Screwball panicked when everything around her started to crumble and fall apart. The Changeling hatchling on her back started to cry hysterically, filling the mare's ears wit both baby shrieking and falling stone all around her. Screwball started to run, looking desperately for a way out; she had to find Stormfly! She had to give him his daughter back!
All the possible escape routes were being blocked by the falling debris before she even had a chance to check if they led outside, and she was getting desperate by the second.
Screwball kept running through the tunnel seemingly endless tunnel, dodging rocks and stalagmites that fell from the ground. , making sure Misty Wing was not hurt by it. The mare finally spotted a light in the distance, apparently heading into the sunlight, into freedom, and away from the falling place. Screwball narrowed her eyes and ran, ran like she had never ran before, towards the light. When she was a few hoofsteps away from the light, she closed her eyes shut. fearing for the worst...
"LEFT!" Spike cried in horror as the cyan pegasus avoided another falling rock which nearly crushed them, "BE CAREFUL, RAINBOW DASH!!!"
"DON' TELL ME HOW TO FLY!!!" Rainbow Dash snapped back in frustration, not getting her eyes off the route.
When the trembling started and the tunnel started to collapse, Rainbow Dash got the baby dragon on her back quickly and flew towards a random direction, right then not caring about which way to go, but to find a way out. But she was starting to tire out, and her wings ached from flapping them so hard. Rainbow Dash looked around frenetically, with nowhere else to go, all the exits had been already blocked by the rocks. Spike looked at the ceiling and noticed a single ray of light filtering through the ceiling.
"Rainbow Dash!" the baby dragon pointed at the ceiling, "Up there! That's our only way out!"
Rainbow Dash looked up to the ceiling and a grin appeared on her face when she spotted the hole; it seemed to be small, but it couldn't stop her. Nothing could. The pegasus dashed towards the ceiling as everything underneath was finally starting to give in to the temblors. Spike closed his eyes in fear...
"DISCORD! WE NEED TO GET OUTTA HERE!!! NOW!!!" Applejack cried out in horror as everything around them collapsed.
Discord groaned in dismay, "I wish I could help you with that, but the bug queen put a curse on me and I can't use my magic! If I could, we would already be out of here!
"GET ON MY BACK!!!" the Kuros roared, crouching to have the ponies climb onto him. Shining, Applejack and Stormfly climbed onto him, but Fukkuteru felt a shudder down his spine when Pinkie climbed onto him, but decided to save it for later and turned to look at the Draconequus, "You too!"
"What?!" Discord replied in astonishment, "In case you haven't noticed, I have wings!"
"But you're still weak from being in here for so long! You are in no condition to fly!"
Discord didn't like being ordered around by a Kuros, but knowing they had no time to argue, he complied and climbed onto the black dragon's back. Fukkuteru stretched his wings and took off almost immediately, not giving the ponies on his back time to hold on, and Applejack would have fallen hadn't Discord caught her tail just in time.
Fukkuteru flew through a passage above them that the ponies had not seen, but even that tunnel was shaking and falling apart due to the trap. Fukkuteru launched lilac-colored fireballs at any rocks that fell in front of them, or at any sudden stone trapdoors which blocked their path. Pinkie Pie seemed to be enjoying the ride, for she was stretching out her hooves and crying out in happiness, making Fukkuteru roll his eyes nervously. Stormfly looked back, being in the Kuros' rear, and his horror increased when he saw a tsunami of lava heading towards them, as if wanting to drag them back.
"Guys..." he stuttered, "I don't want to alarm you, but I think the ancient Ponyptians don't want us to leave."
In confusion, the group (minus Fukkuteru) turned around and the very sight of the lava made them tremble. Pinkie Pie, however, just laughed louder, earning a shocked stare from Fukkuteru.
"Seriously?!" he yelled, "How can she be laughing at a time like this?!"
"You haven't seen anything yet!" Applejack replied, forcing her look back to the front.
"Talk later!" Discord cried out in frustration, "First let's get the heck out of here so that I can look for my daughter!"
"Wait a minute!" Fukkuteru exclaimed, "How can she-?"
"WALL!!!" Shining screamed, pointing at the lowering gate with his hoof, alerting the Kuros. Fukkuteru reacted in time and launched a fireball, destroying the gate.
"Look where you are going!!" Stormfly cried out in terror.
"Sorry!" The Kuros apologized, "Don't worry, we should be getting out of here soon!"
Shining Armor closed his eyes shut, waiting for everything to be over...
When he opened his eyes again, he realized he was no longer in Fukkuteru's back, but on sand. He covered his eyes with his hoof until his eyes adjusted to the scorching sunlight, and wondered if he was alone, but soon realized he wasn't.
"LET ME GO BACK THERE!!!"
"FOR WHAT?! THERE'S NOTHING LEFT!! THE TEMPLE IS GONE!!!"
