//------------------------------//
// The Sloth Of Lethargy 
// Story: Our Darkest Days 
// by Bluecatcinema 
//------------------------------//

The trio arrived in the country of Fetland, ancestral home to the Reindeer species, getting off the boat in the town of Antlerville. After what had happened in Aerovis, their moods were tense. Echo and Sunset were still reeling from what happened when they were overwhelmed by the Pride spell. Sunset needed time to get over what Echo had said to her, while Echo couldn't think of anything to say other than "I'm sorry" (which had already been proven to be insufficient), and Sterling couldn't get his mind off his conversation with Shining.

"The next page is in the possession of a young stallion named Lethargy Laiskiainen, son of a local business tycoon." Echo declared. "His stately home lies just ahead. Who knows? This may just be a simple retrieval."

"Whatever." Sunset muttered.

Echo made to say something, but stopped himself. Not being the most sociable pony, he had no idea of what he could do to make things right.

Sterling took note of this with worry. He knew they wouldn't be very effective if they lost their sense of camaraderie. They had already lost one page due to fighting amongst themselves, and they couldn't afford to lose another. Sterling knew he had to nip this in the bud.

"Come on, guys." Sterling declared. "Let's not let what happened back in Aerovis get us down. We all said some things we regret."

"You didn't." Sunset pointed out.

"Not the point." Sterling said quickly. "What say we all just shake and make up? You two can go first."

"As usual, Sterling, things aren't as simple as you think they are." Echo sighed. "What happened between the two of us will take time to work through. I advise you to just leave well enough alone."

"Aw, come on!" Sterling groaned, as Echo walked ahead of them. "We're supposed to be a team, remember!" He turned to Sunset. "Sunset, I hate to see you so down. You gotta perk up. A pretty face like yours wasn't meant for frowns."

"I know you're just trying to help, Sterling." Sunset declared. "And trust me, we will settle things. But you can't force it. ...Though it's sweet of you to try."

"Yeah, well... I care about you, Sunset." Sterling admitted. "Your happiness means a lot to me."

"Why, thank you, Sterling." Sunset smiled. "It's refreshing to see a stallion open up and talk about his feelings."

"Aw, shucks..." Sterling said modestly. "You really think so?"

"I know so." Sunset nudged him playfully. "You should show this side of yourself more often."

"You know, I just might." Sterling grinned.

Echo looked back at them. He snarled at the idea of Sterling getting close to Sunset.

'Unbelievable.' He thought. 'How dare that brainless oaf put the moves on my Sunset... Wait, what am I thinking?' He mentally shook himself. 'Snap out of it, Alchemy! You don't have time for this! Focus on the mission!'

"Let's not dilly-dally!" He called back. "The estate is just up ahead!"

As they made their way through town, they couldn't help but notice several ponies and Reindeers laying down in the streets, some fast asleep.

"And I thought the term 'sleepy little town' was just a saying." Sterling quipped.

"What's wrong with them?" Sunset pondered.

"Pardon me, my good sir?" Echo asked a Reindeer. "Is there anything the matter?"

"So tired..." The Reindeer muttered. "Can barely move..."

"How long has this been going on?" Sterling asked, pointing out the others.

"Must be about... a week." The Reindeer groaned.

"Not a good omen..." Echo shook his head.

"So much for an 'easy retrieval'." Sunset snorted. "It seems we're in for another fight..."

"Nothing the three of us can't handle, right?" Sterling said confidently. "I mean, how tough can this Lethargy guy be?"

"Not very." Echo answered. "from what I've heard, he's your typical 'trust-fund baby'. All he does is sit around his parents' manor, playing games and watching television. I doubt he'll put up much of a fight, even with the page."

"We'll see..." Sunset muttered.

Soon after, they reached their destination: the somewhat old mansion of the Laiskiainen family. Walking up the main path, they saw what appeared to be the gardener, flat on the ground like everypony else.

"Excuse us." Echo knelt down. "Is the... young master Laiskiainen home? You don't need to speak, just move your head. "

The gardener nodded, pointing to the front gates.

"Thank you for your assistance." Echo smiled. "If all goes well, we'll be repaying you before long."

The trio made their way to the front door. Echo knocked, but received no response.

"Looks like we're gonna have to let ourselves in..." Sterling declared. With one good kick, he smashed the door open. "Ladies first."

