Chapter 7
For possibly the first time in her life, Twilight found herself unable to read. Three tents were nestled snugly in a rocky outcropping at the base of Mount Everestria. A luxurious white and purple double-decker was flanked on the left by a simple indigo pup-tent decorated with constellations and on the right by a puffy white and pink pavilion which gave the impression of a cross between a big-top and a cupcake. Magically shielded against the weather, all five ponies were taking safe-haven in the temporary domiciles as the last golden rays of Celestia’s sun peeked their way over the western peaks. The lavender unicorn, snuggled down into her sleeping bag, read the same page for the tenth time. A huff escaping her snout, she covered her ears with both hooves in a futile attempt to block the frantic kazooing buzzing through the air. Having secretly drawn the short straw, Fluttershy was bunked in Pinkie’s tent. Twilight wasn’t sure if she could actually hear groans from the yellow pegasus or if she was just imagining them.
The mare snapped her book shut in exasperation. She rolled over and faced the peaked canvas top of her tent, vigorously rubbing her eyes with both hooves. It wasn’t really the errant noise that was keeping her from focusing; her mind kept wandering back to a certain mare that had been quite literally invading her dreams. ’I hope you’re doing okay, Rainbow,’ she thought to herself, finding no solace in the action. A frown creased her face, brows drawn together over eyes focused on nothing. ’…I’m not really that worried, though, am I?’ She mulled over the notion. Rainbow Dash was dead, in a world where anything could be possible, imprisoned at the hooves of one of the most powerful dictators ever to have lived, fighting for her very existence and…Twilight had complete and utter confidence that her friend would succeed. That in and of itself was worrisome; she was more concerned about Rainbow’s emotional well-being than her physical. Even as she tried to contemplate it rationally, she couldn’t fathom the daredevil failing. Rainbow Dash was going to succeed. It had been the pegasus’ state of fear that had worried her so much. She just wanted to hold the mare tight and protect her.
The perplexed unicorn stared at her cloth roof, letting her mind wander. Her daydreams kept drifting back to the pegasus. “Must be this book, is all…” she muttered, glancing at the closed copy of a Daring Do novel sitting next to her. She had pulled it from Rainbow’s saddlebag on a whim, but the eponymous character’s tan coat kept shifting to blue in her imagination. It was quite vexing. She wanted to relax with some brain candy and here she was, worrying herself over a friend she couldn’t help. She was needlessly filling her mind with worry and…something else. There was more to it, but the full explanation proved elusive. She opened to a random page towards the back and let gravity pull the book closed, a flurry of sheets buzzing over the tip of her hoof. Of course Daring Do would remind her of the mare. That must be it. It’s just because of the books. That’s why I keep thinking about her mane…and eyes…and voice…’
Twilight groaned and sunk her head into the sleeping bag. “Twilight…” she growled at herself, “If it was the book, why have you been thinking about her for weeks?” The unicorn didn’t know. She despised not knowing something.
Sitting bolt upright, her voice grew in volume and took on a berating tone. “Twilight Sparkle, you have too much to do and too many ponies counting on you to spend all your time thinking about Rainbow Dash.” Her eyes set in determination, the mare flung the Daring Do novel back into Rainbow’s bag and levitated out a history text. As the sun finished setting over the mountains, she read and reread the same paragraph, her mind filled with soft blue coat, chromatic mane, and the smell of fresh rain.
As the early evening settled into night, Luna’s moon brightening their valley with ethereal white, the five mares slowly drifted to sleep. Rarity and Pinkie Pie nodded off with ease. Applejack and Fluttershy found themselves tossing and turning, each wrestling with a problem they didn’t quite know how to solve. Twilight read by the light of her horn, not ever quite able to turn the page, until finally giving up. Even though she was not visited by Rainbow that night, the cyan mare filled her dreams anyway.
Rainbow’s breaths were slow and steady, her left eye gently shut, right eye tightly grimaced, and her mind open. Cross-legged with her wings closed, she levitated two feet from the stone ground in absolute stillness. The skeletal pegasus was suspended directly in front of her. She had been forced to stand from meditation and move as the shade neared her twice, but eventually she had slowed its movement to a complete stop. Her meditation had been difficult; the stinging in her eye was a challenge to ignore. The burn had slowly faded to a dull throb, then an ache, and eventually faded to the point she didn’t notice at all. With time stopped and her body’s complaints compartmentalized, she allowed her sense to fill the entire stadium.
