Sunset cut through the undergrowth of Snowthorns with a machete she held firmly in her telekinetic grip. It was just a little more ways until she reached the meeting point and the flunkies Caballeron managed to scrounge up.
Shivering a little with the cold air, she pulled her coat closer to herself. Yakyakistan was cold all the time, whether it was in summer, which it currently was, or in the middle of winter. The only difference was that there was slightly less snow around... Making it the perfect time to hunt ancient ruins.
Working past a couple more especially thick bushes, she finally came upon the camp. It was littered with tents freshly struck up for the night, a campfire roaring in the midst of them, providing a warmth to fight back against the cold chill. Ponies were littered throughout the camp, centered in a ring around the firepit with a few outliers already sleeping inside their tents.
And upon getting closer, she finally saw the one pony she was looking for, sitting with a tankard of cider next to a map he had laid out on a log. She smiled as she walked up to Caballeron, greeting him with an, "I'm back."
Caballeron looked up with a warm smile. "Ah, Sunset! I trust Daring Do didn't follow you?"
"I lost her in the marketplace. And I managed to hang onto this..." Sunset pulled a silver pendant out of her coat. It had a stylized image of a horseshoe on both sides, with wings on either side of the image.
Caballeron's grin got even bigger. "The amulet of Sleipnir! The only surviving artifact from old Neighway. And coincidentally..." He looked back to the map and where a big red X had been marked on it. "...The key to Sleipnir's tomb."
Sunset planted a kiss on his cheek before looking back at the map. "We're only twenty or so miles from it. At a steady pace from dawn forward, we should be there tomorrow afternoon."
"Tonight, we rest. Tomorrow, we will have our prize!" Caballeron and Sunset laughed at this, overjoyed at the thought.
Tomorrow they would have power...
Sunset and Caballeron cut through the thick foliage of the forest, breaking into a clearing. It was edging towards afternoon and the going had been slow thus far. Who knew so many different kinds of bushes grew in this northern country.
Wiping sweat off her brow, Sunset took the reprieve from cutting to check their current position. They were still roughly ten or so miles off from the supposed resting place Sleipnir and the set of ruins surrounding it. There was still a wide patch of plants and undergrowth before they got there, though if they worked fast they could get there within the hour. She put the map ad compass away before returning to the front to help Caballeron clear the path.
The five or so other ponies in their group followed them in semi-single file as they cut further through the forest, making small talk about what they might find at the ruins. They didn't matter though... All that mattered to Sunset were those horseshoes.
Well, maybe not just the horseshoes... Sunset blushed as the thought entered her head, and she glanced at the brown pony leading the group. Definitely not just the horseshoes.
It took a while to make it there, but eventually, forty minutes after the last stop, their hooves left snow and stepped onto stone pathways. Towering up towards the sky around them were buildings hewn of stone in various states of disrepair, some having fully collapsed while other had fissures in them and looked just about ready to fall.
The road they were on led directly to the heart of the city, where a Pegrecian-like structure was sitting, obelisks still holding it's roof up and the thick stone walls still standing together.
Walking up to it gave one a sense of smallness and insignificance next to this monolith of stone. It had been standing for hundreds, nay, thousands of years, resisting against the elements and stubbornly standing, refusing to fall and crumble, while they were intruders, seeking it out for the treasure it holds...
It's a very easy feeling for this group to shake.
They trotted up the steps to the doorway, elaborately carved to show the image of Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse. Down near eye level on the gigantic door was a circle roughly the size of one's hoof. Or in this case, a long-lost and now found medalion.
Sunset walked up to the door, a mask of calm on the outside, a small smirk the only thing revealing the turmoil of excitement on the inside. Taking out the medalion, she carefully inserted it into the hole, hearing a small Click! as it slid into place.
Suddenly the door started to rumble and the ground started to shake. Magical energy coursed through the door, making it glow with a bluish-green light. And as suddenly as it began, the rumbling and shaking stopped, with only the door continuing it's glow.
After a few moments of nothing happening, one of the hired hooves, Lost Ark, if Sunset remembered correctly, spoke up. "So... What happens now?"
Everypony jumped as they got an answer. "Now I welcome you." The door spoke in answer to Ark's question.
Caballeron was the first to gather his wits. "Uh, you can talk?"
They could hear soft chuckling as the door replied. "Of course. I am the spirit of Sleipnir. I welcome you to my tomb, Caballeron."
