7. Elementa Trifecta II
A few moments earlier…
“Hurry up, you slowpokes!” Pinkie Pie shouted through the forest, bounding up and down the cobblestone path.
“Really, Pinkie Pie, I’m sure the castle isn’t going anywhere,” Rarity replied, making sure to avoid some messy areas of the woods.
“I think she’s more concerned with our friends than that,” Fluttershy entered now, defending the pink mare.
“Who knows what Pinkie Pie is concerned with; Obviously it’s not the dangers that this dreadful forest possesses,” Rarity snapped. “There’s more danger here than Gray Umbra, you know?”
“Nah,” Pinkie said then, slowing down to match the ‘slowpokes.’ “I’m just really excited, and you both are moving really, really, really slowly…” She exaggerated those last few syllables. A low rumbling shook the ground then, followed by several flashes of light in the distance.
“They must have begun the battle,” Rarity said, forgetting what she had just described of the forest and galloping faster towards the castle.
“Wait, don’t move so fast!” Fluttershy cried, gaining speed as well.
“So, what exactly are we looking for?”Pinkie Pie asked, opening the large set of mossy double doors for her friends.
“Anything with relation to the Elements of Harmony, don’t you remember?” Rarity answered, studying the ruins. “Specifically, the old library that Princess Celestia mentioned to us?”
“W-would we have to split up?” Fluttershy asked, shifting her gaze to and from the dark shadows of the walls and the dusty tapestries above.
“Probably not the best idea, but we never know what could come up in our search,” Rarity replied.
“Now, if I were a hidden library… where would I hide?” Pinkie asked, examining something on the adjacent wall.
“Pinkie Pie, that is an old painting, not a map,” Rarity called out.
“Or maybe… it’s a hidden map disguised as a painting!” she exclaimed, removing the piece.
“Oh, that probably wasn’t a good idea,” Fluttershy began, but was suddenly cut off as Pinkie Pie dropped into an opening in the ground.
“Pinkie!” both mares exclaimed, galloping over to where she previously stood.
“Can you hear us, dear?”
“Oh, I hope she’s alright,” Fluttershy peeped through her hooves.
“Wow! It’s dusty down here! And dark…” came Pinkie’s muffled voice.
“Pinkie Pie, this is Rarity, where are you?”
“I dunno… some kind of dark hole,” she responded. “Wait, I think I found a light!”
“The floor must not be that far down if we can still hear her,” Fluttershy reasoned.
“Okay, Pinkie Pie, don’t move. Fluttershy and I are coming to get you. See if perhaps you can find the library down there!” There was no reply. Rarity looked at Fluttershy and gulped. She peered down a long, dark corridor just ahead of them and lit up her horn. “Well, it’s a good a place as any to start, I suppose.”
“Let’s not activate anymore traps, okay?” Fluttershy stuck close to the other mare.
“Yes, let’s not,” Rarity agreed. They both exhaled and began to trek down the dank hall.
“Hm Hm… giggle at the ghostly…” Pinkie Pie hummed lightly as she made her way through the musty cavern. “This place just goes on forever, doesn’t it? ECHO!!!” She waited for her voice and laughed promptly upon its return. “Okay, back to business… library, library…”
Pinkie rummaged through her mane and pulled out a flashlight, sparking it to life. The shine radiated above, revealing a pair of glowing red eyes. The upsidedown creature hissed madly, taking flight into the darker part of the hall. “How rude,” Pinkie said. She held the light firmly in her mouth and waved it back and forth, humming all the while. Another tremor shook the castle, this time, causing large amounts of dust to fall from the ceiling.
“Wha-what was that?!” Fluttershy shouted, spinning around.
“Ooh, probably Twilight and the rest of our friends. We must hurry!” Rarity said, continuing down the dark hall.
“Are you sure this is the right way?”
“Well, if I was sure where we were going, then I wouldn’t have chosen a random hallway now, would I have?”
“Sorry, I was just wondering,” Fluttershy said, facing away from her friend.
“I’m sorry, dear, it’s just that this whole scenario is all messed up! I mean what kind of brute just wishes to destroy all things harmonious?!”
“Umm, Discord?”
“Aside from him…” Rarity raised a brow at the pegasus.
“Oh! Sombra.”
“Nevermind, let’s keep looking.”
Both mares came to a portion of the castle which had been blown away, exposed to the growth of the forest. A large willow grew into the hall they resided in, draped in wet, mossy green.
“I wonder how long this has been growing,” Fluttershy said, flying up to the tree.
“Long enough to drip this.. nasty purple goop,” Rarity cried, wiping the ooze away from her hooves. “Fluttershy, come down from there, we’re on a tight schedule!”
