The others had quickly gathered at Twilight's castle as soon as they got the word that Mavis went missing, "Do we have any idea where she might be?" Celestia asked.
"No. When I got in there, all I could find was her Teddy Bear," Shining Armor replied.
"Might I have a look at that? I could use this to track the little one's whereabouts," Discord volunteered. Cadence then gave Discord Mavis' beloved toy. Almost instantly, Discord frowned, upon sensing a familiar dark power, "It would appear that King Sombra has come back. I know this kind of magic anywhere," he said. Everyone gasped in shock.
"I had thought we'd seen the last of him when he tried to take over Equestria!" Rarity exclaimed.
"Well, he's always been persistent. That's what he's well known for among powerful magic beings such as ourselves," Celestia commented.
"Even back win our younger years, he wasn't even liked by Chrysalis or Tirek. Basically, he's that one guy in school that's a big jerk to everypony and they all hate him for that," Luna added.
"Well, if he's kidnapped Mavis, it's more than likely that he's holding her as a hostage so that we'll turn over all authority to him," Twilight deduced.
"I won't let that happen! Mavis has suffered too much, and I won't let her feel any worse than she already does!" Cadence proclaimed. The others shared her sentiments.
"Well said, Cadence. I'm going to need some time to track Sombra's magic trail. In the meantime, why don't you all head to Tartarus to interrogate Tirek and Chrysalis? They may not be big fans of Sombra, but they may have a clue as to where he would set up shop, as far as a hideout," Discord suggested.
"It's a long shot, but it's our best lead," Shining Armor commented. The others had concerns, but were still determined to find Mavis, and bring her back home.
"I'll join you once I found the trail," Discord said, as he poofed up a chemistry set, and went to work. Celestia opened a portal to Tartarus, which everyone entered.
Meanwhile, with Mavis,
When she came to, Mavis felt absolutely cold. The last thing she remembered was running from Sombra and the Demon Bus, before falling off of a cliff, into a freezing cold river and hitting her head. She felt something warm nearby. Focusing her sight to the source of the heat, she saw a small fire, "Where.... am I?" Mavis wondered, as she sat up, only to be stopped by a sharp pain in her head. She then saw she was in some kind of cave. There looked to be medicines of all kinds, as well as regular first aid supplies.
"OH MY GOODNESS!" she heard a woman's voice cry out. Turning to the source, she saw was appeared to be a human woman, dress in a skimpy white bikini, which barely held her curves, and a nurse's hat, rushing to her side. Mavis saw that she also had lime green hair, "You mustn't move around too much, sweetie. That injury to your head hasn't finished healing," the woman said, gently pushing Mavis back down. What happened next made Mavis think this woman wasn't human. The woman then conjured a ball of light, and set it against Mavis' head. Almost instantly, Mavis felt the pain in her head dissipate.
"My headache.... it doesn't hurt anymore," Mavis quietly commented.
"Well, that's good to know," the woman said, as she turned to get something from a nearby desk. Mavis then noticed something on the woman's back; fairy wings. The woman then came back with a pair of scissors, and cut the bandages wrapped around Mavis' head.
"Um, excuse me for asking this, but.... you're not human, are you?" Mavis carefully asked.
"No sweetie. I am what is known as a 'nymph', a nature spirit that prefers to live a natural life. My name is Tabby, by the way," the Nymph said, introducing herself.
"My name is Mavis," Mavis replied timidly. She blushed as she felt Tabby's massive chest brush against the back of her head.
"There, looks like your wound is all healed up," Tabby said, examining Mavis' head.
"Was I hurt in some way? And where am I?" Mavis politely asked.
"Well, when my sisters found you, had floated through the caverns, and must've sustained a bump and a small cut to your head when you fell into the river. When we pulled you from the river, you were close to catching pneumonia. But thankfully, we took action, and set up a nice fire to warm you back up, while I treated your injuries. Speaking of which, your dress should be done drying by now," Tabby explained, as she walked over to the other side of the fire, "No, still a bit damp. Well, as for WHERE you are, you are currently in the Nymph Grotto, home of myself, and my 23 sisters," Tabby explained.
"My word, that's quite the family," Mavis commented.
"Well, we never have to worry about stuff that civilization calls 'food budgets'. Nymphs don't require food, but we still like to snack a little bit. In fact, Dana should be done fixing you some nice hot soup. You should be healed enough to walk. Can you stand?" Tabby asked. Mavis tried to stand up. She wobbled, but thanks to Tabby, she regained her balance. Looking down, she saw she was naked.
"EEK!" Mavis squeaked, covering herself up, "WHY AM I NAKED!?" she cried in a hushed voice.
