"Who was supposed to be watching her?!"
Trixie’s indignant cry caused a frantic flurry of Returners to quickly draw their weapons and point them at the escaped prisoner. Spike, Zecora, and Sunset Shimmer in particular averted their eyes from Trixie’s sweeping glare.
“Please, we come in peace!” The self-proclaimed Luna sat back and raised her forelegs in a placating manner. “The foul magic that did consume us is no more. We merely seek thy help!”
“Oh, yeah?” Pinkie Pie countered. “If you’re a goody four-hooves now, where are my sisters?”
“Right here.”
All eyes raised up to see Maud, Limestone, and Marble Pie descend the Paradise's gangplank. The three crew members took positions next to Luna. Maud blinked. “We found her waiting for us yesterday when we came back to get the airship ready. She’s really nice once you get past the homicidal tendencies.”
Luna nodded rapidly. “TIS TRUE!”
The Returners dropped their weapons in favor of covering their ears. “Turn down the volume, lady!” Sunset shouted over the ringing in her head.
“Apologies.” Luna looked away, red faced. “We are still adjusting from our thousand year imprisonment. The Royal Voice was common when speaking to our subjects.”
Once she no longer heard bells clanging within her skull, Trixie walked forward, her sword held up. “How do we know that this isn’t a trick? That you won’t wipe us out when our guard is down?”
Luna sighed, her head hanging low. “We understand your hesitance. The wild magic that released me also corrupted me, making me a terrible pony. We don’t know if you can tell, but my magic is barely strong enough to lift a feather, let alone fight any of you.”
Trixie kept Luna in her peripheral vision, turning towards a particular colt in the group. “Can you tell if she’s lying, Spotter?”
Blinking at being singled out, Spotter pushed forward until he was able to see Luna completely. Shining Armor hovered over him, his horn ready to raise a shield at a moment’s notice. Swallowing, Spotter stared at the dark alicorn, his horn sparking. He narrowed his eyes, seemingly peering through Luna rather than at her. “I… sense that she’s very tired. I don’t get the same bad feeling like I did when she attacked us. Just tired.”
Trixie placed her full attention back on Luna. “I guess we’ll hear you out. What’s this about a sister?”
Luna sagged in relief. “There is much to say. Perhaps thou wouldst feel more at ease in thy flying vessel?”
.o.O.o.
Within minutes, the Returners escorted Luna to the main lounge of the Paradise. Despite Spotter’s analysis, they kept their weapons and spells at the ready. The group directed Luna to sit in the center, every pair of eyes fixed on her. Luna didn’t object.
“So then,” Trixie began as an opener. “Start talking.”
Luna closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “We are one of two ponies that used to rule the world. Our wisdom and powerful magic made us the prime choice to do so. So great was our power that we controlled the very sun and moon.”
“Wait,” Twilight interjected. “How could you do that? Why would you do that? The sun and moon work on their own.”
“They do now, but didn’t then. It was part of the sealing spell my sister and I cast when we attempted to end the War of the Magi once and for all.” Luna paused, collecting her thoughts.
A twinkle entered Twilight’s eyes. “Wait. This is sounding familiar. I know I read this somewhere…”
“We turned ourselves into statues, sealing up as much magic as we could to keep our foe contained for all time.”
“That’s it!” Twilight's sudden shout startled the ponies near her but she paid them no mind. “Oh. My. Gosh! You were one of the statues!”
Luna looked up at her, cocking her head. “Correct. We gave orders for the espers to hide us away so that there would be no chance for us to be disturbed.” She sighed. “It appeareth we ultimately failed.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Applejack said, her gaze growing distant. “Reckon it would still be working if Blueblood hadn’t stuck his snout where it wasn’t welcome.”
Twilight nodded. “Yes, the espers did what you told them, but some ponies were able to find you anyway. We… did our best to stop them, but it wasn’t enough.” Twilight looked away with downcast eyes.
“We see,” Luna said. “You have our sincerest gratitude. We haven’t failed to notice the cutie marks adorned on many of your flanks.” She stomped a hoof. “That accursed war still lingereth to this day.”
An uncomfortable silence followed, only broken by Trixie coughing into her hoof. “Let’s stay on track. How are you going to help us now?”
“Right.” Luna drew herself back up, regaining some semblance of imperial bearing. “We need to find my sister so that we can cast the sealing spell again. The creature we sealed up hath escaped and morphed into something potentially even more dangerous.”
“You mean Discord.”
“In our time, it went by the name Kaiser. But yes, that is whom we mean.”
“That’s who it was!”
Spotter’s horn sparked and Autumn Blaze lept out, smiling widely. “I’ve been racking my brain trying to remember that. Thanks!”
Luna regarded the newcomer, tilting her head. “And thou art?”
“Oh, sorry. Popping out like that is kinda my thing. I’m Autumn Blaze, Spotter’s esper.”
“We see.” Luna hummed thoughtfully, nodding her head. “It appeareth to be a most fruitful pairing. Congratulations.”
“Ahem,” Trixie said. “Your sister?”
“Yes, apologies. During your travels, have any of you encountered an alicorn like myself, but white, taller, and an aurora mane?”
The Returners looked among themselves, some shaking their head, shrugging, or verbally answering in the negative.