“Hold on,” the pegasus shouted. “I thought I saw something move. Maybe it can help us.”
“Or help itself to us!”
Fluttershy peeked through the branches, catching a glimpse of a scurrying creature. It was definitely a woodland animal. She pushed herself through the branches in pursuit, trying to track down the small thing.
“Oh, won’t you please wait? I just want to ask you something, maybe you can help me and my friend?” The creature scurried away again, moving deeper into the tree. “Wait, comeback!”
Rarity stood down below, tapping her hoof and moving her head about to peer through the thick leaves.
“Fluttershy, Fluttershy, where have you gone? I’ve lost sight of you, dear!” Rarity swallowed hard at the silence around her. “Fluttershy, please tell me you found a squirrel or something… Fluttershy? Fluttershy?!” Once again, no response.
“More ECHOOOOO!” Pinkie Pie cried out into the consuming darkness. Her flashlight only illuminated so much. She skipped along the stone path, descending now down a deep stairwell. “I wonder how far down this goes. Maybe there’s a surprise at the bottom!” The party pony removed a glow stick from her mane and lit it up. She placed it over the edge and dropped it, watching as the light changed color on its way down.
“Three seconds, and still no clack? I would probably get hurt from jumping then,” she moaned, stepping downwards again. As she continued, she could hear a slight fluttering in the distance. Every so often, she would turn around and find nothing there. “Suspicious…” she muttered, shifting her eyes left and right. As she took her final step to the ground floor, her left hoof sank a little deeper than what she had imagined. Immediately, the area above her shut, blocking out any other source of light. Pinkie held her flashlight close, and moved it around to try and find some sort of illumination.
As she searched, she noticed that her ray reflected off of something for a moment, and then stopped. Curious, the pink pony investigated, stepping on yet another trap panel, decorating the room with several light holes. A mirror stood upright under each spotlight. Some of them broken and useless, others merely dirty and cluttered with cobwebs. Pinkie jerked her head to the side, thinking she saw a figure out of the corner of her eye.
“Hello?!” she called out, but was not greeted, not even with an echo. again, she saw something flash around her and spun around to try and catch it, but it vanished again. “Hey, not funny. If we’re going to play hide-and-seek, at least give me a chance!” She huffed angrily, and felt a warm breath glide down her neck. Startled, Pinkie Pie yelped, jumping to the side and dropping her light, smashing it in the process.
“Okay,” she said with a small chuckle. “You can have home field advantage.”
“Fluttershy, this is the last time I will call you. I’m leaving after this!” Rarity warned to the tree. She paced back and forth, mumbling to herself. “Okay, just calm down, Rarity… there’s no need to panic… no need to panic…” A small stone falling in the distance alerted the mare and she took off, running past the large willow and into a dimly lit dining area.
“Whaaaaaat have I gotten myself into?” she whined, breathing rapidly. After catching her breath, she moved from her spot and began to explore the dining hall. A large wooden table, draped with a rustic cloth filled a majority of the room. An unlit fireplace, spanned from the center of the far wall and extended down it on either side. Several unlit torches were placed around the room, giving away the position of several unopened doors.
“How am I supposed to find a library in this Celestia-forsaken castle?” Rarity used her magic to light the cold torches. The room flooded with flame casting dancing shadows against the walls. In the corner of the room sat a hunched over figure, scaly and bony, hissing at the new radiance that filled the room. “Oh my… I am so, so sorry, my dear. Let me just… turn out the light,” Rarity stuttered, extinguishing the flames. The form turned around now, it’s yellow eyes slicing through the dark, glaring at the small pony.
“On second thought, how about I keep them on, for my sake?”
“This is one big tree,” Fluttershy commented, flying through the willow branches now. She lost sight of her furry friend at what seemed like ages ago, and was trying to find her way back to the castle. No matter which direction she went, however, it only seemed to allow her to venture deeper and deeper into the treetop. “Gosh, I’ve probably worried Rarity now… but I can’t seem to find my way out.”
“WAAAAAGH!”
“That was her!” Fluttershy gasped, making towards the direction of the sound. Suddenly, the branches of the willow began to writhe and slither about, locking out any form of escape. “The tree is… moving!” Fluttershy tried another exit, but it quickly closed up. The branches slithered around the pegasus, wrapping her up in a serpent-like manner.
“On no,” she shrieked, dashing away. The branch held firm though, pulling her back and slipping around her body faster than ever. “No, please let me go… I don’t want to be eaten by a tree!” The willow leaves began to retract now, losing their pigment as they retreated into the branches. The branches themselves began to darken, transforming into a deep ebony color. Fluttershy screamed as what appeared to be the trunk began to uproot and move closer towards her, taking the same form as the tendrils that wrapped around her.