"Thank you, Sterling." Sunset smiled.

Echo growled under his breath.

As they entered the mansion, they couldn't help but notice how empty and deserted the place looked.

"Where is everypony?" Echo frowned

"Yeah, you'd expect these rich types to have a bunch of servants." Sterling pointed out.

"Forget the servants, it doesn't look like anypony's home." Sunset declared.

Suddenly, a glow from a nearby television set covered the three. The screen showed a slouching, somewhat obese Unicorn, messing with a TV remote. He was wearing a bath-robe over his gray coat, had a brown messy mane and beard (with a pair of sunglasses on his head) and a recliner Cutie Mark. But he wasn't staring directly at them from the screen. He was staring off at something else in the screen. Moments later, he noticed the trio.

"Oh, hey, finally." He smiled. "I've been calling the service for days."

"Service? Sir, are you okay?" Sterling asked.

The stallion glanced at them.

"Yeah, the help took off days ago." He declared. "You're like, super late." He sighed. "And I'm not ok, ok? I need you to run down to the store and get me, uh..." He gestured to the remote. "Some batteries for the remote and..." He pulled up an empty bag of chips. "A bag of chips."

"Look, we don't really have the time or energy to explain, but according to the documents, you might have a page from King Sombra's spellbook." Echo declared. "We are collecting them."

"Yes, and we should point out that there's a madpony out there that's after those pages and isn't above killing to get them." Sunset added. "Four ponies are dead because of him."

"Oh, uh... I think I might have heard about it somewhere..." Lethargy glanced off-screen. "Oh, right..." He glanced at Echo. "Say, aren't you wanted for treason or something?"

"Don't get off topic, please." Echo said tersely. "We want the page that was entrusted to you. Think you could give it to us?"

Lethargy merely glanced off-screen, messing with his remote some more.

"Hey, pal, the bat pony is talking to ya." Sterling glared.

"Indeed I am!" Echo agreed, getting annoyed. "You need to give us that page! We know you have it, and that the masked pony that my colleague Ms. Shimmer talked about will be here any minute to take it from you, by any means necessary!"

Lethargy ignored them.

"Listen!" Sunset urged. "These pages are bad news for the ones who protect them. That page you have will make you go crazy! And masked pony or not, it will get you killed!"

Lethargy let out a frustrated sigh as he spun around.

"Actually, you know what? I think I'm going to need a little down time." He announced. "You know? All this talky-talk is just..." He yawns. "It's making me kinda sleepy. So, I... I think I really need you to go now, ok?" He turned away, his eyes growing wispy.

"Aw, buck." Echo gulped. "We're too late..."

"What the buck is he going to throw at us?" Sterling asked.

Suddenly, from the shadows, crystal-like pony golems emerged, crystal crossbows growing from out of their backs, aiming at them.

"Well, that's new." Sunset noted.

"Wouldn't couldn't you just let me nap?" Lethargy asked. "Now this is happening."

The golems fired their crystal bolts. Thinking quickly, Sunset produced a forcefield to block them. Sterling then returned fire. He shot one golem in the head, shattering it.

"Nailed it!" Sterling cheered.

The headless golem stumbled backward. Then it started to glow darkly, and reassembled itself. Outside, the gardener groaned with pain.

"Oh, no." Echo gasped. "The spell is feeding off the energies of the ponies and Reindeers in town. That's why they're all so exhausted."

"Ooh, somepony's clever." Lethargy said lazily.

"How can you do this to all those innocents?" Sunset asked.

"I didn't want to." Lethargy claimed. "My parents forced me to."

"Your parents?" Sterling asked.

"Yeah." Lethargy shrugged. "They were really gettin' on at me to 'quit layin' around' and 'do something with my life'. They even threatened to cut me off. I couldn't let that happen, so out came the page. Now I don't have to do anything ever again."

"And neither does anypony else, with the spell draining them." Echo added.

"Big whoop." Lethargy snorted. "They're not me, so why should I care?"

More golems came into being. The trio ducked behind an upturned table, which acted as a temporary shield.

"Fighting these things is a waste of time." Echo stated. "We need to find Lethargy, and take the page from him."

"Great idea." Sterling said sarcastically. "But how do we find him? He could be anywhere in this place!"

"We'll have to search the entire mansion, while simultaneously fighting off the golems." Echo declared.

