Rainbow Dash was sitting down and kept a watchful eye on the captive ghost.
“Keep your cool, RD,” Applejack said.
“I know,” Rainbow said, “I’m just making sure she doesn’t go anywhere.”
“Where would I go,” the ghost hissed, “I’m trapped here.”
Twilight Sparkle sat next to Rainbow and asked, “What was your intention? Did you really mean to harm us?”
The ghost didn’t move from the corner of the alcove, but she did look Twilight in the eyes. Then, after a moment, she dropped her gaze and shook her head.
“I know that the feedback isn’t your doing,” Twilight said, “But you knew that Rarity and I were being hurt by it.”
She got to her hooves and asked, “Why did you keep us from leaving?”
Again, the ghost didn’t respond. Twilight shook her head and returned to Rarity, who was leaning against the wall.
“Have you received word from the ghost,” Rarity asked.
“No,” Twilight said as she sat down, “I think she’s too afraid to speak.”
Rarity sighed, “I certainly don’t blame here. If I were acting so nasty, I would be quite scared of receiving my comeuppance.”
Twilight glanced back to the alcove, “Then why did you agree with Applejack?”
“You agreed as well,” Rarity said, “I simply don’t believe that causing harm will make the situation better. After all, we don’t have all the information.
She smiled at Twilight and added, “Perhaps now would be a good time for a studious pony to get some answers.”
Twilight smiled and returned to the alcove. When she arrived, she stepped into the shadows and sat down.
“Twilight,” Rainbow shouted, “What are you doing? That thing already tried to hurt you and Rarity.”
“It’ll be fine,” Twilight said, “What Rarity and I suffered was not because of this ghost. It was the temple.”
She turned back to Rainbow Dash and said, “Besides, I have the both of you here if something goes wrong.”
Rainbow nodded, but she kept her eyes locked on the ghost.
“Okay,” she said, “But be careful.”
Twilight nodded, “I will.”
She returned her gaze to the ghost and smiled warmly.
“What do you want,” the ghost asked.
“Information,” Twilight said, “Mainly information that has been missing for nearly a thousand years.”
The ghost seemed to relax but kept quiet.
“You don’t have to worry,” Twilight said, “You will not be harmed, and I will not force you to answer. All I want to know is information about the temple.”
“Do you promise,” the ghost asked.
Twilight nodded, “The fight is over. Now it’s time that we talk.”
---
The two ponies and one ghost walked down the hall. Benches and pedestals lined the walls.
“Do you know why they chose this marble to make this,” Fluttershy asked.
Before the candidate of Kindness could respond, Pinkie Pie spoke up.
“It’s not marble, Flutters. It’s obsidian, and it’s a super unlucky stone.”
The ghost nodded and asked, “How are you familiar with the stone?”
Pinkie smiled and said, “Well, my Granny Pie told me about it when I was little. See, I grew up on a rock farm, so I know a lot about rocks and stones and boulders and gems.”
She gave Fluttershy a wink and said, “And marble.”
Fluttershy giggled, “Thank you, Pinkie.”
The ghost smiled and said, “Sadly, most of my memory was lost when I died, but I did learn things after as I wandered.”
She let out a sigh, “Before I hid.”
“Okay,” Pinkie Pie said, “Enough moping. We’re going to make things right. You’ll see. With Kindness and Laughter, you can’t lose.”
Fluttershy gently nudged the ghost and said, “If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s okay.”
“No,” the ghost said, “It’s fine. It’s just that I don’t know much about this place.”
She stopped and looked around, “All of this is pristine. The only dust is from the tunnels above. Whatever, or whoever, built this place did so long before the temple was even built.”
“Oh, my,” Fluttershy said, “So this could be one of the oldest places in the world?”
“It’s possible,” the ghost said, “Though that itself is quite the mystery.”
Pinkie hopped ahead and turned. She smiled broadly and said, “Well, that’s a question for Twilight. For now, we need to find that candidate.”
“Agreed,” the ghost said, “Though I do admit that I am scared. She has spent so long hating me.”
Fluttershy placed a leg around the ghost’s neck and said, “Don’t focus on that. Just be honest, and we will support you.”
The ghost nodded, and they continued to wander the halls in search of the candidate.
As they walked, Fluttershy noticed open rooms would have their doors close as the group drew near.
She opened her mouth to ask, but the ghost noticed.
“I don’t know what’s causing that,” she said, “It seems that there is something that is deciding which rooms we can enter.”
Fluttershy nodded and recalled the illusionary courtyard. She smiled as she remembered the pink butterfly. The fluffy reminder of her Pinkie Pie.
“Were you allowed into the room where you created the courtyard?”
“Yes,” the ghost said, “I wandered for so long trying to stay away from the candidate of Loyalty, and every room I passed closed. All except for one. When I entered, I felt something in the room. It was as though I could draw the magical energy from the room.”
She lowered her head and scoffed, “That was when I made my second mistake.”
Pinkie Pie nuzzled the ghost and asked, “What’d you do, chilly pony?”
The ghost glanced at Pinkie with a raised eyebrow and said, “I thought I could still use my magic and try to help the ponies that were lost. I don’t even know what I was trying to do. All I know is that I wanted to help.”
Before anypony could respond, they heard the familiar sound of the candidate of Loyalty.
“There she is,” Pinkie Pie shouted and ran ahead.
“Pinkie,” Fluttershy shouted and motioned for the ghost to follow.
They followed the pink pony and soon found her hopping around a pony that had long since died.
The pony seemed to have a bemused expression on her face, but when she saw the ghost, her face twisted in rage.
“There you are,” she shouted, “Don’t you dare run from me.”
The ghost sat down and nodded, “No. No more running. I know that you died because of me. That so many died because of me.”
The candidate of Loyalty dragged her broken body to the ghost, and when she got close, she pulled a leg back to strike at her.
“Okay,” Pinkie said, jumping in between the two, “There will be none of that.”
The candidate looked at Pinkie and growled, “Why do you stand in my way? You have no idea what she did to me. Did to us. She betrayed us. She allowed the temple to fall.”
Fluttershy walked up to the candidate and smiled warmly.
“Um, hello,” she said, “I’m sorry for running away when we first met. I couldn’t see you, and I was quite scared.”
She turned to the ghost and said, “She told me what happened. That she tried to help the students escape through the tunnels.”
“Did she tell you that she is the reason the temple was attacked,” the candidate hissed.
The ghost leaned back in surprise. “What are you talking about,” she asked, “I was in the tunnels when the temple was attacked.”
The candidate began to wheeze but managed to regain control. She shook her head and said, “That is quite convenient to safely hide away when the rest of us were being butchered.”
The ghost jumped to her hooves and shouted, “Are you even listening to yourself? I died as well. I died in this place along with everypony else.”
“She’s got a point,” Pinkie said, “How could she have been in on it if she also died?”
“I don’t dwell with the thoughts of traitors,” the candidate said, “All I know, all I need to know, is that we would not have fallen if we simply ignored the ideas of a spoiled child.”
The ghost lowered her head and began to cry.
“Don’t waste your empty tears,” the candidate said, “I know what you did. What I want to know is why.”
