The screaming continued, after all there was really not much else they could do. But then suddenly a new sound became noticeable. It was the sound of laughter, and it was coming from Braeburn. Unlike everypony else he seemed unphased by the spooky trees, and was laughing right at their faces as if they were nothing.
"You're laughing?" Shining Armor asked "I don't see what's so funny."
"Oh guys, don't you see?" Braeburn said "Allow me to explain."
"Okay...where is that music coming from?" Shining Armor asked.
"You mean you hear it too?" Big Macintosh asked.
"I think we all do." Thunderlane said.
"When I was a little colt and, the sun was going down." Braeburn sang.
"Wait, please tell me he's not going to" Shining Armor said.
"The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown." Braeburn continued.
"He is." Fancy Pants said.
"Oh no. We don't have time for this." Shining Armor said.
"I'd hide under my pillow, from what I thought I saw." Braeburn continued.
"Braeburn look, I'll pay any amount of money right now if you don't sing!" Shining Armor said.
Braeburn ignored him "But Pa burn said that wasn't the way, to deal with fears at all!"
"I know I'm going to regret asking this but, then what is?" Soarin asked.
"He said 'Braeburn, you gotta stand up tall.
Learn to face you fears.
You'll see that they can't hurt ya.
Just laugh to make them disappear!'" Braeburn sang "Like this. Ha, ha, ha." The scary face on the tree he'd just laughed at disappeared. Everyone was amazed.
"It actually worked?" Shining Armor asked.
"I guess it did." Fancy Pants said "I suppose we should give it a try."
"Guess we've got nothing to lose." Soarin said. And so they followed Braeburn's advice, with him leading them all in song.
"So! Giggle at the ghostly!
Guffaw at the grossly!
Crack up at the creepy!
Woof up it with the weepy!
Snortle at the spooky!
Chortle at the goofy!
And tell that big darn scary thing to take a hike and leave you alone! And if he thinks he can scare he's gotta another coming, and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna" Braeburn paused, letting out a fews laughs, then he continued "Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh!" By the time the song was done the scary faces on the trees had disappeared. Everyone was laying on the grass, laughing like no tomorrow. In fact they were laughing so hard they didn't notice as Nightmare Moon wisped past them.
"This is getting annoying!" she thought to herself "That stupid earth pony saw through my illusions! I've got to find a way to stop them before the reach the castle! I can't let them get their hooves on the Elements of Harmony!"
"Hey! I think I see the clearing!" Braeburn shouted "Follow me!" And he and the other stallions made their way out of the area of trees. Now the moonlight once again brightened their path. But before long they came to a halt yet again. Before them stood a raging river. "Now how are we gonna get past this?" Braeburn asked.
"Oh woe is me!" a sorrowful voice cried out "Why did this have to happen a guy like me?" The ponies looked downstream a little, where they saw a sea serpent with orange hair and purple scales. he was thrashing his tail about, whipping up the choppy waves that made the river impossible to cross.
"What's the matter?" Shining Armor asked.
"Oh it's just horrible!" the sea serpent replied "I was just swimming around here. Minding my own business. When all of a sudden this puff of smoke came by, and shaved half of my mustache clean off. I look so hideous without it!"
"Could you please calm down?" Shining Armor asked "Your tail is stirring up the waves and my friends and need to get across this river."
"How can I be calm when my natural beauty has been tarnished?!" the sea serpent asked. He promptly thrashed his tail some more, splashing water onto the ponies.
"Seriously?" Soarin asked "It's just a mustache. It will grow back."
"Yes, but that will take days." the sea serpent said "I can't wait that long!"
"I say we just leave this guy and find another way around." Big Macintosh said "We can't waste any more time."
"How can you two be so insensitive?" Fancy Pants asked "I for one recognize the importance of this sort of situation."
"Finally, someone who understands my case." the sea serpent said.
"I know." Fancy Pants said "Just look at you. Those fine purple scales, that gorgeous orange hair, those wonderful eyes. You're almost fabulous. And yet without your mustache you just aren't you."
