How I Became An Alicorn
Chapter 11: Jungle Fever
Luna and Celestia hung upside down over a pit of boiling lava, Celestia’s form reduced to that of a ten year old and Luna looking no older than five herself, both were wearing what looked like ripped and torn khaki explorer outfits but their hats had somehow vanished. Celestia had an eye patch over her right eye and large chunks of Luna’s hair was singed off, both also had small dots that looked like suction cup marks along their bodies as well as the occasional wooden needle sticking out of them at odd directions. Celestia glanced over at her sister as they were slowly lowered into the pit.
“You just HAD to mention the jungle to them didn’t you…? We couldn’t have spent the just doing something normal like scuba diving or sun tanning on the beach… NO, You wanted to explore the JUNGLE.” The older sister ranted.
“Well how the hell was I supposed to know we’d end up dangling over a lava pit in the middle of some kind of cursed temple with booby traps and dark slaves that are trying to kill us in every nook and cranny…?! I’m not mother you know!” Luna roared back her tiny voice squeaking.
“Ugh… whatever. I just hope the girls realize that this temple is cursed… not being able to use any of our powers is pretty inconvenient…” Tia sighed. Luna blinked for a second.
“Hey Tia…?”
“Yes Luna…?”
“If we can’t use any of our powers… then doesn’t that mean we’ll actually die if we hit that lava…?” she asked staring down at the bobbly substance below her. Celestia’s eyes widened in horror as she started swinging and screaming.
“GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRLS!!!!!!! HURRY THE HELL UP AND SAVE US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” She screamed using the royal Canterlot voice to do so. “Oh look, the voice still works.” She noted.
“Yes, quite convenient when we need to scream for our lives.” Luna added.
…
…
…
“HEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!!!!!!!!”
*12 Hours Earlier*
Pinkie Pie was just finishing her tenth pot of coffee when Rainbow Dash walked into the dining hall to join the rest of her friends who were eating breakfast.
“Whoa Dashie, you look like you got in a fight with the pillow monster and lost!” Pinkie commented seeing the atrocious multicolored bed head that somehow managed to make her normal hair look… well normal. Dash yawned again as she took a seat next in-between AJ and Pinkie as Oliver placed a plate in front of her so she could help herself to the spread.
“Says the girl who wakes up a completely different person…” she muttered as she loaded eggs onto her plate. Fluttershy looked up from cutting her French toast her long hair still wavy from the previous night.
“Be nice Dashie…” she warned quietly.
“Yeah, could’ve been worse RD, Ah could’ve given you one of mah wake up calls at the crack of dawn.” AJ snickered with a nudge to her friend beside her. A sharp glare at her as Dash picked up her OJ told her that humor this early in the morning was not appreciated.
“Well at least you’re not as bad off as Luna…” Spike commented with his mouth stuffed full of gem encrusted pancakes. Rainbow raised her eyes to the head of the table where Celestia was daintily cutting up an omelet and her sister was beside her snoring face first in a bowl of cereal. Rainbow quirked an eyebrow at the scene.
“What the hell is wrong with her…? Is she narcoleptic or something…?” She asked Twilight across the table from her. Twilight carefully made sure to swallow the spoonful of yogurt she’d just taken before responding.
“No, Luna pulled an all-nighter on her game and didn’t go to bed until dawn. We found her passed out on her laptop drooling with the game still going.” She replied with a small giggle at the teal haired princess. Celestia was currently lifting her by the back of her head so that her face was no longer in the cereal. She was still out cold even when Celestia let her go and she face planted into the table splattering milk and cornflakes all around her. She sighed and shook her head resigning herself to finishing breakfast. Rainbow couldn’t help but smile at that.
“Okay, that was funny.” She admitted with a small chuckle. Her eye caught sight of the one thing she loved more than any other food ever, even pizza. Bacon. She never got to eat it because Fluttershy was a Vegetarian and she always made tofu bacon instead. Which tasted like cardboard. Bland cardboard. She slowly reached out to it her eyes wide as she drooled slightly. “Hello my beautiful, delectable pork… did you miss me?” she asked holding a few strips in her hand and kissing it a little bit. AJ made a face at her friend as did Rarity on the other side of her.
“If ya love it so much why don’ ya just marry the damn stuff…?” Applejack asked. Dash’s ears perked at that.
“Can you do that?! Can you marry food?!” she asked her eyes sparkling in excitement.
“Nope! If we could I would have married cupcakes when I was five!” Pinkie giggled. Twilight had a comeback for that ready.
“You would marry your teacher Pinkie…? I think Mr. Cake would have some issues with that.” She noted over the book she was reading. Pinkie blinked before her face started to turn the same color as her hair.
“N-no…!!!! That’s just…! Oh that was so mean Twiley!!! It’s too early to start with the snappy come backs!” she protested loudly when she realized what the magic user had done.
“Honestly, I’m appalled at you all’s morning habits, isn’t anyone here a morning person…?” Rarity asked with a sigh as she sipped at her morning tea. Celestia raised her hand.
“I am!” Rarity slid her eyes sideways.
“No offense your highness, but you literally rise with the sun. It’s kind of difficult for you to NOT be morning person.”
“Well Ah’m plenty alright with mornin’s. Heck Ah woke up at five AM just to watch Celestia raise the sun!” Applejack noted as she picked up her apple juice.
“True… Fluttershy is rather neutral about it, with Twilight depends on how late she went to bed, and Spike agrees with the others.” Rarity commented as she moved the last mouthful of her crepe into her mouth.
Twilight chuckled as she nudged her little brother with her arm. “See? Even Rarity knows you’re a grouch before you’ve had your breakfast.” She noted. Spike blushed a little as he looked down at his food and reached for his bacon.
“Not my fault… it must be a dragon thing…” he commented without looking up.
“Noooo, I think it’s a Spike thing.” She returned. Her hand glowed with her magenta aura and she ruffled his air playfully. He groaned and batted her hand away.
“Don’t do that…! It takes forever for it to go back to normal after you do it…!” he whined as he tried to fix the spikes back to where they were. Twilight looked satisfied with herself checking ‘mess with little brother’ off the list for the day. She looked around at her friends who were each in their own stages of breakfast, Rainbow being the ravenous sort had claimed the platter of bacon for herself, eating it all like… well a pig. Fluttershy watched her in horror and slowly pushed her plate away turning a little green as she did so. Applejack and Rarity were discussing something about the wonders of early mornings, Pinkie was trying to figure out a way to get the coffee into her faster, tinkering with an IV she’d stolen from the medical ward, and Celestia was poking Luna with a fork.
“So girls, what are we going to do today…?” Twilight asked the group. They all stopped and looked at her then at one another for idea’s.
“We could… go train at the sports stations.” Rainbow offered.
“Or go through the closet’s around here and model the clothes we find~!” Rarity added.
“Ah think Ah could go for a bit of a run today, maybe along the beach or somethin’…?” Applejack put in.
“I think we should Um…” Fluttershy mumbled quietly.
“PAAAAAAAARTY!!!!”
“Pinks we did that last night…” Rainbow commented her eyes still a little bloodshot.
“There is no limit to party’s Dashie… NO. LIMITS.” She emphasized getting so close to her that Rainbow could see the actual detail of her bright blue eyes in all their glory. She quickly pushed her away.
“Alright sheesh… Princess what do you think we should do…?” Rainbow asked turning to the solar princess.
“Hmm, well there’s a large library in the basement, we could go down and explore-“
“JUNGLE FEVER!!!!” Luna shouted as she quickly sat up from the table. Everyone turned to her eyebrows raised. “I-I mean… we should go explore the jungle…! Yeah! That was what we were talking about right…?” she whispered to her sister. Six eyes lit up at the mention of the jungle, the exception being Rarity and Celestia herself.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea little sister…” She started.
“I’ll say! Who wants to go marching around some boggy dirt infested rainforest any how…?” Rarity agreed with a look of disgust on her face. Her shy friend however was in quite the opposite state.
“All the little creatures I could meet…! From lemurs, to leopards, to fruit bats and orangutans…! I might even find a Paradise bird…!” she squealed in excitement. Rarity looked at her in disbelief and quickly turned to sensible Applejack for back up.
“All those plants in there… I wonder if they have any new kinds of fruit we could sell… hm…” she muttered obviously deep in thought over the possible financial possibilities of rare fruits. She quickly turned to Twilight for help. She was a magic user like her, and smart as a tack to boot! Surely she would see that going into the rainforest would be a bad idea…!
She turned to See Twilight reading a very large tome about rare and diverse rainforest flora and fauna. “I wonder if I’ll get discover any new plant species…! The information I could study from it if I did! Could it be used for medicine…? Or maybe it’s some kind of magical plant…! Hmm…” she thought aloud as she scanned the book flipping through it with her magic. Rarity groaned as she slammed her head into the table in defeat. Behind her Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were grinning at each other.
“You thinking what I’m thinking Pinks…?” Dash asked her grin only growing as she saw the same glimmer in Pinkie’s eye.
“A really super totally awesome one of a kind-“
“Adventure packed, booby trap dodging, adrenaline coursing-!”
“Jungle Exploration Adventure!!!!” they both shouted at once.
“I wonder if it’s too late to ask for the ship to take me back to shore so I can stay there for the day…” Rarity murmured.
“Hey Rarity look at this! It says that there’s a temple deep in the jungle that holds an unfathomable treasure…!” Spike said as he pulled out his own book. Rarity was behind him in an instant using the gem she kept on her at all times to teleport behind him.
“Let me see that.” She said as she swiped the book away from him. “Treasure of the Godesses… it says that long ago the two regal sisters that made the island hid away a large sum of gold and gems along with one sacred treasure treasured most by the older of the two, Celestia… is this true…?” she asked just said ancient goddesses. Celestia tapped her chin in thought.
“You know, now that I mention it, I do remember making an underground labyrinth to hide away some of our treasure… I’d completely forgotten about it…! The part about the gold and jewels is true but I can’t remember about that treasure it mentioned…” she added. “If you can find it I’ll let you all keep the gold and jewels, I’m just curious about this treasure I can’t even remember.” She added. Rarity’s eyes lit up and she teleported away only to reappear seconds later behind Rainbow and Pinkie Pie in what looked like an outfit Daring Doo would have worn, if Daring Doo were from Europe and had a degree in fashion that is.
“What are we waiting for?! There’s a big jungle out there to explore and a glorious treasure for me to procure…!” she said attempting to drag the two adventurous girls out of the room with her. Rainbow dug her heels into the carpet and flew up out of her hold.
“Whoa, cool it Rare, I’m not going anywhere until I’ve got all my gear on! If I’m going to go exploring I’m gonna do it right!” she declared as she struck a pose and grinned. Pinkie jumped up and froze midair next to her.
“I’m with Dashie! I don’t even have my emergency party kit with me! What if we discover a whole new village of little people that live in that temple thingy and I don’t have any of my stuff to throw them a proper ‘We-Just-Discovered-A-Whole-New-Magical-Species’ party!!!! That would just be rude! Discovering them and then NOT throwing them a party!” Pinkie insisted. Rarity sighed and sat down on a rather plush love seat that sat in the hallway.
“Oh fine… I suppose I could stand to bring a few outfit changes while I’m at it…” She noted looking down at her current outfit. “After all, khaki stains so easily.” The others all filed out one by one all having already silently agreed to pack for the exploration. Back at the table Celestia was rubbing her temples as she felt a headache coming on.
“Why would you remind them of the jungle Luna?! You know that it-“ she turned quickly to see her younger sister asleep in her cereal once again. “Oh for the love of… Mother, forgive me… I might become an only child today.” She muttered as she stood up and grabbed Luna’s chair tilting it so that her sister’s face was forced out of the cereal and then she dragged the chair out the door and back up to her room. “I swear Luna… if this ends up like last time you went adventuring in Arabia and you brought back that stupid lamp I’m going to send you back to the moon…” she grumbled as she dragged the chair up the stairs to the second floor.
******
Six teenage girls, two goddesses, and an eight year old dragon hybrid walk into a jungle… no really, they did. They’d been walking for ten minutes when the first of many, MANY complaints that day was heard.
“These mosquitoes are relentless…! Applejack, where’s that homemade tonic your grandmother gave you for repelling these beasts…?” Rarity asked as she marched up behind the farmer. The blonde sighed as she pulled out a spray bottle from her backpack’s side pocket.
“Careful Rare, the stuff’s potent you don’t need much. Just a little spritz on yer neck will do it.” Applejack warned as she handed the spray bottle to the fashion lover. Rarity did as instructed and sprayed gently on her neck. The cloud of mosquitoes that had been following her dissipated as they fled from the ‘vile’ scent. It however smelled like the finest perfume to Rarity.
“Oh my, what is in this delectable smelling liquid…?” she asked looking at the golden liquid that reminded her of thick cider.
“Apple cider Vinegar, a drop or two of moonshine, and Skunk piss.” She responded taking the bottle back and putting it back in the pocket it belonged in. Rarity froze for a second mid step her face horrified before she recomposed herself and caught up quickly laughing a little bit.
“Oh very funny Applejack, trying to make me freak out, well pathetic little jokes like that will get you nowhere.” Rarity announced sticking her nose a little higher in the air.
Applejack gave her a flat look. “Ah wasn’t kiddin’ Rare.” She responded as she kept on walking. That made Rarity pause. Then shiver. And then scream and run around like a chicken with its head cut off as she tried to rub the liquid off of her. Little did she know the more you rubbed it the stronger the scent grew and the more it sank into your skin. While she panicked Applejack continued walking sighing and shaking her head at the dramatic nature her friend displayed.
Ahead of them Rainbow Dash flew quickly weaving in between tree’s like they were obstacles her hand carefully holding onto the tan ‘adventuring hat’ on her head. If her hair was black and her wings were tan instead of cyan she could have doubled for Daring Doo herself… not that she would have ever admitted to reading that series… or reading at all. She heard something rustle next to her in the tall tree tops that were well over a hundred feet tall. She saw Pinkie leaping from one thick branch to another like a bouncy ball with cotton candy for hair.
“Pinkie Pie…? How did you get up here…?” she asked flying beside her as she leapt from tree to tree keeping pace with Dash easily.
“I climbed Duh!” Pinkie responded with a giggle and a dismissive wave of her hand.
“You climbed like a hundred and thirty feet?! And… wait how are you jumping like that?!” the pegasus asked. Pinkie looked over at her in confusion as she leapt over a twenty foot gap between branches without even thinking about it.
“Jumping like what…?” she asked curiously. She noticed then that the distance between the branches was a bit far from normal. “Ohhh! That’s easy silly! You pegisai may have your wings, and Mages may have magic, but us Earth-Bound are really strong! Mine’s mostly in my legs though, it let’s me hop around like a bunny pretty easily and I can jump really far if I try too! Watch!” she ordered as she dug her feet into the bark of the branch she was on and propelled herself forward like a catapult had set her off. She flew through the air landing about a couple hundred yards ahead of Dash and fifty feet higher too thanks to the tree she landed on being much taller than the rest.
“Whoa…” Dash breathed as she bolted forward to race after Pinkie. “That was awesome Pinks! I thought Apple down there was the only one with freakishly strong legs!” she laughed once she caught up to the ever moving entity.
“Naaaaaah, she’s just the one who show’s it off most. Given I bounce around most of the time instead of walking so I might show it off a bit too... hm.” She said tapping her chin in thought a bit. She then shrugged and her eyes darted ahead of them. “Oooooh! Dashie look at that!” she exclaimed as she stopped and pointed out far ahead of them. Dash squinted as she used her hat to shade her eyes from the sun.
“What IS that thing…?” she asked staring at the structure. Even with her honed eyes that came with being a pegasus she could barely make out an odd shaped speck in the distance.
“It looks like a statue…! And there’s one right next to it that’s smaller!” Pinkie announced as she looked thorough a pair of oversized binoculars. Rainbow looked at her confused.
