"Hello, my little friends. I am Discord, everyone's favorite spirit of chaos. Well, I use to be. Now, I am 100% reformed. Last time, I was given a very important task by someone I…shouldn't mention by name or else she will…hang on."

(takes out a piece of paper and reads it with reading glasses)

"Hunt me down like the little weasel I am, and once I'm caught she will rip out my eyes and shove them down my throat sow I can see her tear my carcass wide open. Oh, wait! Sorry, that was the script for another story. Here it is!--She will tell everyone my actual name. AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

(Throws paper away)

"Okay, um, I believe I've delayed long enough. So, many of you might know of the story about how Avatar Korra and the Mane Six came together, and…wait, you don't know? You haven't read the story? Well, go on ahead. I'll wait.

…………………

Wow, back so soon? You guys are fast readers. Okay, now that you are up to speed, here we will be talking about the adventures Korra and the Ponies had after Amon was defeated.

Back when the girls had yet to uncover the mystery behind the Rainbow Chest, the team headed out to the old castle of the two pony sisters Celestia and Luna. However, while there, they uncovered a bit more than what they were looking for."

Princess Twilight Sparkle groaned loudly as she slammed the book shut and tossed it to the wall, nearly missing Spike's head. The little dragon was dusting while wearing his pink apron and looked at his friend with concern.

"Ugh, I've gone through every book in Ponyville, Spike, and there isn't a single mention of the mysterious chest that came from the Tree of Harmony, nor anything about keys to unlock it!"

Twilight outstretched her hooves, showing the tall piles of books around her room, showcasing she had been searching non-stop. She had gone through the same thing before when trying to uncover the mysterious book which eventually led them to travel to Republic City and meet Avatar Korra.

"Ow!" The female Avatar had hit her head against the ceiling. While the house still allowed her to enter, she still needed to squat a bit due to her much taller size. Thankfully, Twilight's home was much bigger.

"Hey, Twilly. Whoa, what happened in here?" she asked, looking at all of the books.

"Again? You've been at it for weeks now. You missed out, last weekend Mako babysat the Cutie Mark Crusaders and, well let's just say things got crazy."

"I'm sorry I've been out of sorts for a while," said Twilight, "But I can't stop thinking about what that box holds. And don't tell me you're not curious," she said as she hovered next to another pile of books, flapping her alicorn wings.

"But if the library in Canterlot doesn't have anything, I-I don't know where else to look!"

The pile of books began to shake and tumble, landing on Spike, who yelped from the impact. Korra removed the books from his head, and the dragon then belched, allowing a letter to appear from his dragon's fire. Twilight levitated the letter and started reading. It was from Celestia.

"My dearest Twilight, while it would be perfectly lovely to have you in Canterlot once more, I have another option in mind much closer to Ponyville."

Korra read the rest, "As you know, the ancient castle that I once shared with Princess Luna lies mostly in ruins, deep in the Everfree Forest. But if you look carefully, you may find a book that could prove helpful to your research, hidden somewhere in what's left of the castle library."

Korra gasped, her eyes twinkling with glee. "Old castles, dark scary forests, and mysterious chests?… What more could a girl ask for?"

Twilight simply rolled her eyes while smirking, "So, I'm guessing this means you'll---" in a gust of wind, Korra was already waiting downstairs. "--want to come?"

The three friends made their way through the Everfree Forest. This was the first time Korra was seeing it first hand. It looked just as depicted by the town ponies; scary, unusual plants, but overall, it didn't seem that scary to her.

"Well, some ponies do tend to exaggerate at times." Twilight said, and another topic came to her mind, "So, how are things with the new boyfriend?"

Korra suddenly flinched when the pony mentioned the 'B' word, "Oh, um, things are going great. Just…great."

"It is. It's a lot better than I thought it would be," she said the last part with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. But before the conversation could go on, Korra's eyes widened when she spotted a bridge covered in fog. The fog dispersed and on the other side stood an old castle, its roofs collapsing and trees and vines grew all around.

The place was bigger than Korra had expected as she and her friends walked deeper inside. She could only imagine how beautiful the place must have been before Luna turned into Nightmare Moon. She always did wonder who she was exactly. Was she Luna fueled by jealousy, or a separate entity altogether? Maybe one day she would find out the answer.

They came across the old throne room, which had two beautiful tapestries, depicting Luna and Celestia individually. The art style was not a hundred percent accurate to the Princesses' real designs, but still, it was a stunning sight. Korra's eyes were so fixated on the images of the alicorns that it took Twilight's voice calling out her name to snap her back to reality.

The minute they walked on, Twilight's eyes widened in wonder and she gasped. The place was practically destroyed, even the roof was no more, allowing the sunlight to shine through, and desks were skittered across the floor. However, the books remained in tack. And there were a lot of them. Korra giggled when Twilight began flying around the place, gushing over the number of books on the shelves.

"Wow! Look at all these ancient books! It's a veritable goldmine of information! I can't believe it! Woo-hoo!"

Spike, on the other hand, never was a big fan of large, dark, scary, abandoned castles. He looked around, only to trip on some books, his body becoming covered in spider webs, and screamed when he saw the head of a large alicorn statue.

"Are you kidding? This place is perfect!" the alicorn princess dove into the pile of books, all too eager to read them all.

Korra may not be much of a bookworm like Twilight, but she was always curious about Equestrian history. As she looked at one of the shelves she spotted a book entitled "History of the Alicorn". Her eyes gleamed with excitement. This was her chance to learn more about the alicorns and their magic. However, when she opened the book, she was surprised to find that the pages were all blank. She flipped through them all, inspecting the covers of the book but there was nothing. Even the name of the pony who wrote it was absent.

