Raiders of the Cutie Mark

by DJLowrider

The Temple of Goon (Ending #1)

The Everfree Forest always seemed to be dark, even in the middle of the afternoon. Combined with the usual cacophony of strange sounds that emanated from the forest, it was enough to fill the three fillies who were now making their way through it with more than a bit of trepidation. The fortunate part was that the Temple of The Colts Templar wasn't very deep inside the forest according to Zecora's notes, but having to enter the forest at all was still a daunting ordeal. Before any of them could wonder how far they would have to trek to find their destination, it came into view.

The temple was in ruins and ivy crept over seemingly every stone that still stood. A massive stone door greeted them with a circular indentation in the middle of it.

"I reckon that's where the key's s'posed to go," Apple Bloom said.

"You guys ready?" Scootaloo asked as she grabbed her key fragment from under her wing with her teeth. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom both fished their pieces out of their saddle bags and nodded to their Pegasus friend.

All three of them approached the door and placed their key fragments in the indentation. With all the pieces reunited in their home, the door shuddered and slowly slid to one side. As soon as it was open enough for them, the trio of fillies hurried inside to see what awaited them. A narrow hallway led them to a vast room devoid of anything of interest except for a tall stone statue of a pony that stood atop a pedestal near the opposite wall. As the fillies neared the statue, a stone slab slid over the entrance they'd just come through.

"Well that can't be good," Sweetie Belle said nervously as she began looking around for another way out of the room.

"Welcome, seekers of the Holy Oat Pail," said a deep, masculine voice emanating from the statue. The girls looked up to see the statue's eyes were now glowing. They wanted to run and hide, but with the room lacking anything other than the statue they could only cower before it.

"I mean you no harm, adventurers," the statue told them. "If you wish to leave now you are welcome to do so and I will reopen the passage. However, if you seek the Oat Pail, you may not proceed until you have passed the first trial."

"Is it dangerous?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Is it difficult?" Scootaloo asked.

"Is it delicious?" Sweetie Belle asked. Her two companions looked at her oddly. "What? I'm a little munchy. And I needed a word that began with 'd'."

"My trial is one of grace," the statue told them. "I have guarded this hall for centuries, but once my favorite thing was to watch the most skillful dancers in all Equestria. Perform a suitably graceful dance for me, and I shall allow you passage to the next room."

"Shoot, is that all?" Apple Bloom said as she reared up on her hind legs. "I've got some new kung fu moves that'll knock your socks off!"

"But statues don't wear socks…" Sweetie Belle commented as she watched Apple Bloom start jumping and kicking wildly around the area.

"You really don't do well with figures of speech, do you?" Scootaloo noted, passing a forehoof over her face.

Apple Bloom tumbled and cartwheeled around the room, giving shrill battle cries as she punched, kicked and flailed wildly. Her moves may have been flashy to her, but they had all the grace of a mudslide. She attempted to finish her routine with a flying kick but mis-calculated her jump and ended up colliding with the statue. It toppled from the force of the blow and fell over, destroying the door that had been blocking the way forward.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Sweetie Belle asked after the dust had settled.

"Who cares? The door's open!" Apple Bloom said triumphantly. "Let's go, Crusaders!"

As they left the room, Scootaloo felt a small pang of disappointment that she hadn't gotten a chance to try dancing for the statue; however, they were now one step closer to the Holy Oat Pail, and she knew in her heart that once they got it all their dreams would come true.

---

After only a couple of minutes walking down the hall from the first trial, the faint sound of sobbing started to become audible from further ahead. Cautiously, the three fillies continued their trek until they came to another actual room. This one wasn't nearly as large as the first one, and it was filled with all manner of tools and construction materials. In the center stood another statue almost identical to the first, and the sobbing was emanating from it. On the floor at the base of the statue's podium sat something that had clearly spent a long time in pieces.

"I, uh…" Sweetie Belle said with trepidation. "I didn't think statues could get emotional."

"Oh goodness," the statue said in surprise, its voice unmistakably feminine. "I do apologize; it has been so long since I've had visitors. I was lamenting the loss of my precious birdhouse once again."

