//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: You Spoony Bard! // Story: My Final Pony Fantasy IV // by Vimtrust5 //------------------------------// As they left the oasis town of Kaipo, the group ventured north through the harsh desert to find their way to the Antlion's Den. Shining Armor walked up to Twilight and asked her, "So how did you end up in the village?" "Well..." A few days earlier... Twilight awoke in the middle of Kaipo and looked around town. She then traveled outside the desert in an attempt to find any sign of her friends, her brother, and her fellow princesses. She then decided to wait out, when suddenly the ground shook and she discovered a young woman lying on the ground. Twilight called for help, and out came an elderly man with glasses and wearing a purple robe. "My God. A talking pony?" he inquired. Shaking his head, he realized that the woman's health was far more important and helped carry her to the village. There they placed her in a small house and with the aid of its residents cared for her until Tellah left, stating he had business to take care of and wished Twilight good luck. "And that's how it happened. I wanted to go out and find everypony, but I couldn't leave her alone like that." Every...pony? Cecil thought to himself, overhearing the conversation. Shining rubbed his chin, taking in all his sister's words. Continuing up north, our heroes found an entrance to a cave that would hopefully guide them to their destination. Underground Waterway The group took in their surroundings and awed at the body of water beneath them. Cecil and Shining walked across the bridge and opened two treasure chests sitting on the large rock formation. Inside the chests were a potion and a maiden's kiss. Shining eyed his item curiously. "There are some monsters that turn people into frogs. What you're carrying with your magic is capable of changing you back to your original form." Me? Turned into a frog? No thanks! Shining thought to himself. Rejoining the girls, they continued further until they came across an elderly man in a robe. "It's you!" Twilight gasped. Indeed, it was. Tellah eyed the group curiously and noticed Cecil. "Could it be...?!" he muttered, his eyes gazing on Cecil's blade. "It is! That dark sword! Dark knight, I need your assistance!" "You're the mage known as Tellah, right? I heard you rescued Rosa." "Rosa? Oh, yes! The girl from before. You're her significant other, right?" "Y-Yes..." Twilight and Rydia giggled, while Shining chuckled. "Well, that's enough teasing. I'm looking for my runaway daughter, Anna. She was seduced by a wicked minstrel, and I must get to Damcyan to get her back." "Well, we're on our way to save Rosa, and we may need all the help we can get." "Very well," said Tellah. "We must hurry, for I sense an ill omen!" "I'll come, too!" "And me!" "Another pony...? Could you be from another world like the purple one here?" "Yes. I'm Shining Armor, and you've already met my little sis, Twilight Sparkle." "Brother and sister? You?" The Equestrians nodded. "A-Anyway..." Tellah stated, his eyes on Rydia. "That girl...! She is a summoner! Perfect! She can help, too!" "How can we help, exactly?" asked Twilight. "A giant monster lurks in the lake ahead. That devil even withstands magic." This statement caused the party to worry. Could they possibly overcome this obstacle with Shining, Rydia and the sage's help? "We can defeat it if we work together, and then I can finally be on my way!" said Tellah. "We need to reach Damcyan as well," Cecil agreed. "Then let us make haste!" Now with the sage among their ranks, our heroes resumed their trek through the depths of the dungeon. The pony siblings followed the humans into the water and came across killer fish: piranha like enemies. They were disposed of quickly, thanks to Shining Armor's and Tellah's magic. They walked through the waterfall and discovered a hidden chamber within. There they acquired three treasures: an X-Potion, a Dry Ether and a Phoenix Down. "A feather?" Shining inquired. "This is a Phoenix Down," Twilight informed him. "This thing saved our lives several times when we almost died." "I get it now," the white unicorn realized. "The name of that item makes me think of Philomena, Princess Celestia's phoenix." "Your princess has a pet... phoenix?" Cecil asked. Twilight nodded. No need to tell anyone here Fluttershy kidnapped her, she thought, placing the items in her bag. Returning to where they came, the group strolled up the stairs and saw in the