Ancient evils

Chapter 10: Redemption

"So Gilda." said Rarity. "Why would you help us?"

"Weren't you on their side?" asked Twilight.

"I was, but not anymore." said Gilda. "I couldn't stand what this made me into. I tried to kill my only friend."

"I still don't trust ya, after what ya did to Rainbow."  said Applejack

"I don't expect you to." said Gilda "But give me a chance."

"I guess you deserve a chance to prove yourself." said Applejack

While everypony was gathered near Gilda in this large elevator, Fluttershy looked at the machinery with worry.

"This shaft seems to go on forever." Fluttershy thought.

Pinkie could feel that her friend was worried, and tried to comfort her a little.

"I'm sure everything will be fine." said Pinkie. "I bet the worst of this is behind us."

She of course had no actual way of knowing, but Fluttershy appreciated her friend trying to cheer her up.

The elevator reached the bottom, which was the only floor it went to. The door shot open, and the machinery continued on like before down the hall.

"Gilda, do you know anything about what's up ahead?" asked Twilight

"Not much, I wasn't usually allowed this far back, but Trixie was. She's still around here somewhere."

"I'm sure she won't be a problem, I can out magic her again if i have to." said Twilight.

"And you have us to help now, too." said Rarity.

The machinery didn't continue, leaving the walls just made of metal down here. No sounds were heard anymore. There was an eerie feeling down here. A large chamber opened up ahead, with a deep purple glowing crystal in the center. Twilight had seen one of these in a book, but never a real one.

"This crystal is what lets that mare keep her spells up!" she exclaimed. The spirits following them gave an empty stare, either not knowing or not caring that she found the way to destroy them.

"Now we must find the way to stop its power. This shall be the spirit's final hour."

"But the question is, how?" said the young girl. She removed her hood to get a better look, at which point Fluttershy noticed something familiar. She was the girl who helped her in the occupation of ponyville! She walked closer to the girl.

"Thank you for your help in Ponyville." she said. "Without you, me and Rainbow might never have found everypony, or could have gotten caught."

"It was no problem, really." the girl said. "And with the way Macintosh kept worrying, I had to help, at least for his sake. But you seem like a great pony like him, and I'm glad I did."

Twilight thought back to the book she read on these crystals. She remembered there being two ways to destroy them, but one involved the caster of the spell. That left the other option.

"We have to enhance the spell enough to overload the crystal." Twilight said, unsure if she could do such a thing.

Everypony let the danger of that sink in for a few seconds. Overloading the spell would make the spirits much stronger than they are now, and very hard to defeat.

"You should have brought Spike." said Pinkie "He could just eat the crystal!" she said jokingly.

"I'm not going to be afraid. Not anymore." said Fluttershy with determination.

"I can help you with the spell, Twilight" said Rarity. "The faster we overload it, the less time we will have to deal with these creatures."

Twilight nodded to Rarity, who got on the opposite side of the crystal.

"Well, what are you waitin' for?" said Applejack. "Let's just get it over with."

Twilight and Rarity shone magic on the crystal,  causing it to glow brighter and begin to spin slowly. It sped faster and shone brighter and brighter. A chill flooded the room, and a dark red figure creeped towards them, followed by a blue and a silver figure.