A Deep Dark Secret Part 2
The air in the temple flowed along with the energy out of the hole in the ceiling. Along with the gentle flow, somepony could find a sense of stillness and peace.
This immediately ended when the doors of the temple exploded inwardly.
From the smoke and lightning from the protective runes cleared, seven ponies stepped inside.
“We’ll head down the stairs and make our way to the hole Pinkie, and Fluttershy found,” Twilight Sparkle said.
The group nodded and ran toward the tunnel that led to the staircase. The torches were still lit in the spiral staircase.
“Are you okay,” Fluttershy asked Twilight.
Twilight smiled, “The feedback has been greatly reduced since we were here, and I think our Elements will protect us.”
She turned to Aqua Rain and said, “Let us know if you feel any pressure or pain.”
Aqua Rain nodded, “Okay, but where are we going?”
“It’s a super unlucky place,” Pinkie Pie said, “I don’t like it.”
Twilight nodded, “We’ll need to be careful when we reach the ruins, but we should prioritize the courtyard Fluttershy was in. Maybe we’ll get more information on this emerald your friend was talking about.”
“I hope they’re okay,” Aqua Rain said as they arrived at the bottom of the stairs.
“They’re having so much fun,” a voice said.
An apparition appeared before them. Her form shifted as she walked toward them.
“Okay,” Applejack said, “That’s close enough.”
The apparition faded and reappeared in front of Aqua Rain.
“He’s in so much pain,” the apparition said, “You might be too late.”
Twilight held up a hoof to stop the ponies from acting.
“Who are you,” she asked the apparition.
“You’ll see,” she said, “But you can call me Yew.”
“Cute,” Rarity said, “But we would have your real name.”
The apparition, Yew, smiled and said, “Well, you have to call me something.”
“I have a few choice names for you,” Rainbow Dash said.
Applejack stepped forward, “Easy there, RD. Let’s forget the names. What are you?”
“I,” Yew, the apparition, said, “am nothing more than a simple harbinger.”
Twilight sighed, “If you won’t stop talking in riddles, step aside. We are here to rescue three trapped ponies and seal this place.”
“That’s quite a task you have before you,” the apparition, Yew, said, “Together, you will certainly succeed, but...”
Her eyes turned from pale white to emerald green. Black streaks swirled within the orbs before returning to their original color.
A few tense moments passed, and nothing had changed.
“So,” Rainbow Dash asked, “Is that it? What was supposed to happen?”
Yew, the apparition, smiled, “Perhaps it’s a bit too soon, but you’ll see. I hope your princesses are doing well.”
Twilight leaned forward, “What do you know about them?”
“I know little, but I know enough.”
The apparition, Yew, sighed and said, “Don’t you know? A seed will grow a forest.”
Her smile grew darker, “A whisper will spark a war.”
She faded and left the tunnel in the same silence the ponies found it.
“Okay,” Applejack said, “I get that we shouldn’t take what she says seriously, but do you think there was anything to that?”
Twilight closed her eyes and thought for a while.
“Maybe,” she began.
Fluttershy placed a wing around her shoulder and asked, “Do you think it might have to do with what the princesses told us?”
Twilight nodded, “Remember the princesses told us that this apparition whispered something to them? That they should hurt each other?”
Rarity tilted her head and suddenly gasped, “Twilight, do you seriously mean that this thing was the source of Princess Luna’s corruption?”
“I don’t know,” Twilight said, “If all it took was a whisper, it might have taken centuries for that whisper to fester in the princess’s mind.”
“Until,” Fluttershy said, shaking.
“Who cares,” Rainbow Dash said, “Princess Luna is fine now, and we’re not going to turn on each other. Let’s just get down there, kick some creepy ghost’s flank, and rescue some ponies.”
A nervous chuckle emerged from the group, and they continued to the slope toward the tunnels beneath.
“It is still quite difficult to see,” Rarity said.
“Imagine how hard it was when the torches were out,” Pinkie said.
Fluttershy nuzzled Pinkie and said, “I was so scared, but I had you with me.”
Pinkie nuzzled her back and giggled, “We’ll be okay.”
The group eventually found the slope and stopped.
“The feedback feels stronger, “Twilight said, “But it’s no stronger than the Everfree Forest.”