Luna sighed. “A pity. Though, perhaps fortunate, now that we think upon it. Her presence would undoubtedly draw Discord’s attention. I can only hope she isn’t in his clutches.” Frowning, she took in a deep breath. “There is one place she might be. Our home, the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters. Pray, tell us that it still exists.”
More murmurings passed through the Returners, though like before, no one had an affirmative answer. Luna’s face fell, laying herself onto the floor. “Then we are aimless.”
“Now hold on there, Lunie, don’t be moping on my ship.” Pinkie Pie walked up to her and propped the larger pony back into a sitting position. “The Paradise can travel the world like the wind. We’ll find your sis sooner or later.”
A hint of a smile graced Luna’s lips. “We thank thee.”
With that taken care of, Pinkie turned to Trixie. “Think that weird map of yours may have a clue?”
It took considerable effort on Trixie’s part not to smack the side of her own head. Settling on an awkward grimace, Trixie levitated out the map and spread it on the floor. “Trixie’s sure there was something like—”
“There.”
Trixie reared back as Sunset Shimmer’s hoof came out of nowhere to stab down on the map. Narrowing her eyes at the treatment of her magical relic, Trixie looked to where Sunset’s hoof was pointing. Next to Fillygaro Orchard, in big cursive letters, was written "Castle of the Two Pony Sisters".
Other ponies leaned over to get a look, Applejack grunting when she got to see. “What? There? Ain’t nuthin’ but desert for miles around them parts. I would know if some fancy castle showed up.”
“It’s there,” Sunset insisted.
Applejack gave her a sideways glance. “You okay, hon?”
Blinking, Sunset started, stepping away from the map. “Huh? Whu?” Shaking her head, Sunset let out a low growl. “I did it again, didn’t I?”
Luna regarded Sunset with a raised eyebrow. “Dost thou lapse into trances often?”
“No!” Sunset heaved out a breath, staring hatefully at the map. A chance glance at the room showed that everyone was staring at her. Blushing, she let out a long sigh. “Sorry. I don’t like it when that happens.”
Trixie scooped up her map before Sunset ended up incinerating it. “Okay, then if anyone else has any better ideas, we go to the spooky castle.”
Luna pouted. “‘Tis not ‘spooky’.”
“Trixie will be the judge of that. And I want at least three of us watching over you at all times. For all we know you could be another changeling or some sick joke left by Discord.” She stared hard at her fellow Returners. “And no slacking on the job this time!”
.o.O.o.
“Fillygaro! Dead ahead!”
The moment those words left Limestone’s mouth, Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Apple Bloom rushed to the railings. Looking out over the expanse of desert speeding below them, they spotted a tiny black dot in the distance. The dot grew larger with each passing second, details becoming clearer the closer they got. Soon, the dot became a vibrant green, totally at odds with the dry sands surrounding it. Fillygaro’s stone ramparts came into view, circling around a small forest kept fertilized and watered by the complex irrigation system hidden underneath. As the Paradise began to circle the orchard, ponies below whooped and hollered.
“Howdy, y’all!” Applejack called down to them, waving a hoof. Next to her, Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom added to the welcoming cries. Turning towards Pinkie Pie, Applejack hollered, “Get us as low as ya can!”
Pinkie Pie saluted. “Roger!” With a deft hoof, Pinkie lowered the Paradise until it was a mere hundred hooves above the orchard. “Lower the ladders!”
Limestone, Maud, and Marble Pie rushed to fulfill the order, throwing rolled up rope ladders over the side. They unfurled far enough for a pony to climb down and hop onto Fillgaro’s highest towers. The Apples were the first to start the trip down, everypony else waiting their turn.
“You ready, Rainbow Dash?” Trixie asked as she joined the line.
Rainbow Dash gave a crisp salute. “Ready and willing!” She sprang over to where Derpy and Fluttershy stood next to a fidgeting Luna.
“This is undignified,” Luna grumbled.
“Hey, if you wanna take the chance to fly, be my guest,” Rainbow Dash said as she took her position.
Luna huffed but offered no resistance as the three pegasi grabbed hold of the alicorn and hoisted her up into the air. Letting out a girlish squeal, Luna was slowly brought down to the orchard. There, the flying ponies set her down on solid stone with the rest of the Returners. Luna’s knees wobbled a few seconds before regaining her poise. “Thou shalt never speak of this again.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes then immediately covered her face as Umaro landed next to her, his impact throwing up crushed rock and masonry. “Careful! You almost squashed me you… sasquatch!”
The yeti shook himself, bits of sand and pebbles raining off from his thick hair. “Desert hot. Not good for Umaro. Going down where it's cool.” So saying, he jumped off the wall they were standing on to land somewhere in the thick trees of the orchard.
“Jeeze, that guy is something else.” Shrugging off the encounter, Rainbow Dash pointed Luna and the others to the stairs leading down. “Trixie said to meet in the throne room, so let’s get going.” Keeping one eye on Luna and the other straight ahead, Rainbow Dash led them further down.
Soon, all the Returners that had disembarked from the airship stood mingling in Fillygaro’s seats of power. Applejack sat in the left throne while Big Macintosh had taken the right. The big stallion squirmed in his throne, twisting and readjusting to try to fit in it.
