//------------------------------//
// Return Of The Nightmare: Part 2 
// Story: Seeking Answers 
// by Skye Mist 
//------------------------------//

"Seize her! Only she knows where the Princess is!"

Three Royal Guard pegasi flew towards Nightmare Moon. 

Nightmare's eyes flashed a brilliant white. "Stand back, you foals!"

She began to laugh insanely. A bolt of lightning knocked all three guards out of the sky; they crashed to the ground very ungraciously a few feet away from Skye.

Nightmare turned into mist and zipped out of Town Hall.

Skye immediately launched herself out of Town Hall and spread her wings to take off. 

Applejack finally lost her grip on Rainbow and the rainbow pony zoomed outside. "Come back here!"

She paused as she lost sign of Nightmare. "Nighttime? Forever?" 

Then she noticed two ponies moving away from Town Hall: Twilight Sparkle and Skye. Twilight was running towards the library; Skye was about lift off towards the Everfree.

"Where are they going?" Rainbow asked to herself, her eyes locked on Snow.

She dived, knocking the mare off balance. "And where do you think you're going, Everfreer? You're not going anywhere until you and Twilight give us answers."

"Rainbow dear, what are you doing to Snow Dusk?" Rarity said as the four caught up to Rainbow.

"She and that Twilight pony were the only ones who knew that crazy alicorn was! I'm not taking the risk that they might be spies! Especially this Everfreer."

Everypony else frowned, including Skye. Skye wanted to protest the idea of her mother being crazy, but that would make things even less in her favor.

"Don't try any funny business." Rainbow said as she glared at Skye.

'Don't worry. I won't. I'm still trying to piece together the mystery too.' Skye thought as she glared back.


************


"Elements, elements, elements... Ugh! How can I stop Nightmare Moon without the Elements of Harmony?" Twilight said as she trashed the Golden Oak Library.

"And just what are the Elements of Harmony? And how did you know about Nightmare Moon, huh? Are you a spy like that Everfreer?" Rainbow zoomed up to her face.

"Whoa!" Rainbow got pulled back by Applejack.

"Simmer down, Sally. Ah don't think she's a spy. But she sure knows what's going on. Don't you, Twilight?"

Twilight sighed. "I read all about the prediction of Nightmare Moon. Some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony are the only things that can stop her, but I don't know what they are, where to find them; I don't even know what they do!"

"'The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide.'" Pinkie read.

"How'd you find that?" Twilight gaped at Pinkie.

"It was under 'E'!" Pinkie said, bouncing around.

"Oh."

Before Twilight could reach the shelf though, a sky-blue aura surrounded the book. It was levitated out of her reach.

Twilight yelled, "Hey! Who's doing that?!"

Everyone looked at Rarity. "What? It's not me."

"Ahem... Forgetting somepony?" Skye said, making six heads turn. Her eyes had the misty sky-blue aura around them again.

"Oh my Celestia! You're a pegasus! But you can use magic! You've got to tell me how you do that!" Twilight squealed excitedly.

"Perhaps another time, but we have more important matters to discuss at the moment." Skye answered calmly.

Twilight cleared her throat and cast her eyes downward, clearly embarrassed. "Oh yes, sorry."

"Hey, what gives, Everfreer?" Rainbow frowned.

Skye raised an eyebrow. "You are aware that there's no need to waste time with this," Skye's magic shook the book. "right?"

"Why?" Twilight asked.

"Because I know all about it already." She said bluntly. "The Elements of Harmony are Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and an unknown sixth one. They're found in the abandoned castle ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters now. Which is in the Everfree."

"Likely story." Rainbow scrunched up her nose.

"Here then. Waste your time with the book." Skye threw the book with her magic.

Twilight used her own magic to grab it.

"I'll take my leave then." Skye said. Her eyes glowed with more intensity and she teleported away.

Rainbow growled, but didn't act.

Twilight set the book on the stand in the room and flipped through it with her magic.

"There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery. It is said, the last known location of the five elements was in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. It is located in what is now-


************


-the Everfree Forest!"

"Huh, guess that pony knew what she was talking about after all." Twilight mused.

Rainbow scoffed. "I still don't trust her."

"Whee! Let's go!" Pinkie said she started to walk forward.

Twilight stopped her. "Not so fast. Look, I appreciate the offer, but I'd really rather do this on my own."

Applejack quipped, "No can do, sugarcube. We sure ain't lettin' any friend of ours go into that creepy place alone." Twilight made an uncomfortable face. "We're stickin' to you like caramel on a candy apple."

