Author's Note

So, I know this took a while. I wasn't wanting to publish this until I had the next chapter and at least part of the following done. That said, the next chapter is done and will be posted next week... unless I get distracted by somethi- Oh, butterfly!... what was I doing, again?

Chapter 51: The Six Keys

We were all gathered at Sweet Apple Acres, me, Jynx, Spike, Twilight, and the other Bearers of Harmony, to hear what our two scholars found.

Twilight began. "According to Esoteric Script there were six heroes, known as the Pillars of Equestria, who helped fight against Kronos and were even involved with the spell to bind him. They each offered up an item of great sentimental value to serve as keystones for the binding spell. Essentially, these items are divine elements that used a mortal soul to craft."

"I didn't realize a mortal soul was strong enough to sever a piece," Rarity commented.

Jynx replied, "It isn't. They used their entire soul."

That sent a wave of nausea through the lot of us. To sacrifice one's soul, willingly... It showed just how desperate things were.

We couldn't let it get that bad again.

"Well, there is good news," Twilight said. "The Elements of Harmony were made based on these keys. One of the functions of the Elements of Harmony is to locate the keys. In fact, they're so drawn to them that one of us has already encountered and even used one of the keys; the Mask of Mage Meadowbrook."

"The mask was a key?" Fluttershy asked, surprised. "It didn't feel magical."

"What's this, now?" I asked.

"Oh, right. You were dead," Twilight said as if it was a completely normal thing to say to someone. "Long story short, Fluttershy and Zecora almost turned into trees and Fluttershy needed to get special honey to stop it."

I blinked, dumbly, and turned to Fluttershy. "Did you ever express a desire to be a tree?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "No. Never. Why would I want to be a tree? I would hate to be a tree.”

"Ah'll tell you later." No reason talking about that damn show now. I doubted it was still on, anyway. It probably ended after season three, four at most.

Applejack got things back on topic. "So, Ah take it we're goin' after that one, first?"

Twilight shook her head. "Actually, we're going after all six at once, while Shiro secures the site. We need to get this done as quickly as possible. The cult will have to study and research the artifacts in the hopes of getting a hint to their locations, but we can go straight to them."

I shook my head. "Don't you know that you never split the party?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "That only really applies mid dungeon. A planned separation often makes for fun and interesting encounters where each party member gets to shine in their own mini solo adventure."

We all got a chuckle from that before I continued. "Still, Ah don’t like the idea of y'all goin' off on your own when the cult's out there."

"We'll each have an escort of royal guard," Twilight said.

"I don't need an escort," Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight gave her friend a sympathetic look. "Rainbow, I know you don't like having to rely on others, but-"

"But what? I'm not useless," Rainbow growled.

"Take Jet with you, then," I said. "He'll follow your orders and support you however you need. Plus, Ah think you two'll get along."

Rainbow rolled her eyes, but agreed. "Fine. If it'll make you feel better."

"Alright, now that that's settled, let me tell you how to find them," Twilight said.

"Alright, are you ready?" Jynx asked.

I nodded, vigorously, bouncing in excitement.

"Alright. I present to you the new and improved... Stormcycle!" Jynx announced as Twilight used her magic to wheel out my motorcycle.

It looked similar, only wider in the front and the back wheel was bigger. Oh, and the freaking jet engine on the back.

"Is... is that real?" I asked, reverently.

"It is. And you're going to need it," Jynx said. "Hop on."

I jumped into the driver's seat, admiring the new beauty. There were a few new buttons, all enticing.

"Go ahead and press the blue one," Jynx said.

I did as I was bidden and was greeted with an amazing sight and the reason for the bulkier front. The front of the motorcycle unfurled into a pair of large, curved wings, like a giant flying manta ray.

"Oh mah god! It's a sky bike!" I exclaimed.

Jynx chuckled. "I call it the Stormcycle. What kind of storm is stuck on the ground? Sadly, the rest of the new features aren't finished, so the rest of the buttons don't work, yet.

"Also, keep in mind, it's not the most graceful thing. It'll get you from point A to point B well enough but you won't be doing any fancy tricks with it."

"Don't care, it's a flyin' motorcycle. You are the best wife a guy could ask for," I said as I closed the wings up again.

"And don't you forget it. Now go on and help my side piece save the world."

I gave her a kiss before speeding off. As I approached the edge of town, I pushed the button, once again unfurling the wings. The jet engine kicked on and after a good hundred yards, I was airborne.

"Hello? Mister Cattail?" Fluttershy called as she knocked on the old stallion's shack.

"Who dat?" came a reply.

"It's Fluttershy."

The door opened, revealing an aged earth pony stallion. "Oh, well Ah'll be. It's been an age. C'mon in."

"Thank you." Fluttershy followed Cattail inside, her eyes going to the mask hanging on the wall.

"Ah take it from your entourage and that there necklace you got on this ain't no social visit," Cattail said as he rummaged through a desk.

"I wish it was, but no."

Cattail nodded as he pulled out a key and started for the kitchen. "You need the mask, don'cha?"

"Yes sir. I'm afraid some bad people are coming for it. In fact, you should probably come, too. I'm worried they might hurt you if they find you don't have it, anymore."

Cattail moved a section of floor to reveal a safe. "Well, good thing Ah'll have a mask to give 'em."

He opened the safe and pulled out a mask identical to the one in the front hall.