“Sorry, Big Mac,” Applejack said, trying and failing to contain a smirk. “Looks like we’re gonna need to get that resized for ya.”
“Eeyup.”
“I could think up a potion for you to grow smaller,” Apple Bloom offered.
“Nope!”
“Aww…”
The sound of clapping hooves from just below the thrones drew the room's attention. “Okay, let’s get this started,” Trixie said. “We need to decide who’s going and staying.” Her eyes fell on Luna. “Trixie assumes you’ll be coming.”
Luna nodded. “Thou assum'st correctly.”
“You’ll be with me, then. Who else is going?”
To the surprise of no one, Sunset Shimmer raised a hoof. “If there’s something down there that can tell me anything about my past, I want to find it.”
Twilight laid a hoof over her shoulders. “Don’t worry, I’ll help.”
“Thanks.”
Spike came up next to Twilight, puffing out his chest. “Count me in.”
“I’m definitely coming!” Rainbow Dash swooped up, grinning widely. “A long lost moldy castle from the War of the Magi? There’s gotta be some awesome treasure down there.”
Luna’s eyes flashed briefly. “Do not defile our home.” She turned away and pouted. “And ‘tis not ‘moldy’.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Anyone else!” Trixie raised her voice to stop a potential argument.
Applejack looked to Big Macintosh, the two sharing a silent conversation, then nodded as one. “We’ll be staying here. Mac and I will work with the engineers to move the Orchard so you guys can get in.”
“And I wanna show Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo around!” Apple Bloom added in.
Zecora stepped forward and bowed. “To help my village recover from their stone sleep, I would like to explore this realm of the deep.”
“Sounds fun!” Derpy flew up, sprawling her hooves wide.
When on one else spoke up, Trixie said, “Then it’s settled. The rest of you help Applejack and—”
The throne room doors flew open, Umaro trudging his way in. “Still hot.”
Derpy smiled and flew up to him. “Good timing! We’re gonna go way down underground. I’m sure it’ll be cool there.”
Umaro brought a hand to his chin and rubbed it thoughtfully. “Good. Will come.”
“Heaven and stars help me,” Trixie muttered. “Fine. As soon as this place is ready to move, we’re heading out. Be ready.”
.o.O.o.
Moving Fillygaro Orchard was normally a seamless and uneventful journey due to the rail system designed to keep it on track. Maneuvering it so that it came as close to the spot on Trixie’s map was another matter entirely.
“The engineers say we drifted too far again,” Applejack reported from her spot in the control room.
“Fillygaro wasn’t made to stop on a dime,” Big Macintosh said, looking over the display readings.
“Right.” Sighing, Applejack tapped a glowing needle set in her hair just above her ear. “We’re still off. Sit tight while we try again.”
“Forget it,” came Trixie’s voice from the needle. “We’ll just walk.”
“But you’ve got a mile from here to the castle.”
“By the time you get it right, we could have been there and back. Just let us off and be ready to pick us up when we get back.”
Frowning, Applejack turned to Big Macintosh. “Think that’s a good idea?”
“Nope, but it may be our only one.”
“Great. Alright Trixie, head towards the main entrance.”
.o.O.o.
Trixie stabbed her needle into the back of her cape and faced the gathered Returners. “They’re going to let us off. We’re going to need to walk there and back so last chance to back out.” No one spoke up, drawing a tiny smirk. “Then let’s go.”
The Returners made their way to the main entrance, the Orchard workers opening the doors for them the moment they arrived. Being within a tunnel rather than directly within dirt, the ponies stepped out into a wide open space rather than being blocked by earth. The air was humid but cool, Umaro grunting his approval. Electric lights from the Orchard illuminated multiple caverns stretching on into darkness.
Trixie levitated up her map. “Stay close. Who knows what’s down here and we could easily get lost. This way.” Taking the lead, Trixie headed off down one of the dozens of caverns worn down by water throughout the millennia.
The unicorns lit their horns once the Orchard’s lights no longer reached them. Luna tried to as well but only a few sparks sprung from her horn. “Intolerable.”
“Hey, no magic from you or Trixie will drain you of what you have left,” the general warned.
“Ah, ease up, would ya?” Rainbow Dash said. “She can barely walk let alone cast anything.”
Luna frowned. “Thank you, but we do not need thee defending us.”
“Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask. What’s with the weird way you talk?”
“We don’t know what thou mean'st.”
“That!” Rainbow Dash pointed accusingly. “The ‘we’ and ‘us’. Also, the ‘thees’ and ‘thous’. I’ve only ever heard Pinkie’s parents talk like that.”
“Then they are sophisticated ponies to be sure. But to answer your question, our speech is the proper way to address our subjects. Tis the ‘Royal We’ as our followers call it.”
“So your sister would be the other ‘we’?” Twilight asked.
“Verily.”
Any further conversation halted as Umaro stopped and gave a low growl. He pointed further down the tunnel they had been traveling. “Monsters. Coming.”
The Returners drew their weapons just as slug and goblin monsters came into their horn light. Without preamble, they screeched and charged at the intruders to their domain.
.o.O.o.
Minutes later, a pile of dead bodies and bloody swords remained after the battle.
“Keep alert,” Trixie said as she cleaned off her blade. “Trixie is sure there will be more of them.”