Fluttershy gently hugged the ghost and said, “Remember. We are here for you, but you have to be honest.”
The ghost nodded, “I am sorry. Perhaps I should have listened to you and the candidate of Honesty, but I was certain that escape was the best course of action. I had nothing to do with the attack, though I know there is nothing I can say or do to change your mind.”
The candidate looked away from the ghost. She shifted her weight and seemed she would move away, but she looked back at Pinkie.
“You remind me of the boy,” the candidate said, “Do you believe her?”
Pinkie Pie shook her head, “Nope, not at all.”
Fluttershy gasped, “Pinkie, why would you say that?”
“Because I don’t,” Pinkie Pie said, shrugging, “I know that you trust her, and I trust you. That’s all I need to know.”
“So,” the candidate began, “You would place your faith in her even though you don’t trust her?”
Pinkie Pie nodded, “You’re making it sound more complicated than it really is. I love my Flutters, so if she says that the ghostie wants to make amends, I’m gonna trust in my Flutters.”
The candidate shook her head, “You are a strange one, but I suppose I can understand what you mean.”
Fluttershy walked to the candidate and knelt next to her.
“I am sorry for my rude behavior earlier. Now we are trying to help, so everypony can finally leave.”
She turned to the ghost and said, “She is ready to leave, so please join us.”
The candidate shook her head, “As much as I want to, I can’t.”
Pinkie Pie stomped on the floor, “Is this about your silly revenge? How about we hear what happened from the pony herself?”
She stepped aside, and the candidates of Loyalty and Kindness were face to face for the first time in nearly one thousand years.
Fluttershy nodded, “Yes, please tell her what happened.”
She turned to the candidate of Loyalty and said, “Please listen to everything. I know that you will be angry, but please listen.”
The candidate of Loyalty nodded slowly, “Very well. I will listen. If for nothing else, so she will have no excuses.”
The candidate of Kindness nodded and recounted her story to the candidate.
---
The ghost in the alcove hadn’t said anything, but Twilight knew to be patient. Their prisoner knew she was at their mercy, so she opted for silence.
“I know you’re upset,” Twilight said, “But I wish to help you if I can. Why were you so eager to get past us?”
Rainbow Dash scoffed, “She wasn’t trying to get past us. She was trying to get us. She attacked us enough times.”
Twilight nodded, “I know that’s how it appears, but is that really true?”
She turned her attention back to the ghost and asked, “Were you trying to leave?”
The ghost looked at Twilight and shook her head.
“I. I don’t know why I do the things that I do. It’s been so long since I was summoned that I can’t even remember my purpose.”
Twilight tilted her head and asked, “Summoned? So, does that mean you’re not the candidate for the Element of Kindness?”
The ghost shook her head, “No, I’m nothing more than a reflection. A fragment of her and nothing more.”
Applejack let out an impressed whistle. When the ponies, and the ghost, looked at her, she said, “Well, I gotta say that’s pretty impressive. You rightly had us cornered for quite a while there, so if you only had a fraction of the candidate of Kindness, then she must be something else.”
The ghost nodded, “She has grown powerful, but that is not natural to her. There is another temple below this one. Nopony knew about it. That is where she hides.”
Twilight nodded, “And that must be where Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie found her.”
She glanced back to her friends and added, “I’m assuming, of course, but it does stand to reason that they succeeded if there is light again.”
“Can you sense her,” Twilight asked the ghost.
The ghost nodded, “Yes, it’s been so long. I felt her return as the torches returned. I know that she will destroy me.”
“Don’t dwell on that,” Twilight said, “Do you know why she hid?”
The ghost nodded, “Because she was being hunted.”
“Hunted,” Rainbow Dash asked, “Who’s hunting her?”
“The candidates of Loyalty and Honesty,” the ghost said, “The candidate of Honesty is in these tunnels, and the candidate of Loyalty is in the temple below.”
Twilight scratched at the ground, “I wish I had brought my recorder, but I’ll try and remember to note all of this down.”
She looked at the ghost and asked, “Do you know why they’re hunting her?”
The ghost nodded, “Because they think she betrayed them.”
She leaned against the wall and added, “When the temple was attacked, they wanted to fight, but the candidate of Kindness wanted to escape.”
“What else can you tell me,” Twilight asked.
The ghost shook her head, “Not much more than that. I’m nothing more than a reflection. I only have some of her memories.”
Twilight sighed, “So we would have to get the rest from her directly.”
She got to her hooves and said, “Thank you. I promise that you will not be harmed. Hopefully, once Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie return, we will be able to help you as well.”
The ghost didn’t respond and lay down. She watched Twilight leave and relaxed.
Twilight walked to Rarity and asked, “I know the feedback has been reduced, but are you feeling better?”
Rarity nodded, “I am. It’s still quite difficult, and I most certainly don’t wish to use magic for a while yet. But I believe that it will pass.”
“Hey,” Rainbow Dash said, “Just how they hay did you two come up with the plan to light the torches?”
Twilight smiled, “Well, we didn’t. We both knew that things were bad, so we took a chance. Thankfully, it paid off.”
Rarity giggled and said, “It certainly did, though if it didn’t, neither of us would be in much of a position to do anything about it.”
Applejack nudged Rainbow and said, “Speaking of plans, that was might quick thinking with that there flint paper.”
Rainbow smiled, “Thanks. It’s all a part of my Daring Do adventure kit. It used to have a torch, but I kind of lost it.”
“Well,” Applejack said, “It’s good to know that you had that handy. You really saved our skins, Sugarcube.”
“Well,” Rainbow said, “Now we’re even.”
Applejack laughed, “I think you’ve gone above that. I helped you out, but you looked out for the three of us. I’d say you’re the bigger hero.”
Rainbow smiled and said, “Thanks, AJ.”
She turned back down the tunnel and asked, “Do you think they’re okay?”
“They have each other,” Rarity said, “They’ll be fine.”
---
The candidate of Loyalty listened to the candidate of Kindness’s story.
“So,” she said after the tale was done, “You had no idea that we were under attack or that there was another temple below this one?”
The ghost nodded and said, “I understand that you don’t believe me, and I can understand that you still hate me. But please let us leave this place together.”
The candidate of Loyalty looked at Pinkie and Fluttershy. After a minute, she said, “I spent so long searching for you. I wanted nothing more than to cause you a fraction of my pain.”
She then placed a hoof on the ghost’s leg and said, “But I can see that you have also suffered. I can’t say I completely believe you, but I can see that you are sincere.”
The ghost smiled and asked, “Does that mean you will return with us?”
The candidate nodded, “Yes, I have been stuck here for far too long, I think it is time to release this burden of mine.”
The body began to crumble to dust, and before anypony could react, an orange orb floated from the remains.
“So you’re a ghostie now,” Pinkie Pie asked, “That’d make moving around a lot easier.”
The candidate of Loyalty bobbed up and down in agreement, “It will. Shall we return to the tunnels? I have no desire to remain in this place.”
The group agreed and continued to walk toward the slope connecting the two levels.
A question troubled Fluttershy, she turned to the ghost and asked, “What do you think will happen when you leave?”
“Don’t answer,” Pinkie shouted, “It should be a surprise.”