“Where did you… never mind I DON’T want to know. Give me those.” She ordered snatching them out of Pinkie’s hands so she could see too. “Is that.. It is! Princess! Get up here and look at this!” Rainbow called down to the Princess who was currently dragging her unconscious younger sister by her foot through the forest not particularly caring anymore if she woke up. She looked to her student standing next to her and handed her the leg she was holding.
“Here, hold this for a second.” She ordered before she flew up to hover next to the cyan winged girl. Dash pointed to the object in question and handed her the binocular’s to look through. “Mother above… what the hell happened to it…?” she asked her pink eyes widening in horror. She quickly flew down and grabbed her sister from Twilight who had levitated her in the air to keep her out of the mucky floor. Celestia quickly soared back up and caught the binoculars before they could fall and shook her sister awake. “Luna! Wake up!” she yelled. When her sister did nothing but snore in response she rolled her eyes. “The Royal chef’s banned moon pie’s.”
“THOSE BASTARDS WILL BURN IN HELL-!!!!” she shouted in the royal Canterlot voice as she woke and flew on her own out of instinct. She looked around confused for a second. “Tiaaaaaa, that was mean! Why’d you wake me?!” she whined rubbing her eyes from the bright light and sleep still crusted around her eyes.
“Look for yourself!” Celestia explained shoving the comically over sized pink binoculars in her hands and pointing out towards the distance where the specks were.
“This had better be pretty freaking important if I- WHAT IN DISCORD’S CHAOTIC PRISION HAPPENED TO MY TEMPLE?!?!” She screamed after seeing the condition it was in. The two once regal statues of them that sat in front of the entrance to the temple were in ruin, the marble staues were worn and almost unrecognizable, Luna’s in particular looked like a short pudgy child with a deformed face and mop for hair. Celestia’s statue wasn’t much better off.
“Well… to be fair it has been almost six thousand years since we made it.” Celestia pointed out. “A thousand of which you were on the moon.”
“986 years, three months and 14 days actually.” Luna corrected not taking her eyes off the ruined structure. “But even with the time that’s passed an enchanted temple doesn’t fall to something as simple as time sister. That thing was made to last as long as us!” she explained her teal eyes finally meeting her sister’s. “I don’t like this feeling sister…” she whispered so that the two teenagers couldn’t hear her. But unfortunately for her both of them had very sharp hearing.
“Don’t like what feeling…?” they asked the lunar princess in unison. Luna flinched and turned to them.
“Well it’s… it feels… wrong. Cursed almost.” She explained trying not to look them in the eyes choosing instead to look down at the group that waited below them.
“Cursed…? As in… a cursed temple with dark powers and deadly booby traps, bottomless pits, and monsters running around…?” Rainbow asked curiously.
“Well… I can’t tell from this distance… but if I had to guess I’d say it’s possible.” Luna admitted.
“Which means it’s all the more important that we stay as far away from it as possible… so let’s just go back to the-“ she then noticed that both teens were already back on the jungle floor talking with their friends before all seven of them took off running towards the temple at top speed. Celestia turned to glare at her sister. “I. Blame. YOU.” She growled through clenched teeth.
Luna got a small smirk. “What’s the matter big sister…? Afraid your precious little student will actually have an adventure for once in her life…?” She taunted as she flew a small figure eight around her sister.
“NO! I’m afraid you just sent six teenagers and a baby dragon into a cursed temple we have no memory of with little more than the clothes on their backs and the goal of treasure and adventure in their hearts!” she yelled back.
“You need anything else to have an adventure…?” Luna asked crossing her arms.
“You need more if you want to come out ALIVE!!!” Celestia countered.
“Well if you’re so hell bent on saving them then go do it!” Luna retorted gesturing her hand towards the temple.
“I will Thank you very much!” Celestia snarled as she flew towards where the girls and Spike had run off. What she found however was that they had disappeared. Literally disappeared. They were nowhere to be seen and even with her magic she couldn’t sense them anywhere nearby. Luna landed next to her just as she began to panic.
“Tia, why is your hair reverting…?” she asked noticing that her sister’s hair was now slowly turning solid pink. Celestia quickly grabbed a few strands of her long mane and let it fall through her fingers as she stared at the color and then looked back up and gasped when she saw her sister.
“Luna you too! And you’re… shrinking!” she exclaimed as she saw her sister’s hair turning solid teal and her body begin to turn back the clock. Teal eyes widened in horror as she looked down as the ground got closer and her legs became more and more stubby. She looked back up to find her sister following her in the rewind in time.
“Sissy what’s happening?!” she cried her voice becoming childish at best. Celestia shook her head unable to process what was happening and only prayed it would stop before either of them were reduced to toddlers. She opened her eyes when she felt her body stop and looked at the damage. She looked to only be nine or ten at best, but Luna was much worse off looking to be four or five. She also had her eyes tight shut and was curled in a ball on the jungle floor. Celestia looked down at her softly her own voice now matching her age.
“Luna, it’s okay, you can open your eyes now. It stopped.” She assured. Luna peaked open one of her bright teal eyes and looked up at her sister. Thankfully it seemed their clothes had shrunk with them. Luna looked down at herself and frowned.
“Aw man…! I look like I’m 2,000 or something…!” she whined. “How am I supposed to walk with these tiny legs?! Or fly with these midget wings?!” she screamed pointing down at her stubby legs and flapping her little wings like a motor only to hover for a few seconds and fall flat back on the ground. Celestia raised her hand to her forehead briefly furring her brow in concentration. Golden sparks came out of her hand but little more as they died back down.
“My magic’s not working either. We need to find the girls and figure out what’s going on before they reach the temple. Come on!” she said grabbing her sister’s wrist and pulling her along to run for the temple. Luna of course, being unaccustomed to her short legs fell quite frequently and Celestia gave up deciding to just carry her the rest of the way. She was out of breath as they finally came to the front entrance of it and they still hadn’t seen the girls or Spike anywhere. “Well… I guess… this means we don’t have our Earth-Bound… properties either…” she panted as she let Luna down from her back. “Man I need to get in shape.” She muttered as she righted herself again. Her eyes widened as she looked up at the full structure before her. Even in ruin it looked huge, ancient Greek architect’s had used this very building to model their own temples to their gods, as such it was grand, extravagant, and with the over growth of forest and the darkness that seemed to seep out of every crevice, very, very intimidating. Celestia swallowed hard but steeled herself as she took a couple strides towards it.
“Alright, let’s get this over with.” She said as she bravely stepped foot into the entrance.
“No wait Tia! I remember I lined the entrance with…!” Luna tried to warn but Celestia was already dodging and evading hundreds of flying arrows, streams of fire, leaping over a pit filled with snakes, and all around trying to make it to the end of the hall without getting maimed. Luna sighed and pushed in a tile at the side of the entrance and a secret passage opened. She walked through the safe way until she came out of the other side where Celestia was dragging herself to the safe zone. Luna crossed her arms as she looked down at her older sister who was already quite worn. “How about you just follow me Tia since I’m the one who actually trapped this place…?” she offered.
“D-deal…” Celestia groaned as she heaved herself to her feet already limping from a stray arrow that had got her leg. Her knee to be specific. “You know… I used to think this would be easy… then I took an arrow to the knee.” She muttered. Luna groaned as they walked into the cold dark temple further.
“That joke is far too over used for it to be funny sister.” Luna muttered as Celestia snickered.
Meanwhile back with the girls and Spike:
The group walked through the dark tunnel with only a fiery torch in Dash’s hand as their source of light. “I can’t believe you set off a pit trap thirty seconds into our Cursed Temple Exploration…” Dash growled to Pinkie as the bubbly girl walked behind her, her eyes darting everywhere in the narrow passage way they had fallen into.
“Well who disguises a secret lever as a tree branch anyways?!” she asked rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms and pouted slightly. “I just really hope the others are okay…” she added her eyes losing a bit of their usual light. When they had fallen they had been broken up by a set of sliding tunnels and Dash and Pinkie had ended up in some kind of open room with torches lining all of it and only a small narrow tunnel leading out. They had followed it having no other choice. Dash bit her lip thankful Pinkie couldn’t see her worried expression.
“I just seriously hope Fluttershy isn’t having a panic attack right now…” she muttered to herself.
In secret passage B:
Twilight was breathing into a paper bag her eyes wide in terror and her hair displaying her obvious disarray. Fluttershy walked beside her carrying a flashlight she had brought in her bag and gently rubbed circles on her back trying to help her friend calm down.
“There there Twilight, keep breathing in the bag, it’ll help with the panic attack.” She said calmly. Lavender eyes were wide with terror.
“I can’t calm down now! We’re trapped in a dark hole hundreds of feet under the surface of an island in the middle of the ocean with our friends, the princess’, and my brother all MIA, oh, and did I forget to mention my magic is completely useless?!?!” she exclaimed before resuming breathing into the bag at an even faster rate.
“And now she’s in stage two…” Fluttershy muttered to herself. “Twilight, you should sit down for a little while… maybe you can think up a plan.” Fluttershy offered as she placed a hand gently on her shoulder forcing her to stop. Twilight grabbed handfuls of her hair as she slumped down on the side of the cobblestone hallway and then put her head between her legs tossing the bag aside.
“I’m sorry Fluttershy… I know you must be pretty scared down here too… I’m just worried about Spike is all... I don’t think he’s with any of the others. I saw him go down a tunnel all by himself and I don’t know if this power loss affects him too… If it does he’ll be alone, confused AND vulnerable… at least the girls all have their own wits about them, Spike is smart but he isn’t a planner like me. We’ve always been a tag team, I’d come up with the plans and he’d see it through. And without my magic, which by the way is my entire special talent, I just don’t know what good I am down here…” she explained. Fluttershy smiled gently and kneeled down beside Twilight.
“I’m sure he’ll be fine Twilight, he’s your brother after all, and didn’t you tell me your older brother taught him some of his fighting moves…?” Flutters asked trying to reassure the girl; Twilight nodded slowly. “And what are you talking about you silly girl?! You’re far from useless! That big brain of yours is amazing! Aren’t you the one who won the entire debate tournament with only one round? Aren’t you the girl who planned an entire upstage in your middle school and not only got away with it but revealed that meanie for what he really was to the entire student body…? Aren’t you the girl who could walk into a university class and teach the professor a thing or two in giving a proper lecture? Where’s that girl now? Because if we’re going to find our friends and your brother we’re going to need HER.” Fluttershy urged her sea green eyes spurring confidence in Twilight with every word spoken to her. Her face hardened with resolve as she stood back on her feet and grabbed the flashlight from Fluttershy.
“You’re right Fluttershy. This isn’t the time to be having a panic attack, we need a plan to get out of here and find the others! But, for right now let’s just keep walking until we get to the end of the tunnel.” Twilight stated firmly as she grabbed her own bag off the ground. Fluttershy smiled as she stood up as well dusting off her khaki skirt satisfied with herself. Twilight paused and turned around.
“But… for the record, what brought that on…? You keeping your calm and cheering me up like this…? No offense but you of all people is the last place I would have expected such a calm demeanor from.” She asked looking away a bit. Fluttershy giggled a bit and smiled shrugging her shoulder.
“When my friends need me I can’t afford to be afraid… That and someone did the same thing for me a long time ago…” she answered with a soft distant smile. Twilight couldn’t help but smile a bit as well.
“Well then let’s not waste any more time. I’m pretty sure Applejack is about ready to strangle Rarity.” She laughed as they marched forward and onwards into the dark cobblestone hallway.
Three hours. That’s how long Applejack had been listening to Rarity complain about the conditions they were in; mainly wading through waist deep sludge filled water in an attempt to find their way out of the hole they were stuck in. She had spent half an hour before that arguing with her that it was the only way they were getting out of the hole. Since then not a single positive comment had come out of her mouth. Just complaints, and the occasional whine. Applejack had bags under her red and green eyes as they twitched and her ears buzzed as they had for the last hour or so now. Finally after praying to whatever entity above that would listen she saw a light at the end of the tunnel. She wasn’t dead like she had also prayed, but there was an end to the tunnel they had been trapped in for so long. She ran for the light completely ignoring the fact Rarity couldn’t keep up with her. She leapt out of the water and met solid ground for the first time in a while. She felt her knees buckle under her as she collapsed on the ground but she didn’t care, she was out of that goddess damned tunnel that seemed to close around her more and more with every step. And even better Rarity had stopped complaining.
“Applejack! How could you just run off like that and leave me to wade the rest of the way?! I’m not as tall or fast as you you know!”
Well, it was nice while it lasted. Applejack groaned as she pulled her hat over her ears. “Give it a rest Rare, for the love of Luna, Celestia, Faust, and whoever the hell else is up there just PLEASE let me have a moment of silence to collect my thoughts!” the farmer begged without moving from her crashed position on the floor. Rarity blinked and stared down at her companion confused.
“If you wanted me quiet darling why not ask for it sooner…?” She inquired. Applejack was pretty sure she felt a vein pop as she opened her eyes in a jolt. “I mean honestly, if I’m that much of an annoyance to you-“
“SHHHH!!!!” Applejack hissed from her position.
“Well I never! Do not hush me Abigail Jacqueline Apple, I’m not afraid to-!”
“Rarity Gertrude Belle if you don’t shut yer trap Ah’m gonna come up there and TAPE it shut! Now HUSH.” Applejack half screamed half whispered. A sign to Rarity, along with the use of her dreaded middle name that she STILL didn’t know how Applejack got a hold of, told her that this was important. With silence in the air Applejack pressed her ear back to the ground and listened. Her eyes widened in shock as she quickly stood up and grabbed Rarity slinging her over her shoulder bags and all and ran down one of the two tunnels that divided the small torch lit room. Rarity of course was more than stunned by the action.
“Applejack! What has gotten into you?! First you yell at me for no reason then you just sweep me off my feet and-!” She stopped when her blood ran cold and a shadow appeared where they had just been and it turned towards her glowing green eyes set on her like a predator spotting its prey Rarity screamed and fumbled for her bag. “Don’t look now darling but we’re being tailed by an atrocious looking beast that has obviously never heard of personal hygiene…!” Rarity announced as she kept digging through her bag. Applejack had grabbed hers as well and was also digging through it.
“Ah’m plenty well aware of that fact Rare! It’s why Ah was in such a hurry ta get the hell out of there! I heard it running through the ground!” she announced as she picked up her pace even more.
“You heard it THROUGH the ground?!” Rarity asked in disbelief.
“It’s an old hunting trick ma Pa taught me. That and that thing has to be bigger than a full grown Timberwolf!” she said chancing a glance back over her shoulder as she rounded a corner thought the now maze like tunnels. And continued looking through her bag franticly. Finnaly she found what she as looking for just as they came to another open room and she set Rarity down and turned to face the beast a revolver in her hand the barrel clicking into place. Beside her she heard another cock of a gun and turned to see Rarity holding a pistol of her own and aiming at the approaching at the oncoming beast.
“You carry a gun too?!” Applejack asked in disbelief.
“Of course darling, I’m a lady, not an idiot. Who goes anywhere without some form of protection…? It’s not really necessary in our quaint little town of Ponyville but still… Look out!” she shouted as she noticed the beast was almost upon them. They both let out a shot each and the beast fell to its side with a bullet hole in each eye. With the beast down for the count they both slow let their shoulders slouch and then they looked at eachother for a brief second.
‘Ah think Ah’m in love with her Ma, Pa…’ Applejack prayed to the unseen heavens. ‘Please help me not kill myself before Ah can tell her that.’ She silently begged. Applejack looked down at the beast which seemed to resemble some form of pure black bear/Cat crossbreed. She went over and looked down at it in curiosity. She nudged it with her foot her gun still aimed at it and ready to pull the trigger again in case it moved. When it didn’t she allowed herself to kneel down to get a proper look at it. But when she reached out an touched its fur it glowed bright orange and then dissolved into black shadows that merged with the floor and dispersed like roaches.