distance a door that could possibly lead to them to Damcyan. WIthout Twilight's wings, however, they were forced to cross the bridge in front of them, walk down a set of stairs taking them into the water once more. Inside the chamber on the far left side of the area, was a small glowing circle surrounded by eight glowing pillars. "We'll rest here," said Tellah. "What is this place?" asked Rydia. "This magic field repels all monsters," the sage explained. "We can use my tent to rest and prepare for the upcoming battle." Everyone agreed with the old man and set up his tent to stay for the night. Later that night, the group set up a campfire to keep themselves warm. Twilight and Shining sat next to each other watching the fire as it crackled. The only other sound was the dripping of the water, presumably from the ceiling outside the chamber. Looking around, Twilight couldn't help but wonder who constructed this particular area. Cecil sat as close as he could to the fire, thinking about all the events he witnessed. Tellah sat near the fire as well. Rydia was the only asleep. The others couldn't help but smile warmly. "The girl is asleep already," Tellah observed. "She must have been exhausted. Who is she?" "She's a summoner, like you said," Shining replied. "A summoner from the village of Mist," Cecil added. "The village of Mist? Where's that?" Twilight asked. Cecil and Shining lowered their heads in guilt. Shining especially. How could he bring himself to tell his sister that he unknowingly took part in a plot to exterminate the summoners and that he himself was one of Baron's targets? "Look at her," Tellah said, looking in Rydia's direction. "So sweet and innocent. She reminds me of Anna at that age..." "Who is Anna?" asked Cecil. "I think that's the name of his daughter," Shining answered. "He's right... She eloped with a bard to Damcyan because..." The others waited patiently for him to finish. "I didn't consent to their union." "I see," said Shining Armor. The stallion then whispered to his sister. "I wonder what Cadence would say if she were here." "Me, too," Twilight whispered back. "Tell me, Cecil. What business do you have in Damcyan?" "As I said before, my friend Rosa has been struck down by desert fever," the dark knight replied. "And we're going to help," said Twilight. "We can't leave her there." "Ah, so you seek the Sand Pearl. It won't be easy to obtain. But first there's the small matter of a vicious monster to take care of." "What sort of monster?" Shining inquired. "A frightful creature it is, with eight enormous tentacles. We must kill it and reach Damcyan before it is too late." "K-Kill it?!" Shining and Twilight almost shouted but were careful not to, so they wouldn't disturb Rydia's slumber. "Yes... This beast is not one to be bargained or reasoned with." Something else was bothering Cecil. "Too late for what?" "I don't know, but I pray that my instincts are wrong..." The others couldn't help but worry about the sage's words. What did he mean about this ill omen he had felt earlier? Shining Armor glanced at Cecil, wondering if the Kingdom of Baron may be involved. Cecil looked back and pondered the same thing. Before she could voice her own thoughts on the matter, Twilight yawned and fell asleep. The rest soon followed. Several hours later The party awoke and resumed their trek through the cave; they were finally able to gain access to the door at the far end of the area. Once they opened the door, the two ponies' smiles faded, realizing there was more to explore before they could leave. More bridges, the ground covered in shallow water, and a waterfall behind them, the group proceeded head south to find monsters guarding the treasure chests: two Killer Fish, two Vile Shells, and two amoebas. With his Thunder spell, Tellah easily dispatched the Killer Fish. Rydia struck at a Vile Shell her rod, causing minimal damage. Before Twilight could make a move, the other Vile Shell bit her front leg. "Twily!" "I-I'm fine. Help them," she said, grabbing a potion from her bag and drinking it. Shining then cast a magic beam against the Vile Shell that attacked his sister and defeated it. Cecil then pulled out his dark blade and cast a wave of darkness on the monsters, defeating them all. Rydia felt a surge of magic flowing within her; looking inside herself, the summoner discovered that she could summon lighting with the Thunder spell! Just then, Twilight's body began to shine as her brother did. When the light faded, the group was shocked to see that