//------------------------------// // 117 - Tartarus, 5th Movement // Story: Re:Harmony // by starcross7 //------------------------------// Mister Martlet and his friends nestled deep into Fluttershy’s mane as the monorail car sped off, nearly throwing her off balance. Looking back, she could already see the section of the Sky Castle rapidly grow smaller with each passing second. Even here, Fluttershy felt so small and insignificant. The “rail” they rode on was suspended so high up that she could no longer see the blue sky. Everything felt so ornate and fragile, but the monorail car hardly uttered a creak with six ponies and a lot birds and insects scurrying around the floor. She could sense the restlessness shared amongst her friends. The enemy was near despite traveling farther away from the entrance. Then, of course, there was the worry over Pinkie Pie. Even if she had her Element of Pleasure and with all the hopes and prayers upon her, Fluttershy still could not shake that worry over the possibility that she would not survive. Nopony knew where this monorail was taking them. Sunny sat at the end staring out. Twilight watched the overhead signs morph and change their pictures of the skinny hairless monkey creatures that wore clothes. Applejack and Rarity essentially glued themselves against the glass as they watched the world beneath them roll idly by. Then there was Rainbow Dash, who appeared to the most restless out of the group. She had a number bandages wrapped around her wings, but she did not appear to feel any pain when she hovered around with a confused or distressed look on her face. It became more apparent whenever she and Fluttershy turned to face each other, and the blue pegasus would quickly turn away, as if she did not want to look at her. Does she know? Fluttershy thought to herself. Does she hate me know? "Hey Twilight," said Rainbow Dash. "You happen to know where this train is takin' us?" "I'm not sure," said Twilight. "All the images above me advertise some kind of string-like underwear for the creatures depicted on me." "Maybe I'm not used to this mode of transportation," said Rarity, "but it looks like our next stop is the Grand Garden Atrium Section 1.” “Where did you learn that?” “On this map here, darling. You can’t read it?” “I don’t think I can. This is in a language I couldn’t find in my mother’s scrolls.” “I’m guessin’ our Elements allow us to read their writing as well as listen to them,” said Applejack. “How does it work? Do the letters or words rearrange in a readable format?” “I dunno really, and maybe Rarity and Fluttershy can chime in. It’s like I already understood the meanin’ of them beforehoof, kinda like puttin’ two an’ two together. I can speak the words as well, but it gets my tongue all twisty and whatnot.” “But you’re still you, right? How about you, Rarity? Fluttershy, do you feel any different?” “It doesn’t bother me one bit,” replied Rarity, “although the words of this ancient language can sound coarse at times.” “I assure you, Twilight,” said Sunny, “that the Elements of Creation have not done any harm to your friends. These are but additional gifts bestowed upon them in addition to the ones they have demonstrated until now.” “Still…” Twilight said. “Don’t worry, Sugarcube,” said Applejack. “I may have my Element the longest, but I still didn’t lose sight of what I’m fightin’ for. Rarity’s still a generous princess, Fluttershy is still kind, and Pinkie is, well, still Pinkie Pie. That’s the honest truth, that’s for sure.” Fluttershy felt Applejack straining to maintain that lie, while Twilight began to develop a little fear within herself. Surely the Elements would not be hurting Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity, or otherwise it would not have chosen them. The only time they would harm them directly if an unchosen pony attempted to don them. It made Fluttershy worried as well. Had she changed? She now could speak properly, and she now could transfer damage between objects, living creatures, or both. She was still scared of most things, like strangers, the dark, and dragons. Still, if she did not have her Element of Empathy, she would not have saved her friends—and kept them as well. I’m still kind, Fluttershy reassured herself. Their car began to slow down, and above the digital signs flashed a detour warning ahead. “Our a-a-apologies—bzzt! A b-blockage has been detected ahead. Please use the detour through the—bzzt!” They rode far but not far enough. Fluttershy had an idea what their next stop would be judging by the sprawl