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// 11: Unlocked 
// Story: A Series of Continuous Events 
// by JDeck306 
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Unbeknownst to them, as Light, Decaf and Banana had managed to leave the Catacombs via another exit, though where, they themselves did not know, the remaining beings in the park stayed together and waited until everyone had gathered again, arriving a little while after leaving for their respective realms, with reinforcements they had summoned from all over the land.  

Starswirl appeared first and without warning, startling both Caff and Eclipse, who did not expect him to teleport to close to them, let alone with Rockhoof, a giant Earth Pony thrice their height, though fortunately, the uneasiness of the visage of his massive, imposing figure was lifted swiftly when he bowed down and politely greeted the others, his mannerisms putting them at ease.

Shortly after the two Pillars arrived, another bright flash, further away, was followed by Celestia, who appeared from around the corner with a cohort of Guards, among whom were a number of the elite Praetorian Guards, and, before joining the group near the alley, gave commands to some of the Guards, who split from the group and spread out over the area of the park.

As Celestia walked over to greet the rest of the group, a smile appeared on her face when seeing Eclipse was doing better, as Meadowbrook said that they were near their full strength once again, after they had exhausted themselves, running back and forth between the town and the park, and the Alicorns greeted each other with a gentle embrace.

While the others were making pleasant small talk with each other, Starswirl looked around, grateful for the assistance that the others had managed to gather, and started counting the present beings, for, as impatient as he was, he wished to start his own investigation into the Catacombs, for the mysteries surrounding these tunnels greatly intrigued him.

When he finished counting, he asked the Princesses Luna and Celestia whether they had heard any news of Nox, who had returned to her own Realm far to the East of Equestria, and they replied they had not, but although they had not received any word, they were certain she would arrive any moment now, for she had longest to travel, and did not have a way to remain in contact.

While the others were gathering in the park and wondering where Nox was, at that very moment, in Canterlot, she had decided to pay a visit to Harvest, who, fortunately, had awoken, and said he wished to join her to the park, and expected to leave the hospital soon, but until then, Nox promised him she would stay in touch, after which, she left the Centre and headed for the park.

For Nox and her cohort of Guards, the way from the Mountain, upon which Canterlot stood, to the park, fortunately, was very short, as they travelled the distance with winged speed, reaching the park only a little while after they had left Canterlot, unintentionally startling many of the visiting guests with the sudden skybound appearance of her and her Guards.

Kicking up dust with the gust of wind they produced as they landed, Nox and her Guards approached the group and, like the others before her, greeted them, and apologised for her tardiness, as she explained she took a detour to visit a friend, who was recovering in Canterlot, and Starswirl, still coughing because of the dust Nox kicked up, accepted this reason, and turned to the group.

Since everyone was now present, and the park was being secured by Celestia's cohort of Guards, Starswirl laid out the plan, which would start with Rockhoof, who would, along with a number of Guards, clear the collapsed tunnel, and, with pure strength if needed, keep the tunnels stable while the others searched the tunnels to find the ones who had been trapped.

"Stay alert, and move with caution. Stay close, and follow the lights."

While the legion of Guards, under command of the Princesses and Starswirl, along with the help of many other present beings, started clearing the collapsed tunnels, on the other side of the Catacombs, a great distance away from where they first entered, Decaf, Banana and Light found themselves in a strange place, surrounded by trees and stones of many hues of green and grey.

Looking around the strange place in which they found themselves, only having learnt of areas like these in historical texts, not yet certain of where they were, they took in the magnificence of the crumbling constructions, covered with minuscule, yet intricately sculpted and brilliantly detailed carvings of a great variety of insignia, most of which they had never seen before.

As they were walking around the area, where they felt the air was thick, and the use of magic was, akin to when they were in the Catacombs, greatly diminished, on occasion, deep and heavy rumbling was heard from all around them, though whether from the collapsing underground tunnels or the weakening structure, they did not know, but they stuck closely together, lest everything collapses.

Unknowingly, they had spent much time in the Catacombs, and as the afternoon sun was setting, giving way to twilight, the beautiful colours of the night sky shining through the turbulent clouds and trees all around them, the three stuck closer together, as they each kept a watchful eye on the others aware of the legends and the history connected to places like this.

Though neither Banana nor Light could use their magic to their full extent, it allowed them just enough use to ignite their torches, risking some more light in the great halls they found themselves in, and as they were walking around, straying further away from the hatch with each step, Light carefully noted and marked the path they took, and kept an eye on the hatch.