“Well that was… odd.” Rarity said with a sigh as she clipped her gun at her side on a belt she wore with her khaki skirt which had somehow remained unstained despite the three hour wade through sludge. Probably enchanted somehow.
“Ah’d say… when Dash said this place was cursed Ah didn’t take her seriously… but with yer magic not working, mah strength gone, and things like that running after us Ah’m beginning to think she was right.” Applejack noted as she holstered the revolver at her side and bent own to pick up her and Rarity’s bag where they had dropped them.
“I too thought her mad, but is beginning to seem almost too real. We should find the others quickly. If any more of those things are roaming around and they are all unarmed and without out their respective abilities then we need to hurry.” She said as she walked past Applejack and towards the two possible exits. She looked at each of the lit hallways carefully and Applejack stepped up beside her ready to choose for herself. Rarity held out an arm blocking her path and picked up two nearby loose stones. She tossed each of them into the tunnels and at first nothing happened but then both hallways combusted into solid flames leaving the area scorched and charred. Applejack lowered her jaw in disbelief. “I may not have my magic darling but I still have my keen eye for detail. The floor on both of these halls is slightly raised up, meaning there was something under them. And with what Dash said about booby traps I wanted to be safe. Now there must be some sort of lever or switch around here to open an alternative exit…” she explained looking around carefully. Applejack scratched her head leaning against the wall slightly.
“How the heck are we gonna find- Whoa!” she screamed as she fell through the secret door that had opened when she leaned on it. She groaned as she rubbed where she had hit her head. Rarity peeked her head in smiling.
“Well done Applejack, I must say you’ve already got the making of a fine treasure hunter with those moves!” she giggled as she strode past her. Applejack grumbled as she picked up her hat from beside her and threw both bags over her back and scrambled to her feet to catch up to Rarity.
Twilight and Fluttershy had both been walking for quite a while now, they had gone through many chambers now, some laced with booby traps and hidden passages, others leading into full on mazes which Twilight solved using simple Geometry and a few educated guesses. Fluttershy kept them going, she had even thought to bring snacks and some drinks too so they could rest and eat for a little bit every now and again. It definitely helped with all the walking they’d been doing. But at last they heard something familiar, arguing. And one of the voices made Fluttershy’s ears perk and her wings to spread in an attempt to fly but, since the curse had grounded her, that was impossible. Instead she ran towards the light even faster. They both came into a large open cavern that was quite honestly beautiful with it’s crystalline stalactites and stalagmites along with the large rushing waterfall that came from the wall, it’s bottom lined with glowing blue crystals that could be seen through the clear crisp water. Pinkie was swimming in it her damp curly head popping out of the water and splashing a little on Dash who was sitting on the edge of the pool with her feet dipped in.
“Pinkie! Come on, that’s the third time you’ve splashed me, do I have to come in there and-“ She stopped mid sentence when she heard footsteps and turned to see the pair that had just entered the spacious cavern. Her eyes filled with relief as she got to her feet. “Flutters I-“ she however was cut off by Fluttershy rushing forward so fast they both fell into the water just as Pinkie was climbing out to greet Twilight. When they surfaced again Dash gasped for air and coughed up the water she inhaled. Fluttershy surfaced next to her. “What the heck was that for Flutters! At the rate I’m getting water in my lungs lately I’m going to be hydrophobic by the end of this vacation!” she cried as she slicked her wet multicolored hair out of her eyes so she could see properly. All she saw was Fluttershy’s smile and she felt her face heat up.
“I missed you too Dashie.” She giggled. Dash looked startled and turned her head away before deciding to take a nice long dive in the cool water to get the heat out of her face. She dived down and decided to test how long she could go without air while she looked at the shining crystal lined pool. She heard the water move next to her and turned to see what looked to her like a pink haired mermaid come to swim with her.
‘Close enough’ Dash thought to herself as Fluttershy again smiled at her and her eyes were caught by the bizarre glowing crystals of the pool. She reached out and touched one with the tip of her finger. In a rippling motion like the water that surrounded them the crystals all turned a soft gentle pink color. Above the water the crystals all over the chamber turned the same color. Fluttershy looked surprised but Dash had already seen this trick when Pinkie had touched them earlier. She reached out her own hand and the crystals now turned a fiery red that burned like the passionate fire that lit her eyes. Rainbow pointed up at the surface so they could get some air and she could explain. But when they came up Pinkie was already answering the question Twilight had asked.
“Aura crystals! They’re a special crystal that is found in very few places around the globe, they’re imbued with a type of magic that mixes with the personal aura of the person it touches. Also when they’re removed from their growing source, like so.” She explained breaking off a chunk of crystal nearby. The shard glowed blue like they had been before and then she handed it to Twilight. Surprisingly it didn’t change color but retained its blue color. But something did change, Twilight could HEAR Pinkie… but her lips weren’t moving. ‘They allow you to hear the inner thoughts and emotions of the one it absorbed the aura from. People in countries where they grow plentifully use them like cellphones.’ She continued explaining mentally, then repeated it out loud so the other two could hear.
“That is… amazing! How do they work? Do you know?” she asked inspecting the small shard of blue crystal she held between her fingers.
“Nope, just their properties and mineral counts, and other stuff like that. Growing up on a rock farm has its benefits at times~” she mused giggling a little bit. Suddenly the crystals in the room rippled orange and then changed to a deep royal purple. Pinkie giggled as her sharp hearing picked up voices in the distance. “And that’ll be our last two girls catching up now.” She mused turning just in time to see Applejack run in followed by Rarity who was running her hand along the surface of the crystals as she went. She looked up when she saw the others and beamed as she ran for them.
“Girls! Do you see these beautiful crystals?! Are they enchanted to change colors when someone touches them? I thought this place was an anti-magic zone!” Rarity exclaimed as she hurried over to all of them as Dash and Flutters were just climbing out of the water.
“It would appear that pre made enchantments stay with you…” Twilight said as she reached out and touched the crystals next. They turned the same magenta as her magic and she smiled at the color as it spread through the crystals replacing Rarity’s purple. And idea came to her mind and as Pinkie was explaining how the crystals worked to Rarity and AJ. “Rarity, do you happen to have materials to make bracelets on you…?” Twilight asked curiously.
“Oh yes, I do as a matter of fact, I have a few leather swatches and some binding in my bag… why do you ask…? She inquired. Twilight didn’t answer and instead turned to Pinkie.
“Does the crystal’s effects work over long distances…?” she asked.
“Duh, I just said TWICE that people use them as cellphones in different- Ohhhhh, I see where you’re going with this!” she exclaimed excitedly. “I’ll go break up a bunch of little shards for everyone!” she called over her shoulder as she reached grabbed her bag and ran off to a nearby large crystal. Rarity took a moment longer to process what Twilight wanted to do.
“You want me to make us all bracelet’s so we can communicate with each other since none of us have our cellphones on us!” she reasoned her azure eyes lighting up.
“Bingo. That way we can all split up and cover more ground looking for Spike and the Princess’. No doubt those three are raising some kind of hell in here.” Twilight stated as Pinkie came over with a chisel and a small satchel filled with shards of the crystals. She had used a chisel so that they wouldn’t absorb her aura right off the bat. They each looked like slivers of diamonds in her bag. Rarity brought out the bands of leather and the stings of leather she had in her bag as well as a bottle of enchanted glue that would bond the crystals to the leather. It was made for people who didn’t have magic or didn’t know a spell to do it. She carried it for fashion emergencies like this. She cast a glance at Applejack and gave her a smirk as Pinkie gave her a handful of crystals to bond with.
“And you mocked me for bringing my supplies.” She taunted. Applejack rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue.
“Can it Dolly.” She snapped back as she tossed her bonded crystals into the forming pile. In thirty minutes each of them had their own bracelet’s and they had made three extra for the Princess’ and Spike when they found them, as well as kept a few blank crystals so their own crystals could be added to the remaining bracelets. Twilight smiled as she tied the bracelet onto her wrist and tested it by placing all five of her fingers on each of the shards.
‘Testing, if you can hear me each of you respond.’ She thought.
‘Loud and Clear Twi’ she heard Rainbow reply.
‘Omaigosh this is totally awesome~!’ Pinkie squealed.
‘Ah’m hearin you on mah end Twi.’ AJ responded with a tilt of her hat as well.
‘Crystal clear darling, excuse the pun.’ Rarity added in.
‘Oh my this feels odd… but um, I can hear you.’ Fluttershy seemed to whisper. Even in her thoughts she was quiet.
“Great! Test complete, now let’s go-“ she was interrupted by her stomach growling loudly. She scratched the back of her head nervously. “I guess those snacks didn’t do much after all…” she noted with a sigh. Five unified stomach growls told her the others were in the same condition. Twilight giggled as the others all voiced her thoughts.
“Maybe we should have lunch first…?” they all looked around in surprise before they laughed it off. Pinkie walked over where her bigger bag lay on the floor and seemed to half way disappear into it before she came out grunting a little in effort as she pulled out a long dining table pre lined with food and drinks. When it was out she reached back in and tossed six chairs out that set themselves out around the table. She came back out dusting her hands off satisfied with herself.
“I knew this would come in handy!” she mused while the others stared at her in disbelief. Rainbow was the first to speak.
“Pinkie… all the times I thought your weird ways were odd…? Yeah I take those back.” She said as she walked over to the table and picked up a fork to poke the still steaming roasted chicken in the center of it. It was real. Which meant the rest of it was real too. The others quickly joined her helping themselves to the well prepared spread. Of course Fluttershy ignored the meat and helped herself to a fruit salad instead. Applejack and Rainbow Dash each ripped off a leg of the chicken and ate it while they prepared the rest of their plate, Pinkie never touched any of the regular food, just went straight for dessert; Rarity and Twilight each had mixed portions of everything, although Rarity ate it with a finesse that would have charmed noble’s into thinking she was one of them.
When they were all done eating they sat back and discussed what had happened to them since they had gotten separated. Twilight was planning out a strategy for pairs while they talked but was caught off guard when Rarity and Applejack told them about the creature they had encountered.
“And you say it vanished after you killed it…?” she asked wanting to make sure she heard them right.
“Well, yeah. Kinda. It sort of glowed orange when Ah touched it though. Then it just turned into a bunch of shadows and scattered. Most bizzare thing Ah’ve ever seen. And Ah’ve seen a lot livin’ right next to the Everfree forest.” She explained as she toyed with her hat that she had taken off when she sat down at the table. A habit her granny had gotten her into not long after she had gotten the hat from her father.
“Well… I’m not too sure, I’d have to actually examine one to know for sure, but if what you say is true then we might have a bigger problem than I initially expected.” Twilight admitted knitting her heands together and resting her chin on it with a worried expression taking her face. Rainbow tilted her head a bit.
“What do you think it is Twi…?” she asked.
“Well… from the description Applejack and Rarity gave me they sound like Umbra Chamaeleontis. A magical entity formed by dark magic that builds over time. It can take on any form and will try and destroy whatever enters its domain, or worse, feed off the fear it generates to make itself stronger. But in order for something that powerful to be created there must be a source of really powerful dark magic nearby… that may be the source of the curse as well. The only way to destroy an umbra Chamaeleontis is by disabling it, like you two did by shooting it, and then purifying it with light energy… how you did that just by touching it AJ is beyond me.” Twilight explained her lavender eyes coming to meet the farmers. The blonde whistled in response.
“So we’re dealing with some mighty powerful stuff here then huh…?” she asked.
“It’s just a theory… but a very probable one. I may not be able to use my magic right now but I can still feel it, and right now it’s picking up some heavy dark magic readings from somewhere in this temple. My guess would be at its deepest point.” Twilight explained with a nod at each of them.
“S-so… what do we do if we find that thing again…?” Rainbow asked.
“Exactly what I told you to do, disable it somehow and then try to touch it. Hopefully it isn’t just Applejack with this ability. If it doesn’t work though, run. It won’t stay disabled for long and I don’t want any of you risking hurting yourselves because you wanted to do something stupid like fight it. Am I clear Rainbow…?” Twilight asked with a firm stare at the known daredevil.
“Twilight, I like a thrill as much as the next gal but I don’t feel like getting killed today.” She responded flatly. Twilight smiled a bit satisfied with the answer.
“Good. Oh, And Fluttershy, I can see that question hanging around you, no. Just because they look like animals doesn’t mean they’re alive. They’re made from magic. When you ‘Kill’ them it’s just like canceling a spell.” She said using air quotes to emphasize her point. Fluttershy sighed in relief and put a hand to her heart as she did so.
“Thank you Twilight… I was worried I’d be hurting them like that… but you’re sure they aren’t alive…?” she asked just to make sure.
“Positive. They’re just over powered spells. And no magic other than the creators can bring life out of magic.” She assured her. Fluttershy nodded and Twilight addressed the others as she pulled out a notepad from her bag.
“Alright girls, we’re dividing up into teams of two, the same ones as before actually with one adjustment, Pinkie you’re coming with me and Dash you go with Fluttershy. You two work well together and cover each other’s weaknesses. Flutters, you keep Dash in check, and Dash you keep Flutters calm. Rarity and Applejack you’ve already both proven you can work well together and there’s no sense in messing with what works.” Twilight reasoned. Four nods came her way as Rainbow Dash and Pinkie switched places, Pinkie coming to stand next to Twilight and Dash standing next to Fluttershy. “Good, let’s clean up and split up.” She said as she turned to face where the table had been only to see Pinkie shoving the last little bit of table into her bag. She picked up the bag to jingle it around a little and then slung it over her shoulder and bounced over to Twilight smiling.
“Done~!” she hummed happily. Twilight slowly turned her gaze back to the others who shared her expression of confusion.
“Okaaaay, me and Pinkie will take that one in the center, Dash and Fluttershy, you take the one on the left, and AJ and Rarity that leaves you with the one on the right. Remember, keep in touch using the bracelets.” She ordered as they all stood in front of the exits that mirrored from where they had all come in. the only difference between the two being that these were much large in scale and the crystals seemed to line every inch of them like sleek mirrors. They found however that when they stepped into the sleek surface that it was not slippery, it felt just like normal ground actually. But the bizzare part was that each of their footsteps caused a ripple of their aura color to form. It looked like they were walking on colored water.
“This is so cool! It looks like my foot steps are creating hell fire!” Dash exclaimed stomping her feet a few times to make it look like she was summoning a ring of red flames. Fluttershy giggled at her antics her own light steps creating tiny pink ripples as they walked on. She particularly liked it when their ripples met and sort of merged together creating a pink that resembled Pinkie’s hair. She liked the idea and watched for each time their aura’s mixed together.
In the tunnel on the right Rarity walked calmly beside Applejack as she admired the settings around them. She experimentally reached out her hand as she walked on and touched the smooth mirror like surface of the tunnel wall. Her finger left a trail of purple aura that faded slowly as she walked on. She smiled at the reaction and started to created swirls and waves as she walked, the result being a slowly fading purple roller coaster that looked more like calligraphy. Applejack noticed what she was doing and reached out her own freckle covered hand and trailed her fingers along the wall leaving a trail of orange in her wake. She smiled a little and decided to have a little fun. She walked up behind Rarity and followed the pattern she left creating a double lined 3-D look to the designs. Rarity noticed what she was doing and smiled bit.
“Alright cowgirl, let’s see you keep up with some REAL designs.” She mused playfully as she decided to step up her pace and increase both the density of the designs and the elaborateness as well. She found that the farmer was well up to the challenge as she kept up and followed her lines with perfect accuracy. Applejack chuckled and smiled at the girl in front of her.
“You’re not the only one who can follow a pattern Rare.” She chuckled as they continued on down the line.
In the center tunnel Pinkie and Twilight exchanged satisfied grins as their plans began to fall into place. They took their fingers off the crystals that were inlaid into their bracelet’s and high fived each other. “I think I’ve said this before but you’re a mad genius Pinkie.” Twilight commented as they walked further along the path. Pinkie shrugged at the compliment still grinning.
