Silver Spoon gazed at Ponyville, which was just a shining speck in the horizon from where she stood. Between her and the town was a dirt road that kept going straight and the rest of the group, all standing still and stretching their forelegs in front of her. Silver Spoon glanced back at what she had already traversed and then looked forward once more before sighing. Her legs ached during that journey through the secret passage, and they were still a little tight. Her body still felt light as though it was ready to drift away. She couldn't stop now. She needed to keep chugging along, even if it meant resting for a bit. But did she have the strength to keep going? Such a thought sent a chill down her spine.
Silver Spoon trotted forwards, small, brown clouds of dust kicking up in the air as she went along. "It's a long way from here to Ponyville," she said, extending her foreleg towards the town. "If we take one short break when we're a little closer, we should be able to get back home before night comes."
Diamond tapped her hoof against the ground and turned her head to Silver Spoon. "Why don't we just trot ahead without stopping?" she asked before shrugging. "I mean, look ahead. There's nothing exciting, so I say we just power through."
Apple Bloom nodded. "Diamond's right." Her face then turned pale and she coughed a bit. "Sorry about that. It's just, well, I actually agree with Diamond Tiara." She cocked her head and grimaced. "That's just weird."
"We'll be exhausted if we don't stop to rest," said Silver Spoon.
Sweetie Belle crept towards Silver Spoon with a slight smile and radiant eyes. She placed her hoof on Silver Spoon's back and patted it. "We'll work together if we have to."
Silver Spoon turned to Sweetie Belle and smirked. "Thank you, Sweetie Belle." Her heart warmed up and her eyes shimmered. "I'm glad that you're helping me despite our past."
"Helping ponies makes me feel good." Sweetie Belle grinned. "Besides, it's the right thing to do."
The right thing to do. Silver Spoon's mind raced as those five words circled inside of her. She glanced over to Diamond Tiara, who was still tapping her hoof and looking around the lines of trees that made up the forest. She then looked at Scootaloo, who was talking with Apple Bloom, and focused on her petite wings. Memories of the time she joined Diamond in teasing her inability to fly materialized in her brain. Her chest twinged the more she thought about that day. How could she have been so hateful? Why didn't she let Diamond know about this guilt? Was she afraid of her? Or was she the only friend she'd ever have? Maybe these emotional scars were why she was more of an introvert since then. She took a deep breath, the tension in her body loosening. She needed to tell Diamond how she felt, but what should she say?
"Silver Spoon, are you okay?" Sweetie Belle asked, waving a hoof in front of her.
Silver Spoon jumped up and turned to Sweetie Belle. "Oh, um, I'm okay," she said. She clenched her teeth after saying that. She wasn't okay, but her heart couldn't let her reveal that, especially to one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. That would just make her the target of bullying as far as she knew. "Shall we get going?"
Nodding, Sweetie Belle closed her eyes for a brief moment and grinned. "Yep! Let's go!"
"Got it!" Scootaloo shouted with a beaming grin. She led the way as though she was leading a band and the rest of the group followed. Silver Spoon and everypony else kept trotting and trotting. Seconds became minutes as the scenery remained static. The lush, green trees lost their beauty over time, though they didn't change in appearance. They just became dull.
The group was making progress. They had to be, as Silver Spoon could feel the rough patches of dirt rubbing against her hooves as she stepped over them. Ponyville looked closer than before, though it still looked like a miniature model from where she was. Though there was one part of the town that towered above the rest and acted like a frame of reference.
The new Crystal Castle. It had only been erected from the ground a mere month ago, but it still felt so alien as the sunlight gave it a radiant glow fitting for a celestial object. Silver Spoon squinted and looked away from the castle on more than one occasion, and the rest of the group did the same on different occasions. Maybe Princess Twilight could cover the crystal exterior with something that didn't burn ponies' eyes when the sun loomed overhead. Silver Spoon stared at the makeshift saddlebag Diamond Tiara had with her, which carried those mysterious books from the castle. Clover the Clever's diary mentioned a vision that predicted the Tirek incident, so maybe one of those books had something on the castle. Whatever happened to Clover the Clever anyway? Maybe Princess Celestia would know once the group saw her. Maybe—
"Silver Spoon," said Sweetie Belle out of nowhere. Silver Spoon jumped up and shuddered before staring at Sweetie Belle with a fixed gaze. "Sorry to bother you, but can I ask you a question?"