She examined the aura of her foe. Glittering white trails of magic filled its gaunt form strongest in the wings and hooves, with a haze of power emitted in pulses from the creature’s hoof band. The mare looked closely. Twilight’s aura had followed biological pathways through arteries, veins, and tissue; this specter’s aura acted less like a liquid and more like wire. Bands of magic ran down along bones, twisting together at joints. Points of articulation had multiple filaments wrapped together in a snarl of light and simple joins had one or two beams stitching the individual bones together. The pony’s wings lit up in a chain from the multiple lines of power. Along the delicate ulna and phalange-like digits of its wing bones spikes of light shot from its form; their splayed pattern immediately recognizable to the pegasus as the inner vane placement for imagined primary feathers.
The haze from the stone band hung around the skelepony’s entire form. The cloud, composed of glowing motes, was tinged the barest red. Glittering specks entered and exited the wired frame. The red lights intermingled with the white ambient dots of magic from the room at large, dyeing the whole mist the faintest pink. Rainbow’s attention settled on the ringlet. The red was strongest on its surface; a pulsing pink trinket of steady magical force. Turning her attention from the skeleton, Rainbow’s mind touched the forgotten halves of her collar, abandoned on the floor just inside the ring from the smooth wall that once held a doorway.
The simple band, cleanly split in two, carried specks of white. It appeared about as magical as the stone ground it rested on. The outer edges of her sense met the crisscross of beams forming the magical cage, surrounding the walls and ceiling and embedded a few inches below the floor. Whatever empowerment her collar had contained had been withdrawn.
Rainbow Dash refocused on the pony corpse. ’Where is it?’ she thought, searching the pegasus’ form for the conduit of magic that should be connecting it back to the power source. She had seen tendrils of magic coming off every shade she had encountered so far, with the exception of this pegasus and the ox. ’I know it’s there…’ Any trail was covered by the haze of red power and background noise of the room.
The mare groaned inwardly. The magic of the leaf was sapping her will. It would be so easy to lose her sense of self to the room; let the constitution of her mind dance with the floating dots of magic, her body forgotten, her goals abandoned. She’d drop the rigid control of time and let the world pass by around her. The compulsion was alluring and frightening. Her ability to concentrate wavered in and out with the ebb and flow of her embattled mind. ’I wish Twilight was here…’
The room disappeared from her enhanced sight. In emptiness, lavender hooves wrapped around her neck. The unicorn’s soft coat was pressed to her back, her chin resting on Rainbow’s left shoulder, radiating warmth and strength. A gentle heartbeat thumped against the base of her wings. The soft exhalations of breath against her neck soothed the mare’s war-torn mind. Twilight wasn’t there, but Rainbow Dash felt her there. She would always be there if she listened hard enough. The pegasus leaned into the imagined embrace; she was bolstered, the desire to lose herself fading away to gentle nothingness. “Thank you, Twi’…” she muttered, “I can always count on you.” She could hear Twilight’s delighted giggle in her mind.
A contented smile graced the lips of Rainbow’s floating body. Her left eyelid was upturned in a crescent of joyful peace, but her right was clamped down, glued shut with dried gore.
The gladiator stadium came back under her scrutiny. She focused. Her will was resolute.
From the misty motes of ambient energy, a strand of magic connected to the stone hoofband slowly became discernible.
“So how’d you sleep AJ?” Pinkie Pie bounced alongside the orange mare as the group circled Mount Everestria. Applejack yawned loudly.
“I’ve had better nights, sugar cube.” The earth pony rubbed at the bags under her eyes and shook her head. “But, I’m alright. Ya look like you caught your full forty, though.”
The pink mare giggled lyrically, bounding sideways as she faced the farm pony. “Yep! Why didn’t you sleep so well?”
Applejack cast an askance look at Rarity and Fluttershy, both absorbed in a conversation. “…Don’t worry about it none. Nothin’ important.” She returned her attention to Pinkie Pie and leaned her head back in surprise when she found herself almost muzzle to muzzle with the mare.
“You should just tell her, silly filly,” Pinkie whispered, a mischievous glint in her blue eyes. She cupped a hoof around Applejack’s ear and lowered her voice further. “You two would be so cute together!”
The orange pony paled to an almost peach. “Pinkie!” she hissed in shock, “How on Equestria did you—” her jaw snapped shut. In the silence, Pinkie winked at her, still hopping sideways. “Nevermind. But it’s not so simple there, Pinks. I’m no good with words an’ I don’t wanna scare her off…” Her ears drooped as she turned back to the path, her already tired hoofsteps growing heavier.
“You’re so silly, AJ. Almost as silly as Twilight.” Applejack raised an eyebrow.
“What’s that about Twi’? She ain’t exactly the ‘silly’ type in my experience.”
Pinkie Pie giggled, turning to bounce over to Rarity and Fluttershy. “She hasn’t even realized it yet! Isn’t that a riot?” The orange mare watched her friend go, completely mystified. The pink earth pony reached the two chatting mares in a few hops. “How’d you two sleep?”