“It was your idea to make the bracelets.” She offered.
“But your idea to pair them up like that.” Twilight countered.
Pinkie tapped her chin in thought. “That makes us both mad geniuses then~!”
“Or just mad…” Twilight breathed.
“What was that…?” Pinkie asked not hearing her fully.
“Nothing!” Twilight added quickly. Too quickly. Pinkie eyed her carefully and hovered her finger over the magenta colored crystal threateningly. “Oh come on…! That’s hardly- I just realized something. Can’t the girls just use their crystals to figure out what the other is really feeling now?” She asked her pink haired friend. Pinkie blew a razzberry at that waving her hand dismissively.
“They could but they wouldn’t because it’s an invasion of privacy that way. That and it would totally ruin the plot the author has planned out to make this game of cat and mouse last over the years of our schooling.” She added with a giggly smile. Twilight raised an eyebrow now very confused.
“What…?”
“Oh nothing, hey look what I can do!” she squealed as she leapt up and touched the ceiling causing blue ripples to wash through the entire hallway like cool blue water.
“How did you jump like that…?” I thought your earth-bound abilities were gone like my magic.” Twilight asked looking up at the ten foot tall ceiling.
“They are, but I have springy shoes and I’m pretty good at jumping even without my extra strength.” She responded with another giggle. Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. “After all, even without our race’s ability’s we’re all still pretty well off. I’m still springy and fast, Applejack and Rainbow Dash can both still fight, Rarity still has her eye for detail that already saved them once, Fluttershy is still level headed and rational, and you’re still great at thinking on the fly and you still know all about almost EVERYTHING!” Pinkie rationalized. “So we’re all pretty good even without our powers.”
Twilight was stunned for a few seconds as they walked along but eventually a smile crossed her features. “You know Pinkie… You’re a lot smarter than you let on.” She mused.
Pinkie tilted her head in in confusion. “What do you mean Twiley…?” Twilight didn’t answer just walk further along into the cave.
‘I hope we find the others soon… the Princess’ have millennia of wisdom along with having built this place themselves on their side… but Spike is just a kid, a brash but still scared little kid. And if this power shortage affects him too I need to find him before he ends up getting hurt or worse.’ Twilight thought biting her lip a bit. Pinkie smiled and patted Twilight’s back.
“Don’t worry about him so much Twiley! I think he’s better off than you think!” She giggled with a bounce in her step.
“How can you know…?” she asked not even bothering to ask if she had used the crystal to read her thoughts or if she was just that easy to read.
“It’s my Pinkie sense~!” she replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And my Pinkie sense never fails me!” she announced doing a small twirl around Twilight. “Now come on! We have to skip to the next scene or the readers will catch onto the fact that they’re never gonna know what’s happening to Spike until we reunite with him!”
“What…?” Twilight asked confused as usual confused tone she got after Pinkie spoke.
“Shhhhh! Scene change~!”
Celestia and Luna were running, well, Celestia was running AND carrying Luna on her back as they were running from an entire pack of wolf shaped Umbra Chamaeleontis’ that were hot on their heels. One of them opened its jaw and let loose a stream of eerie purple flames that licked at Luna’s hair.
“AHHHH!!!! It’s got my hair!!!” Luna screamed trying to put out the flame. Celestia acted quickly when she saw a familiar dip in the path ahead of her and jumped for it. After a long fall into blackness the pair felt the rush of water take them. The fire now put out of Luna’s hair they were rushed forward in the current and Celestia was focused on making sure Luna didn’t drown. Luna however, ever master of the tides, would not allow herself to be ended by the very waters she controlled. Especially not now that she knew where these waters were going. She yelled over to her sister.
“Get ready for a long drop sister!” she called.
Celestia didn’t bother asking why at this point, she just braced herself. The light came at them fast and then she felt a drop that lasted for what seemed like an eon before she hit water again. She opened her eyes to see she was in a deep pool filled with light all around her. She saw the crystals all around her glowing a soft white. She remembered these crystals. Her mother had made them for her and Luna when they were young. They harmonized with their inner colors and reflected them across their surfaces. She had actually made an entire race much like these crystals but they had disappeared long ago. She reached out and touched their surface and like the water around them the colors rippled and reflected her golden aura across their surfaces. She swam up to breach the surface. And refill her lungs with air. Luna was standing near the pools edge looking around fascinated by the crystals.
“Why do I not remember these crystals sister…?” she asked looking around the room at them.
“Because you were very young when mother made them for us. She wanted our true colors to be reflected so that others would always be able to see them. She also wanted us to be able to feel one another wherever we went. Celestia walked over to the large crystalized center point of the room that connected like a jagged pillar to both the floor and ceiling. Her hand went to the crystal and she smiled fondly at the memory, but as her memory played in her mind it was reflected by the surface of the crystal like a television screen.
***~~~Flashback~~~***
Celestia was being led by a tall woman with flowing red hair that went just past her hips and danced along the pure white dress she wore that always seemed to dance in the wind. They walked across the surface of the playground her mother had made for them called Earth. They would forever be its protectors, its goddesses, and their Princesses. But mother would always be Queen. Little Luna ran along beside Celestia occasionally tripping over the white dress that matched her sister and mother’s almost perfectly.
“Mommy, where are we going…?” Celestia asked taking her younger sister in her arms. Watching in amusement as the toddler flared out her midnight blue wings defensively as she tried to push Celestia away demanding she could walk on her own. The tall regal woman smiled down at her two daughters warmly.
“To a place I know you will both love, I made it so you could share your happiness with everyone.” She replied her voice held power but also sounded like bird song and beautiful bells all ringing in perfect harmony. Any mortal that heard it would have died just from the warmth it would give them in their hearts.
“Dosh it haf poniesh too Mommy?!” a young Luna asked her two missing front teeth giving her some issues with her speech as she hovered up to her mother’s side. The woman smiled and gently held her youngest princess in her arms.
“No dear, even better, I’ve made an entire new form of beauty just for you two. Behold, the Crystal Empire.” She declared as they came atop a tall hill that looked over a large beautiful prairie that stretched for miles in every direction. Beautiful multicolored crystalline flowers grew like grass all around them. But what caught their attention was that in the center of the field an entire empire made of nothing but beautiful crystals of every color imaginable stood proud and tall in the light of the mid-day sun. Luna’s eyes widened in wonder as did Celestia’s.
“Mommy this is… beautiful. This is really all for us?” Celestia asked looking up at her mother.
“Of course child. Come, I will show you the best part of this place. For you can so obviously see its beauty during the day, but when there is balance between the sun and the moon in the dawn or dusk…” she said her hands glowing white as she took hold of the two celestial bodies each of her daughters represented. She brought about them to rest on each horizon separately. The crystal empire before them glowed with white energy before it swirled into a beautiful aurora that covered the half starry night sky. Luna clapped and giggled in delight and Celestia smiled at the sight before her. “It brings about a sight only true harmony can accomplish. This is what I want to see you two accomplish in my place.” She stated as a gentle wind carried a few loose flower petals past them. Celestia looked up at her mother.
“You are… leaving?” she asked in disbelief.
“No child, I will never leave you two, but when you no longer need me on this world I will return to the celestial plane where I belong so that I can watch over you and the world I have created for you. But only when you are both ready. Until then I will remain here to guide you both as you grow.” She told them as they watched the aurora snake its way through the beautiful twilight sky.
“But… how will we know if you are still watching over us when you’re gone…?” Celestia asked. That made her mother pause. She glanced down at the empire before her and an idea struck her. She waved her hand which glowed white with her magic of creation. The crystalline city before them transformed in the sense that a large spire grew from it reaching a height so tall it's tip grazed the lazily floating clouds. She waved her hand again and from the very top of the crystal spire a small sliver of the crystal floated to her hand. When it touched her flawless skin it glowed the same soft white as her magic. She smiled and with another small work of magic she weaved a golden thread through it like a necklace and handed it to Celestia.
“With this you will always know I am with you. As long as it glows I am still watching, still guiding you and your sister through the destiny’s you are meant to live.” She said placing the necklace around Celestia’s neck. The young goddess looked down at it holding it carefully in her hand as she looked back up into her mother’s soft blue-green eyes that often reminded her of her sister’s. Celestia closed her hand around the necklace and closed her eyes wanting to keep the moment in her mind for all the years to come.
***~~~ End Flashback~~~***
And she had. Almost twenty thousand years later and she still remembered every moment in exquisite detail. She reached into her shirt a little bit and pulled on the golden string around her neck revealing the white crystal that still glowed with the soft white light of her mother’s aura. She had long since lost the ability to hear her mother’s voice with it but the warmth of knowing she was still watching remained. Luna watched her sister curiously. She had seen the crystal for most of her life and heard the story behind it as well, but to actually see it in full vivid detail brought the memory back to her own mind as well. She hardly remembered anything about her mother. She had left only a thousand years after that when Luna would have been little older than she looked now. She still remembered how Celestia had cried for months afterwards. And years down the line as well. The only person who had been there to calm her was… well that wasn’t important now. What was important was that Luna now remembered something very important about this particular chamber.
She ran forward and grabbed the crystal out of Celestia’s hand and slipped it off her neck. Celestia of course protested loudly. She never took that necklace off, only very few times in the distant past, and the last had been when they first made this temple and island- It struck her like lightning what Luna was doing. The small teal haired girl stood on her tip toes and even tried to jump up to an opening in the great center crystal that towered up to the ceiling. Celestia ran over and hoisted her up on her shoulders so that together the two were now the same height as Luna in her full grown form. She stuck the glowing white crystal into the slot shaped perfectly to it and the entire room lit up in the same soft white glow. The large spiraling crystal shifted and turned its jagged spikes becoming flatter and turning into a spiraling set of stairs that led up to the ceiling where the crystal had retracted reveling a passageway. Luna grinned down at her sister as she retracted the shard from the slot and jumped down from her shoulders handing the necklace back to Celestia.
“Come on, let’s go before the exit seals itself.” Luna said as she ran eagerly to the stairs a sense of adventure lighting her eyes again. Celestia laughed. Her sister in all these years had not lost her spirit. She still retained a youthfulness that Celestia had always envied her for. She had also loved that most about her sister, and recognized the same spark in her young student as well. She looked to the doorways that surrounded the cavern. She silently sent a prayer to her mother that she watch over the girls until they could reunite once more. She then ran up the steps and disappeared into the ceiling with the stairs and door vanishing behind her. Just as the center crystal shifted back to normal a voice could be heard from one of the entrances of the cavern.
“Hey Dashie! I think I heard someone up ahead!” Pinkie called. The two ran into the chamber seconds later looking around.
“I don’t see anyone Pinks, maybe you should go for a swim, I think all that running has you over heated.” Dash laughed pointing to the clear pool of water. Pinkie pouted slightly. She KNEW she had heard someone…
***
Back in the present Rarity and Applejack were still walking along the tunnel they had been assigned. They had given up their game of cat and mouse and were currently rather lost in their thoughts.
‘I’m starting to be thankful Twilight put us together… with these bracelets on Applejack could very easily catch my thoughts wandering. When I can see her hands I can watch for if she’s touching one of the crystals. It gives me a few split seconds to adjust myself before she can pick up on any reveling emotions or thoughts… these bracelets are beautiful little disasters waiting to happen. I’ll have to insist that we seal them away after this so they that can only be used in an emergency. I wonder if Fluttershy is already aware of this… I’d best warn her.’ Rarity thought as they continued along the path. She brought her wrist up and she failed to notice Applejack flinch at the motion.
‘Please don’t be usin’ it on me, Please don’t be usin it on me…!’ AJ prayed within her mind as she watched her crush reach out with a finger and select one of the crystals in slow motion. It touched the light pink one and she let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. ‘Ah’ve only been wearin’ this thing for a couple of hours now and I already hate it. Ah can’t even lie out loud and now Ah can’t even think about her without worryin’ that she’s gonna over hear me… damn these magic crystals. When we get outta here I’m locking this thing in a tiny box and burying it in the west orchard where no one will ever find it. And Rare’s too for good measure…’ AJ decided with a slight nod of her head to emphasize the point.
‘Whoa, you sound about as fed up with these things as I am.’ A voice snickered in her head. AJ almost jumped out of her skin before she recognized it and put a hand over her heart to stop its rapid beating.
‘Consarnit RD would ya warn a gal before ya give her a heart attack?!’ Applejack protested jabbing her thumb onto the red crystal to establish the connection.
‘What would you like me to do to warn you hayseed? Wave my hand in front of your face…?’ Rainbow asked. Applejack could HEAR her rolling her eyes.
‘Oh… uh… right. Well what did ya want anyways…?’ asked setting her gaze back on the path ahead of them.
‘Well I WAS going to warn you to be careful with the crystals, but it looks like you already got the idea of what they could do to our precious little act.’ Dash explained.
‘Oh, well yeah Ah guess so… which reminds me, Ah’ve been meaning to ask about what happened last night at the party…’ AJ started. She felt a very hot wave of embarrassment flow out of Rainbow over their connection. ‘Yeah, you know what Ah’m talkin’ about. Explain.’ She ordered crossing her arms as she did so out of habit. She heard Rainbow trying to formulate a few excuses before she gave in and sighed.
‘Look, I panicked alright…? I was so caught up with the fact it was Flutters giving me the gift of a lifetime that I was literally about two seconds away from just kissing her right on stage in front of everyone! That would be her first kiss AJ! I can’t do something that’s supposed to be special to her in a public set up like that…! She’d faint on the spot! Or drop dead from shock. I’m seriously not sure which. So I just said the next best thing! I didn’t mean to shove her that far back down the ladder!’ Rainbow explained her thoughts coming off as rushed and distressed.
‘Whoa there partner. Breathe already. This is an easily remediated problem. Now ya can’t just jump into directly flirtin’ with her. After last night she’ll just get confused thinkin’ you’re sendin’ mixed signals. Ya gotta be subtle. If ya see an opening take it, just little things like grabbin’ her hand to pull her somewhere or keepin’ in close contact should be enough to stir a positive reaction outta her. But remember it’s Fluttershy, she ain’t gonna like it much if ya just rush into it.’ Applejack instructed. There was a pause where Applejack could feel Rainbow’s emotions swirling around for a bit before they settled themselves and RD Spoke again.
‘You know, you’re way too smart to be a farmer AJ. You’ve gotta get a degree in counseling or something.’ She quipped chuckling a bit.
AJ shrugged before she remembered Rainbow couldn’t see her. ‘Aw, don’t be getting all sappy on me now Dash, compliments aren’t gonna get ya far with me. That’s yours and Rare’s thing, not mine. Now if y’all will excuse me Ah’m supposed to watchin’ out for- SWEET MOTHER BUCKIN FAUST THAT ONE IS HUGE!!!’ She exclaimed before se cut the connection and quickly grabbed Rarity and ran just as a very large Cyclops type shadow was forming in front of them. AJ zoomed under its feet with Rarity close behind her. Both drew their guns and aimed it back at the giant beast as it pursued them.
“How in Faust’s name do these beasts keep finding us?!” Rarity asked unloading a couple of bullets into the legs of the beast. The towering one eyed beast took up the full twenty foot tall tunnel and was surprisingly fast for its size.
“Ah don’t have any idea, but we need to find a branch off that’s too small for it to follow!” AJ called back as she took aim up at the beast’s eye and let loose a powerful shot that hit it dead on. It roared in pain its voice sounding like a thousand demons screaming out for blood.
“Oh wonderful work Applejack, now you’ve gone and angered something that could crush us both with a single fist!” Rarity snarled as they continued to run.
“Well how was Ah supposed ta know that damn thing wouldn’t fall from getting’ shot in the eye! Who doesn’t die from that?!” AJ called back. The beast roared again in a fury and it became surrounded in black before it split into several smaller shadows that formed into snarling Timberwolf imitations. “Whoa Nelly! Pick it up Rare we just got a whole new set of problems back there!” AJ exclaimed as she turned her head to face back forward. Rarity dared to glance back and she let out a whine.
