skies giggled, thoroughly enjoying the panicked, surprised squawk that came from her lover’s beak.

Attracted by the sound of Sparkler’s laugh, five of the Agari walked over to the newcomers. One among them, a particularly old looking Agari who was bent over with age, had a wide white cap and a long white beard, stepped forth from the younger looking ones who flanked him. “Ponies!” his voice was thin and wispy, “Ponies in the Agaricus Forest! You may call me Spryyg.”

“Greetings to you,” Sparkler bowed respectfully, and she motioned for the others to do the same, which they quickly did. After she introduced herself and their group, she explained, “Evenlight the Wise sent us here. We have a big problem,” she pulled out the black Arcast from her bag.

“Ah, young Evenlight.” Spryyg’s old eyes seemed to lighten at the mention of the unicorn’s name. When you were over seven hundred, everything was ‘young’. “How is she? I haven't heard from her in many days...” he trailed off to silence when he saw the Arcast and the state it was in. “Oh my. That is trouble. Oh yes, big trouble!”

“I don't know how she is,” Sparkler’s face fell as she thought on the plight of Evenlight. “We fled the city and came here while she was fighting the spider Queen.”

In an instant, Spryyg’s face turned sour and his eyes lost their twinkle. He turned to the other Agari that accompanied him and he said something incomprehensible to them in their own language. Quickly, or as quickly as they ever moved, the four went away, hurrying to the city beyond the forest. “Insidira has actually attacked Umberfoal?”

“Yes, Mr. Spryyg,” Blackbeak spoke up, impatient at the slow nature of the fungi, “And her army is taking over the city as we speak. All the magic has gone out.”

“This is bad,” Spryyg nervously stroked his long beard, “This is unbelievably bad. The Arcast of the Festival of Lights has been corrupted! Without it, Umberfoal will be lost.”

“So,” Stonecutter asked, “How do we fix it?”

“Perhaps...no... that wouldn't work...” Spryyg paced slowly left and right before the newcomers, stroking his beard with every step as he muttered mostly to himself. “It's possible, certainly possible...no, too dangerous...but maybe...”

Blackbeak was almost at the end of his limited patience with this Agari. “Of course, it is dangerous,” he snapped, “Or we wouldn't be doing it.”

“Yay, adventure!” Sparkler said, though there was no cheery enthusiasm in her words.

If Spryyg heard the irritation and impatience from the griffon, he gave no sign of it. However, he did grace Sparkler with a most curious look. “There are four Crucibles, young filly. One in Umberfoal, and three here in the Umber Depths. You must purify this Arcast at each one in order to restore it back to full strength.”

“Four?” Cloudy Skies felt the colour drain from her face.

“Yes, young filly, four. It will not be an easy task to visit all the Crucibles and purify the Arcast.”

Cloudy Skies felt her wings droop, and they mirrored her mood. “Now I think I understand why CB didn't want to come here.” 

Sympathetically, Stonecutter patted the pegasus’s shoulder. “She did pick you though, so it’s a win for us.”

“Can you please direct us to the four Crucibles, Mr. Spryyg?” asked Sparkler, determined to not waste any more time than they already had.

Nodding his head, Spryyg said, “There is one here, in the Hall of Rituals in the heart of Agarica. I guard it, and you may just call me Spryyg. There is another in the Sunken Temple in the lowest part of the Deepwell. The third is in the Tomevault in Umberfoal, and the fourth...is in Insidira's nest.”

Sparkler pretended she hadn’t heard what the ancient Agari had just said. There was no way there could be a Crucible in a spider’s nest...could there? Did the universe hate her that much? “We pulled this out of the Umberfoal one right after Insidira and Alethea messed with it.”

“Well, we're here aren’t we?” Blackbeak asked no-one in particular, “So let’s do this one and get it over with!” 

Sadly, Spryyg shook his head. “The foolish librarian...” slowly, he then walked over so he was stood before the tall and imposing griffon. If he was intimidated at all, he didn’t show it. “And what manner of creature might you be?”

“I'm a griffon, sir,” Blackbeak stared down at the fungi who, with his bent over posture, barely reached up to his broad muscular chest. He got the idea that despite his stature, he was not overpowering the Agari. “I assume you've not met any griffons?”

“You are my first,” Spryyg stepped back so he could look up into the griffon’s face. “Barbarians from the east, griffons. But,” and the ghost of a smile played across his ancient wrinkled face, “You don't seem like a barbarian to me.”

Quick as a flash, Cloudy Skies quipped, “That’s because you don't know him yet.”

“I'm a warrior,” Blackbeak stated as he shot a dark warning look to Cloudy Skies, a look that just screamed ‘you’re in trouble when this is all over’, “So, can we use your Crucible?”

Spryyg chuckled to himself, “I'm afraid you cannot, at this time, young warrior. You see, our forest is under attack by the oozes. We cannot fight them off effectively, for they are made of acid, that burns us.”

Like lightning, Sparkler levitated her book from her bag, and just as quickly, she scanned each of the many pages that detailed the plants, animals and inhabitants of the area. “Those aren't in my flora and fauna book!” she sounded like a pony who had studied all night for a test, only to be confronted by a different set of questions. “Are they something recent?”

Earnestly, Spryyg nodded his head, “They came fifty seasons ago. They eat the trees, destroy our homes, burn everything in their path. The smaller ones we can contain, just, but when they are controlled by a greater ooze, they are a formidable enemy.”

Stonecutter recognised this game. She was sure she had played it more than once on the Champions of Equestria videogame Cloudburst had bought her last year. “Okay, step one we get rid of this greater ooze and then you let us use the Crucible? Step two we do something for someone or somepony else and use their Crucibles.” Classic RPG quest.

“If you could help us see off the threat to our home, I will gladly help you in any way I can.”

Blackbeak smirked, “That is very 'griffon' of you, Spryyg Where is this greater ooze?” 

Cloudy Skies raised her hand to speak like she was back in class at school, “I bet it’s over on the west side, where the forest was dying from all that decay we saw when we came out of that tunnel from the Deepwell.”

Stonecutter rolled her powerful shoulders, “Smashing something would reduce stress.”

“You have the right of it, young ponies. Look to the west, there you will find a corroded cavern where the greater ooze resides.”

“Well then,” Sparkler declared, the mare felt a good deal more confident now there was a plan of action and a course to follow. “Let’s go take care of the oozes!” 

“You okay, Sparks?” asked Stonecutter after Spryyg had waved them off and turned away to go about his business in the forest.

Sparkler had taken a few steps to the west before she replied, “No, I’m not, but that can wait.”

Blackbeak unsheathed his sword and pointed it heroically towards the western side of the vast cavern they were in. “Let's go! Vanquishing to be done!”

“Oh dear,” Cloudy Skies shook her head, “He's got a taste for it now...”

“What?” asked Stonecutter curiously.

“Honourable combat,” the pegasus replied with a playful roll of her eyes, “It's a griffon thing.”

Sparkler though was more than happy to let Blackbeak lead the charge. Fortunately, following the trail of acid damage towards the west of the Agaricus Forest was not a difficult task. The abundance of minor oozes became greater the farther west they went. With a gleeful glint in his eye, Blackbeak headed to the first one he saw. 

After uttering a devastating war cry, Blackbeak sliced the ooze apart in mere seconds, though in exuberance he got some of the bright purple acid on the toes of his right paws. “Buck!” he cursed, before hovering in the air and shaking his paw, “Acid hurts!”

Stonecutter carefully side-stepped three more of the oozes that were attached to one of the smaller fungus trees, being sure to keep a distance so they wouldn’t attack her. “Be more careful and give me your paw.” 

Sparkler glared at Blackbeak and then at her marefriend. “You be careful and conserve your magic.”

“I'm good, Stone,” Blackbeak turned away from the glare that Sparkler was giving him, one that could put a cockatrice to shame. The one toe of the paw was badly discoloured thanks to the acid burn. He counted himself lucky it was just a shallow wound. “You mares better watch your horseshoes,” he advised before flying to attack another ooze.

“Ewww!” Cloudy Skies shrieked in utter disgust, “They're eating the trees!” she used her water jets to blast one such minor ooze into the cavern wall of the corroded tunnel they had approached.

“Okay that was effective!” Sparkler grinned as she shot two fire bolts at two other oozes that were blocking their path. With a grim satisfaction, she watched the vile unnatural creatures burn away to nothing under her power.

“Oh yeah?” Stonecutter, not to be left out of the action, pulled her warhammer from her belt and charged at the nearest ooze in the mouth of the cave. “Well watch this!” 

Sparkler screamed out a panicked “No!” but it was too late. Stonecutter was already swinging her hammer in a deadly accurate arc aimed at the centre of the creature. Momentum was against her and the ooze was splattered into a thousand tiny pieces that flew in all directions.

Like Sparkler had predicted in her mind, the ooze splattered like a ruptured watermelon, spattering the right side of Blackbeak's face – who had flown by the earth pony’s side - in a wide shower of potent acid. “Aaaargh! By Stormclaw's tits, Stone!”

Stonecutter watched the acid burn the feathers on the right side of the griffon’s face, mere millimetres away from his eye, her mouth falling open in shock. “Blackie! I’m so sorry!”

“Get it together, Stony!” Sparkler turned her angry glare on her marefriend, who seemed to shrink under the power of her stare, “Blackie could use your healing touch.”

Raising his clawed hand to his face, Blackbeak could feel the long acid scar that went from just under his right eye down to his neck. “Wait...” he said when he saw Stonecutter’s hands start to glow, “Does it look cool?”

Now her lover was in no danger, Cloudy Skies did a very girly giggle, “Ooooh...it looks so cool!”

Well, that settled that then, didn’t it? “Then I'll keep it.”

“But...” Stonecutter kept her hands ready, though she felt utterly wretched for what she had just done, for what she could have done, after all what if the acid had hit his eyes?

“Is it still burning?” asked Sparkler, who couldn’t stop staring at the fresh scar.

The intense burning pain in his face had receded to a dull ache, “Nah, it's fine now,” Blackbeak grinned and now the oozes in the mouth of the cavern had been removed, he rushed to the mouth of the dripping tunnel. “Gaaah!” he yelled in surprise as he narrowly dodged a falling gob of acid from the ceiling. “Watch your heads in here!”

At the mouth of the corroded cavern, Sparkler lit her horn and looked up. Sure enough, the roof of the eight-foot-high tunnel was covered in acid. Not good. “Sky, can you power wash the ceiling? Make sure Blackie is out first.”

“On it!” Cloudy Skies barely waited for her lover to get out of the cave before she spread her hands and launched her powerful jets of water all over the tunnel roof. When she was done, she panted a little from the exertion. “Th-There! All done!”

When Sparkler was happy that the roof was clear and the acid was diluted enough by the water to enter, she waved them inside. “This is like one of those boss fights,” Stonecutter commented once they had entered the tunnel, “I’m sure I played it in Champions of Equestria. By now this would be a save point.”

Blackbeak shook his head, “Nerd...come on, let’s get this done.”

They had walked roughly seventy feet into the tunnel before they saw that it split into two directions. There was an opening in the northern wall that led to a small passage. Ahead, they could just see the tunnel split into three. “Hey, should we look in here?” Cloudy Skies pointed into the new passageway, “There's water there in the middle of the chamber.”

Sparkler made her horn glow brighter, pouring more light into the narrow passageway until she could see what the pegasus’s sharp eyes saw. “Looks like there’s a pool in there, maybe the greater ooze lives in it?”

“I dunno,” Cloudy Skies wasn’t convinced, “That water looks really clean, Sparks.”

“Well,” Sparkler looked pointedly at Stonecutter and at Blackbeak, “The two fighters in our party can check it out.” 

“I think I'm more of a warrior,” countered Stonecutter, before she gave the griffon a look of her own, “That one is a barbarian. Everypony says so.”

Blackbeak rolled his eyes and he made sure they all saw him. “Does everypony here know griffons as 'barbarians from the east?'” he shook his head, “Jeez...you start two little wars and suddenly you're 'barbarians'!”

