//------------------------------// // Time is Relative // Story: Into The Depths // by Pen Stroke //------------------------------// Into The Depths By Pen Stroke Preread, Edited, and Reviewed By Illustrious Q, Batty Gloom, Wraithguard, Rainbowdash64, Cloudhammer, Magical Trevor, Kohta Izumi, Kirk Heller ===================================================================== Chapter 3 Time is Relative ==================== Fortress sat back at base, map on the table as she looked over it with focused and tired eyes. She lifted a hoof to her face to rub it briefly but then went straight back to watching the map. In her magic she floated a quill, filled and ready with ink. In front of her, on the table, was a small minute-glass. Its white sand was flowing from the top to the bottom of its characteristic glass container, and, within moments, all the sand had drained away to the bottom. “Where are those reinforcements,” she muttered as she drew another line in the corner of the map. She bit her lip, chewing on it gently. She tapped her hoof on the book Twin Blades and Celestia had found, using it to prevent her hoof from clacking rhythmically against the stone floor. “I should have at least gotten a report. They should have gotten outside, talked with Shining, and then sent a report that they were coming back and how many troops they were bringing.” She slammed a hoof against the map. “Where in tartarus is everypony and why aren’t they sending in their reports?” CRASH A flare of light appeared in the periphery of Fortress’s vision, and she quickly turned to see a puddle of fire beneath one of the archways on the perimeter of the rotunda. One of the lanterns had fallen, smashed open, and now it’s fire and oil were spreading across the floor. “Don’t let it get to the supplies!” Fortress shouted as she scrambled to her hooves, but her words came all too late. Even as she and the two corporals that had remained with her rushed towards the lamp, the growing puddle of oil reached a saddlebag that had been leaned against the wall. The fabric of the bags went up quickly. Fortress and the corporals had to step back and shield themselves from the sudden increase in flames. “Sergeant,” one of the corporals shouted. “Our spare lamp oil is in that bag!” “Horseapples,” Fortress spat, glancing at the one corporal with her that was a unicorn. “You know a fire fighting spell, like something to choke out the fire?” “No sir! Do you want us to try and put it out with water?” “We don’t have enough to put it all out. Besides, half of it is an oil fire. You don’t put water on oil fires.” A pop and flare of fire made Fortress look back at the saddle bags. One of the containers inside had ruptured, adding more fuel to the fire. The room was starting to fill with the heat, and the fire was so bright it was painful to look at. Cursing, Fortress lit her horn and wove a levitation spell. She grabbed up the flame-encased pack in her magic and, with a swing of her head, threw it down one of the corridors leading away from the rotunda. The bag flew a good hundred feet before crashing back against the floor. The oil containers within smashed open, and the fire consuming the bag flared to such size it was able to touch the ceiling of the tunnel, darkening it with burns. “Nice save, sergeant,” one of the corporals complemented. Fortress spat and glared at the lamp that fell over. “Nice save? It would have been nice if that lamp hadn’t fallen over, making it necessary for me to throw away all our spare oil. Now, did anyone see what happened?” The corporals shook their heads and the unicorn said, “No sir, we didn’t see anything. We were having our rations, as you ordered, sir.” Fortress huffed, rubbed the bridge of her nose, and then turned to go back to her map and minute-glass. “Just... just make sure the rest of the lanterns are on level ground and turn down the rest so they're at half flame. It will make it darker in here but we need to make the oil we have left last as long as we can.” “Yes, sergeant,” the pair said before trotting off to attend to their task. At the same time Fortress got back to her map, putting another few tally marks in the corner of the map for the time they had wasted dealing with the lantern. She then turned over her egg timer and resumed tapping her hoof in irritation. ~~~ “I’m telling you, Gaze, it had to be specially trained, black-ops, ninja unicorns. There’s probably a squad of them in these tunnels. They came here, captured Princess Luna and Twilight, and now they’re trying to get rid of us so they can get Princess Celestia.” “And why would anyone want to kidnap the princesses?” Night Gaze said, raising his voice as his argument with Path Finder continued. “Maybe they work for a crazy cult that’s trying to bring back Nightmare Moon and they want to make sure Celestia can’t interfere,” Path Finder spat. “Do you realize how stupid you sound?” “Oh, and what do you think just happened?” Path Finder asked. “Did the shelves throw themselves?” “No, I think it’s some Everfree Monster. I mean, ursa majors, cockatrices, and hydras live in this forest. There’s probably a panther, wolf, lion chimera out there that wants to turn us into dinner.” “That threw shelves?” Night Gaze lifted a hoof and poked Path Finder in the chest, “Makes more sense than any of your ramblings.” “Don’t poke me!” Path Finder snapped, batting Night Gaze’s hoof away before poking him back. With a furrowed brow, Night Gaze poked Path Finder in the chest again. Path Finder growled through his teeth and pulled back a forehoof, intending to punch Night Gaze in the jaw. Still, before he could, a pair of blades, secured to white wings, appeared between them as firm voice met their ears. “If you two don’t shut up I’ll beat your flanks myself! Am I understood?!” “Yes sir,” the pair answered, hanging their heads a little. Twin Blades nodded, folding her wings before sighing and shaking her head. “Look, I get it, this isn’t what we were expecting but you're both still soldiers of the guard. We can handle whatever comes at us. But, only if we stick together. Cause, if you beat each other up, you’re only making