All Hail The Empress

by Draknir

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Alternate Universe, Adventure
Length: 18839

Equestria is under the rule of a cruel Empress, but not everypony believes nothing can be done to change that.

It has been nearly 70 years since the Equestrian Royalty was overthrown by the pony who is known to her subjects simply as the Empress and her army of Bat Ponies. The citizens of Equestria have no freedom. Even being suspected of insurrection is enough to have a bounty placed on one's head. However, not everypony believes that this is how things have to be. Led by the last living member of the Royalty, a group of ponies who wish for the freedom of Equestria work tirelessly to discover a way to destroy the Empress and save the land that they love.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-05-05 20:31:51 UTC

Prologue

“By order of the Canterlot Guard, you are to stop where you are!” shouted a female voice as a pony rounded a corner.

Yeah, like that’s going to happen. Thought the pony, a dark green Pegasus, as his hooves continued to stamp on the ground as he ran. Just gotta get there without being caught.

“You’re only serving to make her majesty even angrier,” called another voice, this one distinctly male and above the Pegaus, who simply ignored the voice and kept sprinting down the path between two buildings. Rats hid as the pony went barreling past the snack they’d managed to find, returning to it once he was well past.

“This way! He’s heading towards the train station!” shouted a third voice, another male as the Pegasus crossed an empty street to go through another path between two more buildings. Though this one was much darker than the last one, the Pegasus had no trouble navigating it.

Almost there! Thought the Pegasus as he jumped over a box that had clearly been in the alley for quite some time, breaking apart just because of the jump. After a minute or two, the Pegasus was met by the end of the path, where he did a sharp turn to the right. There it is! No sooner had he thought that did the Pegasus notice that his path was blocked by three more ponies wearing dark purple armor, forcing him to skid to a halt.

“Halt! We have you surrounded!” shouted the voice that the Pegasus had first heard, the one in the middle of the three. All three of them looked similar to the Pegasus, but rather than the wings of a bird, they had the wings of bats as well as many bat-like features on their faces, indicating that they were all members of the rare Bat Pony race. They were varying shades of black to dark gray, the female being pure black. The Pegasus looked around, only to have the words of the mare validated. He was surrounded by Bat Ponies both on the ground and in the air.

The Pegasus muttered faint expletive, “Didn’t think I’d get caught this fast.”

“By order of her majesty, you are to be executed for treason,” stated the Bat Pony mare, “However, we have been told that you may go free if you fulfill one request.”

“I’m fairly certain I know what it’s going to be, but what is it?”

“Reveal the location of the leadership of the rebellion. Once we are able to confirm what you have told us, you shall be exonerated of all crimes.”

“Knew it. And I’m sure you know what my answer is going to be,” replied the Pegasus.

“So be it. Divine Bolt, you shall now face the justice delivered by her majesty, the Empress of Equestria,” stated the Bat Pony mare.

I hope I gave you enough time to get away from here, Sky Blazer. I hope you’ll tell Wild Blitz his dad loves him. Thought Divine Bolt as a tear streamed down his face. The Bat Ponies descended upon him, and he was no more. The mare who had been talking to the Pegasus stood motionlessly until a brilliant light temporarily blinded her. She bowed down as a larger pony materialized, this one a cross between a Bat Pony and a Unicorn, creating what could be called a Bat Alicorn.

“Your majesty, the traitor has been dealt with as you requested,” stated the mare, not looking up.

“Excellent, Midnight Echo. You have done well,” stated the new pony, “I take it he did not say where his friends are hiding?”

“No, my Empress. But rest assured that I have my best scouts scouring every corner of Equestria for any sign of them.”

“Now, I have new orders for you. I want you to follow the other intruder, the one that your guards let slip away unnoticed,” commanded the Empress, causing Midnight Echo to cringe, “It seems that the Bat Ponies are not as competent as I had previously thought.”

“My apologies, your majesty. I shall have the guards for the Archives reprimanded at once as well as have a squad follow the intruder.”

“Excellent. I knew placing you at the head of my Royal Guard was the right thing to do,” praised the Empress, though Midnight Echo showed no outward signs of happiness, “Now go! Go, and let it be known that all who challenge my rule shall be vanquished!” Midnight Echo flew off in the direction of the Archives she’d previously mentioned, flying over what was left of buildings and the small fires that had been lit by citizens of the city.

Chapter 1

“Excuse me, Princess? I have news for you,” said a pony as she stood outside of a large tent. She looked like a normal Earth Pony except for quite a few major differences. She had a pair of horns behind her ears, indicating that she was technically a Unicorn, and a row of rounded spikes going down the length of her back. Her tail was like that of a lizard with a flat spade as a tip. Each of her four hooves had three claws sticking out. These features were the result of her parents being a Unicorn and a Dragon, a combination that most would not consider anatomically possible. Her coat was vibrant blue, while the spikes on her back as well as her long mane were a darker blue. Resting on the outside of each of her back thighs was a symbol, her Cuite Mark that showed her “special talent”, depicting a blue gemstone surrounded by a light blue flame.

“Sapphire, how many times do I need to remind you? No formalities! We’ve been best friends for how long?” replied the Princess, motioning from behind the flap of the tent for her friend to enter. Sapphire did such, and was met by a taller pony with a white coat. The Princess, an Alicorn, had a long mane and tail of varying shades of blue in streaks. Her Cutie Mark was a pink heart with four yellow lines going vertically, horizontally, and diagonally in both directions behind it.

“Sorry, Pri-Artemis. Force of habit due to working with the others,” said Sapphire sheepishly, resulting in a small laugh from the Princess.

“Now, what did you have to tell me?”

“Ah, yes! We’ve FINALLY managed to make some headway translating the book that Sky Blazer stole from Canterlot,” explained Sapphire, making Artemis’s face practically light up.

“I’m going to be truthful. I was beginning to doubt we’d ever be able to figure out how to crack the code within it,” admitted the Alicorn, “We’ve had this book for, what, a decade and a half now?”

“Thirteen years, actually,” corrected the Dragon Unicorn, “Of course, we’ve had enough going on that we haven’t had much time to devote to studying it.”

“True. Anyway, what have we learned?”

“Well, it contains the first steps to finding out what is referred to as the ‘Library of the Ancients,’” started Sapphire, “But, the strange thing is that we only got so far before the code or language or whatever changed.”

“Interesting. Perhaps wherever the first few steps lead us will contain the key for the next few?”

“I honestly don’t know. But, we definitely have to go find out.”

“So, where do we go first?” asked Artemis, shocking Sapphire due to the wording.

“WE?! Artemis, you can’t be serious!” exclaimed Sapphire, though she did keep her voice down as much as possible in an attempt to not alert the others in the camp, “Not only are the last member of the Equestrian Royalty left, but you’re also the one that’s leading the Rebellion! Imagine what would happen if something happened to you!”

“Sapphire. One of the most important lessons my father taught me while I was growing up was to do what my heart tells me to do,” responded Artemis as she glared at her friend, “And my heart is telling me that I need to do whatever I can to restore freedom to Equestria even if it means putting my own life in danger. Nothing you say will talk me out of it.”

“But I-!” started Sapphire before sighing, “You’ve got that look in your eye. But promise me you’ll be safe.”

“Of course I will be,” assured Artemis, her glare turning into a smile, “Now, where exactly is it that we’re going?”

“Okay, the book said to ‘Cross the Earth Tear to the reach Endless Sands and find the Castle of the Summer King.’ After we looked through a collection of old journals as well as old maps, we have discerned that the ‘Earth Tear’ is a reference to Ghastly Gorge, which is near the San Palamino Desert, the ‘Endless Sands,’” explained Sapphire, returning her friend’s smile, “As for this ‘Castle of the Summer King,’ the best we could come up with is old accounts of an Earth Pony King from a long gone civilization. But, it looks like his castle should be easily found because it was built into the tallest mountain.”

“Well, looks like we’re in for quite an adventure, aren’t we?” asked Artemis happily, “Would you mind asking your brother and sister to keep things in order while we’re away?”

“Emerald won’t mind, I’m sure. Don’t know about Elusive,” replied Sapphire, shaking her head as she thought of her brother and his tendencies, “He’s just so full of himself that I doubt he’d want to worry about anypony else.”

“Plus I’m sure at least Emerald would be more than happy to keep track of Ruby while we’re gone,” noted the Princess, referring to Sapphire’s daughter.

“If she can! Ruby and Wild Blitz are always getting into trouble,” laughed Sapphire, now thinking of the mischief her only child was apt at getting into.

“That’s not true!” shouted a voice from outside, which was followed by a quiet shush from another.

“Ruby! Are you spying on us?!” shouted Sapphire, recognizing her daughter’s voice as any mother would, “Get in here this instant, young mare! You too Wild Blitz!” This was met by the rustling of leaves and the flap of the tent opening. Two young ponies, a filly and a colt, entered with their heads hanging down. The filly looked mostly like her mother, though she had a normal pony’s tail she was mostly red and lacked a Cutie Mark. The colt was an orange Pegasus with a short purple mane and a tail. He too lacked a Cutie Mark, “You two should know better than to spy on other ponies! Let alone Princess Artemis!”

“But mom!” replied Ruby, looking up at her mother as she did.

“No buts! Now, both of you apologize to the Princess and get to bed!” ordered Sapphire, her nostrils flaring in anger. Artemis couldn’t help but laugh, “What’s so funny?!”

“You! Has being a mom changed you THIS much?” answered the Alicorn between laughing fits, “We used to get into so much trouble spying on other ponies when we were growing up. I don’t think we ever went a week without at least one of our parents scolding us.”

“Princess Artemis, would you PLEASE stop trying to undermine my parenting?” questioned Sapphire, glaring at her friend, “The idea is to show them that it is not acceptable behavior!”

“They’re kids! Lighten up!” responded Artemis, still laughing, though now it was more at the memories from her foalhood, “You pretty much quoted verbatim the same thing we always used to hear every time we got caught. And you should know how effective that was.”

“Thanks, Princess Artemis!” exclaimed Wild Blitz, his voice cracking slightly, “And, uh, sorry for spying on you.”

“I’m sorry too, Princess,” said Ruby, though it was painfully obvious she did not really mean it.

“Your mom is right that spying on other ponies is wrong,” admitted Artemis, “However, I’m sure it was for what you believed to be a good reason, am I right?”

“We kinda, sorta overheard you talking about that book that is so important that mom won’t let us near it,” explained Ruby, receiving a nod in agreement from her mother to the last part of the statement, “And, uh, we were wonder if we could, you know…”

“Oh, for crying out loud! We want to go along with you when you go on your adventure!” yelled Wild Blitz, keeping his voice down as much as possible.

“No, absolutely not! I will not have my only child be put into danger like that!” exclaimed Sapphire without any hesitation, “It’s one thing that my best friend and the leader of this group is going, but it’s a whole other story when it comes to you.”

“But mo-om!” pleaded Ruby, “All we ever do around here is sit! We’re never going to help to free Equestria, topple the evil Empress, or earn our Cutie Marks just by staying here!”

“No, and that’s final!” retorted Sapphire, again not hesitating in the slightest.