Twilight finally regained her horn! With the monsters gone, the group tended to their wounds and opened up the chests, each containing 580 gil and a bomb fragment. Continuing on, they fought against more monsters, and found their way outside the cave. However, the beast Tellah spoke of was nowhere to be found. "Be careful," Tellah said as they approached another cavern. The group found themselves in front of a large waterfall. With no choice but to go forward, the group dived down into the lake... and it was then... they saw large tentacles rising above the water. "There it is!" From the lake emerged more tentacles... Soon, the whole lake shook; our heroes glanced around them and took up battle stances. Suddenly, a giant red octopus appeared before their very eyes, blocking the path to Damcyan! "So this... is the monster?!" "Yes. An octomammoth!" "E-Excuse me..." The group was shocked at what Twilight was doing; she approached the giant sea creature with only the slightest hesitation, but otherwise great courage. "What is she doing?" Be careful, Twily! Shining Armor said in his thoughts. "Mr... Octomammoth, right? My brother, company and I are in a very big hurry, so why don't you just, heh heh, move along and--" "WATCH OUT!!" But it was too late, for the beast brushed the purple pony swiftly with one of its tentacles. Before she could hit the wall, Twilight quickly teleported herself back to the party. "Alright. You leave us no choice!" she declared. Twilight used her magic to carry everyone above the water and set them on a large rock, flat formation. The beast attempted to swipe at Twilight again, but the sage Tellah stopped it by casting Thunder upon it. Rydia followed with a Thunder spell of her own. Soon after, two of the beast's arms began to drop away, leaving six of them. Cecil then sliced a few more tentacles with his dark blade. The creature then roared in great anger. "It's weakening!" Holding his rod and the air, Tellah unleashed another powerful Thunder spell upon the creature. Twilight and Shining then fired magical beams "This is it!" Cecil then jumped towards the octomammoth and with one horizontal slice... the creature let out a final roar and was destroyed. "We... we did it!" Just then, as before Twilight's body began to glow once more... A few minutes passed, Twilight opened her eyes and then... a pair of wings open, surprising the group! "Thanks to you all, the path is clear now! Let us press onward!" said Tellah. The rest of the party nodded in agreement, hopped back down to the lake and proceeded through the exit. Outside Kaipo Within a few seconds, a flash of light appeared and disappeared, bringing forth Princess Luna. Opening her eyes, Luna discovered herself near the oasis town of Kaipo. Before she could take the sights in, she witnessed several shadows covering the desert. Looking up, she saw they belonged to several airships. "Where are those vessels headed?" she asked herself. "I had best follow them." Without her wings and horn, Luna had no choice but to pursue the airships on hoof and made her way into the Underground Waterway. Having overcome the trials of the waterway, Cecil, Shining, Rydia, Twilight and Tellah emerged from the cave and heard the sound of airship engines... followed by the sound of explosions. Alarmed, our heroes ran towards the direction of the tremors and found the castle of Damcyan under siege! "My God!" Tellah cried. "Oh no!" Twilight yelled. "Anna! ANNA!!" The group immediately made a dash for the castle, praying that they would find any survivors. Damcyan A litter of wounded and the dead appeared in front of our heroes as they entered the castle. "Oh..." Twilight gasped. "Was it those... airships?" "Yes," Cecil replied, hanging his head. "I was once in command of that fleet. They're called Red Wings." Going up the next floor, several dying soldiers told the group of the ones heading for the Crystal. On the next level, the group stopped and gasped. "There's a girl on the floor!" Shining pointed out. "Is that...?" Tellah said to himself with dread. "It is! Anna!" Just then, a young blond haired man appeared. Upon seeing the old man's fury, he backed away, fear written on his face. "You... you're that bard!" Tellah shouted. "Anna ran away because of you! And look what's happened! You led her to her death!! YOU KILLED HER!!!" "Please... It wasn't me!" But Tellah didn't listen. "You...! I'll kill you!" "I didn't do this!" the bard cried. "You spoony bard!" "No! Please don't hurt me!" he begged. "Hold on!" Twilight