After a day of rest the big day was here.
Applejack, Daylight Gleam, Star Blaze and Sugar Spirit were all hiding by the one main entrance into Greed Volcano. It was still early and King Avarice hadn’t come out yet, but the moment he did they would run inside and head straight for his throne room and the crystal. There was no tribute gathered in this empty area between the city and the volcano, Applejack was sure he would fly into a rage immediately. The guards were gathered and she hoped that they were going to be okay. She was certain King Avarice wouldn’t kill any of his slaves, a large part of her being able to convince the ponies here to fight back hinged on that, but she was worried that a situation like this may make that crazy king even more erratic. She wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of guards just ran the moment he appeared, she wouldn’t hold it against them but she hoped they would still distract King Avarice enough for Applejack’s group to succeed at their mission.
Sugar Spirit was humming and shaking her head back and forth along with her made up music. If Applejack hadn’t seen how exhausted she’d gotten in the heat she would’ve though the unicorn never had a care in the world. Star Blaze was lying down and trying to act disinterested but Applejack would bet a million different pessimistic thoughts were flying through his head. Daylight Gleam sat with intense focus behind Applejack, eyes shut tight and a thin aura of magic over her horn, preparing for the powerful spell she needed to use to break that crystal.
Sunflower was standing tall and proud right outside of that golden gate that led back into the city. He was doing a good job of looking fearless for his guards but Applejack knew he was afraid too. All of them were decked out in their blue armor, the pegasi ready for aerial support while the earth ponies would directly charge at King Avarice. She felt bad that the unicorns just had to stay away and couldn’t contribute to the big fight but they were probably fine with that anyways.
The sky was cloudless aside from the ever roiling ones gathered at the peak of Greed Volcano, the sun had fully risen over the horizon now and signaled the true beginning of morning. According to the ponies of the city it would be any minute now.
Star Blaze grumbled and got up off the ground, getting ready. Applejack allowed herself a small nervous gulp. Sugar Spirit stopped humming but was prancing up and down on her hooves, finding it impossible to stay still. And last of all, Daylight Gleam’s horn stopped glowing and she opened her eyes.
“I’m ready.” She said to Applejack.
Applejack nodded to her. “Me too. It should be starting soon.”
“Uh, do me and Sugar Spirit even need to be here?” Star Blaze asked, rubbing his cheek. “Seems like you two are the ones really doing everything, can’t we just go and hide?”
“No, you’re here for moral support.” Daylight said to him. “And we may need another set of hooves at some point, you never know.”
“I am going to steal so much treasure when this is all over.” Star Blaze sighed and shook his head.
Applejack shot him an angry look. “No, that treasure should go to the ponies in the city. Not only did they make most of it but they deserve it more than anypony. No stealing.” She looked at Daylight and Sugar Spirit as well. “And that goes for the both of you, too.”
Star Blaze was about to give a big sarcastic sigh and complain some more.
But there turned out to not be any more time for that.
With a single sharp crackle King Avarice appeared on the ground in front of the entrance to Greed Volcano. Sugar Spirit nearly squeaked at how close he was but luckily his back was turned to them as he was surveying the area where his tribute should have been. Star Blaze took a few hesitant steps back and was about to say something again when Applejack placed a hoof over his mouth and shook her head. She quietly motioned for all of them to immediately head into the volcano, not running full speed yet in case King Avarice heard their hooves against the ground and turned to see them.
As they made their way into the volcano Applejack heard a booming voice erupt from behind her.
“WHERE IS MY TREASURE!”
Applejack and the unicorns ran as fast as they could through the tunnels of the volcano. Or to be more accurate the unicorns ran at full speed while Applejack slowed her pace down to match them. She didn’t want to think about what might be happening outside, hoping for the best for Sunflower and the guards. The unicorns were panting heavily from the heat and the exertion it took to run up all those stairs earlier but they didn’t have the time to rest.
Now they were in the tunnel made from that strange soundless stone and coming up on the lava pit with the crisscrossing bridges. Once they got there it was pretty much a straight shot to the throne room.
“This… really… sucks.” Star Blaze panted heavily, each word a struggle to get out.
“Well then why don’t you save your energy instead of forcing yourself to complain?” Applejack said back to him and rolled her eyes. “Come on, it’s not even gonna be too long before we’re there and you don’t even have to do the hard part.”
It didn’t take too much longer before they reached the lava pit and crossed the bridge again, the increased heat was annoying but they pushed through it, and after that they passed through the next chamber and then the next one into the light-red room with the spiked door. Luckily that door wasn’t locked so they had no problem opening it and going right through.
And it was now just one final door before their goal.
They sped down the dark, dungeon-like, hallway towards that red steel door. Applejack gulped and wiped the sweat from her brow, this was really it.
Getting to the door Applejack tried to pull on the silver bar to open it but it didn’t budge this time, King Avarice did indeed lock it when he left. But Applejack wasn’t about to let anything like this stop her.
She put a hoof to the door and focused, trying to think back to some of her old lessons and sending a minor tremor into the door. It was like a picture appeared in her head, she could see through and inside of the door and the locking mechanism used on it. With a smirk Applejack gathered a much stronger tremor and sent it straight to the lock. The whole door started to vibrate, much to her unicorn companions confusion, and Applejack saw and felt the lock snap in two, unlocking the door for them.