"Well, your underwear was also drenched, so that had to be removed so you could warm up properly. But not to worry. One my sisters made this for you," Tabby said, giving Mavis a simple, plain blue dress. Tabby then helped Mavis slip into it, "Now then, let's go see about that soup," Tabby said, as she took Mavis' hand, and guided her out of the cave. Covering her eyes from the light, Mavis saw a lush, green grotto. There looks to be vegetable gardens, as well as fountains, statues, which were covered in vines. She saw several animals, both domestic and exotic, running around. As they passed the mouth of another cave, Mavis looked in to see a massive library, and a Nymph, much more curvaceous than Tabby, happily reading. The Nymph had lime green hair, and large, owl glasses.
"Is that our little guest?" another woman's voice asked. Mavis turned to see another Nymph, with dark tan skin, stirring something in a cauldron. She had blonde hair, that reached all the way down to her wide hips, and wore a red bikini. While she wasn't as curvaceous as the Nymph in the Library, this Nymph still had larger curves than Tabby.
"Indeed she is. Mavis, this is Dana, the Gourmet Nymph, and one of my many sisters. Dana, this young one's name is Mavis," Tabby introduced the two of them.
"It's very nice to meet you Mavis. I'm just finishing up some soup for you. Tabby, could you get her comfortable at the table?" Dana asked her sister.
"Sure thing. Come along Mavis," Tabby said, bringing Mavis over to a rather large table. Tabby got a high seated chair, so Mavis could reach her soup with ease. Within moments, Dana came out with a piping hot bowl of soup for Mavis.
"It's made with organically grown vegetables, and plenty of natural herbs and spices, guaranteed to warm up a person," Dana said, as she placed the bowl in front of Mavis. Taking the spoon that was provided, Mavis then began sipping the soup. She was amazed at how delicious it was, and she felt warmer already, as she continued to eat, "So, what do you think happened with her?" Dana whispered to Tabby.
"I'm not sure. When Marina found her, it looked like she was in the water for quite a bit, and that injury to her head indicates she hit it somehow when she fell into the river. I'm just glad Marina found her when she did. Who knows how much worse her condition could've been if she was left in the water?" Tabby shuddered at the thought of how much worse off Mavis could've been.
"So, is this the girl?" The two Nymphs turned to see four more Nymphs approaching. One had red hair, and was wearing a grassy green bikini. The second was a chocolate colored woman with blue tribal markings on her face and her (thick) thighs. She wore a sky blue bikini, and had feathers in her hair and outfit. The third Nymph wore a breast plate and a loin cloth, and had orange hair. She was much taller than the others. The last one wore a seashell bra, with dark blue panties. She had darker blue hair.
"Yes Wanda. This is Mavis, our guest," Tabby said in a hushed voice, as not to make Mavis seem uncomfortable.
"She looks so undernourished," the armor wearing Nymph commented, seeing how scrawny Mavis was.
"But what I would like to know is what a human is doing in this world after so many centuries?" the darkest skinned Nymph wondered.
"This must be a result of an outside force," the red headed Nymph theorized, as Mavis finished her soup.
"I made enough for a second helping. Are you still hungry?" Dana asked, fluttering over to Mavis.
"I.... would like that. Thank you," Mavis replied. Normally, she wouldn't want to impose by asking for more food, but she oddly felt at ease around the Nymphs. Dana then took the bowl to go fill it back up.
"Mavis, there are some more of our sisters that I think you would like to meet," Tabby offered. Mavis then felt a tad nervous. It was nerve wracking for her just to be someplace new, surrounded by people she didn't know. but the Nymphs seemed like kind souls.
"Mavis, there are some more of our sisters that I think you would like to meet," Tabby offered. Mavis then felt a tad nervous. It was nerve wracking for her just to be someplace new, surrounded by people she didn't know. but the Nymphs seemed like kind souls. The Nymphs that Tabby and Dana were talking to fluttered over to her, "Mavis, these are some more of my sisters. There's Wanda, our Chief Nymph," Tabby motioned to the red headed Nymph, "Sky, the Music Nymph," she said, fluttering by the darkest skinned Nymph, "Marina, our resident Ocean Nymph," she said, introducing the seashell wearing Nymph, "And this is Daria, the Warrior Nymph," she said, fluttering around the tallest Nymph.
"It is a pleasure to meet all of you," Mavis said respectfully.
"And we return your greetings with the utmost respect. But, if I may be bold as to ask, where did you come from? Marina found you in the river, which led straight from the mountains," Wanda asked gingerly. Mavis began feeling uncomfortable, again, but the gentle presence of the Nymphs was not nearly as overwhelming, and made her feel more calm. Without going back to her life on Earth, she explained everything, from winding up at the Crystal Empire, being kidnapped by King Sombra, and her encounter with the Demon Bus. Needles to say, the Nymphs that were present were all shocked. Dana even dropped the bowl of soup when she heard everything Mavis told them.
"I certainly wasn't expecting Sombra to return after a thousand years," Marina commented.
"Well, at least the Crystal Empire is back, and has a new, benevolent ruler," Daria added.
"But what of this 'Demon Bus'? What even is it?" Tabby asked.
