The Witch of Darkness (#10)

Chapters

Chapter 1: Getting Into Trouble
Chapter 2: Through the Trees
Chapter 3: Joskye, Swift, Argie and the Manticore
Chapter 4: Captured!
Chapter 5: Grumble, Mumble and Fumble
Chapter 6: To the Rescue!
Chapter 7: The Wizard's Sacrifice
Chapter 9: Safe and Sound
Chapter 10: Dalton takes Charge
Chapter 11: The Trap is Sprung
Chapter 12: All seems Lost
Chapter 13: Into Battle
Chapter 15: Return to the Trees
Chapter 8: Battle of the Sky
Chapter 14: Explanations and Celebrations

Chapter 1: Getting Into Trouble

E.Q.U.E.S.T.R.I.A Spies: The Witch of Darkness (10#)

Chapter 1: Getting into Trouble.

"The Islastone…"

~A young prince was having an unusual dream. He awoke with a start and found himself lying on the floor of his bedchamber. Trembling slightly, he rose and crossed to the window. His room was on the third floor of the palace and faced south over the royal gardens. Beyond the starlit lawns and shadowy trees the sleeping city of Asteral lay quiet and still. The prince gazed thoughtfully at the shimmering starry skyline of the homeland he knew and loved so well. He glanced at the gold ring on his second finger. It was set with a silvery fragment of stone that flickered in response. He breathed the night air deeply and felt a thrill run through his body.~

"My destiny calls me. It has spoken." He uttered the words quietly but firmly to himself.

~In Canterlot City, on an early Saturday morning, the Rainbooms were out at the park for some exercise and fresh air.~

"Pinkie, catch!"

"Got it!~"

"Oh, be careful, you two…you might spook the neighbouring amphibians…!"

~Rainbow Dash threw a football at Pinkie Pie and she jumped and caught the ball with both hands. Nearby, Fluttershy was crouching over the nearby pond, and shielding a few frogs with her arms. Lightning Star was beside her.~

"Don't worry, Fluttershy! Me and my raccoon tail will be ready in case the ball rolls anywhere NEAR that pond!" Lightning said optimistically while pointing to herself.

"T-Thank you, Lightning…"

~Lightning playfully swings her tail around in protection as Fluttershy peers over the pond. She waited patiently as one frog after another popped its head out of the water. The flakes of fish food drifted across the surface and she willed them to eat it. Her cowgirl friend, Applejack, watched her before she looked back up at Rainbow and Pinkie, a feeling of worry was across her face.~

"Rainbow Dash, I know this football tournament is important to ya, but, y'know that sports games ain't allowed in the park…" Applejack pointed to a 'No Sports sign' just above her head.

"Calm down, AJ, it's just a game. Me and Pinkie will be careful, I promise." Rainbow retorted.

"Yeah, what could go wrong?!" Pinkie shrugged.

~Pinkie rolled the ball across the ground like a bowling ball to Rainbow's foot and, with a lot of force in her leg muscles, Rainbow Dash kicks. The ball begins to head in Rarity's direction. She was sitting on a bench with Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer, doing makeup and staring at herself in a pocket mirror. She spotted the ball zooming towards her and screamed. She ducked and the ball just misses her head by a margin. She then turned to Rainbow Dash, a mixture of shock and anger flashed across her face.~

"Rainbow Dash!"

"Oops, Sorry, Rarity!" Rainbow apologised. "I was aiming for the goal…"

"Well, you can aim for the goal over there! Meanwhile, I am trying to look as fabulous as I can for the opening of the new boutique in Canterlot. It will be Stylish! Glamorous! And Perfect!" Rarity proudly stated, while continuing on her makeup.

"I take it that it's YOUR brand new boutique, Rarity?" Lightning asked with genuine curiosity.

"Indeed it is." She said, then she asked with a hint of joking sarcasm. "However did you guess?"

"Uh…lucky guess, I think." Applejack giggled as Lightning gave her a thumbs up and a smile. "After all, we 'll got an invitation from ya."

Lightning's smile suddenly disappeared. "It's a shame Karly can't come." She sighed. "Or even come with us here to the park right now. The Chief can be so overprotective."

"Yeah, but, like ya said, Lightnin', we can't do a thin' 'bout it."

"I'm sure Karly will be alright. I'm also sure this night will be alright." Twilight stated. "Actually, better than alright. It will be perfect! The whole opening was organized and planned out nicely by this gal!" She proudly pointed at herself.

"That...must have been tiring…" Sunset said, thinking about it.

"Not at all! You'll be able to find anything in 3 seconds flat! It was some of my best work…" Twilight reassured.

"…Lucky enough it's done. When is the opening anyway?" Lightning asked, turning to Rarity.

"This evening." She answered, not taking her eyes off her mirror.

"So…Why are you getting ready now?"

"Darling, it pays to have time for makeup in the morning than in the evening. Besides, I have to do more for the opening…!"

"Then, what are we doing here? We'll help get these opening preparations done and over for the evening!"

"Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie. I think it's 'bout time y'all stop playin' with that football now before we 'll get in trouble with park warden…" Applejack called out once again.

"But, I want to show you guys this one last trick!" She said, ignoring Applejack.

~Rainbow Dash spins the football on her foot then kicks. Then it happened. The ball flew at intense speed towards the flats. Horrified, Lightning shot off the ground to catch it, but it was too late. The ball spun and whistled and with a sickening, horrifying clunk smashed into the fourth floor window of the flats. There was a moment of shocked silence. Time seemed to slow down as the eight girls stared and froze in fear. Then they heard a woman scream and a baby's cry.~

"UH-OH!" Everyone gasped dramatically.

"That's not good…" Sunset said as panic settled inside of her immediately.

"Quick, let's get outta here!" Lightning yelled.

~Rainbow didn't need to be told. She activated her power and sped off. Everyone else follows her out as quickly as they can before they are surrounded by the crowd of people, who has seen everything, and are shouted at and scolded for their stupidity by them. A grim-faced park warden strode across and took charge, he watched the girls escape before he examined the window from afar and made sure no one was hurt. He pulled a serious stare at them.~

~At the hideout, everyone was sitting around the table, all displaying equal amounts of anxiety and looks at Rainbow Dash in disappointment. They didn't know what to do. Applejack puts a hand to her brow, exasperated, but attempts to be understanding.~

"Rainbow Dash, what were you thinkin'?"

"It was an accident, honest! That wasn't the shot I was going for at all!" Rainbow panicked, shamefaced, and almost crying.

Lightning suddenly stands up, slamming her fist on the table. "Forget the blooming shot! If my dad and the chief finds out, we're all TOAST for sure!"

Twilight, still pale from the shock, also stood up. "Honestly, I don't think we should have run away...We should go back." She admitted.

"What?!" Rainbow gasped.

"I agree." Sunset nodded. "I'm sorry, Rainbow, but it's the right thing to do. We should march back down there and tell the flat's owner and everyone else we're sorry."

Rainbow let out a sigh. "Ok, but can we not tell the Chief about this? I don't want to get into double trouble."

"That I can stand for." Lightning said. "Come on. He doesn't have to get involved, does he?"

"I guess not...Okay." Twilight nodded silently.

"Great! Now, quick, before he comes in, let's go back!"

~The gang all bolted for the stairs, but at that exact moment, Steven Secret, the Chief, and Nimbus Star, Lightning's father, were coming down into the room in which they were gathered. Much unlike the rest of them, they appear to be so relaxed that their brains took 5 seconds to register that they're even there.~

"Morning, Agents." Chief greeted them in auto-pilot mode.

Lightning suddenly panicked. "What football shot?! We don't know anything about any football shot through the window…! I mean, morning Chief…! And dad!"

~Lightning smiled to hide the pure amount of anxiety building within her, however the anxiety causes the smile to come out very lopsidedly. Even the unsuspecting kiss she gave her father was a bit sloppy.~

Nimbus rubs the salva off his cheek. "Glad to see you're up and at 'em, girls." He said.

"Are...there any missions for us?" Lightning asked, crossing her fingers in hopes there aren't.

"No, actually. The city has been pretty peaceful." Steven answered. "Just a couple of papers that need to be filed, but I'll take care of them myself."

"Great! So, uh, we're gonna go now, gonna enjoy our day off. Then prepare for Rarity's Boutique in the evening, and all that- Okay, see ya!"

"Wait, hang on a min..." began Nimbus.

~But before he could continue, the girls were gone. They made it outside to the statue/portals to Equestria and the UK, and were about to leave for the park when suddenly they were startled by the sound of roaring. They whirled around and saw the crowd from the park, including the park warden, coming straight towards them, and they were not pleased.~

"There they are!" cried the man standing beside the warden.

"Uh oh…" Lightning whispered.

He walked up to them, waving his finger. "You are in big trouble, young ladies!"

Lightning suddenly felt Nimbus behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Whoa, what's going on here?" He demanded, indignantly.

"Are you this girl's father, sir?" The warden asked, pointing at Lightning.

He nodded. "Indeed. Why? What happened?"

~The Warden reached into the inside pocket of his green jacket and brought out a notebook and a silver ball-point pen.~

"Your daughter and her friends here were playing sports in a prohibited park." He explained sternly. "Not only that: They were playing dangerously; Ignoring the signs; and damaging property around them." He sucked in a breath between his teeth. "You can thank the lucky stars that the people inside were far away enough from the window. I dread to think what would have happened if they had been close."

Nimbus was at a loss for words. "Lightning, is this true?" He asked, glancing down at her.

"Well, yes, but- "

"We didn't mean it." Sunset blurted out.

"You doubt you didn't. But you didn't think about other people, did you?" The warden replied. "That's the trouble with you kids these days. You've no sense of responsibility."

Nimbus' face changes and he speaks back at the warden with noticeable indignantly in his voice. "Right. Well, thank you for telling me about this, warden. I think we need to talk about this alone now."

The warden put his pen and paper away. "I believe you will. Have a good day." He tipped his hat and went away.

~A lot of serious talking took place in the E.Q.U.E.S.T.R.I.A hideout for the next thirty minutes. Nimbus telling Steven what had happened then the girls fessing up was just about the worst thing they had ever had to do. Never they had felt so ashamed of themselves, or so stupid.~

"I'm disappointed in you, Lightning." said Nimbus. They sat on the orange table, opposite each other, while Steven and the Rainbooms stood aside, heads down in shame.

"B-But it wasn't my fault!" Lightning frowned. "It was Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow looked up at Lightning, her face filled with disbelief. "WHAT?"

Applejack then folds her arms, and puts on an appearance of integrity at Rainbow Dash. "I told Rainbow Dash to stop and watch out, but she didn't listen!" She said.

"Where else am I supposed to practise?! Also, how on Earth did you expect me to know that the WIDE open park was private?" Rainbow yelled, attempting to defend herself.

"You know that sporting isn't allowed in any of the parks anyway." Steven spoke up. "That's bad enough, but you must have been playing like a lunatic not to stop and think." The Rainbooms stared at the fire in his eyes.

Nimbus agreed. "Exactly. You should know better at your age. You're 17 years old! I mean, for crying out loud, what's gotten into you girls?"

"Rainbow just got too into the game, I suppose. I did try to stop it though, I swear-!" Lightning panted.

"That's right, she did." Twilight said. "And we were going to go back and fix it before you came."

The Chief huffed. "That's all well and good, but, Agent Dash, you must learn to control yourself."

"Hmm." Nimbus nodded. "Life's not all about winning a football competition and being the best at it. You can't go charging around like a madman because of it either. You could have injured somebody, or worse. Then what would have happened? It doesn't bear thinking about."

"Do you know if they're alright?" Sunset asked, lifting her eyes.

"Thankfully yes. I made enquiries." Steven answered.

"Man, I'm very sorry, Chief. And Mr. Star. I won't do it again!" Rainbow ventured.

~Although he had been very cross, Nimbus Star was a kindly man and he was mostly relieved that no real harm had been done. As did Steven.~

"Well, I hope not," Steven said. "But it's no use us just letting you off, is it?"

Lightning turned to her dad. "Are you going to forbid us from seeing each other?"

"No, I can see that Rainbow Dash still has goodness inside her and that you are teaching her things to make her better. So, I'm not going to separate you. But what Steven and I am going to do is call your parents, Rainbow Dash, and send the flats owner a cheque to cover any damages, but you girls will be paying that back out of your own money for a good long while. Is that fair and understood?"

"Yes, dad." Lightning agreed glumly. The others did too.

Steven sighed. "Just be more careful in the future next time, Agent Dash. And for goodness sake, grow up! Now, off with you. I've had enough."

~Gloomily, the girls went up the stairs, all in a terrible mood. Rainbow Dash especially.~

"Well, that went well…" Lightning said sarcastically.

"Great, Now how am I supposed to practise…? I have the big game tomorrow!" Rainbow cried.

"Dash, have you seriously not been listening to what my dad has just been saying?! Football isn't important right now!"

"Now, now, Lightnin', let's not start fightin' about this…" Applejack sighed. "That's the last thin' I wanna do right now."

Lightning breathed in, then out. "You're right. We need to calm down."

"...How about we take a walk? That'll take our minds off of all that's just transpired." Sunset ventured.

Fluttershy smiled at Sunset. "Can we walk in the forest when the animals will be bright and early out…?"

"I don't see why not." She answered, softly smiling back.

"It always helps me calm down from excitement…"

"Alright. It's this way, isn't it?" Lightning asked, pointing right as they exited the school doors. They nodded and ventured off.

Chapter 2: Through the Trees

Chapter 2: Through the Trees.

~Lightning put the stress to the back of her mind, and attempted to smile along with her friends. She leads them off the pathway into the forest behind CHS. Fluttershy skipped ahead to greet her animal friends first. When the others reached the forest area, Lightning playfully gives a sad Rainbow Dash a nudge and tried her latest pun on her.~

"Hey, Rainbow, I wrote a story once about a broken window. And guess what?"

"What?" She sighed.

Lightning snickered. "It's saved in my drafts!"

"Lightning!" Applejack, Sunset and Twilight exclaimed in exasperation.

"What? Just trying to cheer her up!" Lightning said, defensively.

"Hehe, that was good…It's ok, I'll get over it soon…" Rainbow said, now in a bit of a chirpier mood.

"I hope we all do…" Sunset replies with somewhat wistfulness in her voice.

Pinkie suddenly pokes her head out of the trees and exclaimed excitedly. "Hey, Girls! Check out what I just found! Wait until you see whose name's on it!"

Everyone glanced at each other rather confused. "Hm…?"

~Pinkie bounced ahead again and constantly motioned her friends to follow her quickly. She wanders them into another part of the forest in which they have never seen before. Lightning moves some leaves out of the way until they all reach a large, ancient oak tree.~

"What the...?" Lightning couldn't believe her eyes.

"Lookie here!" exclaimed Pinkie, showing a black plaque bolted on the tree with its gold lettering. "It reads 'The tree of Pinkie Pie'. That's me!" She pointed at herself jovially.

Sunset raised a brow. "Looks like it says more than that."

~Sunset examines the surface more closely and begins to dust off the wood shavings off the plaque, revealing more names which made everyone's eyes widen.~

"'The tree of Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Lightning Star...and Sunset Shimmer.'" Sunset perused.

Everyone was strangely silent. "What the heck?" Lightning suddenly said. "That's so spooky!"

"What does it mean?" Fluttershy softly whispered.

"I don't know. But It looks like it was crafted here years ago…" Twilight observed.

"Do you think it's some sort of gravestone? Surely it can't be ours though. We're all still alive and well." Lightning said nervously.

"Look! It has today's date on it!" Twilight exclaimed, pointing at the date on the plaque below their names.

Lightning becomes even more nervous. "Wow. Umm...Okay. Coincidence?"

Rarity's eyes shrunk down. "Wait, does that mean that- " She gasped dramatically. "We are going to die today?!"

"Don't be silly, Rarity…" Applejack replied. "Of course not." She suddenly looked about, perplexed. "I mean, I hope not."

Lightning was just about to remonstrate with them when Fluttershy gripped her arm. She looked as white as a sheet and she could feel her trembling. "Hey, hey, hey, hey! Girls! Let's not jump to conclusions…I'm pretty sure there's a logical explanation for all this."

~Suddenly, she felt something glowing on her neck. It was the geodes. All eight stared in amazement as near the roots of the tree misted and opened out a hole into a short passage and a grey forest beyond down below. Lightning shows a confounded face and kneels down to touch the hole, her hand passes into thin air at once, she immediately withdraws it in surprise.~

"Ooooooh…I get it! I think I know what this is!" Pinkie exclaimed, waving her hand in the air like she was at school.

"You do?" Twilight asked.

"It's a hologram!" She answered.

"Why would anyone want to set up a hologram in a derelict forest in the first place?" Twilight inquired.

"And the matter of our names on the tree?" Sunset added.

"...Okay. It's an illusion!"

"I'm sorry, Pinkie, but I don't think it's that either."

"Do you think this might be the work of Equestrian magic?" Sunset asked, thinking about it. "This could be another portal to Equestria!"

"You mean like that quicksand portal thing you said you found while on your Spring break holiday? Hmm, could be." Lightning said.

"If that's the case, we must be able to walk right into it, right?" Rainbow said.

"It must be some kind of gateway in time, and because we can read our names I...I think we're meant to go through." Rarity explained.

Lightning stepped up. "Only one way to find out…"

~Everyone's geodes glow brighter and the roots lights up, everyone's magic blasts in at once, making the hole more visible.~

"Ooooookay. Not sure I'm comfortable with this now..." Lightning said. "Okay, no. Come on, be brave."

"Wait! If we're going to go through, C-Can we go through it at the same time? I do feel a bit frightened…" Fluttershy whispered.

"Okay. We'll do it together, then. Let's hold hands and jump forwards."

~With one simple stride, the eight girls crossed the threshold from their world and jumped into the unknown. Pinkie let out a whoop as they flew down. They felt slightly dizzy and tingling all over. They stopped falling after a minute. Ahead of them stretched the mysterious dead forest and whatever mysteries it held in store for them. They emerged from a bank in the side of a hill and found themselves at the head of a short flight of moss-covered stone steps. The steps looked ancient, as did the rickety handrail that ran down the left side.~

"This definitely isn't Equestria…" Sunset sighed.

"Then Wh-Where are we? It's like some kind of petrifying forest. I don't think I like it after all. Maybe we should go back?" Fluttershy stuttered.

"Just a minute." Lightning said. "Let me think. You know what I think happened? It's like what you said, Rarity. We've found a gateway in time. You know, like in science fiction when you go into a para…what-do-you-call-it?"

"Parallel universe." Twilight prompted.

"That's it. One of those." Lightning said while clicking his fingers and pointing at Twilight.

"If that's what's happened to us then we had best try and find out what it's all about." Sunset said.

Rainbow was all for it. "Yeah, let's take a look around. But watch out for aliens or robots with death rays…"

"Well, I don't really know...We're either dreaming, or we're actually here, wherever 'here' is." Twilight answered, looking skeptical.

"We'd better have a look around and see if there's anyone else. But let's be careful, just in case." Sunset added.

"Our magic came through here, so this place must be important…" Applejack pointed out.