Caballeron blinked in shock at the mention of his name while Sunset pondered it. "If you know who we are, then you must know why we've come, Sleipnir."
The door's voice turned solemn. "Yes, Sunset Shimmer, I know what you seek. But to ensure that you are worthy of it, I give you a series of challenges."
Another of Caballeron's flunkies spoke up. "What kind of challenges?"
"Ones that Caballeron and Sunset Shimmer must embark upon alone, Butter Belle."
Caballeron and Sunset blinked in surprise at this.
"But... Why us and not the ponies I have hired?" Caballeron nervously asked.
"Because these tests were meant for those like you." The door finally slid to the side into the wall. "If you should try to bring your companions in here... None of you shall leave alive."
Caballeron and Sunset sat there for a minute, thinking. Should they risk their lives and try to take the artifacts themselves? Or should they turn around and leave, seek out easier treasure?
As if that needed an answer.
Caballeron and Sunset glanced at each other then spoke as one. "We accept."
The door- No, Sleipnir's voice seemed... Pleased. "Then enter and, if you succeed in these challenges, claim what is yours."
As Sunset trotted through the door, Caballeron turned back towards his hired ponies. "Make camp here. If Daring Do shows up... You know what to do." And with that he turned and walked into the darkness, the door sliding shut behind him with a heavy, Thunk!
Sunset and Caballeron were suddenly somewhere besides a dark stone hallway. Before them was a sun-filled valley, filled with greenery and beauty.
"By Celestia's mane..." Sunset whispered.
Suddenly Sleipnir's voice spoke up once more. "This is the first challenge: Make it to the other side of this valley, and we shall proceed."
They both stood there for a moment, struck dumb with shock. "That... That is it? There is nothing more than to cross this valley?" Caballeron questioned disbelievingly.
Sleipnir chuckled. "There is always more than one knows. But stay true to your hearts and you shall prevail. Good luck... You'll need it."
Glancing nervously at each other, they set off down the hill they were on towards the first challenge.
As they trotted down the path, they spotted many beautiful things to each side of the path. Birds of such rarity and beauty that they would be worth millions of bits! And fruits so succulent and diverse, gushing with juice, some that they had never laid eyes on before. The smells were exotic, like a sweet perfume, enticing them to come. The sounds of so many rare creatures. Such as...
"Is that a Hoofilian Cockatrice?!" Sunset gasped as something flashed past on the right. "Those are some of the rarest creatures in the world! They're only habitat is in Hoovestralia, and even then they're dying out! We gotta catch it!" She darted through the trees towards it, ignoring a call from Caballeron. He could wait. This was way more important ri-
Sunset got hit from the side and flew in the opposite direction, completely flipping over under the trees. As she caught her wits from where she lay flopped over, she glimpsed the tail end of the Cockatrice fleeing. Infuriated, she jumped to her hooves, intent on taking her anger out on whatever it was that stopped her... And came face to face with Caballeron.
She stared at him in shock as he stood there breathing heavily. She could only think of one question for him: "Why?"
Caballeron simply picked up a stone and threw it towards where she had been about to step. There was a Twang! and darts flew out from a hidden launcher, striking the tree in front of it. Sunset stared at it, mortified.
"Everything here is a trick! We must remain on the path." Caballeron simply stated. He watched Sunset for a few more moments before his face softened, somewhat. "Are you alright, Sunset?"
"Y- Yes... I'm f- fine..." She answered, still staring at the spot where the darts had struck. If Caballeron had been a few seconds slower...
The pony in question put a hoof over her withers and guided her back out of the forest. "It's okay, Sunset, it's okay. Let's keep moving." They continued their steady trot down the path, slightly more weary of their surroundings now...
Eventually, buildings started appearing to each side of them, made of bamboo and various types of wood. There were many ponies scattered around, going about the business of the day, whether it be fetching water or trading at the market. No matter what, though, no matter how busy they were, they always made to time to look at the new arrivals. And some of the looks they were getting were... Rather flirtatious.
One particular pair were at a booth, apparently selling kisses to the stallions in the crowd. "Three bits for a kiss, my good sir!" One called out to the crowd. The other... She was looking rather hungrily at Caballeron.
As they trotted past she called out to him. "My, my, such an exotic look! You there, brown stallion! I shall pay you for a kiss!"
Caballeron had to admit... It did look like a nice deal.
The mare leaned towards him a little more, looking at him suggestively. "Such a handsome stallion..."