Korra was now more curious to find as to why the book was blank, and if there were any others with knowledge of alicorns and their magic. As the two girls looked around for books, Spike hid behind a rock, his teeth chattering as spiders scurried across the floor.

Rose-colored eyes stared into emerald green orbs. The two ponies were stone-focused, waiting for the other to flinch.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack were engaged in fierce competition with one another at Sweet Apple Acres. The two were completely covered in a swarm of bees, safe their eyes. Once again, the two were competing over who was the most daring pony. Pinkie was the judge, she sat beside a pink table, along with her pet alligator Gummy.

A male pony wearing a bees keeper outfit walked up to the ponies, "Uh, whatcha doing?"

"Rainbow Dash and Applejack are competing for the title of "Most Daring Pony"! This is the final test: the Bee Stare! Last pony to blink wins!"

"Eh, sorry about that." he whistled and the bees all left Rainbow and Applejack's bodies, revealing that they were wearing bees keepers outfits too this whole time.

"Don't worry, ladies," said Pinkie Pie, "I've been keeping excellent score all day!" she looked over at her notebook, "Hmm, move the decimal, carry the 2, and... Congratulations! You're tied!"

"I dunno! Numbers don't lie!" using her mouth, Pinkie showed them the notebook with the 'scores'. Which were just doodles, much to Rainbow and Applejack's dismay.

"I'd love to stay and keep keeping score, but I promised to help test the new school bell. I get to ring it all week, nonstop!" Pinkie wiggled her tail, which Gummy was bitting on, "And I don't even have to take turns, because no one else volunteered!"

Rainbow Dash removed her bees keeper outfit, "Okay, no problem. We just have to come up with another daring dare. You sure we can't have another bending battle?"

"Not since what happened the last time." Applejack stated, remembering the last battle they had, which resulted in Applejack, Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith cleaning up the damage in the farm. Rainbow Dash helped clean up the mess as well, the events being partly her fault as well.

The young firebender approached the two, waving and smiling at them. Much like Korra, his appearance also changed. He was still taller than Korra and most of his friends, he still wore his signature scarf around his neck.

"Gonna ask her out for another date?" Applejack asked with a smirk, and the firebender blushed while scratching the back of his head.

The two ponies looked at each other in surprise before turning back to him. "You're not gonna pop the question, are ya?" Applejack asked, making the firebender's face redder than his scarf.

Mako rolled his eyes, "Anyway, if you see her can you let her know I'm looking for her?"

"Thanks." just as he was about to leave, Rainbow Dash stopped him by hovering over his head.

"Wait! Maybe you can help us out with something. A.J and I are trying to see who's the most daring pony, but so far we're in a tie. Mind being our referee?"

Mako didn't have the time for this, especially with what he wanted to talk about to Korra. But, maybe if he spends more time with the two ponies he might run into her at some point.

Mako was now faced to face with his worse enemy….the big shimmery eyes with pouty lips. No cold heartless person could resist the innocence that was the Pony stare.

"I think I might have an idea of what we can do to prove who's the most daring pony." said Applejack, "Question is, you up for it Mako?"

The fire bender scoffed, "I've spent my entire childhood in the unforgiving streets of Republic City. I think I can handle whatever you ponies throw at me."

Meanwhile, two more ponies were also on their way towards the old castle. Rarity and Fluttershy, along with Angel Bunny, were making their way across the Everfree Forest. As always, the shy little Fluttershy was trembling. However, the bold and fabulous Rarity was trotting her way with her head held high, added with a jewel-encrusted water skin around her body, containing water for her to use in case anything arises. She was a waterbender pony after all. But they were not the only ones there. Bolin had volunteered to come along with them. He had come into the portal with Mako but went off to see Fluttershy so Pabu and Angel could have a play date. However, Rarity came by and asked the two to assist her. Like good friends, they happily volunteered.

It was the first time Bolin had entered the infamous Everfree Forest. It certainly was spookier than he anticipated. "Um, Rarity? Don't you think it's a little late in the day to be walking through the forest?" he asked, "This, very, very, creepy…forest." he yelped when he heard the sound of something creeping up on his leg, only to find it was a simple spider with a star on its back.

Fluttershy tried to calm his down, "Don't be scared, Bolin. It's just a star-spider. This is the time of the year where they find their mate and make families."

"Are you sure we should have brought Bolin with us?" she asked the unicorn, "He's still very new to our world, after all. Though, I'm sure you have a very good reason."

"Simply the most important reason I've ever had in my entire life!" said Rarity

The two friends, earthbender, ferret, and rabbit finally made it to the destroyed castle, "I've heard rumors that the Castle of the Two Sisters is filled with the most gorgeous of ancient tapestries in all of pony history! It pains me to think of those magnificent creations rotting away in those old ruins, totally unappreciated."

"I require your help in borrowing one or two to bring back to the boutique where I can restore them." Rarity said with visible enthusiasm as they reached the old wooden bridge that led to the castle, "Maybe I'll even use the patterns as the inspiration for a new line!"

Rarity, catching aware of this, cleared her throat, "Yes, well, maybe not the most important thing in my entire life, but retro-ancient classical will be all the rage next season, so it's nothing to sneeze at." right on cue, Rarity sneezed when Pabu and Angel passed by her, their ears and tail tickling her nose. "Ah-cho!"

Fluttershy made it past, no problem, but Bolin was still struggling. The bridge seemed to wobble due to his weight, but the bridge was still sturdy enough to keep him from falling. If only he believed that. Rarity used her horn to levitate Bolin to the other side, the unicorn looking completely unfazed as the young man tried to calm himself.

"Thank you," he said and the friends headed forward to the ruined castle. The two ponies remembered this place very well, having received the Elements of Harmony for the first time and defeated Nightmare Moon.

