//------------------------------//
// Retrieval 
// Story: Ruin 
// by RB_ 
//------------------------------//

Sunset brandished the knife in front of her. Her hands shook and her knees quivered, but she stood strong.

The others were emerging from their tents, now. They looked scared, too.

“What’s going on?” Fluttershy whispered.

“Something’s coming,” Sunset said. “Stay behind me.”

“Yeah, like that’s gonna happen.” It was Ember who spoke. She stepped forwards, put her claw on Sunset’s shoulder and pulled her back. “You get behind me.”

Sunset would have been lying to herself if she said she wasn’t at least a little relieved that someone else had taken charge.

“Alright,” Ember said. “Come on out, whatever you are!”

Another roar emerged from the brush. But there was something off about this one. It sounded… weaker, somehow. More desperate.

A shadow appeared within the treeline. Sunset tensed.

And then, the monster emerged.

It had the head and body of a lion. Bat-like wings sprouted from its back. A scorpion’s tail flicked back and forth behind it. Sunset had only seen its ilk in books before. 

A manticore. It stood as tall as she did. 

But it didn’t look healthy. Large patches of its fur had fallen out, revealing angry wounds and missing skin. It wheezed, as though it was having trouble breathing. It looked unnaturally gaunt. 

It limped forwards, dragging one of its hind legs behind it. As if in spite of that, it snarled, showing off its long, sharp teeth.

Ember took a step towards it. She opened her mouth and let out a jet of flame that shot just over the manticore’s head.

“That’s a warning,” she said. “Next one’s got your name on it.”

The manticore only snarled again and pulled itself closer.

“Alright,” Ember said. “You asked for—”

“Wait!”

The shout had come from behind them. She turned towards its source.

“Fluttershy…?”

Fluttershy swallowed, but then stepped forwards.

“L-look at it,” she stammered. “It’s hurt…”

She took a few steps closer to the beast, passing Ember. She stopped just a few feet away from it.

“You must be in so much pain,” Fluttershy said. She sounded like she was about to cry. She held a hand out to the manticore.

It sniffed her. Its eyes widened. It rose up and—

Sunset tensed. “Fluttershy, get back!”

—pulled itself forward and nuzzled its lion head against Fluttershy’s chest. 

Fluttershy reached out and wrapped her arms around it. “It’s okay now. It’s going to be okay.” She ran her hand through its mane. 

It whimpered again.

“Sunset, could you bring me one of the first aid kits?” Fluttershy asked.

“Fluttershy,” Sunset said, her voice gentle. “I don’t think there’s anything we can do…”

Fluttershy looked back at her, conviction in her eyes. “Please, Sunset.”

Sunset hesitated… then reached down and picked up the still-opened bag at her feet.

“I need bandages,” Fluttershy said. “And disinfectant spray.”

“I’ll help,” Applejack said, stepping forwards.

“Me too,” Rainbow said. “I’ve had enough skinned knees to know how to dress a wound.”

They spent the next little while attending to the manticore’s wounds, cleaning them and wrapping them in bandages. They had to use several rolls (more than Sunset would have liked) and there was nothing they could do about its leg, but eventually they finished doing what they could.

Fluttershy ran a hand through the manticore’s mane again. “Is that a little better?” Her voice hitched a little. “I’m sorry, that’s all we can do for you.”

The manticore nuzzled her again. Then, it pulled away from Fluttershy, turned, and limped away, out of the clearing and back into the brush of the forest.

Fluttershy turned around and wiped her eyes.

“I’m sorry, everyone,” she said. “I just… saw it was hurting, and…”

“It’s okay, Fluttershy,” Sunset said. “We understand. You have nothing to apologize for.”

Fluttershy smiled, weakly.

Sunset checked her watch. “Alright, everyone, back to bed. We’ve got ground to cover in the morning.”





“What is that?” Rarity asked, looking at the ruins that could just be seen from across the bridge.

“It’s the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters,” Sunset answered. “What’s left of it, anyway.”

The night (or what could be called the night, in this land of eternal grey twilight) had passed. They’d set out early in the morning, and had traveled a fair distance to reach their destination.

“Is that where the Elements are?” Rainbow asked.

“No,” Sunset said. “It’s where they used to be. Now, though, they’re in the Tree of Harmony, in a cave below the castle… somewhere.”

She consulted the map again, then turned in a circle.

“There’s supposed to be a path down…” her eyes landed on it. “There it is. Come on, everyone, we’re almost there.”

They took to the narrow path, walking in single file with the exception of Ember, who flew down ahead of them on her leathery wings. They met each other at the bottom.

“We’re looking for a cave,” Sunset said, looking at the map. “It should be at the foot of this cliff, somewhere, but it might be a little hard to find—”

“You mean like that one, over there?” Pinkie said, pointing. 

Sunset raised her head. Sure enough, there it was. In fact, it was so large it was impossible to miss.

“Yeah,” Sunset said, sheepishly. “Like that one.”

They headed inside. It was dark; Sunset pulled an electric lantern from her backpack and switched it on. Its glow revealed a straight path forwards. She led the group deeper into the cave.

Something caught the light, ahead. As Sunset approached it, her eyes widened.

It was a crystalline tree. Its many facets reflected and scattered the lantern-light onto the cave’s walls.

“The Tree of Harmony,” Sunset breathed. “We made it. We actually made it!”

But something was wrong. The crystal was dull. Cloudy. And something else was missing, too.

“Where are the Elements?” Sunset said.