~Before venturing further, Lightning and the Rainbooms scanned the scene before them. What Twilight could clarify is that they had entered a vast forest of ancient, grey trees. Many of the branches from them lay broken on the ground. The sour smell of decay hung in the dank air and all was silent. Lifeless-as still as death.~

"There's hardly a sign of life anywhere. The forest is almost…dead." Lightning noted.

"Just a bit of moss and a few bushes growing here and there!" Rainbow said in an unimpressed tone.

"And here and there! And there and here!" Pinkie said, pointing in every direction.

"I wonder what happened to it?" Rarity asked sadly.

"Mmmm, maybe it's not dead but...well...it looks as though someone has taken all the life out of it!" Lightning said.

"Well, it must be dead then." Rainbow replied.

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Not really, what she is trying to say is..." She was interrupted by the snap of a single tree branch. "...What was that?"

~Everyone began looking around for the source of the noise. But before they know it, in the twinkling of an eye, the eight girls found themselves surrounded, not by aliens or robots as Rainbow suggested, but by a gang of fierce-looking creatures armed with spears and clubs.~

"One move, and you die! Stay right where you are." The speaker was an important-looking elf.

~All the girls were speechless and all could have not moved even if they had tried. Fluttershy screamed and clutched onto Applejack. The ring of trolls, gnomes, elves, fauns and cyclops closed in. Their fierce eyes and bared teeth made it quite clear that they were far from friendly. And the prods and pricks that the girls received were real enough to prove that this was no dream.~

"What the…?" Lightning spluttered. "Fantasy creatures! What is this? Narnia or something?" She then gasped.

"N-no. You said th...that's just a st...story." Fluttershy stuttered. "Also there's no sn...snow."

"I hope there isn't a witch, though." said Rarity.

"Silence!" The elf ordered. He flashed a look at the other creatures. "You know what to do. Tie them up and take them away." He commanded.

~At once, the creatures swarmed over the girls, pushing them to the ground. Fluttershy and Rarity started to scream but gags were thrust into their mouths. Rough ropes bound their hands behind their backs and, in spite of their frantic struggles, it seemed only a matter of time before they were all quite helpless. Quickly, they were dragged to their feet and, encouraged by spears, were shoved along a narrow twisting pathway that led off into the barren undergrowth. As they stumbled along, Lightning began to think.~

"Ugh, well this is pleasant." She groaned at first. "I should never have let down my guard just then! Alright, alright, pull yourself together, Lightning. Wherever we are, and whether we were brought here by our magic, one thing that's clear is that we have fallen into the hands- or claws, hooves- whatever they have- of these hostile creatures and we need to escape as soon as we can."

~She began to keep track of the twists and turns and ups and downs, hoping that when they do escape they might find their way back to the passageway.~

"Ok, so we took a left, then another left. Oh, I sure hope I can memorise the way back here. Hmm?"

~She noticed the pace was hotting up and many of the creatures were casting nervous glances over their shoulders as though expecting to be chased.~

"Why are they all nervously looking around?" Lightning thought. "Is someone coming? Maybe they can help us!"

~With that, Lightning starts yelling for help, though it is muffled by the gag. She and the Rainbooms fought to get their breath through them.~

"If only one of us could explain everything!"

~The large elf, obviously in command, nodded to the girls' closet captors and they stopped and pushed them forward in the direction of a tall imposing elm tree. At first, they couldn't see why. Then they noticed a dark hole near the roots. Twilight wondered if it somehow led back to their own world. Rainbow thought it might be a prison. Prods from behind soon had all eight crowded reluctantly in the entrance and staring into the gloom. It was Lightning who saw them first. Three pairs of eyes then glowed out of the darkness and moved towards them! Two blue and one brown. Fluttershy screamed into her gag and Rainbow struggled for all she was worth. Wildly, they turned to run but they were met squarely by a mass of sharp pointed spears that would allow them no escape. Slowly but surely the helpless girls were driven backwards into the black hole, there to meet whatever unknown horror awaited them in its depths.~

Chapter 3: Joskye, Swift, Argie and the Manticore

Chapter 3: Joskye, Swift, Argie and the Manticore.

"What do you want done with 'em, Alaxe, sir?" A smart-looking faun asked as he turned to the strong elf.

"Wh-What is it?"

~The owner of one of the blue eyes spoke, and materialised into the form of a human boy. Around the same age as Lightning and the Rainbooms. Applejack noticed that he was wearing body armour made of metal and leather. She realised for the first time that many of the other creatures wore armour as well, though none of it could be described as a uniform. The boy also carried a bow and a quiver full of arrows. The two other figures also appeared behind him, both armourless. One was another human boy. He strode along with a cheeky grin and a shine in his brown eyes. He was wearing a denim jacket over a green check shirt and jeans. The third and last was a human girl, she was the one with the other blue eyes. She was wearing black trousers and a sea-green jacket over a wildlife T-shirt. She had put her blonde hair into a ponytail and tied it with a poppy red hairband. They both looked younger than the first boy.~

"Who are they?" The girl whimpered. "Are they spies?"

"I don't know, Swift." The boy with the brown eyes said. "I mean, It could be more of her work."

"That's right." Alaxe the elf replied. "Caught them up by the old passway."

The teen looked at the girls one by one. "They look like us. They- "

~Before the teenage boy said more, his eyes set upon Lightning. Instantly, butterflies fluttered in his stomach when he saw her and he cracked a half smile. Sweat began to form on his palms too and he felt like his legs turned into jelly. Never had he seen someone so beautiful and adorable.~

"Wow...She's cute…" He said slowly.

"Um...Joskye, are you okay?" Swift asked, tapping his shoulder.

"Why are your eyes shaped like hearts?" The younger boy asked.

"Huh? Oh! Nothing…Don't worry about it, Argie." He rubbed his eyes and they went back to normal. "I was saying, they look just like us. They're...humans."

"Only with multi coloured hair…" Argie said, staring at them.

"Hmm. Not like her usual work and not very strong either. We overpowered them with hardly a struggle." The elf explained.

"Yes, are you sure they could be humans, like you guys?" A troll spoke up. "Because I thought humans were powerful. What if they are just elves with small, round ears?" He proceeded to tug on Pinkie's ear.

~Realising with relief that nothing horrible was about to happen to them, Lightning tried to say something through her gag but it just came out as 'Mmmmffff'. She struggled to free her hands. Twilight and Sunset stood side by side behind Lightning. Glancing at each other, they tried to reach each other's hands behind their backs to see if they could loosen the ropes that bound their wrists. However, a sharp smack on the wrists from one of the spears soon put paid to that idea.~

"They didn't have any weapons either." The faun identified.

"It's very Odd. Unless they possess some secret magic we don't know about. That's why I want Tad to see them." Alaxe replied.

"Okay, I'll go and fetch him." Swift volunteered. She went off at once.

"Actually, can I speak to one of them? That one to be precise." Joskye pointed at Lightning, which made her muffle in confusion.

"Hmm. Certainty, Sir Joskye."

~Alaxe the elf grabbed Lightning's arm and began to drag her along. However, she refused to go with him and tried to make him let her go. But he resisted. The Mane 7 attempted to stop Alaxe and make him release their friend, but the other creatures grabbed their tied wrists and pulled them back. Sunset growled. She desperately wanted to activate her geode and look through the creatures' memories to see what their problem is.~

"Here's perfect." Joskye told the elf.

~Lightning was pushed through a door at the end of a short dark tunnel and found herself standing in a small bare room that was lit from a window high up on one pale yellow wall. The room appeared to be quite civilised. The elf forced her down on her knees and she groaned in annoyance from the sudden push, but the two could barely hear her.~

"May I talk with her alone?" Joskye asked.

"Of course." said Alaxe. "But be careful, sir. These new humans look sketchy to me."

~Alaxe glared at the Rainbooms, who remained outside along with the other creatures. He watched as a troll began to menace them with his fearsome looking teeth. Lightning and Joskye could tell in his voice he doesn't like them. Nonetheless, he strides back outside, leaving Lightning and Joskye alone in the room for 'interrogation'. Firstly, Joskye removed his helmet and combed his messy brown hair with his fingers. Once he was done, he removed the rest of his armour, revealing his clothes underneath. A red football sweatshirt and jeans. Lastly, he dropped his bow and quiver of arrows. He turned to Lightning and, even though she was livid, she hoped that this Joskye, whoever he was, would allow her to explain who she and the Rainbooms were.~

He smiled at her. "Okay, now. Uh, hi. How...are you?"

Lightning showed a frown. "Uggghhh…Whht dh nhh fnnk…?! (Uggghhh...What do you think…?!)" She screamed angrily through the gag.

Joksye looked at her uneasily. "I...can't understand you...let me just take this out of your mouth…"

~Joskye politely removed the gag, not knowing what was going to happen next. He was suddenly shouted at by Lightning at the top of her lungs.~

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!"

"U-Uh...okay...calm down for a second…" Joskye nervously gasped, sweating at the palms again.

"If my hands were not bound behind my back, I would totally beat the stuffing out of you right about now!" Lightning shouted, glaring madly.

"Please! I mean no harm! I just want to talk!"

"About what?!"

"About you." He answered. "I'd settle for a name first..."

Lightning loosed her shoulders. "My name is Lightning Star." She said calmly. "And your name is Joskye, right? I believe that's what the elf said."

"Yes. Joskye White." He nodded. "And the other two humans you saw, that's my brother and sister, Swift and Argie."

"I see…"

"Who are your friends out there?"

"Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie." Lightning introduced. She'd point at them if she was able to. "I'm pretty sure you can easily figure out who is who."

Joskye let out a breathing sigh. "Why have you come here?"

"It's a long story…." Lightning began.

~Lightning felt suspicious but thought it would be best to say the truth. In all honesty, what was there to lie about? She was far from convinced that he would believe her, but she still decided to take a shot. With that, she began to explain everything that had happened to her and the girls up to this point. Including the part where they broke a window. Joskye held back a chuckle. As did Lightning a bit. She then explained the mysterious tree they discovered in the forest and the magic contained inside of it, but didn't say a word about her and the Mane 7 having superhuman abilities, just in case something went bad. Finally, she finished by describing how they were ambushed by the troops. Joskye was amazed.~

"Wow. Really? That's what happened?" He asked.

"Yes." Lightning answered.

"You don't know anything about this. That's...actually a relief." He laughed.

"So, you're not going to hurt us?"

"No. If you're telling the truth, that is." He bent down to make eye contact with her.

"What are you doing?" Lightning asked, raising a brow.

"Seeing in your eyes if you are telling the truth…"

~Joskye stared deep into Lightning's shiny blue eyes, and she stared into his. They both felt something when they did. Something beautiful, warm and fuzzy, a feeling that they have never felt before. They didn't pay much attention to it very well though, like it didn't feel powerful enough. A flicker of light suddenly flashed through Lightning's pupils, Joskye gasped.~

"You are. You are telling the truth!" He epicly rocked his fist downward. "Yes!" He whispered happily. "Oh! I should inform the others about this then. Maybe I can convince them to let you go. Stay here."

For the first time since she arrived, Lightning smiled. "Okay. Thank you."

~Joskye took a glance backwards and smiled too. With a face of belief, he hurried out the door. Lightning struggled to rise to her feet, but just about managed to. She looked around and tried to find something that could help her get free. But alas, she found nothing. She already knew struggling was pointless, so all she did was lean against the wall and waited. After a few minutes, Joskye came back, along with his brother, Argie, the elf leader, Alaxe, and the Rainbooms. They were all showing no emotion, whatsoever. Except Joskye.~

"Girls!" Lightning rushed to them.

"Hold it!" Alaxe suddenly said, stopping her. "You will stay right there. I want to wait for Tad's orders."

Lightning frowned but decided to stay put. Joskye stood beside her. "Sorry. I couldn't convince him." He whispered in her ear. "But, don't worry. Tad will understand."

~They waited only a few moments before another door opened and in walked Joskye's sister, Swift, and an ancient manticore. Twilight had done research on manticores but she had never seen one like this. Tad, at least, that's who she assumed the manticore must be, wore a dark-faded green jacket with an old tartan scarf wrapped around his neck. A pair of wire-rimmed spectacles were perched on the end of his snout. He was obviously very old because even his black fur was turning grey and he walked with a slight stoop as though he were very weary. Tad also had a crippled wing and a long slithery tail. Alaxe the elf stepped forward smartly and saluted the manticore with great respect.~

Joskye smiled. "Tad. Allow me to- "

"I'll take it from here, Joskye." Alaxe interrupted. He cleared his throat. "Strange spies, Tad, sir. We caught them by the old passway. Truth is, sir, I don't know quite what to make of them, so I brought them to you as soon as possible. What do you think she's up to this time?"

~The Mane 7 were squirming with frustration as they tried to free themselves. Who is this 'she' that the creatures didn't like? Was it a girl, or a woman? Or even another creature? Sunset was more than determined to see their memories now. Lightning glanced back at her friends before she bowed at the manticore, almost promptly slipping flat on her face. She said nothing, however. Tad stepped forward and peered at Lightning and the Rainbooms through his wire-rimmed spectacles. Fluttershy thought he had kind eyes. For about a minute, he looked them over, not saying a word. Then he spoke in a low voice.~

"Loosen their bonds and remove those gags."

~Alaxe raised an eyebrow but much to the Rainbooms' relief obeyed at once. Fluttershy took a deep breath as the gag was removed and then began to rub her chafed wrists. Rainbow Dash and Applejack stretched their arms with equal relief while Twilight and Sunset waved their hands to get the circulation going. Rarity and Pinkie sighed of relief, then went to hug their friends. All seven were full of questions and they gabbled one on top of the other.~

"Who are you?"

"Where is this place…?"

"What are we doing here?"

"Why did you tie us up…?"

"Who is this 'she'?"

"How do you know we're not…?"

~With a smile, the manticore held up a paw. Then, to the amazement of everyone in the room, he slowly went down on one knee before them.~

"Girls of the Rainbows', for that is who you are, is it not?" he asked gravely. The Rainbooms looked blankly at each other. The manticore's words made no sense at all. "My name is Tad, I bid you welcome to the Great Forest of Caisar in the world we know as Merrdom."

Rainbow was confused. "Kay Sar? Merry Dome? Who...I mean, what on Earth is that?" she asked, looking puzzled.

"I've got a feeling it's not anywhere in Canterlot High...Or Equestria. Or even Lightning's kingdom." Sunset muttered.

"Ya mean, we're in another world?" Applejack asked.

"I don't...I don't know what I mean. Not yet, anyway." Sunset answered.

"Let's just listen to what else he's got to say…" Rarity interrupted as Fluttershy gave the manticore a nod and a sweet smile.

If Tad the manticore was confused by the girls' response, he didn't show it. "You have come as it is written." he said. "May the world be praised! I ask you to forgive us for the rude welcome that we gave you, but these are perilous days, and we did not know the hour of your coming…Nor would it have been wise for us to know, lest our enemy were to discover it. My guards were only doing their duty."

"Yeah! Not a lot to go there!" Lightning said, still rubbing her burned wrists. "But, let's be honest, it's not the first time I have ever had a rude welcome…and it's not the worst…"

"Huh!" Rainbow scoffed.

Before anybody else could speak, Alaxe blurted out. "But, are you sure, sir? Are you really saying these creatures are on our side? That the world has sent them?"

The manticore's eyes twinkle. "Of course. Did I not tell you that I had received indications of their coming and of what to look for?" He rose from his knees and turned to Lightning. "Is it true that you are the Girls of the Rainbows?"

Lightning found herself stammering. "W-w-well, yes...no...I-I don't know! We aren't usually called that…"

"What she is trying to say is that- We're just people, girls, that's all." Twilight explained, helping out Lightning.

"But, What I'd like to ask is: What is all this?" Applejack shrugged.

"Where are we?" Fluttershy inquired.

"How is it that you are here?" Rarity added.

"We don't really understand what's happened to us. Is it some kind of a dream?" Lightning asked.

"And who is this enemy you keep talking about? She? Her?" Fluttershy questioned.

Tad rumbled a deep laugh in his throat. "Too many questions at once. And I thought you would come with answers! Never mind, Never mind. The world has strange ways. I will answer your questions as best as I can. But first, I think, a cup of nettle tea would be in order. You must come and meet Mrs Tad. She will be most interested to see you."

"Nettle Tea?!" Rainbow exclaimed. "It sounds horrible. It'll sting our mouths to death."

"Shh, Rainbow Dash. Don't be rude." Rarity scolded. "I'm sure it'll be alright. Anyway, I've heard of people drinking it in…in our world."

Rainbow scowled but said nothing. Fluttershy decided that she liked the manticore. "Me too. A cup of, um, nettle tea would be lovely." she said. "And we'd love to meet Mrs Tad."

~With great politeness, the manticore ushered them through the door by which he had entered. If the world had seemed strange up until now, for a moment at least it became almost normal. They found themselves standing in a delightful cottage complete with gleaming brasses and glowing copper kettles, wooden beams and soft armchairs. A small log fire burned in the smoke-blackened fireplace and flowery curtains decorated the leaded windows. They had entered by a kind of back door into the manticore's home.~

"Wow…This house is beautiful." Fluttershy said in amazement.

"I'm glad you like it, my dear." Mrs Tad bustled in, wearing a frilly apron. "You're very welcome to our house. That is, if you're not friends of hers."

"My dear, may I introduce you to the Girls of the Rainbows -um, people. They have come as I said." Tad explained.

Rather quaintly, Mrs Tad cocked her head to one side and gazed at the girls in turn. "My, my. Well, pleased to meet you, I'm sure, but is that the only name you have?" She enquired. "It's quite a mouthful, my dears."

"Oh, we haven't introduced ourselves, have we?" Lightning asked, feeling pretty embarrassed. "Well- I'm Star. Lightning Star."

The rest then introduced themselves. "My name's Sunset Shimmer."

"Rainbow Dash is the name! Speed's my game!"

"Mrs Tad, I am Rarity. Pleased to meet you."

"Hi. My name's Twilight Sparkle."

"I'm Applejack. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"I'm Fluttershy…"

"And I'm Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie Pie bursted cheerily. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs T. Can I call you Mrs T- because you're going to make the tea, and it's the first letter of Tad?!

Mrs Tad looked flustered for a moment. "Well, yes, I suppose so. Never been called that before, but it...well, it doesn't matter what you call me, I suppose. I can see all of us will get on just fine." She reached out a paw and shook her hand. Then soon everyone else's. "You are all welcome, that's for sure. And now I expect you would like that cup of tea." she said. "Make yourselves at home. Sit down, my dears." She turned to Tad. "Look after them while I make the tea, husband- and don't be too serious with them!" She winked.

~She brustled back to the kitchen as they flopped into the armchairs. Alaxe joined them. Joskye, Swift and Argie, however, disappeared. But nobody seemed to have noticed. For a moment, everyone sat in silence. Mr Tad seemed unsure what to say next, so Lightning broke in.~

"Right now, um, I think we're all a bit confused." She began. "I mean, everything happened...like...suddenly."

"We don't know how we got here…" Sunset stepped in.

"Through the magic portal, Silly!" Pinkie happily shrugged.

"OR…" She continued. "Where we are, and...Well, you are creatures and you talk and live in houses."