Rarity nodded, “It might be difficult to use our magic, but we should be able to manage.”
They then studied the slope.
“Y’all done took quite a tumble. Lucky you didn’t break anything.”
“Well,” Pinkie said, “If you can’t see it, it can’t hurt you.”
Twilight shook her head, “Gravity doesn’t work that way, but I’m glad the two of you were okay.”
Rainbow Dash got as close as she could, only taking a step back when some dirt began to fall down the slope.
“That’s a pretty tight fit,” she said, “You managed to fly up here on your own?”
Fluttershy nodded, “I had to. I couldn’t leave Pinkie down there.”
“That’s good to hear,” Twilight said, “But now we need to get down there safely.”
Now, with better lighting, they could see the slope had a steep decline. The ponies could see the split where Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were separated.
“Any ideas,” Applejack asked.
“If Fluttershy could carry Pinkie back up,” Rainbow said, “Maybe we can do the same on the way down.”
Rarity placed a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder, “That might be a bit difficult since the only pegasi are Fluttershy and yourself. I don’t know if she has the strength for so many trips.”
Aqua Rain looked down the slope and said, “I have an idea.”
The group turned to her and waited.
“What if we just slide down?”
Twilight shook her head, “No. One of the ghosts that were here was seriously injured because of her fall here.”
“Now hold on a minute,” Applejack said, “If I remember right, that fall was because nopony knew that the floor was about to cave in.”
She pointed a hoof at the slope, “We know that it’s there, and all we got to do is go with the slope. We’re not dropping straight down.”
“Maybe,” Fluttershy said, “Rainbow and I can help. It would be much easier than carrying everypony since we’ll be sliding down the slope.”
Twilight sat down and nodded thoughtfully, “I can see that working. Does anyone have any objections?”
Rarity opened her mouth and glared at Rainbow when the blue pegasus said, “And no objections about getting dirty.”
“If you must know,” Rarity said, “I was about to say that we should ensure that we have any first aid available should we suffer any minor injuries in our descent.”
Rainbow gave her a sheepish smile.
“But yes,” Rarity said, “I do loathe the thought of the dirt ruining my coat. Now let’s be off.”
She didn’t wait for Rainbow to reply. Instead, the white unicorn nudged Fluttershy, and the two began to descend the slope.
“Okay,” Twilight said, “Who’s next?”
Applejack stepped to the slope, “I think I can manage on my own.”
“Better not risk it,” Rainbow said, “I’ll give you a hoof.”
Applejack smiled, “Thanks, RD.”
They waited for Fluttershy to return and descended down the slope.
“You okay,” Pinkie asked as she hugged the panting pegasus.
Fluttershy nodded, “I’m. I’m okay. I just need to catch my breath.”
Twilight placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder, “How far down does it go?”
“I don’t know,” Fluttershy said, “It’s pretty steep.”
Pinkie handed Fluttershy a flask, “Drink up.”
Fluttershy took a drip and sighed as the refreshing water worked its magic.
“Thank you,” she said, “I think I can help you get down.”
Pinkie nuzzled her and said, “Okay, whenever you’re ready.”
Fluttershy nodded and sat down, “Maybe we should wait for Rainbow to get back.”
They waited, but Rainbow didn’t return.
“Maybe she’s waiting for us,” Twilight asked.
Pinkie nudged Fluttershy and said, “Well, let’s get going.”
Fluttershy took a deep breath and helped Pinkie back down the slope.
They moved down quicker than expected, and when they reach the fork, Fluttershy realized that they had forgotten to decide which way to go.
As she was getting tired, she took the same path she took Rarity, which was the path she had followed earlier.
Once at the bottom, they found Rarity examining a nearby bench.
“Rarity,” Fluttershy asked, “Are you okay?”
The unicorn didn’t respond. She just kept mumbling to herself as she studied the bench.
Fluttershy began to tremble in fear, so Pinkie walked up to Rarity and poked her with a hoof.
Rarity jumped and turned to the two ponies.
“Oh,” she said, “When did you two arrive?”
“We just got here,” Pinkie said, “And you were just staring at this bench and talking to yourself.”
Rarity blushed and said, “Oh, I’m sorry. I was studying this bench. I decided to sit down and felt something curious.”