Zecora waved them on. “The back I will take so that there will be no mistake.”
Nodding, Trixie continued down the cave, the rest following. Trixie’s premonition proved correct, more monsters sliding or crawling out of dens carved into the caverns. Their presence merely slowed the Returners down as the proper application of magic and sharp weapons dealt with them quickly. Keeping within the middle of the Returner pack, Luna could only watch as they cut through the denizens of the deep as they continued on.
“We must say, we are impressed by your skill. Nary a scratch on any of you. Your prowess matches that of the Pillars. It maketh us hopeful that Discord’s threat will be over soon.”
“That makes two of us,” Twilight said. She sighed as she wiped off Ragnarok and sheathed it. “I’d rather be reading in a corner at a library.”
“It is fortuitous then!” Luna graced her with a smile. “Our home hath the most extensive library in the world.”
Rainbow Dash made a face. “Boring.”
“Oh, hush,” Twilight admonished. She turned back to Luna with hopeful eyes. “What kind of subjects?”
“All sorts, from magic, to old legends. 'Twas a delightful way to spend time when not governing.”
Twilight, unable to contain herself, hopped in the air. “I can’t wait then!” Her gait slowed as she gained a thoughtful look. “Who are the Pillars?”
“Great warriors and leaders that spearheaded the fight against Kaiser.” Luna heaved a deep sigh. “Alas, they would all be long dead by now.”
With more urgency in their step, the Returners continued on through the underground tunnels. Trixie’s map showed the location to be getting closer, prompting them to look for anything that seemed unnatural in the smooth, water swept caves. Their search came to an end as the path they traveled turned slightly upwards, opening up into a cavern so large their horn lights couldn’t reach the ceiling. The tips of stalactites could be seen poking through the darkness, like teeth about to devour anything beneath it. However, the lights did illuminate the gargantuan castle that occupied the base of the cavern.
The Castle of the Two Sisters both rose high with tall spires and sat low as most of its walls had crumbled during the millennia. Composed entirely of stone masonry, the castle was slowly being eaten away by small trickles of water that wormed its way through cracks and tiny abrasions. Despite the dilapidated appearance, the castle still held a grand presence, hinting at its once glorious past.
Luna gazed upon it, her eyes heavy with emotion. She forcibly tore herself away from the sight, rubbing a hoof harshly against her eyelids. The Returners tactfully didn’t comment.
Just as the group made to move, Sunset Shimmer stepped forward, her eyes glued to the castle.
“Sunset?” Twilight called out to her, but the other pony didn’t respond.
“A battle was waged here…” Sunset said aloud, though to no one in particular. She stopped when she reached a collapsed bridge that once led into the main castle doors. “Over a thousand years ago. A last stand against Kaiser’s forces…”
“Sunset!”
Sunset started, her gaze coming back into focus. She gasped and quickly backed away towards the others. “Smack me if I do that again!”
At a loss for words at Sunset’s behavior, Trixie turned to Luna. “Where to?”
Luna eyed Sunset curiously before answering. “We start in the main hall. This way.” Taking the lead this time, Luna carefully stepped over the shallow creek that the bridge had once arched across. The Returners trailed behind, keeping an eye out for anything that didn’t want them there. Several times they had to stop to maneuver around fallen debris, but after the third time, Umaro began shoving heavy stone and boulders out of the way.
“I like your gusto, but you may want to make sure you don’t bring the rest of the place down on us,” Spike said as the ancient castle seemed to groan under its own weight.
Umaro grunted, but did start taking more care of what he moved. A few minutes later and the Returners finally pushed through the wreckage to enter into the castle itself. They found themselves within a passage that back in its prime would have been an impressive site. Instead, ragged and tattered banners hung from the walls and ceilings, many almost completely decomposed. A grand staircase that was once lined with gold trimming and red carpets was now a rusted pile covered in mold. Statues of pony armor lay strewn and discarded next to their crumbled pedestals.
Luna hiccuped against her will.
“The march of time has not been kind to this place,” Zecora commented. She poked at some of the rusted armor and frowned as her mere touch was enough for it to collapse in on itself. “Not too much longer and it will be gone without a trace.”
“Then let's get what we need before it falls on top of us.” Trixie gave a pointed look at Luna. “Are you going to be able to keep it together?”
Face contorting into a scowl, Luna walked on. “We do not like thy tone.” She headed up the staircase, mindful of her step. Trixie and the others followed.
At the top, a set of heavy double iron doors blocked their way. Covered in rust, it didn’t take Umaro much to push them open, but the high-pitched squeal of the hinges protested otherwise. The sound echoed deep into the castle and it took several seconds before the ambient silence returned. Beyond the doors lay a large conference hall and it was as equally dilapidated as everywhere else they had been. The broken pieces of statues and stained glass windows littered the floor along with parts of the ceiling. The stone walls were cracked or crumbling, barely holding up the weight above them.
The room did have one unique feature that the Returners hadn’t seen yet, though. Two thrones sat on a raised dais, one golden and one silver in color. The golden seat had a seal of a sun carved into it while the silver one was adorned with a moon. Both were equal in size and didn’t appear to be damaged in any way. They were as pristine looking as though they had just recently been sculpted.
