A Heart of Change

by SilentBelle

Chapter 11 - Hidden Magics

The two young mares had just rounded the corner at Scootaloo's insistence. Apple Bloom heard a resounding crash and an accompanying tremor. In the next moment only the sound of their frantic hooves filled the tunnel.

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle shouted and stopped running. “Bloom, we gotta go back and help Scootaloo. We have to do something!”

Apple Bloom skidded to a stop beside her friend. “She told us ta get outta there,” she pointed out, but then shook her head. “O' course she'd think she could handle it all by herself. Let's go, Sweetie, we're all in this together!”

“Ponies!” Gravelle's voice came from behind them. “Oh, thank the stone, you're safe! I was worried when you weren't right behind us.”

“Gravelle, we don't have time, Scootaloo's still back there,” Apple Bloom blurted out as Sweetie Belle began running back toward the cave-in site. “We aren't going ta just abandon her!”

“Right!” Gravelle nodded and ran alongside her.

The earth pony gave a quick nod in appreciation and the three of them surged around the bend. The trio barely had time to register the shadowy figure approaching them, and they all skidded to a stop.

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed in delighted surprise and pulled her friend into a hug.

“Sweetie? Bloom? What are you doing back here? I thought I told you to run!” the pegasus shouted at them, and pushed her way out of Sweetie Belle's embrace. “If I messed up there, that thing would've gotten you by now.”

“So ya stopped it?” Apple Bloom inquired and took note of the pegasus' staggered gait. “Not without taking a little damage yerself though.”

“Are you okay, Scootaloo? You're limping. Did it hit you?”

“I'm fine,” Scootaloo assured them and walked past them as quickly as her legs would allow. “We should get out of here though. Who's to say that there aren't more where that one came from?”

“We have never come across such a creature before,” Gravelle said softly. “I highly doubt that there are any more down here. At least, unless we start digging again.”

“You!” Scootaloo rounded on the dog. “And the rest of those dogs! You all left us behind! You promised us there would be no danger!”

“We-” Gravelle started, but Apple Bloom stepped up in between the two.

“Cool it, Scootaloo!” She looked her friend in the eyes. “Let's all get back ta the city and cool our heads fer a bit.”

“It's fine, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle assured the pegasus and gave her a small smile. “They ran when I told them to. It just caught me off guard, is all. They aren't to blame. That glowing stone, and the magic behind it was.”

“But they shouldn't have left without you,” Scootaloo argued back, though her voice lost its fiery indignation.

“They ran 'cause Sweetie told 'em ta,” Apple Bloom restated as she walked up to the pegasus. Her hooves echoed lightly upon the dusty ground, and Scootaloo turned in time to face her. “Ya can complain ta Granette ‘bout that when we get back.”

The pegasus met her eyes for a moment before looking away, down the dim tunnel at the distant beacons marking the path back to the city. Scootaloo sighed and continued walking. “Tunnels, dogs and monsters. Some vacation, huh?” She let out a bitter laugh and shook her head. “Alright. Let's head back to the city, but we're getting out of here as soon as we can. I don't care if there's a blizzard or a hurricane outside... at least we won't be trapped inside a cave.”

Apple Bloom frowned at her friend, but didn't refute her. Ah think bein' underground is getting' ta her. She gave the gray, shadowy walls a glance and shivered in spite of the humidity. Maybe it's not just her.

She stood, watching Sweetie Belle chase after Scootaloo and keep her company. Ah sure feel like a stranger sometimes. With a soft tapping, she heard Gravelle move next to her, and Apple Bloom let out a sigh. Well, ah s'ppose company's company, no matter who.

“Something is the matter, Apple Bloom?” Gravelle asked. “You are letting your friends walk ahead of you.”

“So Ah am.” She nodded and began walking again--a haunting echo that felt entirely unnatural to her ears. “Ah'd say that nothin's wrong, but that'd be lyin'.”

“I am sorry,” the dog apologized as she moved to keep with Apple Bloom's easy pace. “It is our fault. Our diggers and I... we should not have left you behind. We forget that you ponies don't live underground as we do. Look there,” Gravelle pointed at a section of the wall as they passed, a nearby glowcrystal illuminated a deep crack in the rock. Beside the crack she pointed at, a sturdy segment of wood stood bracing the whole side of the tunnel.

Apple Bloom gave the dog a questioning look as they continued past the sight.

“Cave-ins, tremors, and collapses. These are things we learn of, from when we are pups. Every dog learns them--to read the cracks. Just as you ponies all learn to read words. Some are better at reading them, and those dogs are essential to the digging teams. But every dog also learns more than just how to read the cracks. They learn when to run from them.” Gravelle glanced at the earth pony. “Digging is dangerous, but our best diggers are the ones that run quickest when danger is imminent. Dogs who remain immobile at the sight of falling rock are sent to the more mundane and safer tasks. It is a measure of a dog's pride to know when to run. Most even keep a tally of cave-ins that they have run from. It is not cowardice, but courage in action.”

“Huh...” Apple Bloom tilted her head at the idea. “Ah guess Ah never considered it that way. Runnin' away is brave, and even something to be proud of?”

“Not the act of running,” Gravelle clarified. “The act of deciding when it makes sense to run. Keen instinct and intuition.”

“Ah think most ponies would see runnin' away, by yerself, as bein' a coward.”

“Most ponies, perhaps.” The dog looked Apple Bloom in the eyes as they walked. Gravelle's dark snout made her expression hard to read. “But most ponies don't end up in our caves. But as a pony, what do you see, Apple Bloom?”

“Ah see where yer comin' from. But Ah can't rightly agree with it. If Ah was the leader of a team, Ah'd never run without makin' sure everyone else was safe first.” Apple Bloom shook her head. “Ah couldn't bear seein' my friends an' peers bein' in danger like that. And Ah certainly'd never leave one behind.”

“And yet, you left your friend behind, only moments ago,” Gravelle stated in an even voice.

Apple Bloom frowned at the dog. “No. That was different. I'm not the leader of our group. Scootaloo told me and Sweetie ta get outta there. Sweetie was scared. She needed help ta get movin' again, so Ah did what Ah could ta get her outta there.”

“So, then Scootaloo is your leader?”

“What? No, of course not!” she nearly laughed at the idea. “None of us are the leader. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Scootaloo's bullheaded, brash, and quick. Sweetie is impulsive, innovative, and always wants to help if she can.”

“And you are thoughtful, careful, and know when to act. Apple Bloom, you are their leader.”

Apple Bloom nearly tripped over the track that ran alongside her hooves. “What do you know 'bout that? We just met yesterday, and ya think ya know enough 'bout me to say Ah'm a leader?” she scoffed. “The Cutie Mark Crusaders never had a leader, an' we never needed one. Not all groups need a leader, ya know. If Ah was a real leader, Ah could've convinced mah friends ta just stay in Ponyville and they wouldn't be in this mess. But Ah couldn't convince 'em, so now here we are.”

“And you regret that fact, Apple Bloom,” Gravelle said sadly as they walked. “Leaders are an essential point to any group, dogs or ponies. Without leaders, we lose direction and reason. Whether you see yourself as a leader or not does not change the role you play. I am sorry if I have offended you with my words. It was never my intent.”

“Then what is yer intent? Why are ya tryin' ta analyze me an' mah friends like that, and tellin' me how we're supposed ta interact with each other? Ponies aren't that easy t' assess. What interest do ya have in us, anyway? We're just some no-ponies outta Ponyville. We'll be gone in a day or two. So what's yer angle in all this?”

“I hoped to offer my viewpoint, as a friend. And, in sharing, I wished to learn more of how ponies see the world,” she replied sadly. “I would be of more benefit to the clan if I had a firmer understanding of the ponies I am expected to interact with in the future.”

“A friend?” She shook her head at the thought. “After only a day? Do ya even know what a friend is?”

“One who you respect, and you share conversations and thoughts with.”

“It's 'bout more than respect. It's trust. A friend is someone you'd depend on ta guard yer back from danger ta the best o' their abilities, without any reason, other than 'cause they know you'd do the same fer them.” She looked at the dog questioningly. “Is there anyone you'd be able ta call a friend, Gravelle? Ah respect ya. Ah certainly do. And Ah find yer conversation enlightenin'. But don't mistake that respect fer trust. Ah don't trust ya yet. Ah don't know anythin' 'bout ya, beyond what courtesy you've shown us on behalf o' the clan, and that moment ya pounced on Scootaloo and pinned her ta the ground fer yer clan. So, Ah can't call ya 'friend'.” She granted the dog a small smile. “Though Ah am flattered that yer willin' ta want ta be mah friend. But do you dogs actually have friends, or is it always just the clan that motivates ya ta do anythin'?”

“Beyond the clan, no... I have no friends; not by your understanding of the word.” Gravelle shook her head gently. “But is it so bad to hold family as the reason to do what we do? I thought you would understand, Apple Bloom, after all you told me of living close to your family, and being willing to drop your dreams to help them at a moment's notice. Tell me, then, what's a dog have to do to get a friend, when she cares about her family more than anything else?”

