Chapter 12: The Vault
Chapter 12: The Vault
What truly stinks about adventuring is having to backtrack many times. Luckily, the train rides from each town to the next was a bit quicker. It was already almost sunset when the Friendship Express arrived into the city, with Sora and his routine departed the station. They were wondering down the streets, making their way to the castle.
"So now all we have to do is find the Canterlot Vault." Sora said.
"Well it's not going to be easy, Sora." Rarity said. "The vault isn't just for anypony to enter. It's filled with even the most dangerous artifacts."
"She does have a point, Sora." Donald said. "We could get in trouble for this."
"Don't worry." Sora said. "Luna gave us clearance."
"Clearance?" The girls asked.
"Don't worry about it." Sora said. "I got it covered." The group then made their way towards the castle, seeing the beautiful building. They walked up towards the entrance, seeing two pony guards at the entrance. They were the same ponies who Sora and his friends met when they first came to Canterlot. Whirlwind Xaldin and Earthius Lexeaus. Luckily, the two guards didn't show hostility and recognized the boy and the two from earlier. The group then told them why they were here.
"The vault?" Earthius asked. "That's at the end of the castle."
"And why would you need to go to the vault?" Whirlwind asked. "It's forbidden. Even the entrance way to the room that houses the vault is inaccessible."
"We're looking for something that we think might be stolen." Sora said. "Something that belonged to Starswirl the Bearded." The eyes of the two guards widened up as they hard Starswirl's name. They both glanced at each other and gave a nod.
"We're not actually suppose to talk about it, but there is a way you can get to the vault." Whirlwind said. "But to do that, you'll have to take the underground caverns."
"Within the caverns is a massive room that is said to be the private library of Starswirl the Bearded." Earthius said.
"Really?" Sora asked, but then he started to think. "Wait, how do you two know that?" The two ponies looked at each other, giving a nervous blush.
"We saw Princess Celestia going into the caverns a couple months before the Changeling Invasion." Whirlwind said. "We followed her inside and found her there. She apparently took something from the library."
"She didn't see us, but we didn't see what she took." Earthius said. "But managed to follow her out through a big door that led us back up and right near the vault." Donald and Goofy looked at each other.
"I wonder what Princess Celestia took from there?" Goofy asked.
"Who knows." Donald said.
"Can you take us there?" Sora asked the guards.
"Unfortunately no because we're at our post, but the entrance to the caverns is underneath the floor in the halls on your left." Whirlwind said.
"Just be careful down there." Earthius said. "It can get pretty dark."
"Thanks." Sora said with a nod and smile, and the two guards allowing him, Donald, Goofy, Spike, and the mane five to enter the castle, to find the caverns and Starswirl's library.
Making their way on the left as the guards told him, the group came to the hall and looked around, hoping to find the mysterious entrance to the caverns below the castle, or at least some sort of contraption that will open up the entrance. So far, they haven't found anything yet. Nothing but the wall or the carpets that laid out on the floor.
"Where is the entrance to the caverns?" Rainbow Dash asked, only to get a shush from Rarity.
"Keep it down." She hushed. "We don't want to draw attention."
"Sorry, but this is taking too long." Rainbow Dash said.
"Just suck it up Rainbow." Applejack said. Fluttershy looked along the walls and the windows, before making it to the curtains.
"HI!" a high pitch voice said from behind the curtain, making the butter colored Pegasus yelp backwards on her back. Behind the curtain was Pinkie Pie.
"Oh, you startled me Pinkie." Fluttershy said.
"Pinkie Pie, this isn't the time for games." Rarity said.
"But I'm not playing games." Pinkie Pie said. "I just love saying hi!" Donald and Goofy looked under the carpet, finding no mechanism for the entrance.
"There's nothing here." Donald said. "Maybe those guards are sending us on a wild goose chase."
"I don't think so." Goofy said. "I don't see any wild geese here. This is a royal castle." Donald only rolled his eyes in annoyance at Goofy's cluelessness. Sora was checking near the columns right on the wall where the curtains were hanging.
"It has to be here somewhere." Sora said. "I just got this feeling in my gut that it's right under us somehow." Suddenly, the boy turned to his right and saw one of the flowers on the wall was a bit crooked. He went over to turn it back straight, but as he did, he heard something. It sounded like something was clicking behind the wall. Seeing it can turn more, he turned it to the right, tilting the flower upside down. Then suddenly, He felt the floor disappear right under him and then he suddenly fell inside, giving a yelp as he fell down, in a strange hole underneath him. Luckily, the yelp got everyone's attention.
"Sora?!" Goofy and Donald asked as they went to the source, and found the big hole behind the column. The two leaned in and looked inside.
"Sora?!" Goofy asked. "Are you ok?!"
"I'm ok, guys!" Sora said. "But you gotta come see this!" Looking at each other, the two gave a nod, and turned back towards the girls and Spike.
"Hey girls, over here!" Goofy said, getting their attention. They saw the two going into the hole that opened up below the ground.
"They found it!" Rainbow Dash said.
"C'mon girls!" Applejack said. The girls and Spike made their way and jumped into the hole. The descent was rather quick as they all fell on top of each other, since there was ruckus and girls groaning as they hit the floor. Pretty soon, Rarity lit her horn up with magic, creating a bright light. To their astonishment, the entire room was made of crystal! While the floor was solid and clear, the ceiling and the walls had crystals and gem carvings all over. The sight made Spike smile. After all, he loves gems. All dragons love to eat gems!
"Wow!" Spike said while licking his lips. "This place is amazing!"
"Hey!" Donald shouted, showing that the girls and Spike were on top of him and Goofy. "Get off!"
"Sorry, Ducky-boy." Applejack said as the girls and Spike hopped off, while Goofy got up from Donald who gave an annoyed moan.
"Hey guys, check this out!" Sora's voice called out. Turning their heads, they saw Sora near a large hole in the wall, broken open. They were even more astonished.
"Wow, who did this?" Applejack asked.
"Maybe Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked. "She and Princess Cadance were trapped in a crystal cavern. This must be part of the caverns they were trapped in." The girls stood there and looked, seeing the broken wall. This probably was the same place the Changeling Queen sent Twilight after her little failed attempt to expose the bride. Guilt began to show on their faces as they saw the wall, and they couldn't help but wonder. What if Twilight never found Cadance? What if she ended up lost in here and died of starvation?
"Twilight said that she would've never escaped if she didn't find Cadance." Applejack said.
"And we probably would've never found her either." Fluttershy said, unable to hide a guilty whimper. Rainbow Dash moved forward and placed her hoof on the wall. Out of all the ponies, she was the most guilty of them all. But she wasn't going to give up. Not on Twilight. She's gonna make this right. She's gonna find her, tell her that she's sorry.
Sora looked around and looked on his right, seeing that there was another path next to the wall, a path blocked by crystals and gemstones. But he also noticed there was a faint light down that tunnel. Maybe that's the pathway to the library.
"C'mon, let's go this way." Sora said.
"But that pathway is blocked." Rarity said.
"But I see I light down there." Sora said. "Maybe that's the way to the library."