Standing before the thrones were a pair of statues facing the entrance, one of a pony decked out in combat armor and the other of an armored human riding a horse with more than four legs. Both were fully intact like the seats behind them and both sported combat ready stances. The human had a large scimitar raised to attack while the pony reared up on its hind legs as though to strike out at anything near it. As the Returners journeyed closer however, there was one blemish to the otherwise flawless sculptures. The pony depicted was a unicorn mare, her horn broken off.
Luna stopped and stood in front of the mare, its size nearly as large as herself. “Tempest Shadow. To this day thou still guardest our home.” Her gaze shifted to the horse and human. “And Odin, our realm’s greatest ally.”
Zecora came up next to Luna, studying the statues intently. “Am I to assume they were once flesh and bone before they were turned to stone?”
“Verily. They elected to stay behind and draw attention to Kaiser’s forces while the rest of us fled. 'Twas a dark day that saw many a good pony and esper perish.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, slowly letting it out through her nostrils. She raised a hoof and traced out a pattern into the air that the others didn’t recognize. Luna mumbled some words under her breath before nodding and opening her eyes again. “Fare thee well in the next life.” She turned, drawing back at the stares the Returners were giving her. “What?”
“What was that all about?” Rainbow Dash asked, waving a hoof at the statues.
Luna’s cheeks puffed out in indignation. “Thou dost not recognize a marriage blessing when thou seest it?”
“WHAT?!”
The combined cry was louder than the rusted doors.
Wincing from the force to her ears, Luna idly wondered if the Royal Voice sounded like that on the receiving end. “Yes, they were due to marry before this terrible tragedy unfolded. I was asked to preside over it.”
Twilight directed her stare to the two petrified guardians, her eyes roving from one to the other. “They were… in love? A pony… and an esper?”
Luna nodded. “Yes. It was very unconventional, but the two were inseparable. My sister and I encouraged it, thinking it would help bridge the gap between ponies and espers. We were once all the same so what doth it matter?” Still seeing the stunned looks, she shook her head and walked towards them. “We don’t have time to explain. There should be an entrance nearby that leadeth into the library. Look for a switch to open it.”
That got Rainbow Dash’s attention. “Really? You guys built secret entrances and booby traps into this place?”
A light blush flushed over Luna’s muzzle. She looked away awkwardly. “In our… youth… my sister and I liked to play pranks. It drove Star Swirl mad but kept us amused.”
“That’s awesome!” Rainbow Dash flew up into the air, already sweeping her gaze over the hall. “This is what I was born for. I’ll find all your little buttons and knobs before anypony—”
“Like this one?” came Derpy’s voice off to the side. She pointed to a small indent in the floor only a few steps away from the thrones.
“Pshaw.” Rainbow Dash waved her off. “Yeah, c’mon, it wouldn’t be that easy.”
“That’s the one,” Luna confirmed.
Rainbow Dash visibly deflated. She dropped back down to the floor, folding her legs and pouting. “Beginner’s luck.”
Twilight reached over and patted her on the back. “Don’t worry, I’m sure there’s more secrets to find.”
Doing the honors, Derpy pressed a feather down into the indentation. Something clicked and a loud noise and a small tremor rocked the castle.
“Come, we are nearly there,” Luna intoned, heading towards an arched exit behind the thrones. Leaving the main hall and the silent but brave guardians behind, Luna led them through a wide hallway that didn’t bear any fancy decorations or flair. In fact, it appeared that anything that wasn’t directly built into the walls had been stripped down, leaving little trace other than some strips of deteriorating cloth and rubble.
“If I was a betting mare, and if I’m ever in Chozo I could be, I’d say somepony got here before we did,” Rainbow Dash said. “And whoever it was wasn’t being careful.”
“Got some experience in that area, don’t we Dash?” Trixie said teasingly.
“Hey, I’m totally legit! If I break something it won’t sell, so I only take what I can carry. I have respect for old stuff.”
“As long as the price is right.”
“You wanna talk right and wrong? How about when you stabbed the guy that gave you that sword?”
“You would have done the same thing!”
“More Rarity’s thing, but hey, as long as the price was right.”
“ENOUGH!” Luna’s Royal Voice shouted above the pair’s bickering and nearly deafened everyone around her. “You squabble like foals!”
Spike patted one side of his head as though trying to dislodge sand. Once he was certain he could speak without shouting, he said, “Actually, they’ve been pretty well behaved lately. Must have been bottled up.”
“Whatever it is, it stoppeth now,” Luna said with authority. She continued on as though the conversation was over.
Trixie watched her go with narrowed eyes. “Just remember who’s in charge here! And I’m going to find a way to runic that voice to shut you up!” Huffing, she stomped after Luna, the rest sharing a glance before following.
They didn't have to travel far when Luna took a passage off the hallway that led downward. A set of stairs descended into a large room, horn light illuminating rows and rows of empty stone shelves. Broken and petrified wood was all that remained of any furniture. In the far corner of the room was another stairway that led further down.
Luna took in the scene with a slack jaw. “Where… where are all the tomes?”
The Returners filed in, spreading out and searching the area. It didn’t take long for one of them to notice a recurring detail.
“There are claw marks all over everything,” Derpy said, pointing a hoof over the floor and shelves. Deep, parallel grooves littered the places she highlighted. “And they don’t look like any monster or animal I’ve ever seen.”
