//------------------------------// // The Unexpected Journey - Interlude XIII - Part 3 // Story: Diary of the Night // by CalebH //------------------------------// They ran. Lyra and Cross didn’t pause to flinch at the roaring of the tunnel collapsing, they didn’t even stop to think of what had happened to the others, they simply ran until their lungs burned and their legs ached, until they could not breathe the musty air and their legs gave out beneath them. They collapsed onto each other, a panting mess of limbs on the worn stone floor. “Do…you…think…they…made…it?” Cross asked, struggling to speak. “They,” Lyra began only to get cut off by a coughing fit. “They made it. They have to.” Cross opened his mouth to ask how she knew but something in her voice made him pause. Her wide white eyes almost glowed in his hornlight. Her narrowed panicked pupils and the desperate assurance in her voice was all the answer he needed. She closed her eyes and drew in a few shaky breaths. “What do we do?” she asked. “I can’t hear the collapse anymore. Maybe we could dig our way back to the others.” A pained expression crossed Lyra’s face. “I can’t even begin to move that much rock. Unless you’re secretly Ponyville’s other magic prodigy I don’t think we’ll be able to do much.” “I…” I can barely lift the broom some nights. “I don’t think I’ll be much help.” “We should check it out just in case,” Lyra said as she rose to her hooves. “The cave in may not have been as bad as it sounded.” “Yeah,” Cross said, unconvinced. Lyra didn’t seem to hear him as she made her way back through the corridor. As they traced back their steps Cross and Lyra could hear the mountain fortress rumbling forebodingly. From time to time a stream of sand would rain down from cracks in the ceiling. Neither of them trusted their sense of direction enough to find a way around and so they made do with stepping lightly under them. “How far did we run?” Cross finally asked after what seemed like an hour of walking. “Not much further. I thought I recognized that bust that sorta looked like a pear two turns back.” Another impact sent the mountain shaking around them. The two unicorns huddled into one another until the rumbling calmed. “C’mon,” Lyra said. “The sooner we find the others and get out of here the better.” “Right,” Cross said as they started off together. Within minutes they had found the collapse. The passageway was completely filled with rocks and debris. Cracks spider webbing out leaked dust ominously. As soon as she saw it Lyra ran to the base and began frantically clearing away rocks. Cross came up behind her and laid a hoof across her back. “Hey, I thought we agreed we couldn’t do this on our own.” “I have to get to her! I have to find Bon Bon!” Lyra shouted back manically as more debris filled in whatever progress she had made. Another impact shook the mountain and opened up the cracks overhead, sending a few hoof sized stones down along with a fresh cloud of dust. “We’re going to get buried if we stay here! Let’s go! We can find another way around.” “NO! I have to find her!” Lyra shouted back. An entire section of ceiling between two cracks fell in behind the pair. Rubble piled on top of it threatening to close them off and bury them in. “I have to find her,” Lyra repeated to herself as she fruitlessly dug at the growing pile. Cross groaned in frustration as the pile behind them grew. “Crazy mare come ON!” he said as he wrapped his magic around her and began pulling her to safety. She flailed in the air, trying to find some purchase to fight his hold with. Cross backed out, taking one heavy step at a time as the screaming mare in his grasp fought him. After a minute of trudging Cross was panting hoarsely as sweat dripped from his face. His flickering hold on Lyra threatened to give out at any moment. With a massive ‘BOOM’ the tunnel completely collapsed behind them. Cross dropped to his knees. His spent magic dissolved around Lyra, dropping her mere inches to the ground. Cross laid his head against the cool stone beneath him. He could taste the dirt in grit coming into his mouth with every inhale but he couldn’t muster up the energy to even turn his head. His horn felt like a tuning fork somepony had hit with a sledgehammer. In between throbbing pulses it hummed painfully. “Get up,” Lyra’s voice cut coldly. “We’re going around the stupid tunnel. We’re going to find that stupid book. We’re going to find everypony and kick that stupid dragon’s