"I don't see why not," Silver Spoon said in a calm tone. Sweetie Belle trotted right next to her and the pair kept moving in unison. "What's on your mind?"
"I've been thinking about those books we found." Sweetie Belle bit her lip for a moment and shivered. "W-what if they predict something really bad. What if they predict something that has deadly consequences? Will we all still make it out in the end?"
Silver Spoon looked down at the ground beneath her and sighed. The threats against Equestria have been increasing in severity. Thinking about how Equestria went from the dangerous Nightmare Moon to the frightening Tirek in the course of just over a year sent a chill down her spine. What would be next? She looked back up at Sweetie Belle with a grim expression and shook her head.
"I don't know," Silver Spoon said in a glum tone. "I just hope that things don't get worse from here."
"That's what I'm scared of. It feels like things always get worse."
"I know what you mean."
Silver Spoon paused for a moment as something sparked in the back of her mind. Why did Sweetie Belle choose to talk to her instead of Apple Bloom or Scootaloo? They were her closest friends, so why her? Her mind buzzed more and more as she formulated different possibilities, each one resulting in something that was just illogical. She needed to put this curiosity to rest. She needed to ask Sweetie Belle now.
"Everypony, look!" Scootaloo shouted at the top of her lungs. She galloped ahead, kicking a large cloud of dust behind her, and Diamond chased after her.
"I'm getting sick of this!" Diamond screamed. Silver Spoon caught a glimpse of her cheeks being colored a bright red, which caused her mind to paint an image of her having steam erupting from her ears like geysers. It was an image that she couldn't help but chuckle at.
"It's only a few hoofsteps away, so calm down."
Scootaloo skidded across the road as a cloud of dust kicked up in Diamond's face. Diamond coughed for a moment and waved her hooves around as though a fly was buzzing incessantly around her, thus blowing the dust cloud away.
"What the heck was that about?" Diamond asked with a piercing gaze. She trotted up to Scootaloo until they were only inches apart and leaned towards her, their faces now separated by a speck of dust. "Do you think this is a silly game?"
Scootaloo shook her head and winced. "I was just trying to look awesome," she said. "I didn't think you'd be following me that closely."
Diamond stepped back and turned around in a huff. "Just watch what you're doing or we'll be covered in bruises by the time we get back." She then twitched. "I don't want to think of the punishment my father will give me."
"What kind of punishment, Diamond?" Silver Spoon asked.
"I'll have to mow the lawn. Or worse, I might have to take out the trash!" Diamond stuck her tongue out and gagged. "Do you have any idea how that smells?"
Was Diamond being serious? Or was she just dramatizing something boring as she had done before? Silver Spoon rolled her eyes, but her face cracked a smile. "It's nothing to be afraid of. I do chores at least once every day." She then trotted up to Diamond and patted her on the back in a gentle manner. "Let's try to focus on getting back to Ponyville for now, and then you can worry about what happens next. We're in this together."
"Do you know how long it takes to take out the trash?" Diamond's eyes shimmered as she crept towards Silver Spoon, her lips puckered up into a frown. "Five minutes! That's, like, forever!"
"If we go slow and steady, I promise we'll make it out unharmed." Silver Spoon's lips curled into a warm smile, to which Diamond responded with one of her own.
"Can I show you what I found now?" Scootaloo asked. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara both nodded together and Scootaloo lifted a hoof in front of their faces. Grasped in her hoof was a sparkling ruby. It was clear enough to where Silver Spoon could see her own reflection in it and notice Diamond's widened eyes and slack-jawed expression. At least she was predictable, but something about this ruby felt familiar. It had a octagonal shape and just staring at it made her heart beat faster for reasons she couldn't decipher. It tickled Silver Spoon's mind the more she thought about it. It had to have come from the old castle, that much was certain.
The old castle. Silver Spoon's eyes glowed and her pupils dilated as she reached this realization. That ruby was from the Royal Goblet, but why was it out here? Was the Royal Goblet already damaged? Was Lightning Dust okay?
"Um, Silver Spoon," said Scootaloo. "You have a strange look on your face. Do you know this?"
"That ruby is from the Royal Goblet," Silver Spoon said. "It's shape and the feelings it provokes must prove it. Scootaloo, when you stare at that ruby, do you feel your heart race?"
Scootaloo closed her eyes and stood as still as a statue. Seconds passed by, and all that Silver Spoon heard was the breeze's tranquil song of rustling leaves. It soothed her spirits and her body loosened. Time kept marching on, and after five minutes of the occasional breeze, Scootaloo opened her eyes and nodded.
