//------------------------------// // Chapter Three: Hidden Within // Story: Final Fantasy Equestria // by Golbez The Brony //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Hidden Within “The amount of sins I’ve collected over the years weigh me down no amount of redemption could help me.” The room was filled of the most wonderful murals I have ever seen. I just couldn’t help myself but gazing at them become a captive of its unusual arrangements. “I am more than glad that you have an interest in them Golbez but the time for admirations will have to wait” spoke an interesting voice. I turned to see a glistering white colored pony with a lustrous mane and tail. She was much taller than any other pony I saw and was blessed with wings along with a horn that shined in the daylight. “I presume you must be Princess Celestia, I’ve heard Twilight mention you before but I never thought of actually meeting you given the measures made to apprehend me” gesturing a bow before walking closer to her, standing in front of her throne. She showed a concerned look for her student but quickly regained her composter walking to the nearest window by the thrown. “I’ve heard about your fighting abilities and for your concern for Twilight. You care for her as well. There is way for you to help Twilight but you’ll have to follow my orders if you do plan on helping. We’ve found a small plant that can secrete a powerful liquid that can be used to make antidotes strong enough to help her.” “That’s wonderful news and all but how and where am I oppose to find this plant?” Taking steps closer to her by the window, impressive she doesn’t show any signs of concern about me but I do sense a bit of distress in her voice. “The only place you’ll ever find would be in the Everfree Forest but from I heard its underground in an abandon mining outpost since the colonization of Equestria” pointing out towards the forest before walking away from the window and back to her throne. “I’ve haven’t read any historical books since I got here so I am guessing its several decades old, right” pondering over how safe this mine could be. “Your close but it’s actually longer than that, anyway the mine was abandoned due to some sort infestation” as she closed her eyes starting to remember the facts. “What type of creature would take refuge in a mining site” rising questions furthermore of my well-being. “Sadly we have no idea. We’ve sent some scouts before but none returned so the excavation was disbanded” she indicated, sitting back down on her throne. “Wait you don’t expect me to go unprepared, what happens if I get injured” questing the facts that this might be a suicide mission. “Don’t worry Golbez I thought about that and that’s why I arraigned some items for you to pick up in the storage. I’ll have a guard escort you there” as she waved her hoof guards came into the room and ask me to follow them. This castle is so immense how they can even keep track of where they’re going baffles me. Honestly I almost got lost a couple of times following the guards. This castle is too similar of Baron; I am having as much trouble when I lived with my brother. At least were at the storage area now, The guard opening the door gave me a hesitant look proceeded to say something “Alright Golbez the chests in front you are gift of items from Celestia and after you collect them do head over to the castle gates”. I began opening every chest instantly grabbing its contests and stuffing them into my bag. I swore that guard was giving me a cold stare when I did this. Most of them had potions and several antidotes along with softs, eye drops and a kit of Phoenix downs. Actually I’ am quite surprised we shared the same name design of these items. When making my way toward the castle gates I saw Fluttershy and told her what the princess did for me. “That’s great for you and Twilight, but aren’t you afraid what might lay in there” speaking with great unease in her voice. “Well Golbez I better leave it to you besides you got to hurry up I’ll talk to you later then.” If I remember correctly the forest should be southwest of Ponyvile. Damn it’s almost sundown I can’t waste time waiting until morning, looks I’ll just have endure the night and hopefully find that abandoned mining facility. I ran through town until I saw the entrance to Evergreen forest until somepony shoved me away from entering. “It’s Dangerous to go alone at night, what are you thinking?” When I got back up it was the same grayish yellow mane pony I bumped into nights ago during my first night. “I can’t let you through rainbow told not to anyone go into the forest at night” she said with an advising tone. “But I have to in order to save a life, listen to reason” pleading her to let me through. “I told you I can’t let you go through by yourself” she definite again in the same tone. “Hold on now, are you saying I have