Apple Bloom let out a sigh, which seemed to echo like falling stones down down the tunnel behind her. “Look, it goes back ta what we were talkin' ‘bout earlier. 'Bout what makes a pony, or dog in this case, who they are. How are you different from the rest of yer family? Find those things and-”

Her ears quirked at the sound. It wasn't an echo. She turned in time to see a glowing light fill the tunnel behind her. Four rocky limbs carried the glowing stone at its center, and each movement scraped harshly upon the near-flat tunnel floor. The sound, aided by the movement of the shadowy silhouette, made her think of enormous teeth gnashing together. The creature, if it could be called that, rushed forward in a crescendo of lancing limbs.

“Shoot! Girls!” she managed to shout her warning down the tunnel as it approached. “That thing's back, and it's comin' this way!”

She felt the reverberations building as the four legs of the strange, rocky monster, crashed through the tunnel. Rocks fissured along the sides of the tunnel with every bounding stride of its approach, and small stones plummeted from the ceiling.

It must weigh several hundred pounds! That thing could crush us! “Scootaloo! I thought ya said ya stopped it!” Apple Bloom shouted as she and Granette ran toward the other two ponies.

“I did! I knocked out its two front legs!”

“Well, ya shoulda knocked 'em harder. Cause it's still got 'em!”

“Bloom!” Sweetie Belle shouted out in warning, “It's after you!

Apple Bloom felt the air as one of the heavy, rocky limbs swung just behind her and pierced the ground where she had be only a second before. A spray of small rocks shot up from the force of the blow and pelted her hindquarters. “Yeah, no kiddin'! Tell me something Ah don't know!”

Gravelle, who was running alongside her, suddenly turned and dove at the creature. With a shrill keening, she raked one of its forelimbs with her claws. The sound sent a shiver up Apple Bloom's spine, it was like metal etching through the surface of slate.

Small flakes of stone flew off from the rocky appendage as Gravelle landed on the tunnel floor. Apple Bloom could see the deep scratches that marred the stone limb. A wound that would have caused a great amount of pain to a living creature. But this creature was made of rock. “Gravelle, what are ya doin'!? Ya gotta run! It's dangerous there!”

“It will catch us if we run!” Gravelle shouted with a growl and made another swipe with her claws. “We need to stop it here!”

“Shoot, the scrying spell switched. Gravelle-” Sweetie Belle tried to warn the dog, but with a quick swipe from one of the rock beast's limbs, the dog was sent flying. Gravelle let out a groan as the air left her lungs, and she landed hard on the tunnel floor next to Apple Bloom.

Before Gravelle stopped rolling from the blow, the earthen monstrosity charged forward. It's so fast. Too fast! The bulky form came as a rushing avalanche of unstoppable rock. Move! She commanded her shaking legs.

Just as the rocky limb descended upon her, like a hammer aiming to drive her into the ground, she threw herself away. She heard the crash, just as she hit the ground with her side.

“Bloom!” Scootaloo shouted from nearby. “C'mon, Sweetie! We have to stop it!”

Apple Bloom turned in time to see the monster had followed her, and was lashing out once again. With a burst of air, she felt Scootaloo barrel past, overhead, straight towards the rocky monster. The pegasus smashed one of the monster's legs with her shoulder, as hard as her speed would allow, causing the monster to miss Apple Bloom by a mere inch.

With a yelp, the earth pony jumped up to her hooves, and saw Sweetie Belle move in beside her. The unicorn was looking past her, at the monster, her emerald eyes flickering back and forth as if tracing some unseen pattern. Her horn began to glow as the monster swung a limb at the new airborne target. “Scootaloo, it's going after you now!” she shouted. “We have to stop its center. The glowing part! That's where all the magic is coming from!”

“Woah!” Scootaloo shouted as a limb shot toward her. She dodged at the last second, causing the limb to smash heavily into the ceiling. “How am I supposed to hit it? I can't even get around it, the tunnel's too small. I can hardly fly in here!”

Apple Bloom glanced over her shoulder at the tunnel. There's no way outta here until we stop this thing. We can’t outrun it... She swallowed and looked at the beast in determination. “It's got four legs holding it up,” she shouted as she saw Scootaloo dodge another strike, and barely manage to avoid the cave walls. “If we can take out two of 'em then it will fall. Then we can get a clean hit on it.”

“That's good and all, but it's fast! We have to do something! Now!” Scootaloo shouted as she spun in the air and dashed through a tight space between the glowing sphere and the ceiling.

In a heartbeat, a rocky limb shot upward, and Apple Bloom saw, out of the corner of her eye, an emerald glow from Sweetie Belle’s position. The rocky appendage shifted slightly, at the last moment, missing Scootaloo by the barest of margins. Her wing was nearly crushed, and a couple orange feathers fell to the tunnel floor. The beast's glowing stone seemed to spin on a pivot, tracking Scootaloo, even as she passed overhead.

With her friend in danger, Apple Bloom charged at the rocky monstrosity. At the last moment, she shoved her forehooves into the ground and pivoted, even as she slid toward the beast. “Leave her alone!” she shouted, bucking as hard as she could. She'd bucked solid trees before—any Apple had—but bucking solid rock was something else entirely.

She felt and heard the crash of her hooves as they made contact. A surge of numbing pain shot up her legs, and she felt her lungs empty in a silent scream. The force of the blow shot her off her front hooves, and she rolled to the ground rather ungracefully.

Gritting her teeth, she turned head in time to see the limb she had stuck, fall to pieces beneath the monster. She looked at her own legs in stunned wonder. Ah did that?

Her wonder was short-lived however, as she saw the monster continue striking at Scootaloo, albeit with slightly lessened grace. It sprung toward the pegasus by kicking off with all of its legs. While it flew through the air, one of the limbs lashed at Scootaloo. Apple Bloom saw Sweetie's horn flare once again, and the blow changed its trajectory just moments before it would have hit Scootaloo.

As the beast landed from its attack and stumbled slightly, using all three limbs to catch its balance. It's like a tripod now. We need ta take out 'nother leg or it's not gonna stop.

She gave Sweetie Belle a glance. The unicorn was standing shakily. Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead and her legs were spread beneath her as they began to give out. The unicorn was swaying side to side. She can't keep distractin' it fer long. Ah gotta help!

With a grunt, Apple Bloom pulled herself off of the ground. As she placed weight on her back legs, she winced. And Ah don't think Ah can hit it that hard again. But Ah'd be no Apple if Ah didn't at least try!

Once again, she charged forth, toward the monster. The beast was still focused on Scootaloo, and its center spun as it tracked the pegasus. Scootaloo made to fly over the top of the rock creature again, and one of its rocky limbs shot out just as quick, leaving the other two limbs bracing against either side of the tunnel. The attack struck hard against the ceiling, missing Scootaloo by mere inches, and foreboding cracks spread across the tunnel's ceiling.

Apple Bloom thought she heard Sweetie Belle slumping to the tunnel floor, but she couldn't spare a glance backward. Now! Apple Bloom spurred herself into action. With a sliding pivot, she bucked at one of the limbs braced against the wall. With a solid hit, she launched herself away from the beast, landing in a tangle of her own limbs. The pain shot through her legs, even thicker than the last buck.

She turned her head and looked, hoping to see a second leg fall apart. She saw that the leg's surface had cracked, stressed with small fissures born from her blow, but it remained attached to the beast. Ah didn't hit it hard enough, the realization dawned on her, and frustration welled in her heart. She moved to pull herself up, but the pain in her legs shot up, and she collapsed, her eyesight dimmed to black for a moment, and sound became a muddled mess, throbbing around her like a persistent headache.

Her sight flared back a moment later, in time for her to see Scootaloo flying to dodge the beast's attacks. Apple Bloom was certain her friend could escape the beast if she would just fly away from it at full speed. With three legs, it moved a lot slower. Why doesn't she? She blinked at her sluggish thoughts. Because she won't leave us behind.

It's only a matter of time now... she thought, as she struggled to pull herself up off the ground, gritting her teeth against the pain. She had to lean against the tunnel wall for support. But if we're goners, then we may as well struggle ta the bitter end!

Her eyes focused on her target: the fractured rocky limb of the monster. She knew she wouldn't make it in time to save Scootaloo. She could see the monster making its decisive strike at the pegasus, even as Apple Bloom hobbled forward.

“It's not over yet!” A snarl came from her side, and Apple Bloom watched as Gravelle leaped from the ground and pounced on the cracked, rocky limb, bringing down her large, clawed paws. With a swift motion, the rock shattered, and the beast fell to its side. Even as it slipped sideways, the large monster lashed out at Scootaloo with one of its remaining limbs and missed, carving out a large chunk of the tunnel wall as it fell.

“The core!” Sweetie Belle's voice croaked from behind. “It won't stop until we break it!”

Without a moment of hesitation, Gravelle pounced on the glowing stone and dug into it with her diamond-hard claws, scratching three deep grooves across the surface of the rock. The raking action caused the stone limbs to fall still, and the core’s glowing to dim, leaving behind a simple rock with patches of purple-coloured crystal.

