//------------------------------// // Chapter 37 // Story: Internal Darkness // by Silver Sorcerer //------------------------------// Disclaimer: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and all associated characters, settings and stories are the rightful subjects of Hasbro, the HUB, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. Chapter 37 "Ya' sure this is a good idea?" Applejack whispered while peering around a corner. "Do we have any other choice?" retorted Rainbow Dash in a hushed tone. "It's not like we can just fly out of the tower." "Hush. We're gonna get caught," whispered Pinkie. She along with Applejack and Rainbow were making their way towards the Canterlot Caves. Shining was with them. The other girls would move with Cadance later when they were ready. Despite the regrouping Shining wanted to be with his wife and only agreed to go with the girls after intense persuasion that Cadance would be too upset or angry with him. She didn't even know he had escaped. Nopony, not even Twilight, had told her. As for Twilight, though she worried about her brother, she realized that if they were caught together, the consequences would be even greater than if they were captured separately. It also made it harder for the guards to follow them. Smaller groups were always harder to track than larger ones. So Twilight stayed behind with Fluttershy and Rarity as they helped Cadance deal with her emotions and pack whatever they could for however long when they would be down in those caves. She would lead the group to the entrance while Rainbow led the first group. "No guards present," Applejack stated. "Which way?" "Towards the rear of the palace, whichever way that is," answered Rainbow. "That's a left then," added Pinkie as Applejack nodded and the group quickly scurried down the hall, hiding behind statues, plants, and anything they could find if anypony saw them or suspected they saw them. Thank goodness it was dark; otherwise they would've had a much harder time sneaking out. Moving quickly down the hall, they only stopped if they saw or heard a door open or hoofsteps. Numerous times they hid in the shadows as a servant or advisor passed by. They held their breaths each time until it was safe to proceed. "Keep going straight. It leads to the patio towards the mountain," Pinkie stated as they quickly passed through an intersection of hallways. They avoided moonlight as much as possible and remained in the shadows and darkness. They didn't know where the Royal Guard was and that was all the more nerve-racking. When the finally saw the patio they realized that they had to exit through a large glass conservatory to get to it. The moon shown spectacularly through the glass, illuminating the floor tiles. "If anypony spots us in there, we're dead," warned Rainbow. "I have an idea," said Shining as he examined the room and the patio beyond. The gardens lay beyond, devoid of any flowers at this time of year. "Rainbow, do you think you can fly over to the end of the room and open those doors?" "You bet." "Then go and once you have them open, hide somewhere close." "But what about you, and Pinkie, and AJ?" "I'll take care of it. Just go before we're caught." She reluctantly obeyed and flew to the other side of the room, unlocked the doors as quietly as possible, opened them, and disappeared into the night. Once that was complete, Shining said, "Both of you, grab one of my hooves and hold on tight." "What are ya' gonna do?" "We're going to teleport." "Oh you mean like go somewhere really fast? Yay! I love teleporting!" "Alright, then hang on." He charged his horn quickly and a loud pop echoed through the hall as they disappeared and suddenly reappeared on the porch outside. Applejack put a hoof to her head and shook it, trying to reorient herself with her surroundings. Pinkie and Shining were unfazed and quickly shut the glass doors. "Let's never do that again," Applejack grunted as they searched for Rainbow's hiding place. They scanned the gardens and made out her waving hoof in a nearby bush. They ran off the stone patio and onto the soft, cold grass towards the bush. On this surface they were quieter and sneakier than in the palace. They had managed to get out and were now even closer to the caves. They only hoped that nopony was in there looking for them. Once they reached the bush, they jumped in and let out a long sigh of relief. Looking back towards the palace they saw only a few windows illuminated by the gas lamps. Most ponies were asleep allowing them the chance they needed. "Well, that went smoothly," Pinkie stated. "Where to, Rainbow?" asked Shining. "If I remember correctly, there is an entrance to the caves as you exit the gardens towards the mountain." "Is that were you escaped?" Pinkie asked. "Yeah." "Alrighty