to be accompanied by somepony to go through” coming to a conclusion of what she been trying to tell me. “Yeah, that’s what the mayor told me to tell everypony” nodding her head to me. Maybe it is for the better if I had a party before entering, “Can I ask you to join my party for now to assist me with my quest?” “I could but I don’t think the mayor would like that idea” dismissing my idea I offered. “I’ll give you a muffin if you do join me.” There was a long silence I thought she liked muffins better think of something quick. “I’ll also take the blame for you leaving your post and I’ll treat you for lunch sometime, your call.” “Well now that you’re doing to take the fall guess I could help you out” smiling a bit as she said this. “I didn’t catch your name what was it again and what weapon do you wield” reaching my hand out. “My name is Derpy Hooves and my main choose in weapons are hammers. Most ponies say it’s a bad idea but I ‘am really good at it” as she gave her hoof and we both shacked. I should watch out in case she lets go of her weapon during an attack. I don’t hope she lives up to her name with weapons as I seen before that other night. “By any chance do you know where the abandoned mine is?” walking closer to the entrance of the forest examining how dense it is. “Oh, That place yeah I know where it is I fly pass it every time I reach my post” Waving my question off as if a fly was nearby. Looks I caught myself a break of searching aimlessly in the dark. I don’t think she’ll get mad for when we actually have to enter the mine fight off whatever might be in there. Then she started to hover away into the forest as I followed behind her. We mostly keep quiet trying to avoid useless fights before reaching the mine. At some point there were less noises emitting around us which seemed like a good time to start a conversation. “Derpy are you sure you’re going the right way because we past that exact tree three times now” marking the tree as we walked past it again. “Sure am sure, if you looked there are fewer owls around when you go deeper” while she kept going in a straight line. She sure seems to know a few things about this forest; I should ask her about more when we walk into this clearing. “Is there any type of hostile creatures out here?” stopping still before checking out if it was safe to do so. “Well there are the Timberwolves, mantacores, maybe a dragon or two, a family of ursar majors and minors, and others that live out here they usually hunt by this time that’s all I know. I am sure if you asked in town somepony can tell you about their species.” stopping in place for a moment before walking again. “You set a town close to this forest knowing what lurks within it, not really the best of places is it” shacking my head in disappointment. “Hey it’s not like I decided to place a town here besides they only get involved if somepony dumb enough to bring them” as she said continuing ahead into the forest. We can’t be far from the mine now maybe a few more minutes before the entrance. “Derpy, I meant to ask you this earlier but what do those bubbles on your flank mean?” “It’s called a cutie mark, I really don’t feel like talking about it right now could it wait until were done here” smiling while saying this. Finally were here, it’s too dark to see anything in here so I went out and grabbed a branch from outside spun with a mass amount of webs and lit it on fire. It’s strange we didn’t hear anything nearby but the wind. Derpy was close behind me when we started our exploration into the mine. All I could say about this mine from the start was that I was having trouble walking through before it began to expand. I turned my head around looking back at Derpy, her eyes were crossed again “You said you passed by here a couple of times did you ever tried to look inside of it one day?” Rubbing the back of her head “No, but when my bag fell into it I had to follow it inside. I didn’t know how far it went in but when I did it was on top pulsating thing. When I picked it up a load growl filled the air I thought it was a dragon and ran not looking back, I was really scared.” I guess Celestia was right about something being the mine but an infestation still could have happened. Walking through I stumbled on some sort of stone falling flat on my face. When I picked it up Derpy gasped behind me, this was no mere stone but a pony’s skull bleached white. “What could have done this?” Turning over the skull round trying to figure out what happen to it. “I don’t know Derpy but it was a good thing you left this mine in a hurry back then or you would have ended up as our poor friend here.” When I placed the skull down, I noticed a green slime blob hanging on the wall. When I moved closer to expect it the blob lunged itself onto my face dropping the torch. “Hold on Golbez I’ll get it off.” Prying off the glob off my face