“Oh, Pinkie dear, I’m just a wreck without my bed, but I soldiered through. Mostly.” The snow white unicorn struck a dramatic pose as she cantered, the back of a hoof to her forehead as she pleaded to the sky with her eyes. She was completely alert and energized. Fluttershy stifled a yawn, blinking blearily.
“I didn’t sleep…too badly.” She chewed a yellow lip, focusing on the forward path.
“Why Fluttershy dear, you do sound rather peaked. Are you feeling alright?” Rarity pressed a hoof to her yellow forehead, checking for a fever. The pegasus shrunk back from the touch.
“I’m fine, Rarity. Just a little trouble sleeping sometimes.” The unicorn’s brow was knit in concern.
“Something must be bothering you, then.” Rarity turned to Pinkie, silently asking for help. The earth pony shrugged mid-leap. “Please, you can tell us, dear.”
The yellow mare sighed heavily, barely a noise escaping her mouth. She made eye contact with the white unicorn and Rarity was shocked by her good friend’s teal eyes. They were filled with exhaustion, worry, fear, and strangest of all anger. “…I’m…I’m okay, Rarity.”
“Fluttershy, please.” The lilting had dropped out of the unicorn’s voice. “Please tell me.” The yellow mare looked away, hiding her face behind billowing pink locks.
“…I just don’t want anything to happen to anypony else like what happened to Rainbow Dash or those little birdies. I wish I was strong and brave like her.” She caught the alabaster pony’s blue gaze again, the anger more apparent in her expression. “But I’m not. How can I protect anypony when I’m so…” her head sunk, the tip of her mane nearly brushing the fresh snow, “…useless.”
The unicorn’s eyes wavered. She swallowed heavily and pulled Fluttershy’s face back up, setting a stern furrow in her brow. “You are not useless, darling. You are a valued and trusted friend to all of us and to Rainbow Dash as well. You are stronger and braver than you think, dear. We can count on you and when the time comes we’ll be able to count on you again.” She broke the locked gaze to regard the hopping Pinkie Pie. “Won’t we?”
“Of course!”
Moisture swelled in Fluttershy’s cerulean eyes, threatening to spill but never quite turning to tears. She sniffled quietly. “Thank you, Rarity, Pinkie. I hope you’re right.” The bounding mare turned around and headed past the still bewildered Applejack towards the purple unicorn bringing up the rear.
“How did—erm…” Pinkie noted the heavy bags under bloodshot eyes on her friend. “Did you sleep at all, Twilee-Wilee?”
Twilight glanced up, surprised out of a daze. “Hm? Oh, yes, thank you Pinkie.” Her violet eyes glazed back over. Purple hooves crunched through the thin layer of compacted snow under the freshly fallen powder. A pink eyebrow grew higher and higher on Pinkie’s forehead as the quiet stretched on past the point of a conversational pause.
“…Really?”
The unicorn snapped back to reality in surprise again. “What was that?”
Pinkie crossed her forehooves and kept her brow firmly raised, still bounding along as if all hooves were striking down. “Did you really sleep okay?”
The lavender mare sighed, rubbing her eyes. “No. I keep worrying about Rainbow Dash, even though I know she’ll be fine. I was trying to read, but I kept getting distracted.”
Pinkie Pie huffed loudly, rolling her blue eyes. “This’ll be so much easier for you once you figure it out, Twilight.”
Her red rimmed eyes swimming with confusion, Twilight asked, “Figure out what?”
Pinkie giggled, jumping back towards the center of the group. “I can’t tell you; that would be cheating!”
They took a break at noon and Twilight fetched a campfire coffee pot from her saddlebag, to both Applejack and Fluttershy’s gratitude. Refreshed and reenergized from a simple lunch and caffeine, the group veered away from the mountain and into a snow-drifted valley. As the day waned towards early evening, the group rounded a gentle hill at the base of a mountain that Twilight didn’t recognize.
Tombstones of rough-hewn ruins poked out of the fresh snow. A scattered collection of buildings lining the valley coincided to the mental map the studious unicorn had memorized. The armory, barracks, grain processing, officer’s quarters, clerical, and central planning buildings were all that was left of the formerly bustling metropolis. The rest, made of wood or stacked stone rather than solid rock, had slowly been reclaimed over the centuries of disuse and harsh climate.
“Alright, everypony,” Twilight exclaimed, the contented smile of tutoring gracing her face, “I think the first place we should look is the central planning building.”
“Um, Twilight?” Fluttershy’s voice didn’t quite reach the now pacing unicorn’s attention.
“After that, the next logical place would be clerical and the officer’s quarters. If that turns up—”
“’Scuse me, Twi’?” Twilight drove over Applejack’s interruption without a hitch.
