//------------------------------//
// A Key to a Lock 
// Story: Surviving Sand Island 
// by The 24th Pegasus 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash was decidedly out of breath by the time they made it halfway back up the mountain. The springs sat in front of them, cool water rippling and bubbling in the dim glow of the night. The whole thing was entirely at odds with the frantic scramble up the mountain Rainbow and Rarity had just performed; peaceful, relaxed, and calm.

At least until Rainbow galloped halfway through the water and immediately dunked her muzzle beneath the surface. She took several long gulps to rehydrate and almost ended up choking when her lungs couldn’t wait for their turn. Grimacing, she coughed and heaved, sputtering up water and splashing through the spring as she thrashed.

When she could finally breathe again, she found a nearby boulder to lean against and tried to recover her strength. Her limbs felt like jelly from the mad dash up the mountainside. It was a miracle she was still standing at all; at the very least, all this running around was good exercise for her legs while her wings were out of commission. Of course, it wouldn’t matter all that much if the minotaurs caught up to them.

Rarity staggered into the spring several seconds later. Rainbow immediately felt terrible; she hadn’t even realized Rarity was that far behind her. Determined to make up for it, she left the rock behind and more or less tripped her way over to Rarity. She gave the unicorn a shoulder to lean on while she drank from the spring, and draped a sweaty wing over Rarity’s sweaty back.

Water poured in streams from Rarity’s muzzle when she finally raised it to breathe. “Celestia!” was all she exclaimed, unable to find the breath for more. After a second or two, she looked over her shoulder. “Are they still following us?”

“I don’t doubt that, Rares,” Rainbow said. “We’re faster, though, so we got some distance on them. It isn’t going to last long.”

“And we’re running right into a dead end,” Rarity moaned. “Even if we do make it to the temple, how are we going to get out?”

“I’m sure there’ll be another way,” Rainbow said. “It’s a sun temple, right? Surely there’d be some way to crack open a window.”

“What windows?” Rarity asked. “We didn’t see any before!”

“Well, we only looked at one side.” Rainbow’s ears swiveled backwards, where she could hear grunts and shouts making their way up the mountain after them. She gave Rarity’s shoulder a sharp tug and started leading her back along the path to the ruined city. “Come on, we have to keep moving!”

They started off again, crossing the spring and continuing the hike on the other side. The water on Rainbow’s hooves made the going a little more treacherous than usual, and she had to stop a few times to catch herself when the dirt and gravel threatened to slide out from underneath her. Rarity stumbled a few times behind her, but she would catch herself before she could actually fall. And all the while, they could hear the noise of the minotaurs chasing them up the mountain. Rainbow couldn’t tell if they were getting closer or farther away.

The gates of the city jumped into the night sky before them like two blunt, stony trees. Rainbow almost cried with joy when she saw them. The gates were a promise of flat ground and the proximity of their goal. They didn’t have far to go now.

As soon as they hit the road, both ponies picked up speed, blurring by the houses on tired, achy limbs until they arrived at the alley that would take them to their shelter. Rarity almost ran into Rainbow when she abruptly turned down it, and even then, Rainbow bumped into the wall of a ruined building as she made the turn. But she didn’t let that slow her for very long.

“What is it?” Rarity asked between heavy breaths.

“We need to get our crap,” Rainbow said. “We probably won’t have a chance once we open that door.”

Rarity nodded, and as soon as she could see their supplies, she picked up the bulkier things in her magic. Rainbow grabbed the lighter things like the other spear and tools, and then both spun in place and darted back down the alley. Bursting onto the open street, they hooked a right and went straight for the stairs looming above them.

Rainbow chanced a look back as they climbed and almost immediately wished that she hadn’t. Torchlight illuminated several hulking, muscular bodies running through the city gate and sprinting down the main road. There were at least ten of them, maybe more; Rainbow didn’t get the chance to count all that well. But she saw them point at the stairs, and she knew that they could see them. It was a hoofrace to the door now, but thankfully one that her and Rarity had a head start on.

“Push it!” Rainbow exclaimed, forcing herself to take the stairs two, three, even four at a time. Her good wing uselessly flapped at her side, and again she wished that she could fly. Rarity struggled to stay by at her side, but she kept up. “We’re almost there!”

Then they reached the top of the stairs, and it was a straight shot to the door. Whatever reserves of energy Rainbow had left, she dumped them into crossing that brief distance. She had to slide to a stop to keep herself from running full force into the door, and then she turned to wait for Rarity to approach.

“The medallion!” Rainbow said, pointing to a star-shaped hole in the doors. “Stick it in and give it a twist!”

“Rainbow!” Rarity exclaimed, blushing in the moonlight. “Can you at least think about what you’re saying before you say it?!”

“Rarity!”

Rarity’s horn flared to life in all its brilliant blue glory. In one smooth motion, she set their supplies down and floated the medallion off of her neck. The star floated over to the door, and with a little positioning, Rarity managed to slide it tightly into its slot. Once it was mated to the door, all she had to do was twist it.

Rainbow watched with bated breath, nervously prancing from hoof to hoof. Deep inside the door, ancient stone slid as gears turned, and the two doors rocked back and forth as something moved inside them. When the medallion stopped turning, Rarity pulled it out of its slot and placed it back around her neck. “Push it open!” Rainbow exclaimed, throwing her weight against the door. “They’re coming!”

Rarity bit down on her lip until it began to bleed. Her blue magic engulfed the door, and together, the two ponies pushed it open. It was like trying to move the mountain itself, the doors were so heavy, and Rainbow doubted that the hinges had been oiled any time in the last century. But together, they were able to open a small space just large enough to slip inside with.

And not a moment too soon. Almost as soon as they managed that, the torchlight crested the top of the stairs. Rainbow looked back to see the minotaur chief at the front of the group, sweaty chest streaked black with soot and ash, bloodshot eyes wide with rage. He pointed to the two ponies and howled, and the ground began to rumble as the minotaurs charged the door.

“Inside!” Rainbow screamed, grabbing Rarity and shoving her through the gap in the doors. She slipped in immediately after despite Rarity’s indignant squeaks, and she waited just long enough for Rarity to float their supplies in after them to try to close the door. Once more, the two ponies heaved against it and managed to slam it shut before the minotaurs could reach it.

“I can lock it!” Rarity exclaimed, and Rainbow saw her blue magic dance across the mechanism the medallion had turned from the outside. Enormous stone pylons began to slide back into place even as the minotaurs began banging on the temple doors. But the stone was thick, heavy, and solid; even before the doors were fully locked, Rainbow knew that the minotaurs weren’t going to get in unless they managed to hit the door with enough force to break the stone bars. But they locked it all the way just in case.

Both ponies took a few steps back and fell to their haunches, panting and sweating. The only light they had to see by was Rarity’s horn, and it just barely illuminated a long and big stone hallway leading deeper into the heart of the mountain. A tray of oil lined the hall, connected to little fire bowls that presumably lit the whole hallway. After that, everything faded into darkness.

Standing up, Rainbow dug around for her flint and steel. “Well, we made it,” she said while she dug the fire starter out.

“For better or for worse,” Rarity said. Her eyes craned around the seemingly perfectly hewn stone hallway. “Hopefully it has what we’re looking for.”

Rainbow finally found her flint and steel. With a shower of sparks, she lit the oil, and soon fire illuminated the long hallway like the genesis of the sun. But even from here, it went on for so long she almost couldn’t make out what she saw at the other end.

“We’ll just have to find out,” she said, starting to walk down the hall. “Come on, let’s see what we’re dealing with.”