"How long has it been broken?" Scootaloo asked, looking over the pieces of the birdhouse.

"I lost track after the first hundred years," the statue admitted. "It used to hang on the wall just opposite of me so I would have something to enjoy watching. There is a hole in the ceiling just above me that birds would come through and make their nest in that house. One year a particularly large bird tried to settle in it and it was too much for the birdhouse to bear. It fell from the wall and shattered into all those pieces. I have been terribly lonesome ever since."

"How awful!" Sweetie Belle said as she felt for the poor statue. "I wish there was something we could do for you."

"Perhaps there is," the statue replied. "I assume you are here seeking the Holy Oat Pail, correct?"

"That's right," Scootaloo said. "Are you gonna give us the next trial?"

"That is indeed why I was placed here," the statue said. "My trial is one of diligence. Originally I was to only allow those pass who presented a suitably expert craft to me, hence why there are so many tools and supplies in this room. However, I believe we can be of service to each other. Build for me a new birdhouse - one as perfect as my old one – and I shall let you pass on to the final trial."

"Oh, oh!" Sweetie Belle said excitedly. "I've got a great idea! Give me a few minutes, guys. I got this."

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo just shrugged and watched as Sweetie Belle feverishly set to her task. The unicorn filly became a blur of activity as she hammered, sawed, and painted. Not five minutes later, she set down a brownish-gray box with a hole in it in front of the statue.

"What, pray tell, is this?" the statue asked, perplexed.

"Duh, it's a bird house," Sweetie Belle told it.

"It's a box."

"It's spacious so the birds can have big families!"

"It's a box."

"And it's got nice neutral tones so it won't be offensive to look at."

"It's a box."

"And it's a classic design that will go just about anywhere."

"It's. A. Box." The statue said emphatically. "And it is hardly the vision of perfection I asked for."

"Hey, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!" Sweetie Belle protested. "And I think it's plenty perfect. Besides, if you wanted something special you should've given us instructions on how to make it."

"She's got a point, you know," Scootaloo added. "I mean, to somepony out there I'll bet this is high art."

"And it is pretty well functional, I reckon," Apple Bloom added, though inwardly she did feel like she could've done quite a bit better at the task.

"Well I…er, I mean…you're supposed to…oh whatever," the statue said, finally opening the way forward as it was clear it wasn't going to win the argument. The three Crusaders cheered at their success and tore off down the hall towards the final task that stood between them and their dreams.

---

The girls could tell they were now in a part of the temple few, if any, had ever reached. Dust and cobwebs covered everything and the air was very stale. A series of stairs took them down to the floor of a round room that had several rows of stadium-style seats all facing what looked like a small stage in the center. In the middle of the stage stood yet another statue like the previous two they'd encountered. Its eyes glowed as the trio approached it wondering what trial awaited them this time.

"For you to have come this far, you must possess some remarkable talent," the statue told them in an incredibly melodic voice. "I assure you, however, my trial will not be as simple as what you have faced so far."

"Bring it on!" Scootaloo announced. "We're getting that oat pail no matter what we have to do to get it!"

"Unless it's somethin' dangerous, 'o course," Apple Bloom added.

"Or icky," Sweetie Belle added.

"Guys, you're not helping our case here," Scootaloo told them in frustration.

"My trial is not dire, but it is nonetheless daunting," the statue told them. "Mine is the trial of melody. Before my interment here, I listened to the most beautiful of singers sing the most remarkable songs ever heard by ponykind. Only a suitably amazing song will satisfy me and convince me to allow you passage to the resting place of the Holy Oat Pail."

"A song? That's it?" Scootaloo asked as she cockily began walking up to the stage.

"Did I neglect to mention the spirits of my fellow Crusaders who also wish for a concert?" the statue said. Suddenly the seats in the stadium became occupied with dozens of spectral ponies of all kinds, all eagerly awaiting a performance.

"Heh, no problem," Scootaloo added with a smirk. "I am gonna rock your world!"