The trunk split open, revealing two rows of razor sharp teeth, dripping with a violet colored sap. A large bulbous eye emerged from above the gaping mouth, and stared at the pegasus greedily.
“Long time… not try pony. Forgotten taste…”
“EEP!” Fluttershy squeaked, struggling to escape. “W-well, maybe I can g-give you something better to eat?”
“No… nothing better, not eat… Pony,” the creature gurgled.
“Y-you don’t want to eat me?” Fluttershy stopped squirming. Consequently, the tendrils loosened their grip around her body.
“No, no eat pony… Forgotten taste… of fruit,” the monster sobbed. A large branch slithered from the distance and positioned itself in front of Fluttershy. Hanging on the branch sat a plump, crimson circular fruit. It’s glossy coat shone even in the covered shading of the area.
“I try… every animal… and no tell… taste…” Fluttershy looked past the fruit and into the creature’s eye.
“S-so, y-you want… somepony to eat your fruit?”
“Tell… taste,” the thing added. Fluttershy peered back at the fruit and sniffed it. It certainly didn’t seem like a bad thing.
“What happened to all the other animals that ate it?”
“Could not… describe. So… I get mad. I stomp.” The pegasus gulped.
“O-okay… I’ll try it.” Fluttershy steadily opened her mouth and bit down. The monster withdrew the fruit and pulled Fluttershy up to its face. She chewed slowly, making sure to emphasize that she was eating. She swallowed, and smacked her lips together. “That was… good.”
“Good? Why good?”
“Umm… why?”
“Yes… describe… flavor.”
“Oh yes, umm… let’s see,” Fluttershy said, collecting her thoughts. “It was sweet, but not too sharp, like a nice coat of natural sugars. I felt the texture really complimented the flavor. It gave a nice crisp crunch, and then melted in my mouth. A very good job growing it, sir.”
“You… like?”
“Yes, I did.” The tendrils loosened even more.
“So nice… you… not lying?”
“Why do you want to know the flavor?” Fluttershy asked just then. “Can’t you taste it?”
“N-no…” the thing replied. “Lost taste… after long time,” it started. “Family… hurt. Fruit heals, but… only sweet fruit.”
“Your family is hurt? Oh my, what happened?”
“Monster… hurt. Flying unicorn hurt…”
“Flying unicorn? Gray Umbra?” Fluttershy watched the creature nod solemnly.
“I… remember ponies… live here before… I go… wait for them… but no come, so I sleep,” it said.
“You poor thing,” Fluttershy sympathized, flying up to its trunk. “I don’t like that big meanie either, we’re trying to stop him, maybe you can help?”
“Help… me?”
“Yes, I helped you,” Fluttershy said with a smile. “Can you help me now?”
“Let’s talk this over,” Rarity said, backing away from the reptilian bat. It shoved a chair aside and hissed at the pony. “I understand that you’re a uncivilized feral creature, but you could at least maintain your dental health, no?”
“Who are you calling uncivilized?” the monster said, flaring its wings. “You’re the one that barged into my home and lit all of my torches!”
“I… ah… gaah…”
“Stunned, little pony?”
“More so that you can talk than anything,” she replied.
“Assuming such things,” the beelzub hissed. “Who is it that is lacking in manners?” The creature opened its mouth, shooting a slimy tongue at the small pony. Rarity dodged to the right, ducking under the table just as it latched onto the floor.
“I’m sure we can come to a reasonable conclusion as opposed to rashly smacking each other around!” she cried out from under the table.
“Stop talking, your voice is annoying!” it replied, jumping on the table. The ancient tableware began to float around now, a light blue aura surrounding them. They sped towards the creature, forcing it to fly into the air.
“Well, if you really want a fight, then come and get it!” Rarity brayed, digging her hooves into the ground. “Honestly, annoying? I’ll show you annoying!” She levitated the chairs around the room and kept a spinning barrier around her, launching them one at a time at the beast.
“Impressive display of magic, pony,” the beelzub said, barely ducking under the last chair. “But I have some powers too.” The creature’s back fur extended upwards, transforming into a brush of spiky quills. Visible electrical current then ran throughout his fur, lighting the room in a brilliant display of flashing color.
“Wow… I’ve never seen-” Rarity began, but could not finish, leaping away from a lightning bolt fired by the monster.
“Beelzubs are capable of conducting electricity,” it chuckled. “Depending on the color of the sparks, determines the power of the shock. I’ll burn you to a crisp with my Violet Storm!” It fired several more bolts, a few too close for comfort.