"Um, are you sure you need those tapestries, Rarity?" Bolin nervously as he gazed up at the frightening-looking place. A thought Fluttershy could agree with.

"But, of course." said Rarity, "Although, I must admit these ruins are a fright….Just look at all the dirt everywhere! Ugh…" she shook the said dirt off of her hooves. Her horn glowed and bended the water from the skin to wipe her hooves.

Bolin and Fluttershy gasped when their furry pets quickly ran towards the steps of the palace.

The two friends rushed to the two wooden doors while Rarity trotted behind them. But unbeknownst to them, a mysterious cloaked figure followed them.

Once inside, Bolin's eyes bulged open and his jaw dropped at the sight. The palace was even larger inside, with tall stone walls and hallways that led to who knows where, as well as tall crystal windows, already broken due to an epic battle that took place years ago. Seeing his expression, Fluttershy flew up to Bolin's level and closed his mouth, snapping him out of it.

"I know!" Rarity concluded, "It's practically an artistic treasure trove of ancient good taste!"

Fluttershy's ear twitched when she heard thumping, and saw Angel, along with Pabu, thumping his foot to get her attention.

"Angel! Oh, you really shouldn't have run off like that. Ancient ruins are filled with all sorts of things that can hurt you! You could stub your toe, or, or trip on a loose stone... You have to be careful!"

The pegasus realized that Rarity, Pabu, and Angel had already made their way into one of the hallways, while Bolin listened to Fluttershy's nervous rambling.

The two friends followed the others into the hallway. "I wonder what other stuff we'll find in here." said Bolin, "Maybe some jewels and rubies, or a scepter!"

Once they were gone, Twilight, Korra, and Spike walked across the balcony from above. Korra held a candle to light the way, having lit it with her fire bending.

"I don't think I'll need all these candles, guys." said Spike, "I was only scared for a second."

"We're gonna be studying late into the night, and we're gonna need all the light we can get," said Twilight

"Think you can handle that, Korra?" Twilight asked her friend with a knowing grin. The Avatar scoffed.

"Ha, ha, I see where you're getting at. I may not be the most studious person, or the most organized, or the most patient, but there hasn't been a challenge I can't handle. Besides, learning about Equestrian history? Filled with magic battles, ancient mysteries, and unknown creatures? What could be more epic than that?"

Once the three were gone, another group entered the castle: Mako, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash.

Mako had heard a bit about this old castle, but he never knew he would see it first hand. "Why are we in the Castle of the two sisters?" he asked, looking around the place before flicking a spider from his shoulder.

"Yeah, what's so daring about this place?" Rainbow asked, "This is where we got the Elements of Harmony."

Applejack galloped up onto the plight of stairs and stood before them, speaking in a dramatic tone. "When I was just a filly, Granny Smith told me of an ancient legend. When Nightmare Moon was banished, not every last bit of her dark magic went with her. Granny used to say, when night falls on the castle, that magic takes the form of... the Pony of Shadows!"

Mako simply rolled his eyes, he never was a fan of ghost stories. Unlike his brother, who would have no doubt peed himself if he heard this one.

"That's quite a ghost story, A.J" Mako said with an amused smile, "Though trying to scare the competition doesn't seem like a fair tactic."

"He's right." said Rainbow Dash…then, she realized what she just said, "Did I just agree with you twice on the same day?"

"Play all ya want," said Applejack, "But nobody knows if the stories are true…or not."

Both Rainbow and Mako shared the same 'are you kidding me' stares. There was no way they were going to buy into this Pony of Shadows nonsense.

At the end of the hallway, Rarity gasped excitedly. She was standing in front of an old and torn tapestry depicting Princess Luna. The clear blue tones and sparkly illuminated outlines reminded her of the water she bended.

Bolin rubbed his chin, inspecting the tapestry, "Well, it certainly could use some restoration." he said, "Then again, I'm no fashion expert."

Rarity's horn glowed and she began bending the water from her pelt, trying to use it as a tentacle-like object to try and lift the tapestry from the hook. However, try as she may, she simply could not due to it being heavy, not even her water could lift it. She tried to lift it from below, but also nothing. She still needed bait more practice. She grunted before placing the water back, her horn no longer glowing.

"Fluttershy, be a dear and fly up there and lift it off that hook?" The young pegasus flew up to try and lift it, but to no avail. "Maybe from below?" Rarity called out, earning a sarcastic glare from Fluttershy.

She flew onto behind the tapestry when suddenly, the wall started to move and flip over, causing both the tapestry and Fluttershy to disappear.

"AH! Where's Fluttershy?!" Bolin began to frantically bang on the wall, screaming out her name, "Fluttershy! Fluttershy! No, no, she's gone! She was too young! Why couldn't it have been me?!"

Rarity stood there, her, Angel, and Pabu looking on at Bolin with unamused stares as he brawled like a child.

"I don't see what's so daring about an old legend," said Rainbow Dash. She, Applejack, and Mako had made their way into another hallway, "Plus, I don't believe in ghosts."

"Nor should you." said Mako, "It's all just fabricated tales to scare little kids."

But while the two were talking, Applejack noticed a blue tapestry on the wall beginning to move. "You might wanna rethink your position on that," she said while shaking.

Mako and Rainbow looked up and saw the fabric moving, afterwords a scream was heard from it as well. All three friends were equally shocked to see this.

"I'm sure there's a good explanation for--" suddenly, thunder was heard, followed by lightning, and a shadowy emerged from behind them. Even Mako didn't have an explanation for this. The three friends' only reaction was to scream. Lightning flashed once more, causing the image to disappear.

"…Oh, yeah!" he stepped back, ready to get Fluttershy back, only to have the wall suddenly revolve again, making both Fluttershy and the tapestry reappear. Bolin blinked.