of lush green past the glass. When the glass car made their full stop, the doors split open to infuse the riders with the aroma of a vast forest. Almost as the far as the eye could see, there was nothing but trees in this section of the Grand Garden Atrium filled with many flocks of birds, not just individuals. She could not see the other side of the atrium, and she could barely see the ceiling above a haze of blue. Fluttershy was not fond of technology, let alone magic, but she could help be amazed that this semi-natural forest was supported by the very things that killed many a pony in the past. “Grand Garden Atrium, Section 1,” spoke the castle. “Please watch your step, and—bzzt!” Could this be real? After Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy was the next to land her hooves on the stepping stone covered with overgrown grass. It smelt real. It felt real. With one lick and chew, it tasted real. She could feel the joyous amazement spread across her friends as they stepped into the Grand Garden Atrium. Indeed, the base of this forest artificial, but nature carefully took it over. Some sense of order had been retained. While the grass and vines obscured the walkway and covered the flickering lampposts and a nearby map board, the pathway remained relatively clear. “This place is big!” Rainbow Dash cried. “I’m gonna scout around to see where this Sky Key takes me.” “Rainbow Dash, wait!” Twilight cried. “We need to… stick together.” Rainbow Dash had already zipped off, leaving an image of a rainbow streak hovering in the air for a moment. It became immediately difficult to track her direction due to the thick tree canopy and the sheer size of the Grand Garden Atrium. And this was only Section 1. Maybe she did fly away to manage her stress. Fluttershy had glimpsed Rainbow Dash looking at her before jetting off, as she wanted to avoid her. The yellow pegasus would not blame her, but it would be disheartening to know if that was the case. She wanted to be close to Rainbow Dash, even in these trying times. Yet, if she fully realized the truth between Fluttershy and Empress… Then Dash came back, huffing and puffing, tired from, of all things, from flying. This should have been a given due to the bandages on her sprained wings, but miraculously she moved as if nothing injured her. She landed on the ground for the first time in a quite a while with an embarrassed smile. “I got tired,” she said. “And lost. Plus, it would be dumb of me to abandon you babes, even though you yourselves kick plenty of butt.” “Where did the Sky Key take you?” asked Twilight. “Well, there’s this huge ol’ tree blocking some huge door marked ‘T-5’, so I assume the Fifth Element’s gonna be in there. Of course, it's gonna take a while for me to bust through the tree with my awesome Atmos Art skillz. I certainly can do it myself, but if we’re together, we can get it done slightly faster even if we walked there together.” “Sure,” said Applejack with a raised eyebrow. “At least we know where we’re going,” said Twilight. “I kind of wish I could read this map here, not that it would be useful now.” “Indeed," said Rarity. "The paths look to be covered with all these pointy brambles. This place could certainly use a gardener or a thousand.” “Actually,” said Fluttershy, “maybe the martlets can help.” “They can?” asked Twilight. “Their ancestors lived here a long time ago, but they can fly ahead for places we can go through. Also, they can help us in case we run into them.” “Them?” Fluttershy listened to the martlet’s tweets one more time for clarification. “They said their ancestors used to live with creatures almost the same size of them, but they look like ponies,” Fluttershy translated. “Like Shetlands?” asked Twilight. “Even smaller. They can also fly, but not very far and not very fast. Mister Martlet says that they don’t like ponies like us.” “What’s a bunch tiny pegasi bugs gonna do to us?” asked Dash. “I hope this ain’t gonna be a repeat of the Everfree Forest,” said Applejack. “I’ve seen a lotta critters in my lifetime, but the ones hollering and crawling 'round here right now are the strangest I’ve ever seen.” “Nonetheless, we still need to be careful,” said Twilight. “Fluttershy, do you think you can lead the way with your martlets?” “I’ll try my best,” said Fluttershy. “If you run into danger, fall back and we will protect you.” The timid yellow pegasus nodded. She motioned to the flock of martlets that accompanied her to fly ahead while she followed them on hoof. The way their feathers covered their feet looked