"It is all a bit confusing. Especially for me." Fluttershy whispered.

"Yes, of course." replied the manticore, settling himself more comfortably into an old sofa by the fireside. "So, you do not know where you are, or why you are here?"

~Lightning and the Mane 7 nodded, feeling very unhelpful and bad about it. Tad looks down and sighed.~

"I suppose that's to be expected. They would have wanted your identity to keep secret, but that is very secret: not even to tell the deliverers who they are!" He smiled to himself.

"But, all we did was walk under an arch and along a passage…!" said Rainbow.

"Well, not quite." Twilight interrupted. "I mean it was a path through a tree!"

"Yeah. We came out at the top of some steps and then your gang jumped us. I just don't get it." Lightning said.

"We're in like some kind of fifth dimension…" Twilight suggested.

"Fifth dimension, eh?" Tad answered with a smile. "Well, maybe, but I think you will find there is a lot more to it than that."

"So, we're not dead then...or dreaming?" Rarity queried.

"My goodness me, no. Why should you ever think that? No, you'll probably feel more awake than ever once you grow used to things!" Tad chuckled.

Rarity smiled. "Ya said we were to be deliverers," said Applejack. "What did ya mean?"

~Tad's answer was delayed by the entry of Mrs Tad laden with a tray of tea and cakes. Pinkie's eyes lit up. She could see, and smell, fresh doughnuts and fruit buns and rock cakes and reckoned that she could cope with nettle tea with a few of these inside her. She smacked her face right onto the tray when it was placed down on the table. For a few minutes there was nothing but the clatter of cups and saucers and plates as everyone sorted themselves out and helped themselves to whatever they wanted. Once they were all served, Tad said he would try to begin at the beginning.~

"Thing is, Years ago, before the troubles began, the Great Forest of Caisar was the most beautiful place imaginable. Birds sang in the trees, scented shrubs bloomed everywhere. The forest folk were free to go about as they pleased and there was plenty of food for everyone." Tad's eyes gazed into the distance.

"We were young then," said Mrs Tad. "My, what great times we had! Not a care in the world."

Tad nodded and smiled at his wife. "The secret lay in the enchanted glade. You see, the world had gifted the forest with the Islastone and that was what made the place so magical."

"What's the Islastone and where is this glade?" Lightning asked.

"Oh, we must take you there. It's wonderful, even now." Mrs Tad said.

"The Islastone is a special jewel of great size and power." Tad explained.

"Why, if you hurt yourself, just to go to the glade made you better." said Mrs Tad.

"And then there were those who sought wisdom and spent hours gazing at the Islastone and learning the ways of the world."

"Did you do that?" asked Fluttershy eagerly.

"Yes, I did, but as I say it seems a long time ago now, alas, all that has changed. A great tragedy fell upon us. She came one fateful day and stole the Islastone." His face filled with sorrow as he spoke.

"She? But who is she?" Rarity asked.

"Hexia!" Alaxe, who had been listening, spat the word out. "Hexia the Crone!"

At his words, Fluttershy felt a chill run through her veins. "Hexia the what? Whoa…" Applejack blinked.

"Yes, Hexia the Crone." Tad nodded. "Stealing the Islastone was bad enough but then one day she returned to enslave the Great Forest and our happy days came to an end."

"The forest has begun to wither and die; flowers ceased blooming and almost all the birds fled." Alaxe explained. "Food has become scarce and the forest folk live in fear of their lives. That is why we have to defend ourselves."

"Alaxe is right." said Tad. "She controls us from her castle and nobody can touch her while she holds the Islastone. We are almost helpless." His shoulders sagged and the girls could sense the sorrow of a brave creature fighting on but knowing he had lost the war.

"Well, I'm not afraid of any silly Crone, whatever she is. We'll just go and kick her door in and get your Islastone back!" Rainbow declared stoutly. "Anyway, what is a Crone? I bet she's just some silly old woman."

"Alas, I do not think it will be quite that simple," Tad continued, shaking his head. "Yes, I do believe you will help deliver us from Hexia's power, for it is written that it should be so, but you will find that she is a dangerous enemy.

"Many of our folk have tried and as a result, now languish in her dungeons, or worse." said Alaxe.

"What does languish mean?" Pinkie wanted to know, continuing to stuff her face with goodies.

"Well, if you were languishing in prison, you would be slowly losing hope and rotting away, like hanging in chains with no food…" Twilight explained.

Pinkie went very quiet at the thought of no food. "No! No cupcakes forever!" She then gasped.

"It's not just the troops that she has." said Alaxe. "It's something worse. I don't know how to explain it but she throws a shadow over your inside. You just want to give up and die."

"That's awful!" Applejack exclaimed. "But, Where do we 'll fit into this?"

In answer to her question, the manticore suddenly ushered everyone out of their armchairs and into another room filled with dusty brown books and parchments. "I have studied the ways all my life." he said. "Many hours I have sat and gazed into the pool. One night, I had a vision in my sleep in which I saw your faces by the light. I knew then that the time had come for matter to change."

~As he spoke, he unlocked a small chest by the side of the desk and from it drew what looked like a large powder compact covered in green tarnish. He handled the object with great reverence.~

"Please take this...This is the mighty mirror of the Islastone. My father entrusted it to me. I have kept it for this day."

~Rarity's eyes gleamed. They gazed in awe at the object, and felt it had great power within already. Tad looked at each of the girls in turn.~

"You are the leader, Lightning, so I guess I should give it to you." he said at last, as though not quite sure. He handed the object to Lightning, who took it gingerly.

"What do we do with it and how will it help us?" Sunset enquired.

"If you press the clasp it will spring open and let forth its secret. But do point it away from us all, and use it wisely."

~Lightning held the mirror in the palm of her hand and did as she was instructed. The lid flipped open, releasing a blaze of dazzling light that filled the room with a terrible but wonderful radiance. The Rainbooms shielded their eyes against the power of the light. So dizzying was the sight that it was something of relief when Lightning snapped the lid shut. All eight girls felt wobbly at their knees and reached for items of furniture around them just to steady themselves as the light faded away and their senses returned to normal.~

"It's a good thing I brought my sunglasses with me." Lightning blinked.

"Wow, impressive!" Rarity gasped.

"Hmm…Why didn't Hexia steal this?" asked Rainbow, feeling her stomach lurch.

"Because she doesn't know of its existence." Tad replied who, like Mrs Tad and Alaxe, was removing his paws from his eyes. "My father gave it to me on his deathbed and we have kept it hidden ever since."

"You could have used it yourself." Rarity suggested.

Tad shook his head. "A weapon such as this is not for the likes of us forest folk. We are peace-loving and don't willingly take to arms. This would be a dangerous thing in our hands and in the end we might even be tempered to use it against our own kind."

"Besides which we felt the time for its use was when the prophecy began to be fulfilled." Alaxe added.

"And now we've turned up, and it's all starting to happen, I suppose." said Twilight.

"Use it carefully, won't you," said Tad. "Always remember, girls, that the power belongs to the world and not to you. You must respect that fact."

"Well, Thank you for trusting us, Mr Tad." whispered Fluttershy. "We'll do our best to look after it, and use it wisely."

~She looked at her friends, but before they could agree, a blood-curdling shriek rented the air and struck a chill to the marrow of everyone's bones. The next instant, the door rushed open and in stumbled Robin.~

"It's Hexia!" He gasped. "She's down the path and she's caught Mas the Gnome. I think she's killing him!"

Chapter 4: Captured!

~The shock of hearing such a scream followed by Robin's dramatic entry left everyone stunned. It was Lightning who snapped out of it first.~

"Come on!" She cried. "Let's try and stop her!"

~Fluttersy tried to shout wait, but before she or anyone else could protest, Lightning was out of the door, urging Robin to show the way, and rapidly followed by Alaxe the elf. Fluttershy and Rarity glanced at each other then made for the door themselves as well as the rest. Tad followed more slowly, looking extremely worried.~

"Which way is it?!" Pinkie cried as they burst from the cottage.

"Not sure." Twilight gasped, looking around wildly. "No...yes...I mean...this way. Come on!"

~Lightning, Robin and Alaxe were out of sight but the Rainbooms sprinted down the winding path in hot pursuit. Tad lumbered along behind them just as fast as he could. Running hard, The Rainbooms neared a rocky outcrop where the path swept out of sight. Fluttershy slowed and motioned the others to do the same. She could hear the sounds of a struggle just ahead. Moments later and panting heavily, Tad caught up with them.~

"Hide!" He growled. "Whatever you do, don't let her see you."

~With that, he shoved them off the path and behind the rocks and indicated that they should follow him as quietly as possible. But he only succeeded in getting Pinkie, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity behind the rocks. Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash, however, kept going since they were much faster than the rest. It was too late to call out to them, they disappeared ever so quickly. Keeping well hidden, the manticore led the rest of the Rainbooms he had with him around the outcrop to a place where they were within sight of the disturbance. Fluttershy stifled a gasp. A gnome was hanging in mid-air and struggling for all he was worth in what seemed to be an invisible grip casted by the Crone herself. A shadowy twisted figure whose bony fingers clutched the gnome. The long black cloak that seemed like the darkness itself, the greasy grey hair tumbling wildly about her shoulders, the cruel eyes and long, distorted nose covered in warts, and the mouth twisted in a snarl of hatred. Lightning, Sunset and Rainbow had come face to face with the Crone. They stood there panting alongside Robin and Alaxe, mesmerised by the sight. Hexia dropped the gnome to the ground where he lay whimpering in a limp bundle at her feet.~

"Well, what have we here?" She snarled. "New friends of these pathetic subjects of mine? Or what? How many?"

"We are not afraid of you, Crone!" Lightning said bravely.

"Yeah! Leave these forest creatures alone!" Rainbow demanded.

Hexia sneered. "You dare give me orders?! Who are you?! Where did you come from?!"

~She flashed a long black rod from the folds of her cloak. Robin reached for his bow and Alaxe went to draw his sword, but they were too late. There was a blinding flash and a cloud of smoke. When it cleared the two animals found themselves frozen to the spot. Totally paralysed, they could only watch in dread as the Crone advanced upon them.~

"We are not telling you anything!" Lightning folded her arms.

"Because we aren't in the mood for talking…" Sunset glared.

"Oh no!" someone suddenly whispered.

~Everyone turned around to see Joskye, Swift and Argie approach them sneakily from behind. They crouched alongside them and watched, horrified and helpless as the three girls were drawn towards the horrible darkness of Hexia. Pinkie Pie tried to cry out from her hiding place, but Tad gripped her firmly with his paw and motioned her to keep silent.~

"What are they doing?" Argie asked.

"I don't know, but we gotta stop them!" Joskye worried.

"Wait! Joskye, don't!" Swift cried quietly.

~Thinking of nothing, Joskye reached for Lightning and, as he did so, his feet lost balance and he fell out of the bush into plain sight. The Crone glanced to where he had fallen on the path and sneered. Then, with a cackling laugh, two foul creatures with olive green, reptilian skin and vicious looking teeth appeared behind him, pinioned his arms by his sides and dragged him to his feet. Six more then appeared and grabbed Lightning, Sunset and Rainbow too. They yelped in surprise.~

Leaning forward to their ears, Hexia whispered. "Come with me." Then she led them away.

Lightning showed a glare, then pulled back. "What? No! We are not going anywhere with you!"

~Hexia drew her black rod again. She waved it, and another flash occurred. When it cleared, Lightning fell unconscious. The Crone smirked, then continued on. As soon as Hexia, the disgusting creatures and the others were out of sight, Tad, Argie, Swift and the five Rainbooms rushed from their hiding place and tried to revive Mas, and his would be rescuers. Hexia and the others were well out of sight and it was only then that the paralysis also began to wear off. As their limbs regained movement and they found that they found speak again, the full horror of what had happened began to sink in.~

Tad groaned. "Oh dear, dear me. How dreadful this is! If only she had used the mirror wisely instead of rushing ahead like that." He sat down on the ground, a heap of despair.

"That's not fair!" Pinkie Pie sighed loudly. "How was Lightning, Sunset and Dashie to know?"

Fluttershy took a deep breath and sighed glumly. Alaxe and Robin seemed at a loss as to what to do. At last Alaxe went across where Tad sat and breaking the silence with a polite cough said. "Shall I round up a party to go after them, sir?" The elf's tone of voice said it all- it was hopeless.

"No…" Tad shook his grey head and groaned. "That will not do. It would harm everyone she's got in any case. No, let me think for a moment.

Swift, though she felt sick with worry for her elder brother, went across and stopped down beside the manticore. She put her arm gently around him. "Come on, Tad. Don't give up." She said. "I'm sure there's an answer. I mean, you said that the world has sent these girls, so maybe somehow this is all meant to happen as well, I suppose."

~Tad looked up into her face and smiled. The rest of the Rainbooms did too.~

"Anyway, somehow we've got to get our friends back!" Applejack added fiercely.

"We have to." Rarity nodded with her.

Tad patted Swift's hand. "Yes, of course, we must and we will get them back if it's possible. Silly me. I just felt so taken aback by the turn of events. So excited to see you and then crushed by...by all this. I'm getting old, my dears. Maybe I'm losing my touch. You understand, don't you?"

~Swift smiled and kissed the old manticore, feeling she loved him. He rose onto his hind paws.~

"I know Hexia well enough; she isn't going to kill your friends, otherwise, she could have done so at once. My guess is that she will keep them as hostages, to find out more about you, and that gives us a little time to make some plans."

~Alaxe, Robin and Fluttershy tended the poor Mas. Fortunately, they had reached him just in time and he seemed to be making a quick recovery.~

"Sh...she just appeared from nowhere and grabbed me." He gasped. "I don't know why. I wasn't doing anything."

~Grim-faced, Alaxe looked across to Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy.~

"It appears to have been a deliberate decoy to get us here." he growled. "I think she knew of your coming."

~The elf's eyes narrowed suspiciously and the remaining Rainbooms knew at once he did not trust them. That, and the possibility that Hexia could read the signs too, that she could know, made them feel very uncomfortable.~

Fluttershy shivered, realising that it was growing dark. "Can we go back to your house, please?" She asked quietly.

~Tad glanced at the dying sun and the lengthening shadow of the gaunt trees. He nodded, seeming to understand how the girls felt. It was almost dark by the time they reached the cottage door and already the first stars were appearing. Tad stopped with his paw to where there was a gap between the treetops. A bright star lay just above the horizon glittering like a globule of molten silver. The sight of it brought an unexpected trickle of hope in the girls' heart.~

"The stars have risen." whispered Tad. "All will be well, you'll see."

~High in an empty mountain pass, The Prince saw that same star and was glad. For several days, he had trudged through the foothills of the range of mountains until he had begun to climb a high pass. Once he made it through to the other side he knew he would be in sight of the Great Forest of Caisar. Night fell, but still he battled on.~

"I can't give up now. I mustn't give up." He muttered to himself.

~He reminded himself over and over of his dream as he struggled on. Other forces might want to turn him back, but this was his destiny. Gritting his teeth, he yelled defiance at the wind and pressed on. Almost faint with exhaustion, he came through. Now high up in the cold, clear, air he saw sky again, and the stars. Beneath its lights he made his crude camp. It was simply a blanket in the lee of an overhanging rock, and a far cry from the comforts of home, but it would do. The Prince was tough and well trained in the rugged skills of outdoor life.~

With a yawn, he settled in. "Tomorrow, I will take the track down to the Waste Plains before reaching the forest." he said.

Chapter 5: Grumble, Mumble and Fumble

Chapter 5: Grumble, Mumble and Fumble.

~Back inside the cottage, everyone found an elf awaiting them. Like Alaxe, he wore light armour made of leather and metal.~

"This is Tig," Tad announced to the Rainbooms. "He is Alaxe's second-in-command."

"I came as soon as I heard the news, sir. Mrs Tad had filled me in on all the details." said the elf.

"We need a council of war." Tad said decisively.

~Pinkie Pie and Argie stifled a yawn. It had been a long day and she felt like dozing off but no one was prepared to consider sleep just yet. Late as the evening was, the team were soon huddled together around the fire, drinking steaming mugs of cocoa.~

"It seems to me," Tad began. "That our first object must be to rescue Lightning, Joskye, Sunset and Rainbow from Hexia' clutches. To do that we must discover their precise whereabouts in the castle dungeons, for that is where she will have taken them."

"That's assuming they're still alive." interjected Alaxe.

Tad nodded. "True enough. You may be correct in thinking that somehow Hexia knew of the girls' coming. If so, you may be sure that she is hatching some evil plot, using them as hostages."

"Then no doubt she will question them thoroughly." said Tig the elf. "Now, this Lightning, Sunset and Rainbow may be strong-willed but few can hide anything for long once Hexia has them in her grip."

"That is why our rescue attempt needs to be made soon." said Tad.

"Oh, this is just too awful." Fluttershy cried.

"To think of that nasty Crone hurting our friends." Rarity said sadly.

"Can't we just do somethin' now? I mean, she may be questionin' 'em and doin' all sorts of terrible things!" Applejack exclaimed.

Fluttershy suddenly screamed. "Oh, please, let's not just be here talking!"

"We all want to go and get our friends out!" cried Pinkie.

Alaxe held up a paw. "It's not as simple as that, girls. For one thing, the castle is heavily guarded by Cropers and Harats, and just to charge the walls would be fatal."

"Cropers and Harats?" questioned Twilight and Rarity in unison.

Tig nodded. "Most of our folk are scared to even go near the place, let alone inside."

Alaxe agreed. "No, we must use our cunning and trust those friends of yours are alright, at least for the moment. Assuming that's all there is to it." He added with a knowing glance in Tad's direction.

"I think you're being unfair not trusting them." exclaimed Swift, who had noticed his look. "I mean, do you really think that they're on her side or something?"

"Remember Swift, I'm just a soldier." Alaxe snapped. "All I know is that they turned up out of the blue and then half of them went off with Hexia. And our only good weapon has been taken too because of them."

~Tad frowned and Swift was about to have a go at Alaxe when Fluttershy intervened, putting her hand on her shoulder.~

"Um...It's ok...It won't do any good." She said.

"She's right. We've got to help our friends and your brother. It's no use arguin' about whose side we're really on." Applejack added.

~Swift huffed and folded her arms, glowering from beneath her lowered brows. She hated it when people didn't think she was telling the truth or when people don't trust someone even though she does.~

Tig the elf coughed politely. "I believe there are three forest folk who could discover Joskye and the girls' whereabouts for us."

"Who are they, Tig?" Tad queried.

"Why, three who are small enough to escape the guard's notice, sharp enough to find their way in and stupid enough not to be afraid. I'm thinking of Fumble, Mumble and Grumble." The elf answered.

"Not those incompetent sprites! You really must be joking." exclaimed Alaxe. "Why they can't even find their way out of their own hive without making a mess of it! Quite useless as fighting troops. I remember the time when- "

"Hold on, Alaxe." interrupted Tad. "Tig's idea is not bad. Unless, of course, you have a better one."

Alaxe thought for a moment. "No, I don't." He admitted. "But let's face it. It's a bit risky, sir."

