A Scientific Breakthrough

by Eruedraieth

Chapter 8 - Salvation, or Suffering? Part 2

Author's Note:

Oh boy, another long chapter. Apologies in advance, and I'll try to keep chapters a bit shorter in the future. No promises!

-Eruedraieth.

Change of Character - Twilight sparkle -> Primal Dagger

The journey to the badlands was short, but tiresome. We had to deal with quite a bumpy road, but we managed to get to the beginning of the Badlands with energy to spare. I noticed a dark sky in the area ahead of us.

"Is that standard weather for this area?" I asked Deputy Star.

"Don't look like it to me. It ain't a natural storm either. And, it's coming this way" Star said. "Let's head over to that cave in the mountain there for shelter untill the storm passes by."

We headed towards the cave, and the deputy made a small fire inside. Twilight huddled close to the fire, shivering in the harsh cold weather that had dawned upon us. It was getting dark outside, so we decided to sleep the night inside the cave.

"I'll take first watch. You guys get some rest" I told my companions.

They nodded, and placed down their makeshift beds and went to sleep. I was standing near the entrance of the cave, admiring the stormy weather which was passing us now. I always liked lightning, no matter how frightening it could be sometimes. I decided to use the moment to practice a few spells I'd been working on. One of which included using the earth itself as a weapon.

I looked at a nearby cactus, and set my sights on it as a target for my spell. The spell required a lot of energy to channel, as I would be moving the earth itself to strike at the cactus. The sheer power being gathered in my hands was coming to a breaking point, and I released the energy. It shot straight down into the ground and travelled over to the cactus within a blink of an eye. Then, a massive earthen pillar shot out from underneath the cactus, destroying it whole. Unfortunately, I was not able to shape the created pillar yet. My idea was to make the pillar be an earthen blade shooting out from the ground, effectively cutting anything above into shreds. Fatigue crept up on me, and I nearly fell asleep. If I didn't think of my duty towards the two ponies inside, I would've surely fallen asleep.

I decided to try a different spell, seeing as my previous one was a semi-succes. It wasn't completely what I intended for the spell to do, but it was effective nonetheless.

I channeled my magic again, this time focusing inward. When the energy gathered was close to breaking again, I let it go. It shot into me, travelled my entire body within a second, and shot out again. My body started slowly appearing in front of me, duplicating me. After a few seconds, a completely identical me stood in front of me. I felt that it didn't require any magic to keep active, which was quite a relief. This could come in useful. I tried connecting my mind with the doppelganger, and managed to start talking to myself. I instructed it to run a lap around a nearby cactus, and it followed the order without hesitation.

"I'm glad you are me. We could do some serious stuff with this, am I right?" I said to my doppelganger.

"Im glad too. And yes, we could totally wreak havoc upon our enemies with this magic" the doppelganger said.

"Can you cast magic like I can?" I asked him.

"Let me try" He proceeded to move his hands together, then tried to channel a spell. The only thing that was channeled were a bit of sparks coming from his hand. "Doesn't look like it, yet. I think if you pool more energy into creating me, I could actually cast spells like you could, albeit with less effectivity as I would probably be drawing from your power."

"I don't think it draws upon my power. I don't feel any magical energy being transferred from me to you. I do feel the link, and by what it feels like I can sever the link if needed. Could you touch that spiky cactus over there to test something for me?" I asked.

He walked over to the cactus, and touched one of the spikes. I felt the sharp sting in my finger aswell, but with less severity. "Interesting" was all I said.

The clone walked back towards me, and held his hand up. I knew what he wanted, as he was me, and I slammed my hand into his. "De-summon me, and try to create me again with more magic. Let's see if I can cast a spell" my doppelganger said.

I recalled him, and felt the magic flow back into me. It seemed that whenever I create him and then de-create him, I would re-collect the magic I used to summon him in the first place.

I then started casting the spell again, this time causing even more energy to flow into it than before. The same copying happened, and my clone stood in front of me again.

"Let's try it now" he said, holding his hands together again. Again, I saw him trying to channel, but all he managed to do was create sparks again.

"Aww. Maybe later I can figure out if I could make you cast spells. Princess Luna could help me with it maybe, I heard she's quite proficient at manipulation and deceit" I said. "For now, stand guard with me. Two people watching is more eyes than one, and since I can feel what you feel, we both will know if something happens".

We focused our gaze upon the empty wasteland ahead of us. The rain had passed a little while ago, leaving only the occasional lightning strike. My clone saw a cactus being struck by lightning, and we both grinned. "I should try and harness that power sometime. Just look at the damage that strike did" I said to my clone.

We looked at the place where the lightning bolt had struck. The cactus that had been there had evaporated into dust, leaving a burn mark on the ground and a small fire which extinguished quickly.

I looked at my clone. He looked practically the same as me, armour included, and his hood on the back. There was no need to wear the hood right now, so both of us decided not to. "We look badass. I think we could be even more badass, though."

I focused my magic into enchanting my armour, causing occasional lightning to strike between the several parts of the chestplate and arms. I looked at my clone and saw the same happened to him. "So it automatically updates my current status to you. So if I were to do this..." I put my hood on, and caused the smoke aura and piercing red eyes to show themselves. My clone also put his hood on, the same aura and eyes showing themselves on him, too.

"Nice. So I could clone myself, and don my hood afterwards to cause a massive panic reaction" I looked directly at my clone, and chanted: "We are the army of the shadows, striking from the unseen with daggers poised. Magic courses through our veins, shattering the weak of mind and tearing down on those with strong will."

We both sat down afterwards, gently enjoying the scenery and waiting for the deputy to take over his watch in a few minutes.

I heard hoofsteps approaching us, and looked behind me to see the deputy making his way over to us. "Hold on a sec, there's two of you?"

We both grinned. The real me took the word: "I managed to duplicate myself. I can't figure out how to make him cast spells yet, but I intend to have a little practice session with Princess Luna to see if I can get it to work."

"Okay. Well, get sum rest. You and the purple unicorn mare need to be fit for tomorrow, as the trek will be long. I've travelled these parts a lot, and I know they ain't pretty. The rock should be located in a cave in the ridge of the Macintosh Hills to our west. It is said the cave holds many deadly traps, and it's guardians are not so friendly either" he said.

"Alright, thanks for the heads-up. I'll go take a nap" I said, walking back into the cave and setting up my bed next to Twilight. She was snoring peacefully, freed from worry. "You look so cute, snoring like that" I whispered. I got into my bed, and a few moments later I dozed off into dreamland.

I woke up with a smile on my face. Twilight had moved slightly closer to me and had tried to place a hoof on my head, but seemingly decided against it.. "Wake up sleepyhead, we got some travelling to do" I said to her softly, causing her to open her eyes.

"Ah, what a good night's rest" she said, stretching her back.

WWWWW

Change of Character - Primal Dagger -> Twilight Sparkle

I looked over to where Deputy Star had set his bed up. He was not in his bed, though.

"Primal, where's the deputy?" I asked him.

"He was keeping watch when I went to bed. I'll go look for him" he said, getting out of his bed and walking towards the cave entrance.

I heard him shout: "Hey Star, Twilight was worried something happened to you so I came over to check on you"

I heard the deputy's voice afterwards. "I'm fine. You guys should pack your things and get moving, though. We have a long trek ahead."

I started packing up the various things that were on the floor, and rolled up all of the beds. I placed mine and Primal's into my saddlebags, magically compressing them to make more room, carried the deputy's bed in my magic in front of me.