Indeed, there were indentations in the tree, each one a different shape. A starburst at the center. A lightning bolt, butterfly, balloon, diamond and apple on the tree’s respective branches.

All were empty.

“I—I don’t understand,” Sunset stammered. “They’re supposed to be here!”

“Uh, Sunset?” Rainbow said. “What are those rocks on the ground?”

Sunset tore her gaze away from the tree and looked down.

Her eyes widened.

There were six of them, sitting in a half-circle around the base of the tree. Stone orbs, each with a carving that matched the indents on the Tree. Sunset reached out a gloved hand. They were solid, and smooth.

“The Elements,” she said, the anxiety in her voice replaced with confusion and a little bit of relief.

“Those are the Elements?” Rarity asked. “They don’t look like crowns or necklaces or jewelry of any sort to me.”

“This is how they looked before Twilight and her friends awoke them,” Sunset said. “They’ve… gone dormant. Why…?”

She shook her head. Now was not the time to ask questions. She picked up one of the orbs. The one with a lightning bolt on the front.

“This is loyalty,” Sunset said. “Rainbow, you take it.”

She handed the orb over. Rainbow held it in her hands. “Whoa, this thing’s heavy!”

“Fluttershy, this is kindness.” Sunset handed it over. “Rarity, this one is generosity. Applejack, honesty. Pinkie, here’s laughter.”

Sunset eyed the remaining Element. “And… I guess I’ll take magic,” she said, picking it up. She could feel its weight in her hands.

She wondered if it remembered her.

They stood there, each holding their respective Elements, for a few moments.

“Okay,” Rainbow said. “Now what?”

“I was kinda hoping something would happen,” Sunset said. “Maybe that was too much to hope for.” She smiled, slightly. “I guess I’m no substitute for Twilight.”

She raised her head. “Alright,” she said. “We’ve got what we came for. Now we just have to head back.”





“Discharging capacitors… now!”

Twilight hit the enter key on her keyboard, and the Can-Opener sparked to life.

“They should be back today, right?” Starlight asked.

Twilight nodded. “That was the plan.”

It was the third day since the expedition team had left for Equestria. Three o’clock, exactly. Just as they’d decided.

Twilight and Starlight both stared at the portal, holding their respective breaths. What felt like an eternity to Twilight passed.

And then…

A figure stepped through the portal.

“Sunset!” Twilight cried out, perhaps with a bit too much relief in her voice.

“Hey!” Sunset said. “We’re, uh… we’re back!”

The others filed through the portal themselves, one at a time.

And one more.

“Ember?” Twilight said, addressing the dragon who had just stepped through the portal. “What are you doing here?”

“I figured I’d take a look at your world, or whatever,” Ember said. She looked around. “Kinda cramped in here, isn’t it?”

“We don’t usually have this many people in here,” Starlight said. “Nice to finally meet you, by the way. I’m Starlight Glimmer.” 

She held a hand out. Ember shook it with a claw.

“So,” Twilight asked, standing up. “What happened? Were you alright in the forest? Did you find the Elements?”

“Well, things got a little dicey on the way there,” Sunset said. “But nothing happened on the way back. I guess even the Everfree isn’t immune to the magic drain.”

She smiled a grim little smile.

“But yes,” she said. “We found the Elements.”

She set her backpack on the ground and pulled out the stone orb. The others did likewise, and they arranged them in a small circle on the floor of the tent.

“These are the elements?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah,” Sunset said.

“I thought you said they were—”

“Gemstones, yes, I know.” Sunset said. “This is what they looked like before Princess Twilight and her friends became the bearers.”

“So they’ve gone dormant?” Starlight asked.

Sunset nodded. “That’s my guess.”

“So how do we wake them up?” 

“Reunite them with their bearers,” Sunset said. “The real problem is who will take Princess Twilight’s place.”

She looked in Twilight’s direction.

“W-what, me?” Twilight stammered. “There’s no way—”

“Please, Twilight,” Sunset said. “You’re our best bet, here.”

“But—”

“All you have to do is try,” Sunset said.

“I, um…” Twilight swallowed. “Okay. But I really don’t think I’ll work.”

“What about you?” Starlight asked Sunset. “You were an Element in this world too, weren’t you?”

Sunset rubbed the back of her head. “Kinda. But I tried in the forest and didn’t get any reaction.”

“That’s still a connection to the Elements,” Starlight said. “You should try with the pony bearers.”

“Okay,” Sunset said. “But you should try, too.”

“Huh?” Starlight said, taken aback. “Why me?”

“You were Princess Twilight’s personal student,” Sunset said. “If anyone would be her successor, that’s you.”

“I…” Starlight started. “I don’t think I’m worthy, but… I guess we lose nothing by trying, right?”

Sunset nodded. “Exactly. I’m sure that, between the three of us, one of us can revive the Elements.”

Twilight smiled on the outside, but on the inside she wasn’t so sure. But Sunset’s optimism, even if it was tinged with desperation, was infectious. It was easy to believe in Sunset.

“Alright,” Sunset said, smiling. “Come on, everyone. Let’s bring the Elements to the gym.” 

Everyone announced their agreement. The Elements were picked up, and the entire group, Ember included, filed their way out of the tent. 

Left abandoned, the Can-Opener continued to spark and crackle with magic and electricity, until eventually it died down, and the portal was re-sealed.

No one was around to hear the urgent beeping that began to sound off from Twilight’s computer. 

Nor was anyone around to see the flashing warning that had popped up on the screen.








End Act 2