The Cutie Mark Crusaders are thrown into an adventure for the ages, where the deepest secrets of Equestria are waiting to be discovered. There's only one problem. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are tagging along. What secrets will they find?
Summer has arrived in Ponyville, and all of the colts and fillies are ecstatic about the long break from school. The Cutie Mark Crusaders are among those excited about the summer and they end up going on an adventure for the ages. There's only one problem. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are tagging along with them. However, what none of them realize is that many undiscovered secrets of Equestria are waiting for them. What are these secrets? Why are Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon traveling with the Cutie Mark Crusaders? What challenges will these fillies face?
Apple Bloom sat on the edge of her seat, her limbs wiggling during the longest minute of her life. In one minute, the smiling faces of energetic fillies and colts would greet Ponyville. Such was the typical routine as it culminated in them galloped around the fields of the town gossiping and giggling. It was a sort of ritual among the foals in the once humble town, though today was different.
When the bell rang, the school year would close and summer vacation would begin at last. It was a time which sent jolts coursing through everypony’s veins, though it was also a chaotic time which saw toilet paper get tossed into nearby trees and more than one pony getting a irate stomach from a little too much candy. Apple Bloom bit her lip as her eyes mimicked the motions of the clock.
Tick tock! Tick tock! The noise was all Apple Bloom's ears heard as she counted each and every second passing by. Much to her displeasure, the seconds felt longer and longer as the clock approached two. She even felt a little nauseous as time slowed to a pace a snail would find too slow. Her eyebrows furrowed and her hoof tapped against the smooth, oak floor of the classroom as her gaze remained glued on the clock.
Tick tock! Tick tock! There were only fifteen seconds until the summer break. Apple Bloom's mind shifted focus on what she should do over the summer. However, the possibility of a summer assignment in her future tickled the back of her brain. She cringed at the mere thought of such a blasphemous act. Then again, Miss Cheerilee wasn’t the kind of pony to do such a thing.
Perhaps her friends had something in mind. The crevices of Apple Bloom’s mind were running dry. Working on the farm and similar tasks weren’t her idea of fun. Turning to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, Apple Bloom's lips curled into a slight smile. She winked at the pair and waved her hooves in a circular motion like it was some sort of code. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo both grinned and nodded to confirm their understanding.
Tick tock! In the blink of an eye, a cacophonous chime polluted the air. Apple Bloom flinched for a split second, shielding her ears from the bell’s barrage. Nevertheless, she joined all the fillies and colts in leaping out of their desks. When everypony plopped onto their hooves, they charged at the school's exit like a pack of wild bulls. Cheers loud enough to shatter eardrums erupted in the air, echoing all over the classroom. The noise was the last thing anypony needed after the bell, though Apple Bloom and her aching ears couldn’t care less. Summer was waiting, after all.
Wiggling around the desks and empty chairs, Apple Bloom soon found herself in the middle of the stampede. To her luck, her cheeks were squeezed by the rock-like shoulders of two other students. She knew her face would be sore for the next few hours thanks to their stark build.
Attempting to wave to Miss Cheerilee, Apple Bloom then found herself shoved outside the school building less than a second later. She collapsed onto the cold, dew-covered grass instead of a solid pathway, much to her delight. The fillies and colts all dispersed into smaller groups, all galloping with mile-wide grins. Apple Bloom took a deep breath and swiped away some of the sweat dripping from her brow. It was good to be able to breathe clean air again.
Pushing herself upright, Apple Bloom then trotted forwards towards the flagpole erected in the front of the school building. Fluttering at the top of it as though it were alive and trying to break free was the town flag of Ponyville. The occasional gusts of wind blew across her face, tickling her cheeks. It was a nice contrast to the sun beating down on her face and cooking her like bread in an oven. Hot to cold, cold to hot. The cycle repeated itself at regular intervals.
Apple Bloom pressed her weight against the smooth, steel pole and gazed at the school. Its pinkish exterior was much like a barn's and its vibrant colors drew the eye toward it. Such a design wasn’t flattering, however. Apple Bloom’s mind formulated all sorts of ways to give the building a more pleasing visage, though she discarded the thought a minute later.
Meandering across the field with a skip in her step, Apple Bloom’s grin widened. After a minute of prancing about, her limbs froze. A few fillies and colts were still leaving the schoolhouse as though a thousand ponies resided in there. None of them were Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom groaning in response.
When am I going to do something fun? Hurry up, everypony.
Then again, patience was never something she was awarded for if her yearning for a cutie mark was anything to go by.
Apple Bloom pouted, her muzzle scrunched up like an accordion. Right then, as if on cue, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stormed out of the school with glowing eyes. Apple Bloom's ears shot up, a radiant grin stretching across her face as she galloped towards her friends.
"Scootaloo! Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom shouted at the top of her lungs. She ceased trotting, but her limbs refused to stop shaking in excitement. "Are you ready for some fun?"
"Of course I am," Scootaloo said. Her twinkling eyes and wide smile oozed confidence. "I wonder if we'll get our cutie marks during summer break. Wait, of course we will!" She then fluttered her wings for a moment. "Maybe I'll even learn how to fly!"
"What should we do?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I was thinking about seeing if we could get our cutie marks in martial arts."
"C'mon, Sweetie Belle. I already tried that," Apple Bloom said. She cringed. Memories of her last attempt reached the top of her mind. "Hitting one of those bag things is like hitting concrete. Why don't we try getting our cutie marks in fencing?"
Sweetie Belle's glanced upward, her hoof on her muzzle. "What would a fencing cutie mark even look like? Maybe we could get our cutie marks in trying to get cutie marks."
The trio let out hearty laughs. But as they giggled, Apple Bloom felt a tingling sensation within her chest. She had been trying everything to find her cutie mark for what felt like years, though in reality only nine months passed since she started crusading with her best friends. The thought of her doing it all wrong came to her first, though she discredited it a second later. She questioned whether there was more to cutie marks than she thought. Perhaps the answer was in front of her the entire time. Nevertheless, she needed to get it out somehow.
"Hmm. Girls, do you think maybe we're missing the point?" Apple Bloom asked as she raised her hoof up.
Scootaloo shrugged, raising an eyebrow. "Beats me," she said. "I just want my cutie mark to be something awesome." She flapped her petite wings and struck a pose, her hoof pointing toward the sky.
"Here comes the part where she rants about Rainbow Dash," Sweetie Belle muttered to herself.
"Something like the one Rainbow Dash has."
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes, though not a peep escaped her mouth.
"I want a cool cutie mark as well," Apple Bloom added. “But maybe the answer to our special talents has been in front of us this entire time."
Scootaloo cocked her head to the right, gazing at Apple Bloom with a bemused expression. "How so?"
"Well, when Sweetie Belle mentioned the whole trying to get a cutie mark in finding cutie marks, I felt something weird inside of me." Apple Bloom shuffled her hooves, pressing them against the coarse dirt. With widened eyes, she gazed at where Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stood. "I think that maybe we should ask somepony how they got their cutie mark."
Sweetie Belle arced an eyebrow. "Didn't we already do that?" she asked. "You know, with our sisters and their close friends, remember? Why would we do that again? Plus, who would we ask besides our older sisters and their friends?"
"I think if we just asked different ponies, we could figure out how to get them." Apple Bloom smiled and nodded. "Call me crazy, but it just might work."
"I've always thought you were crazy, blank flank," a venomous voice said in the distance.
Apple Bloom's spine froze and her legs metamorphosed into concrete. There was no doubt as to the voice’s mischievous owner, Apple Bloom’s breathing quickening. Swiveling her head toward the voice's source, the air turned thin when she spotted who was before her.
There were her two nemeses, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Their sly smirks still urged Apple Bloom to plant a hoof into them after all this time. However, she was aware violence would only put her in the bad.
Diamond trotted closer toward Apple Bloom, her flank swaying with each step. Every motion she made tried to display her cutie mark like it was a trophy. Silver Spoon, on the other hoof, had an expression devoid of emotion and only followed Diamond close behind. Apple Bloom couldn’t help but wonder if Silver Spoon had something else on her mind. After all, teasing her for the summer would be a waste of free time. They both did plenty of it during the school year.
Nevertheless, a fire ignited within Apple Bloom's eyes. Gritting her teeth, her face then twisted into a fierce scowl that would make a manticore wince. Scootaloo trotted next to her on the right, a squeaky growl escaping her throat. Glancing behind her, Apple Bloom noticed Sweetie Belle shivering with puckered lips and shimmering eyes. A few soft, inaudible whimpers left her mouth.
"I hear you losers are still trying to figure out what your cutie marks are," Diamond quipped, her voice sounding like it came from a snake. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "You know that you three have no talents, right? Like, all those stupid attempts for cutie marks just proves it."
"That's not true!" Apple Bloom shouted. She leaned over towards Diamond and glared at her, her mind restraining her from planting a hoof into her face. "We do have talents! We're just looking for them!"
"If you have a talent, then where's your cutie mark?" Bobbing her eyebrows, Diamond then flaunted her cutie mark once more. Apple Bloom sulked in response, letting out a deep sigh. "Thought so."
"Then what are your talents, brat?" Scootaloo sniped, her cheeks blushing. "What's a dumb tiara and a stupid spoon supposed to represent?" As two seconds of silence passed, her lips curled into a devilish smile. "Come on, what is it?"
"I'm a pastry chef," Silver Spoon replied, her monotone voice taking Apple Bloom off guard. She trotted over to Scootaloo, gazing into her eyes as if to peer into her soul. "I know that I haven't talked a lot about it, but don't assume my talent represents something useless just because I don’t mention it. I mean, why would I have to explain myself all the time? When you get your cutie mark—whatever it is—I don’t think you’ll ever have to explain it. Besides, most of our classmates already knew this about me. If you listened for once, maybe you'd know this."
Scootaloo groaned and her face then scowled at Silver Spoon. "Look who's talking. If the three of us got our cutie marks tomorrow, you'd think our talents would be useless even though they wouldn't be."
Silver Spoon shook her head. "Diamond might, but I wouldn't.” She paused. “My friend is more critical of cutie marks than I am, but it doesn’t matter. It’s not like you’re going to wow us with them.”
“How come?”
“Again, I don't know what your special talent might be to begin with. I understand why you wouldn't believe me, blank flank." Silver Spoon swished her tail. “Just go off and do your crusading or whatever. Maybe you’ll trip on a cutie mark. Then again, you probably won’t since you just blindly run into everything you find.” She edged closer to Scootaloo. “Isn’t that right?”
Scootaloo stepped back and then rubbed her head. A blank gaze adorned her visage as words failed to escape her throat.
"Now hold on a minute," Apple Bloom said. Raising her head, she peered at Silver Spoon and slapped her tail against the ground. "Just what are you trying to get at? You have to be here for a reason, right? I mean, it's summer break. Shouldn't you be having fun like normal ponies?"
"But we're here for a reason, Apple Bloom." Diamond replied in a concerned voice, though something about it tightened Apple Bloom’s chest. Her eyebrows ruffled and she ground her teeth at Diamond. "We wanted to help the three of you get your cutie mark, and we know exactly how you can do it."
Apple Bloom face scrunched up. Huffing, she then trudged closer to Diamond until she was within spitting distance. Taking a deep breath, Apple Bloom donned a milder expression. Thoughts regarding just what Diamond had in store raced within her mind. Knowing her, Apple Bloom figured it would be some impossible fetch quest designed to spook her and her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Fetch quest? Wait a second!
Apple Bloom wore a faint smile as something clicked in her mind. Diamond had something in store for her, but the idea of flipping it to her advantage was too brilliant to pass up. If there was a cutie mark or something of value to grasp, Apple Bloom knew she’d be foolish to pass it down. "It better be good, so tell us," she ordered.
"Um, Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle whispered into her ear. "Are you sure it's a good idea to trust these two?"
"I have an idea, Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom murmured back. "They're not going to expect this."
"Can I explain now?" Diamond asked in a tone that sounded akin to a griffon's talons against a chalkboard. "You're boring me."
Apple Bloom nodded, her shining smile widening by the second. "Go on."
"I want the three of you to go to the Everfree Forest and retrieve something for me." Diamond bit her lip, fighting off giggles as her cheeks flushed. "I want you to go there and get a Rainbow Flower. If you do, you might get a florist cutie mark."
“Gotcha,” Apple Bloom whispered to herself, but just loud enough for Diamond to hear. With a deep breath, Diamond took short step back. The open book titled Diamond Tiara messed with the wrong filly. Exhaling, Apple Bloom then orated, "On one condition.”
Diamond raised an eyebrow. "Huh?” She shrugged and then quivered. “W-what do you want?"
"I want both of you to join us."
Diamond sprang up into the air in surprise, landing on all fours. "W-what? This is something only you can do!" Twiddling her mane, she exhaled. “It’s not going to get you cutie marks if you do it with us!”
"We don't know what a Rainbow Flower looks like, but I bet you do." This was a lie. Apple Bloom knew what a Rainbow Flower was, but her chest tightened just in case Diamond figured it out. Then again, the emotionless expression across her face would make finding out impossible. She was always christened as the expert liar of the family, though she never knew if it was meant as a compliment. “Also, I know for a fact we can get cutie marks with you two around.”
"Well, um, you're just chicken!" Diamond stretched her foreleg toward Apple Bloom, a grin plastered on the former's face. "That's it. You're a chicken! You and your fellow blank flanks! You need our help to do it because you’re cowards!" She paused. “So that’s what’s going on!”
Apple Bloom shook her head. "Nope. You're the chicken around here."
Diamond stomped the ground as specks of dirt flew up into the air. A light brown cloud of dust shrouded her. Growling, Diamond then clenched her teeth. "That's it! Nopony calls me chicken!" Diamond turned to Silver Spoon, waving her hoof as though she was trying to swat a fly. "C'mon, Silvy. We're joining the blank flanks."
"Whatever you want, Di," said Silver Spoon. “But are you sure this is a good idea?”
“I’m positive it’s a good idea.” Diamond took a short step forward. “Come now, let’s show those blank flanks how it’s done!”
The pair made their way toward Apple Bloom with short steps. Diamond sulked, mumbling profanities under her breath with a deep grimace plastered on her face. Silver Spoon, on the other hoof, was a blank slate. Other than her shuffling next to Sweetie Belle for a second, Apple Bloom failed to spot anything out of the ordinary. Studying Silver Spoon was akin to reading a book in a foreign language as far as she was concerned. There had to be something up with the gray filly, though what she had in mind was an enigma.
"Now then," Diamond said with a puffed out chest. Apple Bloom and the others stared into Diamond's eyes. "If we're going to find a Rainbow Flower, you're going to have to do everything I say."
"Why?" Scootaloo asked.
Diamond raised an eyebrow and her eye twitched. "What?"
"Why do we have to listen to only you? What if one of us has a better plan? Then what?"
Placing a hoof to her face, Diamond groaned. "I'm the leader around here. And because of this, what I say goes."
"Um, Diamond Tiara," Silver Spoon muttered, raising her hoof up into the air. "What if somepony else has a better idea? You have to admit that she has a point." Diamond leaned toward Silver Spoon, the former’s brow ruffled. "Okay, maybe a little."
Apple Bloom glanced over to Silver Spoon and assumed a bemused expression. She had almost never seen Silver Spoon disagree with Diamond Tiara for as long as she butted heads with them. The only other instance she recalled this happening was back during the school's Family Appreciation Day. Silver Spoon clapped at Granny Smith's story as a palpable awe radiated from her while Diamond just pouted and went off on a tirade against her grandmother. Other than that, Silver Spoon had been riding Diamond's coattails from the beginning. Then again, it was possible Apple Bloom only saw one side of the story. Perhaps this was normal.
"Fine, we'll work together," Diamond whined, her body shuddering. She let out a deep sigh and trotted ahead of the group. "Come now, we better not take too long."
As Diamond went ahead, Apple Bloom turned towards Silver Spoon and stared blankly at her. Silver Spoon raised an eyebrow and shrugged, to which she responded by shrugging back at her.
"What do you want, blank flank?" Silver Spoon questioned. However, something about her sharp tone felt off.
"Nothing," Apple Bloom responded. “I’m just gazin’ off into space.”
"Then don't stare at me like that, please." Silver Spoon turned around in a huff and then followed Diamond Tiara. Such behavior from her was what Apple Bloom was used to, but what she said resulted in a bemused expression from Apple Bloom. Her head felt empty for a moment.
Did she just say please?
Turning to where Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were, Apple Bloom nodded and smiled. "Let's follow them," she proposed.
"Got it," Scootaloo said as she rubbed her hoof across her mane.
"Um, okay," Sweetie Belle said, her body shivering as though a blizzard swirled past her.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders huddled up and gave chase to Diamond and Silver Spoon. Apple Bloom led with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle bringing up the rear. They bounced in unison with grins across their faces. It was a simple adventure, though any adventure where cutie marks might be awaiting them was one Apple Bloom was for.
But as she kept going, her chest tightened. The smile she once bore vanished in an instant and a chill coursed down her spine. Their next destination was the Everfree Forest. It was the same forest which housed several creatures made of nightmares. Apple Bloom even recounted the rumors of dark magic concocting some of the Everfree Forest’s myriad of dangers. She couldn’t help but turn pale at the thought. True or not, nothing pleasant could possibly come from this.
There was something about journeying through the Everfree Forest which sent a jolt through Sweetie Belle’s spine. She’d be lying to herself if she said getting to trot through the forest wasn’t exciting. Even she appreciated riskier quests at times. However, she’d also be lying to herself if she claimed to not be nervous. This was the Everfree Forest, after all. The memory of meandering to where a cockatrice resided returned to the top of her mind. While she knew a repeat of such an encounter was unlikely, spotting one was still possible. Her throat dried up as her mind formulated the possibilities.
It was also one of those instances where Sweetie Belle wished she had Rarity or Fluttershy traveling alongside her. She could count on them to brush away the tingling sensations within her chest.
Bringing up the rear of the group, Sweetie Belle followed her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders as well as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Leaves littered the ground beneath her hooves, crunching whenever they were stepped on. The world was covered in a thick blanket of dark green wherever she twisted her head. However, there was the occasional brown tree trunk standing exposed and the small openings in the canopy where the sun's light peeked from above. Tranquil tunes left the beaks of chirping birds as they fluttered in the sky above, but something about it all felt ominous for reasons alien to Sweetie Belle. It was as though something lurked within the shadows and watched her every move.
Sweetie Belle’s leg muscles constricted and the air around her felt thin. Gazing at the fillies in front of her with wide open eyes, she found herself galloping toward them should they get too far ahead. Such a process repeated every other minute without fail. The Rainbow Flower had to be somewhere around here as far as she knew, but there was no prism of colors anywhere. There was just green. At least there was the undisturbed music of nature, though Sweetie Belle knew it wouldn't last long. She and her friends had a penchant for finding trouble.
"I'm bored," Diamond Tiara whined as she rolled her eyes. "The Rainbow Flower has to be somewhere around here, right?"
Sweetie Belle shrugged. At least I’m not the only one thinking that. However, as much as she yearned to speak up, her lips were sealed.
"It better be," Apple Bloom replied with a taut visage. She lifted her foreleg up and shook it a few times. Planting it back on the ground, orange and brown leaves sprang up in the air around Apple Bloom. "My hooves hurt, so if we don't find this flower thing of yours, we're going to head back home."
Sweetie Belle nodded, but one word filled her mind.
Home.
She never knew what homesickness was like. After all, Sweetie Belle always found herself being stuck in Carousel Boutique whenever she wasn’t crusading with her friends. It did get rather tedious at times.
But this time, homesickness clung onto her like a parasite. It tugged her heart deeper into the abyss. She wished she could turn around and gallop home, the tightness within her body intensifying. However, she knew she couldn't abandon her friends and let them wander deeper into the Everfree. Looking back at the world behind her, she gulped a second later All she spotted was a sea of green.
Gazing back to where her friends were, she noticed Apple Bloom's lips moving. Nothing seemed to escape her mouth, though Apple Bloom was even smaller than usual from where she stood. Diamond Tiara then said something of her own, scowling at Apple Bloom with glowing eyes. Even the sounds of nature from before had disappeared. Sweetie Belle soon found herself drifting toward unconsciousness as everything spiraled around her. Wincing, she pressed her hooves into the soft soil, trying to anchor herself upright.
"Blank," a voice murmured.
Sweetie Belle trotted forward at a snail's pace, her heart pounding faster and her steps heavier than ever.
"Sweetie," the voice said again.
Sweetie Belle's eyes widened. Everything around her became a blur.
"Sweetie Belle, are you okay?" the voice asked.
Jumping up in surprise, Sweetie Belle's vision became clear once more. Twisting to her right, she spotted none other than Silver Spoon standing beside her. Sweetie Belle couldn’t help but gawk at Silver Spoon’s drooping brow and pursed lips. Such a facial expression coming from Silver Spoon was inconceivable to her. After all, ponies she considered heartless couldn't just grow hearts. Her head pounded as though a jackhammer attacked her just by thinking about the idea.
"W-where did you come from?" Sweetie Belle asked, her pupils dilated.
"I've been here this entire time," Silver Spoon answered in a blunt tone. “We joined you on this adventure, remember?”
Sweetie Belle paused for a moment. Donning a blank expression, all she could muster was meekly saying, “Yes. I remember.”
"Are you okay?" Silver Spoon asked.
"Um, yeah," Sweetie Belle replied. With a deep breath, she regained some of her composure and straightened her posture. "I'm okay, but why do you ask? Is this setting up a prank?"
"I'm not setting up a prank. I just don't want anypony to get hurt.” Silver Spoon's lips curled into a slight smile. There was a slight warmness to her expression as well, earning a raised brow from Sweetie Belle. "Anyway, I think we might have to turn back if we don't find anything. We’ve been trotting about for some time and—" Silver Spoon took a deep breath “—and I’m exhausted.”
Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yeah, we’ve been doing this for some time.” She rubbed her mane, beads of sweat sticking to it cooling her hoof a tad. Cringing, she then pressed her hoof on the ground once more.