The ghost giggled and said, “To be honest, I don’t know. We will find out soon enough.”
The group eventually managed to find the slope. It was both steep and unstable. Fluttershy looked up the slope to see how far it was.
“Looks like we’re stuck,” Pinkie said.
Fluttershy shook her head, “No. I think I can safely fly up. Maybe I can find some rope.”
Pinkie turned to the ghost and asked, “Think you can zap us up there?”
The ghost tilted her head, “Zap?”
“Yeah,” Pinkie said, “Like as in you zap from one place to another.”
The ghost smiled and said, “I see. Teleport. I don’t believe that my magic will work on the living.”
She turned to the candidate of Loyalty and said, “We can move to the upper tunnels easily.”
The orange orb moved up the slope and said, “Do hurry. The sooner we can be rid of this place, the better.”
The ghost turned to Fluttershy and said, “There should be some supplies in the tunnels that you can use to help Pinkie Pie overcome the slope.”
She turned toward the slope and disappeared, leaving Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie shook her body and said, “Well, now it’s you and me, Flutters. Think you can find something up there?”
Fluttershy nodded, “I think so.”
She walked to the edge of the slope and tested the loose earth. It was unstable, but it didn’t look like it would collapse.
She gave Pinkie Pie a nuzzle and a quick kiss on the cheek.
“For luck,” Fluttershy said.
Pinkie hopped up and down, “Then we’re all set. Now get up there!”
Fluttershy carefully flew up the slope. It was wide enough for her to fit but not wide enough for the flight to be comfortable.
She spotted a fork in the slope and saw where she and Pinkie were separated. It didn’t take long to arrive at the upper tunnels. She was surprised to see several torches lit, just like the ruins below. This calmed her nerves somewhat, as she could now see the path Pinkie Pie and she took.
“There you are,” the candidate of Loyalty said, “Where is the other one?”
“Oh,” Fluttershy said, “She can’t climb up the slope, so I’ll try and find something to bring her up.”
“You’re not planning on abandoning her, are you,” the candidate asked.
Fluttershy spun around and glared at the orb. “Of course not,” she said, “I will find a rope, and if I don’t find one, I will carry her up here myself.”
The candidate bobbed as though she were about to speak, but a new quiet voice said, “She is not lying.”
The ghost turned around and gasped.
Just like the candidate of Loyalty, the candidate of Honesty suffered and was cursed to remain in her broken body.
The pony slowly walked to the group dragging a badly broken leg.
Fluttershy walked up to the candidate and said, “I’m sorry. We met earlier, and we ran from you. It was so dark, and I was so scared.”
The candidate looked at Fluttershy and then at the ghost.
“Your reflection is still up here, but I see you created another one,” she asked the ghost.
“No,” the ghost said, “She is still among the living. She and I share a similar energy, but she is different.”
The candidate of Honesty studied Fluttershy and said, “I see. You have a pure energy within you. Perhaps you aren’t the same as her.”
The venom in her voice was clear. She made her way to the candidate of Loyalty and asked, “Why are you with her? You told me that she betrayed you.”
The candidate shook her head, “I know what I said, I simply have doubts now.”
She glanced at the ghost and added, “I don’t trust you. I never trusted you, but I’m not entirely convinced you did not betray us.”
Fluttershy nodded and suddenly shouted, “Pinkie!”
She began running around the tunnel, trying to locate a rope or linen, anything she could use to help Pinkie Pie climb up the slope.
“What is wrong with her,” the candidate of Honesty asked.
Both candidates turned to the ghost, who only said, “I have no idea. They’re both quite strange.”
She smiled and said, “Genuine and loving, but strange.”
“Don’t forget,” the ghost said to Fluttershy, “There are supplies up here that should be able to help.”
Fluttershy eventually calmed down enough to understand, though the blush of embarrassment was clear.
“Yea,” she said, “Of course. Um, where are these supplies?”
The candidate of Honesty spoke up, “I have been wandering these tunnels for centuries. I can direct you.”
“Oh,” Fluttershy said, “I would greatly appreciate it if you would.”
The candidate nodded, “Take the tunnel on the left, and when you arrive at the next section, take another left. There will be a store room that you can use to locate what you need.”
“I see,” Fluttershy said, “Thank you.”
“I’ll be right back,” she said.
When she got near the end of the tunnel, she turned and said, “Um, if you don’t mind, that is.”
“Just go,” the candidate of Loyalty said.
Fluttershy ran down the tunnel and soon found the section the candidate of Honesty referred to. This tunnel section had three branching paths, and she knew to take the path to the left.
She walked toward the tunnel and paused at the entrance. Unlike the rest of the tunnels, this tunnel remained unlit. From what little light poured into the tunnel, Fluttershy could not see any torches on the walls.
She swallowed hard and slowly walked down the tunnel. Thankfully, the tunnel was short and ended with a wooden door. It wasn’t locked and pushed open easily.
Fluttershy tried to feel around but could not find anything and let out a squeak of surprise when an orange light appeared next to her.
“I forgot that you can’t see in the darkness,” the candidate of Loyalty said, “I shall light your way.”
“Thank you,” Fluttershy said.
“I do this for the one below,” the candidate said, “Not for you.”
Fluttershy nodded, “Even so, it means a great deal to me that you are helping.”
The orb did not reply and hovered around the room. Fluttershy found an old spool of rope, but it had mostly rotted away. There was a section, but it would not be long enough for Pinkie to climb up.
Still, she had no choice. She grabbed the rope and turned to leave the storage room.
“Thank you again,” she told the orange orb, “I will make certain that Pinkie knows how you helped her.”
Again, the orb stayed silent and led her back toward the tunnel.
“Did you find what you needed,” the ghost asked.
“I believe so,” Fluttershy said, “I just hope it will be enough.”
She flew down the slope and found Pinkie sitting and staring at the wall.
“Pinkie,” Fluttershy said, “I found some rope. It’s not long enough for you to climb, but I might be able to use it to help you climb up.”
Pinkie didn’t respond, so Fluttershy gave her a gentle poke.
“Pinkie,” Pinkie Pie said, “Pinkie isn’t here anymore.”
Fluttershy took a step back, shaking with fright, and asked, “Where is Pinkie?”
Pinkie turned and said, “That’s not important. Do you know what time it is?”
Fluttershy shook her head, “No, what time is it?”
Pinkie smiled and pounced on Fluttershy.
“It’s time for some welcome back cuddles!”
“Pinkie,” Fluttershy squeaked, “You scared me.”
“Aww,” Pinkie Pie said, “I didn’t mean to scare you, Flutters. I was just waiting for you to get back.”
She looked up the slope, “Let’s get out of here. All of this unlucky stone makes me feel icky.”
Fluttershy nodded, and the two made their way to the slope's edge. Once there, Pinkie tied one end to her hoof and the other to Fluttershy’s.
“Are you sure about this,” Pinkie asked.
Fluttershy studied the ascent and nodded.
“I think I can fly so you can climb up. If the ground starts giving way, I can keep you steady.”
Pinkie smiled, “Okie dokie. Let’s do this.”