"I can feel it too," Scootaloo said in a flat tone. "You're right, this has to be from the Royal Goblet."
Diamond formed a beaming grin on her face and her eyes sparkled. "Can we keep it?" she asked jubilantly. "Can we?"
"I don't see why not."
Diamond pumped her hoof and then twirled like an amateur ballerina that was still learning how to balance herself. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Silver Spoon and Scootaloo both shrugged. Scootaloo then cocked her head towards Silver Spoon and raised an eyebrow. "Is she usually like this?" she whispered.
Silver Spoon nodded. "Sometimes. It's what makes her happy, though."
"Fine with me." Scootaloo then trotted ahead. "Let's continue on our way."
The group trotted forwards once more. Whatever tension there was in the air soon dissipated as nothing of importance occurred for an extended period of time. Silver Spoon's eyes darted around, hoping to find something, anything that might tickle her mind. Maybe she'd find an exotic plant or a cute animal, but other than some larger rocks that rested in the middle of the pathway at some intervals, it was just the flat, barren, dirt road and the trees that occupied each side of it.
The sun was setting; lighting the sky a glowing, bright orange. Some of the brighter stars in the sky made themselves known, twinkling at regular intervals. Ponyville had to be close by. The castle that loomed over the group was getting larger, but it just felt so far away at the same time.
"This is so boring!" Diamond whined as she kicked the air. "We better be in Ponyville soon!" She then ground her teeth and grimaced for a brief moment.
"We have to be," said Silver Spoon. "It just doesn't make any sense to be trotting for much longer." She then lifted her hoof in the air and pointed at the Crystal Castle. "See that?" Diamond nodded, as did the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "If it appears to be getting larger, then we must be making progress."
"But we might be cursed!" Diamond's face turned pale and she gulped. "We might be stuck here forever!"
"We're doomed?" Apple Bloom asked with wide open eyes. "What are you talking about?"
Diamond shrugged. "Maybe we are, but if that's the case, then how are we going to find out what's cursing us?"
Silver Spoon looked over to Diamond with doleful eyes and a deep frown. There had to be a way to comfort her friend. It felt as though icicles were piercing her heart the longer she stared at Diamond quivering and chattering her teeth. Would some kind words help? "Diamond Tiara, I promise you that this isn't a curse," Silver Spoon said. "I know that this is tough." Silver Spoon felt her legs tremble a little and she clenched her teeth for a moment. "I'm exhausted and want this to be done as well, but we have to keep trying."
"I-I just want this over now." Diamond kicked the air a few more times. "But if we've been trotting down this road for so long, it has to be a curse. There's no other explanation!"
"It will be over soon, but you can't give up." Silver Spoon trotted up to Diamond and gazed into her eyes. Her lips formed a faint smile. "Diamond, you're my best friend. I'd never lie about something like this." She then placed her hoof on her chest. "Look in your heart and find the strength hidden inside there, and I know you'll find hope in there somewhere."
Diamond closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, everything became silent as not a peep nor a breeze echoed in the area.
That was until Silver Spoon heard the rustling of leaves nearby. Her ears twitched and her muscles tightened. Was there something dangerous nearby? Or was it just something as harmless as a mouse? She tapped Diamond on the shoulder, who then opened her eyes and stared at Silver Spoon with a slack-jawed expression and a raised eyebrow.
"What was that about?" Diamond asked. "I was thinking."
"Something's nearby," Silver Spoon said. The leaves rustled once more, this time louder than before.
"I hear it too," said Scootaloo. Her eyes twinkled and she rubbed her hoof against the ground as she prepared to charge. "I'm not afraid of anything!"
"What about the cloaked figure that turned out to be Lightning Dust?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"And what about the cockatrice from a while back?" Apple Bloom added.
"Or the spooky story from our last camping trip?"
"I get it!" Scootaloo shouted into the air. She then sighed and took a more relaxed posture. "Yeah, I get scared sometimes, but not now!"
"It's okay to be scared," said Silver Spoon. She felt her chest tighten and a chilling sensation run down her spine. "I'm scared as well, but we have to think rationally."
"Silver Spoon, since when did you become so caring towards the blank flanks?" asked Diamond. She then shrugged. "It's not like you."
"We're in this together, right? I know I've teased them before with you, but we need to stick together if we're going to make it out of this."
Diamond sighed. "Makes sense to me." She then cleared her throat and looked over towards the castle. "Maybe you're right. Maybe this isn't a curse."
