//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: The Nightmare // by Cirrus Sky //------------------------------// The sun was close to setting when they reached the path of stone to the Flare Prison. The pavers emerged from the sand in a road marked out by low walls. Crumbled pillars and statuary dotted the expanse. They halted where the patchy blocks became a virtually swept roadway. Two horses ridden and two lead, five camels and their riders lined up. “So this is it.” Twilight breathed, looking to the gateway not five hundred yards ahead of them. “Yup. The Flare Prison.” Rainbow nodded. She looked slyly to Jack and Rarity. “Race yah.” She winked and moved her camel to run. Twilight, shouting and laughing took off after her. “We’ve been had.” Rarity grimaced. “Not if Ah have anything to say about it.” Jack said, letting go of the lead ropes of the spare horses and geeing her horse to a trot, canter and gallop in quick succession. “Well, um, ladies first?” Shining said, bemused. Rainbow was in the lead, Twilight hot on her heels, giggling and laughing. “I’m going to beat you Dash!” she shouted, getting level. “Ah’m gonna beat yah both!” Jack’s Appleoosan drawl reached them as she rapidly caught up. “Go on Twilight! I’ll stall her!” Rainbow laughed, pulling back into Jack’s path as Twilight and Jeremy passed through the gateway, cementing their win. “Din’t take you for a team player.” Jack said to the flier. Settling her firearm to a better spot as it was no longer being jostled by a race. “Eh, she deserves it after saving our hides back there.” Rainbow shrugged. The other riders soon joined the celebrating Twilight, who had dismounted and was performing a victory dance that consisted of her jumping in a circle shouting “Yes!” over and over. “Well, you won darling.” Rarity said, not a trace of resentment in her voice. “I have to say it did garner a quite adorable reaction.” She smiled and pointed to the dancing scholar. “She does get rather enthusiastic, doesn’t she?” Shining said. “Hurrah!” Pinkie yelled, somehow letting off party poppers, a stream of confetti flew through the air. “I’d recount the results.” A snide voice shouted. Hoops and his compatriot emerged from behind a half buried wall. He had a gun pointed at Rainbow. “We got here hours ago.” “Yeah, after runnin’ off like cowards.” Jack growled, rounding on them. “Tactical retreat. Making a defensible position.” The brown haired sky-man said, unthreatened. “We hired you to guide us.” Rarity’s voice was cold. “Still, got you the right to get the prime spot.” Hoops sneered and spat. His blue haired friend at least looked apologetic. “So, unless these losers make a claim, I’d advise you go get your site.” “You...” Rainbow moved to punch the man, a rifle was soon pointed to her heart. “Don’t try it Crash...” Hoops leered. By this point Twilight had halted her celebrations. In fact she looked quite deflated after her earlier exuberance. “We didn’t say in what way they had to get here first.” She looked at Rarity and Jack with a small sad smile. “You guys take where you want.” She walked over and gently took Rainbow’s hand. “It’s not worth it Dash.” She whispered to her guide. “He will shoot you, and all the way out here, a point blank shot anywhere on the body... it is a killer.” The flier let the librarian lead her away from the rival group. Hours of bonding in the desert had made her forget that the other two women were not part of the team. Fighting mad cultists and taking shelter... It had put their earlier aims to the back of her mind. It angered her, but Twilight was right that a gunshot wound would kill her. That was how she had lost Green Ray and Nimbus. Muttering darkly and followed by a more subdued group, Rainbow walked into the ruins, hoping that the area the archaeologist and her escort chose did not encompass all the prime places. -*- As it transpired, Rarity selected to look around the grand temple area. It was a better site amongst the ruins but Twilight was convinced that the important finds would be amongst the more anonymous buildings. They set camp on a small plateau above where Dr. Belle and Jack and chosen. Twilight had theorised it was some kind of sand covered structure but didn’t think it was too important. She liked having the higher ground to look over the whole ruin. Rainbow liked being able to keep a watch on the activities of the others. Quite handily, although the sinking boat had claimed her books and clothes and their camping kit. Shinning had been able to pick up blankets and some bundles of fabric to sleep. They would at least provide a little comfort and warmth in the desert nights. “So, what do you think?” She stood back to show her handiwork. The piled blankets were in a semi circle around a small fire pit with one a little further away from the other three; Pinkie had already set up a tripod and cooking pot and was preparing a meal. “Neaterrific” Pinkie said, looking up from the pot. “Why’s that one over there?” “Um, whoever is keeping watch needs to be in the best position to uh, watch...” Twilight said. “They have the best spot there.” She smiled, the other nights had warned all of them that the strange law woman was equally if not more weird when sleeping, they could put her there, hopefully she would have forgotten the watch excuse by the time they retired to sleep. “Okey-dokey!” The pink haired woman replied, dropping some spices into the pot. Twilight took a moment to look around. The sun had set and the dusk was around them, bathing the area in a dim light. Shining was looking about the place, keeping close to the cooking meal. Rainbow was pacing, looking across at the others with a look of failure on her face. “Dash, are you ok?” “No, those jerks abandoned us and the others. Then they get here first and beat us to the best spot.” She kicked at a pile of sand. It didn’t do much to relieve her frustration. “Dash, I already explained. The lesser buildings are better to look in. Robbers and treasure hunters will have looted the grand places. These storage buildings and guard bunkers... If I can find one engraved stone or a discarded writ... Anything marked with the symbol that was associated with Flare... I’ll have all I need to come back with a real team! Vindication for my research.” She gently caught Rainbow’s arm. “You got us here, now I need to get the evidence.” “I guess. I still don’t trust those jerks though. I think we need to look out for Rarity and Jack, not that Jack can’t stop those guys.” Rainbow left her pacing. Pinkie was serving up the evening meal and they had plans