it easier for whatever in tartarus is outside that vault door. I mean, for all we know, you could both be right, but all you're doing with this speculation is psyching us all out. “So, for everypony’s sake, can we get a few minutes of quiet?” “Yes, lieutenant,” Path Finder said, offering a salute as Night Gaze did the same. “Good,” Twin Blades said before turning and walking away from the sergeants. They had been hiding within the brightly lit space for several minutes, listening for any sounds from the archives beyond. They hadn’t dared to even try to open the door, fearing it was either blocked by bookcases or being watched by whatever threw the shelves in the first place. It was on Twin Blades orders they waited, for she wanted to be as prepared as possible. She had wanted to go through Twilight’s bags, to see what clues they could find. Yet, Celestia didn’t like the idea of somepony going through her student’s things. Thus, a compromise was made. Celestia had taken on the task befitting a teacher. She was reviewing Twilight’s books and the notes she could find tucked away within. All in an effort to discern why Princess Luna and Twilight had come to the old castle’s tunnels. “Did you find anything?” Twin Blades asked as she strode up to Celestia, who had been studying the books in Twilight’s bag for several minutes. “There’s a consistent theme, to be sure. Most of the books Twilight brought with her are guides to advanced level wards and shielding spells. The only exception is this on anthology of mythologies and fables. It also looks like she was trying to find another book.” Celestia levitated a small, ripped piece of scrap paper up into the air and held it up so Twin Blades could read it. “The... clavicus constria?” “The Clavicula Concordia,” Celestia corrected, enunciating the words as clearly as if it was native Equestrian. “Translated roughly, it says The Key of Unity.” “She was looking for a key?” Path Finder asked, he and Night Gaze moving closer to the princess. “No, the Clavicula Concordia is a book, but I’m not surprised you haven’t heard of it. Few would even recognize the name and most of them are probably professors of history or mythology at my school for unicorns. I could spend hours rattling off legends that mention the book, but only one describes it’s origins.” “Would you mind sharing the short version?” “It is said the Clavicula Concordia is a guide book to harnessing the power of harmony,” Celestia began, speaking slowly as she went back, deep into her mind to remember the story. “If you are to believe the mythology surrounding it, the Clavicula Concordia was a book from the old country. It was from a time before unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies came together to found Equestria. It’s a tome that predates the Hearth’s Warming tale and even the first signs of the Windigos. “The legend says that a unicorn queen sought to banish the creatures and monsters that plagued her kingdom. To do that, she meditated and searched for a magic that could best them and protect the ponies she cared for. In time, she discovered the magic that came from when ponies stood together. The magic that came from generosity, kindness, honesty, loyalty, laughter, and kinship.” “She found ways to harness this magic, to draw on its power to beat away the beasts that threatened her subjects. She then detailed these methodologies in a book, the Clavicula Concordia. Some scholars even believe, or maybe hopefully dream, that this unicorn queen was the one who crafted the Elements of Harmony, and that the Clavicula Concordia contains instructions of how the process may be replicated.” Path Finder couldn’t help but whistle in awe. “The origins of the Elements of Harmony. It’s surprising that ponies aren’t scouring the globe for that book.” “There are those who try, who seek the book for the power it’s knowledge would grant.” Celestia sighed and looked to the note, which was written by Twilight, her dear, faithful student. “Others have gotten wrapped up in the promise that the Clavicula Concordia can solve all the world’s ills.” “And could that be what Princess Luna and Twilight came here to find?” Twin Blades asked. Celestia shook her head as she set down the scrap of paper. “I wouldn’t think so. The true Clavicula Concordia has never been found and it has never called the royal archives home. It was never held in this castle, and Luna would know this. She would know better than to come looking for that book here.” Twin Blades fidgeted, the blades on her wings clicking against their straps. “She would know better, but if she’s as scared as that letter makes her sound, Princess Luna may be grasping at any glimmer of hope. Now, come on, we need to get out of this vault and back to the rotunda.” “What about searching the archives, Lieutenant?” Celestia asked as she began to pack up Twilight’s saddlebags. “The reinforcements have to be at the rotunda by now. We’ll go back there, bolster our numbers, and then figure out what happened here. That... and there’s something I want to check on.” Twin Blades took wing, hovering in the air and approaching one of the light gems that had been illuminating the space inside the vault. “Still, we aren’t going back out there unless we can see what was throwing shelves at us. Night Gaze, you help me pry these light gems out of the vault’s walls and ceiling. Princess Celestia, Path Finder, use your magic to attach the light gems to our armor. Then, once we get out there, I want you both to crank your light spells as much as you can. I want light going in every direction.” Twin Blades stuck the tip of a sword beneath one of the vault’s light gems, popping it out of place and causing it to clatter against the floor. “I’m not going to let whatever’s out there sneak up on us again.” ~~~ “Well, I suppose it could have been worse,” Fortress said. She and the corporals had taken a few minutes to lay out their supplies. They knew they had lost their spare oil in the accident but hadn’t been sure what else the bag had contained. Now, they knew. It had contained some food, not enough to be of any real difference. The bag