Fluttershy steadied herself and took flight. Pinkie tried to climb, and it wasn’t easy with only three free hooves. It didn’t take long before the ground began to crumble, but Fluttershy managed to keep Pinkie in place until the pink pony could find a better purchase.
“This is not as fun as I thought it would be,” Pinkie said, spitting out dirt.
“Are you okay,” Fluttershy asked, already feeling winded.
Pinkie nodded, and they continued their slow climb. The ground gave way a few more times before they arrived at the fork. They were able to stop, using the stable earth that created the fork to keep themselves in place.
“I think this is where we got separated,” Fluttershy said.
“Oh yeah,” Pinkie said, “I think I bumped into some vases or something down there. I wonder what those were about.”
Once Fluttershy managed to catch her breath, they resumed their climb and eventually found themselves in the tunnels.
Fluttershy helped Pinkie get out of the slope and fell to her side.
“You tired,” Pinkie asked.
Fluttershy nodded and smiled.
“I’ll. I’ll be fine,” she said, “Just give me a minute to catch my breath.”
The candidates of Loyalty, Honesty, and Kindness waited for the pegasus to get back to her hooves.
Once she was back to a seated position, the candidate of Honesty asked, “So now that she’s back here, what is it that you expect from us?”
Fluttershy looked at each candidate and opened her mouth to speak.
Pinkie sat next to Fluttershy and said, “Well, we’re on a mission from Princess Luna to help you leave this place. I thought it would be all ‘hey, ghosties, there’s the door,’ but nope.”
The pink pony stomped on the ground with her hooves and said, “It turned out to be all, ‘Oh no, it’s dark and spooky, and there are ghosties everywhere.’ Not fun.”
She smiled at the candidates, “Not that I’m saying that it’s been a blast for you, either. It must be super duper boring to be here all this time.”
The candidate of Honesty lumbered toward Pinkie and asked, “The Princess is free?”
“Yes,” Fluttershy said, “Our friends helped free her from Nightmare Moon. Now we want to help you leave.”
She turned to the ghost and said, “I understand you are upset. That’s why we’re here. She wants to make amends.”
The candidate of Honesty began to growl but stopped when Pinkie again stomped on the ground.
“Listen up,” she shouted, “I don’t want to hear any lip until she is done talking.”
She glared at each candidate and added, “That means no interrupting and no arguing. We’re gonna listen, and then we’re gonna hug it out.”
Fluttershy rose to her hooves and draped a wing over the ghost again, revealing the young unicorn.
“Thank you,” the unicorn said, “I promise to be brief, but please listen.”
The two candidates were going to reply, but Pinkie’s glare caused them to simply nod.
“Thank you,” the ghost said, “Now, from what I remember, we ran to this tunnel trying to find an escape route.”
She shook her head, “I can’t even remember why I thought that. Perhaps the ruins below drew me to the spot.”
“That is why you fell,” she said, turning to the candidate of Loyalty, “I know you didn’t trust me, but you still listened to me. I tried to help you when you fell, but...”
The candidate of Loyalty dimmed slightly and said, “I. I thought you caused the collapse. All these years, I thought that was true. Perhaps, I simply didn’t want to believe that there was anything good in you.”
“I understand,” the unicorn said, “I know that many didn’t feel I deserved to be considered a candidate.”
“Okay,” Pinkie said, “I’m kinda breaking the rule here, but it’s okay since you already broke it.”
She got to her hooves and asked the candidate of Loyalty, “Again, you said that you didn’t trust her. How come?”
“Because she wasn’t a student of the temple,” the candidate of Loyalty said, “She was the daughter of the candidate of Magic. Kindness is such an easy element. Any nice pony could have taken her place.”
“Well, that’s just not true,” Pinkie Pie said, “There’s more to kindness than just being nice. You have to know when to be nice and when not to. Sure it may be easy to be nice, but not everypony can keep that up. Flutters is the Element of Kindness because that’s who she is right down to her adorable bones.”
Fluttershy smiled and said, “I’m certain that the elements you were studying seemed easy to each of you.”
Both candidates nodded.
“I had a difficult time telling lies,” the candidate of Honesty said, “Though I noticed that other possible candidates had less trouble.”
Pinkie giggled, “That sounds like our pal, Applejack. She can’t lie at all, but I get the feeling that she can spot lies pretty easy.”
The candidate of Loyalty nodded and said, “I was annoyed that she was chosen as the candidate for the Element of Kindness without any testing.”
“But, I was tested,” the unicorn said, “I had to stand by the pedestal in the main hall.”
The candidate of Honesty tilted her head and nodded, “That’s rather clever. It seemed that your mother found a way to make the process quicker.”
Fluttershy turned to the unicorn and asked, “What does she mean?”
“Well,” the unicorn said, “There are tests that each possible candidate had to take, but when it was time to find the candidate for the Element of Kindness, Nightmare Moon had already caused so much damage. My mother decided to take a chance. She used her magic on the pedestals and had me try and activate them. Only one responded.”
“The Element of Kindness,” Fluttershy asked.
The unicorn nodded, “It seemed that I was closely connected to that element, so I became the candidate.”
Pinkie shook the dust from her mane and said, “Before we go any further, we should probably have you talk to Twilight. She’d know what you’re talking about.”
“And who might that be,” the candidate of Honesty asked.
“Oh, she’s one of our friends,” Fluttershy said, “She and another friend, Rarity, were being hurt by the temple’s magic.”
“Your reflection,” the candidate of Loyalty said.
The ghost shook her head, “No, I don’t see how. She was little more than a reflection. She should have faded away centuries ago.”
The candidate of Honesty made her way to the ghost and said, “The attack was a chaotic and confusing time. I don’t remember much about my own passing.”
She glanced to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie and said, “I will offer this one chance. Look me in the eyes and tell me that you are innocent. That you did not bring this death down upon us.”
The ghost nodded and said, “I had nothing to do with the attack, but I will not say I am innocent. I failed to protect her and yourself. Both of you suffered because of me.”
The candidate of Honesty studied the ghost carefully and said, “I have reason to be resentful, but I cannot sense that you are lying. I believe you.”
The ghost smiled, “That’s good. We are ready to leave this place.”
With a tired sigh, the candidate of Honesty’s body began to crumble just as the candidate of Loyalty’s body did.
A blue orb joined the group.
“Well,” Pinkie said, “This is great! Now we can get out of here.”
The orbs bobbed in agreement, and the four began to walk back toward the spiral staircase.
Fluttershy glanced at the orbs and then to the ghostly unicorn, and the ghost appeared to be more at peace, though she still bore a nervousness.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Fluttershy began, “Why are you a ghost and not an orb?”
“There’s a reason for that,” the candidate of Honesty said, “We were trapped in our broken bodies because of the burdens we placed upon ourselves when we died. Our seemingly misplaced malice kept us trapped.”
Fluttershy nodded, “I see, and what might be burdening you?”
The ghost shook her head, “I must see to my reflection. It would seem that she caused some trouble when I hid.”
She turned to the orbs and asked, “Have you heard anything?”
The candidate of Loyalty did not reply, but the candidate of Honesty said, “I heard whispers in the tunnels. It seemed that the spirits were drawn to her, the same as they were drawn to you.”
