As the group slowly enters the garden they keep looking all over the place waiting for what was sure to pop out at them. “Do you see anything?” Onyx asked, as he looked at Sky Hooves?
“Nothing, what about you Shadow?” Sky Hooves turned to where he thought Shadow was walking beside him, but he noticed that Shadow had stopped and was looking around the area. “Shadow, do you see something?” Shadow raised his hand to get all the foals to be quite. For several moments nothing seem to happen as the foals kept looking around expecting to see something, a planet monster, a stone statue anything at all. “What do you think he’s doing?” Sky hooves whispered as he leaned over to Onyx.
“I think he might be listening for something.”
“HEY, I CAN FLY!” Rainbow announced getting all the foals to jump and getting Shadow’s attention just before a vine wrapped around his right leg and started to drag him across the ground before lifting him into the air. “Oops.”
“RAINBOW!” the group yelled, before they went after Shadow and found that the creature that had latched onto him was one of the plant sculptures now walking around with wild vines extending from it.
“Wait Rainbow can fly now; Sky Hooves try your ring again.” Granny Smith said, as she looked at Sky Hooves getting him to try his power ring once more this time making a construct of a dragon the size of a foal. “Alright then, now I want you to make a pair of garden sheers, let’s see if that plant remembers what those are.” Sky Hooves followed Granny Smith’s instructions and as the sheers appeared Shadow was dropped as the plant creature slowly backed away from them.
“Oh, don’t you want to be friends?” Sky Hooves asked, as he slowly walked towards the planet creature more getting it to turn and run, and getting Sky Hooves to take to the air and follow. “Come back don’t run away I want to be friends.” As the foals started to laugh at the scene, they didn’t noticed the stone statues that had appeared in the garden, until Onyx bumped into one and looked up at a stone pony face looking down at him.
“WE GOT TROUBLE!!” Onyx yelled, getting the other foals to stop laughing and Sky Hooves to turn and look at his friends just before he was wrapped up in several vines and ring removed from him. “SKY HOOVES!!”
“KEEP MY BROTHER SAFE, ONYX!! Sky Hooves yelled, as he started to get dragged away, but then he noticed the tugging motion was stopped, as he turned and looked back he noticed Shadow standing on the vines that was dragging him away. “SHADOW!” In one swift motion Shadow snatched Sky Hooves ring from the planet and then tore the vines out that held Sky Hooves getting the planet creature to let out a form of scream that was followed by other sounds in the garden as more planet creatures seem to come to its aid.
“What are we going to do now?” Sky Hooves asked as Shadow freed him from the vines, only to watch as Shadow walked over to a gardeners shed and return with length of chain. “What’s that supposed to do?” Again his question was only answered with action as Shadow swung the chain and hit one of the planet creatures and breaking several of its branches off getting the others to hold their position, not wanting to endure the fate of their fallen. “Oh sweet.” Back with the rest of the group they found themselves trapped by the statues.
“What are we supposed to do?” Lightning asked, as she kept looking at the statues.
“Don’t blink?” Night Mist suggested as the group kept looking at the statue as it slowly walked towards them.
“It’s not doing anything, Trixie, Sunset put up your protective spells maybe it’ll keep it at bay.” with that the two unicorns nodded and started to cast their protective barriers which started to hold the statues at bay. “IT’S WORKING!!”
“Not for long, we’re still tired from that last time, we need to come up with a better plan.”
“Onyx, since my brother’s ring works better and both Rainbow and Lightning can fly now, sort of, try your powers.” Night Mist requested as he turned to Onyx who gave him a firm nod and ten focused on the statue attacking the barrier, as he concentrated it was clear that the statue was being effected as it’s head started to slowly glow. “It’s forking keep it up.” As he kept focusing the statue didn’t change any further, and after several moments Onyx fell to the ground panting.
“I’m not powerful enough yet, the barrier is still preventing me from using my powers.”
“Oh, isn’t that a shame.” Kit’s voice filled the garden as the statue’s stopped and both Sky Hooves and Shadow stopped what they where doing. “Come now don’t tell me this is all a big surprise to you, of course I’m keeping tabs on how far you’re getting. I’m even keeping your dear parents informed on how brave their foolish little foals are.” the voice seem to narrow and emit from one location getting everypony to look and see a stone version of Kit walking out of the shadows and smile at the group. “I do see that you’ve gained a friend in your little quest how nice, though I’m pretty sure you would be very surprised on who is behind that mask, as well as what he did in the past to make him such a great fighter here today.” Shadow stepped forward and stood toe to toe with the golem, ready to turn it to dust. “Oh what’s the matter did I hurt your widdle feewings? Did I insult your clan?” Shadow took a swing shattering the stone face causing the golem to fall apart, only to fill the garden with Kit’s laughter. “Oh such anger, such rage, you should be careful with that remember what happened the last time you lost control of your anger, noble warrior.” another Kit golem appeared on the other side of the garden this time holding a pink crystal. “I’m sure you know, that you need to destroy this little gem to get out of the garden, all you have to do is fight my stone self.” Shadow took a step towards the golem getting the ground to shake as a giant blue piranha plant creature sprouted from under Kit and grew eight feet tall with razor sharp teeth, and capable of swallowing any of the foals hole. “Oh, did I mention you’re also going to have to get through Chomper?” Shadow remained still for several moments before he slowly started to walk towards the creature, only to be delayed reaching his destination as the statues and other plant sculptures tried to attack him only to be destroyed or badly damaged as he wielded the chain like an old whip.