"Indeed." the sea serpent said "Can you fix it?"
"In a way yes." Fancy Pants said "I am no miracle worker, but I think there's a way I can help you. But I'll need to borrow one of your scales for a moment."
"What?" the sea serpent asked.
"I know what I'm doing." Fancy Pants said, and he promptly pulled one of the sea serpent's purple scales off.
"Ouch! Hey, what are you doing with that?!" the sea serpent asked.
"I cannot let a crime against fashion go uncorrected! No matter what the cost might be!" Fancy Pants said, holding the scale in his mouth. There was a sickening slash. The sea serpent let out a gasp, as did everyone else. Fancy Pants had sliced off part of his tail as well as part of his suit, and was now twisting it into a curl, using the torn suit pieces as a bow. Once that was done he used his magic to carefully attach the facial hair to the sea serpent's face to replace the part that had been shaved off.
"Oh thank you!" the sea serpent said.
"I assure you it was nothing." Fancy Pants said.
"I don't believe it." Shining Armor said "You just cut off your own tail and gave it to a complete stranger."
"Well how else was I suppose to help him?" Fancy Pants asked "Besides my tail will grow back eventually, and short tails are in this season."
"At least now we can finally cross." Braeburn said.
"My thoughts exactly." Shining Armor said "Come on, let's move it!" He began to make his way across the now calm river waters. But suddenly he felt himself being lifted, courtesy of the sea serpent. "What the" Shining Armor asked.
"Allow me to be of assistance." the sea serpent said "You guys can hop across me to get to the other side."
"Are you sure about that?" Shining Armor asked.
"I can take it." the sea serpent said "These scales are quite thick, a few ponies won't even scratch em."
"Well thanks for the lift." Shining Armor said.
"Anytime." the sea serpent said.
"I was so sure they'd never get across." Nightmare Moon thought to herself. She had not planned on slicing off the sea serpent's mustache, but when she unintentionally did she realized that it provided another obstacle for Shining Armor and the gang. But now they had overcome it, and were closing in on their destination. Nightmare Moon was getting desperate.
"This is it!" Shining Armor said, racing forward the instant his hooves reached dry land "The Castle of the Two Sisters is just up aheeeeeeeea-whoa!" He had skidded to a stop just before he would've plunged off of another cliff. The rope bridge that led to the castle had fallen, but Shining Armor hadn't noticed it due to the fog surrounding the area. Soarin quickly pulled him back to safety.
"What is with you and cliffs?" Soarin asked.
"Well this is just great!" Big Macintosh said sarcastically "Now what are we suppose to do?"
"Somehow we need to find a way to repair that bridge. It's the only way across." Shining Armor said.
"But how do we do that?" Braeburn asked.
"I know!" Soarin said "I'll fly down, grab the end of the bridge, fly back up, and tie it down. Then the rest of you can join me on the other side."
"Sounds like a plan." Thunderlane said "But be careful."
Soarin didn't reply. He instead unfolded his wings, took to the skies, and then plunged down to grab the rope bridge. Using all of his strength he flew back up, still holding tightly to the untied end. He landed on the other side of the bridge and placed the untied end down. He was just about to tie it up when an erie voice called out to him.
"Soarin" the voice said "We've been waiting for you."
"Who's there?" Soarin asked.
"It's us." the voice replied. A moment later three pegasus ponies wearing navy blue outfits appeared. All of them were wearing goggles which obscured their faces. But Soarin recognized them by their coat colors. They were Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Misty Fly of The Wonderbolts.
"What are you guys doing here?" he asked.
"We've been searching for you for hours Soarin." Spitfire said "We were worried sick about you."
"Well I'm here now, so you can stop worrying." Soarin said.
"There's something we'd like to discuss with you." Fleetfoot said.
"What is it?" Soarin asked.
"We've been thinking, and we have decided that you deserve a promotion." Misty Fly said.
"Yes. As of today Soarin, you will take my place as Captain of The Wonderbolts." Spitfire said.