Scootaloo slipped down to the ground, huffing. Apple Bloom noticed plenty of scrapes marked the pegasus' fur, but at least she could still stand. “So, is it over?”

“Ah think so,” Apple Bloom managed as she winced. She forced herself away from the wall and walked toward the diamond dog. “Thanks Gravelle, ya saved us.”

Gravelle shook her head. “No, I did very little. In fact, you saved me, even more than I saved you. My incompetence lead you all to getting hurt. For that, I am sorry. We dogs promised you safety, and we failed.”

“Pony feathers!” Apple Bloom refuted. “There's nothin' ta forgive. Ya helped us out, and that's what matters.”

“Very well, Apple Bloom,” Gravelle agreed with a nod. “I appreciate your forgiveness.”

Apple Bloom frowned at the dog's words but decided not to pursue the topic any further. No point in arguin' out here. She turned away from the dog and took a look at Sweetie Belle.

The unicorn shakily pulled herself to her hooves. She was panting slightly. “We made it,” she managed to say, between her breaths. “Just barely.”

“Don't be so sure!” Gravelle cried out suddenly. The dog looked up to the ceiling, her ears perking up, “The roof... It's collapsing. We have to get out of here, NOW!”

“Gravelle!” Sweetie shouted, as an audible crunch of rock penetrated the whole tunnel. “Grab the stone! We need to bring that back!”

Gravelle nodded in affirmation, and picked up the damaged, once-glowing core. She grunted in strain as she shifted away with the new burden and toward the three ponies.

Together, half-limping, the group scrambled away as quickly as they could. With resounding crash, like a peal of thunder, the ceiling gave way. A shockwave knocked the group to the ground, carrying with it, a fog of dust.

The whole group lay still for a while, merely coughing as the dust settled. Gravelle was the first to get up, clutching the stone in her arms. “We should head back,” she said to the three at her feet.

They all struggled to their hooves and Sweetie Belle glanced back at the way they had come. “Well, not like we have much of a choice,” the unicorn said with a small grin. “In any case, I could use a bath.”

“We all could,” Apple Bloom replied with an exhausted sigh. “But there're more important things than that right now.”

Important things... Sweetie Belle shivered slightly, despite the warmth of the tunnel. She forced her smile to remain consistent, though her breaths felt faint, and her vision was speckled with shadowy dots, which only seemed to become more prevalent each time she blinked her eyes.

It had been a while since she had last felt such a severe case of magic-drain. She had used too much of her magic against that animated pile of rocks, turning the creature's focus away from Scootaloo. Considering that everyone was okay, she didn't mind having to face the uncomfortable sense of the magic-drain.

In spite of the odd sensation, she focused on a glowcrystal, and forced herself to stumble up to it. It glowed to her senses, brighter than anything else in the tunnel, with the exception of Scootaloo. She thought she heard Scootaloo call out to her, but she dismissed the noise and focused on the simple crystal.

Once she was close enough, she touched her horn to the crystal gingerly. With a reflexive action, she felt the magic of the crystal and pulled on it gently, willing it toward her. In a single moment, she felt the magic flow into her horn, and watched the pattern change from the simple sigil that represented light. Once in her horn, it swirled around until it matched her own emerald pattern of raw magic, her magic signature. After it had transformed, she felt it flow easily from her horn, straight to her heart.

With the next heartbeat, the difference was staggering. Her vision cleared, her breath strengthened, and she stopped shivering. With a quick glance downward, she looked at her own magic source. Full, just from a single crystal. Why..? She shook her head at her own self-pity. Everypony has their limits, I just have to accept mine as they are. Besides, if I can get my hooves on more crystals, then I'll have as much magic as any unicorn could ever need.

She watched as the crystal blinked into darkness, and heard a cracking sound that indicated the crystal had turned to naught but magic-less sand. Maybe they'd let me take some more of these glowcrystals if I asked nicely. I could use a bit more fuel...

“What happened to the crystal?” Gravelle asked from up ahead, beside Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. The two mares were waiting patiently, while the dog moved closer to investigate. Sweetie gave the dog a glance. Although she couldn't see too well with her eyes, Sweetie did sense the dog's magical composition. Gravelle was holding one paw over her stomach defensively from where that rocky monstrosity had hit her, though her voice hadn't sounded particularly pained or winded when she had spoken. In her other arm, she held the large, once-glowing rock, that had been the centerpiece to the monster only moments before.

“It got dusted,” Sweetie Belle replied and smiled in anticipation for the question to come.

“Dusted?”

“Yup. When all the magic leaves a crystal, it gets dusted.”

Gravelle tilted her head slightly. Her dilated pupils were the only thing visible, and they caught the light of a distant glowcrystal, reflecting the faint light eerily. “I've never heard of such a thing before.”

“That's because I made it up,” Sweetie Belle said smugly and moved to catch up to her friends. “It's the term I use anyway. I have yet to find a book that talks about the process of a crystal getting dusted, or another unicorn who's ever done it before. I'm sure somepony else has though, but I haven't seen any records yet. So I'll just keep calling it dusted for now.”

The dog followed in beside her, and they all began heading down the tunnel.

“You feeling better now?” Scootaloo asked. “That must be the first time in years that you've cast anything beyond a light spell without using a crystal. Isn't it draining?”

“Oh, you noticed?” the unicorn asked jovially. “I'm impressed Scoots. I thought you didn't pay attention to how I use magic. Does this mean I have a secret fan?” She swung one forehoof over Scootaloo's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm willing to take you in as an apprentice.”

The pegasus huffed and batted the hoof away. “Well it was hard not to notice when you kept leaving that gem dust all over the floor of my house. I had to clean that up, you know?”

“You, clean up?” Sweetie Belle laughed, and Apple Bloom chuckled as well. “Do you even own a broom?”

“Of course I do.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “You know Sweetie, Bloom's right; you are a headache sometimes.”

“That's what friends are for,” the unicorn insisted. She knew Scootaloo enjoyed the banter. Even if her friend wasn't smiling, Sweetie Belle saw the mirth in her deadpan expression.

“Sorry to interrupt such a... comical conversation,” Gravelle said with a degree of uncertainty, “but you still haven't explained what happened to the crystal. Such information could be beneficial to the clan. After all, crystals and gems are our livelihood.”

“Oh, right.” Sweetie Belle looked to the dog. “This isn't something I tend to explain to most folk. I think I've only ever really explained how it works to Scoots and Twilight. Mainly 'cause they were the only ones who had any interest in it, or were willing to listen to me blab on about stuff that they can't see.”

“Hey, Ah have interest in it too!” Apple Bloom insisted. “Why haven't ya ever talked ta me 'bout it?”

Sweetie Belle considered the question for a moment. “Well, I guess I just thought that magic just wouldn't be something that you'd be keen on. I've heard stories about how Applejack doesn't like having ponies use magic on the farm. You know, earth pony tradition and all that.”

“Ah'm not mah sister.”

The unicorn winced inwardly. “And I shouldn't have assumed that you were the same as her.” She looked down at her hooves awkwardly. “I'm sorry.”

“That's fine, SB. Ah never told ya Ah was interested neither, but now ya know. Ah'd be happy ta listen ta ya talk 'bout how magic works at any time. It might help with some of mah own plans fer the future.”

Huh, an earthpony interested in magic? The idea seemed absurd to her, but then she caught herself and shook her head. This isn't just any run-of-the-mill earth pony, this is Apple Bloom we're talking about here. Why in the hay didn't I think she'd be interested in how something works? Mundane or magic, she'd want to know how. That's kind of her goal in life isn't it? Sweetie Belle blushed at her own ignorance.

“But we can talk 'bout those specifics later,” Apple Bloom continued and nodded toward Gravelle. “Ya still have ta answer her question.”

Sweetie Belle smiled sheepishly and turned her attention back to Gravelle. “Right. I get distracted pretty easily... Sorry about that.” She saw the dog just nod in response, waiting for her to continue.

“So I ended up draining that glowcrystal's magic to refill my own,” she explained. “It's something that most other unicorns don't realize is possible. Anyway, the basic rule of magic is that it is in everything. Many don't realize that, but it is there. Certain things have more magic than others, particularly living things, such as Scootaloo. She's just blazing with magic all the time.”

“Hey, what's that supposed to mean?” The response brought a smile to Sweetie Belle's lips.

“If that magic ever runs out, falling to the barest minimum,” she continued, “the thing, object or creature, wouldn't be held together by the magic anymore. And that simple dust is all that would remain.”

“A living creature, turning to dust? That sounds absurd. I've never heard of such a thing.”

“And I've never seen it happen to a live creature. Nor do I want to,” Sweetie Belle admitted. “You see, living creatures tend to have the most magical energy, but it's also some of the most complex and intertwined.” She gave the dog a look and sighed a bit. “How should I explain this so it makes sense to someone who has never used magic before?