shouted. "At least hear him out!" "NO!" Tellah rebuffed, turning his attention back to the bard. "Take this!" The young man cried in pain once more. "Wait!" Shining cried out, but Tellah was too furious to listen. "Please!" "Idiot! If you hadn't brought her here..." "Father... Father! Stop!" *music fades out* Tellah and the bard turned to the young woman. "Please... this wasn't Edward's doing..." "Oh, Anna! There's life in you yet!" "Father... Edward... He is the prince of Damcyan. He disguised himself as a bard to avoid attention. Forgive me, Father, for running off with him. Edward... I love him, Father. But I could not stay without your blessing. I was about to return, when..." "They arrived," Edward continued. "We were attacked by Baron's Red Wings and their commander, Golbez." "Golbez?" asked Cecil. "Yes. A figure clad in armor of deepest night; his strength beyond that of mortal man." "But why did they attack Damcyan?" "They sought the Crystal, and they spared no one to obtain it," Edward answered, making Cecil feel even more guilty. "My mother, my father... even Anna shielded me from their arrows." "Edward... I love you..." Upon uttering those words, Anna then closed her eyes one last time... never to open them again. "Golbez! I'll kill you!!" Tellah exclaimed. "Tellah, wait!" But it was too late. Consumed with rage, the old sage turned away from the party and left the castle. "He's gone," Shining observed. "Prince Edward," Twilight addressed. "Y-Yes?? My goodness... More talking horses... Have you come to comfort me?" "We're not horses, Your Highness," said Shining. "We just so happen to be ponies," Twilight added. Just then her and Shining's common sense kicked in. "Wait a minute!" said Shining. "Did you say 'more?!'" "That's right. A pink hors--er, pony--about the white one's size came earlier and tried to defend us, but..." "Shining... Twilight...?" The siblings gasped upon hearing that familiar voice. Looking from the stairs, they saw someone... somepony slowly approaching the chamber from the stairs. They gasped once more in horror as the pony in question arrived, limping with several scars across her body, and her left foreleg broken. "Cadence!" "Twilight... Shining... Armor... I'm... I'm so glad... to see you..." The Princess of Love then collapsed. "Cadence! Hold on!!" Twilight sobbed. "Cadence! Don't move." "I knew... we'd meet again," Cadence said, panting. "Shining Armor, is this...?" The white unicorn nodded. "Yes, Cecil. This is my wife, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza." "Or Cadence, if you prefer," Twilight added. "What happened?" Cadence moved her head and faced her husband and sister-in-law with a look of sorrow. "When I arrived in this world, I found myself in this castle. I had myself acquainted with the royal family... except for the heir to the throne. The prince... arrived with a young girl and we even spoke of how they could ask for her father's consent, but then..." "The Red Wings stormed the castle," Cecil added. "Edward said... that they didn't show anyone a hint of mercy, but..." "And yet here I am, wounded... Just before I lost consciousness, I heard an ominous voice tell the soldiers to leave me be." "But why?" Shining asked. "I mean, it doesn't make any sense. Especially when Baron sent me out with Cecil and Kain to Mist and--" "'Mist?'" Twilight inquired. Shining Armor and Cecil then faced each other, knowing they couldn't hide the truth anymore. So they told the purple alicorn everything. "You... You were sent there... to be killed along with the SUMMONERS?!" "That's right..." Something's not right, Twilight thought to herself. If this Golbez and Baron see us ponies as threats... then why did he let Cadence live? Just then, Rydia appeared with a potion in her hand. "Here. Drink this," said Rydia. "Thank you." Cadence then consumed the potion and recovered a portion of her strength. "And who might you be?" "I'm Cecil. This is Rydia. We're traveling in search of the Sand Pearl to save my friend's life; she's sick with desert fever." "Is she... important to you?" "Very important. I'd risk my very life for her." The princess chuckled warmly. She then crawled out of the bed and joined the group. "Are you sure about this, Cadence?" asked Twilight. "You've only recovered some." "Yes. And if it means saving a life, I will gladly join. Plus, I have two loved ones with me this time," she said, gesturing to the two pony siblings. "Alright. Let's do it!" Shining said, happy that he and his wife are reunited.