Cloud Blazer was near the edge of despair. The castle cellar was filled with junk, but the orb was nowhere to be seen. Naturally, Pixyglitter was unable to assist them, but the other four had worked their way from one end of the room to the other with absolutely no luck. The stallion sat beside his blind friend’s wheelchair on some old blankets. His injuries were all arguing with him, adding to the frustration.
"I’m sorry," Pixyglitter said.
He accepted the sentiment without responding. He was far too upset to say anything without it coming out wrong. His thoughts turned to dark places. The dreams had stopped weeks before... could they be too late? If they were, would they just find nothing? He didn’t want to believe they had gone through all of it for naught. Apple Bloom broke his brooding.
"This place sure is a mess.”
"It is a bit untidy," Fluttershy agreed.
Rarity gave her a look, "Fluttershy, dear, this cellar is a complete and total garbage dump."
"It don’t have to be neat, we just have to find... the thing," Apple Bloom tried to sound cheerful.
It did not lift Cloud Blazer’s spirits. Voices from the hallway caught his attention. A few moments later, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were walking down the stairs. Pinkie Pie bounded down after them, taking three steps at a time. Sweetie Belle came in last.
“Hey, Rarity!” Pinkie greeted as she continued skipping as if to work the perimeter of the group.
"Well, I found ‘em." Applejack said.
“It’s good to see you again, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity greeted the pegasus.
“Hey, Rare,” Rainbow Dash answered. “Cloud Blazer, I thought it was bad enough you told me that crazy story, but apparently you’ve been telling everypony about it," Rainbow Dash said.
Cloud Blazer looked at her and tilted his head questioningly.
"Soarin told me to get back here because you needed me for something."
"Yeah," the stallion replied; though he felt a bit confused as to how Soarin would know anything about it. They had only met in passing because of his friendship with Rainbow Dash through... the other one.
“Whatever... we’re here. Now what?” the Rainbow Pegasus seemed irritated.
Cloud Blazer assumed it was more pain from her burns than actual ire directed at him. Still, he owed them an answer. There was only one thing to say.
"I’m at a loss... we can’t find the orb."
Pinkie stopped bouncing, "What orb?"
”There was a glowing magical sphere in this room. When I touched it, I had… a hallucination. Pixyglitter had to knock me over to bring me out of it. Anyway, It’s pink, about the size of a bowling ball."
Pinkie Pie bolted off into the middle of a pile and began digging. The other two shrugged. The pink mare tossed aside old rags and bits of discarded EUP gear. A moment later, she returned.
"You mean this?" in a cloth, she was holding a pink glowing orb, though it was much smaller than Cloud Blazer remembered, only the size of a tennis ball.
The stallion was stunned, "How did you know where it was?"
”It was under P!" Pinkie Pie sang as she bounced by and set the cloth and orb down in front of the stallion.
"Wait, what now?" Applejack asked.
“Pinkie, dear, you simply must explain yourself!" Rarity added. "We have been searching through this mess for hours!"
Pinkie stopped bouncing, "Really? You didn’t know this whole place was alphabetized?"
Everypony exchanged confused looks. Cloud Blazer glanced around, but he still couldn’t see any organization to the mess.
“But why would it be under ‘P’?” Pixyglitter asked.
“For Princess?” Pinkie Pie shrugged.
"Great; we found it. Good job, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash said. "Now what?"
The stallion’s heart nearly stopped. They were all here, gathering around the magical artifact, and nothing happened.
"Maybe if you all touch it?" he offered.
"Whoa, there," Applejack objected. "Didn’t you say before that you touched it and fell out?”
“Basically.”
The mayor continued, “Don’t you go forgettin’ now, I have a young-un to be thinkin’ about.”
Sweetie Belle asked, "Anypony have a better idea?"
The workhorse and Wonderbolt eyed Cloud Blazer uncertainly. The animal lover and fancy pony seemed mostly concerned. The party animal looked to be up for anything.