She waved the ponies over and pointed at the obsidian.
“I don’t see anything,” Fluttershy said.
Rarity smiled, “Run your hoof over it.”
“Don’t do it,” Pinkie said, “I don’t want you messing with any of this unlucky stuff.”
Rarity shook her head, “Pinkie, it’s fine. She will not be hurt.”
Fluttershy took a step forward and did as Rarity asked.
“There’s something carved in the bench,” Fluttershy said, “Why can’t we see it?”
“Because it’s bad luck,” Pinkie said.
Rarity sighed and said, “I believe it has more to do with the lighting than luck. You can see it a bit better from this side.”
She stepped aside, and Fluttershy took her place.
Fluttershy stared at the bench and saw something carved in the stone. It appeared to be waves, but she couldn’t tell much more.
“I don’t want to look at this for too long,” she said, “Maybe Pinkie is right. We should leave it alone.”
Pinkie hugged her and said, “That’s right. My girlfriend’s on my side.”
“As she should be,” Rarity said, “I agree that we should be careful, but I was intrigued by the motif. Perhaps, we can see it better with proper lighting.”
Fluttershy suddenly realized that Rainbow Dash and Applejack were missing.
“Rarity,” she asked, “Have you seen Rainbow or Applejack?”
Rarity shook her head, “No. I wondered what was taking so long. Perhaps they took the other path?”
“Oh my,” Fluttershy said, “We have to find them.”
She ran to the slope and readied herself to fly. After a moment of hesitation, she quickly turned and gave Pinkie a quick nuzzle.
“For good luck,” she said and flew up the slope.
Rarity giggled as Pinkie blushed.
“You are very fortunate to have such a loving pony,” Rarity said.
Pinkie grinned, “Don’t I know it.”
---
“Just how the hay were they able to be down here,” Rainbow Dash asked.
“I have no idea, Sugarcube,” Applejack said, “But I don’t like this place.”
Rainbow nodded, “This place gives me the creeps.”
When she arrived at the bottom with Applejack, they were surprised that they didn’t see Rarity. At first, they assumed that she was checking the area, but it had been far too long since they got there.
The room they found themselves in had several tables covered in urns.
“Just what is it with these things,” Applejack asked, “And where’s Rarity?”
Rainbow stretched her wings, “Maybe Fluttershy took her down the other path?”
Applejack nodded, “Well, I’m not about to have you carry me back up, so what do you say we just go look for them?”
Rainbow Dash nodded and turned around. In her haste, her tail knocked over an urn, causing it to crash to the floor.
A scream pierced the air, forcing the ponies to cover their ears. In a moment, the scream ended, and silence fell once again.
“Okay,” Rainbow said, “I officially hate this place. Let’s go.”
Applejack nodded, and they carefully made their way toward the hall.
---
“They shouldn’t be taking this long,” Twilight said, “If they don’t arrive soon, we’ll just have to take a chance and slide down.”
Aqua Rain looked back at the tunnel they walked to get here. She wanted to go back, but she took a deep breath and said, “We should just go down. Your friend, Fluttershy, seemed very tired after coming back up. Maybe she’s resting.”
Twilight nodded, “I think you might be right. Let’s slide down.”
She positioned herself on the slope’s edge and said, “Try and keep as close to the side as you can. Hopefully, we can control our fall more easily that way.”
Twilight steadied her breathing, sat down, inched toward the lip, and went over the side.
Aqua Rain waited a few seconds and then followed.
The idea of sliding down the slope worked, though it was far from comfortable. Twilight had a hard time seeing as there were no torches inside the slope, but she saw a split in the path. She didn’t have time to change direction because she fell right into Fluttershy’s hooves.
“Oh, my,” the yellow pegasus squeaked, “Twilight, did you fall?”
She beat her wings furiously to remain steady, but she finally stabilized herself.
“No,” Twilight said, “We were worried, so we decided to slide down...”
She turned her attention back up the tunnel when she heard the sound of somepony sliding down.
Before she could say anything, Aqua Rain slid into the two ponies, causing all three to tumble down the slope.
They landed in a pile of dust and ponies but were thankfully unhurt.
“Flutters,” Pinkie shouted and shoved the unicorns off of Fluttershy.