I walked over to the entance of the cave, and saw Primal just about to turn around to grab his stuff. "Already done. I got your bed too, Star" I floated the bed towards him, which he grabbed and placed into his saddlebag.

"Thanks Sparkle. Let's git goin' now. We gotta head to a cave in the Macintosh Hills. The rock is said to be inside there, guarded by various traps and creatures.

"Traps and creatures? And here I was, thinking it would be easy" I said, sighing.

"There is no such thing as easy. Not when the existence of this world hangs in the balance" Primal said.

I followed the deputy, and Primal followed me, making up the rear in case something happened. The trek towards the cave the deputy had mentioned was long, boring and uneventful. We'd taken a break once during the trip to eat some food, in silence. I saw Primal, deep in thought. I wanted to ask him what was wrong but I didn't feel the need to break the silence. I will find out eventually.

We finally reached the entrance to the cave, the path ahead of us looking dark and ominous.

"This almost reminds me of the cave we fought the corruption in. Only less ominous" Primal remarked.

"We were in that cave for two whole days. I would rather not be reminded of that, if you don't mind" I retorted.

"You're right. Let's head into the cave, the rock won't retrieve itself" Primal said.

The deputy led the way, holding a torch which illuminated the darkness surrounding us. After a long walk, we reached what looked like underground ruins or a dungeon.

"This is the entrance to the ruins holding the Rock of the Phoenix. Be very careful around here, there are traps everywhere and we can get ambushed my the guardians of this place at any moment" Deputy Star warned us.

Primal equipped part of his outfit, leaving the hood off. He conjured myself a set of gloves which for some reason were not part of the set yet, and inscribed them with illumination runes. He also placed a scrying rune on the palms of the gloves, revealing hidden magics and secrets.

"There, that should help with the lighting. The scrying rune I placed on the palms will help locate any hidden magical traps too. Twilight, could you use your magic to scan the surroundings too every once in a while? Your magic should be a bit more efficient in those kinds of things" he said.

"Sure, I can do that" I said, lightning up my horn with a spell. The purple light traced itself across the walls and floor, revealing a few hidden spike traps here and there. "There we go. Now don't touch those or you will probably get stabbed" I said grimly.

We carefully made our way across the trap-riddled hallway. We ended up inside a very large chamber, with a massive locked door blocking one of the pathways, and two other paths leading left and right. The massive door had a lock on it, and a few runes inscribed on its surface. Primal walked over to the door, and inspected the runes.

"These are runes of warding... I'm guessing the rock is behind this door. I can't dispell these runes, they are specifically made to negate any magic. The door itself is enchanted in such a way that the runes can't be removed physically either, so we have to find the key for this door. Which probably is somewhere in either of these pathways. Let's split up, I'll take the right path and you two take the left one" Primal said.

"But what if something happens to you?" I asked worriedly.

"Nothing will harm me, Twilight. And even if something did, I can heal myself quite effectively. Honestly I'm more worried about you two" he said, returning the worry.

"Ah'll make sure nothing happens to your friend, even if that means laying my life on the line fer it. You guys are on a quest to save the world, and Ah'll do whatever it takes to help you in it" Deputy Star said bravely.

"I won't let it come to that, deputy. You will see the light of day again" I said.

"Let's hurry along now, the corruption won't wait for us" Primal said. "I'll see you back in a few, be careful" he added.

I followed Star into the pathway to the left. He held up his torch in front of him, and we turned around the corner. I looked back at the other pathway one more time, and saw Primal pass the corner. I hope he will be alright... and so will we.

I scanned our surroundings again for traps, but found none. The hallway we walked in was devoid of anything and everything, leaving the bare carved stones to decorate our path. After a few twists and turns we ended up in a small chamber. I scanned the area again using my locating spell, and found a small source of magic emanating from a stone in the wall.

"Deputy, I think there's something behind that rock in the wall. Could you help me pull it out? I'll drag the stone out slightly and you can drag it out further" I said.

I called upon my magic to surround the stone and willed it to pull itself out of the wall. The stone was really heavy, and I nearly failed to maintain control of it. I managed to pull it out enough for the deputy to take over, and he did. Once we got the rock out completely, it fell to the ground with a loud thump. Behind the rock was a small, intricate safe with a combination lock.

"I'm guessing the key for that massive door back there is inside of this safe. Are you any good at cracking safes? I asked the deputy.

"Not really, but ah can try it" he responded. He stepped closer to the safe, and studied it closely. "This is a class tl-15 combination safe, and can resist being opened for a small time unless you have the right code. I'll try cracking it, while you look for any clues to what the code could be. Deal?"

I didn't hesitate to start looking for the code, and used my magic to scan the surroundings again. I found nothing, however.

"I'll check back the way we came, there's nothing here" I said.

The deputy nodded, and continued cracking the safe. I trotted back to the hallway , and used an enhanced scrying spell to re-check the hallway. The spell found a source of magic located in the ceiling. "I wonder how I missed that the first time" I said to noone in particular. I tugged the rock in front of the source of magic,and the rock fell down like a stalactite. I quickly dodged out of the way of the falling rock, and looked at where the rock had been. It revealed a small paper, and I levitated the paper down to eye level. The page had a four-digit code written on it: 9725. I ran back to the deputy as fast as possible.

"Deputy, I think there's something you want to know. This code, for example. " I levitated the paper over to him, and he used the code to unlock the safe.

The contents of the safe were a few gold bits, and a rusty metallic key the size of the lock on the massive door back in the antechamber. " We finally found it! Let's go back and see if Primal is back yet."I shouted in glee.

The deputy followed me back to the antechamber. Primal hadn't arrived yet, so we decided to wait for him.

WWWWW

Change of Character - Twilight sparkle -> Primal Dagger

I walked down the right path, hoping that I didn't have to face too many adversaries along my path. My glowing gloves illuminated the darkness surrounding me, which I was glad for. I then felt a nearby presence, and drew my daggers. "Who goes there? Show yourself!" I said

From the shadows, a figure appeared. It looked like a pony, but when it came close I noticed it was a zebra. This species doesn't show around these parts often, wonder what brings it here?

"Friend, or foe?" I asked. The zebra looked feminine, and her voice confirmed that.

"I hope, a friend. Harm you not, I wish. I came here to find a certain plant, growing only in these ruins. Help me, could you traveller?" the zebra asked.

"Wait a minute, is your name Zecora, by any chance?" I asked her, lowering my

She nodded. "How do you know my name, traveller?"

"Let's just say that I know a lot about this world. I will help you find your plant, but we need to hurry up. I'm here to find the key for the massive door back there. Behind the door should be what I came here for, the Rock of the Phoenix" I explained.

I followed the zebra further down the hall. The hallway ended in a cave-like chamber, with moss growing in the various cracks in the walls. A strange looking plant grew from one of the cracks, and the zebra walked towards it.

"This plant is what I looked for, it's properties needed for a ritual. " She plucked the plant, and placed it inside of her bag. "Thank you, strange traveller. My aid, do you need it?"

"I don't think the key is this way, considering that this chamber is overgrown. Come back with me to the antechamber" I said.

The zebra looked at me for a moment, but nodded and followed me back.

WWWWW

I saw Twilight sparkle and Deputy Star waiting for me and my companion. " Zecora? What are you doing here?" Twilight asked.

I responded before the zebra could : "She's here to find a certain plant which only grows in these ruins. Which I helped her find. She offered me her aid in exchange. "

"Okay. Well, we found the key to the door. You can do the honours." Twilight said.

I took the key from her , and walked to the door. The key fitted the lock perfectly, and the massive door swung open, revealing even more darkness.