"Risky or not, we've got to take a chance if we are going to reach everyone at all." Tad insisted. "If we are to succeed, any rescue attempt will have to be made without a hitch and that means we must know where they are, and they must expect us. As far as I can see these three sprites are our best hope."

~Alaxe agreed with some reluctance, while the remaining Rainbooms, Swift and Argie were just glad that something was being done. So it was decided that Tig should fetch the three sprites.~

~The spell that Hexia had cast on Lightning wore off within the sight of her castle. She awoke with a start of horror as she realised they were no longer in the forest. She realised, too, that Joskye was caught too. She struggled in the painful grip of the scaly creatures.~

"Do you like my Cropers then?" Hexia cackled. "Nice creatures, aren't they?" She laughed at her plight as she strode on ahead of her captives. "Come on, keep them moving." She ordered.

~Joskye and the girls felt sick of their captors and couldn't bring themselves to look at their faces. Their hearts sank even lower when they saw the gaunt stone fortress with its tall turrets and grim battlements. Sunset could see at once this was no pretty fairy castle like Princess Twilight's but a place of dread where even the dark slit windows seemed to have eyes. The Cropers dragged them under a gloomy archway and a massive, iron-studded oak door swung noiselessly open at Hexia's command, though no doorkeep could be seen. Lightning shuddered. She and the rest had little time to take in their surroundings. Their captors marched them swiftly through across an open courtyard and into a large bare room, where they were flung to the floor like rag dolls. Slowly, they lifted their eyes. Rainbow could taste blood from where bit her lip. The evil Crone towered above them and her presence filled them with dread. Worse, she was not quite solid, like a huge dark and brooding ghost, constantly changing shape before their eyes.~

"So, what strange creatures do we have here!?" she grated. "Who are you? What are your names, man-children? Answer me now, or I'll make life very uncomfortable for you."

Joskye breathed. "Please, Hexia- "

"No, Joskye, let me." Lightning said bravely. She turned to the Crone. "My name is Lightning Star, and we don't really know what we are doing here, except that we came in through a passage and down some steps." She replied, thinking it would be the best to tell her the truth. Joskye softly blushed at Lightning.

At this, the Crone's eyes gleamed. "The old passway, eh? I have heard tell of this, and I do not like it one bit. Nor do I believe you are telling me all you know. Who sent you? Why have you come to the Great Forest- into my domain? Eh? Answer me now!"

"Well, nobody sent the eight of us, as far as we know." began Rainbow, feeling afraid, for she knew her answer would displease the Crone.

"Eight? There are more of you?" she demanded.

"Three. I mean, three." Rainbow replied hastily.

"Liar!" She spat, and she kicked her hard in the ribs with her pointed shoe. Dash gasped with the pain and tears came to her eyes. Sunset held her and slid forwards.

"Hexia, What we say is the truth!" She pleaded. "I don't know how we got into this. All we know is what Tad has...has told us." Sunset's mouth dropped in dismay as she realised that she had said too much.

So there is more?" She grimaced. "What has that meddling fool of a manticore been up to this time?"

~The three had made up their minds. They would not betray their friends, let alone siblings too. They closed their mouths firmly and stared at the floor. Joskye also remained silent.~

"Stubborn, eh?" The Crone snarled. "Well, if you want to do it the hard way, that's fine by me. I can wait." She snaps her fingers. "Guards, take them away! A night in the dungeons will loosen your tongues-and if it doesn't, I have other, more painful ways. Think about it carefully, Lightning Star. You and your friends will be chained up with no food and water until you decide to speak."

~The Cropers dragged them down a steep flight of stairs into an underground dungeon. One of them lit a lantern, and propelled them along a foul-smelling corridor. In the flickering light they saw many wretched creatures caged up and some groaned as they passed. Their guards pushed them into a grimy cell and tied their wrists tightly to an iron ring each set in the wall above their heads so that they were stretched up on tiptoe. The door slammed shut with a dull clang and Lightning, Joskye, Sunset and Rainbow was left alone in the darkness. Lightning's arms were already beginning to ache as the first wave of despair swept over her and the others.~

"Get out of my way, you great drip!"

~The speaker was Grumble and that's how everyone knew that the three sprites had arrived in Tad's front room. Grumble was addressing Fumble who had trodden on his foot and poked an elbow in his ribs while trying to get through the door- though nobody could see why this should have been a particularly difficult task.~

"Was a marrow wiv you? Hollow, every one." The third member of the trio was the incoherent Mumble.

"These three are aptly named." laughed Tad as he rose to greet his guests. "And I don't think I need to tell you who is who. Fumble, Mumble and Grumble, I want you to meet Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie. Alas, I would have liked to be able to introduce Lightning Star, Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer as well, but…well, more of that in a minute."

Fumble reached out an arm to shake Fluttershy's hand, but somehow his arms and legs got mixed up and he finished in a tangled heap. "Hello." He grinned. "Sorry about that. It must be the uneven floor." Fluttershy giggled, and liked him at once.

"Gooey ning, nice termiter." mumbled Mumble to Rarity.

"Why don't you speak up, you dimwit?" bellowed Grumble. "Good evening, all of you. Although I don't think it is at all good at the moment. A fine to-do this is getting me out of bed with these two idiots. It had better be something important, that's all I can say. Anyway, here we are!"

"Well, pleased to meet you, little creatures." Rarity awkwardly petted Mumble's head.

~Applejack, Pinkie and Argie glanced at Alaxe who gave them one of those 'don't-say-I-didn't-warn-you' shrugs. They were beginning to see his point, for these really were the most unlikely spies imaginable. Even saying hello seemed to cause a minor catastrophe. Tad, however, was quite unmoved by all of it.~

He took his seat and addressed the three sprites, who stood in a row in front of him. "Now, you three, I have a very important and dangerous mission that I wish you to undertake for us and for which, the world only knows why you are the only ones suitable.

"We're all ears!" said Fumble.

"More like arms and legs!" Alaxe muttered.

Unperturbed, Tad continued. "These five girls, have three more friends in their group. Unfortunately, Hexia has captured them and locked them up in her castle."

"Joskye, too!" Swift cried.

"Yes, And Joskye. What we want you three to do is to find your way in and to discover their whereabouts."

~Fumble nodded his head so hard that he fell on his face. With considerable fuss Mumble and Grumble helped him up.~

"Assuming you can do this," Tad said. "I want you to pass on the message that they are to be ready for a rescue attempt. Many die for lack of hope in that accursed place, so it is extremely important that you encourage him to hold on. Is that understood?"

Mumble muttered. "Paw Litening, Rain bo, Some set and Joe Skay, emus felt table. Wee and stand."

"Once you have found them," Tad continued. "I want you to spy out the land and find the easiest way for us to get to him if there is one. You must return to us with that information as soon as possible. We will then plan our rescue attempt."

"Fat lot of hope I've got of even reaching the castle with these two, let alone returning." complained Grumble. "But we'll do it for you, Tad, if you say so. Though I don't like it one bit." he added.

~Fumble, presumably intending to make a speech, stretched out his hand. Unfortunately, he succeeded only in knocking over a vase of dried glasses that stood on the table. Mrs Tad shrieked as it crashed to the floor.~

"My best vase!"

Tad groaned and Alaxe lifted his paws in despair. "Go now, Before you do any more damage." he exclaimed. "And good luck, because you certainly look as though you're going to need it!"

~The three sprites crouched outside the wall. In spite of Fumble falling into a stream on the way and tripping over countless tree roots, and Grumble's continual complaints at fate for having given him such useless companions, nobody had noticed their approach. Not surprisingly, Mumble was the quietest of all.~

"Now, we need to find a way in." whispered Fumble.

"Brilliant!" replied Grumble. "Go to the top of the class!" Mumble murmured something. "What's that! Speak clearly for once, can't you?" Grumble yelled.

"Shush."

~They saw then that Mumble was pointing to a large water outlet emerging from the castle wall at ground level.~

"That'll work. Well done, Mumble." said Fumble. "Well, what are we waiting for? Come on. Shall I lead?"

"Oh, no." Grumble replied firmly. "You'll come last. It's safer that way!"

~One by one they ran across to the wall -although stumbled and staggered is probably a better way of describing Fumble's progress.~

"Let's get on with it, then." Grumble growled.

~Without further ado, the three sprites scampered up the outlet to see where it would lead. They discovered that it drained the floor of the castle washroom. Luckily, nobody had decided to pour any water away while they were inside it.~

"So this is where she lives." Fumble said, looking around the dimly lit room. It smelt of old soap, damp stone and stale water. He twitched his nose. There was a deeper and more evil smell as well.

"Hobble." said Mumble.

~Very quietly (even Fumble was careful) they began to explore, creeping along the draughty corridors and peering into cold dingy rooms looking for any sign of Joskye and the girls. All the time, their nerves were on edge in case any guards or even Hexia herself should discover they were here. For a long time, they found nothing and it was just as they were beginning to despair of ever finding anyone that Fumble had his lucky accident. The three sprites were passing a floor-level opening protected by a set of iron bars when Fumble slipped on some candle grease, or maybe he tripped over a flagstone (Afterwards nobody was sure which). Either way, he fell through the bars into the room below. Grumble was leading at the time and didn't notice. Mumble, who saw what had happened, muttered something like 'he's filling through the bus.' Grumble was about to shout at Mumble when they heard Fumble call out in a loud whisper from down below.~

"I think I've found them. Down here."

~Sure enough, Fumble was right. They had stumbled upon the basement dungeon where Lightning, Joskye and the rest were imprisoned. Without further delay, the other two sprites jumped down to join Fumble. They saw dark figures tied to the wall.~

"Psst. Are you Lightning, Sunset and Rainbow?" asked Grumble.

"G-G-Grumble! I-is that you?" Joskye exclaimed.

"Y-y-yes. T-that's us. W-w-who are you?" Lightning answered through her chattering teeth, for by now they were numb with cold.

"Never mind that for now. We're from Tad, and that's all you need to know. We've been sent to find you and tell you that help is on its way. So don't be afraid, because you'll soon be out of here."

Joskye was overjoyed. "Y-yes! I k-k-knew we could count on you."

"W-w-well, if we ever get out of here alive." Sunset said.

"Is there anything we can do for you now?" Fumble asked.

"Y-y-yes. Th-there is. C-c-can you untie our wrists?" Joskye asked.

"Please...I don't think we can last out much longer." Lightning begged.

~The three sprites scrabbled up each of everyone's legs and up their arms- which was an odd sensation, to say the least, and began to tug at their bonds. It seemed to take ages and ages, especially as Fumble kept falling off and had to keep climbing back up again. However, at last, it was done. The ropes gave and everyone slumped to the floor in an exhausted heap.~

Lightning began to rub her sore wrists. "Thank you…"

"Thank you so much." Sunset gasped.

"Yeah, thanks. Are they really going to be able to rescue us? I honestly thought we'd be left here to die." Rainbow said.

"Yes, Of course, they'll get you out." Grumble declared with somewhat more confidence than he actually felt. "Tad can do most things. Why, you know, he once saved my life when a Croper was chasing me and had in a corner. So I'm sure he'll help you. And you trust your friends, right?"

"Definitely." Sunset smiled.

"Don't worry. We'll be back soon, so be ready."

"Trusses, an truss Tad." Mumble mumbled.

Lightning looked puzzled and Rainbow blinked. "Huh?"

"What did he say?" Sunset asked, turning to the other sprites.

Oh, don't worry about him. He never speaks clearly, but then, he never says anything very important, anyway." Fumble explained.

Before a hurt-looking Mumble could protest, Grumble dragged them away. "Come on, you two, we've still got to find a way for the others to get in. That drainway won't do. Look after each other. We'll be back as soon as possible."

~With that they were off, leaving Lightning, Sunset, Rainbow and Joskye feeling much better. As they left, Fumble tripped several times and brought the other two tumbling down on top of him at least once. For the first time that day, Lightning and Joskye laughed. Lightning then winced as pins and needles set into her hands.~

Chapter 6: To the Rescue!

~Pinkie Pie had given up trying to keep awake and was slumped fast asleep in an armchair. The other Rainbooms, for their part, could barely keep their eyes open; they kept on yawning in spite of trying not to.~

"I...I can't go to sleep at a time like this…" Fluttershy whimpered.

"Me neither…" Rarity sighed.

Tad smiled. "There is nothing we can do until the three sprites return, and that could take all night. We might as well get some sleep while we can.

"Well, we've plenty of spare beds." said Mrs Tad, bustling to her feet. "Come on, girls, I'll show you yours, though it looks like Pinkie has already found hers! It seems a shame to wake her."

"Knowin' Pinkie Pie, she'll be fine." Applejack yawned. "She can sleep anywhere. We should leave her."

~A few minutes later found the girls and Argie snuggling down into a sweet-smelling bed of hay and sheep's wool. Fluttershy gave a deep sigh. It had been an exciting and disturbing day, and a very long one. Exhausted by the events, she soon fell asleep.~

~Fluttershy awoke with a start. She lay for a while breathing softly in the pale light of early morning. A piece of straw tickled her nose and she brushed it away. Applejack awoke also.~

"Ya alright, Fluttershy?" she asked.

"Yes. I'm fine. I'm just a little worried about our friends."

"Do you wanna take a walk outside? Granny always told me it's good for takin' ya mind off thin's."

~Quietly, they got up and crept from the house. Pinkie was still curled up in the armchair and fast asleep. The grey dawn made the forest look even more mournful and Fluttershy shivered with the cold. Suddenly, they saw someone move through the trees. They turned right to follow them, then a left, under this branch, across these rocks; without faltering, until they reached a mysterious splendour of the enchanted glade. The air around tingled with life and mystery. Now there was no mistaking the sweet and exotic tropical scents that carried on a warm breeze. It was so different from the rest of the forest.~

"Wow!" Applejack gasped.

Fluttershy was entranced. "This is...wonderful!"

~Looking forward, they spot Swift White approaching the bowl, her heart thudding uncomfortably. Steeling herself, she peered into the shining water and saw- just her own reflection. A mixture of relief mingled with disappointment flooded over her.~

"Uh- Howdy, Swift." Applejack called.

~Her voice from behind Swift made her jump with fright, so much so that she almost fell into the water. The back of her neck tingled and her shoulders hunched as slowly she turned to face them.~

"Applejack! Fluttershy!" She gasped their names with relief. "Oh, you frightened me! I didn't hear you coming."

Fluttershy smiled her apologises. "We're sorry, but we followed you here."

"What are ya doin'?" Applejack questioned.

"I…I had a vision." she said. She glanced back down at the pool. "And I wondered if it was trying to tell me something. I guess not."

Applejack gazed down at the water. "Hmm…" Her face was pale and ghostlike in its limpid light.

"You don't have to worry about it." Swift sighed. "Let's just head back. I believe those brave sprites should be back by now."

"More toast anyone?"

"Pass the marmalade, will you?"

~Applejack, Fluttershy and Swift arrived back to find breakfast in full swing with Mrs Tad busily supplying pots of nettle tea and platefuls of hot toast and marmalade to hungry mouths. The three sprites began eagerly to report their good news as soon as everyone joined them at the table.~

"We found a way into the castle through a drainway." said Grumble. "Though it was a miracle that we found our way to the castle in the first place with these two idiots."

"Now, now, Grumble." Tad cautioned. "Enough of your complaining if you please. We want to know how everyone is."

"They're all ok." said Fumble. "Well, better for seeing us, I think. Found them tied to the wall and we chewed through their bonds."

Rarity was furious. "Excuse me? That evil old bat!"

"Just wait till we get a chance…" Applejack exclaimed, punching her fist into her hand.

But before Applejack could say what she would do, Mumble tried to explain how Fumble found the dungeon. "Funnels lips and handles geese and eases din gin."

Grumble took a deep breath but then let it out again when he caught Tad's warning eye. "Um...could you repeat that, please?" Fluttershy asked Mumble.

"Um, Perhaps it would be better if Fumble told us how we can get into the castle." Alaxe suggested hurriedly.

Fumble obliged. "Ok. There's a side entrance." he said. "Its up a small sloping tunnel and barred with a couple of gates, but it's the best way in that we could see."

"Excellent." Tad said. "A good nights work all round, I think." He glanced in Mrs Tad's direction. "Is there any more toast, my dear?" he asked.

~Everyone was very excited and cheered by the news. So, as soon as breakfast was over and the crockery cleared away, they prepared to launch Operation Breakout, as Pinkie called it.~

"I don't think we should send too many." Tad said. "There's no sense in drawing attention to ourselves more than we have to."

"I want to go." Swift said firmly.

"So do I." Argie added. "I'll put on Joskye's armour."

"Us too." Twilight and the others nodded.

~Tad nodded his agreement. After further discussion, it was agreed that The Rainbooms, Swift and Argie would make up the rescue party, while Tad, Alaxe, Tig and the sprites would station themselves outside the castle to deal with any pursuers once Lightning, Joskye, Sunset and Rainbow were out.~

~They all agreed that Swift and Argie were the quietest, so they led the way. Within the hour, they had brought the Rainbooms to within sight of the crone's castle. The fortress stood in a broad clearing but gorse bushes grew quite thickly to a distance of about seventy-five metres from the wall on the eastern side and this provided good cover for the five girls and their two companions. They stared at the high turrets and battlemented stone walls with their dark and watchful windows.~

"I don't like this place." Fluttershy whispered.

"Me neither." Swift replied. "I bet it's even worse inside."

"Quiet now, y'all." cautioned Applejack. "There are bound to be guards about."

They crept through the undergrowth until Pinkie raised a hand for them to stop."There's the entrance the sprites told us about!" she whispered.

~She pointed to an arched doorway that was obviously the opening to an upward sloping corridor.~

"We'll have to break through the two gates once were inside but at least we'll be undercover." Twilight said.

Applejack eyed up their situation. "We'll have to take a chance and run across that open space."

"I'll go first." Argie said.

~They all nodded and he shot out from the undergrowth, scampering towards the tunnel mouth as fast as he could. However, he had crossed no more than halfway when there was a loud roar and a huge and fearsome Croper stepped out from the shadow of the walls. This was the first time the girls saw a Croper much more clearly and they were horrified. The creature looked like some two-legged prehistoric reptile. It had shallow green scaly skin and body armour made out of steel bands set with long, sharp spikes. He carried a long spear in his claw and ran towards Argie.~

"Stop where you are!" He commanded, aiming his spear at Argie's heart. "One move and you're dead, vermin scum." Argie had no real choice but to obey him. The Croper prodded him in the throat with the spear. "What are you up to, you filth, and who else is with you?"

Before Argie could attempt a reply, Applejack stepped boldly from the bushes. "Hey! Over here!" She cried.

The Croper spun round to face her. "Well now, here's a pretty catch and no mistake. Mistress Hexia will be interested."

~The Croper took a pace towards her. At that very moment, Applejack swung her fist and knocked the Croper out in a single blow.~

Pinkie laughed and jumped out of the bushes. "Nice work, Applejack!"

"Amazing, darling!" Rarity complimented.

"Thank you, Applejack." Swift breathed.

Argie smiled. "That was brilliant!"