then, towards the mountain," said Applejack as the group scanned for any guards. None could be seen so they moved through the gardens. They stayed low, practically crawling through the grass alongside the empty flowerbeds and bushes as they moved. They saw the gates for the exit, closed and locked. Guards would be there as this was technically still an entrance to the palace. They crept alongside the ten foot high wall surrounding the gardens, approaching the gates when they stopped. They heard voices, low and impossible to decipher, but voices nonetheless. Rainbow quickly took to the sky and laid herself on the top of the wall, overlooking the gardens and the outside road. She flew back down as quickly as she had flown up. "There are two guards in small shelters next to both sides of the gates." "Well, what do we do now?" Pinkie asked. "Pinkie, you and Ah can walk out fine. The guards aren't after us," Applejack stated. "And I can silently and quickly fly over towards the caves entrance," Rainbow added. "But don't you think they'll be suspicious? I mean we're Twilight's and Rainbow's friends and all," Pinkie eyed Applejack nervously. "Well, we gotta try it. We can't just stand here. 'Sides, I didn't hear anythin' about us from the guards or anypony." "Well, alright," she replied half-confidently before turning her attention to the pegasus. "Rainbow, did you see it from up there?" Pinkie asked. "See what?" "The cave, silly." "Oh yeah. It's in a small grove of tress just down the road from the guards." "Then that's where we'll meet up," said Shining. "What are you going to do?" Pinkie asked. "Rainbow, are the trees visible through the gates?" "Yeah, but I wouldn't suggest teleporting with the guards right there. It's too loud." "I know. I was just asking." "Do ya' have a plan in mind?" Applejack asked. "I do. Rainbow, stay on top of that wall and keep an eye on me and the guard. If anything should go wrong, fly in and carry me to the cave." "I'm not sure I can, but I'll try." "So, are we ready?" Pinkie asked. "Yup," answered Shining. "Be safe," comforted Applejack giving Shining a warm hug before walking towards the gate with Pinkie. The guards heard them, opened the gates and escorted them out without a word. Pinkie was on edge but tried to hide it and Applejack simply raised her muzzle in a fashion similar to Rarity's. It was her best coping and stealth strategy, while hiding dark secrets. They both prayed that the guards wouldn't ask any questions and when they didn't they both let out a sigh of relief as they walked down the road. Rainbow flew up to the wall and watched as Shining made his way back into the gardens. Just as the guards were closing the gates a loud bang echoed throughout the gardens. The guards jumped, reopened the gates, and ran into the garden. Inside the gardens the central fountain had suddenly caught fire. The pools were the water collected in the summer was replaced be yellow, orange, and red pools of fire. The statues in the fountain even glowed slightly from the heat. It was a beautiful display, had it not been for the fact that the fire could consume the dry bushes and grass surrounding the fountains. Caught off guard by the sudden outburst, the guards rushed towards the fountain, doing what they could to dispel and douse the flames. One was a unicorn and cast water spells while the pegasus kicked up dirt to extinguish the flames. While they scrambled to contain the flames, they failed to notice a single unicorn slip through the gates and down the main road with an astonished pegasus flying above him. They quickly made their way to the grove of trees and joined the two astonished mares waiting for them. "Dear Celestia, what happened?" Applejack asked. "I gave the guard something they should be better trained in," Shining answered with a smirk. "And what's that?" Pinkie asked. "Being prepared for the unexpected." "I like it." "So do I. That was badass, Shining," complimented Rainbow Dash giving him a brohoof. They looked back at the gardens, illuminated by the orange light of the fire. They couldn't see the flames, but their light illuminated the wall and the road where the gates were opened. It was quite a sight for them, but they couldn't stay to watch see how the guards fared. They had to get into the cave. "Let's hope the girls don't have trouble getting out," hoped Pinkie. "They're going a different way so they might actually have an easier time with this distraction for the guards," said Rainbow. She began searching nearby trees for the entrance. "It should be right around here." "Dashie, over here," called Applejack. The group approached her as she pointed to a small hole at the base of a large pine tree. "Yup. That's it. Thanks, AJ." "You're welcome." "That's going to a tight