The ghost nodded, “I believe that the spirits were lost and thought I could provide comfort.”
Silence fell, and the group continued to make their way. Soon, they arrived at the spiral staircase to find the ponies looking into a dark alcove.
Pinkie ran to reunite with their friends, and Fluttershy followed close behind.
Upon seeing them, Rarity got to her hooves.
“Fluttershy,” she said smiling, “And Pinkie Pie. It is wonderful to see you.”
She turned to the hall to see two orbs and a familiar ghost.
“I take it you were successful in finding the ghosts.”
Fluttershy nodded, “Yes, we are almost ready to leave.”
She looked around and asked, “Where could her reflection be?”
“She’s in there,” Rainbow Dash said, giving the real ghost a suspicious glance, “Doesn’t seem like she can go anywhere.”
The ghost nodded and made her way to the alcove. She paused and said to Rainbow Dash, “Thank you. I am deeply sorry for any trouble my reflection caused you.”
She sat down next to the reflection and reached out with a hoof.
“No,” the reflection said, “You can do this. I don’t want to go. You can’t.”
The ghost nodded, “It’s time. I am so sorry for leaving this burden on you for so long. I didn’t expect you to be around still.”
The reflection trembled and tried to get away, but there was nowhere to go.
“I didn’t hurt anypony. I just used the magic to scare them.”
The ghost nodded and said, “You simply wanted them to leave so that you could remain hidden.”
The reflection nodded, “But they wouldn’t go.”
“Couldn’t is more accurate,” Twilight Sparkle said, “There’s a powerful barrier at the archway of the stairs.”
“The security system,” the ghost said, “It must have activated with she began her assault on you.”
She turned back to the reflection and asked, “How did you manage to stay here for so long? You should have faded ages ago?”
The reflection said, “I fed off the energy from the tunnels below. There’s something there. Something terribly old. I wanted to go down there because there was more energy, but it scared me.”
“The obsidian,” the ghost said, “Its excess energy was fueling you. That is why you were able to maintain your form.”
“But I don’t want to go,” the reflection pleaded, “There must be another way.”
“The only way,” the ghost said, “The only that there should have been is for me to take responsibility. You can rest now.”
She placed her forehead on the trembling reflection, and the reflection began to fade. Soon, only one ghostly unicorn remained in the alcove.
She got to her hooves and said, “I believe it is now time to return and face my mother.”
She closed her eyes and began to fade. As she faded, smoke began to her body as though spirits were being released.
The spirits flew past everypony and tried to leave through the ceiling or the stairs.
Wails filled the tunnels as the spirits were immediately drawn back deeper into the tunnels.
Nopony said anything as all focus was on the fading unicorn. Soon, her ghostly form faded, and a pink orb floated before them.
“Well,” Twilight asked, “That certainly was not what I expected, but are you now ready to leave?”
The pink orb bobbed up and down, “Yes, let us leave together.”
The group returned to the staircase, and Rainbow Dash tested the archway, but the barrier remained.
“Looks like we’re still stuck,” she said.
“Don’t worry,” the candidate of Loyalty said as she grew brighter, “I can deactivate it.”
The archway shimmered, and then the path was clear again. The orbs immediately flew up the stairs, only the pink orb stopping for a moment.
“It’s been so long that I’ve been hidden away,” she said, “I hope that we can truly be free.”
She then followed the other two orbs to the main hall.
The ponies all shared a look, nodded in agreement, and climbed the stairs.
“Well,” Rarity said, “I do feel quite better the closer we get to the top of these stairs.”
“The feedback is much stronger down there,” Twilight said, “I just wish I knew the source.”
Pinkie stuck her tongue out and said, “It’s super unlucky obsidian.”
Twilight was about to stop, but a gentle nudge from Rarity kept her moving.
“Obsidian,” Twilight asked, “Are you sure?”
“It’s true,” Fluttershy said, “The candidate of Kindness told us that it was saturated with magical energy.”
Twilight nodded, “And with the temple being a magical focal point of its own, that would keep the excess magical energy from escaping. Maybe we can investigate it further once the spirits are free.”
“No,” Pinkie shouted.
Twilight jumped and turned around, “What’s wrong, Pinkie?”
Pinkie emphatically shook her head, “We can’t go back down there. That stone is just too unlucky. It’s better to leave it alone.”
“Well,” Applejack said, “If it’s as bad as all that, maybe we should come back and seal it up. I’m sure the princesses could come up with something to keep all that magic out.”
Rarity nudged Twilight forward, and the group continued up the stairs.
“That might be possible,” Rarity said, “But I doubt the princesses would dedicate resources to a long abandoned temple. I imagine they will be content once the spirits are finally free.”
Twilight nodded, “I think you’re right. I just don’t like the idea of having a genuine mystery under our hooves and leaving it unsolved.”
“Some stories are meant to be buried,” Rainbow Dash said, “That makes them more interesting.”
The group laughed and soon reached the main hall.
Six orbs gathered, and upon noticing the returning ponies, Grannie floated over to them.
“Thank you for bringing me back, my daughter,” she said, “I am surprised that it took you this long to find her.”
Rainbow Dash scoffed, “Well, if you had told us about all the creepy ghosts down there, we might not have taken so long.”
“What are you talking about,” Grannie asked.
“Rainbow,” Twilight said, “I don’t want to throw accusations around.”
She turned to Grannie and said, “When we reached the bottom of the stairs, the magical feedback was much stronger. It appears to have been caused by some ancient ruins beneath the temple.”
“Ruins,” Grannie asked, “You mean that there are structures below the tunnels?”
“It’s true,” the candidate of Kindness said, “It’s a labyrinth of obsidian, and the stone has been over-saturated for centuries.”
Grannie floated back to her daughter and asked, “That sounds like a problem for the living, but tell me, daughter, why did you stay down there so long?”
“I hid,” the candidate of Kindness said, “I hid from my shame and failure.”
“Enough of that,” the candidate of Loyalty said, “Now is not the time to talk of such matters. We are finally ready to leave this place.”
“What do you mean,” Grannie asked, “What failure are you talking about?”
The candidate of Generosity floated forward and said, “I must take responsibility for this.”
“Please,” Grannie said, “Simply tell me what happened?”
“I told you that your daughter had fallen into a deep despair. That was true, but I did not tell you about the state of the two remaining candidates.”
The candidate of Loyalty floated forward and said, “We were cursed to a living death. Trapped with our decayed bodies.”
“Is that true,” Grannie asked, “But that should not be possible. Unless you had some terrible burden placed upon you when you passed.”
The candidate of Honesty bobbed up and down in agreement, “It was a terrible burden but one that we placed upon ourselves. We were cursed because we blamed your daughter for the attack on the temple and the deaths that followed.”
Grannie grew brighter and shouted, “And why was I not told? I could have gone down there and-“
“This was her battle,” the candidate of Generosity said, “She had to see it through on her own.”
“I still didn’t do that,” the candidate of Kindness said, “I needed the help of Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie here to give me the courage to seek forgiveness.”
“But you still did all the asking on your own.” Pinkie said, “We were just your backup just in anypony misbehaved.”
Grannie floated toward the candidate of Kindness and said, “All you had to do was come back to me. I. I would have helped you.”
