New Purpose

  The entrance to the tunnel ahead was marked by two giant flowers, each had a large leaf shaped like a bowl, and blue light flowed as a liquid from the flower to the leaf, creating a comfortable blue glow. Twilight trotted past them without a care, Rarity gasped in amazement at the beauty, it was more wondrous than the moonwell in the Temple of the Moon. The tunnel they entered was dark and damp, the walls were blue earth, with many vines twining throughout.

Shining watched Twilight carefully as she led them, she had really scared him when the hydra attacked her, and he was nervous that she would hurt herself again. Twilight, however, never dwelled on her injuries and had nearly forgotten the whole thing, except her limp. They came to a corner, and Twilight peeked around, "Oh boy..." she whispered.

  Shining came to look, there were two blue diemetradons, large lizards that lived underground, each had an elegant sail on it's back. "They have very limited eyesight, we should be fine." Shining began to proceed.

  "Well we cannot sneak past them, surely they have a sense of smell to account for it." Twilight whispered, holding him back, Shining sighed, nodding. "Now, if we could somehow get onto that ledge..we could avoid them altogether..." Twilight glanced at her companions, "Hey!" she smiled widely, a sudden idea apparent on her face. She stared at Rarity, concentrating hard, Rarity gasped as she was surrounded by Twilight's purple magic, it lifted her from the ground, and Twilight turned her horn towards the ledge, Rarity was placed gently onto it.

  "Oh! Great idea Twily!" Shining ruffled Twilight's mane, getting an exasperated sigh.

  "Can you lift me onto the ledge? Then Rarity will help me lift you." Twilight braced herself.

  Shining's horn began to glow, "Are you saying I'm fat?" he asked as he lifted her.

  "No! Your just heavier because you're a stallion." Twilight hissed, crossing her hooves.

  Shining smirked, placing her on the ledge carefully, Twilight winced as pressure was put onto her injured leg again. Rarity helped Twilight in lifting Shining onto the ledge, Shining sighed with relief as he was placed on solid ground. "I thought you were going to drop me for a moment there." he nudged Twilight teasingly, who responded with a huff.

  The ledge was just above where the diemetradons were lurking, protruding from it was a bridge, crossing over the tunnels they had entered, on the other side there was a ramp leading to a cave high up on the walls. Along with another tunnel, Twilight could just barely make out light coming from inside the tunnel. "Let's go that way." Twilight trotted in the tunnel's direction, Rarity and Shining following close behind.

  Turning the corner, Twilight frowned, "Will this ever end?" she whined, ahead of them, on a long bridge of earth, there were 4 giant stone ponies, obviously alive, for they blinked and glanced around. Two stood by the bridge, guarding the entrance, and the other two patrolled the bridge, their hooftsteps shaking the earth around them.

  "How do we get past them?" Rarity gulped, the giants could crush all three of them under their hooves.

  "Size is hardly relevant, they are slow, we are fast, that is how we will get past them. And, perhaps...maybe an illusion?" Shining turned to Twilight, who bit her lip.

  "I suppose I could perform an illusion spell, but it will be brief, we need to move quite fast to avoid attention." Twilight began to cast her spell.

  "We need to get behind that fern, next to the giant on the right.." Shining pointed, "Then we can recast the spell as the patrols pass us, and run to the next ferns." Twilight nodded, concentrating hard on her spell, then the air about them shimmered like water.

  "Go!" Twilight galloped towards the fern, Rarity and Shining charged after her. They leapt behind the fern, panting at the sudden burst of energy. "Hold on!" Twilight stopped recasting her spell, "I have a better idea..." she had begun casting a different spell, fire swirled around her horn, and Shining noticed one of the giants began to glow slightly.

  "What are you doing?" Shining glanced nervously at the patrol, who were nearing the fern, "We are going to lose our window." He tugged at Twilight's leg.

  "Just one moment....." Twilight finished casting her spell with a gasp, "Quick! Let's go!" she whispered, taking off when the giants had passed them. Their hoovesteps echoed throughout the caves, causing the giants to glance back and notice them.

  "Great! Now they know we are here." Shining panted, galloping next to his sister.

  Twilight simply smiled, "Are they close together?"

  "Uh.." Shining looked over his shoulder, "Yeah, but I don't see how..."

  Twilight jerked her head forward, her horn briefly glowing red before an explosion came from behind, shaking the bridge. Shining glanced back again, the giants were tumbling over the bridge, into the water, having been ripped apart by the explosion. Shining laughed in amazement, "Why didn't you pull that stunt with the hydras?" he teased, nudging Twilight as they ran towards the end of the bridge.

  They skid to a stop at the end of the bridge, "Well my hair has seen better days." Rarity adjusted her jostled braid, bloodstained and soot-covered.

  "I think we have better things to worry about than your hair, Rarity." Shining chuckled.