Fluttershy landed on the ground, grunting, "Ow... I think I hurt my wing." Angel and Pabu rushed over to help her, while Bolin hugged her tightly.

"While you were struggling under that fabric, the entire wall spun around!" said Rarity, "You must have activated a secret door."

Rarity looked up at the wall, "That tapestry is far too heavy. We'll just have to find a smaller one." she once again took the lead while the others followed. "I suppose these ruins are chock full of secret passages."

"Absolutely. We must use the utmost care as we—" the two ponies and humans screamed when the floor underneath them suddenly opened, revealing another secret door, and they screamed as they fell.

Angel had accidentally stepped on something on the floor and received a slap on the head by Pabu, as well as scorn.

Mako, Rainbow, and Applejack continued to run down the halls, until Mako came to an abrupt stop, ending in an area filled with portraits on the wall.

"Wait a minute! What are you running from?" the two ponies screeched to a halt, facing him. "If we just take a moment to analyze this, I'm sure we can find a logical explanation for what we just saw."

Rainbow spoke up, "Uh, I'd hate to burst your bubble Mako, but you're standing in an ancient castle talking to colorful magical ponies in a world filled with magic! I highly doubt your world's logic is gonna work here."

But Mako was determined to remain firm, "Either way, there is no such thing as ghosts."

Applejack smiled smugly, "Then I guess only the most daring pony of all could stay in this castle all night without being scared."

Rainbow's eyes widened, "Wait? That's why you brought me here? To scare me? Well, news for you; I'm not scared."

"Then it's settled! Whoever stays in the castle the longest is the Most Daring Pony."

Mako stepped in between the two, "Hold it, hold it. Why don't we just agree that you're both daring ponies and call it a day?"

"What's the matter, tough guy? You're not scared are ya?" Rainbow taunted. However, Mako did tense up a bit.

"What? No, of course not. There's nothing to be afraid of. Just a dusty old castle with dusty old portraits. Me, scared?"

The two ponies then smiled mischievously, "Care to put your money where your mouth is, partner?" said Applejack, "How's about, if you can stay the longest without gettin' scared, then we'll put this whole thing to rest. Deal?"

Mako still didn't want to believe there was a ghost roaming the halls but….maybe, this could be a good way to prove a point to the too. Besides, if he said no the two would never let him hear the end of it. He squatted down and shook A.J's hoof.

"Deal. But it's gonna take a lot more than some shadowy ghost story to get me," he said rather proudly as he walked away, with the girls in tow, holding their noses high.

Once they left, one of the portraits' eyes was watching them. Perhaps there was more to this Pony of Shadows than they thought.

Back in the library, Korra, Twilight, and Spike sat on a table, with the candle as their source of light, while reading various books. Korra, amazingly, had gone through five books in the past two and a half hours. She had already read books about changelings and how they came to be. About these creatures called sirens and a little biography of Starwirl the bearded. She was especially intrigued by his studies on magic and what he discovered. The young Avatar never knew studying could be so insightful. Then again, it probably had to do with the topic itself. Learning about magic truly did capture Korra's attention and respect. She didn't even know who long it had been, she was too occupied with her studies. Tenzin would be proud…if the only magic study was involved in Avatar training, which sadly, it is not.

"Find anything?" Twilight asked, temporarily taking her nose from the book she was reading.

Korra closed her book, having finally read the whole thing, "No. How about you, Spike?"

Korra took another book from the pile and began reading it immediately. "Wow, that's the sixth book you've read," said Twilight.

"Come on Korra, you're the one who's got all of the amazing powers. You're the Avatar; sole protector of your world."

Korra placed the book on the table and sighed, resting her face on her chin. "Yeah."

"Remember when I first stepped foot in Ponyville? Well, when I did I felt…I felt like I…It's hard to explain." Twilight placed the book she was reading down, giving the Avatar her undivided attention. Korra continued, "When I came into your world I felt an incredible sensation creep up from within me. Like simply being here brought me such joy and happiness. I felt…like I knew I was welcome here. That I belong here, in a way." she chuckled and turned away briefly, "I know. Crazy right?"

"Not at all." Twilight said with a compassionate smile, "I felt the same way when you and I first met. When I and the girls first came into your world, we were scared. We didn't think we belonged in your world. But once we met you, we felt like we did. I guess, I didn't realize it until now that…you reminded us of home."

Korra smiled and shook her head softly, "Nah. I can relate." the two girls giggled, their laughter echoing the halls. "I haven't told anyone else about this. If Tenzin found out that I've been sneaking off to Equestria instead of airbending training, he'd throw a hissy fit. I just really want to explore more of this place, learn more about it."

"I completely understand. It's the same way I wanted to learn more about your world."

Korra now felt even more relieved once she told her friend what had been on her mind. Until another topic came to find, and Twilight once again noticed her uneasiness.

"Something else on your mind?" Twilight asked, "Something to do with Mako, maybe?"

Spike closed his book, looking on with a bored expression, "Okay, this is girl talk, so I'll just take my book and read over there." he stood away from the table and walked off to sit in a corner.

Twilight narrowed her eyes, "Sweetie, everybody knows. You made the front page on the newspaper."

"Well, don't get the wrong idea, I'm glad we're more open towards one another regarding our feelings but…" she placed her elbows on the table, "…when we're together it's always, always so…romantic."

"I'm not saying I don't like the romance stuff, I do. I do like going out to dinner and him wrapping his arms around me and when he kisses me goodnight." she blushed as she said these things, "But, I don't want to lose that friendship we had before because…it was what made me fall for him in the first place. I just really care about him, even if he does drive me crazy at times, but I've always liked a challenge."