"How are we gonna get past this blockage?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Um... you mean blockade?" Fluttershy asked.
"I got this." a voice spoke behind them. They turned to see Spike, giving a confident smile.
"Spike?" Sora asked. "How are you gonna-"
"There's one thing you guys should remember." Spike said. "I love to eat gems. And I haven't had much to eat for a while, so... Bon Appetit!" He then rushed past the group and leaped onto the rubble of gems and crystals. And he began to eat the shiny crystals, even chumping onto the large one blocking the way. The group watched with surprise and amazement, seeing this little dragon eating away. It was true that he hadn't ate much in a while. Regardless, the five ponies began to chant.
"Eat, Spike, Eat!" They chanted. "Eat, Spike, Eat! Eat, Spike, Eat!"
"Keep eating Spikey-Wikey!" Rarity said, while Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at her with a bit of confusion.
"Spikey-Wikey?" The three asked.
"Well, of course." Rarity said. "He's such a helping cutie..." The three looked at each other and gave a chuckle. Pretty soon, within just a minute and a half, Spike took one last piece of gem and tossed it into his mouth. The pathway was clear! The ponies began to cheer.
"Look!" Applejack said. "There is a light at the end!"
"Come on, let's go!" Sora said as he ran forward.
"Wait up, Sora!" Donald called out as he and Goofy followed suit. The girls then began to follow too, but then, Rarity stopped and turned around. She saw Spike laying on the ground against the wall, giving a satisfied sigh, showing that he's had his fill from eating those crystals and gems blocking the path. Surprisingly, he stomach was actually bulging out, about the same size it got after he ate those other dragon's gems a while back, if not a little bit bigger.
"Ahhhh... that really hit the spot." Spike said, letting out a hiccup. Despite that, Rarity couldn't help but smile. But then suddenly, Spike only gave a frown and stared at his round stomach.
"What's the matter, Spike?" Rarity asked. "Are you getting a tummy ache?"
"No." Spike said. "Even with my tummy full, I still feel empty inside." The fashionista realized why Spike was upset. He missed Twilight.
"You miss Twilight, don't you." Rarity said.
"Yeah, I miss her so much." Spike said. He truly did miss Twilight, the pony who hatched and raised him his whole life. If anything, Spike saw her more than just a friend. He saw her as a parent. He saw her as his mother. Deep down he always felt that way, but he never got the courage to tell her himself.
"She told me that she was never mad at me, and she never blamed me." Spike said. "But deep down, I feel like she is. I wasn't there for her when she needed me. I'm her number one assistant, and I let her down."
"Oh, Spike." Rarity said. "I honestly don't believe that she was angry with you. When you stopped her from attacking Princess Celestia, she was able to snap out of it when she saw you afraid. And out of all us in that wedding room, she never scolded you. If there was anything that you've did, you were just scared and confused, and it's normal for a dragon your age. Even Sweetie Belle gets scared and confused when something bad or unexpected happens." Spike then looked away for a second and gave a sigh.
"You're right." Spike said. "Rarity, I'm sorry for being mean to you recently."
"Don't be, Spike." Rarity said. "If anything, I deserved it. And... I understand if you don't want to forgive me after all this." The baby dragon then started to think. Deep down, he couldn't hate Rarity for what happened. Besides, unlike Twilight, Spike never knew Cadance at all either. He didn't know that the imposter was a changeling queen. So, he couldn't blame Rarity. After all, he still liked her very much. It's odd for a baby dragon his age to fall in love with a pony, especially someone who is a little older than him.
"Well, it might take some time." Spike said. "But right now, I just want to find Twilight."
"We'll find her Spike." Rarity said. "Whatever it takes."
"Hey, Rarity, C'mon!" Rainbow Dash called out at the end of the tunnel. She then turned around, but not before looking back at Spike and using her magic to lift him up and place him on her back.
"I'll carry you from here on out." Rarity said.
"Thanks, Rarity." Spike said. "I hope I'm not too heavy, given the gems I just ate." The little dragon poked his swollen stomach as the unicorn gave a giggle.
"It's no problem at all, Spikey-Wikey." Rarity said as she carried the baby dragon on her back and continued on to catch up with the others.
The boy kept running down the cave, with Donald and Goofy, as well as the rest of the group trying their best to keep up with him. Normally one would say run from the light, but that's only if you're on the verge of death. In this case, they were going towards the light, which began to grew brighter and brighter as they got closer. Pretty soon, Sora came to a stop and his eyes widened at what he was seeing. As Donald and Goofy got closer, they too showed the same expression. A smile was formed on Sora's face at the view he was seeing.
Before him was a massive room, while there were crystals hanging from the ceiling very tightly, the room was so vast and beautiful. There was a stairway on the right side, and at the top was a long bookshelf, filled with many books. On top of the shelves, there was a huge telescope and behind it was a magical orb floating and spinning slowly on its own. In the middle of the room was a small pond with a bit of land in the middle, which held the world's largest bit, or coin so to speak. And on the far end of the room was a statue of a grey colored pony with along white beard, wearing a blue cloak and hat covered in bells. That was definitely a statue of Starswirl the Bearded! Next to it was a bunch of scrolls in bags, a glass cabinet that contained all kinds of jewelry, and of course a huge portrait of Princess Celestia.
This could only mean one thing. This is without a doubt the personal and private library of Starswirl the Bearded. Sora couldn't help but be amazed, as were the others, who just showed up. Sora hasn't been this amazed since seeing Rapunzel's tower in the forest back at the Kingdom of Corona.
"Wow... look at that." Sora said.
"Garsh, this must be the library of Starswirl the Bearded." Goofy said.
"We found it!" Donald cheered.
"Wow." Applejack said. "Twilight would flip if she saw this place."
"Well, she is a fan of Starswirl after all." Rainbow Dash said.
"Hey guys!" Pinkie Pie called out. They turned to see Pinkie Pie up on top of the bookshelf, looking through the telescope. "I can see my house from inside here!"
"Pinkie, get down from there." Applejack said. Donald and Goofy looked up there a bit surprised. Pinkie Pie sure made it up there very fast.
"Wait, wasn't she behind us?" Donald asked.
"That's just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie." Sora said as he went down to check out the cave. Rainbow Dash flew up to Pinkie Pie and attempted to get her down from the shelf, while Applejack and Fluttershy took a look at the big coin in the room. Rarity was looking at the cabinet, admiring the big pink gem that was inside. Spike was also admiring it too, giving a lick since he loved gems. Fortunately, he wasn't hungry anymore to eat. Sora then approached the statue of Starswirl and began to examine it.
"Wow." Sora said. "So that's what Starswirl looks like." He then turned his head to take a look at the picture of Celestia. There was actually someting quite different about her in this picture. She looked a little bit smaller, almost Luna's current height, and her mane and tail wasn't flowing as much. Her mane and tail was a darker pink, almost similar to Fluttershy's mane. She was probably younger in this picture, which could explain why the crown was much bigger.
"Huh..." Sora said. "Princess Celestia looks so young in this portrait."
"Garsh, it's kinda hard to think of her as anything but what she looks like now." Goofy said.