She helped Fluttershy get to her hooves and started wiping the dust off.
“We’re okay,” Fluttershy said.
“Sorry,” Aqua Rain said, “I thought I had enough time after you went down.”
Twilight stretched and said, “It’s fine. We had no way of knowing that Fluttershy was on her way back up.”
Fluttershy shook her head, “But I wasn’t going back up to you. I was going to see where Rainbow Dash and Applejack went,”
“They’re not here,” Twilight asked.
“No,” Rarity said, “We suspect they went down the other side of the slope. That’s where Fluttershy was headed.”
“I see,” Twilight said, “So, do we wait for them to meet us, go back up, or try and find them?”
Fluttershy sat down and rested her head on Pinkie’s shoulder. She looked up at her girlfriend and gave her a weak smile.
“Well,” Pinkie said, “We’re not going back up. I’m not letting Flutters tire herself again.”
Rarity walked to them and said, “I think going back is a bad idea. I also don’t think Rainbow and Applejack would sit still. They’re surely searching for us.”
Twilight saw the area for the first time and marveled.
“This is not what I expected,” she said, “This architecture is completely different from any I have seen before.”
Rarity smiled, “Whoever built this place seemed to like rectangles.”
“You would think so,” Twilight said, “But I think it’s more a lack of any curvature in the structure.”
“Then what about the carvings,” Fluttershy asked.
Twilight tilted her head, “Carvings?”
Rarity smiled as she pointed to the bench, “Yes, there seems to be carving within the stone, and as best as I can tell, they depict water or waves.”
Twilight studied the carvings and said, “That’s interesting. So, whoever built this place used straight lines and sharp angles for construction and curves for decoration?”
She glanced at the ponies and said, “That doesn’t make much sense, but it is very old.”
Aqua Rain stepped forward, “I’m sorry, but I don’t care about architecture or carvings. I just want my husband back.”
“And we will save him,” Rarity said, “But we simply cannot afford to proceed blindly. We need information.”
Aqua Rain sighed, “Fine, but what do we do? I don’t want to wait around. We have no idea how big this place is.”
“You’re right,” Twilight said, “We should try and find them as soon as we can.”
---
The room containing the urns led into a hallway. Neither Rainbow Dash nor Applejack knew which way to go.
Once they stepped into the hall, the door leading into the room closed. Once it was sealed, it was impossible to see where the door once was. It appeared to be a wall and nothing more.
“I seriously don’t like this place,” Rainbow Dash said.
Applejack laughed, “You already said that, and I agree with you.”
They had to decide which way to go, and neither direction appeared promising.
“Well,” Applejack said, “I’m not that great at judging direction like you, so if we took the right path, which way do you reckon the left path went?”
Rainbow turned back to the sealed door and thought carefully. Normally, she would easily find the correct direction, but there was something about this place that made it difficult.
“If this is where we landed,” she said, “Then we should head this way.”
She pointed down the hall and added, “I think.”
Applejack shrugged, “Well, as good a choice as any. Let’s go.”
She began walking but noticed that Rainbow wasn’t beside her.
“Something wrong, Sugarcube,” Applejack asked.
Rainbow shuffled her hooves nervously, “I’m not sure. I don’t even know if this is the right way.”
Applejack walked to Rainbow and said, “Listen, all I need to know is that this was your first guess. That tells me that your instincts pointed you this way. I trust you, so let’s get going.”
Rainbow smiled, “Thanks, and, yeah, let’s go.”
They ran down the hall and stopped when they arrived at an intersection.
“Great,” Rainbow said, “I have no idea where to go from here.”
Even with lit torches on the walls, the halls seemed to stretch indefinitely. The longer they stared into the growing darkness, the further it seemed to go.
“Just pick a direction,” Applejack said, “It’d be better than just standing here.”
Rainbow closed her eyes and imagined that she was flying. She felt herself drift to the left and opened her eyes.
“This way,” she said, and the two ponies ran down the hall.
---
The halls stretched onward, and soon, the group found themselves hopelessly lost.
“Where do we go from here,” Rarity asked.
“I don’t know,” Twilight said, “Do you have any ideas, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy looked down each hall but saw nothing out of the ordinary. She then had an idea.
“Twilight,” she asked.