Sparkler’s face split in a wide smile, “Would you rather we use one of the many ‘un’ words instead?”

“Fine,” Blackbeak huffed, “Barbarian it is. Besides, Stony's more of a cleric, with that healing stuff she’s got going on.”

“Um, love, can we not debate Ogres & Oubliettes terms now?” Cloudy Skies did her best to keep the exasperated tone out of her voice. She only just succeeded. “We can talk about your favourite game later. Right now, we have a greater ooze to find, and we are on the clock.”

“Cloudy’s right,” Stonecutter agreed, “Besides, I need more spells than the ability to cure light wounds to be a cleric. Plus hunting a greater ooze sounds like an O&O adventure.”

Sparkler, who was obviously clueless about O&O, didn’t want to be left out. “Yay, adventure!”

“Sparks, you are so joining in our next O & O night. With Foam gone, we need a new member,” with that, Blackbeak and Stonecutter entered the narrow side passage. They had to walk single file, but they found themselves in a circular chamber with a high, conclave, sloped ceiling. Most of the rocky floor was filled with a pool of clear water which was shallow at the sides, but which sloped down to a deep centre point. 

As soon as they approached the water, an ear-piercing howl erupted from all directions at once. Blackbeak, whose griffon ears were sharper than the others, clapped his hands over his ear tufts. “What's that bucking noise?”

“What the hay was that?” Stonecutter asked as they re-emerged into the dripping tunnel. The moment they left the side passage, the howling noise stopped as suddenly as it had started, “Was it the greater ooze?”

“I don't think so. The other oozes didn't howl like that,” Cloudy Skies pointed out, “And did anypony else see the purple mushrooms?”

“Wait, what?” Sparkler immediately reached for her book.

“There were lots of them,” explained Cloudy Skies, “Small purple mushrooms, with short stalks and tall, cone shaped caps, all around the walls of that chamber.”

Flicking through her book which she held in her magical aura, Sparkler soon had the answer. “They’re called Howling Hoofclubs. So named because when anything gets too close, well, you heard. Now what?”

“They must be guarding something!” Blackbeak suddenly really wanted to see what was in that pool. “Sparks, can you make me deaf or put a bubble of silence around me?”

“I could put chewing gum in your ears?” offered Stonecutter, “Y’know, if I had any gum, I’d totally smear it in your feathers.”

“Just a moment!” Sparkler cried, because her marefriend’s comment had given her an idea. She lit her horn and, using her Creation skill, she created two earplugs out of thin air. She had perfected that skill a couple of weeks ago to keep out the noise of her mother and Tundra rutting like teenagers. She was a teenager and she didn’t go at it that much! “There you go!”

“Thanks,” Blackbeak stuffed the newly created plugs into his ears, “Now to find out what they’re guarding.”

“You want back-up?”

“Pfft, nah Stony, I'm good.”

“He's so hot when he's like this!” Cloudy Skies gushed as she watched Blackbeak enter the water and, after taking a deep breath, he disappeared under the water.

Stonecutter couldn’t help but check out the griffon, “I can agree with that, Sky.”

“Oh?” Sparkler smirked, “Do I have a competitor? Should I be worried?”

Stonecutter and Cloudy Skies each shared a look with the other and grinned, “Foursome?” they said together as one, giving each other a fist bump.

Sparkler gently swatted her mare’s fat rump, “Down girl.”

Under the water, Blackbeak found a small wooden treasure chest. The pommel of his sword made noticeably short work of the old wood and amongst the remains, he discovered a vial containing some potion, and, more important to him, a pouch with two hundred bits inside. The greedy griffon pocketed those before he resurfaced. He was a griffon, after all.

“Well, it was a well-guarded potion,” Sparkler commented as Blackbeak walked back into the tunnel with them, “May I see it please?”

“Here you go, oh brave and glorious leader,” Blackbeak made an exaggerated bow as he handed it over to her.

“Maybe I should run for class president,” Sparkler snarked, though her eye roll spoke volumes as she cast a spell to see what the potion contained. She was pleasantly surprised to see it was remarkably familiar. “I don't need this. Sky, keep this safe with the other potions, but it’s for you.”

“What does it do?” the pegasus asked as she put it in her potion case with the others.

“Fire breath,” Sparkler explained, “Nopony will expect a fire breathing pegasus, and I think we'll need it when we go to the spider's lair.”

“Noted,” Cloudy Skies smiled, “You really don't like spiders, do you?”

“That’s an understatement. Come on, let's find this greater ooze and be done with it.” They walked away from the ‘howling pool’, as Cloudy Skies dubbed it and pressed on, soon coming to the three corroded corridors. 

Deciding to stick with the one on the right, they were pleased to see that there was none of the acid dripping on them. There were two minor oozes in the tunnel though, but these were quickly dispatched by Blackbeak who flew over one and slashed with his sword, and by Stonecutter who threw her hammer clean through the other. “Looks like we have to go right here, guys,” the griffon called when he reached the end of the corridor.

“The stone has really been chewed up by those oozes,” Stonecutter said as she gingerly made her way along the rock tunnel, “Watch your step.”

“I think it's getting worse,” Cloudy Skies wrinkled her nose. She could smell the acid, and it made the inside of her nose tingle badly, “Does that mean we're close?”

“Yeah,” Sparkler nodded her head. That certainly made sense. Surely, the closer they got to the greater ooze, the more rotted and corroded the area would be. “I just hope this thing isn't too big.”

“Stop!” Cloudy Skies’ sharp eyes picked out movement in the tunnel up ahead. “There's a minor ooze up ahead of us, no, there's two...make it three!”

“I call the left one!” Stonecutter cried as she tossed her hammer at the slimy creature. It exploded in a – thanks to the distance – harmless shower of acid that painted the walls.

“Right one’s mine!” Blackbeak took off and, as he flew over the ooze, he performed a perfect barrel roll, slashing at the ooze with his sword and cleaving it into two dead pieces. 

“I want in!” Cloudy Skies exclaimed and as Sparkler’s levitation bought Stonecutter’s hammer back to her hand, she jet washed the remaining middle ooze until it was all washed away. “I think we're getting really good at this!”

Stonecutter caught Blackbeak’s eye, “Be nice if they dropped treasure.”

“Treasure?” Blackbeak snickered, “You'll want experience points next.”

“Oh, I'm getting those,” Stonecutter grinned as she hefted her hammer in her hand. “I hit that ooze dead centre when I tossed Ruby that time. Still, some gold would be nice. I could buy Sparks something thin, flimsy and fancy I can take off.” she was pleased to see Sparkler blush bright red. 

Blackbeak laughed, not at the fact that the earth pony had named her hammer. His sword also had a name. A warrior’s weapon should bear a name. He laughed because of the unicorn’s blush. “She blushes like you do, Sky!”

Now it was Cloudy Skies’ turn to blush. “Ah...” fortunately, something then happened to put the teasing at the back of her mind. “I think we just found what we came here for...”

“Okay,” Sparkler soon saw that the greater ooze was, in fact, great. “So, it’s about four times the size of the ones we’ve fought so far.” Standing before the ooze, a great orange coloured thing that looked like a melted Jell-O, the unicorn fired a flame bolt that bounced off the creature’s outer skin.

It did get its attention though.

“Yeah,” Sparkler mused to herself, “As I suspected, the outside is too tough, and it appears to be magic resistant. Blackie, please open it up, there where the nucleus is. Then, Sky blast the opening with water. Stoney toss that hammer after, and I'll see if it likes my fire then.”

Just as the gigantic ooze reared up to attempt to engulf the griffon in its deadly biomass, Blackbeak launched forwards with a particularly heroic war cry that Queen Stormclaw herself would have been proud of. Getting in close, he swung his sword with deadly accuracy and hacked at the ooze's outer membrane until a small crack appeared. “It's open!”

In mid-air, Cloudy Skies dodged out of the way of the ooze’s counterattack, it had formed a long arm and swung it clumsily at the flying nuisance. Jinking, she aimed her hands at the opening her lover had made and she blasted wide open. 

A minor ooze separated off from the greater ooze’s body and, as Sparkler fried it with her fire, Stonecutter threw Ruby at the wide-open wound in the creature’s body. Narrowly, unfortunately, the earth pony missed the nucleus.  

Seeing Stonecutter miss the creature’s nucleus, Sparkler lit her horn and from it and the palms of her hands, she fired three bolts of fire like she was a living flamethrower. A second later, with the breaching of the nucleus, the greater ooze collapsed in on itself and fell apart on the floor.

Once she was sure it was dead, Stonecutter retrieved her hammer from where it had landed. “Why can't everything be that easy?” she asked as she attached it back on her belt.

“Th-That...was...y-you call th-that easy?” Cloudy Skies hovered her way haphazardly to the floor and panted, more than a little exhausted from her exertions. Fortunately, Blackbeak was there straight away to catch and support her.

“I think the truth of it is we are better prepared than we were on our first adventure,” Sparkler commented, “Let's get back and let Spryyg know the job is done.”

Cloudy Skies took two steps and, still a little exhausted, she staggered. Without comment, Blackbeak hoisted his mare up in his strong arms, more than happy to carry her on the way back to the forest. Stonecutter wiped her forearm across her forehead and noted the sweat there. “We need a rest before we continue.” 

“There’s no time!” 

The earth pony gently squeezed her marefriend’s hand, “You won't be able to help anypony if you fall over.”

“Maybe those Agari will let us rest up a little bit now we saved their forest?” Blackbeak suggested, “Sky needs a short break, Sparks.”

“Coffee!” Sparkler felt her tenuous grip on her anxiety starting to snap, “Coffee fixes everything!” she stamped her hooves into the rocky ground as her meltdown took hold. “Cold, drink coffee!” her eyes twitched, “Headache, drink coffee! Tired, drink coffee! Spider makes you angry, hit it with the cup!” she started to laugh and cry, hysterically yelling, “Coffee! Coffee! Coffee!” 

With Sparkler’s high shrieking voice echoing from the walls all around them, Stonecutter wordlessly picked the unicorn up in her arms, carrying her bridal style. “Blackie, let's get them back to the forest.” She didn’t mind at all when Sparkler buried her head into her breasts and continued to cry like a little foal.

“I heard that,” Blackbeak shared a fist bump with the earth pony and he grinned, at last looking at the object he had found inside the greater ooze. “I wonder what this does?” he asked, showing the old leather collar with odd writings on the inside. “I got it from inside that ooze back there.”

“Can I see it?” asked Cloudy Skies curiously. Blackbeak passed it to her and the pegasus inspected the ancient collar before passing her judgement. “My collar is prettier,” just then, it started to glow bright purple in her hands. “Gah!” she squealed in surprise and threw it away.

The collar though did not hit the ground. It hovered in mid-air, the inscribed writing glowing a brighter and brighter purple until, in a flash, there was a Great Dane sat in front of them, the collar neatly around its neck.

“Wow!” that just about summed up Stonecutter’s thoughts on the subject.

Sparkler, who was still busy hugging her mare’s breasts, noticed noting. Blackbeak though was quite impressed. “Okay, that’s a cool trick for a ratty old collar.”

“It's a dog...” Cloudy Skies breathed in awe, just as it jumped up and licked the pegasus’s legs and her hand, recognising her as his owner, “I think it likes me!”

“The collar did glow in your hands, Sky,” Stonecutter confirmed thoughtfully.

“Will it disappear?” asked Blackbeak.

“I suppose so, what if I...” Cloudy Skies gripped the back of the collar and pulled it like she was tugging it off the dog’s head. Immediately, the dog vanished, leaving the collar glowing in her hands.

“Woohoo!” Blackbeak cheered, many, many opportunities for the application of the dog running through his mind. “Prank time!”

“I shall call him 'Dog'.”

“That's good,” Stonecutter snarked, “I wouldn't want anypony to mistake it for a cat.”

