//------------------------------// // 2 - The Crystal Mine // Story: Trixie Through Time // by Yukito //------------------------------// Trixie groaned as she rubbed her eye, and glared at the door on the other side of the room, which was a blur at the moment, as her eyes were squinting whilst they got used to the morning sun. Last night, she had very vocally protested to spending the night in the castle, but after Inkie insisted on staying there, and thus threatening that Trixie would have to walk home all by herself, she stayed. She had almost grown to accept the situation, as she found the bed very much to her liking. It was the most comfortable thing she had ever slept on, and there was so much room, so she could roll around to her heart’s content until she was comfortable. Not having her stuffed bear ‘Orion’ with her was a downside, but the warm, soft bedcovers wrapped around her and the fluffy pillows beneath her head, allowed her the most comfortable night she had had in a long time. And the dream that followed was very nice, too. What was now causing her to regret all this was that now, she had to get up. She had convinced herself five times now that she was going to, but every single time, the door would just seem too far away for her to even bother, and she would simply drop back down onto the mattress again. “Sixth time’s the charm,” Trixie said as she willed all the muscles in her back in order to sit up. It was working… It was working! It was… totally not working at all, and Trixie quickly gave up with a defeated sigh. And then a relieved one. This bed was just so darn comfortable. “Maybe five more minutes…” As Trixie closed her eyes, a vision of her future self laying dead on the stone floor in front of her passed through her mind. Her eyes shot open again, and the showmare practically jolted out of bed and ran straight for the connected to her room. She wasn’t aware that Inkie was already in there, taking a shower, but that didn’t stop her anyway. She headed straight for the sink, and emptied her stomach into it. “Oh Celestia!” Inkie shouted as she shut off the water, and climbed out of the tub to run over to Trixie. “Are you okay?” “F-Fine…” Trixie said, raising her head and gagging a little as some trace amount of vomit was still caught in her throat. “Must’ve been something I ate…” Inkie gasped, and quickly began cursing herself mentally. “I’m so sorry! I thought my cooking had got better! I didn’t think it’d-” Trixie immediately cut her off. “N-No! It wasn’t that! It was… Trixie pictured her death… Apparently, that’s not a good thing to do first thing in the morning.” “Oh…” Inkie shifted about nervously on the spot. “Was it… gruesome?” “… It looked like Trixie had just been on the receiving end of a rather harsh beating.” Time seemed to slow down for Inkie, and she slowly opened her mouth to ask: “Do you… think it was murder?” Trixie only nodded in response, before falling completely silent, and staring down at the floor with what seemed to be a look of fear. Inkie placed her wet forehoof on Trixie’s, and gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Trixie. We’re going to stop it. We will.” Trixie smiled back, and then used her magic to switch on the sink’s faucet, washing her vomit down the drain. “Thanks… Uh, sorry for interrupting your shower.” Inkie blinked, and then suddenly remembered that she was still soaking wet. She felt a shiver down her spine, and her entire body shook in response. Trixie giggled, and turned off the faucet when she was done. “Trixie will let you finish. But don’t take too long, okay?” Inkie, her face now red as Trixie began to leave, nodded. “Feathermay’s already up and about,” she informed Trixie. “She’s in the kitchen, helping the chefs make breakfast.” Trixie nodded back, and left the bathroom, making sure to close the door on the way out. “Honestly… Where does Feathermay get all that energy?” After a quick shower and some breakfast, Trixie, Inkie, and Feathermay were led to the palace library by some Royal Guards, where they were met by Princess Cadance, who looked a little too eager to start their quest for knowledge. “Don’t you have Royal duties to attend to?” Trixie asked as soon as they arrived, bowing simply so that the guards leading her wouldn’t be at her throat. “Good morning, Your Highness,” Inkie said, bowing with a bit more sincerity, along with Feathermay. “Good morning, everypony. And don’t worry about my Royal duties,” she said to Trixie. “Today’s my day off.” “Do Princesses even have days off?” Feathermay asked, giving the Princess a curious look. “Well, not officially,” Cadance admitted. “But we are permitted to take special days, such as birthdays, anniversaries, and funerals, off, providing that there are no crises happening at the time. And today happens to be my birthday!” “Oh. Well, happy birthday! Sorry I don’t have anything.” Cadance giggled. “It’s okay, Miss Feathermay. Just seeing my subjects in such high spirits is enough for me.” “And, you’re really okay with spending your birthday helping a bunch of random ponies find some books?” Trixie asked. “Actually, I’m as interested in the crystal mine as you are. Though, for different reasons, of course. I asked Celestia about it last night, and she said it might be a good idea for me to go with you and investigate it. That it would be a valuable learning experience for me.” “First, we need to find some information on it,” Trixie said. “The future Trixie also gave Trixie some numbers. One, five, seven, and three. They clearly hold some sort of significance, so-” “One, five, seven, and three,” Cadance cut off, putting a hoof to her chin in thought. “They don’t ring any bells… But, let’s see what we find, okay? In particular, Celestia mentioned five books that we should look into. I’ve already found one of them.” Cadance levitated a book over to Trixie. A History of Mining in Equestria was its title. “Chapter eight is where all the information on the crystal mine is.” Trixie nodded, and took the book into her own magic. “Trixie will give this a thorough read then. Inkie, Feathermay, could you see about finding the other books?” The two friends nodded. “Sure thing,” Inkie said. “You got it!” Feathermay answered enthusiastically, saluting as she took to the air. “I’ll search all the high shelves, I guess.” Trixie, smiling, took the book over to a nearby table, and opened it up to the chapters mentioned by Cadance. “Now, let’s see what we’ve got here…” “Advisor Wind Whistler, General Firefly, and Ambassador Bright Eyes… These three names pop up fairly often,” Trixie noted, flipping over to the next page in her book. “Those are the ponies that erased racial segregation in Equestria, right?” Inkie asked, reading her own book quite intently. “They’re also mentioned a lot in here, too.” Cadance nodded as she put down her own book. “The three of them saved many Earth Pony slaves from being forced to dig out the crystals beneath Canterlot. Many of those Earth Ponies were then employed fairly under Bright Eyes, and the crystal mine changed from a place of horror for those ponies, to a nice working environment that they actually looked forward to visiting.” “So they look up to them, then,” Trixie observed. “Hmmm… Something