A sharp sensation poked the back of Sweetie Belle’s mind. Was Silver Spoon, of all ponies, being nice to her? There was the thought of asking why Silver Spoon was behaving in such a manner, though the inkling of making the situation tenser prodded Sweetie Belle's nerves. She twitched. Any sort of conflict, no matter how minor, was the last thing she needed.
Maybe it’s all just a crazy dream and I’m just snoozing in Cheerilee’s classroom. Wouldn’t have been the first time I’ve done so.
Lifting her hoof and closing her eyes, Sweetie Belle smacked herself across the face. A harsh popping sound echoed in the air.
"Okay, when I open my eyes, I'll be tucked in my bed or sitting in the classroom," Sweetie Belle told herself as she forced a smile. "Here I go!"
Sweetie Belle opened her eyes, her surroundings a blur of watercolors. A second later, the world around her became clear once more. Standing before her was Silver Spoon, her head cocked to the left. Behind her were tree trunks and a thick covering of leaves.
This wasn’t a dream.
Biting her lip, Sweetie Belle then swiveled away from the group. However, at the exact moment her hoof made contact with the soil below, a gray foreleg appeared in front of her.
"Sweetie Belle, we need to stick together," Silver Spoon said. “I know we're far from friends, but we can’t just leave each other behind.”
"You're just trying to trick me," Sweetie Belle muttered in a squeaky, but melancholic tone. Her eyes shimmered and her vision twisted into a haze. Warm teardrops cascaded from her eyes and tickled her cheeks.
"I'm not. I don't care if we don't get along, but we need to work together whether you like it or not." Silver Spoon planted her hooves on Sweetie Belle's shoulders and gazed into her eyes. "Are you with us or not?"
"I-I don't know."
"Sweetie Belle, as much as I hate to say this, I have to admit that Silver Spoon is right," Apple Bloom added off in the distance. "We're not getting anywhere if we don't stick together." Sweetie Belle shifted her head toward where Apple Bloom was. She alongside Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara sat atop a cut down tree stump. The former two stared at Diamond with furrowed eyebrows, while Diamond reclined against a tall trunk wearing a blank expression.
Sweetie Belle tilted her head. "You were listening?"
Apple Bloom nodded and winked at Sweetie Belle. "I couldn't leave a friend behind. You also speak kind of loud." Giggling, Apple Bloom then covered her lips with the tip her hoof. She did have a point, as Miss Cheerilee always heard Sweetie Belle whenever she tried to whisper a secret. "Now then, are you with us?"
Sweetie Belle paused for a moment, then nodded. “Okay, but if anything happens, I'm leaving."
Scootaloo hopped down from the stump. A radiant grin adorned her face. "I knew you could do it, Sweetie Belle!"
"You had better stay with us," Diamond said. She raised her head a little and swished her tail. "I mean, what are the odds of something weird happening?"
The moment Diamond finished her sentence, a faint shuffling of leaves filled the air. The cacophony intensified with each passing second. Sweetie Belle shut her eyes and whimpered, but everything fell silent ten seconds later.
Opening her eyes, Sweetie Belle glanced behind her shoulder. With her head hung low, everything felt light to her once more. Sweetie Belle was certain she stood on the ground, but her eyes then caught something which made her feel as though she’d float into the sky.
One of the bushes was moving as though it were alive.
Gulping, Sweetie Belle flung her hoof toward the bush in question. Her brow shot up as her chest tightened further. "Something is inside there!" she shrieked.
On cue, a pony-shaped figure leaped out of the bushes. A ragged, brown cloak covered its body, leaving no square inch exposed. Its four hooves plopped on one of the tree branches, the figure rocketing away from where she was a split second later. Leaves dodged the figure as if they feared for their lives.
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo donned blank expressions and gaping mouths, the rest of their bodies not budging an inch. Diamond's face was colorless as if all the blood was siphoned out of her. She then blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes. Sweetie Belle glanced over to Silver Spoon. The latter’s pupils dilated as she leaned over to where she appeared inches away from fainting.
"Who was that?" Scootaloo asked out of breath. "Whoever that was, he or she must be so awesome!" She gawked up to where the figure was, then following the trail of fluttering leaves. "I have an idea."
"Scootaloo, don't you dare suggest what I think you're going to suggest," Diamond hissed. Squinting, she then clenched her teeth. "Don't you say it!"
Silver Spoon glanced over at Diamond and giggled. "C'mon, Di," she teased. "Are you trying to tempt her to do something you don't want?"
Diamond tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What did you say?"
"Forget that I said anything, Di." With a widened smile, Silver Spoon chuckled again.
"Silver Spoon, are you poking fun at me?"
"I'm just playing with you, Di. I just couldn't resist."
Diamond peered over to where Silver Spoon stood. "Nice to hear your voice again, Silvy." She rubbed her muzzle for a moment. "Say, why have you been so quiet today? It's not like you?"
Silver Spoon stretched her forelegs. "I'm just a little tired, that's all."
"Get some rest, when we're done. Either that or you just don't want to spend time with the blank flanks, which makes a lot of sense." Diamond then shifted focus toward Scootaloo, the former’s expression changing from a warm smile to a fierce scowl in the blink of an eye. "Now then, tell me what you were going to say, blank flank."
"We're following that figure!" Scootaloo orated. Her eyebrows bobbed up and down. She then waved to the other four fillies and galloped ahead, careening off of the set trail of leaves. "Come on, let's go!"
Diamond's face scrunched up, her cheeks a hot pink. She growled like a puppy and pursed Scootaloo deeper into the Everfree Forest. "You'd better not do anything too stupid!"
"Wait up!" Apple Bloom shouted. Kicking her forelegs in the air, she then gave chase to Diamond and Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon donned blank expressions, watching the light cloud of dust rise up. They then swiveled their heads towards each other and shrugged.
"Um, are you ready, blank flank?" Silver Spoon asked.
Sweetie Belle nodded. "I am. Let's hope they don't get into too much trouble." The pair trotted in the direction Scootaloo and the others went, indicated by the twigs and leaves knocked off of nearby trees. The three fillies were still visible from where they were, which prompted Sweetie Belle to smile and breathe a sigh of relief. But something else tickled her brain, yearning to be fed information about Silver Spoon.
"Silver Spoon, I have a question." Sweetie Belle said.
Silver Spoon nodded. "What is it?" she asked in return with a look of bemusement.
"Why do you bully other ponies?"
Silver Spoon hung her head low. She took a deep breath and turned back to Sweetie Belle. “First off, we don't always bully other ponies. Diamond Tiara seems to like it, but I do wish that we could do something else for once. It gets so boring at times." Silver Spoon froze for a moment and then resumed trotting a second later. "To answer your question, it's what Di does, so I just go along with what she says most of the time. I'm not that smart."
"Don't lie to me like that." Sweetie Belle's eyebrows furrowed as she gazed at Silver Spoon. "You got straight As in Miss Cheerilee's class, right?"
"I did." Silver Spoon sighed and her shoulders sagged. "I guess what I'm saying is that I'm better at book smarts than street smarts. Is that reasonable?"
Raising an eyebrow, Sweetie Belle nodded. "It is, but that's not the point. Seriously, why do you hang out with Diamond Tiara if you're almost always bullying others? If it’s not fun, maybe she isn’t the best pony to hang out with."
"It’s because she's a friend." Silver Spoon placed her hoof onto her chest for a moment. A warm smile formed on her face. "She's the only filly that ever wanted to be my friend as far as I could tell. She's not bad at all once you really get to know her. I don't know how to phrase this, but try not to let our bullying hurt you too much. We'll try to tone it down—a little."
Sweetie Belle's face scrunched up, struggling to form a smile. She tended to be the one who bawled during Diamond and Silver Spoon’s harsher bullying moments, though she did have a point. Perhaps a thicker coat would make such instances rarer. "It's a start, but it better end with you stopping your bullying with Diamond."
"I'll try, but I promise you that Diamond and I aren't always this—well—blunt. She's not a bad pony and she can be such a caring filly if you give her a chance."
Diamond screamed off in the distance, leaping up in surprise a second later. "Scootaloo, I will punch your teeth out if you do that again!" she shouted.
Scootaloo let out a long, hearty laugh. "I totally got you there," she replied.
"Well, she does have a bit of a temper," Silver Spoon added, her cheeks blushing and her smile widening. "Anyway, as I was saying, she became my friend because she was the only filly I knew that wanted to do so."
Sweetie Belle rubbed the top of her head. "Huh?” She shrugged. “Well—um—why didn't anypony else want to be your friend? Isn't friendship supposed to be magic or something like that?"
Silver Spoon let out another sigh. She sulked. "Well, it didn't have to do with me being a bully. Forget it, I'd rather not dwell too much on this."
Sweetie Belle’s mind clicked once more, the thought of what Silver Spoon’s past was consuming her brain. Silver Spoon didn't secretly dislike Diamond Tiara. There was no doubt in her mind.
However, her shimmering eyes and slight frown told her everything she needed to know about her relationship with Diamond. She wanted more. Exactly what she wanted wasn't certain, but there had to be something there. Sweetie Belle wished she could ask her what she wanted, but the words were lodged into her constricted throat. Asking Silver Spoon right away wouldn't work.
I need to ease into it.
"What was it if it wasn't bullying?" Sweetie Belle questioned. She cocked her head. "I need to know."
"Look!" Apple Bloom shouted, her foreleg stretched toward Sweetie Belle. "Come quick!"
Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon galloped toward the three fillies up ahead, Scootaloo peeking into a parted bush. Apple Bloom waved her forelegs as though she was trying to swat a fly. Diamond stood still and rolled her eyes. She rubbed the soil with the tip of her hoof on occasion, though nothing left her mouth as she glanced away from the bush.
Both Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon slowed down upon reaching the three. The pair then slid across the dirt, some specks flying into Diamond’s mane. She then flailed about trying to clean it, Sweetie Belle giggling alongside her friends at the sight. Even Silver Spoon joined in the laughter, the lightened mood loosening Sweetie Belle’s muscles.
However, the discovery still filled much of her brain.
"I think we all needed a laugh,” Apple Bloom said as a matter of fact.
“At my expense?” Diamond scoffed. She gnashed her teeth. “You’d say that even if we were only in Miss Cheerilee’s classroom!”
Apple Bloom’s cheeks flushed. Crossing her forelegs for a moment, she then gently kicked the air. “Maybe I would.” She straightened her posture and then pointed her hoof at the parted bush. “Anyway, check this out.”
Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon trotted alongside each other. The two peered through the bush, their jaws dropping at the colossus before them. Just gawking at it for a second took Sweetie Belle’s breath away.
A massive structure surrounded by archaic statues rested atop a plateau. The statues were either complete or missing a few limbs. The whole complex was a dark gray with the occasional dark green vine growing alongside it. Visible scars in the walls ran along its walls, the occasional vine climbing up its face. A tall tower pierced the sky, the tip of it glistening under the sunlight. Whatever it was, Sweetie Belle couldn’t help but admire the craftsmareship which went into the building. While she may not be an expert in architecture, Sweetie Belle always felt she had an eye for the beautiful. Living with Rarity may have been the cause.
However, Sweetie Belle bit her lip as she glanced at what was before the castle. A simple bridge swung back and forth in front of it, the planks of wood pale and the rope connecting each part clinging on for dear life. The rigidity was to the point where a small bird couldn’t walk across it without breaking the bridge.
"What is this place?" Sweetie Belle asked. “I hope we don’t have to cross that bridge.” She shivered. “I’d rather serve detention than cross that.” And according to everypony Sweetie Belle knew, detention was the worst possible thing. At least from what Scootaloo and others told her.
"I think I've read about this before," Silver Spoon replied. She rubbed her muzzle, then making eye contact with Sweetie Belle. "This might be the ancient castle that the Princesses Celestia and Luna used to live in before Nightmare Moon's banishment." Silver Spoon glanced back at the structure. She froze in place as if time stopped around her. After eight seconds, she nodded with a bright grin covering her visage. "The descriptions I've read match the castle perfectly. This has to be it."
"What?" all of the other fillies shouted in unison.
"This is the old castle?" Diamond asked with widened eyes. She shook her body, her mouth agape. "Do you think that thing from before was going there?"
Scootaloo nodded. "I bet it was. Let's go check it out!"
Diamond jumped up in the air, her face becoming paler by the second. While such an idea from Scootaloo was what Sweetie Belle expected, she could understand Diamond’s shock somewhat. "Are you crazy?" Diamond shuffled her hooves toward Scootaloo with dilated pupils. "What if something bad is in there?"
"We're on an adventure, right?” Everypony bobbed their heads together, their eyes all focused on Scootaloo. “And old places like this just have to be filled with treasure. Imagine finding something stunning like a cool sword or a crown!” Scootaloo clamped her hooves together, her eyes sparkling like stars. “C’mon, Diamond. There has to be some awesome jewels or something. Are you in?"
Diamond swished her tail around and her lips curled into a wide smirk. "You’re speaking my language at last, blank flank. I can't resist some rare, valuable treasures. I'm in!"
"That was easy." Rubbing the back of her neck, Scootaloo let out a soft chuckle. "Great! Let's—"
Sweetie Belle stretched her hoof toward the sky. "Wait a second," she interrupted. Gulping, her chest tightened. It felt as though gravity was crushing her bones and she would sink into the earth. She knew where this was going. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, I'll come along, but what if Diamond Tiara is right and there's something bad there?"
"Nothing is going to happen." Scootaloo winked at Sweetie Belle, the latter releasing a nervous chuckle in response. "I promise. I totally promise nothing bad would happen.” Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. “Now then, raise your hoof if you're going." Less than a second passed once Apple Bloom and Diamond raised their hooves. Silver Spoon froze for a second. She glanced over to Diamond and exhaled. After a second, she joined the other fillies in raising a hoof. "Looks like the four of us are up for it. Are you in, Sweetie Belle?"
Nodding at a slow rate, Sweetie Belle face tautened. "I am," she said. "I hope nothing bad happens."
Scootaloo pumped her hoof into the air. "Yes! Come on, gang! Let's get exploring!"
Climbing through the bush, Scootaloo then trotted down towards the old bridge leading to the castle with the other four fillies close behind. Sweetie Belle wiggled through the opening, leaves scratching her coat for a moment. However, she managed to make her way across without trouble. Her heart raced faster the closer she got to the bridge and the castle itself. She hoped Scootaloo was right.
The problem, however, was how Scootaloo tended to tempt fate or miss the mark. Whenever they went crusading, she’d always assure everypony something was an excellent plan for acquiring cutie marks. Juggling, zip lining, jumping through a burning hoop, and other ideas reached the tip of her tongue during those days. Those ideas tended to conclude with bruises or a fresh coat of tree sap if they were lucky, a scolding from Applejack or Rarity if they weren’t. But Sweetie Belle wondered if today would be different. As Twilight Sparkle once told her in a conversation about idioms, a broken clock was right twice a day. She wondered why the conversation was idioms, but it was Twilight Sparkle. At least half of the conversations she had with her were just out there, but they did captivate her mind on more than one occasion.
The trek was effortless for the most part. Aside from a few steep hills at the beginning, nothing of note approached her or even reached her ears. It was just the awe-inspiring plateau nearby, the roaring waterfall, and the singing wildlife. But as Sweetie Belle glanced at a nearby tree, she noticed the same figure from before perched atop a tree like a hawk.
It just so happened to be studying the castle, Sweetie Belle’s throat tightening in response.
"This had better be over soon without any trouble," Sweetie Belle told herself.
The group made their way to the old castle. Before them was a bridge, the ropes used to construct it hanging on for dear life, dangled over the deep cliff below. Scootaloo trotted towards the edge of the cliff and a small pebble fell down to the bottom the moment she could no longer move any further, clacking against the cliff's walls as it descended. She looked down at the bottom, a lush green and a blue line running through it below her. Trees were mere dots from where she stood, which was enough to cause her to gulp and tighten her leg muscles. She bit her lip for a moment and then rubbed her mane as she stared at the bridge.
"This doesn't look so bad," Scootaloo said, her tone of voice a little apprehensive. "C'mon, let's cross the bridge."
"Hold on there, blank flank," said Silver Spoon, her eyebrows furrowed. "If we're going to make it across, there's no way that we can cross all at once." She pointed her hoof towards the bridge, which now swayed back and forth from the breeze as though it were a swing. "That bridge will probably collapse if we go through it together, so we should cross it one at a time."
"It doesn't look that bad." Scootaloo's face formed a confident smirk. "I mean, we can't weigh too much, right?"
"That's not the point." Silver Spoon trotted towards Scootaloo and glared into her eyes, the latter stepping back and withdrawing a bit. "Our best chances of success depend on us doing this one at a time. I don't want any of us getting hurt."
Scootaloo groaned. "Why should I believe you?"
"Because we're in this together, whether you like it or not."
"Scootaloo," Apple Bloom said, raising her hoof high in the air. "Just let it go, because she does have a point."
Scootaloo grimaced slightly and looked over to Apple Bloom. "Whose side are you on?"
"I'm siding with common sense."
Scootaloo froze for a second. Maybe Silver Spoon and Apple Bloom had a point. She then looked over to the bridge, which still swayed side to side and creaked as it swung. The wooden planks that made the floor were a dark brown, its general shape looking fragile. The wind picked up, blowing her mane across her face and causing the bridge to swing about more intensely than before. Her mind returned to how big the drop was. She didn't want to fall down from that high, that much she knew. Where was Rainbow Dash when she needed her? She then closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and opened them up again. "Fine, let's do this one at a time."
Apple Bloom's lips curled into a smile. "See, I knew you'd come around soon."
"It's because it's the common sense way of doing things, like you said." Scootaloo stretched her forelegs and took another deep breath. "Let's do this one at a time."
"I just hope it's quick," said Diamond Tiara, her body shivering and her eyes wide open. "Not to mention that we'll have to do this twice if we're going to leave that castle." She then ceased shaking, shook her head, and grinned. "But it shouldn't be a problem. Only chickens would be scared of crossing a bridge."
Scootaloo's pupils dilated and her chest tightened. Such a thought of traversing the bridge twice never crossed her mind. She gulped and then formed a fake smile. "It better be," she muttered to herself. She then looked at her tiny wings and fluttered them about a bit. She sighed and looked back over to the group. If only she knew how to fly, everything would be much easier. Her heart sank lower, but she shook her head and ruffled her eyebrows. There was no time for self-pity. Now was the time for action. "Let's get this over with."
"Who should go first?" Apple Bloom asked with wide open eyes. She then shook her head from side to side. "I'm definitely not going first."
"Me neither," said Scootaloo.
"I'm out," said Sweetie Belle.
"Me too," said Silver Spoon, shaking her head as well.
Diamond Tiara gulped, her body shivering as though a cold breeze rushed past her. "I-I'm not afraid," she said. Scootaloo turned to Diamond and raised an eyebrow, her lips forming a slight smirk. "I'll prove it!"
Diamond turned to the bridge and took a deep breath. Her lips moved, but nothing seemed to come out of them. She slowly lifted her left foreleg onto the bridge's first plank as she visibly clenched her teeth.
Creak!
Diamond jumped up in the air and let out a high-pitched scream, loud enough for everypony else to cover their ears and cringe for a brief moment. Diamond's eyes shot wide open and her pupils dilated. She shook her body, mane, and tail and her teeth chattered. "Forget it!" She took a deep breath and whipped her tail around some more. "I'm not crossing that!"
Apple Bloom smiled a little, only for it to turn into a frown soon after. "How else are we supposed to get to the castle?" she asked, her shoulders sagging. She turned her head from left to right, tapping her hoof against the ground. "Hmm. There doesn't appear to be a way to the castle without crossing the bridge."
Scootaloo looked around herself, gazing at the old bridge and her surroundings. She made a mental note of anything her eyes could see, which mainly consisted of trees, grass, and more trees. Sure enough, there didn't appear to be a practical entrance to the castle.
Or was there? She trotted back towards the edge of the cliff and squinted at the castle once more. The landmass that provided the foundations of the castle appeared to have a small sliver of land connecting the castle to the rest of the forest. She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times. There appeared to be a figure crossing this small land bridge to reach the castle. Was it the cloaked figure from before? She blinked once again, and the scene was still before her. There was a way.
"We're not done yet," Scootaloo said with a smile.
"How so?" Sweetie Belle asked, shrugging and then raising an eyebrow. "You saw Diamond Tiara freak out from that bridge. Maybe we should just go home."
"We're not giving up. There's another way."
"If this involves launching me and Silver Spoon to the castle with a catapult, count me out," said Diamond.
Silver Spoon chuckled, covering her lips with her hoof. "I don't think they'd do that."
Diamond rolled her eyes and sighed. "You don't know them like I do."
"As I said, aren't we in this together?"
Letting out a groan, Diamond's shoulders then sagged. "Okay, let us hear it, blank flank."
Scootaloo smiled and nodded. "There's a land bridge around the other side of the castle. That's how we get there."
Diamond turned to Scootaloo, her face haughty. "Prove it!"
"Just look from around where I am."
Diamond trotted closer to Scootaloo and squinted at the castle, seeing what Scootaloo saw. Her face formed a beaming smile and her eyes glowing like shining jewels. "Yes! We're still in this!"
"Let's get going," said Apple Bloom, trotting in circles with a skip in her step and a wide smile on her face.
The five fillies huddled together and trotted around the perimeter of the cliff. The land connecting the castle to the rest of the forest soon became visible. Scootaloo led the group, her hooves pounding against the dirt for what felt like an eternity. She gritted her teeth as her hooves ached more and more, feeling like she was stepping on needles instead of dirt. At least she knew it would be worth it in the end, but there was an uncertainty about such a claim that caused her body to tense up. Would it be worth it in the end?
After a long walk, the five made it to the front of the castle, Scootaloo's hooves crying out for rest. She turned to the rest of the group and noticed Apple Bloom, as well as Diamond Tiara, massaging their own hooves. Sweetie Belle was gritting her teeth, while Silver Spoon was panting loudly with her tongue sticking out and looking like the slightest breeze would tip her over.