“In its most basic essence, unicorns cast spells by channeling magic through their horn and changing it from one pattern to another. And while all things have magic, the magic is quite often complex and intricate, so changing the pattern from its original state to a more basic one would take a lot of effort.”

Sweetie Belle cast her eyes about as she fished for a good example. “Um, it's like... a woolen sweater! Imagine everything was made from wool. Then imagine you came across some creature, and it was made of hundreds of different coloured threads. If you wanted that creature's magic, you would need to undo that complex weaving of wool. Which would take a lot of effort just to untangle it. And then imagine how hard that would be if you tried to undo it while the creature was moving about. If you somehow managed to do that, then presumably the creature would become dusted. Even then, once you have the magic, you'd have to change each thread to the right colour so it matched whatever you wanted to use the magic for.”

“Hmm...” Gravelle scratched her head.

“And that's usually when I stop trying to figure out how magic works,” Scootaloo offered. “Everything made of wool? Why does it have to be so complicated?”

“Well, it might not be the best analogy,” Sweetie Belle admitted.

“But why use a glowcrystal?” Gravelle wondered.

“That's because there are a few things that are not as hard to take apart. Crystals in particular are pretty much just a big lattice of the same type of magic, so separating its magic is simple and its pattern is very basic. Crystals are similar to a ball of yarn, if we jump back to that analogy. They are simple to take apart magically since they follow a simple pattern, which is really close to a lot of raw magic. In fact, glowcrystals work by having a light spell as one of their base patterns, which is why they glow.

“Look, it probably won't make much sense to you if you can't interact with the magic in a way as unicorns do, or if you don't read up on the basics of magical theory. It's tough to explain, and that's why most ponies just decide to call it ‘magic’ in the first place. It's a lot easier to not understand it. In fact, most unicorns don't understand even the basics. They just use their magic on an instinctual level rather than think about it.”

Gravelle frowned at her words. “Why aren't all unicorns taught this when they grow up? All dogs learn of digging, at least the basics.”

“Well, it's because even unicorns don't agree, with certainty, on how it all works. There are conflicting theories that both seem legitimate at times.” Sweetie Belle found herself feeling a little ashamed at how little unicorns actually knew about the very tool that they had been using for thousands of years. “My own particular way of describing magic has even been branded as 'Chaos Magic'.”

“Ah imagine it's like how runnin' is fer most of us,” Apple Bloom offered. “Few ponies actually learn about how they run. All the tendons and muscles, joints and all. Fer the most part, unless ya specialize in that field as a doctor or somethin', ya don't need ta know. Heck, look at Scootaloo. She's an athlete, and Ah bet she couldn't tell us how runnin' or flyin' actually works.”

“Hey, why am I always the target here?” Scootaloo called out.

“Ah guess unicorns just don't learn much 'bout magic beyond what they use it fer,” the earth pony concluded. “And most unicorns don't seem ta use it that often.”

“Exactly,” Sweetie Belle said with a smile. “I couldn't have said it better myself.”

“Such a lack of knowledge is... most unfortunate,” Gravelle said after a pause. “But Sweetie Belle is an expert in the field of magic, correct?”

“Yup.” The unicorn bobbed her head with a smile on her lips.

“That might be overstating it a bit,” Scootaloo warned. “It's not like you have a diploma or certificate or anything.”

“But I had the best of the best as a teacher.” She smiled amiably at her friend. Scoddri taught me more about magic than anypony else ever could have.

“Even if you are not an expert, Sweetie Belle,” the dog amended, “do you have any idea what that monster was?” Gravelle glanced down to the large burden in her arm.

“Yeah, I've read about stuff like that. They're known as golems. I've heard some powerful unicorns have used spells to make inanimate objects come to life. This one however had more than just that sort of spell working on it. There was a scrying spell too, which allowed it to detect living creatures. Seeing that spell was how I knew who it was going after, and I used my magic to misdirect the spell when I could. It just barely worked.”

“So it was a unicorn who created that monster?” Gravelle wondered aloud.

“I'm not sure. I'll have to take a closer look at the rock itself when we get back to see how it really worked. But the whole time, from when the golem started to move, to when we finally stopped it, I noticed that the magic which gave it life was coming from deeper in the mountain. It was extremely powerful. Something is out there, deep in the mountain, and I don't think it would be wise to seek it out. Not without the proper precautions.” Sweetie Belle looked the dog in her eyes. “I think it would be best if your clan didn't dig any further down this tunnel.”

“That is most unfortunate. We must discuss this with the boss and see what she decides. This tunnel is the richest one we have ever found. Our prosperity has depended upon it for the past four years. Boss will not like this information, and I fear she may decide to dig in spite of your warning, Sweetie Belle.”

The possibility of many dogs digging deeper towards whatever had been powering the golem was not a pleasant thought. Thankfully, her thoughts were quickly forgotten as she heard Gravelle begin to audibly sniff at the air, and saw her ears twitch slightly.

“The digging team, they are waiting for us, up ahead.”

Scootaloo frowned as they marched on. “Why'd they run away, anyway? We could've used them back there! It almost seems like they wanted us to get crushed by that golem thing.”

“It is merely standard procedure for them to evacuate an unstable area for a time. Sometimes cave-ins can collapse multiple times in succession,” Gravelle said sadly.

“So they were just sitting back here, waiting for us to return, while we nearly lost our lives fending off that mad monster? I thought that Granette promised us protection. Some help those dogs were.”

“I understand your irritation, Scootaloo,” Gravelle replied as they passed around a slight turn in the tunnel, “But please keep in mind that these dogs act as they are bidden by our laws, and they follow these laws honourably. If you want your displeasure to be heard in a meaningful manner, please voice such concerns with the boss.”

“But Granette didn't do anything wrong. These are the dogs that left us to stop that monster!” Scootaloo scowled as they approached the troop of diggers.

Most of them were leaning against the wall, the dim light of the glowcrystals caught in their eyes. Two of them were sitting on the ground, rolling a couple of rocks around. They were cast away in a quick motion, and echoed against the rocky ground. There was a slight pause, then one of the dogs let out a small, triumphant bark.

“Hmm? Are they gambling?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Is that allowed?”

“Yes. Diggers do it all the time. Some claim it sharpens their intuition, and a good digging team needs intuition. They are not allowed to bet for anything more than quartz--the dregs of all the gems. Only a desperate dog would wear quartz, so gambling it away is commonplace. It keeps them from being bored if they have to wait for a tunnel to calm down after a collapse, and gives them something to do between shifts.”

The leader of the diggers stepped away from the wall. Sweetie Belle recognized him by the turquoise opal that hung at his collar and his overly-large stature. While he wasn't the hulking size that Sweetie Belle remembered Ruben to be, he certainly was imposing. His gray fur had a way of making his body seem as though it could have been crafted from stone itself, and a jagged smile only seemed to accentuate his stony features.

“Gravelle,” the large dog said. “So you made it back with the ponies. I'd not have thought that they could get lost in these tunnels. But it seems ponies are full of surprises.”

“Oren, we've completed our job,” Gravelle responded evenly. Sweetie Belle could tell the smaller dog was careful about which words she was choosing to use. “Take your diggers and regroup back at the clan. Digging in this tunnel will be off-limits until the boss says otherwise.”

“Feh,” the leader snorted. “Just because your mother is the boss doesn't mean that I have to follow your orders, Gravelle. You know I only dig according to the instructions of the boss.” He looked to his comrades, a couple of which nodded. “We're the best diggers in the clan, and nothing’s going to stop us from digging. Our honour states that we have to dig this tunnel, further and deeper. We work for our clan, and yet you seem to be telling us to stop?”

“Oren,” Gravelle stated, her voice sounding slightly tense. She set the stone she was carrying on the ground, stood up straight, and stared the slouching dog straight in his eyes. Even with the leader slouching, Gravelle came up just to his shoulders. “I am not trying to besmirch your honour. The boss will want to stop all mining operations until they come to a decision.”

“You presume to speak with the authority of the clan? You do not give me or my dogs orders!” He growled at her. “We are the pride of our clan. It is because of our work that the rest of the clan is where it is. We did not get this way by not digging. And we all know that this tunnel is the only one that still bears gems of any quality.”

Gravelle growled in frustration and opened her mouth to speak once again.

“Don't push your luck, Gravelle. Just take your ponies and go. We'll continue as we always have. We don't need soft dogs and useless ponies working with us down here. Your type will only get in the way.”

“Hey!” Scootaloo shouted. “Who do you think you are, saying stuff like that?”

Oh, Scootaloo, he's just a bully. He's not worth it. Sweetie Belle saw the pegasus step forward and spread her wings slightly, in an act she knew to be a subconscious form of intimidation. The unicorn winced inwardly at the sight. Well, there's no going back now. She shot a glance to a nearby glowcrystal.

Oren rounded on Scootaloo and stepped closer. The dog loomed over all of them, he was easily twice as tall as any of the ponies. “I am the best digger in all of the clan. And who are you, pony? You have no business in our tunnels. If it weren't for the boss' order, I'd have kicked your kind out as soon as you entered.”