had also held a crossbow and its ammunition. The crossbow could be mounted to a guard’s armor and fired by a soldier pressing a button with their nose. It was an effective ranged weapon for earth ponies and pegasi who had decent enough aim. “At least that fire died down,” Corporal Sure Hoof commented, focusing on the corridor the bag had been thrown down. The once tower of fire had dwindled to small, blue flames that burned off the remaining oil. “Maybe we could see if the crossbow survived?” “It didn’t. It was made of wood and so were its bolts. Anything that was in that bag is too burned to be of use.” Fortress motioned towards the supplies on the floor. “Now get all this packed away again and get back on your patrol. I want eyes out for the reinforcements, because I want to be able to chew their flanks out for being so late the moment they show their sorry faces!” The corporals saluted and began to work quickly, to ensure they stayed on Fortress’s good side. At the same time she went to the one archway that now lacked a lantern, stepping up to the threshold and watching the last of the fires on the saddlebags burn. She tapped her hoof against the floor, trying to vent her growing irritation. Where were her reinforcements and what was Shining Armor doing up there? Having tea and crumpets? Taking a nap? After all, a husband to a princess couldn’t be expected to stay up late? Oh no, he had to get his beauty sleep? Heaven forbid a prince by marriage looked tired when he was hobnobbing with the Canterlot Elite or enjoying a summer afternoon on the viranda sipping fine juice with his prissy, pink, princess bri— A chill ran down Fortress's spine and her mind was brought back to reality. She looked forward, searching for the lingering fires from the bag, but found the corridor beyond had gone dark. The flames were gone as was the heat in the air. The fire had made that corridor like an oven, but now there was a cold draft blowing across Fortress’s face. She then felt it, the wind of something zipping just past her. It ran parallel to her shoulders and her flanks, and she turned just in time to see a lantern crash to the floor, its glass shattered and its flame extinguished. Another wisp of wind went by her, cutting through her mane and slicing some strainds of hair. A moment later, another lantern bit the dust. She turned to look back into the darkness, and this time she felt something zip past her cheek. It made her wince and stumble back. She lifted a hoof and felt the warmth of her own blood. She had just been cut! “We’re under attack!” She bellowed, her horn glowing. In an instant she formed a pale gray barrier spell over the archway she had been facing, and just in time. Something clattered against the barrier and fell to the floor. Fortress moved close, focusing her eyes on the item as it glinted in the light from her spell. It was a sharp, metal arrowhead, the kind often used as the tip for the guard’s crossbow bolts. “Corporal Sure Hoof, how many bolts were in that bag?” Fortress shouted. “P-pardon, sir?” “How many crossbow bolts were in the bag!” “A few dozen!” Sure Hoof shouted back as another lantern was taken out, its glass shattered and its flame extinguished. Fortress broke into a run, moving to the next archway on her right. She cast her barrier spell and then moved on. “Get the lanterns away from the archways! Now!” The corporals broke into sprints, racing towards the nearest lanterns, but the thing outside the rotunda was moving with speed that defied logic. As soon as Fortress had sealed an archway with her barrier spell, the bolt tips would come shooting from another. The corporals couldn’t get to them fast enough either. Lanterns would shatter when their hooves had only just touched it. “Save the last lanterns or I’ll shave your heads and burn your hair for light!” Fortress bellowed as she continued to race around the rotunda. Most of the archways were sealed, only a few left, but there were only a few lanterns left too. If they lost them all they’d have only horn light to go by, and with only two unicorns, that wasn’t a lot of illumination. Another archway sealed, another lantern down. Fortress was cursing under her breath with each step as she galloped and wove her shield spell. The clattering of glass and clanking of metal, the cries of lanterns dying to the assassin that hid in the shadow of the tunnels. It was frustrating and infuriating all at the same time. CRASH Another lantern down, there was only one left. It was the one she had hung from a transfigured hook at the top of an archway. Fortress and the corporals raced towards it, all three of them barreling as fast as their hooves would carry them. Fortress had her barrier spell prepared. A final crossbow bolt tip sang as it flew threw the air, striking the handle of the lantern. It teetered of its hook and with a rusty squeak, it began to fall. The unicorn corporal, a pony named Lighthouse, dove, stretching out his magic, and by luck, he had caught it. One lantern had been saved. He stood up triumphantly and put on a big grin as Fortress cast her barrier spell. “Good work, Lighthouse. Now, the both of you, go put that last lantern someplace it will be safe and check the others. See if we can relight any of them or at least salvage their fuel. Lighthouse just continued to stand there, smiling, holding the lantern with his magic. “Corporal Lighthouse?” Fortress asked, arching an eyebrow. A trail of blood streamed down the side of Lighthouse’s face. He teetered, his eyes growing dark while his smile, his last smile, remained frozen on his face. His magic failed, the lantern fell and smashed against the floor. The rotunda was overcome with darkness, only the faint glow of the shield barriers providing any sort of illumination. “Sergeant?” “I’m over here!” Fortress shouted back to the one remaining corporal. She lit her horn, and he quickly trotted up to her, finding safety in her light while she moved up to the unicorn soldier who had been holding the lamp. His ear was shredded and there was a hole in the side of his head. She could only imagine that a brother to the crossbow bolt