“Yeah.”
Fluttershy looked at Twilight’s Element of Harmony and said, “Do you think we can use the Elements to locate them?”
Twilight smiled, “That might not be a bad idea. There’s still so much we don’t know about the Elements. It’s worth a shot.”
She closed her eyes and focused her magic on her Element, causing the necklace to glow brightly. She then turned her attention to her friends. The magically saturated obsidian made it difficult. It was as though Twilight was pushing through a mental fog, but she eventually made a connection with one of the Elements.
A beam of light shot out from her necklace and down the hall.
“There we go,” Twilight said, “We should be able to find them soon.”
The group ran down the hall, making turns as the beam changed direction.
“Those things are pretty useful,” Aqua Rain said, “How come I never heard of them before?”
Twilight shook her head, “Sorry, but we can’t tell you. I’m glad that we have them.”
“Me too,” Aqua Rain said, “Hopefully, we can use them to find Cobalt.”
Twilight didn’t respond, and the group followed the light until they eventually reached a dead end.
The light hit the wall, and there wasn’t any indication of where to go.
“Great,” Pinkie said, “Now, where do we go.”
She walked to the wall and placed a hoof against it. It was solid, but something felt wrong.
She placed an ear to the wall and tapped a hoof against it.
“What,” Rarity began.
“Shh,” Pinkie said and tapped the wall a second time.
After a minute, she took a step back.
“What is it,” Twilight asked.
Pinkie stared at the wall and said, “I don’t know. This is obsidian, but it feels different.”
Twilight studied the wall and said, “That’s interesting.”
She immediately started examining the other walls before returning.
“This wall is different,” she said.
Twilight waved Rarity over and said, “Look at this wall. What do you see?”
Rarity looked at the wall and gasped, “It’s a mural. It looks like an ocean.”
“Or a swamp,” Twilight said, “It doesn’t matter what it depicts. What’s important is that this wall is different, and the Element is directing us through it.”
Fluttershy stepped forward and asked, “Should we break it down?”
“I don’t know,” Twilight said, “That might not be a good idea, but we need to get through.”
Rarity leaned against the wall and sighed, “Well, what do you suggest we do? We certainly can’t sit around and wait.”
Twilight brought her attention back to the wall. Perhaps the mural hid something.
“All I can make out is that this mural represents water. Maybe it’s the builders’ home, but I can’t find anything that helps us proceed.”
She turned to Pinkie and asked, “Can you check the wall again? Maybe see if there’s something hidden?”
Pinkie looked at the wall, “I don’t know. That wall is super unlucky.”
Fluttershy nuzzled Pinkie and said, “Please. I know it’ll be okay.”
Pinkie smiled and placed an ear against the wall again. She tapped it gently and then moved to a different part of the wall.
She repeated this until she found a spot. To the ponies nearby, nothing sounded out of the ordinary, but Pinkie knew what she found.
“This part is hollow,” she said, “And it’s not obsidian.”
She hit the section of the wall, and it fell away easily.
“Oh,” a voice said, “You’re no fun. Fine, have it your way. Your friends are on their way.”
“Ignore it,” Twilight said, “Let’s just find Rainbow Dash and Applejack.
Again, the group followed the beam toward their friends.
---
“This place is like a maze,” Applejack said, “There’s no way we wound up so far away.”
“I don’t know where I’m going,” Rainbow said, “I’m just guessing here.”
Applejack placed a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder and said, “I ain’t blaming you, Rainbow. I think this place is messing with us.”
Rainbow nodded, “You might be...“
She jumped back when a beam of light hit her necklace.
“What’s going on,” she shouted.
Applejack waved a hoof at the light and said, “Well, it ain’t harmful. Maybe the others are using the Elements to find us?”
Rainbow smiled and said, “Then let’s follow this light and meet up with them.”
They ran down the tunnel but stopped when they heard something.
“What was that,” Applejack asked.
Rainbow stared down the hall, “I don’t know, but you heard it, too?”
Applejack nodded, “Sure did. Think something’s trying to lead us astray.”
“Someone’s being a spoilsport,” a voice said.
Yew, the apparition, appeared before them. Before she could speak again, she faded as Rainbow Dash dove at her.
“Dangit,” she said, “Where’d she go?”