"After your last visit, Ah realized how valuable this thing is and had a copy made. They come round, they can have that one, while the real one's safe with you."

"Thank you," Fluttershy said with a hug. "And remember, don't be afraid to run away if they come."

"Oh, don't you worry none. Ah ain't so addled in the head to think Ah can still handle a bunch of thugs. Ah got a safe place to run if need be."

"I'll be stopping by next week, same time, for tea. You better be here and healthy, okay?"

"Ah'll be here, hale and hearty."

Rainbow Dash and Jetaga moved as stealthily as they could through the dragon lands.

While the new dragon lord was friendly to ponies and had commanded her subjects to treat them with respect, dragons are known for having authority issues. Thus, they couldn't rely on that to keep any of the scaled giants from trying to snack on them.

Of course, neither of them were actually concerned for their well-being. They were both confident enough they could escape, even with Rainbow's impediment. Being discovered, though, would put the dragons in the area on high alert, and that would make their job quite a bit harder.

"It's in here," Rainbow said, leading Jetaga to one of the many caves in the area.

When they heard noises coming from within, Rainbow growled. "Of course. Some dragon has it in his hoard. Sounds like two of them fighting."

Jetaga cleared his throat. "They aren't fighting."

"Then what are they...” A loud, pleasured grunt echoed from within. “oh... well, then they'll be distracted, at least. Let's go."

“Ah ha!” Pinkie exclaimed as she pulled a strip of cloth from the chest at the foot of her bed.

“Wait, you had Somnambula's blindfold the whole time?” Phoenix asked, incredulously.

“Yeah! It's great for piñatas or pin the tail on the pony, and when paired with...” Pinkie dove back into her chest and scrambled around until she re-emerged with a pair of fuzzy pink hoofcuffs, “these, we can play another fun game.”

“Uh...” was all Phoenix could get out before getting tackled onto the bed.

Doctor Pots watched nervously as the country bumpkin tried to figure out what even she couldn't. As much respect as she had for farmers like this mare, doubly so when said farmer was also a knight of Equestria, she wasn't an archeologist. It took a special kind of touch to figure out the hidden mechanisms of these ancient repositories.

“Ah-ha, Ah see what it is,” the mare exclaimed.

The good doctor blinked. “What? You figured out the mechanism?”

Applejack chuckled. “There ain't no mechanism. It's just a big ol’ rock that only an earth pony could move.”

Doctor Pots shook her head, chuckling. “Missus Apple, I assure you, there's a mechanism. No earth pony could... uh, could... oh.”

As Doctor Pots watched the multi-ton boulder sail through the air, she made a mental note to start going to the gym.

Rarity hummed as she worked, trimming and pruning shrubs, bushes, and trees.

“You really don't have to do this,” the elderly caretaker assured her.

“What one must and mustn't do is second to what one should or shouldn't,” Rarity assured. “Besides, it would be a shame to deprive the world of such beauty as this garden once held and will hold again.”

The old mare chuckled. “You would have gotten along wonderfully with Mistmane.”

“Well, she did understand the need for beauty in the world. I would have liked to have met such an amazing mare,” Rarity said.

As Rarity worked, she could practically see the weight lifting off her host. “Perhaps I will have to make regular visits, admire the garden and maybe help out a bit more.”

“I would appreciate that.” The caretaker's voice even seemed lighter and more vigorous.

As the hours went on, Rarity lost herself in the work and pleasant conversation.

Finally, when the final touches had been made, Rarity turned to the center of the garden and smiled up at the statue of Mistmane.

“This has been fun. Unfortunately, I have obligations to attend. Worry not, though, for I shall return.” Rarity took up the potted flower and nodded to the caretaker. “Thank you for the conversation. I look forward to the next time we meet.”

Twilight lead her entourage through the dilapidated halls of the Castle of the Two Sisters. She was rather excited by the idea that her artifact was there, as it gave her an excuse to explore the ancient structure.

"This place is a maze. Are you sure you know where you're going?" Asked the Sentry in charge of her guard, Eric "Flash" Thompson.

"My element is telling me the direction, but not the actual path. However, I'm using a mapping spell that should help. There's another passage on the other side of this wall that I believe will get us to our destination. We only need to find a way to get there... without destroying the wall, preferably."

"And if we can't?"

Twilight sighed. "Then we'll get through doing as little damage as necessary. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."

A few minutes later, Twilight stopped. "Does anyone here have experience with the mapping spell?"

"I do, ma'am," a younger unicorn spoke up. "I can only read about ten yards, but I have good detail control."

"Perfect. That's exactly what I need. Scan right here,," Twilight said, placing a hoof on the wall.

The unicorn did as he was told, scanning the wall. "Yeah, it definitely seems to be a door, but I can't detect any mechanism. Does it just open?"

"Doubtful." Twilight examined the wall. "Ah-ha!" She channeled magic into her horn and wove a simple spell. There was a click and the wall began to move. "I knew it. No one other than mom knew the exact temperature of the sun back in those days, so it makes sense to use that as a kind of magical pin number."

Twilight turned back to the others. "The rest of you stay here. This is my mom's personal laboratory and library. It could contain private information or personal items."

"We'll be awaiting your return."

As twilight entered the private sanctuary of her mother, she found the single most closely guarded secret of the Goddess of the Sun, Celestia. There before her was [Redacted by order of the Crown].