fit," Shining remarked as he examined the small hole. It was beyond dark down there. He didn't know if there were any sharp rocks or other dangers down there, but he had to go if he was going to be safe. "Alright. So who wants ta go down first?" Applejack asked. "Oh, oh, me ,me!" exclaimed Pinkie who jumped into the hole without a second thought. The heard her tumble down and waited until they couldn't hear anything anymore. "Pinkie, can ya' hear us?" There was no reply. "Pinkie, you down there?" Rainbow asked There was still no response and the three looked at each other with worried eyes. "Well, there's no point in waiting around. I'm going," Rainbow stated. "Be careful," advised Applejack as she hugged her. "I will. I'll see you soon." She crouched into the hole and made her way down. The two then listened until they couldn't hear her anymore. "Alright, Shining go 'head," Applejack gestured. "Let's hope I can fit," he commented as he approached the hole. Much to his surprise he found that he had a little wiggle room as he moved through the hole. He lit his horn for some light and saw tree roots and dirt that gradually changed to solid rocks. Back on the surface Applejack waited checking behind her to make sure nopony was watching. She then crawled into the hole and proceeded to join her friends. It was dark and rough. She couldn't tell where she was going and constantly had to feel her way through the tunnel. Whoever had dug this hole had not meant for it to be a main entrance to the caves. It must've been an escape route. Something that trapped ponies had dug when the rocks collapsed inside the cave. Applejack only hoped that that wouldn't happen to them. She continued moving through the tunnel and as she did, she swore she could hear voices. She didn't yell though, afraid that the vibrations might cause the tunnel to collapse leaving her trapped. She just had to keep moving. As she did she noticed the tunnel was growing in size and she found that she could walk upright through the rest of it. It grew around her until she saw the familiar light of Shining's horn. She rounded a corner and she was suddenly in the caves themselves. The polished stones reflected Shining's light, illuminating the entire cave. The stones also acted like mirrors, reflecting the image of Shining, Pinkie, and Rainbow in the center of this cave. They all smiled when they saw her and Rainbow flew right over and gave her a big hug. "Glad you could join us. How was the trip down?" she teased. "Oh, hush up." "Right. Everypony alright?" Shining asked. They all nodded. "Well, we made it and I don't sense anypony other than us is down here," Pinkie stated. "Let's wait for the rest of the group. They'll be leavin' soon and will be join' us in notime," Applejack stated. "Let's hope so," hoped Shining. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ They emerged from the bedroom quickly and quietly. Only the moonlight and torchlight illuminated their bodies and movements as they scurried down the halls of the palace. They knew where they were going and how to get there, the difficult task was getting there without getting caught. All the servants had retired for the night so they only had to avoid the Royal Guards who were patrolling the hallways and conducting random searches of rooms. They were silent as they moved until the saw two Royal Guards approaching and quickly dashed into a nearby bedroom. "That was close," remarked Rarity as they hid in the bedroom. "Yeah," whispered Fluttershy. "Everypony ok?" asked Twilight. "I'm fine," Cadance answered. "So, what's next?" Rarity asked. "We need to get to the service entrance," answered Twilight. "How much farther is that?" Cadance asked. "We're about halfway there." "Alright. Fluttershy, check for any guards." She did so silently, poking her head out of the door into the hallway. It was devoid of any life, safe for the potted plants silently resting alongside the walls. "We're clear," she whispered back and with the girls behind her, quietly emerged from their hiding place. Twilight pointed in the direction they needed to go and they quickly followed, their hooves being the only sound echoing through the halls. They kept to the walls and stayed away from the torches, gas lamps, and windows which were casting a pure white glow of moonlight. They peeked around a corner and saw closed doors, some filled with sleeping ponies. They moved quickly into the hallway and Twilight took the lead. She led the group directly up to a wall. "Umm…Twilight, I hate to be a bother, but this is a wall," stated Rarity. "Actually, it's a servant's door," she answered. Pushing at the wall, it easily gave way to a small but well-lit spiral staircase heading down to the main floor. The girls peeked inside, curiosity completely overwhelming them. "Oh, I stand corrected," Rarity remarked and entered the passage, slowly proceeding down the staircase. Fluttershy quietly followed with Cadance in tow. Twilight, making one last glance to check for any guards, closed the door and finished the pack. They all hoped that no guards would be in the servant's quarters below. None of them were familiar with this area and hiding would be much harder here. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Rarity opened the door and poked her head out. It was dark and quiet, nopony was in sight. She opened it fully, a small creak sounding through the room, and exited with the other three right behind her. The room was fairly sized, but very plain compared to the marble and stone of the palace above. Only Twilight knew where in the palace they were. She had spent her youth studying spells, maps, and mazes and the palace was a perfect example to test those skills. Despite being away from it for years she still knew it like the back of her hoof. "Where are we?" Fluttershy asked. "The servant's quarters," Twilight answered. The hallway on your right services the meeting and conference rooms. The hallway on your left serves the bedrooms. The center hallway leads to the kitchens and service entrance." "So that's where we're going," Cadance answered. "Correct." "Well, I say we better get moving. I don't know this area and will have a tougher place to hide from searching guards," Rarity remarked. "I think…umm…the servants were already searched here," Fluttershy said. "That would make sense, Fluttershy," agreed Twilight. "If anypony was looking for fugitives they would start with the lower classes to see if they were harboring them and, if caught, would cause less of a scandal than being aided by ponies of your status." "Twilight darling, there is nothing in Equestria we wouldn't do for you," Rarity stated. "But we have friends worried about us. Let's get moving." As they began walking down the hallway Twilight nudged up to Rarity and said, "Thanks, Rarity." "You're quite welcome, dear." They were silent as they walked. The floor was stone and the walls were solid wood. Their hooves echoed throughout the hallway. Gas lamps lined the walls, quietly hissing as the girls passed, and a low ceiling made the hallway seem endless and eerie. "This is quite a long hallway," remarked Cadance. "It's designed to be. The servants are meant to be kept hidden from view. This hallway runs the length of the palace and has numerous entrances and exits. We're going to one that leads to the gardens," Twilight stated. "So, how much further is that?" Fluttershy asked. "It should be right…here," she pointed to a wooden door on her left. Approaching it, she whispered, "Let's hope nopony is on the other side." She opened the door and was relieved to see only darkness. But once her eyes adjusted she saw that a small staircase led to hatch door. Climbing the stairs Twilight peeked through the wooden boards of the door and scrambled back down. "We can't go this way," she mumbled. "Why not?" Fluttershy asked. "The garden is on fire." All of their jaws dropped as they heard that. "You can't be serious!" exclaimed Cadance. "See for yourself." The three of them scrambled to the door and peeked through the cracks. Sure enough Twilight was right. From their vantage point they could see the main gardens and, sure enough, the main fountain was ablaze. Royal Guards were scrambling to douse it with magic, water, and dirt. It was an amazing sight to behold, but time was pressing. Twilight called them back and they reentered the hallway. "Well, that takes care of the guard problem," Rarity commented. "Yeah, but what now?" Cadance asked. "Is there another way we can go?" Fluttershy asked. "Yes," Twilight answered. "This exit is the north exit which we can't use. The gardens enclose the entire palace and a service road runs on the eastern and northern entrance. The cave is on the north end, but if we exit on the eastern service entrance, the main one, we'll be able run on the road to the cave and where we're rendezvousing with the other group." "So, where's the main entrance?" Rarity asked. "At the end of the hallway. Come on. We need to pick up the pace. Who knows how long that fire will keep the guards distracted?" They jogged down the hallway, ears and eyes ready for anypony or anything that might cross their path. The hallway turned and they did as well. At the end of the hallway they saw large wooden doors, unguarded. They ran for the doors and they all put an ear to them once they arrived. They heard nothing on the other side, a very good sign. "I'll go first," Rarity stated. "Be careful." "I will and thank you, Fluttershy." She opened one of the doors and slipped outside. She was back in a few