tips that had spelt doom for their lanterns was now lodged in his brain. “He’s dead,” she said before spitting and cursing. “W-w-what now sergeant? “ Corporal Sure Hoof asked. “Should we retreat?” “Yeah, we should, but whatever in tartarus just killed him is probably after us too. We can’t see it coming without light and my horn can’t cut it alone. That, and we can’t abandon the princess. No... no we have to wait. We have to wait for Shining Armor to get off his flank and send reinforcements or for Twin Blades to get back with her squad. “Now go get all of our supplies and get them in the center of the room. Then get ready to take the first watch. You’ll wake me up in two hours so I can refresh the barriers and then start my watch. We’ll take two hours shift like that, refreshing the barriers at the change off. Fortress began to walk towards the center of the room. “We only have to last till morning, and we have more than enough water and food with most of the squad gone. We’ll wait this out, we will survive, and, when the reinforcements get here, we’re going to hunt whatever is in those tunnels down and cut out its throat.” ~~~ Once more, the hinges on the vault creaked and groaned as its door opened. Light poured out from its interior of the vault. Celestia followed behind Twin Blades, and her mouth fell open, agape in disbelief, as she and the soldiers stepped out into the archives. “It’s... not possible...” Night Gaze whispered as his and Path Finder’s armor clanking with the extra light gems that had been haphazardly attached. Celestia could only silently agree, her mind reeling. They should have seen the strewn wreckage of thrown and toppled bookcases all around them. The aftermath of the tidal wave of shelves that had been hurled at the vault door before they closed it should have been laid out before them. They should have seen destruction. All they saw was order. The shelves once more stood in clean, crisp rows. Not a board was bent. Not a nail was out of place. It was like nothing had happened. The emptied archives were as preserved as when the group had first entered. The smell of dirt in the air was once more sweet and welcoming. Not even the dust had been disturbed. Their own hoofprints, which should have led up to the vault door, were nowhere to be seen. “Who makes a mess like that and then cleans it up?” Path Finder asked, not taking his eyes off the shelves, as if they would leap out at any moment. “And who can do it that fast?” “Don’t know,” Twin Blades said, “and don’t care. First priority is getting back to the rotunda. Now zip your lips and keep moving.” And move the group did. They walked along the carpet that lead between the empty shelves. They strained their eyes ahead, searching for the statue of Starswirl the Bearded they had passed on their way in. They focused their ears, listening for any sound that their attacker had returned. The light from the gems they had taken from the vault, as well as the light produced by Celestia’s and Path Finder’s horn, pierced far into the darkness, but never as far as they would have liked. ~~~ “Sergeant, it’s time for your watch.” Fortress groaned and rubbed her eyes, sitting up. It had been two hours since the lanterns had gone out, two hours since Lighthouse had been killed. So much should have happened while she was asleep. The reinforcements should have arrived. Twin Blades should have come back with her squad and the princess. At the very least, something should have happened. But nothing had. She had rested for two hours, Sure Hoof would not have woken her otherwise. Still, the chamber looked as she had only just blinked. Her barriers were still in place, and they were still the only two there. “Were there any reports?” Fortress asked, though she could already guess the answer. “No sir.” Fortress cursed and slowly stood up from the bed they had assembled from some empty saddlebags and a tarp. “Then go ahead and get some rest, Corporal. I’ll wake you in... PEW!” Fortress brought a hoof to her nose, and gagged. “What is that smell?” “Um, well sir, i-it’s Lighthouse.” Sure Hoof replied, his voice shaky. “What do you mean?” “J-just come look,” Sure Hoof said, motioning with a hoof. Fortress followed, keeping close to the corporal. The smell began to wash over them with greater and greater intensity. Fortress had to actively fight the urge to throw up, and the smell of nausea and bile that welled up her throat and into her nose was not helping the situation. Still, the stench grew stronger the closer they got to where Lighthouse fell. Then, Fortress’s light hit Lighthouse, and her self-control went out the window. She stumbled to one side, spreading her hooves and puking up the contents of her stomach. She heaved heavy breaths, her stomach convulsing as it tried to empty every ounce of its contents. Yet, between gasps of breath and puking, Fortress struggled to speak. “T-that’s not-t—” She convulsed unloading more of her stomach bile on the floor. “—possible.” “Sergeant, please, why don’t you go back to sleep. I can take another shift,” Sure Hoof said, trying to guide Fortress to the center of the room. “W-what is going on, Corporal?” Fortress said, coughing before she forcibly swallowed. “He’s only been dead two hours. He... he shouldn’t be that decayed for days. The maggots, the flies... the intestines... no, none of that should have happened yet.” “Sergeant, maybe we should consider retreating.” Fortress shook her head firmly. “W-we swore an oath to always protect the princesses. Princess Celestia is still out there with Twin Blades. Luna may be out there as well. The reinforcements, they are going to be coming. They have to be. W-we can’t get away on our own. The thing... the thing that got Lighthouse, it won’t let us just walk out. W-we need help. “So we’ll wait,” Fortress said firmly. “We’ll wait as long as it takes.” “Y... Yes, Sergeant,” Sure Hoof replied shakily as he helped Fortress lay back down on their makeshift bed. ~~~ Fortress watched the sand in her minute-timer fall. Her eyes were tired, her mind weary, her body weak from hunger. She watched the sand run out, and she added