While most everypony slept tight that night, Colgate laid tossing and turning. She began to wonder if some of her team was really serious about this, she began to worry that some of them would betray her and go to the authorities and she worried that some may try to take her out. Deep down though, she knew that she knows the bunker better since she saw it's inside and outside in her trance in Canterlot. She thought to herself, "If I get this feeling that they will try to betray me, I'll kill them out there and nopony would ever know where to look for them!"

She then realized that if she left with six ponies but returned with less, then she may be suspected in their disappearances. She started banging her head on her pillow and said, "Ugh, how could I not think about that. Normally I'm so prepared."

She then had a brilliant idea. She contacted Whooves, Twinkleshine and RD and told them that she wanted to stagger their trips so that nopony would wonder why all six of them were traveling together.. She told them not to leave Ponyville until nine while her, Amethyst and Sea Swirl would leave at seven. Luckily for Colgate they agreed to the plan without even thinking.

The following morning at seven Amethyst and Sea Swirl arrived at the train station to find Colgate waiting there for them. Colgate said, "Ladies, you made it! Let's buy our tickets and get ready to go."

Sea Swirl asked, "Colgate, where are the others?"

Colgate replied, "I told them that we should stagger our departures. A nagging voice in the back of my head told me that we shouldn't all leave together so I told them to leave at nine."

Amethyst said, "Well I think that is a good idea." She got a nervous look on her face but continued, "I hope you won't be mad at me Colgate but I don't trust the others."

Sea Swirl interrupted, "You too Amethyst?"

Colgate replied, "Well, it looks like the three of us are on the same page. We'll discuss this further once we are alone. We can't say anything around other ponies!"

The trip took two hours and they arrived in Dodge Junction around nine. They exited the train and started looking for a place to eat. While they were doing this back in Ponyville Whooves, Twinkleshine and Rainbow arrived at the station. Rainbow asked, "I still don't understand why Colgate wouldn't want all of us traveling together. Does she not trust us?"

Whooves whispered, "Listen Rainbow, she knows what she's doing. Keep quiet. We can't have anypony hearing us."

Rainbow nodded and the three boarded the train for Dodge Junction. The train ride seemed to take forever to Rainbow as she couldn't help but feel like she was being taken to her doom. Finally a little bit after eleven they exited the train and were greeted by their friends. Colgate said, "Whooves, Twinkleshine, Rainbow, you made it!"

Twinkleshine replied, "Yep, so when are we going to go on our hike?"

Colgate put her hoof over her mouth and said, "Shhh" She whispered, "Look, we can discuss this once we are out in the badlands. Follow me."

Everypony followed Colgate out into the badlands. Since it was late December conditions in the desert were quite comfortable. As they were climbing up and down steep hills Twinkleshine asked, "Colgate, how much more of this rough terrain do we have to endure?"

Colgate snapped, "Twinkleshine, these are called badlands for a reason. It is nothing but rough terrain. It is an excellent place to hide out as long as you don't have pegasus ponies trying to hunt you down."

Rainbow added, "Or Alicorns."

This comment hit Colgate wrong. To her this was Rainbow still showing some loyalty to Twilight. She just rolled her eyes and said, "Come on everypony. If the old maps were right there should be an oasis right over that ridge."

Once they climbed the ridge they were greeted by a small plateau with a lake and apple trees. Colgate licked her chops and said, "Wow, I know the maps said there was an oasis here but I never imagined something like this. Come on everypony, let's quench our thirst and refuel."

After twenty minutes of refreshing themselves they continued on. Finally around two in the afternoon, which was an hour sooner than Colgate anticipated, they approached a steep hillside. While the other ponies were beginning to head off to the side to walk around the rock formation Colgate walked straight towards it. She looked closely and found the hole that she must place her horn into. She placed her horn into the hole and recited,

The bunker is locked, from thy enemies it is blocked,
Crimes of the enemy must be paid for, to do this thou must unlock the door,
In we take the enemy, of which there are many
Inside we kill the bright ones, and the days of light shall be done.

The door began to slide open and Colgate and her friends became the first ponies to enter the bunker in well over a thousand years. Colgate knew that the door would soon close behind them so she fired a powerful ball of energy that spread outwards, lighting all the torches in the old bunker. The door slid closed behind them. This made Rainbow a bit uneasy. She asked, "Uh Colgate, do you know how we're going to get out of here? Is there a spell for that too?"

Colgate replied, "Yes Rainbow." She looked back and continued, "Now follow me. Be careful where you step. Even one wrong move and you could either wind up in a hidden chamber or find yourself decapitated."

Whooves asked, "So what exactly are we going to be doing here anyway?"

Colgate replied, "We are simply going to be checking the layout of all the mazes in here and I am going to see if all the torture devices are still in good working condition."

Rainbow asked, "All of them? We only need one to punish Twilight!"

Colgate replied, "Yeah, you're right but I do want to check them all. Who knows which one I might want to use on her."

That reassured Rainbow so she and the other five blissfully followed Colgate through the complex maze of hallways. A terrifying thought hit Colgate like a ton of bricks. She began to wonder, "What if they were to betray her? What if Twilight managed to brainwash them? What if they went to the authorities?" Very soon though her nerves calmed down entirely when she realized that she was in the perfect place to take care of those who tried to stop her from achieving her objective, which was wiping out Twilight for neglecting to take care of her teeth.

Author's Note

The bunker is locked, from thy enemies it is blocked,
Crimes of the enemy must be paid for, to do this thou must unlock the door,
In we take the enemy, of which there are many
Inside we kill the bright ones, and the days of light shall be done.

The enemies have paid the price, for in their torture they squealed like mice,
Now the hunt goes on, for more must disappear and be gone,
The princes of light are dying, which is most satisfying
Soon darkness will forever shroud the land and attacking us will not be in the outsiders' plan.