" I'll take the lead, since I have these gloves." I waved my gloved hands around.

This part of the cave looked more detailed, with ancient carvings lined on the walls. One such carving depicted a pony wearing what looked like golden armour, causing light to bend and break around it. Then, the light seemed to point at another carving further along the other side of the tunnel. We walked towards the other carving, this time depicting a pony wearing armour as black as the night. Again, the light bended, pointing to a spot in the chamber ahead. I held my gloved hands forward, illuminating the chamber.

What we found went beyond our wildest dreams. The chamber was filled to the brim with golden objects, varying from coins to chalices to entire dining sets. In the middle of the room was a pedestal holding a strange object. The object didn't look like a rock,which was mildly unsettling. I picked up the object, which looked like a pony statue. This triggered a mechanism in the room, revealing a hidden compartment.

"Look! The rock is inside of that compartment!" Twilight shouted.

I quickly bounded over to it, and snatched the rock out. This caused yet another mechanism to spring to life. This time, a statue in the corner came to life, and immediately started approaching us.

"A statue, ey? Let's see how it likes getting frozen solid!" I said.

I cast a freezing spell at it, and it stopped dead in its tracks. It wasn't deactivated yet, though. " Twilight! Shoot a shattering spell at it!" The purple unicorn mare instantly started casting a spell after I asked her. The spell hit its target dead-on, and the statue shattered into a thousand pieces. "Teamwork! High-five Twi!" I held my hand up, and the mare slammed my hand with her hoof.

Zecora was eyeing the broken statue, expecting it to come back to life. The statue stayed broken, however, and Zecora relaxed a bit.

"Great, we have the rock. Let's head back to Dodge City for supplies and get to the swamp afterwards. Thank you for escorting us, deputy, and thank you for joining us Zecora." I said.

The zebra and Deputy nodded, and we headed back the way we came.

WWWWW

The trek back to Dodge City passed quickly, and Twilight and I found ourselves heading out to the swamp in no time. We had thanked Zecora and Deputy Star a second time before buying some supplies in a nearby store.

We reached the edge of the swamp on the same day, but it was fast approaching nighttime. "Let's set up camp near that tree there for the night. I will take watch until I am certain we won't be ambushed." I suggested.

Twilight nodded, and lit up a small fire and set up her sleeping bag next to it. "Sweet dreams, Twilight" I said. She fell asleep not too long after, and I sat down against a tree.

I had nearly fell asleep when I heard a low growl coming from the trees behind me. I tensed up immediately, and drew my daggers in waiting. I amplified my hearing using a channelled spell, and heard near-silent footsteps approaching. I waited for the footsteps to get closer until Iwas able to see the shape belonging to the footsteps. It was a panther, as black as the night. It didn't seem hostile to me though, just curious. I lowered my daggers to show that I didn't mean any harm. The panther got closer to me, and was now standing beside me. Then, it did something I didn't expect. It sat down and nuzzled my feet softly.

"Would you look at that. A friendly panther!" I petted the panther softly, and I could swear that I heard it purr. "Are you coming along with me, then?" I asked the panther, not expecting a verbal response. Instead, the panther looked up at me with acknowledging eyes. "Alright, I guess you need a name then. How about. .... Sabrina?" The panther purred softly at hearing her new name. "Wait here, I'll wake up Twilight."

I silently stepped over to where Twilight was sleeping, and lightly shook her awake. "What's wrong Primal? Are we under attack?" I shook my head. " Then why did you wake me up?"

"I want you to meet someone." I called Sabrina, and the panther walked over to us and took her place beside me.

Twilight looked scared at first to see a panther approaching us, but quickly relaxed and instead got a confused look. "You know that panther?" She asked.

I nodded. " Twilight, meet Sabrina, my newly acquired pet panther. Sabrina, this is Twilight Sparkle, my friend."

"You introduce us as if she could understand us. How is-" Twilight started saying, but was cut off by Sabrina walking over to the mare and nuzzling her mane.

"Some things should not be questioned" I simply stated.

The unicorn returned the gesture to the panther, and it sat down in between us, head resting on her paws.

"Can you keep watch for us, Sabrina? I could use some rest." I asked. The panther seemed to nod, and took a watchful stance. "Thanks "

I placed down my sleeping bag next to Twilight's and fell asleep shortly after

WWWWW

The morning came, and I woke up feeling rested. I looked over at Twilight's bag, but found that it was empty. Sabrina was also nowhere near, and I just sat up in my bed. The fire Twilight had lit yesterday was still flickering faintly, and I cast a rune on it to give it some strength. The fire shot back to its former glory, and was now giving off a much needed warmth. Even though the bed was kind of warm, it didn't stop me from shivering.

A moment later, a familiar purple figure appeared. Following her was my pet panther. Twilight was carrying a basket in her mouth. " What's inside of the basket?" I asked.

"Berries, and some fish I managed to capture from one of the ponds in the swamp. I also found the flower on my way, so we can leave after we've ate something." Twilight said. "You re-lit the fire I see. I can cook up these fish for you if you can make some kind of pot to place the fish in"

I used my mastery over the Earth around me to conjure a pot-shaped rock. Twilight took the pot from me and placed it over the fire, the fish inside of it. She had left some fish raw to give to Sabrina, and fed her said fish. After a little while, the fish were done cooking, and I created what looked like a stone dish to place the cooked fish on. I then carefully started removing the fish's skeleton. After removing the skeleton, I complacently ate the fish, tasting meat again after a very long time .

Twilight ate a few berries whilst staring at me eating. Being a herbivore, she had never eaten meat, but was eyeing my food with curiosity. " Could I have a piece? " she asked. I looked at her with a look of surprise, but handed her a piece of the boneless fish. She took the piece, and inspected it before taking a bite. "This tastes good!" she said before eating the entire piece. " I should try to get some fish-based meals back at Ponyville. "

We ate the rest of our meal in silence. After that, I suggested to Twilight to conjure the portal back to home. I created the necessary pieces of the portal, and we both poured magic into it. The portal formed, and I motioned for Sabrina to step through the portal. We followed her into the portal, arriving back at the library of Ponyville.

WWWWW

Change of Character - Primal Dagger- > Rainbow Dash

After receiving our tasks, me and Fluttershy headed over to the Galloping Gorge by flight. We both had wings, even though 'Shy was not particularly a fast flier. We had to retrieve the All-consuming Branch or whatever it was. It sounded pretty lame in my opinion, but I didn't name the thing, and something even more lame like that name was having to come up with one.

It was said that the Galloping Gorge was a dangerous place,but it would probably be nothing I couldn't handle. 'Shy, on the other hand...

"Hey 'Shy, stay close to me in that Gorge okay? I don't want anything to happen to you." I told her.

"D-Don't worry Dash. I -I might be slightly a-afraid, but I promise I won't do anything stupid." She said to me in her usual Fluttershy way.

We didn't take too long to reach the Galloping Gorge, and we both landed on the edge of the chasm.

" Looks like it's safe to fly down there. Where do you think the Branch will be?" I asked.

"I think it might be in that alcove down there. Do you see it?" 'Shy said, pointing at a spot in the distance. I could vaguely see the alcove, and I nodded.

" Let's hurry up and get over there. Mustn't keep Primal and Twi waiting now, eh?" I said, spurring to action. Our marks were a great combination for this mission. I could keep throwing bolts of fire, lightning and frost at any who would oppose us,and 'Shy could keep healing herself and me while I provided the necessary cover for her aswell. A match made in heaven, so to speak.