“I'm Scootaloo,” she replied unflinchingly. “I've faced down bigger and tougher things than you, and I won't just sit by here listening to some dumb insults thrown around by some honourless thug.”

“Honourless?” he retorted with a sneer. “You've got guts, girl. I recommend you eat your words before I change my mind about just letting you ponies walk away.”

“Enough!” Gravelle hissed to Scootaloo. “We have a job to do. We've done our part here. Let's head back. There is honour to be had in avoiding conflict.”

“While he just mocks us? No! I'm not going to stand by here and listen to his trash-talk. Bullies like him need to be taught a lesson, and the sooner the better.”

“Scootaloo, this ain't the time or the place,” Apple Bloom whispered harshly. “Just cool off, and we'll discuss this with Granette. If ya start a fight with him, then yer no better than he is.”

Scootaloo shook her head and stared venom at the large dog. “That's where you're wrong! I'm better because I know what real honour is! Honour is about standing up for what you believe in, and I believe in my friends. I'm not about to let this dog get away with what he said!”

Sweetie Belle felt a sudden spark of magic, so slight that, had she not been standing right next to Scootaloo, she would have missed it. It was green and purple flash that flickered from the pegasus' eyes. It was too quick to decipher the pattern. She frowned. Something about that magic felt wrong to her, sickening almost. I have to do something.

“Good day, mister Oren,” Sweetie Belle spoke up, stepping in front of the pegasus. “I most sincerely apologize for our poor behavior. You are right that we are out of our element, and that we would clearly be in the way of your digging. But please keep in mind that we are official delegates, and as such, we have been promised the safety of the Black-Snout Clan. A promise granted by the honour of your very clan; a promise that we are humbled to have received. It would be seen as a breach of that great honour, if we were harmed before returning to parley with Granette.”

She could feel Scootaloo's scowl from behind, and she saw Oren frown. The dog then glanced over his shoulder at his dozen companions. Most of them looked apprehensive and tense.

“Bah, why waste time with more chatter? Come mutts, get off your lazy behinds, we have a tunnel to fix up,” he barked out, “a tunnel that was perfectly stable only minutes ago. We'll clear what we can until we get more supplies. Gravelle, tell Argent to send another two carts of supplies. We're going to need it to fix up the mess you left behind.”

“Of course,” Gravelle replied and bowed her head.

All the dogs sprang into action, almost as one. They carried numerous glowcrystals, and a few pickaxes. They moved past the group with a uniform haste. A few of them growled in irritation as they passed by.

Once they rounded the corner, Gravelle let out a light sigh. “Thank you, Sweetie Belle. I am glad that we avoided an unnecessary conflict. Also, I am sorry, on behalf of my clan.”

“Ponyfeathers,” Apple Bloom replied. “Didn't Ah say this before? His actions were not yers. We don't think any less of ya 'cause of one bad apple in the bunch.”

“Hmm. A bad apple?” Gravelle shook her head. “He's the best miner we have. The clan is depending quite heavily upon his expertise for finding more gems and avoiding collapses. He is one of our most honourable and skilled dogs. Second to none.”

“Even after how he just acted?” Apple Bloom sounded dumbfounded. “Ah didn't see a lick o’ honour in him.”

“Please, do not speak as if you know his entire history from just a single encounter.”

Sweetie Belle turned to Scootaloo, and huffed her indignation. “What the hay, Scoots!? You almost started a fight there! We're lucky he wasn't willing to deal with all the complications that messing with us would have entailed.”

“But he started it!” She shook her head causing purple strands of her mane to obscure her eyes. “Darn it! I know that sounds foalish, but you know he was picking a fight with us, and he deserved to be shown his place! You know just as much as I do that words are just as bad as violence! Somepony had to stand up to him and make him realize he was wrong.”

“But it doesn't have to be a fight!” Sweetie Belle retorted.

“Well, what do you think he's going to do now? If he sees us again, he'll find an excuse to jump us, or do worse. And he's going to find a way to do it that doesn't besmirch his so called ‘honour’. You just made him more annoyed at us. Just like back in school-”

“Scoots, this isn't the same as back then-”

“Knock it off, you two! Jeez!” Apple Bloom interrupted. “Look, the situation's been handled fer now. Let's cool down and move on. We can talk 'bout it later.”

Darn it, Scoots. Can't you see I just don't want you to get hurt? I know you thought you were protecting us, but we can handle ourselves from thugs like him.

Scootaloo stared at her hooves as they walked on. The cave ceiling pushed down on her with its ambient pressure. She subconsciously stretched out her strained wings every minute or so. They hurt, but it wasn’t as uncomfortable as the thoughts on her mind. She gave Sweetie Belle a short glance.

The other mare was walking just ahead of her. It had been a while since they had shared an argument as intense as that.

Of course it doesn't make sense to fight. But it doesn't make sense to bully in the first place. You can't face their type with sense. She shook her head bitterly. What do I even care? We won't end up seeing those jerks again anyway. They were right to stop me.

A silence had fallen on the group, and they continued on down the tunnel. After a while, Apple Bloom and Gravelle began talking softly to each other, but Scootaloo paid them no mind.

She didn't want to talk. Or walk for that matter. She only wanted one thing. She stole another furtive glance at Sweetie Belle. I just want to get out of this forsaken mountain. We never should have come in here, and we never should have agreed to help out. The dogs'll be able to handle things down here better than ponies ever could. If it weren't for Sweetie's darned curiosity, we'd have been out of here a long while ago. If it weren't for Sweetie...

She caught her wayward thoughts and kicked a hoof hard against the ground, producing a slight shock, enough to clear her mind. She let out a heavy sigh.

“Sorry, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle's light green voice drifted to Scootaloo sullenly, giving a bit of life to the gray rocks around her.

“No,” Scootaloo responded with a shake of her head, “don't. I know you're sorry. You always are... Let's just drop it.”

“Okay... but then, let's talk about something else.”

“I don't want to talk.” She couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice.

“Then just listen,” Sweetie Belle said. “You know I can't stand being quiet for too long. Silence is grating, and it hurts. It's oppressive.”

“I like it fine,” Scootaloo muttered.

“But you still choose to talk,” she pointed out with a smile.

There was a certainty in her smile; It was a solid thing. A smile she never shared with anypony else. It wasn't the smile of the cocksure magician trying her hoof at a new spell, nor was it the smile of the curious unicorn who just discovered a new facet to the vast world of magic. This was the smile of her first friend; the smile of an equal. The smile of a friend that would always be.

“Well, I guess I don't mind talking either.”

“It's pretty easy,” Sweetie Belle said, her eyes flicking about in Scootaloo's direction, and her voice calling up its faint signature of emerald hues.

“What?” Scootaloo asked a little nervously.

“Talking.”

“Oh,” Scootaloo gave an unsteady chuckle, and a relieved smile made its way to her lips. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

“You do?” Sweetie Belle asked in confusion. “But no other ponies can see magic like I do. And you certainly can't. You can't, right?”

“No, that's not what I meant,” she sighed. “Your voice is pretty.” Suddenly, it dawned on Scootaloo, what she had just said. “Uh, I mean, didn't ponies always say that you were going to get a cutie mark in singing? What happened to all that?”

“Oh,” she said with a blush, “that's what you meant.” She considered the question for a moment. “I guess a lot of ponies thought I'd become a singer, huh? I liked singing, but it's kind of complicated now. My real passion is magic, Scoots.”

“Yeah, but since you got your cutie mark, well, you've hardly sung at all.”

“It's something I do on my own. I don't like others to hear it.”

“Oh... well, I remember it being really pretty back in the day. You should give it another shot sometime. I'd love to hear you again.”

“It's hard,” Sweetie Belle said with a sigh. “You know I've explained my magic to you, right?”

“Yeah, that's mostly all you ever talk about.”

“Well, I can see magic of all kinds. And talking and singing are magic too. Everything is magic. I see it in the air, and each sound even looks slightly different. Normally, I can ignore it, because it's so faint. But when I sing, it's so much closer that it's hard to concentrate. I get distracted by the magic itself. My own magical senses become as loud as my own voice to my ears. And soon I'm thinking about it all in terms of what it looks like magically.” She gave a small pout. “I just can't do it anymore. Not like before.”

“Really? But talking's like that too right?”

“Kind of. But talking is much more... blocky, I guess, it’s easier to ignore the feeling. Singing has a certain elegant grace to it, where all the sounds form one overarching pattern. It's like one spell that's constantly changing its sigils to individual coherent spells. It's very distracting, I find myself trying to constantly change the pattern even as I'm singing it. It can sound kind of weird when I do change the pattern.”

“Huh. You’d even change your own voice with magic? That reminds me of those times where I'd train and be focusing all my attention on how my own body was functioning. One time it even got to the point where I forgot what I was doing in the first place. I'd be focusing on making sure my gait was proper, and my wings were flapping symmetrically. I nearly crashed.”

“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle said, “just like that.”

“But you just have to force it out of your mind, and you'll do fine. After all, you don't see me tripping and falling whenever I take to the skies.”