another tally mark to her count. The count now covered the whole map and streamed out onto the floor. She had marked so many tallies. She had watched so many minutes go by. Still, the reinforcements didn’t come. Still, Twin Blades’ squad never came back from the archives. No reports came in. Nothing. She rubbed her eyes and watched the sand run out again. Two hours. It was time to wake up the Corporal Sure Hoof and get some sleep herself. “Sure Hoof, it’s your shift,” Fortress said before she began casting her barrier reinforcement spell, strengthening the glowing barriers that guarded each entrance to the rotunda. Sure hoof rose slowly, smacking his mouth. “Sergeant, can we have our rations?” Fortress sighed, finished casting one final reinforcement spell, and then looked to her tally marks. She counted the ones since the last time they had eaten food, and then nodded her head. “Yes,” she replied as she focused a levitation spell on their supplies. Still, as she turned open bags and sacks, she found them all but empty. She began to turn bags over and shake them, but still nothing fell out but crumbs. A shiver ran down her spine, and she turned to look back at the Corporal. “I-I’m sorry, Sure Hoof, but I think we’re out of food.” Fortress tried to force a smile as she levitated a canteen to him. “But we still have plenty of water. Here, drink up.” “Yes sir,” Sure Hoof said as he shakily brought the mouth of the canteen to his lips. He drank greedily. It was more than Fortress should have allowed him too, but... but they could more carefully ration the water later. “Sergeant, are we going to make it out of this?” Fortress glance up at Sure Hoof, who was now staring at his canteen. His hooves were gripping it firmly, as if it was the most important thing in the world. “Y-yes, of course. The reinforcements have to be on their way, and I’m sure we’ll see Twin Blades and the princess soon.” “P-please, Sergeant, do you really think they're still coming? Look at how long it’s been,” he said as he pointed as the tallies Fortress and he had been making. “Wouldn’t they have come by now? What if they forgot about us? What if something’s happened?” Just say it, we’re going to die down here by ourselves.” Sure Hoof began to visibly tremble, and tears began to flow from his eyes. “I don’t want to die like this, Sergeant. I don’t want to die in the dark. I don’t whatever is out there to get me. “I hate the dark. Ever since I was a colt, I’ve hated the dark. Why does it have to be so dark?” “Come on soldier, pull yourself together, you're wasting water with all that crying,” Fortress said, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “We’ll get out of this. I promise.” “But the dark—” “Won’t hurt you, I promise. That’s why we have our barriers. That’s why we have my light spell. We’ll get through this, soldier. We’re royal guards, toughest there are. We guard the princesses themselves. If anypony can survive this, it is us. “Now, come on, it’s your shift and I need some sleep. Just keep a watch and wake me if you see anypony.” “A-alright, sergeant,” Sure Hoof said as he passed the water canteen back to her. He then got up from the bed, letting her lie down as he took up his post, watching and waiting for somepony, anypony, to come and find them. Waiting for somepony that might never arrive. ~~~ Fortress groggily opened her eyes when she felt something wet touch her hoof. It was warm and sticky. She lifted her hoof to her face, about to curse out the corporal for peeing so close to the center of the rotunda instead of going off into a corner. But as her eyes focused on her hoof, she saw it was dripping with warm, crimson blood. Bolting up, Fortress strengthed her light spell as much as she could. The lack of food was starting to affect her. She felt weak.She had never had very much fat. She had been a mare built of muscle, but now her body was eating itself. How long had they been in the dark? How long had they waited for rescue? She didn’t even want to count the tallies. Still, finding her strength, Fortress got up and focused her light on the floor. She followed the thin puddle of blood as it stretched a few feet away. Then, she saw it, the Corporal lying still as stone with his eyes wide open. A bloodied piece of glass from a broken lantern lay next to him, and deep gashes were visible on his forelocks. The wounds bore signs of being self inflicted. There were the marks of hesitation before the final gashes that cut the arteries. Sure Hoof had killed himself. “No... no no no no. Horseapples! NO!” Fortress screamed. She quickly moved to him, grabbing Sure Hoof’s lifeless body and shaking it firmly. “Corporal, open your eyes! Do you hear me, open your eyes! That is an order! You... you can’t leave me alone! D-don’t make me stay here alone!” RATTLE Fortress snapped her head, having heard the clatter of a stone against one of the distant corridors. In a moment her anguish turned to rage. She furrowed her eyebrows and stumbled towards one of her barrier spells. “You won’t get me, you son of a horse! I won’t let you! So come on! Come here and let me gut you like a fish! Quit hiding in the shadows like some coward and face me!” She stumbled a little, collapsing as her legs gave out. Tears began to form from her eyes. She was so hungry. They had water, plenty of water, but food... how long would it be before she couldn’t even move. Her body was eating itself, she needed nourishment. She... she needed to survive. She wouldn’t let the thing in the dark win. She struggled to her hooves, turning back to the center of the rotunda. She was going to check the saddlebags one more time, maybe even try eating the saddlebags. That, however, was when she saw Sure Hoof’s body, lying against the stone. A single thought crossed her mind, one she tried to push away the moment it surfaced, but it kept coming back like an annoying, buzzing fly. No, she couldn’t... it, it was too gruesome to even consider. But... but she needed food, and... and if she didn’t do it now, Sure Hoof would decay like Lighthouse, wouldn’t he? In a couple hours, he could be beyond use. But now, now Sure Hoof