“Applejaaaaaack!!! I swear to Celestia if we get out of this alive I’m going to bury you under one of those tree’s you’re so infatuated with!” she snarled.
“Yeah well we can worry about that once we’re NOT dead Dolly! Now start looking for escape routes while I distract them a little bit! And for the love of Luna don’t stop running!” Applejack ordered.
‘Applejack! Rarity! Your crystals are flashing a distress signal! What’s going o-‘
‘NOT NOW TWILIGHT!!!’ they both responded in unison before shutting of the connection and focusing on the task at hand.
Rarity huffed but cooperated of course on loading a few rounds on the wolves closest to them first. She looked around wildly her sharp eyes taking in every contour of the smooth surface around them. She noticed the mirror like surface seemed to always be smooth like glass and bent perfectly along with the corridor’s shape. So it was quite easy to spot the single section that seemed out of place from the rest of it. There was a small section coming up on their right that shimmered slightly and wasn’t as glossy as the rest of the wall.
‘An Illusion… I hope it leads somewhere we can use. As they approached it she wordlessly grabbed the back of Applejack’s shirt and dragged her through the fake wall and slammed her against the wall inside it. It was just a little cut away no bigger than your average broom closet but when she had passed through it she could feel the concealment magic it was layered with. She quickly brought her finger to the orange crystal on her bracelet. ‘Don’t speak. It’ll break the concealment spell placed on the entrance.’ She ordered. Applejack quickly nodded her understanding and stayed quiet as a mouse until they heard the snarling sounds outside fade away down the hall. When they couldn’t be heard at all Rarity let out her breath and for the first time realized the compromising position they were in; mainly Rarity pressed flat against Applejack so that they would both fit into the tight space of the cut away. She looked up to see Applejack’s green eyes widen a little and color start to tint her freckled face. ‘I wonder if that’s from the chase we just escaped or from the close quarters…’ she thought quietly. In the semi dark veil of the cut away Rarity’s eyes could just barely make out a small indent behind Applejacks head. Rarity smiled a bit and decided to play a little game of payback.
Applejack could feel her heart still racing. The adrenaline was still in her system so maybe Rarity would blame her racy heart and heating face on the fact that they’d just escaped a pack of very pissed off Umbra Chamaeleontis in the form of timber wolves, and not the fact that they were pressed together in a dark little corner of the world and Rarity’s face was slowly getting closer and closer to her own. Just when she had slammed her eyes shut and she felt Rarity’s breath mingle with her own she felt a hand come up and brush her face before it moved behind her head and pressed something on the wall behind her. The wall gave way and she fell backwards her eyes opening wide in shock as she hit a rocky floor with a loud thud. Rarity’s sapphire eyes glimmered mischievously as she passed the blonde now sprawled on the floor of the new secret passage.
Rarity laid her hand over all the crystals on her wrist as her satisfied smirk grew. ‘This is Rarity reporting that we have escaped our pursuer and have discovered an alternate path, are we to take it…?’ she asked through the channel. There was a collective sigh of relief from her friends before Twilight responded to her.
‘Yes, but be cautious, it may lead to more of them or worse. How are you both on ammo…?’ Twilight asked.
‘My gun is enchanted to never run out.’ They both responded at once. They exchanged a glance but Twilight didn’t miss a beat.
‘Good, then keep them drawn and stay on guard, I want you both ALIVE at the end of this, not torn to pieces because of you were distracted by one of your squabbles.’ Twilight warned them. They both bowed their heads a little bit before they felt Twilight drop the connection.
‘Good luck you two…’ Fluttershy seemed to whisper before her connection was cut too.
‘Yeah! Show those big meanies who’s boss!’ Pinkie cheered before she faded too.
‘And try not to kill each other too; me and Flutters kinda want our roommates intact.’ Rainbow added before she cut the connection as well.
Applejack stood up from her crouched position on the ground and dusted herself off before righting her hat on her head and adjusting the bag over her shoulder. She walked past Rarity and further into the new corridor. “Come on slow poke, Ah’m not waitin’ up for ya.” She called back over her shoulder when she noticed Rarity hadn’t moved. A smile flickered across the girl’s face that the farmer didn’t see as she joined her in walking and even passed her. The smug satisfaction would have been hard to miss if the blonde could see her face just like it had been hard to miss the sense of disappointment Applejack had after Rarity had tricked her.
‘She wanted me to kiss her…’ with a spring in her step now, Rarity was ready to out run or out gun any of those shadowy demons that dared to cross her path.
***
Rainbow Dash was on her toes constantly now that two of her friends had already been targeted in this section of the caves. It had proved they weren’t a safe haven like the main crystalized chamber. Her ears were listening for any sign of movement besides the steady steps of her and Fluttershy, and her eyes were sharpened to watch every little shadow around every turn they made. She wouldn’t be letting these things sneak up on her and Fluttershy. She felt something touch her shoulder and tensed ready to throw whatever it was into a wall but that reaction was halted when she realized it was only Fluttershy, she let her muscles relax. She saw the look in those sea green eyes and sighed looking away a little her wings folding against her back.
“Yeah I know… I’m being paranoid again…” she muttered. It had been almost an hour since Applejack and Rarity had been targeted and they’d found their escape and an alternate route and since then Fluttershy had had to calm Dash down from her guard post three times because she looked like a drug addict who was waiting for the cops to show up at the door at any moment.
Fluttershy nodded slightly and gave her a weak smile before she moved on walking ahead of Dash a little only for her friend to catch up moments later. Rainbow chose this opportunity to try and make small talk to ease the unseen tension in the air.
“So… Twilight tells me you kept a pretty level head back when we were separated, how did that happen…?” she asked the taller pegasus. It was still bothering her that she couldn’t at least hover to her height so she didn’t feel like she was talking to her mother.
“Oh, well um… Twilight was already in enough of a state for both of us… so I didn’t want to add to it. Instead I focused on trying to calm her down. I suppose all those times you did that for me taught me how to do it for others too…” she reasoned looking at her tan booted feet. She seemed to have a fascination with them as of late. Dash scoffed at that tossing her hair back a little.
“Rainbow Danger Dash does NOT panic.” Fluttershy picked her head up and gave her ‘the look’. Rainbow swallowed hard and looked away a little.
“Then I guess it’s a good thing I don’t know anyone named Rainbow Danger Dash, because someone who never panics probably has some severe head trauma and needs to go see a doctor straight away.” Fluttershy countered. Rainbow winced at that and sighed.
“You know… sometimes I really hate being the one who talks first. It leaves me wide open for comebacks like that.” She sighed. Fluttershy giggled a little at that.
“Then don’t talk first silly!”
“But if I didn’t we’d both just be silent the entire time because we both know you’re about as likely to start a conversation as you are to turn away an injured animal. And I’m about as likely to put up with sitting in silence for more than a few seconds as it is for Pinkie to give up sugar forever.”
‘Foreverrrrr- WAIT! No! Not my sugar! Why Dashie?!’ Pinkie wailed through her connection. Rainbow rolled her eyes and ignored her.
“Hm… good point, you always did kinda stink at the quiet game.” Fluttershy pointed out.
“A game where the entire point is to sit there completely still and silent staring at each other for hours on end is my definition of hell Fluttershy. I came into this world screaming and thrashing around wings blazing in their full glory, I have absolutely zero intention of living any differently. You on the other hand were so quiet that when you were born the doctors thought you were mute and had to pinch you to get you to cry. You didn’t even speak until you were four, you only had one or two occasions where you had flying spouts, and you once spent six months in a hospital bed perfectly content with only moving to get up and use the bathroom or to grab a new book from the shelf. Meanwhile in the room next door I was twitching uncontrollably after the first day, banging my head against the bed frame, bouncing a ball against the wall from my bed until it got lost under the bed, counting specks on the ceiling, and staring down the clock only to see that it had barley been five minutes since I last checked it. If you and I were any more opposite we would have imploded the entire world just by saying hi to each other.” Dash ranted.
Fluttershy let her finish before she responded. “I see your mild obsession with the world imploding under impossible conditions hasn’t gone away yet…” she noted as they continued to walk.
“Hey, this world is gonna go somehow, maybe not now, maybe not even in a few eons, but when Celestia and Luna are old and grey and watching the sun fade in the distance this place is going to go off in a big colorful explosion of awesome. And I just hope Faust has the generosity in her to let me and you see it so I can rub it in your face for the rest of eternity.” Rainbow concluded folding her arms and grunting slightly.
‘Wow… Dash you’re crazier than me on that drink we made back on the ship… we really should give that thing a name… I’m thinking The Apocalypse, what about you…?’ Pinkie asked through her connection that Dash didn’t even feel her establish.
‘Not now Pinkie… but good name.’ Dash commented. She felt the satisfaction radiate off of the girl before the connection was severed and her eyes came to focus on Fluttershy who was giggling at her. Dash blinked confused by the odd behavior. “Flutters…? What’s so funny…?” she asked quickly patting her head to make sure her hair was normal and then bringing her wings forward tom make sure they didn’t have feathers jutting out at weird angles.
“Oh nothing… you just get this really funny look on your face whenever you’re frustrated.” She mused amusement still present in her voice. Rainbow frowned a little.
“Great… well at least you’re getting a good laugh out of this situation.” She reasoned running a hand through her hair casually to hide the fact that her mind was a little fuzzy from seeing Fluttershy giggle. Her head was so fuzzy in fact that she almost didn’t catch the slithering shape of a shadow behind Fluttershy. Almost, that is.
“Look out!” she cried as she shoved Fluttershy out of the way and was snatched by the slithering form in her stead. Fluttershy looked up to see the shadow take form into a creature with a cat like body but with a long coiling neck like a snake that currently had Dash in its hold and was crushing her as she tried to struggle against it. The cold glowing purple eyes watched its prey and it smiled with dripping purple energy coming from its elongated fangs like venom.
“Serpopard… ancient Egyptian creature that is a mix between a serpent and a leopard…” Fluttershy observed her eyes scanning the creature quickly. Dash saw her crouched on the floor her sea green eyes watching her with terror.
“Get out of here Fluttershy! RUN!” She called before the creature silenced her by squeezing her harder. Its hissing echoed around the walls and its dark energy pooled into the mirror like surface of the floor creating cascading ripples of dark energy through it. Fluttershy’s eyes sharpened when she noticed that the creature had an unfinished form. Its lower half was still merged with the shadows it came from. Which meant its only form of movement was currently focused on squeezing the life out of Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy’s eyes also noticed a weakness where the serpent like neck met the cat like body. Her mind worked fast piecing together the anatomy in her head as she ran, not away from the beast like Dash wanted her to, but towards it instead.
Dash watched her do it in slow motion. Fluttershy ran under the beast chopping it once at the base of its inner neck with her hand and then when the creature’s body reacted by dropping Dash and coughing bending its neck down in its distress Fluttershy delivered three more well placed jabs along its neck and then one powerful one into its bottom jaw that caused its fangs to pierce through its head and purple energy venom to cascade down its jaw along with black blood. Fluttershy landed neatly in front of it just as it fell to its side motionless. She flipped her hair back still glaring at it.
Rainbow Dash was just getting her breath back as she stood up looking at the fallen shadow creature. “What… did you do to it… Flutters…?” she asked through her wheezy breath.
Fluttershy walked over to it calmly and pointed to the spots she had hit. “It’s body didn’t form properly… it had weaker points in it that acted like pressure points on a living creature. By hitting them in quick order I reasoned it would be rendered incapable of moving. And with the venom it probably has coursing through its body now it should be even worse. If it were actually alive that is.” She added her softer tone returning towards the end. She remembered what Twilight had said about what to do after it had been knocked out and reached forward to touch it once more. There was a second where nothing happened and then the body of it began to be consumed by a pink light. It eventually made the body burst and the remaining shadows scattered like roaches away from the light. The two pegisai blinked in surprise and Fluttershy looked down at the hand that caused it. “It works…” she whispered.
Dash stood back up to her full height having caught her breath and walked up beside Fluttershy placing a hand over hers gently. Fluttershy looked at her a little startled as she met concerned looking magenta eyes. “You okay…?”
Fluttershy looked down at the forming bruises on Dash’s arms and legs, she was sure there were more over under her clothing as well. “I think I should be asking you that Dashie. You’re going to look like an eggplant when those bruises form!” Fluttershy chastised. Dash looked down at herself and gave a shrug which actually made her wince slightly.
“I’ve had worse and you know it.” She defended.
“But you wouldn’t HAVE them to begin with if you had just let it take me instead!” Fluttershy almost yelled at her. Rainbow’s eyes sharpened at that.
“I would have never done that Fluttershy. Besides, you did something just as reckless by rushing the monster yourself. So you can’t say we aren’t on equal grounds.” Dash countered. Fluttershy’s jaw tightened at that and she looked away a little at Dash’s intense gaze.
“I-I suppose you’re right about that… but you already get hurt often enough for me… I just feel bad for always being… well a damsel in distress I guess.” Flutters admitted as she rubbed her arm a bit. Dash however, ever the idiot, laughed at her response. Fluttershy’s eyes looked up shock and pain tinting them. That faded when she saw Dash hold up a hand to make her pause as she collected herself. She wheezed a little as she collected herself and held her ribs wiping a small tear from her eye caused half by hysterics and half by the pain of laughing with bruised ribs.
“Okay first off, I’m about as far off from a knight in shining armor as you can get. Sure I’ve got all those awesome moves under my belt, I’m pretty good with knowing when you need my help, and I’m loyal enough to always be there when you need me, but that’s something any good friend should do. I’m not some big bad ass knight who strolls in sword drawn and slicing off monsters heads as I pass them, and you’re not some helpless little princess sitting in her tower wailing for me to come save her. That move you pulled back there is proof. We’re both just kick ass girls, I’m just a little more of a bad ass, and you’re more like the hard ass that keeps my sorry ass in check.” She explained motioning from herself to Fluttershy and back. Fluttershy managed a smile at that.
“Only you could find a creative way to use that word so many times in one sentence that it’s actually funny…“ she commented. Rainbow Dash’s grin only grew at that.
“Hey, I’m taking a page out of Pinkie’s book by saying this but laughter is the best medicine. Unless you’re seriously ill; then you should probably go to a hospital.” She quipped. It got Fluttershy giggling even more and Dash grinned satisfied with herself. “Good, you’re smiling again. You actually had me worried for a bit there. Now let’s get out of this place already, I’m beginning to feel my legs start to get numb from standing still for so long.” Dash said pacing in place a little to emphasize her point. Fluttershy giggled a little and started walking forward tugging a little on Dash’s hand as she went.
“Well let’s go then before you start running up the wall.” Fluttershy giggled. Dash groaned and facepalmed at that.
“Mom told you THAT baby story too?!”
“That and many MANY more, I wonder how Rarity would react if I told her the catchphrase you had before your current one… what was it again…? Rainbow Dash always dresses in style…?” she inquired a mischievously innocent glint in her eye. All the color in Rainbow seemed to drain, even her hair looked pale.
“You. Wouldn’t. DARE.” Rainbow Dash hissed quietly.
“You’re right, I wouldn’t. Because I’m not a meanie. But if you do anything reckless like that again I might let a word or two from it slip…” she countered. Dash grit her teeth together.
“I don’t think any of our friends would ever believe how evil you can be sometimes Fluttershy… Fine. I won’t charge in to save you without thinking up a plan first… at least not while we’re in this temple.” She added quickly. Fluttershy eyed her up and down and slowly nodded.
“I guess that’ll do…” she said holding out two fingers to her friend with a small smile. Dash smiled as well putting her own to hers and mirroring her part in the Sonic Flutterboom. When the sound effect was finished both girls were giggling as they moved on continuing to walk ahead. Their laughter was cut off when the floor suddenly dropped away from them and they both went falling through the open floor before it closed behind them making the hallway look just as it had before.