I flew over to the place Fluttershy pointed out earlier, 'Shy herself in my wake. The alcove harbored an entrance to a very dark cave, illuminated only by a faint light in the far end of the cave. " I'll create a small fire which circles around me to provide us with light. Stay ready with a healing spell incase something happens." I said.

We carefully stepped towards the end of the cave after I created the circling fire. The light seemed to come from an object in the wall. Upon closer inspection we found that this was in fact the All-consuming Branch. " Score! Let's take this thing home! " I didn't notice how a shadow crept up on me while I tried prying the branch from the wall, but Fluttershy noticed.

"Umm, Dash? There is something creeping up on you."

A simple "What?" was all I managed to say before the shadow silenced me for a second.

"Do not speak if you wish to leave this place alive. You would do good in not touching that branch." The voice said.

"I'm not going to leave this place without it, so you can stop your threats and face me, or let me take the branch and leave you alive." I said confidently

"Oh no, Rainbow Dash is threatening me. Should I be afraid now? What are you going to do, kick me?" The voice said, gaining a figure as a grey-maned unicorn stallion appeared.

"Sounds like someone didn't see me recently." I said, and cast a quick lightning bolt at the unicorn, paralysing him and making his magic useless.

The unicorn had a shocked look on his face, literally and figuratively. " But... But how? You are not a unicorn! "

"I'm not, but let's just say that I have a friend who gave me some powers of my own. You gonna let me take that branch now? " I said.

The unicorn returned a look which could kill somepony, but he was in no state to object. I took the branch in my teeth, and motioned for Fluttershy to follow me. "Let's leave this pathetic fool and return to Ponyville with the All-consuming Branch. Our task is done here."

We flew back to Ponyville, and arrived at the library. We were the first to return, so we decided to wait for the rest to arrive.

WWWWW

Change of Character - Rainbow Dash -> Applejack

Ta be honest, and Ah'm the Element of Honesty so Ah had to be, Ah couldn't figure out why Primal sent me with Pinkie to retrieve the Everburning torch. Don't get me wrong, I liked the goofy earth pony, but she could be mildly frustrating sometimes. Maybe Ah was wrong.

"Come along now Pinks, let's catch the train to Apple loosa and walk or find sum other way to travel to the San Palomino Desert. Mustn't keep the girls waitin' now. "

The pink mare happily bounced along after me. We'd already packed our bags before heading to the library, so we could head out right away. We had to wait a bitfor the train to arrive, and we had to wait even longer to reach Apple Loosa,but we got there eventually. " 'Jackie, I think I see a carriage over there. Let's ask the driver if he can take us to the desert, and ask him about the location of the torch. " she said sternly, an unfamiliar tone coming from the usually bubbly mare.

Already, the pink mare proved me wrong. I thought I would have to be the one to be resourceful, but Pinkie surprised me. I responded simply with an "Ok" before following her to the carriage driver.

" Excuse me mister, but could you tell us about the Everburning torch? " I asked.

"Why yes, of course! Everypony here in Apple Loosa knows about that thing. Nopony managed to retrieve it and come back alive, though. Why, do you want to go there? " the stallion said.

" Umm, yes. Could you take us there and back? " I asked.

"For a few bits I can take you there, but it will cost extra to get me to wait for your return, as to compensate for lost time. I'm sure you understand. Name's Swift Distance, since I doubt you will turn down the offer. "

The blue-and-red maned grey earth pony with a directional arrow with a few gusts of air behind it looked sincere, and as he expected, we took his offer. I handed over the required amount of money, and we took a seat in the carriage.

"Ooh, I have an idea! I think everypony will like it." Pinkie said, staring intently at the wheels of the carriage. "Sit down next to us Swift Distance, I can solve the problem of you walking us over there. "

The stallion looked confused, but sat down next to usanyway. Pinkie's mark glowed, and so did the wheels. Then, the wheels started moving on their own accord. They picked up speed quickly, and we were quick on our way to where the torch was. Swift had told us before we stepped in the vehicle.

" I didn't expect this. I suppose you want some bits back? " Swift said.

"No, keep the money. You've earned it. " Pinkie said.

The pink mare didn't stop surprising me. We arrived at our destination not a long time afterwards.

"Well, least I can do is brave the dungeon with you girls. I am confident you'll be the ones to return with the torch. I never catched your names, by the way. "

"Name's Applejack, nice to meet ya."I said.

"And me! I'm Pinkie Pie! But you can just call me Pinkie! " she shouted in the tone everypony was used to.

"Well it's good I came across you two. Business has been a bit absent lately"

We ventured forth, into the dungeon. The inside was dark, as always. Luckily, Swift had a torch with him, so we at least had some light. Pinkie enchanted the torch using her mark so it would stay lit for longer, but it would run out eventually.

We reached an intersection, splitting the path in three separate ones. "Ah think Ah can do somethin' with this. Watch this 'ere now." Ah said, preparing my mark to use a spell Ah wanted to try out for a long time now. I duplicated myself into three separate Applejacks, each looking at each other and the company. "Ah will send a fake me into one path alone, and the real me will go with Pinkie. "

Swift went for the left path with one of the clones, and I sent another clone to the right path while Pinkie and I took the middle. It was really odd, as I could feel, hear and see everything my clones could whenever I wanted to.

WWWWW

Left path

Swift and I took the left path. We had to turn for a corner instantly and the rest of the party faded from sight.

Before us was a long, lit hallway, with torch sconces hanging near the ceiling on both walls. The hallway ended in a small chamber filled with various pieces of machinery. The path stopped here, but there was a gnawing feeling that there was more to this room.

"Let's check out the room Swift, Ah feel like we missin' somethin'." I said.

We both went through the room, inspecting every nook and cranny. I was just about to stop looking when Swift yeled me over. I stepped towards himand looked at what he was pointing at.

The thing he was pointing at was a rectangular-shaped coffin, no larger than maybe one or two ponies. "What'd be inside it, you think?" I asked him.

"Dunno, but I doubt it be anythin' good. " Swift responded. "Open it and see for ourselves?"

I nodded, and he stepped over to remove the lid from the coffin. A bat flew out quickly, scaring both of us. Other than the bat, there was a small iron lever inside. We had committed to opening the coffin already so Swift decided to flick the lever the other way.

We heard the sound of gears turning, and behind me a hidden passage opened. I took the lead and stepped inside.

The passage stopped with another small room. This one was filled with various torturing devices,however. A mangled body lay rotting on a table, causing a stench I rather wouldn't have been in. "Disgusting. Let's get out of here and get to Pinkie and the real me. I doubt there is-"

"There's a journal here, and a very fancy looking knife. Let's take both of those with us, who knows maybe we'll solve a murder with this." Swift cut me off with.

"Alright, take 'em with ya and let's get the hay outta here. This stench is making me sick." I said.

Swift placed the items in one of his bags,and we hurried back to the intersection tocatch up with Pinkie and the real me.

WWWWW

Right path

I walked down the right path alone into a lit room, much to my relief. The room was not lit by torches though. Instead, it was lit by a small green flame floating above a pile of books. One of the books seemed to fuel the fire, smoldering a bit as it didn't touch the actual flame.

"Hmm, odd." I said to myself.

Then, the flame looked as if it was writing words in the air. It spelt: "Free me in the middle path"

Instructions could not be much clearer than that, but I wondered if I should take the flame with me, and how. The decision and its details were shown quickly , as the flame started floating above my hat. " Don't burn my hat now, lil' flame. I like this hat."

I headed off to the real me, green flame floating above me.