"Do you mean it?!" Soarin asked.
"I do." Spitfire said.
"Okay then." Soarin said "Just give me a moment to tie up this rope bridge for my friends and"
"No Soarin!" Spitfire replied harshly "There's no time! It's either you or them!"
"What?!" Soarin asked.
"There's no time to wait!" Fleetfoot said "We're Equestria's last hope!"
"We can't defeat Nightmare Moon without you!" Misty Fly said.
"What's going on over there?" Fancy Pants asked "And what's taking Soarin so long?"
Shining Armor tried to the best of his ability to look through the fog. What he saw caused him to gasp, Soarin was talking with the Wonderbolts. But something seemed off about them. "Soarin!" he cried out. Spitfire took notice and if Soarin had been watching he would've seen her eyes glow. Suddenly the fog grew thicker, making it impossible for Soarin to see across the gorge. "Don't listen to them Soarin!" Shining Armor shouted "They're not who they claim they are!"
"What does that fool know?!" Spitfire asked "Well Soarin?! What's it gonna be?!"
Soarin was silent for a few minutes, he was thinking back on all the memories he had of Spitfire. She had never once acted this cold to him, even on duty. The more he thought about the more he became sure of one thing, whoever this mare was that was talking to him she was NOT Spitfire. Finally he spoke up. "You." he said.
"Excellent choice." Spitfire said.
"You didn't let me finish." Soarin said "Thank you for the offer. But I'm gonna have to say no. My friends need me and I'm not gonna turn my back on them."
"Soarin! Think about what you're doing!" Sptifire said "I know how much you've wanted my job! I'm giving you what you want! Is that not good enough for you?!"
"That's enough! My decision is made!" Soarin said "And whoever you are, you're not Spitfire! And you guys are not my teammates!" A moment later The Wonderbolts disappeared. Soarin quickly tied up the rope bridge and flew back across to join the others.
"Alright Soarin!" Thunderlane cheered.
"But why would you do that?" Shining Armor asked as he and the others crosed the rope bridge "You could've had everything you ever wanted, and yet you turned it down."
"I could never abandon my friends." Soarin said "Not now or ever! It's The Wonderbolts creed."
"This can't be happening!" Nightmare Moon thought to herself "All of my plans have failed! They've reached the castle!"
"Here we are!" Shining Armor said "The Castle of the Two Sisters! We just need to find the Elements of Harmony and we'll be able to stop Nightmare Moon."
"Well if I'm not mistaken I think we've found what we're looking for." Fancy Pants said, pointing towards a series of stones on a pedestal. Compared to the rest of the place they had aged fairly well, but time had still taken its toll on them.
"That's it!" Shining Armor said "Soarin! Thunderlane! Can you get the stones down for me?" Soarin and Thunderlane did so with some effort. Shining Armor began reciting the legend "When all five are present a spark will reveal the sixith element."
"And just what in the hay is that suppose to mean excatly?" Big Macintosh asked.
"I have an idea but it's kind of risky." Shining Armor said "Everyone stand back! I don't know what will happen!"
"Come on ya'll let's leave Shining Armor alone so he can concentrate." Big Macintosh said "Just call if you need any help."
"Will do." Shining Armor said as Big Macintosh led everyone outside. Shining Armor quickly began to light up his horn and cast his magic on the five stones in front of him.
He couldn't have known that Nightmare Moon was watching from a distance. "Now I've got you! You'll never get the Elements of Harmony working if I have anything to say about it!" Nightmare Moon thought to herself.
Shining Armor continued to cast his magic onto the stones. Suddenly he began to notice a dark blue mist forming underneath them. Within seconds it had captured the stones within its vortex. That could only mean one thing, Nightmare Moon was trying to seize the Elements of Harmony. "No you don't Nightmare Moon!" Shining Armor shouted. From outside the rest of the ponies heard the shouting as well and raced inside as fast as they could. But they were too late, they were just in time to see Shining Armor jump into the vortex and dissappear.