//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: My Little Pony: Lights and Shadows - Part II // by OmegaTale //------------------------------// A zebra and three fillies trekked across the green lands, most of it fields with patches of trees here and there. The sky was overcast, and so storm clouds threatened them with rain, as they had very few options for cover. Such a strange thing it was to see the lands of the Mysterious South; all three of the CMCs had their heads on a swivel, they had never been anywhere remotely this far from home before. Very little was known about the south (hence the name), and that made the three of them both thrilled and scared at the same time. Sweetie Belle was the first to ask the big question. “So….Zecora?” she asked, gaining the attention of the zebra. “If we’re not headed to Ponyville, then where exactly are we going?” “All in good time, my little friend.” Zecora replied, facing forward again. “First there is an important matter to which I must tend.” Apple Bloom tilted her head, asking, “What important matter?” Zecora looked concerned, her eyes constantly scanning the skies. “The dragon you saw, his name is Stormclaw. A dark path he has chosen to follow; should he prevail, in sadness all the world shall wallow.” “Ah don’t get it…” Apple Bloom said, looking to the other two crusaders. “If he’s so bad, why would he act so kind to us and our friends?” Zecora looked back over at the filly. “A game of tricks and shadows he is playing on us now, my only remaining question is how?” Lifting her gaze up to the sky, the zebra thought hard on how Stormclaw could have accomplished all that he had. “How one dragon could have so much power, and how that dragon could want only to devour?” Scootaloo was lost, much like the others. “So, those crystals he gave to us were fake or something?” Shaking her head, Zecora did not know how best to answer. “Hmmm, I do not know for what purpose those crystals are. I do know, however, if he gave them to you, trouble cannot be far. Twilight and her friends need us more than ever, so we must hurry to return, less we lose them forever.” “So then why ain’t we goin’ home?” Apple Bloom circled back around to the original question. “If everypony needs us, shouldn’t we be tryin’ to get back to them?” The three fillies were very persistent, but also had a good point. It was difficult for Zecora to decide not to return home to their friends, but then again, this personal matter was too important to her. Knowing that it would be best to avoid bringing up where they were going, she held fast to her resistance against the three curious ponies. “You must trust me little ones, very soon it will all be clear.” She said to them, adjusting their path as she better recognized the area. “Once we arrive, you will be safe, and have nothing to fear.” The crusaders looked at one another and followed Zecora on as the sky darkened, the night drawing near. Thunder continued to roll across the sky outside, the four ponies resting as the night conquered the land. They had taken shelter in a small cave, the darkness absolute, although the occasional lightning strike lit it for moments at a time. They had come such a long way already, but home was still so much further. The CMC seldom felt in over their heads, but all this talk of destruction, sadness, and death told the three fillies that this was a matter far beyond their usual adventure. In their efforts to bring Zecora home, they had stumbled into the middle of a dangerous conflict that was unknown to them, but had kept them in harm’s way for a while now. It was only the night before the Grand Summit, and so the three of them knew that Princess Twilight and her friends likely had no idea that they were gone. It made them sick wondering how worried the ponies would be when they found out, especially their sisters. Sweetie Belle tossed and turned, but couldn’t sleep a wink. Now lying on her back, she looked over at earth pony beside her, who was very still. “Apple Bloom?” she asked. “You awake?” “Yeah,” she replied quietly. “Ah can’t sleep knowing all of Equestria may be in danger.” Scootaloo flipped onto her stomach and crawled over to them. “Neither can I.” she stopped, Sweetie Belle casting a dim light spell for them to see each other. They stayed quiet as to not wake up the sleeping zebra across from them. “I mean, who could possibly sleep after seeing and hearing everything we have today?” “Ah still can’t believe Stormclaw tricked us….” Apple Bloom sighed. “Ah really thought he wanted to be our friend….and now we find out he just up and used us to get to our friends?” Scootaloo nodded, “Yeah, I mean, who does that? He must be downright evil.” “I don’t know….” Sweetie Belle replied, rubbing her chin. “Did you hear the way he said it? I don’t think he wants to be evil…..maybe he’s just being told to?” “By who?” Scootaloo questioned her. “And why would he even agree to do it? I know dragons are usually pretty bad, but this guy makes the baddest of dragons look like nothing.” Thinking about the points brought up, Apple Bloom just ended with shaking her head. “It don’t matter why he’s doin’ it, he’s doin’ it and that’s the truth of it.” Scooting closer to her friends, she said, “We just need to focus on gettin’ home safe and sound. Ah don’t know where Zecora is leadin’ us, but it sure ain’t Ponyville.” “But she does seem to know where we are,” Sweetie Belle answered back. “And besides, Zecora is really smart, she wouldn’t take us somewhere that wasn’t safe.” Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah, she might just be worried that Stormclaw will find out she’s missing and come to find us, in which case, maybe it’s best if we found somewhere to lay low.” “Ah know….” The earth pony responded, morally torn on what to think. “Ah just wish she’d tell us where we’re goin’. I mean, shoot, knowin’ anythin’ about it would help.” “I know what you mean.” Scootaloo answered. “Being out here in Celestia-knows-where is really scary.” The statement made the three go quiet for a few moments, but then the pegasus added, “But either way, I’m glad you two are with me. So long as we’re together, I know we’ll be alright.” That was just what Sweetie Belle needed to hear, and she smiled, saying, “Yeah, and you know, I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Apple Bloom was left with a touched smile, holding out her hoof. The two other fillies held out their hooves and the three met, silently proclaiming their Cutie Mark Crusader title. The crusaders looked to one another, a new force of courage swelling up inside them. After everything they had been through, there was no way this adventure would get the better of them. They would go on, together, and never surrender themselves to the fear of the unknown. The morning was clear and sunny, finally giving the four travelers a good lay of the land. The foggy plains were now nearly out of sight, the landscape quickly becoming rockier as they traversed further towards the mountains. Zecora took her time as she went, looking as if it had been a long time since she had taken the path, but the CMCs were just glad she knew where they were going. There was no road or trail of any kind, so it must have been very difficult to remember exactly. Obvious peril aside, the adventurous feelings had resurfaced in the crusaders; knowing full well that they were in uncharted territory, and therefore, likely some of the first ponies to ever have been there. The mountains were not high enough to be capped with snow, but they did block out the horizon. Soon after their expedition into the range, the four had become completely surrounded by the mountains. It was all breathtakingly beautiful, so much so that Scootaloo wished she had brought along her camera to take dozens of photos. They scaled steep rock-faces, crossed over deep crevices with quickly moving rapids at the bottom, and only ever stopped for a breather. Luckily, Zecora had been able to fashion a few jugs during their time together in order to store water. Able to stay relatively close to bodies of water, they could refill their jugs whenever they ran out. Together they trekked through the mountains, beginning to take in a direction more eastward bound than north. For a full day they remained on the high-perched paths of the mountains, moving further and further into the maze-like rock formations. When finally they came across a flat bed of stone on the mountainside, they decided to make camp for the night. Now, Apple Bloom wasn’t the best at guessing and judging distances, but in light of their travels, she guessed that they had hiked over twenty miles into the mountain range, still with no end in sight. This did not deter the little ponies, but it made them draw more from the thrill of adventure to keep themselves from worrying too much. The night sky was clear this time, and the four were able to stargaze a good amount before drifting off to sleep. Scootaloo opened her eyes, a slight breeze on her face awakening her. It was very early in the morning, but a storm was looming nearby, bringing its voice of thunder to foreshadow the glow of the rising sun in the east. Looking over to her side, she noticed Zecora standing and looking out across the mountain range, eyeing the storm. Trotting over to the fillies, Zecora gently shook Apple Bloom awake as Scootaloo did the same for Sweetie Belle. With the threat of the storm bringing a promise of more rain, the four were forced to continue their mountain hike early. They didn’t make it too far before the storm caught up to them. Not able to find cover, the ponies were forced to hike the mountainside in the rain. Not wanting to risk slipping on the rocks, they moved slowly. It wasn’t very intense rain, so it wasn’t like it was miserable. Apple Bloom’s bow dipped down on the back of her head, her hooves making small splashes in the puddles below her. The not-so-miserable rain got pretty miserable pretty fast. “See anythin’ yet?” she asked ahead. Scootaloo, having trotted forward on the rocks a little further, waved her hooves and called out to them. “Up here! I found another cave!” Wanting to hurry to get underneath cover, Apple Bloom took a few galloping strides towards the rock slope. Seeing her friend hurrying over, Scootaloo now began waving her hooves for a different reason. “No Apple Bloom! Don’t run!” Immediately, Apple Bloom’s hoof lost its friction with the rock underneath her and