"Oh yeah, that sounds easy." Sunset snorted.

"Do you have a better idea?" Echo asked.

"I don't know, am I allowed to have ideas?" Sunset growled. "You seem to be calling the shots all the time. Maybe you don't think I'm smart enough to think for myself!"

"Oh, of all the things to say." Echo frowned. "We're in a life-or-death situation, and you're bringing up something so trivial?"

"So you think my intelligence is trivial?" Sunset snarled.

"I didn't say that." Echo shot back.

"I'll bet you were thinking it, though." Sunset glared.

"No, I was thinking about how petty and pointless this argument is!" Echo yelled.

"We wouldn't be arguing if you'd just hear me out!" Sunset yelled.

"Geez, you two!" Sterling groaned. "Save it for Jerry Stabler, will ya? Crystal golems about to kill us over here!"

There was a brief silence (save for the crystal darts striking the table).

"You're right, Sterling." Sunset admitted. "This isn't the time for arguing."

"Indeed." Echo nodded. "This is the time for action."

"Now, any idea where Lethargy is?" Sterling urged.

"I think he's in some kind of panic room." Sunset surmised. "Those things are always hidden away. You open them by pulling a hidden switch."

"So we have to find that switch." Echo realized. "Good thinking, Sunset."

"It's about time you noticed." Sunset said sourly.

"You guys are really starting to bore me." Lethargy griped. "Come out and take your lumps already."

"Okay, so all we gotta do is fight our way past these clowns, and search the mansion for any secret switches." Sterling summarized. "On the count of three... one, two, three!"

The trio leapt from behind the table and went on the offensive; Sunset blasted the golems' legs, crippling them, which Sterling continued with the headshots. Echo, on the other hoof, lifted them and dropped them, causing them to shatter on the floor.

"This way!" Sunset called, as they raced into the library.

Another video screen flickered to life, as Lethargy watched them.

"Chill out, will you?" Lethargy frowned. "All this running around. I'm getting tired just watching you." He yawned. "Wake me up when you find me..."

Ignoring the commentary, Sunset rushed over to the only bookcase that was standing against a wall.

"Ah, I see what you're thinking." Sterling smiled. "The old 'hidden lever in the bookcase' trick."

"Cover me while I check them." Sunset declared.

"And she gets the easy part." Echo sighed.

As Echo and Sterling held off the golems, Sunset pulled out every book. Halfway through, she seemed to find success; One book tilted down, and the bookcase moved away to reveal... a room full of comic books.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Sterling groaned.

"Careful, those are in mint condition." Lethargy called.

"So much for that idea." Echo shoved a golem aside. "Next room!"

The search continued, the trio fighting off golems while simultaneously searching for any sort of switch that could reveal the way to the panic room. In the kitchen, they found that a mounted candelabra opened a doorway... to a room full of spray cheese cans, with a spray cheese sculpture of Lethargy in the center.

"Seriously?" Sunset gaped.

"I like cheese." Lethargy smiled.

In the kitchen, they found a hidden doorway to a room packed with soda cans. In the lounge, there was a secret passageway leading to a pit full of plastic balls.

"I'm not even gonna ask." Sterling shook his head.

The trio fought their way into the lounge, shattering golems as they went.

"Leave my toys alone..." Lethargy whined.

As they scoured the room, Echo found a switch behind a painting of Lethargy and his parents. The switch opened another passageway... which led to a laundry room.

"Really?" He groaned, exasperated. "Why would you even need to hide your laundry room?"

"Come on!" Sunset blasted a golem. "Let's keep moving!"

The search continued, yielding few results.

"This place has way too many secret rooms." Sterling noted, as they finished checking the ground floor.

"And so frivolously used." Echo sighed.

"This is really turning into a total snoozefest. Lethargy moaned. "Hurry up and die already."

"Not today, you lazy lout." Sunset shot back.

"Ouch." Lethargy said dully.

"Come." Echo stated, as he threw a golem out of the window. "Let's check upstairs."

Lethargy was still lazing back as the trio struggled to find him.

"What is with you guys?" Lethargy groaned. "You're messing up the whole place, and for what? Some piece of paper?" He glanced at the page, which was taped to the side of the TV screen. "So not cool..."

Suddenly, a door leading outside, next to where he was, burst open, and the masked pony entered.

"What?!" Lethargy turned, shocked. "Who are you?!"