"I DON'T CARE!! MY DAUGHTER WAS STILL IN THERE!!!"
"IF SHE WAS, THEN THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO!!!"
Realizing the screams ringing in his ears belonged to Discord and Fukkuteru, Shining Armor looked around and was shocked to find that where once stood a temple, there was nothing but sand and sky. Discord was attempting to slip from Fukkuteru's grip, but the Kuros was much stronger. Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Stormfly were sitting a few hoofsteps from them, waiting for them to be done arguing.
"Why are they fighting?" Pinkie Pie inquired, "We should be happy! We're all together now! How about we throw a party?"
Fukkuteru froze for a second, before giving Pinkie Pie a look that obviously read 'Are you nuts?'.
"A party?!" he stated, still altered, "You want to throw a party in a moment like this?! The temple's gone, Rainbow Dash, Spike and Screwball are missing and Discord here is not cooperating!"
"Screwball!!!" Discord roared up at the sky, already feeling anguish pour over him live a bucket of cold water.
"Well, what would your reaction be if you lost your daughter?!" Applejack snapped at the Kuros.
"I understand, but come on! Who would survive something like that?!"
"You don't understand, do you?! If Rainbow Dash and Spike were there as well, if they're dead as you say, then we won't be able to use the Elements of Harmony!"
Stormfly sighed and shook his head, "Ponies..." he sighed. However, deep down, he was worried for Screwball and hoped she was still alive.
Suddenly, Discord lunged at Fukkuteru and the two started wrestling, mostly on Discord's part, who already had tears of anger rolling down his cheeks. The Kuros managed to hold against Discord, but the Draconequus's rage had no limits.
"How could you let my daughter die?!" Discord hissed.
"Hey, cool it down!" Fukkuteru snapped, finally overcoming Discord, "Look, I'm sorry I was not able to protect your daughter, but fighting is not going to solve this!"
A new voice joined the conversation, "Very wise words, even if they're coming from a Kuros."
The group turned around to see the Diviner, the zebra which had directed them there, standing a few hoofsteps from them.
"I knew I'd find you here," she smiled, "I see the information the spirits gave you proved to be quite useful. But I must tell you, I have discovered the whereabout of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."
At the mention of his wife, Shining Armor nearly had a hear attack, "You know where she is?!" he yelled, standing up and running towards the zebra, "Where is Cadence?! Is she alright?! How's the baby?!"
"I'm afraid the spirits cannot see for the unborn foal, for he has not yet come into the world; his fate is linked to that of his mother. Princess Cadence lies imprisoned in a pyramid, on the desert's farthest confines. Travel there and you'll find her imprisoned in its depths."
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"It is my pleasure to help you save Equestria from the horrors it faces."
"Everypony, we must find a pyramid!" Fukkuteru used his magic to lift the wingless ponies off the ground and unto his back, and flew away, soon followed by the still distraught Discord, who gave the zebra a suspicious look before flying after the Kuros.
Screwball regained consciousness when she felt licking against her face. Opening her eyes, she saw Mist Wing was attempting to wake her up, and started to giggle and hoop around when she noticed she was awake. Screwball stood up, shook the sand off her coat and looked around. The temple was gone, but luckily she was unscratched. Picking Mist Wing up and putting her on her back, the mare walked away from the spot, trying to find a sign of her friends, but to no avail.
What was she going to do? She was completely alone, and she had no food or water to make her way back to the city, not that she even remembered how to go back, anyway. And with Mist Wing it would be harder; she didn't know how to care for a hatchling, nor how to feed them.
"We made it!" a familiar voice reached her ears.
"But we don't know if the others made it! They may be buried under the sand right now!"
"Let's not be pessimistic. Perhaps they managed to escape before the temple disappeared."
"Rainbow Dash?" Screwball called out for the pegasus, "Spike?! Is that you, guys?!"
"SCREWBALL?!" the pegasi soon rose into the air, with Spike on her back, and descended next to the mare with a look of ecstasy in her face, "You're okay!"
Suddenly, Mist Wing's attitude changed and she started hissing at Rainbow Dash, making her step back in shock, "Screwball, why do you have a baby Changeling with you?"
"It's Stormfly's baby, Mist Wing," Screwball explained, "But she was not this aggressive when I found her."
"Girls," Spike spoke up, "I hate to interrupt, but we're stuck in the middle of the desert with no food, no water and no shelter! And we don't know where the others went!"
"I think we should go back to Ponyville," Screwball suggested, after all, the Elements of Harmony are stored in Twilight's library. They'll have to go there to get them and defeat King Sombra, right?"
Spike thought for a moment, "I suppose she's right."
"Alright," Rainbow Dash stated before looking at Mist Wing in disgust, "But try to keep her away from me as much as possible, okay?"
Saying this, the pegasi took flight and lifted Screwball in her hooves, but soon after taking off and flying in the direction of the city, she started to fatigue due to having to carry a baby dragon, a mare and a baby Changeling by herself.