like they had none, and like Dash, they always preferred to stay in the air. They called themselves martlets because they were named so by the original inhabitants of the Sky Castle, for they were birds who never landed on earth. Relatively speaking, that was true, but the Grand Garden Atrium was an earth substitute planted high in the sky. Unlike the Everfree Forest, the pathways of the Grand Garden Atrium were lit by aged lampposts at every interval, although the trees and vines remain thick, if not thicker. The martlets dodged from tree to tree, showing Fluttershy and her friends a clear path to follow through at the fastest speed possible. A few times, there had been paths blocked off by a thin layer vines and branches that Applejack, Twilight, or Sunny would cut off, and in those few times the martlets voiced their protesting tweets. The more they cut, the more it alerted the tiny pony-like creatures the martlets spoke of. Fluttershy had already allowed her friends cutting through the forest due to their time constraints, but she would have preferred avoiding any unnecessary pruning if it put everypony in danger. Per the martlets, they reached the midway point in a medium-sized forest clearing where the group decided to take a break in silence. They searched their saddlebags and Tele-Orbs, and ate some of the few meal bars they brought with them. Rainbow Dash was adventurous enough to try some unfamiliar grass and flowers. While she gagged and spat them out, she ate a few more without incident, and she ended her judgement with a shrug and a “meh.” She kept her distance from Fluttershy, and, unbecoming of her, lagged the furthest behind whenever the yellow pegasus took point. She joined Applejack in their informal guard duty to strike out a conversation heard only between the two. The blue pegasus, while laughing and smiling together with Applejack, used the moment as a distraction. Fluttershy sensed the painful conflicted feelings in Dash’s heart, and while she wished she could talk to her about, this wasn’t a good time. It was one thing to sense other ponies’ feelings, but confronting them terrified the timid yellow pegasus. Fluttershy also attempted to take her mind of the new revelation between her and Rainbow Dash. She observed Sunny wistfully keeping guard at the other end of the pathway. Rarity was busy cleaning and filing her hooves, and Twilight appears to be filling the time furiously taking notes on whatever scrap of paper she summoned out of her saddlebags and Tele-Orbs. All the while, Fluttershy felt the Atrium shake a few times. Sometimes, it startled her friends, but they shrugged it off and continued their business. The yellow pegasus heard the cries of other birds, and she had seen glimpses of some of them. The martlets told her that all these creatures were “created” from the original inhabitants of the Sky Castle. Here, there were birds that were called dodos that occupied the forest floor. The martlets also spoke of giant flightless birds called the moa. The ground shook again. There was a brief pause, before it shook one more time. It did not sound like an explosion, and it did not shake the Grand Garden Atrium itself. The one-off tremor soon became a continuous rumble, and Fluttershy found out why. Along with her friends, Fluttershy quickly leapt up and nestled themselves between a trees as massive birds taller than a pony stampeded through their clearing. They were much stockier than the orphan ostriches Fluttershy had encountered, and a lot meaner looking. Fortunately, they did not take much interest in the ponies, except for one moa falling behind to give her an evil eye for several seconds. It then uttered one hateful squawk before running off to join the rest of its flock. It became quiet. Not even the crickets chirped or the frogs croaked. Fluttershy’s friends shuffled out of their hiding spots as they attempted to gather their bearings on the situation, but Fluttershy knew what that moa did just now. “We need to hurry,” said Fluttershy. “Calm down,” said Twilight. “I know that stampede startled you, but—“ “We need to go now before—“ A frightening shriek thundered in the artificial sky, which then sent a cold chill up through Fluttershy’s spine. A gust of wind shook the forest canopy until it blew half of its leaves. Several shadows pounced down and lifted the two trees Fluttershy stood between out from the ground, roots and all. Another shadow dove down and grasped the yellow pegasus with its mighty talons. The martlets called them Haast Eagles. They took