//------------------------------// // l - Amethystos and the Scales // Story: The Path of Absolution - Punishment // by Morningstar1337 //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Applejack, Silver Spoon, Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie found themselves inside a large valley. The gemstones were even more abundant than the last trial. The viridian sky was clear and bright, allowing these crystals to shine in the fuchsia ground. Rarity was a little nervous. She knew that her trial was here. The group saw a light orange pegasus descend into the valley. Her purple and orange mane and tail flew in the breeze. “Hello,” the orange pegasus said. She took out a set of scales and looked at Rarity. “I’m Libra.” Rarity was sweating. “Hello.” Twilight Sparkle said, “We heard that Rarity is to be tested here?” Libra checked her scales. “She is.” One of the cliff revealed a large set of ebony scales. The scales looked like they were big enough to hold a mountain of gems. Rarity and Sweetie Belle dreaded the sight of those familiar scales. “Um, darling?”Rarity said, “What are those for?” “Later,” Libra said. “Right now, your task is collect as many gems as you wish.” Rarity was a little surprised. “Is that all?” “For now, yes.” Libra said. “I’ll also need your wishing star and Nemean hide. Can’t have you cheating now, can I?” Twilight handed Libra the indestructible hide and Rarity gave her the crimson ruby star. Libra said, “Very well. You have one hour to bring back as many gemstones as you can, alone.” Rarity gulped, “Very well, then.” “Rarity,” Twilight said. “Are you sure you can handle this?” Rarity said, “Of course, darling. I’ve been gathering gems for my outfits since I was a small filly.” Libra said, This is the first part of your test. Bring your hoard to the other side of the valley for the second part when you’re done.” She then flew to the other side of the valley. Rarity then went deeper into the valley to gather her gems. The rest of the group stayed near the gates. A while later, Sweetie Belle saw one peculiar crystal. The crystal matched the viridian sky in hue and it’s glow was faint compared to the other crystals. “Huh?” Sweetie Belle said. She and the other fillies went to check out the crystal. “What do you think the crystal is?” Apple Bloom said. “Maybe it’s tourmaline?” Scootaloo said. “Tourmaline’s more yellow,” Sweetie Belle said. “Looks like a weird emerald,” Silver Spoon said. Sweetie Belle picked up the dim crystal and it flashed blindingly. Within seconds flash subsided and the ponies near the gates vanished. One of the cups of the monolithic ebony scales slightly lowered. Rarity spent the last hour gathering as many gems as she could. She had made a sled with nearby rocks and used it to hold the gems. She gathered up lots of rubies, citrine, topaz, emeralds, turquoise, sapphires, amethysts, diamonds, and many more jewels. She felt that an hour had passed and pushed and pulled her heavy sled towards the end of the valley. Several hours later, Rarity managed to take the sled full of gems to the other side of the valley. There she saw Libra. Libra examined the size of the mountain of jewels and gemstones. She said, “Well, that is an impressive pile of gems. Now you must pay the toll.” She there a viridian crystal at the pile and it vanished in a flash. “What shall you take with you, these gems or your friends.” Rarity was appalled. “What do you mean. I would never betray my friends, nor would I sell them out for a huge pile of gemstones!” “Tom says otherwise,” Libra smirked. “How dare you bring that up?” Rarity said. She was also curious as to how Libra knew about Tom. “I wasn’t acting like myself then.” “Regardless,” Libra said. “You have to make a choice and you can’t bring both with you. Meet me back at the gates. There you shall make your choice.” She flew away. Rarity was insulted. She thought, ‘Why would she even think that i would dare betray my friends for a bunch of dumb rocks?’ She looked at the sky. The full moon shined brilliantly and eerily in the viridian sky. She returned to the gates, having already made her choice. At dusk, Princess Celestia, Spike, Shining Armor, Princess Cadence, Lyra, Bon-Bon, Cloudchaser, Flitter, Thunderlane, and Star Song returned to Canterlot. At the castle they saw Princess Luna in the throne room. Her eyes had bags underneath them as she stayed up for days keeping the sun and moon in orbit. Luna looked up and saw her sister had returned. “I knew you’d return.” She smiled. She saw the look of defeat on Celestia’s face. Celestia used her horn to return the sun to her control. “You can rest now, my sister.” Luna noticed a tone of despair in her voice. She hoped that the fifth seal wasn’t broken. She tried to move, but she was too tired to go beyond a few steps. Cadence and Shining Armor helped Luna out the door. The pegasi took the four fillies back in the ritual chamber to rest. Soon, Only Spike and Celestia were the only one in the throne room. “What do we do?” Spike said. “Five of the seven seals are broken, your spell would have worn off by now.” Celestia said, “Even without the spell. The windigo can’t use the body unless the other two seals are broken.” She knew that Legion would had found the body by now. She looked out to the dark blue sky. “It is getting late, we shall discuss this in the morning.” Spike left the room. He worried about his friends. Rarity had returned to the gates in the fuchsia valley. There, she saw the black scales had changed. The cups of the scales were  transparent. The post of the scales were taller than before, to the point where the peak of the cliff and the cups were of equal elevation. And the cliff face behind them had ledges. The left cup had a viridian forcefield around it. Rarity saw her friends, unconscious in the left cup. The other cup had all the gems amassed the previous day. Libra emerged from the viridian sky and said, “Ready to make your choice?” Rarity said, “I’ve been ready for a long time.” “Then choose,” Libra said. “The cup you shall enter determines what you shall bring with you beyond the gates. the other cup and its contents shall be sacrificed to open the gates.” “Very well, then,” Rarity said. She went to the left side of the cliff and began climbing. Inside the cup some of the ponies were awakening. Among them was Sweetie Belle. ‘Where am I?’ she wondered. SHe looked out the transparent cup and saw Rarity scaling the rock. “Rarity?” she said. Rarity made it halfway to the the peak of the cliff. ‘Hold on, everypony.’ Rarity thought. She grabbed the ledges of the rock and continued to climbed. But one of the ledges broke off. She hung on the cliff. ‘Okay, then,’ Rarity thought. ‘I’m hanging on a cliff, my friends are trapped in some scales and there’s gems tempting you in these same scales.’ She lifted her free hoof to find another ledge to hold on to. ‘But I won’t let my friends be trapped here. The reason I came to this awful place is to rescue my sister and her friends. And as Celestia is my witness...’ She finally grabbed another ledge and said, “I shall rescue them!” Rarity had scaled to the peak of the cliff. She galloped to the cup. Meanwhile the rest of the ponies were awake. They wondered what they were doing inside a cup. “What happened?” Rainbow Dash said. She tried to fly but she bumped her head on the forcefield. “What the hay?” Fluttershy said, “That sure is a long way down.” She gulped. The ponies saw Rarity on top of the cliff. “Rarity,” Twilight said. “Are you alright?” “I’m fine,” Rarity said. She saw the gap between the cliff and the cup. The forcefield faded. “What’s going on?” Applejack said. “I don’t know.” Rarity said. “But I know that I won’t leave you here.” She prepared to jump. She ran towards the edge of the cliff and jumped. She grabbed the cup by its tip and hung on its edge. The cup began to lower as Rarity tried to climb into it. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy grabbed her hooves and help her into the cup. The scales began to lower as the scales cup began to glow viridian green. When the cup touched the ground. The ponies left the cup as the scales and Rarity’s gems became viridian dust that flew to the gates. The dust formed the sign for Libra (♎) on the gates. Libra was surprised. “You really are that determined to save your friends huh?” “Of course I was, darling,” Rarity said. “I had my priorities balanced.” “Very well,” Libra said. She handed Rarity back her star and the Nemean hide. “You may go. I shall prepare to meet you again.” The ponies entered the gates. On the way, Rarity told them about what had transpired up to that point.