In response to that, Cloudy Skies stuck her tongue out at her friend. “Columbo called his dog 'Dog'. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.” she crossed her arms resolutely under her breasts as if that was that.

Once they were back on the edge of the forest, Blackbeak was not surprised to see a small delegation of the Agari already there. “Hey, looks like Spryyg's waiting for us.”

Hearing that, Sparkler whispered in Stonecutter's ear, “I'm okay, Stony, I just needed a cry and a carry. You can put me down now, please.” she didn’t want to be seen as a foal in front of the leaders of the Agari. Thankfully, Stonecutter was quick on the uptake and she set her upright on her hooves.

“You are back quicker than I expected,” Spryyg stepped forwards with a concerned look on his ancient, wrinkled face. “Tell me, what of the greater ooze?”

“We came, we saw, we kicked it's ass!” Blackbeak grinned before pulling a rather heroic pose.

“If that nucleus thing inside it was an ass,” Stonecutter clarified, “Then yeah, we kicked it.”

Spryyg turned a confused look from one pony to the next. He had only pony he had spoken with was Evenlight, and she did not use words like these youngsters did. “I’m afraid I do not understand.”

“We killed it,” Stonecutter said as simply as she could, “It's gone.”

“That’s wonderful news!” Spryyg’s face lit up with happiness and relief. So much so that the deep signs of age seemed to leave him. “Truly wonderful news!” he was so happy he clapped his hands and did a little dance of joy. 

“We took out a load of the little ones too,” Stonecutter informed him, “But I think there are more still about. I’m sure we didn’t get them all.”

Spryyg though waved away her concerns. “They are harmless without the greater one to lead them. We can take care of them now.” He smiled broadly and looked up, seeing the Sporedust Butterfly already starting to fly much lower over the forest than it had before. The dust it sowed clung to the damaged fungi, and they started to regrow. “But come, my friends, you must be tired. Come and rest in the upper city.”

“Any word from Umberfoal?” asked Sparkler, uninterested in rest while there was still work to be done.

“There have been words, young filly,” Spryyg then turned to the members of his delegation and issued them with orders and instructions. They nodded and went their own way, leaving him to lead the newcomers through the towering fungi homes. “Miss Evenlight is being held captive by Insidira in the room of many books. The guard captain is trying to counterattack from the biggest surface building.”

“We don't have time to rest!” Sparkler cried, not questioning how the Agari leader could possibly knew what he knew. “Do you have something to restore our energy, keep us going?”

Spryyg nodded as he led them out of the forest and through streets lined with ‘buildings’ that were actually tall or wide mushrooms with rooms cut into their stalks. “I have refreshments made from the Sporedust we collect from the butterfly. Look, she is flying lower now the threat is gone. The regeneration has already begun. I will take you to the House of Healing. You will rest for one hour. Then, we will use the Crucible.”

Despite her eagerness to just get on with their task, Sparkler noted the finality in the Agari’s words. “Thank you, Spryyg.” Surely, one hour couldn’t make that much difference, right?

“No, thank you, young pony. The Agari are in your debt.” He then led them up the ridge and into the upper levels of the city, and after a short walk, Spryyg stopped at a building next to the largest building in the city. “Inside, the sisters will tend to you and provide the refreshments. I will come for you in one hour.”

~ ~ ~

The hour passed incredibly quickly. As soon as she had drunk the Sporedust elixir, Sparkler had fallen asleep, as had Cloudy Skies. Both mares had after all drained a lot of their magic battling the greater ooze. Blackbeak and Stonecutter didn’t sleep. They were left to stroke their mare’s manes and reflect on what had happened.

They both agreed though, when Spryyg came for them, that the single hour felt like a ten-hour rest at the Ponyville spa. 

Leaving the House of Healing, they got their first proper look at the Hall of Rituals. Easily the tallest building in Agarica, it rose high above the four adventurers. It was completely built out of one enormous fungus like all the other buildings in the city, but this was clearly something incredibly special. Elaborate decorations and patterns carved into the outside only added to the impression of significance.

Above the hall, the majestically beautiful Sporedust Butterfly roosted on its perch, the dust coming from the creature’s wings illuminating the hall in the multicoloured glowing lights.

Spryyg led them through a large ornately carved archway in the front. Inside, a long hall stretched out before them. At the very end, past rows and rows of seats, resided a peculiar looking but strangely familiar object held on a low pillar made of organic growth.  

The Agari Crucible.

Despite looking different to the one in Umberfoal’s Tomevault, with its more organic design, there was no mistaking the vase shaped body and receptacle on top. Approaching the construct, Sparkler took out the corrupted black Arcast from her pack. “Who needs to put it in?”

“You do it Sparks,” Blackbeak gestured to the Crucible, “I think it likes you.”

“We use the Crucibles like the ponies,” Spryyg said in a reverent tone, “We did not invent them, but we shared with the ponies the knowledge of how to use them. This one powers the enchantments you see in Agarica, like the barrier that keeps out the Deepwell water and gifting life to the Butterfly who in turn protects us.”

“Okay,” Sparkler placed the Arcast in the top slot of the receptacle and she touched the side. “The rest of you touch it like we did up top.”

“To restore the Arcast for the Festival of Lights,” Spryyg intoned, “You must first learn the true meaning behind it.” The old Agari watched as they each placed a hand and a claw on the receptacle. “Clear your mind and recite after me. 'Safe and sound a home will stay, if kept in peace and love by day'.”

As one, the four friends and lovers repeated the words that Spryyg had taught them. “Safe and sound a home will stay. If kept in peace and love by day.” Instantly, a very bright flash of pure magical light enveloped them, like it had in the Tomevault.

Their minds were graced with a glimpse of the deep emotions of the Agari people, their beliefs and their exceptional connection with their home. They were filled with a sense of home and belonging. The concept of home and the need to protect and nurture it consumed their whole being.

Unfortunately, just as it had in the Tomevault, the influx of magic proved to be too much for Blackbeak to handle. As the magic receded, the griffon fell to one knee, his head in his hands as intense pain wracked his skull. “Bucking buck, buck!” he swore loudly, “Does it have to hurt that much?”

“Barbarian,” Stonecutter quipped, making Sparkler and Cloudy Skies giggle.

“That was...intense!” the pegasus exclaimed in wonder, “I could feel them! Like, really feel the Agari! Like I was one of them!”

“All I can feel is my head splitting open,” Blackbeak groused sourly, “Did it work?”

Closely, Sparkler examined the precious crystal, turning it over in her hands. “Some of the shadow that clouded the Arcast has faded, but it's still corrupted.”

That was what Blackbeak had been afraid of. “I'm going to get a splitting headache at least three more times, aren't I?”

“And I'll kiss it better three more times,” Cloudy Skies smiled, wrapping her hands around his strong arm.

“You have done well, my young friends,” the smile was back on Spryyg’s face, though it was tempered with solemn determination. “Now, your quest is not yet done. From here you can head to the Deepwell to the Sunken Temple, or head up to Insidira's nest.”

“Temple,” Sparkler said almost before the Agari had finished speaking. “Then we will return to go to the nest. Is there somepony or something in the temple to help us, or that we need to worry about. And do we need to say something when we’re there?”

Spryyg nodded, and he was pleased to see they were paying close attention to what he was saying. “The Altar of the Crucible in the temple is guarded by three sisters, Mistforms. You will need to best them to be allowed to approach the Crucible.”

“Do we say the same lines we said here?” asked Stonecutter.

This time Spryyg shook his head. “When you place the Arcast in the Crucible, the final guardian will reveal himself. He will test you. Speak with sincerity, and he will give you the words you need. Fail and…please do not fail.”

“Thank you for all your help,” Sparkler shook Spryyg’s hand and he surprised her by giving the unicorn a hug. Strangely though, this time she didn’t mind her personal space being invaded like she usually did. “We'll be sure to let Evenlight know of your wellbeing.”

“She knows,” Spryyg smiled, “We have ways and means to communicate, young filly, and she is not called 'the wise' for nothing.” He gave them all a wave of his hand as they turned to walk out of the hall. “I wish you well in your quest, for all our sakes.”
> Chapter 6 - The Temple and the Throne
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Swimming down from the Agaricus Forest, the four adventurers made their way mostly uneventfully through the lower depths of the Deepwell. They knew they were going the right way when they saw the gigantic shadow of the Carcinus moving past them. Drawing their Duskloak cloaks around them, they stealthily made their way past it.

Fortunately the enchantments on the cloaks worked underwater.

Reaching the very bottom of the Deepwell, they saw by the light of Sparkler’s horn a small circular hole in the floor, just large enough for them to swim through in single file – although Stonecutter was admittedly a tight fit – and they found themselves in a small square chamber just ten foot across. 

Still completely submerged, the four looked around the room. The ceiling had the small hole they had swam through. Apart from that, the room’s features were obscured by silt and sediment that hung low in the water. As far as they could see, there was nothing to see, except a lever on the northern wall.

“I wonder what that does?” asked Cloudy Skies. Looking around, like the rest, she saw there was apparently no way out of this room other than the hole they had entered by. 

“Only one way to find out, I guess,” Stonecutter swam over, and, after a rather hefty pull, she managed to get the lever in the down position. Immediately, there came a low rumbling sound from somewhere nearby as ancient gears were engaged. The circular opening in the ceiling slid shut with a grinding noise of stone on stone and then all the water began to drain out of the room through slits in the walls that had not been there before.

Finally, once all the water in the chamber had drained away, a crescent shaped panel on the floor slid away revealing a descending spiral staircase that led down into a dark space below. “Wait,” Cloudy Skies stopped them as they were about to walk down the staircase, “Hang on a moment,” she tossed the magic collar into an empty space, and the dog appeared in a flash of purple light. “I thought Dog would be handy if anything tries to creep up on us.”

The glowing purple dog had only been summoned for a few seconds, and he started to scratch and snuffle at the eastern wall of the featureless room. “What's got him so excited?” wondered Stonecutter out loud, “It’s just a wall.”

Curiously, Blackbeak tapped on the wall, and his sharp ears picked up a clue. “It’s a hollow wall.”

That excited Sparkler, “Treasure room, maybe?”

“Hang on,” Stonecutter took her warhammer in her hands and she attacked the wall like it owed her money. In noticeably short order, it was smashed to smithereens.

As soon as there was an adequately sized hole in the wall, Blackbeak stepped through into a very narrow passage. At the end, where water was running out through a rotting burlap sack. “We have a rotting sack!” he reported, and then, “In the sack we have a dead rat...and a shield!”

When the griffon came out of the passage with his prize, Sparkler’s horn lit up. “The shield is definitely magical. I'm having a hard time getting a fix on it.”

“Hmm…it feels...like a shield,” Blackbeak gave his own verdict on the kite shaped shield. He liked it though. It felt, ‘right’, and even though the once bright yellow paint had become dulled with time, and the familiar stylized sun design had long lost its luster, he could tell it was as functional as the day it was made. 

As he hefted it onto his non sword arm, Cloudy Skies let out a very loud, very girly squee. “Oh my...you look so hot...ter than usual!” she wafted herself with her hands, because it had gotten extremely hot in the small room all of a sudden.

“Can you put the shield down for a moment, please?” asked Sparkler. When Blackbeak had placed it on the floor, she cast her spell again. “Ah, now I can get a fix on it. Magic reflection, it can either absorb a spell or reflect it back at the caster…it’s from the Order of the Sacred Sun, an order of knights that hasn’t existed for six hundred years!”

“Good Dog!” Cloudy Skies knelt and fussed over her dog, petting the Great Dane’s head, “Yes you are!”

“Think Dog would like a honey sweet for a treat?” asked Stonecutter.

No sooner had the earth pony asked the question, than Dog bounded over to her and he sat with his paw up and panting. “I think he understands you Stony. He can have a treat, he’s earned it.” She was pleased to see that her magical companion was apparently well trained.