"She has been around for more than a thousand years." Donald said. "She also faced many challenges and struggles too." Suddenly, popping out of Sora's hood was Jiminy Cricket, who was observing the portrait.
"Hmmm, this must've been from around the time when Princess Celestia officially became Princess of Equestria." The cricket said. "No doubt that she's faced a lot of trials as a ruler, and a lot of problems back then."
"Yeah, especially when she was forced to use the Element of Harmony and banish her sister to the moon." Goofy said.
"Yeah." Sora said. Then he looked around a bit more, but spotted something to his right. What he was seeing was a strange mirror, decorated with a horseshoe-shaped rim lined with multiple gems, and attached to the top was a smaller window with a depiction of a pony inside it.
"Hey, look at this." Sora said as he ran up to it. He came to a stop as he examined it.
"It's a mirror!" Donald said.
"Guess Starswirl used it to see how well he looked in clothes." Goofy said. As Sora went closer towards it, seeing his reflection in the mirror, he felt something... something mystical from the mirror. It's almost as if it was magical.
"Guys, somehow I don't think this is a mirror." He said as he continued to examine the mirror. There was definitely something magical about this mirror. He could feel it. But what?
The past and the future collide...
The sudden voice rang in Sora's ear. What was that? Did he just hear a woman's voice? Suddenly he felt a bit dizzy, but not too dizzy. He rubbed his eyes as he felt a teeny bit of pain in his head. Where did that come from?
"Come on, Celestia. There's something I must show you immediately!" The sudden voice made Sora turn his head. Turning around, he saw something... or somepony that surprised him, a familiar tall white alicorn with a flowing multi-colored mane and tail with a sun cutie mark! It was Princess Celestia!
But next to her wasn't Luna. It was a light grey unicorn with dark gray hooves, a long white tail mane with a mustache and beard, with streaks of grey. He wore a dark blue hat and cape with a couple of stars and crescent moons, with bells as well. And his eyes were dark greyish blue. Was that... Starswirl the Bearded?!
"Princess Celestia!" Sora said. "And Starswirl?!" That can't be? How is he here? Donald and Goofy looked at the boy with confusion. Because they didn't see anything.
"Sora, Princess Celestia isn't here." Donald said.
"Huh?" Sora asked.
"There's no one else besides us, the girls, and Spike." Goofy said.
"And me too!" Jiminy said through Sora's hood.
"We know." Donald said.
"Huh?" Sora asked as he looked back at the two, then back at Princess Celestia and Starswirl. He then noticed something. The bodies of the tall alicorn and unicorn were glowing, and transparent. He could see right through them. They weren't ghosts because Princess Celestia was alive. Was this a... hallucination? Or a... vision?
"It's an exciting day to be magical, Celestia." Starswirl said as the two were walking towards the three. "I've made a breakthrough that even I didn't think possible. This mirror is going to be the greatest achievement of my career!"
"Starswirl, you've really done it?" Celestia asked. "It's just... its just impossible to believe. Another world?"
"Oh yes!" Starswirl said. "This mirror will allow us to jump from one world to another! And in time we might be able to jump from dimension to dimension... or universe to universe... Aren't you curious to find what else is out there in the cosmos?"
"With Luna being so distant lately, I've got so much to do..." Celestia said. "I doubt I'll have time to help you with what you're proposing." The tall alicorn only lowered her head as he throughts dwelled on her sister.
"Now Celestia, I know you've been concerned since your sister started to act a bit... dark recently, but I'm sure we'll get her turned around before anything serous happens." Starswirl said. Celestia looked at her old mentor and smiled.
"Thank you, my old friend." Celestia said. "You have no idea how much I've needed to hear that. I've had so many doubts lately."
"Never doubt yourself, my faithful student." Starswirl said with a smile. "You'll do great things for your subjects. We all know that. Now, on to the main subject. If the secrets of cross-world travel are going to be kept under here, do you think I should put up some protections? Maybe a trained supernatural beast?" Celestia began to think on it.
"Maybe a hydra?" Celestia asked.
"Ooooooh!" Starswirl said with a smile. "I like that idea!" Sora tilted his head in confusion.
"A hydra?" Sora asked. "They placed a hydra down here? I didn't see a hydra when we came down here." Hearing the word hydra, Donald and Goofy looked at each other. Donald then looked to his right, and tugged on Sora's jacket, getting his attention.
"There it is." Donald said, pointing at the water nearby. Inside the pool was a huge skeleton with multiple skulls and necks... That was probably a hydra.
"Huh." Sora said. "So that's where it was."
"Anyway, here it is!" Starswirl said as he passed through Sora, who then stepped out of the way as the projection of Princess Celestia walked by. As they passed Donald and Goofy, who were still confused at what was happening, Celestia was a bit amazed by the sight of the mirror, and a bit confused too.
"Every bit of magical knowledge in Equestria wrapped up in a reflective package!" Starswirl said.
"How does it work?" Celestia asked, her head tilted a bit.
"Some worlds can be accessed through spells, some only through the precise alignment of the moon and stars." Starswirl said as he magically placed the blueprints of the portal back into one of the shelves. "As of right now, I've only formed the spells for one world at this time. Think of the new magic to discover out there... the knowledge we can attain..."
"W...We?!" Celestia asked a bit surprised. "But Starswirl, I can't go traipsing about in a different world, I have a blossoming kingdom to run and protect!"
"Pish posh." Starswirl said. "You say that like the pursuit of knowledge isn't a worthy pastime."
"It is worthy, but..." Celestia said. Before she could finish however, Starswirl closed his eyes, and his horn charged up with an azureish gray aura of magic. He then pointed his horn and zapped a magical beam at the mirror, making it glow brightly, as a wave of magic blew across the two. Starswirl then approached the mirror and pressed his hoof onto it... but instead, his hoof went through it! He then turned to Princess Celestia, extending his hoof out.
"Come along, Princess." He said. "Adventure is out there." Seeing the bearded unicorn with a smile, without a care, made her think. Perhaps a little time away from this place wouldn't cause much harm. She took his hoof and the two went right through the mirror. The sudden action surprised Sora greatly.
"Whoa!" Sora said. "Princess Celestia and Starswirl went through the mirror!" Donald and Goofy looked at him and each other with confusion.
"Sora, there's no one else there." Donald said.
"I know." Sora said. "I think I know what just happened!"
"What?" Donald asked.
"I... I just had a vision!" Sora said.
"A vision?" Goofy asked. "You mean you're psychic?"
"No, no, not that kind of vision." Sora said. "I mean, I saw a glimpse of the past! I saw a past scene of Princess Celestia and Starswirl using this portal. This portal seems to be a gateway to one of the outside worlds!"
"Yeah..." Donald said, showing a nervous smile, before pulling Goofy to speak to him privately. "Yep, he's completely lost it."
"I dunno, Donald." Goofy said. "Sora may be onto something. He seems fine to me."
"He wasn't ok when that heartless tower showed up." Donald said. "He was scared to death."
"Now Donald, don't say that." Goofy said. "He might hear you."
"He's probably not listening to us." Donald said.