“Sapphire, if I may?” asked Artemis, who had kept quiet during that little exchange, “Ruby has a point. Also, you, Fire Comet, and Sky Blazer will be there to make sure these two stay safe. Besides, we can’t exactly have any of the other adult ponies go with us because they’ve all got important tasks around the camp.”

“Are you trying to undermine my authority, Artemis?!” shouted Sapphire in anger, “Because it sounds like you are!”

“I’m sorry it seems that way to you,” said Artemis, “But I don’t want to keep anyone who wants to help from doing so if I feel they can be of some use.”

“You know I hate you sometimes, right?”

“What are best friends for?” asked Artemis, smiling at her infuriated friend, “Now, I want all three of you to get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll pack supplies for our adventure after I talk to Wild Blitz’s mom and we’ll head out the day after that.”

“Good night, Princess Artemis!” said Wild Blitz as he exited the tent. Sapphire, still angry at her daughter, used magic to drag the young Dragon Unicorn out of the tent without so much as a word. Artemis sighed before yawning.

“Well, dad. I hope I made the right decision,” said Artemis once she was alone, “I really do miss you. And mom, of course. But I barely knew her. At least I have that potion that Adisa makes so I can see both of you anytime I want, even if you don’t see me. Maybe someday we’ll see each other again and I can get to know mom for real.” Artemis let the fireflies she’d been using for light out of the lantern before crawling into her sleeping bag and falling asleep.

Chapter 2

“Sky Blazer, please listen!” pleaded Artemis to the Pegasus mare that was in front of her. Sky Blazer looked a lot like her son, only her purple mane was much longer. Unlike her son, she had a Cutie Mark, a dark gray blob resembling a puff of smoke to show her talent of sneaking into places undetected.

“Absolutely not!” shouted Sky Blazer, snorting as she did, “I will go along, even though I would rather not, but Wild Blitz is absolutely not going!”

“Listen, I know you’re worried about him. But you’ll be there to make sure he’s safe! So will Sapphire, her husband, and myself!”

“I don’t care! I wouldn’t let him go along if every single pony here went with!” retorted Sky Blazer, motioning towards the camp outside of the tent with her hoof.

“Sky Blazer, he wants to go along so he can help!” stated Artemis, who was becoming increasingly frustrated, “Why would you deny him that?!”

“Because…because I’m afraid I’ll lose him too!” admitted Sky Blazer, tears forming in her eyes, “He’s my only child. And I don’t want to lose him. Losing Divine Bolt was hard enough, but if I lost him.”

“I-I’m sorry,” said Artemis, “I had no idea. Growing up without a mother sort of deprived me of the whole maternal instinct experience. He doesn’t have to come along if you don’t want him to. In fact, if you want I can go talk to him myself about it.”

“I say he should go,” said a voice outside of the tent. The flap to it opened, and elderly Pegasus shuffled in. She had the same color coat as Sky Blazer, but her mane was curled and had turned white with age. Her wings were much smaller than either Artemis’s or Sky Blazer’s, a handicap as far as Pegasi were concerned. The elderly mare’s Cutie Mark was a red wheel surrounded by a dark orange fire.

“Mom, do you know what you’re saying?!” questioned Sky Blazer, staring at her mother as though she were crazy, “This is your only grandson we’re talking about!”

“I know full well what I’m saying,” answered Sky Blazer’s mother, “Even if he hasn’t come right out and said it, Wild Blitz, as well as his little friend Ruby, wants to go out and discover who he is. To find out what he’s best at. To be honest, he reminds me of myself around his age. My two best friends and I went and did a lot of crazy stuff trying to earn our Cutie Marks and discover who we are. But that was back before the Royal Pain took over Equestria. Did I ever tell you what led up to-?”

“Yes, you have mom. Quite a few times, in fact,” interrupted Sky Blazer, knowing that her mother was prone to telling stories when she was thinking of her friends, even if they weren’t related to the story itself, “But…you’re right. I guess I just have to accept that he’s doing his own thing now.”

“It’s something every parent has to go through,” noted Sky Blazer’s mother, receiving a sigh from her daughter, “But don’t worry. He still needs you very much. You still come to me whenever you need help, and you’re a grown mare.”

“Heh. That’s true,” said the younger Pegasus before turning towards the Princess, “Princess Artemis, both Wild Blitz and myself shall accompany you.”

“I’m glad to have you on board with this,” replied the Alicorn, smiling at both of the Pegasi, “And, thank you for your input, Scootaloo.”

“Any time you need it, Princess,” answered Scootaloo, returning the smile. She left the tent without a word.

“I’ll go and get Wild Blitz so we can pack,” said Sky Blaze once her mother was gone, “Early tomorrow morning, right?”

“That’s correct. I would make sure that both Wild Blitz and yourself take it easy today and get a good night’s sleep,” advised Artemis, “It’s quite the trek from here to the first place we need to go. And we have no idea where we’re going to after that.”

“Unless we happen to run into each other later in today, I guess I will see you tomorrow morning,” said Sky Blazer as she opened the flap to Artemis’s tent.

“See you tomorrow,” replied Artemis as she waved farewell to the Pegasus, who promptly walked out. After a minute or so, the Alicorn sighed, “That could have definitely started out better, but at least Scootaloo was able to do what I couldn’t. I suppose I should ask him if he’d be willing to advise Emerald and Elusive as he does me.”

Artemis opened the flap to her tent and looked around the camp. Ponies of the three main races were busy attending to various tasks both inside and outside of what amounted to a tent city. To the north of the camp lied the long neglected and decaying ruins of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, the original home of Celestia and Luna, the Princesses who had ruled Equestria prior to the overthrow by the Empress. The Princess walked out and began to walk towards a tent that was the largest of the ones in the camp, dwarfing even hers. The ponies that saw her stopped what they were doing and bowed, much to the dislike of Artemis, who had always disliked the special treatment her lineage gave her. She stopped once she had reached the tent.

“It’s Artemis. May I come in?”

“Hm?” replied the inhabitant of the tent, “Oh, of course you can!” The Alicorn opened the flap to the tent and stepped in. Lying on a bed of hay inside was a somewhat large, purple Dragon with green spikes on his back and a light green underbelly. He sat up when Artemis entered, though he did not bow because he knew of her dislike for it.

“Morning, Spike,” greeted Artemis with a smile, eliciting a smile from the Dragon, “Listen, I have a favor I need from you.”

“I’d be happy to help, Artemis,” stated Spike, “What do you need?”

“Well, you see a group of us, myself included, will be leaving in the morning to go on a small ‘quest’ if you will,” began the Princess.

“Don’t worry, I know all about that. Ruby couldn’t wait to tell her grandpa all about it,” stated the Dragon, which came as no real surprise to Artemis.

“In that case, Emerald and, hopefully, Elusive will be making sure things are running here in the camp while we’re gone,” explained the Alicorn, “I was hoping you’d be willing to advise them if they need it.”

“You don’t really need to worry about that,” assured Spike, “I would hope they would come to their dad if they needed help, but I will definitely make it a point to give them some advice every now and then until you get back.”

“Thanks, Spike. I really do appreciate it,” said Artemis, “And, I know I’ve made this known before, thank you for your continued advice to me.”

“And I’ve also made this known before, but thank you for helping me keep going after she passed away,” said Spike, a tear forming in his eye as he remembered his wife, who had died of natural causes several years earlier.

“You’re welcome, my friend,” stated the Princess before turning to leave the tent.

“Oh, and Artemis?”

“Yes, Spike?”

“Keep my daughter and granddaughter safe.”

“You have my word that nothing will happen to them so long as I am there,” promised Artemis before leaving. That exchange done, the Princess began to walk towards her tent. She silently walked past the ponies who bowed down. They just don’t understand how much I hate it when they do that!

“Excuse me, Artemis?” asked a pony that looked exactly like Sapphire except the various shades of blue were various shades of green. She was also a bit shorter than Sapphire.

“Huh?” said Artemis, who had failed to notice her because she was thinking, “Oh, Emerald! What do you need?”

“I just wanted to let you know personally that I am more than willing to make sure everything is orderly here,” replied the Dragon Unicorn, “And so will that hoof for brains brother of mine even if I have to drag him along everywhere I go.”

“You have no idea how much I appreciate this,” said Artemis with a smile, amused by the sibling rivalry that she’d seen for years, “Make sure to let your ‘hoof for brains’ brother know that as well.”

“Haha, I will,” laughed Emerald, “And don’t let my sister get in your way too much!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” replied Artemis before bidding farewell to Emerald and walking towards her tent. She entered and picked up a saddlebag that was on the ground near her sleeping bag with her magic, the aura of which was a light blue. The saddlebag’s clips were a dark blue shield with a pink, six pointed star in the middle and three small, light blue ones at the points on the top of the shield, “Well, I suppose I should start packing for tomorrow. Although, there isn’t a whole lot aside from the necessities to take along.”

Chapter 3

“Is everypony here?” asked Artemis as she stood at the southwestern edge of the camp. It was early in the morning, the sun just barely peaking over the treetops.

“The three of us are here,” answered a male Unicorn that was standing to the right of Sapphire and Ruby. His coat was a burnt orange while his mane and tail were a dark red. The Unicorn’s Cutie Mark was a rock with a stream of fire surrounding it, which helped to illustrate his prowess with magic involving fire. Ruby yawned as he said that, still groggy from being woken up much earlier than she was used to. The two adults had saddlebags with clips depicting their Cutie Marks, while Ruby had one with the clips on each side depicting her parents’ Cutie Marks.

“Wild Blitz and I are both here as well,” said Sky Blazer, who was standing next to the left of Sapphire with her son to her left. He too yawned after his mother had finished.

“Excellent!” said the Princess happily, “Now, let’s be off!” Artemis turned around and started down the path through the forest. The forest the camp was in was the Everfree Forest, where the main laws of nature that existed in Equestria were somewhat distorted. However, this forest had managed to keep the Rebellion’s main camp hidden for decades, though that was in fact partially due to the fact that a spell had been placed on it to mask its location from the sky and long distances. The other ponies in the group followed suit.

“So, do we have any idea as to what we’ll find when we get to these ruins?” asked the Unicorn who had spoken earlier after a few minutes of walking.

“Not in the slightest, Fire Comet,” replied Artemis, not mincing any words.

“Didn’t think so,” replied the Unicorn as he ducked under a low hanging branch. His daughter couldn’t help but notice.

“You know, daddy, you could have just used magic to move that, right?” asked Ruby as she walked under the branch without even having to move.

“Yes, sweetie,” replied Fire Comet, turning his head to look back at his daughter, “But I would much rather save my energy for when we might need it most.”

“Whatever,” said Ruby, “I still don’t see how moving a branch would be that big of a problem.”

“When you start practicing your magic, you’ll see what he means,” said Sapphire, who was walking behind Ruby. The filly simply grunted with annoyance.

The group continued their journey through the forest for several hours. It was relatively uneventful aside from the occasional glimpse of a native creature to the forest. By the time they reached the edge of the forest, it was very early in the afternoon.

“Whoa,” said Wild Blitz as he looked out at what was in front of him. It was a long, deep canyon with a small river running down the middle, the mouth of which actually started from a different part of the forest not far from where they stood. The right side of the canyon was covered in a dense forest, which was not part of the Everfree Forest, while the left side was a sprawling plain.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” asked Artemis, noticing the stunned look on the young colt, “I’ve only seen this view once or twice of Ghastly Gorge myself, you know.”