about them feels strange to me…” “In what way?” “Trixie can’t put her hoof on it. It’s just, whenever she sees a picture of them, something starts screaming out to her. In any case, it seems that there isn’t much useful information in these books. There are a few maps that we could make use of.” “There are also details about how to navigate the mine safely,” Feathermay said. “That seems pretty important, if you ask me.” Trixie closed her book as soon as she was finished reading it. That was the last one, and she was still no closer to solving this whole mystery. It was time to stop reading now, and head straight into the lion’s den. “We’ll take these books with us, in case we discover something important whilst we’re there.” “So, we’re heading out then?” Feathermay asked, to which Trixie nodded as she levitated the five books towards herself. “Well then,” Cadance began, “May I ask that you all wait here for a moment? Celestia told me that there are some objects that we should take with us if we are to investigate the crystal mine.” “‘Some objects’?” Inkie asked. “Yes. Some sort of keys to unlock the mine.” “This book mentions something about that,” Trixie said, opening a thick green book up to a certain page. “‘When set alone, the Elements are but stone. But when combined through harmony and light, the door shall answer thy wishers’ plight’.” “Yeeeeah, I kinda just skimmed that bit,” Feathermay admitted, scratching the back of her head as she ran the passage through her head. “What the heck’s that mean, anyway?” “Why exactly did ponies back then love riddles so much?” Inkie asked with a sigh. “When thinking of ‘Elements’, there are three possibilities,” Trixie said. “‘The four elements’, the elements of the periodic table, and the ‘Elements of Harmony’.” “It could also be a metaphor,” Cadance pointed out. “In any case, we won’t know until we look, right?” As Cadance rose and walked past the three mares to leave the room, she stopped by Inkie Pie and leaned down to whisper: “That goes for love, too.” Inkie’s face turned red, and she quickly turned to ask the Princess what she was talking about, but Cadance was already on her way out of the room. “What’d she say?” Trixie asked, packing the last book into her saddlebags. “Hm? Oh, nothing! Nothing important, anyway…” Trixie tilted her head as she regarded Inkie with a confused look on her face. However, it wasn’t the first time that Inkie had acted weird, so she simply shrugged and decided not to pay it any more mind. “So, does anypony else think Trixie might end up being killed by like a cave-in or something?” Feathermay asked, resting her chin on her hooves as she waited for Cadance to return. “I mean, how else would an old abandoned mine like that cause somepony’s death?” “Why would Trixie travel back in time, just to send herself to her own death?” Trixie asked, staring dumbfounded at Feathermay, who simply shrugged in response. “But perhaps you raise a valid point. We should send a canary down there first to make sure it’s safe. Or, if we can’t find one, some other type of winged animal.” Feathermay quickly folded her wings to her side. “You know, I think that if the Princess is going down there, it should be safe enough.” “This is actually kind of exciting, if you think about it,” Inkie said. “It’s been a long time since ponies have been down there, and we get to go with the Princess of the Crystal Empire. Not only that, but it’s kind of like going on some epic adventure together, don’t you think?” “Yeah,” Feathermay said, smiling as she sat up straight and looked between her two friends. “Hey, maybe we should pack a lunch before we go!” “This isn’t exactly some friendly picnic we’re going on,” Trixie said. “C’mon! If we’re together, it’ll feel like one, right? Besides, shouldn’t we cherish the times we spend together while we’re young?” Trixie considered it for a moment, and then smiled as she leaned back in her chair. “Well, I guess you’re right. After all, Trixie might not even be here next week.” Feathermay’s face fell, and she cursed herself as her smile fell to a frown. “I-I didn’t mean it like that, Trixie. Of course you’ll be here next week…” Inkie leaned forward, and kicked Trixie’s leg under the table to gather her attention. She gave Trixie a stern look silently for a few moments. Trixie got the message, and kicked back. “Trixie was joking,” she said, turning to Feathermay. “Of course we’re going to get through this. Trixie trusts you two well enough, after all we’ve been through.” Feathermay sighed in disbelief, and shook her head as she laughed quietly to herself. “Unbelievable. You really should stop with the comedy, Trixie. You’re just terrible at it.” Inkie giggled, and nodded in agreement. “That really was in poor taste, Trixie. Even if you’re completely confident, we still don’t appreciate you making jokes like that.” Trixie crossed her forelegs, and turned her head to pout. “Forgive Trixie for trying to lighten the mood! Maybe you two shouldn’t have tagged along in the first place!” The three friends laughed together for a while, before being interrupted by Cadance’s return. She smiled warmly at the display of friendship before her, and approached the group with a blue box in her magical aura. “Sorry for the delay,” she said. “It’s quite fine, Your Highness,” Inkie said. “Please, just ‘Cadance’.” Inkie nodded. “Er, right. Cadance.” “What’s in that box, then?” Trixie asked, reaching a hoof forward to examine it. The wandering hoof was batter away by Inkie, who quickly gave Trixie a stern look, to tell her not to touch it without asking first. “Trixie’s just curious, that’s all!” Cadance lowered the box onto the table, and opened it up with her magic. “It’s these,” she said, pulling out three small, spherical rocks from within. “Celestia said that these are the keys that we’ll need to get into the lower mines. The area that even Queen Chrysalis was unable to reach. If there’s anything worth investigating, it will be down there. That’s what she told me.” “Rocks are the key?” Feathermay asked, staring at the rocks with a sceptical look on her face. “What, are they magical or something?” “I don’t know,” Cadance admitted. “But I trust Celestia’s words, so I’m sure that we’ll find out when we get there.” “What are these symbols?” Trixie asked, taking one of the rocks into her magic and bringing it closer to examine it. “This one has the letter ‘I’ on it.” Inkie examined the other two rocks. “This one has the letter ‘V’ on it,” she noted, pointing at one of the rocks. “And the final one has both a ‘V’ and two ‘I’s.” Cadance nodded, and levitated a small brown bag up into the air to store the rock in. “Celestia told me that the symbols are representative of the ponies that created them.” “And those are?” Feathermay asked, but Cadance only shook her head in response. “You don’t know?” “Celestia said that we would have to figure that out for ourselves. She said that, if we cannot, then it means we were not meant to access the deeper areas of the crystal mine.” “Did you happen to tell her that a pony’s life is at stake?” Trixie asked. Cadance bit her lower lip, and turned her head away. “She… I-It’s a sensitive subject, so I… didn’t bring it up.” Trixie