“You brute, all I wanted to do is find my friends!” Rarity summoned her magic again and fired a small blue beam into the floor. The beelzub flinched, expecting some pain to be inflicted on him, but grinned at the spell instead.
“What was that?”
“Mock me, will you?” Rarity lifted her head up, clenching her teeth and furrowing her brow. Several large gems broke through the cobblestone floor of the dining room and floated above her. “Took a while to find, but I was sure there was some treasure here somewhere.”
“How will you fight me with gems? Granted, they’re beautiful… but useless nonetheless,” the beelzub chuckled. It began charging the electrical current on its back again, prompting Rarity to bring up her jewels in defense. The beelzub fired, his lighting clashing with the different gems in the air, filling the area with a sharp thunderclap. Both sides stood still, slowly opening their eyes once the strobe-like flashing ceased.
“By Celestia’s mane,” Rarity sighed, gaping her mouth open at the floating stones. The beelzub stared as well, enthralled by the gleaming gems, outlined in an electrical current similar to his own. “The colors, the accents, the display!”
“It’s like a beautiful blend of art,” the creature sighed, touching one of the jewels. Rarity did the same, flinching a little as a small shock ran through her body. She looked at the beelzub now and rubbed her chin.
“Tell me, if you would be so kind, what were you doing here?”
“I was looking for hidden treasure,” it said without looking at her. “I knew this used to be an old Equestrian fortress, abandoned some time ago.”
“Hold on, you said this was your home! You’re a treasure hunter?”
“Of course!” it cried, taking its eyes off of the jewels. “I’ve traveled the world seeking the most precious gems on the planet. Nor these dull diamond or tacky sapphire, mind you,” it expressed, rubbing the jewels again. “But something… like this.”
“Would you like to keep it?” Rarity asked.
“What?” The creature peered at her now.
“I mean, you said you were searching for treasure, and I’d say that is an impressive find. It’s only fair you be rewarded for your labor,” she explained.
“Yes, I would,” it began, “but it was your magic acting against my lightning that brought this about! I am not so greedy as to take credit for the whole thing. Won’t you take some?”
“Oh no, please, I insist,” Rarity pushed on him. “Besides, I am not searching for gems. I need to find my friends and a secret ancient library. I have no time for jewels, however enthralling they may be.”
“Wait, you’re not even going to ask for half of it?” The beelzub moved over to her, scratching his head.
“As I said, it’s tempting, but I can’t let it stand in the way of my goal. You may keep it all, that is, should you allow me to pass through and we forget this whole ordeal.” Rarity let out a breath of relief and began making for the next doorway, across the room.
“I’ll have you know,” the beelzub said, stopping her. “You are the first one to not fight me over an exquisite treasure… not to mention, I attacked you and accused you of trespassing on land that is not even mine, and you simply leave?”
“Yes,” Rarity answered, hoping to avoid an explanation.
“How generous of you, pony.”
“You know, I do have a name. It’s Rarity.”
“Rarity? Rarity… what a fitting name,” it said with a smile. She raised a brow at the beelzub. “Thank you, Rarity. Please, accept my apology. You mentioned that you were searching for a library? I’ve stumbled across this while searching for treasure. Perhaps I can repay you by leading you there?” Rarity stared at him, unsure as to how or why this was even happening at the moment.
“Why, that would be lovely,” she finally said, thinking it through. “Thank you, err…”
“Oh, perhaps I need a lesson on manners after all,” he chuckled. “Call me Clu.”
“You know, this isn’t very fun anymore,” Pinkie Pie said, taking another left turn. “What is this? A maze of mirrors?”
“You’ll be trapped… forever,” an echoing voice moaned. “Lost… lost in your own turmoil.”
“Whatcha talkin’ bout willie?” Pinkie shouted, turning around as she felt a chill shoot up her spine.
“Like me, you too will be eternally lost,” the voice said, coming from all around now. A cloud of white gathered in front of Pinkie, chilling the air around her. A body began to form from the smoky vapor, floating well above the floor, but still matching Pinkie’s height. A transparent filly manifested in front of her now, wearing torn rags and bearing a wiry mane. Its eyes were gouged out, replaced with tiny beads of glowing red. It smiled at the silent pony and cocked its head sideways. “Boo.”
“GHOST?!” Pinkie Pie shouted, jumping up. The ghost’s image vanished from the air. It reappeared, this time in every mirror throughout the room.
“Heh heh… did I scare you?”
“Well, more startle me than anything… I’m not particularly scared of ghosts.” she replied, trotting up to a nearby mirror. The ghost cocked its head the other way and looked at Pinkie oddly.