"I'm listening now!" The sudden voice made Donald and Goofy turn to see Sora, who was looking at both of them with a stern face. Yep, he heard them.
"Told ya." Goofy said, Donald only gave a nervous laugh. Sora then turned his head back at the mirror. If that mirror could take anyone to another world, what world did the mirror lead to?
"I wonder what world they went to though." Sora said.
"Probably one of the ones we've been to." Goofy said.
"Or maybe one we didn't go to yet." Donald said. The boy tilted his head, with curiosity building up inside him.
"Let's find out." Sora said as he approached the mirror.
"Sora, we probably shouldn't." Donald said.
"It'll only be a minute." Sora said as he looked back at the two. He then got closer to the mirror.
"It's probably not on." Donald said. The boy looked at the mirror for a short moment, and lifted his hand up. He slowly leaned his hand to touch the glass... only for his hand to go inside it!
"Whoa!" Sora said with amazement, as Donald and Goofy watched with awe as well.
"It is on." Goofy said. Sora looked back at Donald with a smile.
"You were saying?" He asked, as Donald only sighed. The boy then glanced back at the mirror and leaned his head in to see where it led.
As his head popped out to the other side, the boy opened his eyes, and glanced around himself. He was half-way inside the mirror... actually, he was sticking a bit outside a mirror, with both hands out and one foot out too, with his other foot on the other side so he didn't completely leave. Looking around, he saw that he was in the middle of a mirror as well! Looking at his surroundings, he saw that it was a huge library.
Wait... this library! The floor was green, and the shelves were arranged into a pathway. He also saw a yellow table at the end of a ledge, which was the upper floor. And the columns that were near... This library! This was the library that he came across during his time in Hollow Bastion... or Radiant Garden. This world was Radiant Garden! He was in Radiant Garden... or partially in since his foot was still on the other side from where he came.
"This is... Radiant Garden!" Sora said, before turning his head. "Guys, the mirror leads to Radiant Garden!"
"It does?!" Donald and Goofy's voices called back.
"Yeah!" Sora said. "This is the library, the one that was some sort of puzzle maze." He looked around, surprised that the mirror lead to Radiant Garden. Could this be the world that Celestia and Starswirl went through, before the world became Radiant Garden.
"I can't seem to find anything." A voice said. Sora knew that voice well, well actually there were two people he knew that had that voice. But it was more uplifting. He looked to one of the bookshelves and saw Ventus, scanning through the shelve to find something. Sora was more surprised. Ventus was here?
"There's nothing regarding any knowledge of Equestria's past." Ventus said as he slumped his head down. "You guys find anything?" Coming up the steps were Aqua and Terra, the former holding a book.
"Nothing." Aqua said as he scanned through the book. "Only information regarding the PUE Royal Guards, and the Wonderbolts. Nothing about the Pillars or anything."
"We weren't able to get a hold of Sora." Terra said. "He hung up on us."
"He was probably in the middle of something." Ventus said. Sora raised an eyebrow, seeing the three here.
"Ven?!" He asked, with the blonde boy turning his head upon hearing his voice, only to see Sora stuck between a mirror. Wait, what?! Ventus turned his head, seeing Sora's upperbody sticking out of the mirror.
"Wh... Sora?!" Ventus asked, as Aqua and Terra looked at what Ventus was seeing. Both of them were dumbstruck to figure out what was going on.
"Hey guys..." Sora said with a nervous smile and wave.
"Sora!" Ventus asked as he ran up towards the mirror. "Wha... how... uh... is it really you?"
"Who else?" Sora said.
"Sora... how did..." Aqua said.
"How are you even here?" Terra asked.
"Funny you should say that." Sora said. "This mirror here led me here... or part of me here."
"Wait, aren't you in Equestira?" Ventus asked.
"Well... part of me is." Sora said. "There's this mirror we found in an underground cavern and-"
"Sora!" Donald and Goofy called out, getting his attention.
"Huh?" Sora asked. "Hey!!" He was then pulled back in through the mirror.
"Sora!" Aqua called out as she ran towards the mirror, her hand pressed onto the glass. Wait... pressed onto? It didn't go through it.
"What?" Aqua asked.
"Ok... what just happened?" Ventus asked. Aqua stroke her hand across the mirror. She felt something. It was a magical surge coming from the mirror itself.
"There's some strange magic coming from the mirror." She said, as Terra examined the mirror too.
"This mirror seems to be a portal that lead Sora here from Equestria." Terra said.
"A portal that leads to another world?" Aqua asked. "So whatever goes through this thing from here can get to Equestria."
"And anyone from that world to here." Terra said. Ventus tilted his head, amazed. They were all amazed. A mirror that leads to Equestria. Another way to cross to other worlds? Could that explain how some of the knowledge and texts from that world got here? And if this mirror is a portal, how many more could there be?
"Well, now we know where the stories come from." Ventus said.
Sora felt himself being pulled from the other side of the mirror, as Donald and Goofy pulled him back into the caverns. All three of them landed on the ground, with the boy landing on top of the two. He lifted himself up and shook his head.
"Hey, get off!" Donald shouted.
"Sorry." Sora said as he got off, allowing Donald and Goofy to get back onto their feet. "What was that all about? I was having a conversation with Ven."
"Wait, you saw Ven?" Goofy asked.
"Yeah, he and the others were in Radiant Garden." Sora said.
"What were they doing there?" Donald asked.
"Probably looking for information on the Pillars." Sora said. "But you guys didn't have to pull me out of there!"
"We had to!" Donald said.
"Why?" Sora asked. The royal wizard then made his way towards the mirror and pressed his hand upon it. But instead of going through it, it pressed onto it. The boy tilted his head. "Huh?"
"The portal closed up." Goofy said.
"It closed up?" Sora asked. "So that meant I would've been stuck in Radiant Garden?"
"No." Donald said. "You were halfway through the mirror!"
"Which meant part of you would've been stuck in between." Goofy said. "Half of you there, and half of you here." The boy's eyes widened. That's why they pulled him out. He was standing between the portal, and if it closed up, he would've been stuck!... or sliced in half!
"Whoa!" Sora said. "Thanks guys. Good thing you guys pulled me back in." He gave a happy smile of relief, while Donald only rolled his eyes.
"Celestia, you were doing what?!" A voice boomed in the room. Sora turned around, hearing the voice. He turned to see Starswirl the Bearded, and Princess Celestia talking, though it sounded like they were arguing. Their bodies were glowing and transparent, which mean this was another vision most likely.
"Another vision?" Sora asked as he watched the scene.
"I... I was using the portal to visit the outside worlds." Celestia said.
"And you were doing so after I told you we couldn't go out there anymore?" Starswirl asked. The Princess turned her head away, and there was sadness in her eyes, something that Sora noticed.
"How often have you used it?" Starswirl asked.
"Not... often-" Celestia said, though Starswirl's stern face wasn't buying it.
"How Often?!" He asked, his voice getting louder.
"...On and off... ever since Luna was banished to the moon." Celestia said. Sora's eyes widened up. This must've taken place some time after Princess Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to banish Nightmare Moon to the moon, along with Luna.