could still help her survive. He’d want that, wouldn’t he? He’d want to give her a chance to survive? She needed food. She needed to survive. If she didn’t get food, she would die. Dying would be losing to the thing in the dark. She wouldn’t lose. She’d stay alive. Twin Blades and Celestia were coming back, they had to be coming back. Yes, that’s right, they’d have to come this way, and she would wait. They were coming, she knew they were coming. They were coming, she just had to be alive when they arrived. She just had to be alive. And to be alive, she needed food. “I-I-I-I-I,” Fortress stuttered out, tears starting to form as she moved towards Sure Hoof. Her magic took up the shattered piece of glass, and she swallowed nervously as her hooves stepped into the pool of blood on the floor. “I’m so sorry.” ~~~ Celestia, Twin Blades, Path Finder, and Night Gaze kept walking, their hooves kicking up the dust from the carpet and leaving a swirling trail in their wake. The shelves rolled by them, once more the silent sentries who remained on guard even though the books they once kept were long gone. Wooden skeletons, stripped of the meat that had once given them purpose. Row after row the group passed, their hooves carrying them onward. And yet while all seemed in order, Celestia’s nerves were growing more and more tense. Memories screamed at her. The distance... the distance was wrong. They had left the vault and walked straight ahead, straight towards where the statue of Starswirl the Bearded would stand. They walked straight, but yet they had not seen the statue yet. In truth, the light from the group should have illuminated the statue within moments of leaving the vault. Yet, the path ahead remained an abyss of darkness, endlessly extending ahead of them. “Lieutenant, something’s wrong,” Celestia whispered. Yet, the moment those words left her lips, the tension in the air returned. The smell of dirt in the air once more inspired images of graveyards and death. The darkness seemed to creep in, fighting against the light flowing from the group’s horns and gems. It was all closing in on them. The shelves began to rattle, their boards being strained. It grew and grew in volume, as if there was an earthquake. Path Finder and Night Gaze stood back to back. Twin Blades had her wings extended, ready to defend herself against anything that stepped into the light. Celestia, however, was numb. Her body was cold and all the noise around her was dulled. Time itself seemed slowed as she gazed into the darkness ahead of her. It was like something was drawing her in, pulling at her. She took a tentative step, and then another. She was soon abreast Twin Blades. She lifted a hoof to take another step forward as the shelves around them began to teeter, as if eagerly waiting for her to move just a little further ahead. “Celestia, Stop!” Like a whip being cracked against her forehead, Celestia was brought back to her senses. She was overwhelmed with dread at the darkness before her, as if it was a great beast ready to devour her. In a panic similar to a child rushing to light a lantern in a dark bedroom, Celestia hastily wove her spell. She spun her horn in the air, circling it as a bright sphere formed. She then drew her head back and tossed it forward, sending the sphere into the darkness. The light of the sphere was lost for just a moment and then it went off with the force of a firework. In an instant every crevice of the room filled with light. The sphere was up near the ceiling, circling and shining above the statue of Starswirl the Bearded like a small sun. Its light only grew brighter and brighter, filling the room, and chasing away darkness, which hissed like it was being burnt. And with light came a release of tension in the air. Once more all was as it should have been, and Celestia breathed a sigh of relief along with the soldiers. “Good work, your highness,” Twin Blades said with a thankful tone. “Whatever’s going on here, it doesn’t seem to like light that much.” “Things that creep in the dark rarely do,” Celestia commented before looking back at the lieutenant and the two sergeants. “But I should be thanking one of you for shouting my name. That brought me back to my senses.” “Shout?” Path Finder asked as he exchanged glances with Night Gaze and Twin Blades. “Princess, none of us said anything.” “N... no, one of you shouted my name. I’m sure of it. It sounded like...” Celestia fell silent as her mind tripped back. The voice that had called out to her, she had recognized it. In hindsight, however, the shout hadn’t sounded like Twin Blade, Path Finder, or Night Gaze. No, the shout sounded like it came from Twilight. Immediately Celestia spun around, her gaze scanning the shelves and rooms. “Twilight? Twilight?! Are you there?” She galloped up to the statue of Starswirl the Bearded and, with a leap and flap of her wings, jumped up onto his back. She looked across the archives from her high perch, seeing that the light from her spell stretched to fill the whole of the archives. “Twilight? Are you here, Twilight?!” Celestia called out again, but once more she was met only with silence. She was sure that the voice that had shouted at her was Twilight’s, yet the only ponies that seemed to be in the room were her, Twin Blades, Path Finder, and Night Gaze. Crestfallen, Celestia glided back down from the statue and landed in front of Twin Blades. She and the sergeants were wearing concerned expressions. “I... I was sure that I heard her,” she told them. “But... maybe I was just hearing things.” “It was a tense situation back there, Princess,” Twin Blades assured. “”All that matters is that we got through it. Now, let’s get back to the rotunda as fast as we can. Path Finder, send a messenger spell too. Fortress is probably climbing the walls at this point. “And Princess,” Twin Blades said, glancing up at the sphere of light that was hovering near the ceiling. “I think it would be wise to bring that light sphere you conjured with us, if you can.” ~~~ With Path Finder taking the lead, the quartet backtracked through the tunnels to the rotunda. They made familiar turns, and