Personas of Harmony

by EricStarstorm

Chapter 30: Lonely Mountain

Rarity sighed with relief as she put her bags down on the counter. She didn't know how she had let her pantry run so low on food, but rest assured she wasn't going to make that mistake again. She had bought enough food to last quite a while...unless someone else raided her stock.

Speaking of Sweetie Belle, Rarity figured she could use some help in putting the groceries away. She had used a lot of magic to carry the bags in, and she was sure that her little sister would be happy to make herself useful. "Sweetie Belle, I'm back! Could you come here for a moment?"

There was no response. Rarity waited to see if she would just come down without any fanfare, but there wasn't even any sound coming from upstairs.

"Hmm...that's strange." Rarity started walking towards the stairs. "She couldn't be asleep, could she? I've been gone all morning!"

Other than the sound of her own hoofsteps, the house was completely silent. A mixture of annoyance and concern arose in her as she got closer to the guest bedroom. Sweetie Belle was usually up before she was, but when Rarity left the house she was still asleep. She didn't think much of it, but she thought now that something might be wrong.

"Sweetie Belle?" Rarity called as she opened the door. There was still no response. In fact, there was no one in the room. She narrowed her eyes. "Sweetie, this had better not be a prank. I've spent all morning getting groceries and I don't have the energy to deal with this right now."

Silence.

Rarity rolled her eyes and opened the closet door, expecting to see Sweetie Belle hiding there. Unfortunately, she wasn't--there was only a hastily folded blanket and a broom. Rarity picked up the broom and examined it more closely, and she noticed a small crack in the middle. "That's strange...what are these things doing in here?"

Suddenly, the doorbell rang from downstairs. Rarity put down the broom and went to answer the door. When she opened it, Applejack was there.

"Howdy, Rares," Applejack said, tipping her hat. "Have ya seen Apple Bloom anywhere?"

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "I haven't....Why? Is she missing?"

"Well, the little scamp wasn't in her room when Ah checked on her this mornin'. Ah thought she might'a gone with the other Crusaders to the clubhouse, but she wasn't there either...so Ah thought Ah might find her here."

"Sweetie Belle wasn't in her room, either." Rarity felt the annoyance wash away completely, to be replaced with more concern. "As a matter of fact, I was about to go ask you if you had seen her."

"Hmm." Applejack's eyes fell. "Well, we still got one more Crusader to check on. Maybe they found a way to get to Rainbow's."

"...Unlikely as that is, I suppose it is possible. They could easily ask Twilight for a cloud-walking spell." Rarity stepped outside and closed the door behind her. "We should go ask Rainbow Dash, then. With her vantage point and her exceptional eyesight, she's bound to have seen something."

---

Applejack and Rarity made it to Rainbow's house easy enough. After all, it was always hanging in the air near the outskirts of town, unless Rainbow needed to move it for some reason. Everyone wondered how she kept it in place, but they never had an opportunity to ask about it, so it remained shrouded in mystery. However, it was much easier to get to the house than it was to get to its inhabitant--Rarity and Applejack had called for her multiple times, but hadn't gotten an answer.

"She's still asleep, isn't she?" Rarity asked, rolling her eyes.

"Ah can't fathom how she does it," Applejack replied. "Ah mean, Ah know that flyin' around all the time and doin' weather work must be tirin', but Ah buck trees for hours every day and ya don't see me lazin' about like she does."

"Well, we have to get her attention somehow." Rarity picked up a small rock near her hooves. "...Her house won't disintegrate if I throw this at it, will it?"

"Ah think you'd need a bigger rock fer that."

"Well then, here goes nothing."

Rarity threw the rock nearly straight up. It flew above the roof of Rainbow's house before slowing in the air and beginning to fall. The ponies lost sight of it after that, but after about thirty seconds, a furious Rainbow appeared just above them. "Hey, what's the big idea?!"

"Honestly, darling, would it kill you to give us some way of reaching you while you're up there?" Rarity asked. "A doorbell or something, at least?"

"The idea was that I'd be able to sleep without being disturbed!"

"Yeah, that's all well and good, but we didn't come here just to throw rocks at ya and reprimand yer sleepin' habits," Applejack interjected. "Is Scootaloo around?"

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Scootaloo? What do you two want with Scootaloo?"

"Well, we thought that maybe our sisters had come here for a sleepover," Rarity said. "I know it's not likely, but neither of us can find our own sisters. We're simply being thorough."

"Huh...well, okay. I'm pretty sure Scoots is here, but I'll go check anyway if it'll put your minds at ease."

Rainbow turned and went back into her house. Silence hung in the air as Rarity and Applejack waited for her. Rarity was starting to fear that the worst had happened, but she pushed those thoughts into the recesses of her mind. After all, the case was over. How could they have been kidnapped?

"Rarity?" Applejack said. Rarity jumped in surprise and turned sharply towards her, making her flinch as well. "Whoa there, girl!"

Rarity took a deep breath. "I...apologize. I don't know what's gotten into me..."

Applejack gave Rarity a serious yet gentle look. "Listen...it's gonna be all right. Just calm down, okay?"

Rarity averted her eyes. Applejack's expression wasn't even slightly malicious, but it still managed to make her uncomfortable. "I'll try."

Suddenly, Rainbow burst out of the house again, this time by flying through one of the windows. She seemed more frantic now. "She's gone!"

"Whoa, nelly," Applejack said. "All right, they're probably at Zecora's. Ah'll go--"

Rarity suddenly spoke up. "Rainbow, bring us the weather schedule!"

Rainbow's frantic expression took on a hint of confusion. "Wait, what? Why would--"

"Please, just do it!"

The panic in Rarity's voice was palpable, and Rainbow knew it was best not to argue. She flew inside again.

Applejack turned towards Rarity. "Yer not thinkin' what Ah think you are, are ya?" she asked.