“Do you think whatever it was took the books?” Rainbow Dash asked the group.
“Maybe. But I can tell you one thing.” Derpy hopped over to the stairs leading down. “The marks came from and then went back down here.”
Derpy’s words knocked Luna out of her catatonic state. “Impossible. Those stairs are sealed unless the button from the throne room is pressed.”
Shrugging, Derpy said, “Hey, I’m just telling you what I see.”
Sunset growled under her throat, unsheathing her sword. “Then we go down there and kick the flank out of whatever did this.” She bolted down the stairs without waiting for a response.
Trixie sighed and shook her head. “After her before she ends up killed.”
One by one the Returners descended the staircase, each readying their weapons. The path wasn’t long, leading into a room the size of the throne room. A dull-bluish light emanated from the far end of the room, illuminating a treasure hoard that stretched from wall to wall. Coins, gems, and discarded books made up the pile, with several murals and vases thrown in haphazardly. A whole castle’s worth of treasure crammed into one room.
A distant memory tickled the back of Spike’s mind. “Uh, I think I’ve seen something like this before. It didn’t end well.” His eyes followed the mound of treasure to the back of the room, quickly spotting the source of the blue light. “Yep, we’re definitely in for it.”
Laying atop the piled up treasure, its scales giving off a pale blue glow, was a coiled up, serpentine dragon. A mane of rigid dark blue hair with streaks of white stuck out of the back of its head. Two stubby arms located several hoof lengths from its head idly pawed at the treasure beneath them. The tip of the tail twitched, jingling coins with every movement. The mouth was beaked shaped, a long red tongue occasionally flickering out.
Derpy leaned over to Trixie and whispered, “Maybe if we’re quiet it won’t notice us.”
“I’ve heard everything you’ve done since stepping into my domain.” The dragon cracked open an eye, lazily sweeping it across the intruders. “You’re louder than my dimwit brother, the Dirt Dragon, and he at least has the courtesy to knock first.” The dragon sighed and raised itself up from the treasure, yawning and showing off an impressive set of teeth. “How’d you even get here?”
Luna and Sunset both stepped forward, pointing at the dragon and saying in unison, “Vile creature! Begone from our home!” The two blinked and stared at each other.
A chuckle escaped from the dragon. “Your home? You’ve got it all backwards. I’ve lived here for over a thousand years.”
“And I was here before that!” Luna countered. “We designed this castle with our own hooves. And now you sit upon my property with your despicable hide!”
The dragon snorted, crawling its way down the treasure pile and disturbing the delicate items with every step. “Ever hear of squatter’s rights? I think this more than qualifies.”
“The squatter has to defend the right if challenged.” Sunset leveled the Ultima Weapon up at the dragon’s snout. “We challenge.”
Quirking an eyebrow and smirking, the dragon said, “Accepted. Prepare to face the might of the Blue Dragon!” It roared and slithered towards them faster than they were prepared for. Its tail lashed out, catching half of them in the side and flinging them away like toys. The tail whipped out again, but Umaro caught it and held fast.
With the dragon distracted, the Returners still in the fight rushed forward. Rainbow Dash came down, slashing at the Blue Dragon’s head. It rose to snap at her but a fireball to the chin sent it reeling back. The opening gave time for Zecora and Sunset to dart in and hack away at the underside of the beast. The Blue Dragon roared and spewed highly pressurized water from its mouth, knocking Umaro away and freeing its tail.
“You’ve got more bite than I expected,” the Blue Dragon said, rubbing its chin. It grinned. “This will be fun.”
As the fight raged, Trixie and Twilight got busy healing themselves and the others caught by the tail attack. Just as they were satisfied and ready to join the melee, Luna reached out and grabbed Trixie by the cape. “The books! Save the books!”
Trixie let out a put-upon sigh. “As if we don’t have enough problems already.” She yanked her cape from Luna’s grasp. “Twilight, see if you can gather them up. Luna, find a corner and stay low. Spike and Derpy, you’re with me.” Her orders given, she charged into the fray.
Twilight silently thanked the stars and set about her new task.
Fresh reinforcements came in, Trixie joining Sunset and Zecora with her own sword while Derpy and Spike went high. Spike, with his newly sprouted wings, spewed breath attacks at the dragon’s head, giving Derpy openings to shock the monster with a plethora of lightning strikes. Umaro also rejoined the fray, body checking the colossal dragon in the side and sending it reeling. The Blue Dragon, now surrounded, let out a piercing roar that flattened the ears of the ponies and stopped their assault.
“Okay, since when did mongrels like you get so strong?” The Blue Dragon asked no one in particular. It slithered back towards the rear of the room, facing all of its assailants at once. “No matter, as this will deal with you all.” It rose off the ground, even though it didn’t have wings, and thrust out its tiny arms. “Clean Sweep!”
A rush of water materialized out of thin air behind the Blue Dragon, crashing through the treasure trove and rushing towards the Returners. With only seconds to act, Trixie and Spike cast ice spells against the oncoming deluge, freezing half of it before it could reach them. Zecora twirled her sword, creating a shock of hot air that evaporated most of the remaining water. Umaro gathered up the others and turned against the rest of the flood, his powerful body taking the brunt of the water but keeping the ponies safe. He grunted and fell to his knees, dropping his precious cargo to the floor. Twilight quickly rejuvenated him with a healing spell.