Celestia’s light sphere followed behind them like a loyal balloon, swaying and bouncing on an invisible string tied to Celestia’s horn. The tunnels were just tunnels thanks to it’s strong light, and it wasn’t long before the quartet saw a light glowing back at them at the far end of a tunnel. It was a lantern in the rotunda. “Finally,” Twin Blades said before breaking into a trot and raising her voice. “Fortress! Tell me the reinforcements got here. There’s something back in the archives and I need at least two more squads to try and pin it down.” She got no reply, and began to trot a little more quickly as Celestia, Path Finder, and Night Gaze followed in her wake. “Fortress, Report! How many soldiers did Shining Armor send down to help us? Fortress?! For... tress...” Twin Blades slowed to a stop, her wings falling limp and her blades dragging against the floor as she strode into the rotunda. The chamber was supposed to be lit with the warm light of more than a dozen lanterns. Fortress was supposed to be standing watch with the two corporals who had stayed behind with her. None of this was what Twin Blades saw. The one light in the rotunda flickered weakly and came from Fortress’s horn. Fortress herself, once a proud, strong mare, now looked like she was on her deathbed. Her breathing was shallow and she didn’t move at all at the sound of her own name being called. The bags of supplies they had brought with them littered the space, laying open and empty. There was a mostly decayed body on the far side of the room and there were no signs of the corporals. “Fortress!” Night Gaze gasped, rushing past Twin Blades to his fellow member of the Lunar Guard. Path Finder followed a few steps behind while Celestia came to a stop near Twin Blades. The light sphere she had conjured bobbed and swayed, better illuminating the room. The light revealed the disheveled state of the room, and Celestia couldn’t help but gag as the room’s strong odor washed over her. It smelled of body odor, clogged toilets, and rotten meat. Still, the light from Celestia’s spell made Fortress show her first signs of life. She whimpered and trying to shield her eyes. “She’s dehydrated. She needs water,” Night Gaze said as he anxiously circled Fortress. “There’s no water left. All of our supplies are gone,” Path Finder said as he magically picked up, turned over, and shook out a pair of saddle bags. “What happened to everything?” “I’m sure Fortress will be able to tell us,” Celestia said as she strode towards the weak unicorn. Her horn glowed brightly, and after a few moments a trail of water began to appear in the air. The strain of manifesting water from nothing showed on Celestia’s face, but she guided the water to Fortress’s mouth all the same. The mare drank greedily of the liquid, sucking it down as fast as it was provided to her. Night Gaze and Celestia sat down beside Fortress, watching the water bring her back from the edge of death as Path Finder and Twin Blades circled the room, checking every supply bag for anything that was left. “Night... Gaze...” Fortress finally managed, her voice weak and dry as she extended a wavering hoof. “Yes, it’s me Fortress. We’re here. You’re safe.” “No... no no no,” Fortress said, shaking her head. She was struggling to get back to her hooves, even though her legs were trembling. “It can’t be you. It can’t be. It’s been too long. It’s been too long.” “Shhhhhh,” Celestia said, trying to sooth Fortress. She extended a wing, helping Fortress into a sitting position before draping soft, white, comforting feathers over the unicorn of the Lunar Guard. “Take your time. It’s okay.” “No... no no, it’s not okay. Too long. You were gone too long.” “Fortress, what do you mean. We’ve been gone an hour, tops.” Fortress shook her head firmly. “No, no! You were gone. You were gone too long!” “Okay, okay,” Celestia said, trying to keep Fortress stable. She manifested more water, though the effort brought some sweat to her brow, and she offered it to her. “Just tell us what happened.” More water and a chance to speak her mind seemed to calm Fortress. Her trembling subsided, and she leaned into Celestia’s embracing wing. “A lantern broke, and our spare oil caught fire. We had to throw it away, a crossbow and it’s ammunition burned up with the oil. But something... something took the tips from the burnt bolts. It threw them at our lanterns. It took them all out. It took Corporal Lighthouse out. It killed him by sending one of those bolt tips into his head. “Only two of us left after that. Me and Sure hoof. We waited for everypony to come. We waited for rescue, but nopony came. We waited and waited. We ran out of food and continued to wait. We kept waiting, getting hungrier.” “And where is the corporal now?” Celestia asked. “H-he... h-he died. He couldn’t handle it. I would have too. I would have died of hunger, but I wouldn’t go out that way. I wouldn’t. I wasn’t going to let that thing that killed Lighthouse win. I was going to survive until the reinforcements came back, so I could slit it’s throat. I... I did what I had too.” “What do you me—” Night Gaze tried to ask, only for Twin Blades to interrupt her. “Hey, there’s a pile of old guts and bones over here in one of the corridors, like somepony got eaten. Does Fortress know where this came from?” Night Gaze and Celestia’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. Their stomach rebelled, urging them to vomit. Celestia coughed, but was able to keep herself from puking. Night Gaze could not. He ran off to a corner, and hurled with all the strength his body could muster. “I wasn’t going to die. I don’t die. I’m Fortress. I stand firm. I don’t back down. I don’t lose,” she muttered from the embrace of Celestia’s wing before looking up at the princess. She lifted a hoof, waving it loosely in the air. “I counted the minutes, you couldn’t have survived that long.” Celestia followed Fortress’s hoof to the map of the tunnels, which was now blackened with hundreds if not thousands of tally marks. The tally marks even spread off the page and covered the floor around it. “But... but that’s impossible,” Celestia said as