Fluttershy into the air against her will and well away from her friends. Their talons dug deep into her torso and nearly cut her, which prevented her from unfurling her wings or turning to where the flock of giant eagles were taking her. “Can you please put me down?” she pleaded as politely as Twilight taught her to be. The Haast Eagle carrying her angrily squawked back. As far as she could translate, it was a sharp “no”, but she could feel hatred in their words that said “it was all her fault.” She lost Mister Martlet and his friends, but they would be too weak to follow her to convince the Haast Eagles to release her. Then a rainbow streak shot out from the forest, at the end of it was an angry blue pegasus. Seeing Rainbow Dash elicited hope in Fluttershy, but at the same time it brought up worry. Two of the Haast Eagles broke formation and lunged at the blue pegasus with their beaks and talons, but Dash swatted them away with her hooves. “Don’t hurt them!” Fluttershy cried. “Are you nuts!” cried Dash. “These bird brains are going to eat you!” “You don’t understand! They think I’m—“ Three more eagles lunged in at Dash, who then burst through to deliver a mean punch on the eagle carrying Fluttershy. This loosened the grip on her body, which allowed her to fall. She could not open her wings in time due to the pain, but in the middle of the freefall, more of the Haast Eagles swarmed in and to claw and bite at Rainbow Dash, who then dove down to catch Fluttershy. The blue pegasus did not take back to the air, especially when a flock of eagles were chasing her. Instead, Rainbow Dash pulled Fluttershy close to her body as she dove headfirst into the thick trees. Both ponies broke through vines and branches before they struck the ground unconscious. Fluttershy heard whispers. Angry whispers. They weren’t the shrieks and growls of animals. It sounded like words. It was a language, and it took a while to learn the gist of it. They shouted “Death! Death! Death!” repeatedly. She tried to move. She couldn’t move. Fluttershy felt about a dozen legs scurrying across limbs and belly of her upright body. No, the gait was different. It felt more like a swarm of miniature ponies crawling over and tying her down with their vine ropes. Her eyes opened. She could not believe her eyes, but miniature ponies with thin legs, puffy mane and tails, long insect wings, and long antennae sprouting from the top of their heads trotted or flew around her. Despite their adorable fragility, every one of these pygmies directed their hatred at Fluttershy as well along with their tiny spears and war paint. With her stirring and breathing, the tiny ponies shrieked and yelled. They called out to their leader, who looked to be a tiny blue pony with a black suit and a bright neon pink mane and tail. He hovered near Dash, who was not restrained to the ground like Fluttershy. A group of the armed tiny ponies surrounded her, but their spears pointed in the opposite way. “Lady Empress!” cried the leader. “We captured her!” “Wait, what?” Dash said. “Fluttershy? Get away from her you pony-rats!” Dash’s anger caused her wings to send out a gust of wind that scattered the tiny pony-like creatures. The blue pegasus quickly pulled the restraints out of Fluttershy and then threw her on her back. Dash geared up for a run, but the giant moa birds emerged from behind the trees and stood like trees to block their path. Both Fluttershy and Dash looked up to see if flying out would be an option, but it wasn’t. The flock of Haast Eagles floated above the tree line, and they circled over them like ravenous vultures. “Guess we’re gonna have to do this the hard way,” said Dash as she put Fluttershy down. “Take cover while I wreck shop with these birds.” “Please, Dash!” cried Fluttershy. “We shouldn’t hurt them!” “Why shouldn’t we?” “They’re confused. They think I’m Posey.” A brushing touch on Dash’s shoulder calmed the Chroma Pirate Captain, though the blue pegasus remained ready in her fighting stance. Fluttershy trotted over to the other end of this new forest clearing and passed through the collapsed remains of tiny homes and gardens. The swarm of the miniature ponies lay scattered and wounded, but some of them, though in pain, rose back up and aimed their tiny spears at the yellow pegasus. “Stay back!” cried their leader. “Murderer!” “I’m sorry,” said Fluttershy, “but I’m not the pony you think I am.” Fluttershy unfurled her wings for all to see. The miniature ponies gasped in shock, and whispered confusions to each other in their own language. Their