Scootaloo then looked to the castle's entrance and as she gazed at it for a second, her mouth hung agape. Two statues of alicorns adorned each side of the front door, the dark oak door at least ten times as tall as she was. She felt her body shrinking more and more as she stared at the front door. Was it a castle for giants? Or did the princesses compensate for something long ago? Scootaloo blinked a few times and her jaw dropped, unable to comprehend what was before her.
"This is amazing!" Scootaloo shouted at the top of her lungs. Her eyes kept widening until they could no longer widen. "How could such a thing exist?"
"It is amazing," said Silver Spoon, who was still panting. "Scholars say that this castle was built during Discord's reign over Equestria, and that its size was so that it could provide shelter to not only the princesses, but refugees fleeing from Discord as well."
"How do you know all of this stuff?"
"I read a lot in the library." Silver Spoon smirked and stepped back a little. "It's something I enjoy."
Scootaloo looked over to Silver Spoon and chuckled a little. "I never took you to be an egghead."
"I have to have some hobby while I'm not perfecting my special talent or hanging around with Diamond Tiara." Silver Spoon sat down on the ground and her eyes gazed into Scootaloo's. "Look at all the things you do during your free time."
"That's because I'm trying to get my cutie mark."
Silver Spoon rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, but you're never going to get your cutie mark like that."
"She's right, you know," Diamond said with a devilish smirk. "You should have given up at that long ago."
"I'm not giving up." Scootaloo's eyebrows furrowed and she clenched her teeth for a moment. "We may even get our cutie marks from this, as you said!"
"Well excuse me, I forgot about that. Thank you for correcting me." Scootaloo growled at Diamond, finding something rather vile in her tone of voice.
"We're going to get our cutie marks, right girls?"
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle trotted towards Scootaloo, smiling and nodding. "We sure are," said Apple Bloom. "Ready to do our cheer?"
"Cutie Mark Crusaders Castle Explorers, yay!" Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all shouted in unison. Scootaloo's heart warmed after that cheer. Something about it revitalized her spirits as she looked over to her two friends, all with bright smiles on their faces. She then formed a smile of her own.
"Let's try to stay out of trouble," said Silver Spoon. "We still need to work together, so let's do the best we can. Right, Diamond Tiara?"
"What?" Diamond asked in a raised tone of voice, covering her ears and cringing. "I'm ready to go! Just stop with the cheesy stuff!"
Silver Spoon let out a sigh. "I'm guessing Diamond Tiara isn't a fan of cheers. Let's get going."
Scootaloo pressed her hoof against the castle's front door. A chilling sensation ran from her hoof through her spine. She shuddered and then bit her lip as she pushed the door, which swung wide open as though it weighed the same as a feather.
"When did you get so strong?" Sweetie Belle asked in a heightened tone.
Scootaloo giggled and then shook her head. "The door kind of just opened." She shrugged and raised both eyebrows. "Magic, I guess?"
Silver Spoon trotted up and raised her hoof. "Maybe there's some sort of pulley system alongside some mechanism to detect a hoof pressing on the door," she said.
"Can you translate that into something understandable?"
Silver Spoon sighed. "Never mind."
The five trotted inch by inch into the dark corridors of the castle, the fluffy and soft material of the carpet beneath their hooves apparent. Once all five were inside, the door closed itself, causing the group to all jump up in synchronization and glance back at the closed door for a brief second.
"A-are you still sure this is a good idea?" Sweetie Belle asked, her legs quivering. "I'm scared."
"Of course I'm sure," said Scootaloo, her face adorned with a confident grin. "There's no way that we'll regret this."
Sweetie Belle then took a deep breath. "I hope so."
The room then lit up, the light revealing the composition of the main hallway before them. A dark red carpet ran along the center of the hallway, making its way up the stairs and to a wooden door. The wooden door had an engraving of a sun and a moon, just brightly colored enough to be noticed back from the entrance. Stone pillars, colored a cold gray like the rest of the undecorated portions of the interior, rose up from the floor and kissed the roof far above. A series of doors lined the left and right sides of the castles. And for some reason, the whole room sparkled as though somepony had just cleaned it recently.
Scootaloo took another step forward and moved her head from left to right as though she was a guard on duty, her eyes shimmering at the sights before her. She kept on trotting, looking everywhere but forwards, until her hoof clipped the first step of the staircase at the far end of the hallway. She clenched her teeth and tipped over somewhat, blushing as she looked back to the four fillies behind her.
"Watch where you're going," said Apple Bloom as she rushed towards Scootaloo. "The last thing we need is one of us to hurt ourselves."
Scootaloo grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck. "Just look around you! I've never seen anything like this. Heck, I bet none of us have!"
"It's good," said Diamond, who stared at Scootaloo with a blank expression, "but it's nowhere near the level of my mansion. Five out of ten."
Scootaloo rolled her eyes and planted a hoof to her face. "Why did you have to bring your mansion into this?"
Diamond raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "You said none of us have seen anything like this, so I'm just saying that I've seen better."
Scootaloo sighed. "Whatever." She then placed her hoof on her muzzle. "Hmm. So what should we do first?"
"Let's check out the room behind the door with those sun and moon signs," said Apple Bloom.
Sweetie Belle nodded. "I agree. We might find something there."
"Then it's settled," Scootaloo said with a widening grin. "Let's check out that room."
"Wait a second!" Diamond shouted in a whiny tone. "What about the rest of us?"
"Um, Diamond Tiara," said Silver Spoon in a flat tone. "I like their idea, so that would make it four for five on wanting to check that room out."
Diamond growled like a puppy and then pouted. "Fine."
Scootaloo nodded and then pushed the door open. A cacophonous creak echoed in the room, causing Scootaloo to cringe and cover her ears for a moment. A second later, the old door was open. The red carpet from before kept going into the room before her, and the columns running down each side of the carpet were in the exact same style as the ones in the entry room, only grayer with more cracks running along them. At the far end of the room appeared to be a pipe organ, the pipes extending far into the sky. Standing before the pipe organ was a cloaked figure. Was it the one from before? Scootaloo's legs tensed as she stood still, her spine frozen.
"Be quiet," Silver Spoon whispered, pointing at the figure up ahead with one foreleg and blocking Diamond's progress with the other. Diamond looked up at the figure and winced.
"What do you think he wants?" Apple Bloom asked. "Should we sneak up on him?"
"What if that's a mare up there?" Sweetie Belle asked in return.
"I don't think that's important right now."
"Why not?"
"Mare, stallion, what's important is why he or she is here."
"Let's just watch and find out," said Scootaloo, rolling her eyes. She gazed at the figure up ahead and crept towards it. Her hoofsteps produced the tiniest of noises as they touched the carpet. The figure became clearer in her vision to where she could make out a black foreleg. It was shaped irregularly, but for reasons she couldn't explain, it tightened her throat and made the air feel heavier the closer she got to it. Did it belong to who she thought it did? Or was her mind playing tricks again? The foreleg then touched the rightmost key of the pipe organ, and a second later, a portion of the right wall fell down into the floor, leaving nothing behind. The figure jumped from the pipe organ, its cloak fluttering in the wind, but the figure's shape still impossible to determine, and flew through the newly formed passageway at a rapid pace. As Scootaloo caught one last glimpse of the figure, all that she could do was tilt her head and raise an eyebrow.
"So now what?" Diamond asked as her eyebrows furrowed. "That was pointless if you ask me."
"Pointless?" Scootaloo, her eyes widened and her mouth agape turned to Diamond. "Are you playing stupid or something?"
"Of course not!" Diamond trotted over to Scootaloo, her face scrunching. "I'm no idiot!" She then turned to Silver Spoon, her lips forming a smug grin. "Right, Silver Spoon?"
Silver Spoon tapped her hoof on the floor and shifted her eyes. She stared at the secret passageway and turned to Diamond, who was glancing back at her with raised eyebrows. "Oh, um, whatever you say, Diamond Tiara."
"Let's follow that figure," Scootaloo said. She trotted towards the secret passageway, her heart racing and her body jittery. "There's no time to waste!"
"Scootaloo!" Diamond shouted at the top of her lungs. "You're going to get us all killed one day!" She galloped behind Scootaloo with a deep frown and fiery eyes.
"If she says these things, why does she follow me?" Scootaloo asked herself in a faint tone. She stepped through the secret passageway, where before her was a dark, narrow hallway, the walls visibly scarred by time and covered inch by inch with dust. Slowing down, Scootaloo coughed a bit and her vision blurred as she made her way through the hallway, the air around it more like a sandstorm the more she kept going.
Feeling tears run down her scratchy eyes, Scootaloo felt as though she was becoming blind. Then, after a few additional, grueling seconds, the air felt a little cleaner. Her lungs cried out in joy as they could finally breathe once again, but her vision was still a blur. She kept trotting forwards, only for her to slam into a flat, cold wall. Scootaloo shook her head and rubbed her eyes, and standing before her was a wooden bookcase, its colors faded. She looked to her left and then to her right, and more bookcases ran along the room. She rubbed her muzzle and then froze for a moment.
"Look at all of the books," Silver Spoon said, her eyes shimmering. "Who knows what kinds of things are waiting to be discovered here."
"They're just books," said Scootaloo, her voice still a little scratchy, but clearing up as time went on. "I wouldn't call them treasures."
"Do you even realize the undiscovered knowledge and history that might be in one of these books?" Silver Spoon trotted over to a book and pulled it out. She blew on the cover, revealing the title Letters of Clover the Clever on it, printed in a stylish, gold font. It's color was still faded, but it still had enough sheen to glimmer under the light inside the room. "Look at this book. It's supposed to be a collection of letters, if the title is anything to go by. Maybe it has something important inside of it."
Silver Spoon opened the book and turned to a random page. She made her way to about a third of the book's total length, and stared at the letter before her. She cleared her throat and her eyes moved from left to right, her lips moving as each word printed on the page was read.
October, Year CCXVIII: Discord's Betrayal
To whomever it may concern,
I write this letter because I have had a horrible vision. Emperor Discord will betray us all in approximately 1300 years in the future. He will work with a horrible demon and send Equestria, nay, the entire world, towards a melancholic future. This demon has sharp, gray horns, a sinister smile, an ever-growing posture, and magical abilities that make even the strongest of ponies look like flies. While this demon did lose in my vision, Discord managed to escape unharmed and claim that he had learned his lesson, but the world would be set on a path of depression and hopelessness that may be unsolvable. As such, I believe we need to stop Discord by any means necessary to prevent him from ruining the lives of future generations. Meet me at Platinum Mountain and we will discuss how to stop him.
Clover the Clever
Silver Spoon's mouth hung agape and her eyes twitched. She then remained perfectly still as her face became pale. Apple Bloom, biting her lip, waved a hoof in front of Silver Spoon's face, her hoof's motions becoming more frantic as time went on.
"Silver Spoon, are you in there?" Apple Bloom asked. "Say anything if you can hear me."
"She knew," Silver Spoon said in a monotone voice.
Apple Bloom tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
"Clover the Clever had a vision that correctly predicted the return of Tirek!"
"What?" all of the fillies except for Silver Spoon cried out in unison.
"The description was too accurate to be a mere coincidence. I'm afraid that the world might be entering in a horrible state. Either soon, or now."
"Wait a second," said Apple Bloom as she raised her hoof in the air. "Wasn't Discord always chaotic or something?"
Silver Spoon tapped her hoof against the floor. "Hmm. Good point. Either this letter isn't telling the truth, or there's a lot more to this than just the vision."
"True or not, we need to show this to somepony," said Sweetie Belle.
Silver Spoon nodded. "I agree. Anyway, should I read the next letter?" The four fillies all nodded together. "Okay then."
December, Year CCXVIII: Discovery and Allies
I've gathered the other founders of Equestria with me, but something horrible has happened. Discord has found out of our plans to overthrow him, and he has gone on a rampage, plunging the world into a chaos even we were surprised to find out he was capable of. The landscape is plaid, gravity is no longer constant, and all sorts of strange creatures have been running across the land. Not to mention the chocolate rain, which Chancellor Puddinghead seems to enjoy. We need something of our own to counter his power.
We went to an old, crystal tree, extracted six different gems, and filled them with some of our magical essence. Together, we called these the Elements of Harmony, and they could only be used under specific circumstances as to prevent their misuse. Only there was one problem. The six of us couldn't use them. It seemed like our efforts were for nothing, but then something miraculous happened. Two mares with incredible manes appeared, and they were like nothing we've ever seen before. Both had a horn and a pair of wings, something we all thought was impossible. One called herself Celestia, and the other called herself Luna. They supposedly came from a distant community and served as their rulers, and they were both very kind to us. Maybe they were the ones able to use the Elements of Harmony we forged. It was worth a shot.
Clover the Clever
"So now what?" asked Diamond, tapping her hoof against the floor and producing a clicking noise. "What do we do with that letter?"
"Well, it is known that the Princesses Celestia and Luna used the Elements of Harmony to defeat Discord and afterwards became the two rulers of Equestria," said Silver Spoon. She gently closed the book and rubbed the cover, a little extra dust flying away. "There's probably even more in here, so I think we should show it to Princess Celestia and see if she knows anything about it."
Diamond groaned and rolled her eyes. "But Canterlot is so far away," she whined. "Can't we just show it to Princess Sparkles or whatever her name is?"
Apple Bloom glared at Diamond, her face scrunching. "It's Princess Twilight Sparkle," she said in a forceful tone. "She might know what's going on, but she's still youngish, so what if she doesn't?"
"She's lived in a library for a whole year, so she should know what it's about."
Apple Bloom nodded. "True, but Celestia probably has personal knowledge. That's why we should ask her."
Diamond groaned and then froze for a moment. She gazed at Apple Bloom for a few seconds and then let out a sigh. "You've got a point." Diamond shuddered and her left eye twitched. "Let's keep that book for now."
"Still though," said Scootaloo, her body trembling somewhat. "I would like to know if it predicts anything else." She gazed at the book and its thick binding. It would take forever just to read the thing, so what were the odds of finding something else within it? That letter only mentioned the Tirek incident, so was that all there was to it? Or was there something else it foresaw? Scootaloo tapped her hoof against the floor and closed her eyes as a tingling sensation sprung up in her mind. There had to be more to it than just that.
"Look!" Sweetie Belle shouted, her hoof pointing forwards from where she was. Scootaloo opened her eyes and galloped towards Sweetie Belle, the rest of the group following suit. "There's something behind that door!"
Scootaloo stared at the partly open door, the image of a horn and two wings printed on it with some sort of writing below it that looked impossible to decipher. A turquoise light flickered behind the door, and the longer she stared at the light, the more her heart raced. Why did she feel this way? It was just a light. Scootaloo stepped closer to the door, feeling like her body would sink into the earth the closer she got to it. She unconsciously lifted her hoof towards the door. All that she could hear was the beating of her heart.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thud!
Scootaloo's head pounded as though a jackhammer was hitting it. She cringed for a moment and placed a hoof on her forehead, clenching her teeth. The world became blurrier the longer she stared at the door. She felt like her body would float away.
"Scootaloo!" a voice said.
"Huh?" Scootaloo turned her head from left to right, her vision becoming clear once more and her heart rate returning to normal. "Where am I?"
"We're at the castle," said Sweetie Belle, her eyes shimmering. "I thought you were possessed, so I kept shouting at you until you snapped out of it."
Scootaloo turned back to Sweetie Belle and her shoulders sagged. She didn't know what that sensation was, but as she replayed the events leading up to Sweetie Belle saving her, the more her body shook. Her leg muscles tightened and she looked over to the group, her vision a little blurry. "I-I want to go home now."
"What happened to the brave pony that ran into something without thinking?" Diamond asked in a mocking tone. "Are we just going to leave and only take a stupid book back with us?"
"Um, Diamond Tiara. Scootaloo," said Apple Bloom, pointing towards Scootaloo's hooves. "What book is that?"
Scootaloo looked down and, just as Apple Bloom suggested, another book was before her. She jumped up and shivered a little before blushing and then rubbing the back of her neck. "So where did that thing come from?" she asked.
"It kind of just appeared."
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"When Sweetie Belle got you thinking again, the book sort of just appeared." Apple Bloom shrugged and both of her eyebrows rose up. "I don't know what happened. Magic? Maybe it fell out of the bookshelf."
"I thought I heard a thud." Scootaloo closed her eyes and placed her hoof on her muzzle. Her mind recalled the events once more, her ears twitching as she tried to remember the noises she heard. There was a thud. Maybe the book did fall from the bookshelf. Scootaloo opened her eyes, looked back down at the book, and stared at its cover. The words The Secrets of Equestria were printed on the brown, leather cover, its violet colored font adding some mystique to it. She rubbed her eyes and lowered her head closer to the book. The faint outline of a clock seemed to be printed on the cover. A lone bookmark, colored a light lavender, was placed around a third of the way through the thick book. Scootaloo picked it up and shuffled it around in her hooves. Was her trance related to this book's appearance? Was there something about this book that made it stand out? Whatever it was, a ticklish feeling in her gut told her that it was important, but her mind failed to find a rational explanation as to why it was.
"Seriously, we need to get out of here," Scootaloo said, gazing at the rest of the group. "It's not safe here."
"Well, duh!" Diamond shouted, rolling her eyes. "What do you think I was trying to say?"
"You were right." Scootaloo grimaced, a sharp pain piercing her heart as she muttered those words. "Let's get out of here?"
"What about the cloaked figure?" Apple Bloom asked. "He or she was the reason we went over here."
"Do you mean me?" an ominous, feminine voice asked. A figure wearing a ragged, brown cloak leaped out of the shadows from the room's roof and landed before the five fillies. She adjusted her hood, and as Scootaloo gazed at the figure, all that she could see was the general shape of a pony. Her entire face was covered in a pitch black and her hooves were covered in black boots. Scootaloo felt the air pushing down on her more and more and her spine froze. She shuddered for a moment and gulped.
"Y-yes," said Scootaloo. "We mean you."
"Now tell me," the cloaked figure said. "What brings you here? Tell me, now!"
Scootaloo's pupils dilated and her body shook faster and faster. Her breathing was louder. Her leg muscles tightened.. Her teeth chattered. She just wanted to go home, but such hopes were fading by the second.
The group stared at the cloaked figure looming above them with only her wide grin visible under the cloak. The clacking of her hooves against the floor echoed in the room and darkness enveloped the area the closer she got. Diamond Tiara clenched her teeth and scrunched her face. Her heart was beating faster and faster as the figure trotted closer. She blinked, only to then notice that the figure's limbs had frozen in place. The figure tugged her cloak's hood and cleared her throat.
"Now then, what brings you kids here?" she asked in a sharp tone.
"Well, um, we were just on an adventure and found this place," said Scootaloo as her body shivered. "We didn't mean to cause any trouble. Honest!"
"I know trouble, and I have a feeling you're ready to cause it." The cloaked figure whipped her tail, still covered by the cloak. A little dust kicked up and floated into the air. "I'm here for a treasure, and I don't want anypony stealing it."
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" She stepped back a little and then tilted her head. "What treasure?"
The cloaked figure chuckled. "Silly filly, I'm here for the Royal Goblet, or that's what I think it's called, and it's mine!"
"What's so special about it?"
The figure groaned and then audibly clenched her teeth for a moment. "It's valuable! That's what!"
"What do you mean by valuable?"
"It's just valuable."
Diamond stretched her forelegs and let out a yawn, just quiet enough for nopony else to hear. Looking at the figure, a tingling feeling formed in the back of her head. Something about this mare wasn't right. She was as dumb as Scootaloo was. Diamond grimaced a little before her lips then formed a sheepish grin.
Diamond turned her head to the left and stared at a corner of the room. It felt different when she entered, but she couldn't quite form the image in her head. She tapped her hoof on the floor and turned to the right. There was a large, tan blanket off to the side of the room, hastily folded and appearing to be left in the room as an afterthought. Its color was faded and a gray sheet of dust covered it. She looked back to the rest of the group and stared at Sweetie Belle, who gazed at the figure with wide open eyes and a pale face, and then at Silver Spoon and Scootaloo, who were staring at the figure with looks of bemusement. Another tingling feeling formed in the back of Diamond's head, this one sharper than before and enough for her limbs to become as solid as stone.
Something, no, somepony else was missing, and that somepony was Apple Bloom. Something was going on, and the more Diamond thought about it, the more confused her mind became. She tilted her head and raised both eyebrows, but before she could utter a single syllable, she noticed a gray cloud forming around the cloaked figure before it touched her nostrils. She closed her eyes and sneezed, but upon opening her eyes once more, something small leaped from the shadows.
"Gotcha!" Apple Bloom shouted at the top of her lungs. The cloaked figure turned around and in the blink of an eye, she was then covered with a large, tan blanket. Apple Bloom latched onto the figure's neck, her face forming a wide grin as the figure bucked around and bumped into the bookcases, groaning and cursing as she meandered throughout the room.
"Let me go!" the figure yelled in a muffled voice. She then took off into the air and flew towards an open door. Apple Bloom's body shook as she let go and fell to the floor. She produced a thud the moment she collided with the floor. The figure kept going and left the room as she wiggled her forelegs around, trying to pull the large blanket off of her body.
"Hurry!" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle rushed towards the opened door, slamming it shut so hard to where it felt like the room vibrated a little. The two fillies then placed their backs against the door, huffing and puffing with wide, nervous grins. Silver Spoon trotted up to the two with shimmering eyes, her teeth chattering.
"What if she comes back?" asked Silver Spoon, her legs wobbling. "More importantly, who was that?"
"Do I look like I know?" Diamond asked with a question of her own. Her breathing returned to normal and her lips formed a slight smile. "Still though, what a creep."
"Creep? More like freak," said Scootaloo with ruffled eyebrows and a smug grin. She then looked around the room and back to the rest of the group. "By the way, what's a Royal Goblet?"
"It's probably an ancient artifact that's somewhere inside this castle," Silver Spoon said as a matter of fact. "Given how that figure was acting, it has to be of immense value."