seconds and gave an all clear signal. The night air was frigid to their coats, and the moon illuminated the dark grass and mountains behind it with a certain calming charm. They could see the orange light of the fire to their left, but made no attempt to see the fire itself. In the moonlight they saw a gravel road stretching up towards a main gate. Deliveries and arrivals were carried out here. It was extremely busy during the day and summer nights but in winter, it was as silent as the mountains. "I'll check for any guards. I can't get in trouble," Rarity said. "Alright," they answered. She crept forward, turning her head back and forth multiple times. Even though she knew she wouldn't get in the trouble the sense of excitement, danger, and adventure coming from helping her friends put her on edge. She continued to venture forward, seeing a few guards running past her field of vision, scrambling to assist the fire in the gardens. Rarity knew they didn't have much time. Even with the guards distracted servants, advisors, ambassadors, and Magicon himself might awake, flooding the grounds with ponies. They had to move now and fast. Seeing the gates locked, but unguarded, she could easily break that lock and get them out. She only hoped that the road would be deserted until they reached their final destination. Satisfied with her overview she ran back to her friends and explained the situation to them. "I don't think we have much of a choice," Twilight commented. "We have to move now." "How are we going to do that?" Fluttershy answered. "Simple. Cadance, you and Fluttershy will fly over the gates and land on the other side of the road. Fly fast and quietly and stay away from light. Rarity, you and I will cast an invisible spell allowing us to walk right across the grounds and through the gate. We will meet you two there and walk towards the trees where the caves entrance is." "Sounds easy enough," Rarity commented. "Anything else?" Cadance asked. Twilight shook her head and Cadance nodded. She walked a little ahead and gestured Fluttershy to follow her. Reluctantly she did and together they spread their wings and took off. With the guards rushing to the gardens they did not notice two pegasi fly over the gates and land across the street. Twilight and Rarity watched them fly in the moonlight until they landed on the other side of the wall. Together they conjured an invisibility spell, difficult for both of them, but workable together. Twilight provided the raw power while Rarity crafted the design to coat both of them. Once that was completed they moved quickly and quietly down the gravel road until they reached the gate. Numerous guards passed them, but they failed to see them or sense the magic that they were emitting. Twilight examined the lock and easily broke it, and opened the gates just enough for both of them to sneak through. They closed them and ran across the street, hiding in the darkness of the mountain. Removing the spell, the girls surprised Cadance and Fluttershy nearby who, to them, it looked like two ponies appearing out of nowhere. The two unicorns quickly ran over to the other mares. "You alright?" Fluttershy asked. "Yup. You?" "Fine. And you?" "Good." They sat for a moment to catch their breaths and look over at the orange glow behind the wall. They could only guess how hot and how dangerous those flames must be. But they didn't stay for long. They rose and walked down the side of the road, confiding themselves to the shadows until they reached the cluster of trees Rainbow had mentioned. They found the hole and each began shimming their way down. Twilight led, since she had the best knowledge of the tunnels. Cadance followed with Fluttershy reluctantly trailing. If it had not been for Rarity pushing right behind her, Fluttershy would've never gone down through this tunnel. She was never a fan of caves and small, dark tunnels into them made it all the more frightening. But her friends were counting on her. She had to do it for them. They arrived at the end and were greeted by the rest of the group, happy smiles on their faces to see them. The smiles suddenly disappeared when Cadance and Shining Armor laid eyes on each other. His were apologetic and remorseful, hers hurt and bitter. They didn't speak and didn't move. He wanted to apologize, to wish it all away. She wasn't sure what she wanted; all she knew was that she felt something tight and painful in her chest. For the girls, they looked uneasily at each other, unsure how this would play out. They hadn't expected this but it was no longer possible to delay the inevitable. It had to happen here and now. Bigger problems lay ahead and if they were hampered by these problems, they would be crushed by the big ones. For better or worse, it had to be resolved.