"I've been trying to but whenever I get the chance I just can't find the words to say. And it doesn't help when he surprises me with flowers or noodles he bought at Narook's and I look into his sweet, golden eyes that I just--"

Twilight's ears lowered in sympathy, "Korra, I know you and Mako care about each other, and you may not be the most normal couple on the planet, but I can tell you both have something special. Just speak from your heart. I'm sure you'll figure it out together."

"No problem." Twilight said, "In fact, I find this perception of romance…interesting."

Korra noticed the young alicorn blush, "You know Twilight, this may sound a bit 'out there but, I have a strong feeling you might find somepony for yourself one day. That is if you want. Do you have anypony in mind?"

Twilight's mind drifted off to somebody she once met both in another plane of existence and at the Crystal Empire, "Yeah. I think I do. Though, I hardly know him that well yet…but, maybe one day, if fate will allow, I will. One day."

While Spike was reading on a chair in the corner of the hallway, he spotted a book suddenly move in front of him. The little dragon screamed in terror, causing the chair to nearly fall over, only to suddenly stop due to a metallic cord underneath one of the legs. The book was shaken off to reveal both a white rabbit and fire ferret.

Suddenly, the walls began to shake and two of the bookshelves dispersed to reveal a dark alley. The event caused the flames of the candles to be blown away. Korra, Twilight, Spike, and their furry friends peaked inside, gasping in awe.

It appeared to be some kind of chamber with more bookshelves, but also with pillows on the floor, a sofa, and two glass windows depicting night and say, respectively.

In the center of the room was a pedestal, and a brown book with gold platting rested on top of it. Korra was the first to walk on over to it, dusting the cover and read the words out loud: "The Journal of the Two Sisters." she gasped with excitement, "Maybe this is the book Princess Celestia was talking about!"

Without a second to waste, both she and Twilight rested on the pillows on the floor and opened the book, while Angel and Pabu took their place with the girls. However, a certain young dragon was still uncertain about this strange place.

Rainbow Dash, Mako, and Applejack eventually made it to a spiral staircase that led to who knows where. "I sure hope you're not afraid of the dark, Applejack!" Rainbow taunted as she hovered over the firebender and earthbender pony. Both Rainbow and Mako had flames on their hand and hoof for light.

"I can't say that I am!" said Applejack as she and Mako made their way down, "But even if I was, I'd be at least fifty percent less scared of it than you, Rainbow Dash."

The pegasus rolled her eyes, smiling smugly, "How about you, Mr. Hat Trick? Feeling the goosebumps yet?"

Mako rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Nice try, Rainbow, but no. Besides, if you ladies do get scared you've got a brave firebender to keep you safe. "

Mako narrowed his eyes, "Oh, ha, ha, ha." he laughed sarcastically, "You're so clever."

"Race you guys down there!" Rainbow Dash swooshed down and Applejack galloped ahead while Mako ran close behind. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, they once again found themselves in yet another dark alley. All of their cockiness faded, being replaced by both concern, and for some of them…fear.

"What's the matter?" Rainbow asked her unresponsive friends, "It's just a dark hallway full of... disembodied pony legs."

The walls were adorned with plates that held the legs of ponies, which held on to spears and other various weapons. How they did that, Mako did not question.

Applejack lowered her hat as the three walked on through, "Yeah. Nothin'... creepy about that."

Mako himself found the scene very unsettling. While he was still skeptical about the shadow pony, that still didn't mean the scenery didn't cause shivers down his spine.

"Uh, maybe you girls should stay close to me. Just in case we get lost," he said, though there was a tint of uncertainty in his voice. The two ponies wasted no time in remaining at his side the whole time they walked. Mako still maintained his flame while Rainbow Dash peeked through the feathers of her wings.

Rarity opened her eyes, finding her, Fluttershy and Bolin trapped in a dark room, "I'm starting to wonder if maybe this castle doesn't want my expertise!" she made her horn glow, creating a bright light, illuminating the room, which appeared to be some kind of dungeon chamber. Fluttershy and Bolin quickly realized they were missing two of their companions.

Fluttershy was already getting worried, "Oh, goodness! We have to find him. An ancient castle is no place for a bunny and a fire ferret. They could get hit by falling debris, or the floor could give out under them!" as she said this, Bolin hugged his legs, trembling at the thought, "Oh! They could be trapped in a dark place with no way out!"

Now Bolin was getting anxious, "Oh man, what if we never see them again? What am I gonna do without Pabu? Who's gonna eat dumplings with me? Who's gonna be our pro-bending mascot? Who's gonna help me put whip cream on Mako while he's sleeping?!"

While he was ranting, Rarity found a hall in the wall, looking at it skeptically. "Hmm…"

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Mako continued their way down the hallway. Then, Mako suddenly felt something grab his leg, "Applejack, if you're scared, you can just admit it. You don't need to put your hoof around my leg."

He turned his head to see that the two ponies were only two feet behind him. He looked down and saw something white around his leg. His first instinct was to scream.

"AHH!" The two ponies screamed as well before making a mad dash for it, along with Mako.

Rarity gasped and removed her hoof from the hole. "Rarity! What is it?" Fluttershy asked with concern.

Fluttershy stuck her hoof out into the hole but felt nothing. Then, she did feel something. Unknowingly, she had touched one of the disembodies pony legs on the wall, causing the wall to spin rapidly, allowing the three friends to re-appear on the other side of the wall, into the hallways where Mako, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were previously. Fluttershy noticed she still had her hoof on the hole and took it out. Bolin shook his head, feeling woozy from the experience.

But Rarity did not agree, "Well, tapestries or no, I have had just about enough of secret passages, mysterious presences, and unappreciative castles!" her irritated voice echoed through the halls before she took the lead, allowing the other two to keep up. Bolin stood in front of Rarity, stopping her tracks.