The apparition, Yew, reappeared and said, “Let’s not be hasty. There will be time for that later."
She stared at the light connected to Rainbow Dash’s necklace and said, “That annoying thing is going to be a problem, but I have ways of dealing with it.”
Again, she faded only to reappear down a hall where the beam of light didn’t shine down.
“Your friends are this way,” she said.
Applejack shook her head and nudged Rainbow Dash.
“She’s just wasting our time,” she said, “Let’s follow that beam and meet up with the others.”
Rainbow Dash turned back to where Yew, the apparition, was and saw that she was gone.
“Let’s go,” she said.
Applejack smiled, and they continued running down the hall.
After a few minutes of running down what felt like the same halls, they stopped at another intersection with a crystal on a pedestal.
“That’s not good,” Rainbow said.
The beam of light connected to her necklace also hit this crystal and split the beams, causing a beam to go down each hall.
“I guess she put this here,” Rainbow said, “Any ideas?”
Applejack walked to the pedestal and tried to move the crystal. It was firmly in place.
She turned around and kicked the pedestal as hard as she could. The sound of the kick echoed loudly, but nothing else happened.
“RD,” Applejack said, “Step to the side. I wanna see something.”
Rainbow tried to step to the right but couldn’t move.
“What the hay,” she said, looking down at her hooves.
She had sunken into the obsidian floor. Not much, just far enough that she couldn’t move.
“Was your idea to just walk around the crystal,” Rainbow asked.
Applejack nodded, “Guess that Yew character thought of that. How stuck are you?”
Rainbow pulled as hard as she could but made no progress. She then crouched down and gave a powerful flap of her wings. Again, nothing happened.
“Okay,” Applejack said, “Don’t get yourself hurt. I’ll go check the crystal again. Maybe there’s something I missed.”
She carefully studied the pedestal, and when she touched it with a hoof, the section crumbled.
“What the,” she whispered and pushed against the pedestal.
This time, the obsidian pedestal didn’t budge. It felt as though it were pushing back.
She sat down and thought for a bit.
“Any ideas,” Rainbow Dash called, “I don’t want to be stuck here.”
“I know,” Applejack said, “I’m trying to figure out what’s going on with this thing.”
Again, she touched the pedestal, but she only grazed it as lightly as she could. Again the section crumbled.
She got to her hooves and returned to Rainbow Dash.
“Okay,” she said, lowering herself to Rainbow’s hooves, “Let’s see.”
She grabbed Rainbow’s leg.
“What’re you doing,” Rainbow asked.
“Hush,” Applejack said, “I don’t wanna show my cards just yet. Trust me.”
Rainbow nodded, though cringing as Applejack grabbed her hoof.
Applejack said, “Okay, just relax, I have an idea.”
She slowly lifted Rainbow’s hoof, and it was easily freed from its obsidian prison.
“What,” Rainbow asked.
Applejack laughed, “I guess we’re just a bit too headstrong. The stronger we push, the more it seems to push back. Just step out of it gentle like. You’ll be fine.”
Rainbow Dash nodded and slowly stepped forward.
She groaned, “That’s it?”
“Well,” Applejack said, “I don’t think I would have done much better. I’d use all my strength and still be stuck.”
She turned the pedestal, “Now, let’s just ignore the crystal.”
They walked past the crystal and were surprised to see the beam not change.
The beam of light that connected to Rainbow’s necklace pointed toward the crystal. It didn’t matter where she stood.
“This doesn’t make sense,” she said, “If the beam of light is coming from the others, why is it going to the crystal?”
Applejack shook her head, “That sounds like a Twilight Sparkle question to me, Sugarcube.”
“I think she’s trying to trick us,” Rainbow said.
“Trick,” Applejack asked as she looked inquisitively into Rainbow Dash’s eyes.
Rainbow smiled, “You think of something?”
Applejack nodded and stared down one of the halls. She stood there for a minute before shaking her head. She repeated this two more times before settling on one hall.
“This way,” Applejack said, “The girls are down this hall.”
“You sure,” Rainbow asked.
Applejack nodded, “I am. Don’t know how I’m sure, but I am.”
Rainbow nodded, “That works for me. Let’s go.”
They ran until they heard echoing hoofsteps in the distance.