and tossing it onto the ground Derpy wielded her hammer and flattened the slime five times in a row. Picking up the torch I saw that dirt was falling above us then a loud rumbling sound filled through the mine. When I looked at Derpy she seemed frightened and then I saw that one of the support beams was taken out when she finished off the blob. “You have to be kidding me!” This area is going to collapse any minute now, “We need to get moving NOW!” “We can head back outside” she said turning around towards the entrance of the cave. “No it’s too dangerous” grabbing her hoof and running down the corridor narrowing dodging falling rocks and over rickety planks. “I can see some light keep running!” Half way there and the rumbling sound grew larger I turned my head to see why. Following us was a catalyst avalanche rapidly catching up to us. Right at the entrance I jump out of the way while Derpy flew upward avoiding the dirt then the entire room filled with dust. “Golbez where are you? I can’t see anything, Golbez?” Derpy called out for him until she saw a dirt pile rumble as the air settled. Walking cautiously over she examined the pile and began to poke it repeatedly. Then a hand shot out of the pile making a groaning noises scaring Derpy making her stubble and topple over backwards. Then after few seconds she realized it was Golbez’s hand and shot back up digging rapidly. “Took you’re your time trying to find me next time try and be quicker I don’t like taking dirt naps” His head sticking out from the compacted dirt. “I could leave you there if you like.” She said covering her face to contain her laughter. “I rather you not now help me out already” Expressing myself with a sigh as she began digging me out. At least there were lighting from a small hole in the ceiling and several glowing mushrooms I know that trying go back wasn’t going to be easy but this entire room was sealed and void of any possible exit. Maybe that hole above us is hiding something. “Derpy fly up there and check out that hole? Derpy?” She was nowhere in sight. “Golbez look out below!” A large object fell from the ceiling causing me to stumble backwards from the shockwave it made. The thing that fallen was some sort of plant creature but more importantly it had Derpy caged on top of it. “Derpy what did you do?” I said while getting back onto my feet. “I don’t know but I don’t feel so good” as the plats limbs pointed at her. The creature was sapping her health with its limbs, for that I sure knew. Drawing my spear I hacked away at the roots containing Derpy, grabbing her away launching a Firega spell on the head of the plant. Holding Derpy in my arms I turned to see the plant retreat into a pond. “Here drink this it will help regain your strength.” I gave her a potion and instantly she shot back up ready to fight. “Is it still here, I’ll teach it a lesson it won’t forget.” Reaching for her hammer strapped to her back. “Easy there now. It retreated into that pond I don’t think it well want to pick a fight again. Do me a favor and see what’s up there anyway” pointing up towards the ceiling. “All I found was some eye drops and some potions nothing else.” Carrying back the items and putting into the sac I brought. “That only leaves us with one way to go now” picking up the sac and walking to the pond. “There’s another way out of here?” as she followed behind me to the pond and kicked a pebble into it. “Yes but we have to follow the plant through the water only thing that bothers me is what could be on the other side. Since the plant to restore Twilights health isn’t here it only means we have to go deeper in the mine.” “I don’t like being stuck in this place to long, come on lets go.” Derpy went ahead into the pond and started swimming away. I dove in after here and proceeded diving deeper working our way through some tunnels luckily for us there seem to be an abundant source of air deposits. When we made our way upward we came to another room but all that was there a single flower on top a green mossy hill. “How can you even swim in a suit of armor Golbez?” saying as she cleared water from her eyes. “Ah well I just simply filled my suit with aero but it’s not really meant breath in but it help keep me afloat.” applying an aero to my suit to blow off the water. “I wish I was dry right now.” as she shakes her body likes a dog. At that I grinned and got her with a small aero to bad it was cold air. I gave away some lowered laughing when I was done; her mane was stretched out in a jagged way. “I knew I should have left you behind in that dirt mound.” while she walked away fixing her mane. “Ok, but you have to admit you brought it on yourself.” walking near her. She said nothing, turning her head with a puffed up face, guess I did hit a sour note. After our little talk, mostly involving a hammer, I decided to grab the flower most likely this was