The candidate of Kindness stayed quiet for a moment and said, “And if I did, I would have proven that I never belonged here. No, even if I had assistance, I had to seek forgiveness on my own.”
She grew slightly brighter and said, “Now we are ready to leave, as are all the spirits that still dwell here.”
“About that,” Twilight said, “How can we assist you in leaving?”
“There is much magical power here,” Grannie said, “We cannot simply will ourselves to leave. We will need the assistance of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony.”
“Then we must wait still,” the candidate of Honesty said, “We must find the bearers.”
“We each bear an Element of Harmony,” Twilight said.
She pointed to each pony and said, “We used the elements to free Nightmare Moon, and I think we can use them to help you overcome the magical energy within the temple.”
Grannie dimmed slightly and stayed silent for a few minutes. The other candidates floated toward her, and it seemed they were in deep discussion.
Twilight waved the ponies over, and they all sat down.
“Okay,” she said, “I want to know all about these underground ruins.”
“Well,” Pinkie Pie said, “I’m not sure if they count as ruins. Except for some dust, the place is super duper clean.”
“But it is ancient,” Fluttershy said, “The candidate of Kindness told me that they didn’t know of the ruins existence before the attack.”
Twilight nodded, “And Grannie confirmed that. So that means that the temple was built upon another existing temple. I don’t understand why they would have buried the older structure.”
Fluttershy shook her head, “Um, I don’t think they knew. We fell down a slope, and it was a steep drop. Perhaps the ruins were already buried when the temple was built.”
“Or,” Rainbow Dash said, “The ruins were buried the whole time. Maybe there was an ancient race of mole-ponies living down there and that was a temple too.”
Twilight took a deep breath and shook her head.
“Without more concrete information, we can’t risk guessing. So when we get back to Canerlot, I’ll ask Princess Luna. At the very least, she should know what happened.”
“And you would think she would have informed us of this,” Rarity said.
“Well,” Applejack said, “Maybe she either didn’t know or just plain forgot. It was a long time ago, and maybe being turned in Nightmare Moon affected her memories.”
Twilight nodded, “That’s a possibility. I don’t want to make any accusations, so we’ll wait until we see her to ask.”
Suddenly, a yellow orb appeared from the floor.
“Surprise,” Boy shouted.
Pinkie Pie giggled, “That’s a good one, but I think we’re a little too stressed for ghostie surprises.”
Boy bobbed up and down. “That’s okay,” he said, “Grannie just wanted me to tell you to go talk to her. I think she knows what to do.”
Twilight nodded and said, “Okay, let’s go.”
The group of ponies walked to the group of orbs who were gathered near the pedestals.
“We have news,” Grannie said.
“We heard,” Twilight said, “What do we have to do?”
The candidate of Generosity floated to Twilight and said, “Given what happened to the tunnels below, it will not be enough to simply leave. We must purify this temple as well.”
“Why,” Rainbow Dash asked, “Nopony’s coming back here, so what’s the point?”
“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity scolded, “This place might not mean much to us, but this was their home. If we can assist, then we shall.”
“I was just asking,” Rainbow said.
“Perhaps purify is not the correct word,” the candidate of Kindness said, “What we must do is try and release as much of the excess magical energy that we can.”
“So the spirits that weren’t protected by the Elements of Harmony can leave,” Twilight asked.
“Exactly,” Grannie said, “Now, each of you must take your place next to your element’s pedestal.”
Twilight nodded, and the group found their pedestal. Rarity stood at the northern point of the crescent, then Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie at the southern point. Each pedestal glowed with a soft magical energy.
Once in position, Grannie floated to Twilight.
“They will focus on their element on you, and you will focus your magical energy on the temple. You should be able to sense the excess energy, and then you should be able to direct it out.”
“Is there any place, in particular, I should direct it,” Twilight asked, “All of this magical energy could be dangerous.”
“A simple atmospheric discharge should suffice,” Grannie said, “From what I understand, there aren’t any settlements nearby.”
Applejack shook her head, “It’s at least a day’s walk back to Ponyville from here.”
“Then there is no risk of harming anypony,” Grannie said, “The forest will reclaim the magical energy almost as quickly as it’s released.”
Twilight nodded thoughtfully, “I see. In that case, if we are to release the magical energy into the atmosphere, I suppose I should direct the energy through the hole in the ceiling.”
“Very well,” Grannie said, “Please proceed.”
Twilight turned to the ponies and nodded, “Are we ready?”
The group nodded, and Fluttershy snuck in a quick nuzzle with Pinkie.
“For good luck,” Fluttershy said, blushing.
She moved back to her pedestal and said, “Sorry.”
Grannie giggled, “Don’t be. It can be a wonderful thing to be young and be in love. Now please, whenever you’re ready.”
The ponies nodded and began to focus their energy on Twilight. A beam of energy flowed from the ponies to Twilight.
As soon as Twilight felt her friends’ energy, she began to focus on the environment around her. All of the magical energy in the temple flowed all around her. She could feel the excitement of the past students. There were so many students that were just like her living here. She began to direct the energy toward herself and up to the hole in the ceiling. Then she felt something. Something ancient. Ancient and off.
She began to focus on this anomaly and quickly lost it. In her frustration, she tried to seek it out again, but she quickly brought her focus to the energy flow as it was becoming destabilized.
Once she had to path set, she then forced the energy out. Then, a bright flash filled the hall, and the new magical current flowed freely.
“Wow,” Fluttershy said, “It’s beautiful.”
Magical energy flowed from the floor and formed into a funnel that flew through the ceiling hole.
Grannie floated to Twilight and said, “That was brilliant. I expected you to purge the energy, but a steady flow is quite the masterstroke.”
Twilight smiled, “Thank you. This will take longer, but it will allow the spirits to leave by following the energy flow.”
“Like fish in a river,” Fluttershy asked.
“Exactly,” Twilight said, “Hopefully, they’ll all be able to find peace.”
She turned to Grannie and asked, “Will you be ready to leave?”
Grannie bobbed up and down, “Yes, we will finally be free. Please give our deepest regards to our dear princess.”
“Of course, we will,” Rarity said, “Please rest well.”
The orbs floated to the flow of energy except for Boy.
He quickly flew to Pinkie and flew around her.
Pinkie giggled and said, “Goodbye, but you don’t wanna get left behind.”
“I know,” Boy said, “I can’t wait. Grannie said it’ll be all silvered glass and swift sunrises. Maybe that’ll mean swift lunches too!”
Pinkie giggled as the yellow orb flew into the flow of energy.
He turned around, and the ponies caught a glimpse of the young unicorn that he once was.
Each of the orbs entered the energy flow, and only the candidate of Kindness and Grannie remained.
“Thank you,” the candidate of Kindness said, “For giving me this chance.”
Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie walked to the orb.
“We’re happy to do it,” Pinkie said.
“Yes,” Fluttershy said, “I’m happy to be able to help you.”
Twilight smiled and remembered what she felt while she formed the energy flow.
“Grannie,” she asked, “When I was focusing on the energy, I felt something odd. It felt old. Much older than any other energy in the temple. Do you know what that is?”