"I know...it shouldn't really have even crossed my mind. But I need to put my mind at ease regarding this possibility," Rarity replied. "Something just doesn't seem right about all of this."

"...Are you gonna be okay?"

"If they've been kidnapped, I can pull myself together and prepare myself to save them. But I have to know. If we don't even know what's happened to them, we can't do anything."

"All right, then. Ah'll check Zecora's and be back as soon as Ah can, okay?"

Applejack ran for the forest. Rarity closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. Celestia, she thought. Please let me be wrong...

Rarity was left alone with her thoughts for a moment, allowing her to ruminate. After about three minutes, Rainbow came back outside with a clipboard in her mouth. Instead of the panicked expression she had when she had last come out, this time her eyes burned with barely-restrained fury. She landed in front of Rarity, and as she took the clipboard from her, she noticed that there were visible teeth marks in the wood. Only seconds later, she also noticed exactly what she had feared--rain was in two days.

"I don't know who's behind this," Rainbow said, her voice sounding restrained as well. "But they are gonna pay."

"How is this possible?" Rarity asked. "We stopped the culprit...didn't we?"

Rainbow suddenly jumped and hovered before Rarity. "That doesn't matter! What matters is that SOMEBODY kidnapped our sisters, and I'm not gonna stand for it! I'm gonna go get the others!"

Before Rarity could stop her, Rainbow took the schedule back and flew off. By the time Rarity could have said a single word, Rainbow was already out of sight. With a heavy sigh, Rarity started running towards the barn.

---

Once everyone had gathered at the barn, they left for the castle immediately. Rainbow had told them about the situation as she met up with them individually, so there wasn't much for the group to discuss. The atmosphere was heavy, both because of the problem at hoof and Rainbow's unbridled fury towards it. They didn't really say anything to her, for fear of her inevitable explosion being directed at them. It wasn't healthy, but what could they say?

The other world felt different as well. From their vantage point at the entrance, the group couldn't see any new locations, but the omnipresent fog that hung in the air was a bit thicker. It wasn't dissimilar from the silver fog that had settled in with Margaret's arrival, but this fog was unmistakably the world's natural fog.

"We don't have time for this," Rainbow said. "I'm gonna scout out the area!"

As Rainbow began to fly off, Twilight grabbed onto her tail with her magic. "Don't go off on your own," she warned. "We don't know what this fog could bring. The Shadows might be even stronger than usual." She turned towards the others. "Anything yet, Pinkie?"

"Well, the fog is bringing one thing to me...interference." Pinkie lifted the heart from her right eye and continued scanning with the left. "It's almost as if somepony is controlling it...but who would be doing something like that? And...why?"

"Do you think it could be the killer?" Fluttershy asked.

"...I don't know."

"Let me GO, Twilight!" Rainbow yelled, struggling to break free of her friend's iron grip. "I'm not scared of those dumb Shadow things! I'll CRUSH them if they get in the way!"

"Listen to yourself!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "Please...how can we find you if Pinkie can't scan for you?"

"Are none of you guys taking this seriously?! That...that MONSTER took Scootaloo! He's going DOWN!"

"Wait...I think I'm getting something!" Pinkie said suddenly. "...It's faint, but...gimme a minute. I might be able to pinpoint its location..."

"If that guy is here, then the girls are probably alone with him right now! Who knows what he's gonna do to them?!"

Fluttershy and Twilight both looked as if they were going to say something, but Rarity cleared her throat. They turned towards her, only just now noticing how collected she and Applejack seemed. She walked over so that she was directly in front of Rainbow. Twilight seemed to understand what she was trying to do, as she let go of Rainbow's tail, allowing her to land and face Rarity directly.

"Rainbow Dash," Rarity said calmly. "What exactly is going on here? Is there--"

"What's going on? THAT'S your question?!" Rainbow spread her wings out of instinct. "What's going on is that some jerk took my little sister away from me, and he's gonna pay the price! What else could be going on?!"

"My sister was also kidnapped, darling, as well as Applejack's. There's nothing to warrant this level of rage in you if we can go through the same thing and not feel the same."

"I'm not like you!" Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "And just look at yourselves! Do you even care that your sister was taken?! Even if we do save them, they're trapped there with the Shadows, and maybe even with HIM! Does that not mean ANYTHING to you?!"

A spark of anger flashed in Rarity's eyes, but she held it back. She closed her eyes and created a circle of shimmering blue light in front of Rainbow Dash. The circle slowly shifted, and Rainbow's reflection appeared on it. "Is this the face you want to be wearing when you see Scootaloo again?"

At first, Rainbow's expression didn't change. However, she finally registered just how angry she looked. Her eyes were laced with such fury that she barely even saw herself in them any more, and her teeth were clenched so rigidly that she was surprised they hadn't cracked under the pressure. Her expression softened, and she took a step back. "Th-that's...I..."

"Of course I care that Sweetie Belle was kidnapped. I'm quite angry myself, and I probably haven't been so worried in years. But this is about more than our feelings...we do have to save them, but their feelings are just as important." Rarity dismissed the mirror and stepped forward to close the gap between herself and Rainbow Dash, then put a hoof on her shoulder. "Is there another reason why you're acting this way? Some other reason why you saw fit to leave us behind?"

Rainbow averted her gaze, as if to close herself off from her friend. She fidgeted nervously, but found herself unwilling to break the contact she had with her. Eventually, she sighed. "Do you think we have time for this?"

"We can't go anywhere until Pinkie locates the girls, right? We would be waiting here anyways, and Celestia knows how long we would be able to stop you from darting off."

"...Yeah...you're right." Rainbow hesitated for a moment. "A few weeks ago...Scootaloo and I had a serious talk. About us."

"What was there to talk about?" Applejack asked as she walked over. "Y'all seem pretty close to me. Plus, long talks don't seem like yer thing."