“Not scared… of ghosts?”
“Nope.”
“Tee hee, you’re an interesting pony,” it said, vanishing from that mirror.
“Really? That’s what a lot of ponies say to me. You know, I’ve never really met a real live ghost before! Of course, you’re not really alive, but-”
“Say, do you want to play a game?” The pink pony’s ears perked up immediately.
“A game?! Oh, I LOVE games. What are we going to play?” The apparition had to back off from the mirror a bit after Pinkie had glued her face to it.
“How about… hide and seek?”
“Hide and seek? Okay, that sounds like fun!” she cried, bounding up and down.
“Hold on, I have some rules,” it said, removing its image from the mirrors and manifesting in front of Pinkie again. “Let’s make a bet… I never play without making a bet…”
“A bet? That doesn’t sound too bad. What’s the deal?” Pinkie asked, eager to play.
“Name your wager first. It’s only polite to allow guests the first turn,” the ghost replied.
“Okay,” Pinkie said, mulling over the various ideas in her head. She sat for a minute, straining to think about what she could receive from an undead apparition. Suddenly, her mane popped up, causing the ghost to flinch and she turned around with a competitive sneer on her face. “If I win, you have to take me to the secret library inside this castle!”
“...That’s it?” the ghost asked, scratching its head. “You are strange…”
“You know, I never got your name,” Pinkie interrupted.
“Forget it, it’s not important,” the ghost snapped. “Now, it’s my turn to place a wager. If I win, I get to possess your body and live once again!”
“Hmm… possessing my body? Well, will I still be Pinkie Pie?” The ghost cackled at her question.
“Are you ready?”
“Wait, we haven’t discussed what happens to me being me when you’re me!”
“I’ll start counting… Ten… nine… eight…” Pinkie’s eyes widened and she jerked her head left and right. She had to hide, now. The pony took off in a random direction, trying to find a hole, and tight enough spot, even a rock or something to hide behind.
“This is sooooo not fair,” she hissed, peeking behind her.
“Ready or not…” she could hear from the shadowy distance. “Here I come…”
The filly spirit glided through the room, casting her image across the various mirrors as she floated by. Pinkie could see her even in the hiding spot that she had chosen, twisting her head around in one full motion. It continued on, turning a corner and vanishing from view. Pinkie held firm, glued to a spot behind a mirror in Celestia only knows where. She could hear the slight thumping of her heart and shhed it when it began to beat louder.
“I can see you, pony.”
“Well, if I could phase through walls and float around, I’m pretty sure I could see me too!” Pinkie exclaimed to the darkness.
“There’s one more element to hide and seek that’s my favorite… do you know what it is?”
“Winning?”
“The chase,” the spirit replied, breaking through one of the mirrors and wailing at her victim. Pinkie Pie zoomed off, taking curves faster than a bullet, upsetting the mirrors as she went. “Hey! stop that!” the spirit called, going after her.
“As long as you don’t catch me, that means I can still win!” Pinkie shouted, moving about the room like a bouncy ball.
“I never lose!” the ghost wailed, flying after her. Pinkie ducked just before it came swooping down at her, and rolled back into a galloping position. She took off to the right, making sure to avoid the hazards along the way.
“It feels like we’re playing tag now, instead of hide and seek,” she giggled.
“And I’m it!” the ghost cried, popping up from the floor. It opened its arms wide, trying to grapple Pinkie, but she jumped in the air and did a small flip, landing safely behind the ghost.
“Beep beep!” She shouted, flickering her tongue at the spirit and running off again.
“Come back!” The ghost chased down her target, but Pinkie kept a good pace ahead of her. “Stop! You’re ruining my mirrors!”
“What are you talking about?!” Pinkie asked, coming to a full halt. The ghost sped right by her then, phasing through the wall. It poked its head back through, growling at the pink pony.
“I’ve caught you now,” it moaned, floating in a slow, sporadic pattern. “Your body… is mi-”
“Look!” Pinkie shouted, grabbing the ghost around the neck and pulling it to the mirror.
“How did you-?”
“Look, the mirror is all wobbly now! It makes my face look funny,” she giggled, sticking her tongue out and waving it around. She then scrunched both of their faces together and pulled her tail over their heads.
“You!”
“Us!” Pinkie interjected. “Look, we’re a Ghostie Pieclops!” she started laughing again, falling on the floor and rolling around now. “Forget tag or hide and seek, this is really fun!”
The spirit peered at the giggling pony on the floor and took another glance in the mirror. Its face was distorted, bulbous around the muzzle and thin in the neck. She floated closer to the reflection and it changed spectrum, inflating her lower face and thinning out the top now.