Not only did Dog get one treat, Stonecutter gave him two! He snaffled them with abandon, his purple translucent coat glowing to show how happy he was. “I kinda figure chocolate would be bad like it is for Winona,” she blushed, realising he was a magical construct.

“Now that’s sorted,” Blackbeak grunted, his impatience getting the better of him, “Are we going down this spiral staircase or what?”

Smiling, Sparkler struck a most heroic pose. “Adventure!” 

“I don't think that means what you think it means,” Cloudy Skies grinned, fussing Dog with her delicate fingers. 

“It means we're doing this regardless,” Sparkler replied with a roll of her eyes. 

“Okay,” Cloudy Skies conceded, “Maybe it does.” Once they were all down in the lower passage, which was a long L shaped hallway with three doors, one at each end and one part way down, Dog was drawn to the closest closed door. There was a sign, faded with age and rust, but they could just make out the words ‘Robing Room’. “I think he's sensed something in there,” the pegasus pointed to her whining, pawing pet.

“Three doors to choose from, so that’s as good as any,” Sparkler commented, “I just hope they’re all unlocked.”

“I got this!” Blackbeak declared brashly, then he noticed the look from them all. “What? I know the last time I said that there was a fire, but this knob feels cool!” still, when he opened the door, he backed away quickly just in case, making Cloudy Skies giggle.

“I may lose my door opener title at this rate,” Stonecutter snickered.

“Looks pretty much intact,” Cloudy Skies commented as she stepped inside for a better look, Dog following hot on her heels. The room certainly seemed to have stood the test of time better than the L shaped corridor outside. There were a few pieces of wooden and metal furniture – a wardrobe, a bookshelf, a chaise and a treasure chest - all of which had somehow remained relatively untouched. Cloudy Skies was drawn to the wardrobe like a moth to a flame. “Oh my...look at all these dresses!”

Sparkler wasn’t interested in the robes. Fancy as they were, they seemed more ceremonial than functional. She practically skipped to the bookshelf with a look of foalish delight all over her face. Giggling at her marefriend’s antics, Stonecutter walked over and sat on the chaise, happy and relieved that it could take her weight. To the unicorn’s interest, the bookcase was full of books written in Old Ponish, torn pages and rolled scrolls all stacked on top of each other. “I was right! Old Ponish!” she held up a scroll she had pulled out, “Search for the right answer and receive guidance. The secrets of the Crucible lie in the heart of all!”

Cloudy Skies pretended to think for a moment, “I think the standard answer is 'friendship'.” 

“I think that’s the answer to all the test questions at school,” Blackbeak snarked, then his greedy yellow eyes found the chest, and he eyed it up for possible treasure. It wasn’t that big, barely two foot wide, eighteen inches high  and a foot deep, but when it came to treasure, he knew something didn’t have to be big to be worth big bits.

“Is that all there is in the bookcase?” asked Cloudy Skies, “Sure you didn't find Umberfoal's version of Fifty Shades of Hay?”

Blackbeak was sorely tempted to haul his pet over his knee and spank her cute ass raw just for mentioning that damned book, but he was focused solely on the chest. “I call dibs on the chest!” he cried, but as he went to crack it open, it suddenly attacked him! 

A pair of yellow eyes opened in the chest lid, and it opened to reveal several rows of very sharp teeth. Blackbeak got closer and the barked and growled like Dog. Alarmed, the griffon jumped back and drew his sword while Stonecutter pulled out her hammer.

Confronted by the sudden unexpected show of force, the chest whimpered and trembled in fear, causing Dog to pad his way up to it and snuffle, exchanging a few yips and woofs like they were greeting each other. “Is that...a Mimic?” asked the pegasus, “I've heard of those!”

Quickly, Sparkler stepped in front of Stonecutter and Blackbeak before they could attack and harm the creature. “Step aside, Sparks,” Blackbeak grunted, “Those things are dangerous!” 

“Dog doesn't think so,” Sparkler looked down where Dog was rubbing his face over the top of the chest,  and she gently patted the top with her hand. The way it affectionately rumbled at her was just adorable! “And I don't think so, either.”

“Woof! Ruuuuuuff!” the Mimic pants and a tongue appeared from its mouth, licking the back and the palm of the unicorn’s hand. Dog, happy that he had made a new friend, padded softly around the chest and helped himself to a sniff at its rear.  

“What are you going to do?” asked Stonecutter, “Magic up a leash and take it for a walk?”

“What’s the matter, jealous, Stony?” asked Cloudy Skies, earning herself a chuckle from Blackbeak and a raspberry from the earth pony. 

Kneeling, Sparkler skritched the front of the chest, delighted to get a low rumble of pleasure in turn. “You know, that's a good idea Stony.” The chest then gave Sparkler what was clearly a nuzzle and a wet tongue lick, making her laugh. “Don't worry Stony, I'm not replacing you.”

“I wasn't worried,” Stonecutter shrugged, “I lick way better than that.”

“Sparks just has a thing for chests, that's all,” Cloudy Skies giggled at Sparkler’s blushing reaction to her little joke. Pointedly, the unicorn did not try and deny it.

Satisfied there was no treasure or bits to be found in the Robing Room, Blackbeak walked out of the room and back into the hall. “I'm going to see what's down this hall to the right.”

With Sparkler still blushing bright red, the three mares followed the griffon out of the room. “Let's stay together,” Stonecutter said as she fitted her hammer onto her belt. 

“Okay,” Sparkler smiled warmly, “And I think I'll call you Chester, or Chesty for short.” The unicorn giggled, “Come along, Chesty!” 

Dog and Chesty both came walking out of the Robing Room, the chest having grown short stumpy legs from its underside, each pet scampering at their owner's heels. After a short walk, Chester hopped up a little at Sparkler’s legs. “I think he wants you to carry him,” Cloudy Skies observed.

“Hmm, I guess with those little legs it is hard to keep up,” Sparkler lit her horn and carefully she picked Chester up in her telekinetic field. When they reached the old door at the end of the hallway, she set Chester on the floor so her hands and horn would be free is she needed her magic for what might be beyond the door.  

Not wanting to wait any longer, Blackbeak shouldered open the door and he found himself in an old storage room. There were a number of rusted metal stands and rods that he assumed were ceremonial in nature, as well as bags of food that had long rotted away. Paintings were water damaged to oblivion. “It's...it looks like just a storeroom.” He reported as he picked through a stacked pile of mouldy fabrics. Then, something gold caught his eye. “Oh! What's that?”

“Well preserved,” Sparkler said as she looked intently at the golden baton, “but I sense no magic.” 

“Might as well take it along with us,” Blackbeak snickered, “It’ll be magic enough when I turn it into bits at the pawn shop in Ponyville!” 

“So...we have to go back the other way, right?” asked Cloudy Skies, “There's only one other door down here we haven't tried yet.”

“I wish we had a map,” Sparkler grumbled ever so slightly as Blackbeak led the way down the hallway, past the Robing Room and through the third and final door. It was hard to be grumpy though with Chester licking her hands.

“The semi-circular part of the L shaped hallway doubled in width after roughly fifteen feet, widening to twenty feet across. On either side of the wider section, the walls were covered in exquisitely carved ornate murals that looked as though they had been carved yesterday. “I have to say, I like these!” Stonecutter, a master smith herself, appreciated the craftsponyship on display. “The carving is exquisite! I can hardly see the tool markings!”

Sparkler paused in the hallway to take a longer look at the murals. She had to agree with her marefriend’s assessment. The quality was amazing. “They look like wendigos from the story books.” 

“They were around before this place was shut down?” asked Cloudy Skies.

“Oh yes,” Sparkler affirmed, still studying the mural. They looked like the wendigos shown in the old stories as these three had long serpentine bodies she would expect. Only they also had gems in their upper bodies and fins along their tails, more like a siren, "They predate the Princesses, for sure."

That awed Cloudy Skies. “That means this temple predates The Unification of the Tribes!”

“So...it’s old then?”

“Yes love,” Cloudy Skies said with a very loud roll of her eyes, “It’s old. Hey,” she then noted something that caught her sharp eyes, “These gems in the wall are real pretty. They’re kind of like those blue ones up in Umberfoal, only darker.”

“They're not glowing either,” Sparkler pointed out as they walked along the hallway. As soon as they walked past the wide section though, and the mural hallway narrowed once more, the dark gems flashed a bright red, only for just a moment, then they were dark once more.

A second later, Dog started to growl and bark seemingly at nothing in front of them, and the hair on the back of the translucent purple dog stood up. That unnerved Stonecutter more than the flash from the crystals. “Guy, I got a bad feeling about this…”

With a word for him to stay safely behind her with Dog, Sparkler set Chester down on the ground and she lit her horn, readying her fire spell. Next to her, Blackbeak looked around, his sword and shield ready for action.  

Then, when they thought that nothing was going to happen, three Mistforms appeared from thin air, floating four feet off the floor in front of them. The creatures looked a lot like the carvings on the murals, but in insubstantial vapor form. “Oh...” Cloudy Skies gasped, “Oooh my... th-they m-must be the three sisters Spryyg warned us about!”

“We got to get through them to get in there, I assume?” asked Blackbeak, pointing his sword at their latest obstacle.

“Yes, I should assume so,” Sparkler mused out loud, though she hesitated to unleash her magic, wanting to see if they would attack first. There might be a diplomatic solution, after all, if they were intelligent. “They’re not wendigos, that's for sure.”

“Why aren't they attacking us?” asked Stonecutter, gesturing at the creatures with the business end of her hammer, “They're just floating there in front of the door.”

Impatient as ever, Blackbeak took a few steps forwards towards the three insubstantial floating creatures. They shifted and shimmered between an indistinguishable cloud and the smoky serpentine form they had adopted. One step closer however, and the Mistforms turned from smoke to a violent blood red and, with peaceful faces now visages of horror with needle like teeth, they moved to strike! 

Thinking quickly, the griffon took several steps straight back and, just as quickly as they had changed to attack, the Mistforms reverted back to their smoky gaseous state, content to hover near the door they were guarding. “That answers that,” Blackbeak said, “Must be a proximity thing.”

“Friendship!” screamed Sparkler who, throwing all caution to the winds, sprang forward. As one entity, the three Mistforms turned blood red, let out a ferocious howl and they attacked, the lead one firing off a stun bolt that hits the floor in front of Sparkler’s hooves.

“Sparkler!” screamed Stonecutter in panic.

Spurred to action by the reckless thing that Sparkler had done, Blackbeak ran forwards, his shield raised as one of them fired a stun bolt at him. The beam of energy hit the shield and sent straight back to the Mistform, which howled in pain. “Are you bucking crazy?”

With a manic look in her green eyes, Sparkler cast her firework spell, shaping it so that it was two bolts of fire, at two of them for no effect. “Crazy? Totally! But they seem resistant to my magic."

At a complete loss, Cloudy Skies cried, “What do we do?” she dispelled Dog back to his collar in order to keep him safe, just for good measure.

Blackbeak saw what the magic bolt that reflected off his shield did to damage the Mistform and the griffon had an idea from an action movie he had seen not long ago. “Sparks, aim your fire at my shield!” the griffon angled it so the fire would bounce off to hit all three of them at once. “Make it good!” In his mind, he was Captain Equestria and Sparkler was Iron Mare, and they were the Revengers!

“Sparks!” Stonecutter yelled as she watched the reflected fire burn away one of the Mistforms while the other two dodged around the intense heat, “Can your telekinesis hold them in place, make them solid enough so I can attack them?”

Honestly? Sparkler didn’t have the first clue if Stonecutter’s plan would work or not, but it was as good an idea as any she had up her ass, so she switched her magic from fire to telekinesis, and she cast it over the two remaining creatures. Holding them firm, the earth pony and griffon both made extremely short work of them and hacked them apart. 

As soon as the threat was over, and the Mistforms had been destroyed, Sparkler congratulated her marefriend’s heroic strike by burying her face in Stonecutter's vast bosom, wiggling her head until it was nestled between her breasts. Cloudy Skies rushed over with Chester in her arms and she hugged Blackbeak, kissing him all over his feathered face.