“So, what do you think we should do?” asked Sky Blazer, noticing that there were three options for travel: the forest, the plain, or the Gorge itself. Though she did not specifically state it, the Pegasus was hoping for one of the first two.

“Well, based on what the book says,” explained Sapphire, remembering the wording due to how much she’d studied it in the past two days, “We need to cross the Gorge to reach the Desert. And the maps we looked over say that the Castle we need to reach is along the river that we’re looking at now. By all logic, that means we should stick close to it.”

“Of course,” sighed Sky Blazer, “Seems like every quest ponies go on have a flair for doing things the hard way. Why should this one be any different?”

“Relax, Sky Blazer,” advised the Princess, looking back at the Pegasus, “We’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Why am I not reassured?”

“Anyway, let’s start heading down there,” said Fire Comet, motioning towards a path along the side of the canyon that led to the bottom. With Artemis leading the way, the group of ponies started down the path single file as a result of how thin it was. Within a few short minutes, they had reached the bottom.

“Excuse me, Princess Artemis?” asked Ruby once they had all gotten to the river, “What are those up ahead?”

“I’m sorry?” asked Artemis, looking off in the direction the filly was looking. Further down the canyon were a few giant holes in the sides of the canyon wall, “I’m…not sure what those are. Sapphire?”

“If I had to guess, those are the tunnels that the quarray eels make,” replied the Dragon Unicorn, “They’re only found here in the Gorge.”

“So, do we pass by them or do we head back up and go around?” asked Fire Comet once his wife had finished.

“Well, we need to stick close to the river if we want ensure we’ll reach our destination,” explained Sapphire, “So, we’ll, unfortunately, have to go by them.” To both her and Sky Blazer, it was unfortunate because that meant that the two foals in the group would have to go near the eels.

“Look, we’ll make sure that nothing happens to any of us as we travel past the tunnels,” assured Artemis, not deterred by her friends’ worry. Both of the mothers in the group sighed, having learned through one way or another not to argue with the Princess. The Alicorn took the lead as the group began to follow the river and get ever closer to the holes in the canyon wall. Once the group was close enough to see into one of the holes, which was pitch black, the ground started shaking.

“What in the-?!” shouted Fire Comet as the quake grew in strength.

“I hope it isn’t what I think it is!” replied Sapphire as she grabbed her daughter with her magic. As soon as she finished, giant creatures shot forth from several of the holes and the shaking stopped. The creatures were burgundy with purple underbellies and spikes on their backs. They had razor sharp fangs and large jaws that looked as though they could swallow any of the ponies in the group whole, “Quarray eels! Ruby, Wild Blitz get out of here!” The Dragon Unicorn gave the two foals no chance to react before using her magic to float them away from the group and the eels.

“Well, there’s no other way to do this,” said Fire Comet as his horn took on a yellow aura. A meteor fell from the sky within a second and landed on one of the eels, knocking its head to the ground. The other eels, eight in all, responded by turning their heads toward the group and lashing out. After a second, the first eel recovered from the hit it had taken and joined the others.

“Well, you sort of just made it that way!” shouted Artemis as her horn took on its aura. As she charged her spell, Sapphire opened her mouth and shot out a stream of blue fire at the eels. Only one of them got burned before they managed to react and avoid it. A burst of white energy burst from Artemis’s horn and blasted three of the eels, knocking them to the ground.

While this was going on, Sky Blazer had taken to the sky. As fast as she could, the Pegasus flew high into the clouds. After a second or two to determine a path, the mare began a dive bomb with her front legs sticking straight out in front of her. Spiraling through the air, Sky Blazer rammed into the eel that was the furthest away from the rest of the group, sending it into two of its friends.

“Nice one, mom!” called Wild Blitz from where Sapphire had dropped him and Ruby. Although she heard it, Sky Blazer was too focused to give a reaction. Meanwhile, Fire Comet was sending more meteors raining down upon the eels. Unfortunately for him, the eels had started to dodge them more and more. Thinking quickly, he began to charge up his magic. It did not take long for a stream of yellow fire to spiral from the base of his horn and drill into the eel he had originally hit. The eel in question had apparently had enough and slithered back into its hole permanently.

“Well, that’s one down,” muttered the Unicorn as he began to charge the spell again. While he was doing this, Artemis was firing her spell at the eels from every direction except underneath them, flying as needed.  After a few hits on a single eel, it slinked back into the hole it was sticking out of. Using her previously used tactic, Sky Blazer had been attacking the eels simultaneously. When the eel that Artemis had been attacking slinked back into its cavern, so did the one that the Pegasus had been assaulting. Despite the fact that they were currently fighting for their lives, the Alicorn and Pegasus did bump their front left hooves together midair before switching the side of the eels they were on.

Sapphire, meanwhile, was busy using a combination of her fire and a spell to create large fireballs. Once she had six in all floating above her, the Dragon Unicorn used her magic to launch them at a blinding speed at the eels. While making sure she didn’t accidentally hit one of the two ponies who were currently flying around the eels, Sapphire managed to hit three of the eels simultaneously with the fireballs. The size of the fireballs as well as the force of the impact was enough to make the eels retreat into their holes, leaving three of them that were growing increasingly violent.

“Whoa there!” shouted Sky Blazer as an eel just barely missed clipping her wing, though she did end up with a couple of lost feathers. Artemis blasted the eel before it could lower its head, momentarily stunning it before having it lunge at her. A swift kick from Sky Blazer allowed her to return the favor as well as cause the eel to slink back into its hole in defeat.

Fire Comet and Sapphire both moved to where they stood next to each other as fast as possible. Within a second of their movement, twin streams of fire shot out of his horn and her mouth respectively. The streams spiraled around each other as they traveled towards their targets. The eel closest to the husband and wife team was caught off guard by the fire drilling into its cheek and was knocked into its remaining comrade, sending both to the ground. For good measure, Sky Blazer and Artemis both stomped down on the eels’ jaws. Defeated with a few teeth knocked loose, the final two eels slithered back into the holes they were sticking out of. The two ponies who had been flying landed next to the two ponies who had remained on the ground just as the two foals that had been watching ran up to their sides.

“Okay,” panted Artemis, “That was fun, wasn’t it?”

“If it’s any consolation,” answered Sapphire, also panting, “It sure beats studying books and maps all the time.”

“That…was…AWESOME!” exclaimed Wild Blitz, ignoring the fact that the adults were clearly exhausted from the fight. His mother gave him a smile as a response despite panting herself.

“Wow, mom! I didn’t know you could breathe fire!” shouted Ruby, her eyes practically sparkling with admiration and excitement.

“Well, it isn’t exactly something that comes up a whole lot,” stated her mother, “I have your grandpa to thank for this little trick.”

Due to the majority of the group being tired from the fight they had been through, it was decided that they would rest for the next hour or so. The Quarray eels had apparently been crushed to the point that they didn’t even make any sort of noise while the ponies waited. In fact, once the group set out to travel again, the eels still remained missing, much to the group’s delight. The ponies traveled for the rest of the afternoon, which was a few hours at best. Deciding that traveling at night would be a death wish at best, the group set up a small camp and the adults took turns watching for trouble until the morning.

From a perch at the top of the canyon, a pair of ponies watched the group. One was light gray with a dark purple mane while the other was dark gray with a lavender mane, and both were clearly Bat Ponies.

“Send word to Canterlot,” said the dark gray Bat Pony, “The Crystal Heiress is on the move with a small group of rebels.”

“As you command, Commander Umbra,” replied the light gray one before flying off to the north.

Chapter 5

“Quis tu, ut ingressus est cubiculum meum? Dicit ei unus ex corrumpere? Vade! Tu meum violasti in sepulchro cum facie tua!” Both Artemis and Sapphire looked at each other in confusion.

“Uh…what?” asked the Princess, “Do you speak…whatever that language is Sapphire?”

“Nope,” replied the Dragon Unicorn, “I might know a few other languages, but that is not one of them.”

“Qui similis pravus senioribus. Ut nusquam imaginari,” muttered the stallion, “I shall communicate as such nonetheless.”

“Oh, well that works out,” stated Artemis.

“Now, to restate my initial query. Who are you that enters my chamber?”

“I am Artemis, Princess of Equestria,” stated the Alicorn, “This is my friend, Sapphire.”

“What monarchy would have one of the Corrupt as its heiress?” asked the stallion.

“Corrupt? What do you mean?” asked Sapphire.

“Corrupt is the term used for her kind by those who were forced into servitude by them. My people continued to use this term to denote them for we would not allow such a disgusting word to pass through our lips.”

“I am not the heiress to Equestria,” explained Artemis, “Our Kingdom fell and is now ruled by a cruel Empress. Plus, the rulers were Princesses, not Queens.”

“It matters not,” stated the stallion, “Why have you chosen to defile my tomb?”

“We did not come to defile your tomb,” answered Artemis, her suspicions of the pony they were speaking to being the spirit of the one inside the sarcophagus having been confirmed, “We came here because we translated a portion of a book that led us here.”

“Hm. What manner of tome would bring its readers to this ancient castle? And for what end?”

“We are searching for the ‘Library of the Ancients,’ where we hope to get a spell that will allow us to defeat the Empress once and for all,” explained Sapphire.

“You seek the Library? That place is what I sought during my twilight years as King,” said the ghost, “Whomever scribed the tome that has brought you here must know of what I discovered.”

“Which is?” asked Artemis.

“I shall never let one of the Corrupt so much as see what I discovered!” shouted the former King, “Such an act would go against what my ancestors and myself stood for!”

“Listen, your majesty,” said the Alicorn, showing him respect much to his surprise, “I do not doubt that the Alicorns of old enslaved other ponies. And for that, I am truly sorry. That such an act occurred makes me furious.”

“Remorse? From a Corrupt?” said the ghost, clearly taken aback, “Though I can sense your words hold true to their meanings, I cannot allow you to know what I discovered. The same goes for you, Half-Breed.” Sapphire snorted in anger.

“Look, we didn’t exactly come to argue with something that isn’t supposed to be real!” shouted the Dragon Unicorn, “We will not leave here without finding what we need, which is certainly what you learned while you were still living!”

“Such fire in your heart, Half-Breed,” replied the King, “But it does not alter the fact that you will not have your desire fulfilled.”

“Ponies of all races are being oppressed!” yelled Sapphire, “Just like the ponies of the past were under the ancient Alicorns. The Empress and her legions of Bat Ponies are no different than they were, just like we are no different than those who were enslaved.”

“Hold one moment, Half-Blood,” said the King, “This Empress who has taken over your lands commands Bat Ponies? For centuries we warred against their kind, longer than our forced servitude under the Corrupt. Those vile creatures are more hated than the Corrupt ever were.”

“Then, please, help us,” pleaded Artemis, “If you hate them more than you hate Alicorns, why not help us fight against them?”

“You make a compelling argument in light of this new information,” admitted the King, “Although begrudgingly, I shall allow you to view the tablets that are found in this chamber. My ancestors will forgive me once I finally pass from the mortal realm.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” said Artemis, bowing to the ghost while Sapphire did the same.