“It’ll be okay, sis," Apple Bloom said. "You’ve got me and Sweetie Belle to get it away from you if anything goes wrong."
Pixyglitter added, “Besides that, Cloud Blazer and everypony else that has touched weren’t supposed to. It’s probably a defense mechanism. You five are the keys that they’ve been waiting for.”
Pinkie Pie put her nose right next to the orb, staring at it, “It’s so small! Do you really think Twilight’s in there?"
All eyes were on Cloud Blazer; he nodded, "Yeah. Yes, I do. Twilight, and the rest of them are in there, and they need your help."
"Okie-dokie lokie!" Pinkie Pie shrugged.
Without even the slightest hesitation, she put out a hoof, touching the little glowing ball. Every hair on Cloud Blazer’s body stood on end from the magical electricity that flooded the room. Pinkie Pie went rigid, the leg that was now connected to the orb extended straight out. Her eyes became white shining lights, and her curly mane went straight. All of the others backed away in fight as a rushing wind filled the room.
"Nothin’ for it," Applejack said as she followed suit.
The charge grew stronger, and a breeze seemed to be emanating from the sphere. It was growing larger.
“We’ve got this," Rainbow Dash said as she joined them.
Rarity took a deep breath, "Uncouth as this seems, it’ll all be worth it if this works."
The discharge was becoming painfully noisy. Small arcs of electricity were connecting between the orb and the four that were locked to it. Bits of paper and no small amount of dust was swirling about the room. That’s when Cloud Blazer realized that Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen. Apple Bloom had already found her and was attempting to get her to come out.
"I can see them," Pixyglitter said.
Cloud Blazer’s blood turned to ice water.
He turned to her, his voice a ghostly whisper, "What did you say?"
"Them," she said pointing at the four statuesque figures in contact with the sphere; it was still increasing in size. "It’s like a light in the darkness."
Cloud Blazer shivered as a twinge of fear worked its way through him.
Fluttershy was approaching, coerced by Apple Bloom. The look of unbridled terror was on the face of the final key. She shut her eyes and reached out. An electrical arc struck her, causing her to recoil. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stopped her from running away. The frightened pegasus took several quick breaths.
"For Twilight!" she shouted and threw her hoof out, making contact with the ball of energy.
They were all touching it, their eyes glowing like lanterns in the dimly lit castle basement. The intensity of the static discharges increased, compelling the others to back away. The wind roared in Cloud Blazer’s ears. The magical relic was even larger now, but then it began shrinking again, it’s light failing.
"What’s going on?" Apple Bloom shouted.
"I don’t know!" Cloud Blazer replied.
He felt the need to help, but didn’t know how.
"Don’t do anything!" Pixyglitter said, as if she had read his mind. "It’s okay!"
With a blinding flash of light and the crack of thunder, they were all thrown backwards. The next thing Cloud Blazer knew, he was staring up at the ceiling. All of the torches had gone out, and his ears were ringing. But for the little bit of light that came in from the top of the stairway, they were in complete darkness.
As he struggled to stand, Apple Bloom helped him up. Pixyglitter was heaving, helped back into her chair by Sweetie Belle.
The five lay on the ground. The orb had grown large enough to contain several ponies, but it was no longer glowing. It began to flatten out, and the texture on the skin of it became rough; perhaps his eyes were playing tricks on him in the dark.
A pale blue-green light emanated from Sweetie Belle’s horn. It was joined moments later by a blue light from Rarity’s as the friends struggled to regain their hooves. Cloud Blazer stepped forward.
In a heap in the center of the room, the shell of the orb dissolved to ashes and fell away. Movement stirred in the heap. Cloud Blazer took another step closer. A pair of purple eyes opened and fell on the stallion. There was even more movement. It was slow, but several shapes began emerging from the ashy detritus.
"Cloud Blazer?" the purple eyed form spoke.
The stallion felt his heart skip for joy when he recognized the voice. It was Princess Twilight Sparkle.