Quest For Harmony

by destinedjagold

Chapter 106 - Heart

With closed eyes and genuine smiles, Spike, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were faintly glowing in white while they were all standing in front of the wooden door. On top of the door's frame was a crystal that was also glowing faintly in white. The quiet air was then filled with a low melodic hum as the four souls glowed brighter and brighter. As they glowed fiercely, the alicorn crystal statue behind them was starting to glow as well from inside, while its crystal surface was beginning to break.

The melodic hum however, was broken by a painful shriek from a unicorn in pain. As her horn glowed brighter than the rest of them, the three others opened their eyes in shock and to see what was happening to their friend. However, they couldn't see anything, other than white.

Their cries of concern were soon drowned after the melodic hum suddenly became louder and louder, although it didn't seem to hurt their hearing. It was as if the painfully loud hum weren't reaching each of the four souls' ears, but only the painful cries of the unicorn.

Soon, Sweetie Belle's entire body became stiff as a magical aura pointed her horn up, and a powerful magical beam was fired against the unicorn's will. The intensity of the beam brightened the entire chamber, and it broke through the thick crystal floor of the thrown room. It kept on going up vertically, breaking through ceilings and floors, until it finally broke out from the castle.

The bright beam flew up until it broke through the invisible barrier that protected the empire from the harsh snow. It exploded in a graceful manner, literally flashing a brilliant white light that even Twilight and her companions had to shield their eyes to avoid being blinded for mere seconds.

When things returned to normal, Twilight and the others, who were still on the large air-carriage that was hovering in the air which were driven by startled pegasi stallions, looked around, somehow trying to search for the source of where that bright light had come from.

One of the pegasi spotted it first, and quickly pointed a hoof directly towards the Frozen North. The thick gray clouds were slowly separating apart and fading as it gave way to a brilliantly-shining heart-shaped physical mana. The others stared at it, while Twilight stared with great interest and confusion. It was something that she has never seen before. What is even more strange is that it was somehow giving off a strange positive aura. Somehow, it made her, and the others, smile. Not a fake one, but a genuine one: a real one. It filled their hearts with joy and understanding.

Twilight took a breath and relaxed as she sighed. Unifying the ponies would be pretty much a simple task now, thanks to... Twilight shook her head, and stared north. ‘Just what is that giant white heart mana-thing, anyway?’

---

Spike, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were staring worriedly at Sweetie Belle, who was weakly leaning on Apple Bloom with her horn's glow dimming slowly. As soon as the light on her horn vanished, Sweetie Belle weakly opened her eyes and groaned.

“Ugh...” the unicorn mumbled as she lifted a weak hoof to her head. “Whu...what happened...?”

“You tell us...” Scootaloo said with a small smile as she pointed a hoof up.

Sweetie Belle blinked. She was suppose to be the one lighting up the place so she and her friends could see, but now, she noticed that there was enough light for her to see everything around her. Looking up, she saw a hole high above where the floor had closed. That, and light was also coming in from the opened door right in front of them.

“And that's not the only thing that you did!” Spike said cheerfully as he pointed at the opened door.

Sweetie Belle blinked, and allowed a few seconds for her eyes to adjust. Through the door, she could see the vast white lands and mountains, and gray clouds.

“Ah bet it's just an illusion an' all...” Apple Bloom said while Sweetie Belle decided to try and stand up on her own. She assisted her unicorn friend with a hoof. “Ah mean, the throne room was on the ground floor, and we went down, so that means we're underground. It just doesn't make sense if we somehow got ourselves outside all of a sudden.”

“Good point,” Spike said, nodding in agreement.

“Actually,” a female voice said from behind them, making the four jump and shiver.

The four quickly spun around, preparing to defend themselves, but only to be stunned in surprise as they saw a gently-smiling pinkish alicorn, who was dusting herself from a few small shards of crystals.

“You certainly are staring at the outside world.” She then returned her hoof on the ground and bowed before the four curious souls. “My name is Cadence, and I thank you for freeing me from...” she trailed off. She blinked, confused, and brought a hoof to her chin. “Hm... I don't really know what happened after I tried opening the door,” she closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. “It does not matter.” She opened her eyes and smiled at the four. “Whatever you did just now, is something I have never seen before.”

“Uh...” Scootaloo shifted uncomfortably and looked at Spike. “Is she the alicorn-love thing that guy Kronz told us about?”

Spike crossed his arms and thought about it. “She must be...” He then looked at Cadence, who was stretching her wings. “So uh...why were you down here, anyway?”

Cadence folded her wings back to her side and smiled gently at them. Spike recalls that even Celestia also smiles gently before she speaks. Maybe it's an alicorn thing, he thought. “The very same reason that you are here,” she answered, “the Crystal Heart.”

“Oh, that's great!” Apple Bloom nodded, “we could team up and go get it!”

“Wait!” Scootaloo eyed the alicorn suspiciously, “how did you know that we're here for the Crystal Heart?”

Hearing her question, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom grew suspiscious of the alicorn standing before them, however, Spike was busy with his thoughts.

The purple dragon scratched his head and spoke before anything else might be said that they'd regret sooner or later. “I read a book that beings turned to stone could still be able to hear things.” He looked at his confused companions. “M-maybe it's the same for being turned into a statue?”

“Ah,” Cadence smiled, “quite studious for a dragon.” She nodded. “Indeed, I could still hear from a small radius of my surroundings, thus I heard about you looking for the Crystal Heart.” Her gaze then fell on the outside world, beyond the opened door, and her gentle smile vanished, and was replaced by a serious frown. “I came here to retrieve the heart. I believe that it has the power to stop Sombra's reign and control over this empire.” She then walked around the four and walked outside, her mane and tail blew gently with the constant cold wind. She turned to look at them. “This door is magical, for it leads you to a secret part of the castle where the heart is located.”

“Magical door?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Is that why there aren't any air coming in from outside?” Apple Bloom asked while Scootaloo walked outside, turned her head to her left, and immediately shivered.

Spike and the others took note of her trembling form. They looked at each other before stepping out of the door.

“Sheesh, Scoots,” Sweetie Belle chuckled as she turned to her pegasus friend. “It's not...that...cold...”

She and the others stared at the white set of stairs that seemed to be spiraling upward on a tall white pillar.

Spike, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo deflated.

“Great,” Scootaloo groaned, “more stairs...”

Cadence was being cautious, for she doesn't know what sort of traps lie ahead, however, looking at her four companions, she couldn't help but chuckle as she wondered how long was she turned into a crystal statue. Her ears suddenly flickered as she caught the faintest of angry grunts. She turned her head to the white mountains, and frowned.

“Let's make haste,” Cadence said, already walking the stairs, “I do not know where Sombra is, but there is no doubt that he'll do everything in his power to stop us.”

“Y-yeah, about that...” Spike said as he and the others followed the alicorn. “This Sombra dude is in another world at the moment...”

Cadence stopped, blinked, as she tried to understand what the baby dragon had just said. Has she heard him right? She turned to him. “I beg your pardon?”

Comments

[Tyrant Molestia]

huh. nice dude. Character added! You recieved a princess!

[no longer on]

Congratulations! You unlocked: Princess Cadence!

[Seeking Dusk]

2471821 2676763 On their first try too! Mario would be so jealous. He has to hit like a dozen castles before he finds his.