“What’s he doing? Why doesn’t he just attack?” Rainbow asked, as she looked at Onyx confused.
“Because he don’t want to hurt the big baby.” Granny Smith said, as she smiled thoughtfully at what she was watching.
“Big baby?… That’s not even the real Kit it’s just a dumb statue, why does he care?”
“Not the statue, the plant. He don’t want to hurt Chomper.” Rainbow, as well as the other foals that heard this new jaw’s would have hit the ground if not for the fact that they where attached in more then one way. “He just wants to make sure that he don’t harm the little feller.”
“Little feller? That thing is huge, and what if it decided to take a bite out of him? Any pony have an idea of what we’re going to do then?”
“Call the Super Colt Brothers?” Nightmare Moon suggested, as she watched closely as Shadow arrived in front of Chomper, only to backhand another statue that tried to tackle him. For several breathless moments the foals watched wondering what would happen next, and when it finally happened it was over in a flash, Chomper looked straight up so fast that the golem fell inside of its mouth letting Chomper happily chomp on it several times before spitting the stones out and then presenting Shadow with the gem stone.” As Shadow took the gem stone in one hand he petted Chomper with the other, before crushing the gem getting what creatures that where still intact to freeze in place.
After a few minutes the foals all joined Shadow who was still petting Chomper. “Now isn’t that just the sweetest thing.” Granny Smith said, as she smiled at the planet and then at Shadow. “Ya’ll got away with plants, I’ll have to talk with Applejack and see if she’ll let you help out on the farm some.” Chomper leaned down slightly and nudged Granny Smith slightly getting the young filly to laugh slightly as she started to put it as well. Sly sniffed the plant a few times then sat back and smiled as he licked it once, and was then licked in return, by a tongue 4 feet long and wide enough to cover his entire body.
“HA HA, check it out everyone Sly’s just been given a tongue bath!” Onyx said, as he pointed at Sly getting everyone to laugh until Sly started to shack off the extra saliva on his fur getting the rest of the group soaked.
“Looks like he decided to share the experience with all of us.” Granny Smith said, as she pulled Sly in close and laughed as she looked at the other foals trying to get the spittle off of them. “But as much fun as this is we got to keep moving if that sun is right then we only have an hour and a half to get to the throne room.” with that the rest of the group nodded and said their goodbyes to Chomper as they made their way through the door, but as the last of them walked through the door, Shadow froze as he felt something, then turned in enough time to see through the closing door Kit had appeared and was holding a blade that was forged of ice and seem to appear in thin air.
As Shadow jumped over the foals to try and make it back through the door he could only see the golem heading for Chomper which was hissing at it, but it was too late as the door shut and vanished only a second before Shadow reached it. He felt around he pounded, and punched the wall the door once stood, before his knees buckled and he rested his head against the now stone wall.
“What happened?” Trixie asked, as she looked at the others.
“Not sure he just started to head back towards the door trying to get back through.”
“He was, and I got a peak at why.” Onyx said, as he watched Shadow continue to hit the wall. “Kit appeared just as we left the garden he had a sword and he was heading for Chomper.”
“Wh, what?… WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING!!” Rainbow yelled, as she grabbed Onyx.
“Because I barely saw it as Shadow jumped over us and hit the wall.” Onyx explained, as he struggled to get free. Sly slowly walked up to Shadow who had stopped hitting the wall and just remained on his knees with his head resting against the wall. Sly whimpered a few times and then licked Shadow’s hand getting him to turn his head and look down at Sly, who only whimpered a few more times getting Shadow to pick him up and hold him close for a few moments, and as if making a silent vow he looked to the stone wall that was once a door and knew that when he got his hands on Chomper’s executioner it would not be pretty.
In the throne room, Kit appeared throwing a leaf on the floor and hopping into the night throne the gold chandelier now rotating besides it. As he folded his arms and frowned slightly. “I hate it when minions betray me.” Kit turned his head slightly and noticed a few shocked looks coming from the gem stones. “No worries the next area is a lot harder to get through, It’ll give me enough time to get a nice nap.” with that Kit closed his eyes and smiled slightly. Besides Celestia, Luna you two should be thanking me for taking care of that weed.