“Twilight,” Applejack called.
The hoofsteps stopped, and they soon heard the hoofsteps moving in their direction.
Except they were in formation as though it was a group of ponies marching.
Applejack stopped and motioned for Rainbow over to a side hall.
“What’s wrong,” Rainbow Dash asked.
Applejack shook her head, “I don’t know, but I don’t wanna take any chances.”
The hoofsteps continued to get closer, and Applejack listened closely. There was something wrong.
“You hear that,” Applejack asked.
Rainbow listened closely and said, “The hoofsteps sound normal.”
That was when she heard it. Every once in a while, the hoofsteps would skip. It was as though whoever was marching would suddenly take a quick extra step, but this happened repeatedly.
“Think it’s a trick,” Rainbow asked.
Applejack nodded, “Sure do. Let’s just go.”
They ran out of the hall and right into their friends.
“Ow,” Rarity said, falling to the floor, “Where did you two come from?”
Applejack helped her to her hooves and said, “Sorry about that, Rarity. We heard some noises and weren’t sure what it was.”
“Well,” Aqua Rain said, “Now that we’re back together, we need to find Cobalt.”
She looked down the halls and asked, “Where are we? What are we going to do now?”
Twilight sat down and said, “Right now, we stay calm and focus on our objective. We need to find and save Cobalt and your friends.”
Rarity nodded, “And we can’t do that if we fall apart, so let’s keep our heads and see this through.”
“Now that we’re all together,” Rainbow said, “Let’s just call this, Yew, out and turn her into stone or something.”
Aqua Rain tilted her head, “Is that really a thing?”
Twilight sighed, “We can’t waste time by keeping you in the dark.”
She pointed to her necklace and said, “These are powerful artifacts that we can use to fight evil creatures.”
Aqua Rain stared at Twilight for a moment and asked, “Okay, but how will turning her into stone free my friends?”
“She’s not as stupid as she looks,” Yew said, reappearing before the group.
She disappeared as Rainbow Dash charged at her, only to reappear inside a nearby hall.
“Is she slow,” Yew asked, “Haven’t you figured it out by now?”
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Yew began whispering something none of the ponies could understand, and the obsidian floor began to soften.
Before the ponies could react, they were sinking, only for the obsidian to resolidify once they were knee-deep.
Yew opened her eyes and smiled. She walked to Aqua Rain and said, “Your friends are quite busy. They’ll find what I need or simply waste away in the search.”
She grinned and said, “Either way, it makes no difference to me.”
Aqua Rain struggled against the obsidian. After flailing for a while, she screamed, “Where’s Cobalt? What have you done with him?”
Yew shook her head, “That one is annoying. I keep offering him so many things that I know he desires, but he simply refuses.”
She glared at Aqua Rain, “If he doesn’t do what I want, then I’ll have to dispose of him. Is that what you want?”
“I want him back,” Aqua Rain screamed, “Give him back and let us go.”
Yew leaned forward, stopping inches from Aqua Rain.
She grinned and said, “No.”
Yew laughed and looked around, “I hope you enjoy my little home away from home.”
She glanced at Twilight and said, “Oh, does that surprise you? That I don’t reside in this obsidian prison? No, I am a prisoner.”
Twilight struggled against the obsidian and asked, “So, these rooms that seem to open and close on their own are prison cells?”
Yew nodded, “In a way. They’re closer to doorways that lead to where individuals want to go but do any of us really know what we want?”
Applejack watched the two talk as she carefully tried to free herself from the obsidian. She hoped her earlier experience with the pedestal would work here as well.
The obsidian resisted her, and she couldn’t free herself and decided to change tactics. She gently lifted her leg, and she stopped each time she felt the obsidian resist her. Once she had one leg free, she focused on another until she was free from the obsidian.
Twilight saw Applejack free herself from the obsidian and almost drew Yew’s attention toward the earth pony.
“Why were you imprisoned,” she asked.
Yew smiled, “Do you want to hear my sad story? The story of how I was wrongfully imprisoned so long ago?”
While Yew was focused on Twilight, Applejack helped Rainbow Dash free.
“Just like before,” Applejack whispered, “Don’t force it, or it’ll be harder than molasses in winter.”
