Keeper of the Crystal Heart

by Cerulean Voice

Crystalline Power (part two)

"Let me get this straight: first you wanted me to stop eating, now you want me to start again, just like that?" Cirrus glared at Valencia with narrowed eyes. "Gee, I don't know. I'm not really that hungry anymore."

"If you wanna stay trapped in this here cave for the rest of your life, sure. You do that. I'd rather we tried to find an escape route, personally." Valencia exhaled and rubbed her face. "Look, I'm sorry I was harsh on you before. But we really need you to have some more of that corn and try to fly against that wickedly strong wind. You already opened one door accidentally when you touched that enormous ruby back there. I think the gem above the statue will do the same thing with another door, but you're the only one who'll have any chance of reaching it."

Cirrus glanced back to the corn he possessed as he thought ahead to what was required of him. Strong winds, chilling temperature, big yellow gem, huge chasm awaiting failure... "I guess you're right, Valencia. I can try. Besides, having this kind of power is pretty awesome. You two stay in here. You don't want to get blown away by my super-speed." Cirrus' voice washed over the others with no small amount of swagger. Chomping on a cob of corn once more, he spread his wings and rocketed up the passage, his body a blur.

Immediately upon entering the chasm room, Cirrus was buffeted by the intense winds he'd been expecting. His rapid flight was cut down to a quarter the speed as he struggled against the chilling gale-force wind. Wow, without that corn we'd never get past. His eyes teared up from the chilling gust. Even with his insulated pegasus-down, Cirrus still shivered as he struggled against the breeze. The amber stone glittered, tantalisingly, temptingly out of reach but the winds increased in ferocity as he drew closer.

Barely a hoof length from the gem, Cirrus' corn-power ran out. The winds forced him back, tumbling uncontrollably through the air. He hit the ground and skipped back along the passage into the room where Valencia and Aura remained, expectant and apprehensive. As he came to a halt at their hooves, the mare and filly gasped together.

"Cirrus, are you okay?" Aura leaned down to him and gave him a helping hoof up, even as he shook off the shock.

"I'm fine, girls, don't worry. We pegasi have strong bones to protect us against solid impacts. Some are more prone to crash-landing than others. As you've seen, Valencia, I happen to do it fairly often myself." Cirrus chuckled, then fell quiet. "I don't understand, though—I was so close! Why did the corn have to wear off when it did? One more second would have been fine." Exasperated, Cirrus put his head in his hooves. "Just a little more." He lowered his forelegs as Aura touched him on the back.

"Well if you need more thrust, why don't I just eat some more berries and kind of throw you with my magic? I'll do that as you fly and you should make it. How about it?" Aura and Cirrus shared glances, both with dawning grins.

"That sounds totally fun! Er, I mean, I'm sure that'll work, yeah." Cirrus picked himself up off the floor. "All right, I'll give it another go." Trotting back up the passageway towards the chasm, he motioned for Aura to follow him. As the foals found themselves on the edge of the cliff, the vent released its chilling winds again. Aura shivered, prompting Cirrus to put a wing around her.

"So how do you want to do this?"

Aura thought for a moment, different ideas swimming through her head. Lighting up, she looked him fair in the eye and smiled. "I know what to do. It'll work for sure and you'll love it, too. Just make sure you eat your corn when I eat my berries, because the timing has to be perfect. After five seconds, I want you to turn around and fly at full force back towards me." At the shocked look upon Cirrus' face, Aura just smiled once more. "Trust me, this'll work and be awesome at the same time. Okay: one, two... three!"

Together, Aura and Cirrus stuffed their respective enhancers into their mouths and chewed. Aura's pink shine filled the room even as Cirrus had already zoomed off.

Counting to five while he flew, Cirrus pulled a one-eighty degree turn and rocketed back toward Aura, assisted by the intense tailwind. That filly better know what she's doing... As he crossed back over the edge where Aura stood, Cirrus had the barest of moments to glimpse a spark of pink, feeling himself in some stretchy net of magic. It felt like he'd flown into a gigantic spider's web.

What the...?

"Cirrus, turn around!"

Barely acknowledging the voice, Cirrus spun around again as he felt the magical power retract. Realising what was about to happen, Cirrus' pupils shrank. By Hurrica—

Twang!