“Well...” Stonecutter smirked as she looked down at Sparkler’s head wedged in her breasts, “I could get used to this celebration.”

Sparkler’s muffled voice just reached their ears, “Me too!”

Ten minutes later though, and the ‘celebration’ was still going on. “Uh…guys?” Blackbeak said, speaking louder than was necessary, “The door's open now. It’s been open ages!”

“Adventure!” Sparkler’s voice was muffled by the earth pony’s bosom, reluctantly she separated herself and took her mare’s hand as she took Chester back in her arms from Cloudy Skies and headed for the door. “Wow,” she breathed in the doorway to the altar room, “That may even predate Celestia!”

“Wait!” Cloudy Skies threw out her hands and stopped them from entering the large triangular shaped room. It opened up the further in it went, so that the end was four times wider than the end they were at. It had a low angled ceiling, giving the room a pyramid shape. “Wait. Guys. Let’s be careful, shall we? This is the point where the spikes with skulls on come out the floor and the walls.”

“Sky...what?”

Cloudy Skies rolled her eyes at her lover, “We're entering the altar of a sunken temple. Have you never seen Daring Do?”

“Oh, I read that one!” Stonecutter spoke up, while Sparkler just blinked.

“Daring Do and the Temple of the Power Stone, right?” Cloudy Skies and Stonecutter fist bumped each other, “Come on. It can't be that easy! The Crucible is right there, unguarded?”

With a great degree of trepidation, the four stepped out into the room. One step, nothing happened. Two steps, still nothing. Three and four steps, nothing. By the fifth step, they left their worries at the door as they passed by galleries on each side of the room with stone benches behind low walls. A huge stone slab protruded slightly out of the far wall.

In the middle of the room there stood a stone altar decorated with shining gold rods. Atop the altar stood the Crucible, though this one looked simpler and more primitive than the two they had encountered already. As old as it was, there was no mistaking the fact that it was a Crucible. Reaching into her pack, Sparkler reverently placed the Arcast into the receptacle.

“Alright,” Blackbeak sighed reluctantly, “Here comes my next headache, I guess.” 

As soon as the unicorn had placed the corrupted Arcast in the Crucible, the primitive stone construct flashed bright white. Then, a low rumbling sound echoed throughout the room. The source of the noise soon revealed itself. Where once the north eastern wall had been flat stone, now it seemed to twist and carve itself, until a vast stone face appeared. The face was vaguely serpentine, like the creatures in the murals.

“Dear Celestia!” Cloudy Skies squeaked in abject fear, the mare only just able to keep control of her bladder.

Automatically, Stonecutter stepped protectively in front of Sparkler, “I should be able to stop a rolling stone.”

Impassively, the great stone face surveyed the four creatures stood before it. It was not impressed. “I am the Guardian of the Crucible,” when it spoke, the sounds of stone grating on stone made up its voice. “Of what do I speak? All welcome this thing. Whether roost, nest, hole or building. It makes you sick if you stray far away, but always your heart can be found within.”

Sparkler studied the stone face, “It looks a lot like one of those creatures we just fought, don’t you think?”

“It's a riddle,” Blackbeak snorted, “I'm absolutely crap at riddles!”

Suddenly, inspiration struck Stonecutter. “I know what it is!” Quietly, Sparkler squeezed her hand and motioned for her to go ahead. “Home. The answer is home. I get it. The Festival of Lights is about creating and protecting a home. The ponies of Umberfoal, the Agari, even the spiders, they all want to protect their homes!”

Cloudy Skies flinched, “My homelife sucks.”

Blackbeak shrugged, “Griffonstone stinks.”

“Those aren't your homes,” Stonecutter spoke to both of them at once, “Just like Canterlot isn't Sparks’ home now. You all know where your true home is.”

Sparkler knew where her home was. “With you.”

“With you,” Stonecutter replied. Much louder, she addressed the waiting stone face. “The answer's home!”

“That…is the right answer.” After a long pause, the guardian spoke again. “For one each home is suited right, by blazing sun or sweet moonlight.”

“Okay,” Sparkler reached out her hand. “Crucible touching time.”

“You need a new catchphrase, Sparks,” Blackbeak sighed, reaching out his hand until it touched the Crucible, “I really hate this bit…”

Together as one, the four companions spoke, “For one each home is suited right, by blazing sun or sweet moonlight.” Instantly, they were gifted quick, fleeting images of those who built the temple. Again, Blackbeak suffered his splitting headache.

The guardian though was not finished. “Knowledge into Arcast can the Crucible turn. But matter into words you may also learn.” A glowing white light floated out of the guardian’s mouth and hovered over the room straight to Blackbeak’s hand. As he caught it, the face returned back to solid stone. In the griffon’s palm, the ball of light became a twelve inch long amber crystal.

“A Reverse Arcast!” Sparkler breathed in sheer awe, having an instinctual feeling for what it was and what it was for, thanks to the Crucible. “Wow, we are almost done. Just the sp... sp...” her voice fell to a whisper, “Spiders to go.”

“You best look after this, Sparks.” Nodding, Sparkler took the new crystal along with the partially purified Arcast and placed them both safely back in her pack.  

“Back to the forest,” Stonecutter pointed back the way they had come, “We could use some more of that Sporedust elixir before we do anything else.”

Almost as an afterthought, Sparkler checked the time. “Okay, we got roughly twenty minutes to get back before the Water Breathing potions run out, or do we take the last ones now?”

“I say we take them now,” Blackbeak opined, “I don't think we'll be coming back down here again.”

“If we don’t take them,” Stonecutter put in, “You know something will go wrong.” Since it seemed to be agreed, the pegasus opened her potions case and passed out the last of the Water Breathing potions to everyone. 

When they were back in the first ten foot square room, and Stonecutter had pulled the lever to seal the floor and flood it with water, Sparkler asked the pegasus to make sure the coast was clear, for she was still worried about the giant crab. 

“I see it,” she reported, “But it’s a long way off and not where we're going.” With that, they swam back to the tunnel and allowed the current to take them back to Agarica.

~ ~ ~

There was only one way to get to the spider’s nest. The passageway in the back of the Hall of Rituals in Agarica. Though it was unguarded, the journey still took three hours, because it was tight and every few feet there were sticky webbing blocking their way. 

Presently enough, they arrived on the edge of the vast hollow cavern that was the nest, and Sparkler almost wet herself because the walls and the floor were completely covered in layers upon layers of silk webbing. “Have I mentioned how much I do not want to do this?” hissed the unicorn as quietly as she could.

“I'm here to protect you,” Stonecutter said quickly, though if she was honest, she was as scared as her marefriend was. When Sparkler gave her a kiss on the cheek, she found she wasn’t as scared as she thought she was. 

“I think this is the nest that Spryyg told us about,” Blackbeak thought out loud. He could see that the spiders had used natural columns, stalagmites and stalactites with their webs to create a multi-layered domain for themselves.

“At least they have some light down here,” Cloudy Skies pointed out the thousands of softly glowing red crystals dotted all around the cavern, “I guess they can't see completely in the dark.”

“Yeah,” Stonecutter spoke without thinking, “Imagine walking head first into a mass of webbing in the pitch dark!”

Hearing that, Sparkler stopped, she shuddered and she stayed frozen in place like a hard drive that had crashed and needed rebooting. “Way to drop the stone, Cutter,” Blackbeak snickered and Cloudy Skies giggled as she watched him wave his hand in front of the unresponsive mare’s face.

“Well, seeing as it is still pretty dark, and we don't want to give away our locations with horn light, drink these,” Cloudy Skies reached into her potions kit and she passed out the potions of Dark Vision she had gotten from the Burrows.

“Um...I’m sorry,” Stonecutter blushed hard then she prodded Sparkler to get a reaction from her. “Here, drink this, Sparks.”

Not really paying attention, Sparkler took the potion and she drank it in one large mouthful. “Oh wow,” she exclaimed as the unfamiliar taste took hold in her mouth, “That is cool.”

“I think we'll need to be on our guard in there,” Blackbeak said quietly, “Who knows how many spiders might be patrolling.” He pulled the Duskloak cloak tight around him, “Use the cloaks guys, and stay sharp.”

Stonecutter looked up at the layers of silk draped all around the cavern. Thanks to the potion, she could see the three dimensional maze like aspect to their surroundings. “The only way up is along this webbing.”

“Wait,” Sparkler stopped her as she took one step onto the exceedingly strong silk, “We have to be careful. They can sense vibrations.” 

“Two of us can fly?” offered Cloudy Skies.

“Not sure about that, Sky,” Blackbeak glanced up and he didn’t fancy his chances. “Not much room for our wingspans up there.”

“I can see a path,” Cloudy Skies whispered, her sharp eyes even more so thanks to the potion, “It's like a three dimensional maze. Follow me.” Very gently , very carefully, she hovered up amongst the webs.

Naturally, as Stonecutter, Sparkler and Blackbeak crept along the silk threads in the pegasus’s wake, it was Stonecutter who tripped and sent waves of vibrations running up the webs. “Celestia damn it!” she cursed under her breath and hid under her cloak as a spider appeared. Fortunately, it didn’t detect her, and it soon scurried away.

When she was absolutely sure the coast was again clear, Sparkler let out the breath she felt she had been holding since she was born. “Still love you, Stone.”

“I don't have a light hoof potion...sorry, Stone.” Cloudy Skies gave her an apologetic look.

“This is like the tatzlwurm all over again...” Stonecutter muttered darkly, not quite under her breath.

“But you punched it so hard it went back in time,” Sparkler pointed out, quite correctly.

Stonecutter’s failing mood lifted just a little. “Heh...that was fun,” now smiling, albeit tentatively, she very carefully tread the webs exactly where Cloudy Skies led them.

“Just be grateful that almost all the spiders are elsewhere,” said Blackbeak as he carefully made his way across the webs. Bigger than his mare, he wasn’t even attempting to fly around, lest his wings get gunked up in the webs. He noted that Sparkler wasn’t happy that the spiders were elsewhere, because that ‘elsewhere’ was Umberfoal.

After some considerable time picking their way delicately along the silken webbing, they reached one of the upper layers of the nest. Up ahead of them, to the left in the main web structure, was an alcove made of webbing set against the rocky wall. “Hey...” Cloudy Skies whispered as they cautiously approached the alcove, “Can you guys hear something?”

“My breaking sanity,” grumbled Stonecutter.

“My heartbeat?” offered Sparkler. Ever since they had entered the nest, she had heard little else. Her heart was beating like a cannon blast in her chest. 

“Yeah,” Blackbeak, whose ears were sharper than the rest, nodded his head. “It’s coming from that little alcove.”

Cloudy Skies cocked her head to one side. The sound, different volumes and pitches of hissing and clicking, almost sounded like… “It sounds like...arguing?”

Stonecutter shrugged, “Sparks, can you understand that?”

The unicorn shook her head. “No, sorry.”

“What?” Blackbeak whispered and snickered, in spite of the situation, he couldn’t help but find the amusing in the dark. “There's something you don't know?”

Curiously, the pegasus hovered up just a little and, after she had surveyed the rather disturbing scene, she came back down. “Okay, that was...uncomfortable. There's a big spider with red ridges on it’s back being...well, bullied, by three other spiders!” there was no other explanation for what she had seen.

Sparkler turned a deadpan look to the snickering griffon, “I know you're not as big as my mom's boyfriend.”

Stonecutter high fived her marefriend, “Burn!”

“Ouch...” Blackbeak winced, “I need some cream after that!”

Cloudy Skies couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Didn't you hear me?” she hissed angrily, as loudly as she dared so as not to draw any attention from the nearby spiders.

“Sorry, Sky,” Sparkler apologised, nudging Stonecutter and Blackbeak in the ribs so that they at least looked sorry, “Maybe Friendship is the answer. Let's go take care of the bullies you saw, but I can't use my fire magic in here.” The unicorn knew if she cast a firebolt and missed  - or even if she hit – she would set the whole nest alight.