Grannie stayed silent for a moment and said, “You felt it too. Perhaps it would be best not to ask questions whose answers you are not ready to learn.”
Both orbs entered the tunnel, and the temple grew silent. Only the flow of magical energy remained.
“Is it just me,” Rainbow Dash asked, “Or does this place feel different?”
Rarity smiled, “It certainly does. The pressure we felt is fading by the moment, and this temple feels much more welcoming.”
She nudged Twilight, whose attention was on the spiral staircase.
“I believe that she might be correct,” she said.
Twilight nodded, “I agree. I think we should leave well enough alone, but we should let Princess Luna know what we discovered.”
“I agree,” Rarity said, “Now if that settles everything, let us depart.”
The ponies agreed and made their way toward the temple entrance.
“It’s been a long day,” Rainbow Dash said and paused when she saw the forest.
“It’s night already?”
Pinkie ran out and pointed a hoof toward the night sky.
“Flutters,” she called, “Look!”
The group ran to Pinkie and gasped at the sight.
The energy flow dispersed into the sky and created a magical tapestry of energy.
“This is simply amazing,” Rarity said.
The ponies enjoyed the sight and didn’t hear the rustle of foliage behind them.
“Okay,” Applejack said, “As much as I love stargazing, I say we set up camp for the night and head out in the morning.”
“Okay,” Rainbow said, “I think that’ll be- “
“There you are,” a voice shouted.
The ponies turned around and saw four ragged looking ponies.
“Do we know you,” Twilight asked.
Sapphire Flower stomped up to Rainbow Dash and shouted, “You will pay for what you did to me.”
Rainbow took a step back and said, “What are you talking about? I don’t even know you.”
Fluttershy walked up to Rainbow Dash and gasped.
“It’s you,” she shouted, “You were the ones that hurt Applejack and Rainbow.”
Before anypony could react, Applejack tackled Sapphire Flower to the ground.
“Y’all are gonna wish you waited for the guards,” Applejack growled.
“Wait,” Cobalt shouted as he ran toward the ponies.
He stopped a few yards from the group and said, “Listen, things got out of hand. I do not deny my or anypony else’s part in it, but hear her out, and we will gladly surrender ourselves to the royal guard.”
Sapphire Flower glared at Cobalt, “You can’t do that. What about what she did?”
“What she did,” Aqua Rain said as she joined Cobalt, “Does not excuse what you had us do.”
Sapphire returned her attention to Applejack and tried to use her magic.
“Don’t even think it,” Applejack said, “We’ve too hard a day, so don’t make things even worse for yourselves.”
Twilight shook her head and asked, “Just what could have happened that you thought you had the right to attack her?”
Sapphire Flower shook her head and cursed softly when Emerald Lilly spoke up.
“She had a silly crush,” she said though she didn’t move from the tree line.
“Apparently,” she continued, “She told Rainbow there that she had a crush on her or something and was rejected.”
Cobalt shook his head, “She told us that you were hurting ponies and that we needed to do something.”
“Even if you assumed her lies to be true,” Rarity began, “Why didn’t you simply take this to the authorities?”
“Because,” Aqua Rain said, “She told us that the authorities wouldn’t do anything.”
She let out a tired sigh and added, “It made sense. She is supposed to be friends with one of the princesses. It’d be too easy for the authorities to turn a blind eye.”
“Then why did you believe her,” Rainbow Dash shouted, “You seriously hurt the both of us and tried to hurt Fluttershy.”
Cobalt stepped in between Rainbow and Aqua and said, “It’s equally simple and stupid. We trusted her. She’s our friend, and we took her at her word.”
He looked down at Sapphire Flower and said, “Say your peace. It’s time you move on.”
Sapphire shook her head and began to protest but stopped.
She dropped her gaze to the temple and let out a gasp.
“What is that thing,” she shouted.
Nopony responded, and she shouted again, “Look! At the steps, something is coming this way.”
She thrashed under Applejack’s hooves and screamed, “Turn around! There are six of you and four of us. It’s not like we can do anything.”
Cobalt shook his head and looked toward the ancient temple.
“Sapphire,” he said, “There’s nothing over there. Just stop this. It’s over.”
Still, she continued to try and get away from Applejack, or rather the apparition that slowly made its way toward the group of ponies.
“Maybe we should let her up,” Twilight said.
She turned to Cobalt and asked, “When was the last time she had food or water?”
He shook his head, “At least a couple of days. We didn’t exactly plan things out really well.”
“Well, I know how that goes,” Pinkie said.
“Then she’s just dehydrated,” Twilight said, kneeling beside Sapphire.
“We can get you some water, but all of you will be bound and returned to the proper authorities.”
Sapphire didn’t answer. At least she didn’t answer Twilight.
Unseen to the ponies, a figure did emerge from the temple, she strode to Sapphire Flower and whispered a simple promise into her ear.
“Of course,” Sapphire said, “The blackened emerald. The fountain in the courtyard. I’ll get my revenge.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said, “She’s delirious.”
Applejack let her go and was surprised that the unicorn made no effort to get to her hooves.
Instead, she kept a hoof outstretched to the temple.
“The blackened emerald. In the courtyard.”
“Sapphire,” Aqua Rain said, “You’re scaring me. Let’s just go.”
She helped her friend to a seated position, and Sapphire asked, “Go? Are you taking me somewhere?”
“Yeah,” Rainbow said, “To jail where you belong.”
“Jail,” Sapphire asked, “Is that away from here?”
“Yes,” Aqua Rain said, “Far away from here. It won’t be a fun place, but it will be much safer than here.”
With a sudden burst of energy, Sapphire Flower leaped to her hooves and ran toward the temple.
She didn’t get far as Rainbow Dash quickly tackled her to the ground.
“No,” Sapphire pleaded, “You can’t do this. I must answer. The blackened emerald in the courtyard. It needs me.”
Again, she thrashed, but this time, she had a madpony’s fight. She quickly bucked Rainbow Dash off of her and reached the steps.
“Wait,” Twilight shouted, “Whatever you do, don’t use your magic. The flow of energy is too powerful.”
Sapphire Flower turned around and stared at the group of ponies in confusion.
“What,” she asked, “How did I get up here?”
She staggered forward and noticed Rainbow Dash.
“I remember you,” Sapphire said before falling to a knee and grabbed her head in pain.
“You,” she said, “I remember loving you. I think. You said I wasn’t good enough for you. That I was a nopony.”
Rainbow glanced around in confusion, “This is news to me.”
Then it dawned on her.
“Wait a second,” she said, running up to Sapphire Flower.
“I think I remember you now. You were at a race I had last year. You ran up to me, but all you did was mumble something and run off.”
She shook her head and said, “I had no idea what you wanted.”
Sapphire nodded, “That’s true. I tried. I tried to tell you how much I loved you, but I couldn’t. A big star with a nothing like me.”
She struck the side of her head with a hoof and laughed, “That’s better. Some gears just needed knocking together.”
“Listen,” Rainbow Dash said, “Normally, I’d apologize for bailing on you like that, but after what you did, you should be happy that I’m letting you walk out of here at all.”
“Walk out of here,” Sapphire Flower said, “I’m not walking out of anywhere.”