“Princess Artemis and Sapphire of Equestria, behind my sarcophagus lies a room with twin tablets that are far older than even I,” explained the King, “The tablets are unable to leave the room because ancient arcane forces bind them to it. I moved my seat of power to this place so that I could study them. I would not tarry long within those walls, however.”

“Why not, your majesty?” asked Artemis. Despite being a ghost, the King still sighed.

“The magic used to bind those tablets has an unforeseeable consequence for those who remain in their presence for a long period of time. It traps their soul between this realm and the next until the magic they absorbed disappears from their bodies. I died over five millennia ago, and I have been in this state since.”

“We shall heed your warning, then,” said Sapphire, having calmed down from her anger over the way the King had been acting even if she did view it as justified. Once she finished, a loud rumbling noise filled the room, which amplified the sounds due to how enclosed it was. Just as had been said, the wall behind the King’s sarcophagus slowly descended into the ground. Much like had happened when the stairs to this room were revealed, dust filled the room. It took a minute for the mares to stop coughing.

“Go now,” said the King once the wall had completely descended, “I hope you will be able to use the knowledge inside to free your Kingdom from the demons that are Bat Ponies.” The ghost slowly faded away as Artemis and Sapphire walked towards the newly opened room. Inside were two very large tablets that covered the wall opposite of the doorway. The tablets had written upon them the letters of the English alphabet in a line on one side, thirteen on each, and symbols in the same way next two them.

“Well, no wonder the King had to study these for years. These tablets have translation keys on them, and he most likely didn’t have anything that could have used them,” explained Sapphire, though Artemis had gathered as much before she had said that.

“So, do these symbols look familiar to you?” asked Artemis, “’Cause they sure don’t to me.”

“They do, in fact,” replied Sapphire, much to the surprise of the Princess. The Dragon Unicorn used her magic to open the left pocket of her saddlebag and pull out a very old book as well as a quill, an ink bottle, and a piece of paper. The covers were made of leather with more acting as the binding. She flipped to the second page, of which there was only a small number, “Yep, this is definitely the translation for the next part of the book. But…the next pages are written in a different language or code.”

“Can you translate the page, then?” asked Artemis, which was met by a nod from her friend. Wordlessly, Sapphire began to look back and forth between the tablets and the book and using her magic to write on the paper. This went on for a few minutes.

“Well, I’ve got it finished,” said Sapphire, setting the quill on the ground, “And it looks like we’ve got to head somewhere else. The page says ‘From the head of the River of the Pegasi, to the Forest of the Deer, find the Temple of the Mountain of Smoke.’ I’ll have to look at a map to find out where exactly we need to go.”

“Why don’t we head back up to the others first?” suggested Artemis, “I’m pretty sure they’re sitting on pins and needles waiting for us to return, and they might even be able to help us out.”

The trip up the stairs took longer than the trip down and both mares practically collapsed from exhaustion by the time they got to the top. The four ponies who had remained at the surface helped them up once they were close to the surface. They went to a part of the main room that was still solid ground to rest. After a brief explanation as to what happened while they were down underground, Sapphire pulled out a map of Equestria from her saddlebag and began to look at possibilities.

“If I had to guess, I would say that the ‘Mountain of Smoke’ is Smokey Mountain, since it’s a Mountain and has Smoke in its name. The ‘Forest of the Deer,’ therefore, must be the White Tail Woods, which are near them,” explained the Dragon Unicorn, “But I’m not sure what the ‘River of the Pegasi’ could be.”

“I’ve never even heard of a river called anything near that,” said Sky Blazer once she finished, “And I’ve practically memorized the map of Equestria by now.”

“Maybe it’s an old name for a river?” suggested Fire Comet, “I mean, the book was obviously written a long time ago.”

“I guess my exhaustion made me not think of that,” answered his wife, using her magic to take out a second, much older map from her saddlebag, “Let’s see here…aha! The Pegasus River is just north of the Endless Sands. If the Endless Sands are the San Palomino Desert, that means that the Pegasus River is…oh no.”

“What?” asked Artemis, worried by what her friend might have discovered.

“No, no, no, no, no,” said Sapphire, unaware that the Alicorn had asked something, “Is there any possible way to get to this place without going there? …No!”

“Sapphire!” shouted the Princess, this time managing to get the attention of the Dragon Unicorn, “What is wrong?!”

“The Pegasus River…is the river just north of Las Pegasus,” replied Sapphire. Artemis’s face would have turned white if it weren’t naturally that color.

“We have to go near there?!” exclaimed Sky Blazer before the Princess could say the same thing.

“I’m afraid so,” replied Sapphire, “I want to find another way, but I see no way around it. I mean, we’re as close to there as I want to get, but any path leading to Smokey Mountain that won’t take us so far out of the way that it would be impossible to get to where we need to go involves going near Las Pegasus.”

“What’s wrong with Las Pegasus?” asked Wild Blitz, who was just as confused as Ruby was.

“Las Pegasus is one of the main bases for the Empress’s army. The pony she placed in charge is, quite frankly, completely insane and has more or less renamed the ruined city ‘The Happiest Place in Equestria,’” explained Artemis, who had forgotten that the two youngest members of the group had been somewhat sheltered from the world at large aside from a few major details, “So, in order to maintain some semblance of ‘stability,’ the Empress sent a larger group of Bat Ponies there than she did to the other places she has ponies in charge of. And by larger, I mean almost double. Granted, she has almost twice as many in Canterlot than she does in Las Pegasus, but that’s beside the point.”

“And it looks like we’re stuck going into the area surrounding it, which reports say are constantly patrolled by Bat Ponies,” said Fire Comet as he turned his head towards the ceiling while thinking.

“Had I known we’d be going near there, I would have never let Ruby and Wild Blitz come along,” admitted Artemis, looking at the two in question, “If you want to take them back to the camp to keep them safe, then do it. I’ll finish this whole quest and return there.”

“By yourself? You know that’s doomed from the start, right?” asked Sapphire.

“Yeah, and?” replied the Princess, “If we don’t follow through to the end, Equestria will forever be ruled by the Empress. Look, I’d give my life so everypony in Equestria would be freed from her tyranny.”

“Artemis, you’re the one pony that we all look to for hope. I mean, heck your Cutie Mark represents the hope you give everypony,” said Sapphire, “We’ll make sure these two get home safe and sound and then we’ll come right back here and finish this up with you.”

“…Fine,” conceded Artemis with a sigh, “I’ll wait here for you to get back and then we’ll head north.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don’t we get a say in this?” asked Ruby, who had been quiet since Artemis and Sapphire had returned to the surface.

“Yeah, don’t we?” asked Wild Blitz, “We didn’t come along because we thought it would be a vacation or anything. We came along because we wanted to help! You know, that thing you’ve never let us do aside from things around the camp?”

“It’s because we want to keep you safe!” snapped Sky Blazer, “You’re the two of the youngest ponies in the camp! None of us are about to let you two get hurt!”

“By keeping us from actually being useful?!” shouted Wild Blitz, glaring at his mother.

“You are useful! Just not in the way you’re wanting to be!” said Fire Comet, “You’re useful to everypony because the two of you, as well as the even younger ponies, help keep things running smoothly!”

“But isn’t it time we get to do the things that the older ponies do?!” shouted Ruby, glaring at both of her parents.

“No, it isn’t! You wouldn’t have even come this far had it not been for the Princess forcing us to take you along!” yelled Sapphire as she snorted in anger.

“You…just…don’t…GET IT!” screamed Ruby, stomping down on the ground to create a resounding thud.

“ENOUGH!” yelled Artemis as loud as possible, catching the others off guard. Her voice echoed for a second or two while she panted, “Look, as much as I want to keep these two safe, there is one important thing that I had, admittedly, momentarily forgotten about that is making me want to keep them here with us. It’s that they need to do exactly what it is they’re trying to convince you of; helping in any way possible. Even though keeping me safe was his priority, my father still let me do more than just help with chores.”

“Would you just shut up about your father?!” shouted Fire Comet in anger, “If you haven’t noticed he’s been gone for almost half a century!” Sapphire slapped her husband across the face for that comment.

“How dare you talk of him that way!” yelled the Dragon Unicorn, “In the brief time I knew him, Shining Armor was a great leader. Artemis has every right to speak highly of him, and not just because she’s his daughter!”

“Why don’t we all just calm down?” asked the Alicorn using her own advice, “Tempers are high, so I understand that Fire Comet would snap like that. But getting back to my point, my father knew that he wouldn’t be here someday, so he allowed me to take on more responsibility as I got older so the burden of transition wouldn’t be as great. The same applies here. I know for a fact that we’ve all accepted that there’s a chance we won’t make it to see the fall of the Empress. In that event, wouldn’t we want capable ponies taking over to finish the fight?”

“I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again,” began Sapphire, “I hate you sometimes. Especially when you’re not only convincing, but also right.”

“Look, why don’t we set up our little camp here in the castle for the night and set out in the morning?” suggested Artemis, which was followed by a yawn. The group did just that, originally beginning to set up their sleeping bags before settling upon the bedchambers they had seen earlier in the day, though Ruby and Wild Blitz used their sleeping bags because they didn’t want to share a bed with their parents. The night was over faster than any of them wanted it to be.

Chapter 6

“So it seems the Empress was right about you coming by here, ‘Princess,’” said a dark gray Bat Pony that was standing amongst a group of fourteen others of his kind, which had formed a circle around the group, “I am Commander Umbra. By order of the Empress, I am to take you to Canterlot where you are to face justice for your treason. I suggest you come quietly, seeing as how you are surrounded and all.”

“Never,” replied Artemis angrily. They’d spent the morning traveling from the Castle to the edge of the San Palomino Desert. The group was less than a mile out of there when the Bat Ponies descended from the sky. Although they were not yet even to the river, the area they were in was  a small forest in its own right.

“I was hoping that would be your answer,” stated the Bat Pony, smiling smugly, “The Empress’s orders were quite clear. I am to bring you to Canterlot, alive if possible but dead if needed. And it looks like I need to do the latter of the two.”

“Look, why don’t you just go and tell your precious ‘Empress’ that you didn’t find us?” suggested Artemis, “I mean, it’s not like you’ll actually be able to take us in a battle.”

“Such arrogance,” stated Commander Umbra, glaring at the Princess. The Bat Pony looked at his companions, “Leave none of them alive. Dispose of the bodies of all but the Alicorn in any way you see fit.”

“Ruby, Wild Blitz, behind me now!” shouted Sapphire as she turned to face the opposite direction and her horns lit up. The two foals did as they were told while Sky Blazer and Fire Comet covered the sides that were left open. The four adults had formed a crude perimeter around the younger members of the group. In unison, the Bat Ponies took flight and closed in on the group. This uniformity soon vanished as the Bat Ponies swirled around the group while lashing at them. Sapphire shot several fire balls at the attacks, clipping one’s wing but missing the others, “I guess it’s been too long since I last fought these things. Forgot they were this agile.”

“I know, right?” asked Fire Comet as he used a spell to try and drop small meteors on the enemy, “Then again, I am using a spell that doesn’t have a whole lotta wiggle room.”

“Hi-yah!” shouted Sky Blazer as she slammed her back right leg into the stomach of a Bat Pony with enough force that it was knocked into one of its comrades. The two then lashed out at the Pegasus, who delivered what amounted to twin punches directly to their faces.