"But we can't leave now, not with Angel and Pabu lost somewhere in this dangerous old castle!" he stated, and Fluttershy appeared right beside him.

"He's right. They could be trapped under a crumbling statue, or stuck high in a tower without food or water or any friends at all!"

As Rarity walked on ahead, Fluttershy and Bolin began to tear up due to the loss of their furry companions.

As for Angel and Pabu, they could not have been better. Twilight gave the little bunny carrots while Pabu ate some delicious berries. Korra and Twilight shared the journal of the two royal sisters as they red.

"Spike, you've got to hear this." said Twilight and started to read aloud, "I love to duck behind the paintings, and though the Hall of Hooves still gives her a bit of a fright, the trap door slide is Luna's favorite."

"Hall of Hooves"? Spike asked, not hiding the fear in his voice. Twilight turned the page and allowed Korra to read the following, looking at blueprints depicting an organ and the trap doors all around the palace.

Underneath, in the darkest room in the castle, a cloaked figure played on a large organ. The sound echoed throughout the place, causing Applejack to slide to a halt.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Rainbow said worriedly….when the organ sounded once more, even startling Mako. The two ponies held onto the firebender for a few seconds before the three ran down the halls once more.

The two girls were too wrapped up in the book to acknowledge what Spike had said. "Oh, Spike. Quit being such a scardy dragon." said Twilight. "This castle is thousands of years old, and half of it was destroyed by Nightmare Moon. Of course, it makes strange sounds. It's practically falling apart!"

After she said this, a piece of the roof fell down, starling Spike as he clenched on to a pillow. Angel and Pabu giggled at his anxiety.

"I'm sure we'll find them." said Rarity. Then, she stopped on her tracks, her eyes widening in awe.

"Angel?" Fluttershy and Bolin were interrupted from their search when they heard hysterical yelling coming from Rarity.

But it was not the furies who Rarity was gasping at. She was gasping at the two tapestries that hovered over the former thrones that once belongs to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

"They are perfect! No castle in its right mind could possibly object to my restoring such exquisite works of art."

"Oh! They're really pretty, Rarity, but... we've have to keep looking for Pabu and Angel." said Bolin.

"Oh, I hope Angel doesn't think I've given up on him." said Fluttershy while Rarity galloped ahead up the plight of stairs.

"I'm right behind you!" instead of asking for assistance this time, Rarity started using her horn's magic to start levitating the first tapestry that stood above Luna's old throne, "Won't… *grunt* be… *grunt* a moment!"

Rainbow, Applejack and Mako peeked their heads from the wall, looking around for anything creepy to emerge. They stood before yet another hallway, this time alined with pony-metal armor dummies. "Do you think there's a single room in this castle that isn't filled with terrifying things?" Mako asked.

"What's the matter, you scared already?" the country pony taunted, making Mako narrow his eyes at her.

Rainbow Dash approached the lifeless statues, eying it suspiciously. She tapped it with her hoof, causing it to slightly tilt and she gasped, "Whoa!" she quickly turned towards the firebender, instinctively seeking protection. Only to realize what she was doing and laughed nervously, "It's just old pony armor. What's the big deal?"

Applejack began walking ahead, "Yeah! It's not like it's gonna come to life or anything. Right?"

"Of course not." Mako stated, taking up his role as the leader, "Statues don't come to life." however, regarding the logic of the world he was in, he questioned if there was any real truth to this fact.

Another organ sound was heard, and the wall around the pony armor Applejack was standing by suddenly spin and she disappeared. Rainbow was now face to face with just the pony armor, and she screamed in terror.

The organ sounded again, this time causing the wall in front of Rarity to also spin rapidly, and she disappeared as well. Fluttershy and Bolin screamed while hugging each other.

The organ sounded again, this time causing another bowl of carrots and berried to appear for Angel and Pabu.

The organ sounded once more, and Applejack found herself at the edge of the castle roof, near the large gargoyle statues, overlooking the Everfree Forest. Her green eyes looked to her side, lighting struck and she saw a terrifying dragon statue beside her, causing her to scream.

Rarity was tossed out back to the entrance of the castle, her mane and coat getting covered in mud, twigs and levees. In her hooves was the remains of the once beautiful tapestry. She screamed in terror at this.

Spike grew more and more frightened as he continued to hear the sounds of the organ, but his two companions were still occupied with reading the book.

Korra rolled her eyes and took the pillow away from the dragon, placing it beside her and gesturing him to take his place with her. "Come on, Spike. Why don't you read along with us? It might help you relax."

Rarity spit the mud from her mouth and tried to shake the twigs and levees off of her body. She looked up, narrowing her eyes at the old palace. "Now, you look here, castle! You are very old and very scary! But your wall art is in an atrocious state!" the wind whistled, bellowing against her now messy mane, "And there is nothing you can do to keep me from my sacred task of restoration!" the bold unicorn levitated the piece of fabric she had and entered the castle once more.

Rainbow Dash and Mako were now the only ones left in the hallway. The two kept there flames lit, trying to find Applejack. Mako inspected form behind the pony armors, trying to figure out the mystery of their missing friend.

"Not yet, but I think--Whoa!" the firebender must have done something to cause the wall to once again slip and he disappeared, leaving Rainbow Dash all alone. The pegasus screamed before flying off.

A very frightened Bolin and Fluttershy called out for their unicorn friend, "Rarity? You still here?" Bolin asked, "I know hiding isn't really your sense of humor, but please let this be a joke!"

While he was trembling, Fluttershy hesitantly approached the throne at the top of the stairs and, very gently, touched the arm of it.

The sound of the organ played again, causing both her and Bolin to scream and run off in a panick.