***
Back with the odd pair of the bookworm and party animal the ladder had her hand cupped over her bracelet and her eyes slowly started to widen as the screams that were just given by one couple were echoed by a second moments later on the other side. Pinkie stopped walking but Twilight didn’t and looked a little further down ahead of them. She noticed that the path branched out into a three way fork.
“Hey Pinkie, I think we’re going to need your Pinkie sense on this one… Pinkie…?” she asked turning around only to find that Pinkie’s hair was standing on end and her entire body was contorting at odd angles. She quickly rushed forward to her partner eyes wide in horror. “Pinkie!! What’s going on?!” she asked panicked by her friend’s odd behavior. Pinkie’s contortions stopped and her normally cheery pink face drained of color as she pointed behind Twilight with a shaky finger. Twilight turned just as she started to feel the ground shake beneath her feet shake. From all three forks in the path waves of rippling dark shadows came at them their wisp’s taking half forms of nightmarish creatures and beasts. Twilight’s face drained as she stared what she imagined was death in the face. Twilight if nothing else was a girl of rational thinking and a damn good one too, but at that moment though her mind was totally blank.
Lucky for her though, Pinkie’s brain was working double time. She quickly grabbed Twilight by her waist and rush forward before standing in one place Twilight definitely didn’t want to be; in the cross hairs of all three tunnels.
“Pinkie are you crazy?! They’ll over whelm us! Of all the hair brained schemes you could have come up with you choose the one that’s the most suicidal?!” she cried. But Pinkie didn’t say a word in response. She just looked around at the three tunnels wildly before she took in a deep breath and shut her eyes and held Twilight a little tighter just as the shadows started to close in around them. Then in one quick motion the ground fell away underneath them and Twilight let out a long scream as they fell through the hole and she watched it close behind them before any of the shadows could follow after them. A rush of a powerful air slowed their decent until they touched down gently on the ground Twilight still screaming a little as Pinkie opened her eyes and let out her breath in relief at the sight of a familiar grinning face staring back at her. Twilights scream stopped as she opened her eyes as well and saw the same thing Pinkie did.
“Cutting it a little close there don’t you think Spikey Wikey…?” Pinkie stated her voice sounding drained as the terror caught up with her still shaking body. The green haired boy rolled his eyes.
“I can only cut through a hundred feet of rock so fast Pinkie.” He replied before Twilight almost strangled him in a hug.
“SPIKE!!! YOU’RE ALIVE! AND YOU SAVED US!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING ALL THE DOWN HERE?! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHERS?! AND WHY ARE YOU COVERED FROM HEAD TO TOE IN SCALES…?!” She exclaimed only just noticing that her brother’s normally milky skin had been replaced by shining purple scales that felt like sandpaper against her skin. Not that that deterred her from hugging him, at that moment she just didn’t care.
“Whoa Twilight, chill out. I’ll explain everything in a minute, just let me seal that exit back up before they can get through it and I’ll take you to the throne room.” He said pushing her off him a little. She let him go and watched him stomp his front foot into the ground and shift it. The tunnel above their heads closed and he then turned his back to them to face a tunnel that looked like it had been carved by a giant ant. They both slowly followed him and Twilight took the opportunity to ask her pink haired friend a question that had been bugging her since she could think straight again.
“Pinkie… you knew my brother would save us… and right where that hole would be… how?”
Pinkie smiled at Twilight her own voice still a little shaky. “I didn’t know it was him Twilight. But I felt the earth moving under my feet and it wasn’t being caused by those shadows coming at us. So I just ran to the epicenter of it shut my eyes hoping it would take us somewhere better than there. It worked apparently.” She explained with a small smile. “But it still scared the fun right out of me to be that close to them. It felt like my entire body was being torn apart by my senses telling me to run… but that wouldn’t have saved both of us… so I listened to the earth instead.” She explained as she walked along behind Spike and let her hands trail along the wall. Twilight couldn’t believe it, the normally eccentric girl that never seemed to be afraid of anything was sitting here shaking like a leaf and for the first time since Twilight had known her she was making sense. She didn’t know whether to be scared by this turn of events or be studying the effects fear had on the girl.
Suddenly the room opened up and Twilight’s eyes had to the sudden harsh light before she could fully see the room before her. The first thing she noticed was that all around her there were mountains of gold and gems all around her. Mountains wasn’t an overstatement either, they towered to heights that were probably over two or three hundred feet. The second thing she noticed while she was looking at the height was that at on the very top of the tall cavern ceiling a large crystal structure hung like a chandelier and glowed a soft white glow that illuminated the entire cavern. And the last thing Twilight noticed was that her friends were all sitting at a table in the center of the cavern directly under the large crystal, and with them at the table was a very large group of fairies. Fairies that were the size of Amazonian warriors, who’s skin and wings were made of the same wispy shadows that had almost killed her, but who’s eyes did not glow with that eerie darkness the others did. Instead each of their eyes glowed a soft white much like the crystal high above their heads. Needless to say Twilight was very confused.
She reflexively charged a spell her hands glowing at the call of her magic as she poised them in front of her in the way her defensive magic courses had taught her. It wasn’t until she physically saw the light surrounding her hands that she realized her magic was working. Spike smiled at her and motioned towards the table.
“Twilight, I’d like to introduce you to the Púca clan. They live here in this temple and guard it with their lives. The crystal you see hanging above your head is part of the treasure the legend mentioned before. It’s currently keeping this one room in the temple a 100% curse free zone. Which is why you can use your magic here. When I was separated from you guys I landed here and met my friend here Prince Avery. He’ll fill you in on why the curse is here to begin with.” He stated, the crowd of taller fairies parted revealing a boy only a little older than Spike himself, but unlike his followers his skin was as white as the full moon and glowed like it too, his pointy ears were just barely visible behind his curly golden hair that fell past his shoulders and seemed to hover over his stunning white wings that were made of a beautiful silver light. His eyes were the same silver white as his wings.
“Twilight Sparkle, it is an honor; your young brother has told me much about you and your companions while assisting me today. Please, have a seat, you must be weary and my tale is not a short one I'm afraid.” He said as he waved his hand. From the ground grew two chairs made out of pure crystal. Twilight looked shocked for a second but her and Pinkie both took their seats at the table as did the prince and Spike.
“Well… I suppose I should begin when the divine sisters first made this temple… and by default us as well…”
It was about five thousand years ago… before the Maker left our world for her own. The two sisters that had made this island did so, so that they could practice their magic without disturbing the life of the mortals. It was their sanctuary, and once a year on the day of creation the Creator would make something very special for each of her daughters. And the two accepted it and guarded each gift with their lives. This is where modern birthdays came from.
The last day the Creator spent on this earth was on the 15,000th anniversary of Creation. Keep in mind that the Royal race age rate is a thousand years is our equivalent to about a year of growth. So Celestia would have been merely fifteen and Luna only ten. So as a parting gift to each of her daughters she gave them each a treasure horde that would have made the dragon king himself envious, and then she gave them one final special treasure to share. It was said to be a wonderful gift for them to share, not only between themselves but amongst their loyal subjects as well.
Supposedly they did share a small portion of the gift with their subjects, but they could never handle the full power of the gift that was bestowed on the sisters, so they built a temple at the heart of their sanctuary and hid it away there, since the power could not be trusted in the hands of the mortals they used a small fraction of their mother’s powers to create a tribe that could defend and watch over the temple while they were gone. These creatures were called Fey, or in modern terms fairies and they watched over the power for many thousands of years with little to no issues at all. But the power WAS too great, even for itself. It began to eat away at itself decaying into an unspeakable horror that we named Tenebris… it corrupted everything it touched… and the fairies it was used to create…? They became its slaves, corrupted by the shadows and decay they were turned into snarling nightmarish beasts. Slowly they spread their master’s curse through the entire temple, any mortal that stepped foot into it would be rendered powerless and weak, making them easy targets for the beasts to corrupt and consume. The Fey had one last stand though, their Queen. When the curse began to close in on the heart of the temple she made a drastic choice. In order to protect the remaining Fey who had not been corrupted she fused herself with the Creator’s light and shone it brightly through the cavern banishing the shadows away from the one remaining sanctuary.
Avery looked up to the crystal that shone brightly above their heads. “My mother is still in there... Silently protecting us from the Tenebris. I was only an infant when she did it but I’ve watched over this place since I was old enough to and I can see that the last thousand years have been especially taxing on her. And those who dare venture out of this protective light are consumed within seconds. We had lost hope that we would ever be free of this curse… but then Spike came and I saw hope in him. He was immune to the effects of the curse, his own power being drawn from the very world around him the curse cannot take his power, but it does strip him of his human skin leaving his true nature at the surface. He spoke of you six, and how the royal sisters came here with you. If my theory is correct I’m afraid we don’t have much time to act. The power seeks out what is similar to it in origin. We were created using its magic, and since we live here it took us first. But it was created for them, it will find them Twilight, and if we don’t stop it, it will kill them both to gain their powers and become whole once more.” Avery explained his silver eyes locked onto her lavender ones. Twilight’s brow was furred in concentration as she thought through it all. Her friends all looked to her for an answer.
She looked around at their faces and gently laid her hand over her bracelet the others all did the same. ‘Thoughts on what we should do girls…? It’s obvious we need to help these people and save the princesses but how are we going to do it…? The moment we step out of this bubble those things are going to be right outside waiting for us.’ She asked them scanning each of their eyes with her own.
‘We could ask the fairy prince over there if there’s any direct routes to wherever the gift is being held, or a secret route. We could sneak in and blast hit it with some kind of big light beam or something since it doesn’t seem to like the light much.’ Rainbow offered.
‘That’s a good start, anyone else…?’ Twilight asked.
‘Well, Ah reckon we could try and ask the kid if it has any kind of weakness first. Since we can’t use any of your magic outside of here and we somehow seem ta be able ta kill the things Ah’d like to know if we could use it on the source too.’ Applejack added. Twilight nodded quickly.
‘Good one Applejack, but how would we sneak up on it…? It always seemed to know where we were when it sent its minions after us. I seriously doubt we could get past whatever detection spell its using.’
‘That’s quite simple darling, if you’ll recall we already established that the curse doesn’t affect preset spells. If we enchanted a few of these gems in here with a concealment spell and carried them with us when we went out it wouldn’t be able to find us.’ Rarity put in motioning to the piles of gems and gold around them.
‘Can you cast a powerful enough spell enough times to give us all one…?’ Twilight asked her fellow magic user.
‘Not on my own no, but if you pitched in some of your magic it would be a synch.’ Rarity replied with a curt nod. Twilight smiled a little at that.
‘Perfect. Then that only leaves the issue of how we’ll immobilize its minions while we rescue the princesses and try and take it out…’
‘Oh! OOOOOO!!! Pick me Twilight! Pick me…!’ Pinkie begged with her hand raised. Twilight cocked an eyebrow at her.
‘Yes Pinkie…?’
‘Okay, so here’s the plan, I create this BIIIIIIIIG distraction that’ll get all of them focused on me, then Rarity, Applejack, and Dashie take them out while they’re paying attention to me and Fluttershy implodes them with her awesome light palm trick! I’ll wear this moustache…’ she concluded deviously rubbing her hands together as she placed a fake bushy moustache on her lip and grinned evilly.
Twilight blinked in surprise. ‘That… actually isn’t a half bad plan.’ “All in favor?” she asked out loud this time.
“Aye.” Came five replies. Twilight turned to Avery with a smile.
“We’re all in agreement and we have a basic plan laid out, but we need a few questions answered from you before we can be sure. The first being about this odd thing that’s happened when two of my friends encountered the cursed of your kind. They had both immobilized the creatures into a near death state but when they touched them they glowed off a light the same color as their aura’s and dispersed into a group of smaller shadows that retreated. Do you know why this is…?”
Avery looked at her with shock on his face. “You… can touch them…? Any human that has come here before and actually managed to disable one and then touch it was consumed. If what you say is true Twilight Sparkle… then I can think of only one possibility for the cause. But it is not my place to say it. But know this, for you six to make it this far on your own without being over whelmed by the shadows when you came in… you each must be very special. Perhaps more than you realize. The light you spoke of that dispelled the shadows is called the Concordia’s Luce in our texts… it is a powerful weapon Twilight, and looking at you all now I am assured the light is inside each of you. If you wish to know more about the light you should ask your mentor once you have the chance. Spike said that your mentor is very wise I’m sure they’ll know about it.” Avery offered with a ghost of a smile on his child like face.
Twilight couldn’t believe such wisdom was coming from someone who barely looked older than her brother. But according to his story he would have been born before Luna’s banishment so it made sense he was so archaic. Twilight still remembered when she first met the lunar goddess for the first time. She had only been returned for six years and she still spoke in the archaic old equestrian language. It was confusing to her at first but she adjusted quickly. Celestia had helped her translate often enough for her to create her own medieval dictionary using the new words she learned. She then realized something that Avery had said that threw her off.
“Wait… Spike didn’t tell you…?” she asked the fairy prince as she gave her brother a confused stare. He shrugged and mouthed ‘Sorry’ at her. Twilight sighed. “Celestia’s my mentor, she took me on as her personal protégé when I was six, since then I’ve lived in the castle with her and Luna in between my classes and visits home.” She told the fairy prince.
“You…? The Princesses student?! But she has not taken on a student since-!”
“Starswirl the Bearded, yes I know. It caused a stir through the entire nation when it got out. My parents had to fight off reporters left and right when we were just going to get breakfast. Ah, wait… I guess you don’t really know about the media since you’ve been in this temple for so long well… if we make it out of here alive today we’ll catch you up on what’s happened in the modern world since you’ve been trapped here. But first I need a map of this temple.” Twilight stated her serious tone coming back in a flash.
“Ah, yes. Blossom, please get me one of the temple maps, our guests need to plan their route.” He ordered a slim looking fairy woman. Her wings fluttered as she silently flew off. She returned a few seconds later with a large scroll in hand, she handed it to him and he gave it to Twilight. “This is the full layout of the temple before the shadow’s took it over. I cannot say for certain if they have altered it but it is the best we have.” He explained as Twilight took it and opened it laying it on the table as her friends gathered around her to look.
“This will do perfectly. Thank you Avery. Okay. Here we are on the very bottom level.” She said pointing to a large chamber on the map that was depicted with mountains of gold and s shining white crystal high above it. “From here the gift should be just as Avery stated earlier, directly above us. If the Shadow’s have the princesses I can guarantee it would want them close which means they’ll be there. But it looks like there’s only a select few entrances to it… and I can take a guess that they’re going to be guarding them all… and the entire area around it is a labyrinth, probably to throw off anyone that tried to get to the gift. It’s full of dead ends and loaded with patrolling shadows… but I have an idea.” Twilight announced with a small grin.
“Alright egg head! Well stop stalling lay it on us!” Rainbow cheered flying up a little and doing figure eights in the air.
“Alright… here’s what we’re going to do…”
***
Twilight was walking along a corridor her nose buried deep in the map. She had enchanted it to show her the positions of all her friends and her brother as well once he had been given his own bracelet and his own fiery green crystal had been added to each of their existing bracelets. And little to the knowledge of their enemies she had also enchanted it to show the location of the shadows. Something Avery had helped her with. In fact there was actually one that had just formed behind her and was about to sneak up on her. She let a small smile of satisfaction creep over her face when she saw a green burst of flames whip past her and then a burst of bright blue light. The hiss of shadows retreating filled her ears but she had never stopped walking. This was the fifth one in less than fifteen minutes; they were definitely getting close to the central chamber.
Twilight kept walking using the map to guide her and watching her own deep magenta dot move on the map. Underneath her but just behind her a bright blue and green dot followed her every movement, sensing and waiting to strike when trouble found the girl. No other dots were able to be seen on the map but Twilight knew better. She knew what was in the works and all she had to do was get to the main chamber without being harmed and everything would fall into place. She looked to her wrist to see the bracelet that had been flipped inside out so that the crystals were all touching her skin at once. The others all had theirs the same which formed an open channel of silent communication between them all. It was just another advantage they used to gain the upper hand in this game of chest. A voice in her mind alerted her.