Artemis was busy firing energy blasts at the attackers, who kept narrowly avoiding them as the constantly took swipes at her. After several attempts, she ultimately decided to simply use brute force rather than magical powers and straight-armed one of the Bat Ponies, before what was basically elbowing it in the chest and upper-cutting it.

Sapphire’s fireballs were still very inaccurate, but she did manage to land a few, even landing one on Commander Umbra. However, the resilience of their foes proved to be extreme as none of the ones who had been hurt at this point so much as faltered from their goal.

Sky Blazer at this point had gotten into the heat of battle and broken away from the rest of the group as she pursued the pair of Bat Ponies that she’d already been fighting. The Pegasus gained altitude as quickly as possible and slammed down upon the first one with her hind legs, which crashed into the ground below. The other, however, had taken the time that she’d been performing that maneuver to return to the group.

“Try this one on for size!” shouted Fire Comet as he readied his spell. From a spot less than three feet away, a spiral of fire erupted and engulfed one of the Bat Ponies. The fire shot upwards high into the air to the point where the Bat Pony did not fall near where it had started.

Artemis, meanwhile, was now using a combination of magic and brute force against her attackers. She’d finally managed to subdue and defeat one of them, but the others were making it harder for her to hit them.

“Let’s go!” shouted Sky Blazer as she grabbed a Bat Pony from behind and began to drag it higher into the air. Though it was struggling, the Pegasus managed to keep her grip until they were very near a mile in the air. She released her captive and, with two sharp kicks, made its wings unusable. With a third kick, Sky Blazer sent the Bat Pony spiraling to the ground away from the battle below, “Too easy.” The Pegasus dived down as fast as possible to return to the battle.

Fire Comet, noting how effective his last spell had been, cast it again in the hopes of catching another of the Bat Ponies in the vortex. When that failed, he made the quick decision to switch to brute force, like Artemis had, and stunned a Bat Pony. The Unicorn then used his magic to levitate the stunned foe into the air. He quickly got the attention of his wife.

“What?!” shouted the Dragon Unicorn, “Oh, I see. On it.” She blew a stream of fire into the air while catching it with a spell. She nodded and Fire Comet launched his captive into the sky. Sapphire shot the large fireball at the Bat Pony before it could recover. It was sent flying by the force of the fireball. The husband and wife team smiled at each other.

“Focus,” advised Artemis, who was simultaneously in a one on one bout with one of the Bat Ponies. She clearly had the advantage because of her magic, which she was using to slow down her opponent. The Bat Pony was still faster than the Alicorn and actually managed to get in several hits. Artemis was able to take it down before being attacked by another.

“Mom!” shouted Wild Blitz, prompting his mother to spin around in the direction of her son’s voice.

“Mom, Dad, help!” cried Ruby, prompting both of her parents to look in her direction. Both she and Wild Blitz were being held by two of the Bat Ponies.

“Surrender now, or the foals die,” stated the Bat Pony holding Ruby. Fire Comet began to charge up a spell before his wife shook her head in disagreement. Though confused, the Unicorn still let his wife go ahead with whatever she was planning. She stepped towards the two Bat Ponies while Sky Blazer landed next to her.

“You know, they say that poking a bear makes you an idiot. They also say that threatening a mama bear’s cubs makes you dead,” said Sapphire, glaring at the captors of her daughter and Wild Blitz.

“And your point is what exactly?” asked the Bat Pony holding Wild Blitz.

“Our group represents the bear, which means that your group is the idiot poking said bear,” explained the Dragon Unicorn, “But there is one thing you fail to comprehend. My friend and I represent the mama bear, or rather bears. And you threatened our cubs.” Sapphire’s mouth now had smoke spilling out of the sides while Sky Blazer popped her neck. Both of the Bat Ponies apparently seemed to realize what Sapphire had meant, since their eyes got rather wide and they looked at each other. Ruby took this moment to bite the Bat Pony holding her, and Wild Blitz took it to kick his captor. Both of the foals were released and ran towards their mothers.

“Why don’t you two go by the Princess?” suggested Sky Blazer, “We certainly wouldn’t want you seeing what’s going to happen next.”

“Going,” said Wild Blitz as he sprinted towards Artemis with Ruby following.

Artemis, thankful that the two younger ponies were safe for now, was in the process of subduing the bat pony who had attacked her. She was currently using her previous tactic of slowing down it down while attempting to hit it. Having already done so previously, it took less time than the last one. Before she could relish in the small victory, the Princess was tackled by Commander Umbra, who’d managed to evade her magic several times by this point.

Fire Comet was now using his spell that caused a spiral of fire to erupt from his horn. He’d managed to catch another Bat Pony in it, sending it into a nearby tree. Because he had complete control over the spiral, he was currently chasing after another Bat Pony with it. Despite its agility, the Bat Pony had gotten hit by the fire several times so far. After a minute or so, the Unicorn ended his spell and charged up a different one. This one, unlike the other spells he’d cast, sent out a blast of icy wind at the Bat Pony. The wind had flowed out fast enough to the point that its target was unable to get out if its reach in time. The Bat Pony fell to the ground, shivering with a thin layer of frost on it.

“What’s the matter? Are you cold?” asked the Unicorn with a smile, “Well, I can help you with that.” He cast another spell, and a plume of fire erupted from beneath the Bat Pony, hoisting it high into the air. It fell down into the forest, barely visible from where it had started.

“Are you ready to give up, Princess?” taunted Commander Umbra as he traded punches and kicks with Artemis. They had been alternating between which one was pinned to the ground, with Umbra being the pinner at the moment.

“We are currently destroying your squad and you have the nerve to ask if we’re finished?” replied Artemis as she kicked the Bat Pony in the stomach and allowing her to pin him instead.

“But at the same time you simply delay the inevitable,” answered Umbra, “Even if you do defeat me here today, legions of my kind still serve the Empress. And you will fail in your efforts to overthrow her.”

“And you fail to realize that even if I fail, eventually somepony will rise up against her and prevail.” The two continued their struggle as Sapphire and Sky Blazer began to help out Fire Comet with the last few Bat Ponies that remained. Each of the three took one of them as a target and began to attack them. The Bat Ponies responded by attacking the one who had targeted them.

Fire Comet used his previous tactic of using an ice spell, though this one was basically an ice version of his fire spiral, to somewhat freeze his target. Though it was fast, it didn’t take long for the Bat Pony to slip up and get hit by the Unicorn’s spell. Without even stopping his previous spell, he seamlessly switched from ice to fire and sent the Bat Pony through several trees before deciding it was done for. His wife, on the other hand, had used her magic to keep her target in place in midair for a second before shooting it off into the distance with a stream of fire.

Sky Blazer was engaged in an aerial duel with the final Bat Pony, aside from the Commander. They were trading punches and kicks while also moving away from each other to gain speed in between blows. Neither of them seemed to have an advantage and neither so much as faltered. Their battle went on for a couple minutes, with the rest of the group aside from Artemis, who was still battling the Commander and had told the others to stay out of it, watching. The Bat Pony faked an attempt to kick Sky Blazer’s stomach and slammed into her right wing. There was a loud snap, and a scream from the Pegasus.

“Mom!” shouted her son from below. Sky Blazer fell out of the sky while she attempted to use her uninjured wing to slow her descent. Fire Comet helped her down to the ground while Sapphire used her magic to grab the Bat Pony when it made an attempt at the Pegasus. She shot it away with a single fireball. The Dragon Unicorn then walked over to her injured friend and inspected her wing.

“See that? You’re the only one left of your squad,” said Artemis, “We will let you leave if that is what you desire.”

“You kill the ones who served under me, and then you have the nerve to let ask me if I want to give up?” asked Umbra, glaring at the Princess who currently had him pinned.

“Look, we didn’t want to even fight you in the first place. And they gave us no choice,” explained Artemis, “We’re not cold blooded killers like your Empress. We are actually capable of showing compassion.”

“Fine, I shall let you hold on to your chivalrous ideals,” stated Umbra, which was followed by Artemis allowing him to get up. He was clearly in pain, and put very little weight on his front left leg, “But, I am dead either way.”

The Bat Pony flew off into the air, his wings surprisingly still useable, while Artemis walked over to join the others. By this point, Sapphire was wrapping a bandage around Sky Blazer’s wing.

“Are you going to be all right, Sky Blazer?” asked the Princess while Sapphire finished her work.

“Well, I will be. That Bat Pony broke my wing, so I can’t fly until it heals,” replied the Pegasus, “And I’m at least better off than that one over there.” She pointed towards the body of one of the Bat Ponies, which had its limbs, wings, and head contorted into positions that would not normally be possible.

“W-why would you do something like that?!” questioned the Alicorn, horrified.

“That is what happens when you threaten my son,” replied the Pegasus, “And it’s slightly better than what Sapphire did to the one who threatened Ruby.” She was referring to the pile of ash next to the body.

“Well, that’s what happens when you threaten a Dragon’s young,” admitted Sapphire, “I might only be half Dragon, but that instinct definitely was passed down.”

“Anyway, how bad does your wing hurt, Sky Blazer?” asked the Princess, returning her gaze to the rest of the group.

“It only hurts when I move it.”

“I used a spell that stopped any lingering pain from the wing from being felt,” explained Sapphire, noting confusion from her daughter and Wild Blitz, “The spell will wear off sometime tomorrow, so I’ll need to cast it again, and won’t stop any further pain from being felt.”

“Believe me, I would cast a spell that would heal it instantly if I knew one,” said Artemis, “But, the best I can do is to help with minor injuries. Speaking of which…”

***

“Forgive me, my mistress, I have failed,” said Umbra, “I am ready for whatever punishment you deem necessary.”

“You failed to do what the Empress told me to tell you to do? Hm. Death! By drowning in pudding!” Umbra knew that she always gave the strangest means for execution, and had not expected his to be anything less than confusing.

Chapter 7

“So…where do we go now?” asked Ruby as she stood with the others at the base of Smokey Mountain as well as the edge of the White Tail Woods. The exact size of the mountain was unknowable from the bottom, being masked by the clouds that gave the mountain its name. There was a cave within sight of where they stood that may have only held a bear-or worse, a territorial dragon.

It had been two days since the skirmish near Las Pegasus, and it was later in the day at that. Although she had vehemently objected, the group had moved slowly on account of Sky Blazer’s injury. On numerous occasions, the Pegasus had pleaded for the others to go on ahead, saying she’d catch up later. Every single time, the others all told her that they would either all go together or not go at all.

“I have no idea,” admitted Sapphire sheepishly, “The book didn’t exactly say whether this temple is somewhere up there or hidden inside the mountain.” The Dragon Unicorn pointed at the two options as she spoke.

“If it is higher up the mountain, we are pretty much out of luck,” stated Artemis, “There are only two of us who could even fly up there, and you aren’t one of them. And you are pretty much the only one who can translate the next part.”

“It involves matching symbols with letters. I’m sure Ruby and Wild Blitz could translate it,” replied Sapphire sarcastically.

“You know what I mean,” retorted Artemis, “It’s a matter of speed and accuracy. Anyway, my vote is that we check out the cave first. If it’s a dead end, I’ll fly up there and try to find it. Agreed?”