"Yeah, but...we became honorary sisters so suddenly. I felt like we had to clear the air. Anyway...I found out during that talk that Scoots had wanted to be my little sister for a long time--a lot longer than I had thought. At the time, it seemed like she was just a fan, but...she actually saw me as a role model. The very picture of what a big sibling should be. And...don't tell her I told you this, but I wanted her to be my sister too. It may not seem like it, but I actually think she's stronger than me...I kinda admire her." Rainbow stopped for a moment, and her face became unreadable.

"If you wanted to be sisters for so long, then why didn't you simply ask her about it sooner?" Rarity asked. "I have no doubt that she would have agreed to the notion."

"Because...we were both too proud." Rainbow shook her head. "I didn't want to seem like I needed a sidekick, and she didn't want to seem weak either. So we both just hoped that the other would ask someday...and that just felt wrong. So...I promised her that I would be the best sister I could be...y'know, to make up for lost time." She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head with her foreleg. "It...probably seems kinda silly, huh?"

Rarity smiled knowingly. "I actually completely understand. I made a similar promise to Sweetie Belle after we reconciled at the Sisterhooves Social. I thought that teaching her things and conditioning her for the world was what being a sister meant, but there was no love in my treatment of her...so I promised her almost exactly the same thing that you promised dear Scootaloo."

"Ah know yer mad 'cuz yer worried. It's good that ya feel that way," Applejack added. "But we can't afford to fail when we go to save 'em. If ya lose yer head and get wiped out, then ya can't do what needs to be done for her. What's more important: Savin' yer sister...or gettin' revenge?"

Rainbow put her hoof back on the ground and looked her friends in the eye. "...You're right. I'm sorry I flipped out like that...it won't happen again."

"Ain't no need to worry so much that ya lose sight of yerself. Now that we're on the case, they're as good as saved."

Suddenly, Pinkie let out a high-pitched gasp. Everyone turned towards her, surprise and expectancy written on their faces. "We have a signal, everyone! They're that way!" Pinkie gestured to her right. "But...there're some really strong Shadows over that way, too! We'd better be careful!"

"All right. Is everyone ready?" Twilight asked, positioning herself at the front of the group. Everyone nodded to her. "Then let's go. We don't have any time to waste!"

---

A gigantic mountain stood before the group. It was undoubtedly tall, but its true height was concealed, both by the fog enveloping the area and a canopy of dark clouds that formed a ways up. A massive statue, easily the size of five ponies, appeared on either side of a stone archway, and all of the architecture looked Greek. Strangely enough, one of the statues was of something that looked almost exactly like Discord, while the other was another creature made of random animal parts arranged in a different way. Beyond the archway, a winding path stretched forward and into the mouth of a cave, where it was lost in the darkness.

"This place...is it supposed to be Mt. Olympus or something?" Spike asked.

"Nah, Ah don't think so," Applejack said. "It's prob'ly just a mountain. Some arch 'n statues ain't nothin' to read much into."

"A statue of Discord, though?" Pinkie chimed in. "That just SCREAMS fishy! And suspicious! It's...it's...SUS-FISH-OUS!"

"Never mind that," Twilight said, her eyes giving the impression that her mind was elsewhere. "Do you think...we'll see the girls' Shadows?"

Rarity sighed. "We cannot ignore the possibility. I am loathe to think of my sister having to face something like that at her age..."

"I'm more worried about the fog," Fluttershy said. "It...it must mean something, right? Whatever it is...it can't be good."

Rainbow Dash flew to the front of the group and turned to face them all, looking down on them from above. "There's no point in just guessing what's gonna happen to us and the girls here. We're here now, aren't we? Let's go in and find out for ourselves!"

The group briefly exchanged glances with one another. Turning forward again, Twilight nodded with a fierce expression on her face. "Our first order of business is getting through that cave up ahead. It's the only way forward."

Nothing else needed to be said now that the mission was underway. The group's first steps onto the path were made with some trepidation, but as they got closer to the cave entrance, the normal level of confidence quickly seeped into their minds. Though each of them had their own misgivings, their goals were the same, and their hearts beat as one.

---

Scootaloo's eyes finally fluttered open. She looked around, but there was nothing but fog no matter which way she looked. She strained her eyes, squinting as hard as she could without having to close her eyes, but it didn't help. The fog was just too much to see through.

"Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle said. "Are you awake?"

Scootaloo tried to turn towards the sound of Sweetie Belle's voice. She was very close, but Scootaloo couldn't turn far enough to see her. "Yeah...where are we?"

"I...I dunno. All I know is that we're all tied up here."

Scootaloo looked down, and sure enough, there were thick ropes binding her to the backs of her two friends. She tried to loosen them up, but they wouldn't budge. "Hey! What gives?!"

"Keep it down," Apple Bloom hissed. "Ah think there's somepony else here!"

"How can you tell?" Sweetie asked.

"Ssh!"

The three fillies stayed silent, and suddenly, they heard it. It was the sound of hoofsteps on stone, and it was getting closer.

"Ah, horseapples!" Scootaloo said, obviously trying to keep her voice restrained. "What do we do?"

"There isn't much we can do," Sweetie Belle replied. "None of us can move...and I think these ropes are magic-proof."

"Play dead!" Apple Bloom whispered. "If he thinks we're dead or asleep, maybe he'll leave us alone!"

"Good idea!" Scootaloo slumped her head and shoulders, and she assumed that her friends did the same. "Cutie Mark Crusaders...uh, tricksters?"

Sweetie Belle, despite the fact that she knew Scootaloo couldn't see her face, cocked an eyebrow. "Tricksters? That...makes no sense."

"Well, let's see you do better!"

"Why didn't you just say player-deaders?"

"Because it's ridiculous! You're the dictionary here, you should know that's not a word!"