"You've been using the mirror for almost a whole decade?" Starswirl asked, showing worry and anger on his face. "Celestia, you know what kind of consequences there are visiting the outside world! We've talked about this! Using the portal way too many times can cause the entire universe to collide together and rip itself apart, there by, destroying the universe! You promised me that you wouldn't use it! We can't risk it!"
"You don't understand!" Celestia said. "Luna is banished to the moon! And it's my fault! The outside world was the only thing that could bring me solace! To help me ease the pain of having the banish my own sister!"
"You did what had to be done." Starswirl said. "If you hadn't, Nightmare Moon would've destroyed you. Besides, your sister turned evil. Once a villain, always a villain."
"Luna didn't turn evil." Celestia said. "She was corrupted by darkness!"
"She chose to use darkness." Starswirl said. "She made her choice."
"Because I made her feel alone!" Celestia said. "She just wanted ponies to know how wonderful the night was!" Starswirl only shook his head.
"We can't use the portal anymore, Celestia." Starswirl said. "If you use it again, it could cause the universe to collapse on itself! You're putting everypony in danger! What could possibly be worth it?!"
"What do you think is worth it?!" Celestia asked, showing tears in her eyes. Starswirl only turned away, showing disappointment.
"I'm sorry..." The princess spoke, her head hung down in shame. "I just… I don't want to be alone anymor-"
"No, Celestia... no." Starswirl said. "I'm ending this." Celestia lifted her head up.
"What do you mean?!" Celestia asked, though in her heart, she knew exactly what he meant. "No! You can't! I won't use it as of-"
"No!" Starswirl said, looking back at the Princess. "I will not let you put your kingdom and the other worlds at risk. This is over... Now!" He then approached the portal and his horn glowed with magic.
"No!" Celestia said, making her way towards the stallion, but a force field preventing her from getting closer. "At least let me say goodbye to my friends!"
"Kingdom come, and kingdom go. A land so close to our core." Starswirl chanted as magic enveloped his body. "Our worlds now severed, ebb and flow. Doth from his point, we close the door!" He then fired a mighty flash of magic upon the mirror, making it glow brightly and the glass upon it shattered.
"NO!" Celestia shouted as she got through the force field. But alas, it was too late, as the mirror was shattered and the door to the outside world was closed forever. She approached the mirror and slumped, unable to keep the tears in her eyes from dropping to the ground. Starswirl only turned away, still showing disappointment.
"We will never discuss this again." Starswirl said. "I'm very disappointed in you, Princess. But in time you will know that-"
"Fix it..." A hiss came from Celestia's mouth, making him turn towards her.
"What?" Starswirl asked. The sun princess turned her head, showing tear-ridden eyes, though her eyes were full of rage and sadness.
"Fix the portal... NOW!" She shouted, making him stumble back a bit. The Sun Princess was angry and demanded him to open the portal up. But he shook his head.
"No!" Starswirl said. The Sun Princess only lowered her head, though there was rage present in her eyes, and more tears.
"Then... as Princess of all of Equestria, I banish you, Starswirl the Bearded, from Canterlot and beyond!" Celestia shouted with a royal traditional Canterlot voice boomed, making Starswirl gasp. She was banishing him from her kingdom?!
"Celestia, this is madness!" Starswirl shouted. "You have to understand-"
"LEAVE NOW!!!" She screamed as tears dropped from her eyes, and she galloped away, with tears dropping from her eyes, out of the caverns, towards and through a massive door. Starswirl watched dumbfounded. Celestia had banished him?!
"Starswirl!" a voice called out. He turned his head to see a pegasus wearing old Roman armor fly into the caverns and descended upon the ground. His coat was brilliant amber and his mane was moderate amaranth. He had turquoise colored eyes and his cutie mark was of a blue feather over mountain peaks.
"There you are, Starswirl, we've been looking all... what happened here?" The Pegasus noticed the cracked mirror, and Starswirl looking a bit startled.
"N...nothing, Flash Magnus." Starswirl said. "What seems to be the problem?"
"We found him." Flash Magnus said. "He's near Ponhenge!" Starswirl's eyes widened with surprise, but they showed determination.
"Then we must stop him." Starswirl said as he tilted his hat. "Oh, before we leave, we'll have to come back to get my belongings. I'm leaving Canterlot." Flash Magnus lifted an eyebrow in surprise.
"Why?" He asked.
"I'll... explain on the way." Starswirl said with a nod. Though Flash wondered, he knew it had to wait for another time. He gave a nod and made his way back the way he came, with Starswirl following him. He couldn't help but lower his head in sorrow.
"I'm getting too old for this." He said as he left.
The vision then came to an end there as Sora watched with surprise. Starswirl destroyed the mirror because using it would've caused the universe to collapse on itself and destroy everything? And Celestia banished him for it?
"Wow..." Sora said as Goofy and Donald walked up to the boy.
"What did you see?" Goofy asked.
"I saw Princess Celestia and Starswirl arguing with each other about the mirror." Sora said. "She was using the portal and Starswirl forbade her from using it."
"Why?" Donald asked.
"Because, he said that using the portal too many times would cause the universe to be destroyed." Sora said. "He ended up cracking the mirror up, destroying the portal, and the Princess banished him."
"What?!" Donald and Goofy asked.
"Yeah." Sora said. "And... then she left, and a Pegasus showed up. I think it was one of the other Pillars of Equestria. They said they found somepony, who they referred to as him. Then they both left. I think they went off to fight the Pony of Shadows."
"Garsh, then that moment must've taken place before Starswirl and the Pillars fought against the Pony of Shadows." Goofy said. Donald, on the other hand, started to think about the portal and the whole universe could be destroyed if used to much. He never heard anything like that.
"That's odd." Donald said. "Master Yen Sid and the King never said anything about portals causing the universe to be destroyed."
"What do you mean?" Sora asked, a bit confused.
"Well, Master Yen Sid also had a portal thing-a-majig, though it wasn't a mirror." Goofy said. "It was a magic pot, and it allowed him and others to go to other worlds back in the old days when he too was a Keyblade Wielder, before there were Gummi-Ships, Star Shards, and Keyblade Gliders." Sora tilted his head. So there were other portals besides the mirror?
"Wait... there are other ways to get to other worlds besides just ships and all that?" Sora asked surprised. Donald and Goofy quickly froze up and covered their mouths, or beak in Donald's case. It seems that they weren't suppose to say something about that.
"Whoops, we weren't suppose to say that." Donald said as Goofy gave a nervous chuckle. The boy crossed his arms and began to think. He then looked at the mirror and wondered. He saw that Starswirl cracked the mirror up, but now it's in perfect shape, as if it was brand new.
"But wait... how did the mirror get fixed?" Sora asked.
"Maybe Princess Celestia managed to fix it somehow." Goofy said.
"Or someone else probably fixed it." Donald said.
"Hey guys!" A voice called from the distance. They turned to see Rainbow Dash.
"I don't mean to be impatient, but can we please get a move on?" She asked, while the other girls and Spike were done looking around. The three then realized that they were wasting time. They had to get to the Canterlot Vault.
"Oh, right." Sora said. "We better get going."
