Slowly and quietly, I lead Twilight around the ruins as to not disturb the ponies that have congregated toward the center. It's still a little ground to cover before we can actually say we're in Canterlot at all, so it's gonna take a while at this pace. I could care less, though; as long as I don't have to talk to Celestia.
I'm still not sure why I'm scared of talking with Celestia at this time. Maybe it's because I think I'm not a good lier and she may be able to break me easily. Thank Cel -- Umm... uhh... I'm so grateful that Twilight is here for that. But, seeing the condition she's in from the teleportation, the princess would've definitely asked of how she got in such. She'd have to be pretty good to get out of that one...
Thinking again upon the word 'princess' makes me look up to the stars for a brief moment. I wonder if Luna is up there somewhere, commandeering the moon as it travels around Equestria? Man, would it be great to see her again.
Then I fix my eyes back in front of me. We've worked our way up to the back of a wall. A wall that would be a building, had it not been for the Elder. We're temporarily out of vision of everypony in the street area, but Twilight and I have to keep moving.
Suddenly feeling extra cautious about getting caught, I look over to Twilight and motion for her to shh. Then, slowly, I removed her forehoof from my neck and set it steadily on the ground. For the moment, Twilight looked to be hanging on. She had her eyes fixed on me ever since I let her down, so it's obvious that she also doesn't wanna get caught anymore.
I nod to her. Then, I peer off the side of the building to look at the group of ponies. It appears as though we have still gone unnoticed as of yet. Satisfied, I bring my head back into the cover.
"Did they see us?" Twilight asked, in a tone barely above a whisper.
I shake my head. "Nah. It looks as though we're still ghosts here."
"Maybe we should keep it that way."
What? I let my jaw open slightly and raise my eyebrow. "Well, duh."
All she could do was make a face. But her expression quickly went from smug to pain as she let out a somewhat quiet groan.
Acting on reflex, I gasp, and quickly catch my breath AND the unicorn, before she fell to the ground with a thud that may bust us. I caught her well before she hit the ground, but still...
"Guess you aren't ready to stand yet, huh..." I say in a matter-of-fact, yet gentle tone.
She sighs. "No, I put it up as an act, and you fell for it."
"Really?"
"No! Now please, help me back up..."
I smile, and grab her foreleg so that she may use me for a balance once more. Obviously I've got no problem with it. For one; she's not all that heavy. Two; she's helped me a lot more than I've helped her thus far, and it actually feels good to help her this way.
Heheheh, I worded that funny.
Then I stop for a GOOD reason. I think about it, and it makes sense to me. "So, Twilight, please tell me why we're not using magic? It could make this mission a lot quicker."
She grunted. "Because... two reasons. One; I'm obviously not up for the task. Two; the energy explosion from the magic could possibly alert the audience."
"...Hmm. Yeah, makes sense. But who said you were the only one that knew how to teleport?"
"Don't play me for a foal, Blaze. If you knew, then why would you come to my library all those days, asking me to take you places with my magic?"
"Because..." I needed a little bit of time to think of an excuse, "because I needed help with making plans for the day, and you were the pony that organized it for me." I see her post a face of extreme doubt on hers, so I continue, "I'm actually pretty decent with teleportation. I just needed YOUR help to organize my plans for the day. I suck at that."
"Well," Twilight raised an eyebrow, "if you're so good with it, then why don't you use it more often?"
I have to think on that one. Now that I do, she's got a very good point. I did have many opportunities to teleport since my appearance at Ponyville. Such as from the train to the village, or from the cross section in the streets to Golden Oaks Library. I may not be very dependent on magic, but I know for a fact that that doesn't mean that I can't use it at all. "Okay, so I'm more of a physical pony. What's your point?"
"Whatever you say, Blaze."
This rubbed me the wrong way. Quickly, my horn began to glow with my flame aura. I felt Twilight stir in my forehooves as I focused on the scenery that I saw just yesterday.
POOF!
I open my eyes to see the front of Canterlot castle. Or at least, what WOULD be the front of it. Nearly all the walls were either destroyed or toppled over, and the stone pillars that supported the overhang gave way, bringing the top down in front of the entrance. I'm not in the castle, no; Twilight and I are right outside. And if I remember correctly, the Elder should be back toward the building where Fluttershy hid from him during the attack.
The scenery makes me look back down to Twilight. She's still a little weak, but her eyes are open at least. Once we make eye contact, she raises her forehoof to slap me. Being a gentlecolt, I let her.
"Are you crazy!? You want us to get caught!?"
Slowly bringing my face back into her view from the recoil, I chukcle and smile. "Relax, Twilight. They probably didn't hear it. If anything, it was a good distraction, so we have more time to act."
"The Royal Guard can trace magic! Didn't you know that already!?"