"Well, there ain't really a word in the right tense fer what we're tryin' to say," Apple Bloom pointed out. "'Player-deaders' does sound kinda silly, though."

"Well, it definitely fits better than tricksters!" Sweetie Belle said indignantly. "That just makes it seem like we're pulling a prank on somepony!"

"Gimme a break, I was pressed for time!" Scootaloo exclaimed. "Ugh, just forget it. Nothing is specific enough."

"Hello, girls," said a warped voice. "I'm so glad you finally came around."

The Crusaders nearly jumped out of their skin. They all turned towards the voice and saw a silhouette of a pony much older than they were. They couldn't make out any of its features...save for a single yellow eye.

"Since you're already awake...why don't we play a little game?"

---

As if the fog didn't do a good enough job hampering visibility on its own, the cave was shrouded in all-encompassing darkness. The group had to rely on feel to judge their surroundings, and they felt cold stone under them.

"Jeez, I can't see a thing," Rainbow muttered. "Hey Twilight, can you use your magic to light the place up?"

"My magic isn't all that bright, and it won't do anything about the fog," Twilight replied. "I have a better idea, though. Fluttershy, can you summon your Persona?"

Fluttershy jumped ever so slightly, but she understood what Twilight was getting at. "Oh, um...okay."

The cave was lit briefly as blue light surrounded Fluttershy. Though this faded quickly, it was replaced with orange light as Sekhmet appeared and spread her wings. Now with a much better view of their surroundings, everyone looked around, noting that they were in what appeared to be an abandoned mineshaft. A set of minecart tracks had been placed near the entrance and kept going into the distance. Stone columns lined the walls, reinforced in such a way as to prevent cave-ins. Divots and cracks in the walls denoted where veins of ore may have been in the past. The shaft stretched on for as far as the group could see.

"We should hurry," Twilight said. "Let's go."

"OOH!" Pinkie suddenly yelped. "Look at that!"

Everyone looked towards Pinkie and then followed where she was eagerly pointing. Near the corner to the left of the entrance, a large minecart had been laid on its side. Its chassis was marred with dirt, rust and scratches, but the wheels looked brand new.

"Is that thing gonna hold us all?" Rainbow asked. "It looks like it'll fall apart the second we get in."

"Well, if it does, the worst case scenario is that we fall onto the ground and skin our knees," Spike pointed out. "No harm in giving it a try, right?"

"Spike is absolutely right," Rarity declared. She dramatically put a hoof to her forehead. "It would be positively dreadful if we were forced to walk through the entirety of this filthy place. We may be here to rescue ponies, but that doesn't mean we can't do so conveniently!"

Before anyone else could voice their opinions, Rarity had already lifted the cart with her magic and placed it on the rails. She took a moment after she was done talking to adjust it so that the wheels were properly aligned with the rails.

"Y'know that thing is dirty too, right?" Applejack asked.

"Lesser of two evils, my dear," Rarity replied.

"Well, there's really no harm in it," Twilight said. "Get in, everyone."

The group managed to squeeze into the cart. It was a tight fit with all seven of them, but the cart was just big enough to house all of them. They sat in silence for a moment, awkwardly shifting their gazes to the walls around them.

Spike finally decided to break the silence with the question that was on everyone's minds. "So, uh...how do we make it go?"

"Well...usually these things are meant to transport ores, so they're operated from the outside," Twilight said thoughtfully. "But...there isn't a control panel or anything here."

"Oh, I know!" Rainbow said. A glowing Chariot card appeared above her, but though she tried to hit it with her hoof, the only thing she hit was Rarity. The white unicorn yelped, more in surprise than pain.

"Rainbow Dash, please be more careful!" Rarity scolded, looking over her shoulder with a glare on her face.

"Uh...sorry. Heh..."

Rainbow hit the card with her tail instead. It was a weak hit, but it was enough. Hayabusa appeared above the cart and beside Sekhmet, then flew behind the minecart and grabbed onto the sides, taking a moment to grip it tightly. She flapped her wings forcefully, and the cart suddenly began to move. It accelerated quickly, leaving Sekhmet struggling to keep up. After a moment, she gave up and clung to Hayabusa's back, being mindful of her wings.

"Pinkie, I want you to constantly keep an eye on things," Twilight said. "There are probably still Shadows here. If you sense any, let us know."

"Gotcha!" Pinkie replied. She summoned Love Bubble, who sat on her back and put the heart lenses over her eyes. Love Bubble made sure to keep her wings out of Hayabusa's way.

For a time, that was all there was to the exploration. No one could think of anything to say, and even if they could, it would probably be lost in the rumbling sound of the cart's wheels against the tracks. The scenery along the tracks was practically nonexistent--everything was just more stone and the occasional column. Suddenly, however, the scenery drastically changed. Where the tracks were once within a tunnel, they were now on a massive bridge that spanned a chasm filled with lava. The lava below was violent--it churned like the sea in a storm, and streams of flames popped up from within. Despite how far away it was, the lava's brightness reached the entire cavern.

"Whoa, whoa! Stop the cart!" Pinkie suddenly yelled.

Hayabusa suddenly slammed her feet down onto the tracks. It took about three seconds for all of the cart's momentum to dissipate, but once it had, it came to a complete stop. Rainbow shifted her weight to her front legs, wincing in pain.

"What's the matter?" Spike asked. "Is there a Shadow nearby?"

"Not just any Shadow," Pinkie said. "We're close to an F.O.E.!"

Pinkie's warning was met with complete silence. It only lasted a moment, however. "What in Equestria is an F.O.E.?"

"A FREAKIN' OVERPOWERED ENEMY!" Pinkie exclaimed, dramatically pointing forward and accidentally hitting Spike in the back of the head. "Oops! Sorry."