"But how do we get out of here?" Donald asked. Sora then started to think. He remembered Whirlwind and Earthius talking about a door that will take them out of the caverns and to the Canterlot Vault. Come to think of it, the vision he saw showed Celestia running out of here through a massive door. He then looked to where she went, and saw a huge massive door. That was probably the way out.
"Hey guys, over here!" Sora called out. "This must be the way out!" Everyone turned to see Sora pointing at the door. They all gasped.
"Oooh!" Pinkie Pie cheered as she rushed to the door and leaning her head on it. "I wonder if there's a big surprise behind it!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy pushed the door open, showing another pathway that lead out of the library.
"Awwww, that wasn't so surprisingly." Pinkie Pie said with a little pout.
"Alright, let's go find that vault." Applejack said as then the group made their way through the doors, with Donald, Goofy, and Sora being the last ones to leave. But as Sora was about to step out. He turned his head back, to look at the room. He couldn't get his mind of the vision he had of Starswirl sealing up the portal that lead to the outside world. He could only sigh and leave... until...
"It must be here! It has to be!" Sora froze as he heard that voice. He turned around suddenly, his vision acted strange again, as everything turned white and black, but he saw a blue glowing pony. Making his way back inside, he saw that it was Princess Celestia, and she was looking through something, desparately.
"Princess Celestia?" Sora asked.
"There must be a way!" Celestia, showing some panick in her voice.
"Having trouble?" a new voice spoke, making Sora turn his head. He gave a gasp, seeing a strange man in a black coat, the same coat that is usually worn by Organization XIII!
"Organization XIII!" Sora shouted as he summoned his keyblade, ready to fight. But suddenly, he stood there a bit confused, seeing that the man wasn't looking at him, nor paying attention to him. In fact, he was glowing a strange crystal blue color and his body was a bit transparent too. Sora then realized that this was another vision, probably taking place long after Starswirl sealed up the mirror. But that doesn't make sense. Is this taking place when Xehanort was alive, before he started all that mess. The princess of the sun glanced up to see the hooded man.
"What are you doing here, old master?" Celestia asked, feeling a little unease.
"Aww, is that the way to say hello to a old friend?" The man, the Old Master said as he came into the room, passing Sora. The boy then noticed something in his hood. While his face was shrouded, one of his eyes wasn't, which was showing a glowing crystal blue colored eye. Sora almost gasped in surprise. That eye color. That was the same eye color that was on Master Xehanort's keyblade! And his voice sounded different, very unlike Xehanort's or his other past selves' voices. The voice was more in-between, more middle-aged, give or take a few years younger. Was this Xehanort's master or something?
"Oh, wait, am I not your friend?" The Old Master asked in surprise, making Celestia feel that she unintentionally offended him.
"Oh, no, I didn't mean it that way-" Celestia said, until the old master laughed.
"I'm just kidding with ya." He said, as the Sun Princess rolled her eyes.
"I don't like it when you toy with me like that." Celestia said.
"Sorry, I can't help it." The old master said. "So, have you heard? Starswirl's gone."
"Yes, I've heard." Celestia said.
"So what are you doing down here?" The old master asked. "You mourning him or something? Or is it to find a way to open up that portal over there?" His hand was pointing towards the broken mirror, which made the Princess gasp.
"W...what makes you think-" Celestia asked.
"Now, now, Celestia." The old master said, wagging his finger. "I know about your little fight with Starswirl concerning the portal to the outside world. Just as I knew you would be down here trying to unlock it. Don't you remember, Celestia? My eye can see the future." The sun monarch only let out a defeated sigh.
"Yes, I'm trying to find a way to open the portal that leads to the outside world." Celestia said. "But I can't seem to find the spell that can restore the portal." The old master looked at some of the books and picked one up, opening it up and reading it.
"Well, you're not making much progress." The old master said, his fingers grabbing ahold of one page. "There's nothing in this book about unlocking chains." He then ripped some of the pages out, much to Celestia's annoyance.
"Do you have to do that?" Celestia asked.
"Yes." The old master said before tossing the book away and sat on the desk Celestia was near. "So tell me, what's going on?" The sun princess only gave a deep sigh and leaned against the chair she sat in.
"All of this started when I used the Elements of Harmony to stop Luna from going out of control." Celestia said. "But instead of destroying the darkness inside her, I succeeded in only banishing her to the moon."
"And that portal was the only thing that brought you solace." The old master asked.
"Yes." Celestia said. "The portal has shown me the world beyond the things I've seen. As we entered the world, we took the shape and form of the inhabitants of that world, and while we managed to keep a low profile of where we came from, the wonders of those worlds made me feel... alive."
"Then what happened?" The old master asked.
"Starswirl said that we couldn't use the portal anymore because doing so would cause the universe to merge and destroy itself from the inside out." Celestia said. "I've used it a few times behind his back, but when he caught me coming back, we argued and he sealed it up. He truly believed that using the portal would bring harm to the worlds. He didn't care if I lost my sister, nor if I was in pain." The old master looked her, and then...
"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" He laughed a bit hysterically.
"What's so funny?" Celestia asked.
"Cause the universe to be destroyed?" He said getting off the table. "That is the most stupidest lie I have ever heard." Celestia's ears perked up hearing that.
"What?" Celestia asked. "What are you saying?
"What I'm saying is, the old horse lied to you." The old master explained. "The real reason why he locked the portal up was because he was afraid that someone else would find it and use it to get to the outside world. All that whole destroying the universe thing was just a bunch of bull."
"W... What?!" Celestia asked, completely shocked at this revelations. "Why would he lie to me about this?"
"Guess he never told you, but he was having trust issues at that time." The old master said. "A friend of his betrayed him, making him lose trust in those he's closest too. Yet he was too oblivious and sucked up in his pride to realize that it was he who made his friend betray him. But let's get back to the subject. Do you want to see the outside world again?" Celestia then started thinking. She didn't know what else to think. First she lost her sister, then she lost her mentor's trust and now, learning that Starswirl lied to her about the portal? This was too much for her. She didn't know what to do, but the old master seemed to have read her face.
"I'll take that distraught as a yes." The old master said. Then, he turned away and lifted his hand up. Then suddenly, a spark of electricity ignited his hand, then suddenly, a weapon appeared. Sora, witnessing this flashback, gasped in surprise. The old master summoned forth a keyblade! But it wasn't just any keyblade! The keyblade had a black handle with a raised spiral carved around it, with its pummel and guard resembling black demonic wings. The base o the blade was decorated with the emblem of a goat, and the shaft is formed with two black barbed blades, stched with a white icon resembling a bramble of thorns. The teeth are formed in the shape of a demonic king, with a blue eye in the top and middle of the blade. The keychain is made of small, grey links, and the token is an entagled talisman with the same eye. It was the same keyblade that was wielded by Master Xehanort!
"What?!" Sora said to himself. Before he could think of anything else, he saw the cloaked man point the keyblade at the mirror. It charged up a lot of energy and shot a ray at the mirror, sealing up the crack and restoring the glass as if it was never broken. A small keyhole also shined on the glass and evaporated into specks of light. The vision of Celestia gasped greatly as she saw the mirror restored.