“Even though I hate not having a chance to join you in the search in the sky if it comes with it, that sounds like a good plan to me,” said Sky Blazer, which was met by nods from Ruby, Fire Comet, and Wild Blitz. After a second, Sapphire nodded as well.

“Well, let’s get to it then,” stated the Princess once Sapphire had agreed. It took maybe a minute for them to reach the mouth of the cave. As what was to be expected of a cave, the interior was pitch black. In order to see, the three adult magic users each used a spell that lit up their surroundings. The group was met by the sight of a short tunnel that ended up branching into three different paths, “Okay, did anypony else not see something like this coming?”

“Now what do we do?” asked Fire Comet after a brief sigh.

“We can cover more ground if we split up,” said Artemis, “I know none of us really want to do that, but it’s our best option.”

“You’re right on both accounts,” said Sky Blazer, “But there’s a problem. Half of us either can’t use magic or don’t know how to use it well enough to provide light or a way to tell what ground has been covered. I don’t want be separated from Wild Blitz, so that means the groups will be uneven.”

“I will go alone. I can handle myself well enough, but that leaves the question of the other groups,” said Artemis after a minute of deliberation, “Obviously Ruby is going to have to be with either one of you, and the other has to go with Sky Blazer and Wild Blitz.”

“Look, I know you’d be able to take care of our daughter, but I would feel more comfortable if I went with her,” stated Sapphire with a huge sigh preceding it, “I’m sorry, but that’s just how I feel.”

“Sapphire, don’t worry,” replied her husband with a smile, “I was actually going to volunteer to go with them.”

“All right, then. All that’s left is to decide which path we’re each going to take,” said Sky Blazer.

“I call the left path!” shouted Wild Blitz.

“We’ll take the right!” piped in Ruby almost immediately.

“Uh…okay then?” said Artemis, naturally taken by surprise from the sudden outburst from the two youngest members of the group, “I guess that leaves the middle one for me. Fire Comet, Sapphire, do you both know a telepathy spell?”

“Of course, I do,” answered Sapphire with a smile, “After all, it was my mom that taught us both that spell.”

“And one of the many dates that Sapphire and I went on involved my learning that spell,” added her husband, resulting in a silent gesture from Ruby noting her disgust at the thought of her parents’ dates.

“Excellent! We’ll just use that spell to let each other know if we find anything, or nothing for that matter.” With a silent nod to each other, the three groups split off and began down their respective paths. Artemis’s path was straightforward for quite a while, resulting in the Princess becoming increasingly bored. She could barely contain her excitement when the path suddenly curved to the left simply because it broke up the monotony.

Fire Comet, Sky Blazer, and Wild Blitz, however, were traveling down a path that constantly twisted and turned. They were, of course, moving rather slowly because of the mare’s injured wing, which was causing her pain even if she wasn’t moving it. Neither Fire Comet nor Wild Blitz, however, even gave a second though to the speed that they were moving.

The mother-daughter duo were on a path that descended and ascended alongside the occasional turn. Even though none of the groups could know what the others were seeing, they all simultaneously felt it strange that they had yet to find any sort of branching paths despite over an hour passing.

“Will this tunnel ever end?” muttered Artemis to herself trying to break the eerie silence of the tunnel. She’d noticed for a little bit by this point that the air was getting colder and heavier as she traveled onward.

“Oh, it will. But not in the way you’re hoping.”

“Who’s there?!” shouted the Princess, turning on place as she searched her surroundings. She then realized something rather crucial; she knew the voice, and it was one she hadn’t heard in a very long time, “I-is that you…? No, my imagination is just trying to make this search more bearable. There’s nothing else here, and if there was it couldn’t be-.”

“Normally, that would be true. But you’ve already met a pony who died a long time ago, didn’t you Artemis?” Artemis gasped when a shimmering, light blue stallion appeared out of thin air in front of her. Most of his appearance was obscured by a mist of the same color, but it was clear he was a Unicorn, “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

“D-dad?!” stammered the Princess, speechless and close to tears, “B-but how are you-?”

“You can thank the magic found within this mountain for me being able to speak with you,” replied Shining Armor with a smile, “Its magic like this that’s found in the Library. And I’m grateful that it allowed me to talk to you again. But it isn’t just me that’s here to talk to you.”

“Wait, who-?” started Artemis as a second ghost pony appeared next to her father. This one was a mare who looked almost exactly like the Princess except a bit shorter and a slightly different mane style, “Mom?!”

“You have no idea how hard it was being able to watch you grow up but not being able to be a part of it,” replied the ghost Alicorn, “But you’ve made us-me, very proud.”

“How are you able to watch me?” asked Artemis, more confused now than she’d been when she first heard her father’s voice less than a minute ago.

“That is something that can’t really be explained,” replied her mother, “It can only be assumed that some kind of magic is behind it, same with how we still exist in a whole other realm of existence.”

“So, if you’ve been watching me, you’ll know we’re not doing much better without you than we did with you, dad,” said Artemis with a sigh, “Sorry I’m not doing a good job at freeing Equestria.”

“Artemis, you do not need to feel that way,” replied her father with a smile, “Like your mother said, we’re both very proud of you. You’re doing your best at one of the hardest jobs ever; being a leader. Besides, you’re on quest to find something I never knew actually existed. I mean, I read about it growing up with your aunt, but not once did I think it might actually exist.”

“You know, I had gotten so caught up in the fact that the book will lead us there that I hadn’t even thought of the possibility that the Library doesn’t even exist,” noted the Princess, “If this ends up being all for nothing, I…don’t know what I’d do.”

“If it were to come to that, and I sincerely hope it doesn’t, you’ll figure out what you need to do,” assured Shining Armor with a smile, “I mean, not only do you have everything I taught you, but you’re also resourceful.”

“Thanks dad, even if it feels like you’re just saying that,” confessed the living Alicorn, “You said that this tunnel won’t end the way I want it to. What do you mean?”

“This tunnel is a dead end that goes on for miles. You’d be too exhausted by the end to get back out, which is what was intended,” explained her mother, “You need to turn back and wait by the tunnel entrance. The others will be waiting for you.”

“Did you talk to them too?” asked Artemis, her interest piqued.

“No, we did not. Loved ones now passed are telling them the same thing we just told you,” replied her father, “Now, go. You need to get there as fast as possible.”

“Why? What’s back at the entrance?”

“It will be made clear if you get there in time,” answered her mother, “This is where we say our goodbyes, Artemis.”

“You don’t know how good it has been being able to talk to you,” said the Princess, her voice cracking as the tears she’d been holding back began to stream down her face, “I miss you both so much.”

“We know, and we feel the same way about you,” said her father. Artemis’s parents gave her a hug before turning away from her. Shining Armor turned his head back towards his daughter, “Oh, and when you fight the Empress? Make sure to give her our regards. She more than deserves to be brought to justice.”

“I know,” said Artemis as her parents smiled at her and walked down the passage. They disappeared almost instantly, leaving the Alicorn alone, “I know.”

Chapter 8

“Ugh! Are we there yet?!” groaned Ruby as she walked alongside her mother, “We’ve been walking for what feels like forever!”

Take it easy, Sapphire. This will be worth it in the end. Besides, it’s Ruby. Thought Sapphire as she sighed, “No, dear we’re not. And we both know this could very well be a dead end. Which means we’ll have to walk all the way back.” The filly responded with a groan as her mother chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” asked Ruby indignantly.

“Just musing over how much you complain for a pony your age,” replied Sapphire, “You’re going to be fourteen this year and you complain more than ponies half your age.”

“Well, I’m sorry I’m vocal about things I don’t like!” retorted her daughter, clearly offended by what her mother had said.

“Listen, that isn’t something you need to be offended by,” explained the adult Dragon Unicorn, “That is a part of who you are, and you shouldn’t try to change that. But that doesn’t mean others can’t find it amusing or even annoying. I mean, your grandparents had things about me, your aunt, and your uncle they weren’t particularly fond of but they didn’t try to make us change it.”

“She’s right you know. On both of those,” said a disembodied voice, startling both Sapphire and Ruby. In front of the pair, a shimmering blue Unicorn mare appeared. Her Cutie Mark and tail were obscured by mist, but her mane was long with curled ends. Its natural coloration was lost by the form she was currently in. Sapphire’s jaw dropped when she realized who it was, “Hello, Sapphire. How is your father doing? And, Ruby. You’ve grown so much since I’ve been gone.”

“Mom, who’s this?” asked Ruby, confused not only by the mare appearing out of nowhere, but also Sapphire’s reaction.

“Ruby, dear, this is your Grandmother, my mother. I’m not surprised you don’t recognize her. You weren’t even a year and a half old when she got sick,” explained Sapphire, “I…it’s good to see you, mom. Normally, I’d ask how this is possible, but I know better now. Dad’s…holding up since you passed away. He wasn’t himself for a while, but he’s pretty well back to normal.”

“That’s good to hear. Although I can watch you all, I’ve chosen not to. It’s too painful to watch but not be there,” stated Sapphire’s mother, “Has Fire Comet been treating you well? I know Spike didn’t exactly like him being with you, even if I thought he was great.”

“Of course, mom. And dad’s gotten used to him being around, seeing as how we’ve been together for over twenty years,” replied Sapphire, “He’s with Scootaloo’s daughter and grandson, since neither of them can use magic.”

“That’s good to hear. There is something I need to tell you, though,” said the ghost Unicorn, “This path is actually a dead end, apparently. I didn’t see it myself, but Shining Armor and Cadance did. They recruited me and Sky Blazer’s late husband to tell you that. You need to go back to the entrance to the cave, and hurry.”

“Oh, come on!” shouted Ruby, leading to her mother and grandmother busting out laughing and her groaning loudly.

“Ruby, you remind me so much of me as a filly. I always did have a flair for the dramatics,” mused the ghostly mare.

“Mom, you were like that for pretty much my entire life. And if what I’ve heard over the years is true, you were like that for your entire life as well,” noted Sapphire, eliciting a glare from her mother and a laugh from her daughter, “Relax mom, it’s a compliment.”

“I know that, but it doesn’t mean I can’t have a problem with it,” stated her mother, “It’s the same with you finding Ruby’s complaints amusing. And with your father and me disapproving of some of your activities as a child.”

“What’d you do, mom?” asked the filly, sneering at her mother.

“Whenever she wasn’t helping me take care of your aunt and uncle, she’d constantly bother ponies, she’d constantly wander off and we’d have to look for her, and just all kinds of mischief.”

“Mom!” yelled Sapphire.

“I was only answering my granddaughter’s question,” said her mother innocently, “Anyway, our time together is over. Good luck whenever you finally bring the fight straight to the Empress. I’m afraid you’ll need it.”

“Good bye, mom,” said Sapphire, sadness filling her voice, “And, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to do more when you got sick. If I only knew….”

“Sapphire, stop. Do not kick yourself over that,” ordered the ghostly Unicorn, “You can’t exactly do much about something that you have no idea as to what it is. Look, I lived a full life. I got to see you, your brother, and your sister all grow up to be fine adults. I can honestly say that I died happy. Farewell, Sapphire and Ruby. I love you both, and make sure Spike, Elusive, and Emerald know I love them too.”

“We’ll do that, grandma,” said Ruby before her mother could say anything. With a smile, her grandmother turned and walked down the tunnel, disappearing after a few seconds, “Are you going to be all right, mom?”