“—empty we can try the other buildings. If that’s a no go, we’ll have to comb the whole valley in case it was kept in one of the buildings that isn’t here anymore. Any questions?” She turned to regard the four mares. All were focused on the side of the unfamiliar mountain facing the valley. The unicorn glanced over her shoulder as she said, “What are you looking…at…?”
An enormous castle sat nestled into the mountainside. The valley face had been in the shadow of the snowfall and most of the keep remained dry, revealing smooth granite walls carved directly into the butte, spiked with turrets and flanked by high towers, looming above the valley. The expansive walls hugged the mountain and tunneled back into its heart, a smooth ceiling of stone framing the entire structure in shrouding shadow. A rough staircase switch-backed down the steep incline, ending at the valley floor, its surface submerging into the fresh snow here and there. The cold, dark visage had been abandoned for a long time judging by the lack of upkeep, but it was in better shape than the valley’s ruins.
Twilight picked her jaw up off the ground. “Oh…oh my…” She swallowed thickly. “That must have disappeared with the Crystal Empire. Nopony’s stepped hoof in there in probably two thousand years.” A peculiar shine came over the mare’s violet eyes.
“So, Twilight…think we should start there instead?” Pinkie pointed unnecessarily at the grand castle.
“…Are you kidding?! Of course we’re going there first! An entire castle magically preserved for a thousand years! Think of what we could find here! This might be the biggest archeological discovery in hundreds of years!” The lavender mare was vibrating with excitement. Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy exchanged uneasy glances. Pinkie Pie was extracting pith helmets from her saddlebag, giggling with joy.
“Twi’, I know this is exciting for you an’ all, but don’t forget why we’re here.” Applejack set an orange hoof gently on Twilight’s shoulder.
The unicorn blinked. She coughed into her hoof, a faint stain of red lighting her muzzle. “Yes, of course. We’re here to find the Element of War.” The mare lowered her voice and muttered under her breath, “And once this is over I can come back with such a large research team…”
The five made their way to the foot of the stairway, most wearing their pith helmets reluctantly after Pinkie insisted they don them. Only Applejack’s head was free of a tan hat, having refused outright to remove her Stetson. Twilight led the ascent, scouring settled snow with a glowing blast of heat from her horn. Fluttershy flew alongside the focused unicorn, while Pinkie, Applejack, and Rarity climbed the wet but snow-free steps.
“Ya alright there, Rares? Hate for this wet to mess up those dainty hooves of yours,” Applejack teased.
“Applejack, please,” Rarity responded haughtily, mounting each step with a regal bearing, “If I wasn’t prepared to get a little dirty, I would have stayed at home.” She winked at the earth pony, a sly smirk on her white lips. “How about you? Having apple orchard withdrawals yet?” The orange mare snorted, grinning and shaking her head slowly.
The climb was careful and meticulous, but they arrived at the ruins without incident, the low light of dusk guiding them to the ornate archway leading into the castle. The five entered the antechamber through the grand entrance. Twilight’s horn sparked to life, bringing the bare room into sharp relief. The walls were smooth and seamless, with gentle filigree carved along the crowns of the walls and both archways. The back wall’s welcoming passageway was even larger than the main entrance.
“This is rather odd.” Twilight’s eyes scanned the bare room, searching. “There aren’t any defensive measures here. No doors, no slit windows for archers…” Her curious gaze shifted to her friends. “Even Canterlot’s castle is set up for military defense and we’ve been at peacetime for a thousand years. Granitekeep was the seat of a war-torn empire.” They moved on to the main receiving chamber, the glow of Twilight’s magic barely reaching the far side of the room. The air grew stale and dusty, the fresh smell of winter snow blocked by heavy stone. With a small amount of concentration, the unicorn sent several orbs of pure light around the ceiling. The massive room was just as bare as the entryway.
“I don’t understand…” Twilight’s voice echoed hollowly through the cavernous room. “There’s nothing here.”
“Well, dear, perhaps it was looted?” Rarity was focused on the swirling patterns carved along the door frame. “This is marvelous craftsmanship. I can’t find any carving marks.”
“Even if it was looted, this room should have more in it. You can’t take benches and tables that are carved into the walls. There should be receiving alcoves, and guard stations, and…and everything!” She huffed, spinning in place, eyeing the walls with venomous accusation.
“Well, maybe they used this room differently, Twilight.” Fluttershy stepped to the decorative border timidly, her curiosity competing with her nerves.
“That doesn’t make sense, either. Everything about this place is just…wrong.” The purple unicorn huffed again and collapsed to the floor, groaning in anguish. The boldness of all five was evaporated in Twilight’s consternation. Fluttershy retreated from the walls and sunk to the floor glancing around nervously. Rarity’s artistic appraisal turned to paranoid suspicion. Pinkie’s constant bouncing had fled her.