“No, of course you wouldn't. You're a really good flier Scoots. You have more energy in you than any other pegasus I know.”

“Except Rainbow Dash.”

Sweetie Belle fell silent for a little while, and the tunnel finally resolve into the soft glowing of numerous glowcrystals from the distant Pillar.

The numerous points of light sparkled in their different hues, and Scootaloo felt the pressure of the mountain above her suddenly lessen.

“We're back,” Gravelle stated in her plain greyish-blue voice.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes at the redundant statement, when a question cropped into her mind. “Say, is it just me, or is the air fresher in here?”

“Indeed it is, Scootaloo.” The dog smiled pleasantly at her. The motion seemed a little stiff to Scootaloo. She wasn't sure if that was because dogs were just a stiff folk, or if Gravelle was just trying too hard to be polite.

“Yeah, we were just talkin' 'bout that on the way back,” Apple Bloom explained. “Turns out that they have special type of digging dogs. They're called Venters. Generally small ones who're good at climbin'. They make the vents that reach to the outside. Keeps this place mighty fresh.”

“We also have at least one Venter on every digging team. They dig vents at intervals down the tunnels. If they didn't, the diggers could run out of air while digging.” Gravelle motioned them to follow her toward the Pillar.

“Can you really do that? Run out of air? Doesn't air just go everywhere?” Scootaloo glanced at the tunnel they had just come from, eyeing it suspiciously.

“Air flows,” Apple Bloom supplied. “Like any gas. Sometimes heavier gases end up nestled in the tunnels. And if ya have no real air ta breath, ya can end up drownin'.”

“Drowning... not in water?” Scootaloo shivered at the thought. “I think I'll just stay out of caves from now on.” She leaped into the open air and hovered above her friends. Much better.

As they moved toward the pillar. Scootaloo looked at the city around her--if it could even be called that. She saw a peculiar square formation of stone structures, which reminded her of the market area that they had in Ponyville. There was a single dog that seemed to have sparkling gems, arranged on a marble counter-top, while a few other dogs were barking to the dog at the counter, as they held clusters of other gems in their paws.

“Is that a marketplace?”

“Why, yes. It's our Market Square,” Gravelle stated with a hint of pride. “We finally have some dogs who have decided that digging isn't their calling. Some of them have taken up crafting and design. Stylized gem-carving has become a new trend in the last few months. Some simply trade gems for other types of gems. If you want a specific type of gem, such as sapphires,” she pointed to her own collar for reference, “then you must trade more of different gems to get it. That's how the merchants can keep on working.”

“Huh,” Scootaloo glanced at all the differing stores and merchants. “Looks like a dog is even selling carved glowcrystals.” There were star-shaped, dog-shaped, pony-shaped, and what looked to be a perfect sphere. “Even I'll admit, that would be pretty neat to have.”

“I am just overjoyed at seeing our clan make something new. Not all dogs, myself included, were entirely happy with just digging. The bounty of our mountain has allowed us to finally explore some of the artistic world. Art has to have been one of the strangest, and most stunning things I have seen in my travels to the Crystal Empire.”

“That looks pretty neat,” Apple Bloom commented. “Ah suppose that yer clan has some expertise in metal-makin' too, right?”

“Of course. We use metal beams to support our tunnels at times along with the wood.”

“Then Ah think Ah'll check out the market when Ah get a chance. It could be useful ta see how yer metallurgy differs from ours back in Equestria.”

“But first we have a certain stone to examine,” Sweetie Belle piped up. “I want to take a good look at it before we talk to Granette about what we're going to do next.”

“We're going to leave the mountain next,” Scootaloo reminded her with a gentle swoop, landing down beside her.

“Of course,” Sweetie assured her. “But we need to discuss some things before that. I'm really worried about why that golem was down there. And its source... It was very powerful.”

“Then what are we just standing around gawking at wares for?” Scootaloo remarked. “Let's go already.”

“You were the one that pointed it out in the first place,” Apple Bloom muttered as she gave the strange Market Square one last intrigued look.

They continued toward the center of the strange city. Scootaloo found it strange that the houses—or at least what passed for houses—had no windows, just single entrances. Only the Pillar had windows, crude and lacking glass panes as they were. It seemed so jarring to her. Almost as jarring as the lack of wind, sun, or moon.

The sooner we get out of here, the better.

Apple Bloom sat and watched in the low, yellowish light of a glowcrystal as Scootaloo took a drink from the cool stream that flowed down the side of the Pillar. At Apple Bloom's urging, they had left Sweetie Belle to let her focus on figuring out how that strange rock golem worked. Gravelle had gone to make a short report to Granette and some other dog named Argent. Before she had left, she had said that she would be back to accompany them when they met with the boss again.

That had left just Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to sit around and wait, which they had for the past hour. They had grabbed some food, bland and filling oats, and eventually ended up in a side-room of the Pillar, which contained the fresh flowing stream. Given how strained her legs felt, Apple Bloom was altogether glad they had a moment to rest.

“Ya know, Ah've done mah fair share of applebuckin', but buckin' rocks is somethin' else altogether. It's nice ta be able ta sit down fer a bit.”

Scootaloo finished drinking and moved back beside her friend and sat down on a mess of blankets they had collected from the guest chambers. “Yeah, I hear ya. I think that's the last time I'll ever want to kick a rock.”

“Look, Scootaloo. 'Bout what happened earlier, with the diggin' team...” Apple Bloom could see her friend tense and look away. “I know you were just trying to stand up fer us, and Ah appreciate it. It's great ta have a friend like you, who's willin' ta give all she can, and then some, fer her friends.”

A small silence filled the space between the two mare, but eventually Scootaloo turned back to face Apple Bloom. “I think there might be something wrong with me,” the pegasus muttered. “Even as I argued with those dogs, I knew it wasn't a smart thing to do... but I was just so angry. He was mocking us. He thought we were nothing; that we were worth less than a rock.” She shook her head. “But at the time I really wanted to fight him, to prove that I'm not just a pushover, almost as badly as I want to prove myself to the Wonderbolts. Darn it! I know it was the wrong thing to do, but I wanted it all the same.” She sighed and began some rudimentary stretches. “Maybe it's the air down here. I just want to get out of this darned hole in the ground, Bloom.”

“Yeah, Sweetie and Ah... we both know that, Scootaloo. And we'll get outta here soon. But until then, let's try an' keep the conflict to a minimum, yeah?”

“Yeah...” she agreed with a small sigh.

“Ah guess this is a pretty lousy vacation, huh?” Apple Bloom asked with a small grin.

“Yeah, but all in all, I don't think it's too bad. Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do when I get back. Lately, I've been kind of hoping that our vacation would end up taking a really long time.” Scootaloo paused her stretching and looked over her shoulder at Apple Bloom. A hint of colour came to the pegasus' cheeks. “Yeah, I know, it's a silly thought.”

“Well, we all got stuff ta do once we get back.” Apple Bloom frowned at her friend. “Don't ya have another race to go to in order to impress the Wonderbolts?”

“Yeah... there's another big race in a month.” the pegasus sounded hesitant as she spoke, causing Apple Bloom's frown to deepen. “Lots of pegasi will be there, scouting out the young talent.”

“And that's what yer gonna do right?”

“I'm not so sure, anymore...”

“Oh?”

Scootaloo spread her wings, and with a few graceful beats, lifted herself off the stony floor. Soon, she was hovering in the stone room, and she turned around in place with a gentle grace, showing no signs of fatigue from their earlier struggle with the golem. She spun until she faced Apple Bloom in earnest.

“I'm trying to figure it all out. I'm trying to remember why I love to fly. The dream of being a Wonderbolt, of proving myself; that's not what I wanted. That all comes from my desire to make Rainbow proud. And I know nothing would make her prouder than if I made it onto the Wonderbolts.”

Apple Bloom simply nodded her head. She could see Rainbow Dash wanting Scootaloo to push herself to be the best flier she could be. Rainbow Dash had lived, breathed, and talked flying her whole life. To have her own little sister following in her hoofsteps would probably be one of her biggest points of pride. And Rainbow Dash was nothing, if not prideful.

“But I've realized something,” Scootaloo continued. “I hate racing. Competing against others, it takes all the fun and exhilaration out of flying. Everypony is just focused on beating a time and the ponies next to them. It becomes just useless numbers and faceless competition. If I don't beat them, they'll beat me. And that's not what I want. That's not my dream.”

“Then what is your dream, Scootaloo?”

“I don't know,” she admitted with a heavy sigh and settled back down onto the floor. Once on the ground she shot a look down the hall, toward the room that they had left Sweetie Belle in. “But I know it's there. Like my cutie mark, I don't know exactly what it is, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.”

“Just take it easy, one step at a time, and Ah'm sure you'll find it,” Apple Bloom assured her. "That’s what cutie marks are for, to help you realize yer dreams.”

“But I'm worried, Bloom. What'll Rainbow think when she finds out? How am I supposed to tell her? I think she, of all ponies, had the largest expectations for me, and now I'm just going to be letting her down.”