Diamond's ears twitched at the mention of the words "immense value". Everypony, even the richest of the rich, would look at her with gaping mouths if she ever trotted with that thing in hoof. She giggled at the mere thought of it and her eyes sparkled. Her face then brightened up and she leaned towards the rest of the group, gazing at them. "I think I know what I want to find," she said as though she sang.
"I don't," said Apple Bloom as she shook her head. "What if that thing is the Pony of Shadows?"
"The what of the what?"
"The Pony of Shadows is said to haunt this castle, or at least that's what I was told." Apple Bloom shuddered and her eyes twitched. She looked to her left, then to her right, and finally back to Diamond. "I don't want to mess with that thing."
"If it is the Pony of Shadows, you've already messed with it!" Diamond trotted towards Apple Bloom and glared at her. "Congratulations, moron! You might be the cause of us all getting killed!"
"Not if I have anything to say about it!"
Diamond leaned closer to Apple Bloom. She felt a wildfire raging inside of her as she gritted her teeth for a moment and her legs tensed. "Well then, what are you going to propose, blank flank?"
"We look around and try to find a place to flee."
Diamond planted a hoof on her face and sighed. She wished she could plant that hoof onto Apple Bloom's face as hard as she could, but as she raised her hoof up, her foreleg froze. Violence would just cause more issues. She groaned, rolled her eyes, and then lowered her hoof back down. "We don't have another choice, do we?"
Silver Spoon nodded and her shoulders sagged. "Looks like that's the case."
Growling, Diamond trotted over to the door with the turquoise light behind it. "Let's get this over with." She crept closer to the door, her heart pounding more and more for every step she took. She shook her head and cringed a little. What was there to be afraid of? Taking a deep breath, Diamond placed her hoof on the doorknob, its cold, metallic form causing her body to shiver, and she opened the door.
Creak!
Diamond peeked at what was behind the door. As she stared at it, her eyebrows shot up and her eyes shimmered. Behind the door was a radiating pedestal emitting a turquoise light. Sitting atop the pedestal was an elaborate cup made of a shiny material and had a thick stem with emeralds adorned on it. Diamond's mouth watered as she stared at the cup. That glistening material was a fine platinum, there was no mistaking that, and the rubies that went around the circumference of the cup's rim glowed like little fireflies. Diamond glanced behind her, noticing Silver Spoon and the others looking around the dusty room, a fine contrast to the one before her. She gazed at the cup once more and then licked her lips. It wouldn't be wrong to bring a little souvenir with her, would it? Forming a wide grin on her face, Diamond galloped towards the cup and swiped it with her hoof.
"At least this trip was worth something," she muttered to herself. She looked back at the rest of the group, focusing on the three meandering Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Hmm. Maybe they're not so bad after all. Silver Spoon seems to be getting attached to one of them, Sweetie Belle I believe. They probably still loathe us, and I still don't like them either." Diamond sighed and rubbed her head. "I actually kind of had fun, even if Scootaloo is the biggest of morons. Apple Bloom isn't much better, but she's at least less crazy. So maybe, just maybe, there's room for more adventures with riches to be found, but how in Tartarus am I going to convince those three to join us again?"
"Diamond Tiara, come quick," said Silver Spoon as she waved a foreleg to her. "Apple Bloom found something."
Diamond clenched the cup to her chest and smiled, trotting with a skip in her step. "What is it?"
Silver Spoon gazed at the cup in Diamond's hoof. She froze for a few seconds, only for her eyebrows to ruffle. Diamond tilted her head with a look of bemusement on her face. "Diamond Tiara, what's that?" Silver Spoon asked in a blunt tone.
"It's just a souvenir I found." Diamond chuckled and then shrugged as a sheepish grin forming on her face. "No harm in that, right?"
Silver Spoon pouted and her face scrunched a little. "Didn't that figure say something about a Royal Goblet?"
Diamond nodded. "So?"
"So? What you have there might be it. She's going to be furious if she sees you with it."
Diamond looked down at the goblet in her hooves, the sheen so fine she could see her own reflection in it. Her lips formed a smile, which only grew the longer she stared at the goblet. "We'll be fine."
Silver Spoon bit her lip and trotted closer to Diamond. "Diamond Tiara, you said that we shouldn't mess with that figure, right?"
"If she doesn't know we have it, there shouldn't be a problem." Diamond trotted backwards, away from Silver Spoon and keeping the goblet as close to her chest as possible. "Besides, the Pony of Shadows probably doesn't exist. It's probably just some pesky pony."
"I agree that the Pony of Shadows is just a myth, as I haven't read anything alluding to the matter, but we still need to be careful."
Diamond raised an eyebrow. "What do illusions have to do with this?"
Silver Spoon sighed and planted a hoof to her face. "Allusion. It's a word that means referring to something."
"You're a bigger egghead than I thought, Silver Spoon."
Silver Spoon rubbed the back of her neck and blushed. "I did tell myself that my readings would come in handy one day."
Diamond rolled her eyes. "Readings? You mean thesauruses."
"Forget it." Silver Spoon turned around and pointed at the floor. Diamond trotted towards the direction Silver Spoon was pointing, and before them was a small hole with a ladder going down. Diamond's spirits soared as she stared at the passageway, her body unable to remain still as it shook. The goblet would be her's without a doubt.
"How did you find this?" Diamond asked in a heightened tone. "I never would have suspected this."
"I kind of tripped on the latch for the secret passageway," Apple Bloom said with a wide grin as she blushed.
"Your clumsiness will be our ticket out of here!" Diamond leaped towards the ladder and slid down, the goblet still in her hoof. "Follow me!"
"Wait for me!" Sweetie Belle shouted as she joined Diamond in the descent down the ladder.
"Don't forget about me!" Scootaloo shouted upon grabbing onto the ladder and then sliding down it.
Apple Bloom and Silver Spoon then joined the three, but they were too far above Diamond for her to hear what they said. She looked down as she continued descending down the ladder. A small puddle of water waited for her, surrounded by a smooth layer of light gray bedrock. She squinted as she stared at the ground. Even if it was smooth, landing on it hard wouldn't be fun. Diamond's eyes widened and she gulped. She then looked up at the fillies above her. "Slow down!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. The four other fillies did as instructed, but Sweetie Belle kept descending at the same rate, only to slow down at the last possible moment.
Only it wasn't the best timing, as her buttocks slammed into Diamond's face, the latter screaming and shuddering as she slid down to get away.
"Sorry about that," said Sweetie Belle, looking down at Diamond. "Are you okay?"
Diamond, grimacing as she looked up at Sweetie Belle, shook her head and her eyes twitched. "Of course not!" she whined as her legs shook. "My face was just greeted by your—"
"It was an accident," Silver Spoon interrupted as she raised her hoof. "Let's just get to the bottom and keep on going."
Diamond rolled her eyes and then continued down the ladder. She glanced back at the rest of the group, focusing most of her attention on Sweetie Belle. After an uneventful minute of descending further and further down, the group's hooves made contact with the cold, damp floor at last. Diamond's legs wobbled for a brief moment, but she shook her body and then regained her composure.
Silver Spoon crept ahead of the group, her breathing audible, and squinted at the small light up ahead. She looked back to the group and her lips formed a small smile. "Looks like we might get out of this alive after all," she said. "Still, we need to be careful, so try not to do anything stupid."
"Well duh," Diamond said. "I don't do stupid things, but Scootaloo, um, I mean the blank flank with the wings might."
Scootaloo's eyebrows ruffled and her face scrunched up. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Diamond turned around in a huff and groaned. "It doesn't matter. Let's keep going."
"Wait a second." Scootaloo rubbed her mane. She didn't budge an inch and gazed at Diamond for a minute before groaning. "Okay, let's go. But first, I have something I want to show everypony."
Diamond froze in place for a second. She then turned to Scootaloo with raised eyebrows. "What is it?"
Scootaloo lifted a solitary, light turquoise feather up into Diamond's face. Her lips formed a smile as she moved the feather closer to Diamond's face, causing the latter to step back a little. What was so important about a feather? Maybe there was something nefarious behind it. The back of Diamond's mind tickled, wondering what prank Scootaloo had in store for her this time. But what would a stupid feather have to do with anything like that?
"Okay, what now?" Diamond asked in a blunt tone.
"I found this shortly after Apple Bloom forced the cloaked figure out of that room," Scootaloo said with shimmering eyes. "I bet this will help us find out who the cloaked figure is!"
"A feather?" Diamond clenched her teeth for a moment and trotted closer to Scootaloo until their faces were separated by a mere inch. Scootaloo shuddered for a moment as Diamond glared into her eyes as though she was peering into her soul. "How does a feather help us in any way?"
Scootaloo stepped back. "Hear me out, but I remember Rainbow Dash talking about a mare with this coat color. I just need to remember what her name was."
"Everything is about Rainbow Dash for you, isn't it?"
Scootaloo shrugged. Her body remained still for a moment, staring at Diamond with a blank expression. "Maybe."
"Well then, show that dumb feather to Rainbow Dash when we get out of here."
Scootaloo sighed and placed the feather close to her chest as Diamond whipped her tail and marched forwards, the rest of the group following close by. The cracked walls of the secret passageway, slowly chipped away by the constant flow of time, grew lighter and lighter the further they progressed. A slow drip of water echoed in the passageway, the noise occurring every other second without fail. Diamond counted the sounds of the drips as she continued trotting along. The rest of the world around her was silent, so it wasn't like she had much to do. Her hooves ached as she kept trotting, crying out to her for something comfortable to trot on for once. Her ears wiggled a bit, as the sounds of huffing and puffing behind her then joined the drip's chorus. The light at the end kept growing and growing the closer she got to it, but that's all it ever did. It just grew.
"How much longer?" Scootaloo asked in a whining tone. She then clenched her teeth and grimaced. "We've been doing this forever."
"T-this passageway has to end soon," Silver Spoon said as she panted. Her legs wobbled and she grunted just trying to stay upright. "I think I'm going to faint."
"Stamina was never your strong point," Diamond said in a teasing tone. "Lean on a blank flank if you have to."
Diamond glanced back at the group. She noticed Silver Spoon, her tongue sticking out, wrapping her foreleg around Sweetie Belle, who embraced her with a slight smile. "C'mon, Silver Spoon," Sweetie Belle said in a calm tone. "We're almost out, and maybe we can find a place to rest."
"I-I hope," Silver Spoon said, glancing at Sweetie Belle with a wide smile. "But thanks for helping me. It means a lot."
Sweetie Belle blushed and covered her lips with her hoof. "You're welcome. That was nice of you to say!" Silver Spoon then blushed herself.
Diamond turned back to the path ahead, her lips forming a wide grin once she was certain nopony was looking. Once again, Diamond wondered if maybe the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and blank flanks in general, aren't that bad after all. To care for her friend like that, after everything they had done to them, warmed her heart to the point her eyes shimmered and her vision blurred somewhat. Perhaps she should hang out with them more often, but how would she do this? Diamond shook her head. Now wasn't the time to think about such things. She needed to get back to Ponyville first. Rubbing her eyes, Diamond's vision became clear once more, but something appeared within the light.
It looked like a palm tree, or that's what Diamond thought. Her ears twitched at the sound of roaring waves, which prompted her eyes to widen a little. Just where did that road lead her and the rest of the group? The secret passageway couldn't have been that long, could it?
"Finally!" Apple Bloom cried out at the top of her lungs. "We're done with this place!"
Diamond turned around and raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that, Apple Bloom?"
"You can hear that noise, right?" Diamond nodded. "That's a waterfall. I'm almost positive!"
"Apple Bloom is right," said Silver Spoon, leaning against Sweetie Belle's body. "That sound most likely belongs to a waterfall." She then let go of Sweetie Belle and her body tipped from left to right for a moment. Her legs wobbled, but she soon managed to stand up straight. It was enough for her to form a slight smile on her face. "This must have been an emergency exit at one point. However, don't rush out in the open, because the cloaked figure might be waiting for us."
Scootaloo nodded. "Makes sense," she said. "Let's do this!"
The group charged out of the secret passageway, all huddled up together in one blob made out of pastel ponies. Diamond squinted upon taking her first steps into the outside world since she entered the castle, however long that was, and rubbed her eyes. Everything was a bright blur to her, but the roaring water and some chirping birds nearby rang in her ears.
"This is amazing!" Apple Bloom shouted. Diamond turned to her and as her vision became clear once more, she saw her with her eyes shimmering and her mouth forming a large, wide open smile. Diamond turned back to what was ahead of her, and she too formed a wide smile. Her eyes sparkled at the scenery around her, which was composed of a tall waterfall that descended from the top of the cliff, leaping over her and the fillies standing on a cobbled stone staircase, and down to the abyss below. Trees swayed in the slight breeze like dancers. Birds glided off in the distance and other kinds of wildlife, such as bunnies and cats, roamed across the grasslands up ahead. Diamond rubbed her eyes and blinked. How could she, no, everypony, miss such a sight. Her body remained perfectly still, her mind taking in the sights around her.
"It looks like a sanctuary of sorts," Sweetie Belle said as she skipped around with a smile on her face.
"Maybe it was a long time ago," said Silver Spoon. "In a way, this is a treasure in of itself. The beauty of nature." Silver Spoon's smile grew wider as she looked around. "I don't think I'll ever forget this experience." She then turned to Diamond and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Thank you, everypony. I know that today was a bit scary and tough, but there's so much to cherish here. I'm glad I got to see this, and sharing it with all of you feels wonderful."
"Um, you're welcome," said Apple Bloom in an uncertain tone. She shrugged for a moment and then raised an eyebrow. "Say, does this mean you're going to stop bullying me. In addition to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, of course."
Silver Spoon's shoulders sagged, her smile faded away, and she let out a deep sigh. "I-I don't know."
"Just keep trying to become a better pony, and you'll get there," Sweetie Belle said as she trotted next to Silver Spoon. She knelt down next to her and massaged her back. "I believe in you."
Silver Spoon's smile returned and she wrapped her forelegs around Sweetie Belle for a moment. "Thanks again, Sweetie Belle."
"You're welcome!"
"Shouldn't we be focusing on getting back to Ponyville?" Diamond asked. She lifted the goblet she had with her high in the air and waved it around before pressing it against her chest once again. "Remember why we got that stuff in the first place?"
"Of course," Silver Spoon said as she nodded. "I'm feeling better now." She then rubbed the back of her neck and grinned sheepishly. "Shall we get going?"
"Drat!" a voice shouted in the distance. A nearby tree swayed from side to side more intensely than the others. "Stupid trees!"
Diamond then felt a chilling sensation run down her spine and her eyes widened. She turned to her left and then to her right, her body shivering. "Hide!" she shouted.
"Over here," Sweetie Belle said, pointing to a large, light green bush. Diamond and the rest of the group rushed towards the bush. Her heart pounded louder and louder the closer she got.
Thud!
A brown cloud of dust kicked up in front of the group. Diamond jumped up and her chest tightened. Something was also fluttering in the air. She looked up and saw a ragged, brown cloak descending down to the earth. The dust cleared, and the silhouette of a pegasus could be made out.
"Not you again," the pegasus said. She then sighed and her shoulders sagged. The dust cleared, revealing a pegasus mare with a light turquoise coat and a sharp, amber colored mane. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her wings, grimacing the entire time. The mare then froze, her eyebrows shot up, and she stared at the fillies in front of her. "Well, at least you're not Lamebow Trash."
"Lightning Dust!" Scootaloo shouted at the top of her lungs. "You were that cloaked mare in the castle!"
Lightning Dust blushed and stepped back a little. She chuckled for a moment and then shrugged. "You got me."
"Wait a second," said Sweetie Belle. "You know her?"
Scootaloo shook her head. "I don't, but Rainbow Dash told me about her."
"Looks like she still doesn't shut up." Pouting, Lightning Dust then focused her gaze on Diamond. "Why do you have the Royal Goblet?"
"It's just so pretty," Diamond said, pressing the goblet closer to her chest. She then moved the goblet away from Lightning Dust and scowled at her. "I found it first, so it's mine!"
Lightning Dust extended her forelegs towards Diamond, her lips puckered up somewhat. "I really need that goblet. I need it to get the money I need to rebuild my home."
Diamond raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "What?"
"Remember the Tirek incident?" Diamond and the rest of the group nodded together. "That jerk caused all sorts of destruction, my home among those damaged." She then shuddered and her eyes twitched. "Then he stole my magic." Her eyes then shimmered and a cascade of tears flowed down her cheeks. "Do you know what it's like to almost die? Do you know what it's like to have the one thing you treasure doing more than anything taken away from you? I found out that day."
"How did Tirek find you?" Apple Bloom asked.
Lightning Dust's shoulders sagged, only for them to perk up once more and her lips formed a smile, though something about it felt a little off. "I was the big hero that was going to save everypony, but that demon cheated!" Her eyebrows then furrowed and she got back up on all four legs. "He cheated, that's what!"
"It was Discord, wasn't it?" Silver Spoon asked.
"Sort of."
"What do you mean by that?" Scootaloo asked, trotting towards Lightning Dust with a scrunched face. "Is there something you're not telling us?"
Lightning Dust shook her head at a rapid pace. "I'm telling you everything. As to the 'sort of' thing, well, it's hard to explain."
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "Right," she said in a sarcastic tone.
Diamond couldn't help but smile a little. Maybe Scootaloo wasn't such a moron after all. A tingling feeling then formed in the back of her head. Diamond looked at Lightning Dust and smirked. No, Scootaloo was still a moron, it was just that Lightning Dust was an even bigger moron.
"Listen, can I have that goblet?" Lightning Dust asked. She then knelt down to Diamond as though she was about to bow to her. "I really need it."
"No is no!" Diamond retorted. She wasn't going to have this trip mean nothing. Everypony knew that she was the one who should leave with the goblet. She looked over to Silver Spoon and winked at her. "It's mine. Right, Silver Spoon?"
Silver Spoon's shoulders sagged. She stared at the goblet and then shook her head. "To be fair, it belongs to none of us," she said.
"What do you mean?"
"Diamond, we're friends, but this pony needs it to repair her home."
Diamond's cheeks blushed. Did Silver Spoon just do what she thought she did? A ferocious fire lit inside of her chest as she trotted over to Silver Spoon, unable to prevent her face from scrunching like an accordion. "Have you lost your mind? Are you gullible?"
"No, but I am being a generous pony." She then turned to Lightning Dust, her lips curling into a smile. "Sorry about my friend, but I, and the three other ponies will let you have the goblet. Right?"
"Of course," said Sweetie Belle. "You need it for a good reason." Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both nodded alongside her.
"You can have the goblet."
"Awesome!" Lightning Dust jumped up and down before doing a loop in the air. She then froze and turned to Diamond with a glare and ruffled eyebrows. "Are you done being greedy yet?"
Diamond gulped, her heart lodged itself into her throat. She stared at the ponies all around her, each one with a piercing gaze. She looked to Silver Spoon, then to the goblet, and then to Lightning Dust. Diamond then rolled her eyes and groaned. Her shoulders then sagged. It wasn't worth splitting up with Silver Spoon just for a stupid goblet. What else was she going to do aside from show it off? She placed the goblet down on the grass beneath her hooves. "You can have it once you complete the deal," she said in a deep, melancholic tone. She then looked up at Lightning Dust, whose face formed a wide smile. It was enough to warm even her heart, so maybe she did the right thing after all.
"Thank you," Lightning Dust said as she took the goblet.
"I knew you could do it, Diamond Tiara," Silver Spoon said, wrapping her foreleg around Diamond.
"I never wanted the goblet to begin with," Diamond said. She then winced a little and grinned. Silver Spoon looked into her eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe I did."
"If you go straight through here, the path will take you back to the outskirts of Ponyville," said Lightning Dust, pointing in the direction the fillies needed to go to. "I'm at one of the hotels there, so maybe we'll meet each other again." She then flapped her wings and hovered above the ground. "I'm selling it to somepony in Canterlot, and then my home can finally be repaired." She then took off into the sky, the boom enough to cause the five fillies to cover their ears and cringe. A sharp pain entered Diamond's ears, which then dissipated as she saw Lightning Dust become a smaller speck in the sky.
"Let's head on home," said Silver Spoon. "I can take the two books back to my home, so just drop them off with me when we get to my house."
Diamond nodded. "Got it." She then turned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, all with grins on their faces and relaxed postures. As she stared at them, a sudden thought popped into her mind. What if she could befriend them by impressing them? They did plan on seeing Celestia in Canterlot and the trains that went there weren't the most luxurious things out there. But she had something that could drop their jaws, something that would make them want to go on more adventures with her. All she needed to do was pull a few strings.
Silver Spoon gazed at Ponyville, which was just a shining speck in the horizon from where she stood. Between her and the town was a dirt road that kept going straight and the rest of the group, all standing still and stretching their forelegs in front of her. Silver Spoon glanced back at what she had already traversed and then looked forward once more before sighing. Her legs ached during that journey through the secret passage, and they were still a little tight. Her body still felt light as though it was ready to drift away. She couldn't stop now. She needed to keep chugging along, even if it meant resting for a bit. But did she have the strength to keep going? Such a thought sent a chill down her spine.
Silver Spoon trotted forwards, small, brown clouds of dust kicking up in the air as she went along. "It's a long way from here to Ponyville," she said, extending her foreleg towards the town. "If we take one short break when we're a little closer, we should be able to get back home before night comes."
Diamond tapped her hoof against the ground and turned her head to Silver Spoon. "Why don't we just trot ahead without stopping?" she asked before shrugging. "I mean, look ahead. There's nothing exciting, so I say we just power through."
Apple Bloom nodded. "Diamond's right." Her face then turned pale and she coughed a bit. "Sorry about that. It's just, well, I actually agree with Diamond Tiara." She cocked her head and grimaced. "That's just weird."
"We'll be exhausted if we don't stop to rest," said Silver Spoon.
Sweetie Belle crept towards Silver Spoon with a slight smile and radiant eyes. She placed her hoof on Silver Spoon's back and patted it. "We'll work together if we have to."
Silver Spoon turned to Sweetie Belle and smirked. "Thank you, Sweetie Belle." Her heart warmed up and her eyes shimmered. "I'm glad that you're helping me despite our past."