to make some searches before sleeping. -*- Rarity was sketching the temple she had elected to search in, she had a very good hand and the pencil lines were assembling into the tall columns and stone slabs of the structure. Jack sat close by the archaeologist, watching their hired guides closely. “Ah don’t trust them Rare.” She muttered for the seventh time. “I know dear, however we have no reason to worry. At least until we find anything of monetary value.” The purple haired woman was wearing a pair of glasses and looking intently at the eroded stones. “I know that they are at least intelligent enough to only steal from the spares anyway.” “Steal! Sugar cube, what did they take?” Jack held her gun up. “Nothing important darling, it was more a case of discarding what their small brains couldn’t figure out. Some blankets, a little currency and my spare dig kit are missing. I am assuming they were thrown about after the boat sank.” She took a last look at what she had been sketching and nodded with satisfaction. “Like I said, not important.” “Stealing is stealing and that is wrong.” Jack grumbled. Rarity turned to face her and leaned in, laying a chaste kiss on her nose. “And I say it is not worth getting riled up over ten dollars and some old gear.” She folded the sketch book closed and stood. “Now, come along dear, we have some digging to do!” -*- The warriors of the Guarding Ones were gathered together, their princess at the head. They were armed and armoured for battle. After the scout’s report they were unsure of what they could face. Armed cultists would be the least of their worries if the librarian was indeed a facet of the Nightmare. A’triet, astride his horse, was close to Luna. They would soon be ready to depart. “Brother, I wish to come with you.” Mēi was riding her own horse, a brown mare she had raised from a foal. She was armoured, for every member of the Guarding Ones was equipped for their ancient task. “Mēi, it is dangerous for you.” A’treit said, concerned. “I know it could well be, but I cannot let you out to face all we have been raised to fear without coming with you.” She halted beside him. “Besides, those travellers may well indeed be under a compulsion... It would not be a kindness to give them to the desert, it would not be right.” She looked once to the princess. “If only warriors arrive, charging in for battle, they would react in kind and injuries or worse could happen. If I was to enter and speak with them maybe a solution could be found.” “Mēi is right, my warrior.” Luna said, her voice wise and gentle. “They could simply be misguided or hexed. I would not want to cause more bloodshed at that place.” She turned to the healer, “Come and ride with us child. Your wisdom may well save a life.” The light pink haired woman nodded shyly and took her place. As the moon rose to hang low and yellow in the sky, the warriors, their princess and a kind soul rode out. -*- Twilight hefted a burning torch up to a wide crack in a stone wall and drove it in, assisted by her magic. The flames lit the small building they had chosen as the first to investigate. “It’s a short, narrow structure. Well fortified,” she mumbled to herself. “A guard post of some sort I’d theorise.” She brushed at a corner with her bare hand, sweeping away wind-deposited sand. “Ah ah! Just as I thought.” She stood back and pointed proudly for the others to see. Shining came closer and Rainbow leaned in. “A bit of wood?” The gunner said. She was doing her best not to melt at the sight of the enchanted and excited librarian. She was really a looker when not frowning at a book and great company too. “A trapdoor!” Shining supplied almost at the same time. If he had any idea of Rainbow’s feelings he didn’t indicate it. “Precisely! This was an ancient guard station for sure.” Twilight used her magic to uncover the entire doorway. “They would use tunnels under the ground, linked across the entire structure or fortification.” She explained for the benefit of the Corporal and their guide. “We could be on the first floor though Twily.” Shining warned, grabbing for the torch to light their way. “Ok, but all we have to do then is look for the door to the passages.” Twilight said, clearly still excited by the discovery. “I’ll lift the trapdoor.” Magenta magic surrounded the wooden panel and with a little effort and dislodged sand, it rose. The whole square lifted from the ground, the hinges long since corroded away. Twilight dropped it gently to the ground beside the hole. Pitch darkness lay beyond. “Time for the moment of truth.” Shining muttered. “Anything amiss Corporal?” Twilight asked of Pinkie, she had witnessed just how effective the woman’s extra sense was. Even though it was illogical and would require further study at a later date... “Nopeio Twilight. We’re ok to go.” She saluted with a smile. “Ok. Let’s hope we’re in luck and these lead to the tunnels.” Lifting her hand with a light spell glowing, Twilight waved her arm into the hole. -*- In their dig site, Rarity was having limited luck. Some interesting mouldings on the stonework weren’t really earth-shattering discoveries or unique enough to give an undisputed identification to the ruins. “Oh bother.” She grumped, pushing some slightly less than perfect hair back from her face. Jack was stood close by, watching in amusement. She loved to see Rarity a little mussed from hard work. “Nothin’ good here Rare?” She said, coming a little closer. “Ah can have a feel o’ the place if you’d like.” She shot a look over at the lounging sky-men, “ain’t like those pair are going to do anything useful.” Rarity looked up at her with relief. “Darling, work your magic. There don’t seem to be any gems close by for me to discover. You can find me some interesting ground differences.” She shuffled from the small holes she had been digging up carved quartz and lovely but useless barite. Jack placed her rifle down by the archaeologist and began the process she used to “get in mind” to speak with the ground. After a few moments she began pacing around. She halted at a spot five yards away. “There’s a void here, a lot of metal in there. The sand has a lot of stone in too, might have been some sort of alter on it that got worn down or taken away.” She traced out a shape with a boot heel “All this here, got to be about a meter or more down.” “Thank you darling, what would I do without you?” Rarity hurried over eagerly, a trowel in one hand and a digging spell in the other. “Make the place look like the farm on plantin’ day sugar cube.” Jack chuckled and took up her rifle and a shovel.