“That's just a load of ponyfeathers! She'll be proud of you, Scootaloo. So long as ya keep chasin' your dream, she'll understand.” Scootaloo gave her a worried look, and Apple Bloom let a small smile of assurance come to her lips. “Ah know, Ah felt the same way before. It was a little while after Ah got my cutie mark. Ah loved the farm an' all... but that was 'cause Ah love mah family, not the business. Slowly, over the course of a couple o' years, Ah just realized that workin' on the farm just wasn't fer me.

“Ya see, Ah had these ideas just comin' inta ma head all the time. Plans fer new machines, and ways ta make life easier--farmin’ machines and the like. Honestly, Ah know that if Ah could somehow make them real, that Ah could help out hundreds and hundreds of ponies. And that's when Ah decided to look fer 'pprenticeship experience.

“It took me a while, but 'ventually there was no 'voidin' it; Ah had ta tell AJ. Ah was worried ta tears when told her. Sure it was a mite unexpected fer her, but she's mah sister, and loves and believes in me. We worked it out. In retrospect, it seems kinda silly how distraught Ah was.

"Look, Ah'm sure that Rainbow Dash loves and believes in you too. Heck, she taught you how to fly, and that's still part o' yer dream. Ya won't be a disappointment ta her.”

There was a slight pause before Scootaloo nodded hesitantly. “Yeah, I guess you're right... Thanks, Bloom. You're a great friend, I don't know what we'd do without you.”

“Well, somepony 'round here has ta have a lick o' sense. Sometimes Ah wish Sweetie would pay more attention ta her surroundin's.”

“What do you mean?” Scootaloo asked. “She's probably the most attentive pony I know. She sees a lot more than anypony.”

“Well, seein' is one thing, but sometimes she's more focused on immediate successes than the fallout o' her own actions.”

“We all make mistakes.”

“Yeah, but she makes more than most,” Apple Bloom countered.

“Nah, she knows what she's doing. You should trust her a bit more, Bloom.”

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to speak when a loud crash echoed from down the spiraling hall. They both peered toward the sound, and watched as a familiar, large stone roll out of a room. It came to a halt a few feet away from the entrance, then it cracked, falling into no less than four chunks.

“Dumb rock!” Sweetie Belle shouted from the entrance to the guest room and scowled at the broken stone.

“Sweetie, you just broke the rock!” Apple Bloom said in disbelief. “Now how're ya goin' ta find out how it works?”

“It broke itself!” she stated. “Besides, I found out pretty much all I needed to know about it. Turns out that, whatever type of rock this is, it can store up magical energy in it’s crystals inside. A lot of it, too. I also figured out something else. Ya have ta see this!” She darted back into the room.

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow, and Scootaloo simply shrugged. Together they walked over to the guest room.

The first thing Apple Bloom noticed was how much dimmer the room had gotten. She noticed piles of different coloured sand spread across the floor. “Glowcrystals?” she asked.

“Yeah! I had to use something to test out that hunk of rock.” She had three remaining glowcrystals suspended in the air by her own magic.

“So... what are ya goin’ to show us?”

“Oh, it's a new sigil that I hadn't seen before, and I managed to figure it out. It was on the surface of the rock, along with a few others I already knew. Watch this!” Her horn flashed lightly, and Apple Bloom noticed her eyes glow green, turning brighter than the glowcrystals around her. One of the crystals fissured with an audible crack.

With a devious smile, Sweetie Belle's horn began to glow even brighter. Then, suddenly, Apple Bloom felt something. A shiver ran up her spine. It almost felt like somepony had touched her. She peered backward, but Scootaloo hadn't moved. She frowned, looking back at the unicorn.

“Sweetie Belle, what are ya up ta?” Apple Bloom wondered, when suddenly she felt a new sensation overcome her. It was as if the ground had fallen out beneath her, though it was still there, beneath her hooves.

She heard the first crystal crack loudly, and she saw it fall into a pile of dust. Dusted, she noted. Feeling slightly skittish by the spell that Sweetie Belle was casting, she took a step backward. The slight movement was all it took for her to feel the ground float away from her hooves.

“By Celestia, am Ah floatin'?”

Sweetie Belle grinned in way of response. With another flash, a loud cracking, and a flare of emerald eyes, Apple Bloom suddenly felt a steady tug from within, and she began to fall slowly toward the room's roof.

She felt her backside touch gingerly on the roof. Instinctively, she tried to roll over onto her hooves. As she did so, she felt the light pull beneath her changing into a harder tug to one side. With a grunt, she wrenched herself upright, and look above her. It looked as though both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were standing upside down.

“Is this a reverse gravity spell or somethin?” Apple Bloom asked in incredulity.

Scootaloo spread her wings and floated close to Apple Bloom, looking at her with avid curiosity. “Wow, you can walk on ceilings. That's a pretty awesome spell.”

“Oh, no, it's nothing like that,” Sweetie Belle assured them, the final crystal was beginning to fissure.

“This is really neat and all Sweetie, but I think ya should let me down now, 'fore that last crystal runs out.”

“Yeah,” Sweetie agreed.

Scootaloo landed and walked over to the unicorn. “If it's not a roof-climbing spell, then what is it?”

Apple Bloom felt the tug on her lessen, and the weightless feeling gripped her for a moment. Then, gravity lightly pulled on her again, and she floated toward the ground slowly.

“I don't know what it's actually called,” Sweetie Belle explained. “I've never come across it before, as I said.”

The final crystal shattered, and the room descended into sudden darkness. Only glowing emerald eyes could be seen, and even they began to dim in the next moment. Apple Bloom felt the pull of gravity suddenly intensify. “Oof!” She felt the ground meet her backside and the wind nearly left her lungs. “Ya definitely need ta be careful Sweetie. If ya don't have enough magic, usin' that spell could be mighty dangerous.”

“Sorry about that,” Sweetie Belle said, slightly sheepish. The silhouetted unicorn offered Apple Bloom a hoof, and soon, the trio exited the guest room, for the better-lit hallway.

“So...?” Scootaloo asked. “Don't keep us waiting. What is the spell? How does it work?”

“Yeah, it felt really weird, suddenly fallin’ up like that.”

“Well, it's what that Golem was using to stay together, actually. I'm going to call it an 'attraction' spell. It focuses on two targeted portions of magic patterns, and pulls them together with physical force. The closer the two fields are, the stronger the attraction. And the more magic fed into the spell, the more it causes a stronger attraction. It's also harder to do with living creatures, since most living things tend to resist outside magic sources more than mundane objects do. I'm actually surprised I managed to get you to the ceiling in the first place.”

Apple Bloom gave her a blank stare. “Ya know... Ah think Ah'd prefer it if ya asked mah permission first next time...”

“Well, it worked out okay.” Sweetie Belle smiled innocently.

Apple Bloom shook her head, but humored her with a smile. “So those rock 'legs' on that golem, spider-thing. Those were attached to the center bit by this type o' spell?”

“Yup! And then the legs moved with a few come-to-life spells in conjunction with scrying. It was actually kind of complicated altogether. I wonder who put that golem together, there was definitely someone powerful behind it, since it was all controlled remotely.”

“Who cares who did it?” Scootaloo asked. “I don't want to find out. We'd probably have to go back down those tunnels, and I'm not going back down there again if I can help it.”

“Well,” Apple Bloom looked at her two friends. “Maybe we should prepare ta head up ta meet with Granette and Slater. They should probably hear what ya know 'bout all this. And Ah think Gravelle’ll be back soon.”

“Sounds good.” Sweetie Belle nodded. “Let's just get our bags.” With a single flicker, her horn lit up, and she headed back into the dark room to fish out their belongings. She returned a few seconds later, setting their packs gentle down at her hooves.

Within a minute, they were all set, and Sweetie Belle gave Apple Bloom a questioning look. “You don't suppose they'll be upset that I used so many glow crystals, do you?”

“Well, they asked ya ta look into it. Ah'm sure usin' up a few glowcrystals ain't gonna cause any problems.”

Sweetie Belle smiled nervously. “A few...? Yeah, it was only a few.”

Apple Bloom paused for a moment, then shook her head. She tightened a strap on her saddlebag. Nah, I don't think Ah'll want to know the answer ta that question...

They only had to wait a few more minutes until Gravelle came sauntering down the hall. After a quick exchange, the dog led them up the spiraling hall once again.

As they traveled up the inner hall, Sweetie Belle couldn't help but wonder who was behind the golem. Could it be the same one that controlled the weather and attacked us earlier? She tossed her mane in irritation. But to find out, we'd have to follow the energy back to its source, deeper into the mountain. She gave Scootaloo a glance. But I can't ask Scootaloo to go back down there. Hay, I'd be happy if I never had to go down another tunnel myself.

The walk up to the meeting room didn't seem nearly as tedious as she remembered it, although it was just as bland. “You know,” she whispered to Scootaloo, “I bet my sister could make a killing selling décor to these dogs.”

“Knowing her, she'd probably die just from seeing how empty this place is.” Scootaloo smirked.