“If we two time one spider we should be able to take it out quickly,” opined Stonecutter, “Then we can deal with the other two.”

“There's always the fire breathing potion,” Cloudy Skies said, an unusually dark and grim expression hardening her soft face, “A fire breathing flyer would be handy, you said.”

“There’s just three of them, I think our muscle can handle it. I'd rather save that potion for up top,” Sparkler said as she thought quickly. She didn’t want the pegasus breathing fire down there for the same reason she didn’t want to cast her spells, “Or if we really get in serious trouble down here.”

“Fine,” Cloudy Skies crossed her arms under her chest.

“I know how you feel about bullies, Sky,” Blackbeak had his hand on the hilt of his sword and he checked the shield was tight on his arm, “I got this, for you.”

“Watch over Sparks for me, Sky,” asked Stonecutter as she followed the griffon on the way to the alcove. 

As Stonecutter and Blackbeak both ventured off to the alcove, Sparkler noticed that Cloudy Skies was by her side shaking with fury she had never seen in the pegasus before. “Sky, you okay?”

“No. No I'm not.”

“I'm not okay either, so let's be not okay together.”

“Family shouldn't bully family,” stated Cloudy Skies grimly, her eyes distant, focused on something that Sparkler couldn’t see. After a moment, she shook her head and blushed, “I’m sorry. I wasn't 'here' for a moment there.”

“I may not understand,” Sparkler said gently as she gave her friend a hug, “But I'll always be here to listen.”

Up by the alcove, Stonecutter whispered, “Get their attention and I'll crush some heads.” Nodding his head in understanding, Blackbeak hovered to one side and he kicked the webbing deliberately to let the spiders know intruders were there. As soon as two of the bullying spiders came out of the alcove, Stonecutter was ready. Like she was playing whack-a-mole, she used all her might to turn their heads into paste.

While Stonecutter did that, Blackbeak swooped forwards and he bought the point of his sword down in a double handed strike that penetrated the third spider’s head, killing it instantly. The remaining spider, the one with the red ridges on its back, cowered on the ground in fear.  

“All clear,” Stonecutter reported, “The last one isn't attacking.”

In Old Ponish, the quivering Spider squealed, “Don't hurt me!”

Too late to hear what the giant spider had said, Sparkler arrived with Cloudy Skies by her side holding her hand and a wing draped over the unicorn’s back. “It said something that was sort Equish, I think,” informed Stonecutter when they were close.

Now that even more ponies had shown up, armed and armoured ponies at that, the scared spider backed up as far as she could in the alcove, her two foremost legs held protectively over her face. “I said don't hurt me, please!” she begged.

“Old Ponish,” Sparkler recognised the ancient language immediately. “Very good pronunciation too.” 

“Really?” Stonecutter raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“What did it say?” asked Blackbeak, his fingers dancing over the handle of his sword.

“It is a she, and she said don't hurt her,” Sparkler replied before turning her attention back to the spider. It was curious indeed to encounter a spider willing to talk, who hadn’t attacked them on sight. “We aren’t going to hurt you. We’re trying to save Umberfoal,” she spoke to the spider in Old Ponish, “And need the Crucible here to do that.”

“Y-Yo-You're trying to save the city?” the spider squeaked, tentatively lowering her forelegs now the likelihood of her getting her head smashed in was diminishing, “I...I can help! Please, I want to help!”

“She does want to help us,” Sparkler translated for the others, “Sparkler,” she addressed the spider, pointing to herself and then to each of them in turn, “Stonecutter, Blackbeak, Cloudy Skies. You?”

“I am Sable,” the spider said proudly, “Princess, Sable. Heir to the throne. Or, I would be,” her tone became bitter, “If mother were ever going to give it up, that is.”

Sensing the division between the Princess and the Queen, Sparkler nodded. “Do you know how to get to the Crucible?” she asked as she pulled out the corrupted Arcast. Having been purified twice, it wasn’t as dark as it was before. “We need to use it for this.”  

“What happed to it?” asked Sable, her pincers clicking as she recognised the Arcast. 

“Your mother and a pony called Alethea corrupted it,” Sparkler explained, “After they had invaded Umberfoal.”

“What's happening?” asked Cloudy Skies who, unable to speak the language, couldn’t follow the conversation. Just as lost, Blackbeak shrugged, while Stonecutter motioned for them to keep quiet.

“So mother finally did it,” Sable sighed deeply, “She invaded the pony city.” She shuddered, feeling Sparkler’s gaze upon her, “I was against the invasion. I voted for a diplomatic solution to our problems. Mother...did not agree. Neither did my brothers,” she gestured with a foreleg to the three corpses, “You must use the Crucible here, it's next to the throne, up there.”

“Okay,” Sparkler turned to the other three who were waiting, “I've briefed her on the back story. She will take us to the Crucible.”

“Can we trust her?” asked Blackbeak suspiciously.

“Do we have a choice?” responded Sparkler.

“Power of Friendship!” cheered Stonecutter.

“You might not think it, Pony Sparkler,” Sable spoke up, “But even spiders value a home. It's why mother did what she did, to get us a better home. She seeks to reach the surface world. But, I am not my mother. Her sins are not mine.”

“Many creatures can share this underworld area in peace and harmony,” commented Sparkler, not unkindly, “To do that though, we must first stop your mother and change her mind.”

Sadly, Sable shook her head, “That is not possible, Pony Sparkler. Mother has dwelled for countless years on this. Her path is set.” The spider let out a deep sigh, “As is mine. To use the Crucible, remember, ‘Ageless, endless, ancient thing. Friends together, home will bring’.”

“Lead on, your highness,” As they all followed Sable, Sparkler spoke to the others. “We will follow her, but stay cautious. Many side with her mother and not the Princess.”

“Follow me carefully, Ponies,” Sable said over her shoulder, “The nest may be mostly empty, but my father guards the throne. I will distract him. But you must hurry, you will not have long.”

“Okay, here’s what we say when we put the Arcast in the crucible,” Sparkler repeated what Sable had said to her, “Ageless, endless, ancient thing. Friends together, home will bring.” As she spoke, Sable scurried on ahead, and on the very highest level of the nest, they were confronted by the humongous shadow of a truly mammoth spider sitting above the throne.

“Imagine if you were dating her and you pissed off daddy...”

Sparkler gave her marefriend her signature roll of her eyes, a roll of the eyes that Blackbeak had to agree with. “Two legs are enough for me.”

They wisely kept their distance while they listened to Sable talking to the massive spider. After a few long moments, the gigantic shadow of the Webfather moved away, leaving the throne and the Crucible unguarded. 

When they advanced upon the Crucible, Sparkler found a note scrawled hastily in the webbing. ‘We are not all monsters’.

Taking the partially purified Arcast from her pack, Sparkler placed it in the waiting receptacle. “Quickly now,” she touched her hand to the Crucible, along with Stonecutter and Cloudy Skies. 

Blackbeak was the last to place his hand on the ancient construct. “I know I'm going to regret this…”

Together as one, they recited, “Ageless, endless, ancient thing. Friends together, home will bring. Instantly, along with a bright flash of magical light, the true nature of the spiders was sent into their minds. They saw a proud noble race. A race driven by the courage of their convictions, and the desire for a home. 

Again, Blackbeak found himself on one knee, his head in his hands. “Sweet mother of Stormclaw my head...So...has it worked?”

“Yes, it worked!” Sparkler hissed as she stowed the fully restored – and brightly glowing foot long crystal – back in her pack. “Quickly, let’s get back down before the really big one comes back.” Without any argument, they carefully made their way back down the webs back the way they had come. 

“How do we get back to Umberfoal?” asked Cloudy Skies.

“I guess the best way back is to get to the Agaricus Forest and from there, up the Deepwell and back to Capstone Fort.”

Stonecutter didn’t much care for Sparkler’s suggestion. “But...Sparks…the rope ladder…”

“And don’t forget we used the last of the Water Breathing potions getting from the Sunken Temple to Agarica,” pointed out Blackbeak, entirely unhelpfully.

“Buck!” swore Sparkler, echoing the sentiments of them all. It was a small word, yes, but ‘buck’ seemed to cover it nicely.

Just as they reached the edge of the spider nest, Sable returned, noticeably alone. The Princess scuttled down the webs until she was in front of them. “My...friends? My Pony friends?” they didn’t need to understand what she said to understand the hope and optimism in her voice. “You have cleansed the Arcast?”

In Old Ponish, Sparkler replied, “We have, now, we have to put it in the Crucible in the Tomevault and raise it up to the city. We are going to have to try and find a way back up the Deepwell, somehow.” 

“Not that way!” exclaimed Sable, “I know a faster way!” she pointed with a foreleg up above her to the ceiling of the cavern. “Through the webway tunnels. Much faster way to get to the city!”

Sparkler reported that to the others, “She says she knows a short cut. The way the invaders came. No ladder Stony.”

“Praise be!” 

Blackbeak ignored Stonecutter for the moment, “I'm sure they’re well guarded, too.” 

“From themselves?” asked Cloudy Skies skeptically, “Maybe they’re guarded at the other end to keep the city ponies out.”

“It's my own personal tunnel,” explained Sable quickly, “There are no guards. It comes out in the ceiling high above the edge of the pony city. You need to tread the webs to get down to the city.” Since they all agreed, Sable led them up the layers of silk webbing to the opening of the tunnel, which was wide enough for them to crawl in single file.

Sparkler crawled behind Sable, lighting the way with her horn. She prayed silently to whoever might be listening that they weren’t too late.
> Chapter 7 - The Festival of Lights
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Having descended, very carefully, on the silken threads from the ceiling of the cavern, Sparkler, Stonecutter, Blackbeak and Cloudy Skies found themselves stood for the first time in twenty hours on the outskirts of Umberfoal. 

For Princess Sable, it was her first time seeing the pony city. What she saw horrified her. Webs hung from building to building, and from them, captive ponies of all ages hung whimpering and moaning, like grotesque leaves in the wind. 

Webs on the ground covered the bodies of the dead, and worker spiders dragged them off to be food for the egg laying females. Sparkler wanted to throw up at the scene she witnessed as she and the others ducked down for cover behind a large upturned food wagon. “I don't see the Queen so she may still be in the Tomevault,” the unicorn said as she pulled out the Reverse Arcast, “We stick this in the Crucible and suck her into it.”

Princess Sable eyed the strange crystal with a sense of unease, “Will that kill her?” 

“No,” Sparkler replied quickly while Stonecutter examined the fallen food from the wagon to see if any of it was still good. Sadly, it was all spoiled. “It works like a prison, but you can access it through the Crucible. Maybe you can change her mind and free her in the future.” 

“Maybe, Pony Sparkler, maybe,” Sable didn’t sound too optimistic at that though. She knew her mother. She knew Insidira had been bitterly plotting and planning her takeover of Umberfoal and by extension the surface world for over a thousand years. She knew her mind wouldn’t be swayed from her current path.

Most of all, Sable knew her mother well enough not to mourn whatever was about to happen to her.

“Knowledge into Arcast can the Crucible turn, but matter into words you may also learn.” Blackbeak recited what he had learned from the Guardian in the Sunken Temple when he had received the glowing ball of light that had become the Reverse Arcast. “Yeah, I remember what the Guardian said.” 

“So,” Stonecutter said, crouching for cover behind the overturned wagon after abandoning her examination of the food on the floor, “”How do we get from here to the Tomevault without alerting every spider to our presence?” 

Peeking over the side of the wagon, Cloudy Skies and her sharp eyes saw hundreds upon hundreds of soldier spiders patrolling the streets of the city. Hundreds! And they were just the ones they could see, not to mention ones holed up in buildings or in the Burrows. She was at a complete loss, until she had an idea, “We have the cloaks! We can use them to do city sneaking!”