“Was this… always here?” she asked, a smile forming over her face. Pinkie came up behind her and began making strange faces again. The ghost began to snicker and soon was giggling. One more obnoxious face, and she busted out in full fledged laughter.
“See! This is great!” Pinkie said, laughing with it.
“Oh my gosh, look at your face!” the ghost replied, holding its side. Both of them remained there, laughing like a couple of idiots at their own reflections. Pinkie calmed down, but the spirit continued on.
“Whew, you sure can laugh,” she said. The ghost’s form shifted, becoming more pony-like now. Its ghostly tail grew into two hind legs, and its wiry mane fluffed up, turning into neatly braided golden locks. Her eyes filled with color again, revealing two hazel irises.
“It’s been… so long,” the filly chuckled, turning away from the mirror and looking at Pinkie Pie now.
“Since what?” Pinkie asked.
“Since I laughed… laughed like that, I mean.”
“Why?”
“I was… sad,” the transparent pony explained. “I ran away, because I was sad and got trapped in here. I couldn’t find my way out and I was so alone; I was so scared…”
“Hey,” Pinkie Pie said, trotting up to the ghost. “You wanna know something?”
“What?”
“My name is Pinkie Pie, I’m from Ponyville. And guess what?”
“What?”
“You’re my new friend!”
“Friend? How can we be friends? I’m… well you’re…”
“Let’s not let the metaphysical interfere with something as eternal as friendship,” Pinkie said, pretending to act like Twilight. She giggled at herself, prompting the same response from the filly.
“I never had any friends before,” the ghost said, looking back into the mirror.
“That’s a shame,” Pinkie replied. “You’re really fun to play games with.”
“R-really?” the filly looked up.
“Well duh! I mean you had me going on all cylinders to get away from you! Not to mention, you’re a natural at hide and seek. And you can make some pretty funny faces!” The ghost child smiled and rested her face into Pinkie’s side.
“Thank you, Pinkie Pie,” she said. “You’re fun too. You helped me laugh again.”
“Aww, it’s what I do. Like everyday. No seriously, I make somepony new laugh everyday. You’d think like maybe there was something on my face, but nah, it’s just my thing.”
“Heh Heh, well you’re very good at it.” The child began to glow now, and looked at her new friend in the eyes. “I hope we get to play again sometime.”
“Anytime you want,” Pinkie replied.
“Don’t ever lose that laugh.”
“Kinda impossible… unless I lose my voice, then I’d have to do it in sign language,” she replied, waving her hooves about. One final chuckle, and the filly vanished. The room began to rumble, and all of the mirrors shifted position, pointing towards a large door on the far side of the room. Pinkie followed the mirrors over to the door, and stopped at the last one, smiling at the message drawn in the glass. She opened the door and bounded inside, traversing down a dimly lit hall and towards another set of large double doors. She shoved them open, stepping now into a dark, dusty library.
“Oh, there you are,” Fluttershy’s voice said from the darkness. A small light rounded the corner of a bookcase, held by a flying pegasus. “Me and Rarity were going to go looking for you, to tell you we found the library.”
“Good thing you didn’t or we would’ve been lost in this castle forever,” Pinkie replied, skipping happily over to Fluttershy. They returned to a better lit area, illuminated by several floating candles.
“Pinkie Pie, I thought I heard something enter the library,” Rarity cheered.
“And you sent Fluttershy to check it out?”
“Oh, it’s alright, Rarity’s new friend offered to watch over the library and alert us if anything dangerous came.”
“Oh, so you made a new friend too?” Pinkie asked, beaming. “Mine kind of floated away, but we’re still cool, you know?”
“Right,” Rarity sighed. “Anyhow, help us search through these references. Apparently they’re all related to the Elements of Harmony, but we’ve yet to find a script that we can read.”
“Have you tried this?” Pinkie pointed to a large statue just behind the three of them.
“That’s just a sculpture of the elements,” Fluttershy replied. “There’s only a small inscription on the base.”
“You know what they say about small packages?” The pink pony asked, pushing in on a small stone on the base. The square platform began to rumble, splitting open and causing the statue on it to fall inside of the newly formed hole in the ground. The base split once more, separating to the four corners of the hole.
“Pinkie Pie, how on earth did you know how to do that?”
“My friend told me,” she replied. From the pit, another platform arose, archaic in structure. It was a large mirror, resting within a carving of a crescent moon. Around the moon were protrusions of sun-like rays. The mirror awoke, sending a stream of light from its base to the four pieces of the previous stone base. The base pieces began to resonate now, glowing in the same manner as the light that stretched out on the floor towards them.