raised an eyebrow, and was about to pursue the question further, before being interrupted by Feathermay. “Hey, we were thinking of taking a lunch with us! D’you think you could wait for us a bit, before we leave?” A smile graced Cadance’s face once more, and she turned her attention to Feathermay. “That sounds like a wonderful idea! In fact, why don’t the four of us go make something together?” “Is that alright?” Inkie asked. “I mean, we’ve already imposed enough.” “It’s fine,” Cadance assured them. “You three are my honoured guests, after all. Come now, let’s not dawdle.” Cadance motioned for the three to rise, and follow her to the kitchen. She stored the bag filled with the rocks into her saddlebag, and handed the chest back to one of her guards for safekeeping. As she left the library with the three mares, a frown formed on the Princess’ face, which she did her best to hide from the ponies following her. ‘Celestia believes that destiny can’t be changed… But, for Trixie’s sake, I must prove her wrong. I’m sorry, Celestia, but I just cannot accept that answer. I cannot accept that there is no way to save her, without first doing all that I can to help her.’ The group of Trixie Lulamoon, Inkamena Pie, Feathermay, and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, were escorted by two Royal Guards, Piers and Helena, through the streets of Canterlot to where the supposed secret entrance to the crystal mine lay hidden somewhere in the city. As they passed, ponies bowed to their Princess, and gave curious looks to the strange company that she was keeping. “This should help Trixie’s image,” Trixie said. “Ponies see Trixie walking with the Princess, they’ll think she’s all chummy with the Royal family.” “And more ponies will want to see my art displays if they think the Princess has taken an interest in me,” Inkie said, smiling nervously as she tried to ignore the looks sent their way. “Though, I do wish these ponies would stop looking at me like that.” Trixie shrugged. “Better than looks of hate or condescension.” Feathermay picked up her pace to catch up to the Princess. “Hey, Cadance,” she whispered, “How far exactly is this ‘secret entrance’?” “It’s actually on the outskirts of the city. There are other entrances, but this is the only ‘real’ one. The one that was actually used back when the mine was in use. The other entrances don’t have proper pathways, so they’re not safe to traverse.” “Are you really sure it’s okay for us three to go there? I mean, you didn’t tell Princess Celestia about why we need to go, right?” “… Miss Feathermay, I’ll be honest with you, but please don’t tell Trixie.” Feathermay hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. “Celestia, she… she said that there’s no way to save Trixie. That time is not something that can be altered. But, I don’t believe that. I challenged Celestia’s word, betting that, with enough effort, the power of lover of friendship can change destiny. “Celestia accepted my challenge, and gave me permission to help the three of you, and… and asked me to save Trixie’s life.” Cadance sighed and shook her head. “She wants me to prove her wrong. She has no doubts that she’s right, but, some part of her wants her to be wrong. She wants to see Trixie saved just as much as I do.” Feathermay nodded. “I understand. I’ve never put much thought into the whole destiny thing, but one thing I do know, is that I won’t just sit back and do nothing when a pony is fighting for their life. Especially not my friend, y’know?” “And what do you value most about your friendships?” “That’s easy! Making ‘em laugh!” Feathermay brushed one of her wings against the Princess’ side, causing her to giggle involuntarily. Cadance had to motion for her guards to stand down, before they both tackled Feathermay to the ground. “And by the way, you can just call me Feathermay. In fact, I’d prefer it if you did. Never did care much for titles.” Feathermay retracted her wing, sparing the Princess from more of her tickle treatment. “I see. You don’t let such things as the past or the future bother you. You just want to make sure your friends are happy now, and that, in turn, makes you happy.” “Pretty much. Like, when Trixie came back to Canterlot some time ago, she was a total wreck. Not at all like the Trixie I remembered from my childhood, y’know. Don’t tell her this, but I actually took a lot of unauthorised time off of work, so that I could visit her and help her laugh again. In the end, I got fired… but it was totally worth it.” Cadance smiled. “You are a good friend, Feathermay. And I take it that Inkie and Trixie are also very close?” Feathermay rolled her eyes. “Inkie essentially saved Trixie’s life, by giving her a place to fall back to after her… issues. Trixie appreciates that, and values Inkie’s friendship more than she lets on.” “And Inkie values Trixie a lot more than just a friend, doesn’t she?” “Heh. As expected of the Princess of Luuuurve.” Feathermay and Cadance both giggled simultaneously. “Inkie never once left Trixie’s side the whole time that Trixie was bedridden.” “‘Bedridden’?” Feathermay waved her hoof dismissively. “Trixie simply refused to get out of bed for a few days. After that, she refused to leave the house for a few weeks. Anyway, point is, despite how difficult Trixie may have been, Inkie never once left her side. And Trixie, even though she can now afford a place of her own, still lives as Inkie’s roommate. That should give you an idea of just how grateful Trixie truly is to Inkie.” Cadance nodded. “Yes. Oh, it seems we’re here.” She stopped, followed by the three friends following her. The two guards leading them continued on through the empty field that they were in for a short while, before stopping at the foot of a watchtower. “Here it is. The watchtowers were built to hide this secret entrance.” “Really?” Trixie asked. “All that work, just to hide the entrance to the crystal mine?” “If Celestia deemed it necessary, then it must have been necessary,” Cadance said. “In any case, not even the guards normally stationed at these towers know of the secret entrance. That’s why we’ve had to call in a special squad to man this one today.” “There must be something down there that the Princess really doesn’t want us to know about,” Inkie said. Cadance shook her head. “I think that it’s more to protect the crystals that are down there. Now-a-days, we can harvest our crystals from the crystal mountain, and it is much safer, and easier to monitor. However, with the crystal mine, it is easier for ponies to sneak in and steal the crystals down there.” “Are the crystals really such a big deal?” Feathermay asked. “According to the books,” Trixie said. “The crystals can have immense magical properties, if they’re harvested and refined in certain ways.” “That’s right. Remember, the Crystal Heart itself was made from the same crystals mined here. We don’t want that kind of power to fall into just anypony’s hooves.” “I can certainly understand that,” Inkie said, feeling a little bit nervous now about visiting such a well-protected area. “The Princess must have a great deal of trust for us, if she’s allowing us to go down there.” “Or it’s just that she trusts her Royal Guard will have no problem