WWWWW

Middle path

I saw that my left clone and Swift found a hidden torture room, and they had a knife and a journal with them. My left clone found a sentient green flame which wanted to be freed in the path we were walking. I told Pinkie of both their findings whilst we walked a seemingly endless path. They would catch up with us eventually as they were all running to catch up with us, and we were simply walking.

My assumption was correct, as both my clones and Swift reached us in the still ongoing tunnel. I dissipated my clones, and the little green flame flew over to my head.

"Finally, I found you two. I got these -"

" We know about the journal already. My conscience was linked with that clone so I could see everything it did." I said, not allowing Swift to finish his sentence.

He was about to reply with what probably would've been a witty remark,but decided against it and kept his mouth shut.

Finally, after even more walking and complaints about sore hooves, we reached a large double door. The right door was opened slightly, and it looked like there was a small trail of some sort of liquid leaving the room. It didn't look like blood, but nopony was able to place it.

Pinkie entered the room, but shot back instantly with a loud gasp.

"What's inside of the room Pinkie?" I asked.

"Something really horrifying and weird. See for yourself. " she said and opened the door completely.

The room contained what looked like an effigy, soaked with the same liquid as on the floor. In the corner of the room hung a green torch, the same colour as the small flame above me. The flame floated to the other far corner, and connected with another torch, lighting it and consuming the flame. Then, both torches flew out of their holders and touched the effigy, lighting it ablaze before flying over to us as we bounded backwards by the intense amount of heat. We quickly turned around and left the blazing room, torches in hooves. The torches flew up in the air again before writing 2 words: " Thank you "

"Well ain't that summin' now. We got the torches AND we're still alive. I guess the other adventurers met the previous occupant of this 'ere place. Let's git out of here before that guy returns. " I said.

Swift and Pinkie couldn't agree more, and we headed back to the carriage. Swift offered us a ride all the way back to Ponyville, saying something about meeting relatives after we told him where we would be going now. We chatted up about our little adventure on our way back, and arrived at the library in half a day.

WWWWW

Change of Character - Applejack -> Rarity

I simply had to pack a few more clothes for this trip. I dragged poor Spike along to my boutique and asked him to wait for me. I packed a few matching clothes and accessories and some travelling attire.

" Spike? Could you be so kind as to take one of these bags for me? I simply cannot take all of these bags alone and I am sure that your very capable claws can handle a task like that. " I asked, putting on my best pouty face.

"Do you really need all of this stuff? I don't mind carrying it but surely this isn't necessary? " Spike contemplated

"Nonsense, I was just testing to see if you would do a menial task such as carrying bags for me. I know now that there is more to you than what meets the eye..... " I said mysteriously.

" What's that supposed to mean... Oh nevermind let's just get going. We got to take the train to Hollow Shades in a few minutes. " Spike said.

We quickly headed over to the train station and boarded the train. We sat down in a somewhat empty wagon, just us and two other ponies in the corner.

"So, Spike. Want to tell me why you are so determined to prove yourself to me? " I inquired.

" I, uhh...... I..." he stuttered, and started blushing profusely. Just from that reaction and how he acted before when we were packing, I knew what was happening. And now I had a blush covering my face.

"You know, don't you..." he said with a tinge of embarrassment.

" Yes, I know. And I don't mind. But I don't think it could work" I said.

"Why not?" Spike asked, curious and slightly saddened.

"You won't stay like this forever, and I know that inside, you have a pure heart. You are still too young right now, though, so if you could wait a bit, I am certain this could work. " I said, reassuring him.

"Oh... Okay." Spike said, sighing.

"Don't worry Spike, I'll wait, as long as you can wait."

The train arrived at the secluded station in the Hollow Shades. We left the train station and decided to ask around town a bit to hear if anyone heard of lunar wood.

After an hour of questioning locals, we were none the wiser. Spike suggested we headed to the inn to get some food and drink, and a place to stay the night. The inn looked a bit worn down but was still in working shape. We entered through the double doors, drawing a few non-interested looks. I walked straight over to the bar to order some fruity cocktail, and Spike ordered some soda.

"Shame that the locals don't know anything about the lunar wood. Now we have to find it ourselves. " Spike said, and I agreed with him . Just as he said that, the bartender placed our drinks down.

"Nopony knows about lunar wood, ey? That might be because they are afraid. " the bartender said.

" Afraid of what, exactly? " I asked him.

" The curse that taints the forest the wood is located at. It's said that the ones who venture into that forest have never been seen again. " the bartender said in a grim voice.

" No curse like that is going to stop me from getting the wood to prevent an even bigger curse that could taint the entire kingdom." I said bravely. The bartender looked at me, confused. I explained in short detail what would happen to Michelle if we didn't get the lunar wood, and how that would affect Equestria.

" Hmm, when you put it like that.... I'll see if I can get the local trader to offer some supplies. I suppose you need somewhere to stay the night? " I nodded. " You can rent one of my rooms at a discounted price. Don't let my trust in you be misplaced. " the bartender said.

" By my word as one of the Elements of Harmony, I shall not let your trust be in vain. "

"An Element? My, you humble me with your presence my lady. " the bartender said.

" Do not let my title as Element of Generosity deceive you, I am still an ordinary pony. " I said.

Spike hadn't said a word during our conversation, but decided to speak up now : " I am tired. Can we get the room and go to bed? " he asked me.

"Sure, Spike. " I handed over the required amount of money to the bartender, who handed me a key in return. The key had "206" engraved on it. I took Spike to our room, and told him I would go back downstairs to eat. Spike, being so tired as to not care about food, ignored me and leapt straight into his bed. "Good night, Spike. " I doubt he heard that, as he was already snoring.

I headed back downstairs, wondering what we were going to do when we arrived at the cursed forest the next day....

WWWWW

I woke up, feeling rested. Spike was still snoring peacefully in his bed. I stepped out of bed, and coaxed Spike to get out of his, too. This took a while as the dragon didn't want to get out of bed.

"Spike, we got to get that lunar wood today. Our friends are probably waiting for us already!" I said.

Finally, he got out of his bed, still yawning and stretching. We cleaned ourselves and headed downstairs for breakfast. The bartender from last night was serving it, and he greeted us with a warm smile.

"You feelin' rested? You two got a big day today" he said.

"I have never felt so rested before in my life, and I am ready for today" I said with a triumphant smile.

"Good, because you're going to need everything. I have full faith in that you two will be the first to return from that cursed forest, and maybe reveal its secrets while you're at it"

We ate our breakfast in relative silence, the occasional conversation being picked up and dropped down within a few minutes. I thanked the bartender for his hospitality and trust, and he told us to visit the Hollow Shades trader to retrieve some supplies for our venture. All we had to say was "Cursed forest", and the trader would know what to do.

Most of the townspeople were not awake yet, so the streets were silent. The trader was open at very early times of day, so we didn't have to worry about that. The building stood out from the rest, being the only one-story building in the town, and having a big sign in front saying : "Hollow Shades Trader".

Once we entered the building, the trader greeted us warmly. "Hello customers, what can I do for you?"

"Cursed Forest" I said. The trader immediately shot up from behind his counter and went to the back of the shop. He returned a few moments later with an axe (for chopping the lunar tree), a rope just in case we needed it, some rations, water, and a weird looking object.

"What is that object there?" I pointed at the strange metallic device on the table.

"This, is a flashlight. Only unicorns are able to use it, but when magic is channelled into this, it will give off light. Kind of like a torch, only inexhaustible." The trader explained.

"I suppose we are desperately going to need that thing, then. The Cursed forest does not sound like a lovely place." I remarked.