"Well, where is it?" Twilight asked. "I don't see it any--"

Twilight was interrupted as a mass of familiar red mist started to gather about twenty feet ahead of the minecart. Everyone got out of the minecart, and the red mist dispersed, revealing what appeared to be Sweetie Belle.

Rarity couldn't keep herself from taking a step forward. "Wait a moment...that couldn't be--"

"It's not her Shadow," Pinkie said. "But it is trying to imitate it!"

The Shadow's eyes opened, revealing that shade of sickly yellow that everyone was pretty tired of by now. It was silent for a moment, then took a few steps back as if it had been struck. "Please...no..."

"Huh?" Spike walked towards the Shadow, but only just enough so that he was in front of the ponies. "What's with this thing?"

"Please...don't make me go...I-I can't take it any more!"

"It's getting stronger!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I don't think it's gonna wait for anypony to reject it!"

Red mist gathered around the Shadow again as it sat back and started crying. "Please...I don't want to do it! I'm scared!"

The red mist fully enveloped the Shadow, and everyone summoned their Personas. The mist dispersed seconds later, revealing a pool full of large and demonic sharks. A cage held up by a chain suddenly fell from above, stopping just short of the pool. Nothing could be seen from within the cage, but dozens upon dozens of small hands firmly grasped and rattled the bars.

"Do we really have to fight this thing?" Rainbow asked. "It seems so pitiful..."

"Here it comes!" Pinkie yelled.

The cage suddenly shook back and forth violently, and several icy spears flew towards the group from the opposite side of the room. Ace of Spades sprung into action, shielding Sekhmet and slicing as many spears as he could reach into pieces.

"I will fight this one myself," Rarity said. "It dares to imitate my sister...and it shall pay the price!"

"No...NO! DON'T COME NEAR ME!" the Shadow wailed.

Ace of Spades ignored the Shadow's cries and flew forward, ready to strike. Before she could get to the Shadow's cage, it surrounded itself with a blue aura. Ace of Spades swung at the bars of the cage repeatedly, but nothing he did left much more than a dent. He flew back to regroup.

"Ya sure ya can handle it?" Applejack asked. "It seems pretty tough."

"I am not foolish enough to continue fighting alone if I am in need of assistance," Rarity replied. "But for now...please, just let me do this."

Applejack nodded. "Just don't get in over yer head."

Ace of Spades raised his sword, and orange electricity surrounded him. As he charged again, the Shadow tried to stop him with walls of ice, but he flew above and around each one. The electricity shifted to his sword as he drew it back again, and he slashed at the bars of the cage with enough force to cut one of them right in half. The cage suddenly jerked and fell towards the pool of sharks a bit, causing the Shadow to scream.

"NO! We...we can't do this! This is way too dangerous...please!"

The hands that had held onto the now-severed bar grabbed onto the bars on either side of it. The cage shook again, and purple light burst from the ground under Ace of Spades, consuming him. He wasn't terribly injured, but tiny purple bubbles started rising from his body as if they were smoke. Similar bubbles started appearing from Rarity.

"Rarity's been poisoned!" Pinkie yelled.

"Wait, THAT'S what poison looks like?!" Rainbow demanded. "That's just silly!"

"A little poison won't stop me!" Rarity yelled.

Ace of Spades drew back his sword and suddenly lunged into the middle of the cage through the gap that now existed in the bars. The Shadow screamed again, this time sounding like it was in pain rather than afraid. The cage swung back and then into Ace of Spades, knocking him away. He was visibly tired now.

"H-hey, the poison is really taking its toll on you!" Fluttershy said. "Let us help!"

"I'm fine!" Rarity replied. "I'm going to finish this now before that changes!"

Ace of Spades charged up again and flew towards the cage, this time staying higher than the cage itself. More blasts of purple light erupted from the ground below him, but he managed to dodge each one. With a final, brutal slash, Ace of Spades cut through the chain that held the cage aloft.

The Shadow screamed as the cage fell into the pool of sharks and slowly began to sink into it. "I-I knew this would happen! I KNEW! Please..." It began to sob as only the top of the cage remained. "Please...let me stay...I'm sorry..."

As the cage finally disappeared into the water, what remained of the Shadow dissipated into the same red mist that had formed it. Rarity sighed heavily and slumped a bit. Ace of Spades flew towards the group again and put a hand on Rarity's shoulder, healing her wounds.

"Do you think...that's how Sweetie Belle really feels?" Rainbow asked. "I know that thing wasn't her Shadow...but what if what it was saying is the same as what her Shadow would actually say?"

"...It's possible," Twilight said. "Rarity, are you all right?"

"I am." Rarity coughed for a moment. "The poison lingers, but it won't for long. I apologize for being so reckless."

"We don't have time to worry about that Shadow," Spike said. "We're here to rescue the genuine article, remember?"

"...Yeah, you're right. We might be able to find out later anyways," Rainbow said with a shrug. "All right, everybody get back in the cart. I'll push it slower this time, so you should all keep your Personas out in case we get ambushed."

Everyone got in the cart again, and it resumed moving. The group's Personas save Pinkie's each surrounded the cart from a different angle, forming a protective parameter on all sides. Once the minecart left the cavern, the tracks were suddenly at a steep upward angle. Rainbow Dash groaned at the sight, but Hayabusa kept pushing regardless.

Spike turned towards Pinkie. "Hey, can you sense any more Shadows like that above us?"

"You mean F.O.E.s?" Pinkie asked, as if it were the most natural question in the world.

Spike rolled his eyes. "Just answer the question, Pinkie."

"Well...it's hard to say. I'd have to specifically scan for them because of the fog, and if I did that, I couldn't keep an eye on what's around us."

"It don't matter much anyhow," Applejack said. "Rarity handled that last F.O.E. on her own, right? They ain't no big deal."

"I fear that may have partially been luck on my part," Rarity interjected. "After all, there was an obvious weakness to exploit with that chain. If we run into more of those F.O.E.s, they may not have such a weakness."