While city sneaking did have an appealing sound to it, Sparkler didn’t want to think what might happen should they be caught. “Sable,” she addressed the Princess, “Are all the spiders here willingly?”

“No,” Sable shook her head, “Most are, but many were forced to join mother’s invasion.”

That piece of information made Sparkler smile. Perhaps it was something they could use against the Queen. “If we do get spotted, can you run interference and divert them somewhere else. Maybe to return and guard your father?”

“I don't have much standing,” Sable replied, not since she had publicly voiced her opposition to her mother’s plans and had been emphatically discredited, “But I can try.”

Casting a quick look at the confused looks on the others’ faces, Sparkler was acutely aware that the exchange between herself and the Princess had all been in Old Ponish. “City sneaking sounds good, Sable said she’ll try to help if we’re spotted, but the cloaks should keep us hidden as long as we are careful.”  

Blackbeak didn’t like the sounds of that though. Too many things could go wrong, and he had learned from this trip that the best laid plans of mice and ponies could and would go wrong. “I have an idea, how we can just walk straight into the Tomevault. Sparks, can you ask Sable to 'capture' us? Y'know? Like the fake prisoners routine on TV?”

“That's a great idea Blackie!” Sparkler exclaimed, running the possibilities through her head, “We need some loose webbing to 'bind' us and the disguise will work!” Before they did any of that though, the unicorn set her pet Mimic down on the floor inside the food wagon where he would be safe. “Chester,” she patted the top of the chest, getting a pleasured whine, “Stay here okay? You need to stay safe, Chesty, please?”

The Mimic, who understood what his Mistress had said, hobbled on his short legs into the recesses of the upturned wagon and nestled down, looking for all the world just like a chest. “Good boy, Chesty, good boy.” Sparkler smiled sadly.

“They did call us the saviours,” Cloudy Skies added, “And Princess Sable can tell any spiders that interfere that she is taking us to her mother to regain her standing in the cluster!” 

After Sparkler had explained the plan to Sable in Old Ponish, the spider didn’t know if to be impressed or terrified for her new friends. In the end she chose to be both. “I'm not sure which you are, brave or stupid, Pony Sparkler, but I like your plan.”

“Adventure!” Sparkler realised, as Sable was binding their hands behind their backs with her webbing, making sure to place a flaw that could be broken when the time came, that word was quickly becoming her buzzword.  

“Hey Sky,” Stonecutter smiled over at her friend as she was tied up, “It’s a good thing we have safe words, right?”

Cloudy Skies returned the smile with one of her own, “I know, but I don’t think I’ll be adding this to my roleplay list.” To Sparkler, she had an idea and said, “Sparks, maybe Sable should cut us, just superficially, to make it look like we've been in a fight?”

“Um, no,” Sparkler quickly shot down that idea. Blackbeak might like his scar, but she would rather not have one at all. “But I can mess up our manes and feathers, and I have some cosmetics to fake some bruising.”

“Do it,” Cloudy Skies said, agreeing with the less drastic solution as Sparkler got to work roughing up their manes and tails with her magic, “The more convincing we look, the easier it'll be to get in.”

Though Sparkler tried her best with the makeup kit, she admittedly wasn't the best artist. Stonecutter took sympathy on her marefriend and she broke her bonds. “Let me, I sculpt, and I can do this.” Gladly, Sparkler gave up her kit.   

“Alright,” Blackbeak said after Stonecutter had done a good job of ‘beating’ them all up, she had even messed the feathers on Cloudy Skies and himself, before the earth pony had been rebound by Sable, “Let's do this. Remember, heads down, and for Stormclaw’s sake look defeated.”

“Taking up acting?” Sparkler giggled, “Yeah, let's do this.”

“Defeated?” asked Stonecutter.

“Yeah. Stone, defeated,” Blackbeak rolled his eyes and grunted in frustration. He wanted to get moving and moving quickly. The near constant moans of those poor captured ponies in the webs was driving him insane!  “Sparks, pretend somepony broke in and destroyed all your books. Stone, all your carvings were ground to dust. Sky, you must live the rest of your life as a stallion. That kind of mind set.”

Sparkler shot the griffon a look that could burn through a lead lined bank vault. “Those would be fighting words, Blackie. I would rather think all my books are written in Webdings, which I can’t read.”

If Sparkler’s look could destroy a bank vault, then the one Stonecutter gave him threatened to reduce him to ashes where he stood. At least he hadn’t mentioned the orphanage or her charities. “I will think all I have to carve is sand. Makes for really little and pointless statues.”

Of all of them, it was Cloudy Skies who’s face bore the result Blackbeak was going for. Her shoulders sagged, her wings drooped, she looked a foot smaller. “I can't believe you brought that up…” she muttered under her breath.

“I’m sorry,” Blackbeak didn’t sound sorry, “It's no good if we look like Tartarus spat us out and we have huge smirks on our faces. Sky, I'm really sorry, my love. I know I'll pay for that later. As for me, I-I'm...I'm destitute, my family name disgraced and dishonoured…” 

Cloudy Skies’ eyes widened in shock. She knew full well that her lover didn’t have to pretend on that. “Fine,” Sparkler sighed, the unicorn more than ready to have this over and done with. “Let’s go.”

Following the plan, Princess Sable escorted them from behind the overturned wagon and into the middle of the city, her destination the Plaza. On the way, they passed ruined and destroyed buildings, some of which had been turned to mass morgues, some of which had been turned to breeding nests. 

Sable created leashes for them, and she pulled them along. By some miracle, she was only stopped twice by the patrolling soldier spiders. Both times, she was able to use her native silkspeech and she was able, both times, to convince them to let her and her prisoners continue on their way. “There,” whispered Sparkler to her ‘captor’, “That way to the stairs to the Tomevault…”

Stonecutter couldn’t help but glance left and right as they passed through the occupied streets at the hundreds of spiders watching their every move. She tried her best to put the hanging prisoners out of her mind, especially the ones that weren’t making a sound, “I'm glad we aren't fighting through all these,” she muttered softly.

“There's so many...” Cloudy Skies breathed in awe.

Walking with her eyes planted firmly on the ground, Sparkler was murmuring under her breath, “Just cute bunnies, just cute bunnies...” By her side, Stonecutter joined her in her bunny mutterings as they started on down the spiraling staircase to the Tomevault. 

All of the houses in the Burrows had been converted to spider style dwellings, the smooth rocky walls completely covered in webbing. “I don't see Evenlight,” Blackbeak stated once they were a few paces from the bottom outside the stained glass doors of the Tomevault, “But I do see a couple of guards outside.”

“Once we’re inside, we have to be quick,” Sparkler whispered, “I will teleport myself and the Reverse Arcast to the Crucible, but then I have to touch the queen...” the very thought of that almost made her throw up. “I have to touch a spider...” she shook her head, “Sable will walk in boldly with us. Once I do the teleport, she will know the jig is up, and you all need to distract her long enough so I can touch her.”

Stonecutter immediately saw in her head all the ways that could end with Sparkler dead in seconds, if not quicker. “I know your telekinesis is powerful, Sparks, can you hold the Queen in place with it?”

Straightaway, Sparkler shook her head, “She has too much inherent resistance. All I need is a touch.”

“You can still try,” offered Cloudy Skies, to which the unicorn nodded grimly.  

“Alright then,” Blackbeak nodded, the feathers on the back of his head rising in anticipation now the final battle was at hand. “Let's do this, guys. We know our jobs. We run distraction, Sparks, get you and the Reverse Arcast to the Crucible.”

As soon as Sable dragged the prisoners closer to the doors, the two soldier spiders who were standing guard moved to block the way. “Stand aside,” Sable spoke in the silkspeech tongue of the spiders, “I bring the ones my mother wants, and you will not interfere!”

Under the authority of their Princess, the two guards quickly moved aside to allow her entry. The very moment they entered the Tomevault, Insidira caught them. “Daughter,” she hissed, the mammoth giant spider sat on three fallen pillars as a makeshift throne, “What are you doing here?”

Without a moment’s pause, Sable stepped further into the Tomevault, leading the four prisoners roughly on the web leash connected to collars she had fashioned for them. “These pathetic fools tried to enter the nest,” she gestured with her foreleg to her captives, “Father and I subdued them. I think you want to see them?”

“I want them dead!” Insidira screeched at the top of her voice, causing the whole library to shake, vast as it was.

Faced with the gigantic spider’s wrath, Cloudy Skies began trembling so hard she could barely stand. Although their capture was an 'act', this particular part was amazingly real, and the gravity of the situation hit her and the pegasus was crying genuine tears.

“My Queen!” Alethea, who had been circling the Crucible, spoke up, “Might I suggest these saviours would be valuable prisoners once you ascend to the surface? They can join your collection!” the red earth pony mare waved a hand, gesturing to Captain Flash Hoof and Evenlight who were bound to the wall in thick webs.

Insidira watched her daughter, one she had considered weak and unworthy, drag the four pests before her and force them to kneel. It would be of no moment to her to kill them where they knelt, but perhaps the librarian had a point. “Maybe, maybe…Sable, did you search them?”

“Yes mother,” Sable replied with a reverential bow, “They hold nothing of value. Potions, weapons, and a white crystal.” 

That was all Insidira needed to hear. “The Arcast! I need that crystal now! Give it to me, Sable, and earn your place at my side!” 

“Okay, your highness,” Sparkler, who thanks to Sable, was now in a position where she could clearly see the space around the Crucible, lit her horn and in a bright flash of green magic and a smell of ozone, she teleported.

As Sparkler reappeared underneath the titanic spider in a second flash of green, she placed the Reverse Arcast to the Crucible. At the same time, Blackbeak moved. “Now!” he ordered, breaking Sable’s bonds and drawing his sword.

Pulling herself together, Cloudy Skies broke free of the webbing and dropped the dog collar, “Get Alethea!” she ordered of her faithful dog before taking to the air and using her water jets against the Queen’s eyes. Stonecutter followed suit with her war cry and her hammer held high.

All of that happened in the space of a heartbeat.

Seeing the attack, Insidira reared up on her back legs and she stabbed four of her front legs at the ponies, in particular the unicorn in front of and below her. Sparkler quickly dodged the Queen’s clumsy blinded attack and shouted to Cloudy Skies. “Fire breath now!” 

Running forwards, Stonecutter threw her hammer at Insidira as Blackbeak charged towards her with his sword and shield raised and ready. While the griffon drew the spider’s attention, Cloudy Skies flew upward and, after downing the potion, she let loose a fearsome gout of flame from above. 

That was enough of a surprise to make Insidira freeze in place as the fire splashed over her face. Unfortunately, the water jets did little to hinder the Queen, and the hammer bounced harmlessly off her chitin. The fire though, that burned her face, giving Blackbeak the opportunity to hack at her legs, making nothing but a small cut.

Now in position underneath the Queen, Sparkler placed her hand on the receptacle, and she reached up with her other hand to touch Insidira’s leg. At the same time, Alethea ran from the barking magical dog to cower in fear among the bookshelves.  

With Sparkler touching the Queen's leg, and the Crucible with her other hand, everything was in place. She was struggling though with the spider’s innate magical resistance. Fortunately, Sable was on hand to help her. The Princess placed her leg on the receptacle, adding her not inconsiderable willpower to that of the unicorns.  

In a blinding flash of bright amber light, Insidira vanished and the Reverse Arcast took on a different, white glow. Just like that, the Queen was gone, trapped in the glowing crystal. 

Watching from her position amongst the bookshelves, Alethea saw her plans beginning to unravel before her very eyes. All her planning, all her scheming, it was all being undone by these meddling fools! 

“I cannot let it end this way!” the aged Chief Librarian reached for one of the books. She had one more trick up her sleeve. “It will not end this way! I shall not be denied!” A burst of magic shot forth from the open book and, once the smoke had cleared, there was a giant bookwyrm appeared, a serpentine creature made up of hundreds of pages of paper.