she looked at all the tally marks. “We weren’t gone that long.” “NO!” Fortress screamed, struggling against Celestia’s wing. “You were gone THAT long! You left me alone THAT long! I counted every minute! You were gone! You were GONE!” “Fortress, calm down,” Celestia said, continuing to hold Fortress back with her wing. “NO! YOU WERE GONE!” Fortress screamed. Her horn flickered to life, it’s aura wrapping around a nearby damaged lantern. She swung it hard and fast, too fast for anyone to react. She smashed the lantern against Celestia’s head. The glass shattered and the metal base bent from the impact. The princess was sent sprawling, crying out in pain as her light sphere in the ceiling wavered and flickered. Path Finder and Twin Blades rushed in immediately. Twin Blades put herself between Fortress and Celestia while Path Finder tried to grab her. Fortress, however, still proved herself the stronger mare. She threw Path Finder off and, with a final panicked scream, she charged off through one of the arches. “I’M NOT GOING TO BE BEAT! I’M GOING TO KILL IT! I’M GOING TO KILL IT!” “Fortress!” Night Gaze shouted, whipping the puke from the edge of his mouth. He tried to chase after her, but Path Finder grabbed his shoulder. “Are you insane?! Going into those tunnels alone is a death wish!” “That’s why we need to go after her!” Night Gaze snapped back. “You’d go if it was one of your precious Solar Guards!” “We will go after her, Night Gaze,” Twin Blades said firmly. She had moved to Celestia’s side, brushing back some of the princess’s mane back to see where she had been struck. “But Fortress did a number on Celestia and she has to be our first priority. Now come on, help me get her comfortable. After that, I want you to detach every light gem we found in the vault and space them around the rotunda. We need light and there’s no telling how long Celestia’s spell will last with her unconscious like this.” ~~~ Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock TIck Tock Tick Tock Celestia opened her eyes, her body numb to the world. She breathed out, steam forming from her breath. The air was cold, stale, dry, and smelled of decay. She could see nothing around her. It was all dark, but the sound she heard was constant. She turned, and Celestia saw the clocks the ticking belonged to. They were a pair of tall, antique grandfather clocks. One was lit only by a dim lantern at its base. The other glowed, as if it was lit from within by a bright light. That, however, was the most notable difference between the clocks. The one that glowed was like a tall lighthouse in the night. It was strong, sturdy, and reliable. Its ticking came at a pace that was familiar and friendly to Celestia. It was a clock so reliable she and Luna could set the sun and moon by it. The other, however, seemed like it had been taken from a surreal painting. Its body was bent and twisted like a snake crawling up a tree. The clock ticked quickly, the dials on its face spun, but the pendulum swung in circles, defying the normal operation of a clock. Celestia arched an eyebrow, trying to comprehend what she was seeing, but it was then both clocks began to chime. Their bells rang, and a dissonance filled Celestia’s ears. She winced and stumbled back, flaring her wings. Each chime of the clocks struck her head like a sledgehammer. She stepped back, trying to distance herself from them, but she ran into something. Turning again, Celestia looked upon a door that had appeared from the darkness. The door swung open for her, and the smell of decay filled her nostrils. Celestia cast a light spell to see where she was and was greeted by the sight of old bones lying in rectangular holes in the walls. She was once more in the old castle's crypts. She took an anxious step forward, trying to understand where she was and where the clocks had gone. The sound of that one step, however, echoed into the depths of the crypt and echoed back like the roar of a beast. The bones around her rattled and clattered like an alarm going off. The darkness beyond her loomed up, defying the light from her horn, and began to crash down towards her like a flood of water. Celestia broke into a sprint, galloping as fast as her hooves could carry her. She rounded corners in the crypt, skidding around the bends and using her wings to keep herself stable. Yet the shadow followed, flooding the chambers behind her as the bones continued to rattle. "Celestia!" A single, familiar voice in the torrent, a single light in the distance. A purple star glinting ahead of her. Celestia pushed forward with all the strength she could muster. It was Twilight, it had to be. She raced for her student, working desperately to outpace the shadow behind her. Yet, as she drew close to the star it faded. Celestia put on a final sprint of speed, jumping out to catch the last wisps of the glow, but it had already vanished. She stumbled and skidded to a stop, looking around desperately. All she could see were stone caskets. She was in the deepest part of the crypt. A place where stallions and mares who had contributed much to Equestria had been laid to rest. Celestia, however, did not see her student. "Twilight?" she shouted. "Where are you?" A panicked thumping and muffled shouts reached Celestia's ear. It sounded like Twilight, and it sounded like she was close. Yet, before Celestia could figure out where it was coming from, something grabbed her, lifted her off her hooves, and pinned her wing against her side. She kicked and flailed, trying to free herself, but she was held tight. It was like she was being crushed in a dragon’s claw, and she felt the searing pain of something raking against her side like a sword. She couldn’t breathe. She was being crushed. She was going to pass out! “Your time has set!” Celestia screamed. ===================================================================== Questions, Comments, Concerns? pen.stroke.pony@gmail.com My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic  © Hasbro I do not own the intellectual properties this fan-fiction is based on. =====================================================================