//------------------------------// // 4: Unexpected helpers // Story: The stolen Moon // by DeadEquestrians //------------------------------// Chapter 4. Celestia awoke to a knock on the front door. Rarity galloped to the door to see who it was. Celestia sensed magical disruption in the room, she smiled to her self, they had found a spell. Rarity opened the door the other four ponies standing outside with their stuff ready to go. "What is the time?" asked Celestia. "Half past seven in the evening." pinkie replied her cheery personality was completely gone, she resembled a mental patient who had severe depression,. her hair and lost its candyfloss appearance, instead it was hangings loosely, it was perfectly straight just like the expression on her face. Celestia nodded. Her horn glowing with magic,on the tip it streamed to create what looked like miniature sun, causing the real sun descended in the sky, as it hit the horizon Equestria was bathed in millions of beautiful lights and colors. Usually as the sun retreated the moon would rise from the sunset and take its place in the sky, like a watchful protector of the night. But this did not happen the sun retreated leaving the sky blank, the only objects in the sky where the stars slowly twinkling away, without their presence Equestria would be in complete darkness. This lay as a cruel reminder to the group of what they had to do. Fluttershy suggested that they leave tomorrow at First light, immediately rarity refused the idea "Frankly we don't have any time darling we have to save princess Luna before it’s to late." Twilight emerged from her room wearing a saddle pack one side filled with essentials and the other a large book. "Where’s spike?" Asked rarity. "He’s sleeping Celestia said it would be better to let him rest she explain it to him in the morning." Twilight explained. Rarity looked quite disappointed "He’s not coming with us...?" "He can't. I’m sorry." Rarity looked away trying to hide her disappointment. Celestia looked at Rainbow Dash. "Do you know the way?" "Yes if we go to Fluttershy's its closest." the blue mare beamed. Celestia nodded, and the group trotted of towards fluttershy cottage. * * * The ponies had been wondering around the everfree forest for about an hour now and had only had one incident with an angry cockatoo the matter had been quickly been resolved by fluttershy and her stare. Rainbow dash flew ahead mapping out the way and checking for danger. "How much longer?" Rarity complained. Rainbow dash sighed "your worse than Scootaloo" she laughed. "Your not the one who's getting there hooves dirty." she screamed as a splat of mud landed on her flank "WHAT THE?" She was cut of by the sound of rainbow dash laughing"Your face" she managed before bursting out in laughter again. "Not funny" Rarity said coldly "do you know how long it will take to get this stain out." "Girl’s this is not the time for petty fights." Twilight glared at them. "Sorry" Rainbow dash replied shrugging her shoulders. Rarity walked on holding her head high. "Maybe we should camp out for the night?” Celestia suggested. "What’s the Point in coming out here if we're only going to be sleeping." applejack asked. "We left late because that's was the earliest we could leave I’m just suggesting we all get some rest it's going to be very busy tomorrow." "OK" Applejack agreed. "Even I could use a rest!” moaned Rainbow dash. Pinkie gasped "we can have a camp fire marshmallows scary stories and everything." she spoke incredibly fast excitement seamed to pore out of every orifice on the pink mares body, her hair had regained its shape and resembled candyfloss again. "Pinkie I don't think we even have any marshmallows" Rainbow dash yawned. "Um, I think it would be I good idea." Fluttershy interjected. "I wouldn't mind it," added Rarity “after all I need my beauty sleep." Rainbow dash muttered under her breath some thing along the line of "Beauty sleep? you need to hibernate." "I HEARD THAT!" snapped Rarity glaring death at the cyan pony. "We’ll make camp at the next clearing OK?" Twilight stated, "this was no time to be arguing." The five ponies all agreed it was best.Rainbow dash shot up through the thick canopy, reemerging second's later. "Turn right,” she announced. The ponies all did immediately leading them in to a large clearing. "Good enough for you?" she smirked. Celestia smiled "thank you " she was stopped by Pinkie speeding past her and assembling the camp impossibly fast. "How did you..." Twilight started "oh yeah your Pinkie pie." The pink mare giggled "your funny". Rainbow dash made a beeline strait in to one of the tents, soon the sound of snoring could be lightly heard coming from within it. "Some pony needs to take first watch." "I'll do it sugar cube, you folks go get some rest." Applejack smiled sitting down on one of the logs positioned by the fire still wondering how pinkie had set it up so fast. There where 4 tents 3 for Twilight and her friends and one for princess Celestia. "Sleep well my little ponies" smiled Celestia before disappearing in to her tent. "Goodnight" the five ponies chimed. "I'm going to get some rest, so we can do the fun stuff in the morning. 