dealing with us if we step out of line,” Trixie said, looking over to the two guards talking to the watchtower group with a grin on her face. “Don’t worry. I trust you all, and I won’t let any harm come to any of you.” Cadance smiled reassuringly at the three mares, two of which smiled back. Trixie, however, was still watching the guards as they made their return to the group. “We may now enter the crystal mine, Your Highness,” Helena reported, saluting to her Princess. “Thank you. Let us not waste any time, then.” Everypony resumed their walking, moving closer and closer to the watchtower that held the secret entrance to the crystal mine. The group descended down the large stone staircase leading down into the mine, taking care not to trip on the narrow steps, or slip on some of the water dripping down from the ceiling. Leading the group were the two guards, using torches embedded into their chest plates to light the way. They weren’t on alert for any enemies, but they did have their eyes open for sudden cave-ins and the like. Despite the lights already being supplied, Trixie didn’t want to go any further without her own light source. Therefore, as she walked, her horn was wrapped in a bright purple glow that reflected off of the sparkling walls all around her, illuminating the area for all to see. “There are certainly a lot of gems up here,” Inkie noted. “But, where are all the crystals?” “They’re further down,” Cadance explained. “The crystals are in the lower levels, locked away by a powerful seal. That’s where we’re heading. After the crystal mine was closed off, it was noted by the nobles of Canterlot that there were still many, many valuable gems on the upper levels. Eventually, that was closed off, too. But not for a while.” “Why close it off at all?” Trixie asked. “The crystals, Trixie can understand, but what’s wrong with harvesting gems?” “Ponies we’re curious about the lower levels, and why it was locked up. Some even tried to get inside, though it was naturally fruitless. In the end, Celestia closed off the mine, claiming that it had been completely dug out, and bribed off the curious nobles with some of the gems that still remained down here to drop the whole issue.” “The Princess, giving out bribes?” Inkie asked, shocked at what she was hearing. Cadance nodded. “To Celestia, wealth is a tool that should not be collected for one’s own benefit, but for the benefit of others. If all it takes is a few gems to keep the secret of the crystal mine safe, then she is not above paying off her subjects. Better than forcing them into silence, don’t you think?” “And yet, information about this place could still be found in a public library,” Trixie scoffed. “Yes… Celestia was quite embarrassed to learn that those books were just lying around for anypony to find. Just like when she found out that the Alicorn Amulet was resting in a shop here in Canterlot, right under her nose.” Trixie shuddered at the memory of the dark, brain-washing amulet, and slowed down a bit as images of her wielding it came flooding into her mind. She saw herself, wielding a whip in her magic, ordering ponies to carry her around, and make cakes a tall as Canterlot castle for her. Suddenly, the feel of another’s fur against her own caused the showmare to snap out of it, and look to her left. There, she saw Inkie walking closely beside her, giving a reassuring smile and connecting her forehoof with Trixie’s. Trixie smiled back, and already felt her heart at ease once more, now that she had her friend by her side. “… So, you know about that?” “Only bits and pieces. I’m sorry if I brought up painful memories. That wasn’t my intention, I was merely trying to get the point across that even Celestia has a difficult time managing an entire kingdom. Many things slip under her radar, even here in Canterlot. In fact, especially here. Many of the Royal Guard are too sure of their own abilities, that it is easy for something bad to slip in unnoticed.” Cadance giggled as the two guards leading the group glanced back momentarily. “No, not you two. You are two of our finest guards. However, Shining has had many a rant about how his troops are too relaxed, just because they are here in Canterlot.” “Man, so many gems,” Feathermay said, her eyes wide as she admired the beautiful, sparkling gemstones all around her. “And we didn’t have to break any boxes open…” “What?” Inkie asked. “One of her video games,” Trixie said, rolling her eyes. “What was it? ‘Dash’ something or other?” “‘Crash’,” Feathermay corrected. “And don’t pretend you aren’t interested! I saw you watching me play it quite intently the last you came over.” “Trixie has no idea what you’re talking about.” “Come to think of it,” Inkie started, “Vinyl mentioned something about you walking out of a game store the other week.” “Lies!” Trixie shouted, her horn’s light dimming down a bit to hide her red face. “Utter lies! The Great and Powerful Trixie grew out of such childish things a long time ago!” “That’s a shame,” Feathermay said. “I was gonna ask how you get the secret ending, but I guess, if you’re not interested…” “There isn’t a secret ending,” Trixie said with a confused look on her face, looking over her shoulder at the Pegasus behind her. When she saw Feathermay’s grin, she realised that she had fallen into her trap. “… Oh, crud.” “Eheheh! I love trippin’ you up like that!” Feathermay hovered into the air, and moved over to Trixie, gently tickling the Unicorn with her wings. “Hey, c’mon now! Nothing wrong with enjoying a good game, no matter what age you are. And besides, now we can play multiplayer together!” “This conversation is over,” Trixie said, trying to remain calm. “Nu-huh! You can’t just end it ‘cause you don’t like where it’s going!” “No. It’s over, because we’re here.” Feathermay looked up, and around the room that the group was now in. It was a large, open dome, with four pedestals resting in it, and a large, crystal door at the other end. The pedestals were laid down in the centre of the room, arranged in a line. From left to right, there were three small pedestals of equal size, and then one much larger one. The group approached the pedestals, and examined them. The smaller ones had small, spherical holes in them, one hole per pedestal. The larger one was a flat surface. There seemed to be engraving on each pedestal, but it was all scratched away, and couldn’t be read. “That’s odd,” Cadance said. “This wasn’t the result of erosion, or any natural process. This was done intentionally.” “Hey, is it just me, or do those holes look about the right size for those rocks Cadance brought with her?” Inkie asked, examining the holes closely. Cadance pulled out the three rocks, and placed one next to one of the holes. “An exact fit…” “I see,” Feathermay said. “That’s it! We have to place these in the holes… But, in what order?” “If I may,” Helena started, and then received permission to speak from her Princess. “Please forgive me for overhearing, but did the books not state that the door was protected by ‘the three heroic ponies of the crystal mine’?” “Yes, they did,” Cadance muttered. “‘The three heroic ponies’… I can only think of those three who brought equal rights between the three tribes.” Trixie