For the moment, as they searched the area for the closest door, hatch or window through which to exit, if anything were to fail, wary of each step they took, carefully investigating the large pillars that held up the ceiling, they found no signs of wear, either on the decorated pillars, nor the ceiling above them, though they saw walls were weakened, and avoided them.  

A short distance away from whence they first stepped into the courtyard of stone, they came upon a grand door, many times their size, engraved, like the walls and pillars, with incredible detail, seemingly crafted out of silver and gold, and, after making sure the arch the door was placed in was stable, with colossal effort from the three, they opened the doors, with loud, echoing noises.

Covering their ears as the doors opened, in the distance, from beyond the trees they could see, the cries of many creatures, the likes of which the trio hoped to never encounter, were heard, that echoed throughout the area, evidently startled by the volume of the opening doors, which had remained closed for a very long time, and the three stepped through, finding an even greater hall.

The walls were lined with tapestries, the size of which made the doors pale in comparison, beautifully crafted and covered with a great variety of colours, the symbols upon them showing to whom this area belonged, though none dared speak, for the evil that permeated the area lingered, and they did not dare invoke the name that instilled great fear into the hearts of all but a few.

Quivering in every fibre of their being, the mere thought of the presence of another being besides themselves compelling them to stop, yet still moving forward to the centre of the hall they had entered, eventually, in the distance, where the carpet they were walking upon stopped and gave way to a flight of stairs, they saw a pair of thrones, side by side, overlooking the hall. Finally, Light broke the silence and spoke:

"So this is whither the Catacombs lead..."

Back in the Medical Centre in Canterlot, shortly after Nox had left to head to the park after visiting Harvest, the news reporter spoke of Boom's escape, along with his sarcastic, yet insightful comments about the state of security in the city, adding to his growing list of infamous accomplishments, leaving every Guard in the area on high alert.

The only being in the room when the news report appeared was Harvest, for Nox had left earlier, and the Nurse had not yet returned, and the news worried him greatly, not only for the safety of Ponies and other beings in the city, but also, in particular, all of his friends who had gone to the park to help recover Light and their friends who had gotten trapped.

The note that Light had left for Harvest helped him remain calm when he first woke up, finding himself alone in a bed in the Centre, as tired as he was, after using such a strange and foreign power, of which he never knew, nor realised he had the ability to wield it to help others, even though it required great focus and the help of a great Sorcerer to help him unlock his strength.

Shortly after the news report finished, which had moved over to the weather, showing a warning for potentially dangerous storms in the following few days, the Nurse re-entered Harvest's room, who was told, in no uncertain terms by Harvest, that he was feeling much better, even after just a little bit of rest, and was asked if he could leave the Centre to rejoin his friends.

The Nurse, whom Nox implored to take very good care of the exhausted Kirin, subconsciously fearing the possible repercussions that the Dragon-Pony would unleash upon her, replied that she believed him when Harvest said he felt better, but she wasn't entirely sure, so she would ask the Doctor for certainty, as their second opinion would help, and left the room to search for them.

Though he knew that waiting for both the Nurse and Doctor to return would be wise, and despite personally having known him for a very long time, Harvest, still highly concerned over the great threat that the Lord of Destruction posed to everyone, stealthily snuck out of his bed, into the hall, and ran out the door, all while figuring out how to get to Ponyville as quickly as he could.

Remembering the note that Light had left for him, which explained that Luna and Starswirl had teleported them and the group, including Nox, to the town, but still drained of magical energy after reawakening Light, Harvest knew he had to figure out a way to get to the park quickly, for a myriad of reasons, but magic means would not be possible for the present.

He quickly ran through the alternative options in his mind, including travel by train, which he knew would take a long time between Canterlot and Ponyville, and, if at all possible for a wingless being like himself, flight, for the park was close to Canterlot, as the crow flies, as he knew that Nox arrived quickly after leaving, having been able to watch them from his room.

As he was running towards the Centre of town, from whence he knew he would have the greatest number of options when he decided what to do, when a familiar voice called out from above him, Harvest stopped running and looked up, finding it was Starshine, and flying next to her, Light Rain, both friends of his friends, and whom landed next to him to chat.

Though he tried to be as polite as possible, Harvest explained to both Pegasi that he had to get back to Ponyville as soon as he could, as he had very little time to spare, but before he could continue, they stopped him, and said that since they were on their way to Ponyville themselves, if he wished, he could join them to the town, after which, from there, he could make his way to the park.

Before Harvest could object, both Pegasi had lifted him up, noting he felt light as a feather, and raced off to Ponyville.