“Yeah,” replied Sapphire, her voice cracking as she tried to hold back tears, “I will be. Let’s go.”

Meanwhile, Sky Blazer, Wild Blitz, and Fire Comet were still trudging along the tunnel at a slow pace. In terms of distance covered, they were lagging incredibly far behind the others. Only Sky Blazer had a problem with that, still trying to get the others to just go on ahead without her despite that meaning that her son would wouldn’t be under her watch.

“I am dead serious, just go without me!” pleaded Sky Blazer, though she didn’t stop walking while she did so, “I’m only slowing you down right now, and if you stay with me and this ends up being a dead end, it could take hours, possibly days to get back.”

“Give it a rest, mom!” shouted Wild Blitz, surprising the older Pegasus, “We are not going to just leave you here, okay?! Stop asking already!”

“He’s right, Sky Blazer,” noted Fire Comet, “We aren’t going to just abandon you. Especially with your wing the way it is. You’d be easy prey for wild animals, let alone the Empress’s armies.”

“Just because I can’t fly, doesn’t mean that I can’t handle myself,” said Sky Blazer, unamused by what Fire Comet had just told her, “And you do not yell at me, young colt.”

“Yeah, and where your wing broke is hindering your ability to move,” replied Fire Comet, “The fact that you’re telling us to go on without you because of how slow we’re moving confirms that.”

“And the only reason I yelled is because I was just getting sick of you saying you want us to leave you,” admitted Wild Blitz, “Do you honestly think that I am going to just abandon you, mom? And you really have no idea how hard it is to hear you ask that.”

“I-I…I’m sorry,” stuttered Sky Blazer, “I wasn’t thinking clearly. You’re right, it is a stupid idea.”

“It’s all right, mom,” assured her son, smiling at his mother as he did.

“No, it isn’t. How can I ask others to leave me when I know how much it hurts abandoning someone I loved with all my heart?” asked the Pegasus mare, tears beginning to stream down her face as she recalled many memories.

“Are you talking…about dad?” asked Wild Blitz, “Mom, I heard about what happened that day. You and dad agreed that one of you had to be a distraction so the other could get away. Otherwise, I’d have ended up being an orphan and we wouldn’t have the book.”

“Wild Blitz, I’m sorry but you have no idea how hard it was,” snapped Sky Blazer, “I have lived every second since then feeling like I abandoned your father, that I left him to die. Because of that, you had to grow up without a dad and I became a widow even earlier than your grandmother did.”

“Have you truly forgotten what we talked about before we left the Archives that day?” said a voice from in front of the group, which stopped to investigate. A glowing blue Pegasus Stallion appeared in front of them, naturally startling all three of them, “Because I remember it clearly.”

“D-Divine Bolt,” said Sky Blazer, able to recognize her deceased husband from his voice, “H-how?”

“All I can really say is magic is the cause,” replied Divine Bolt, “So, do you remember?’

“I don’t remember the exact details. That day and the days following are a blur to me, honestly.”

“Well, when it became abundantly clear we weren’t going to make it out of Canterlot alive if we stayed together, you came up with the option of creating a diversion,” explained her husband, “I volunteered because Wild Blitz would need his mother more than his father. You, naturally, volunteered to be the diversion, but I offered the fact that you were an all-around better flier than me. We said our good-byes, and we parted ways.”

“So, basically I abandoned you,” retorted Sky Blazer.

“No, you didn’t. Not in the least. I sacrificed myself so you could live. After all, you wouldn’t be right here if we hadn’t gone through with our plan.”

“Yeah, and I still feel guilty about it.”

“I understand, and I’m saying you shouldn’t feel that way,” said Divine Bolt, smiling at his wife, “Now, Wild Blitz, you’ve grown up so much since I last saw you. Then again, you were only two then. I take it you’ve been keeping your mom safe?”

“Yeah, even if she didn’t always appreciate it,” answered the Pegasus colt happily, “I’d do a bit more, but mom’s a bit protective.”

“And you’d expect anything less from a mother? My mom was just as protective of me,” said Divine Bolt, referring to the mother who had been deceased since before he had even met Sky Blazer, “So, Fire Comet. Sapphire keeping you on your hooves or has she settled down enough for you to relax?”

“She’s the same, not that there’s anything wrong with that,” replied the Unicorn stallion, “It’s great to see you again, my friend.”

“It’s great to see you too. Your parents did want me to say hello to you. For some reason, they couldn’t come to see you. Not sure why,” explained Divine Bolt, “But that brings me to why I came to see you. Yeah, this tunnel? It’s a dead end. You need to return to the entrance.”

“Wait, seriously?” asked Wild Blitz, unamused by the revelation, “What’s back there? And, are you aware how long it took us to get here with mom’s broken wing?”

“Well, I’m not exactly sure what’s there. I was asked to tell you guys that by Artemis’s parents,” answered his father, “And, yes, I know how long it took you to get to this point. But it is imperative you get back to the entrance as quickly as possible. And we need to say our good-byes now.”

“I had a feeling this would be short,” said Fire Comet, “Still, it was great seeing you again, like I just said.”

“Bye, dad. You’re in my thoughts a lot, and I’ll definitely make sure mom stays safe,” assured Wild Blitz, receiving a smile from his father.

“I love you, Divine Bolt,” managed Sky Blazer after a few seconds, “I miss you so, so much.”

“I love you too, Sky Blazer,” replied her husband. The two hugged before Divine Bolt turned. As he walked down the tunnel and disappeared, the trio turned themselves. Sky Blazer was the last to turn, but they all began to trek back to the entrance without a word.

Chapter 4

“Are we there yet?” asked Ruby for the umpteenth time since they had first started out. It was now the third day on their journey. While the first day had a little excitement, the second was rather boring. They had spent the entire day reaching the end of the Gorge and starting their trek through the San Palomino Desert before stopping for the night. Thanks to the river they had been following, there was no real worry of dehydration.

“Ruby, if you ask that one more time,” said an exasperated Sapphire, “I swear I will use magic to zip your mouth shut, do you understand?”

“I’m just so bored!” whined Ruby, eliciting a sigh from her mother.

“Artemis, remind me why you wanted these two along?”

“Relax, Sapphire,” said Artemis, “I am confident that they’ll be a great help before this is all said and done.”

“Say, Princess Artemis?” asked Fire Comet, who was walking behind his daughter at this point, “Why are we looking for this castle along the river? I’m sure you’ve got a good reason, I’m just curious.”

“Well, in ancient times, ponies lacked the technology to transport water over vast distances like we do,” explained Artemis, still looking out at the large mountain that had been in their sights since entering the desert, which was now very close, “So, ancient civilizations like Mesoponeighmia built their civilizations along rivers so they could have easy access to the water for their crops.”

“Say that name three times fast,” said Sky Blazer jokingly.

“Oh, and Ruby?” asked Sapphire, receiving a hum from her daughter, “I’m sorry I snapped at you just a minute ago. But you have to understand that asking if we’re there yet gets on everypony’s nerves except maybe Wild Blitz’s.”

“I’ll stop, maybe,” responded Ruby, saying the last word as quiet as possible, “Hey, what’s that?”

“What’s what, dear?” asked Fire Comet, looking off into the distance.

“There!” replied Ruby, pointing towards the side of the mountain that was facing the river. What the filly was referring to was a faraway carving into it that consisted of an enormous amount of openings. Adorning it were quite clearly gemstones of varying sizes and colors that gleamed as the late morning sun shined down upon them.

“I’m afraid I don’t see what you’re looking at, Ruby,” replied her father after looking for a few seconds, “Sapphire? Do you see anything over there?”

“I’m sorry?” asked his wife, who had not been paying attention to the conversation her husband and daughter were having. Ruby pointed in the same direction she had for her father, “Aha! There it is!”

“I get it now,” said the Unicorn, remembering that one of the things that Sapphire and Ruby had gotten from their Dragon blood was the ability to see things further away than most ponies.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” asked Artemis, trusting her friend’s judgment despite the fact that she herself could not see what they were talking about, “Is anypony up for a jog?”

“Erm, why?” asked Sky Blazer, looking at the Alicorn, “It’s not like the place is going anywhere or anything.”

“To be perfectly honest, I thought you’d want to get this whole ‘quest’ done as fast as possible,” answered Artemis, “I mean, the less time it takes us to get to the castle, the less time that Wild Blitz has to spend outside of the camp.”

“I’m certain nothing will happen to him if we just walk there,” replied the Pegasus, silently refusing to be goaded into being reckless. With a sigh, Artemis quietly conceded to Sky Blazer. The walk took just over an hour and a half, during which time the castle became clear to the rest of the group. The group now stood in front of the line of pillars that adorned the front walkway. Most of the pillars were either cracking or had collapsed to the ground over time. The gemstones that Ruby and Sapphire had seen were revealed to be a small variety in various colors; rubies, sapphires, emeralds, garnets, amethysts, and an extremely small amount of diamonds. Overhead, the sun beamed down upon these gems to give them all, even the tiniest of the gems, a sparkling effect.

“Heh, good thing we didn’t bring your dad along, eh Sapphire?” asked Fire Comet jokingly. His wife didn’t hear him because she, as well as their daughter, was fixated on the gems, “Honey, remember we’re here to find…whatever it is we’re looking for. Leave the gemstones alone until after we find it.” His wife shook her head as if snapping out of a trance.

“Sorry, I know. It’s just that these gems look so delicious,” said Sapphire as she waved a hoof in front of her daughter to get her attention, “I mean, we don’t exactly get that many on the supply runs so seeing them on the ground is like a dream come true.”

“At least you’re open to reason when faced with gems,” stated Artemis, smiling at her friend, “Spike, on the other hoof, isn’t. It’s amazing, honestly, that he didn’t try to eat the Crystal Empire before it fell.”

“While I don’t expect you to know it, there is in fact a difference between crystals and gemstones,” explained Sapphire, “Gemstones actually taste good, while crystals supposedly taste worse than ‘an old leather boot that has been dragged through the mud of a swamp.’ Don’t quote me on that, since that’s what dad told me.”

“Okay, enough of the lesson on the feeding habits of Dragons and Dragon-Pony hybrids,” said Sky Blazer, “We’ve got a task to do here. Shall we go in?”

“Agreed,” replied Artemis as she began walking down the path to the castle’s largest opening, which had clearly served as a doorway in the past. Once inside, the group was met by a large entry hall with four thick pillars adorned by gemstone lines with a specific pattern; a ruby, followed by a sapphire, an emerald, and a diamond, all of the same size There was a balcony above them, though the railing was partially destroyed, and surrounding them were doorways on each of the walls except the one behind them. An ornate staircase, which was surprisingly in good visible condition despite the apparent age of it, led to the second level and blocked most of the far wall from view.

“Well, this is certainly interesting,” stated Wild Blitz, saying pretty much what the others were thinking, “Now what do we do?”

“I…guess we start looking for something that stands out?” suggested Sapphire, unsure of exactly how to go about doing such a thing, “I mean, the book doesn’t exactly say what we need to find, as much as I wish it did.”

“Hm, think we should split up, maybe?” asked Artemis after a moment of silence from the group, “I mean, we’d cover more ground that way.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, that’s our best bet,” said Sky Blazer, fearful that there could be some sort of trap hidden within the walls of the castle.