"How did..." She asked.
"Helloooo, keyblade." The Old Master said, showing the keyblade before it disappeared from his hand. "After all, I am the Master of Masters, so to speak. Now you can use the portal again. I also changed the mirror so no one else would go through it but you. So now you can explore the outside worlds, and enjoy them to your heart's desire! Congratulations!" The old master, the Master of Masters began to clap as if he was applauding. Sora only raised an eyebrow. Is this guy was really a keyblade master or a deeply disturbed person?
"R...Really?" Celestia asked. The cloaked man then placed his finger on the alicorn's chest, most likely pointing to her heart.
"May your heart be your guiding key." The Master of Masters said. Celestia looked at the portal then at the cloaked man. She then gave a sigh and a nod.
"Thank you." She said. She then made her way to the portal.
"Oh, and one more thing." The Master of Masters said, getting the alicorn's attention. He then gave her a piece of paper.
"What's this?" Celestia asked.
"The date that you shouldn't go to the outside world." The Master and Masters said. "On that exact day, or at least a couple days before hand, don't use the portal. Because on that day, something terrible will happen, where a great war will ravage the land. But when it's all over, the worlds will survive and be much different than the one you've seen. But you'll have no problem with it though."
"War?" Celestia asked.
"Just don't ask about it, alright?" The Master of Masters said. Celestia then gave a nod and went into the portal, while the Master of Masters flexed a bit.
"Man, I was right." The Master said. "Ponies are so much fun." Soon, the vision of the Master and the entire scene faded before Sora's eyes. To be honest, he was so confused to at what he saw. He stood there and started to think. That master, the Master of Masters spoke about a war. He was probably talking about the Keyblade War, the first one from the Land of Fairytales that Master Yen Sid told him and Riku about. All of this stuff happened before the first Keyblade War?
"So wait... all this happened before the first Keyblade War?" Sora asked himself. "And... the mirror only works with Celestia… How come I was able to go through the portal? And just who was that guy?"
"SORA!" Donald's loud voice grabbed his attention, making him turn around to see Donald and Goofy at the doorway.
"C'mon, Sora!" Goofy called out. "We gotta get to the Vault!" Sora then remembered. They had to get to the vault!
"Oh, right!" Sora said. "I'm coming!" He then ran off towards the, and left the massive library. Whatever he saw would happen to be resolved for another time.
Somewhere in another hall of the castle, the floor began to open up as a floor plate lifted up and moved to the side. Out came Sora, who took a quick look around to see they were in another hallway, and the sun was just about to set outside, seeing no one and no pony in sight.
"Ok, the coast is clear." He said as he got up out of the hole, allowing Donald and Goofy to pop out, though the former had a little trouble getting out himself. After he got out, Spike, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie then came out from the hole too. All of them now back in the hall, Applejack slid the floor plate back on top of the hole.
"Well, that went pretty well." Rainbow Dash said.
"So where's the Canterlot vault?" Applejack asked. Donald turned his head, and his eyes widened up.
"Look!" He said, pointing forward. Looking towards the direction he was pointing towards, the group saw another massive door, colored with white with purple swirls all over it. It was very big. There wasn't much else to describe it.
"Is that it?" Sora asked.
"Yep, that's it." Rarity said.
"Then, let's get inside!" Donald said.
"Um... I don't mean to burst your bubble, but we might have a problem." Rainbow Dash said, pointing at the door to the vault, which was being closed by a massive crystal lock, and covered in crystal. That only meant one thing. It was locked.
"It's locked." Applejack said.
"Awwww..." The other ponies said.
"Now what do we do?" Spike asked. Suddenly, Goofy and Donald then looked at Sora.
"What?" Sora asked.
"Do you think your keyblade can unlock it?" Goofy asked. The boy then knew what he meant. The keyblade has the ability to unlock all kinds of locks, even magical ones.
"Well, only one way to find out." Sora said. He then summoned his keyblade, and pointed it straight at the lock. It conjured up a mighty bright light and it shot out a ray of energy upon the lock. The lock began to glow and disintegrate, and then the doors to the vault opened, revealing multiple artifacts and gold coins inside! The group reacted with awe.
"Awwwww…." They all said- No, the word is AWE. A. W. E.!
"Ooooooooo!" The group said. Ok, that's better.
"We got it!" Sora said.
"Oh Boy!" Goofy said.
"Woooww….!" Donald said, seeing the treasure that was inside. Whenever there is gold or treasure, Donald can be pretty greedy.
"Donald, don't even think about it." Sora said, making the duck shake his head, trying to get back to his senses.
"Right, sorry." Donald said.
"I hope we don't get in trouble for this." Applejack said.
"Don't worry, we'll make it quick." Sora said. "C'mon!" The group then began to head inside. But then suddenly, before them, a massive portal surrounded by crystal light blue energy emerged out of nowhere, making the group stop in their path.
"What the?!" Sora asked as he, Donald, and Goofy came to a halt, as did the ponies and Spike. Emerging from the portal, was a light azureish gray unicorn, with moderate turquoise eyes and a dark grayish azure mane and a goatee on his chin. His ears were a bit pointed and his horn was sharp. He wore a dark purplish-red cloak with a yellow color, and he had a red sash with a gold medallion on it. And he did not look too happy.
"I should've known there were some thieves among us." He spoke.
"Uh oh..." Goofy said as Sora stood his ground. The unicorn in the red cloak glanced at the trio, showing a face of disgust.
"Ahh, I see we have some outsiders here in Equestria, as the rumors spoke." The unicorn said sternly, and then glanced to see Sora's keyblade, which made him glare even more. "Ahhhh, a keyblade wielding scum. No wonder my lock was shattered easily." Sora was a bit offended being called scum.
"And you are?" Sora asked.
"I am Chancellor Neighsay, head of the Equestria Education Association, and a high ranking member of the Unicorn Council formed by Princess Platnium herself." The chancellor spoke.
"Neighsay?" Sora asked, and then looked at Donald and Goofy. Then the trio started laughing at the name.
"His name is Neigh say." Donald said as the three continued to laugh, while Rarity was trying to silently tell them to be quiet.
"That's one funny name!" Goofy chuckled.
"SILENCE!" Neighsay shouted, his horn lit up with a light tangelo aura. The shout was enough for Sora, Donald, and Goofy to stop laughing.
"Uhhh... sorry?" Sora asked.
"You will be sorry soon enough." Neighsay said. His horn then started to glow, as if he was ready to attack the group. The trio stood their ground. But the chancellor then aimed right at the Vault doors and closed it up, summoning a new lock upon it.
"Now, to deal with you." He said. "GUARDS!" Upon command, a squadron of royal guards appeared out of nowhere and surrounded the group.
"Garsh!" Goofy said as Donald jumped onto him and held on.
"Take them away." Neighsay said, and the guards approached them, making the group back into each other, having no idea was about to happen. One thing for sure, they were in big trouble.
While Sora and co. were in Canterlot, there were actually a couple of stray dogs outside the castle gates, far from the watchful eyes of the Royal Guards, digging deep into the ground near the entrance. They weren't actually stray dogs, they were Diamond Dogs! Vicious dogs that have one thing in common. They like to find gems! They are diamond dogs after all.
