How many references have I made in the story so far?
September 10, 1005,
I was at a complete loss for words. It couldn't be me, right? It was some other white tiger with a cutie mark, right? I knew it was impossible. I was the only non-pony to have a cutie mark. That and the fact that the tiger on the wall had MY mark meant that this was a picture of me.
“...IRO!” I became aware of daring yelling for me. I looked over at her, shock still evident on my face, “Thank Celestia. I thought this thing put some kind of spell on you. Listen we'll figure out what's up with this, but for now I think it's a good idea for you to go outside and use that thing of yours to call Higher Learning. Then after that call somepony you can confide in. we don't need you losing your mind down here.”
I nodded and turned for the entrance. My mind was still racing with “what if”s. I was so lost in thought that I was caught off guard when I slammed into something hard. I looked up to see nothing. Slowly, I reached up a paw only for it to rest on the barrier.
“What's wrong, Shiro?” asked Echo.
“I can't get out... I CAN'T GET OUT!” the shock of the strange image on the wall and the idea of being trapped both worked to make my rational mind slip away and I started to panic. I activated the magic draining ability of my amulet. I’m hind sight that was a stupid idea. For all I knew the barrier was the only thing keeping this place together. It didn't matter though, because nothing happened. I don't mean the place didn't collapse when the barrier was absorbed, I mean the barrier WASN'T absorbed. This didn't help my already panicking mind. I started punching the strange magic wall with all my strength. Each strike sent tremors through the air.
“Shiro! SHIRO!” Daring's voice brought me down some as I looked over at her, “We'll get through this. This isn't the first time I’ve entered a ruin and got trapped, and I doubt it'll be the last. These places always have another way out or at least some way to open this way we just need to find it.”
I was starting to get my emotions back under control. After a few breaths I calmed down completely.
“Sorry about that.” I apologized, “I shouldn't have let my emotions get out of control like that.”
“It's cool.” said Daring, “I mean finding out that a temple that was built over a millennium ago was somehow built for you has to be a huge shock.”
“Yeah,” I said, “I just want to know how this even exists.”
“You said you got a prophesy from Laalia.” Daring pointed out, “It's probably something like that.”
“No, they aren't that detailed.” I explained, “She told me it was like seeing just the outlines of things. She could see what was happening, but not who it was happening to, and even then it was only glimpses.”
“Well maybe we'll find answers deeper in.” Echo said.
“You're right, lets go.” I said.
We went deeper into the structure, passing two more walls with me on them. One had me fighting the barghest while Twilight looked on, and the other had me tending to an unconscious Jynx in the Everfree. Both creeped me out considerably.
We arrived at a stair case that lead to the next floor. The three of us slowly made our way down. None of us knew what to expect in this place. What we came across when we stepped off the last step, however, was down right freaky. The wall in front of us showed me again, but this time it also had Daring and Echo. The three of us were opening a chest of all things... the chest siting right under the image.
What the hell is this? I thought to myself, D&D, Skyrim, Zelda... I swear to god if music plays when we open that thing I'm done.
Thankfully, no music sounded when Daring opened it. She pulled a piece of paper from the box.
“Look at this.” she said, “It says, “Use only what is inside this chest”. What the hay does that mean?”
“I don't like this.” Echo said, “Something put that here just for us? How would they get in? Shiro here is the only sentient feline in the world.”
“That we know of.” I said, “For all we know there could be others in hiding. What's in there anyway.”
Daring pulled everything out, listing things off as she did, “Two short swords, a long sword, a war ax, a shield, a spear... how the hay did all that even fit in there?” Daring looked in the chest trying to figure it out, “Buck it. I take it we're going to be fighting something.”
“Why else would there be weapons in here?” I said, “Of course I’d rather use my own weapon.” I said pulling my weapon from it's..., “What the hell, it's stuck.” my spear wouldn't budge. I tried activating my light sword... nothing. My chaos fire had the same results, “What the hell is going on. None of my weapons or magic is working.”
“Same here.” Daring said tugging her whip.
Echo shook his head. He had the same problem.
“Then we have to use the provided weapons. Who's taking what?” I asked, “I'm good with swords, so if y'all don't mind, I'll take the long sword.”
“Go ahead,” said Daring, “We're not very good with long blades. I'll take the spear.”
“I got the ax and shield.” Echo said.
“You guys take a short sword each.” I told my companions, “You'll need them if you get disarmed, I have my claws.”
We strapped up and stepped through the door to the next... forest... fuck my life.
We found ourselves in a dark, foggy woods. When I looked back to the door, there was nothing but more forest and fog.
“What the hell.” I said, “What is wrong with this place?”
“I don't know.” said Daring, “Some kind of illusion?”
“Smells real to me.” said Echo.
“I don't sense magic.” I said, “Whatever this is, it's real.”
I gripped the long sword in one paw, readying my claws in the other. Echo had his shield raised, ready to defend the mare behind him. Daring gripped the spear in her wing ready to assist her husband. It wasn't long before something happened.