fell onto her side, the slippery slope making her slide down towards the cliff side. Trying to grab hold of whatever she could, the earth pony panicked as she approached the drop. “Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo! HELP!” she cried out. Despite having never used her magic so well, Sweetie didn’t hesitate to cast her levitation spell on the pony careening towards the cliff. Apple Bloom became covered in the magic aura and it began to slow her as the unicorn strained, her eyes clamped tight as she tried to save her friend. Zecora went to help the earth pony, but nearly slipped herself, having to step away from the rock slope. Continuing to try and grab the rocks, Apple Bloom screamed as she came within mere feet of the cliff. Sweetie, gritting her teeth, yelled out in anguish, the aura around her horn intensifying. Apple Bloom slid over the side, but didn’t fall. Her eyes slowly opened to see that she was levitating over the chasm. With a grimace and a grunt, Sweetie gestured her head to the side, her earth pony friend being moved back over solid ground, Scootaloo and Zecora getting to her as quickly as they could. Sweetie ceased her spell and raised a hoof to her head, having a massive headache. Pushing past the pain, she carefully climbed the slope and joined in on the hug with her fellow crusaders. Zecora was quick to hurry them under the cover of the cave, finally getting a respite from the rain. “Whew!” Scootaloo said, shaking off the rainwater from her fur. “That was too close!” Her heart still racing from the experience, Apple Bloom gave herself a moment to catch her breath before turning to her unicorn friend. “Yeah, thanks Sweetie Belle.” Sweetie nodded to her, the headache now fading away. “Well, at least we found somewhere to hide from the rain.” “Are we almost there yet, Zecora?” Scootaloo asked, looking around as she lost track of the zebra. “Uh…..Zecora?” All three fillies turned to see her sitting at the cave entrance, looking out into the storm. “There it is, we’ve found the door.” Zecora spoke, glancing back at them. “And very soon, we’ll find much more.” The crusaders walked up and alongside her, looking out across the gap to the adjacent mountain. A giant, cavern entrance was hollowed into the mountainside under a massive overhang, with stalactites and stalagmites along its rim, making it look like the jaws of a monster. Even if it weren’t raining, the entrance was pitch-black and in the shadow of the mountains, meaning that it never saw light. Seeing the shadowy maw of the dark cavern made all three fillies wobbly in the legs, especially Scootaloo. “Y-yeah….t-there it *gulp* there it is….” “We must wait until the rain has ceased.” Zecora told them, lying down onto the cave floor. “Then we shall enter the jaws of the beast.” Sweetie Belle looked over at Scootaloo when the zebra said that, seeing the pegasus shaking even more than she and Apple Bloom. “…..I’m not sure that was the best rhyme to go with.” Even after the storm had passed, the clouds continued to loom overhead, keeping the skies gray and the land dark. The rocks were still wet, but it was nowhere near as slippery as it had been during the downpour. There was a small, natural rock bridge that crossed the chasm between the mountains, making for the only path towards the cavern’s entrance. The zebra and her three filly rescuers crossed it, stopping just as soon as they were over on the other side. “S-so we….uh….what do we….um….” Scootaloo whimpered, unable to complete a sentence. Apple Bloom placed her hoof on the pegasus’ shoulder. “It’s alright Scoots, we’re all in this together.” “Yeah,” Sweetie added on. “Besides, it’s just a big cave….” A pulse of wind passed the four of them, coming from deep within the cavern. It made them all go silent, the three fillies’ eyes widening. Again, the pulse flew past them and out the entrance. It was a strange kind of wind….almost as if it were…. “Prepare yourselves, and have no fear.” Zecora said to them quietly. “Try not to run, for he is already here.” Two giant, glowing silver eyes opened in the dark, dimly lighting the pitch-black cavern. Another pulse of wind breezed by, this one sounding more like breath than the others. The fillies froze in place, eyes cast upon the massive figure in the dark. The giant eyes moved forward, the cavern quaking as it sounded like a mountain was walking towards them. Lifting up higher and towards the cavern ceiling, the figure squinted as it examined the four intruders. To say fear was existent would be an understatement of truly epic proportions. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo stood in absolute paralysis at the sight of the mysterious, ominous beast now towering over them. The light from its eyes lit the area up enough for the three ponies to see the outline of the creature’s enormous figure. It was nearly the size of the cavern itself, and was larger than Ponyville’s Town Hall. The eyes leaned down towards the four of them, inspecting them more closely. It took every ounce of the three little ponies’ courage and willpower to not scream at the top of their lungs. The only thing keeping them from doing so, their zebra friend’s calm demeanor. “Zecora?” boomed a deep voice, edged with curiosity. “Is that truly you?” Zecora nodded her head. “It is, great guardian, we offer no tricks. How are you, my dear friend Leonyx?” Swirling its head in a circular motion, a plume of flames erupted from out the dragon’s mouth, lighting several dozen torches on the wall and ceiling, illuminating the cavern. Leonyx was a giant, golden dragon, who was crouched down on the cavern floor and could still barely fit inside it. His flawless, gleaming scales reflected the light from the torches, giving off the illusion that he was glowing. His tail flicked about behind him, several hundred feet further down into the cavern, and his wings stayed tight to his back, less he wanted them to graze the cavern ceiling. “After all these years, you finally come home.” He replied, folding his claws over one another and lying his head down. Not wanting his four guests to have to constantly look up at him, he kept himself as low to the cavern floor as he could. Zecora smiled up at him, loving the fact that he hadn’t changed since last they met. The heads of the three crusaders poked out from behind her, watching the dragon from behind the safety of their friend. Seeing the fillies made Leonyx smile, and he lowered his voice so as not to frighten them. “Come on out little ones….I won’t bite.” It took a few moments, but the crusaders emerged from behind Zecora, lost in speechlessness at the sight of the gargantuan dragon. “Oh, how cute. And what are your names, little ponies?” “A-Apple Bloom.” The earth pony managed. The unicorn chuckled reluctantly. “Sweetie Belle.” “S…..S…..Scootaloo…..” the pegasus finished. Leonyx muffled his own chuckle. “Do not be afraid, little ones; any friends of Zecora’s are friends of mine.” Getting over their loss of words, the first to emerge were rather predictable and straight-forward. “You’re huge!” Sweetie scoffed. Laughing out loud, the dragon sent a shock-wave of echoes throughout the cavern. “How kind of you to notice!” he chortled. Leonyx loved the young ones, they were always so adorable. His fascination with them was put on hold as he returned his gaze to Zecora. “Although I would love to believe it, you didn’t come back just to see me, did you?” Zecora shook her head, her smile vanishing. “To the queen I must speak, for we are all in danger. Followed we may have been, by a terrible stranger.” Leonyx glanced out towards the cavern entrance, holding back a snarl at the thought of someone harming his friend. Looking back down at his four guests, he smiled wide. “Alright then!” Walking forward a few steps, he lowered his claw, palm up, right in front of them. “Climb aboard! We’ll be off at once!” Scootaloo hesitated, but was pushed along by Sweetie and Apple Bloom, who hurried for the chance to climb up onto his claw. Lifting the four of them up to his back, they hopped on. He lowered his claw and looked back at them. “Hold on tight little ones!” he boomed, starting to move towards the entrance. All four obeyed him, grabbing a fierce hold so as not to fall off. Leaning his body out over the chasm, Leonyx dropped down, earning three little ponies’ screams from his back. Spreading his titanic wings, he beat them through the air with tremendous force, lifting himself up and over the highest peaks of the mountain range in mere moments. Leonyx leveled out and soared across the sky, having wanted to stretch his wings for days now. Banking into a turn, he descended slightly, looking down at the range. “Look below, my friends. What do you see?” The crusaders all looked down where he was looking, only seeing mountains and canyons. However, upon actually concentrating, they noticed that just a dozen miles beyond the mountain where the cavern was, there was a massive valley. Soaring over it now, the fillies saw only that the valley was barren and empty, lifeless in every way. “It looks like a plain ole, empty canyon.” Apple Bloom said to the dragon, earning her a smile. “That so?” he asked, chuckling to himself. He suddenly began climbing up into the sky again, turning and twisting about as they went higher and higher. He stopped beating his wings and everything went still. “Here comes the fun part!” he laughed. “Hold on!” Going into freefall, Leonyx tucked in his wings as he plummeted towards the mountains. The fillies began screaming again as Zecora just chuckled, remembering how much the golden dragon loved to show off. Falling closer and closer to the ground, Leonyx entered the chasm and spread his wings at just the right moment, carrying him and his passengers into his cavern. They were moving so fast that everything was a blur; it was if their speed gave the darkness a bit of light, everything around them flurrying together. A cascade of magical aura rippled through the cavern and a bright light appeared in front of them, making the crusaders shield their eyes. Suddenly everything was bright and warm, as Leonyx touched down. Slowly opening their eyes, the fillies found that they had somehow landed outside, and all of the clouds were gone. The sun shined brightly down upon them, and upon their wide surroundings. And upon looking out in the distance, their mouths dropped and eyes went wide. “No way….” They all said at once.