‘Twilight, pressure plate three steps ahead of you in the center of the floor, avoid it. It looks like another of those firewalls.’ Rarity warned. Twilight adjusted her steps so that she avoided the plate and smiled.
‘What would I do without you Rarity…?’ she asked through the connection.
‘If the traps we’ve been dodging for the last hour are anything to go by you’d have been shot by arrows, poisoned by gas, ripped to pieces by spikes bigger than AJ’s brother, taken a bath in a pool of acid, and then burned alive by that pool of lava.’ Dash informed her.
Twilight’s face deadpanned. ‘Thank you for that descriptive and unnecessarily gruesome recollection Rainbow.’
‘Anytime egghead.’
‘That was a redundant statement.’
‘Gesundheit.’
Twilight heard everyone else groan at Dash’s antics, except for Pinkie who was giggling uncontrollably until she went suddenly silent and Twilight glanced back down at the map to see they were approaching a particularly large horde of shadows.
‘Oh, looks like they’re getting serious now. Better take a big breath everyone, because after I’m done with them it’s gonna be raining shit for weeks.’ RD snickered and Twilight could swear she heard her cracking her knuckles. Fluttershy’s timid voice cut in.
‘No Dashie… we’re supposed to be hiding until Twilight gives the signal.’ She reminded her boisterous friend.
‘Ughhhhh… waiting is so boring…! I’m a girl of action! Not patience…!’ Dash complained.
‘Well then ya should take a page outta Flutter’s book and Keep Calm and Carry On partner, you’ll have your fair share of ass kickin’ when we get there.’ AJ lectured. RD groaned again but no one was listening. The Shadows came up the tunnel much like they had just before Spike had saved Twilight and Pinkie but this time Twilight wasn’t scared. Just before they could reach her Spike emerged from the ground like a ground hog and engulfed them all in his bright green flames. While they were screaming in pain they withered into tiny shrivels of their former selves and when they were indisposed Pinkie popped up and quickly zipped from one to the next tapping them with her hand and causing them to burst with her blue light. She disappeared back into the hole after Spike and when it closed up again Twilight kept walking her nose still buried in her map like it was a good book.
Her sharp eyes were following the invisible path she’d laid out before they left. She was almost there. The entrance she was looking for was just around the next corner and just like she’d predicted the shadows were nowhere near it. She turned the corner and kept walking until she came to a dead end. To anyone else this would have seemed like the end of the road, but for Twilight Sparkle gifted student of Celestia and sister to one of the few creatures in the world that could move earth like it was nothing, it was a secret door into the main chamber. Spike popped out of his hiding place and stood next to his sister.
‘Pinkie says it feels just like the map describes. The main chamber is just behind this. You want me to open it for you…?’ He asked through the connection. She nodded.
‘Yes, but do it from your hiding place. If that thing is in there waiting for us I want to be the only thing it sees.’ She replied as she handed the map to him. He nodded and then smiled at her.
‘Good Luck Twilight, remember, I’m just a tap away if you need me.’ He reminded her before he disappeared down his rabbit hole and it closed behind him.
Twilight closed her eyes and steadied herself bracing herself for what she was about to do. With a deep breath she tapped her foot on the ground twice and the blocking door of the ‘dead end’ slowly slid to the side like automatic doors made of stone. Two loud cries echoed out of the opening.
“HEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!!!!!!!!”
***
Celestia and Luna could feel the bubbling lava slowly getting closer to their weakened human forms and each of them felt the panic rising inside of them. Celestia even saw one of the larger bubbles form and burst just barley inches from her face. She swallowed hard and shut her eyes praying that her mother would somehow save her. Just as she gave up her hope she felt the necklace around her neck tremble slightly and her eyes shot open when she heard a noise like a door sliding open and their decent towards the lava halt. Her long hair was literally just hanging above the surface of the lava pool when she heard the deepened chuckle of a disembodied voice speak in its hissing whispered tone.
“Twilight Sparkle… I was beginning to think you would never join us. Come to watch your beloved Princesses reunite with their precious mother…?” it sneered. From where they hung Celestia could just see the figure of Twilight Sparkle step into the dark cavern… by herself. Panic set into their hearts when they saw that.
“Tenebris… release them at once. Killing them will not accomplish what you desire.” She told the voice her eyes looking around for its source.
“Oh… I’m impressed you know my name child. I suppose those little rats with wings told you that…? And gave you that map you used to get all the way in here and find that secret entrance. Clever little sprites. I should have weeded them out centuries ago, but that damn queen and her spell still continue to make my efforts fruitless. I hate goodie two shoes like her. She reminds me far too much of Celestia here. So where are your little friends…? Hiding in that rat hole with the rats themselves…?” it taunted.
“You’re a pretty big hypocrite if you’re trying to insult them for hiding. I can’t even see who I’m talking to.” Twilight countered.
The voice laughed at her. “You’re a fool Twilight Sparkle, for coming alone and not even realizing the truth that’s right in front of your face. I am not hiding… you’re looking right at me. The darkness that surrounds you and this chamber… all of it IS ME.” It announced as the shadows lashed out to grab her like tentacles of the legendary Slenderman. But the shadows dissipated the moment they got within a three foot radius of her. The voice hissed in pain as Twilight continued to step forward into the darkness a look of indifference plastered on her face.
“You call me a fool Tenebris, you call me blind for not seeing what is right in front of me. But you can’t even see the truth for yourself. Tell me oh great and powerful disembodied voice of the shadows, how one girl makes it through that labyrinth with little more than a map as her guide when every twist and turn is being haunted by the corrupted forms of the fairies you enslaved…? And speaking of it, where are they right now…? Shouldn’t they have rushed to your aid by now? Unless they’re all dead. Then I’d really suggest getting some better guards.” She taunted as she casually stepped through the shadows with them retreating from her every step.
Luna and Celestia watched this with their eyes wide. This wasn’t like Twilight, openly laughing in the face of danger… and how in Discord’s name was she dispelling those shadows like that?! The regal sisters were both very confused by the act, until they noticed something behind Twilight. Five shimmers faintly glowing behind her and a soft glow around Twilight herself that originated from a point around her neck. They both got a slow smile across their faces.
‘Twilight you mad genius…’
“You think I cannot just simply summon more of them?! You cannot destroy my creations! They just come back to me. Watch and learn your lesson impudent human, for if you want a display of power you shall receive one!” Tenebris roared its voice shaking the cavern around them. Like a great ocean the shadows rose up around Twilight and formed into beasts of terrifying proportions and swarmed around Twilight to overwhelm her. But something happened. Twilight just smiled and flicked her hand. One by one each of the beasts began to fall, and shortly after they did they would burst in a large flash of blue or pink light and retract into the waves of shadows once again. The voice hissed in frustration. “What trickery is this?! You are but one little girl! An infant by even human standards! How can you dispel my creations like they are mere insects?!” it roared once again shaking the ground in its fury as Twilight walked further into the heart of the shadows and her kept sending wave after wave of his minions at her only to have them fall and dissipate this time in more colors like Orange, Purple, and Red as well.
“I think you underestimated me, Celestia knew the potential I had the first time she saw me, I think sitting in this dark room all this time has blinded you Tenebris. If there’s one thing I can count on more than anything in this world it’s two things: My ability to strategize, organize, and use my magic to wipe the floor with whoever I am put up against… And for my friends to stay by my side even if we have to stare death right in the face.” She added as she reached the heart of the storm of darkness that enveloped the cavern. In the eye of the swirling storm sat a barren blackened tree that glowed with the very dark power that surrounded the cavern. And as soon as she stepped into the eye there was five shimmers of light behind her and one by one the cloaking spell the girls had been surrounded in faded leaving them standing around Twilight who’s hands now glowed with the purple aura of her magic, mirrored to her Rarity’s hands glowed with her own magic as she floated colorful glowing gems around her like orbiting planets. In the air Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash hovered a look of determination in both their eyes, on the ground Applejack and Pinkie Pie stood guarding the magic users, Applejack cracking her knuckles in a threatening manner and Pinkie giggling uncontrollably as she pulled a whip made of licorice from her hair and cracked it a few times at wisps of shadow that came near her. Around each of their necks was a glowing white crystal not unlike the one that hung around Celestia’s neck.
“Mother…” Celestia whispered in surprise. As if in response the crystal around her own neck glowed a little brighter for a second.
“You know Tenebris, I came in here actually thinking you would do better than this… that would do something more than just taunt me and call me a child. That you’d be smart enough to see past my façade. But I’ve been wrong before, not often, but it happens. Oh. And I forgot to mention something rather important. While we’ve been standing here distracting you my brother, who by the was also here the entire time, has been untying your hostages and they should be free right about… now.” She said looking at an imaginary watch on her wrist. There was two thuds in the distance and in a blinding flash of light Celestia and Luna walked straight through the storm their full forms returned as they each now wore a necklace similar to the ones the girls wore. Spike ran up beside them grinning widely.
“Dude, you messed with the wrong girls.” He chastised tsking a little as he shook his head. “And I’m not too happy about it either. But Celestia and Luna are the ones you tried to kill so we’ll be letting them take it from here.” He stated as he walked over to his sister who ruffled his hair with a smile. The shadowy tree shook a little as the sisters approached it.
“N-now girls… we can discuss this like rational beings right…?” it chuckled nervously. Celestia and Luna exchanged a glance between themselves before they smiled and nodded.
“Of course Tenebris, we’re fair rulers after all, so we’ll handle this just like we would any criminal in Canterlot. Miss Sparkle, what are the charges against the defendant…?” Celestia asked her protégé. Twilight giggled a little.
“5,000 counts of forceful enslavement, destruction of royal property, endangerment of both High Princesses, child abuse, and over all, to quote Pinkie here, being a big fat meanie.” She replied informatively.
“And what, pray tell, is the standard punishment for the listed crimes…?” Luna asked in turn.
“At minimum…? Righteous execution by the light of the burning day. At maximum…? A trip to your private torture chambers Princess.” She replied with a small smile crossing her face.
Luna looked up at her sister. “Seeing as we lack my private dungeons here on the island I say we go with your method.” She informed her sister. Celestia got a rather demonic smile across her face as her free flowing hair blew in the unseen solar winds that carried it started to turn pure white as her eyes did the same.
“My favorite… Pinkie, you may want to provide the sunglasses, this is going to get intense.” She warned the girl. Pinkie quickly passed out eclipse glasses to all of her friends that blacked out almost all of the light that was starting to fill the chamber. Even then they each still winced a little at it.
A shrill cry of pain echoed through the temple and the entire island as well as every shadow and dark speck was eliminated and forcefully burned away by Celestia’s intense show of power. Pinkie held out a box of popcorn kernels which popped in the intense waves of heat and light that washed over them. She then produced stick of butter and put it atop the popped corn and let it melt and seep its way through them all before she popped a handful into her mouth still watching the spectacle before them.
When the light faded again the shadows were all gone and the once barren blackened tree was now slowly glowing with a white light, from each of the tiny lights leaves grew along the branches and filled out the entire tree with lush sparkling lights that glowed a different hue of color forming a beautiful sight that looked like a tree made of shining Christmas lights. But just as the light was receding more began to form on the branches, beautiful flowers that glowed in just as many verities as the leaves bloomed and slowly started to change like a fast forwarded film of growing fruit. But to their great astonishment it was not fruit that grew from the tree, but delicious looking confections and pastries like cakes, pies, donuts, candy, tarts, pastries, and much much more.
When the blinding light was gone the girls and Spike removed their glasses and Pinkie Pie collapsed to her knees the popcorn bucket spilled beside her as she wept at the sight of the tree.
“It’s… it’s the Lignum Sancti dulcia… Granny Pie said it was only a legend… a tree of holy light that grew the most heavenly sweets in the universe… As if they were made by the creator herself… It’s… so beautiful…” she wept burying her face in her hands.
Celestia smiled at it as the rest of the girls all stood jaws dropped in shock and confusion. Dash’s eyes were slowly starting to burn. “We went through all that trouble… got attacked by countless monsters… nearly killed by hundreds of traps, and had to fight the big boss of it all… AND IT TURNS OUT TO BE A FREAKING FAUST DAMNED CAKE TREE?!?!” She roared her eyes like magenta flames ready to burn the tree to the ground.
Celestia smiled as she walked up to the tree and picked a particularly brightly colored glowing cupcake. “Not just a cake tree Rainbow Dash, these confections ARE made by my mother. They’re imbued with special magic that has odd effects on the one who consumes it. All good of course, but it can sometimes be quite silly. Mother had a good sense of humor after all.” She explained as she bit into the cupcake and her soft white wings started to change from color to color slowly fading from one to the next. She brought them forward and giggled. “That kind of tickles.” She mused before she looked to the group. “As a reward for you all saving us I’ll grant you access to the tree. Just be warned that the effects of whatever you eat last for a full 24 hours.” She warned. Pinkie of course was the first to rush to the tree hugging it’s trunk tightly.
“I love you… I promise I will never leave you my darling…!” She proclaimed her cheek rubbing against its soft bark. She inhaled deeply. “Even your trunk smells like the sweetest chocolate~!” she squealed. She climbed up the trunk like a cat and nimbly picked off the first sweet she came into contact with, which just so happened to be a cupcake similar to Celestia’s. She bit into it and her eyes widened into the size of saucers. She fell from the tree frozen like a statue as the universe flashed before her eyes like a rainbow of sheer beauty and knowledge.
Applejack stood over her friend who was now as much as a statue as Discord was. “Uhhhhh, Princess, is that supposed ta happen…?” she asked pointing at the pink haired girl.
“No, but I’m confident Pinkie will recover given time. The first human to try one of these had a similar reaction, and with her natural affinity for sweets I can imagine eating anything from the Lignum Sancti dulcia would incapacitate her for a bit. It’s about the equivalent of you finding the legendary Golden Apple and getting to take a bite.” Luna responded in her sister’s stead as she picked a moon pie from the tree and bit into it her body shivering as she did so and then her explorer’s outfit changing into a rather stunning cape made of shimmering stars and galaxies. Luna inspected it with amusement. “Ooooh, I think I’ll keep this one~” she hummed in glee twirling around and watching it fan out with her. The others slowly approached the tree choosing their own sweets to take.
Applejack of course found an apple pie slice and took a tentative bite to test it. It was amazing, better than her Grannies even and her special talent WAS making apple related baked goods! No one in Equestria could compete with hers. But this wasn’t Equestria and this Pie was literally out of this world. She devoured the remainder out if it before her skin started to prickle and she looked down at it to see that the freckles along her skin had started to come to life and move like a school of fish along her skin forming amusing shapes and patterns and moving across her body as they pleased. She couldn’t help but giggle at the sight as she looked for something else apple related on the tree.
Rarity carefully selected a rather scrumptious looking lemon bar from one of the lower hanging branches and removed it gently with her magic before moving it to her mouth to take a careful bite. A soft moan of delight escaped her lips as she tasted it and she quickly found herself eating the remainder of the bar with rather un lady like ravenous bites. She felt her body tingle and she looked down to see that her skin had become like smooth sparkling diamonds, her every inch shone perfectly like a thousand little twinkles, not unlike the beautiful tree itself. She smiled at the result and inspected herself with admiration an excited glee she hadn’t had since she’d received her first dress up trunk as a little girl.
Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew up to the top of the tree to try and see if there were better choices on the higher branches. Rainbow was quick to spot something and Flutters was the same, but they weren’t a favorite of their own but rather the other’s. Both of them picked it and turned to the other.