The trio glanced at another TV screen and saw Lethargy faced with the masked pony.

"Oh no..." Echo gasped. "Come on! Where is that panic room?!"

The trio rushed to find the room. Meanwhile, the masked pony slowly approached Lethargy.

"No!" Lethargy yelped. He spun around in his chair, pushing himself away. "No! No, no, no, please don't hurt me!"

As the masked pony came closer, Lethargy suddenly seized up, clutching his heart.

"Yuuurgh!" He collapsed, having suffered a fatal heart attack.

The masked pony glanced at him oddly, but shrugged as he then noticed the page taped to the side of the screen. He reached for it, when Lethargy suddenly jumped up.

"Crayolo!" He yelped, before collapsing, dead. At that same moment, all the crystal golems shattered, and the citizens of Antlerville found their vitality restored.

"Hmph, that's what you get when you don't exercise more." The masked pony sneered, as he picked up the page.

Suddenly, the trio burst in.

"I can't believe the 'hidden' switch was just on the wall of this guy's bedroom!" Sterling moaned.

"I can't believe it had a note saying 'Switch To Lethargy's Panic Room, Do Not Touch Except For Lethargy' on it." Sunset shook her head. "It's like he wanted us to find it..."

"Stop!" Echo yelled at the masked pony.

Sunset and Sterling opened fire, but the masked pony simply dodged their attacks and flew out of the room on his crystal wave, much to the trio's anguish.

"Not again!" Sterling cried.

"Another page lost..." Echo groaned.

"Wonderful." Sunset shook her head. "Could things get any worse?"

Things could get worse, as it turned out; Later, after reeling from their failure at the mansion and dealing with Lethargy's corpse, when the trio reached the docks, they found the boat they needed was in for repairs, forcing them to extend their stay.

"I don't believe this." Echo rubbed his temples. "Not only did we lose another page, we're effectively stranded."

"Only for a couple hours." Sterling pointed out.

"Two more hours our masked nemesis will gain on us." Echo countered. "We're stuck, like a beached whale!"

"Hmm, that gives me an idea." Sunset smiled. "Follow me, guys."

Sunset led Echo and Sterling to Antlerville's beach.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Echo frowned. "Because if it is, isn't very funny."

"Look, we can either sit around and whine about being stuck, or we can take the opportunity to take a load off, and relax." Sunset declared. "And there's no place like the beach to relax in."

"Preposterous." Echo snorted. "We don't have time to lay about. Right, Sterling?"

Echo turned to see Sterling stripping off his armor.

"Really?" Echo groaned. "You too?"

"Sunset's got a point." Sterling pointed out. "We're stuck for now, so we might as chill for a while."

"I do not 'chill'." Echo frowned.

"Do you even know how?" Sunset chided.

Echo chose not to answer the question. Instead, he wandered over to the shade (Thestrals not doing well under prolonged sunlight), and pulled from his saddlebags his research notes, and a golden cylinder that he was keeping the rest of the pages in (the cylinder having been specially enchanted to contain their dark magic).

"What are you doing?" Sterling asked.

"I'm making some constructive use of this period of downtime." Echo said grumpily. "I'm writing notes on the pages we've already gathered."

"Suit yourself." Sunset rolled her eyes. "the rest of us are actually planning on relaxing. Coming, Sterling?"

"Right behind you." Sterling nodded.

Sunset and Sterling lounged about the warm sand, taking in the sun's rays.

"Ah, that feels good." Sunset sighed. "It's been a long time since I've had the chance to kick back like this."

"Me neither." Sterling smiled. "And I can't think of a better pony to relax with."

"Thanks." Sunset chuckled.

"So... how about you and Echo?" Sterling asked. "You guys really let each other have it back there. And you didn't even need a spell..."

"I know..." Sunset sighed. "I just... lost it for a moment. All that stuff Echo said to me in Aerovis really struck a nerve, and I'm finding it hard to move past it all."

"I'm sure you'll get there soon enough." Sterling declared. "You're way too kind a pony to hold a grudge."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Sunset beamed.

"Maybe, but it doesn't hurt to try." Sterling joked.

"Seriously though, thanks for the words of encouragement." Sunset added. "You're really a sweet guy, and I'm glad you tagged along with us."

"So am I." Sterling smiled at Sunset.

The two moved a little closer together, as they continued to soak up the sun's rays.