leader in black remained defiantly skeptical, and fluttered closer to Fluttershy with his tiny spear pointed between her eyes. “What witchcraft is this, Lady Empress?” he asked. “She just told you!” yelled Dash. “She’s not Posey!” “Lower your voice, Dash!” Fluttershy snapped after witnessing the miniature ponies covering their ears. “Are you not Lady Empress Firefly Flaresmith?” the leader continued to ask. “Our savior?” “Hello?” Dash said. “Firefly has a pink coat, not blue. And she definitely does not have a rainbow mane and tail. I mean, look my Insignia for Pete’s sake!” “How is this possible? You have the Sky Key, but you are not the Lady Empress and she is not the wicked pony Posey. Only ponies with the Sky Key can reach here. Only the Lady Empress has the Sky Key.” “You could say we borrowed the Key from her.” “Borrowed? No! Nopony borrows from the Lady Empress. You must be thieves!” “Please hear us out,” said Fluttershy. “We didn’t have a choice. We had to take the Sky Key so we can end the war between Pegasopolis and Gaea. We need it to retrieve the Fifth Element from the Sky Castle.” “Why should we care? Giants like you trample over us!” “I understand why you are all angry. You lost loved ones. Everyone in your group lost loved ones. But if we don’t stop the war, there will be many more lives lost.” A blanket of sadness and gloom befell the miniature ponies, with some lowering their spears. Some formed tears in their tiny eyes, and best as he could, the leader started sniffling. “My name is Seabreeze, and we are Breezies,” he started. “We used to live in a land closed off from normal ponies, but the earthians managed to find their way in. They captured us, tortured us, and experimented on us. I lost my wife and child before we managed to escape into pegasi territory, but the pegasi were no better. They wanted us to fight for them, spy on earth ponies, and run suicide missions for them. If we didn’t obey them, they would hunt us for sport and step on us. We thought we would be wiped out until our Lady Empress took us to live here in the Sky Castle. We owe everything to her.” “Hold the phone,” said Dash. “Are we talkin’ about the same fire and brimstone Empress Commander Firefly here? ‘Cause this sounds more like Fluttershy or some other similar pony.” “You don’t understand. The Lady Empress was the only pony who showed us kindness.” “She. Is. Not. Kind. She kills ponies on a whim, and those that live she abuses day after night. Firefly is pure hatred. I mean, how could it be fair she’s nice to Breezies and not to ponies? It’s totally not like her! You believe me, right Fluttershy?” “I do,” replied Fluttershy, “but I also believe them as well.” “What?” “I can’t explain it, but even while I was scared being her captive, I sensed some sadness deep in her heart.” “I know you represent the Element of Empathy or whatnot, but you cannot feel any kindness for a tyrant like Firefly. We just got lucky back then. We may not get a second chance at escape, because if she knows who you really are…” “So, you do know.” In her frustration, Rainbow Dash turned around and kicked the dirt before sitting down on her haunches. “Is that why can’t look at me?” asked Fluttershy. “Because I’m Posey's daughter?” The Breezies gasped. “It’s not that at all!” cried Dash. “All this time, I thought I found the mare of my dreams, a special somepony who I want to spend my entire life with, and now it’s so darn complicated now!” “That doesn’t mean we can’t talk to each other,” said Fluttershy. “If anything, I still want to be friends with you.” “Really?” “Really.” “You won’t be weirded out that I had some, um, fantasies about you and I, will you?” “They are lewd, but I’m okay with it. And I am a little flattered that you feel that way about me. Dash, I know it will take some time, but I’m sure we can work this out after we retrieve all the Elements.” “You’re right. What the hay was I emoing over? I’m Rainbow Dash! The coolest pirate to travel the high skies! Something like this should never bring me down! Still though, I’m not calling off that date.” “I don’t want to miss it as well.” “P-P-P-Posey’s daughter?” gasped Seabreeze. “How is that possible?” “It’s a long story. But first, let me heal you and all your friends.” Her golden necklace separated into individual Butterfly Stars that attached themselves on the Breezies with the other half going to various objects. As the color returned to the tiny ponies, so did their calm. Their rejuvenation washed away their anger, and seeing each other recovered they cheered. They