The Blue Dragon stared at them, each of its opponents still alive and well. “What… how is this possible?”
Spike flew up to it, his arms crossed and giving a smug look. “Ha! You’re the easiest dragon we’ve dealt with so far! Even your other siblings put up more of a fight than—”
A glob of gunk impacted his face from the Blue Dragon’s spit. It grinned. “You were saying?”
Muffled cries came from Spike’s covered face. He fell to the floor, tearing at the goop stuck to him but unable to pry it off.
“Spike!” Twilight ran up to him, her voice quavering. “Spike! Are you okay?”
Spike turned towards her voice, frantically clawing at his face. “Get it off!” he managed to get out through the covering, though it was like he was speaking underwater. “I can’t stand it!”
“Hold on, Spike!” With desperate energy, Twilight shot a fireball directly at his face. The spell engulfed his head, knocking him back. “Oh no, Spike!”
The tiny dragon wobbled to his feet. To Twilight’s immense relief the fire dissipated along with the spit covering him. She grabbed him up and looked him over like a fussy mom. “Spike, speak to me! Are you alright? Were you suffocating?”
“My nose itched.” Spike raised a claw and scratched the spot that had tormented him.
Twilight smacked him over the head. “Don’t ever scare me like that again!” Heaving a relieved sigh, she put him down. Face contorted with fury, she looked up at the beast that had done this to her best friend.
She and the rest of the Returners blinked. The Blue Dragon was on its side, laughing its scales off. It rolled around on its treasure, completely oblivious to them. Its laughter died down enough for it to look at Spike, then immediately erupted into a second wave. The Blue Dragon pounded the pile and held its side, gasping for breath.
The Returners stared, too flummoxed to attack.
After a minute of continuous laughter, the Blue Dragon finally managed to keep its mirth under control. With tears streaming down its snout, it let out a sigh. “Oh, you guys are too much.” Water leaked out of its mouth, but instead of heading towards the Returners, it cocooned the Blue Dragon. With a ripple of power, the cocoon shrunk down until it was no larger than Umaro. The aqua container began cracking like an egg, shattering and releasing a form that dropped down to the treasure hoard.
The new body was blue, but unlike the serpentine form it once wore, the Blue Dragon was now a bipedal creature like Spike. Two white horns curled around the head and a set of wings flared out from its back. Taller, brawnier, and with a more pronounced snout, the Blue Dragon flexed its arms and grinned down at the Returners. “There, that’ll do,” it said in a much more feminine voice.
Spike cocked his head, scratching his green spines. “Wha? What’s going on?”
A giggle escaped from the Blue Dragon. “Why so shocked? You didn’t think I could get around this place at my normal size, did you? How else would I carry all this stuff down here?
“But anyway, I’ve decided to let you live. That was the most fun I’ve had in over a millennium. Kinda boring down here, if you know what I mean.” The Blue Dragon thrust a clawed thumb at her chest. “I go by Ember in this form, by the way.”
Spike’s head cocked the other way. “You use water, but your name is Ember?”
“You got a problem with that?” A hacking sound came from the back of Ember’s throat.
“Nope!” Spike threw up his arms defensively.
“Good, because otherwise I wouldn’t give you this.” Ember clasped her claws together, then slowly spread them out. Streams of water gathered between them, forming a sapphire. With a wave of her hand, she sent it towards Spike, stopping in front of him. “I’m sure that’s what you’re looking for. I sensed my brothers’ and sister’s powers in you the moment you got here.”
Rubbing his arms, Spike said, “Well, not particularly, but I’m not gonna say no.” His mouth watering, Spike grabbed the sapphire and gobbled it down, followed by a burp. He sighed and rubbed his belly. “Wow, that never gets old.”
Smirking, Ember turned to the other Returners who watched on. “So, since I’m in a good mood, what else do you need?”
Trixie walked forward, keeping her sword at the ready. “Why help us? We’re here to find a way to stop Discord.”
“Good. That… thing may have been my master once, but it has to go. He nearly dried me out by turning all the water around here to sand and only turned it back when he got bored.” Ember scowled and slammed a fist into her palm. “Any enemy of his is an ally to me. So I ask again: what do you need?”
.o.O.o.
Twilight, Sunset, and Luna sat within the library a few minutes later, each eagerly devouring the books Twilight managed to save. Despite the messy battle with the Blue Dragon, there was a sizable stack of them that would take hours to go through. Trixie and Rainbow Dash were already communicating with Applejack using Rarity’s needles to coordinate their safe transport. Derpy, Zecora, and Umaro were down below, sifting through the treasure trove for anything useful.
“So…” Spike said as an opener. He and Ember were helping the latter group with sorting out the treasure, Spike shifting from one leg to the other. “Uh…”
“You’re going to swallow a slug with how wide your mouth is,” Ember warned. She grabbed a rusted pony helmet, shrugged, then tossed it in a growing pile of junk. “Just say what you want to say.”
“Ah, right. I mean… what’s the deal with you and the other dragons?”
“What’s there to get? We all live in our own spot in the world, waiting for the time our master returns.”