the one Celestia mentioned. Plucking the flower I walked towards Derpy and we started our way back into the pound. “Hey, how are we going to get out if the entrance is blocked?” she said while examining the flower in my hand. “I suppose I could blast an opening in the ceiling but it seems too risky, if I did we’ll be buried alive. We might find something to help us dig out. Who knows, maybe some of the mining tools were carried away back into the other room.” We walked over toward where the pond was but something wasn’t right. No, the top was covered by thick spiky vines witch pulsed with every movement they made. I tried to slash them away but their skin was just too dense. “Ummm, Golbez you might want to look at this.” as she hide behind my cape covering most of my face. “Not now I am trying to see I if there’s a soft spot among these vines.” She grabs me violently by the shoulders and spun me before I could shake her off. The very ground that the flower was perched upon suddenly wobble unrestrained as if a seal was broken. The thing that rose was a plant type monster but had the mouth of a coerciveness beast, its body was fat darkish green color which also pulsed with every move truly disgusting, and its arms or tentacles were vines swinging wildly by its sides. Before I could get ready one of the vines wrapped around my leg bringing me above the plants mouth. I tried to pull myself free but the more I struggled the stronger the grip became. “HURRICANE SMACHER!” out of nowhere Derpy comes in with a hazarders spinning attack following up with a cruel uppercut from her hammer. Such brutal strength, no wonder she was stationed in front of the forest to protect them. The grip had loosen enough for me to get out “Golbez can you use your magic?” Derpy said flying back to my side helping me up. “No, just like before when that plant sap your health this one sapped my magic. This is not going to be an easy fight, hope you’re ready.” picking up my spear. Pulling out a small jewel from her bag inserting it in her hammer and in a matter of seconds burst into flames “I am more than ready now.” With a Tremendous roar it had summoned two plant type mantises to fight. The both of them began to start moving franticly turning to their leader ripping one of their pedals of and placing them on it. All the wounds that Derpy had placed earlier had been removed by the healing properties of their pedals. “We have to take the mantises out before we can take care of the boss; you take the one left I’ll get the right.” Taking to the air she dived down landing a powerful sideswipe to the mantis while it was still healing, making it confused and attack randomly at anything that moved. The second mantis saw me charging at him and spat a sticky gel type substance at my feet stopping me dead. It started jumping toward me about to slash, so I grabbed my spear making a precision stab at its underside. A fading gasp along with some twitches I fling the dead body of my spear and tried to work myself free. When I looked over to Derpy she had finished off her enemy mostly blunted to death by her hammer. Then one of the bosses’ vines slammed against me right in the gut knocking the air out of me then followed by a constricting attack. It squeezed with as much force possible, everything is getting dark I can’t feel anything at all. A warm light came into vision and the world blasted into color. “Come on get up already you can’t get knocked out yet. Wake up please.” I got up in a groggy state couching as air filled my lungs “Here quickly drink this.” I drank the potion and got back to my feet before the boss could attack again. “Here one those mantises dropped this earlier while the boss was distracted.” She tossed a bottle with a pinkish type fluid and I caught it “I think this will restore your magic.” Finally now I can put up more of a fight, I drank the either regaining some of my magic. I saw one of his vines serpentine its way toward me, I jammed my lance through it and the beast let out an agonizing roar “I am not going to fall for the same trick twice.” With that the creature’s veins pulsed and bulged as its skin tone turn into a shade of red. Its vines grew sharp thorns while the mouth of the creature started to release purple smog. Roaring it began to shake violently the ground beneath started to give way as an earthquake was heading my way, Derpy decided to lift me barley off the ground before attack hit. The effect of the attack had caused a seam on the cave celling. As we hovered in placed the creature lined up a shot with its thorns flinging at us, one of the thorns had hit Derpy’s wing. She let out a yelp of pain as we both fell onto the floor, the vines creped along the floor coming closer to us. “Golbez I have an idea how to fight this thing.” swinging her hammer franticly, trying to put some distance between her and the