Applejack approached the miserable mare, resting a hoof on her back. “Listen, sugar cube. It’s starting to get a bit late. Why don’t we hunker down in here and get a fresh start exploring tomorrow?”
Sighing, Twilight nodded into her hooves, her pith helmet bobbing up and down from the gesture. The five dug into their saddlebags and began erecting tents for the night. Applejack’s suggestion proved to be wise; the downtime of a campfire dinner followed by a relaxing evening in magically warmed tents was just what the group needed. When they awoke the following morning, all five were excited to continue their exploration.
“Where should we go first, Twilight?” Pinkie asked around a mouthful of daisies. Twilight swallowed the remains of her breakfast and quickly wiped her face with a napkin before answering.
“Well, I should try and pinpoint the Element from here. If it’s close enough, we’ll know which direction we should go.” After everyone finished their breakfast, the mare stood and trotted to the center of the room. Laying down on all fours, she closed her eyes, channeling power into her horn. Magical sight was second nature to the powerful unicorn, but she wanted to get as large a view as possible. Opening her mind’s eye, she scanned the ruins. Layers of glowing white surrounded her, from the gentle specks floating through the air, to the slowly vibrating dots of solid granite. The general layout of the castle’s interior was lost on her; the whole of her vision a jumble of white haze. She turned her sight in a methodical pattern, scanning every direction with careful focus. A spot of darkness caught her attention. Grinning, she got to her hooves. “Found it!” She clapped her forehooves together with excitement. “It’s below us by one or two floors.”
The five gathered in a circle, anticipatory smiles on every face. Applejack’s grin widened; she angled her Stetson up and glanced around the room. “Well, let’s go find us some stairs.”
The exploration proved rather frustrating. Every room they entered was unadorned and barren, save filigree carvings along framework. Leaving orbs of light as breadcrumbs they began mapping out the castle. From their starting position they took every rightmost doorway and back-tracked when they hit a dead end. There was no rhyme or reason to the keep’s lay-out. Mess halls abutted receiving chambers. Three throne rooms, all barren save a raised dais, were scattered throughout the main floor. Barracks led to larger bedrooms. They found no less than five kitchens, identifiable exclusively by large fire-pits. Everything was completely empty.
“UGH! This place makes no sense!” Twilight whined as they entered yet another dining hall. “It’s like they scrambled the whole castle.”
The excitement of exploration had worn down to boredom for Pinkie. Multiple costume changes hadn’t helped, either. Currently in her lime green snorkel, a formal dress, four mismatched boots, and a sombrero, she whined petulantly. “This is taking FOREVER.”
Rarity, her face set in a cringe, shook her head and covered her eyes. “Please, Pinkie, take that off. You’re hurting me.” Applejack had caught a lingering case of the chuckles, finding the bizarre repetition funnier as the day wore on.
“Well, Twilight, maybe it was scrambled.” Fluttershy’s nervousness and excitement had slowly trailed away as the day passed. She had become set in a steady determinism; mentally mapping their routes carefully and searching the barren rooms for anything out of the ordinary regardless of her companions’ lack of enthusiasm. “Nopony’s found any tool marks, maybe this whole place wasn’t carved at all.”
Twilight jerked violently. She regarded her soft-spoken friend with wide eyes. “Fluttershy…that’s brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that?” Enthusiasm rekindled, she danced in a circle. “Stoneshaping magic…There isn’t any evidence of Vilmar having powerful unicorns under him, but it’s silly to think he wouldn’t!” She opened her magical senses, relocating the dark spot. “Perfect! We’re almost right above it. Okay, I can open a hole in the floor, but it’s gonna take a little while.”
As the unicorn rooted through the library side of her saddlebag, the others settled down to wait. Twilight studied the stoneshaping spells closely, making notes on a sheet of parchment. Despite the rekindled thrill of adventuring, the others all slowly nodded off into a heap of dozing ponies. Fully prepared, the purple unicorn began casting the new spell, molding and reshaping the raw stone in the way her book had described. Finding natural separations and veins of different minerals, she pulled the floor apart with her magic, kneading and smoothing the solid rock like soft clay. A hole opened in the ground, the raw material descending and reforming into a simple spiral staircase. She had cast the spell perfectly on the first try. She stood and turned to modestly receive her earned praise. The other mares were less than impressed as they snored softly in a pile.
“Hey wake up!” the mare snapped with some irritation. Scrambling to their hooves, the four coughed and lined up, no one quite looking directly at the annoyed mare. Twilight rolled her eyes and descended her new staircase, beckoning the chagrined group with a flick of her tail. Halfway down, the dusty smell of the rest of the castle was replaced by the faintest exotic odor; somewhere between a smokehouse and dried cinnamon. She sent several orbs of light into the room. As their ethereal glow lit the cavernous space, the unicorn gasped.