“Easy as apple pie.” Applejack said, pulling on the silver bar again and opening up the door to King Avarice’s throne room.
The treasure that had been thrown about and the pile Applejack knocked over were back to normal, King Avarice wanted his hoard immaculate. His throne still sat there with the pedestal and floating green crystal next to it. And luckily for the ponies that had just entered, the king and his bones were nowhere in sight.
"Okay, Daylight. Time to shine.” Applejack said to the white unicorn.
“Right.” Daylight Gleam walked forward, her horn glowing with more power than Applejack had ever seen from it before. “Star, Sugar, keep the door open. We’re gonna bolt once I destroy this thing.”
“Good luck.” Applejack told her.
Daylight paused. “Wait, what do you mean by that?” She asked as she turned back to Applejack.
“Daylight we don’t have time, destroy the crystal!” Applejack frowned at her, anger rising in her voice.
Realization dawned on Daylight Gleam’s face. “You’re going to stay and fight him...”
Applejack didn’t answer.
“Are you crazy?!” Daylight yelled at her. “You can’t fight that thing! Just run away with us after we destroy the crystal, he can’t keep us trapped anymore.”
“I can’t just let him keep doing what he’s doing. Even if he can’t keep all the ponies here his slaves anymore he’ll still keep on making others suffer. Stealing from them, forcing the ones he can to work, and who knows what else. I have to stop him.” She said to Daylight. “Now please, hurry up and destroy the crysal.”
Sugar Spirit and Star Blaze looked between each other, eyes full of worry.
“You can’t defeat him Applejack.” Daylight said. “Are you going to sacrifice yourself for some ponies you don’t even really know? Who cares if he still goes about doing whatever nonsense he wants after this. We need to escape and survive.”
Applejack closed her eyes for a brief moment before opening them again and giving Daylight a bright and sympathetic look. “I want to get out of here and get home more than you know. I have the greatest friends and family a pony could ever have. And I want more than anything to see them again. But I couldn’t live with myself if I just ran away and let King Avarice keep doing what he pleased.” She looked over at Sugar Spirit and Star Blaze as well. “You three are all free to leave once the crystal is destroyed, I’ll be fighting King Avarice and holding him off.”
Daylight glowered at her, teeth gnashing. “You are so difficult.”
Applejack just chuckled and winked at her. “Now there’s the pot calling the kettle black.”
The white unicorn rolled her eyes and went back to facing the green crystal, charging up her horn some more. “Fine, have it your way.” She glanced at Applejack out of the corner of her eye. “I’ll stay and fight with you.”
This time Star Blaze gawked and yelled at Daylight. “Are you really doing this?!”
Sugar Spirit nervously tittered back and forth, not sure what to do.
“You two can, and should, still run. But I’ll at least attempt to fight King Avarice with Applejack.” Daylight said as she marched to the crystal. “Now enough of this, Applejack was right, we didn’t have the time for all this talk.” The light blue glow around her horn grew brighter until it was almost a white flash of light. Daylight Gleam squinted and sweated as she held onto the powerful magic.
As she touched her horn to the crystal an amazingly loud and shrill shriek broke out through the room. Applejack and the other two unicorns covered their ears while Daylight Gleam enveloped the green crystal in her magic. Daylight gritted her teeth as her magic attacked the crystal, cracks appearing on its surface and tiny pieces flaking off. The screeching got louder and with it flashes of multicolored light shot across the throne room.
Green and blue sparks shot off from the crystal. Applejack was worried that Daylight would get hurt but the unicorn was still holding strong and putting everything she had into destroying the green crystal.
Finally, over all the screeching, bright lights, and sparks, Daylight’s magic won out. With a loud thunderclap the crystal shattered, knocking back both Applejack and Daylight. The two of them skidded along the floor of the throne room towards the hooves of Star Blaze and Sugar Spirit.
“Are you two alright!” Sugar Spirit asked as she helped Daylight to her hooves while Star Blaze did the same for Applejack.
“Yeah, we’re fine.” Applejack said as she stood up and shook her head. Looking at Star Blaze in front of her, her face broke out into a wide grin. “We’re all fine.” She said, pointing at Star Blaze’s neck.
Star Blaze’s eyes went wide as he also looked at Applejack’s neck and then at his other two companions.
The black bands were gone.
“There’s probably a lot of celebrating in the city going on right now.” Daylight Gleam said. “I don’t think we’re gonna have the time to join in. King Avarice will have definitely noticed what just happened.”
Sugar Spirit got an inquisitive look on her face. “You know considering he can teleport-”
A blast of silver magic exploded in front of the throne and King Avarice appeared, growls like thunder rolling off his bones and bright magic eyes piercing the ponies in front of him.
“WHAT HAPPENED TO MY TREASURE!”
Star Blaze attempted to whistle nonchalantly as he backed away to the door, Sugar Spirit was frozen on the spot and Applejack and Daylight Gleam shared a single look with each other as they started to walk towards King Avarice. The skeleton king’s horn lit up black as Daylight got ready to fight back against his spell and Applejack tensed her muscles, ready to attack.