'Night" pinkie yawned and then trotted in to the tent rainbow dash was sleeping in. Rarity trotted in to one of the empty tents "see you in the morning darling's" Fluttershy and Twilight made for the last tent, but not before twilight throwed a small pocket watch at applejack with her telekinesis “Wake my up in an hour or two and I'll take over" "OK Twilight I will" the orange mare confirmed as she studied the watch in her hooves "'Night Twilight sleep well." "You to" the lavender alicorn smiled and retreated in to her tent. * * * It had been two hours since they had set up camp. Applejack was sitting in front of the fire to keep her self-warm "This I boring" she muttered to her self. The thing that applejack didn't know is that it was going to get very, very fun very fast. A yawn escaped her mouth flowed by a hefty burp, one of the bushes surrounding the camp seamed to move as if it was reacting to the sudden noise "What in tarnashon?" She was soon answered as it stood up revealing it's self as a large timber wolf, With out a moment of hesitation applejack spun round and roundhouse kicked it in the chest, a loud howl erupted as it crumbled. Applejack proud of her self headed back to her spot by the fire. The air was suddenly filled with a deafening howl as the woods came to life, the camp was surrounded by a hole pack of timber wolves, each larger and hungrier than the one before it. "Oh buck!" her voice trembling "guys I might need your help here!" she yelled. Twilight emerged from her tent, her eyes full of sleep. "What is it applejack?" she half yawned. "Are you blind we're surrounded by timber wolves.” "What!" Twilight snapped in to focus. "This is bad!" "Wake up every pony so we can get the buck out of here" applejack yelled as a timber wolf dived towards her she kicked it in the face causing it to crumble. Twilight's horn began to glow and a purple magical force field encased the clearing, and then ran of to wake the other ponies. The timber wolves started to hack at the force field causing it to crack and chip "I don't know how much more I can take" Twilight exclaimed the magical Ora on her horn flickering as her magic stranded. "What’s going on?" a sleeping Fluttershy moaned, she looked at the timber wolves that were trying to smash the force field and screamed. * * * "Did you hear that?" Tyson said perking his ears to the sound of a mare screaming. He was a gray zebra with yellow eyes due to the fact that he was blind; his cutie mark was a peer of drums sticks in the shape of an x. "It’s just the jungle playing tricks on use, trying to lure us in so it can have lunch." soul shadow grunted "it's best we just get to the seeing stones and find Luna. OK?" he was a dark gray Pegasus with red hooves a stubbly beard and a long red and black mane. His cutie mark was a guitar pick that was burning on one corner with a slight backend singe. The pick it's self-bearing the symbol of pacifism or as some may say the symbol of peace. "You do realize its three in the morning, right? It wouldn't be lunch it would be a late night snack." dark bolt said jokingly. He was a light gray Pegasus with green eyes and hooves, His mane covering half his face making it impossible to see the gold streak in his right eye. His mane in its self was split in half itself color wise, half of it was black like the essence of darkness and the other side was dark green. He wore a dark red fez, a simple leather watch and a large saddle pack. His cutie mark was a bronze cog with twelve sides and a musical note in the center, beside the cog there where two blue lightning bolt's, one on each side. "Did you have to where the Fez?" shadow complained. "Guys!" emerald (dark bolts sister) yelled. She was a turquoise unicorn with freckles and eyes that matched her fur coat. Her fringe slid to the one side just avoiding covering her eyes it was streaked with green and black with purple highlights, Her cutie mark was a clef (music note) with the out line of a guitar around it. "I’m going to help who ever is screaming. You coming or not!" Another scream filled the forest. The group