Author's Note: HOORAY FOR SCHOOL BEING OVER! WOOT! Ahem, sorry about that. Just a bit excited still. That is all. Now, on with the story.
Well... I honestly don't have any words right now. I'm just sick of how unlucky we are. We finally beat Grim, after I lost my wings, only for Grim to jump on Graze and give him this weird curse that's gonna kill him in three days.
Isn't this just the greatest thing you've ever heard happen to a group of ponies? I hate my life sometimes.
Anyways, after hurrying out of Grim's lair, we run into the room Tombstone was knocked out in, the pony looking like he's finally coming to.
He rubs his head as he looks around. "What happened? Oh, my head. What happened?" his vision clears to see us standing over him. He jumps back in fright. "Ah! Please don't hurt me again!"
"We have no reason to hurt you again, numbskull." Dark says.
"R-Really?"
"Well, I do, but I have more important things to handle at the moment." Vine says.
That's Vine for ya, always holding a grudge.
Tombstone starts calming down a bit. "S-So, is Master Grim Blade... dead?"
"Unless he got extremely lucky when Vine threw him into that pit, I believe he is." Rhino says.
Tombstone looks at the ground as he thinks. "Hmm... Now what am I gonna do?"
"You could try being the new Grave Pony leader. You seem like a good enough guy." Ice suggests.
Tombstone rubs his chin as he thinks about it. "New Grave Pony leader, huh?"
"You do what you want with that, but we gotta get moving." Zephyr says.
"Yeah, Graze and Blue aren't gonna get better on their own." Orion adds.
"Not to mention what Grim did to Graze. We REALLY gotta get moving." Drax says.
Ignoring Tombstone, the group rushes off with Graze and I in tow, trying to hurry back as fast as possible.
Tombstone quietly talks to himself as he enters into Grim's lair, seeing nothing more than a desolate, rocky platform. "Hmm, I don't see why I couldn't try being the leader. I may even be good at it. Yeah, think I will try it. Tombstone, ruler of the Grave Ponies and Tartarus. I like the sound of that."
Unbeknownst to Tombstone, Grim reaches over the side of the platform behind him, grunting. Grim pants as he climbs onto the platform.
Tombstone hears this and turns around, gasping as he sees Grim. "Master Grim Blade! You're alive!"
"Yes. I am. Tombstone?" Grim says.
"Yes, sir?"
"Please come over here." Grim picks himself up as he gets ready to tell him something.
Tombstone walks over to him. "What is it, sir?"
Grim smacks him across the face. "You are an IDIOT! I am the sole ruler of the Grave Ponies, you got that?!"
He nods furiously. "Y-Yes, sir!"
"Good. Peh, you being the leader, what a stupid thought."
Tombstone hangs his head. "I know, sir."
"Anyway, don't worry about those ponies. If nothing else, that Graze pony should die from my Venerian Curse. Now, go get me more oatmeal cookies."
Tombstone turns around. "Yes, sir."
Grim puts his front hooves together and grins. "Excellent."
Back to us.
After leaving Tombstone, we had climbed back up the staircase that led back to the cave we had encountered Glare in.
A few of the ponies hanging on the walls gape at seeing us. "Oh my goddesses! You're all still alive!" one says. This alerts many of the others who just say much of the same.
With all the sudden noise, Glare himself even starts to wake up. "H-Huh? Where am I?"
"So, it seems he's awake." Dark says.
"Don't worry. The vines should keep him in place." Vine reassures.
Glare looks over to us and his eyes go wide. "Oh thank Celestia, ponies! Please you gotta help me!"
"Huh?" we all say.
"Zephyr! It's me, Glare. We were in the Royal Guard together for a bit! You gotta remember me!"
Zephyr rubs his chin as he thinks about it. "Glare... Glare... Wait, the same Glare that pulled the prank with dumping chili on all of the captains?"
Glare gets a relieved smile on his face. "That's me. Oh, I just knew you'd remember."
"Yeah, I do. I can't believe I didn't recognize you sooner."
"Looks like your great memory shines through again, Zeph." Drax says sarcastically.
"Shut up." he says to him. "Anyway, if you're Glare, why did you attack us?"
"Wait, I did?"
"Yeah, you tried to kill all of us, saying it was all in the name of Grim Blade." Orion says.
"I did?" he starts to think it over before thinking of something. "Wait, last thing I remember is that Grim Blade guy casting some sort of spell on me. He must've hypnotized me into being his watch guard."
"Yeah, that makes sense." Zephyr says.
"Here, let me cut you down." Dark says. He releases some blades and cuts the vines off of him.
Glare stretches his now free limbs. "Ah, much better."
"So, what were you doing down here in the first place?" Ice asks.
"Princess Celestia sent me down here to save Razor Graze, but I wasn't very lucky in my attempt."
"Well, don't worry, because we were." Rhino says, showing Graze.
Glare smiles. "I can see that." his smile fades as he looks at me. "Oh dear. I am very sorry about your friend."
"Don't be. We plan to fix him." Zeph says.
"Good. So, I guess now you all plan to go back now?"
"That was the plan, yeah. But we gotta hurry. Grim did something to Graze and said he'll die in three days if we don't help him."
"What?! Then why are we just standing here?! Let's move!" Glare takes off down the cave, leaving us in confusion. He shortly comes back, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry about that. Got a bit carried away."
"No, you're right, let's move!" Zeph says.
We start making our way through the caves again; Glare using his light powers to light the way for us. Luckily, much like the first time we came through here, nothing tries to attack us.
After getting out of the cave, we reach back out to the lava-filled ravine where we fought Ignis. Coincidentally, we look over to see the large, red unicorn leaning up against a wall, holding where his horn used to be.
He opens his eyes to see us. "Well, I can see my assumption was correct. You all really did defeat Grim Blade. I even see you saved Glare as well."
"That's right, so you better not try anything funny!" Dark threatens.
"I already told you, I am of no threat to you without my horn. I know when I am defeated." he takes notice of me on Drax's back. "I see your friend has lost something. Some would say it was karma for you taking my horn away."
"Buck karma. I don't believe in it." I weakly say.
He shrugs. "It is your choice what to believe. You may go now, but just be warned the other floors will not be as easy to climb back up as this one."
"You don't think we know that already? We welcome it at this point." Dark says.
"Very well."
The group takes flight over the river of lava under what remains of the destroyed bridge.
Even though Ignis is just a hateful jerk, he is right; this climb won't be as easy as one might think.