opened up her saddlebag, and pulled out one of her books. She flipped to a page that detailed the three mentioned ponies, and held it open for all to read. Included was a picture of the Earth Pony, Bright Eyes, wearing his uniform as official Ambassador of the Earth Pony Tribe. Something caught Trixie’s eyes. “What’s that shape on her uniform?” she asked, pointing to the picture. Cadance narrowed her eyes, as the picture was black and white, and not very high quality. However, she could just about make out what Trixie was pointing at. “That’s… ah, that’s her family’s crest. Wait, it seems familiar somehow…” Trixie used her magic to pull out a second book, and flipped it open to a page that contained a picture of all three ponies together. She grinned as she examined the photo, and then looked up at Cadance. “They all have family crests on their uniforms. And, they should all be familiar, no?” Cadance pulled the book closer towards herself, and examined the photo. Indeed, it was as Trixie had said. All three of them had a shape on their uniforms… Wind Whistler’s was the letter I, the Unicornian symbol for wisdom, with a snake wrapped around it. Firefly’s was the letter V, the Pegasopolis symbol for power, with a hawk behind it. And Bright Eyes’ was a field of wheat, with a ram feeding off of it. “I don’t see it,” Inkie said, poking her head around the book to also get a good look at the picture. “Try looking at the rocks again,” Trixie said. Cadance brought the rocks up into the air for everypony to look at, and then gasped. “Now you see it, don’t you?” “The Unicornian symbol for wisdom, and the Pegasopolis symbol for power, and… that’s not a ‘V’ with two ‘I’s. It’s a crudely carved-out image of a wheat field, just like in Bright Eyes’ family crest.” Trixie nodded. “In other words, those rocks represent these three ponies. And now, Trixie finally knows the meaning behind the numbers she gave to herself.” Feathermay put a hoof to her chin in thought. “You do?” Trixie nodded. “We need to place these in a specific order. Most likely, that order was written on the pedestals. But, with the writing gone…” “We won’t know the order,” Inkie finished. “So, the numbers are the order? But how do we know which number relates to which stone?” “Romane numerals,” Cadance said, to which Trixie nodded. “I see… The symbols on these stones can also be letters, depending on how you look at them. You noticed that, and, seeing that you didn’t have time to give a long explanation, you converted the symbols into Romane numerals.” “Oh!” Inkie said as she was struck with realisation. “So, ‘one’ refers to the rock that has the ‘I’ on it, right?” “That’s right,” Trixie said. “‘Five’ would therefore be the rock that has the ‘V’ on it, and ‘seven’ would be the rock with the ‘V’ and two ‘I’s on it.” Feathermay titled her head in confusion. “But, then, what does the ‘three’ mean? Is there another rock we’re supposed to have?” Trixie shook her head. “Remember the riddle? ‘When set alone, the Elements are but stone. But when combined through harmony and light, the door shall answer thy wishers’ plight’. What’s interesting is that the word ‘wishers’ in the book had the apostrophe after the final ‘s’, implying that more than one would be present. And, that pedestal there, doesn’t it look big enough for about three average sized, non-Alicorn ponies to stand on?” Inkie gasped, catching on to what Trixie was getting at. “You’re saying that the ‘three’ refers to three ponies?” “Not just any ponies,” Feathermay said, smiling as she approached her two friends. “A Unicorn, a Pegasus, and an Earth Pony, all joined together through the bonds of friendship.” “… A little cheesy,” Trixie said, flicking her mane, “But yes, that is Trixie’s guess. Just like the three ponies that came together to abolish inequality in Equestria, three ponies of separate races must prove that they have an air of harmony about them. Then, the door should, hopefully, open. That’s Trixie’s theory, anyway.” “Well, it sounds good to me,” Cadance said, levitating the three rocks over to their respective pedestals. “You left yourself that clue for this exact moment, Trixie. I have no doubt that any conclusions you draw from it would be correct. After all, nopony knows you better than yourself, right?” Trixie hesitated for a second, before nodding slowly. “Yeah… Well, it’s not like we have any other leads, anyway. So, let’s go for it.” “I agree,” Inkie said. “If this door wants friendship, then that’s what we’ll give it.” “I’m with you two!” Feathermay cheered, grabbing her friends and lifting them up into the air. They began to flail and protest, but she didn’t let them go. Not until she had made it over to the larger pedestal and touched down onto it. “Alright! Let’s do this!” Cadance nodded, and then slowly placed the three rocks into their holes. The ground began to shake for a second, before suddenly, four pillars of light shot out from the ground, around the larger pedestal. This lasted for a few seconds, before the lights disappeared, and were then replaced by a single light shooting out of the centre of the pedestal, arching down and splitting into three beams, each one hitting a different rock. The rocks began to glow a rainbow colour, before shooting out similarly-coloured rainbow beams at the crystal door at the end of the room. The door slowly began to open outwards, much to the delight of everypony in the room. “I see,” Cadance said. “Yes, I get it now. These rocks, they’re Elements of Harmony. The Elements that represent the ties binding us together, that is much stronger than our wings or our horns, and much thicker than our bloodlines.” “Friendship, right?” Feathermay asked, but to her surprise, Cadance shook her head. “Sharing, caring, and protecting. Sharing our knowledge, our food, our water, and everything, because the land is for all of us, not just the one. Caring for each other, taking care of each other, so that nopony is ever left to care for themselves. And finally, protecting each other. Nopony should ever have to fight for their own sake. Instead, we should all fight for those we care about. And in turn, they will fight to protect us. “It was through these three policies, that Wind Whistler, Firefly, and Bright Eyes united together, and defeated those who disagreed with their ideals on equality. Individually, they never would have stood a chance. But together, they were unbeatable.” “How nice,” Inkie said, hopping down from the pedestal as soon as the lightshow was over. “They should teach that more often in schools.” “Ah, but then the Princess would be forced to admit that there was a time that slavery and oppression happened under her rule,” Trixie remarked, earning sharp glares from the two Royal Guards in the room. “Trixie!” Inkie hissed, before quickly turning and bowing to Cadance. “Please forgive her, Your Highness! She didn’t mean it! She just-” Cadance giggled, and waved her hoof dismissively. “Actually, that’s quite accurate,” she said, shocking everypony in the room. “To gain the support of her subjects of today, her crimes of the past must be covered up. Whilst she wouldn’t have been faulted on such things hundreds of years ago, times change, and now-a-days, ponies