vines. “Well what idea did you have in mind?” blocking a fury of slashes then leaping back to where she was. “Look there above the monster, the ceiling could give out any minute use your magic!” as the monster reared its mouth taking in a large quantity of air in. “I can’t by myself that even if I hit it there won’t be enough force to shatter It.” the creature began to inflate its mouth ready to unleash a breath type attack. “If force is the problem then leave to me, I want you to throw your magic right at me.” Getting in a stance where she welded her hammer over her shoulder. “Are you foolish enough to believe that this will work?!” yelling at her while trying to fend off more vines. “Trust me Golbez; please I don’t want it to end here!” Yelling at me as tears built up in her eyes. “Alright, let your aim be true and let’s end this fight.” Gathering whatever magic I had left into a high condensed Firaja, pitching it directly at Derpy. The spell had a limited time before it activates if she misses she’ll be instantly vaporized. Right when the spell was half way toward her the beast blown his poisonous gas directly at us. Right there she spun around and nailed the spell sending it at high speeds at the roof causing a large explosion to fill the room. I shielded Derpy from the blast as the creature was crushed underneath a large amount of rubble, the poison was still lingering but there was a light. We both made a run for it as the rest of the cave gave way, this was the outside, and climbing the rubble we made it out away from the site. As we both stood there beside the former cave mounds of dirt started to arise from the ground. It was the floral mantis colony wanting revenge for destroying their home, backpedaling away one of them jumped toward us and the rest followed. Running through the forest with no idea where heading we came across a strong river leading into a waterfall. There was no way of getting pass the river and the mantises were closing in. Not only have I failed to save Twilight but now Derpy well die as well. “Derpy I’m sorry for bringing you into this I wished I’ve haven’t done so please forgive me.” standing between her and the ferocities of the mantises from getting her. “I don’t blame you Golbez, I sort of had fun.” Giving me a warm smile and then looking back at the mob. One of the mantises had launched itself toward me, I closed my eyes awaiting its brutal attacks but they never came. The moment I opened my eyes a large roar ranged out, and a large figure ran by knocking down the mantis killing it. It was a mantacore keeping the mob at bay as the beast showed its teeth I noticed one of the fangs was missing. Could it really be Freddy, he looks at Derpy then me and lowers his wings gesturing us to get on. I got on while he roared again causing the mob to flinch; I pick up Derpy and placed her in front of me. When we were set I patted Freddy on the side and he turn around towards the waterfall running of the edge. Opening his wings he glided over the trees of the forest, I took a look back to see that those that tried to followed plummet down, lucky they don’t seem to have wings. “Hey Golbez do you know this Mantacore?” becoming a bit nervous of falling off him. “Yes we have met before but not with friendly intensions. When I first arrived here there was a Mantacore attack in ponyville I’m sure you heard of it. This is him Freddy, later that day I learned from Fluttershy that he wasn’t bad at all just influenced by a crystal shard. Look it’s the entrance to ponyville, listen I’ll carry you to the hospital so you can check if your wing is passable.” Freddy had landed letting us off while he ran into the forest giving us a slight glance and leaving. When we entered the hospital I held Derpy in my arms and setting her down on a chair, she had fell asleep from the time we spent together “rest easy my friend...”, viewing around I saw that Twilights friend were here walking over I handed them the flower from my bag asking to give them a doctor and to have Derpy’s wing checked. I left the hospital and waited outside only time would tell if she’ll pull through. I heard my name called out it was Twilights friends they wanted to thank me for risking my life to do what I did but also scolded me for bring Derpy into it. In the mist of their chatting I’ve began to become heavy-eyed and fell asleep slanted aside the wall. When I came to some of them were carrying me towards Fluttershy’s house, I got off of them and walked with Fluttershy waving goodbye to her friends. When we entered her house I entered her guest room and removed my armor placing them onto a nearby chair, then fell asleep shortly. I hope that the flowered I obtained was correct because tomorrow would be a sad day if not. End of Chapter 3 5 potions acquired 5 antidotes acquired 2 phoenix downs acquired 5 softs acquired 5 eye drops acquired