A swarm of glowing orbs burst from the trees, hovering in as cloud overhead. A group of about ten of them descended to the ground and flashed brightly. When the light faded, ten spectral warriors stood in front of us. They charged us silently, weapons ready.
“I got this. You two save your strength.” I said.
I charged and met the beings half way. I destroyed one after the other with ease. With the last gone of them I retreated to the others as twenty of the orbs fell to engage us.
“They're not too tough.” I said, “Fight them like you would a normal, living enemy.”
“That was just to test them?” Daring asked. I nodded, “Heh, maybe Daring should be your name.”
“Or Looney.” Echo chimed in just before the next wave reached us.
That skirmish didn't even last a whole two minutes. I struck with steel and claw while Echo's ax cleaved skulls, and Daring's spear shot out with the accuracy of one who knows what they're doing.
Apparently all that was meant as a warn up, because the orbs above started zipping around sporadic. They descended all around us this time, one at a time. We stood back to back as the hoard came at us. Steel met steel as we battled each challenger that approached. For every specter we slew two more took it's place. Soon we were facing an army of ethereal foes, but we fought on. It might have been five minutes, it might have been an hour, but eventually their numbers thinned out. Soon the last of them fell as Daring hurled her spear into it's chest.
“Oh, yeah!” she cheered, “I still got it.”
“Nice, where'd you learn how to use a spear like that?” I asked.
“I was in the Royal Guard for four years. It paid for my college” she answered.
“Wait,” I suppressed a chuckle, “You use to be a guard THEN you became an adventurer?”
“Yeah, why?” she asked, confused.
“Forget it.” I said, “How the hell do we get out of here?”
As if to answer my question, the woods vanished, as did the weapons. We were once again in the ruins. The room we were in had more of those murals. One was me healing Jynx in Canterlot. The other was of me fighting Gil, fused with Dash.
“Did you really eat that guy?” Daring asked, pointing to the image.
“Hahaha, yeah. He made excellent burgers.” I said.
“I've often wondered what Griffin tastes like.” Echo said.
“You ever try bear?” I asked.
“Really? I thought I’d be like chicken.” he said.
“OK, can we talk about something else.” Daring interrupted, “All this talk about eating meat normally doesn't bother me anymore, but I have a friend who's a griffin.”
“Got'cha.” I said, “Let's see what kind of messed up place this leads to.”
We went through the door and once again descended a stair case. At the bottom was a similar room as before except no chest and no mural. Thank god.
“Be ready for anything.” Daring warned.
She threw the door open and we cautiously peeked in. Of all the weird things we've seen here, this was the strangest. The three of us walked through the door and gazed around, stunned.
“What the buck is this?” asked Daring.
“Um, Daring?” I said, “I know I’m no explorer like you guys, but am I wrong when I say that five star accommodations are not normally found in ancient ruins?”
For some reason we found ourselves in an apartment that looked like one of the guest suites at the palace. There was a lounge room, a kitchen with fresh food WTF, and two doors at the back, one with a picture of me and the other with Echo and Daring.
“Not any I’ve ever seen.” came her answer, “I don't trust it.”
“I do.” I said. I clarified when the couple gave me the are you serious look, “I think what ever set this up is just trying to test us for some reason. It wants us to succeed, but can't just give us what we want. There's a reason for this.”
“What makes you think that.” asked Echo skeptically.
“Why else would they go through all this trouble.” I asked.
I could almost hear the gears in their heads turning.
“That does make sense.” Daring said.
“I still don't trust it.” Echo said, “This might be a trap.”
“Or it could be a test.” I said, “In which case the only way forward it to play along. I don't know about y'all but I’m hungry.”
I went to check out the kitchen. It was stocked with just about everything I could ask for to make meals for each of us.
“Yo,” I called, “Who likes pasta?”
“I like pasta.” Daring said.
“Pasta?” Echo's tail was wagging at the thought, “I love pasta.”
I immediately started working on making some spaghetti marinara. In a separate pan I grilled up some chicken for me and Echo. Soon the delicious smell of food filled the place.
“Mmm, smells good.” Daring said, “Hay, Furball, why don't you learn how to cook?”
“Yeah, right. Me cook?” Echo said, “That's why we're not aloud in Bittsburgh any more.”
“Holy crap. You cooking got you banned from a whole city? How did that happen?” I asked.
“I'd rather not talk about it.” said the d-dog.
“Don't worry about it, baby. That block needed renovating anyway.” Daring said, trying to comfort him.
“Ouch.” I said, “Well, food's done. Eat up, everyone. We don't know when we might get another meal like this.”
We were too hungry to talk while eating and after we finished the day just caught up to us. We bid each other goodnight and made our way to the rooms. I went in mine and they went in theirs. I plopped down on the soft, silk sheets of the bed, and was asleep in minutes.
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Fact #5 The war of succession was the largest war in Equestrian history. The coup led by Queen Gaea resulted in the deaths of more than 8000 ponies. The total number of combatants numbered 12,000. As her first act as ruler after the war, Celestia swore that she would do whatever was necessary to prevent such a thing from happening again. Since then no war has had more than 1000 deaths.