There were two dogs digging, while one was observing and reading a map he held in his hands... or paws. The one not digging was Rover, the medium-sized gray dog with grayish spring bud eyes, and a red vest around his body. The other two digging was Fido, the large-sized one colored in cornflower bluish gray fur with very light yellow eyes and a grey vest, and last but not least, Spot, the small grayish gamboge bulldog with light yellow eye, also with a lighter gray vest.
These three dogs were still trying to find some more gems, after their last search ended with a blunder after they attempted to kidnap Rarity to use her gem-finding magic to find all sorts of gems, only for them to fall victim to her complaining and whining act. They let her go by the time her friends came to save her, showing that even a lady can fend for herself.
Now the dogs were here trying again to find gems on their own. They have heard from the reports of the Changeling Attack that the Hero of Equestria escaped the crystal caverns when she was sent down there by the changeling queen. Wanting to know if this rumor is true, they decided to sneak into Canterlot to find the caverns. With all those gems, they'll be rich beyond their wildest dreams, and never have to search for more gems again!... for probably a year or so until they get bored of them.
"How much farther do we have to keep digging?!" Spot asked.
"If we dig deeper, we'll sink the castle." Fido said.
"Oh will you stop complaining!" Rover said. "Those rumors from the bug monster attack has to be true! If there really is a cavern of gems below the castle, than we must see it for ourselves! All the gems down there... they will be ours!" Fido popped his head out of his hole.
"But why are we digging from outside the castle?" He asked. "Why not just go in?" Rover only face palmed his head.
"Really?" Rover asked. "Because ponies don't like us, remember? Plus, this is the castle of the Pony Princess. We go in in rags, we'll get kicked out of there!"
"We could just ask, though." Spot said.
"And risk getting mauled by spears?!" Rover asked. The two dogs in the holes looked back at the castle doors, seeing two royal guards on patrol with spears. They were only standing at the front gate, and not even noticing the dogs since they were too far away. But the guards with spears or any sort of weapon were definitely something to be afraid of.
"He makes a good point." Fido said.
"Thank you." Rover said. "Now Keep Digging!" His shout made the two dogs continue digging into the ground frantically. The leader of the pack made a sigh as he sat onto the ground. With the guards back at the mountains and with it just the three of them, they'll never be able to get more gems at this rate.
"At this rate, we'll never find anymore pretty gems..." Rover said to himself, unaware of the man wearing the black coat walking by before turning his head at the three dogs. While his hood hid his face, a smile showed that he was either interested or found some more recruits...
"Excuse me!" He said, getting the attention of all three Diamond Dogs, who were surprised to see someone wearing a black coat, and walking on two legs. Sure, the dogs can't walk on two legs too, but they usually use their arms too.
"Yes?" Rover asked as he turned around, showing a suspicious face, while the two other dogs jumped out of their holes and stood behind their pack leader, ready to back him up.
"What are you three doing?" The man asked.
"What does it look like?" Spot asked.
"Well it looks like you three are digging holes... near the castle." He said. "Are you searching for something? Maybe a bone or a squeak toy?"
"Actually, yes." Fido said. "We're looking for gem-" A elbow to the stomach by Rover got the bigger dog to zip his lip.
"Don't tell him, you idiot!" Rover hissed, but the man was smiling under his hood, knowing what Fido was saying.
"Oh... you three are looking for gems, are you?" The man asked. The dogs only gave a glare at Fido, who only whimpered.
"Yes, we are." Rover said. "We're Diamond Dogs, and we search for gems!"
"And we keep 'em!" Spot said.
"Really?" The hooded man said. "You mean.... like this one?" He then pulled out something from out of his pocket, revealing it to be a green colored emerald gem! The three dogs looked with amazement! A gem! A real gem!
"Gem!" The three dogs said. The man's smile grew bigger.
"You want it?" He asked. "You want the gem?" All three dogs nodded, jumping a bit in excitement like a dog excited to see a squeak toy or a stick. They aren't called Diamond Dogs for nothing. They love gems too!
"Well then, go get it!" He said as he tossed it to the side.
"GEM!" All three of the dogs shouted as they rushed towards it, running over each other in the process. Spot was the first one to claim it!
"It's Mine!" He shouted, until Rover hovered over him and took it from him.
"No, it's mine!" He shouted.
"MINE!" Fido shouted as he jumped on Rover, grabbing it from him. The three dogs began to pounce each other, scuffling to get the gem for themselves. The man approached the dogs.
"Pups, pups, please." He said, getting their attention. He then pulled out from his pocket, two more gems! A red ruby, and a blue sapphire.
"You all can have one." He said, tossing the two gems to the dogs. Rover and Fido grabbed the ruby and the sapphire gems, while Spot kept the green emerald.
"My Precious!" Spot said as he cuddled his gem, like a certain little creature who had the one ring to rule them all.
"Do you have any more gems?!" Rover asked.
"Unfortunately no, I'm am all out of gems, so to speak." The hooded man said.
"Awwwww..." the three dogs spoke in disappointment, but a smile was still on the man's face.
"But I can get you more." He said. Their ears perked up.
"Really?" Rover asked. "Where can you get them?" The man pointed straight towards the Castle of Canterlot.
"There." He said.
"There?" The dogs asked.
"But there are ponies in there!" Spot said.
"And we don't like ponies." Fido said.
"And those ponies don't like us either!" Rover said.
"Then I think we should do something about it." The hooded man said.
"We?" The three dogs asked.
"Why, of course." The man said. "These Canterlot Ponies relish too much in the safety of their fancy homes that they believe that they are better than us. But we won't sit by while they enjoy the riches and the high-profile qualities while we rest in pity and poor conditions. It's time that we remove these greedy ponies from power and give the riches to the poor." The diamond dogs looked at each other with a bit of confusion, but then they started to think. These ponies have always enjoyed in these nice fancy houses while the diamond dogs were always turned away by the snobby royals and left to rot in the dirt. But not anymore.
"Yeah!" Rover said. "These ponies thing they're better than us! It's time that we teach them a lesson!"
"Definitely!" Fido said.
"Let's kick some pony butt!" Spot said as he cracked his knuckles.
"Not yet." The man said, making them look back at him. "I'm afraid it'll take more than just the four of us to go in there and take the gems. But luckily, I have a solution."
"And what is that?" Rover asked. The man knelt down.
"We're going to form a rebellion." The man said. "Unite with others under a single banner..." The dogs leaned in closer, listening in on what the man was ready to tell them. Whatever scheme he had in that head of his, it was probably much more diabolical than anyone could think.
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WOW very interesting look into Celestia's past.
I like how The Master Of Masters played a part in that magic portal vision
Okay this became more awesome throwing in a bit of eagle vision from the side effects of being in the Animus (been a long time I played the game and forgot how to spell the machine name) to long.
Great chapter, wonder how this act will end. There is a theory in the KH fandom that the Master Of Master is actually the older version of Sora. His and Sora's personality is almost the same.
Nice reference to George of the Jungle starting Brendan Fraser.