"This is a huge investment I put into you. The bartender told me last night about you two, and told me that whoever said the words : "Cursed forest" would be the ones he mentioned. If all goes right, and you cleanse that forest, we should be able to use that land to expand our little town and exploit it for its rich minerals. Now, there's a thing you should know about the forest. From what we've heard from rumours, there is a ruined building somewhere in that forest, which holds the tree you are looking for and quite possibly the source of the curse. Be careful, as nopony knows what the curse is able to do."

I thanked the trader for his help, and gave some of the rations and water to Spike for storage. I kept the flashlight with me, as I would be the one to use it, and we went out of town towards the forest. It wasn't very far from the town, which is why it would make an ideal expansion site for the town, as the trader said. And since it was untouched for centuries, there would be a lot of minerals to take.

We reached the edge of the thickened cursed forest line, making a clear seperation between the usual, open forest to a dark, dimly lit forest where the low trees blocked out any form of sunlight.

"You ready, Spike? Who knows what we are going to find in this place, and I intend to return to our friends in one piece" I said.

Spike nodded hesitantly, visibly afraid but courageous nonetheless. "We have to do this. Otherwise the entirety of Equestria will be engulfed in the corruption within that human girl. I'd rather just have this cursed forest to deal with than an entire nation."

"Let's go. The forest will not wait for us." I said.

We stepped intothe forest. The flashlight was already proving useful, lighting up the darkness. With what light we had I could vaguely see the castle ruins in the distance. I notified Spike, and we walked over into the direction of the castle.

We arrived at the entrance to the castle, dirty and bruised after tripping several times. "You go first, there is no telling what is inside. " I said.

Spike treaded into the ruin, and I followed suit. I couldn't help but gasp at the room ahead of us. The walls were decorated with torn tapestries and a few torches in ornate holders lit the area up. There were two hallways, going left and right. In the center of the room was a blooming dark purple tree. In front of the tree was a strange looking creature however. It was a huge dog with multiple heads, and it was seeping with a blackened fog,which thankfully looked like it was sleeping. This thing was obviously the source of corruption in this forest.

" That is a big problem. Maybe one of the hallways holds an answer to defeating this thing? " I suggested.

We walked carefully towards the left hallway, which lead into a library. " Twilight would've loved to be in here. Look at all these books! " Spike said.

My eye catched the look of a particular book, and I levitated the book over to myself and opened it.

" This is it! This book holds the answer to defeating the creature back there! " Spike walked over to me and inspected the book. " It says here, to defeat the monster we have to make it look at itself long enough for it to see itself as a threat. Then,we have to use this book to absorb the spell he casts and reflect it back at it. We have to create a room full of mirrors where you can lead it to while I stand ready to teleport you out and the book in. Sounds like a good plan to you? " I asked.

He gulped. " I have to guide that huge monster to a room full of mirrors? S-Sure, I can d-do that. " He looked afraid, but I saw a glint of courage in his eyes when he looked at me.

"Let us go back to the other hallway and see if the room there is more suitable. " I suggested.

We walked over to the other hall, making sure not to wake the sleeping monster up. Lucky for us, that room was perfect for trapping the monster in. It had a hidden balcony somewhat higher up, where I could wait for Spike. I created the mirrors required for the trap and mounted them on the walls.

"Are you ready Spike? All you have to do is wake the monster and make it go into this room. " I said.

He nodded, and was now visibly less afraid. I teleported to the balcony and saw himwalking out of the room. The balcony had vision over a small part of the tree-room as well as the mirror room, so I could see Spike inching closer to the monster. I heard him shout : " Hey evil monster! Look, I am in your castle! " This woke the creature, and it was looking around to see what disturbed it. It roared when it saw Spike, and quickly stood up to chase him whilst shooting fireballs haphazardly at him.

Spike and the monster got into the room, but Spike tripped over a loose stone and he fell. The monster quickly took advantage of this and shot a fireball at Spike, hitting him in his back. Luckily, dragons were fire resistant, but I could tell that the impact hurt. I quickly teleported him out, and the book in on the ground.
The monster looked around in confusion and saw only itself.
It quickly got angry and started casting a massive spell which would've undoubtedly wiped out both of us. Before the monster managed to launch the spell, I levitated the book upwards, and it intercepted the massive inferno of fire. The book soaked up all of the flames, and the room was quiet for a moment. The book then burst up into flames and launched itself at the monster,hitting it in its face.
The monster got knocked out instantly, and I teleported down and conjured a sword to deliver the killing blow by stabbing it in its main eye. The monster cried out in pain one last time before falling onto the ground defeated. It exploded in a fiery nova, which hit everything but didn't burn anything.

" Rarity! Come look outside! " Spike said.

I teleported back up to him, and stood beside him as he looked out of the window. The forest was bathed in sunlight as the shroud which covered the tops of the trees was lifted. I could see a mass of ponies gathering near the edge of the forest. "We should get over there when we got the tree. I want you to axe it a question. " I grinned. I teleported us back to the room with the tree and gave Spike the axe.

He took the axe, and hit the trunk of the purple tree with it. When he did so though, the tree looked like it expanded upwards. The tree shot out of the ground and we heard a deep voice : " Don't cut me down! I can give you a piece of myself. "

Spike looked at it, confused, but lowered his axe. The tree grabbed one of its branches and pulled it out. "I know about your quest. I saw how you dealt with the Cerberus and I am certain you can use this part of me well. I will plant my roots in this forest and spread my seeds, to remake the lost and forgotten Lunar Forest. In time, this forest will be returned to its former glory. "

The tree gave the branch to Spike, and left the ruins. We followed it outside and saw it root itself in the ground. " Good luck on your quest " were the last words it said.

" A talking tree and a multiple headed dog. This trip was weird to say the least. " I said.

" Weird , but good. Let's head back to the town. " Spike said.

We headed back to the town, and were swarmed with happy, cheering ponies. " There is one thing you all should know however. This forest was once the Lunar Forest, before it got corrupted. The last lunar tree has planted its roots in the forest and will reform the forest in due time. Give it some space, and I am sure it will pay you townsfolk back for it. " I said.

The townsfolk cheered again, and the bartender and the trader walked up to us. " I knew I could trust you. Too bad we can't use the land completely, but I am sure we could be the main exporters of the rare Lunar wood in no time. " The trader said. "I'm sure you need a ride back to wherever you came from? " I nodded.
" I have a carriage stowed away which you could use. It's powered by magic, albeit a bit unstable. "

We thanked them for their help and rode the carriage back home, back to our friends who were waiting for us.

WWWWW

Change of Character - Rarity -> Primal Dagger

We arrived at the library, to find that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had already returned. " You two are back early. I hope you didn't rush it just to be first? " I asked.

" Nope. Since both of us can fly, traversing the Gorge was no problem. We found the branch quickly, and all that stood in our way was some crazy unicorn stallion who didn't expect a lightning bolt from me." Dash explained. Then,a look of fright crossed her face. " Guys, t-there's a panther behind y-you. "

I never heard her this scared before. I slowly turned around to look behind me and saw Sabrina sitting behind me. I laughed and stroked the panther softly, causing her to purr softly.

" Primal has a new pet. She approached our camp near the edge of the swamp at night, but it had no harmful intentions. Instead, Primal quickly befriended her. " Twilight explained.

" Meet Sabrina, my pet panther. Sabrina, these are Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. " I pointed at said mares in turn.

" She can understand you? How? I thought I was the only one around here with the ability to communicate with animals. " Fluttershy asked in amazement.