Mako screamed as he slid down in the darkness, the castle was clearly filled with secret pathways, too bad it too him this long to figure that out. He finally landed, discovering he had reached a room, landing from the wall, which had opened up to reveal the door before sliding closed again. Mako groaned and noticed three figures in front of him.

"Korra?" the firebender stood up with help from the Avatar, rubbing his neck, "I could ask you the same thing." he took a moment to notice his surroundings, "What room is this?"

"It belonged to Luna and Celestia." Korra then showed him the book, "We've been reading this journal. It's filled with all sorts of information about this place. The trap doors, the wall slides, the hall of hooves, even something about an organ. Pretty cool, right?"

"Long story short; Rainbow and Applejack made a bet, I tagged along, we got lost and now I have no idea where they are."

Korra and Twilight exchanged concerned looks, "Well, where did you see them last?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, I remember that one." Korra flipped through the pages until she found what she was searching for, "Here it is, on page 14. Come on, let's go get those two before they start 'freaking out'." Korra said the last part with obvious sarcasm. Mako chuckled nervously.

The wall slid once more and Applejack returned to the hall of pony armor. She realized that her two friends were no longer there. She peaked through an opening, seeing a long line of stairs, "Rainbow? Mako? I guess if I don't find you, I win by default, right?" gulping, she made her way down into the darkness.

Rarity, quite literally, stumbled back into where Korra, Twilight and Spike had previously entered. She grunted as she tried to remove the twigs from her beautiful mane, "Of all the castles in Equestria, this is by far the most ungrateful!--Oof!" she exclaimed angrily, only to have a rock land on her head. The wind started to blow in the evening sky, which could be seen above due to the absent roof. Slowly, the unicorn started to back up.

Fluttershy and Bolin were also walking backwards, whispering/yelling out for their friends, "Angel! Rarity!" Fluttershy silently cried out, "Oh… I hope you two are together."

The wall slid open and Applejack peaked her head, only to be startled by yet another pony armor statue. She jumped away and backed up.

Rainbow Dash had had just about enough of this silliness as she flew outside, "Haunted statues, creepy armor... Come on, castle! Is that all you got?" thunder sounded off, causing Rainbow Dash to fearfully lower down.

All was silent, nothing but the sound of hooves hitting against the stone floor. The only rhythm was the hushes of the wind and the beating of hearts, filled with anxiety. When finally, they felt a sudden touch on their flanks.

Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, even Bolin immediately screamed in terror before galloping, running and flying all around the place in a frenzy. All of their fears had been let loose, no holding back. They were scarred. No lie.

Bolin was running around, his arms waving around like a maniac, while also somewhat sobbing. Rainbow Dash was flying so fast even she couldn't see where she was going. She collided with the tapestry and Rarity slid to a halt as the fabric landed over her.

"I was only trying to restore ancient art!" as she cried she ran around the place with the tapestry covering her face. Two of the leaves from her mane fell on a rock.

Lightning hit and the silhouette of the rock and leaves gave off the image of a bunny, for which Fluttershy mistook for her pet. She gasped and smiled.

Applejack, in her frenzy, accidentally knocked down a pedestal right on the rock bunny, much to Fluttershy's complete and utter shock as tears swelled up in her eyes.

Mako, Korra, Twilight, Spike, Pabu and Angel were calmly walking down the hallways, looking for the one with the pony armor. The Avatar rolled her eyes as the firebender continued to insist he was not scared in the slightest.

Before he could say anything else in defense, they all flinched at the sound of a loud shriek.

"Oh, you know." Spike began as he hid behind Korra's leg, "Probably just more strange sounds of this old castle falling apart!"

"It sounds like it's coming from the main entrance." said Korra. The others wasted no time in making their way there. Once they reached the balcony above the entrance, they were remarkably surprised by all of the madness happening before their eyes. Bolin was screaming and wailing, Rarity had a tapestry over her, while also crying, Rainbow was firing all over the place like a torpedo, Applejack was galloping all over like a blind horse and Fluttershy was trying to lift a pedestal for some reason, also while crying.

Mako placed his hands on Korra's shoulder as they both ducked over when Rainbow Dash came zooming by. The two teens, alicorn and dragon all shared the exact same annoyed expressions.

"Yeah, this has got to stop." Korra said calmly before Twilight took immediate action and flew on down, landing on a plight of stairs.

Her horn glowed brightly, unleashing a spell that automatically froze all of her friends in place. Magenta auras circled around their bodies. Applejack looked up, realizing who the voice belonged to.

Fluttershy, while frozen, was still trying to lift up the pedestal, "Must… save... Ange—!"

"Flutters, he's right here." Korra stated, with the little bunny on her shoulder, saluting to his mistress with his ear.

Bolin looked up at his brother and teammate, "Korra? Mako? Where did you come from?"

"I should be asking you that, little bro." Mako, Korra, Spike and the two furies walked on down to where Twilight stood and the alicorn deactivated the spell, while also removing the tapestry from Rarity.

Korra squatted down to Rarity's level, removing the levees and twigs from her mane. "Have you all spent the whole night running around, scaring each other?"

"Well, that depends." said Applejack while Bolin was reunited with his beloved ferret, who jumped into his arms.

"On whether or not you're the Pony of Shadows." said Rainbow Dash, pointing her hoof at the princess.

"Oh, that's just an old ponies' tale." Twilight said calmly to her little dragon.

"That's what I've been trying to tell them!" Mako stated, "I repeat: There is, nor was there ever, anything to be afraid of."

Immediately, after the words left his mouth, the ominous organ music was heard once more. Mako yelped and held Korra tightly, while the others huddled together, hugging Korra, Mako and Twilight for safety while trembling in fear.

The only ones who were not frightened were Korra and Twilight, who eyed the area, trying to pinpoint where the sound was coming from.