She slowly began to raise her head, and Fluttershy felt something tug at her.
The words Sapphire kept repeating brought her attention back to the courtyard illusion where the candidate of Kindness hid, but she didn’t remember seeing anything that would qualify as a blackened emerald. All she remembered was the obsidian. Then she saw Sapphire’s eyes.
Blackness tinged with green orbs replaced the eyes that were quite blue a moment ago.
Without knowing why Fluttershy flew and covered Sapphire’s eyes with her hooves.
“It’s her eyes,” Fluttershy shouted, “There’s something wrong with her eyes.”
Emerald Lilly ran to Fluttershy and said, “Okay, that’s enough. You all win. Just let her go.”
She forced one of Fluttershy’s hooves away, and Sapphire turned her gaze to Emerald.
“Emerald,” she said, “Not blackened enough.”
Emerald Lilly stared at Sapphire for a moment before she fell over.
“Cover her eyes,” Twilight shouted.
She began to search the camp for scraps of cloth when she heard a curious sound.
Rainbow Dash had taken one of their packs and placed it on Sapphire’s head.
“That’ll work,” she said, “Now, what the heck is going on?”
Fluttershy carefully let Sapphire go.
When she got to her hooves, she said, “I saw her eyes. They had changed. I don’t know why, but I knew that she meant to hurt you, Rainbow.”
She turned to Emerald Lilly and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Sapphire said, “That emerald is not the right one, but she’ll still be useful.”
Emerald suddenly stirred and rubbed the side of her head.
“Blackened emerald,” she asked, “No, that’s not for me.”
She looked at the temple and said, “This is where everypony shall return.”
Pinkie turned to Cobalt and Aqua Rain and asked, “You ponies always this nuts?”
Both ponies shook their heads.
“I don’t know what’s happening,” Aqua Rain said as she glanced back to the temple.
She took a step back and gasped.
“Somepony is coming,” she said.
Rarity turned around and said, “There’s nopony there.”
Aqua Rain began to back away from the temple.
“Hon,” Cobalt said, “What do you see? Could be the same thing that Sapphire saw?”
Applejack stomped her hooves on the ground and shouted, “There’s nothing there. Now cut it out.”
Aqua kept close to Cobalt, whispering, “Please don’t let her get me. Please. Please don’t let her get me.”
Her eyes snapped open when she heard, “But I’m not here for you.”
Suddenly, she was thrown away from Cobalt, who suddenly found himself in the air.
“And now it begins,” Sapphire said, “You better hurry.”
Cobalt suddenly flew toward the temple. The doors slammed shut once he crossed the threshold, and the protective runes glowed brightly.
“No,” Aqua Rain shouted as she ran toward the temple.
“Stop,” Twilight shouted, “Don’t go near it.”
“That’s my husband,” Aqua Rain cried, “I can’t just leave him in there.”
She ran to the doors, but Rainbow Dash managed to catch her.
“I get it,” Rainbow Dash shouted, “We had to deal with some freaky stuff in that place. We’ll help you get him back.”
“I don’t think they would have appreciated her knocking so rudely,” Sapphire said, “Maybe she’ll get another chance.”
Aqua Rain returned to the group but kept her eyes on the temple.
“Please,” she said, “Help me get him back. I’ll walk through the gate of Tartarus itself as long as I know he’s safe.”
Sapphire giggled, “And that is why he will be lost forever. You and your silly love will be the end of you.”
The bag began to smolder, and Sapphire became engulfed in green fire.
“We shall see you all quite soon,” she said before disappearing in a gout of green fire along with Emerald Lilly.
“Okay,” Twilight said, “Let’s check the door. I’ll see if I can dispel the runes.”
The ponies walked up the stairs and quickly arrived at the doors.
Unlike before, the runes were not dim and blinking. Instead, they shone with a brightness that seemed unnatural light.
“Well, these sure look different,” Applejack said, “What do you think happened, Twilight?”
Twilight studied the doors and shook her head, “I don’t know. This doesn’t make sense. The energy flow should be drawing energy from the runes, not powering them. There has to be something else-“
She gasped and turned to the group.
“Remember when I asked Grannie about the odd energy I felt while forming the energy flow?”
The ponies, except for Aqua Rain, nodded.
“I remember that it felt old. Ancient, and Grannie said that she felt it too. That I shouldn’t ask questions whose answers I wasn’t ready to learn.”
“You think she knew something,” Rarity asked.
“I don’t know,” Twilight said, “Maybe back in her time, there were fairy tales about ruins like these.”
“So now what,” Aqua Rain asked, “What can we do to save Cobalt and the others?”
“I say we leave them in there,” Rainbow Dash said, “Serves them right.”
Aqua Rain flinched, and Fluttershy said, “Rainbow Dash. You know what the ponies that were here went through. We can’t just leave them.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow said, “But don’t forget about what they did to AJ and me.”
Aqua Rain stepped between Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
She took a deep breath. Turned to Rainbow and said, “I do not deny my part in hurting you, and I will turn myself over to the authorities and gladly suffer whatever punishment the courts decide, but please. Please help me save my husband and friends.”
“And why should we,” Rainbow asked, “You just did what you were told by somepony who held a stupid grudge. I think we should leave them and you here.”
Aqua Rain lowered her head and began to cry softly.
“But,” Rainbow said after a moment, “We’re not like that. All of you will go to jail, but yeah, let’s go save your husband.”
“Sincerely,” Aqua Rain asked as she looked at each pony, “You will help me save him?”
Rarity nodded, “It was never a question to begin with. You will be brought to justice, but, as Rainbow said, we are not so vengeful that we will curse your beloved to unknown horrors.”
“Th, thank you,” Aqua Rain said, “If it’s all the same, I’ll just stay out of your way.”
“Just keep in sight,” Applejack said, “I’m not calling you a liar just yet, but we just can’t chance it. You understand, right?”
Slowly, Aqua Rain nodded.
“Will you be able to do something about the door,” Pinkie Pie asked, “I’d knock, but I don’t think that’d be good for my face.”
“Face,” Aqua Rain asked.
“Don’t,” Rainbow said, “It’s a long story.”
Aqua Rain quickly nodded and sat down.
Twilight shook her head, “It’s impossible for me to do anything. The runes are moving much faster than before, and they’ve been empowered. I need answers.”
“Princess Luna,” Fluttershy asked.
“Yes,” Twilight said, “Let’s go.”
She turned to Aqua Rain and said, “We aren’t abandoning them. We don’t have enough information to proceed carefully.”
Aqua Rain got to her hooves and said, “Then I shall go back with you. When we arrive at Ponyville, I’ll turn myself in.”
“Oh no, you don’t,” Pinkie Pie said, “This crazy train we’re on isn’t making any stops. You’re in this now.”
The group nodded.
“You’re a part of this just like the rest of us,” Applejack said.
“Also,” Twilight added, “If whatever is controlling your friends is using them, you might be able to help them fight the control.”
Aqua Rain nodded, “I. I understand.”
She turned to the temple and said, “I’ll be back, hon. Just please hold on.”
The group silently packed up the supplies, returned to the forest, and began the journey to Ponyville and then to Canerlot.
They needed answers, and they were going to get them.