While Harvest was on his way, flying towards Ponyville, carried by Starshine and Rain, the tunnels were being cleared, under careful guidance of Starswirl and the Princesses, who were, with the help of Rockhoof, whose strength was invaluable to the excavation, making good progress, and Light, together with Decaf and Banana, was quietly moving about the ruins in which they ended up.

Throughout history, the mysteries and legends surrounding this place, originating from the accounts of the devastating tragedy that happened here many years ago, of which, most had been taught to foals as they grew up, warning them to never try to find this place, had kept folks away, leading the building to fall into disrepair, and causing its inhabitants to leave it to ruin.

Carefully checking the floor every step they took, lest they activate some strange hidden mechanism that had been built into the construction, all the while quietly talking with each other over the tragic and malicious history of the area in which they ended up, the trio slowly made their way to the two thrones, that stood side by side on the landing at the top of the stairs.

Wary of every tiny movement they noticed in the corner of their eye, through the dim, flickering shadows cast upon their surroundings by the small torches that had been lit up, the three stuck closely together, and, after they reached the top of the stairs, found the floor was littered with shards of coloured glass, broken after the window behind the thrones had been left to the elements.

While they were gently shoving away the shards, trying to make a path for themselves to reach the upper levels, connected via other flights of stairs, making sure to do so as carefully as possible, to minimize the risk of injury, on the other side of the Catacombs, through the darkness that had fallen, the first obstacles had been cleared, and the tunnel had been reinforced.

Eventually, when the Royal Guards, sent out by Celestia to secure the park, started helping clear the collapsed tunnels, after they were switched with the Night Guards, led to the park by Nox, all of whom had excellent dark vision, through their combined effort, the blocked hallways were swiftly cleared after, including some tunnels they had not yet traversed.

For now, though Starswirl wished to document their findings by investigating the other tunnels that had been uncovered, the Princesses implored him to focus on finding the others first and foremost, to which he begrudgingly agreed, and eventually, Rockhoof's voice bellowed throughout the Catacombs, saying he could see the door to the Surveillance office, but no trace of the others.

Concerned for the safety of their friends, led by the Praetorian Guards, everyone, save for the Pillars, who tended to other duties, headed to the Surveillance office, where, upon the table under the screens, all of which had been undamaged, they found a note, left by Light, noting that with Decaf and Banana, they had travelled further into the tunnels, as they found another exit.

After reading the note, while Nox, Caff, Eclipse and the Princesses, all of whom relieved beyond belief to read the others were alright, headed down another tunnel, back in the ruins, having  reached the second level without injury, Decaf spoke to the others, pointing out that she found a strange hole in the wall, shaped like it was fit for a key, though no visible doorway anywhere.

Decaf's words made Light's mind and heart race, as they started searching through their bag, pulling out an old key, to the surprise of Banana and Decaf, for they had never seen it before, and after they inserted the key and turned it, the very foundations of the palace shook, and, in the Catacombs from whence they came, Celestia and Luna suddenly shuddered, which greatly confused them.

As the wall gave way, Light thought:

"What could this be...?"

The rest of the group, who had continued walking after Nox asked the question, stopped to turn around, seeing the Princesses, standing still, putting their hooves to their heads, and appearing extremely distressed, for no apparent reason, after which they told the others they needed to take a moment, before taking a seat on the floor of the tunnels, breathing deeply, trying to stay calm.

The sisters, who had moved to the wall for support as they were seated, continuously looking between each other and the group, said they felt a great and intense variety of feelings, which they could not properly explain, save for the fact that they knew that something, somewhere, had changed, which had a profound impact upon them, though they knew neither why, nor whence it came.

Getting more worried about her family, Nox gently and carefully moved closer to her Aunt and Mother, and asked if they could describe what they were feeling, to which they replied that it felt as though a massive burden had been lifted, and their mind had been cleared, yet, when the burden was lifted, an overwhelming wave of grief, anger, despair and joy came in its place.

Anything that they tried to take to help ease their pain faltered, as they continued their explanation, that they felt that these feelings, these emotions, were connected somehow, as if they were lost memories, and the fact that both of them felt very similar, if not identical, feelings, showed that whatever happened moments ago, it had involved both of them, a long time ago.

With tears forming in their eyes that showed no signs of stopping, and with a great pain in their chest, Luna and Celestia held each other's hooves, trying to reassure their sister, but this failed, as their breaths became heavier, and their tears grew to intense crying, after which they gently embraced each other with their wings, joined shortly after by Nox, Eclipse and Caff.