galloped towards the sound confronted with a large group of timber wolves hammering at a magical force field. "Today is a good day!" bolt exclaimed, he fished in his saddle pack and got out an item that looked like a cross between a trumpet and a car engine. He raised it to the nearest wolf and bit back the trigger; a jet of flame shot from the spout and devoured the beast, reducing it to a pile of ash. The force field smashed. The timber wolves were blasted by emerald's pink magic, as a purple magic that came from inside the clearing disintegrated them. Tyson ran about kicking everything the sounded like a timber wolf in the face. A rainbow Pegasus shot out of the clearing only to dive boom the largest wolf. It exploded on impact sending splinters flying everywhere. An orange pony was busy roundhouse kicking a group of timber wolves. Shadow faced hoofed "this is why I didn't want to see what it was. Why does the everfree forest always involve violence?" "Could you stop talking to yourself and help us?" yelled Emerald as she dispatched a timber wolf. "Oh for buck sake" he galloped in to the mess to try and get to the ponies in the clearing, only to be flung back by a wall of sound. Once Shadow regained his footing he saw a very sheepish looking dark bolt holding a small metal box that seemed to have a speaker duck taped onto it. The Pegasus shrugged apologetically. The timber wolves all seamed to be frozen in place. The orange mare walked up to one a taped it with her hooves, it came down like a house of cards, She turned to dark bolt “what in tarnation was that? And more importantly who are you?" Dark bolt opened his mouth to speak but shadow stopped him "Sorry about all the mess" he said trying to avoid an awkward silence "I’m soul shadow this is my friend dark bolt but everypony calls him thunder," Dark bolt waved and then went back to fiddling with the metal box. "This is Tyson” he waved at the zebra who smiled at the mention of his name "and this is Emerald" he pointed at the turquoise unicorn "she's thunder's brother" emerald rolled her eyes as if to say 'don't remind me' "and the box..." he dropped off for a second thinking "I don't have the slightest clue" The pink pony with the 80's hair gasped "I know pick me, pick me" Thunder pointed a hoof at her "miss?" "Pinkamena Diane Pie but you can call me pinkie pie or pinkie or pie or party pony or…" Thunder cut her of "I think I get it pinkie pie" The pink mare grinned. "Guys!" a lavender alicorn yelled. "Yes Twilight" Pinkie pie giggled "May I ask what you are doing in the everfree forest?" "We’re looking for the seeing stones." Tyson said bluntly. Twilight's jaw Hit the floor "what!" she screamed her voice full of confusion. Shadow glared at Tyson "Let me explain" he started. "No need" Pinkie burst out "you four are children of the night, Luna told you that if the moon didn't rise with out reason to go looking for the seeing stones to travel to an alternative dimension to save her, because she's probably been kidnapped by the madman she was trapped on the moon with" she smiled "am I right?" "How did you...?" Thunder started but he was once again cut of by Pinkie pie. "I read ahead in the story, silly" "Typical Pinkie" Twilight muttered to her self. Celestia who had been listening in to all this decided to intervene "so your the children of the night. I clearly remember refusing Luna when she asked to create her own kingdom" a scowl emerged on her face. "Excuse me your majesty but if it wasn't for Luna disobeying you we wouldn't be standing hear to day we wouldn't even be alive" thunder said. "Wait a second" Rainbow dash butted in "seaming as your children of the night shouldn't you have demonic wings?" she asked. Thunder scowled "seaming as you live in Equestria shouldn't you barf rainbow's and shit sun light." he shot back at her. "Oh wait” he looked at her mane ”you already have the one covered." Shadow looked at Celestia "are all Equestrians this racist?" he asked. "I could ask you the same about your friend" "He’s not that bad he just doesn't like being made fun off" shadow explained "believe it or not today is one of his better days" "I’m sure it is." the sun goddess muttered to herself. Rainbow dash glared "very funny..." she said trying not to smile. "Darling what is that thing on your head?" Rarity streaked. "It’s a Fez" thunder said blankly. "Oh my it's absolutely fabulous, if you had a bow tie it would be just perfect" she sighed. Thunder glanced at shadow "at least somepony has a decent taste in fashion" "I do have a fashion sense but it doesn't include a Fez!" he shot back. "I...uh...think we should get moving...I