A heartbeat later, once the flash of light resided, Stonecutter, Blackbeak and Cloudy Skies were suddenly fighting nothing. “Is...” the earth pony mare panted, “Is it over?”

Just when she dared to think it might be over, Cloudy Skies turned in mid-air and she saw the massive creature that Alethea had summoned from the pages of the magical tome. “Um...nope!” she screamed.

Sparkler, fatigued from the vast expenditure of magic that the Reverse Arcast had sapped from her body, stumbled and fell to her knees, leaving Sable to guard her and the Crucible. Letting out a devastating war cry, Blackbeak charged at the new threat.

The only thing Alethea had for a weapon was literally a letter opener, but it was enough. She was right. Standing next to the bound Evenlight, the small blade was enough to threaten the exhausted unicorn’s throat. “Stop! Submit to me, or I will kill her!” 

What Alethea had not reckoned on, while she had been threatening Evenlight and while the others were standing off against her bookwyrm, was Sable. With her attention elsewhere, Alethea didn’t notice the spider moving across the ceiling of the Tomevault until she dropped down on top of the earth pony mare and knocked her to the ground. 

“Fools!” Alethea forced herself up to her hooves as her knife skittered away from her grasp. “Wyrm, stop the Festival at all costs!” she decided it was a good time to flee and to let her creature do its job.

Given the order at last, the summoned bookwyrm attacked the weary trio. Stonecutter’s sheer bulk stopped a swing of the creature’s tail and she retaliated with her hammer. Unfortunately, the earth pony’s strong swing was like a strong wind; it scatters some of the pages, but the wyrm quickly reformed itself.

The savage slices from Blackbeak’s sword, well-aimed though they were, did nothing but make the paper pages that made up the bookwyrm’s body smaller. But rather than inconvenience the creature, it grew bigger with more pages. 

With a bestial howl, the bookwyrm’s claws seized Blackbeak, holding the griffon in place as it opened its maw wide, intent on taking his head clean off. It would have succeeded too, had Cloudy Skies not fired her water jets directly at its face. 

Water dripped from the bookwyrm’s body, and now it was wet, absolutely sodden through, its movements were slow and sluggish, allowing Blackbeak to break free of its grasp. Fortunately, some of the water splashed onto Evenlight’s face, waking her from her fatigue. “S-St-Start the F-Festival! It’s the only way!”

Stonecutter retreated to the Crucible, where she helped Sparkler up to her hooves. “Did you hear that, Sparks?” she asked as Sable gave chase to Alethea, intent on catching her prey.  

Blackbeak, seeing that only his mare’s water attacks were of any effectiveness against the bookwyrm, retreated to the mechanism that raised the Crucible. Moments later, just after Sparkler had replaced the Reverse Arcast with the one for the Festival of Lights, Cloudy Skies at last exhausted herself.   

As Cloudy Skies fell from the air from exhaustion, the Crucible, with Sparkler, Stonecutter and Blackbeak on it, began to rise. The griffon caught the falling pegasus in his arms and they shot upwards towards the Plaza, with the bookwyrm still in pursuit. 

The bookwyrm though did get a parting slap on Blackbeak’s thigh before the Crucible rose up out of its reach. It stung like the worst paper cut imaginable, but the griffon pushed through the pain. 

The waterlogged wyrm, too heavy to hold on, fell from the Crucible and it was scattered to nothing as it impacted the floor of the Tomevault.  

Once the Crucible was in position in the middle of the Plaza, they were greeted by Sable, who was waiting at the top with Alethea trussed up in a wed besides her, thrashing impotently on the floor like a captured flounder. 

They were also met by the majority of Insidira’s army, poised with pincers ready to strike at any moment. “Do not interfere with this!” Princess Sable reared up to her full height, which while not as big as her mother, was still bigger than the soldier spiders, who cowered before her commanding presence. 

As the spiders bowed before Sable, recognising her at last as their ruler, Sparkler called out, “Sable, we need you with us to touch the Crucible!” Dragging the still struggling Alethea with her, Sable joined them in touching the glowing construct.

One by one, they closed their eyes and cleared their minds. Tiredness and fatigue left their bodies as the magic took over. Pure magical energy channeled through their bodies and activated the Arcast as they silently recited as one the phrases they had learnt on their journey.

Home. 

Sparkler and Stonecutter filled the Arcast with the safety and security of the home they shared with each other. 

Home.

Blackbeak and Cloudy Skies filled the Arcast with the love and the sense of belonging they found in their adopted home in Ponyville.

Home.

Sable filled the Arcast with her desire for a better home for her kind in which they could be safe, happy and prosperous, a home in which they could co-existence with the ponies.

Home.

That one word resonated through Sparkler, Stonecutter, Blackbeak, Cloudy Skies and through Sable. It filled them, consumed them, fed them and shone from them. It sent a bright blue light from their hearts into the Arcast until it was filled to overflowing.

Then, the Arcast glowed and the light from the crystal shone out in all directions at once, radiating throughout the whole cavern until it touched every surface, and illuminated every living thing. Everything it touched was bathed in the light of the Arcast. 

The light didn’t just touch their bodies. It touched their spirits, their hearts and their souls. The spiders felt the true power of the Festival of Lights and they were humbled before it. They were filled with a sense of belonging and of a better future for them all.

As the light from the Arcast filled the cavern, everycreature was treated to a wondrous sight. One by one, the hundreds of thousands of blue crystals shed the dark red of their corruption and they shone bright blue once more, like a hundred thousand stars being turned on in the night sky, bathing the whole cavern in a cool blue light. Another flash of magic heralded the return of the Spectral Stair, and a loud rumbling noise that could be heard throughout Umberfoal told them all that the outer doors were open once more.  

In spite of all that, as the intense glow faded to a blue light, it was clear that while the invasion was over, the city and its inhabitants would feel the effects of it for some time to come. “Cut them down!” Sable ordered her soldiers, “Care for those who are injured, see to it they get medical attention!” 

As the spiders dispersed from the Plaza to carry out their new Queen’s orders, those that weren’t freeing the trapped ponies were busying themselves removing the layers of webbing that covered the city. Sable turned to address Sparkler, “The two that my mother captured are still down below. We need them up here. Much has to be discussed and restitution needs to be made. Then there is this traitor to deal with.”

Sable was certainly right about that. There was much to discuss. While it was true that a lot of ponies had died – mostly when the magic had failed - it was also the case that many spiders had died in the fighting, the pony guard were trained and equipped for the task. Both sides had suffered losses, and as a mark of respect, the web shrouds covering the bodies of spider and pony alike were left as they were.

A team of two spiders were sent below to help Evenlight and Flash Hoof up the stairs and, content that the threat was over, Sparkler, Stonecutter, Blackbeak and Cloudy Skies collapsed in four exhausted heaps on the floor where they stood. They sat in a heap, glad for once to be able to take a breath and to be able to take stock of everything that had happened.

Sparkler, as she had done before, celebrated the win by burying her head in Stonecutter’s chest. Cloudy Skies openly cried in Blackbeak’s arms. Now it was all over, the stress had to come out somehow. Barking happily, Chester came scampering along from the overturned food wagon and licked at Sparkler’s hand.

From the Tomevault, Flash Hoof and Evenlight were bought up to the Plaza along with Dog, who had been trapped by some bookshelves. Dog rushed over to Cloudy Skies and he nuzzled his owner. The Captain was taken straight to be given medical aid, while Evenlight instead chose to stay. She approached Sable with a pleasant smile on her aged lined face. “It is to you I owe my life,” she inclined her head respectfully to the new Queen, making sure to speak in Old Ponish, “You have my thanks, and my friendship.”

“One life saved among many lost,” responded Sable in sadness and regret. “While Umberfoal was in stasis, the Queen grew her army in hopes of conquest one day. We were terribly overcrowded and trapped in the nest. We can help rebuild the city, but we can’t restore the lives lost to each of our peoples.”

“The true blame lies with your mother, now trapped in the Reverse Arcast, and with this one.” Evenlight pointed to Alethea on the ground.

Sparkler looked at the bound earth pony with pity. So unrepentant she was, even in defeat. So many deaths for no real reason other than personal glory. She could see no friendship lesson in that one.

“What of her?” asked Sable.

“She will be turned over to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna for judgement,” stated Evenlight. “From there, she will be sent to Tartarus for her crimes. There is no amount of restitution she could do to cover all that was lost.”

Alethea slumped in the webbing that bound her, knowing she had cast the die and it had sealed her fate.

An angry pony shouted from the crowd, “What of the spiders?” A general murmur began amongst the ponies, but also among the more numerous spiders as well.

“How can you be so short sighted?” demanded Evenlight, for once a trace of anger in her serene voice as she admonished the speaker and addressed the crowd, “You witnessed the Festival of Lights and know that it is about home. For us and the spiders so that harmony can be restored. The Queen has been captured, and soon this one will also be sent to captivity. Now is the time to rebuild our home for all of us to live together in peace and friendship.”

Sparkler was happy that at least one friendship lesson was achieved in this sordid affair. She hugged Stonecutter, “Friendship and harmony.” Stonecutter hugged her back.

The crowd quieted as they reflected on what they had seen, both during the invasion and during the Festival of Lights. One of the ponies, a pegasus filly, bravely walked over to a spider and held out a hand, “Friendship.” The spider had no understanding of the pony language but could recognize the gesture and said something in silkspeech before it touched the pony’s hand with the end of a leg.

“And so, it begins,” said Sable, the sadness in her voice now tinged with hope.

Evenlight nodded and pulled out four blue gems from her dirty white robes. “I will leave it to you to bestow these.” She handed the four gems, the Lights of Umberfoal,  over to Sable.

The newly coronated spider Queen turned to the four saviours. “You were the ones that risked all to bring peace between our peoples. These are for you to keep as a memento of what your ideal of friendship can achieve. To take us from our worst to our best.” She handed a gem to each of the ponies.

Blackbeak lifted up the crystal and he appraised the blue gem with a careful eye, “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m ready to go home.” Cloudy Skies clung to the griffon and nodded in agreement. She was more than ready to see the sun and the sky again.

“That will take a few days, once we get transportation arranged,” said Stonecutter.

“I believe I can help with that,” said Evenlight. “I have dragon fire, and Princess Twilight said to send her a note when you were ready to return. She will summon a portal, but you will still have to leave Umberfoal to enter it.”

“Please forgive us if we’d like to leave right away then,” stated Sparkler. “I do look forward to returning next year to celebrate the anniversary of the festival.”

Stonecutter furrowed her eyebrows, “Really?”

Sparkler kissed her marefriend on the cheek, “Adventure,” she said with a giggle.

True to her word, Evenlight sent the note, and both her and Sable accompanied the four to the portal entrance. Stonecutter held tight to Sparkler’s hand and she was able to navigate the Spectral Stair. A couple of guards followed in their wake, bringing Alethea with them.

At the portal, Princess Twilight Sparkle waited for the party, with a couple of the royal guard with her. They took Alethea through the portal back to Ponyville, where the Royal Sisters awaited her arrival in her Crystal Castle. Twilight did not spare the mare a second glance. “Greetings, Evenlight. I was expecting your note for the return of my students, but I was not expecting the additional information.” She looked over the four students and saw they had been through some difficult times, “Are you four okay to travel?”

“I’m still breathing,” said Blackbeak proudly, “So, I’m ready to go home.”

“I’d rather rest and recuperate at home,” added Stonecutter, “And then we can tell you about our…” a giggle escaped the mare, “Adventure.” Sparkler rolled her eyes but nodded in agreement, while Cloudy Skies added a thumbs up.

“I understand,” said Twilight. She turned to Evenlight, “I’m sorry to cut this visit short, but I do hope to spend some more time with you on my next visit.”

“That is okay, Princess,” responded Evenlight politely, “We are not really ready to receive visitors at the moment.”

Twilight nodded, “Send me a list of your needs and the crown will see to it that they are procured. Fare thee well, Evenlight.” She motioned for the four students to proceed her through the portal and followed after them.