The magical net snapped back, acting as a catapult. Cirrus found himself shot forward with an insane amount of momentum—a far greater amount than he could have ever produced on his own. "Wow, Aura! You're a genius!" he cried in mid-flight. The amber stone jutted out in front of him. This time, there was no failure; Cirrus easily covered the distance against the force of the wind. As he touched the gemstone, another flash illuminated the room, bathing the entire cave in a glowing, amber light. Having been prepared for the flash this time, Cirrus raised his hooves and covered his eyes. The wind ceased. A rumble echoed through the vast chasm, the vent statue retracting into the wall on the other side. A glittering, rainbow path extended from where Aura stood.

The path finished extending toward the far wall, where a final rumble announced the opening of another new route. Valencia trotted up the pathway and stared in awe. "You both did it! Well done. Using teamwork, you overcame what would have been an otherwise impossible obstacle. I'm so proud of you." Aura and Cirrus blushed, as Cirrus fell back to the ground, one hoof rubbing his stomach.

"Yeah, just as well we did it this time. That food is really filling you know, I don't think I could have eaten another bite. I'd love to just rest a bit, actually. If you don't mind." Cirrus took a deep breath and exhaled deeply. "I'll just lie here for a while. You two go on ahead and check out the next room." With that, he fell down onto his back and relaxed. Valencia shook her head with a smile and looked back to Aura, who wore her own bemused expression.

"I guess it can't hurt to leave him here for a rest. This place seems pretty safe." Valencia's stomach gave a loud grumble. "Gosh, I hope we find some food that I can eat. That corn didn't seem to do much for me, I'm hungry again already. Come along Aura, let's see what's up."

The princess nodded at Valencia and followed her along the rainbow path into the new room, leaving Cirrus behind.

* * * * *

"Valencia?"

Startled by Aura's sudden voice in the gloom of the passage, the mare swiveled a little too fast and almost overbalanced. "Whoa, girl! Whisper next time, yeah? You scared me. I'm a little on edge in here; I really hate enclosed spaces."

Aura pawed at the ground. "Sorry," she muttered. "I just wanted to ask what you think we'll have to do next. If there is anything next."

"Aura, in all honesty, I just want to find a way out of here. I'd rather not spend any longer in this place than necessary. I have no idea what's up ahead, especially with no—light!" Valencia shielded her eyes, for as she'd spoken she'd stepped on some kind of pressure plate and flooded the room with intense amounts of it. The cavern expanded from their narrow passageway into a much larger, circular room, filled with indigo crystal pillars. The pillars had a roughly hewn shape about them, save for one side on each which was completely smooth. On the far wall, another statue was depicted. This one was of a large Earth pony stallion rearing up on its hind legs. There were holes bored into the statue where its eyes should have been. Two more indigo crystals accompanied the depiction on either side of its head.

"Well, there go those hopes," Valencia sighed. "Come on, let's figure this out. Go take a look at that statue and those crystals over there, I'll check out these pillars." Aura nodded and galloped over to the mysterious figure. Valencia turned her gaze toward the nearest pillar. It was a true thing of beauty: symmetrical jagged edges sprouted off at strange angles from the base, which grew taller than her by many hoof lengths. Wandering around it, she could see the flat surface reflecting the room and herself in it. Wow, I really need a bath. Completing her round, she noticed a portion of the crystal that was perfectly square, with two hoof-shaped indents.

Hmmm... "Aura? Have you found anything?" No answer. Frowning, Valencia looked over to the filly. "Aura? You al—"

She stopped and stared at the reason Aura hadn't heard her. The filly's gaze and focus were captivated by the sudden growths that had appeared once she touched the crystal on the left side of the stallion. Many small green shoots poked up out of the hard ground, continuing to do so while Valencia trotted over to investigate. "Well bless me from Everfree. Looks like I might actually get some kind of feed!" Valencia pounced on one of the leafy stems. Realising what they were, her eyes widened. Grasping a stem in her teeth, she yanked.

Out popped a crystal carrot, gleaming brighter than any topaz ever could. "Woo hoo! finally!" she cheered, before practically devouring the vegetable. "Oh, by the Earth pony race, this is delicious!" While Valencia filled her stomach, Aura watched the mare's coat shimmer as bright as the amber room they'd left behind. Turning away from the mare, who continued to satisfy her hunger, Aura checked out the other crystal she'd not yet touched. Curiosity getting the better of her, Aura touched the crystal on the right side of the stallion.

A concentrated, radiant beam of indigo light shot from the crystal toward the nearest pillar. Aura watched as the light beam bounced off the smooth surface of the pillar and shot toward the next one. Instead of reflecting off the second pillar, the beam lit up the giant crystal, which seemed to absorb the light. Wandering over to the first pillar, Aura checked out the surface. It was completely smooth and flat, like the water in the castle gardens back home. Like a mirror... Trotting over to the second pillar, Aura examined the differences. "Valencia, come here for a moment. Tell me if you're thinking what I'm thinking." Aura continued to study the indigo behemoth as the Earth pony joined her.