Everypony voiced their agreement, though Fluttershy was a bit hesitant.

Pinkie Pie then added, "Especially if there's candy apples in there." 

Everypony stared at her. "What? Those things are good."

Twilight sighed and started to follow them.


************


Twilight asked nervously, "So, none of you have been in here before?"

Rarity answered, "Ugh, heavens no! Just look at it; it's dreadful."

"And it ain't natural. Folks say it don't work the same as Equestria." Applejack added.

Twilight questioned with a quaver, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Rainbow Dash said in spooky voice, "Nopony knows."

Applejack frowned. "Rainbow, quit it."

Rainbow Dash ignored her and crept a hoof at a time with each of her words towards the others. "You know why?...'Cause everypony who's ever come in. Has. Never. Come. Out!"

Then, the ledge gave away underneath them with a crash.

Rainbow and Fluttershy caught themselves by using their wings, but the others slid at a dangerous speed down the steep slope, screaming.

Rainbow made a dash for Rarity. She called to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy! Quick!"

Fluttershy dived. "Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness."

As they made a break for Rarity and Pinkie, Twilight and Applejack still slid. 

Applejack had a slower decent, though, and she managed to stop by grabbing the root of a tree that jutted out of the rocky slope with her teeth. Twilight was less fortunate; her back hooves dangled over the side of the cliff.

Applejack saw Twilight's predicament, and she released the root, sliding slowly towards Twilight.

"Hold on! I'm a-comin'!"

Applejack caught Twilight's hooves. Twilight panicked. "Applejack! What do I do?"

Applejack glanced up, trying to see if Rainbow and Fluttershy had finished helping Rarity and Pinkie. She blinked in surprise and said to Twilight, "Let go."

Twilight frowned at her. "Are you crazy?!"

Applejack looked Twilight in the eye. "No, I ain't. I promise you'll be safe."

"That's not true!" Twilight objected.

"Now listen here. What I'm sayin' to you is the honest truth. Let go. And you'll be safe."

Twilight's pupils widened, and she let go.

The unicorn fell through the the air, screaming. Then, the sensation of falling stopped. Twilight opened her eyes.

"Looks like you could use some help."

Twilight exclaimed, "It's you again! Thanks, er, I never got your name."

"It's Snow Dusk." Skye then smirked slightly. "Well, any moment now."

"What?" Twilight asked confusedly.

Skye lifted a hoof to signal 'wait a minute'. Then, on cue, Rainbow and Fluttershy flew up to them.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" Rainbow said.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Skye fired back, crossing her hooves.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that I live in this forest and you look like you needed help catching Twilight. And I'm also the only pony who can actually survive in the forest and has a chance of finding the Castle of the Two Sisters."

"Whatever." Rainbow grumbled.


************


"I'm very grateful for that rescue, Snow."

"It was no big deal. I deal with worse. Cockatrices, cragadiles, timberwolves-"

Twilight gasped. "Manticore!"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

A manticore roared as it landed in front of them.

"Oh, nevermind." Skye said as she rolled her eyes.

"We've gotta get past him!" Twilight exclaimed.

Rarity, being ever-so lady-like, kicked it in the face. "Take that, you ruffian!"

The manticore, in return, roared at her, messing up her mane. Rarity cried, "My hair!" Then she realized how close she was to the manticore. "Woop."

"Wait." Fluttershy said quietly as Rarity ran past with the manticore on her tail. Nopony heard her, except for one.

The manticore stopped and growled as Applejack rode on it. "YEE-HAW! Git along, little dogie."

Fluttershy tried again. "Wait."

The manticore bucked Applejack off its back. Applejack sailed into the air, saying to Rainbow, "Whoa! All yours, partner."

"I'm on it." Rainbow saluted.

Fluttershy tried in vain once again. "Wait!"

Rainbow whirled around the manticore, enveloping it in a rainbow tornado. The manticore lifted its scorpion tail and brought in down, hitting Rainbow off-course. Rainbow Dash screamed and landed in front of them ungraciously.

Twilight exclaimed, "Rainbow!"

The manticore pawed at the ground and growled. Twilight, in turn, snorted, ready to charge. Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow followed suit.

'I've had enough of this charade.'

"WAIT!" A wave of sky-blue magic freezed all five as they charged. 

Fluttershy, the one who had screamed 'Wait!', walked up to the manticore. It responded by growling and raising its paw, ready to strike the shy, innocent pony. The five that were frozen gasped in fright.

Fluttershy showing no fear, instead nuzzled the manticore's other paw gently. "Shhh... It's okay." 