butt, then we’re getting out from under this stupid mountain. Morning Star knew what was coming long before the hoof met his face. Smack! “Don’t you EVER try anything like that again or I’ll break off that horn and kill you with it.” Broken leg or no his marefriend could make good on the threat. “Don’t you ever even think about picking me up without my permission again you—you ass!” “So what did you want me to do, leave you there to die?!” Morning shouted back. “I want you to let me do it on my own! I don’t need to be coddled and I sure as hell don’t need to be carried.” “You do though.” Morning Star realized in the pitch black that silence could express more anger than shouting. Even an earthshattering boom of the princess’s fight and the dust that rained down after seemed to fade into the background of Moon Shadow’s angry oppressive silence. “Moon I didn’t mean it that way.” “It was three words. How else could you mean it?” she spat. “Moony I…” “…Don’t,” She cut in, “talk to me.” Morning Star sat in silence. They were lucky to have survived the cave in. An alcove housing some long broken statue had been enough to save them but counting his blessings was the last thing on Morning Star’s mind. He didn’t even bother to flinch when another impact caused the wall behind him to give way. He turned his head slowly only to find more inky blackness. His horn glowed faintly, illuminating a pile of rubble spilling into a long gallery below. Moon shadow stood at the bottom, her wings folding against her sides. Compared to her soundless, graceful glide his own descent was deafening. By the time he had made it down she was halfway through the gallery. Morning trotted past ruined portraits and molding tapestries to catch up. “Moon, I’m sorry,” He said. “I’m sorry I’m not like Macintosh, I’m sorry I don’t have whatever it is that makes you trust him.” “The farmer is nothing,” she said. “He doesn’t fight, he doesn’t forge. He only grows food for those who do. He’s nothing important enough for me to care what he thinks. I don’t love him.” “Oh,” Morning said, missing a step and almost tripping beside her. “Well I don’t love him either.” There was a clank of a shod hoof against Morning Star’s helmet followed by a quick kiss in the dark. Tchk tchk Big Mac brought a hoof to his head grumpily. Applebloom was trying to light something with Grampa’s old flint again. Tchk tchk Luckily the old relic barely sparked anymore or he might be building a whole new farmhouse. Celestia knows they’ve been going through barns like matchsticks. Tchk tchk Mac rolled to his stomach. Why ain’t I in my bed? He was used to going to sleep late and wore out and waking up early wore out but this was the worst he remembered. He felt like he’d been chewed up and spit out a dozen times over. His ribs hurt almost as bad as when he’d lost that bet over who had to wear Granny’s girdle. It was all going just fine until he remembered he had to breathe, then something had to give. AJ may brag up and down that he was the strongest worker this side of anywhere but he learned something important that day: never underestimate Granny’s girdle. Tchk tchk With a groan of effort he rose to his hooves. Tired as he was Applebloom still needed him. Hopefully getting a light may quit her shaking like a leaf with all this thunder. Tchk tchk THOOOOOMMM Mac gave another groan. With how the house was rattling beneath him there was one hum dinger of a storm right above them. That meant checking over every orchard and field in the morning and spending the rest of the day cleaning up whatever mess the storm left to them. Tchk tchk tchk tchk Applebloom was scared. He could tell by the panicked strikes, desperately trying to get some light in this pitch black. Why ain’t I seeing any lightning? “Here,” He said taking the flint from Applebloom’s hoof. She’s growing like a weed. One strike brought enough sparks to see the lantern. In another it was lit. He nearly dropped the lantern his head hurt so bad. “Mac, you need to lay down, your bleeding.” That ain’t no filly’s voice. Mac examined his hoof. It ached well enough but there was only one little drop of blood. “Ain’t nothing but a scratch, guess I got the plow a mite too sharp.” Another drop landed on his hoof. He brought his hoof up to rub his aching head only to feel something wet and sticky matting his mane. He pulled his hoof away covered in half-dried blood. Then the dizziness hit. “Aw shit,” he said before falling over.