~With no further opposition, they quickly gained the shadowy entrance to the tunnel that led into the castle. At once, they flew the door open and they passed through unhindered. Nothing more was said at the matter and the second gate opened just as easily. They came across no further obstacles until they reached an iron-studded wooden door. Argie drew his sword in case there was anyone waiting for them on the other side. Applejack swung the door noiselessly open for a third time. Before them lay a dark corridor lit by just one smoking torch set in a wall bracket halfway down. Steel-barred cell doors stretched along both sides of the corridor and inside they could make creatures cowering in the corners of their prisons. The stench was awful. They followed one another until they came to a cell that housed Lightning, Joskye and the others. Thinking it might be the guards coming, they leapt to their feet and pretending that they were still tied to the rings on the wall.~

"Joskye, it's us." said Argie.

At once, Joskye rushed to the gate and clutched the bars. "Swift, Argie! You've made it!" He gasped. "Thank goodness."

There was little time to lose. "Step back, y'all!" Applejack commanded.

~Applejack stretches herself before secretly activating her power and smashing the lock open and the door with her bare hands, unknown to Joskye, Swift and Argie.~

"Whoa…she's strong." Argie blinked.

~Moments later, everyone was out of their cell and giving their friends and siblings a big, thankful hug.~

"Nice to see you, Joskye. This is Operation Breakout." Argie said. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, thanks to the sprites."

"Yeah, otherwise we'd have been very uncomfortable by now." Rainbow rubbed her neck.

"She tied us up to those rings on the wall, you know?" Lightning pointed in the cell.

"Wicked hag! She's not going to get away with this!" Rarity declared.

"Definitely, but not just yet. Can we get out of here first?" Lightning inquired.

"What about the other prisoners here- the forest folk?" Fluttershy asked. "Can we get them out?"

~Joskye was just about to say that he wondered if there would be enough time when their questions were answered for them. A key grated in the lock of the main door at the top of the stairs.~

"Afraid not...Quick! Run for your lives!" shouted Joskye.

~Hexia had not slept that night. All through the dark hours, she had paced to and from in her den, muttering to herself, planning and plotting. These strange creatures in her dungeon were difficult problems; they were obviously from outside. True, she had worked out that something was up and very cleverly she had caught them. The question was, what to do now?~

"Do I kill them? But then, they'll die with their secrets. Well, I'll get those out of them in the morning. Then I'll kill them!"

~But that still left the possibility of others. And would they be the only ones? Muttering that there was more to this than met the eye, she brooded over the matter for many long hours. As soon as it was light, she hurried to her spell-room. The place smelt evil, but it was Hexia's favourite room. She cast her eye over the many jars that contained mysterious and horrible substances, many of them looking like bits of living creatures. Shelf upon shelf was lined with dusty brown books of magic. With a swirl, she turned to the bookshelves and removed an old volume. Hastily, she turned the pages.~

Hexia spat and screeched. "I must question the prisoners. They must know about this. Guards!" A sleepy Croper came running at her cry. He stood shakily to attention. "Fetch the prisoners at once. And be quick about it or I shall turn you into a toad and boil you alive!"

~She paced up and down waiting his return, twisting her fingers and smacking the palm of her hand with a clenched fist. At length, the guard returned and burst breathlessly through the door.~

"E's gone, yer 'ighness. I don't know 'ow it could 'ave 'appened."

"What!?"

"I think they've only just gone, ma'am. Shall we get after them?"

Hexia was beside herself with rage and her shape wavered menacingly before the guard. "No, you fool. I shall handle this!"

~She strode grim-faced from the room and began to climb the steps that led to the top of a tower from where she could view the surrounding forest. The rescue squad had fled for the tunnel in the wall. Rainbow Dash could have sped off easily, but she was weak and her muscles were cramped and stiff from her ordeal. Lightning was about to shout an order, but she was interrupted by a shrill shriek from high on the castle walls. They turned to see Hexia standing on a towering battlement with her arms stretched out to the sky. She was a terrifying sight, rising up into the sky like a dark, brooding storm cloud and swaying in the breeze like belching smoke. In her hands she held two long, black wands.~

"Oh no! Run for it!" shouted Lightning. "Run!"

"We have to make it!" Sunset yelled.

~A chilling blast hit them before they reached the undergrowth. Thunder crashed and black lightning crackled from Hexia's wands. Snow began to fall heavily; the wind blew up and moments later Joskye, Swift, Argie and the Rainbooms were caught in the midst of the fierce blizzard that numbed them to the bone. It was as though they had been plunged into an instant Arctic winter. Struggling knee-deep through the snow and half-blinded, they lost all sense of direction and grew wearier and wearier, until it was almost impossible to lift their leaden limbs through the biting cold.~

"I don't think I can go on." Rarity gasped.

"No, we've got to stick together!" Applejack cried over the howl of the wind.

"Yeah! Or she will bury us alive in freezing snow!" Lightning added.

Fluttershy groaned. "I feel so sleepy...so sleepy...must rest…"

~With that, Fluttershy collapsed in a heap in the driving snow. The last thing she heard was a shrill shriek of maddened laughter echoing across the snow from the castle tower. Then everything went black.~

Chapter 7: The Wizard's Sacrifice

Chapter 7: The Wizard's Sacrifice.

"We need to find shelter!" gasped Lightning as she and Joskye tried to lift Fluttershy out of the snow.

"There's something over there. Looks like a tree. Come on. Lift!" Joskye yelled.

~The force of the blizzard hampered every step as Lightning and Joskye struggled to half-carry, half-drag Fluttershy to safety. Their task was made harder because the only way the Rainbooms could keep alive was by clinging onto them and each other. To make matters worse, the driving snow crusted their faces and made it almost impossible to see. The tree that Joskye had spotted completely disappeared in a blur of white and they just hoped they were going in the right direction. It took a terrific effort, but with much puffing and panting as last they managed to drag Fluttershy to the shelter of what appeared to be a spruce tree that had snow-laden branches right to the ground.~

"Round this side, guys! It's out of the wind and there's no snow!" Rainbow shouted.

~They made it into the lee of a spruce and discovered to their relief that there was a hollow under its branches. Lightning gasped as she dragged Fluttershy into the shelter and onto bare earth.~

"Made it!"

Argie shook the snow from his body and wiped it from his face. "I thought we were done for then." he puffed.

~The spruce made a wonderful shelter from the wind and the snow and it felt almost warm compared to outside. The six Rainbooms, who by now looked like snowmen without noses, shook themselves free of snow and fluffed up their hair, Rarity and Pinkie especially. Then they gathered anxiously around Fluttershy.~

She began to stir. "Wh-Where am I?" she groaned. "What's happening? Oh, my head!"

"It's alright now, darling. You're safe." Rarity reassured her as she brushed the snow from her and sat her up.

"We all are." Sunset breathed. "I think we've beaten that old Crone's magic. Anyway, I'd sooner be here than stuck in that dungeon of hers."

Lightning nodded and looked around at the others. "Thank you for getting us out again, everyone." She gave them each a tight hug.

"I'm sorry I made it hard for everyone...I just couldn't go on…" Fluttershy sighed.

"It's alright." Swift smiled. "I'm just glad we all made it out."

"Where are we, anyway?" Fluttershy asked.

"We're sheltering under the branches of some trees." said Joskye. He peered at the bark. "I think it might be a type of spruce. Anyway, we need to get moving."

"But, how do we find our way back to the forest?" Twilight asked.

"I don't know..."

"I'll have a look." Rainbow volunteered. "I can shoot off like a rocket!" She reached for her goede.

Lightning suddenly panics. "Wait! Rainbow! Don't use your-"

~Without thinking, Lightning tackled Rainbow to the ground and when doing so, she made enough force to break the earth underneath. Within a second, the ground gave way and all eleven tumbled down a tangle of earth and roots. They screamed and exclaimed until they landed with a sharp bump in a tangled heap down below at the bottom of a deep pit.~

Glumly, Joskye shook the earth from his clothes and peered upwards. "That's done it." he said. "We're stuck. Now what are we going to do?"

"Sorry." said Lightning, feeling like it was her fault.

"It's not your fault, Lightning." Swft assured her.

Rarity picked a piece of root out of her hair. "Yes. None of us could have known the ground was weak."

"Do you think it's another of Hexia's tricks?" Argie asked.

"Dunno." said Applejack. She shrugged her shoulders. Right now, she was beginning to see that nothing had gone right ever since they had arrived in this strange world.

Fluttershy knew how she was feeling and she put her hand on her arm. "It'll be alright." she said. "We'll find a way out."

"Here, wait a minute, everyone," Argie called with sudden excitement. "Look, there's a tunnel here. It got half covered in by the earth when we fell." They turned and saw Argie vanish into a small hole.

"Hey, you can stand up in here." Rainbow's voice boomed as she stepped a foot in the tunnel. "It must lead somewhere."

"Probably back to Hexia's castle." moaned Sunset.

"No...No, it's going in the opposite direction. I'm sure." said Twilight, brightening up.

"Let's try it then. It might just lead us out." Lightning held out her hands. "Let's face it, we've got to do something."

~What she said made sense so, very cautiously, the other squeezed through the gap and began to follow Argie along the underground passage. It was so dark, he had to feel his way along the earth walls to keep checking his steps to make sure there wasn't another hole. He had read about ventilation shafts in mines and didn't want to fall into one. But it made the going very slow.~

"Why don't you let one of us lead?" suggested Pinkie after a while. "We understand the tunnels."

"I'll do it." volunteered Lightning.

"Good idea." Joskye agreed.

~Argie didn't mind. In fact, he was relieved as they sorted themselves out so that Lightning took the lead with Joskye holding her arm, followed by Sunset who held Twilight's arm and the others, while Swift brought up the rear holding Argie's arm. Soon they were on their way again.~

"It's a bit scary, isn't it?" Fluttershy whispered.

"Yes, but at last it's warm and dry." Joskye assured.

"And away from Hexia." Argie added.

"We hope."

"Oh, don't say that." Swift feared.

Lightning stopped everyone for a second. "Shh, hey, there's a light ahead."

~Everyone stopped dead, except for Pinkie, who somehow tripped on Applejack's foot and wrapped around Rarity's legs, leaving Fluttershy wondering where her arm had gone.~

"Pinkie Pie! Since when did you become so clumsy? You haven't been taking after Fumble the sprite, have you?" cried Rarity.

"Shh." ordered Lightning. "This could be dangerous. Let's go carefully."

~The pale yellow glow was still a long way off and it took them quite a time to reach it. Swift could hear her heart beating loudly. She had lost track of how long the had been underground but her stomach told her it was well past lunchtime. At last, they reached a left turn in the tunnel and it was from around this corner that the light came. By now everyone's hearts were thumping. Full of trepidation, first Lightning, then Joskye, and then the others peered around the corner to see what awaited them. What they actually saw was not very much. Just a fairly large underground chamber lit by burning torches set in brackets on the walls. The flickering light cast long shadows behind them as they emerged into the room.~

"I wonder what this place is?" Lightning asked, beginning to think she might have been wrong about the direction. Perhaps this was part of Hexia's castle after all.

"Well, it must belong to somebody." answered Twilight. "The question is: Who?"

"Good afternoon."

~A smooth and low voice was heard and it almost made everyone jump out of their shoes. Swift stifled a scream. Huddling together, they turned to face the owner. Before them stood two of the most bizarre characters any of them had ever seen. The taller one was a gaunt figure with hard features and a leering mouth. The boys noticed at once the straggly black beard and moustache too. It reminded them of a pirate captain, except that the figure before them wore a long silken scarlet robe covered with a mysterious yellow design that included lots of planets and signs of the zodiac. His partner, who was very short, made Argie think of an egg, for he was a round creature, totally bald, and apparently no neck. His robe of green silk was covered in a curious pattern of maths symbols and snakes.~

The short one was the speaker. He smiled a bland, oily smile and continued in his smooth low voice. "Good afternoon. Did we startle you? I am most sorry. Welcome to our humble abode." He raised an eyebrow. "And may I ask to whom we owe this pleasure?"

For a moment, nobody spoke. Applejack recovered her voice first. "We're humble folks and we've just escaped from Hexia's castle."

"We accidentally fell into your tunnel trying to hide from a snowstorm." Sunset added.

Rarity chuckled nervously. "Ye- Yes, and we're very sorry about that and don't want to inconvenience you, so- if you will kindly show us the way out- we'll be off."

~Rarity turned to find an exit but the taller one spoke for the first time and that made her stop. His voice grated hard and Rarity gave a small shiver.~

"Not so fast. How do we know this is true? How do we know you are not friends of Hexia come to spy on us? What are you strange beings anyway?"

"What? Has no one seen a human before? And why are we always assumed as spies?" Rainbow Dash complained.

Joskye spoke up. "Please, sirs, my name is Joskye White and this is my brother and sister, Swift and Argie."

"And we are their friends. We've come a long way and all we really want to do is to get back to our other friends. So, if you don't mind, we would be ever so grateful if you could show us the way out." Rarity repeated, smiling at them.

"Quite, Quite." said the short one. "Only it is a fair journey to the exit and you all look very tired and dirty. And, I should think, hungry and thirsty as well. Won't you stay and have a small meal before you go?"

~The mention of food and drink made them all aware of their stomachs, especially Lightning, Sunset and Rainbow, who, of course, had not eaten or drunk since they first arrived at Tad's cottage. It was difficult to know what to do.~

Lightning turned to the Rainbooms. "What do you think?" she asked.

"Well, it would be rude to refuse, and I take it y'all haven't eaten since we first arrived at Tad's, right?" Applejack answered hesitantly.

"Yeah, I guess." Rainbow said.

Lightning nodded. "Well, ok. Um, thank you very much." she said. "Only you will let us go soon, won't you?"

"But, of course." replied the short one smoothly. "Now we must introduce ourselves. My name is Sireal, and this is my colleague, Wentor. We are explorers, delving into realms of knowledge, trying to understand the secrets of the earth and the heavens."

"Oh, we call those scientists." interjected Argie.

"Scientists? Why, Yes. Yes indeed. Scientists. Now come this way, please."

~They were led through a door into another much larger underground chamber. Lightning and Joskye glanced around trying to take everything in. Drawings and strange instruments littered a bench in the middle of the room, and rolls of yellowed parchments and books lined shelves on three of the walls. A sour smell of chemicals and decay hung in the atmosphere. Almost at once, Joskye wished they had not accepted the invitation. It reminded him too much of Hexia's castle. Fluttershy walked around a flagstone and saw something lying under the table. She gasped with horror when she saw that it was a dead mouse. She glanced up to see a whole string of mice hanging by their tails under the bench. She shivered and decided to stay well out of the way, and to keep an eye on things.~

"Come and sit by the fire. We will prepare a drink."

~Wentor's invitation sounded more like an order, and the kids obeyed with reluctance. They sat before the fire rigid with tension, their hands pressed together between their knees and their shoulders hunched and said nothing. The two figures approached a bubbling cauldron and began to work on several drinks. A few moments later, the shorter of the two, Sireal, returned with a jug of steaming liquid and several metal goblets.~

"Comfrey tea," he beamed. "Very thirst- quenching and refreshing."

~The teenagers watched in suspicion as he filled the goblets and they waited until Wentor and Sireal began to drink before savouring the brew themselves. Except that Swift and the Rainbooms just pretended to drink theirs by holding it to their mouths without taking any in. Lightning, Joskye and Argie stared into the fire- and then the room began to spin. They tried to stand but found her legs wouldn't hold them. Faster and faster the room span until first Lightning and then Joskye, and Argie slumped unconscious to the floor.~

"Lightning!" Everyone screamed.

"What did you do to her?!" Pinkie shrieked as she saw her friend pass out.

"You've drugged her, haven't you?" Swift said furiously, rising to her feet with her fists clenched and her jaw set.

"They must be with Hexia." Twilight exclaimed. She suddenly remembered. "Wait, The mirror…Lightning has the mirror! Get the mirror!" She hissed from the side of her mouth.

~Swift made a dash for Lightning but before she could reach her, Wentor pounced on her and pinned her to the floor.~

"Let me go!" she gasped. "Let me go!"

~Swift punched and kicked and scratched for all she was worth but it was no use. The tall wizard was too strong for her. The Mane 7 leapt in to help but Sireal lashed out at them and they banged their heads on the sharp stone wall so hard that they were instantly knocked out. However, he missed Pinkie and she jumped down and hid under the table. The Mane 6's limp bodies dropped to the ground and Sireal turned to his henchman.~

"Tie those six up." Wentor ordered from where he held the still struggling Swift captive. "Don't worry about the boys and that girl. They'll be out for a good while yet. We'll use them for experiments later." he hissed. "Meanwhile, this girl will make a nice sacrifice for tonight. What a stroke of luck, eh?"

Sireal gave a sinister laugh as he bound the Mane 6 with cord. "Yes, this should get us nicely into Hexia's favour, and please her Harats. By the way, weren't there 9 girls? We only have 8."

"Yes. The pink one must be somewhere about. But no matter. We'll get her later. Let's deal with this one first."

~Swift struggled and screamed as they hauled her to her feet and twisted her arms into a painful hammerlock behind her back.~

"Why are you doing this?" she sobbed. "Please let us go. We haven't done you any harm."

Sireal smiled. "Foolish child. Did you really think we would let such an opportunity pass? We told you we experiment in...shall we say…strange matters, and here you are, creatures we have never seen before. Those boys will make excellent subjects for our studies, and those other girls, too." He sniggered. "But you, my dear, you will be offered as a sacrifice to Hexia's Harats. That way we shall keep her happy as well."

"No, No! Let me go!"

~Swift struggled in their iron grip as the two wizards dragged her across the room and up a short flight of stairs to a wooden door. Opening it, they forced her outside and on to a stone threshold. Straight in front of them rose a long staircase cut into the rock. Each step was covered in strange symbols that had been cut by an ancient hand. The wizards forced her to the foot of the stairs.~

"Start climbing or I'll break your arm." Wentor grated.

~Swift dug in her heels and tried to resist but it was no use. As the late afternoon sun began to set, the two wizards forced her protesting from up the steps. A cold breeze below across the darkening forest. At length, and in spite of Swift's struggles, they reached a high stone platform at the summit of the stairway. There they lashed ropes tightly to her wrists and tied her arms outstretched above her head to two pillars on either side. Sireal drew a slender wand from the folds of his cloak and touched torches affixed to each post. Instantly, they burst into flames and the two wizards chuckled as they watched their victim writhe in the flickering light.~

"Heh, heh. The more she struggles, the more appetizing she will be." gloated Wentor.

~Hearing this, Swift ceased struggling at once. She would give no pleasure to her wicked captors, she decided. The stone stairway stretched like a grey corrugated ribbon below them down to the yellow glare of the open doorway. The wizards turned and began to descend the steps leaving Swift in the gathering gloom under the flitting light of the blazing torches. The door below closed with a dull thunk and, alone and helpless, Swift awaited her fate.~

Chapter 9: Safe and Sound

Chapter 9: Safe and Sound.

~Joskye and Argie and the eight Rainbooms struggled down the steep path in pitch darkness. It turned out to be an extremely muddy and twisting route through a tangle of prickly holly, hawthorn and gorse bushes, and the two boys had to scramble bent double most of the time.~

"It's getting worse," said Joskye as he slithered on the mud. "Ouch! What out for the prickles here, everyone."