Scootaloo belted out with a passionate version of their Cutie Mark Crusader theme song that, as far as Sweetie Belle could tell, was even worse than her performance at the talent show. Not only did it sound horrible, but she was now ad-libbing in extra lines as she went. What was truly amazing was somehow the ghostly audience was also suffering as much as Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were from the performance.

"Enough! Enough!" the statue cried out, halting Scootaloo's singing.

"Aww, but I was just warming up!" Scootaloo complained. "This is gonna be a full-on rock opera! It'll be epic!"

"That was epic alright," the statue commented. "I simply cannot take anymore. Go, for the love of Celestia, just go!"

The next door slid open and once again the three fillies cheered as they ran off while the statue and its audience breathed a sigh of relief that their torment was over with.

---

Three pony fillies stood side-by-side as they looked across the final room of the Temple of the Colts Templar. As soon as they'd entered, torches lining the walls magically lit up and shone light into the once darkened room. Several suits of pony armor lined a walkway that led towards an altar. Atop the altar sat a golden pail encrusted with gems of all shapes, sizes and colors. Finally, behind the altar sat a cloaked pony who huddled behind the pail continuously muttering to themselves.

"This is it, guys," Scootaloo said, swallowing hard as she tried to control her nerves. "We've come this far. No turning back."

"You're right, Scoot," Sweetie Belle said, also fighting her own nerves as they began slowly approaching the altar. "I just want to say, though, that no matter what happens after this you girls will always be my best friends."

"And how," Apple Bloom added in a wavering voice. "If it weren't fer y'all, I mighta just up an' died of embarrassment way back at Diamond Tiara's cute ceañera. You gals are the best friends a filly could ask for."

"That all goes double for me too, guys," Scootaloo added. "I'll never forget either of you…not ever."

The trio stopped just short of the altar as the cloaked pony rose to their feet and slowly walked around to meet them. None of the girls could see much of the mysterious pony, but they all assumed that they were in the presence of a truly ancient and powerful being. As such, they decided silence was their best option for the moment.

"I've been waiting for ones such as yourselves to arrive," the mystery pony said in a soft, raspy voice. "To have come this far, you must have proven yourselves to the guardians. Step forward, then, and claim your reward. Eat from the pail and your heart's desire will be granted to you."

All three fillies looked at each other and then approached the pail, which was filled with simple looking oats. They all looked at it with great apprehension and then, one by one, they each took a mouthful of oats from it and ate. They were all fairly hungry by now, after all, having skimped on lunch because they'd been so preoccupied with gathering the key fragments.

"This tastes good and all," Scootaloo said with her mouth still full of oats, "but I don't feel any different."

"Me either," Apple Bloom said, though only after swallowing her oats. "I thought I'd have some kinda amazin' realization or somethin'."

"Maybe we ate too fast?" Sweetie Belle said, likewise as confused as her friends. "Excuse me, mysterious figure, but um…how's this supposed to work anyway? Does it even still work, for that matter?"

"Well, um…see, it's a little complicated…" the cloaked pony said, now seeming to stumble over their words a bit.

"Complicated how?" Apple Bloom asked. "This thing's supposed to grant our heart's desire, ain't it?"

"I guess so, but…oh my…this isn't going at all like we thought it would…" the cloaked pony's voice began to change from sounding ancient to sounding rather familiar to the three fillies.

"Something's not right here," Scootaloo said as she walked over towards the cloaked pony.

"Oh my…oh dear…oh my goodness…" said the now totally flustered cloaked pony who pulled back her hood to reveal her magnificent pink mane and sky blue eyes.

"Fluttershy?" all three fillies said in unison.

"What're you doing in the Temple of the Colts Templar?" Scootaloo asked.

"Oh, well it's a bit of a long story girls," Fluttershy told them as she shed the cloak entirely now. "But I'm not terribly good at explaining this sort of thing. Maybe you should ask the one who was behind it all along."

Fluttershy and the three fillies looked across the hall as Twilight Sparkle made her way into the room now, shaking her head as she approached them.