would lose faith in her as a ruler if they learned that she used to condone such things.” Feathermay let out an impressed whistle as she hovered gently down to the ground. “You sure you’re okay with saying such things? Isn’t that, like, treason or something?” Cadance simply smiled in response. “Celestia does not imprison ponies for telling the truth,” she said, before turning to her two guards. “We have no idea what may be down there, so be on full alert.” “Yes, sir!” both guards responded, saluting simultaneously. “Well then, please lead the way…” The crystal mine prove the be a very large, very confusing, and very bizarre place. The group started off by simply going in a straight line through the first corridor that they found, but they ended up passing many passageways, before eventually reaching a fork that split off into two directions. “It’d help if we knew what we were even looking for,” Feathermay said, sighing as she leaned against a wall. “The future Trixie gave no further clues,” Trixie said. “She simply told Trixie about the crystal mine, and gave her a clue on how to get inside of it… that is all.” “Well, at time like this, we just trust our instinct,” Cadance said. “And my instinct is telling meeeee…” “That way!” Cadance, Trixie, and Piers shouted all in unison. However, whilst Trixie and Cadance were pointing down the left-hoof passageway, Piers was pointing down the right-hoof passageway. “Left it is, then,” Inkie said, giggling as she watched the dejected Piers walking alongside a sighing Helena. The group continued to walk, before Trixie stopped suddenly, and turned her head to face the wall beside her. “What’s wrong?” Inkie asked, also stopping to face her friend. The rest of the group stopped too, wondering what the holdup was. “This wall,” Trixie said, walking closer towards the wall and placing a hoof onto it. “… It’s fake!” “It’s what?” “An illusion, to be more precise. Hold on…” Trixie horn glowed brighter, increasing the illumination from her spell casting, and a purple beam shot forth, striking the wall. The wall started to shake for a moment, before then starting to blur out of existence. Finally, it disappeared, and Trixie’s magic lowered back down to her simple illumination spell. With the wall gone, a hidden staircase was revealed, one which led even further down into the mine. “… Shall we?” Cadance asked, her voice showing her excitement plain as day. “This is just like Daring Do, don’t you think?” “Aw, man! I love that series!” Feathermay said, flapping her wings and gaining some lift for a moment. “Wait… does that mean we’re gonna get tied up and thrown into a room with snakes and stuff? ‘Cause I don’t think I’d be okay with that.” “Don’t worry,” Trixie said. “That won’t happen.” “You sure?” “Like, ninety-nine percent absolutely positive.” “… And, the other one percent?” Feathermay never received her answer, as Trixie began to follow the two guards and Cadance down the staircase, soon followed by Inkie, who was laughing at Feathermay’s nervous look. “Aw, man. I’m gonna get bit by a poisonous snake, aren’t I?” With a sigh, Feathermay quickly began to follow everypony else, not wanting to be left alone in the dark mine without a light source. Nopony from the group could have possibly predicted what they saw as they reached the bottom of the stairs. So far, the crystal mine had been filled with beautiful, sparkling crystals of practically every colour. With the light sources the ponies used, the mine was bright, and dazzling, and the group could see their reflections in the surfaces of the walls around them. As they got deeper, though, the brightness began to dim, and the sparkling died down, until it was not even present anymore. And, when they reached the bottom, the crystals of many hues were replaced instead by crystals of just one shade. “Man, it’s pretty gloomy down here,” Feathermay said as they looked around in the large chamber they had found themselves in, filled to the brim with jet-black crystals, sticking out of the ground, the ceiling, and the walls. “Trixie, you think you can make your spell a little brighter?” Trixie nodded, and focused more magic into her spell. It helped only a little bit, but it was still very dark down there in that room. And, to make matters worse, they was a strange hissing sound that passed through the room every now and then. “I knew there were gonna be snakes,” Feathermay said, watching the ground closely for signs of slithering serpents crawling towards her. “It’s not snakes,” Trixie said. “Most likely just the wind passing through.” “No,” Cadance said, her eyes wide and her face pale as she stared at the sea of crystals before her. “It’s not the wind. And it’s not snakes. It’s something much worse…” “Great,” Feathermay said, rolling her eyes. “Guys, I think we should go back upstairs. All in favour.” “Yes. Let’s do that, right now.” Everypony turned to look at Cadance, surprised that she had actually agreed to cut the expedition short, and also, at the sense of urgency in her tone. “Piers, Helena, please be on your full guard.” “Cadance?” Inkie asked, approaching the Princess. “What exactly is down here?” Trixie felt something brush against the right side of her coat, and quickly turned around to see what it was. When all she saw was a vast, empty space, she tilted her head in confusion, before looking around to make sure that nothing was there. “I’ll explain later. For now, we-” Cadance gasped as she turned around, and her eyes fell onto Trixie. “Trixie! Behind you!” Everypony’s attention was immediately on the blue Unicorn, who quickly spun around, just in time to see a black mist floating before her. She could see something in there. Something that resembled a mouth, curving up into a smile, and then bearing its teeth as it grinned at her. The sound of laughter followed. It sounded like a stallion’s laughter, although it echoed through her head as the sound grew louder. Suddenly, something shot out of the mist, flying towards Trixie’s face. She raised her right foreleg just in time to shield her face from the projectile, and fell backwards as whatever was thrown at her pierced her leg, making her scream out in pain. “TRIXIE!” Inkie quickly ran over to her friend’s side, taking her eyes off the mist as she focused on the injury on Trixie’s leg. There seemed to be smaller black crystals piercing her leg, with blood trickling out of the wounds ever so slightly. “Sombra!” Cadance shouted, her horn alight as she lowered her head towards the mist. A blue barrier formed around Cadance, and expanded very quickly, passing through the others just fine, but forcing the black mist back with a howl. “Princess!” Helena called out, reaching Cadance’s side and drawing her spear. “Everypony, run!” Cadance ran over to Trixie, who was now off the floor thanks to Inkie’s help, with her hoof draped over her friend. “Place her on my back. We must leave this place at once!” Feathermay wrapped her foreleg around Trixie’s waist, and flapped her wings quickly to lift Trixie off the ground. She grunted as she carried the Unicorn over to Cadance. “Princess,” Inkie began, “What’s going on? What was that mist?” “There’s no time. I will explain once we are all safe.” “Fools,” a