“What’s going on?” Fluttershy asked, watching as the stone bases rose from the ground and locked themselves in place. The streams of light danced onto the newly formed pedestals, lining their tops with what appeared to be ancient runes.
“That, I don’t know,” Pinkie replied, trotting up to one of the pedestals. “Oh, hey look! It’s our friends!”
“What? Where?” Rarity asked, coming up to Pinkie’s side. She looked down at the runes and scrunched her muzzle up. “Pinkie, I don’t see anything…”
“No, in the mirror!”
“Oh, I see them!” Fluttershy exclaimed, pointing at the large mirror now. Rarity peeked as well, and nodded. The mirror then moved away from their friends and cast its glare on Gray Umbra.
“Hey, it’s that no-good brute!” Rarity growled.
“Man, I’d like to show him a thing or two!” Pinkie shouted in agreement, slamming her forehoof on the surface of the pedestal she was at. The structure lit up, sending a wave of light to the center mirror. The girls watched as Gray suddenly was struck by a wave of magic and sent flying through the air.
“Oh my… did you see that?!”
“I did that,” Pinkie replied with a large grin.
“How?” Fluttershy wondered, studying the runes and the stone pedestal they were on.
“Who cares, I want the next shot!” Rarity squealed, zooming over to the next pedestal. She peered into the mirror and placed her hooves on the runes. As if following her movements, the image in the mirror shifted across the forest and rested upon Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow Dash! It’s me, Rarity. Can you hear me, darling?”
“I’m not so sure she can even see you,” Fluttershy said, hovering behind Rarity now.
“So sorry if I messed with your vision, Pinkie,” Rarity chimed then.
“Actually, I’m not looking at Dashie, I’m studying Twilight. She seems pretty tense,” the pink pony revealed. “Oh hey, it’s Princess Luna!”
“This is amazing,” Rarity squealed again. “The only problem is… what does this have to with the Elements of Harmony?”
“Yeah, I don’t think I got that message either,” Pinkie Pie said, messing with her controls. “Who plays invertedly? That’s just dumb…”
“Fluttershy, see if maybe you can find something about these mirrors and whatever it is we’re controlling. From the looks of things, it seems to be pretty large,” Rarity said, fixing her view on the old monolith now. The design resembled that of the mirror they were already looking through.
“What would that be under?” she asked, more so rhetorically.
“Try, ‘M’ first,” Pinkie answered.
“And do be quick about it… I believe Mr. Umbra is on his way back,” Rarity added, noticing a burning inferno rocketing towards their friends.
“Okay, umm… let’s see,” she began, quickly skimming the contents of each book.
“What is that?!” Pinkie yelled, gaping at the orange sphere expanding above the evil alicorn’s head.
“That would be trouble,” Rarity squeaked. “Hurry Fluttershy!”
“Oh, I think I found something,” Fluttershy exclaimed, showing the diagram to the other two. “It looks just like the structure and its controls.”
“Let me see,” Pinkie demanded, snatching the book away and muttering to herself as she read it. “Harmonolith… built by King… special barrier… magic controls… self-containing dimensional plane used to house raw power such as that found in the Elements of Harmony?!”
“More complete sentences, please?” Rarity pleaded.
“Quick, aim your thingy at the big mirror, you too Fluttershy!”
“But what did the book say?” she asked, flying over to the pedestal. She started it up, tapping on the controls lightly.
“We can read later,” Pinkie replied, stuffing the book into her mane. “Right now, we need to rip space a new one!”
“How vulgar,” Rarity said, shuddering. She followed Pinkie’s plan and aimed at the center mirror in the field. “What now?”
“Shoot it like we shot Gray Umbra, and it should suck him up like a new vacuum cleaner!” Pinkie slammed on her controls, launching a beam of magic into the Harmonolith’s center relic. Rarity did the same, showing Fluttershy how to operate the machine shortly after.
“Why isn’t it working?” Fluttershy asked, noticing that the beams were sparking, but not creating the rift.
“Black licorice fudge,” Pinkie cursed. “We need a fourth body for the last turret!”
“I can help with that,” Rarity said. “Clu? Darling come be a dear and help us!”
“Yes, Rarity, what is it?” Clu called back, swooping in from above.
“We need you to imitate us on that control panel over there,” Rarity pointed across the room. “Just slide your claws over the surface and position your vision where ours is at.”
“Hey, I’m Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie shouted, startling the beelzub. “Imagine firing a condensed beam of magic, and press down on the runes to light em up!”