A tremendous chamber expanded in all directions. The dozen orbs she had sent into the room extended out hundreds of feet and didn’t even reach the far walls. Twilight reasoned this lower level room was the same size as the entire first floor, but its size was not what had shocked her. The room was a mass grave. Sealed off from outside light, air, and moisture the thousands of dead ponies had naturally mummified. Dried flesh pulled over gaunt bones, clumps of mane hanging from skulls, brittle clothes and armor crumbling from shoulders and haunches, the endless layer of ancient corpses covered nearly every inch of the floor. Littered amongst the dead, countless artifacts glinted in the artificial light. Silver dishware and cutlery, metal and polished stone weaponry, the moth-eaten remains of tapestry, wood and stone furniture of all types, paintings and sculptures, everything marvelously preserved and undisturbed. Twilight spotted a small patch of free ground and teleported in a thunderous clap.
“Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh!” she squealed, dancing in place. “This is the most important discovery since…since…” Twilight screamed with happiness, rapidly bouncing in place. The sound made the other four ponies’ manes stand on end. They were bunched up at the top of the staircase, regarding the morbid tomb with widened eyes.
“T-Twilight…?” The butter yellow mare’s voice quivered. “I-I Think I’d rather go convince that dragon to leave again... Or maybe fight Discord... F-five Discords?” She covered her eyes with her hooves, trembling. The four were huddled together in a shaking puddle, clinging to each other with grasping hooves, eyes darting around the room. Twilight caught the terror etched on all four faces and grimaced inwardly.
“Hey, it’s okay girls.” She added as much of an apologetic tone to her voice as she could, while trying to sound upbeat. “This is just part of archeological exploration. Whatever happened here happened two thousand years ago.” She glanced around and tried to take in the scene from a non-objective perspective. She winced. “…This is pretty grim-looking, huh?” She sighed. “I’m sorry for getting caught up again. Just trust me; this is really important historically…” She eyed the room around her further, noticing identical punctures running through the chests of a dozen mummies. “…It also explains how Vilmar’s empire fell so quickly after he was poisoned, I think.”
While Twilight was busy attempting to empathize from a non-scientific perspective, Fluttershy was trying to do the same from a scientific one. Her fear seemed to recede, much to her surprise. She found her voice again. “What do you think happened?” The ball of huddled ponies nearly jumped in shock hearing the pegasus’ voice.
Twilight frowned thoughtfully, scanning the room in a circle. “When Agmundr Vilmar knew he was going to die, he must have gotten a powerful, trusted unicorn to do this. Somepony with incredible stoneshaping skill.” Her brow creased. “…The best stoneshaper to ever live, probably. The unicorn must have shifted the entire castle at once, trapping every pony inside this room.” She bent over a close pile of remains, scrutinizing the puncture mark running through its sternum. “…And with all of them trapped, killed them with combat stoneshaping. All at once.” The lavender mare’s throat ran dry as she spoke. Scratch ‘probably;’ without question this was the work of the most powerful stoneshaping unicorn that had ever lived, and probably the most powerful that ever would live. “They must have emptied the castle’s contents, removed defenses, and jumbled the layout to make the whole place useless as a base. Vilmar’s son’s coup was crippled from the start thanks to such a...ruthless retaliation.”
Twilight glanced back up at her friends and was relieved to see their fear had subsided. They had begun cautiously descending the stairs, reaching the landing suspended over the ground by a foot and contemplating where, if anywhere, they could step to. The unicorn concentrated and gently levitated a section of remains off the floor from in front of the staircase, dispersing the collected mummies and relics throughout the rest of the room as carefully as she could. It wasn’t the best thing to do from an archaeologist's perspective, but she reasoned the history books would forgive her. In another booming flash she reappeared in the center of the clearing.
“So I think we just have one more floor to go. Shouldn’t take me too long to cast it this time.” She smiled sheepishly at her friends as they leapt onto the bare stretch of ground. Finding a shaky resolve on their faces, Twilight turned around and began focusing on her stoneshaping spell. The magic came easily, opening a hole and lowering a new staircase. Their new pathway clear, the unicorn turned back to the group. A nervous anticipation had stolen over her and proved infectious. “Well girls, here we go.” Taking a breath, Twilight led the party down the stairs and into the millennia-lost tomb of His Majesty Agmundr Vilmar.