"Helping ponies makes me feel good." Sweetie Belle grinned. "Besides, it's the right thing to do."
The right thing to do. Silver Spoon's mind raced as those five words circled inside of her. She glanced over to Diamond Tiara, who was still tapping her hoof and looking around the lines of trees that made up the forest. She then looked at Scootaloo, who was talking with Apple Bloom, and focused on her petite wings. Memories of the time she joined Diamond in teasing her inability to fly materialized in her brain. Her chest twinged the more she thought about that day. How could she have been so hateful? Why didn't she let Diamond know about this guilt? Was she afraid of her? Or was she the only friend she'd ever have? Maybe these emotional scars were why she was more of an introvert since then. She took a deep breath, the tension in her body loosening. She needed to tell Diamond how she felt, but what should she say?
"Silver Spoon, are you okay?" Sweetie Belle asked, waving a hoof in front of her.
Silver Spoon jumped up and turned to Sweetie Belle. "Oh, um, I'm okay," she said. She clenched her teeth after saying that. She wasn't okay, but her heart couldn't let her reveal that, especially to one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. That would just make her the target of bullying as far as she knew. "Shall we get going?"
Nodding, Sweetie Belle closed her eyes for a brief moment and grinned. "Yep! Let's go!"
"Got it!" Scootaloo shouted with a beaming grin. She led the way as though she was leading a band and the rest of the group followed. Silver Spoon and everypony else kept trotting and trotting. Seconds became minutes as the scenery remained static. The lush, green trees lost their beauty over time, though they didn't change in appearance. They just became dull.
The group was making progress. They had to be, as Silver Spoon could feel the rough patches of dirt rubbing against her hooves as she stepped over them. Ponyville looked closer than before, though it still looked like a miniature model from where she was. Though there was one part of the town that towered above the rest and acted like a frame of reference.
The new Crystal Castle. It had only been erected from the ground a mere month ago, but it still felt so alien as the sunlight gave it a radiant glow fitting for a celestial object. Silver Spoon squinted and looked away from the castle on more than one occasion, and the rest of the group did the same on different occasions. Maybe Princess Twilight could cover the crystal exterior with something that didn't burn ponies' eyes when the sun loomed overhead. Silver Spoon stared at the makeshift saddlebag Diamond Tiara had with her, which carried those mysterious books from the castle. Clover the Clever's diary mentioned a vision that predicted the Tirek incident, so maybe one of those books had something on the castle. Whatever happened to Clover the Clever anyway? Maybe Princess Celestia would know once the group saw her. Maybe—
"Silver Spoon," said Sweetie Belle out of nowhere. Silver Spoon jumped up and shuddered before staring at Sweetie Belle with a fixed gaze. "Sorry to bother you, but can I ask you a question?"
"I don't see why not," Silver Spoon said in a calm tone. Sweetie Belle trotted right next to her and the pair kept moving in unison. "What's on your mind?"
"I've been thinking about those books we found." Sweetie Belle bit her lip for a moment and shivered. "W-what if they predict something really bad. What if they predict something that has deadly consequences? Will we all still make it out in the end?"
Silver Spoon looked down at the ground beneath her and sighed. The threats against Equestria have been increasing in severity. Thinking about how Equestria went from the dangerous Nightmare Moon to the frightening Tirek in the course of just over a year sent a chill down her spine. What would be next? She looked back up at Sweetie Belle with a grim expression and shook her head.
"I don't know," Silver Spoon said in a glum tone. "I just hope that things don't get worse from here."
"That's what I'm scared of. It feels like things always get worse."
"I know what you mean."
Silver Spoon paused for a moment as something sparked in the back of her mind. Why did Sweetie Belle choose to talk to her instead of Apple Bloom or Scootaloo? They were her closest friends, so why her? Her mind buzzed more and more as she formulated different possibilities, each one resulting in something that was just illogical. She needed to put this curiosity to rest. She needed to ask Sweetie Belle now.
"Everypony, look!" Scootaloo shouted at the top of her lungs. She galloped ahead, kicking a large cloud of dust behind her, and Diamond chased after her.
"I'm getting sick of this!" Diamond screamed. Silver Spoon caught a glimpse of her cheeks being colored a bright red, which caused her mind to paint an image of her having steam erupting from her ears like geysers. It was an image that she couldn't help but chuckle at.
"It's only a few hoofsteps away, so calm down."
Scootaloo skidded across the road as a cloud of dust kicked up in Diamond's face. Diamond coughed for a moment and waved her hooves around as though a fly was buzzing incessantly around her, thus blowing the dust cloud away.
"What the heck was that about?" Diamond asked with a piercing gaze. She trotted up to Scootaloo until they were only inches apart and leaned towards her, their faces now separated by a speck of dust. "Do you think this is a silly game?"
Scootaloo shook her head and winced. "I was just trying to look awesome," she said. "I didn't think you'd be following me that closely."
Diamond stepped back and turned around in a huff. "Just watch what you're doing or we'll be covered in bruises by the time we get back." She then twitched. "I don't want to think of the punishment my father will give me."
"What kind of punishment, Diamond?" Silver Spoon asked.
"I'll have to mow the lawn. Or worse, I might have to take out the trash!" Diamond stuck her tongue out and gagged. "Do you have any idea how that smells?"
Was Diamond being serious? Or was she just dramatizing something boring as she had done before? Silver Spoon rolled her eyes, but her face cracked a smile. "It's nothing to be afraid of. I do chores at least once every day." She then trotted up to Diamond and patted her on the back in a gentle manner. "Let's try to focus on getting back to Ponyville for now, and then you can worry about what happens next. We're in this together."
"Do you know how long it takes to take out the trash?" Diamond's eyes shimmered as she crept towards Silver Spoon, her lips puckered up into a frown. "Five minutes! That's, like, forever!"
"If we go slow and steady, I promise we'll make it out unharmed." Silver Spoon's lips curled into a warm smile, to which Diamond responded with one of her own.
"Can I show you what I found now?" Scootaloo asked. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara both nodded together and Scootaloo lifted a hoof in front of their faces. Grasped in her hoof was a sparkling ruby. It was clear enough to where Silver Spoon could see her own reflection in it and notice Diamond's widened eyes and slack-jawed expression. At least she was predictable, but something about this ruby felt familiar. It had a octagonal shape and just staring at it made her heart beat faster for reasons she couldn't decipher. It tickled Silver Spoon's mind the more she thought about it. It had to have come from the old castle, that much was certain.
The old castle. Silver Spoon's eyes glowed and her pupils dilated as she reached this realization. That ruby was from the Royal Goblet, but why was it out here? Was the Royal Goblet already damaged? Was Lightning Dust okay?
"Um, Silver Spoon," said Scootaloo. "You have a strange look on your face. Do you know this?"
"That ruby is from the Royal Goblet," Silver Spoon said. "It's shape and the feelings it provokes must prove it. Scootaloo, when you stare at that ruby, do you feel your heart race?"
Scootaloo closed her eyes and stood as still as a statue. Seconds passed by, and all that Silver Spoon heard was the breeze's tranquil song of rustling leaves. It soothed her spirits and her body loosened. Time kept marching on, and after five minutes of the occasional breeze, Scootaloo opened her eyes and nodded.
"I can feel it too," Scootaloo said in a flat tone. "You're right, this has to be from the Royal Goblet."
Diamond formed a beaming grin on her face and her eyes sparkled. "Can we keep it?" she asked jubilantly. "Can we?"
"I don't see why not."
Diamond pumped her hoof and then twirled like an amateur ballerina that was still learning how to balance herself. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Silver Spoon and Scootaloo both shrugged. Scootaloo then cocked her head towards Silver Spoon and raised an eyebrow. "Is she usually like this?" she whispered.
Silver Spoon nodded. "Sometimes. It's what makes her happy, though."
"Fine with me." Scootaloo then trotted ahead. "Let's continue on our way."
The group trotted forwards once more. Whatever tension there was in the air soon dissipated as nothing of importance occurred for an extended period of time. Silver Spoon's eyes darted around, hoping to find something, anything that might tickle her mind. Maybe she'd find an exotic plant or a cute animal, but other than some larger rocks that rested in the middle of the pathway at some intervals, it was just the flat, barren, dirt road and the trees that occupied each side of it.
The sun was setting; lighting the sky a glowing, bright orange. Some of the brighter stars in the sky made themselves known, twinkling at regular intervals. Ponyville had to be close by. The castle that loomed over the group was getting larger, but it just felt so far away at the same time.
"This is so boring!" Diamond whined as she kicked the air. "We better be in Ponyville soon!" She then ground her teeth and grimaced for a brief moment.
"We have to be," said Silver Spoon. "It just doesn't make any sense to be trotting for much longer." She then lifted her hoof in the air and pointed at the Crystal Castle. "See that?" Diamond nodded, as did the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "If it appears to be getting larger, then we must be making progress."
"But we might be cursed!" Diamond's face turned pale and she gulped. "We might be stuck here forever!"
"We're doomed?" Apple Bloom asked with wide open eyes. "What are you talking about?"
Diamond shrugged. "Maybe we are, but if that's the case, then how are we going to find out what's cursing us?"
Silver Spoon looked over to Diamond with doleful eyes and a deep frown. There had to be a way to comfort her friend. It felt as though icicles were piercing her heart the longer she stared at Diamond quivering and chattering her teeth. Would some kind words help? "Diamond Tiara, I promise you that this isn't a curse," Silver Spoon said. "I know that this is tough." Silver Spoon felt her legs tremble a little and she clenched her teeth for a moment. "I'm exhausted and want this to be done as well, but we have to keep trying."
"I-I just want this over now." Diamond kicked the air a few more times. "But if we've been trotting down this road for so long, it has to be a curse. There's no other explanation!"
"It will be over soon, but you can't give up." Silver Spoon trotted up to Diamond and gazed into her eyes. Her lips formed a faint smile. "Diamond, you're my best friend. I'd never lie about something like this." She then placed her hoof on her chest. "Look in your heart and find the strength hidden inside there, and I know you'll find hope in there somewhere."
Diamond closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, everything became silent as not a peep nor a breeze echoed in the area.
That was until Silver Spoon heard the rustling of leaves nearby. Her ears twitched and her muscles tightened. Was there something dangerous nearby? Or was it just something as harmless as a mouse? She tapped Diamond on the shoulder, who then opened her eyes and stared at Silver Spoon with a slack-jawed expression and a raised eyebrow.
"What was that about?" Diamond asked. "I was thinking."
"Something's nearby," Silver Spoon said. The leaves rustled once more, this time louder than before.
"I hear it too," said Scootaloo. Her eyes twinkled and she rubbed her hoof against the ground as she prepared to charge. "I'm not afraid of anything!"
"What about the cloaked figure that turned out to be Lightning Dust?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"And what about the cockatrice from a while back?" Apple Bloom added.
"Or the spooky story from our last camping trip?"
"I get it!" Scootaloo shouted into the air. She then sighed and took a more relaxed posture. "Yeah, I get scared sometimes, but not now!"
"It's okay to be scared," said Silver Spoon. She felt her chest tighten and a chilling sensation run down her spine. "I'm scared as well, but we have to think rationally."
"Silver Spoon, since when did you become so caring towards the blank flanks?" asked Diamond. She then shrugged. "It's not like you."
"We're in this together, right? I know I've teased them before with you, but we need to stick together if we're going to make it out of this."
Diamond sighed. "Makes sense to me." She then cleared her throat and looked over towards the castle. "Maybe you're right. Maybe this isn't a curse."
Silver Spoon tilted her head. "That was fast."
"Maybe I was just scared." Diamond adjusted the tiara on her head. "I'm not scared anymore!"
Scootaloo then raised her hoof high in the air. "Sorry to interrupt your little talk, but when you want us to think rationally, do you mean fight, or run?"
Silver Spoon jumped up in the air a little and shuddered. "I never said anything about fighting!"
"Running it is!"
Scootaloo galloped towards Ponyville and the rest of the group chased after her. Silver Spoon bit her lip as her legs ached the more she ran, the distance feeling like miles to her. Huffing and puffing as her lungs worked like furnaces, her eyes widened and shimmered upon noticing something different up ahead. The path widened and the texture of the road changed into a smooth, dark brown. Houses, all with similar exteriors and a few decorations to differentiate themselves, appeared off in the horizon. There wasn't a curse at all. Silver Spoon and the rest of the group were almost home, and it made her face form a radiant smile.
"We're going to make it!" Diamond shouted at the top of her lungs. "We're almost home!"
A loud, bloodcurdling screech echoed in the air. Silver Spoon's chest tightened as she and the rest of the group turned pale. Something about that voice sounded familiar, which only helped send more chills down her spine.
"Was that Lightning Dust?" asked Sweetie Belle as she breathed heavily.
Silver Spoon nodded. "I'm almost confident that was her," she said in a grim tone.
"We need to hurry!" Scootaloo shouted at the top of her lungs. "She must be in danger!"
The group nodded together and galloped towards the screaming. Silver Spoon glanced over to Diamond and her ears twitched not at a particular noise, but the lack of one that should have appeared from Diamond's mouth. She didn't bother criticizing Scootaloo for rushing in again. She even bit her lip as she galloped. Something had to be going on, and even as Silver Spoon huffed and puffed and her legs tightened, she ignored her exhaustion and focused her mind on Lightning Dust.
"I see her up ahead!" Scootaloo yelled. Sure enough, Lightning Dust was lying on the ground, curled up in a fetal position and rocking back and forth. As the group got closer, Silver Spoon noticed that she was massaging her wing and gritting her teeth. Did she crash again? Or was it something much worse?
Lightning Dust looked up at the group and she cringed as she tried to form a smile. "Thank Celestia you're here," she said. She then let out a few grunts, their sounds enough to make Silver Spoon's throat tighten. "Something horrible is going on."
"What is it?" Diamond asked. She then looked around and after a few seconds, her eyes widened and her body shivered. "Did someone steal the Royal Goblet?"
"Bingo." Lightning Dust recoiled and let out a loud, elongated groan. "A shadowy figure took it."
"That's not going to help us find the perp."
"All I can tell you is that he appeared in a flash and we fought along the path you came from. He got the upper hoof and punched me to the ground before stomping on my wing and taking the Royal Goblet."
"Wait a second," said Silver Spoon, raising her hoof up. "Scootaloo found something that might be of interest to you."
"What would that be?"
Scootaloo extended her foreleg towards Lightning Dust and displayed the ruby grasped in her hoof. Staring at the ruby with twinkling eyes and a gaping mouth, Lightning Dust then rubbed her eyes and formed a wide grin. "That's from the Royal Goblet!"
"Exactly," said Scootaloo. "It must have broken off in your fight with the figure."
"Perhaps we can use that ruby as a way to track down the figure who attacked you," Silver Spoon said as a matter of fact. "It won't be much on its own, but evidence is evidence."
"Maybe, but it's going to be hard to find him again," said Lightning Dust. "He just appeared and disappeared out of nowhere."
"We'll let Princess Twilight know what happened," said Apple Bloom. "For now, we need to take you to a hospital."
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo trotted next to Lightning Dust and hoisted her on their backs. Ponyville was only a few hoofsteps away now and the sun was still setting and visible. Silver Spoon glanced over to Lightning Dust's wincing face, the visible agony driving needles into her heart. Maybe she was a bit brash, but nopony like that deserved what happened to her. But as she trotted alongside the group, a thought raced in her mind faster than a thunderbolt.
The Royal Goblet produced a strange feeling inside those who gazed at it for a period of time. Was this goblet a part of something much bigger? Could it explain the figure's motive for attacking Lightning Dust and stealing the goblet? Silver Spoon knew that she couldn't answer those questions, but it did fill her with one feeling. One that awakened her. Seeing Princess Celestia was now imperative.
Lightning Dust pushed herself off of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, landing on all four hooves before her legs wobbled a little. She gritted her teeth and whipped her tail around, but somehow managed to stand up straight, much to Apple Bloom's surprise. Still, the bruises that covered her body and face turned Apple Bloom's face a pale green and made her stomach churn whenever she gazed at them for too long.
"Lightning Dust, what are you doing?" Apple Bloom asked in a worried tone. "We need to get you to a hospital, remember?"
Lightning Dust kicked the dirt and smirked. "I'll be just fine. It's just a flesh wound, you know."
"A flesh wound?" Scootaloo retorted at the top of her lungs. Her eyes widened and she made her way towards Lightning Dust, her hooves pounding the dirt. "Look at yourself! You look like a mess!"
Lightning Dust pouted and looked away from Scootaloo. "And why should I listen to somepony who idolizes Lamebow Trash?"
"Because you won't heal up as quickly if you don't go to a hospital," said Silver Spoon. "Scootaloo is right on this one."
"Yeah!" Diamond Tiara shouted. She blushed somewhat and chortled. "I can't believe I actually agree with Scootaloo," she whispered to herself.
Lightning Dust froze in place. She swiveled her head towards Silver Spoon and raised an eyebrow. "Now why would you say that?"
"You like flying, right?" Lightning Dust nodded in agreement. "Don't you want to get back to flying at one hundred percent as soon as possible?"
Lighting Dust's nodding went faster, a bright smile adorning her face. "Of course I do! Flying is what I live for!"
"Then if I were you, I'd go over to the hospital and get fixed up."
Lightning Dust's grin dissipated into a look of sheer indifference. She shook her head and crossed her forelegs. "Nope."
Silver Spoon's jaw hung for a brief second. She rubbed her face and adjusted her glasses, still decorated with an astonished look. "Are you just messing with us? Or is there something you're not telling us?"
Lightning Dust shivered as Silver Spoon leaned towards her with a wide, devilish grin. "I'm not hiding anything. Nothing at all."
"Then you'll go to the hospital, right?"
"Yeah!" Lightning Dust lifted her foreleg up and punched the sky. She grabbed her extended foreleg and winced, rubbing it as she grunted. "I'll prove to you that I'm not hiding anything."
"Excellent! Diamond and I will follow you there. Isn't that right, Diamond?" Diamond didn't respond. "Um, Diamond?"
"Huh?" Diamond Tiara replied. She was looking away from the group and gazing at the top of the Crystal Castle, its tip glowing like a celestial body and capturing her attention.
Silver Spoon groaned and waved her foreleg in front of Diamond's face. "We're going with Lightning Dust together, right?"
Diamond jumped up and turned her head towards Silver Spoon. She blushed and stepped back a little. "Oh, um, right."
Silver Spoon rolled her eyes subtly, though Apple Bloom managed to catch a glimpse of it. Why was Diamond so focused on the castle? Sure, it was impressive and massive in scale, but it did get old looking at the same lavish castle after a few days of living by it. Perhaps Diamond was fascinated by the luxury of it. Apple Bloom faintly snickered to herself. That had to be it if the whole Royal Goblet thing was anything to go by. At least she and her friends were paying attention.
"Hey, Sweetie Belle," said Scootaloo. "Are you in there?"
Apple Bloom applied a hoof to her face and sighed, her frustration palpable. "What is it about that castle that I don't understand?" she asked in a loud tone.
"It's not about the castle, silly filly," Sweetie Belle said as she leaned towards Apple Bloom. "It's about the book."
"You mean the strange feelings that the book on Equestria's secrets produces, right?" Scootaloo asked.
Sweetie Belle shook her head. "Nope. The other one."
"You mean Clover the Clever's journal, right?"
Sweetie Belle formed a beaming smile and nodded. "That's it!" She regained her composure and stood up straight, staring back towards the books. "Anyway, something about it seems fishy."
"It doesn't swim, blank flank," Diamond chuckled.
Silver Spoon rolled her eyes. "What she means is that there is something suspicious about the journal. Something about it doesn't add up."
"That's what I meant," Sweetie Belle said. "Anyway, remember what the journal said about Discord's rule?"
"The journal said something about how Clover predicted the Tirek incident over a thousand years before it happened and that Discord found out about this vision."
"Well, there was one bit of it that didn't add up now that I think about it."
Silver Spoon cocked her head a little. "How so?"
"Well, for starters, it doesn't produce the same feelings that the other book does."
Scootaloo bobbed her head. "That's right," she said. Scootaloo raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "But what does that have to do with the journal being real or not?"
"Remember how the journal said that Discord used to be a fair ruler of Equestria long ago?"
Diamond raised her hoof up high. "Hold on a second," she interrupted. "Discord was reformed, right?"
"He was, but he's still a little, well, chaotic."
"So? He's reformed, so him being a good ruler in the past that turned crazy is possible." Diamond turned to Silver Spoon in a flash, the latter jumping up a bit. "You agree with me, Silver Spoon. Isn't that right?"
Silver Spoon rubbed her muzzle. "It's possible."
Diamond turned back to Sweetie Belle and crossed her forelegs, her smug grin widening to an absurd length. "What did I tell you?"
"I'm not done yet. Just because it's plausible doesn't mean that it's what happened or even if it's likely."
"But you read that part of the journal and didn't object before, remember?"
Silver Spoon nodded. "True, but you have to come in with an open mind. It might be true, but it could also be false. Even though it did correctly predict a future event, what it said about Discord could be up for debate. And now that I think about it, there was something else that caught my eye, but I can't remember what it was. Anyway, that's why Princess Celestia might know something about this journal that we don't."
"And how do you propose we get to Princess Celestia?" Diamond tapped her hoof on the ground. "She's the Princess of the Sun!"
Apple Bloom looked over towards where Canterlot was, the silhouette of the grand castle that hung precariously off of the mountain visible from where she stood. It felt so close to where she could extend her hoof and touch it, but it still felt so far away at the same time. Getting to Canterlot was one thing, but actually seeing Celestia was another. There had to be a way to see her, but how? The answers to the books they found in the old castle were farther away than they had ever been.
Books.
"I got it!" Apple Bloom shouted with a wide-open grin and beaming eyes.
Sweetie Belle flinched. "What is it?" she asked in a hurried tone. "Did a bee sting you?"
Apple Bloom rubbed the back of her neck and blushed. She let out a sudden cackle, which earned quizzical expressions from all five ponies by her. "Sorry. Anyway, I know how we can get the answers we're looking for."