"It's this really evil ghost that's been stalking me for almost two years. It kills anyone that gets in it's way. Every foster family I've ever been sent to live with met their end because of the ghost," Mavis replied, cuddling closer to Dana, feeling scared about reliving her traumas.
"Hey now, you needn't worry about this Demon getting you here. Evil forces can't enter our Grotto," Dana reassured, holding her close. Mavis felt inferior to Dana, as she felt the Nymph's massive rack resting on her head.
"Well, we should at least inform the Princesses that you're safe. I'll write a message to them, telling them where you are," Wanda said, as she wrote a message down, and sent it with magic, "In the meantime, would you like to meet the rest of our sisters?" the Chief Nymph offered.
"Ok," Mavis replied. While she seemed to be fine on the outside, she was becoming increasingly worried when Cadence would arrived, and what the Princess would do.
Meanwhile, in Tartarus,
"For the last time, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT SOMBRA IS PLANNING!" Tirek roared, annoyed at the surprise interrogation, when the four Princesses, and their friends appeared in front of him.
"But Sombra was one of the biggest and baddest prisoners Tartarus had ever held! Surely you guys should've heard him say something?!" Pinkie Pie questioned.
"We wouldn't associate with that...… stallion if he was the last sentient creature on this planet!" Chrysalis countered. After their last failed attempt to conquer Equestria, the Royal Sisters and Discord used Grogar's Bell to strip both Tirek and Chrysalis of their magic powers, before banishing them to Tartarus, along with Cozy Glow.
"I hate to say it, but if Tirek and Chrysalis don't know what Sombra is up to, then they must not know," Twilight commented.
"Now that's the first sensible thing I've heard since we were imprisoned here!" Tirek complained, crossing his boney arms. Just then, a scroll materialized in front of Cadence.
"What could this be?" Cadence wondered, unfurling the scroll. Reading it, she had a look of relief and joy on her face, "Mavis has been found!" Cadence exclaimed.
"She has?!" Celestia exclaimed.
"YES! Just look at this message!" Cadence said, giving the scroll to her aunt. Celestia then began reading, as Luna, Tirek, and Chrysalis all looked over her shoulder. However, upon seeing who it was from, all four of them adopted the same exact expression of uncertainty.
"B-B-BUT THAT'S....!" Tirek yelled, sounding horrified.
"What is it? Is she in any kind of danger?" Twilight asked worriedly.
"No. If anything, she's safe from any and all kinds of danger. She's currently being cared for by the Nymphs," Celestia replied.
"And the Nymphs are?" Applejack asked.
"They are the most ancient creatures of this world. They're nature spirits who prefer to live natural lives, away from civilization, but..." Luna trailed off.
"But....?" Rarity quizzed.
"The last time we saw the Nymphs, well.... let's just say," Chrysalis began, an aura of pure dread forming around the four immortal creatures.
"Dammit legs, quit trembling!" Tirek yelled, slapping his legs.
"Just what kind of creatures are these Nymphs to make even Tirek so scared?" Fluttershy wondered, as they all tried imagining what the Nymphs were like. Images of giants, destroying mountains, spewing fire, or just wreaking havoc in general. Just then, Discord teleported in, looking quite pleased.
"Alright everypony, I do believe I have the whereabouts of where ol' Sombra took our new little friend," Discord said.
"You lot keep talking about this 'Mavis' character. Who is she?" Chrysalis asked.
"She's a human girl who's staying at the Crystal Empire under my care," Cadence replied. This came as a surprised to both Tirek and Chrysalis.
"A human in this day and age? I thought they went extinct eons ago?" Tirek commented.
"You mean humans once lived in Equestria?" Twilight asked.
"Yes. They built the first city in the land. It was ruled by a very young, very benevolent pharaoh. Humans possessed a magic that was in a league all of it's own, surpassing even Alicorn or Nymph magic," Tirek explained.
"Of course, thanks to Discord, they ended up being banished to another world, only to live on as mythical creatures," Chrysalis commented.
"What does she mean by that?" Fluttershy asked.
"Well, apart from the Pharaoh and his closest friends, I kind of, sort of, corrupted the minds of the humans, making their lust for power manifest. It was actually Starswirl the Bearded that was able to banish the humans," Discord explained sheepishly.
"We will have words about this later, but you said you were able to track Sombra down?" Twilight asked.
"Indeed. He took Mavis to the Eternal Night Mountains, one of the only places in Equestria permanently affected by Luna's little tantrum all those centuries ago," Discord explained, making Luna blush in embarrassment.
"Well, what are we waiting for?! We need to go help Mavis!" Cadence exclaimed.
"Since we need to take care of this quickly, I will handle Sombra," Discord volunteered, opening a portal to the mountains, which the Ponyville crew and their friends all entered, as the portal closed behind them.
"I'd say they'll last five minutes against the Nymphs," Chrysalis commented.
"I'll take those odds," Tirek commented.
"Are these 'Nymphs' really that bad?" Cozy Glow asked.
"More like scary," Tirek replied dreadfully.