The glowing filament attached to the skeleton’s stone band glittered through the air. Rainbow Dash traced its signature as it flew away from the ring, swinging lazily through the air. It ended at the magical stone barrier, indistinct on the other side, directly in front of Agmundr Vilmar’s private box. The sky blue mare hovered on slow wings in front of the strand, lost in thoughtful contemplation. She passed a hoof through the energy, watching the band stretch and flow around her glowing limb. Frowning, she glided over to the frozen shade, scrutinizing the magic’s entry-point. The ring’s gentle pulsing coincided with the inward flow of the energy, emitting a spray of magic particles into the hazy cloud. The mare watched the cloud. Specks of red alighted on the wiry strands of its aura and faded into the stream.
Touching down on the ground, Rainbow began pacing. “I could just rainboom through its chest…” She scanned the room, calculating flight vectors with honed intuition. Her foe’s lack of mobility would make it laughably simple. She could shatter her enemy and land at a cocky strut. “…But I shouldn’t.” She reapproached the glittering beam; what had been impossible for her to see was now sharp and clear to her senses. She pawed it listlessly, watching the energy sway and snap back to position. “This is the ticket, right here,” she muttered. Frowning, she extended her mind towards the magic, probing in and looking for something she could use. The wavering band flowed in a single direction into the pony corpse. Exploring the entire length of what was available to her, she found no weak point or definitive opening.
She resumed her slow pacing. “Twilight would know what to do. She’d snap that with magic in ten seconds flat.” Her hoofsteps slowed. “…Maybe I can do that, too…”
She trotted back to the magic band, standing on her hind legs. A different sort of concentration filled her mind. She pooled her cloudshaping magic into her forehooves, the faint mist of water particles hanging in the air becoming immediately apparent. Her brightly glowing hooves stopped the undulating pulse they normally carried; the field of magic growing still, flat, and hard. As she concentrated on the idea of gripping a cloud, the energy shifted shape into a smooth bowl. When she focused on cloud breaking, it became squared and blunt. Thinking grabbing thoughts, she carefully extended a hoof to the band. An insubstantial thread caught in her hoof’s cupped aura. Gripping and twisting, the magic moved with her swaying limb, trapped tight. A grin spread across her celeste blue face and she exclaimed, “Yesyesyesyesyes!” under her breath as she pumped a hoof in victory.
Stepping back down, she adjusted her armor. Everything smooth and in place, she cocked her steel helmet, spat on both hooves, and gripped the specter’s source of power. She yanked and tugged, the filament strong as woven steel fiber. Her thoughts shifted instinctively to cloud breaking and the beam slid out of her now flat and blunt magical grip. Taking a deep breath, she regripped the band, one hoof pushing the other pulling, and closed her left eye. She imagined holding a cloud, and carefully slicing it in two, a shear split between the fluffy mass. The cup-like aura of her hooves extended from her form and narrowed, forming two sharpened blades of magical power. With a swift snap of both forelimbs, the bladed ends of her hooves sliced through the beam of magic, sundering it in two. The side leading into the stone band dissolved into the air, its energy dispersing into the ambient magic of the room. The severed tip of the line leading back to His Majesty Agmundr Vilmar hung suspended, spewing liquid power into the air; the spurting neck of a decapitated serpent. It snapped back through the air, gliding through the magical barrier of stone beams in a blur. Bled magic rose in steaming clouds through the room along its path.
The tiffany blue pegasus stepped slowly over to a position away from the frozen pony. She took another deep breath and released her magical senses. Time resumed in a rush. The dead pegasus banked sharply, twisting through the air to realign its flight path with Rainbow Dash. Pausing in mid flight for a scant moment, it blazed a direct line for the quietly standing mare. Twenty feet from its target, a shriek filled the stadium. The stone band around its left hoof exploded into glowing red fragments. The fiery pinpricks buried in gleaming sockets ruptured, spilling crimson smoke in billowing waves along the side of its polished skull. A hollow, guttural wheeze poured from its open jaw.
The creature’s articulated joints fell apart along its flight, appendages separating, skull tumbling free, pelvis and scapula leaping from the spinal cord and ribcage. The loose amalgamation took on a tumbling spin; a degrading comet of remains. Rainbow Dash stepped aside as a clatter of individual bones bounced along the stone floor, sliding and rolling with unspent momentum for several feet. The heaped pile glowed in the artificial light. Every single ivory specimen was untouched, smooth, and perfect. In both life and death a true blow had never landed on this pony’s form. A true blow would never have the chance to land. The cyan mare regarded her defeated enemy with her good eye, a solemn frown of respect on her lips, and waited in the silence.
