//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 "traveling" // Story: Nightmares Coming to Life // by Spore Harvest //------------------------------// After the Doctor and Octavia met back up with their friends they all quickly booked it for the hills where Octavia and the Doctor explained everything that happened to them on the farm. "Well, at least you got out of there alive." Said Vinyl. "And you got some bling to boot. So these are the artefacts that Discord was talking about?" "It sure looks like it, but it seems that I can't take it off." Said, Octavia, while trying to take it off. "So not only do we need to infiltrate each of the five areas, where the artefacts are located, but we also have to wear them once we get them. What kind of fetch quest is this?" Asked Bon Bon. "One that we need to finish so that we can reverse whatever happened to the elements." Said the Doctor. Then he turned to Octavia. "As for why you can't take it off. That is probably a defence measure in case someone tries to steal it, but I guess they could find ways around it, but then again I also don't know what these things are capable of." He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out the map. "Now let's see which area should we hit up next." After he said that everybody gathered around and started looking over the map. "I suggest we go to the Crystal empire if we go there then we can work our way towards Canterlot where we will probably cure all of the elements at once." Suggested Lyra. "I agree with her on that one. The elements are probably in touch with each other somehow. So if they are they are probably going to wait for us there or attack us before we get there." Said the Doctor. "But what if we run into some sort of creature or bandits. Not that we have anything for them, but some ponies don't think straight under pressure." Said Derpy in a worried voice. "Well as a wise adventurer once said that is for future me to worry about." Said the Doctor while rolling up the map and put it back into his map. "Now if you are done worrying we have a destination and not allot of time to get to it. Let's go." With that said they all started on their long journey towards the Crystal empire. *** After some time of walking in silence, Derpy spoke up. "Um Doctor I know that you know what you are doing, but I think we are going to need some more equipment to handle the northern winds and snow." After that he stopped dead in his tracks. Then he walked over to the nearest tree and started to bang his head against it. "Um, Doc are you okay." Asked Vinyl. After a couple more knocks to the head, he said. "Yeah, I'm good." After that, he pulled out the map and started to check over it. "Okay then let's see on the way to the crystal empire there are three cities one of them is Trotingham and I suggest we get all of our stuff there since it is the closest to the empire so that we don't go to off course from our original destination." "But we are still going to need blankets and sleeping bags so that we have someplace to sleep, so I suggest that instead of Trotingham we go to Baltimare and get our supplies there." Said Bon Bon. "Okay, I guess that sounds allot better and it isn't too much of a detour if nopony has anything else that they want to say before we head off." Everyone shook their head. "Okay then let's go before we are caught by one of Applejacks patrols." With that said the Doctor packed up the map and they made their way towards Baltimare, but what they didn't notice was a dark shape with yellow glowing eyes watching them. After they completely disappeared it flew off towards Cloudsdale. *** After about four hours of constant walking they finally arrived at Baltimare and what they saw left them in complete shock. The city was completely decimated like some sort of tornado flew through the entire city and destroyed it. "Man it's only been like a week. What could have possibly happened here?" Said Vinyl. "Well by the evidence that is provided, some sort of riot possibly happened and to end it drastic measures had to have been used or they all fled the city so fast that the ponies destroyed half of it." Said the Doctor while checking some rubble and hoofprints. "Let's quickly get what we need and get out, because this place is giving me the creeps." Said Lyra. "Alright. I always wanted to try scavenging, but I never found any ruins that I could explore and do that in." Said Vinyl while running ahead of them with everyone else soon following. When they all caught up to her Octavia said. "Vinyl sometimes you are really unbelievable sometimes." When they caught up to Vinyl they found themselves in front of the Baltimare general store. The place looked as destroyed as any other building if not slightly worse after they finished looking at it, they made their way inside and once there the Doctor said. "Okay, we are going to split up so that we can cover more ground. Derpy and I are going to take the east side. Vinyl and Octavia you take the centre and Lyra and Bon Bon you take the west side. Take everything that might be important on our journey. We meet back here in one hour. Everyone got that?" Everyone nodded with determined faces. "Okay then meet you back here in an hour." After that, they all went to their designated areas. Twenty minutes passed with Vinyl and Octavia finding some useful stuff and putting it inside the formers saddlebags, but after that, they found a very peculiar sight. To be more specific they saw a couple of what looked to be Wonderbolts only that these guys wore a lot more darker clothes. "We should go find the others and tell them about this. They probably aren't here to shop if their demeanours have anything to say about that." Whispered Octavia. Vinyl simply nodded and they quickly snuck away. After some time of searching, they found Lyra and Bon Bon they told them what happened and after packing everything away they began to search for Derpy and the Doctor, but sadly they were too late because they heard the sound of a battle going on. "That can't be good." said Vinyl. "Yeah, it isn't