"You played your part admirably, Fluttershy," Twilight told her.

"Oh, it wasn't much of a part," Fluttershy admitted. "But I was certainly happy to be of help."

"I'm still confused," Sweetie Belle said, shaking her head. "What's all this about?"

"Girls, there is no Holy Oat Pail," Twilight told them. "The Colts Templar really did exist, but they never had a secret treasure like this."

"But…where'd all the information come from?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Yeah, and the key fragments!" Scootaloo added.

"Not to mention this whole temple," Sweetie Belle said, looking around the place again.

"Well I did have a lot of help," Twilight said as she figured it was time to explain everything. "I came up with the idea for all of this with Zecora one day over tea. She gladly lent a hoof to me coming up with the whole mythology. Pinkie Pie then agreed to help try and guide you three to Zecora for more information when the book I made with Booker's help didn't give you enough to go on.

"Rarity helped make both the key fragments and the Holy Oat Pail itself, which is really just an ordinary oat pail done up with some gold paint and a few of her gems. Then she, along with Applejack and Rainbow Dash, agreed to help give each of you some encouragement as you sought out the pieces of the key.

"As for the temple, it is actually an old ruin but the Colts Templar never used this place. We had a lot of help from others around Ponyville to make the place up, and between my magic and Vinyl Scratch's, plus some of Scratch's sound equipment, we were able to make it all seem authentic. Scratch even lent her voice to the statues using her voice modulation magic."

"So this was all one big prank y'all played on us, then?" Apple Bloom asked, suddenly feeling very worried.

"Girls, this was no joke," Twilight told them. "We all did this because we wanted to help you."

"Help us?" Scootaloo asked. "With what?"

"Finding your true talents," Twilight said. "We've all known how important it's been to you girls, and we know how hard it is to be patient and wait for your talent to come to light. So we all decided to try and help you out. I guess I just didn't count on you finding other ways past all the trials."

With the full truth of the adventure revealed to them, the Cutie Mark Crusaders couldn't help but hang their heads in disappointment. It wasn't just another failure to them; it was the most elaborate and drawn-out failure of their time so far. Each of the three fillies couldn't help but feel somewhat humiliated by the whole ordeal.

"Girls, I'm so sorry about all this," Twilight told them, desperate to try and cheer them up. "I meddled in something that I now understand I shouldn't have meddled in, and I've hurt all three of you as a result."

"It's okay, Twilight," Sweetie Belle told her. "We don't hold it against you."

"Sweetie Belle's right," Apple Bloom added. "We shoulda known it was too good to be true."

"Yeah, I mean c'mon," Scootaloo said, still sounding dejected. "An oat pail that grants wishes? How silly is that? We must be first-class boneheads to fall for that."

"Oh girls, don't be so hard on yourselves," Fluttershy told them. "I still think it's impressive that you got through all those trials, even if you didn't do things how we wanted you to. You should be proud of yourselves for that much."

"Thanks Fluttershy," the girls said in a unison monotone.

"Why don't we all go to Sugar Cube Corner and have a little party now?" Fluttershy suggested. "Pinkie Pie was getting a party ready for us tonight in case you had succeeded, but she said she could easily change it up if you weren't. I think some cake, punch and dancing will help cheer everyone up. Don't you agree, Twilight?"

"Absolutely, Fluttershy," Twilight agreed with a smile.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders fell in alongside Twilight and Fluttershy as they left the temple. Perhaps a party would help lift their spirits they all thought, but come the next day they would once again be faced with starting from square one for finding their true talents and earning their cutie marks.

---

Author's Note: The chapter that follows this ending is "Square One". Please proceed to that chapter for the appropriate epilogue.

Comments

[avatoa]

Not cool, dude. Not cool. This is like one whole big conspiracy against three little girls that don't even deserve to have such a thing happen to them. How would they ever trust anyone again after something like this? It is just so sad.

[DoctorAnatomy]

GOOOOD DAAAAAMNIT CRUUUUSADERS

~The Doctor