mean if that's OK with you?" fluttershy squeaked. "Fluttershy's right we need to get moving" Twilight said “that’s for the help with your magic box thingy and all but we really need to go find the seeing stones" "Magical box thingy!" thunder looked deeply offended "it's a sonic resonator, or amplifier depending on the amount of duck tape you use" "I NEW IT!" screamed Pinkie pie “I have the same thing in my party cannon!" "Your what?" thunder said in a confused voice. "My party cannon it’s a portable party in a cannon. And it works on timber wolves to!" "We’re getting of topic. Look miss Twilight..." shadow started but was soon stopped by Celestia. "Princess Twilight" she corrected him. "Sorry, Princess Twilight we could come to be of a lot of help to you, we're both trying to find the seeing stones and save Luna. Plus I doubt that you have a spell that will work." "We do have a spell.... we just haven't tested it yet" Twilight explained. "We have been given our spell by princess Luna, it has been tested" "Why should we trust you, we only just met you" applejack approached "Well for starters we saved your lives" emerald said "or have you forgotten already?" "Now look here sugar cube..." applejack began. "That’s enough applejack!" twilight glared at her friend. "She does have a point you know" Celestia said eyeing up the four ponies "why should we trust you?" "Think about it if we where really that bad we wouldn't have come to help you." thunder said, he pushed the metal box into his saddle pack. "I agree with applejack and Celestia on this one. They have no reason to trust us if you like we can go on our way" shadow said as he turned around to leave the clearing. Rainbow dash shot in front of him "hold up we didn't say no!" "We could use an extra set of hooves..." Twilight pondered, "It could be hard getting Luna. I have an idea." "Yes?" thunder said trying to hide his evident boredom but falling epiclly. Twilight continued "you can come with us only if you tell us every thing about the arrangement you have with Luna" her voice was confident. "Well..." shadow thought for a moment rubbing his chin "there isn't much to tell really. When Luna returned from the moon she warned us that if ever the moon did not rise or did not fall that we had to find the seeing stones in the everfree forest" Twilight was intrigued by this new information "did she tell you why?" "Not really she said that she met someone on the moon that try take her, she didn't say who she just said HE would." "Is that it?" asked twilight. "That’s it" shadow confirmed. "That doesn't seem like something Luna would do" Celestia butted in. "Well she didn't exactly fell her self. Thousand years on the moon and all" shadow replied flatly. "I suppose so" the princess sighed. Twilight looked at her friend's they all nodded except for Pinkie pie who was trying took use her hair as modelling clay. "You can come with us,” Twilight said “ just no funny business” "Thank you" the four ponies chimed in unison. "One thing?" applejack asked. "Why are you caring guitar's?" "We’re a band" emerald explained. "What kind of band?" applejack asked. "We mostly play heavy metal or just metal.,” thunder tried to explain "we usually just play for fun only had a few gig's..." he paused "I'll explain later. We need to get moving." "I have to say being in a band makes you at least twenty percent cooler!" rainbow dash said smiling at thunder. "Rainbow dash which way now?" Twilight asked desperate to keep moving. "I'll check,” she said before shooting up it to the sky only to reemerge seconds later, she pointed to the way Iron Hoof had come from "that way" "Thank you" twilight smiled at her "it’s time we get moving come on everypony" Fluttershy gasped "but its dark in their" she protested. Thunder trotted up next to her "don't worry if anything try's to hurt us I'll disintegrated it" he said pointing at the makeshift flamethrower in his bag. "Um… thanks" Fluttershy said not quite sure what to make of that. * * * The group of ponies had been walking for an hour now, the forest was at its thickest forcing everypony to walk, it would be impossible to even hover with out getting a feather court in the branches. "How much longer?" Twilight asked her question short lived as she tarred a large thorny bush out of her way revealing an large clearing. In the center a large circular Crystal was embedded in the ground it was flatten on the surface it was transparent but appeared to have a mist moving around in side it that was constantly shifting to different shades of blue. Around it stood four large columns each decorated with different symbols and pictures, a