The manticore, surprised by the act of kindness, showed a thorn embedded deep within its paw.

"Oh, you poor, poor little baby." Fluttershy said in sympathy.

Rainbow Dash, still frozen, exclaimed, "Little?!"

"Shut up!" Skye hissed, eyes still aglow. Rainbow found her mouth unable to open. She shot a glare at Skye, who glared back.

Fluttershy ignored them, her eyes still focused on the manticore. "Now this might hurt for just a second."

She plucked out the thorn. The manticore roared in pain at her, looking about ready to devour her.

The five that were frozen, with the exception of Rainbow who still had her mouth magically shut, yelled fearfully, "Fluttershy!"

They were surprised, however, when the manticore purred and licked Fluttershy in thanks. The five found themselves able to move again. They walked around the manticore and Fluttershy.

Fluttershy giggled. "Aw, you're just a little ol' baby kitty, aren't you? Yes, you are. Yes you are."

When the manticore left, Twilight asked Fluttershy, "How did you know about the thorn?"

Fluttershy answered, "I didn't. Sometimes, we all just need to be shown a little kindness."

They walked on ahead, leaving only one pony there: Skye.

She looked at the thorn, eyes narrowed, before Rainbow called her. "Hey! Aren't you supposed to be the guide here? Stop lollygagging and move it!"

Skye rolled her eyes and cast one last glance at the thorn as she unfurled her wings to catch up to the others.


************


"My eyes need a rest from all this icky muck." Rarity complained. Then, as luck would have it, they walked into a dark part of the forest. "Well, I didn't mean that literally."

Slight worry crept into Twilight's tone. "That ancient ruin could be right in front of our faces and we wouldn't even know it. Snow, do you know where we are?"

"Yeah, this should be the Blind Growth part of the forest. It should get lighter if we keep on going."

Applejack exclaimed from the side, "Oh wait, I think I stepped in somethin'."

Fluttershy screamed.

"It's just mud." Applejack said, shaking the mud off. She looked behind her as the tree seemingly growled. A hideous 'monster' stared back. She jumped back. "Gah!"

With the exception of Skye and Pinkie, everypony screamed. They turn this way and that, only to see another 'monster' tree. They grouped together, screaming at the 'monsters'. They stopped as they heard Pinkie laughing. "Huh?"

Pinkie Pie laughed and made faces at the trees. "Bleh. Ooo!" The stream of strange sounds continued.

Twilight, flabbergasted, yelled to her, "Pinkie, what are you doing?! Run!"

Pinkie said to them, "Oh girls, don't you see?"

'Oh no...'

"When I was a little filly and the sun was going down~"

Twilight said in dismal, "Tell me she's not-"

"The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown~"

Rarity replied to Twilight, "She is."

Skye facehoofed.

"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"

Since the mood, now much lighter, changed, Rainbow questioned, "Then what is?"

"She said, 'Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall
Learn to face your fears
You'll see that they can't hurt you
Just laugh to make them disappear~'"

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" She laughed at one of the 'monster' trees.

The hideous face of the 'monster' tree disappeared. The others, excluding Skye, who merely rose an eyebrow, gasped.

"Sooo~
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 he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna... hahahaha... heh...
Laugh~"

Pinkie, along with everypony, sans Skye, fell on their backs and guffawed away. Skye looked on with a blank face.


************


"How are we gonna cross this?" Pinkie asked as they came to an abrupt halt at a wildly churning river.

Skye commented, "Huh, strange. It's usually very calm. I wonder wha- Does anypony else hear that?"

A distant crying could be heard. They headed in that direction. They found a purple sea serpent weeping, his tail making the water churn wildly.

"What a world, what a world!"

Twilight opened her mouth, but Skye stepped in. "Hey Steven! What's wrong? You're normally not so...gloomy."

The serpent, apparently named Steven, answered, "Well hello, Snow Dusk. I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when this tacky little cloud of purple smoke just whisked past me and tore half of my beloved mustache clean off, and now, I look simply horrid."

'Cloud of purple smoke? Could it be...?'

Steven dramically threw his arms out and fell back into the water, splashing the ponies, except for Skye, who put up a barrier around herself.

Rainbow Dash grumbled, "Oh, give me a break."

Applejack asked irritably, "That's what all the fuss is about?"

Rarity gasped. "Why, of course it is. How can you be so insensitive? Oh, just look at him. Such lovely luminescent scales."

Steven sniffed. "I know."

Rarity went on. "And your expertly coiffed mane."

Steven combed his fingers through his mane. "Oh, I know, I know."