"What prickles? It's all prickles!" Argie gasped. "Aahh! Oh, I see what you mean. Worse prickles!"

Joskye turned backwards to the Rainbooms. "Can your powers be of use here?" he asked.

"We rather not use too much of our powers. Sorry." Lightning answered.

~At last, after much slithering and sliding, exhausted and miserable, and covered in mud and scratches, they emerged into the clear and found themselves by the river.~

"Ah, finally! I thought it would never end!" exclaimed Rarity, as she tried to wipe the mud and blood off her hands. "I wonder where we are now."

"Anywhere's better than back there." Applejack answered, peering through the gloom. "Are ya alright, Swift?"

"Yes, thank you, Applejack."

"Think ya can walk now?" Applejack asked.

"I...think so…" She placed her bad leg on the ground, it didn't hurt as much as last time. She smiled. "Yes, It's better, thanks."

Applejack exchanged the smile back, until she noticed Lightning deep in thought. "Why the long face, sugarcube?" she asked.

She caught her off guard. "Huh? Oh, nothing. It's just that...the horrifying screeches of the Harats are engraved in my head."

"Well, they're all gone now so there's nothing to worry about." shrugged Argie.

"It's a good job you used your powers when you did." said Joskye, smiling at Lightning.

"Yeah," Argie laughed. "Who would've imagined we'd be saved by a girl with raccoon ears and a tail?"

"We wouldn't have stood a chance against those bat things without you, that's for sure." Joskye agreed. He felt his cheeks turn a fluster of pink.

Sunset hesitated. "I wonder where those two wizards have got to?"

"Well, not back to the lair, that's for sure. Joskye certainly put an end to that." laughed Rainbow Dash.

"We were stupid to be taken in by them. Just think what might have happened to us!" Joskye shivered at the thought.

A call from Pinkie interrupted their conversation. "Hey guys! I think I've found the river! Over here!"

~The followed the direction of her voice until Argie tripped over a rock and fell on the muddy ground with a loud splat.~

"Ouch, who was that?" he exclaimed.

"Um, a rock?" Fluttershy smiled sheepishly.

"Oh."

"Are you okay, Argie?" Joskye called.

"I'm fine."

~In the darkness, they could just make out the shape of a long dark river, alone with small rowing boats hauled up on the back. They crowded around it. At that moment, a pale glow lit the scene as the rising moon peeked over the treetops.~

"Do you know where we are?" Lightning asked.

"We know this river. It's the Dustle." answered Joskye. "It should be possible to get back to Tad."

"But at night-time everythin' looks different. We're bound to get lost." Applejack protested.

"We can't afford to make a mistake. It looks like the river runs close to Hexia's castle." added Rarity, nodding. "I for one do not want to go back there."

"Nor me," Joskye said with a feeling. "That settles it then; wizards or no wizards, Harats or nor Harats, we're staying here tonight. I'm too tired to go on, anyway. Does anyone think differently?"

~Nobody did and so the nine girls and two boys clambered into the boat. Fortunately, they were dry, and the Rainbooms, Joskye, Swift and Argie were soon snuggled up together for warmth as best they could.~

"I wonder when we'll see Tad again." Fluttershy yawned as she settled down.

"Don't know." Lightning murmured. "Soon, I hope."

~In next to no time, the drama and exhaustion of the day overtook them and they fell fast asleep. Nothing stirred as they slept, and the dark river flowed silently on beneath the cold light of the moon and the stars.~

~A cold, pale dawn awoke the occupants of the boat; the trees rose stark and grey through the mist that lay over the river.~

"Brr, it's cold." shivered Argie. His teeth chattered as he eased himself up.

"Oof! Ouch! Oh, my leg, it's stuck," Joskye grunted.

~Slowly and lazily, the eight Rainbooms uncurled themselves from where they had huddled together.~

"Reckon they slept better than us," Argie laughed ruefully. "Ow, my neck doesn't half hurt. I wonder what time it is?"

"No idea, but we'd better get back to Tad as soon as possible. They'll be worried sick about us. Come on, Rainbooms, wakey, wakey!"

"Go away," groaned Sunset. "Give us some peace and quiet."

"Muffin..." added Pinkie.

"Breakfast time," Argie called, and in an instant, Pinkie Pie was awake. "Egg, chips, baked beans and bacon. Cereal anyone?"

"Oh, shut up, you're only making me feel even hungrier." Joskye complained. "Come on everyone. If we want breakfast we'll have to get a move on or there'll be none left. Plenty of water though!" he added, nodding towards the river. "Let's get these boats into the water."

~Joskye clambered out of the boat and onto the bank, followed by Argie.~

"Wait for us, then. We'll give ya a hand or two." said Applejack.

~So, the boys, Applejack and Lightning together heaved and shoved until the boat slid with a slight splash into the water.~

"Look out, hold onto her or she'll float away." cried Applejack. "Grab that rope, quick!"

~She pointed to a mooring rope from the prow. Pinkie Pie, who was nearest, leapt for it and caught the end.~

"Hey, well done, Pinkie." Argie cried.

"Come on then," smiled Joskye. "Shove the other boats to the water, hop in, and let's be on our way."

~Everyone clambered aboard and Joskye pushed away from the bank with a broken branch. Soon, they were drifting along a pleasant light current in a pleasant light current. The mist lifted as the sun rose from above the trees and the air felt surprisingly warm,almost like spring. For a little while, they could forget their worries and cares and could bask in the sunshine while the water lapped and gurgled around the boat and the bank slid by.~

"Hey, this is pretty good, isn't it?" said Joskye.

Lightning leaned back and trailed her fingers in the water. "Yeah." she smiled.

"Look at that!" cried Joskye in amazement. "Those are flowers, I'm sure."

"Wow. We've not had flowers in the forest for years." said Argie. "How unusual."

"Well. They're beautiful." admired Lightning.

"Not as beautiful as you…" Joskye whispered to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing!"

~For most of the journey the trees came right down to the water's edge, but every so often a small grassy clearing broke the monotony.~

"Watch out for a small boulder on the bank when we come to a clearing," said Joskye. "That's where we'll pick up the path back to Tad's house."

~Everyone agreed to keep their eyes open for the landmark. The patch of bright yellow caught their attention. Compared to the drab and bare forest all around, it looked simply brilliant in the morning sun. Joskye heaved himself up from the bottom of the boat where he had been lazing and everyone crowded to see the flowers. A sweet, heady scent wafted over the entranced onlookers. Every so often a puffball would burst in a shower of scented pollen dust that the light breeze carried towards them over the water. They were just beginning to dream when they heard a faint voice called from the bank.~

"Over here. It's us, the forest-folk. Over here."

"Hey, Its Tad!" Argie shouted.

"And look, there are lots of other creatures with him." Fluttershy gasped.

~They spotted a large crowd of forest-folk waving to them from the opposite of the riverside. In exhilaration, they waved back.~

"Come on!" bellowed Lightning, above the roar of the waters.

~The next moment, she pushed the tiller over until the boat ran lightly aground the bank side. At once, those on the bank grabbed the rope and began to pull on it for all they were worth. Then, after with briefest hesitation, Lightning plunged into the icy current to retrieve the other boats containing her fellow Rainbooms. After a lot of heaving and blowing they managed to pull the boats and everyone safely to the shore.~

"Wee fought ye ir gun ass." said Mumble.

"How did you know we were here?" asked Argie. "Did you see us?"

"All in good time." said Tad with a smile. "The first thing to do is to get you home and dry with something hot to eat. You have done very well, all of you. I feel extremely proud of you. But we must go. No more questions until we've has some of Mrs. T's cooking, eh, Pinkie?"

~Pinkie laughed and nodded. Three-quarters of an hour later they were gathered around a blazing fire in Tad's home and drinking tea after eating a splendid meal. The gang were feeling much better and had more or less dried out. They patched up Swift's leg as well and she felt better.~

"I'm glad each and every one of you is okay." The manticore sighed. "Alaxe and I waited for a long time after you went into the castle, but nothing happened. We began to fear the worst and think you have fallen into a trap. Then we saw Hexia in her tower conjuring up that snowstorm. We knew then that you must have escaped from the castle."

Alaxe the elf took up the tale. "We tried to find you, but the storm was too bad. I've never seen anything like it. Anyway, we searched for ages until it was almost dark but even our best trackers couldn't find you." He explained. "The snow around her castle made it difficult, but we couldn't pick up even a trace of scent, let alone a footprint."

"That's because we were underground by then." interrupted Argie. Twilight Sparkle then went on to tell them all about Wentor and Sireal.

"Ah, that's how it happened, is it?" Tad nodded. "No wonder we couldn't find you."

"Did you know about those wizards?" Twilight asked.

"No, that is an unexpected development, and a bad one." said Tad.

"Rumours have reached us of some mischief afoot." It was Alaxe who spoke. "Forest-folk have been disappearing without a trace, and those Harats have been seen flying at dusk. We hadn't realised the connection until now." His face was grim. "It's utterly awful."

"I agree." added Tig. "If I ever get my hands on those two…"

"Well, to continue." Tad interrupted. "We kept searching for you, hoping to find a clue. We reluctantly got some rest, then went out this morning and thankfully, saw you by the river."

"That's great." smiled Lightning. Joskye nodded in agreement. Then he noticed the sprites and realised that nobody had heard a jingle out of them for a while.

"Aw, look," Fluttershy said. "They're fast asleep." She softly stroked Fumble's little wing as he and the other two were curled up together in front of the fire.

"They are marvellous," laughed Joskye. "You were right, Tig, they were the ideal choice to rescue us." Tig grinned at Alaxe, who grudgingly agreed.

Tad suddenly became serious. "Listen," he said. "All this worries me. I do not pretend to know all that the world is doing. Doubtless, it has good reason for sending you girls here, but it is obvious to me that even with you and the mirror, you are no match for Hexia."

Joskye intervened. "Well actually- "

He was cut off by Lightning. "I agree." She said. She faced the manticore squarely. "Can I be honest? Ever since we have arrived here, I've felt completely out of my depth. I mean, it's really no use asking girls like us to help you fight Hexia."

"Then there's Wendor and Sireal as well. I don't know where to start." sighed Twilight.

Argie was confused. "But, we have you on our side and your- "

"We are great fighters, yes." interrupted Lightning. "But, I don't think we can beat Hexia single-handed."

"The trouble is, so many of our best troops are locked up in her castle. If only we could rescue them things would be much easier." said Alaxe.

At this, Twilight raised her brow. "Hmm…" she thought.

"I know," said Joskye with feeling.

"We...we saw them." said Fluttershy. "They looked so bad and I just wish we could have set some of them free."

"There must be some way to get them out." Sunset added.

"We need more help," Tad declared. "and I don't know where it is to come from. But I just cannot risk your lives again."

"But you said we were here to help you fight Hexia." Rainbow Dash protested. She looked at Lightning, but she shook her head.

Tad shook his head. "Things are too unevenly matched at present and until matters change I think we must simply lie low and keep out of harm's way as best we can. Though, goodness knows, she will be out hunting us soon enough."

~They sat brooding over the problem. Nobody really knew what to say and the longer they sat, the more oppressive the enemy seemed. A dark despair settled over their spirits like a low winter clouds. Suddenly there were noises outside; a heavy footstep, a cracking twig. Everyone jumped as the sounds broke their silence. Then with a light creak of the hinges the door swung slowly open, and a long black shadow fell across the floor. Horrified, Mrs Tad, Fluttershy and Rarity screamed aloud, and their teacups crashed to the floor.~

Chapter 10: Dalton takes Charge

Chapter 10: Dalton takes Charge.

~Fear and dismay paralysed everyone in the room as they stared at the long shadow darkening the threshold. Only one thought went through each of their heads: Hexia had come in person to wreck her vengeance! Not an eye blinked as the shadow advanced. Sunset, Joskye, Rainbow and Applejack could barely breathe. Argie, Twilight and Pinkie gripped the arms of their chairs. Their faces taunt with fear. Yet it was no evil-looking Hexia who stepped into the room. Instead, they found themselves confronted by a tall stranger dressed in a hooded, green travelling cloak, the hood of which completely hid his face. For a moment nobody moved; then Alaxe whipped out his sword and leapt forward. All his doubts about the girls came flooding back. If this wasn't Hexia, then he could only be one of the wizards or some enemy. Lightning also leapt up and held her fists out.~

"Show yourself." growled the elf. "Before I run you through."

~There was a moment of tense silence. Then the stranger laughed and threw back his hood. A clean-shaven young man stood before them. To the Rainbooms he seemed both noble and kindly, yet his dark eyes flashed with an inner fire. Swift gazed up into his eyes and caught the flash. She knew there and then that she and him would have a special understanding between them.~

"There will be no need for that, Alaxe." The voice was rich and deep. "Please permit me to introduce myself. I am Prince Dalton, the son of Aron, High King of Asteral, and of all the lands westwards."

~He smiled and bowed slightly. There was an authority in his manner, and a fearlessness that made Alaxe lower his sword. Lightning relaxed a little.~

The stranger looked about her. "You must be Lightning- one of the Star children, and you, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie are- The Rainbooms. Joskye, Swift and Argie too- the White children. Yes, and you are Tad, the lore-master of the forest-folk, if I am not mistaken. To you, I offer my apologies for having entered your house unannounced, but I felt it wise to be discreet."

Rainbow, looking incredulous, whispered to the others. "Uh, how does he know who we are?" Lightning shook his head, looking equally bemused.

The prince turned to Mrs Tad, Fluttershy and Rarity. "Dear ladies, my apologies for causing you such a fright. Please forgive me."

"Well, I...I'm sure I do, sir." replied a flustered Mrs Tad. "You are welcome to our home."

Alaxe coughed loudly at this point. "Um, with due respect," he said. "Could you explain yourself to us? Why are you here?"

"And how do you know so much about us?" Twilight asked.

The tall stranger smiled. "You are quite right. First, let me put you at ease by saying that I have been sent to the Great Forest of Caisar by the world itself."

"If that is so, you are truly welcome." said Tad. "But you will understand our caution when I tell you that our enemy is highly skilled at deception. We have been fooled in the past and will not make that mistake again." He looked keenly at Dalton. "To say you are from Asteral is a strong statement, my friend. What proof do you bring?"

Dalton glanced at them each in turn and nodded. "First, I give you my oath which I make by the fire of the Islastone and the light of the stars. Furthermore, I bring a token that will demonstrate the truth of my words."

~The Rainbooms and Whites watched as he removed his glove to reveal a ring upon the second finger of his right hand. The gold ring was large and intricately fashioned, but what caught everyone's attention, especially Rarity's, was the jewel set within it. This was no ordinary diamond or emerald; it did not catch light and reflect it. This jewel smouldered and flashed with its own fire. It was nothing that any of them had ever seen. Joskye swallowed as he felt the hair tingle on the nape of his neck. Tad shuffled forwards and took Dalton's hand in his paw. He peered closely at the fiery stone and then raised his eyes to meet Dalton's, his gaze filled with awe and wonder.~

"Yes, you judge correctly." said the stranger, without warning for Tad to speak. "It is a fragment of the Islastone itself."

"Sit down, please," whispered the old manticore. "I need no further proof. For one who has gazed upon the Islastone, it is enough. You are welcome among us."

~At this point the three sprites stirred and woke. Seeing Alaxe with his sword drawn, Grumble leapt to his feet and confronted the stranger.~

"Don't move a muscle or I'll have you by the throat!" he cried up to Dalton.

~Fumble and Mumble joined him and prepared to do battle. Mumble grabbed the poker from the fireside and brandished it at Dalton whale Fumble bared his teeth and tried to look menacing.~

"It's okay, it's okay!" Fluttershy reassured them. "He is a friend."

"His name is Prince Dalton." added Tad.

~He motioned Alaxe to put his sword away as everyone settled down; he ushered Dalton to the best seat in the room. Even Alaxe seemed to relax.~

Once they were all seated Dalton began to speak. "My mother is Queen Teris and she gave me this ring several years ago. She would not say how she obtained it, but I remember feeling that it had cost her much suffering to do so." He twisted the ring with his other hand. "It had never been removed from my finger and nor could it be now, as you can see. Yet one day it will be removed, for it is said that this jewel will be reunited with the Islastone- although I do not know how."

"The prophecy!" cried Joskye looking eagerly at Tad. "The one you said about."

"Yes," Tad nodded. "You are quite right, Joskye. Then you, Dalton, are the promised ruler, the coming one who will set the Great Forest free."

"You were right about the signs, and the coming of the girls. I knew it!" cried Mrs Tad, beaming at her husband.

Tad pushed himself out of his seat and bowed low before Prince Dalton. "Sire, I am your servant and at your command." he said.

~Alaxe and Tig took their cue from Tad and did likewise. Alaxe motioned the three sprites to follow them. Mrs Tad, still beaming, curtised.~

Joskye glanced across to his siblings and the Rainbooms. "Us too?" he asked.

~Lightning nodded enthusiastically and all of them bowed awkwardly.~

Dalton held up his hand. "I am honoured to lead you," he said. "But enough of this bowing and scraping. We must work together, for we all have a part to play in defeating this tyranny." His eye caught Mrs Tad's. "So, perhaps this is a good moment for some refreshment."

"I'll put the kettle on." said Mrs Tad. "It's not every day we have royalty in our home."

Dalton smiled at her. "If you knew the truth, Mrs Tad, you would realise that you are of royal blood yourselves. True nobility has little to do with birth but much to do with how you handle pain and adversity."

Mrs Tad's fur bristled with embarrassment. "Well, I'm not sure about that, sir, but I can see you're a good sort, and all that." Slightly flustered she hurried out to make the tea.

Dalton faced the others once more. "I know your plight. My destiny involves the Islastone. I am also aware of the dark force that oppresses you and I am determined to break it. It will be a hard battle, of course, but one that we must win. We have to make plans before nightfall."

"So, how are we going to defeat Hexia?" Lightning asked.

~A council of war was taking place in Tad's front room. Everyone felt more confident and determined now that Dalton was with them. He was the type of person that made you feel that you mattered and that together you could win the game. No one questioned his right to leadership in the campaign, and he led their discussions.~

"We need to be wise." he said. "It would be no victory if Hexia escaped with the Islastone. We must recapture that at all costs."

~This rather put paid to Pinkie's suggestion that they should simply blow her up in her castle. They needed a more subtle plan.~

Alaxe spoke up. "It seems to me that we must rescue the prisoners before we do anything else. Some of my finest troops are in her dungeons and she will certainly kill them if she suspects an attack. In fact, recent events may have already put their lives at risk."

"Yes, and she can always blackmail us while she has them. Their lives for her terms." added Tig.

"I agree." answered Dalton. "Then that must be our first priority." His eyes scanned the group. "Now, we need to find a way of drawing her and guards away from the castle. We must find her weak spot. Does anyone have ideas?"

"Oh, that's easy enough." said Tad with a laugh. "She is vain. The most conceited creature you could ever imagine."

"She might be open to a bit of flattery then," said Rarity. Dalton agreed.

"In that case, I think I have a plan." It was Twilight who spoke. Carefully, she explained to them her ideas.

"It might work. It just might work!" cried Dalton. "Yes, Let's give it a go!