Diamond pouted. "And how do you propose we do that?" she asked.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle. We've hung out with her before. Don't you remember how 'Twilight Time' became a thing?"
Diamond shuddered. She cracked a nervous grin and chuckled slowly. "O-of course I do. How could I forget?"
"Anyway, I've got a plan. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and I will take the books over to Princess Twilight to look at, while you and Silver Spoon can help Lightning Dust to the hospital. We'll meet up by the town square when we're done." Apple Bloom nodded, her bright, smiling face radiating with confidence. "Sound good?"
"Sounds fair to me," said Silver Spoon. "You and your friends know Princess Twilight better than any of us and we'll be okay with looking after Lightning Dust."
Diamond's shoulders sagged and she pouted, her face scrunching. "But I wanted to see the inside of the new castle," she whined.
Lightning Dust raised an eyebrow. "Is it because the castle looks luxurious?" she asked in a blunt tone. "Or is it because I drive you up the wall?"
"It's the former."
Silver Spoon turned to Lightning Dust with a sheepish grin. "Don't worry about Diamond," she said. "She loves glamor a little too much."
Lightning Dust smiled and bobbed her head. "No kidding. Now let me prove that I'm not worried and we'll be all set!"
"Fair enough," said Apple Bloom. She turned towards Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. "Ready?"
"You bet!" Sweetie Belle shouted, her voice cracking.
"I'm always ready!" Scootaloo yelled. Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow and stared at her blankly. Scootaloo blushed and smirked. "Well, most of the time."
"Excellent," said Apple Bloom. She grabbed the sack that contained the two books. "Let's not waste any time." She turned to Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Lightning Dust and waved at the three. "Goodbye!"
"Goodbye!" the trio shouted in unison.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders trotted alongside each other, their hoofsteps in perfect synchronization, as they made their way towards the Crystal Castle with bright smiles and a skip in their step. Apple Bloom looked up at the castle as she continued marching, the colossal, crystalline structure blocking much of her view of the sky. The castle glowed under the sunlight as it seemed to radiate life. Miniature rainbows from the castle, the result of magic as far as Apple Bloom could tell, sprouted from the structure's exterior down to the earth below.
"Maybe Diamond Tiara had a reason to be impressed," Apple Bloom muttered to herself, her eyes glowing and her mouth agape. "This thing looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale."
"Hey, Apple Bloom," Scootaloo said as she tapped her shoulder.
Apple Bloom quivered and leaped up into the air. She turned her head to Scootaloo, who was grinning and biting her lip. Was she behind her this entire time? "W-what is it?"
Scootaloo chortled. "Two things. First, you were going to run into the wall if you didn't stop staring at the castle. Second, we're here."
Apple Bloom shook her head and looked ahead. Sure enough, a reflection of herself was staring into her eyes, the scenery in her vision just a wall of crystal. She turned back to Scootaloo and formed a slight smile. "Um, thanks Scootaloo."
"Not a problem." Scootaloo pointed to her left. "The entrance is over there, but it's being guarded by two ponies, so we'll have to let them know what's going on first."
"That should be easy." Apple Bloom made her way towards the front door. "Princess Twilight knows us, so they'll have to let us in."
"Hopefully," Sweetie Belle said, following Apple Bloom. "We still need to be on our best behavior."
Apple Bloom nodded. "Makes sense."
The group made their way towards the gold-plated front door, its thick exterior looming above them. Flanking each side of the door was a royal guard, adorned in the typical, gold colored armor. The one on the left was a yellowish pegasus stallion, his eyes half open and his posture relaxed. The guard on the right was also a pegasus, only this one was a mare with a dark red coat. Her body stood tall with slightly hunched shoulders, her eyes darted around, and her ears twitched at the slightest noise. The mare's mere posture exuded power. It was an aura that made Apple Bloom's throat tighten. Perhaps this wasn't going to be as easy as she hoped.
Apple Bloom swiveled her head from one guard to the other, and she couldn't help but smirk at the juxtaposition before her. Taking a deep breath, she took a single step towards the castle's door, only to be halted by the foreleg of the alert guard.
"Hold on a second," the guard said in a serene tone. She looked down at Apple Bloom and her lips formed a warm smile. "Can you wait here for a moment?"
Apple Bloom stared at her with a slack-jawed expression. "Huh?"
"Just need to make sure you're allowed in. The castle is going through some renovations at the moment and Princess Twilight Sparkle wants to make sure that everything goes according to plan."
"I figured that out, but I expected your voice would be, well, different."
The guard giggled. "You're not the only one to think that. Everypony who talks to me on duty gives me the same look you had."
The guard to Apple Bloom's left let out a deep yawn as he stretched his limbs, the cracking of the once static limbs noticeable.
"Are you in there, Flash?" the guard said. "Don't tell me you've been slacking off again."
Flash shivered and his eyes opened up wide. He grinned at the guard while blushing and saluted her, his body standing tall and straight. "I'd never slack off, Rosa," he said in a hurried tone.
Rosa rolled her eyes and sighed. "Just stick to keeping watch, okay."
"Of course!" Flash looked back ahead of him, his eyes darting around in random directions.
Rosa looked back down at Apple Bloom. "Sorry about that. He's just well, stupid."
"It's okay," said Apple Bloom.
"So, do you mind telling me your name?"
"Apple Bloom, ma'am," she replied in a chipper tone.
Rosa smiled and nodded. "You're Applejack's little sister, right?"
Apple Bloom felt a chill run down her spine. She stepped back with a gaping mouth and shook her body a little. "How did you know?"
"Princess Twilight told me about you and your friends." Her lips curled into a wide grin. "I do have to know important things like this if I'm going to be serving her."
Apple Bloom rubbed her muzzle. Her older sister was famous, as was Sweetie Belle's. Scootaloo's mentor was famous as well. The chills in her spine thawed out and her lips curled into a grin. "That makes sense. So will you let us in, please?"
Rosa bobbed her head. "You got it."
Two seconds passed. An ear-splitting creak that sounded like a roaring hydra echoed in the area. Apple Bloom covered her ears and gritted her teeth, to which Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo did the same. She felt the world beneath her hooves shaking as the door opened up. Was the world going to swallow her up? Her legs tightened as the door kept opening inch by inch, until a gap wide enough for about three ponies formed and a glimpse of the interior appeared before her. The ground ceased shaking. The cacophony stopped. Everything around Apple Bloom was tranquil once more.
"Sorry about that," Rosa said, her cheeks blushing. "We're still working on that. I think we're going to need more than just oil to fix that if you ask me." She extended her hoof and pointed into the castle. "Go right ahead."
"Thank you," said Sweetie Belle.
"You're welcome."
The Cutie Mark Crusaders huddled up together and trotted into the castle with heavy steps. The clacking of their hooves against the floor echoed in the hallway, which was darker and less bright than Apple Bloom had anticipated. Nevertheless, her eyes still glowed as her head swiveled in all directions. Some lights of various colors of the rainbow twinkled at regular intervals. Apple Bloom felt as though the night sky had enveloped her and her friends. All of it filled her with a sense of wonder that made her form a bright smile.
Looking back to the world in front of her, Apple Bloom noticed a large, circular room covered from head to hoof in crystal. Six thrones, plus a seventh throne that was smaller than the rest, circled a large, round table that shimmered even brighter than the crystal room. Squinting at the sights ahead, Apple Bloom noticed two figures. One was a light mulberry alicorn with a list of some sort. That was Princess Twilight without a doubt. The other pony was a tan colored unicorn with a rolling cart. The cart had stacks upon stacks of books that could probably make the largest book fort in history. The mere thought of such a thing made Apple Bloom's face shine like the crystal room before her. Or it could be used for reading material. Whatever worked was fine with her.
"Um, if you don't mind me asking, do you know why Princess Twilight needs all these books?" Scootaloo asked with a perplexed visage, staring blankly at Apple Bloom. "She already has hundreds, if not thousands."
Apple Bloom furrowed her eyebrows and placed her hoof on Scootaloo's lips. "Scootaloo," Apple Bloom said in an accusing tone. "Remember what happened to Golden Oaks Library?"
Scootaloo paused. A few awkward seconds went by, and her eyes widened. "Oh," she said in a monotone voice. "Oops."
"It might be a sensitive subject to her, so don't mention it."
Scootaloo nodded. "You can count on me."
"And me," Sweetie Belle added.
The trio continued down the hallway and entered the circular throne room, the group shivering for a brief second upon entering. But in the blink of an eye, Apple Bloom felt the coldness dissipate from her body and a soothing warmness took its place. Her mind couldn't comprehend how such a thing was possible, but she quickly shifted her attention towards Princess Twilight, her ears focused on the conversation.
"Thanks again for delivering these," Twilight said with a smile.
The delivery pony bowed. "You're very welcome, your highness."
"I would like to ask one more question. Don't worry, it's nothing serious." Twilight levitated the list closer to her, checking off every item with a quill. Book after book was accounted for, but she froze for a moment and let out a sigh. "It looks like Equestrian Phenomena is still missing. Do you have any news concerning a copy?"
"Well, Princess Celestia did tell me that Captain Spitfire was going to donate a copy to you. It just has to go from her to Celestia and finally to you."
"So how long should it take to get here?"
The delivery pony sighed, looked down, and then back to Twilight. "It'll take about a week, your highness. I apologize for the inconvenience."
"No need to apologize."
"I just wish all of your books will be returned, princess. I will leave you to your studies."
Twilight nodded and shook hooves with the delivery pony. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye, your highness."
The delivery pony trotted past Apple Bloom with the empty cart and down the hallway, whistling a melodic tune. It made her think of rainbows for some reason, but how she reached that conclusion eluded her mind. Shrugging, she made her way towards Princess Twilight and raised her hoof.
"Princess Twilight!" Sweetie Belle shouted with a squeak in her voice. Apple Bloom cringed and covered her ears as the voice echoed in the room. Sweetie Belle raised her hoof like Apple Bloom did, but also bounced around as though she were on a pogo stick. "We've got something to show you!"
"Not so loud, Sweetie Belle," Twilight said with a shocked expression and lifted forelegs. She straightened herself out and formed a slight smirk.
"Sorry, Princess Twilight. It's just that there's something important the five of us found that we wanted to show you."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Five? I only see you, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo."
Sweetie Belle rubbed the back of her neck and blushed. "Oh, right. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were with us when we found these, but they're off helping somepony."
"Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon?" Twilight chuckled for the briefest of moments. "Did you make amends with them?"
Apple Bloom formed a brooding smile and looked down, her chest tightening a little. "Well, um, sort of." She looked back up at Princess Twilight, her visage now set. Why was she a little embarrassed at admitting that? It happened and they were tolerable for the most part, so what about it made her feel this way? "I mean, they weren't too bad."
"Maybe you'll all become friends one day."
Quaking, Apple Bloom jumped up with wide eyes and a dumbfounded expression. "What? Are you crazy? We'd never be friends with them." She covered her lips and blushed as something sparked in her mind. Was she afraid of becoming friends with the same ponies that tormented her and the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders for what felt like forever? But why would something like that frighten her? Was it the fear of the unknown that was shrouded in mystery? Was it the thought that she might become a venomous bully like them? Maybe it was something else.
"Apple Bloom, are you okay?" Twilight asked with a grim expression. She placed her hoof on her chest. "If something is on your mind, you're more than welcome to share it with me."
Apple Bloom took a deep breath, the tension dissipating just a little. "I'm fine." Her eyes darted around before becoming fixed on Twilight once more. "I'm just a little tired is all."
Twilight froze for a moment and silence filled the room for a few seconds. Her lips curled into a warm smile as she trotted closer to Apple Bloom. "Well, just know I'd love to help you if you ever need somepony to talk to."
Apple Bloom nodded. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Twilight turned to face the books, which still resided in the sack. "Anyway, are those books what you wanted to show me?"
The Cutie Mark Crusaders bobbed their heads in unison. "That's right," said Scootaloo. "We wanted to know if those books were the real deal or not."
Twilight placed her hoof on her muzzle. "Hmm. I'll see what I can do, but do you know what they're about?"
"One is a journal supposedly written by Clover the Clever, and another is some weird book about Equestria's secrets," said Sweetie Belle. "We haven't looked at the secrets book yet, but it does give a funny vibe." Apple Bloom's limbs tightened, her eyes drawn towards the book. "The other is weird because of what it says."
"I think I have what I need to determine if these books are legitimate."
Apple Bloom flinched. She turned towards Twilight without hesitation. "You do?" she asked in a high-pitched tone.
Twilight winked and grinned. "I do. I have just what I need, but I'll need some privacy while I research them."
Frowning and letting out a sigh, Apple Bloom's shoulders sagged. "That's a shame." Her posture straightened out and a smile returned to her face. "I hope you're able to find some answers."
"So do I. I'll let you know what I find as soon as possible, so come back in about an hour or two if all goes well." Twilight turned around and trotted up one of the nearby staircases. "Goodbye!"
"Goodbye, Princess Twilight!" the Cutie Mark Crusaders shouted together.
Once Princess Twilight was out of sight, Apple Bloom turned towards her two friends and shrugged, her head feeling as though it was empty with not a thought forming inside. "So now what?" she asked, her face slack-jawed. "Do we just run around town for a while and come back?"
"Run around town?" Scootaloo retorted with a bewildered expression and raised hooves. "Getting back in is going to be too much work!"
"We were able to get in without much trouble," said Sweetie Belle. She placed her hoof on her muzzle. "If you're okay with it, we could all just wait here for Princess Twilight to come back."
Scootaloo rolled her eyes and groaned. "But that sounds so boring." She trotted backwards and thrust herself on one of the crystal thrones. Letting out a deep sigh, she gazed back at Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with a blank expression and drooping shoulders. "But it's the best we've got."
Apple Bloom trotted towards the empty throne next to Scootaloo and sat down, the crystalline material making her chatter her teeth. She adjusted herself on the seat for a few moments, with most sitting positions not working out. For a luxurious castle like this, the thrones should at least be able to beat the old sofa back at Sweet Apple Acres, the ugly red one with the square patterns, but to her displeasure it even failed to beat that.
"I'll wait," Apple Bloom said. "But it better not be too long."
"I guess we're all on the same page then," Sweetie Belle said. "Let's wait it out for just a little bit. It shouldn't take too long, right?"
Time passed by.
Seconds became minutes.
Minutes became hours.
Time and space slowed to a crawl.
Apple Bloom was certain she'd get her cutie mark in waiting at this point, and as she sprawled over the throne she sat on, her eyes half-open and her body static. She swiveled her head to the left and caught Scootaloo with her eyes closed and snoring quietly. Sweetie Belle was sitting still and gazing at the ceiling above. Apple Bloom stretched her forelegs and let out a yawn before looking up. Above her was a shining, heavenly light that illuminated the room. It was a calming sight, one that made Apple Bloom's eyes shimmer and cause her lips to curl into a faint smile. She felt her body enter a warm comfort as she continued staring at the glowing ceiling. It wasn't much of anything, but it was something to stimulate her senses.
"I'm bored," Scootaloo moaned. Letting out a yawn, she rubbed her eyes for a moment before she shoved herself off of the throne and landed on all four hooves, wobbling around a bit before straightening herself out. "This is getting ridiculous. We've been here forever, and we could have done so much more than just nothing." She swished her tail around. "Heck, I bet we could have checked on how Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were doing. That's better than nothing, right?"
A series of repetitive clacking noises echoed in the room. Apple Bloom's eyes widened and a shock ran through her as she leaped out of the throne. "I think Princess Twilight is back!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Galloping towards the bottom of the staircase with a skip in her step, she looked upwards and sure enough, there was Princess Twilight with the pair of books the group found earlier. But as Apple Bloom bounced around with a grin adorning her face, her eyes caught something about Twilight that made her chest tighten and the bouncing to cease.
Princess Twilight trotted downstairs towards Apple Bloom with a grim expression on her face. She went past Apple Bloom and towards the center of the throne room, dropping the two books. A plop echoed in the room as Apple Bloom's own heart plummeted into the abyss as a result. She noticed Sweetie Belle shivering and Scootaloo gulping. The tension in the room kept growing to where it was crushing her. There was something disturbing about one of the books.
"Well, I did my research, and I have good news and bad news," Twilight said in a serious tone. "Which would you like to hear first?"
"Um, the good news," said Scootaloo.
Twilight cleared her throat. "Well, the good news is that the journal you gave me appears to be a fake."
"What?" Sweetie Belle asked. "We could have never figured that out, so how did you manage to do it?"
Twilight blushed. "Well, I happened to have some copies of Clover the Clever's writing with me, and the journal entries didn't match the handwriting of the legitimate documents written by her. Also, the descriptions of Discord's rule did have some inaccurate statements as well when comparing it to confirmed sources."
Sweetie Belle shrugged. "How were we supposed to know that?"
"Don't worry about it too much for now." Twilight rubbed her muzzle and shuffled her wings a bit. "However, I think I know someone who might be able to help."
Apple Bloom's heart rose back up to where it was. She trotted closer to Twilight with a radiant grin. "You do?" she asked in an excited tone.
"I do, but he isn't exactly the easiest to talk to."
Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow and cocked her head. "How so?"
Twilight rubbed the back of her neck with a worried expression on her face. "If you want answers, I think you should ask Discord."
"Him?" Apple Bloom's legs quivered as she stepped back, her face now taut. "How are we going to talk to him?"
"He shows up at Fluttershy's cottage, so that's where you'd ask him."
"Also, will he do anything dangerous?"
Twilight shook her head. "After what happened last time, he's probably going to be a little more careful."
Apple Bloom nodded, the tension inside of her dissipating a little. "I guess so, but I'm still a little nervous."
"I understand. I'll stand by you if you want."
"That's okay." Apple Bloom shook her head. "I'm a brave pony. Now then, what's the bad news?"
"The book titled The Secrets of Equestria is more serious than I thought. I've sent it to Princess Celestia to see if she knows anything about it and ask why both books were at the old castle."
Apple Bloom's face turned pale, her heart rate rose. "Serious?"
"How so?" asked Scootaloo as she chattered her teeth. "W-what makes it serious?"
"The book is outlining destiny," Twilight said. "It's predicting the future, and there are still a number of blank pages."
"How do you know this one is real?" Sweetie Belle asked as she stepped back.
"I saw it write on its own. Everything, from Discord's return and the changelings attacking to the Sonic Rainboom and how the keys would be obtained was all there as well." Twilight's face turned pale and her body shivered. "I don't like where this is going."
"Thanks for sharing your story with us, Lightning Dust," a mare with a light pink mane said. "We'll get back to you as soon as possible." With a smile and a nod, the mare known as Nurse Redheart left the room and closed the door on the way out. Lightning Dust wiggled under the sheets as she reclined on the bed before stretching her forelegs and letting out a yawn. After that, everything went silent. And to somepony who thrived on noise like Diamond Tiara, the quietness was unbearable.
Diamond let out a quiet sigh as she gazed at the clock in the vanilla colored room Lightning Dust rested in. She was still awake and had her eyes open, but all she did was stare at the window and into the outside world, the chatter of mares and stallions only a faint whisper from within the confines of the hospital room.
Tick tock. Tick tock.
Aside from the bed, the window to its right, and the tan-colored woven chairs Diamond and Silver Spoon sat in, the room had nothing that made it stand out or give it character. No fancy colors or a design on the walls to liven it up, only a small lamp overhead to provide a glimmer of light when night came, and an oak desk low to the ground with a few magazines sprawled over it like a collage. The magazines were the usual kinds that adorned waiting rooms or patient rooms, out of date and dull as far as Diamond was concerned. The woven chair pinching on her back didn't help matters, and made her want this checkup to fly past even more. All there was to play was the game of counting every tick of the clock.
Tick tock. Tick tock.
Diamond glanced over to Silver Spoon, who was reading a publication titled "Scientific Inquiry". Her eyes danced from word to word and her face remained expressionless. Diamond let out a quiet sigh. She could always talk to Silver Spoon about what she was reading, but the things she read in books, magazines, or novels may as well be written in a foreign language or in runes. She could still ask her about the blank flanks or what they just went through, but should she interrupt her friend just to talk about something that just happened?
Diamond looked back over to Lightning Dust, still staring at the outdoors with sagging shoulders and a doleful posture. Maybe she could discuss something with her, but what? It's not like they had anything in common. Diamond rubbed her muzzle and raised her eyebrows. Perhaps she could ask Lightning Dust what caused her to act so unusual before the blank flanks left for Princess Twilight's castle.
A spark formed in her mind and Diamond's eyes widened. "That's it," she muttered to herself.
Lightning Dust turned to Diamond and cocked her head. "Did you say something?" she asked.
Diamond nodded to confirm. "I wanted to ask you a question."
"What kind of question?"
Diamond tapped her hoof on the ground. "Why were you acting so weird when it came to sending you to the hospital? Are you afraid of needles or something?"
Lightning shook her head at a quick rate, but not so rapid to where it felt insincere. "Nope, but I have my reasons."
Silver Spoon put her magazine down and crossed her forelegs. "Hold on a second," she said in a commanding tone. "You said that there was nothing you were afraid of about taking you to the hospital. Why are you confessing right now after all the trouble you went through to say otherwise?"
"I was fighting a losing battle with you two, so I figured I'd get it over with." Lightning Dust rolled her eyes. "You and your three other friends can be quite stubborn."
"What?" Diamond shouted at the top of her lungs. She felt a chill run down her spine and her cheeks blushed. She leaped out of her chair and stood as tall as she could. "We're not friends with the blank flanks. We're just, um, what's the word?"
"Acquaintances?" Silver Spoon suggested in an uncertain tone.
"That's it! Acquaintances! Whatever that word means."
Lightning Dust winced a little and recoiled away from the two fillies. "Calm down there, kiddo. I didn't mean to get you all rustled up there."
Diamond growled under her clenched teeth before shaking her head. She took a deep breath and raised her hoof in the air. "Well then, since you've bugged me right there, why don't you just tell us why you were acting so weird back then."
Lightning Dust let out a groan and pounded the bed she rested on with her hooves. Her body visibly tensed up for a fraction of a second before loosening up. Her shoulders sagged. "Fine, I'll tell you."
