courage of the heart

"drip" "drip"

I hear the water dropping off the stalactites and falling into the pools of musty water.  "clip clop"   The soft sound of my hooves on the cold cave floor. Measuring my progress as I search for what I have come for, the crystals

"Snap"

My head whips around at the out of place sound.  "Shining is that you?" I call out.  Something is off,  not right about this cave. But I can't put my hooves on it. And that worries me, worries me more then anything about this cave.

"Shining be careful somethings not right in here" I call out.

I'm starting to think that we are not alone in here. The way that the air moves as if by its own accord. Back and forth, back and forth. The out of place sounds. The feeling of a malevolent presence here, like i'm being watched.....

And then, I see it.  The detailed carving of a dragon. I move in for a closer look, entranced by the details, it almost looks as if it might pull itself off the wall at any moment. And at its claws the crystals we are here for.

The crystals I've found them!

"Shining come here, I've found them."

"Oh you did,  where are they?" Shining asks "For that matter where are you? I'm lost."

"Follow my voice Shining i'm over here."

"Oh there you are, and oh whats that carving holding?

"Just another crystal Shining, there are plenty as its claws."

And then it flashes and before i can stop her, shining reaches for the crystal and makes contact.

In an instant her eyes glaze over, and she starts screaming. I watch in horrified fascination a mist rises from her body, and the crystal seems to suck it all in. She can't seem to move. before i know it i am trying  pulling her away from it but its no use her hoof seems to be glued to the crystal and then i hear a grinding sound. Looking up in fear i see the dragon carving opening its eyes.  A fiery red and orange orb of malice pears down upon me.

I feel like a little filly again. cowering under the bed-sheets at night, after my father told me stories of dragons and their treasure hoards. Of the cruel things they did to those that dared try to steal from them. I find myself unable to move as my worst nightmare peels itself away from the wall and advances upon me. spreading its wings Its wings which easily dwarfed a pony's in size and power. The rage in its eyes as it sees me taking its crystals. And as it advances upon me, an inferno at its heart, my courage breaks and I collapse upon shining. Maybe if it eats me it will leave her alone, I think, then again maybe not.

My only hope of escape is in the smaller tunnels around, but I can't leave Shining to this monster. I can feel the heat above me as it moves in closer, I can imagine it looking at me with hunger, just another pony sized snack.

For the love of Celestia, why was there a dragon in this cave? "Why do I even care anymore?"

Suddenly I can feel the dragon behind me, ripping away at the rock, trying to get out. Seems it wants to get out of this cave also. And then with a ear shattering boom we are thrown back from the crystal, and the shattering sound of crystal sounds out around me as the walls shatter and the ruins of the crystals in them rain down upon us.

But I do not see this as I've been knocked out.

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Screaming.

Screaming everywhere.

Everywhere I look I see hundreds of shining’s surrounding me, stuck into the walls being drained by crystals

Some are turning into crystals themselves and shattering all the while screaming for me to help them. other are shriveling up and turning to bone and ash and glaring at me accusingly, I hear them mocking me, questioning me "why WHY WHY? Others are even growing old and crumbling into dust while ones next to them turn to vapor, that the crystals greedily absorb.

I think I've gone mad. It never stops. Just more and more for as far as the eye can see i watch as my friend died a hundred time over and soon my mother and father are there as well. Trapped in the sky as it rains more crystals and the earth itself breaks open and crystal ponies that look like my friend come crawling out reaching for me, marching on grey limbs towards me.

I'm crying now, a never ending sea of tears the spills into the burning wounds of the earth, and steam shaped ponies come moaning out only to be sucked into the crystals raining form the sky.

Madness and insanity screams though the sky. While the moon watches, and a evil laugh booms forth.

“Do you remember me, my beloved subject? Do see the wonders I bring! MWAHAHAHAHA”

And then I see her perched upon the moon laughing at me a dark alicorn, with dragonic eyes and fangs to haunt my nightmares.

And with a flash she is gone and I am left to sink into my madness as a crystal the size of my house slams into the ground in front of me and I see her face, my shining s face looking down upon me with anger in her eyes and she starts screaming at me.

“WHY DID NOT LISTEN TO ME? I SAID WE SHOULD GO HOME BUT NO! YOU HAD TO HAVE YOUR PRECIOUS CRYSTALS! NOW YOU SHALL HAVE THEM FOREVER HAHAHAHAHA!”

I feel it, i’m being drawn into the crystal and see the ending screaming thousands inside going on forever, as i'm pulled inside to fall into the abyss screaming.

This is it, I think, this is the end.  I’m going to be trapped here forever, I think as I cry. I notice now that there are hundreds of me also in the mix. Maybe I never noticed them but who can tell, maybe I just didn't want to see them.

And as suddenly as the screaming began it stopped and silence was everywhere.

WHAM

I slammed into the ground and i'm left to view a vast wasteland of crystals and ash. I see a figure walking towards me, covered in the mist as lay on the ground and sob.

I look and I see the moon upon her flank, the billowing mane of stars. She is looking at me with pity and sorrow as I try to run from her. finally I can run no more and I tumble to the ground, only to have a comforting wing placed over me "Peace little one, peace. we mean you no harm. Tis but a dream.”

I see the world crumbling away into nothing all around us and i remember no more.