chanted out a brief song as they hugged one another and danced. Then all of them swarmed around Fluttershy and hugged her. “We express our apologies,” said Seabreeze. “Miss, um, what is your name?” “Fluttershy. I should apologize too on behalf of Dash attacking you. You know, I am also the daughter of—“ “No, no, I need not hear about your past. The important thing to know that you are the second kindest we know after the Lady Empress.” “What about me?” asked Dash. “You’re on probation. Besides, you’re crass.” “That’s Rainbow Dash to you,” she grumbled. “Now, now,” said Fluttershy. “Let’s all get along. Seabreeze, do you think you can send your eagles off to fetch our friends.” “Anything for you, Miss Fluttershy!” said Seabreeze. “It would be an honor.” Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash found the time to repair the bulk of Seabreeze’s village before the rest of their friends arrived shaken and worried. As expected, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Sunny relaxed after seeing the their two pegasus friends were safe, but then became surprised at the appearance of the tiny Breezies floating around Fluttershy. Their surprise morphed into that of curiosity and amazement, and with the Breezies being wary of and shy around “big” ponies, they further buried themselves in Fluttershy’s mane. “Please, keep your voices down,” said Fluttershy. “Twilight, do you think you can put away your notepad.” “Sorry,” said Twilight. “I have read about the legends of the Breezies in my mother’s books and scrolls, but you don’t know how happy I am to discover that they exist! This Sky Castle is like a treasure trove of new species!” “Uh, Twi,” said Applejack, “I don’t think we’re here for that.” “You’re right. We have to hurry and find the Fifth Element, and judging by the direction we’re going, it feels like we’re halfway there.” “There is the big tree we gotta cut through. I ain't sure my Sword of Truth is up to it.” "Plus we have that big door to open." The Breezies fluttered away from Fluttershy and started conversing with one another. Their loyalties lie with Empress Commander Firefly, despite befriending Fluttershy and her friends. They know about it, but despite their Haast Eagle and moa allies, they did not have the strength to stop them. “We don’t entirely trust your friends, Fluttershy,” said Seabreeze, “especially Rainbow Crass.” “Hey!” cried Dash. “But the Fifth Element can’t be used by anypony, and anypony who tries to use it suffer dire consequences. Also, I hear tales that there is an ancient guardian protecting it.” “Whoever this guardian is, we’ll kick its butt if it doesn’t cooperate with us!” “Maybe we can reason with it first,” said Twilight. “Never fear, my little ponies,” said Sunny. “The guardian protecting the Fifth Element has been rendered inert.” “You’re a funny one,” said Seabreeze. “Last time the Lady Empress visited, she complained about how the guardian was making fun of her and that he wasn’t being cooperative.” “The Empress and the guardian were talking to each other?” “They were. She didn’t talk about him that much, but she said that he was helping her with their war effort.” “Impossible! That spell should have… Twilight, we have no time. We need to get to the Element holding chamber before the Empress’s forces arrive. My little Breezies, we thank you for your hospitality, however brief it may be. We will not tell the Empress that you have aided us in any way.” “Sunny,” said Twilight, “they didn’t exactly—“ “Let us go, now.” This sudden urgency would be more in line with Rainbow Dash, but this was not like Sunny, who had been patient and understanding, to be in a rush, and Fluttershy knew why. The mention of the Fifth Element’s guardian meeting the Empress had put her in unease, and the white alicorn took a nervous lead of the group. Fluttershy barely said her goodbyes to the Breezies and the martlets, and she promised them a new home on the planet’s surface after the end of the brewing war. She fell behind the group, thinking that she might have promised too much and how she would fulfill it as she hurried through the thick brambles of the forest. The paths were less safe than the ones the martlets plotted from them. In many instances, it barely was wide enough for one pony to squeeze through. Hairs were pulled, and they suffered some small cuts and bruises. Rarity vocally complained that her mane and tail had been riddled with leaves and branches, but her words fell on the deaf ears of Sunny, who now appeared unconcerned over her companions’ plight. They