"We're going to find out." Twilight said bravely as she and Korra began walking ahead simultaneously, while everybody else held on tightly while still trembling.

As the music continued on, the group walked in deeper and deeper into the hallway, the music growing stronger and stronger. They finally reached a room, where the grand musical instrument stood. On the keyboard sat a mysterious cloaked figure playing the music. The very sight terrified the others, even Korra and Twilight.

However, Korra immediately detected something very off about this so called 'pony of shadows'. All fears left her as she approached the cloaked figure.

Korra ignored him as she approached the shadow pony. Once she was right behind her all fears and theories disappeared. Everyone watched in terrow once she lifted the cloak right off…only to reveal a specific little pink pony, smiling back at them all.

"Yep. Pinkie." Korra said smugly while smiling. "I recognize that happy attitude anywhere." it was true, due to her empathic connection with the ponies, Korra could already sense the pony's hight spirited heart once she walked into the room.

"The pony of what?" Pinkie Pie simply smiled and continued to play a light melody.

Mako scoffed and turned to his brother, "See? What'd I tell ya?" his younger brother rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yeah! I only had to ring it for, like, five minutes! They said that was good enough! Eh, can't imagine why." as she spoke, both Twilight and Rainbow rolled their eyes, "So then, I decided to throw a "finish ringing the school bell" party! But I didn't have any bluebells, and you can't throw a "finish ringing the school bell" party without bluebells, so I went to Everfree Forest to pick some, but it started to get so chilly." she began playing a lightly tune, "I had to wrap myself up in the tarp I was gonna use to gather flowers, and then I saw Bolin, Fluttershy and Rarity. But they went into the castle before I could invite them to my party. Luckily, I followed them inside so I could help you all with your party!"

"Uh, the "everypony come to the scary old castle and hide from each other while I play the organ" party?" she played the final note on the keyboard, which consequently activated yet another trap, causing a piece of the floor to sproing upwards, causing Spike to fly up and land a few feet behind everyone.

"So, we were all running around the place like maniacs for nothing?" Bolin said while scratching his neck.

After all of that craziness, everybody gathered together in the room where Korra and Twilight were previously. Rarity was sowing the broken tapestries while Bolin and Fluttershy played with their respected furry friends.

"I swear, this is going right back where I found it just as soon as I've returned it to its former glory." Rarity said as she sowed the tapestry.

"Now don't go running off again!" said Fluttershy as Angel nuzzled her nose, "Oh, I can't believe I was so frightened. Guess I let my imagination get the best of me."

Mako and Korra both sat on the floor, and the firebender crossed his arms, "Well, I knew the entire time that--"

"Oh, Mako will you stop!" Korra smiled, "Everyone knows you were scared too, just admit it."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. So you also got carried away with your imagination."

Pinkie Pie popped in between them, "I always let my imagination run away from me! Then it comes back... with cake!"

Twilight Sparkle sat on the sofa with Spike, still reading the journal she had found, "Well, it's good to know that whenever your imagination is getting away from you, a good friend can help you rein it in."

"Well said, Twilight." said Korra, "And even though we didn't find anything about the mysterious chest, I'm glad we were here to help all of you."

"Reading Celestia's diary made it hard to be afraid, because we knew what it was like when she and Luna lived here." said Twilight, "Knowing something about the past made it easier to deal with my problems in the present, even the scary ones."

Hearing this reminded Korra of something very important she needed to talk with to Mako. "Speaking of dealing with stuff. Mako, there's something I…I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"Okay. Please, don't take this the wrong way. You know how we've been seeing each other, well more intimately these past two weeks?"

"And while it's been great and all, I couldn't stop thinking that…well, I…I"

"Us, the way we used to be! I don't mind the dates, the hand holding or the kisses goodnight, I enjoy them, but I don't want us to be nothing but lovey dovey all the time. I miss, well this. How you're never afraid to tease me or say what's on your mind or tell me when I'm doing something wrong every single time I do it! I don't want us to end our current relationship but I don't want our previous friendship to change. It means too much to me. I guess, I was scared of you regretting to date me at some point that I started to try too hard."

For a moment, Korra was speechless. Her eyes were frozen in place, wide open and her mouth was hung. Both Twilight and Spike shared her exact same reaction. This worried Mako.

Much to his remarkable surprise, Korra lunged forward and hugged him tightly, "You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that!"

"Yes! That's exactly what I wanted to say to you this whole time." she backed away, taking in a deep breath, "Oh, what a load off my shoulders."

"Yes. Mako, I do want to explore our feelings for each other, but I don't want to lose sight of what brought us together in the first place." she placed her hand on his shoulder, "And that was our friendship. Our crazy, messed up yet wonderful friendship."

Mako smiled, "I'd like that." and so, they sealed the deal by hugging. Both feeling a wave of relief overcome them as the ponies swooned.

"I've just thought of a great idea!" said Twilight, "Why don't we keep a journal, just like the royal pony sisters?"

"Sure! That way we can learn from each other! And maybe some day, other ponies will read it and learn something, too!"

Applejack; "I know what my first entry will be! "Dear Diary, I'm glad Granny Smith's legend wasn't true."

Pinkie Pie: "Me three! Because that means you two are still tied for Most Daring Pony!" both Rainbow Dash and Applejack narrowed their eyes competitively at one another. Mako rolled his eyes and face palmed himself.

"Heh, Shadow Ponies... How ridiculous is that?" said Spike, earning a laugh from everyone.

However, deep in the dark hallways of the castle, stood a mysterious figure who had been observing the group this entire time. However, this was not a creature of the night as they had feared, but a future ally. One whom Korra would have the pleasure of meeting.

The Little Pony Legend: Tales of Equestria

by MaggiesHeartLove

Chapter 3–Castle Mania