A scream of fury echoed through the coliseum, sending a shiver up the pegasus’ spine and freezing her in place. Stone bars leapt from Agmundr Vilmar’s path as he streaked down on tattered wings and slammed into Rainbow with a muscled shoulder. She skidded along the floor, past the fallen bones of the defeated pegasus. With a quick tuck, she turned the slide into a roll and launched herself back onto her hooves, facing her furious captor. Rage erupting from his throat, he swept his right hoof through the air. Glittering daggers of rock pulled themselves from the smooth ground and whistled through the air. The mare dove to her right, protecting her blind side, and felt the knives slice along her armor. The boiled leather flew from her side in ribbons. Three of the stone projectiles were too close, a sting accompanied by a wet heat racing down her side.
Rainbow’s knees buckled. She collapsed to the ground, biting her lip to keep from screaming. It felt like there was crushed glass in her side, twisting with avarice in her flesh. Two fingers of stone extended from the ground and clamped around her neck, glowing red as soon as the circuit was complete. The mare’s shuddering body convulsed as magic slammed into her, forcing a cry out of her throat. Her vision clouded and her mind swam through the agony. She barely heard Agmundr’s cruel, angry, and terribly frightened voice.
“What are you?! Who sent you?! ANSWER ME!” Fire in her split side, shut right eye, and tortured mind, Rainbow Dash struggled to keep her jaw locked and not bite her tongue in half. Two minutes of twisting, magical persecution proved to be her limit. Rainbow’s consciousness fled her body, blissful nothingness a soothing, welcome reprieve. Eventually Agmundr Vilmar stopped his assault, sending for a shade to dress the fallen pegasus’ wounds. A door leapt into existence along the wall as he charged from the gladiator pit, his screams of rage and terror echoing through the stone castle endlessly.
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New chapter!
woot new chapter... i need the next one
welp looks like im waiting another week
... just when I was about to sleep this shit happens...
o well. Nothing to do now but read
>Interactive Dash enabled
>Mouse over this story on the front page
>Dash proclaims "Best day ever!"
>Read description
>ಠ_ಠ
Dash, what are your standards of a good day?
You guys ever had that epiphany moment and then forgot it like a minute later
I love RD, and thought I would hate this story because she dies. You have proven me wrong sir. Well done, well done indeed.
Another excellent chapter.
It's one of the few stories that I'm reading that I get excited for when it updates.
till next thursday then, Awsome chapter.
The worst thing about getting a new chapter is the fact that it has to end. Great work, I eagerly await next week for a new one.
Another riveting chapter! I really like how Dash's character has progressed after gaining the Element of Inaction - its rare to see her fervor and determination focused towards something calm and calculating, but it really makes sense for her development the way you portray it. I can't help but think that something's going to go wrong for Twilight and the rest of them, considering all of the ominous hints dropped about the castle up until this point. Hopefully whatever it is leaves them all in one piece. And Pinkie knows the cardinal rule of shipping: never let the oblivious lovebirds in on it - there's more shenanigans that way
Seriously, though, I like how Dash and Twilight are kind of easing into their feelings, so they started as enhanced friendship and are growing into something more, as opposed to the "OMG - I totally love so and so!" out of nowhere. Which can be fine, in its own right, but a more lengthy development is always nice to see. Anyway, done rambling now - as always, looking forward to the next installment 
Jesus H Christ
Yay new chapter! This is basically one of the only things I have to look forward to on Thursdays (well, this and Elementary). I always save it for Fridays though, mainly because I could never get the hang of Thursdays.
Anyways I'm babbling, awesome chapter! And as an archaeologist, I share in Twilight's excitement
I can honestly say that this is simultaneously the best and least tragic tragedy i have ever read. and I LOVE IT
It 3 weeks too read this chapter
This story is awesome. It just puzzles me a bit that the rest of the Mane 6 didn't question that Twilight was talking to RD in the afterlife and not just driven insane with grief.
1961671
I considered going in that direction when I was planning the plot, but a few things stopped me. Having Twilight's sanity questionable would have been a viable path that would have sent the story in a more cerebral direction, when I wanted to go for action/adventure. Additionally, it felt to me that the biggest questioner of Twilight's sanity would be Twilight herself. When she talked to the others about seeing RD, she approached it from the direction of 'this isn't real, but it's bugging me.' Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were both 'spiritual' enough to question whether or not it was all her imagination, while AJ and Rarity assumed she was seeing things out of grief and Twilight was the first to agree with them. Additionally, it was a very few number of conversations before the Element of Inaction plopped onto Twilight's chest, which was a unique enough object that it stopped everyone from questioning things. I thought about drawing out the reveal and letting them all stew in some contemplative juices, but at the end of the day you can't have action/adventure if everyone's questioning the validity behind the quest.
Eeyup. Featured Updated Fics brought me here, and am I glad it did!
This is a wonderful story. I favorited it a while ago, but was hesitant to read it with my favorite character dying at the beginning. Glad I finally started it. Now I cant stop reading!