'Oh good Allmother, Rarity. He's already a drama queen; don't give him an ego too.'

Rarity droned on. "Your fabulous manicure."

Steven gasped. "It's so true!"

And then, Rarity dropped the anvil on him. "All ruined without your beautiful mustache."

Steven burst into tears once again. "It's true; I'm hideous!"

Rarity frowned and said with determination, "I simply cannot let such a crime against fabulosity go uncorrected."

She then proceeded to pluck a scale from Steven's side. He yelped in pain. "What did you do that for?"

Twilight asked, "Rarity, what are you-"

Rarity swung the sharp end of the scale downward. Steven moaned, falling to the bank. Skye rolled her eyes. 'Such a drama queen.'

Rarity picked up her cut-off tail and using her magic, made it into the missing half of Steven's mustache. Steven said gleefully, "Oh-hohohoho! My mustache. How wonderful."

"You look smashing." Rarity complimented.

Twilight exclaimed, "Oh, Rarity, your beautiful tail."

Rarity waved it off. "Oh. It's fine, dear. Short tails are in this season. Besides, it'll grow back."

Rainbow murmured, "So would the mustache."

Applejack snickered. Skye smirked.

Twilight gasped, "We can cross now. Let's go." 

"Ah!" She exclaimed as Steven's scales came out from under her hooves when she waded through the river.

Steven bowed. "Allow me."

He dived into the water, letting the ponies jump across the river on his scales.


************


They saw ruins in the distance as the fog parted slightly.

"There it is. The Castle of the Two Sisters where the Elements of Harmony are." Skye announced to the group.

Twilight galloped forward. "We made it!"

Applejack yelled out, "Twilight, wait for us!"

Twilight looked back and exclaimed, "We're almost there. Whoa!" Her front hooves slid over a cliff and she tried to backtrack. Rainbow pulled her back.

She asked Twilight, "What's with you and falling off cliffs today?"

Pinkie sighed, "Now what?"

"Duh, wings." Rainbow and Skye said at the same time. 

"Oh yeah." Pinkie said. Rainbow and Skye exchanged a short glance before Skye nodded to Rainbow. The latter lifted off and flew towards the other side.

"Um, shouldn't you go with her?" Twilight asked.

"She can tie a bridge by herself." Skye said curtly, eyes calmly staring straight ahead.

A few minutes passed.

Twilight called out. "Rainbow, what's taking so long?"

Then, they saw three pegasi speaking to her. Twilight said quietly, "Oh no."

She yelled to Rainbow, "Rainbow! Don't listen to them!"

The last part was slightly muted due to the fog moving in over the gulch quickly. 'That magic signature...'

"I'm going." Skye said with finality.

As she spread her wings, Rainbow came back, clearing the fog in the process. The bridge was tied, and the three pegasi were nowhere to be found. With the exception of Skye, the others cheered for her.

"See? I'd never leave my friends hangin'." Rainbow said, her eyes sweeping over the five cheering ponies. 

Skye shattered the cheerful moment. "Are we getting the Elements or are you going to stand there cheering for Rainbow?"

With that, they went across the bridge in silence.


************


Applejack breathed, "Whoa."

Twilight stopped at the door. Applejack urged her on. "Come on, Twilight. Isn't this what you've been waitin' for?"

Twilight opened the door. Skye gazed around the room, remembering it from 1000 years before and on the frequent visits she took. Twilight's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "The Elements of Harmony, we've found them!"

Fluttershy and Rainbow flew up to the pedestal that had the five stones, and brought them down, one by one.

"Careful...careful!" Twilight instructed.

Pinkie counted. "One, two, three, four... There's only five!"

"Where's the sixth?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight answered, "The book said: when the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth Element to be revealed."

"What in the hay is that supposed to mean?" Applejack asked, perplexed.

"I'm not sure, but I have an idea. Stand back. I don't know what will happen." Twilight said as she lit her horn and closed her eyes.

Applejack said, "Come on now, y'all. She needs to concentrate."

They all went outside, waiting for Twilight. A minute or two passed before they heard her exclaim in surprise, "Gah!"

Five of them yelled, "Twilight!"

They burst in to see nopony. Twilight wasn't there. Rainbow, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie started talking over each other.

Then, Skye felt it. The magic signature. Her eye caught sight of a flash in the East Tower. She glanced back at the others to see that they were not looking.

She transformed into her mist form and zipped out the window quickly. As she zipped out, she heard Rarity exclaim, "Look!"

She panicked internally. 'I hope she didn't mean me. I hope she meant that flash of light where Twilight is.'