“Th-this is awkward,” Clu replied, following the directions given to him. “You do this kind of thing everyday?”
“Not particularly, but enough to stay calm, given the circumstances,” Rarity replied.
“What circumstances?”
“That large energy ball about to blow up the planet,” Pinkie replied, repositioning Clu’s turret to the attack Gray Umbra was forming. He quickly regained control and fired his beam at the center mirror. As the magic assaulted the mirror, it began to fade, replacing the glass with a starry expanse.
“It looks like space,” Fluttershy commented.
“It’s a whole different dimension, void of anything. That’s how it can hold energy,” Pinkie explained.
“I’m surprised you actually understood that book, Pinkie Pie,” Rarity added from the side.
“There was a nice little reference section, to make it easier on me,” she giggled. Clu shifted his eyes back and forth between the three ponies and the newly formed portal in what appeared to be the Everfree forest.
“Ponies are strange,” he muttered to himself.
“Look what’s happening!” Fluttershy shouted now.
“Hey, the portal thingy… it’s absorbing Gray’s magic!” Pinkie yelled.
“My word, so it really is like a vacuum cleaner,” Rarity said. “I-it seems to be taking in more than that magic as well!” All four of them watched as the portal forced the trees in the area to bend to its whim, sucking in loose vegetation and stone.
“Do you think that Twilight and everypony else are all right?” Fluttershy asked with a crack in her voice.
“Well, I haven’t seen any of them fly into the portal,” Rarity replied, swallowing her doubt.
“Maybe not,” Pinkie said, “but Gray is heading straight for it!” From the display, all four of them watched as the dark alicorn resisted the pull of the magic portal. His efforts were futile, however, and he plunged head-first into the dark matter.
“That’s it, is he gone?” Rarity asked.
“What about the portal? Why isn’t it disappearing?” Fluttershy wondered.
“Take your eyes off of it,” Pinkie Pie commanded, removing her turret from the center piece. Each body did the same, resulting in a small rupture of the sound barrier around the Harmonolith. After the sound had passed, peace defell the land. “We did it?”
“We did it,” Rarity repeated.
“Oh my, he’s actually gone?” Fluttershy asked, a huge smile on her face. Clu remained still, waiting to be let in on the loop. As far as he was concerned, he might have saved the world, but was a little unsure at the moment.
“This is great! Does that mean we don’t need the Elements of Harmony after all?” Rarity asked.
“I dunno,” Pinkie replied. “We should ask Twilight!” She left the humming pedestal and trotted over to the large mirror in the library.
“Um… what are you doing now?”
“The book said we can use this to teleport in front of the Harmonolith,” Pinkie explained. She stuck her hoof in, causing the glass to ripple.
“Very good, we can continue posthaste,” Rarity affirmed, making for the mirror as well.
“I guess this is good bye then?” Clu suddenly chimed in from the corner. Rarity trotted over to the beelzub and hugged him.
“Thank you ever so much, Clu. I will remember you, I promise.”
“Thank you for your generous heart,” he replied with a bow. “If you shan't need me anymore, then I’ll be taking my treasure and departing for home.”
“That would be best, considering… well, you saw,” Rarity nervously explained.
“I’m still not too sure about that either,” he replied. “Regardless, I wish you ponies the best.” Clu saluted one last time and departed, lifting off from the edge of a broken window high above the library.
“What a neat guy,” Pinkie said.
“Come now, we have to get back to our friends,” Rarity reminded them and entered the mirror. Her two companions followed shortly after.
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Was this the Clu? Like from Tron: Legacy?
3794955
Erm, no... I kinda just liked the name
3794968
OK, then. 
References again!
Star Wars (“How rude”)
Lylat Wars (Starfox 64) ("Whaaaaaat")
Diff'rent Strokes (“Whatcha talkin’ bout willie?”)
Looney Tunes (“Beep beep!”)
Any RPG ever (teleport in front of the Harmonolith)
I heartily agree with you, Sir.
Woo! Now I'm actually caught up. Feels good. Can't wait for more!
3959374
... A lot of those must be new via the rewrite. I also haven't read the latest chapter yet...
Sounds like I'm missing quite a bit.
3959215
By all means... place those goggles back on and hand me the summary, my friend.
I'm actually rather serious. If you have the time, that is...
3959382
Yes you are. And a majority of them are new via rewrite. 3959215's been spot on as well. Damn near got every one XD
There are a few more, probably, but it's been so long since I viewed the previous chapters that I'd have to do a through search. I usually place them in on the fly, or after I pre-read the chapter and think to myself, "insert snide remark here..."
Interesting, will give it a read... and I will read all of it....
LOL