now everypony grab a weapon or charge up your spells, because we have a couple of friends to save." Said, Octavia, while noticing a pipe and trying to pick it up with her mouth but to her surprise right when she was about to grab it, it started floating surrounded in a purple aura. "What the?" Then she shook her head. "Questions later. Saving friends now." With that, she directed the floating pipe next to her and got ready to charge. When everyone was ready they charged into the battle. There were three Wonderbolt wannabes attacking a shield that the Doctor created to protect himself and Derpy. Sadly the shield was cracking meaning that he was at the end of his magic and concentration. With that observation made they quickly charged at the three Wonderbolts knocking two out and leaving the other to escape and charge up another attack, but when he was about to hit he made a full one-eighty turn and flew out of the store. Now with the immediate threat gone Octavia ran over to the Doctor and Derpy. "Doctor, Derpy are you two okay?" "Besides a couple of bumps, magic fatigue and a slight headache we are going to be fine." Said Doctor. "Yeah, we'll be fine. They just caught us off guard." Said Derpy while nursing a bruise. "Okay, then Doctor if you and Derpy are okay could you please tell me how I am able to do this?" Asked Octavia while demonstrating her new ability and after she did the Doctors eyes widened. "Fascinating. I'm going to check that out later when my magic returns but if I had to hazard a guess then I believe It came from the relic around your neck since it is glowing as well. For now, let's take care of these Wonderbolt wannabes." He said while looking at them and after that, they started on the task of tieing them up and when they were securely tied down they relaxed a bit. After they were calmed down Bon Bon asked. "Okay, then what do we do now?" "Now we wait for them to wake up so that we can ask them a couple of questions and while we are waiting let's see what we found and prepare a lunch." Said the Doctor. With that, they all started to prepare a simple lunch. ***Cloudsdale weather factory*** "Come on workers. We have a castle to build so put your backs into it." Said Rainbow Dash who was currently in her nightmare mode. She looked very similar to Applejack. The only differences being that she wore dark silver armour and that her hair and tail looked like rainbow coloured fire. She was currently walking back towards the main office of the weather factory, where she could transform back into her regular form, but when she got there she found one of her Shadowbolts waiting for her. At first, she looked surprised, but she quickly calmed down and said. "Ah, it looks like my scouting party's back, but weren't there three of you?" When she finished her little observation, the shadow bolt saluted and said. "I'm sorry to say this, but they were defeated when we tried to capture two of the ponies that managed to escape Poniwille. I managed to escape by faking them out." After that Rainbow looked pissed. "You left them in the hands of the enemy! Do you have any idea what you have done? They could blab some secrets that they can't know. I can only imagine what they are doing to them at this moment." Then she closed her eyes and was silent for a moment and when she opened them she said. "Go back and rescue them and I want it done yesterday." With that, the Shadowbolt saluted and flew back to where she left her team behind. When she left the office Rainbow let out a sigh of relief and right after she turned back to normal. "Man it sure is hard keeping up that charade, but it is sorta fun." "I do agree my technicolour friend." Said Discords voice and right after that he dropped down from the ceiling. "It seems that my magic has again faded. Shall I recast it Rainbow?" "Yeah you know it, I wanna go out flying a little more before I have to prepare for the gladiator games and don't even get me started on the flaming hair because it is awesome so lay it on me." After that Discord snapped his fingers and she turned back to her nightmare mode. "Oh yeah and before I forget Celestia wants to hear how you are all doing so she told me to teleport you all to her for a small meeting so be prepared for that." "Okay then Discord if that's true then I guess I'll see you tomorrow just try to get me when I am not working on the games." She said while spreading her wings. "Now if you excuse me I have a track to beat and gladiators to find." And then she threw herself out of the nearest window. After that Discord simply teleported back to the castle. ***Baltimare general store*** After they all finished eating their lunch the two captured Wonderbolts started to wake up. "Well look who's waking up." Said Vinyl. "You'll newer get our secrets and you are going to be sorry for messing with the Shadowbolts." The Doctor then stepped in front of them. "Okay, because you just answered all that we needed to know. Now, let's pack up and go." "Wait you won't torture us to give you information. You only wanted to know what we are?" Asked one of the Shadowbolts in a confused tone. "No we won't, but we are going to knock you out again so that we can leave in peace without you knowing where we are going and yes that's all we wanted to know. Now please be quiet." Said the Doctor while packing up his supplies. "The only thing that I truly want to know is why you are following us?" "Well, we weren't quite following you." Said the first one. "We kinda stumbled upon you when we were scouting out the area." Said the second one. After he did the doctor finished packing and put the saddlebags on his back. "Okay, thank you for the information but now it's time for you two to say goodnight." Then he charged up his horn with the knockout spell and aimed it at the Shadowbolts. When he did he shot them and they immediately went back to sleep. "Okay then." He said while turning to the girls. "Did you pack everything?" They nodded. "Okay then let's go before reinforcements arrive and capture us." After that, they headed for the Crystal empire.