  "Zaetar's grave.." Twilight whispered, reverently bowing her head as she walked forward, the resting place was beautiful, lush grass and bright flowers blanketed the floors of the cave. Crystal clear waters flowed around the grave, creating a sort of island, in the middle of the grave there was a dead tree, long twisted limbs breaking out of the ground. Twilight came closer, reaching out to touch the tree, as she did, a mournful roar echoed through the caves, Twilight flinched, drawing her hoof back.

  "I'll bet I know who that is." Shining drew his sword, looking around for any signs of an attacker.

"How dare you disturb my husband's grave?!" a booming voice called, the three ponies whirled around to face the source of the sound. Another stone pony, though not nearly as large as the giants, with what looked like two faces, emerged from the shadows, she was undeniably feminine, her smooth stone body was carved in such a way. She wore a giant emerald around her neck, and despite being made from stone, she had a long, silvery brown mane and tail. "Have you come to slay me? For I assure you, I will not go down quietly!" Theradras raged, stomping her hooves onto the ground for emphasis.

  "Remember, she is mad, we are here to bring her peace, give her an honorable death." Twilight whispered as they readied to charge, Shining and Rarity nodded, preparing their weapons, Twilight reared and charged, her companions following her lead. Theradras snarled, as they neared, then she lashed out with a kick, nearly clipping Shining, who stumbled but recovered quickly. Twilight threw her sword at Theradras, who dodged it nimbly, laughing as Twilight's triumphant expression fell, Twilight brought the sword back around again for another strike, but it was Rarity who made the first successful attack. Theradras wailed in pain as Rarity stabbed her side, the rock she was formed from was surprisingly soft, and easy to break, thick, grey liquid oozed from the wound Rarity left. Enraged, Theradras twirled around to face Rarity, swiping with her hooves, she threw Rarity against the wall, and returned to the battle with Shining and Twilight.

  Twilight glanced towards Rarity, who raised her head and smiled, Twilight noticed she was levitating, and smiled back. Theradras was busy with Shining, who was blocking her hooves with his sword, Twilight took the chance, aiming her sword, she threw it at Theradras' neck. Theradras stopped short of smashing Shining as the sword hit home, she gasped, her breathing became short and raspy and she collapsed, her hooves clawing at her neck as she struggled to breath. Twilight pulled her sword from Theradras' neck, causing her to cough up the grey liquid, "I..." Theradras began to talk in a much quieter voice,  "..never..." she gasped loudly for air, "..wanted this. Is..that..you...Zaetar?" Large tears fell from her eyes as the figure of a dryad appeared, he was like a majestic stag, with some features of a pony.

  "My love, you have let your grief turn you into a monster." Zaetar stroked his lover's cheek tenderly, "But now you are free, and we can both leave our mortal shells behind, finally able to proceed to the spirit world. Where you, as well as I, can live in peace." Zaetar reached for Theradras' hoof, as he helped her up, her body stayed behind, her spirit smiled as she held his hoof.

  "Thank you, heroes, his hold on me is gone, and I am with my love once again. I can never repay you now, since I am no longer a physical being." Theradras sighed, "But there is one thing, perhaps Zaetar could explain it to you better." She turned to her lover and nuzzled him.

  "Dear heroes, listen carefully to what I say, a great evil has returned to this world, one the Titans had long ago banished, along with his brothers. C'Thun has come back, one of the old gods, he and his brothers preach madness. He must be stopped, for he is the one who drove my dear love's children to kill me, and her to delve into despair and madness. He is the one who sends you your nightmares, Twilight Sparkle, for he targets mourning souls, turning their grief into insanity." He pointed to Twilight, who blushed deeply, "What is this I sense about you Twilight?" Zaetar knelt on his forelegs to look at Twilight, "I feel you have a great destiny, my dear filly, you are tied to every event I can foresee. Use your knowledge wisely, knowing the future is more than cause to ensure it happens, do not let yourself be tempted by soothsayers and magicians who claim they can show you." Zaetar told her sternly, Twilight pondered his advice, and nodded. "Good, now you must heed my words, for I have not much time left in this world now that I am at peace. C'Thun lives in the ancient Temple of Ahn'Qiraj, you will find him in the deepest reaches of the temple, where he has turned the once noble and wise into monsters. Amass a group of friends, only then can you defeat him, with your friendship..." Zaetar smiled as he and Theradras began to shimmer.

  "Farewell my heroes, but before we go, Rarity, do take my emerald, it will bolster your healing powers." Theradras pointed to her body, where the shining necklace still lay, Rarity gently lifted it off of Theradras' body, and placed it over her own neck. Then the spirits vanished, leaving the ponies behind in the cave.

  "We should go now." Twilight said, casting a spell.

  "What on earth did Zaetar mean about your destiny? He can't have possibly known that, could he?" Shining asked.

  "Quiet, I'm busy." Twilight grunted as a swirling image appeared in front of her, depicted inside it was Darnassus.

  "A portal?! We are finally going home!" Rarity squealed, bouncing about like a crazy horse.

  Twilight smiled, stepping through the portal and feeling that familiar buzz as she was sent back home, Rarity and Shining followed her, their epic quest had only just begun.