“Yeah, but that’s the thing. Discord is your master now. What are you gonna do once he’s gone?”
Ember didn’t reply immediately. She busied herself with pushing aside mounds of gil and gems, occasionally putting something aside that looked interesting. “Don’t know, kid. I guess I’ll deal with that once I get there.” She stopped in her sorting and stood up, rubbing her chin. “I suppose there’s one thing I can tell you, though. Our master once said that he managed to seal away a power that could remake the world. He wasn’t strong enough to contain it on his own, so he created us to help with the seal.” Shrugging, she went back to her task.
Spike waited for her to go on. When Ember didn’t, he said, “And then?”
“He didn’t really tell us much more after that. He was kinda a jerk in that way.”
“Seems like something that could remake the world would be a big deal to know about.”
Further conversation was cut off as Umaro suddenly stood up from his spot in the room, yelling and holding up something in his hand. “Ungahaa!”
“Unga what?” Derpy asked.
Umaro lowered his hand, displaying his find. A deep blue orb rested there, its core a swirling mass of clouds.
Derpy cocked her head. “What is it?”
The sound of hooves against stone from above stopped any answer. The rest of the Returners and Luna rushed into the room. “We heard yelling,” Trixie said. “What’s going on?”
Zecora waved her hooves in a placating manner. “No need to fear. Our fellow yeti just found a unique relic, my dear.”
“Oh really?” Rainbow Dash eagerly swooped up next to Umaro. “Whatcha got?”
Umaro held out his palm for all to see, his squashed face beaming.
Luna hummed thoughtfully. “If we were to guess, that looks like something Star Swirl created. He would often leave his experiments laying around like a child would a toy. Clover the Clever spent most of his time picking up after him.”
“Nice find!” Rainbow Dash nudged him in the shoulder.
“You guys find anything?” Spike asked, now that the excitement was over.
Twilight shook her head. “Lots of interesting history but nothing on that sealing magic.” She turned to confirm with Luna, but noticed a missing pony amongst them. “Uh, didn’t Sunset come down with us?”
There was no sign of the fiery maned unicorn, prompting the party to head back into the library. Their search was short lived as Sunset was seated where they left her at a stone table. Her face was glued to a book, her mouth hung low and eyes wide.
Walking up to her, Twilight shook Sunset lightly. “Hey, you okay? Did you find something?”
Sunset didn’t respond. She continued to stare at the open book.
Twilight frowned and looked at what she was reading. The book was open to a page lacking text, but a symbol of a sun was emblazoned there. “What’s that?”
Taking a position opposite them, Luna managed to glimpse what had Sunset so engrossed. She signed and looked away. “That is our sister’s cutie mark.”
“Celestia…”
Luna and Twilight snapped their attention back on Sunset. The unicorn was shaking.
“Sunset, what’s wrong?”
“How dost thou know that name?” Luna rounded the other side of the table to stand next to Sunset. “We've never spoken of it.”
As though the book would attack her, Sunset screeched and backed away against the wall. Her breaths came short and quick but her eyes never left the page. “Celestia! I’m…” Sunset howled again, grabbing her head in her hooves and collapsing to the floor.
Twilight was at her side in an instant. She pushed away Sunset’s hooves, grasping her head and forcing her to face Twilight. “Sunset! Look at me! You’re safe. Please, breathe.”
The soothing sounds settled Sunset down enough that her eyes came back into focus. She still trembled, as though any little thing might set her off. “I… Twilight…”
“I’m here. I’m here. Keep looking at me. I’m here.” Twilight kept up her gentle mantra, risking raising a hoof to stroke Sunset’s mane. The pony in her hooves took deeper and more measured breaths. “That’s right. Just relax. Whatever it is, we’ll get through it.”
Twilight felt the presence of another pony next to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luna sit down and stare at Sunset. “Sister…”
Sunset broke eye contact with Twilight, looking up at the awe-filled eyes of Luna. “Dear… sister?”
“Celestia!” Luna cried and threw her hooves around Sunset, tears streaming down her muzzle. “Oh, we were so scared you were lost.”
“Luna…” Now calm, Sunset gently extracted herself from Twilight and returned Luna’s embrace. “Yes. It is me. We missed you, too.” Sunset reached out and brought Twilight into the hug. “Thank you, Twilight.”
Watching on with looks ranging from elated to confused, the Returners and one Chaos Dragon settled for giving the ponies their space.
A sound began to build around them. It came from everywhere and nowhere at once. The Returners looked around but could not find the source. However, they easily identified what it was.
Laughter.
The mad cackling grew louder, drawing the trio of huddled ponies’ attention. Soon the maniacal laugh filled the room, followed by a flash of light. Discord hung in the air above them, holding his sides as he guffawed with wild abandon. “You… you…” He managed to get his laughter under control to look at Sunset, then relapsed.
“Trixie fails to see what’s so funny!” Trixie withdrew Save the Queen, her horn lighting up next.
“You… I… No idea!” Discord managed to get out between chuckles. He wiped his eye with an eagle claw and sighed. “Oh, this is too rich.”
With a twist, he positioned himself to leer down on Twilight, Luna, and Sunset. Two mismatched hands wrapped their fingers together. Discord's grin no longer contained any mirth, just barely contained malice. “Hello, Celestia. We meet again.”