“Hey Flutters/Dashie look what I found!” they announced each holding out the confection for the other to see. They stopped and giggled when they realized their twin like thinking had caught them off guard again. They handed each other the treat, for Dash it was a Strawberry cupcake with rainbow frosting and for Fluttershy it was a cone of butterscotch ice cream, and thanked the other for their gift before digging into it. The taste made both sets of wings jolt open in shock but they were quick to lazily float in bliss as the flavors rolled around in their mouths and lazy grins plastered their faces. What they didn’t realize was that in their dazed state Fluttershy grew two soft pink cat ears and a long fluffy matching tail, while Dash got cyan wolf ears and a matching bushy tail that wagged with her content feelings. They only realized the change when they opened their eyes again and saw one another and burst into a fitting fit of giggles.
Twilight watched her friends with amusement until she felt a nudge at her side and turned to the side only to see a wall of person in her way. She looked up to see the familiar, yet more grown up, face of her brother grinning at her as he sucked on lollipop and held out a grape popsicle to her. “You look kinda small now Twilight.” He mused his voice much deeper now that he was older. He had to be the same height as AJ’s brother but he wasn’t as thickly built. That wasn’t to say he wasn’t muscular, because he was very well toned but still slim. Every trace of baby fat was gone from him as he smiled down at her. She blinked in surprise but took the offered popsicle. He grinned and looked down to fully inspect himself. “I hope this is how I’ll really look when I get older. I could get used to looking down at you like this.” He chuckled. He noticed Rarity and the others staring at him and smiled a little bit flexing for show. “Like what you see ladies~?”he asked playfully wiggling his eyebrows. Twilight elbowed him in the stomach.
“Put a lid on it Romeo, you’re still only eight years old and you won’t look like this until I’m old and grey.” She reminded him as she stuck the popsicle into her mouth. Her eyes widened and glowed slightly. She was surrounded by a powerful wind of magic that matched the color of the popsicle and she felt herself become incased in it. When she was lowered back to the ground she looked at herself to find nothing too different but then she felt eyes on her and she looked around confused by her friends stares. “What…? What did it do…?!” she asked feeling her face with her hands and moving them across her body until she reached around to her back and felt something thin and veil like on her fingers.. and she felt her fingers touching it as well. She turned her head to see a rather large pair of lavender colored fairy wings fluttering on her back. Her eyes widened as she tested them out hovering in the air slightly. “Well that’s an interesting development… I didn’t know people could become fairies.” She stated sucking a little more on the popsicle as she continued to hover there.
Rainbow Dash flew over quickly her tail wagging happily. “Twilight’s got wings! Awesome! I’ve got a new flying buddy!” she declared excitedly. Fluttershy flew up beside them to inspect the wings.
“I don’t think she’ll be able to keep up with you with these. She’ll be able to hover and fly softly but they don’t look like they’d be able to fly very fast. They’re delicate.” She explained to her brash friend her tail slowly flicking back and forth. Rainbow frowned slightly.
“Aw man… Oh well, they still look awesome Twi.” Dash stated doing figure eights in the air as Twilight continued eating her Popsicle slowly.
“Hey, speaking of fairies shouldn’t Avery’s mamma be free now that the big bad shadow thingy is gone…?” Pinkie asked popping up from behind Fluttershy who jolted from the sudden appearance of the curly haired girl. The others all blinked in thought and the two sisters in confusion.
“The Fairy queen was imprisoned…?” they asked the group.
Twilight bit her lip slightly. “Well… not exactly… We’ll just have them explain. The rest of the fairies should be free of the curse as well. Spike, can you…?” she asked her now tall brother. He nodded and slammed his foot to the ground opening a large hole in it. Those with wings flew into the opening, the two earthbound merely leapt into it trusting their sturdiness to grant them safe landing. That left Rarity and Spike standing in the room. He smiled at her and offered is hand she smiled and did a small curtsey before taking it. He scooped her up and jumped down into the hole letting it close behind him as he fell. He landed with a big thud beside the others in the center of the gold covered room. He set Rarity down and looked around. It was an astonishing sight to say the least, to see thousands of colorful glowing human sized fairies fluttering around lazily around the now brightly glowing crystal on the ceiling they had just come from. The crystals around their necks, save Celestia's, all glowed and lifted off their necks and floated up to the crystal remitting with it. Slowly a single white drop of light formed at the tip of the crystal and descended to the floor below slowly. It hovered just above the gold covered floor and swirled like a small vortex of liquid light. Slowly it formed into a tall human like silhouette and like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon for the first time dazzling white wings of light unfolded from her sides as she was lowered to the ground her dainty feet making contact with the cool surface. As her full form faded into existence.
She was a beautiful woman, built very similarly to Celestia, minus the enchanted crest gifted to magic users. Her fair skin was more akin to Luna’s pale complexion, but the silvery white hair that rippled down her shoulders and pooled around her ankles and seemed to have its own magic carrying it reminded one of a rippling pool of moonlight. When she opened her eyes they were the most perfect shade of blue that would have made an ocean seethe with jealousy. All together she looked to be the embodiment of beauty and grace. Her eyes did not first lock onto the group who stood directly in front of her, but instead upwards to where a smaller white light was following to where she stood. Her voice was like nature itself whispering into their ears, beautiful and harmonic to anyone who heard it. This woman was every much a goddess as the solar and lunar monarch’s.
“Avery, my son… look how you have grown. Come to me child.” She commanded opening her gentle welcoming arms to the child. He didn’t hesitate to rush forward silvery tears running down his face as he rushed into her arms.
“Mother…! I’ve missed you so… it felt so long mother! Fifteen hundred years mother! I could feel you with me always but without your embrace… I grew more and more concerned for you every day mother. You felt so weak… it scared me mother…” he confessed burying his face in her neck as she held him tightly smiling gently and rubbing his back as tears of her own fell on his soft golden hair.
“I’m here now Avery… I always will be. I will never leave you again. I thank you for being so strong for our people. It is thanks to you that I am free now. Well… you and these kind souls here.” She mused acknowledging the presence of the humans at last. She smiled as she looked at the regal sisters. “Don’t you think you two should take vacations more often…? It would have solved this issue long ago if you did so more often than once every couple thousand years.” She giggled at the two sisters who blushed a little and scratched their chins. Luna raised her hand.
“To be fair Tianna I was not on this earth for quite some time. So you can put the last thousand years on Tia, not I.” she quickly defended by shoving the blame to her sister.
“Hey! I was the one who suggested we take a trip out here before you were banished and you rejected every time…!” Celestia countered. Luna winced a little at that and the six girls and now grown dragon hybrid watched the two bicker back and forth for a little while before they were interrupted by a giggle from the fairy queen herself.
“I can see your arguments have not changed despite the times. But if I may interrupt I would like to be introduced to your interesting group of friends.” Tianna mused motioning towards the odd group of Lignum Sancti dulcia effected humans.
“Oh… The winged one with the rainbow hued hair is called Rainbow Dash, the wide eyed one floating beside her is Fluttershy, the human gemstone fanning herself is Rarity, the blonde with living freckle patterns is Applejack, the other earthbound who’s been defying every law of physics this universe has by zipping to every corner of this treasure cove in a few split seconds is Pinkie Pie. You shall learn not to question her with time.” Luna explained just as the pink haired girl popped up from behind the Queen and waved smiling cheerfully before hopping away to stand beside her friends. Celestia put a gentle hand on Twilight’s shoulder.
“And this is my personal protégé Twilight Sparkle and her younger brother Spike. He’s recently had a helping of an aging-pop so he looks a lot older than he actually is.” She added as she tapped both of them on the backs, Spike bowed deeply and Twilight curtsied to the queen.
“Oh my, very well-mannered aren’t they…? But Celeste… I couldn’t help but think I heard a bit of that wrong… did you say this young girl is your protégé…? I thought after Starswirl you-“
“I made an exception with her.” Celestia interrupted quickly. “She is… special. And her sharp mind is the envy of many in our kingdom; even some of our advanced mages often compliment her on her apt study abilities and magical prowess.” She explained puffing her chest a little in pride while Twilight blushed and lowered her head a little so that her eyes were covered by her bangs.
“P-Princess… you’re embarrassing me…” she breathed whining slightly.
“Oh chin up Twilight, you’ve never been one to shy away from compliments before. Let your old mentor have a little fun praising you.” She mused patting her shoulder gently. Twilight looked up and carefully met her mentors eyes before her gaze flickered to Tianna’s and she smiled softly.
“I-it’s really nothing your highness. I only did what anyone would have in my position.” She explained rubbing her arm a little.
A scoff behind her came and soon she felt an arm snake around her shoulders as Dash stood beside her grinning.
“Just because they WOULD have helped Twilight doesn’t mean that they COULD have!” Dash snickered. AJ rounded her other side leaning on her tipping her hat a little.
“Ah ain’t ever seen anyone throw together a plan like that so fast, yet alone that would work so well!” She chuckled. Rarity strolled up beside her smiling.
“Or someone who could have provided so much magic for that cloaking spell, enchanted a map, and used shards of the greater crystal to create a bubble of curse free zone for each of us.” Rarity added a gentle wink cast Twilights way.
“Or been able to include all of us in that super-duper easy way to take out all those shadows while we made our way to the main chamber! Using me like a Seismograph to tell when the shadows were coming and then having spikey wikey nail them with his fire and them me or Flutters would finish them off!” Pinkie exclaimed as she popped up behind Twilight and rested her folded arms on her head grinning brightly.
“You did much more then you give yourself credit for Twilight… you were amazing.” Fluttershy added as she silently slipped beside Dash. Twilight’s cheeks were almost glowing now as she looked from each one of her friends. Then she felt herself lifted from the ground and hoisted up to meet Spike in the eyes.
“And there’s no way any of us are gonna let you say you were anything less than a total bad ass when you stared down Tenebris. Give it up Twi, you’re not going to win this one.” He chuckled as he held his ‘big’ sister out in front of him like a purple kitten. She groaned and facepalmed.
“Oh you are all impossible… fine, I’m incredibly sharp witted and I can make a decent battle plan, but you all are the ones who did most of the work. And I couldn’t have done it without all of you. Including you Queen Tianna. It was your spell that protected us against Tenebris. You kept us safe above all else. And for that I thank you.” Twilight stated with a smile at the Queen. But the queen held up her hand and shook her head a smile of her own formed on her face.
“You owe your victory over the shadow to yourself alone Twilight Sparkle. Although I do admire your humility it is alright to take credit where credit is due. You helped me reunite with my son and brought my subjects back from their curse unharmed. That is more than I could have ever hoped. You and your friends are welcome in this temple any time you wish. How long will you all be staying on this island…?” she inquired.
“They are here on a much needed vacation from their school work. We will be staying for the remainder of the week. Which is five more days by the way. You are welcome to join us in the house if you wish.” Celestia offered to the queen.
“LEAVE the temple…?! Celestia my dear I believe you’ve grown a tad delusional in your time with the mortals. I am the queen, I cannot simply abandon my people and my temple to be left unguarded…! What if the shadows return…?!” Tianna fretted holding her son a little closer as she did so.
Celestia burst out laughing as did Luna both of them throwing their heads back as they did so and leaned on each other for support as hysterics took them over and their eyes began to water.
“Oh… oh that was rich… You almost killed me there Tianna. Those shadows are gone, for good. I literally burned them out of existence. Discord himself can’t even bring back something that has completely ceased to exist. It’s impossible. The treasure is secure, your people and son are all alive and well, and your temple is now physically incapable of housing evil. You’ve been working in this temple for almost six thousand years. I think you’ve earned a vacation.” Celestia laughed as she patted the Fairy Queen on her shoulder gently. “If it makes you feel any better the invitation is open to your son as well. Spike could use a playmate his age… well once he shrinks back to normal size.” She added looking over at the tall man-child. Tianna’s perfect blue eyes looked from Celestia to her son and then up to the mass of her subjects that still hovered around them high in the air.
“Well… what do all of you say…?” she asked them curiously. The fairies all looked at one another and then a group of them quickly flew down and shoved their Queen and prince towards the humans.
“Take them and don’t let them come back until they’ve had a proper vacation.” The mass of fairies ordered. Tianna looked stunned and Avery was grinning up at her.
“I probably should have warned you that our people have grown quite out spoken in your absence mother. I ordered them to do such since I did not like being treated as royalty all the time. They’ve grown accustom to it.” He explained with a sheepish grin as he fluttered out of her arms and floated in front of her. She blinked a few times before she sighed and shook her head smiling.
“Oh alright… I could do with a tan…” she commented looking at her pale glowing skin. Celestia and Luna grinned grabbing one of her arms each.
“Excelent! And we’ve still got three hours until sunset…! Come, we shall catch some rays together and I shall tell you all about this modern world! We’ll begin with the most interesting development of the century… the Internet.” “Luna cheered as she literally dragged the fairy forward and out of the room heading towards the exit. Avery floated up beside Spike’s head.
“Spike… is my mom going to be alright…?” he asked cautiously eyeing where he saw the three goddesses disappear. Spike blew a razzberry and waved his hand dismissively.
“She’ll be fine, come on Avery, I’ve got to introduce you to the wide wide world of gaming.” He mused as he set the fairy child on his shoulders and ran towards where Luna and Celestia had dragged Tianna. The remaining six girls followed after them a spring in each of their steps… or flaps since Rainbow Dash had pretty much refused to land since she had regained use of her wings.
One thing was agreed amongst all of them while they exited the temple. They had all had enough adventure to last them for months to come, and the remainder of their time on vacation would be used to relax and possibly sail to the exotic cities that surrounded them to see the sights and get some souvenirs. Yes, even Pinkie Pie agreed there had been too much excitement crammed into one day for it to be healthy. The group consensus was to spend the following day sleeping in and then going out for a day on the town.
“But where do we go…?” Fluttershy asked sheepishly.
Twilight thought for a few seconds tapping her chin as she did so. “Well… we’re within sailing distance of three different countries, Spain, Italy, and France. And almost all of their coastal cities possess cultural sites and wonderful shopping venues. I have a map in my room we could play traveling darts on to see where we should go.” Twilight offered.
“Traveling darts…? Is that the game where we toss darts at a map and go where it lands…?” Pinkie asked curiously.
“Yes, the Princess says she does it with the annual Noblemen Vacation trip. There’s actually been an astonishing number of trips to dangerous places like Tasmania and Africa in the last few years… Twilight noted with a small giggle. “I think she cheats somehow and is trying to get rid of the nobles for as long as she can. Probably also why she hasn’t gone on a vacation with them in so long.” She noted.
“Well I for one couldn’t care less where we go, although I would simply LOVE if we could visit Paris~” Rarity sang happily her eyes glittering under the sunlight as they emerged from the temple and back into the jungle. “Oh curses… I’d forgotten all about this dreadful place. Do we really have to walk all the way back to the house…?” Rarity whined. Applejack flinched out of instinct. After being forced to listen to her complaints all day the last thing she wanted was to hear more.
“Can’t ya just teleport back ta the house using one of your fancy gemstones…?” AJ countered looking at the fashionista. She blinked and pulled out a glowing purple gem and tossed it a little in her palm.
“A fantastic idea Applejack, and with Twilight’s help I’d bet I can get us all back in one trip~” she announced with a wink at the farmer and offering a hand to Twilight. Twilight smiled and charged her hand with magic.
“Not a problem. All of you hold onto your hats! This might get ugly.” She admitted as she charged the gem. There was a quick rush and a small squee as they all disappeared in a bright flash.
***~~~AN: In case it wasn't made clear by the constant presence of motherly figures in this chapter, this was made in celebration of Mother's Day. That and I had a very... Detailed dream the other night involving these girls and a cursed temple... It worked well and I needed a filler chapter before the next one so I wrote this and now I give it out to you all. That and my own mother gave me a few inspirations for jokes in this so if you found it funny you can direct your praise to Mamma bear. Now then, I'm going to the movies to see Iron Man 3 because my mother needs her dose of Robert Downing Jr. Happy Mothers Day. -Shadow ~~~***