Family bonding

It was what seemed to the four a few hours since they had split up, and, still, neither group had found one another. "I knew we should have brought them with us," Sombra grumbled. They had returned where the four had decided to make camp, which he and Luna marked with their magic as they left. "Now, there's no telling where they went."

"Still, we shouldn't be surprised," Luna said. "Celestia usually did run from family problems."

"That would explain why she sent you to the moon to begin with instead of cleansing you to begin with," Sombra said. "Not to mention why she had her student cleanse you instead of herself."

"Maybe not," Luna said. "The first time, at least. She was probably overcome with sorrow, and wasn't thinking clearly then, and hoped my time alone would bring me back."

"Yeah, probably," Sombra said. "Still, as far as I know, she didn't try to bring you back when ponies began to appreciate shadows and the night more."

"No, she did try," Luna said. "But she couldn't undo what the Elements did. I felt her magic about five hundred years after my banishment trying to free me."

"And there's her ego," Sombra said. "If she had asked the rest of us for help, we probably could have freed you."

"Maybe, maybe not," Luna replied. "Should we send up a signal spell flare so they can find us?"

"And risk the animals here finding us?" Sombra said. "Only as a last resort. Only a moron would cast a signal spell here."

With Celestia and Chrysalis

The changeling queen and the solar alicorn were running for their lives from animals they had never seen before. The animals seemed to be a mix of wolves, bears, tigers, and eagles. Needless to say, a combination like that would make even an alicorn fearful, especially if said combination is around ten feet tall with a hide like steel.

"How did those things sneak up on us?!" Celestia yelled. "They're larger than Cerberus!"

"I say we just attribute it to magic for now," Chrysalis said, "and run for our lives while saving the questions for later!"

"Why not fly?!"

"Because they have wings too!" Chrysalis yelled back as on of the animals opened its maw, which resembled that of a bear, and roared with enough force to shake leaves off of trees, and even tear off a few branches.

"Then how are we going to lose them?!" Celestia yelled, fear in her voice.

"In the deeper parts of the woods," Chrysalis yelled. "Turn right."

The two royals did so, and into a more forested part of the woods, and slowly but surely, lost their pursuers. Once that was done, after what had felt like an hour of running, which was quite possible with how time worked in Tartarus, the two collapsed onto the ground, their outfits, the same from when they were banished, torn and dirtied. "We need to find Luna and father," Celestia said. "Maybe the four of us would be able to fight those things."

"Assuming they're real," Chrysalis said. "They may just be apparitions created by this place. It is called 'Fear', after all."

"Tell that to the scratch marks those things gave me," Celestia said, pointing to a wound on her lower leg.

"Illusion magic can be that good, my daughter," Chrysalis said. "I should know. I'm a master at it. Perhaps once we get out of here, I can teach you."

Celestia scoffed. "Mother, I am skilled at illusion magic," she said, to which Chrysalis raised an eyebrow.

"Oh," she said. "Can you create an illusion of yourself sitting on your throne while you're in, say, Ponyville, and have it do your duties while having an engaging conversation with your student?"

N-no," Celestia replied.

"I thought so," Chrysalis said. "Once we're out of this damned pit, no joke or pun intended, I'll teach you what I know."

"Thanks," Celestia said, a small smile on her face as she looked at her mother.

"Of course," Chrysalis said. "Still, let's play it safe, and not use another signal spell to let them know where we are."

"Then how are we going to find them?"

"Well, when I ran after you, I put a locator spell at the edge of the area so that we could go back. That'll at least be a start, and since your father's been here, he'll most likely have done the same, so we at least have a chance."

"Should we use an invisibility spell so we don't attract the attention of those things?" Celestia asked.

"That may do nothing if they have a good sense of smell, but it's the only thing I can think of," Chrysalis agreed. "Let's cast it, and get moving." With that, mother and daughter cast an invisibility spell and, with caution and speed in each step, quickly left the area they were in, and Celestia, using her magic to keep track of her mother, followed Chrysalis back to the designated camping spot, hoping that Luna and Sombra were there, waiting for them.