“How about you and Wild Blitz search the rooms on the left side there, Artemis and Sapphire check the rooms on the far wall there, and Ruby and I take the rooms on the right side?” suggested Fire Comet, “I mean, that way we’re in pairs so that if something goes wrong, the other will be able to help.”

“Sounds good to me,” stated Artemis, with simultaneous nods from the rest of the group, “We’re in agreement then! Let’s all meet back here once we’ve finished searching all of the rooms.”

The six ponies split off into their respective groups and began to search the rooms on the ides that they had volunteered for. Perhaps by sheer coincidence, the first three rooms searched between the pairs were all ornate bed chambers with furniture covered in dust and sand. Fire Comet and his daughter decided to check out another room once they had made sure there was nothing of interest.

The next room the pair entered was barren except for a giant mural covering the wall opposite the doorway. The mural’s left side depicted a large number of Earth Ponies led by one wearing a crown holding what appeared to be spears, but the mural was faded to the point that it was impossible to guarantee what they had been. The right side showed a small group of Alicorns of varying sizes fleeing from the army.

“Daddy, what is this supposed to be?”

“If I had to guess, and don’t quote me on this later because I honestly don’t know for certain, this is a mural depicting the Mesoponeighmian victory in the ancient Alicorn Wars that led to the near extinction of the Alicorns.”

“But…why would they attack other ponies like that?” asked the filly.

“The wars apparently started over the treatment of the other races at the hooves of the Alicorn civilization of the time. That’s one of the reasons why the Bat Ponies were driven into hiding,” explained the stallion, “Not to mention that in the past ponies were much more violent than they are even today.”

“I can’t imagine living in a time like that,” stated Ruby after her father had finished, “Wait, what’s that?”

“I’m sorry?” asked her father, which led the filly to point to something in the corner that seemed out of place. It was a small ruby in the bottom corner of the mural on the side with the fleeing Alicorns, “Okay, that seems interesting enough to make me want to head back to see the others. But first, let’s go ahead and check the rest of the rooms just to be sure.”

While that pair was conducting their search, Sky Blazer and Wild Blitz were conducting one of their own. They had already searched through the three rooms on the bottom floor of the side that they volunteered to search, so naturally the next step was to search the remaining rooms on the top floor, or rather the remaining room because the side they were given only had the four rooms between the two floors. The final room was strikingly similar to the one that Ruby and her father had been in, though the pair of Pegasi had not seen it and therefore did not know. It was an empty room aside from a mural hanging on the wall opposite the wall. This one, however, showed a group made up of Earth Ponies, Unicorns, Pegasi, and Alicorns led by an Alicorn wearing a crown on the left, many of whom were holding weapons. On the right were a group of ponies that resembled the Pegasi but had bat wings instead of bird wings, which clearly was meant to represent the Bat Ponies.

“I see. I guess the ponies that lived in the past glorified their victory in driving out the Bat Ponies,” said Sky Blazer as she viewed the mural.

“So, why did they drive them out?” asked her son, who was surprisingly equally intrigued by the mural.

“I’m not exactly sure myself, but from what I’ve heard over the years, it was because of land. You see, Bat Ponies once controlled a large portion of Equestria in the past,” explained the mare, thinking back on what she’d been taught, “Once the other four pony races began to run out of space to expand, they decided to attack the Bat Ponies and take their lands by force. Which is where their hatred of the other pony races comes from.”

“Hey, mom. Look in the corner there,” said Wild Blitz, pointing towards the lower left corner of the mural. Sitting there was a small emerald that stood out from the rest of the painting, “Maybe that’s what we’re supposed to be looking for?”

“I agree,” replied his mother, “Well, we should go back and meet with the others and tell them about it.”

While the other two pairs were conducting their searches, Artemis and Sapphire were, of course, conducting their own. Aside from the two visible rooms on the ground floor, there were two more behind the staircase. All of those turned up nothing, as did two of the rooms at the top of the staircase. The final one was situated to the right of the staircase when facing it. Inside of the room was a third mural situated on the wall opposite of the door. This mural was perhaps the most interesting for it depicted a pair of Alicorns leading a group of ponies consisting of Pegasi, Unicorns, and Earth Ponies on the left. On the right was a group of Bat Ponies facing them being led by an Alicorn with bat wing like the ponies it was surrounded by.

“What…is this?” asked Artemis after a minute of silence from the both of them.

“I have no idea,” answered Sapphire, “I’ve heard of nothing that resembles this at all. I mean, Celestia and Luna didn’t fight against the Bat Ponies as far as I know.”

“And the only Bat Alicorn that has even been described in history is the Royal Pain,” stated Artemis, “Maybe this was some sort of prophecy that the Mesoponeighmians determined? Like, they saw that she’d overthrow the Princesses and made a mural to depict it?”

“But, there’s a small problem here. There are only two Princesses here,” noted Sapphire, “If they really do represent Celestia and Luna, why aren’t there three? Your mother was in Canterlot when the Empress took over.”

“Not to mention the wielders of the Elements of Harmony aren’t on either side,” added Artemis, “I mean, the Empress had already been in control of them by the time she attacked Canterlot. At least, that’s what my father told me anyway. And if they weren’t, they’d certainly be on the side with the Princesses.”

“Perhaps there was some unrecorded war from long before the defeat of the Bat Ponies that they decided to depict?” offered the Dragon Unicorn, “Well, unrecorded aside from this.”

“Maybe,” replied the Alicorn, “Wait, what’s that up there?” She pointed a hoof at the top left corner of the mural. There sat a small sapphire.

“That looks like something important to me,” stated Sapphire with a smile, “Let’s go meet back with the others. Maybe they’ve found other interesting things.”

When the pair exited the room, they could see that the other four were waiting at the bottom of the staircase for them. The two walked down to meet them, which was followed by them discussing their findings.

“So, there was ruby in the bottom right corner of a mural, an emerald in the bottom left corner of another, and a sapphire in the top left of a third,” summarized Sapphire once they’d finished their explanations, “What could they all mean?” All of them thought for a few minutes.

“What if they’re a combination for something?” offered Ruby after a minute, “There are four corners for each of the pictures, right? And there are four pillars with four gemstones on them.”

“That…actually makes sense,” admitted Sapphire, surprised that her daughter had managed to figure that out when she herself could not.

“And you didn’t want her along,” gloated Artemis, gaining only a glare from her friend, “Anyway, what exactly would this combination be?”

“Well, let me check something first,” replied Sapphire as she walked towards the pillar to her right, which was on the left of the staircase when facing it from the entrance. After inspecting it for a second, the Dragon Unicorn touched the sapphire on it with a claw. It glowed for less than a second. She then tapped the ruby on the same pillar, which did not respond at all. “Okay, that makes sense now. Those gems in the corners of the murals? They correspond to a gemstone on a pillar. Perhaps we should try touching the emerald on the pillar on this side by the door and the ruby on the one opposite of that?”

“Makes sense, if not a tad cliché,” said Sky Blazer, muttering the second part of that so the others didn’t hear. She walked over to the pillar to her right, the one that Sapphire had suggested touching the emerald on. Using her hoof, the Pegasus lightly tapped the emerald, though she did need to use her wings to reach it. Like the sapphire, it glowed for less than a second, “Nada.”

Fire Comet started to walk towards the pillar to his left when Ruby sprinted towards it so that she could press it first. When she pressed it, the ruby also lit up for less than a second.

“Well that was a bust,” said the filly, disappointed that her idea had not played out immediately.

“Not necessarily,” said Artemis, “Maybe press them together?”

“Worth a shot,” said Wild Blitz, who was visibly a tad jealous that his friend was helping and he wasn’t.

“Okay, on three,” stated Sapphire, “One…two…three!” The three ponies pressed their respective gems simultaneously. Like last time, the gems lit up for less than a second, “Um. Any other ideas?” The three ponies that hadn’t been pressing gems surveyed the room they were in. After a few seconds, Artemis practically facehoofed when she realized something.

“Why didn’t I see that!” exclaimed the Princess, “There are four pillars with four gemstones. The only one we haven’t been doing anything with is the fourth pillar and the fourth gem.”

“Well, I feel stupid,” admitted Sapphire a she too facehoofed. Artemis took the opportunity to fly up to where the diamond was on the last pillar, “Again, on three. One…two…three!” Unlike the last attempt, the gemstones began to glow vibrantly and the ground began to shake. Wild Blitz and Fire Comet moved away from the staircase as the floor at the bottom pulled apart seamlessly. Dust filled the air, causing all of the ponies in the room to cough violently. Within a minute, the shaking ceased and the dust settled. Where the floor had been was a giant hole with an extension of the staircase that they had been using to check the top floor going down into the darkness.

“Whoa,” said Artemis, that being all she could muster for almost a minute, “So, uh, should we go down?”

“I…guess?” replied Sapphire hesitantly, “Wait, why don’t Artemis and I go down there and the rest of you stay here?”

“But mom! I wanna go down there!” whined Ruby as she walked over to her mother.

“Just hear me out. I know Sky Blazer doesn’t want Wild Blitz going down there, and I don’t want you to go down there either,” explained her mother, “Either your father or I need to stay with you to make sure you don’t follow us. Princess Artemis has to go down because, well, I know her all too well and know she won’t have it any other way. And because of that, I should go with her because we work well together.”

“Oh, all right,” sighed the defeated filly.

“You don’t mind watching her while I go down with the Princess, right dear?” asked Sapphire, realizing she hadn’t received her husband’s input yet.

“Not at all. Besides, you’re right about you and Princess Artemis,” replied Fire Comet, who had been quiet the past few minutes. Sapphire smiled as Artemis landed from being up near the top of the pillar she’d been in charge of. After nodding at each other, the two descended down the staircase. The others watched as they disappeared into the darkness completely, which took nearly ten minutes because they were both using spells to provide light. The descent took quite some time, the exact time being unknown to Sapphire and Artemis. With every stair they stepped on, the air seemed to grow colder. The two mares knew they were near the bottom because they could see, to their surprise, the light from burning pots of coals.

“So, do you find it a bit unsettling that these are here?” asked Artemis once they had reached the bottom. Though it had been visible for almost a minute, they stood in front of a doorway to a pitch black room.

“Oh, very unsettling,” admitted Sapphire without hesitation, “But, we won’t get anywhere if we let it get the better of us.” She walked through the doorway and was momentarily stunned as the room lit up as a result of more pots of coal lighting on fire. The Dragon Unicorn, as well as the equally disoriented Alicorn, gasped when she recovered. Inside of the room was large, ornate sarcophagus resting upon a pedestal.

“Um,” managed Artemis, “Do…do you think we should go in further?” Sapphire lightly stepped towards the sarcophagus as a response. Artemis followed her friend. Once the pair reached the middle of the room they were blinded by a long flash of light. After a minute or two, the light dissipated and the two mares gasped once again. Floating above the sarcophagus was a transparent, light blue Earth Pony. Though not many features were visible, it was clearly a stallion.

“Quis tu, ut ingressus est cubiculum meum?” said the stallion in a voice that seemed to shake the entire room. He took notice of Artemis, a fact that was obvious to both of the mares, “Dicit ei unus ex corrumpere? Vade! Tu meum violasti in sepulchro cum facie tua!”