When the sisters looked at each other, at that moment, something clicked in their minds, and memories flooded back, from a very long time ago, allowing them to connect the extremely strong emotions they felt to what they remembered, and they dried their tears, stood up, and hurried down the tunnels, their minds and hearts focused on only one thing, and the others followed shortly.

Just a little bit further down the tunnels, through the courtyard of stone, on the second floor of the ruined palace, Light, Banana and Caff had started walking down a flight of stairs, which appeared behind the wall that had moved away after Light had used the key, leading downwards to some strange, hidden area in the castle, hidden and undiscovered for eons since its abandonment.

The area was dark, and both Banana and Light had to continuously focus on keeping their torches lit, shining more brightly than before, which turned out to be a great challenge, for while they were trying to light the way, they still needed to be careful with every step they took, in case of a hidden mechanism that they activated, potentially injuring either themselves, or the others.

Fortunately, though progress was slow, and it took a while before they got to the bottom of the stairs, they managed to get there without any problems, for Decaf's sharp eyesight helped them immensely, as she carefully checked every step of the stairs, until they found themselves in a small, open area, where they felt a great and strange power flowing throughout the halls.

Soon after walking into the halls, where the walls were lined with torches, that lit up as they walked past, giving Banana and Light a moment to rest, they came upon a door, engraved with a plaque, which made Light pull a different book out of their bag, in disbelief, after reading it, and as they opened the door, walking into the room, they read the title aloud:

"The Rise and Fall of the Markless Lord"

Not wishing to be left behind due to Light's speed, Banana and Decaf had no choice but to follow the Kirin into the room, which held a large number of strange and unique artefacts, unable to take a moment to look at the plaque upon the door, that seemed to close by itself, shortly after entering after Light, who had paused in the middle of the room, and was breathing heavily.  

For a single moment, Decaf and Banana were concerned over Light, and their own safety, fearing they might turn Nirik again, until a split second later, when something, that felt like a wave of emotions hit them, without warning and with great force, making their chests and hearts feel heavy, and making it difficult to breathe properly, just like Light, who they now stood next to.

Though Light was focused on the book they had grabbed shortly before walking in, they now noticed that Decaf and Banana joined them to their sides, and, after noticing they were feeling unwell, for the powerful energy in the room appeared to be too much for them to handle for the moment, and placed the book on the ground, giving a reassuring smile and nod to their friends.

The three took a seat on the floor, which was, like many other places they had found in the palace, beautifully decorated, as were the walls and pillars, and the items held within the room, which confused the three, for why would these artefacts, clearly masterfully crafted, ornately decorated with gems and gold, be hidden so well, behind a false wall, in a derelict palace?

Eventually, the energy in the room, whatever it may have been and from wherever it may have come, it became too overwhelming for the two young Ponies, whose eyes started welling up as they grabbed their chests, and started crying more intensely, which made Light put their arms around the two and gently pulled them closer for an embrace, allowing them to let out their emotions.

Through their heavy, tearful breaths, both Banana and Decaf, who had, fortunately, managed to calm down somewhat in Light's gentle and protective embrace, in a frustrated and exhausted tone, asked Light to explain what was going on, and to answer the question that Banana had asked in the tunnels, and Light agreed, for it would be the least they could do for them.

At the same time, Celestia and Luna had reached the exit of the Catacombs, with Caff, Eclipse and Nox following them out shortly afterwards, and immediately, they knew where they had ended up, though as for where the others were, they would have to trust the judgments of the Princesses, whose pace had quickened as they ran into the greatly damaged palace with winged speed.

Though every present being possessed a pair of wings, which, if they had started flying, would have sped up their chase tremendously, since they knew Caff was unable to fly, they chose to run, which caused the three to have trouble keeping up with the Princesses, who had already entered the great halls, and who were frantically looking around for any sign of entry anywhere.

It did not take long before they ran up to the second level, finding the secret wall, which Light had opened with an old and rusted key, that was still in the lock, that, after looking at each other, confirming that the breaking of the sealing wards caused their surge of emotions in the tunnels, lead them to call out to the others that they knew where the trapped group had gone to.

Before they could run down the staircase, Nox called out to her Mother and Aunt, asking them, for a moment to catch their breath, having run for quite a distance to a place that they were not comfortable, and though Luna stayed with the group, Celestia ran downstairs, where she carefully opened the door, finding Decaf and Banana in Light's gentle embrace.  

As the overwhelming wave of emotions hit her, and she fell to her knees, she cried out, in a barely audible voice:

"I can't remember... why does it hurt so much?"