//------------------------------// // In which the Mane 6 and the Sonic Trio enter the Castle // Story: The Unfortunate Secret Story of Us // by Commander Rainstorm //------------------------------// Equestrian legends spoke of the the Everfree being haunted. One look at the solitary castle clinging to the bone-grey cliffs, and the 8 travelers had very little doubt left that those ghost stories were true. "Well, looks like we're getting closer." Twilight noted, suppressing a shudder. "But we still have a while to go." Rainbow said, gesturing a hoof towards the looming trees ahead. "It looks denser than the rest of the forest. Why?" Rainstorm wondered out loud. "I don't know," replied Solarflare,"but it's go to be dark in there." Preparing for the worst, they trotted in. A loud squishing noise interrupted the eerie silence. "Uh... Y'all, hold up. I think I stepped in something." Applejack said nervously. "Yes dear. But you simply must hurry," Rarity said hurriedly, "beaca- AAHHHHHHHHH!" Everypony joined in on the scream, for in front of them, was a tree. A tree with fangs. There was a pink blur, then suddenly, Pinkie Pie stood in front of the said tree. But Pinkie was not terrified. In fact, she was making faces, and giggling. "Bu... But Pinkie Pie! It's a tree with fangs!"Twilight said, horrified."Get away! Quickly!" "Oh silly, you don't understand! When I was a little filly and the Sun was going down..." "Tell me she isn't!" Twilight grumbled. "The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown..." "She is!" Rarity said, sighing. "I'd hide under my pillow, From what I thought I saw! But Granny Pie said that wasn't the way To deal with fears at all..." "Then what is?" Rainbow asked. "She said Pinkie you gotta stand up tall Learn to face your fears You'll see that they can't hurt you Just laugh and make them disappear." Pinkie put her face in front of a tree. "Ha. Ha. Ha!" The face on the tree disappeared. Everyone gasped. Pinkie Pie continued, "So giggle at the ghostly, Guffaw at the grossly, Crack up at the creepy, Whoop it up with the weepy, Chortle at the kooky, Snortle at the spooky, And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks that he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna... Hahahahaha... Heh... LAUGH!" Everypony ended up on the floor, cracking up. They had made every tree-face thing disappear from laughing so hard. They continued out of the dense area, still laughing. That is, until Twilight suddenly stopped. "Uh oh..." Ahead lay a raging river, the cause of this mayhem a purple serpent, moaning and splashing around in the river. "What is it my fair serpent?" Rarity asked. "Oh it is just terrible! This tacky little cloud of purple smoke came and whoosh," The serpent made a gesture of severing the edge of his recently cut mustache,"and took off my poor, beautiful mustache!" "Uh, sir, I don't think that it such a big proble-" Twilight began, but was cut off by Rarity. "Nonsense Twilight! This is horrible! Look at his fabulous hair!" "I know! I know!" The sea snake said, smoothing his hair. "And your gorgeous scales..." Rarity said, trailing off. "It's so true!" The creature wiped an eye. "All ruined because of your mustache!" The white unicorn finished. "I know! I know! I look horrible!" The serpent shouted, weeping. Rarity narrowed her eyes. "I can not have this crime against fabulosity go uncorrected!" She stepped up to the sea snake, and took off one of his scales. "Ow! What did you do that for!" Rarity ignored the serpent, and dramatically cut off her tail. Everypony gasped. Using her magic, she attached her tail to the place where the serpent's mustache had been. "Oh! Lovely! Thank you!" The snake said, caressing his new mustache. "But Rare, your tail!" Applejack exclaimed. Rarity looked back to her rump. "Oh, it's fine. Short tails are in this season any way." Twilight smiled, then turned her attention to the river. "Look! Now we can cross!" She cantered over, but was soon raised by the sea serpent. "Allow me!" He said, bowing before diving underwater. He created "stepping-stones", which the ponies crossed with, bouncing from "stone" to "stone". They arrived at a bridge, one that spanned over a giant chasm. The bridge was broken, but at Twilight's view, it seemed perfectly fine. "Let's go!" She exclaimed, for across the bridge lay the castle. Twilight cantered over, and slipped, not noticing the bridge was broken. Her hooves scrabbled for purchase, but found none. As she was about to fall, a mouth caught her tail. "Leave the falling to us." Rainbow advised. Nodding to her sisters, they dove downward, grabbing hold of the dangling ropes. They tied one rope to it's post, and was about to tie the other when they heard voices. "Sonic Trio...Sonic Trio..." "Who's there!" Rainbow said. "We're not afraid of you!" Rainstorm and Solarflare added. Three ponies in midnight purple materialized from thin air. "We understand you three are fastest fliers in Equestria." The lead mare began. "Yep. That's us! But do you mind telling the Wonderbolts that? Because, we've been trying to get into their group for like, forever..." Rainbow trailed off. "No Rainbow. Because we want you three as our lead team, for the Shadowbolts. The fastest fliers in the Everfree, and soon to be Equestria! We understand that you are the fastest, strongest, most famed ponies in the world! So, do you take our offer?" The sisters exchanged looks, then nodded at Dash. "You have a deal! Just as soon as we tie this rope.." "No!" The mare shouted. "It's them or us." "Rainbow!" Twilight shouted. "You know what you-" A glare from the leader silenced her, somehow controlling fog to block their view of Rainbow and her sisters. Rainbow looked at her sisters once again. A invisible conversation seemed to pass through them. Dash turned back to the Shadowbolts. "You." She said. The mare grinned. "Thank you, I mean. For the offer. But my friends come first." She turned away, tying the rope, and soared towards her friends, clearing the fog that the mare had created, her sisters following right behind her. "See?" Rainbow said proudly, chest puffed out. "We'd never..." Solarflare began, "even think about..." Rainstorm said, "leaving our friends hanging!" Dash finished. Twilight smiled. "Pinkie: a friend that's always gonna cheer you up! Rarity: generous everyday. Sonic Trio: Loyal forever." Twilight muttered. "Now girls, let's head into the castle!"she said, this time a little louder. Trotting over the bridge, heads held high, they thought everything would be alright now that they have passed all obstacles in their way. Nopony could explain how wrong they were.