The Elements of Randomness

by Razor Blade the Unicron

Chapter Eight: Quest

Amethyst ran into the library, quickly grabbing her saddlebags in her magic. She moved a few books on the shelf out of the way, and opened up the small trapdoor. Twirly slipped inside, and turned around to face Amethyst with a nervous frown.

"Amy, please be careful," she said nervously.

"I will be," she replied, gently closing the trapdoor and placing the books back on the shelf. "You stay safe."

She then turned and ran out of the library towards Everfree, tightening the straps of saddlebags with her magic. She hesitated, before continuing towards the forest.

I really don't want to go in there... she thought. But there's no other option.

Just as she took another step, Fleetfoot skidded to an abrupt stop in front of her, with her goggles swinging on her neck.

"Okay," she started. "I have no idea what going on, but you seem to know. Mind explaining why you're running into that forest after that Nightmare thing has just shown up?"

"I don't have time to explain!" cried Amethyst.

"Well, it's not like there's any daylight to burn though," said Flitter, landing gently next to Fleetfoot. "And I'd like to know what's going on."

"Same here," added Limestone, walking up from behind Amethyst.

"Did you all follow me or something?" asked Amethyst.

"That Nightmare thing is trying to mind control everypony that so much as takes a step near her, so I thought it'd be best to get out before she got me. And you seem to have a plan."

"But..." she trailed off as Lotus and Saffron also walked up to the four of them, and sighed. "Okay, I need to get the Elements of Harmony to stop Nightmare Moon from causing eternal night, but they're hidden in a castle in the Everfree Forest."

"Isn't the Everfree Forest cursed or something?" asked Saffron.

"It's one the most dangerous locations in Equestria."

"You were going into that place alone?" asked Limestone. "That's like a death wish!"

"But so is letting eternal night happen!"

"Arguing izn't going to help," interrupted Aloe. "You said zat the Elementz can stop Nightmare Moon?"

"Yes."

"Then we'd better go get them," said Flitter.

Amethyst was going to object once again, but decided against it. It would be much safer to go into the Everfree with others, as opposed to going alone.

"So, are we all going?" she asked, which was greeted with a nod from everypony. "Alright, then."

The six ponies set off towards the Everfree Forest, with Amethyst in the lead and Fleetfoot flying above them.

"Amy, where's Twirly?" asked Flitter.

"Some place safe," said Amethyst firmly. "I don't want her to get hurt."

Flitter nodded, and they resumed walking in silence. However, none of them noticed the small whips hiding among the trees that was identical to Nightmare's mane. The wisp sneaked ahead of the group, and came upon a cockatrice that was pecking at a tree. The wisp wrapped around the cockatrice, and it became angry. It heard the sounds of hooves, and quickly ran over towards them.

"So what exactly are the Elements of Harmony?" asked Saffron to Amethyst.

"Magical items that once banished Nightmare Moon," she replied. "I'm not exactly sure what they are, but they seem to be some sort of stones. Though, they could be gemst-"

The cockatrice burst out from between the trees, and ran towards the six ponies. Amethyst's eyes widened in shock, and she quickly averted her eyes from it.

"What is that?!?" cried Flitter.

"It's a cockatrice!" cried Amethyst. "Don't look at its eyes, or you'll be turned into stone!"

"Into st-" started Limestone, before she accidentally caught the cockatrice's eye, and instantly turned into stone.

Amethyst's eyes widened in fear, and she quickly yanked out her book on creatures. She flipped it to the page on cockatrices, as Flitter also turned to stone.

"Is now really the best time for books?" asked Fleetfoot, making sure to keep she eyes shut.

"I'm trying to figure out how to make it stop!" said Amethyst.

"I can try to keeps its eyes shut with magic!" said Saffron, her horn lighting up purple.

"Wait, don't-" Amethyst cut off as Saffron was turned to stone. "Their eyes are resistant to magic..." She frantically flipped read down the page in her book, as the beard the cockatrice walk closer to her. "Come on, there's got to be something..."

"Amethyzt, watch out!" cried Lotus, quickly running in front of her to block the cockatrice, and subsequently turning into stone.

"Turn ponies into stone..." muttered Amethyst nervously. "If angered, even more dangerous... Ah-ha! It's powers can be blocked if the following spell is used on a semitransparent blindfold or glasses!" She looked over at Fleetfoot's goggles, and her horn flared up. She quickly cast the spell on her goggles, and slipped them up on her eyes. "Fleetfoot, I enchanted your goggles to be resistant, you need to-" She cut off as the cockatrice landed in front of her, and she was also turned to stone.

"Amethyst?" asked Fleetfoot nervously. "Aw, shoot, you're stone aren't you..." She hesitated, before opening her eyes to see the cockatrice right in front of her. "At least your spell still works..."

The cockatrice angrily pecked at Fleetfoot, who flew into the air to get away from it.

"Leave me alone, you chicken-lizard!"

Why not just fly away to safety? taunted a voice in her head. Its going to pull your goggles off sooner or later, and you don't even know how to reverse the stoneification. Just go back and you and your team can go look for the Elements without these nuisances.

Fleetfoot hovered in the air for a moment, before shaking her head. "I'm not just leaving them here!"

She flew at the cockatrice, and dodged out of the way of its tail as it slashed towards her. She then pinned it down by its tail, and glared angrily at the cockatrice.

"You'd better change them all back to normal," she said as the cockatrice tried to yank off her goggles once again. "Because I'm not gonna let you go until you do."

The cockatrice furiously lashed out at Fleetfoot, who pressed down harder on its tail.

"Change them back."

It let out a cry of anger, before closing glaring at Fleetfoot once more.

"Change." She pressed harder. "Them." Even harder. "Back." The cockatrice screamed in anger, and there was an abrupt flash of light.

Fleetfoot blinked in surprise, and realized that the cockatrice was gone. She looked behind to see the five other ponies standing dazed, and no longer stone.

"What just happened?" asked Limestone.

"The cockatrice destoneified us," said Amethyst, looking over at Fleetfoot. "You didn't run away?"

"Why would I?" she asked. "I'm not just gonna ditch you guys 'cause it's better for me. What kinda teammate would I be then?"

Amethyst smiled, and put her book back away in her saddlebags. "Well, then thank you."

"What are friends for?"

And she simply blinked in surprise.

---

"So, you think you can get the Elements to stop me?" asked Nightmare Moon as she watched the six ponies continue through the forest by the use of her magic. "As if. There's no chance you'll make it. Especially if I have a little... extra motivation. Now... Who is this Twirly?"

Comments

[HashMark111]

Not Twirly!

[Paxwing]

8139798 Shoot.

[Paxwing]

Nooooi! Twirly...