"Phew-wee, those carrots are something else. I've never felt so full of beans—er, so to speak." Valencia rubbed her stomach, satisfied. "Why, I feel like I could buck an orange tree fair out of the ground! Is this how you and Cirrus felt after eating your berries and corn? Incredible!" Valencia beamed at Aura, her coat's brilliance fading. "Now, what is it about these that you're thinking?" Valencia looked at the light, the surface of the pillar, the way the beam faded when it hit the next one.

"You know, I think we might be having the same idea after all, dear."

Aura studied the pillar, thinking. "Valencia, do you see this square section here? It has indents in it, shaped like hooves. Maybe you could try pushing it and see what happens?" Valencia nodded in response. Rearing up, she placed her front hooves into the indents and leaned all her weight into it.

The pillar remained unmoved in the slightest. Straining against the weight, Valencia tried again, to no avail.

Frowning, Aura studied the pillar some more. "The carrots... Valencia, you said you felt full of beans just a moment ago, after you finished eating. How do you feel now?"

Valencia ceased her effort and faced Aura. "Now that I think about it, that feeling left me just before, when I stopped glowing... you think maybe that's my superpower?" A grin widened on her face. "Makes sense, I guess. In any case, I have zero objection to testing the theory." Valencia licked her lips while she galloped back over to the carrot patch. Ripping one out of the ground, she returned to the pillar and took a bite. Once more, her glow returned, tainting the indigo with the shine of her own orange hue. "Oh yeah, that's the stuff. Now let's give this another go."

Valencia once again put her weight into the square. This time, her efforts were rewarded as the pillar began to rotate. Straining, Valencia kept up the motion, the strength of ten stallions flowing through her. The pillar rotated enough, a resounding click filling the room. The indigo light bounced off its new mirror and shot toward a third statue. Witnessing the confirmation of both of their theories, Valencia smiled.

"Aura, I'm gonna need more carrots."

* * * * *

The last pillar clicked into place; the beam reached its final destination, piercing one of the stallion's eyes on the wall. It was only then that Aura noticed the flaw in their plan.

Only one of the eyes are lit.

"What do we do about the second one, Valencia? There's nothing left in this room to make a second light beam." Aura looked all around the room, running back and forth between the crystalline walls, yet the indigo light failed to reveal anything else to her. "I wish Clover were here," she sighed. "She'd know what to do."

Valencia walked up to Aura and placed a hoof around the dejected unicorn. "Now don't you be so hard on yourself, little Miss. You've already proven you're so much smarter than every other filly I've ever met, that's for darn sure. Why, you could end up even surpassing Clover if you keep up your level of study and commitment. Don't start to doubt yourself kiddo, I'm sure you can think of something." Releasing her charge, Valencia smiled. "Trust me. You can solve this puzzle. Apparently, I'm just the muscle of the group." She laughed.

A small smile once again graced Aura's features. "Thanks for the pep talk, Valencia. I'll think of something. You'll see." Setting off on another loop around the room, Aura wracked her brain. How can I bring up the second beam when there's no origin for it? The second crystal produced a light, but all the first crystal did was bring up some carrots out of the ground. Is there a third crystal somewhere? Casting her gaze around the room once more, Aura's eyes found no prize. Guess that's ruled out. No crystal to make a light, no other way I can see. What else is there? Maybe...

"Valencia, try touching that first crystal near the statue again, the one that brought up the carrots. See if it does anything."

The mare nodded and placed a hoof on the crystal. As she did so, it flickered with light again, though nothing else happened. Valencia touched it a few more times, only to have the same thing happen repeatedly as well. As she shook her head at Aura, the filly sighed.

That didn't work either. Well, what else can make a light?

One moment later, the answer smacked her in the face. Of course! Why didn't I think of this right away? Excitement filling her essence, Aura ran back to the first pillar in excitement. Concentrating, Aura fired a beam of light from her own horn through the blue beam reflecting off the pillar, so it lined up with the hole. The light touched its mark... but nothing happened.

Aura sat on the ground, once again moping. It didn't work. It's not the same shade of blue.

While she contemplated the logical reasons her plan could have failed, Valencia joined her at her side. "Hey, girl. I know your plan didn't work, but that doesn't mean you have to give up. I mean, I thought I was silly for trying to push these things," she admitted, knocking the pillar with a hoof. "But after I had some of those supernaturally good carrots, it all became clear to me."