"Hoo, it's hot." Sterling said after a while. "I gotta cool off."

Sterling leapt into the surf.

"Ah, that's the stuff." He grinned. "Come on in, Sunny. The water's great!"

"I'm good, thanks." Sunset shrugged.

"Oh, yeah?" Sterling smirked. He thrust his hoof into the water, fling a spray of sea right at Sunset. "How about now?"

Sunset glared at him, her mane a mess.

"Oh, it is so on." She smirked.

Sunset charged into the water, and the pair engaged in a splash fight. They giggled and laughed like children, clearly enjoying themselves. Sterling stepped on a shell embedded in the sea floor, and slipped, falling on top of Sunset. The two froze up, realizing that their snouts were almost touching.

"Sorry." Sterling blushed. "I-"

Without warning, Sunset grabbed Sterling's sides, and flipped him around, so she was on top of him.

"Don't be." She smiled mischievously.

Before Sterling could react, Sunset kissed him. He resisted at first, but quickly returned the favor. Eventually, they separated.

"What was that for?" Sterling said breathlessly.

"What do you think?" Sunset grinned.

"I'm not sure what to think right now." Sterling admitted.

"Then let me help you." Sunset purred, leaning in for another kiss.

Unbeknownst to them, Echo was watching. He snarled, baring his fangs... then took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"It's none of my business who Sunset chooses to be... romantic with." He told himself. "Now, back to work, Alchemy..."

Echo tried to continue his notes, but his quill snapped the second he put it to paper.

"Unbelievable!" He roared, tossing the quill aside. He quickly realised that his anger was starting to build up. "Don't lose it, Echo. Don't lose it..."

Not long after, they returned to the dock, their ship having been repaired and ready to go. Echo acted as if he had been too wrapped up in his work to notice Sunset and Sterling, though he was distinctly icy with them both.

"So, how did the note-writing go?" Sunset asked, loosened up enough by her fun at the beach to actually be civil with Echo.

"Fine." Echo said tersely.

"...You feeling okay, bookworm?" Sterling asked, perturbed.

"Of course." Echo lied. "Why would I not be?" He glanced at the setting sun. "If you don't mind, I think I'll take a single cabin tonight. I could do with some alone time. I'm sure you and Ms Shimmer wouldn't mind sharing a cabin, would you?"

"I guess not..." Sterling shrugged.

"That's what I thought." Echo snorted, as he walked away.

"What's with him?" Sunset frowned.

"Who knows?" Sterling shrugged. "Anyway, guess we're roomies tonight."

"I'm not complaining." Sunset smiled.

Once they settled into their two-bed cabin, Sterling waited until Sunset was asleep (which didn't take long, considering the events of the day), then stepped outside. He pulled out his magic mirror, and made contact with Shining Armor.

"What news do you have, Sterling?" Shining asked.

"I'm sorry to report that we... lost another page, sir." Sterling confessed.

"Another one?" Shining gasped. "How could you have let that happen?"

"That latest guardian was a tricky one." Sterling declared. "Hid away in a panic room, sicced his dark magic flunkies on us... is it any wonder that masked creep beat us to the punch?"

"I can forgive one of two pages lost to the enemy, but not four." Shining declared. "Now the number of pages both sides have is equal. The next page will tip that balance."

"I know, your majesty." Sterling nodded.

"Then you must also know that you cannot allow the balance to tip in our enemy's favor." Shining continued.

"Of course." Sterling declared. "We'll do everything in our power to make sure that doesn't happen."

"And what about Echo?" Shining asked. "Anything... okay?"

"Oh, he's, uh... fine." Sterling shrugged.

"Just 'fine'?" Shining prompted.

"As fine as you can expect a guy like him to be." Sterling declared. "He's still totally focused on the mission, no worries there."

"So you say." Shining narrowed his eyes.

"Trust me, your highness." Sterling urged. "We're doing our very best to handle the situation."

"I suppose that's all I can ask for, really." Shining sighed. "Let's just hope it's enough..."

Shining's face faded from the mirror, and Sterling, who had been happy and jubilant hours ago, was now feeling worried and apprehensive. The next page could decide everything, and they had to be ready. Silently, he cursed himself for what happened on the beach. Kissing Sunset definitely wasn't the way to patch things up between her and Echo. He could only hope Echo hadn't seen it happen...