~That night there was a flurry of activity on the part of the forest-folk. Creatures scurried to and fro in the darkness and there was much whispering of instructions and passing on of progress reports. It was not until the cold dark hour before the dawn that most fell tired but satisfied into their beds. Indeed, if it had not been for sheer exhaustion many would have stayed awake from excitement. However, Tad was stern. Stage two of Twilight's plan began quite early the next morning when Fumble, Mumble and Grumble, who to the relief of many had been excused the night's work, set off once more towards Hexia's castle. Only this time they made no attempt to conceal their coming.~

"Ouch, that hurt my toe." groaned Fumble as he picked himself up after tripping on a tree root.

"Huh, if you carry on at this rate we'll never even reach the place." Grumble complained. "Not that I think that would be a bad thing, if you ask me. Why is it always us who get landed with the dangerous jobs, that's what I want to know?" He shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, she's likely to kill us on the spot after the trouble we've caused her."

"Hows top man in."

"What's that you say, Mumble? Eh? Speak up then, you daft cheese head!" Grumble was feeling very moody indeed.

"Leave him alone," said Fumble. "I'm sure it'll be alright. Dalton thinks it will."

"I just hope you're right, that's all I can say." At last they came in sight of the castle. "Here we go then," said Grumble.

~With their hearts thumping, in full view, the three sprites approached the dark and forbidding main door. Dead bats hung from trees on either side of them, the sight of which made the sprites shiver with disgust. These were, after all, their cousins. The moment they came under the castle's shadow, a Croper guard stepped out to bar their way. He held a spear at the ready.~

"Halt! What's yer business 'ere? Don't ye know yer trespassin'?" He grinned wickedly, showing his broken yellow teeth, and brandished his spear in their faces. "Yer can git yer froat cut fer that."

"Please, sir, your honour," began Fumble. "We have come to beg an audience with the great Queen Hexia. We bring an important message for her and we come in peace."

~At this point, Grumble produced a white flag, and waved it before the guard.~

"News, eh? And yer want ter see 'er majesty do yer? Wait 'ere, an I'll go an' ask 'er if she wants ter see yer. An' if she don't, I'll slit yer froats." he added as an afterthought before vanishing inside.

"Do you think it's going to work?" whispered Grumble.

"I hope so. Anyway, so far so good. Look out, here she comes!"

~The Crone appeared before them as thought she were made of wavering grey smoke. She fixed them with a baleful glare.~

"You! Yes, I've seen you before, haven't I?" she snarled. "Helping those meddling children, were you not? Vermin! For that you shall die- and very slowly."

The sprites trembled but somehow managed to keep their nerve. "Please, your majesty," said Fumble, who had been appointed spokessprite. "Before you kill us, please hear what we've come to say. We come in peace with a message from the forest-folk."

"Message? What message?" she snapped. "Speak, vermin scum. Your life depends on whether I like what I hear." She moved menacingly towards Fumble and towered over him.

Fumble stood humbly before the Crone and recited the speech he had practised earlier. Taking a deep breath, he said: "O Mighty Queen of the Great Forest and Holder of the Islastone, Ruler of Cropers and Harats, Fearsome Majesty- if it pleases you, your highness, we bring a humble petition." he quavered. "We have regretfully fought your Majesty over many years but we believe that now is the time to surrender." He held out his paws, imploring. "We have had enough, and we wish a speedy end to the fighting. So, O Mighty One, our petition is this: To give you the honour due to you, your Majesty, the forest-folk crave an open-air audience with you today. They wish to acknowledge and celebrate your true worth and greatness."

~The Crone glared suspiciously at the sprite but then, as Tad had correctly judged, her vanity got the better of her. She interrupted Fumble's speech as praise.~

"Really?" Her eyes gleamed. "So you have seen sense at last, have you?"

"I believe we have, your majesty." Fumble replied solemnly.

"Very well, I shall grant you your request, though you are hardly worthy of it." she smirked. "Where will it be?"

"If it pleases your highness, we would like you to come to the old clearing at noon today. It is an ancient place of honour, fitting for such an occasion as this." he answered.

"And you will demonstrate your loyalty to me?"

"Your majesty, we are prepared to demonstrate everything that we owe you."

Hexia eyed the three sprites closely and pondered for a moment. "Then this is how I shall want it shown." she commanded. "You will hand over to my care those Girls of the Rainbows. Do you understand? They do not belong to the forest and I must deal with them as I see fit. Is that clear?"

"B…b…but, your majesty…"

"Silence! You speak of owing me something. Very well, we shall see!"

"If you say so, ma'am." said Fumble.

"I do say so, and I shall bring my guards too. So no tricks." she threatened. "If you fail, I shall take my vengeance on all of you. There will be no mercy.

"We understand, your majesty." Fumble replied.

"Then go, before I lose my patience with you. No, wait! You!" She pointed at Fumble. "You almost questioned my will. I shall keep you as a gesture of good faith." She turned to Fumble's companions. "If you are deceiving me, then he will be the first to die. Guard, take him!"

~Before the others would protest, the guard seized the hapless sprite in his scaly grip. Mumble and Grumble watched helplessly as he was marched away, followed by the shadowy figure of Hexia.~

"Hm, that didn't work out too well. Poor old Fumble, and he made such a good job of that speech. I would have lost my temper. And as for you, well, she wouldn't have a clue what you were talking about." said Grumble. "Anyway, I just hope he'll be alright."

"O coarse wheel, down wherry." said Mumble.

"What? Oh, never mind. Well, all I can say is, the plan's got to work now, for Fumble's sake." Grumble spoke fiercely and his wings buzzed. He straightened his shoulders. "Come on, we'd better report back to the others. I dread to think what's going to happen next."

~With that, they left glumly. High in the sky and so as not to be seen, Lightning hovered between the clearing and the sun. She looked down on the forest and the sprites leaving the castle gates. She could also make out the dark specks of the Rainbooms, Whites and creatures huddled together in an open grass area surrounded by gorse bushes too. They were no more than about one kilometre from Hexia's castle. They waited in silence. Then Alaxe called out that the Crone was on her way, and she had with her a large company of Cropers. They nodded and together, the Rainbooms and Whites scurried behind the gorse.~

~Hexia strode purposefully into the clearing. She was plainly in a no-nonsense mood. Her eyes scanned the assembled creatures.~

"Halt!" she commanded her guards. They shambled to a standstill. Folding her arms, she fixed the forest-folk with a contemptuous gaze. "Well?" she demanded, her voice imperious. "Here I am. Your queen! Do you have someone worthy of my presence that can speak?"

The Crone had seen Tad standing at the head of the forest-folk but she deliberately ignored him. However, the old manticore was not to be outdone. "Yes, your majesty." he said boldly and with dignity. "As lord-master of the forest-folk, I will address you."

Hexia frowned in annoyance and sneered. "Lord-master? I do not recognise positions I have not appointed but, very well…speak, and make it good-or I'll make it bad." She cackled at her own wit.

"Ahem. If it pleases your majesty I, Tad, offspring of Rufus the Strong, member of the forest elders of the noble days of the Great Forest of Caisar in Merrdom, I who am appointed lore, master of the forest-folk by the command of the world, address you on a matter of great importance." Hexia began to tut and to arch her eyebrows. But Tad carried on. "For a long while, indeed many years, your majesty, you have held power in this forest because you posses the Islastone. Many of us have fought against you during these years and there has been much suffering for our people, many deaths, many imprisonments. The forest has grown weary and is dying. The time has come for this to end, your majesty; the days of war must cease and peace return to the Great Forest of Caisar. Now, we would like to express some feeling of loyalty if we could- but first you must show your true queenliness before us, not by violence but be returning the Islastone to its rightful place and…"

"What is this insolent nonsense?" Hexia screeched. She had been growing more and more irritated by Tad's speech. Now she could not contain herself no longer. "How dare you speak to me like this, you impudent filth!" she cried. "Trying to tell me what to do! Me? Hexia, the mighty queen of all this land! You bring me out for this? I will have no more of it." Her voice was hard and angry, cold as steel, and she spoke through gritted teeth. "But I will have your loyalty. Bring me those girls. Bring them at once before I destroy every one of you."

Tad had known all along that he would have little time to keep Hexia occupied but he had hoped to delay her for as long as possible. He tried to stall her. "I am sorry my words displease you, your majesty. Please accept my…"

"Enough! Where are those Girls of the Rainbows?"

"I…er…they are not actually quite here, if you see what I mean."

"No, I do not," she snapped. "Bring them this instant."

"But, your majesty…"

~Tad's words were interrupted by a loud trumpeting sound echoed across the forest. It came without doubt from the direction of the Crone's castle. A sudden flash of realisation crossed Hexia's face when she heard the alarm call.~

"Stop!" She cried out. Her face contorted with rage and her body shook with sudden fury. "I've been tricked. Tricked!" She turned to her guards. "Do you hear that? It's the alarm!" Her fists clenched, and with a face like thunder she cried out her orders. "Kill them! Kill every one of them. I want no mercy. Tear them limb from limb. Rip them apart!" she screamed. "And you can start with him."

~The Crone turned back and pointed at Tad. Only Tad was no longer there. Nor indeed were any other of the creatures. Every one of them had vanished as through into thin air.~

Hexia stared wildly about her, her eyes popping with amazement. "What's the meaning of this?! What trickery is going on?!" she spat.

~Full of rage, she strode forwards- and at once fell flat on her face. The Crone's foot had caught itself in a deephole that was barely covered by grass. For a moment, Hexia lay where she had fallen; then slowly she rose to her feet. Realisation dawned on her face as she saw the size and depth of the hole.~

"So that's how they escaped, is it?" she hissed.

"There's another one 'ere, yer 'ighness." called a Croper. "And another."

"Its a plot." The Crone screamed. She jumped up and down in a frightful rage, cursing everyone and everything she could think of. "Why? What are they up to? I'll make the scum pay for this." she vowed.

~The holes were too small for her guards to venture down and so all they could do was run around searching in the gorse. But though they found other holes there was not a single sign of the forest-folk.~

"Come here, you fools!" the Crone called. "Back to the castle. And run! Something's up and I don't like it."

~So saying, she gathered up her skirts and began to run after her guards as fast as her legs could carry her.~

Deep in the forest, Joskye tried to catch his breath as he spoke. "Whew, that was close. I thought Tad had misjudged it for a moment." he puffed.

Lightning ran to him and grabbed his shoulder to steady herself. "I'll say." she said.

"Yes," Dalton agreed. He had watched everything from a distance. "Yet it worked. A brilliant idea of Twilight's, even if it was a gamble."

"What was that trumpet sound?" asked Argie.

"I suspect it was an alarm of some kind." Sunset said.

"Let's go and see if everything is well." Dalton added.

~Twilight's plan had been hard work and risky but it was actually quite simple. The previous night, dozens of creatures, especially trolls and gnomes, had dug long tunnels from behind the gorse bushes and into the centre of the old clearing. From the long tunnels came shorter ones, and from those, shorter ones still, until the whole area was laced with a network of tunnels. After this, they had dug many holes to the surface that they had then carefully covered with grass. The next morning, the forest-folk assembled in the clearing, each one stood just in front of a hole or as near to one as possible.~

Tad's instructions had been clear. "You must wait until I give the signal." he told them. "However afraid you feel, you must stand your ground until then."

~Tad's chance came, as he had guessed, the moment Hexia turned to address her guards. Hurriedly, he rolled up the scroll and waved it twice. At his signal each creature simply stepped backwards and bolted into their tunnel. After that it was easy. The forest-folk scuttled through the network of tunnels until they emerged in the thick of the gorse bushes. It was then simply a matter of scampering away into the depths of the forest just as fast as their legs could carry them. The plan had been a most successful way of luring Hexia and her guards from the castle long enough for the Rainbooms to rescue the prisoners, and those who had taken part in the operation had got away without a scratch. Deep in the woods that afternoon many meetings took place among the forest-folk. The Rainbooms wandered from one group to another. They saw loved ones long separated being tearfully reunited. Prisoners who had given up hope walked around in a daze, greeting old friends and acquaintances. Parents and youngsters met again, sometimes hardly recognising each other's faces. Some, whose loved ones had not returned, wept openly and were comforted by others; but then there were the tales being exchanged, tales of brave exploits, of courage in the face of suffering, and of noble deaths.~

"We've won a victory, at last," Argie exclaimed. "Isn't this brilliant?"

"Yes," replied Swift, who was also crying a little herself. "Yes, it's really wonderful. I feel, well, just so happy." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I feel like...full, if you know what I mean."

"Letting those prisoners free was the most fantastic thing I've ever done in my life." Fluttershy smiled, also tearing up a little. "Just look at them."

"You were only just in time, though." said Joskye.

Rarity nodded. "Mmm. It was close. You know, I nearly died when that alarm sounded."

"We just ran for it." Applejack added.

"You should have seen Hexia when she heard it." said Argie. "She went ballistic!"

"The best bit was when she stepped into that hole and fell flat on her face." Joskye laughed.

"Yeah, and then she started running back to the castle with her guards and she looked really stupid," Argie chortled. "Did you see how knobbly her knees were?"

"We had only just got to the shelter of the trees when we saw her guards coming," said Twilight. "Like Rarity said, it was close. But we did it!"

"Yes, you did it, and a happy day it is for us all," Tad joined thm, beaming through his spectacles. "You know, I haven't seen such rejoining in many a year. Not since, well, I can't even remember," he laughed. "This is the first real victory we've had over that Crone. She's always thwarted us before- so many things are changing at last."

"You were great, Tad." Lightning declared. "I thought you were pretty brave to face her like that."

"Not really, Lightning. I did only what was necessary."

"And that speech," Argie said. "What were you going to say next?"

Tad smiled modestly. "Yes, it was a bit of a mouthful, wasn't it? But I was trying to take as long as possible, you see." He chuckled. "If I had continued, I would have told her how evi she was- and that she better change. That would have made her really angry. Then we would have done our vanishing trick."

Alaxe joined them at that moment. "I owe you girls an apology." he said, addressing to the Rainbooms. "I should have trusted you. I'm sorry."

"It's alright." said Sunset.

"We can't really blame you. After all, we did make a mess of everything at first." Twilight added.

"I'm just glad that it's all turned out well. But, thank you, anyway." Rarity smiled.

~The only person not joining in the festivities was Dalton. Swift, who noticed such things, caught the faraway look in his eyes. She could sense a deep sadness, a longing, a heartache too great to be expressed. Wondering what it meant she decided that she must ask him when she got the chance.~

"Hey look, everyone!"

~Argie sounded very excited and those nearby turned to see him pointing at the ground. Filled with curiosity, they gathered around him and stared at what he had found. There, growing proudly from the dark soil, was a bright mauve crocus. It was the first to be seen in many a long year.~

"A sign of spring," breathed Tad. "The power of Hexia is beginning to break."

Chapter 11: The Trap is Sprung

Chapter 11: The Trap is Sprung.

~After the daring raid on Hexia's castle and the rescue of the prisoners, the morning saw the forest alive with activity. The reason was very simple. Everyone was afraid of what Hexia would do in return.~

"It's all very well, rescuing everyone," said Grumble, "But she's going to be after us before you know it. Mark my words!"

~With this in mind, many of the forest-folk began to move house altogether, especially those who lived nearest to Hexia's castle. Quite a few felt that they would be safer if they were near the glade. Others dug deep burrows and moved their meagre food supplies and scanty possessions as far underground as possible.~

"Aren't you going to move house, too, Tad?" asked Rainbow as they stood outside Tad's cottage.

"Not me," the old menicore replied with a laugh. "I have lived here too long to leave it now. Mrs Tad would never dream of doing so, in any case. No, we will stay."

"All the same," Applejack interrupted. "You ought to have some protection. I mean, I reckon you're the one she's most likely to be after."

"Well," smiled Tad. "I've got Alaxe and Tig. They're afraid of very little, you know."

"Yes, but…"

"Tad is right." The speaker was Dalton, who had just joined them. "This moving is unnecessary. Things will not go as many of the forest-folk fear." Seeing the look of surprise on their faces, he added, "The days of Hexa are numbered."

"What do you mean?" Rarity asked in the silence that followed. "Is there something you know that we don't?" She gave a sidelong glance at her friends.

"Cos, if there is, haven't we the right to know?" said Sunset. "I mean, we're part of this as well…"

Swift said nothing but watched Dalton closely. Like her, he said nothing. This was the chance, however. "Did you find your destiny?" Tad asked.

Dalton nodded, his face betraying just a flicker of emotion. "Sunset Shimmer is quite right." he said. "I should tell you about why we are all here."

~So, Tad, Mrs Tad, the teenagers, Alaxe and Tig, found a grassy bank and sat down with Dalton to hear what he had to say.~

"Long ago," he began. "As far back in the mists of time as you can imagine, the Great Forest of Caisar was appointed to be a very special place. It was given a certain magic. As you well know, the glade still retains that enchantment, since it is untouched by Hexia's curse." The others nodded in agreement. "Legend has it," he continued, "That a small meteorite plunged into the forest and its impact carved out the pool."

"And that's why there is a link between the starlight and the water. I too have heard of the meteorite. Some say it is the origin of the Islastone." Tad added.

"Then it's from outer space." Argie cried excitedly.

"If that is what it should be called," replied Dalton with a smile. "One day you may find it is less 'outer' than you imagine." Ignoring Argie's puzzled frown, Dalton continued. "Be that as it may be, the Islastone is no ordinary jewel. It possesses a power of its own and while it lay in the glade it brought well-bring to the whole of the Great Forest. The trees that you see around you grew tall and fair, and birds of every kind and colour rested in their branches. Flowers bloomed in colours and scents that could take your breath away," he paused. "Tad, you know more of this because you were born at the latter end of those days."

The manticore nodded. "Yes, they were wonderful times and I remember them well when I was a cub."

"Me too," cut in Mrs Tad.

"And then Hexia came?" Lightning asked.

"Then Hexia came." Tad nodded.

"But, why?" Fluttershy wanted to know.

"I think I can answer that, at least in part," said Dalton. "It has to do with the world outside of the Great Forest. I mean the world over which my father rules." The prince had their full attention. "Nobody can fully explain it but everything became unsettled. It was as though there had been a deep earthquake or...or a change in the climate. Nothing was quite as it used to be anymore," said Dalton. "People felt uncertain about the future and about their safety. In the westward lands, where I come from, there was much fear and unrest. It seemed that people were always on the move but didn't know where they were going. Bands of outlaws began to appear around our towns and many evil deeds were done. It was as though we had lost control of our lives. Even the air we breathed seemed somehow threatening."

"How horrible," said Rarity. She shuddered at the thought.

"Nothing changed here in the forest because of its special enchantment, of course," Dalton continued. "That is, until one dark night," He hesitated. "A young woman appeared from outside the forest. The woman was still in her teenage years but a bitter evil had already poisoned her heart. She looked upon the Islastone and was hungry to possess it."

"Heixa!" they breathed in unison.

Sunset Shimmer regarded him curiously. "She came from your city, didn't she? And…"

"Yes," he cut in before she could continue. "And on a certain night she entered the glade again, and by some terrible magic, wrenched the Islastone from the pool. Clutching her glittering prise, she fled from the forest and back to her own land. From that moment on the Great Forest began to die. The trees shed their leaves, flowers dropped and most of the birds perished or fled."