Not only was she offering bits to kiss him, she was such a pretty mare as well. One kiss couldn't hurt, could it? He was sure Sunset wouldn't mind... Just a kiss...
Before he could reach her, Sunset pulled him back with a nervous smile. "I'm sorry, but we're in a real hurry. As much as he'd love to give you a kiss, we must be on our way." She said, a bit of strain in her voice.
Caballeron snapped back to reality. What had he been thinking?! He shouldn't have even been considering it, especially with Sunset around, and extra especially not in this place.
Sunset whispered at him urgently. "Everything is a trick here. No matter what happens, we need to stay on the path and keep heading towards the exit." Sunset glanced around, worried. "Who knows what the ponies here might plan on doing to us..."
Behind them the mare scowled. And I almost had him too...
As the sun wound down through the sky, Sunset and Caballeron finally made it the other side of the valley. What they saw along the way was, well... Very tempting, to say the least.
"...For the last time, we cannot take any of these animals with us!" Caballeron scolded Sunset Shimmer.
Sunset took slight offense at this. "Oh really, mister, 'But it's gold!'?"
"There was a big pile of it sitting out in the open with nopony around! What was I supposed to do, let the monkeys have it?" Caballeron shook his head. "How would I know there was a snake pit underneath it? Besides, you were the one to almost eat that cake the pink pony was handing out! It could have been poisoned!"
Sunset sighed, rubbing her head with a hoof. "Well, that's all behind us now. At least we can finally leave... This place..." She stopped in place, staring at the road ahead of them.
Caballeron saw it at the same moment. Instead of a path or a door or even another temple, there was... Nothing. No jungle, no ponies, just blank white nothingness.
Sleipnir's voice rose again out of thin air. "Congratulations. You have passed the first test."
Both Sunset and Caballeron jumped a little at that before calming down rather quickly. "Er, yes, we have reached the end of this valley, but... Where is the exit?" Caballeron questioned.
Sleipnir chuckled. "That is your next challenge: Too leave this place you must blaze your own trail forward, or else you will remain and become like those who live here."
Sunset narrowed her eyes at this. "'Blaze a trail'? Seriously? What's that supposed to mean?!"
"You will know when you figure it out, unless of course you don't, in which case you shall never know what it is." And with that strange farewell, Sleipnir spoke no more.
After a few moments of silence Caballeron sighed. "I have never liked this part of the adventures. Why must the ancients always guard their treasures with riddles? It's like they want us to fail."
Sunset wearily nodded in agreement. "I know... Why can't they just bury treasure like pirates?"
They both put aside their irritation for the moment and started thinking on what Sleipnir's words meant. 'Blaze a trail?' What could that possibly mean? They had nothing to mark out the trail they were about to go on, and even then they wouldn't know which trail to go on because they HAD no trail to go on. And if there was no trail to go on, how could they blaze... It...
Caballeron promptly slapped his face with a hoof. "Ugh, 'Blaze a trail', he said... It's so obvious even a foal would know the answer."
Sunset looked at him, confused. "The answer?"
"He said to blaze a trail..." Caballeron got out a match and a torch from his saddlebag before lighting the torch. "...And that is what we have to do."
Sunset looked from him to the torch to the wall of nothingness. "Ohh..." She said in realization. She nodded an affirmation. "Seems like our best option so far..."
Caballeron walked to the end of the path and shoved the torch into the nothingness. Instantly, the nothingness started to fade into... Somethingness. A stone chamber decorated with many carvings depicting Sleipnir in battle and peace. And in the center of it was a block of stone carved with ships and waves, with Sleipnir swirling around them all, dancing upon the air. On the table rested a sword of pure silver, looking still like it was newly forged.
And with a flash, the last of the nothingness faded, and they too were standing in the room, the jungle behind them gone.
Sunset and Caballeron stood there, gobsmacked. "...That was deceptively easy." Sunset remarked.
"As it ought to have been." Sleipnir spoke again out of nowhere. "For everything there is a trick, and even something as easy as crossing a valley can be as hard as grasping water." He chuckled in amusement. "Or perhaps something as hard as blazing a trail can be as easy as lighting a candle."
Caballeron rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, it was very amusing. Can we have the horseshoes now?"
...And all chuckling stopped.
"You have one more challenge before I give you those... Just one more test." Sleipnir said solemnly.
"What is it?" Sunset asked, irritated. They had just spent an entire day in a jungle with treasures unimaginable just out of their reach the whole way through. These horseshoes had better be worth it... And then Sunset felt his eyes on her. A deep, scoring feeling swept across her, studying her.