She just hoped the city was not that far away.
Discord was silent the rest of the way.
He blamed the Kuros for his daughter's demise, Shining knew it, but there was nothing Fukkuteru could have done. After all, the temple had sunk out of sudden on Discord's part, unintentionally of course. However, Discord would not give the Kuros a single glance.
After what seemed like hours of traveling, Fukkuteru landed on a canyon, and the ponies climbed down his back; Discord landed next to Fukkuteru, but he still was mourning for Screwball. Once again, the black dragon grew nervous when Pinkie Pie started hopping around him playfully.
"This way leads to the Great Pyramid..." Fukkuteru gulped, stepping away from Pinkie Pie, and again she stepped next to him, "We must first for the entrance to the Pyramid and then we go in; but I must warn you, these Pyramids have deadlier traps than those in the temple."
"Are you nuts?!" Discord exclaimed, "I wouldn't go in there if you paid me! Who knows what lurks in there!"
"Come on, Discord!" Stormfly exclaimed, "Princess Cadence is in there!"
"I'm afraid he is right," Fukkuteru sighed, "Discord and I are too big and we won't fit into the doors. I'm afraid that from here, you'll have to go into the Pyramid on your own, guys."
"Yeah, it's like a tour!" Pinkie jumped to the Kuros's head, "It's like that time we went to the zoo with Fluttershy and there was a nice pony who guided us the whole way!"
Applejack and Stormfly laughed when Fukkuteru's eyes rolled back and he fainted on the spot, but once again wondered why he acted like that around Pinkie Pie. The pink pony landed next to him and stared at the unconscious black dragon in confusion, tapping him with her hoof to wake him up.
Discord sighed, "We'll wait for you here."
Shining Armor nodded, and he walked into the canyon, followed by Applejack, Stormfly and Pinkie Pie. The draconequus sat down next to the unconscious Kuros, waiting for him to wake up.
When they stepped into the pyramid, they found themselves in a world of darkness. The tomb had been abandoned for centuries, and so there was not a source of light when they crossed the gate. Shining Armor used the illumination spell to lighten the passage, and they were met with countless hieroglyphs depicting Ponyptians worshipping their pagan deities, or drawings or the Pharaoh walking into the Other Life with the sun god at his side.
"Aw, look!" Pinkie pointed at the hieroglyphs, "They painted on the walls and nopony told them anything! Can I draw something too?"
Stormfly rolled his eyes, "Those are hieroglyphs... Pinkie Pie, right? Well, the point is those are not simple drawings, they are messages the Ponyptians left for those who dared to break into this tomb- PINKIE!" he yelped when he noticed Pinkie Pie had already started drawing doodles on the wall. Where had she gotten a crayon, anyway?
"Be quiet, listen!" Shining narrowed his eyes and paid attention to a sound coming from the end of the tunnel...
"Help!" a voice was calling out for somepony, "We're trapped!"
He recognized that voice instantly.
"CADENCE!!!" the stallion quickly ran down the tunnel, not giving Stormfly and Pinkie Pie time to react, and they after him, guided by his illumination spell.
The trio came to a large chamber, decorated with hieroglyphs like the passage, but this chamber, unlike the tunnel, was actually illuminated by a few torches. There was a giant statue depicting a timberwolf-like pony staring down at the ponies, as if it was staring down at the at them. But what called their attention was a force-field trapping a pregnant pink alicorn... and a yellow pegasus.
"Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie cried out happily, running to the edge of the force field, "You've been here keeping Princess Cadence company all along? That's sweet of you!"
"I'm so glad to see you, Pinkie..." Fluttershy, "But we are trapped."
Cadence felt tears of joy coming to her eyes as Shining Armor ran to her side, although the force field prevented them from hugging each other, "Shining, you came!"
"Hey, Cadence," Stormfly said sadly, "It's nice to see you again, though I would have liked it to be under different circumstances."
"Stormfly?" Cadence put her hoof against the field wall, "Is that you?"
"Cadence!" the white unicorn thought he would cry of joy, "Are you alright? How's the baby?"
"Shining, you don't have much time!" Cadence cried out in fear, "Chrysalis's minions imprisoned us here as a gift to a Ponyptian god! I don't know how much time you have before they return!You must hurry and get us out of here!"
Shining was confused, "A Ponyptian god?"
Suddenly, Fluttershy let out a piercing scream and pointed at something behind the ponies' back. The statue of the timber-pony had started to move, and was now slowly walking menacingly towards the cage, to examine its tribute.
Fluttershy fainted on the spot.
Cadence took a hoof to her lips in shock and horror, and her unborn foal started to shift in her womb, sensing her fear.
Shining and Stormfly got themselves in a fighting position, ready to defend the captive mares.
Pinkie Pie just said, "Awesome!"