"So what is it?"
"I'm nervous about who will show up after I explained what happened."
Diamond cocked her head with a befuddled expression. "Huh? Explain what you're talking about."
Lightning Dust took a deep breath. "Okay, so you know how sometimes the Wonderbolts handle investigations and the like?"
Diamond nodded and her eyebrows furrowed. "Duh! Who doesn't know that?"
"Whatever." Lightning Dust rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I was a trainee at the Wonderbolt Academy, and I got into some huge trouble."
"What kind of trouble?" Silver Spoon asked.
Lightning Dust winced, her cheeks flushing. "I may have kinda, sorta made a tornado in a cloud kicking exercise and nearly injured five of the Element Bearers." She let out an embarrassed chuckle. "Yeah, I went overboard there."
Silver Spoon gasped with a wide open jaw. "You what?"
Straightening herself out, Lightning Dust cleared her throat. "When Spitfire, who was judging the trainees' performance for this session, got wind of the situation, she was furious!"
"Did she kick you out?" Diamond asked.
"She didn't, but I got demoted to permanent wingpony for the remainder of the session. Still, that wasn't the only thing I did."
Diamond let out a deep sigh. "What did you do this time?"
"In the Tirek incident, I and a few other ponies got too eager to play the role of hero and charged at him instead of actually giving the strategists time to think. We accidentally ended up forcing the rest of the pegasi there to follow suit when they had nowhere to run."
Diamond and Silver let out a simultaneous groan and planted a hoof to their face. Diamond couldn't help but think that Lightning Dust made Scootaloo look like Starswirl the Bearded by comparison.
"Spitfire was mad again, and this time she did kick me out," Lightning Dust said in a dour tone. "I was asking for it at that point."
"So when you said you were trying to be the hero in the Tirek incident back at the old castle, you were actually fibbing to us?" Silver Spoon asked in an agitated tone. "That's why you were a bit hesitant to talk with us when we were outside the old castle?"
Lightning Dust bobbed her head. "Yes," she bluntly said.
"You're a bigger idiot than I could have ever imagined," Diamond Tiara sniped.
"Look, the whole point is that I'm concerned that a Wonderbolt, or Rainbow Dash if fate really wants to play with me, sees me again and gives me a verbal lashing."
"Ms. Lightning Dust," Nurse Redheart's voice said from behind the door. "You have a visitor, um, I mean visitors."
The beige colored door swung wide open. Trotting inside were a pair of pegasi with stern expressions and folded up wings. One was a yellow mare with a flaming orange mane and tail and the other was a cyan mare with a rainbow mane and tail. Lightning Dust gawked at the two and rubbed her eyes as she recoiled behind the blanket covering her. Diamond knew who they were, and she couldn't stop herself from sneaking a faint giggle as she stared at Lightning Dust grimacing at the duo.
"Just my luck," Lightning Dust muttered under her breath, but loud enough for everypony to hear. "Spitfire and Rainbow Dash."
Diamond slipped a chortle in before clearing her throat. "You should know better than to tempt fate like that," she said in a playful tone.
"Lightning Dust," Spitfire said, trotting towards her with a stern expression. "I'm not here to scold you or anything. I'm here to help."
Lightning Dust shifted her eyes towards Rainbow Dash and scrunched her face. "Then why is she here?" she asked as she pouted.
"I'm here because Spitfire is showing me the different things a Wonderbolt does," Rainbow said.
"How did—"
"I'm in the Wonderbolts Reserves now." Rainbow cracked a smug smirk that grew wider until Spitfire nudged her, erasing the cocky grin with a serious visage. "It's important to learn how to talk with ponies in an effective manner."
Sighing, Lightning Dust stretched her forelegs and leaned towards the two pegasi. "Okay, fair enough. I'm guessing you're here to ask me about what got me here in the first place."
Spitfire nodded. "Exactly." She reached into the saddlebag she had with her and pulled out a notepad and a pen before sitting down. "Now then, can you tell me a little about the cloaked figure who attacked you?"
"Um, excuse me," Silver Spoon said meekly.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Should Diamond and I leave you three alone?"
Spitfire shook her head. "You don't have to leave at all. Besides, if you have anything that might help this investigation, I'm more than willing to listen."
"I see." Silver Spoon's lips curled into a bright smile and she bobbed her head. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Spitfire's face formed a warm grin. "Do you mind telling me your name?"
"Silver Spoon, Miss Spitfire."
"Are we going to do this investigation or not?" Lightning Dust asked in an agitated tone.
Shifting her attention towards Lightning Dust in the blink of an eye, Spitfire's eyebrows furrowed. "We've got plenty of time, Lightning Dust," she said in a cold tone.
Diamond flinched, almost falling off of her chair in the process. She quickly readjusted herself, fighting off the shivers in her body, and gazed at Spitfire. Such an attitude rivaled her's whenever the Cutie Mark Crusaders were irritating her, which was often, but something about Spitfire tickled Diamond's mind. Even with her voice at maximum volume and her face devoid of smiles, there was a quality inside of Spitfire that evoked sympathy and kindness.
"But why?" Diamond whispered to herself. She rubbed the top of her head, the sensation in her mind refusing to dissipate. "No, not why, how? Whenever I talk like that, I scare others silly. But when she does it, there's still something about her that's approachable." Diamond's head pounded, her brain turned to mush as she attempted to solve this riddle. "Maybe it's something that Spitfire has that I don't, but what could that be?"
"Um, Diamond Tiara?" Rainbow Dash inquired with a raised eyebrow. "Do you have something to say?"
Diamond trembled ever so slightly, nearly pushing her off of the woven chair once again. Straightening herself out for the second time, she shook her head. "I don't. Just thinking out loud is all."
"Okay then," Spitfire said. She looked back to Lightning Dust and crossed her legs. "Now then, let's start from the beginning. Where were you attacked by the cloaked figure?"
"He attacked me in the Everfree Forest at the straight clearing," Lightning Dust answered. "It was around the place where there was a small pile of pebbles off to the right. One of them has a big crack along the top now."
Spitfire raised her hoof. "Hold on a moment, but you identified the assailant as a male." She raised an eyebrow. "Do you perhaps know who this cloaked figure is?"
Lightning Dust shook her head. "I don't. He just sounded masculine. You know what I mean, right?"
"I see." Spitfire wrote on the notepad in a precise manner. "Did you get any glimpses of the assailant behind the cloak?"
"He could fly, that much I'm certain of."
"Did you see his coat color or his cutie mark?"
Lightning Dust rubbed her muzzle and the room fell silent. Minutes passed by as not a peep was uttered. Diamond looked towards Lightning Dust with a raised eyebrow. Something about her posture suggested that she might know something, but what? She did seem lost as to who attacked her when they met, but did she just forget back there?
Without warning, Lightning Dust's eyes shot wide open and she almost jumped up in the air. "I know his cutie mark!"
"What is it?" Spitfire looked back down to the notepad, ready to write.
"The cutie mark was like a purple fireball thing. It had some elaborate, face-like design on it as well. I mean, that's what I think it looked like."
Spitfire wrote down every last detail of what the cutie mark looked like before staring into Lightning Dust's eyes. "This is a huge lead. We might be able to track down the pony who attacked you now!"
"Wait a second," Diamond interrupted as she jumped off of her seat, her face scrunched up like an accordion. "You never told us that before!"
"I saw no reason to," Lightning Dust said in a hurried tone. "You probably don't know anypony like that, and I was dazed from getting knocked around not too long ago!"
"Oh," with drooped shoulders, Diamond sat back down on the chair. "Carry on, then."
"Well, at least we got some evidence now," Spitfire said. "Now then, why did this figure attack you?"
Lightning Dust rubbed her muzzle for a moment before placing her hoof back on the bed. "Well, it had to do with something called a Royal Goblet."
"The Royal Goblet?" Spitfire's eyes widened. "Lightning Dust, where did you hear about this goblet?"
Lightning Dust leaned away from Spitfire, and her face became taut. "Wait, you know what it's about?"
"I've only read about it in a book. Equestrian Phenomena is its name. Anyway, if I recall correctly, the Royal Goblet is said to be the key to unlocking great power."
Diamond's ears twitched. "Great power," she muttered to herself. "So was that why whenever any of us looked at the thing, we felt something weird inside?"
"Diamond Tiara," Rainbow Dash interrupted, pointing at her with her hoof. "Can you say that one more time loud enough for us to hear it, please?"
"Yeah. Whenever anypony looks at the Royal Goblet, they feel something funny inside of them." A spark formed in her mind. Perhaps she should show them the gemstone she found. Diamond shrugged before leaning over to her saddlebag. She stretched her forelegs out and tilted towards her objective. Though perhaps she leaned a little too much as she wiggled her forelegs, lost her balance, and fell off of her chair. A thud echoed in the room when Diamond landed, her lips kissing the cold, tiled floor.
"Are you okay?" Spitfire asked.
Diamond felt her muzzle ache and all she saw was her saddlebag and the vanilla wall it rested on. She rose back up on her hooves and shook her tail. "I'm fine," she said. "I've had worse." She reached into her saddlebag, her hoof poking at all sorts of items and accessories until she felt it glance a cold, smooth object. "Found it!" Pulling the gemstone from the Royal Goblet out of her saddlebag, she lifted it over her head and waved it around gently for all to see. The gemstone was as lustrous as ever, sparkling with a pristine beauty.
"What's that?" Rainbow asked.
"It's a broken piece off of the Royal Goblet. Will it work as evidence?"
Spitfire rose from her seat and trotted towards Diamond. She gazed at the gemstone and squinted at times. A silent minute passed by before Spitfire blinked and returned to her seat with a confident smile. Did she find something that could help catch the culprit? Or was it something else? Diamond brought her foreleg down, still clenching onto the gemstone, and returned to her seat as well.
"Did you find something?" Rainbow inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"I think I did," Spitfire said. "When I looked at the gemstone Diamond Tiara had, it looked flawless. It shone like a star and I could see my own reflection in it, but there was something off about it once I looked closer."
"What would that be?" Diamond asked.
"If you look at it with your full attention, you may spot the slightest of scratches on it. The mark looked clean and new as well, so I'm willing to bet that it came from the scuffle Lightning Dust had with the assailant."
Diamond lifted the gemstone as close to her eyes as possible. Squinting, she stared at the gemstone's features with all of her attention. Her eyes darted around at a rapid pace. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary. It was just a perfect, uninterrupted sea of a brilliant red. Was Spitfire playing a trick on her? Diamond took a deep breath. "I'll never find it," she whispered to herself, her lips forming a frown.
Only a second after losing hope, Diamond caught the slightest of gray marks up on the top left. It was no bigger than the tip of a pen, but as she gazed at the scratch, it was impossible not to see. One gray, straight line across the gemstone made itself known. Was it from a blade of sorts?
Diamond's eyes sparkled as bright as the gemstone before her and her lips curled into a radiant smile. "I see it! I see it!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Her forelegs shook as a wave of excitement coursed down her veins. There she was, helping an investigation and becoming one step closer to solving one of the mysteries that today threw at her.
"That's awesome!" Silver Spoon yelled. She almost jumped out of her chair and with the widest grin she had all day, she turned to Spitfire. "Do you think it's enough to analyze and help determine the identity of the culprit?"
Spitfire nodded, garnering wide smiles from everypony in the room.
"Excellent!" Rainbow cheered, flying off of her chair and hovering in the air. She turned to Diamond. "Diamond Tiara, do you mind giving Spitfire and I the gemstone?"
"We'll send it off to Canterlot's Detective Agency for further evaluation, so it will help us a lot," Spitfire added. "So can we have the gemstone, please?"
Diamond clenched the gemstone in her hoof, her face scrunching up. Helping solve a mystery like this made her heart flutter, and she knew this well. However, the thought of having something this exquisite to show off filled her with an indescribable sensation that ran through her body. All that she knew was that it felt exciting, enough so that she couldn't help herself from placing the gemstone closer to her chest. But before she could budge an inch, something pecked her shoulder. Turning to the source, she spotted Silver Spoon's hoof poking her there.
"Diamond," Silver Spoon said in a serious tone, her eyebrows ruffled. "Just give them the gemstone, please." She let out a sigh and gazed into Diamond's eyes. "I know how much things like this mean to you, but we have to give it to Spitfire and Rainbow Dash. I know that you can do it, and I can tell from the shimmer in your eyes that giving it to them is the best decision. Please, Diamond Tiara."
Diamond's vision blurred. She wiped her eyes, bringing the world back to a state of clarity, and extended her foreleg with the gemstone in hoof. "It's yours," she murmured. "You need it much more than I do."
Rainbow swooped down and snatched the gemstone from Diamond. "Thanks, Diamond," she said.
"You're welcome."
Rainbow gave the gemstone to Spitfire, who placed it in a small pocket inside of her saddlebag. "Well, I think we have enough information to proceed with the investigation," she announced. "Thanks for helping out, everypony."
"You're welcome," said Silver Spoon. She turned to Lightning Dust with a smirk. "Looks like there was nothing for you to worry about, right?"
Lightning Dust rubbed the back of her neck, her lips forming a sheepish smile. "Yeah," she said.
"Goodbye, everypony," Spitfire and Rainbow said in unison, waving their hooves as they departed.
"Goodbye!" the other three shouted together. And with that, Spitfire and Rainbow Dash left the room, the door echoing as it closed.
Diamond rose from her chair and looked out the window; the sky lit a brilliant orange. Was it that long since she arrived with Lightning Dust? What if the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been waiting for them for an hour? Or maybe two hours? What if they had something important to tell her? Diamond gulped. With such dire circumstances, she couldn't just leave them to wait forever.
"Silver Spoon, we need to see the blank flanks!" Diamond shouted without warning.
"Good idea," Silver Spoon replied. She waved her hoof at Lightning Dust. "Goodbye, Lightning Dust. I hope you feel better soon!"
Before Lightning Dust could say a single syllable, Diamond grabbed Silver Spoon's hoof and dragged her out of the room. Entering the hallway, which was as plain as the room they were once in, Diamond galloped ahead and Silver Spoon followed.
"There's no need to go this fast," Silver Spoon said, huffing and puffing.
"I'm not letting them forget anything important!" Diamond yelled.
With the constant rhythm of hooves clacking against the tiled floor beneath them, Diamond charged at the exit and slammed the door open. She glanced back to find Silver Spoon falling behind, her panting quite audible. Upon touching the cold, dew soaked grass, Diamond slowed down. She shouldn't push her best friend this hard, and looking back to see Silver Spoon trudging along with a frown made Diamond's heart twinge.
"D-Diamond Tiara," Silver Spoon said, nearly out of breath. "I-I'm sorry for holding you up. I'm s-sorry for not being as fast as you. Go on ahead without me."
"No need to apologize," Diamond replied. Perhaps she was being too cruel to her friend, and while she did want to get to their destination as soon as possible, a buzzing sensation in Diamond's mind kept reminding her to consider Silver Spoon's endurance, or lack thereof.
Diamond trotted up to Silver Spoon with drooping shoulders and a puckered lip. She knew that she went too far this time as something was tugging at her heart. The harsh sensation was like a sucker punch to the gut, but it felt so alien at the same time.
Diamond Tiara felt guilty.
But Diamond had never once felt guilty in her entire life. She knew what it meant, but never had she thought that she'd experience such an emotion. What do ponies do in such situations? How should she make it up to Silver Spoon? Would a sign of compassion work?
Diamond rubbed Silver Spoon's back, the soft coat tickling her hoof. "The blank flanks should be up ahead, so let's trot there together. I'm the one who should be sorry for pushing you like that."
"I forgive you, Diamond," Silver Spoon said as she straightened herself out. She peeked behind Diamond and her eyes widened. "Hold on a second."
Diamond cocked her head. "Huh? What is it?"
"It's the Cutie Mark Crusaders." Silver Spoon blinked, her body started shaking. "They're dashing towards us, and they all have terrified expressions."
Diamond turned around, and sure enough, there were the three fillies galloping towards her and Silver Spoon with wide eyes and pale faces. Scootaloo arrived first and skid across the grass. Specks of dirt flew up into the air and almost struck Diamond's face. Apple Bloom was close behind and merely slowed down upon arriving. Sweetie Belle brought up the rear, huffing and puffing with a sulking body. Maybe she had more in common with Silver Spoon than Diamond thought.
"Hey!" Scootaloo shouted while flailing her forelegs. "We've got bad news!"
"Get on with it, then," Diamond ordered. She formed an apologetic grin and blushed for a brief moment. That wasn't the best way to phrase it in hindsight. "Um, I mean, what's the bad news?"
"That book! The one about Equestria's secrets!"
"Slow down, Scootaloo," Apple Bloom said. She turned to Diamond with a serious gaze. "Now then, there's also some interesting news."
"So what's the interesting news?" Silver Spoon asked.
"First off, Clover the Clever's journal is actually a fake."
Diamond gasped, her mouth gaping. "What? Why the heck would the castle have a fake journal?"
"That's what confuses me." Apple Bloom trotted closer to Diamond. "Apparently, Discord might know why that's the case."
"Great, now how are we going to talk to him?"
"We know just the place and how to get him to show up," Sweetie Belle said. "Just follow us and everything will go just fine."
Diamond clenched her teeth. The thought of talking to the being that had stirred chaos in Equestria multiple times and helped Tirek nearly destroy everything brought a chill down her spine. Even if he was reformed, or so he said, could he be trusted? Would he hurt the five of them?
But she had to talk to him. There was no other choice. "Okay, I'm in," Diamond said. "Are you in, Silver Spoon?"
Silver Spoon nodded, though she had a grim visage. "I'm in."
"Anyway, now for the bad news," said Apple Bloom in a deeper tone than usual. "That book about Equestria's secrets is true. Something horrible is planned to happen." Diamond shivered, feeling as though something took her breath. "Something worse than Tirek."
"Something worse than Tirek?" Diamond repeated. "How is such a thing possible?"
"That's why we should see Discord," Scootaloo said. "He might know something about the book, so let's not waste any time."
The Cutie Mark Crusaders turned towards a small clutter of trees and trotted forwards with stern bodies. Diamond followed from behind, her limbs tightening more and more, with Silver Spoon next to her. Discord may be reformed, if such claims are true, but he's still Discord.
Diamond Tiara gulped. This was going to be far from easy or relaxing.
A small cluster of trees with bright green leaves pierced the sky. A gentle breeze caused the bright green leaves to rustle about. Some of these leaves detached themselves from the tree and fluttered down to the earth below, landing next to colorful flowers that had poignant aromas. A small creek ran through this small garden, the water's melody somewhat soothing to the soul. Birds danced in the sky, performing a cheerful cadence with the flock.
Sweetie Belle couldn't help herself from smiling as a warm, peaceful sensation entered her heart. She had been to Fluttershy's cottage before, but no matter how many times she went there, each visit was as magical as the last.
"This is where Discord lives?" Diamond Tiara asked. Sweetie Belle turned to Diamond and Silver Spoon. The former had a slack-jawed expression and the latter was merely observing the environment with wide open eyes.
"Yep," Sweetie Belle answered. "Fluttershy was the one who redeemed Discord, so he willingly spends time in her garden nowadays."
Diamond cocked her head. "Hold on a second, but I was expecting he'd live somewhere more, well, chaotic. Also, reformed?" Diamond let out a nervous chuckle. "Ever since Discord was 'reformed', he just let those plunder vines do whatever and nearly wiped out literally everything with Tirek. Discord cannot possibly be reformed." Diamond trotted closer to Sweetie Belle until the two were inches apart. "If Discord was reformed, then I'm going to want proof."
"I've got all the proof you'd ever want, Diamond Tiara," a deep voice said from nowhere.
The air turned thin and Sweetie Belle sensed her heart racing. She swiveled her head around, as did the other four fillies, but there was nopony in sight except for them. Sweetie Belle felt her limbs tensing up as though they were being constricted by a serpent. And why did she have this uneasiness that somepony, no, someone was watching their every move.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" Diamond ordered at the top of her lungs. She gritted her teeth and growled.
"Calm yourself, Diamond Tiara," the voice said. "I am the one you've been looking for."
"So you're, um, Discord?" Silver Spoon asked, her body quivering.
"Bingo."
A blinding flash of light appeared in the middle of the field. Sweetie Belle shielded her eyes, peeking towards the light one every few seconds just to make sure it was gone. Squinting, she noticed a large, slender figure with an array of body parts from different creatures standing with a goofy smirk across his cheeks. His draconic eyes had a piercing gaze that touched her soul. Time and space somehow felt distorted around Sweetie Belle just by looking at him. The temperature went from a mild warmth to a chill that made Sweetie Belle's teeth chatter in the blink of an eye.
There was Discord, and his mere presence exuded magical power beyond anything Sweetie Belle or any of her friends had witnessed.
"Sorry if I blinded you, but I do love to make a grand entrance," Discord chortled with a wide, ugly smile that revealed his sharp teeth. "However, I think I heard somepony saying that I'm not reformed." Discord rubbed his muzzle with his talon. A puzzled look formed on his face for a brief moment before his eyes widened and his face brightened up. "I got it!" He pointed up to the sky before pointing at Diamond. His body slithered towards her with glinting eyes and a malicious smirk.
Diamond stepped back, her body shivering wildly. "Um, I just had my doubts," she said. "You certainly aren't acting reformed right now, that's for sure."
Discord snapped his claws and a megaphone appeared before him. He levitated the megaphone towards Diamond and took a deep breath. "I certainly can't act fully reformed if you're giving me the benefit of the doubt!" The sound waves formed a gust of wind that blew against Diamond and the rest of the fillies. Sweetie Belle closed her eyes tight and pressed her hooves against the dirt, trying not to topple over.
The gust of wind ceased. Sweetie Belle opened her eyes and blinked a few times before looking around. Everypony was still standing up, but all of them had stupefied visages. Diamond was also quite pale, as were Silver Spoon and Scootaloo to a lesser extent. Sweetie Belle's ears twitched about and she felt an aching feeling in them and in her head.