made it to the giant tree Rainbow Dash had mentioned quicker than expected. It appeared almost black and leafless, and perhaps it had been dead for about a hundred years. Its roots had spread to the floor and ingrained themselves in the door marked with a giant “T-5” on its twin panes. After just one touch, the tree felt as hard as stone, and it was very thick. It was dead, but Fluttershy sensed a heavy dread emanating on it. “All right,” said Twilight. “Let’s make firewood out of this black bramble.” “That won’t be necessary,” said Sunny. With a single golden flash of her horn, the giant black tree started its sudden disintegration, and in no time, it became ash that scattered by the artificially generated winds of the Grand Garden Atrium. The ease in which Sunny destroyed the tree shocked everypony. Fluttershy knew she was powerful, but had she been holding back this whole time? And for what purpose? “User S626 r-r-recognized—bzzt!” spoke the Sky Castle. “Entrance to Tartarus 5 g-g-granted—bzzt! W-w-welcome back.” Despite being overrun with black roots, the giant doors to Tartarus 5 whirred to life. Its giant metal panels swung inward, but Sunny had already galloped in when it was barely open. The sudden rush caused everypony else to panic and chase after her, even after the grueling trek across the forest. Green lights dimly lit the massive interior of Tartarus 5. Cold bluish metal lined the initially hallway leading into the main chamber, which was even bigger than the entrance doors suggested. In here, Fluttershy and her friends galloped through a maze of pipes and towering tanks filled with a myriad of liquids of unknown origin. They passed through multiple glass chambers housing what appears to be different environments mimicking that of those on the planet, like deserts, forests, and the snowy tundra. Each of them had digital signs that read in its unique lettering “Weather Testing Chamber # 1021”, and the like. Each of these chambers stacked four high, and there were rows and upon rows of them. Ahead of her, it might seem like Rainbow Dash was leading everypony with the Sky Key, and it also felt like Sunny knew where she was going. Regardless of who led, the group soon made it to another set of massive doors where the sign on the side read “Element Holding Chamber.” The doors obeyed the vibrating signal generated from the Sky Key, and they swung open to reveal the chamber itself. The chamber was very large and round and a spherical giant glass ceiling revealed the illuminating light of the Mare in the Moon in a sea of stars. Suspended by thick black cables and beams over a raised and spiraling platform was another glass sphere. Hovering in the center was the treasure Fluttershy had sought after ever since they left the Crystal Empire. There it was, a half-shattered stone orb, and jutting out from the exposed side was a blazing red jewel. The excited Rainbow Dash tried to ram her body onto the glass sphere, but instead of shattering it, only bounced her back. She tried ramming it one more time, and then a second time. Each failure made her frustrated, and she kicked the ground while she gritted her teeth. “Maybe you need the Sky Key to open it?” asked Applejack. “Thanks for the hint, Miss Obvious,” said Rainbow Dash. “Do you think you can tell me where I can put this thing in?” “This is no standard lock and key, pegasus,” a voice slithered into the air. “Who said that?” “Is that the Sky Castle talkin’ again?” asked Applejack. “It isn’t,” said Twilight. “It’s a different voice, and I can understand it.” “Ignore him,” said Sunny. “Dash, you have the insert the key at this panel while I hold him off.” “Aw, don’t be rude. As a friend, or rather, a coworker, why not introduce your friends to me?” “Who keeps talking?” asked Rarity. “I certainly do not like the tone of his voice.” “I told you to ignore him!” Sunny snapped. “Who is he, Sunny?” Twilight asked. “Girls,” spoke Fluttershy. “I see something moving.” Fluttershy’s legged quaked as she watching something slithered behind the glass panels on the surface of the spiraling platform, which soon turned out to be more than that. It was a container, containing a stone-like beast who rose up and gripped the edge of the platform container with his lion’s paw and then his dragon claw. He had the head of pony, a horn of a goat, and an antler of an elk. He had red irises in his deranged yellow-filled eyes, and a single fang accented his insidious smile. “Hello, Sunny,” said the creature. “Or shall I say, Herald of the Sun, Princess Celestia?”