" I'm not sure, but I don't question it. I'm glad I have a pet of my own, and one very fitting to what I am, too. Maybe it was destined to be? I don't believe in fate, though. The only thing I know about fate is that it nearly always screws me over " I said.

" That sounds awfully negative . " Twilight remarked.

" I know, but I am usually right when it comes to fate. I just know when I have an extremely unlucky day just by observing the events that happen, and plan the rest of the day to avoid anything that has to do with taking risks. " I said plainly.

" At least you know what to do against it. " Rainbow exclaimed.

" I guess I do. " Just as I wanted to say something else, the door opened to reveal Applejack and Pinkie Pie. " Ah, that makes 3 out of 4. Now we just have to wait for Rarity and Spike. "

"Y'know, Ah still don't get why you sent me with Pinkie. Surely Pinkie would've been better with Rarity so she could enchant what Rarity conjured? " Applejack asked.

" I sort of knew you didn't like being put up with Pinkie, and I knew Spike would want to say something to Rarity in private. Win-win situation if you ask me. Pinkie surprised you didn't she? " I said.

" How..... Ah it don't matter none. I guess you are right, she did surprise me. Ah thought all Pinkie was capable of was bouncing around and being all around happy. " She turned to Pinkie. " Ah'm sorry Pinkie, Ah shouldn't have thoughtabout you that way. " I saw a small tear form in Applejacks eye.

" it's okay Applejack , I thought that was all I could do aswell. "I surprised myself too, but it just came to me and it felt natural. " Pinkie said in a comforting voice. She stepped over and grabbed the orange mare for a bone - crushing Pinkie style hug.

" Isn't that cute. " Spike said as he stood in the opening of the door, Rarity behind him.

" Spike! " Twilight shouted, and ran over to him to give him the same kind of hug,Twilight style.

I grinned. "Isn't that cute? "

Spike managed to snort under Twilight's hooves. " Air!"

Twilight let go of him, but couldn't help to hug him again, less tight this time.

"Alright alright I get it, you missed me a lot. " Spike said.

"You will always be my number one assistant, Spike. And don't you forget that. "

I noticed Rarity was channeling a spell, and saw a branch floating behind her. " Let me take that branch, Rarity. " I walked over to her and took the branch inside, with her following me and closing the door behind her. I placed the branch down on the floor.

"Place all of the items for the ritual on the table here, please. " Twilight , Rainbow and Applejack all placed their items on the table. " It's a rather unusual combination of items, isn't It?

The branch of purple lunar wood , the Rock of the Phoenix, a preserved Deathlotus, a crystal focus, and a green everburning torch were all on the table. " I wonder how the ritual will have to be done. " Twilight said.

" I suppose I could tell you the details. " a warm voice said, belonging to a pearl white alicorn.

" Princess Celestia!" Twilight said, bowing.

" Come now Twilight, no need for formalities. " Celestia said, turning to me.

" My lady. " I said.

" I see you have collected all of the items necessary for the ritual. Well done, asking your friends to speed up the process. Once again friendship proves invaluable. Now, for the ritual...." She turned to the table, and started explaining. " The lunar wood will be set ablaze with the torch to cause the magical properties of the woodto activate. Michelle will have to stand on top of the branch as it gets lit,causing her corruption to burn up. But to prevent it from going into the air, the focus will be used to gather and direct the burned essence into the rock. The rock will then carry the corruption, and Luna will take the rock to the moon so it will never be released again. "

"The magical flame won't hurt Michelle, right? " I asked worriedly.

" It will only tickle her. Part of her essence will be burned however, so she would have to rest afterwards. " she said.

" Good. At least I know the pain and suffering I caused her is minimal, aside from the obvious 'being corrupted and going insane' part" I said, sighing in relief.

" You liked her a lot, didn't you? " Twilight asked.

" I care for her, but no, I didn't like her in that way." I responded. "Anyway, did I tell all of you that you are part of a TV -show back where I came from? Quite a popular one too. " I said.

Everypony in the room got surprised looks on their faces. " So, we are famous? " Rainbow asked.

" Sort of, yes. The show was made for little girls to teach them about important life lessons, but it ended up having a much bigger fanbase than just girls. Let's just say I watched it too. And more people my age have. Lots more. Its part of the reason why I know a lot about you all, and why it didn't frighten me as it could have. I still landed on an unknown planet, with ponies that could talk after all. " I said.

" So you say you watched a show meant for children? " Spike asked.

" Yes, technically I have. But the show is so well made, and those life lessons don't just apply to the young ones. Older people could also learn a thing or two in friendship. Our world could use a bit more happiness between all of the seriousness and sorrow and stress. " I said.

" All the more reason I should go with you to go to your world and see it for myself. " Twilight stated.

"If you truly want to, who am I to stop you? But that's for later though, we have an 'end of the world' scenario to prevent." I pointed out.

"That is correct. I arrived here on a carriage as soon as I knew one of you got back. Let us take that same carriage back to Canterlot with haste. " Celestia said.

All of us followed Celestia outside, and Twilight locked the door behind her.Each of us carried a part of the ritual with us, I took the branch, as I was physically a bit taller to allow for carrying larger objects. We walked towards the carriage in the distance, and once we gotthere, we got in quickly. There were a lot of us but the carriage was roomy enough. To grant us a bit more space to sit down in, Rainbow flew next to the carriage, easily keeping up with it.

" Celestia, could the corruption seep out of the rock once it's in it? " I asked her.

" There is a possibility, yes. But I am counting on Luna to get the rock to the moon quickly enough for that not to happen. " Celestia said.

" I have calculated that she has about 10 seconds of risk-free time before the rock could seep corruption, but it would need to be extremely powerful after those 10 seconds for it to seep out. So I estimate that she has about a minute to get the rock to the moon and get out. " Twilight said with her smart tone.

WWWWW

We arrived at Canterlot Castle, and I immediately heard screaming. " Quick! We have to set up the ritual! " I shouted. I motioned for Twilight to follow me and take the rest of the materials while I took the torch and the branch with me, and for the rest to get Michelle and Luna and head to the palace gardens.

I quickly made my way over to the gardens to drop the wood in an open spot, and held the torch as Twilight covered the rock with a Deathlotus balm and placed that and the focus in their required positions. The rest got to the gardens not too shortly after.

"Michelle, quickly step on this branch here. Luna, stand ready to take the rock to the moon. " I commanded.

They both followed my orders, but Michelle looked at me with worry. " You won't get hurt. The flames will only tickle you physically, but spiritually a part of you will be burned away. You must make sure to rest after this is done. " I explained.

I used the torch to light the branch she was standing on. Pinkie had removed her enchantment on the way here already, so the branch quickly catched fire. The flames started roaring around Michelle, and I instinctively stepped back. The amount of power from just that single branch is astounding. I thought to myself.

Celestia cast her spell to lead the burning essence into the focus, and Twilight and Rarity both poured their magic in aswell. The focus burned the essence onto the Rock, which started getting darker and darker. Eventually the flame abruptly stopped, which was Luna's que. She quickly teleported away with the rock.

"Now we have to wait. I don't usually mind waiting, but I really don't like it now. " I said impatiently

"I am sure Luna can take care of herself. " Celestia said, but her voice said otherwise.

A few seconds later, a black flash blinded us. Before me stood Nightmare Moon, the dreaded evil avatar of the night. I immediately donned my armour and drew my daggers in the blink of an eye, and lunged at the avatar. I was stopped mid-air by a dark glow, however.