"Now then, what brings you here?" Discord asked in a polite tone.
Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, the sudden tone shift catching her off guard. "Well, we're here to ask you some questions about some artifacts and books from Equestria's past."
Discord nodded. "I'm all ears," he said, the ears on his head growing to an absurd size at the same time.
"For starters, do you know anything about a Royal Goblet?"
Discord froze in place, his form returning to normal, and his eyes widened before they focused on Sweetie Belle. "Hold on a moment, but how did you know about that?"
"So you do know about the Royal Goblet," Apple Bloom said with a gaping mouth.
"Really?" Discord quipped sarcastically. "Next you're going to tell me that the sky is blue or that Fluttershy has a pink mane."
"Very funny," Apple Bloom retorted with a scrunched face. "So then, what do you know about the Royal Goblet?"
Discord cleared his throat. "There's a bit to cover, so gather round, children. Mr. Discord will now tell you a story that should answer any questions you have."
"How long is the story?" Scootaloo asked.
"As long as it takes."
Scootaloo rolled her eyes and let out a groan as she pouted. "Great, we're going to be here forever."
"Not at all." Discord shook his head. "Now stop giving me that look and listen up, because I don't want to waste any more time." With another snap of his claws, a book as thick as a large block of wood materialized in front of Discord. There was no title, just a lavender cover. Flipping through the hundreds upon hundreds of pages that produced swooshing noises, Discord stopped around halfway through the book. His face brightened up as he gazed at the group. "Here we are, the Royal Goblet."
Two miniature dolls popped out of nowhere and danced on the air. None of the dolls had any distinguishing features. They were just a pair of gray, pony-shaped dolls with no mane or tail and two black buttons for eyes. Nevertheless, their lifelike movements and gestures captivated Sweetie Belle as she stared at them with shimmering, wide-open eyes.
"Now then, our story takes place a thousand years ago," Discord lectured.
"Hold on a moment," Apple Bloom interrupted.
"A question already?"
"Yeah, but don't you think it's kind of odd that everything important from long ago was one thousand years ago?"
Discord paused for a moment, as did the dolls. He rubbed his muzzle, his face forming a quizzical expression. "You do bring up a good point." He cleared his throat and the dolls resumed dancing. "As I was saying, the origins of the Royal Goblet date back to a thousand years ago in an ancient kingdom that once existed near where Celestia's old castle is now."
"Okay, but I don't see how the dolls play into this," said Scootaloo.
"Just watch." With another snap of his claws, the dolls went from dancing gracefully to flailing about as they appeared to gallop in circles. Their speed kept increasing in small increments until they were as fast as flies. "Now then, this kingdom turned out to be quite unpredictable, with monsters coming up and causing all sorts of trouble. Manticores, hydras, dragons, you name it. If you've ever wondered why the Everfree Forest was a place to avoid, this was close to where it all started."
The dolls vanished, leaving behind not a single trace. However, another doll, this one identical to the pair before it, took their places. It hovered about with a static pose and posture, lacking any of the personality of the other dolls. Sweetie Belle felt her veins freezing as she stared at the doll. She bit her lip as she continued staring at it, but what made this doll different from the others? Was it because of who it represented?
"Anyway, living in this chaotic kingdom was a gloomy fellow named Marionette." A dark shade appeared above the doll. "Marionette was, well, not a typical pony. She was a unicorn and was a gifted magician. Her arcane ability exceeded even the most powerful unicorns and was only a smidgen behind Starswirl's magical talent in the end, but she hardly ever went outside. She was always huddled up in her little cabin working meticulously on something." The doll's forelegs moved about in a gentle fashion as a question mark floated before it. "However, nopony knew what it was that she devoted so much time to."
"So is the Royal Goblet connected to Marionette in some way?" Silver Spoon asked.
"Correct," Discord said. "We'll get to that soon, but there's a little more I should say first."
"Hold on a second, how could she be a master of magic and that talented if she didn't know about the magic of friendship?" Apple Bloom inquired. "Friendship is the strongest magic of all, right?"
"She did have a friend, and that is where things got interesting." Another doll, also identical to the ones before it, appeared in front of the five fillies. It approached the doll representing Marionette, left, and came back to it. This kept repeating on loop. "She had one friend, a pegasus stallion who went by the name of Esper. He performed all outside activities for Marionette while she remained inside and conducted her work. He brought food and other essential goods, but he also brought rare, valuable gems.
A sudden spark formed in Sweetie Belle's mind, her face brightening up. "Then that means the Royal Goblet was Marionette's creation?" she asked with a high-pitched tone. "That has to be it!"
"Very good, Sweetie Belle." Discord clapped for a few seconds as the dolls continued moving. "Now then, you might be wondering why she was making the Royal Goblet in the first place."
"Of course I am!" Diamond shouted, leaning closer to Discord with a gaze. "Why was she making it?"
"Pay close attention." The doll representing Esper continued running towards and away from the other doll a few additional times. However, after the fifth loop, the dolls froze in place. They still hovered about, but the dynamic qualities that the dolls once had vanished as though it was never there to begin with.
"So, um, now what?" Diamond asked.
"Just shush for a moment," Discord ordered with ruffled eyebrows. "Focus on the doll representing Marionette."
Seconds went by as nothing continued to happen. Sweetie Belle focused in on the doll. She squinted at it, trying to find some hidden detail that might tell her something or set it apart from the other doll. This had to be some sort of riddle, as Discord was known to be fond of such games.
The doll was as gray as ever. Not a single cut pierced its yarn body. The black buttons were just like the other dolls' buttons, somewhat lustrous to where she could see her own reflection, but nothing too outstanding. Sweetie Belle stopped squinting and raised an eyebrow. Maybe this wasn't a riddle after all, but a trick instead. She knew that Discord loved those as well, though with Apple Bloom yawning and Diamond tilting her head with a befuddled expression, perhaps others didn't quite appreciate his trickster side.
"So is this a trick or riddle?" Sweetie Belle asked, forcing her tone to be as polite as possible. "I don't—"
A turquoise aura enveloped the doll representing Marionette in the blink of an eye, causing Sweetie Belle to jump up and shiver upon landing. Her heart raced as she looked at the doll, occasionally shielding her eyes from time to time. A strange, but familiar sensation coursed through her veins as she continued gazing at the glowing doll. Sweetie Belle shuffled her hooves closer to the doll, her mind forcing her to keep her distance while her legs yearned for her to come closer. This mental tug-of-war raged inside of her, but as she froze in place, she knew that her mind was winning.
However, something about this strange feeling was familiar to Sweetie Belle, but where did she feel it before?
"Wait a second," Sweetie Belle whispered to herself. Something sparked in her mind and her face brightened. She knew what this sensation was. It was just like the one from the Royal Goblet. "I get it! There's something that connects Marionette to the Royal Goblet! That has to be it!"
The doll's aura disappeared in a flash as Discord clapped for Sweetie Belle. "Very good," Discord cheered. "Now then, let me fill you in on just what that was all about." He cleared his throat and cracked his knuckles. "Now then, as Sweetie Belle correctly predicted, there is a strong connection between Marionette and the Royal Goblet. However, nopony knows what the meaning behind this is, as there are many theories floating about." Discord cracked a grin. "However, there is one theory that has more proof than any of the others."
"What theory would that be?" Scootaloo asked as she nudged closer to Discord with sparkling, wide-open eyes.
"I was just about to say that." Discord waved his paw towards Scootaloo. "Now then, calm down for a second and listen up, because I know you won't believe me at first. But you will. Oh, you definitely will." Discord slithered closer to the five. "The most supported theory is that Marionette found the secret to immortality."
Sweetie Belle's ears pointed towards Discord as what felt like a jolt of electricity coursed through her. She leaped into the air with a gaping mouth and shook her head. Looking at the four other fillies, they all had widened eyes, hung jaws, or both.
"What?" the five screamed in unison.
"How c-could a cup give somepony immortality?" Apple Bloom asked. She rubbed the top of her head for a moment before shrugging. "That can't be it."
"What proof is there?" Silver Spoon inquired with a stupefied look. "What's the logic behind it? That sounds like nonsense to me."
"Easy now," Discord replied as he hovered slightly away from the five. "Let me explain why some think this." Discord straightened out his serpentine body and snapped his talons once more. Before him, a ragged scroll covered with a thick layer of dust materialized before him. With a second snap, a duster appeared and swished away the dirt, leaving just the pale brown sheet. "Ahem. Here it is."
Silver Spoon raised an eyebrow. "Hold on, but where did you get that?" she asked.
"I have my methods," Discord answered. "Besides, do you really think that I'd start making sense?" He rolled his eyes and feigned a yawn. "That's just so boring."
Diamond turned to Silver Spoon and shrugged. "Maybe we shouldn't question these kinds of things," she said. "He is the embodiment of chaos, after all."
"Anyway, let's begin," Discord continued.
Iron Blacksmith,
I have made a discovery that is truly astonishing. Do you remember that weird pony in the black cloak that usually stayed indoors and rarely went out? The cloaked pony we saw when we were kids long ago, remember? Well, believe it or not, this pony is still alive after all these years. She was supposedly quite old when we were kids, so to see her still around is unreal. I tried to get a better glimpse of her, but all I saw were what looked like drooping, bright yellow eyes with a cold, piercing gaze that touched my soul and a highly wrinkled face. I don't know how she managed it. All she usually does is write in some journal, so it can't be that. Even weirder is that her assistant is still around, though I haven't seen his face yet. I just saw him for a split second and before I could make him out fully, but under that black cloak was definitely him. Even weirder than that is that whenever I stared at her, I felt something tingle inside of me. It wasn't anything serious, but it just felt funny. It's like when you feel nervous, but only a little different. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow.
Your friend,
Yellow Star
Discord furled the paper up and with a single clap, the letter vanished from sight and left behind no trace of its existence. "Now then, what do you think?"
"It's interesting," Silver Spoon said, placing her hoof on her muzzle and raising an eyebrow. "I mean, a pony that discovered immortality is quite the tale, but I still have my doubts."
"Silver Spoon, you've always been too logical." Discord glided behind her and patted her back with his paw. "Come now, some old unicorn being immortal isn't the strangest thing you've seen or will see."
Discord hovered towards Sweetie Belle until his eyes were almost touching her's. Stepping back and tightening her throat, Sweetie Belle's eyes shifted around a bit before gazing back at Discord, his shining eyes aflame. "You believe me, right?"
Sweetie Belle gulped, her legs frozen in place. She observed Discord's titanic head once more, feeling larger than ever before. Was he going to eat her up if she didn't comply? She noticed her heart thumping like a drum, ready to burst out of her chest and run away from the chaotic being before her. What should she say?
Sweetie Belle's lips stayed shut and she merely nodded, her vision somewhat blurred.
"I'm sorry. I didn't take you for the easily frightened type," Discord said in a gentlemanly tone. He skipped backwards in a graceful pose, hands behind his back, and landed back where he started. "I think I may have gotten carried away there." Rubbing the back of his neck, Discord formed a sheepish grin. He extended his paw towards Sweetie Belle, and a wrapped box with a golden bow appeared before her. "Maybe this might help."
"Um, thanks," Sweetie Belle muttered with a raised eyebrow. She reached over to the box and clutched it around her foreleg, the exterior feeling somewhat warm, though not too hot to where it would burn her hoof. She tilted her head, her mind picturing what might be inside. Was it a toy or a plush doll? Was it a book on how to get cutie marks? Or was it something else? She placed the box next to her on the ground before bringing her attention back to Discord.
"You're welcome," Discord replied. "Now then, I know that you probably don't believe me here, but that letter is real."
Sweetie Belle rubbed the top of her head, her fluffy mane feeling nice against her hoof, and raised an eyebrow. "Well, if we are to assume that it is real, how do you propose we find Marionette?" She placed her hoof back on the ground before shrugging. "I mean, somepony who's immortal can't be too hard to find, right?"
"I disagree," Apple Bloom confessed. "I mean, if she's as mysterious and hard to find as Discord's story showed us, then tracking her down is going to be a real chore."
"The hardest part will be finding out where she lives now," Silver Spoon added. She looked down for a brief moment and sighed. "I mean, where could she possibly be? Maybe if we had an idea about Esper's location, but he'll be hard to find as well."
Sweetie Belle shifted her attention towards Silver Spoon as a spark formed in her mind. Something about Esper made the back of her head itch as though she had an idea of where she might be. Sweetie Belle closed her eyes, shutting out the outside world as she dug deeper into her mind. Esper had something about him that sounded vaguely familiar, but what could it be?
There was the fact that he wore a black cloak, just as Marionette did. But many ponies have worn black cloaks before, and even if they found somepony wearing one, it might not be him.
Sweetie Belle groaned and shook her head. That was one possibility thrown out.
Esper was also responsible for gathering the materials that made the Royal Goblet. Gemstones, many of them rare, made up the artifact that was so important to him and Marionette. But what good would that information be in the first place? Just repeating what Discord already told her wouldn't solve anything.
Or would it?
Sweetie Belle rubbed her head and scrunched her face, steam erupting from her ears as her mind tried fitting puzzle piece after puzzle piece. There was something that was there. Her aching head kept telling her there was, so why wasn't it showing up?
"Maybe it's hopeless finding either of them," Scootaloo moaned as she looked down with a bleak expression. "Nothing will ever add up."
"Add up," Sweetie Belle repeated to herself.
There was the black cloak he wore and the Royal Goblet itself.
"That's it!" Sweetie Belle shouted with a beaming smile. She hopped and bounced around in circles, her body bright and full of energy. "I get it now!"
Apple Bloom cocked her head. "What is it, Sweetie Belle?" she asked.
"I know how we can get Esper!"
"You do?" Diamond asked; her eyes wide open. "Please stop bouncing around and let it out."
Sweetie Belle froze in place midair and landed back on all four hooves. "You know that pony who attacked Lightning Dust, right?"
The four fillies nodded together.
"That's him," Sweetie Belle continued. "And if we can lure him out with the broken part of the Royal Goblet, we can get information out of him. We just need to set up a trap somewhere around where we found Lightning Dust, and then we can catch him."
"That's amazing!" Silver Spoon said with a gaping mouth. She galloped towards Sweetie Belle and wrapped her forelegs around her. The warm embrace caused Sweetie Belle's heart to melt and her smile to widen. "Sweetie Belle, you're a genius!"
Sweetie Belle's cheeks flushed. "Aww, thanks!"
"It sounds like the five of you have this under control then," Discord said with a pleasant smirk as he twiddled his claws together. "Anything else I can help with?"
"Actually, there is," Silver Spoon replied as she let go of Sweetie Belle. She turned her attention to Discord and looked up to his face. "Do you know anything about a book called The Secrets of Equestria and a journal written by Clover the Clever that's fake?"
Discord raised an eyebrow and rubbed his muzzle, a perplexed look formed on his face. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, we found those in addition to the Royal Goblet, and the former book has correctly predicted so many major events to where it's rather disconcerting." Silver Spoon's eyes twinkled, though as Sweetie Belle stared at them, she couldn't help from copying Silver Spoon's expression. Something made her quiver slightly, but what it was eluded her. She took a deep breath and resumed focusing on Silver Spoon. "So then, how did these come to be in the first place?"
Discord shrugged and shook his head for a moment. "That's the first I've ever heard of them."
"What?" Scootaloo asked at the top of her lungs with a gaping mouth. She shut her mouth with her hoof and jiggled her head. "You're supposed to be all-seeing, right? How in Equestria could you not have heard of them before?"
Discord paused for a moment. He blinked at Scootaloo with a straight face. He gazed at her with widened eyes whenever he wasn't blinking. Silence filled the area, with not even a breeze coming through to rustle some leaves around and create some proof of sound's presence.
Unable to keep a straight face any longer, Discord let out a cacophonous cackle, one that made Sweetie Belle's ears ache. She cringed alongside her friends as Discord's laugh continued to pollute the area. A few of the longest minutes of Sweetie Belle's life passed by, and Discord ceased laughing, much to her delight.
"Scootaloo, you're the funniest pony I've ever had the pleasure of meeting!" Discord cried with a jubilant face. "Omnipotent? Are you crazy?"
"Um, you are the embodiment of chaos," Scootaloo said as she cocked her head. "It's not that much of a stretch."
"If I was omnipotent, I wouldn't have lost to the Elements of Harmony. Twice. I wouldn't have been coerced by Tirek when he was going to stab me in the back as soon as he had enough power. Not to mention, it's not like I know what everypony is doing at this very moment. I can only focus on a few things at a time, even if chaos is my pride and joy."
Scootaloo blushed as her hooves shuffled away from Discord. She smirked sheepishly and let out a brief chuckle. "Good point."
Discord tittered once more as he glanced at Scootaloo before straightening himself out. "Where was I? That's right! I don't know anything about either book, so it looks like you're on your own here."
The five fillies sighed together with sagged shoulders.
"Well, thanks for helping us as much as you could, Discord," Apple Bloom said. "At least we've learned something."
"You're welcome, my little ponies!" Discord cheered with spread arms and a beaming grin. He twirled about in the air for a moment before freezing in place. "But before I go, I'd like to tell you one more thing."
"What is it?" Apple Bloom asked, her eyes focused on Discord.
"I think if you look back to the beginning of your tale, you might find something interesting deep down." Discord grinned, his sharp, dagger-like fangs visible. "Goodbye, everypony!"
With a snap of his claws, Discord became enveloped in a bright, white light. A flash covered the area, causing Sweetie Belle to close her eyes and wince for a moment. Upon squinting ahead, her vision somewhat blurry, she noticed that Discord had vanished. The only parting gift the embodiment of chaos left behind was a pile of colorful confetti.
Sweetie Belle swiveled her head around, but Discord was nowhere to be seen. The heaviness of the air around her lightened up as well, feeling normal for the first time since they marched towards Fluttershy's cottage. Her nostrils picked up the flowery aroma, one that characterized Fluttershy's cottage, instead of being dominated by the poignant scent of uncertainty. The garden she stood upon looked brighter than before and fuller of life, as the frogs croaked, the birds danced and chirped, and the bunnies hopped around.
It was a nice change of pace.
"So now what do we do?" Diamond inquired as she rubbed her muzzle. "Canterlot is still likely investigating the gemstone from the Royal Goblet, and who knows how long that will take."
"We could always ask Twilight Sparkle if she has The Secrets of Equestria back from Princess Celestia," Scootaloo suggested.
"What if the guards don't let us back in?" Apple Bloom asked with a taut expression. "That's a possibility."
"Well, we could always wait for a day or two before visiting Princess Twilight again," Silver Spoon said with a shrug.
"Waiting would take too long," Apple Bloom responded.
Silver Spoon glared at Apple Bloom, her urge to avoid rolling her eyes palpable. "That's kind of what waiting is."
"I still think that there is a better option out there."
Sighing, Silver Spoon gently kicked the air. "Fair enough, I'm open to new ideas if they're good."
Apple Bloom rubbed her head for a moment and hummed. Sweetie Belle's ears couldn't help but twitch at the melody Apple Bloom was making, and it made her feel all bubbly inside and caused her to smile. She was humming the song they sang at that talent show they did some time ago. Thinking about that day made her stomach tie itself into a knot, but warmed her heart at the same time. It was kind of like a love-hate relationship with that day.
Sweetie Belle looked over to where Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were. She never asked them what their act at the talent show was. It was probably a lot similar to what they did for the Equestria Games flag carrying tryouts, showy and glamorous to the point that even her older sister would shake her head and grimace. Still, it would be one way to get to know them better. They were a tad sharp, Diamond Tiara in particular, but there was something deep down inside of them that was nice. It was just bright enough for Sweetie Belle's soul to notice.
"Maybe we'll all be friends one day," Sweetie Belle whispered to herself. "One day."
"What was that?" Scootaloo asked as she turned towards Sweetie Belle. "I couldn't quite understand you."
"Sorry about that," Sweetie Belle replied. "I was just thinking out loud. I still haven't figured out what to do next."
"Fair enough, but let us know if anything comes up." Scootaloo's lips curled into a warm smile. "Don't be afraid to speak up, Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom and I are your friends."
Sweetie Belle nodded, forming a grin of her own "I know," she said in a chipper tone.
"So what were you thinking about?"
Sweetie Belle rubbed her muzzle. "Hmm." A few seconds passed by, but no other words left her mouth.
Scootaloo sighed. She looked down for a brief moment before staring back into Sweetie Belle's eyes. "Did you forget already?"
Lifting her hoof up, Sweetie Belle's face brightened itself into a wide grin, complete with twinkling eyes. "I know!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. "How about we go look for Rainbow Dash!"
"And how do you suppose we do that?" Diamond asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm going to side with Diamond here," Silver Spoon added. "I mean, it would be great if we knew where she was and knew the gemstone's location, but what if she doesn't have anything to tell us?"
"Scootaloo knows where to find her," Sweetie Belle responded.
Scootaloo rubbed the back of her neck, her lips forming a sheepish smile. "Well, I do have an idea," she said with a slightly lower tone of voice than usual.
"Please tell us," Diamond said as she trotted towards Scootaloo.
"That's unusually nice of you." Scootaloo stepped back with a bemused expression. "Well, Rainbow Dash has a pattern of where she goes and what she's doing. She likes to keep to a schedule, and if you've memorized it like I have, you'll know where she might be at the moment."
"Why would anypony have to memorize another pony's schedule?" Diamond shrugged. "Sounds kind of weird if I must be honest."
Scootaloo's body tensed up. "She took me under her wing, so I'm allowed to go to her if I need her. That's why I've memorized her schedule."
Diamond's face straightened out. "Oh," she said, expressing some form of understanding. "I get it."
"Well then, let's follow Scootaloo," said Apple Bloom. "It's worth a shot."
Scootaloo hopped up and down for a moment before trotting ahead with a skip in her step. Sweetie Belle followed close behind with the other members of the group, Discord's words still fresh in her mind. Something about Marionette produced an unknown thought that made her muscles tense up. The exact details of this were still hazy, but it was there nonetheless.
"I hope this works," Sweetie Belle whispered to herself. "Also, I hope we can solve this mystery."