"You must kill him." Sleipnir stated.
And then Sunset's blood ran cold. "Wh- What?!"
"It is as I said. To gain this treasure you must sacrifice somepony you love... Do not deny it. That is the only reason I let you, Sunset Shimmer, and him, Caballeron, in here. You love him."
Sunset was at a loss for words. Deep down she knew that he was right... If she was truly honest with herself, she did love Caballeron. But... Kill him?
"B- But I can't just kill him!" She cried out, angry with Sleipnir.
And then something surprising happened. "Do it, Sunset."
Sunset froze before turning and looking at Caballeron as he knelt before her. "...What?" She whispered.
He looked up at her, tears streaming from his eyes. "You have longed all your life for power, power that you deserved, that is rightfully yours. If that means that I die... Then so be it." He bent his head down again, at the ready for a blow that would kill him.
But... But she couldn't! She wouldn't! "No!" Sunset yelled, her words ringing throughout the chamber. "I will not do this! If it means giving up a destiny of power, then so be it. I will not slay the stallion I love!"
"Think carefully, Sunset Shimmer..." Sleipnir's voice seemed... Cautious, now. "Would you really give up something that could give you more power over the world than Celestia herself? Would you really fail your destiny for the sake of this one life?"
Would she? Sunset had dreamed of having power, of being the greatest in the world. She fantasized of ruling Equestria, of being the one everypony listened to. And it was right there, in front of her, ready for the taking. Would she really give that up over Caballeron?
Sunset breathed in and slowly let the breath out. "Yes." Her answer rang true in the stone room. "His life would stand in the way of my destiny."
"Then you leave me no choice..." Sleipnir said sounding solemn. "...Other than to congratulate you on passing this test."
Wait... Whaaaaa? "Uh... What?"
Sleipnir chuckled loudly. "You have completed the last challenge." He said, even as the Caballeron before her faded away. "That was an illusion, made to tempt you into doing it."
"Wait... So you never wanted me to hurt him at all? What?!" Sunset practically yelled.
"I needed to be sure that you valued love more than power, young one." Sleipnir gently said. He 'Hmmed' for a second before a smile appeared in his voice as he also said, "And it appears that Caballeron values it more than power as well."
Across the room from her, facing a different wall, Caballeron came into view looking baffled angered at this. "What?! This was all a trick?!"
"No... It was also a test." Sleipnir simply stated. "One that you both passed."
Caballeron looked wildly around before his eyes froze on Sunset. They stood there like, staring at each other, before Sunset rushed over to him and wrapped a hoof around his shoulders, softly weeping.
"Shh, shh, Sunset, it's okay, it's okay..." He said softly, petting a hoof down her back as she sat there, hugging him and crying.
They went on like this for a few minutes, relief mixing with happiness as they embraced each other.
...That is, until Sleipnir finally interrupted them. "*Cough* I'm sorry to interrupt this heartfelt show of affection, but I believe it's time for you to claim your prize?"
Sunset and Caballeron looked into each others eyes, lightly smiling at each other, before focusing a glare at... Well, nothing specific, but they hoped that Sleipnir would get their meaning.
"Yes, I do believe we must claim our reward." Caballeron stated, rising to his hooves and pulling Sunset up with him. "Especially after that."
And with a grind of stone on stone, the top of the stone block in the center of the room slid off to the side, falling to the ground with a loud thud and the sword clattering away from it.
As they trotted up to it, they looked inside and saw eight gold horseshoes lightly glowing with magic energy. Sunset immediately grasped them in a telekinetic grip, picking them up and shoving them into hers and Caballeron's saddlebags.
Sleipnir spoke once again. "You have completed the challenges and claimed your reward. Well done. The exit is now open."
Stone ground on stone again, this time a portion of the wall sliding back and to the side, leaving a rectangle of white light shining through. The way out.
But before they could move one hoof towards the exit, Sleipnir spoke up once more. "I can finally rest now that I have finally released my treasure. A word of advice to you both, before you go: Never lose your love. Never give it up. No matter how much power entices you, never sacrifice your love for it.
"Live long and love well, Sunset Shimmer and Caballeron. I enter my final sleep now... Farewell..." The voice petered out, never to speak again.
Sunset and Caballeron looked at each other and smiled before stepping through the door and blazed a trail forward...
Author's Note
The end. Hope you enjoyed it. Please tell me how much you want to gouge my eyes out now. Toodles!