I gasp. "Oh shit. We gotta go!"
Practically picking Twilight completely up with my magic, I dash over to the building from yesterday. Good thing it wasn't that very far away. What's better, even, it that the Elder's statue is still there, unfazed. Slightly winded, I set Twilight down gently on the flattest surface nearby.
"Well, we're here," I say steadily. "Now what?"
Twilight has seemed to have obtained a proper hoofhold on the ground below her now. "Well, now, I reverse the spell."
"Wait, you? You sure you can do it?"
"I, uhh... I think so..."
"You are aware, that he was sealed by the Elements of Harmony--"
"I'm fully aware, but I'm the sixth element! It shouldn't be that difficult."
I'll let Twilight win this time. I still don't think it's gonna be as simple as she makes it sounds, but hey, let her do what she wants for now, I guess.
After a moment of observing the statue, Twilight's horn bagan to glow with her magenta-colored aura, dimly at first, then getting brighter and brighter by the second. You could tell from the size and luminous output that her magic was drained from the start, which only heightened my doubt that Twilight could set him free.
A couple minutes passed, and still nothing was happening. Twilight was definitely suffering through the summoning. She looked like her strength was going to give out any second.
Seeing her pain, I stepped in to support her. With my magic stirring, I made the connection between our powers, and quickly began to distribute my stamina to hers. She opened her eyes to look at me for a very brief moment to find me smiling back to her. She then returned a weak smile of her own, then went back to focusing on the statue. After a moment, her horn no longer glew with her magenta aura. It contained my aura instead.
Every second that passed by, the light from the magic grew stronger and stronger, until finally, there was a thunderous crash. The noise - whatever it was - startled both Twilight and I out of the spell, launching us backward a short ways. Having given up the majority of my stamina up for the spell, I was dazed when I hit the ground, but not as long as Twilight was, I'm sure. I need to get up and find her.
Panting heavily, I got up slowly and found where Twilight was launched. On reflex, I hurried over to her side to help her up once more. "You alright?"
Once I turned her over, she let out a soft sigh and her eyes opened gradually. "...Blaze..."
I just continued to look unto her eyes, while I continued to catch my breath.
"...Did it... did it work?"
I look over to the statue, which only had a small crack going down his belly. "I'm not sure."
Her smile turned upside-down as she observed for herself from the ground. Satisfied, she laid her head back down and closed the windows to her soul so that she may rest for air. For some reason, however, her frown once again turned into a smile. Confused, I ask, "What's so funny?"
She opened her eyes again. "Funny? No."
"What?"
Her right forehoof found her way up my left, and motioned for me to come closer. Slowly, I did so, and as I did, her other hoof found the first and linked together. She drew her head up so that she could nuzzle into my neck. "Thank you."
For a short moment, I just stared off into the distance, unsure of how I should react to her embrace this time. I held a vacant expression for the second or so, then let out all my fatigue in one fluent sigh and relaxed. If it weren't for her laying on the ground, I'd hug her back, but hey.
For the moment, the environment was quiet and peaceful. However, the crash we heard not too long ago continued, pulling us both out of our states of trance and back into reality. The crash was coming from the statue. It was braking.
Slowly, more and more cracks formed along his outer stone shell, until finally, it all exploded off of him in a violent burst of light. I had to raise my foreleg to blot out the light, it was pretty intense.
Out of the light, I could barely see the Elder's long foreleg extend, followed by his nose, and his horn, and finally his face. His light brown coat and old white hair materialize from the illumination. Excited, I step up to greet him. Twilight wouldn't let go, however, so I was pinned for now. Not that I couldn't break free, of course; I didn't wanna be rude.
So, the Elder was the first to speak, "I'm... I'm free..."
"Elder sir!"
At my call, the Elder shifted his vision. At the sight of his gentle eyes, Twilight finally willingly let me go, and I dashed over to meet him. Once I was there, he said, "Blaze! Are you the one that got me out of there?"
"Well, uhh... I helped, but it was Twilight Sparkle that actually set you free."
The Elder walked over to Twilight's side. "Is that so? Well thank you, young one. As thanks, please let me help you..." His horn began to glow, enveloping both Twilight and I in his white aura.
After a moment, the fatigue literally left my system completely. When he set us down, I dashed over to the Elder again, who already had Twilight next to him. Once I got to him again, I quickly say, "Thank you, Elder sir!"
"Oh, it's the least I could do. You set me free. You must've had a very good reason why you did, or else you wouldn't've."
"But of course, Elder!"
"Just relax, my son. Take a breather..."
Acknowledging his words, I sat down on the ground. Twilight was reluctant, however, as she seemed to have a question on her mind. My suspicions were confirmed when she asked;
"Wait. Did you just say 'son?'"