large circular crystal crowned each one, and all of this radiated magical energy causing it to hum. Around the center columns five stone rings lay, each split in to different sections each section bearing a different symbol or picture. Around the stone rings stood 12 columns these ones not bearing any decorations except for a simple spiral stretching the full length of the column. "Never mind" Twilight said as she started to examine the monument. Celestia gasped at the sight "why i was told about these as a filly, but i never thought i would see them with my own eyes." Rarity's heart melted as she looked at the various large crystals "oh my" she managed, just before she ran on to the large crystal embedded in the ground and began to hug it. Rainbow dash shrugged "i don't get it it's just a large pile of rock's." Twilight was taken aback "just a bunch of rocks? This is the greatest discovery in magic since Star-swirl the bearded discovered time travel." she explained "You don't know how big this is" she said before examining the markings on the rings. Thunder looked at them all blankly "Are we going or not?" he slipped of his saddle pack, and pulled out a papyrus scroll. Immediately diverting Twilight's attention. Shadow side glanced at thunder "I thought I was carrying that" he said checking his own bag, finding an exact copy. "You are carrying it, I just had a spare." Thunder said as he rolled it out on the ground, so it was clear to read. The unicorns and the to allicorn's began examining the spell. "this is like nothing I've ever seen before Twilight exclaimed. "it is a large spell," Celestia agreed with Twilight "it seems like to be broken up in to several sub spells." she paused to read. "But i do believe that we can pull it of if we split it up." While they where sorting out the spell Rainbow dash pulled thunder aside. "So how fast are you?" she asked. He looked at her "excuse me!?" he asked. "how fast do you fly? You are a Pegasus right or are those wings strap on?" "Oh i thought ... oh never mind! my speed depends really on the circumstance. I mainly just sit around and build stuff." he jesterd to the flame thrower that was sticking out of his bag. "Oh..." Rainbow dash spoke disappointed evident in her voice. "But i can still beat anypony when it comes to speed" he continued "if i need to that is." "Oh really?" Rainbow dash questioned, starting to feel excited "how about we put that to the test?" she smirked. "you're on, as soon as we have space to fly we race, loser has to..." thunder began but was cut of by shadow. "there's no point in trying to see who's fastest," he smiled at them "you still need to beat me!" "Guys" emerald announced "it's time." * * * Celestia, Twilight, Rarity, and Emerald where all gathered around the center crystal, each with their horn aimed at one of the center columns. The remaining ponies without magical abilities stood on the crystal it's self, the mist that filled it went crazy creating almost a vortex of blue inside of it. "you sure you know what your doing?" asked shadow as he looked down upon the mist. "Shut up!" Emerald snapped. A beam of light shot out of the four ponies horns straight in to the crystal's the sat atop the inner columns. The five ring's around the structure began to turn, a blue Ora began to emanate from it all and an almost holographic display flickered to life over the main crystal, the rings occasionally stopped casing a symbol to flicker to life on the display, the display it's self looked like what you would use to enter a password to unlock your phone. Eventually after 5 minutes of the rings turning back and forth 20 strange symbols appeared on the display, resembling a strange computer code. A small waiting logo flickered to life span around a few times and faded out of existence taking the display with it. The four smaller crystals fired green blasts of magic into the center crystal, forcing the group gathered in the center to jump out of the way for fear of being fried, the vortex in the crystal gained speed until it was just a blur, rainbow lightning shot from causing It to buzz with power, the spell was almost done. "Rarity, Emerald YOU HAVE TO GO NOW!" twilight yelled. Stretching her magic to power their crystals before throwing them into the group in the center. The vortex stopped spinning everything went silent. Thunder who had had his eyes closed the entire time opened them "did it work? Becau..." before he could say anymore a blast of magic shot in to the shy, creating a double sonic rainboom. Firing Twilight and Celestia back Braking their magical connection with the stone. And then the world went black.