"Are we seriously calling them that now?" Spike asked, finding himself not as surprised as he felt he should have been.

"Well, if more of them show up later, it's more convenient to call them that than to say that they're 'a Shadow that's stronger than the others,'" Twilight said. "And safer, since it'll take less time to say if we get ambushed by one."

Spike rolled his eyes, and Pinkie stuck her tongue out at him.

"In any case, I'm not about to let any Shadow get in my way, F.O.E. or no!" Rainbow exclaimed. "I'll rip it apart, no matter what!"

"Whoops, speak of the devil!" Pinkie yelled. "There's another one nearby! Not close enough yet to be dangerous, though."

"I expected as such," Rarity said. "If there was a Shadow willing to imitate one of our sisters, then it's only natural that the other two would also be imitated."

The cart flattened out again, to Rainbow's relief. Another opening appeared in the tunnel, leading into another chamber. As the group passed through the chamber, they quickly realized that this one looked quite different from the last. Though it was the same size, below the tracks was nothing but a seemingly bottomless abyss. Empty picture frames adorned the walls, along with several photographs that featured two ponies whose faces had been either blurred or cut out.

"Am I the only one who thinks this is really creepy?" Spike asked. "This is...a lot different from the last chamber, that's for sure."

"Stop the cart!" Pinkie said. "The F.O.E. is coming!"

Sure enough, red mist began to gather just as the minecart came to a stop. As the mist dispersed this time, a copy of Apple Bloom appeared. Unlike the last Shadow's fearful eyes, this one looked despondent and tired.

"I already don't like where this is going," Spike muttered.

The Shadow opened its eyes, revealing that they were brimming with tears. "Ah wanna see 'em," it said, though the group could barely hear it. "Nopony'll let me go...but Ah wanna see 'em."

Applejack raised her eyebrows. She took another look around the chamber. "Wait...don't tell me..."

"The others're tryin' to forget that they ever existed...but they did! An' Ah wanna see 'em!"

Red mist gathered again, fully encasing the Shadow. It dispersed more quickly this time, revealing a foal in wrappings floating within a sphere of empty scrapbooks.

"This one is just as strong as the last one was!" Pinkie yelled. "Who's gonna fight it?"

"I think AJ should do it," Rainbow said. "Not to seem callous or anything, but Rarity fought her sister's Shadow. It's only fair."

"Ah couldn't agree more," Applejack said. She positioned herself in front of the others. "This may not be mah sister's actual Shadow...but Ah helped make this monster. Ah'm gonna clean up after mahself."

"Give 'em all ya got, AJ!" Spike exclaimed, pumping his fist.

Stronghold suddenly launched herself forward, drawing back her fist. The scrapbooks floating around the Shadow rearranged themselves quickly, forming a barrier in front of it and blocking the brutal punch that followed. Before Stronghold could move, several of the scrapbooks opened, and several fiery explosions consumed her. She moved back a bit, but didn't seem badly injured.

"You forgot about 'em, didn't you?!?" the Shadow cried. "And ya want me to forget 'em too!"

A red light suddenly consumed Stronghold, causing both her and Applejack to shudder. It was only brief, however, and Stronghold was back in action without delay. She slammed her fists into the ground, and blazing meteors fell from the sky towards the Shadow. It rearranged its scrapbooks again, but it couldn't block every meteor headed its way--they were too fast. It cried out in a mixture of shock, pain and rage, then threw a barrage of fireballs at Stronghold. As the fireballs hit their mark, Applejack was noticeably hurt.

"Wait, what? That thing's fire didn't hurt this much last time!" Applejack said in a strained voice. She nearly fell onto her knees, but locked her joints so that she could still stand.

"I think the Shadow canceled out your fire resistance!" Pinkie yelled. "Maybe you should let somepony else--"

"No way, no how!" Applejack's tone regained all of its usual strength and confidence. "It ain't gonna be that easy!"

Stronghold conjured up a purple aura and charged forth again. The Shadow threw more fireballs at her, and though some of them still hit her, she dodged quite a few. She finally got to the Shadow and reached out towards it. The scrapbooks, still occupied with their barrage, were unable to rearrange fast enough to stop her from grabbing the foal and ripping it out of their protective shell. It screeched sharply, and fiery explosions erupted on Stronghold's armor. Though the fire left its mark, it didn't stop or even slow down Stronghold's movements. She lifted the foal past her head, then slammed her down into the solid stone below. The Shadow's cries went from being filled with rage and pain to fear and despair.

"Why won't you let me know them?! Ain't they important to you?! How couldja just forget about 'em like that?!"

Applejack grimaced, and Stronghold slackened for a moment. As she did, the Shadow blew a stream of flames into her face, causing her to drop it and take a few steps back. The assault was shaken off quickly, however, and Stronghold took a single step towards the Shadow, drawing her fist up to finish the job. The punch shattered the stone that the combatants stood on, and the Shadow started falling into the emptiness below. It looked as if it was about to say something, but before it could, Stronghold outstretched her hand towards it. A circle of purple light appeared in front of it, but it was quickly replaced by a huge energy spear, which vaporized the Shadow immediately upon impact.

Applejack breathed heavily, her eyes narrowed to the point that they were barely even open. The others turned towards her to congratulate her, but stopped when they saw her expression. They exchanged glances for a moment. Spike walked over and hesitantly put his hand on her shoulder. She flinched, which in turn caused Spike to take a step back.

"Whoa, girl!" Spike exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

Applejack was silent. She shook her head, sighed and loosened up a bit. "I'm fine," she said. "Let's just go."

Before anyone could protest, Stronghold flew over and picked up the minecart. She carried it over the newly-formed gap in the tracks and put it down on the other side, adjusting it so that it wouldn't fall off. Applejack ran forward and jumped over the gap herself, then got into the minecart.