The remaining ponies were in Yew’s line of sight, so the two walked up to Yew and tapped her on the shoulder.
Or tried, but their hooves went right through her.
“Oh,” Yew said, “You finally figured it out? Good for you.”
Applejack glared at yew and said, “Getting out is easy. Just don’t fight it. It’ll let you go easy enough.”
The ponies listened and soon were free from the floor.
“Very good,” Yew said, “Since you know how things work around here, it’s time that we get to the best part.”
“Wait,” Twilight shouted, “Why are you here?”
Yew smiled, “I’m here because I belong here. I am a simple harbinger. Nothing more. I wipe the slate clean, so the next civilization can make their mess.”
Her pale white eyes changed to emerald just like before, and she said, “If you really wish to save those ponies, you will have to find your way to them. Three ponies are your quest, so let’s make this fair.”
She reared onto her hind legs and stomped her forelegs on the floor. The four halls instantly closed, trapping the ponies inside.
Before they could react, six ponies vanished, and only Aqua Rain and Yew remained.
“Where are they,” Aqua Rain cried.
She spun around and backed up against the wall as Yew walked closer.
“They’ll be busy proving themselves,” she said, “It doesn’t matter what they do. I will be free.”
Yew looked up at the ceiling and smiled, “Soon enough. Soon enough.”
She returned her gaze to Aqua Rain and said, “And you’re going to help me.”
---
The group appeared in a dark room. It didn’t take long before they could see clearly.
“I’ve been here before,” Fluttershy said.
They all looked around and saw that they were inside a courtyard. The pillars, benches, and fountain in the center were made of obsidian. Unlike Fluttershy’s previous visit, there were no other ponies present.
“Okay,” Rainbow Dash said, “Why did she bring us here?”
Twilight walked toward the fountain, “I don’t know, but I doubt this is the courtyard that this blackened emerald is supposed to be in.”
They all walked to the fountain. The water was still and reflected each pony.
“This was how I returned,” Fluttershy said, “When we stepped into the fountain, I mean.”
Twilight nodded, “Hmm, It might be that water was important to whoever this Yew pony is.”
“I think you mean was,” a voice said.
Yew appeared sitting on a bench and waved at the ponies.
Rainbow Dash began to run at her but stopped herself.
“Good,” Yew said, “You’re finally learning.”
She hopped off the bench and said, “You wish to retrieve three ponies. Fine. I can accept that, but I have been quite bored. You six will provide quite a challenge.”
“No,” Twilight said, “We are not interested in games or challenges. You have one chance to release your prisoners or else.”
Yew grinned as she turned to a wall. It began to groan as growls and howls emerged.
“You might want to rephrase that,” she said, “There are other prisoners besides myself here.”
She laughed and said, “But don’t worry. I know what you meant. Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice.”
She pointed a hoof at the fountain and said, “The ponies you seek are inside the fountain. Save them if you can but understand this. You were never going to succeed. I have been here long before your kingdom rose, and I will be here long after.”
Suddenly, the room began to darken. The darkness grew slowly from the outer walls. When the growing shadows touched the grass, they heard the sound of kindling burning.
“I don’t want to wait and see what happens when the darkness gets here,” Twilight said, “Let’s go.”
The ponies entered the fountain, and its floor collapsed. Try as they might, neither Fluttershy nor Rainbow Dash could fly, and they fell along with the rest.
Fluttershy reached a hoof out to Pinkie Pie, who managed to grab hold. The two embraced as they fell. They lost sight of the others, but an energy field appeared around them.
“Three teams of two,” a voice said, “Find the pony, and we’ll see what happens. Good luck.”
Neither pony could respond. They held onto each other tightly and soon saw where they were falling.
Below them and arriving much too quickly, a swamp spread out for miles. They took a deep breath and waited for the plunge before striking out on this new trial that would hopefully free a trapped pony.
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But isn't the name of this story PinkieShy?
11511023
Sorry for the confusion. The comic is based on the first part, "A Sight for Really Sore Eyes."
Thanks for pointing this out. I'll edit the info, so it's not confusing.
That was a good story goodluck with the rest of it.
11517956
Thanks for taking the time to check out my story and adding it to your favorites. I really appreciate it.
The next chapter will be out this Sunday. I hope you enjoy it.