voice called out, seemingly from all around everypony. It was the same voice that was laughing earlier. “I don’t know how you found me, but I will not let you leave now. You will never find safety.” “O-Oh yeah?!” Feathermay called back, shaking like a leaf but shooting a strong glare at the ceiling. “We aren’t afraid of some stupid, disembodied voice!” “Princess, you lead the way,” Helena said as she cautiously scanned the entire room. “As your Royal Guard, it is our duty to protect you and your companions.” “Trixie, can you still conjure up a light?” Piers asked. Trixie raised her head, grunting at the pain in her leg, and then closed her eyes as she focused. Her horn lit up once more, illuminating the area around them. “Good. Please just hold on like that until we’re out of here.” “It’s coming!” Cadance shouted, looking up at the mist reforming above the group. “Let’s go!” Leading the way out, Cadance began to run up the stairs that had brought them here in the first place, Inkie Pie and Feathermay following, and the two guards bringing up the rear. “Everypony keep running!” Cadance shouted, hearing the hoofsteps behind her starting to slow down. “We’re almost at the chamber with the crystal door!” After a few more seconds of running, the group arrived at the large chamber where the stone Elements were still resting in their pedestals. They had no time to stop and rest, though, and continued to run straight through the room, towards the entrance to the gem mine on the other side. “There is no escape,” Sombra’s voice called out, and a black mist began to form in the entryway to the gem mine, preventing the ponies from leaving. “This shall be your final resting ground.” Cadance stopped her galloping, and turned around to find that the crystal door was also blocked by a black mist. “We’re trapped!” she shouted, before several black crystals began to slowly emerge from the walls around them. “W-What do we do?” Inkie asked, backing away from the mist with a look of horror on her face. “P-Princess Cadance?” “You die,” Sombra said, in a voice that sent chills down the spine of everypony present. The mist began to stretch out towards the group, prompting them all to take several steps back, and then began to stretch and shape itself into the figure of a pony. The pony was just a little taller than the average stallion, and from the appearance of a horn on its head, appeared to be a Unicorn. Its coat was grey, and its mane and tail black. Its horn began to glow red as the mist separated from the pony’s body, and a red cape began to take form on its back, followed by iron shoes around its hooves. Finally, the pony opened its eyes… and shot a wicked grin at its victims as streams of purple energy leaked from its green eyes. The Royal Guard ponies, Cadance, and Trixie, all knew what that meant. It was the sign of a pony using dark magic. The pony began cackling as it took steps towards its frightened prey, licking it lips as it eyed each and every one of them. “Crysssstal Princess,” he said as his eyes met Cadance’s. “Sssso, you finally meet your end.” “Princess, stand back!” Piers shouted, himself and Helena both running forward and taking defensive stances in front of their Princess. “We shall run this demon through, Your Highness!” “Wait!” Cadance pleaded. “That’s not somepony you can take lightly! That’s King Sombra, the pony who enslaved the Crystal Empire on thousand years ago!” “One thousand years ago?” Piers asked, before grinning as he pointed his spear forward. “Well then, it’s clear why he succeeded. One thousand years ago, I wasn’t born!” Piers ran forward, swing his spear down towards Sombra. The dark Unicorn simply grinned, and used his magic to repel the spear’s attack. “Helena!” “On it!” Helena shouted as she gathered magic into her horn and released it at her target. Piers jumped back, allowing the blast to hit Sombra directly. Or it would have, had Sombra not turned himself into mist for a moment to dodge the blast. “No way!” “How do we hit something like that?!” Piers asked, backing away as the mist landed in front of him, and began to solidify once more. “Princess, there’s gotta be something we can do to get out of here!” Feathermay shouted, looking towards the mist blocking their escape. “Can’t you use some magic or something?” Cadance shook her head. “I… I don’t… know if my magic is strong enough. King Sombra is on a whole other level.” “But-” “GAH!” Helena screamed as she fell to the ground, her spear sliding across the floor. Sombra grinned, and approached his fallen prey. “Oh no you don’t!” Piers shouted, charging at Sombra’s side and swing his down at him. It was once more blocked by Sombra’s magic, but rather than fighting against it, Piers quickly ducked down, grabbing Helena’s spear by his hooves, and thrust it up towards Sombra’s face. Sombra had no time to conjure up a second defensive spell, and could only move his head to the side to dodge the incoming attack. The spear sliced the side of his face, causing him to lose his focus for a moment, and giving Piers the opening he needed to kicked Sombra square in the chest, knocking the Unicorn back a good few feet. “Nice!” Inkie shouted, cheering alongside Feathermay. “He’s not done yet,” Cadance said, bringing the mood down as she grimly watched Sombra climb back to his hooves. The King was panting heavily, and holding a hoof to his chest, as he glared at the pony responsible for knocking him down. “Please,” she whispered. “Please, don’t…” “You want some more?” Piers asked, grinning as he returned one of the spears to his partner. “You may be a King, but that doesn’t make you immortal!” “Fool!” Sombra shouted, his glare intensifying and freezing the two guards in place momentarily. With his target no longer able to move, Sombra returned to his mist form, and shot forward across the room at a speed unattainable for any solid being. He reformed once he was in front of Piers, and grinned as his horn lit up. “What’s he-” Inkie’s question was cut short by a black crystal suddenly shooting forth from the ground, growing instantaneously, and piercing the guardspony in the chest. Everypony froze as they witnessed this, and simply watched in horror as Piers’ body continued to shake for a bit… before falling limp. Everypony, except for Cadance. Cadance had already seen the attack coming, and had already seen the guard’s demise for his acts against King Sombra. She knew it was coming… and yet, she was powerless to stop it. As she watched the guard’s life being taken before her very eyes, Cadance felt her blood begin to boil, and her vision started to blur as tears formed in her eyes. She watched on as Sombra cackled at his deed, and then gasped as she saw him turn his attention to Helena. He wasn’t done yet. Another pony would die, if he wasn’t stopped now. But, who was going to stop him? A lone Royal Guard would stand no chance against a foe like Sombra, Inkie Pie and Feathermay were just ordinary citizens, and Trixie, although a little more adept at magic than other ponies, was injured. There was nopony else who could save them… ‘If I don’t do it, then nopony will!’ Cadance closed her eyes, and began to concentrate. ‘Piers… you were one of my dear subjects. Shining Armor had high hopes for you. Your family was looking forward to seeing you again, I’m sure. You had a marefriend, didn’t you? You had a whole life ahead of you, and yet, you lost it. Because of Sombra. Because… I couldn’t save you.’ “You bastard!” Helena shouted, swinging her spear at Sombra, but being blasted back by his magic before it could connect. ‘And now, there are four other ponies here, whose lives are also in danger. I came here today to save a life… And now, I’m going to lose five of my previous subjects, all because I am simply too weak…’ Cadance’s eyes opened, and her horn started to glow a gentle blue. ‘No.’ The gentle aura around Cadance’s horn began to spark. ‘I won’t lose any more of my little ponies to you, Sombra.’ “Die,” Sombra said as he approached the downed Helena. However, he stopped his advance as he felt a disturbance building up beside him. He turned to where the others were standing, and saw a lot of power building up in Cadance’s horn. “… Crysssstal Princess…” “Do it,” Trixie said, holding onto Cadance a little tighter as she felt the magical build-up in her horn. “Take him out.” Cadance’s eyes met with Sombra’s, and her resolve started to waver. Her magic began to die down as she continued to stare into Sombra’s dark, cold eyes. “But, what if I-” “Does it matter?” Trixie asked, slowly raising her good foreleg to the side of Cadance’s face, pushing slightly to try to avert her gaze from Sombra’s. “If you don’t, we’ll all be killed. Is that what you want?” Trixie’s words echoed through Cadance’s mind, and her magic began to build up once again as she imagined her subjects dying at Sombra’s hooves. ‘No,’ she thought, her eyes narrowing as she returned Sombra’s glare. ‘That isn’t going to happen.’ “I won’t let you,” Sombra said, turning his body back into mist and racing towards Cadance. “I won’t let you harm my subjects anymore!” Cadance screamed, before her horn’s light shined to blinding levels. A barrier formed around her, and shot out, just like earlier. However, this time, it did more than simply repel the black mist. Sombra screamed as he felt the barrier tearing away at him, ripping him apart piece by piece. As the barrier hit the black crystals around everypony, they shattered and faded away into nothing. As it hit the black mists blocking their escape paths, they evaporated into thin air. And, when the light began to die down, and the barrier started to disappear, the tortured screams of King Sombra, steadily became quieter and quieter, until they could no longer be heard at all. “… I… I… did… it,” Cadance said between deep breaths, amazed that she had actually managed to defeat such a foe with her magic. “I… defeated… him…” The Princess suddenly gasped, and felt her legs buckle beneath her, before suddenly falling to her haunches. “Your Highness!” Inkie shouted, rushing up to Cadance’s side. Feathermay grabbed Trixie, and dragged her off of Cadance’s back, propping the Unicorn up against a nearby wall so that she could rest. “I’m fine,” Cadance said, smiling at the concerned Earth Pony beside her. “Just… a little tired, that’s all.” Her smile fell into a frown, as she looked over at where Piers lay on the ground, a few feet away from her. “… He’s…” Helena approached her partner slowly, and placed a forehoof to his neck. She shook her head, and turned her grim face towards the Princess. “… Dead, Your Highness.” Cadance could feel the tears building up in her eyes once again. She already knew that he was dead, but some small hope still lingered in the back of her mind. “Princess,” Feathermay said, getting Cadance’s attention, “I… know you must be feeling down right now, but, Trixie’s wound needs serious medical attention.” “What do you mean?” Inkie asked, getting up and approaching her friends. “It wasn’t that bad earlier.” Her eyes widened as she saw Trixie’s leg. With the crystal that was once inside it now gone, the wound was completely open, and a large amount of blood had flown out of it. “T-This is bad! Princess, we need to get her to a hospital!” Cadance nodded, and slowly climbed to her hooves. “… Right. There will be time to mourn later, but right now, we must act fast to prevent a second death from befalling us. Helena.” Helena snapped to attention and saluted her Princess. “Please apply some first aid to Miss Lulamoon’s wound, and help carry her out of here. Once we’re out, I’ll arrange for a squad to come and collect Piers’ body.” “… Understood, Your Highness.” Helena picked up Piers’ bag with her magic, and rushed over to Trixie’s side. She opened the bag up, and, with Inkie’s help, wrapped a bandage around Trixie’s open wound. Whilst she was doing this, something caught Cadance’s eye. Something sparkling on the floor, around the area where Sombra’s mist form was hit by the barrier. She approached the sparkling object, and found it to be a small black stone of some kind. It had a shiny surface, and was shaped like a bead. “What’s this?” she asked herself as she picked it up. “A piece of King Sombra, maybe?” She stashed it away in her saddlebag, deciding to have the Royal Court Magi examine it later. “Well at least it’s over now…” A few hours later, Trixie awoke to find herself in a white room. There was a green curtain to one side, a window to the other, and a door in front of her. She was lying on a bed with green sheets, and seemed to be wearing a green gown that she did not remember putting on. To her immediate right was a small set of drawers, with a lamp sitting on top of them. Outside the window, Trixie could see that it was evening. “Welcome back, Trixie!” Trixie found Inkie Pie sitting beside her to her left, smiling as she placed a bookmark into her book, and closed it up. “How are you feeling?” “… I passed out from blood loss, how d’you think I feel?” “Oh, so your memory’s intact. That’s good. Seems your attitude’s fine, too, so I guess no serious damage done.” Trixie slowly began to raise her injured leg, to confirm that what she remembered happening had actually happened. It hurt as she raised it, which should have made her stop, but when she thought back to her encounter with the future Trixie, she knew that she had to continue. “Hey, what are you doing?” Inkie asked, getting up and leaning over Trixie. “Stop that! You’ll hurt yourself!” “… Pull off the covers,” Trixie said. “I need to see it. I need to see my leg.” “… You could have just said so,” Inkie said, lowering the covers so that Trixie could get a good view of her injured leg, completely wrapped in bandages. It wasn’t quite as messy or as dirty as she remembered it, but… “There, happy now? The doctor said it’ll need to stay in bandages for about a week, to avoid infection.” “… That’s… This is… the way future Trixie’s leg looked, when she visited me.” Inkie’s eyes widened, and she dropped the cover she was holding back onto Trixie’s leg. “Does that mean… the future hasn’t changed? We defeated Sombra, right? What more do we still need to do?” “… Actually, Trixie,” Inkie began, closing her eyes and sitting back down onto her stool beside Trixie’s bed, “Whilst you were out of it, when we exited the crystal mine… we heard a report, from the Royal Guard. Black crystals have begun to appear all over Equestria.”