“Yeah, I can see it now. She'd be walking around with her red glasses on, examining every square inch of this place. With every step she'd give an order to a trail of dogs behind her. 'Move that rock! Oh this place is simply filthy. Does anyone sweep up in here?'” Sweetie Belle gasped and pointed a hoof at an opening that overlooked the underground city. “'Are those open windows without stained-glass? Do you realize how dangerous this is? Well, you could at least put some drapes up! Oh, and what is this, ugh, tacky door doing here? This needs some serious work!'”

They all came to a stop outside the door. Sweetie Belle wore a wide grin and Scootaloo was chuckling, while Apple Bloom simply shook her head.

Gravelle only cocked an eyebrow at the unicorn. “What are you going on about, Sweetie Belle?”

“Oh, it's nothing Gravelle. It'd be too big a hassle to explain.”

“Are ya done then?” Apple Bloom asked. “This is an important meeting, Sweetie Belle. Try ta behave yerself.”

Sweetie Belle saw her friend's stern stare, and felt her smile slip prematurely from her lips.

Apple Bloom then nodded to the dog beside her. “Alright, Gravelle, we're ready.”

Trust me Bloom, I'm very serious about this. Just as serious as you. She looked to her side, and noticed Scootaloo flare out her wings and her posture stiffen, just as the heavy door swung open. And it looks like Scoots is even more serious than either of us. Well, it's only been... what? A day, since that first meeting? I guess Scoots is still holding a bit of a grudge.

They stepped into the familiar chamber, which, after traveling through the tunnels, seemed entirely lavish for diamond dogs. Sweetie Belle noted a fine dent on the metal desk's surface, and she smiled. I'm glad I could at least help them add a little character to this room.

Peering around the rest of the room, she noted that Byron was absent from the meeting, although Slater remained in the corner, sitting on his rocky perch. She felt her smile lose a little of its luster. I wonder where Byron is. She liked the auburn dog. He seemed most likely to laugh at her jokes.

“Ponies,” Granette began, stepping out from behind her desk, “I've heard of your return and of the events that transpired down the deep tunnel. I have sent Byron with a message to cease our mining operations until it can be deemed safe enough.” She stopped a few feet before them, with a stern expression on her face.

She gazed down at Sweetie Belle with hard eyes that seemed to be made of stone themselves. “So, tell me, Sweetie Belle. What have you figured out about that strange stone? It was the centerpiece of the monster that attacked you, correct?”

“Yeah,” Sweetie began, but received a sharp nudge from Apple Bloom. “I mean, yes, that is correct. I studied the rock and found out that it had numerous sigils-” She felt another jab, and she frowned trying to choose the right words. “Numerous different magics were enchanting the stone. One spell pulled the rocks to the center, another moved the rocks where it wanted, yet another spell used magic to see its surroundings. Behind all of it, I could see that it was being fed power from a distant source. There's something out there, deep in the mountain. It's really powerful. I've never seen something that would have that much magic, and I have no idea what physical shape it has, or what you'd have to look for. I think it could be incredibly dangerous to dig any further.”

“That is duly noted.” Granette nodded. “So then, what was the stone actually?”

“I'm not entirely sure, but when it cracked open, I could see veins of silvery-purple mineral build up. It reminded me of a geode, but I don't think it was amethyst. It had a different pattern. It was really weird. The crystal inside allowed it to store up magical energy as well, although it didn't use the natural magic of the crystal. It seems to be a natural attribute of the crystal itself, rather than the effect of a spell pattern.” And the only other crystal that's ever acted similarly is Scoddri's emerald.

“You cracked the rock open?”

“It kind of happened on its own, when I was testing one of its latent magics.”

“The rock is no longer dangerous, correct?” Granette asked and Sweetie Belle offered a small nod in response. “Very good, then I shall send for our best dogs to determine what the rock and its mineral deposits are.”

She moved over to her desk and pulled out a flat sheet of stone and a lumpy white rock, which Sweetie Belle quickly recognized to be slate and chalk. She quickly wrote down something, although it was too far away for Sweetie Belle to see.

“So we did what you asked,” Scootaloo spoke up. “And you said that you'd give us escort out of your caves afterward.”

“I did,” Granette replied, looking up from her writing, irritation seeping into her voice. “Dogs do not make promises that they cannot keep. You ponies have proven yourselves honorable and helpful.” Reaching down she pulled open another one of her desk drawers. She pulled out a large sack, approximately the size of Sweetie's own head, and set it on the top of the desk with a clink. “This is your reward for helping us out. From what Gravelle tells me, had you ponies not been there, I could have lost many good dogs--as well as my daughter. For that, you have earned this.”

“And something else,” Slater called out from his corner and rose to his feet. The old dog held the small bit of emerald in his paw. Sweetie Belle noticed there was an empty socket where he had taken it from his collar. “My granddaughter, Gravelle gave this to me, and had it not been for your efforts, it is entirely possible that she would not have made it back here today. I think it is only fitting that this returns to the heart it belongs to.” He began to shuffle to the group of ponies, on his old, shaky legs.

As he approached, Sweetie Belle noticed the faint strand of emerald energy flowing from her own necklace. It began to strengthen to the point where she didn't compulsively squint when she focused on it. She saw the intricate pattern, and she wanted nothing more than to reach out and test the properties of the strange magic.

She felt her own magic become restless within her, but she kept it under control. I can test what that pattern is after the meeting, she told herself, although she couldn't pull her focus away from it.

Had she not been peering so voraciously at the splinter of emerald she might have missed the sudden flicker of energy from behind the crystal. Scrying? Instinctively, Sweetie Belle pulled her own magic into her horn, as the flicker turned into a large spike of magic, woven into an intricate pattern.

She felt the magic surge forth from Slater's paw, and saw a brilliant purple lance of light shoot forth as well. Sweetie Belle reached out with her own magic from beneath the beam, pushing upward on the oncoming magic with her own.

She gasped, falling to the ground from the sudden exertion, but she saw that her efforts had paid off. The bolt of energy swerved upward, crashing into the ceiling above, leaving a three-foot blackened smear across its surface.

The shocked silence that followed was short lived. Apple Bloom yelped, while Scootaloo dove in front of Sweetie, blocking her view of Slater and the emerald fragment. Sweetie Belle heard Granette snarl, and out of the corner her eye, she saw Gravelle scrambling over toward Slater, a terrified expression painted on her face.

As Sweetie Belle pulled herself off the floor, she sensed numerous magic patterns suddenly pour forth form from the crystal. “Don't move!” a dark voice commanded. It had a regal tone to it that projected authority. “That is, if you care about this old mutt's life.”

A strong magic flowed from the crystal, worming its way between Slater's limbs, like a snake would strangle its prey. Slater was hoisted a foot off the ground, his body stiff, and a look of shock in his eyes.

“You monster! Whoever you are, I vow you shall not get away with this!” Granette shouted, but otherwise remained still.

“No, you mutt! I will get away with this, unless you want to test my earlier warning.”

Sweetie Belle felt the magic surge, and heard Slater wince in pain.

“Father!” Granette shouted. “Darn it! What do you want!?”

“Ah, yes. What I want is something very simple. I need you to get rid of the 'half-heart' girl for me. Do this for me, and I shall release your father.”

Sweetie Belle looked nervously to both Granette and Gravelle. “Why?!” she demanded of the voice. “What did I ever do to you?”

“You have been a thorn in my side that I'd rather be rid of, and you have something that belongs to me.” Sweetie Belle looked down at he necklace. “That's right. This isn't really about you, girl, it's about Discord. If you want to blame someone, blame him for dragging you into this. Now, what are you waiting for, dogs? Get rid of her! Now!”

Slater growled in pain as the constricting magic tightened, and Granette turned to Sweetie Belle and her friends. Fear and torment filled her once-stony eyes. While Gravelle moved in beside her, waiting for her mother to make the first move.

“Granette!” Slater's voice boomed. “What is honour to our clan?! What is honour if it is never tested!? Do what is right-” He choked and sputtered, but struggled against the magic bindings. “Honour the deal, and right the wrong!”

“Father!” Granette cried out, pivoting in place and bounding toward the dog. In a swift motion she grabbed the emerald in Slater's paw and wrenched it free. She let out a howl of pain, and Sweetie Belle could see the magic burning into her paw. Turning, she tossed the crystal straight toward Sweetie Belle.

“No! You traitorous dogs! I'll see you all dest-” The dark voice managed to say before it dispersed into a high-pitched keening.

Sweetie Belle felt the crystal react as it approached, and saw all the magic that had been pouring out of it begin to twist and undulate. The crystal itself turned into a bright, insubstantial wave of emerald light, which shot past both Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, straight into Sweetie Belle's necklace.

An echoing laughter reached her ears. Scoddri! She recognized voice, pained as it was. Looking down at the emerald treasure, the magic within it slowly faded, along with the laughter. She noticed that the amulet was slightly larger than it had been before, and it even seemed to weigh a bit more.

You really are out there, Scoddri, aren't you? You're out there and hurting because of this voice, whoever he is. Well, I'll save you, Scoddri. I promise!