Aura looked up. Of course! "Valencia, you're the genius here today. This should do the trick!" Aura popped a small amount of crystal berries into her mouth and stepped back to the ideal firing position once again. Concentrating once more—harder this time—Aura fired a potent, laser-like beam through the indigo light, into the eye socket of the statue. Both eyes were engulfed in the powerful light rays; a familiar rumble echoed throughout the passageway. Even as the couple celebrated, another passageway presented itself, leading into darkness once more.

A moment later, Cirrus joined the pair. "Wow, girls, what did you do in here?" His gaze roved around, his eyes agape. "It looks all kinda complex and stuff. But also really cool! I felt the rumble so I figured you'd solved the puzzle. I feel better now too, so we should all be fine to head on, right?"

Aura nodded. "Yep, let's go! I wonder what's going to happen next? Maybe we'll actually find the way out of here!" She started forward, until Valencia ran in front and blocked her path.

"Uh... hey, Aura? Don'tcha think you should take it easy first? Besides, I'm pretty beat myself. Moving those crystal pillars was definitely not easy, even with my enhancements. I vote we just have a short little sit-down." She turned to Cirrus with a silly grin on her face. "Oh yes, Cirrus, I imagine you're going to absolutely despise these..."

Comments

[Jioplip]

This review is brought to you on behalf of the group: Authors Helping Authors
Name of Story: Keeper of the Crystal Heart- Crystalline Power Pt. 2
Grammar Score: 9
Pros: - We're finally getting a clearer picture of Cirrus' character, it seems he's quite the exuberant little fella.
- ...
- ...
Cons: - "Besides, I predict that we might not need him for the next room anyway." I predict? Why would someone talk like that in this situation?
- Ehh, this chapter was a little dull, Valencia's enhancement could be seen from miles away, and not a lot happened.
- =====
Notes:
On con1: Valencia's dialogue, in this chapter especially, seems to swing between an AJ-style drawl and relatively technical terminology, especially considering that we're in what amounts to just after the pony dark-ages.

The dialogue in this chapter was very pointed, the characters focused on the topic at hoof and didn't really interact beyond their roles as puzzle-solving tools, which is how they seemed to view themselves in this chapter. There was Valencia's pep talk to Aura, but even that felt like it was a means to solve another puzzle.

the strength of ten stallions flowing through her

So basically the equivalent of one Sweetie Belle?

Well, that's chapter eleven, not my favourite if I'm to be honest.

This is Type Cast, signing off festively.

[Albi]

The puzzle reminded me of the Spirit Temple from Ocarina of Time. Nicely thought out, as well as the individual powers for the berries.

[PaulAsaran]

Okay, this is starting to feel way too much like a video game. The setup is obvious to the point of me wanting to pull my hair out; I saw the solution almost instantly and couldn't believe it took so long for them to also see it, especially Aura. But then again, I've played a lot of video games, and these kinds of asinine puzzles show up all the time in them.

Which is exactly why I don't like it; this stuff doesn't happen in real life. Ever. Who made this thing, and why? The obvious answer would be Dimiourgia, and given she created the whole known world I'd imagine she'd have something more... 'interesting' to use to test our ponies. I mean what are we hoping to prove here? That only by overcoming pointless puzzles can the different races discover the love required to use the Crystal Heart? Weak. But then why would Dimiourgia hide such a potent defense of Equestria when it could have been used from day one to keep the races in unity and peace and kept this whole changeling disaster from happening in the first place?

So maybe it wasn't Dimiourgia, although she'd made some decidedly un-god-like mistakes before. *coughVorjhancough*

Regardless of who made this place and why, what exactly is the motivation for exploring this place? Idle curiosity? Have they forgotten the changeling threat looming over their races? They all have far more important things they could be doing rather than exploring this peculiar ruin. I think you could really benefit from some magical pull on their minds – say maybe the Crystal Heart is calling to them or something. It's a bit contrived, but so is this whole dungeon.

[maxxxxxx]

I'm back Well, after changelings, giant death worms (graboids) and what is technically a kidnapping costing them a particularly adept member of their party, things going easy for them is a nice charge of pace. Though I know if I were writing it someone would have died or been seriously injured by the end of this chapter

This was fun and I couldn't find any grammar mistakes in this one. I would say it was too easy for them (I was expecting something terrible to happen at the end though) but see how hectic their parts have been, easy is nice. I imagine something terrible will happen next chapter though, I can't wait!