" Not fast enough, and definitely not subtle. Alas, I am not here to do harm. Instead, Luna sent me to get you all. She's in grave danger. The corruption you brought to my moon was stronger than you thought, and it took Luna over. I will need all of you to distract her long enough for me to cast a purifying spell together with Celestia. " Nightmare Moon said. " Stand around me quickly, there is no further time to explain.

I saw everyone hesitate, but I heard the truth in her voice and took the lead. I stepped beside her, and motioned for the rest. They all made up their minds and quickly stood beside the avatar aswell. Sabrina had been standing beside me all that time, and now was no different. Nightmare Moon started charging her teleportation, which engulfed all of us as we crossed the distance.

We all appeared on the moon, somehow managing to breathe normally. I saw Luna some distance away from us, and saw tendrils of dark magic surround her. " Come with me quickly Celestia, and help me with this spell! The rest of you, keep her off of us!" Nightmare Moon shouted.

I shadowstepped behind Luna, and stabbed her with my draining daggers. Once my daggers hit however, i got flung backwards against a wall due to the extreme magical feedback, and very hard too. I thought I heard the cracking of bone, and the last thing I saw was a dark tendril coming for me before unconsciousness took me.....

WWWWW

Change of Character - Primal Dagger - > Twilight Sparkle

I saw Primal flying towards a wall with extreme speed.

" Primal, No!" I saw a dark tendril coming for him, and I quickly conjured a shield before and on him using a combination of the magic from my mark and my horn. The tendril evaporated as it touched the shield, but another took its place.

"Applejack! Create some illusions to distract her! I can't hold an extended assault off for long! " I shouted to the orange mare.

" On it, Twilight! Rainbow, shoot her with your magic bolts! " Applejack shouted to Rainbow Dash.

" Will do! Fluttershy, support us! Rarity and Pinkie, conjure and enchant some magical weapons to attack her and defend us too!" Rainbow shouted in turn.

Rarity conjured a large sword and shield, and Pinkie enchanted both with mana supplies which boosted their effectiveness at the cost of her own energy. Fluttershy closed her eyes and chanted a magical healing song, instantly closing any injury her friends would take. Rainbow charged a bolt of fiery lightning, combining two of her elements into one dangerous spell. Applejack duplicated herself five times, and each of the clones started drawing Luna's attention towards it with taunts. Spike and Sabrina teamed up and swiped, clawed and seared their way through any stray tendrils.

Once Luna's attention was diverted, I uncharged my spell and used my magic to teleport Primal's body to a safer place. After I got him out, I looked at Celestia and Nightmare Moon and saw them combining their horns, causing sparks to fly and creating more and more magical energy. I nearly didn't notice as a tendril slipped towards them, and I quickly cut it off with a blade of magical energy. Another one again took its place however, and I called out for help. But everypony was already battling with Luna and didn't hear me. I heard movement from behind me, and as I turned to look, all that was left was a cloud of smoke. I looked back at the tendril to see Primal cutting it off, causing the magic inside to flow into him.

" Primal! You're awake again! How-"

I got slammed in my stomach as a tendril hit me. The force flung my body away for several meters. I saw a tendril approach me, but a glint of blue steel ended its approach on me. I saw Primal bending over me before I passed out....

WWWWW

Change of Character - Twilight sparkle - > Fluttershy

I had my eyes closed to chant the healing song, but I heard panicked shouting over my chanting. I opened my eyes again and looked around, and saw Primal jumping up and down, screaming and standing next to an obviously hurt Twilight. I quickly ran over to him.

" She got hit by one of those tendrils! She's bleeding heavily, do something! " He shouted. He was obviously in great panic as he could've stopped the bleeding himself. I calmed him down, and cast my healing magic on her, recreating broken ribs and mending wounds. She was still blacked out, but she had less staggered breathing now.

" She should be fine for now. You should go back to protect Celestia and Nightmare Moon. " I said, as I turned around to resume my healing song for the rest of my friends.

"Thank you, Fluttershy. I should hurry back to the princesses. " he said.

I turned my gaze to Rainbow Dash, who had a large cut on her stomach. I focused my magic on her and saw the wound closing, renewing Dash's fighter spirit.

WWWWW

Change of Character - Fluttershy -> Primal Dagger

I quickly blinked over to the princesses just as a tendril was about to strike. I cut it off in its path, and saw the ambient magic flowing into me from my blades. The magic was not contaminated since the blades only absorbed pure magic. The extra magic renewed my reserves and I could feel my previous injuries mending. The spell the princesses were casting was nearly at its apex, but the tendrils seemed to notice this. Four of them flew at them all at once with lightning speed. I managed to cut down three, but the last one hit Nightmare Moon in her face, disrupting her part of the channeling.

The spell nearly failed, but Celestia managed to capture the stray magic and keep it in a small vortex. It was quickly taking its toll on her however, so I had to decide quickly. And then, time seemed to stop.

I could walk around normally, but everything else was frozen in place. I looked over at the battle and saw all of my friends had fallen one by one. Thanks to Fluttershy they were in stable conditions, but time was running out quickly for them. I then spotted a small crack in the dark armour around Luna, and i knew what I had to do.

Time resumed itself, and I blinked inside of the magical vortex the princesses had created. I could feel the raw magic whipping across my body, but I remained unharmed. I then started gathering the energy inside of me, and aimed at the crack in the armour.

An enormous beam of prismatic light shot towards Luna, and a massive explosion of power followed. I collapsed on the ground and the world turned black again.

WWWWW

I woke up feeling drained and completely exhausted, but alive at least. Every muscle and fiber in my body hurted, and with extreme pain I managed to sit upright as I opened my eyes. Everypony was standing around me, and even Spike and Sabrina stood near me. " Oww my head and everything hurts.. Wha happened? "

" You defeated the evil again. Just a few more times and you should be promoted to superhero. " Twilight said mockingly.

I noticed we were still on the moon, and Luna was on the ground, resting. The Rock was next to her, but it hummed and shone with pure white, grey and black energy instead of darkness and corruption. " What happened to the corruption? And why is the rock glowing like that? " I asked.

" You somehow managed to channel our magic and your own into a single beam of pure energy which hit Luna. It severed her connection with that corruption permanently, and it seems it has been erased entirely by the amount of power. The excess amount had nowhere to go though, so it stored itself inside the rock. " Nightmare Moon explained.

" What about you? What made you good all of a sudden? " I asked.

" Simply said, I am part of Luna's essence. When the corruption threatened that, Luna called upon me to aid her in both Our benefit. You see, if she dies, I will die aswell. And if I die, Luna will too. If our essence gets damaged, We could have died as a result. " she said. " This made Us realise that We are more mortal than We thought We were. My attempt at world domination was simply due to a misunderstanding between the citizens and Us. It was foolish and We should have listened to Our subjects instead. We do not expect to be forgiven, but do not let My foolish actions stop you from living your life. "

"I .... Wow. And all this time I thought I banished just you to the moon for an eternity. But instead I sent both of you away forever, and when Luna came back, she was not the same without you. I apologise. I should have known that back then. " Celestia tuned in.

" You could not have known. Sending us away was the best decision back then, as my blind rage would have swallowed your sister and your land whole." Nightmare Moon said. " Come, I will send all of us back. You have all deserved your rest. "

We gathered around her and Luna, and the magic engulfed us again. One flash later and we were all in the castle gardens.

I collapsed back on the ground, exhaustion overtaking me again. Nightmare Moon's magic surrounded me and teleported me into a bed inside of the guest quarters. Michelle appeared in another bed a moment later, fast asleep. I closed my eyes, letting sleep overtake me, my dreams freed from reality.