The others exchanged glances again, but there was an unspoken consensus that more pressing matters were at hand. Everyone flew and jumped over the gap except for Spike. He worriedly looked down into the chasm, then took a few steps back to get a running start. Before he could, however, Rainbow grabbed him and carried him over instead.

"Oh...uh, thanks," Spike said.

"No problem, dude," Rainbow replied. "You should've asked, y'know."

They got into their places in the minecart, and Hayabusa positioned herself to push it again. However, Twilight cleared her throat before she started moving. "I think I should push this time," she said.

"What? Why?" Rainbow asked.

"Well, we've fought Shadows based on Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. I'd be surprised if we didn't find one based on Scootaloo."

"...Ohh."

Hayabusa moved out of the way, and Star Swirl conjured a strong tailwind. It wasn't quite as fast as Hayabusa's method, but the cart moved at a decent clip. Soon, it had entered another tunnel. Unlike the last two, this tunnel was pitch-black--so much so that the group couldn't see the others or even their own bodies. Not even the light from Sekhmet's wings could pierce the darkness.

"This...could be problematic," Rarity said.

"Aw, no fair! That's cheating!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Now what?"

"Calm down," Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. "The tunnel being dark isn't the end of the world. All we have to do is keep the cart moving 'til we get to the next room."

"But what if we get ambushed?" Applejack asked. "Are we gonna be able to deal with Shadows that we can't see?"

"I'm starting to wonder if there even are any Shadows here that aren't F.O.E.s."

Twilight's eyes widened at that. She put a hoof to her chin. "That's right...we haven't been attacked by any normal Shadows yet." Out of habit, she turned to look over her shoulder. "Pinkie, can you scan the whole place?"

"Uhh...are you sure?" Pinkie asked. "It'd be super-duper bad if Shadows came up while I'm not looking out for them..."

"I know, but I think this might be important. It won't take long, right?"

Pinkie scrunched her muzzle in intense thought for a moment. "Okey dokey loki," she said deliberately. Love Bubble somehow managed to put her heart glasses on Pinkie's face in the darkness, and she widened her view so that it was all-encompassing.

"Can you actually scan without being able to see like that?" Fluttershy asked.

"I think so...but it might take a little longer than it would if I could see."

"Okay, Pinkie needs to concentrate," Twilight said. "Everyone be quiet until she's done."

Silence fell over the group, with the only sounds coming from the minecart's wheels rolling along the tracks and the wind rushing past their ears. It was difficult to judge how much time passed, but it passed very slowly.

"WHOA!" Pinkie suddenly yelled. "I'm getting a HUGE Shadow reading from somewhere above us!"

"Is it close?" Twilight asked.

"No...I think it's at the top of this place. I'm sensing TONS of Shadows...but they're all in one place...and they're near the girls!"

Rainbow's eyes widened. "Then we have to hurry!"

"Hold on," Twilight said. "Pinkie, can you tell whether the girls are hurt?"

Pinkie paused for a moment. "They...seem okay. I don't think they've been attacked."

"Do you sense anything in particular about the mass of Shadows?" Rarity asked. "It seems odd, that they would simply ignore three helpless victims."

"Umm...how do I put this..." Pinkie lifted the hearts from her eyes, then rubbed her eyes to adjust to the sudden change. "I think...that all the Shadows were drawn into one. Or something like that..."

"You mean...they fused into a bigger monster?" Spike asked.

"No, not bigger...just stronger. The signal is buried under the Shadows', so it's hard to tell, but I think that they've all been drawn to another pony."

Suddenly, sight returned to the group's eyes as they finally exited the tunnel. The minecart tracks abruptly ended, sending the group skidding across grassy ground before Stronghold grabbed the cart and stopped it. As everyone exited the minecart, they found themselves on a large plateau. It was roughly the same size as the last two chambers, but unlike those chambers, there was no perilous gorge below. Above the group, there was what appeared to be open blue sky. Clouds were unceremoniously placed around the plateau, hinting at just how high this place would have been. The fog seemed to have cleared, but it still felt as if it was there somehow. On the other side of the plateau was a staircase, marked with an archway that was nearly identical to the one at the mountain's entrance. The staircase went up and into a mass of clouds, leaving what was at the top unseen.

"The last F.O.E. is coming!" Pinkie yelled. "Get ready!"

Everyone faced forward, and red mist once again gathered, this time at the center of the plateau. When it dispersed, it left behind a copy of Scootaloo.

"All right, squirt," Rainbow said, taking a step forward so that she was at the front of the group. "Whaddya got?"

The Shadow glared harshly. Its body tensed up, and it spread its hooves out, as if it was about to pounce. "So it's you, huh? Here to 'save' me?"

Everyone's eyes widened, and Rainbow visibly flinched. "Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that," Rarity said.

The Shadow pointed an accusing hoof at Rainbow. "Why are you leaving me behind?!?" it demanded. "Aren't we supposed to be sisters?!?"

Rainbow shook her head. "What in Equestria are you talking about? If you're trying to imitate Scootaloo, you're not doing a very good job of it!"

"SHUT UP!"

The Shadow's voice came as a scream of primal rage. Red mist gathered once more around it, fully encasing it. It dispersed to reveal a massive bird with its wings outstretched. However, instead of being a majestic bird of prey, this looked more like a crow or even a pigeon. Additionally, its talons were buried in the ground, and it had heavy shackles keeping it from lifting off around its ankles, neck and stomach.

Rainbow's eyes narrowed as Hayabusa assumed a combat stance. "Hmm...I think I see what this is about. But that doesn't matter right now! I'm gonna tear you apart!"