Silver Spoon tilted her head. "That was fast."
"Maybe I was just scared." Diamond adjusted the tiara on her head. "I'm not scared anymore!"
Scootaloo then raised her hoof high in the air. "Sorry to interrupt your little talk, but when you want us to think rationally, do you mean fight, or run?"
Silver Spoon jumped up in the air a little and shuddered. "I never said anything about fighting!"
"Running it is!"
Scootaloo galloped towards Ponyville and the rest of the group chased after her. Silver Spoon bit her lip as her legs ached the more she ran, the distance feeling like miles to her. Huffing and puffing as her lungs worked like furnaces, her eyes widened and shimmered upon noticing something different up ahead. The path widened and the texture of the road changed into a smooth, dark brown. Houses, all with similar exteriors and a few decorations to differentiate themselves, appeared off in the horizon. There wasn't a curse at all. Silver Spoon and the rest of the group were almost home, and it made her face form a radiant smile.
"We're going to make it!" Diamond shouted at the top of her lungs. "We're almost home!"
A loud, bloodcurdling screech echoed in the air. Silver Spoon's chest tightened as she and the rest of the group turned pale. Something about that voice sounded familiar, which only helped send more chills down her spine.
"Was that Lightning Dust?" asked Sweetie Belle as she breathed heavily.
Silver Spoon nodded. "I'm almost confident that was her," she said in a grim tone.
"We need to hurry!" Scootaloo shouted at the top of her lungs. "She must be in danger!"
The group nodded together and galloped towards the screaming. Silver Spoon glanced over to Diamond and her ears twitched not at a particular noise, but the lack of one that should have appeared from Diamond's mouth. She didn't bother criticizing Scootaloo for rushing in again. She even bit her lip as she galloped. Something had to be going on, and even as Silver Spoon huffed and puffed and her legs tightened, she ignored her exhaustion and focused her mind on Lightning Dust.
"I see her up ahead!" Scootaloo yelled. Sure enough, Lightning Dust was lying on the ground, curled up in a fetal position and rocking back and forth. As the group got closer, Silver Spoon noticed that she was massaging her wing and gritting her teeth. Did she crash again? Or was it something much worse?
Lightning Dust looked up at the group and she cringed as she tried to form a smile. "Thank Celestia you're here," she said. She then let out a few grunts, their sounds enough to make Silver Spoon's throat tighten. "Something horrible is going on."
"What is it?" Diamond asked. She then looked around and after a few seconds, her eyes widened and her body shivered. "Did someone steal the Royal Goblet?"
"Bingo." Lightning Dust recoiled and let out a loud, elongated groan. "A shadowy figure took it."
"That's not going to help us find the perp."
"All I can tell you is that he appeared in a flash and we fought along the path you came from. He got the upper hoof and punched me to the ground before stomping on my wing and taking the Royal Goblet."
"Wait a second," said Silver Spoon, raising her hoof up. "Scootaloo found something that might be of interest to you."
"What would that be?"
Scootaloo extended her foreleg towards Lightning Dust and displayed the ruby grasped in her hoof. Staring at the ruby with twinkling eyes and a gaping mouth, Lightning Dust then rubbed her eyes and formed a wide grin. "That's from the Royal Goblet!"
"Exactly," said Scootaloo. "It must have broken off in your fight with the figure."
"Perhaps we can use that ruby as a way to track down the figure who attacked you," Silver Spoon said as a matter of fact. "It won't be much on its own, but evidence is evidence."
"Maybe, but it's going to be hard to find him again," said Lightning Dust. "He just appeared and disappeared out of nowhere."
"We'll let Princess Twilight know what happened," said Apple Bloom. "For now, we need to take you to a hospital."
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo trotted next to Lightning Dust and hoisted her on their backs. Ponyville was only a few hoofsteps away now and the sun was still setting and visible. Silver Spoon glanced over to Lightning Dust's wincing face, the visible agony driving needles into her heart. Maybe she was a bit brash, but nopony like that deserved what happened to her. But as she trotted alongside the group, a thought raced in her mind faster than a thunderbolt.
The Royal Goblet produced a strange feeling inside those who gazed at it for a period of time. Was this goblet a part of something much bigger? Could it explain the figure's motive for attacking Lightning Dust and stealing the goblet? Silver Spoon knew that she couldn't answer those questions, but it did fill her with one feeling. One that awakened her. Seeing Princess Celestia was now imperative.