"So how do you make those bubble-thingies anyway?" Minty poked at the walls of the bubble. "I know that the one we're in is one that I technically made, but... I... don't really think that it'd count as 'making' a bubble."
Amber shrugged. "From what I know, I'm pretty sure these things can only be made by unicorns. Maybe alicorns too, but I have no idea." she lit her horn, stepping out of Minty's bubble and casting a miniature one around herself. "Like that; I don't see how earth ponies like you or pegasi would be able to do that, though."
The black marble from earlier caught her eye. It looked quite a bit less threatening in this form than whatever the ever-living buck it was when it was attacking them, that's for sure. She lit her horn again, picking up the marble. At the very least, simple levitation spells still worked more or less the same. It would've been an absolute nightmare to have to re-learn everything from the beginning.
A distant cry of protest rose from the surface of the marble.
"Do you think it's still dangerous?" Minty squeaked, peering at the swirling darkness inside. "What if it grows big again and tries to eat us like it did last time?"
Amber let the marble fall back to the ground, shaking her head. "No, I don't think it'll be a threat anymore. I doubt it'd be able to grow back to size again, either. Whatever it was that Ruby did back there seemed pretty darn strong," she raised a hoof above the tiny bubble. "But just for good measure..."
A puff of smoke and soot sputtered from beneath her hoof as she stomped down on the marble. Even given its marblelike size and apparent hardness when she held it moments earlier, the marble still popped like the bubble it truly was.
"So then," Amber looked back up, then to Minty. "How about we see what other survivors there are around here?"
"Y'know, for a place that seemed so empty not too long ago, you really have to wonder just how fast these things grow in size."
Misty nodded, staring up at the looming bubble towering above them. This one appeared to be much less threatening, at the very least-- though, whether that would prove to be true on the inside was something they'd yet to discover.
A pained shriek tore their attention away from the bubble. An older stallion was running toward them at high speed, smoke and flames almost entirely engulfing his body.
"REALMS," he screeched, wincing through the bright flames eating away at his body. He didn't appear to even dare to set hoof inside their moving bubble. "OH, CELESTIA, PLEASE, TELL ME THAT YOU COME TO OFFER US YOUR REALM!"
Amber took a step back, horrified at the inferno wreaking havoc on the stallion's already-singed frame. "I... realm? Are you talking about our bubble? Please, come in he--"
"DEATH, SWEET, SWEET DEATH!" the stallion cackled, falling to his haunches. He threw his head back, letting out a final screech before his movements stopped. The flames now began to die down, flickering gently through the patches of smoke still clouding his body.
"Minty, don't look."
The filly turned away. She was behaving so well. Amber lit her horn, focusing on her bubble's walls. This wasn't something Minty should see, regardless of whether or not she was looking away. It'd be best to leave only a small opening for herself to see and turn the rest of the bubble opaque.
The last of the flames subsided. The last tendrils of smoke dissipated almost as if by magic, leaving behind the charred bones of the stallion. Cracks began to materialize on the bones, spiderwebbing across the smoldering surfaces.
Amber kept her eyes on where the stallion once stood for just a little longer. Slowly, she began to turn her head back to the humongous bubble they'd been standing beside. It was the only place the stallion could've possibly come from. This place... this place killed ponies.
She took a step, jerking back at the touch of something soft. Eyes wide, she looked downward. A fine, bone-white powder coated the ground right in front of them. Some patches of the powder were even smoldering still. Was this what would've happened to Ruby if she wasn't dragged into the bubble in time?
Turning back to the former location of the stallion, all that was left to see was a small pile of that same bone powder.
"Amber, I'm scared..."
The mare nodded. "I know. We should probably--"
A metallic groan pierced the air as a portion of the looming bubble opened up. Another pony-- a mare, this time, tentatively craned her neck. She yelped at the touch of the outside air when it burnt the tip of her muzzle, flinching back inside.
"Git out there!" a rough voice barked from behind her.
The mare lowered her head, closing her eyes as if she was accepting her fate.
"Wait!" Amber shouted, turning her bubble transparent again. "Miss, you don't have to die out here."
Minty gasped, tugging at Amber's mane. "Come on, let's go!"
"Minty, if we go, then another pony is going to die!"
Against the pleading of the filly, Amber stepped toward the opening. The mare that exited soon took notice, looking between Amber and whoever it was that was forcing her out.
"Out!" the voice growled. The mare jerked forward with another push. Part of her face began to sizzle.
"No-- sir!" she stepped back again and pointed at Amber and Minty. "I've already found a couple! Doesn't that mean I am allowed to stay?"
"Mmmmmmfine. Make it quick and be sure they don't leave. You know he wants to expand his realm."
Whoever it was that the voice belonged to retreated deeper into the bubble, leaving the mare finally alone. She sighed, rubbing her singed muzzle.
"Are..." Amber stepped up to the mare. "Are you okay? Who was that?"
"Nothing. Why did you do that?"
"Do what?"
"That. Showing yourself when it was obvious what was going to happen. You know that you won't be able to form a shield anymore the moment you step hoof in here, don't you?" She tilted her head, peering at Minty. "And a foal, too? I... is..." she did a double-take. "Is that Pinkie Pie? Are the Elements finally retu--"
"Sorry, no," Amber shook her head. "This filly, for whatever reason, was practically turned inside-out by... well, whatever it was that happened. The --what did you call it, realm?-- that she came from was actually her own mental landscape. This was just the best I could do for her when it came to giving her a body again."
The mare snorted, lowering her head. She stepped back, gesturing for Amber to follow. "Alright. Well, I suppose I should lead you in, then, before I'm expelled a second time. It took so much work trying to avoid having to do this, too!"
Amber glanced at Minty for a moment before stepping in herself. She could quite literally feel her bubble being peeled away as she entered, unlike previous times when it simply merged with whatever bubble she entered until she left.
Almost immediately, her ears were bombarded with the sounds of battle. Some kind of clash-- no, a battle-- she gazed up, expecting to find a group of pegasi duking it out in the air. The sight that met her eyes was far from what she imagined.
One pegasus, obviously scarred from some past run-in with the noxious outside air, was repeatedly bashing himself against the bubble walls, a sickening crack creaking from his bones with every impact. It was a wonder how he didn't appear to be injured.
Nearby, a group of earth ponies sat idly, chewing on some kind of vegetation that grew under the shade of some trees.
Even the unicorns --the ponies that seemed to have more of an advantage than usual as of late-- seemed to be doing more to actively harm themselves than to hurt others, with their rapid teleportation apparently putting a massive strain on their mana pools, if their fainting was any indication.
There was only one thing that was certain; whatever it was that she may have expected to find in this place, this-- all of this-- was far beyond anything she could've imagined.