Hayabusa charged forward, rapidly becoming a whirling frenzy of claws, wings and talons. The Shadow spread its own wings, and dozens--hundreds, even--of arrows were fired from between its feathers. The arrows that did get close to Hayabusa, however, were either deflected or blown away. Hayabusa's claws dug into the Shadow's flesh, causing it to cry out and futilely try to shake her off. She backed off on her own eventually, looking a bit disoriented, but the Shadow was much worse for wear. However, the Shadow recovered with surprising speed and drew its wings back. They crackled with electricity, and Pinkie's eyes widened.

"DASHIE!" Pinkie screamed. "MOVE!"

Rainbow shook her head back and forth. "Just a sec...I gotta--"

Rainbow was interrupted as the Shadow suddenly slammed its wings into Hayabusa with overwhelming force. She went flying as if she'd been fired from a cannon, and Rainbow immediately fell over, clutching at her stomach. She flinched again as Hayabusa slammed into the mountain, her wings seeming to take much of the force of the impact. Sparks danced across her body all the while.

"WHOA, that was intense!" Spike exclaimed.

"Ugh...that thing hits like...a freight train..." Rainbow shakily got back on her hooves, struggling to speak. The electricity caused her to wince every few seconds. "I'm okay." She glared at the Shadow. "And I'm not about to let this thing get away with that!"

Hayabusa launched herself from the rock face, landing right in front of Rainbow. She spread her wings imposingly, then started charging power. The Shadow let out a cry before electing to do the same. Hayabusa lunged forward again, this time making sure to stay alert. Lightning bolts flew at her from the enemy's wingtips, but with an impressive (if a bit showboaty) display of agility, she avoided them easily. She made it to the Shadow and flew up to its face, then wheeled back and kicked it right between the eyes. A burst of wind blew the Shadow back with such force that its talons were uprooted from the ground. The chains that bound it, however, snapped back before long, sending it flying towards Hayabusa again.

Rainbow's eyes lit up, and she smirked. "LET'S GO!"

In a split second, Hayabusa managed to encompass herself in a familiar green aura and hit the Shadow again just as it got into her range. The next twenty seconds almost played out like a game of Pong--Hayabusa hit the Shadow, it went flying and then flew towards her again, repeat. With each attack, a plume of mist burst from the Shadow's body.

"You're doing fantastic, darling! Keep it going!" Rarity cheered.

"I'm just getting started!" Rainbow said, pawing the ground with a hoof.

The Shadow suddenly let out a pained cry. "GET BACK!"

Another storm of arrows fell from the sky. Hayabusa was able to dodge them easily, given her speed boost. However, while she was preoccupied with that, the Shadow used the opportunity to buffet her with its wings again. Though it didn't seem to hurt as much this time, the force still managed to knock Hayabusa back. She landed on her feet and dug her claws into the ground, skidding to a stop in front of her host.

"This is how it ALWAYS is!" the Shadow yelled. "I tell you all the time that I want to be like you, but you just brush me off! Why won't you support me?! Why won't you teach me anything?!" It slammed its wings into the ground, a furious look in its eyes. "Why did you even take me in, if you're gonna keep acting like I'm just a fan?!"

Rainbow glared right back at it. "CAN IT! Just what do you think you know about Scootaloo, anyway?!"

"I AM SCOOTALOO!"

"No, you aren't! You're a fake, and all you're trying to do is get me to lose my focus!" Hayabusa stood up again and took to the air. "Well, it's not working! If that is how Scootaloo feels, then we'll work it out, but I've been through too much to get discouraged because of gutter trash like you!"

The Shadow cried out in rage again. Electricity erupted from its body in all directions, striking parts of the mountain with no rhyme or reason. Hayabusa dove towards it, dodging bolts when they headed for her. She lifted her foot above her head and slammed it into her target. The force of the blow, combined with the cutting edge of Hayabusa's talons, was enough to split the Shadow's head open. It started to disintegrate into mist, but its furious wails didn't cease until it was gone completely. Rainbow Dash looked as if she was about to collapse, but she locked her joints in place.

"Great job, Rainbow," Twilight said. "You should take a breather."

Sekhmet spread her wings, bathing Rainbow in warm light. Her wounds disappeared, but she was still winded. "I can keep going," she said. "Don't sweat it. Besides, we're almost there, aren't we?"

"Yuppers," Pinkie said. "The girls and that mass of Shadows are just up those stairs!"

Twilight took a few steps forward and turned to face everyone. "All right, you heard Pinkie. Once we move on, there won't be any going back." She paused, studying everyone's expressions. "If you need to make any last-minute preparations, now's the time. Is everyone ready?"

"'Course we are, sugar cube," Applejack said, smiling broadly. "If we weren't ready, we never woulda come this far in the first place."

Spike puffed out his chest and glared, fire in his eyes. "The girls are depending on us. I'm not about to let them down!"

"We have to do this. We can't let that big jerk keep doing whatever he pleases!" Fluttershy declared with uncharacteristic determination.

Twilight smiled, then turned around. "All right, then...here we go!"

Everyone trotted over and stood beside Twilight. With one final exchanged glance, they nodded to each other and took the first step in perfect unison. Since Spike's legs were shorter, however, he promptly tripped over himself trying to match their stride.

"Whoops," Spike said. "Uh...sorry."

The others held back laughter with varying degrees of success. Twilight plopped Spike down onto her back. Everyone started walking towards the stairs, where their last battle awaited them.

Comments

[shinigamisparda]

Wow, long one! I really like seeing how far everyone's come. And I still am not sure who the culprit is.

I hope we can see the next chapter in less than a month!

[UltimateAnimeGamer]

I really like this story! On thing that can be problematic when doing a crossover it that it can seem too focused on the secondary content (in this case, persona). Here it feels pretty natural as time went on.
The shadow self introductions were where I had the most grips, mostly because of how much they denied their other selves despite knowing what would happen. The resolutions, however, were much more well done! They felt more natural to the show, but with a less cheesey mood. Can't wait to see how this ends!