Amethyst, Spike, and Twirly flew back in through the window that Amethyst had originally jumped out of, with her latching it shut with her magic. She dismounted Spike, with Twirly on her back, and the three approached the vault where the Elements were held.
Amethyst didn't hesitate, and immediately jumped up on her hindlegs so that her horn could reach the slot. Her muscles tenses in paranoid anticipation of her astraphobia being set off, but her cheek being nuzzled by a concern Twirly soothed her nerves.
One more she weaved through the ley lines, but the pathway was no where near as smooth as the first time. She had broken the core of the spell, meaning that, though it was still active, it was very unstable. That and the chip on her horn made it extremely hard to concentrate, yet she managed to reach the broken core and unlock the door.
The aura on her horn snapped once more, and she winced in pain. But Amethyst simply stepped back as the door swung open, revealing a violet chest decorated with gemstones. She walked up to the chest, not taking any more chances with the chip, and opened it with her hooves. The inside was lined with pink velvet, and the Elements of Harmony lay neatly inside.
She pulled out the Unity Element, the gemstone in the shape of her cutie mark radiating with magical energy. She passed the tiara to Twirly, who silently placed it on her. Amethyst then took out the other Elements, looping one around her neck and putting the other four on convenient notches on Luna's armor.
"What are those things?" asked Spike from outside the vault, breaking the silence. "They look really tasty..."
"These are the Elements of Harmony," she replied, walking out beside Spike. "Honesty, Laughter, Loyalty, Kindness, Generosity, and Unity."
"Why did you just list a bunch of positive characteristics?"
Amethyst actually laughed at that. The first time Spike had even seen her happy. "That's what the magic is the Elements is powered by. That's why they're called the Elements of Harmony."
She started to walk down the hall, but paused and looked behind. The Loyalty Element had fallen off, and was lying next to the chest. Still unwilling to do more magic than necessary, she walked back over and picked it up.
Barely a moment later another arrow streaked through the air, but this one wasn't aimed towards Amethyst. The door unprecedentedly swung shut, and Amethyst got the smallest glimpse of the arrow landing perfectly in the slot for her horn. Then everything was pitch black, as there were no lights.
"Twirly!" yelled Amethyst. "Spike!" But there was no reply.
Of course the vault is soundproof, she though in both irritation and anxiety. Can't let there be even the most unlikely way for anypony else to get in.
There was no inner slot for her to open the door, as she had observed so when the door had opened. It wasn't as if she were completely trapped, though. If Princess Celestia had woven her magic into the locking spell using her Element, then her magic was applicable for getting in and out. She and the Princess could unlock the vault, and the Princess's magic blocked out other kinds of magic. If her horn wasn't chipped and she wasn't utterly exhausted from overwhelming magic output, Amethyst could have teleported out. Granted, her teleportation was painfully rusty and she could only go the tiniest of distances (one body length to be precise), but she could have done so.
A tiny source of light began to provide minimal illumination, and Amethyst looked down to see that the moonstone was glowing. The timing seemed far too convenient for it to just be good luck, so there was likely some sort of enchantment embedded within. She glanced around the tiny room, the lack of any activity or sound making her acutely aware of how much her bruised ear hurt. With a sigh, Amethyst leaned up against the wall, and did the only thing she could: think and wait.
My aura fractures around the chip due to the lack of a complete base. But an aura is intended to cover around something, not wrap it, meaning that I can't bend it to compensate for the chip. Unless I bent the ley lines enough... Or would I have to reposition them? She groaned at her own lack of the in-depth knowledge required to figure out how to solve the situation she was in. What was it that Twilight was saying earlier? Something about defensive spells, but those really aren't helpful right now...
She leaned her head back, causing her Element to hit the wall and fall onto her lap. Staring at it for a moment, Amethyst then grabbed it in her hooves and held it so that the gemstone was covering over the chip. Her horn glowed in a weak aura, washing over her Element and not snapping. She smiled, and began concentrating on teleporting. The other five Elements began to glow softly, and then suddenly flared up brightly.
You think that you can bear the Elements alone?
Amethyst's eyes widened in shock, and she looked around to try and find the source of the voice. More, more precisely, the chorus of voices, speaking as one.
You lack the heart within you to care for others. You are rude towards others. You cannot use the Kindness Element.
You lack the heart within you to give to others. You are selfish and keep all you desire. You cannot use the Generosity Element.
You lack the heart within you to stay with others. You flee for the sake of yourself. You cannot use the Loyalty Element.
"Stop it!" she yelled. "I don't care who you are, just stop!"
You lack the heart within you to be truthful to others. You lie to protect what you hide. You cannot use the Honesty Element.
"Stop, please!"
You lack the heart within you to have happiness be free. Your magic is based upon sadness. You cannot use the Joy Element.
"Please!" Tears had started to form.
And you cannot use your own Element without the others. For you are alone.
She blindly threw the Unity Element across the tiny room, and it slammed into the wall. Amethyst then buried her head in her hooves, and sobbed.
"I don't need to hear what I already know!" she cried. "I don't, I can't, I couldn't!"