"For a while we couldn't understand what was happening," said Tad. "Then we discovered that the Islastone had vanished. Despair filled out hearts, because we did not know what had become of the jewel. All we heard was a rumour of a young woman visiting the glade some time was not until a year later that the full and awful truth dawned on us."

"Was that when Hexia came back?" asked Rainbow.

"Yes," said Dalton. "She came with Cropers and Harats- evil creatures that she herself had a part of producing. She built her castle and began to dominate the forest-folk. Many died who tried to oppose her and many were taken captive to be used in her evil experiments."

"The wicked creature! I really hate her!" exclaimed Swift angrily.

Dalton held up his hand. "All was not lost, however. The glade closed itself off from Hexia so that she had not been able to find it again to this day. Whenever she tries, she loses her direction and comes back to where she started. That is why the glade still had something of the former life of the forest."

Alaxe took up the tale. "Only those who are unpolluted by her evil can venture there. The wise, such as Tad and his father before him, found wisdom- which is why Tad knew of your coming."

"When my father was dying," said Tad. "He gave the mirror to me along with the revelation that I showed to you when you arrived."

"And thats when we walked in?" Lightning asked.

"Yes, and then Dalton himself. The promised ruler. There was no mistaking the token that he carried."

"What's a token?" Argie asked.

"I think he means the ring." Twilight whispered. "You got it from your mother, right?"

"Correct." Dalton said, twisting the ring so that they could see its stone. "This stone is part of the Islastone itself." He hesitated. "You see, my mother had battled with Hexia to seize the Islastone from her. This fragment broke off in the struggle."

Everyone gasped on hearing this. Tig was the first to find his voice. "Then your mother had met Hexia?" he exclaimed.

Dalton looked pained. "More than that," he replied heavily. "I also have known Hexia before."

~There was a stunned silence at this news. Then everyone gabbled at once.~

"Who is she, Dalton?"

"How do you know her?"

"Where did you meet her?"

~Before Dalton could respond to the barrage of questions, there was the sharp crack of a twig snapping in the bushes behind them.~

Alaxe held up his hand. "Quiet, everyone," he urged. "There's somebody there."

~Everyone leapt to their feet, tense and alert. They stared at the unmoving shrubs. Carefully, with Tig leading in one direction and Alaxe in the other, they encircled the bushes. Then, hearts thumping, they rushed in from both sides. There was nobody to be seen.~

"Perhaps we were imagining it." said Rainbow Dash.

"I don't think so," Alaxe replied, pointing at a broken twig. "Look, it's not safe to talk for too long outside like this. We should have set a guard. Spies are nothing new to the forest."

"Yes, yes, you are quite right, Alaxe." agreed Tad, looking concerned. "We must warn everyone to be alert to the dangers. In fact, we should do that right away. If anyone was listening I just hope not too much was overheard." The sun passed behind a cloud and it was suddenly chilly.

"Lets pair off and pass the message around," Tig suggested.

~Everyone agreed and set off to warn folk to be on guard. Nobody, for the moment, remembered the unanswered questions, except Lightning, who thought she might know the answers.~

~Not far away, a beady-eyes Sireal watched with an oily smile on his round face. "Very interesting," he said to himself. "Very interesting indeed!"

~The treacherous wizard had overheard every word of the conversation and already his mind was hard at work. Glancing about him quickly, he hurried back to their underground lair to speak with Wentor.~

"Where on earth have you been?" snapped Wentor. "Can't you see there's work to be done? Here I am working my fingers to the bone and all you can do is wander off. I thought we were supposed to be partners. What do you think she's going to say if we don't start up again soon, eh?"

~Wentor was in a bad mood when Sireal arrived. He was still trying to put together what was left out of the mess created by the Rainbooms and White's onslaught three days before. Worse, they had been on the receiving end of Hexia's wrath for having failed to provide a sacrifice for her Harats. She had refused to listen to their explanation and warned them that if they did not improve quickly, they had better leave the forest, or die. The news of Hexia's recent defeats only made them more afraid of displeasing her,~

"Far from doing nothing, I've been finding out things of great value to us," Sireal replied.

"Here, give me a hand with the table, will you? Or at least what's left of it. If only I could get my hands on those girls again- and those meddling boys. What've you been finding out, anyway?"

"Stop messing about with all this and I'll tell you. By the time we've finished, my friend, we shall have our own suite of rooms in the castle itself. Now listen."

Sireal recounted all that he had seen and heard. When he had finished, Wentor's eyes gleamed. He rubbed his bony fingers together with glee. "Heh, Heh. Not only will this get us back into her good books, but it'll also destroy those children. Play this one right and we've got it made."

"Just think, a proper spell-room and real power. Perhaps even the use of the Islastone." Sireal's eyes glittered at the thought.

"We must go to Hexia tonight and share our news. I'm sure she will be most interested to hear what we've found out."

"What I've found out." corrected Sireal.

~That night, dark counsels took place in Hexia's lair. The air hung heavy, thick with evil, as the trio plotted the doom of Dalton and the others. Hexia had received the two wizards with impatience at first and kept them standing while they spoke. But, at the mention of Dalton's name her attitude changed. She sat them down eager to know more.~

"Dalton. Dalton?" A strange look passed across her eyes as she mouthed the name. "So it's him, is it? After all this time."

"They spoke about prophecies." said Sireal. "Something about him being a ruler."

"Pah! The prophecies are the vain hope of fools. Don't you know that I hold the Islastone and nobody can defeat me? Nobody, do you hear?!"

"Yes. Yes, your highness." Wentor replied hastily.

~The truth was that Hexia had been disturbed by the mention of Dalton's name. Although she didn't accept the prophecies, she couldn't deny the fact that both he and the Rainbooms had come predicted. The only way to deal with her unease was to act as soon as possible, but with cunning. To achieve her ends he was quite prepared to form an alliance with the wizards. They could be dealt with at a later date.~

"We must work together." she hissed. "That Dalton must be destroyed and I want to do it myself. None of us is safe while he lives, do you understand?" They nodded. "Good. Then we will set a trap between us and lure all of them to their doom. This is what I suggest…"

~Three pairs of eyes gleamed in the darkness as they hatched their plot. Hexia thought of another use to which she could put her newly found forged weapon and smiled as she pictured the scene in her mind. The old score would be settled at last.~

~In Tad's house, everyone gathered and could only sit and wait for the next move since clearly there was little else they could do. Dalton seemed unwilling to talk any further about how he and his mother had come to know Hexia and was in a brooding mood that not even Lightning dared intrude upon. By the afternoon of being cooped up indoors, Joskye, Swift and Argie were feeling thoroughly irritable. Tad and Alaxe had set out early to attend various matters among the forest-folk, and nobody knew where Dalton had gone.~

"I'm fed up with this!" exclaimed Joskye. "I'll go loopy if we have to sit here much longer."

"Well, what can we do?" asked Lightning. "Honestly I feel like I need this."

"I don't, I've gotta get out of this house. Anyone want to come for a walk?"

"Yeah, I do," said Argie. I'm fed up with being stuck here, too."

"Be careful, then," said Fluttershy. "And don't be long. Who knows when something is going to happen."

"Thank you, Fluttershy. We'll watch out, don't you worry. We've got the mirror with us just in case." Argie answered.

~The weather was beautiful outside, bright sunshine, blue sky and fresh, clear air. Joskye took a deep breath and laughed.~

"It does smell good, doesn't it?" said Swift. "There's less of that dead smell. Come on, which way shall we go?"

"Let's follow this path." Argie suggested, pointing to the left.

~Before long, the pleasant stroll along the meandering woodland path had them all feeling much happier. Life wasn't so bad after all and forgetting the threat of Hexia they began to laugh and joke and chase one another with bits of twig. They had been playing around like this for about twenty minutes when, all of a sudden, there was a movement in the bushes bordering the path just ahead. They each froze. The next instant, none other than Sireal the wizard stepped out in front of them. Swift stifled a scream and Joskye's hand dived into his pocket for the mirror. He was about to open it when Sireal spoke. His voice was smooth and soft.~

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, young man. At least, not if you wish to see your friend Tad alive and well again."

"What do you mean?" Joskye demanded. "What have you done with him?"

"Not me. I haven't touched him." Sireal sneered. "No, Hexia has. Or rather her Cropers have. They've caught him."

"Oh no!" gasped Swift. "Not Tad. What are we going to do?"

"Rescue him, of course!" snapped Joskye, rather more sharply than he had intended. His eye gleamed. "That is, if he's really captured." He addressed the wizard. "Why are you telling us this? After all, you're on Hexia's side and you tried to kill us. It's got to be a trap!"

Sireal smiled. "What's in it for me? Why, I'm changing sides, that's what. I want to bring Hexia down, same as you. And you have the power." He indicated the mirror.

"And you expect us to believe you? Just like that?" Joskye answered.

"Why would you want to change sides, anyway?" Swift demanded.

Sireal shrugged his shoulders and held out his palms. "We are no longer in her favour," he replied. "Things keep going wrong for her since your new friends came on the scene, and she's blaming it on us. I figured that if were to be blamed anyway, I might as well join the better side."

"What about your pal?" Argie asked.

"Wentor, I am afraid to say, hasn't yet seen sense." Sireal replied. "I expect he'll come around, but I'm getting out while the going is good."

Joskye was far from convinced. He remembered that this was one of the men who had offered his sister as a human sacrifice. "We don't make bargains with the likes of you," he said. "So forget it. We're not interested."

"You overlook the fact that Tad has been captured and is not far from here. They'll be marching him off to Hexia and you know what that'll mean." the wizard replied. "I know where you can stop them."

"I don't believe you." Joskye replied.

"Hey, listen, Joskye," Argie interjected. "Look, I'm not sure I believe him either, but we've got to take a chance, just in case. It'd be awful if Tad really is caught."

"Yes, Joskye, please let's check, just to be sure." Swift added.

Joskye hesitated before turning to the wizard. "You'll have to prove yourself to us. Take us to Tad and if he's rescued we'll think about what you've said. If you try anything funny, I'll fry you alive. Now move!" he gestured angrily with the mirror.

~Sireal flinched and muttering to himself stumbled down the path in front of them. He seemed to be taking Joskye's threat seriously and kept casting nervous glances over his shoulder as he hurried along.~

"Just keep yours eyes open for a trap." hissed Argie. "This path leads towards the old clearing, I reckon."

"Well, we'll know soon enough if he's telling the truth, we're nearing there." Joskye muttered.

~Just as he spoke, Sireal gave a cry of fright and to their absolute astonishment fell crashing into a hole in the path and disappeared from their sight. The White's stopped dead in their tracks.~

"He's fallen into a trap!" exclaimed Argie.

"Do you think it was meant for us?" Swift asked.

~Before anyone could answer her question, all three were thrown to the ground by the weight of a huge net that fell on them from the trees above. After that, everything happened so quickly that there was nothing they could do to save themselves. Six Cropers leapt to the ground and swiftly bundled up the teenagers, whose struggles only entangled them further. To his dismay, Joskye felt the mirror slip from his fingers in the confusion. The Cropers thrust the stout pole through the netting. Balancing it on their shoulders, they hoisted their load and carried the captive White's at a swift march towards the clearing area. They were followed by a grinning Sireal who, having just clambered out of the pit, was brushing down his clothes.~

Swift looked back and saw his smirk. It was a trap after all. "I'm so sorry, Joskye. It's my fault for saying we should go with him." she groaned.

"No, it's mine too." said Argie.

"Nobody's to blame." Joskye replied. "Lets just hope they haven't got Tad as well. If only I hadn't dropped the mirror...Ouch!"

~The Cropers had come to an abrupt halt and stood to attention in the clearing. Hexia was waiting for them. With her hand on her hip and a leer on her face, she swaggered towards the helpless teens.~

"Stupid young fools." she mocked. "You fell right into my trap. I've caught you good and proper this time, haven't I?" She waggled a gnarled finger at them.

Swift was furious. "You're evil and horrible and nasty! I hate you!" she cried. "Let us go. Just let me get at you, you wicked old witch!" She struggled violently in the net.

The Crone sneered. "Your words mean nothing to me, and in any case it's too late for you to interfere with my plans now. Guards, prepare the next part of the plan. You know what to do."

~At her command, the Cropers carried their struggling load across the clearing until they came to a pole shaped like an old-fashioned hangman's post. There they dropped the teenagers in a heap and fixed a rope to the net. One of the Cropers threw the end over the crossbar. With much puffing, the Cropers hauled on the rope until the teens were suspended in the net about two metres off the ground. They struggled to readjust their limbs as best they could.~

"What are they doing?" gasped Argie.

"I don't know." his brother replied. "I thought for one moment that we were going to be hanged."

"I'm frightened," Swift whimpered. "I don't like this at all. If only the Rainbooms and Dalton were here."

~Hexia said nothing. She simply watched. Her guards went off into the bushes on the edge of the clearing. They returned carrying bundles of dried gorse and at a nod from their mistress they began to pile it beneath the White's. The job was soon done and all the children could do was look on in silent trepidation.~

"Is she going to drop us into it?" whispered Argie. "It looks ever so prickly."

"No, I don't think so." Joskye muttered grimly, as the truth dawned on him.

Swift also realised what was happening. "She's going to burn us alive!" she shrieked.

~The three teens stared horror-struck as Hexia advanced on them. In her gnarled hand she bore a burning branch and her face was twisted into an evil leer. One of her Cropers started a slow beat on a bass drum. Two others put trumpets to their lips and began to blow long, raucous blasts. Joskye, Swift and Argie struggled desperately as the Crone came closer.~

~In the depths of the forest, everyone heard the beat of the drum and the blare of the trumpets. They stopped what they were doing and began to ask one another what was going on. Tad, Dalton and the Rainbooms were together when it began.~

"What's going on?" Lightning asked.

"Something bad." said Tad.

"I suspect Hexia is making her move at last." Dalton replied.

"Oh no!" Fluttershy gasped.

Twilight frowned. "Wait, where are Joskye, Swift and Argie? We haven't seen them for quite some time."

"Nor have I, and I don't like it. That sound is coming from the direction of the old clearing, if I'm not mistaken. Come on, Tad, Rainbooms, hurry!" Dalton sounded grim.

~They raced out of the house together and found themselves along with many other of the forest-folk rushing towards the incessant beat of the drum and the insistent blast of the trumpet. It still took some time to reach the clearing and everyone arrived puffing and panting behind the gorse bushes that marked the edge. As they began to creep through the gorse the forest-folk quietened down. Everyone was on the watch for trouble, but they could never have been prepared for what they saw. There, hanging from the post were the three teeangers, and Hexia stood before them clutching in her hand a burning torch. Dozens of Cropers stood to attention in a semicircle behind them. The monotonous sound of the instruments continued.~

"This is dreadful! Dreadful!" gasped Tad.

"So, this is how it is going to happen?" Dalton spoke, almost to himself and his lean face looked taut.

"Surely she's not going to kill them," cried Rarity. "We must try and stop her!"

~Tad darted forward, heedless of his age or personal danger, and fearlessly approached the Crone. The Rainbooms joined his side.~

"Hah! So you've arrived, have you?" she snapped, glaring at him with venom. "All of you, I trust?"

"Tad, go back! Don't worry about us. Look after yourself." It was Swift who shouted and the two boys joined in, entreating Tad to return to safety.

"Take no notice of them." snarled the Crone. "Now listen to me. I hold all the cards, so you had better- "

"No, you listen to me." Tad interrupted angrily. "Joskye, Swift and Argie came as visitors to the forest. They mean nothing to you. Let them go. Let them go and take me instead. They can return to us and help the others get back to their own country and you will have me as your prisoner."

Hexia roared with laughter. "You!? Do you think I want you, you decrepit old ruin? You're nothing to me. You don't seem to understand, you old fool. I'm playing for higher sakes." she bent forward and narrowed her eyes at the manticore. "I want Dalton. I know he's with you. Hand him over."

"No, no," called the Whites. "Don't do it, Tad. Leave us."

"If we refuse?" Applejack asked lamely, already knowing what the answer would be.

"If you refuse, I shall simply set fire to this gorse and burn your friends alive! In fact, I shall count to one hundred and if Dalton is not delivered by then, they die. Now go!"

"How do we possibly know you won't destroy them anyway?!" Rarity glared.

"You can't, can you? Now hurry, I haven't got all day." she snapped. Tad stood for a moment, trying to think of a reply. "One, two, three…"

~He ran back to the shelter of the gorse to speak with Dalton and the others. The Crone's voice rang out to the melancholy beat of the drum.~

"Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…"

"Well?" Alaxe demanded when Tad arrived. "What do we do?" He began fuming with rage and frustration.

"We can't turn Dalton in!" Lightning gasped. "But, we can't let Joskye, Swift and Argie die!"

"She's outwitted us this time. We must speak with Dalton quickly." Tad replied. "Where is he?"

Everyone glanced backwards but no one was there. "I-I don't know." Twilight stuttered. "He was here a minute ago!"

~The three teenagers hung in dread and despair. Everything appeared to be lost. It was them or Dalton. If only it was a dream, thought Swift, but she knew that this time it was happening to the, for real.~

"Seventy-five, seventy-six…" The beat went on relentlessly. Nothing moved in the gorse. The air hung still and silent. "Eighty-nine, ninety, ninety-one…" Tension mounted to breaking point. Argie's skin prickled. "Ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight…"

~Hexia moved towards the pyre with the burning brand. Implacably, she lowered it towards the gorse.~

"Ninety-nine, One hun- "

Chapter 12: All seems Lost

Chapter 12: All seems Lost.

"Stop!" The firm voice rang out across the clearing.

"It's Dalton!" cried Joskye.

~Hexia looked up suspiciously and grimaced. Dalton stood tall and noble in the sunlight, in vivid contrast to the crooked old Crone.~

He spoke again. "Leave the children be. I agree to your terms, Hexia; I will deliver myself up to you in exchange for their lives. See, my hands are bound." He began to walk towards the Crone.

"Dalton, no…" Lightning whispered. She went out to reach for him, but Sunset intervened.

"Stay where you are," Hexia demanded. "I want to be sure there's no trickery. You two!" she motioned to Wentor and Sireal who by now had joined her with the Cropers. "Go and check his bonds, and be quick about it."

~The wily wizards slunk from behind the guards and made their way across the clearing towards Dalton, all the while looking about them for signs of a trap. There was none. Dalton stood his ground while they checked his ropes. At Hexia's command, a Croper came running with a hank of stout rope. The wizards made doubly sure of Dalton's captivity by winding the rope several times around his body and legs, pinning his arms to his sides and making it impossible for him to walk.~

"Heh, heh, try getting out of that," Sireal snickered.

"It's alright," Wentor called out to Hexia. "He can't escape from us now."

"Very well," snarled the Crone, hiding her relief. "Guards, go, fetch him!"

~At a signal from their captain, half of the Cropers advanced on the bound man. The Rainbooms and Whites watched in silent dismay as Dalton was lifted from his feet and carried across to the Crone. Back in the gorse bushes, where the forest-folk looked on with horror, Alaxe and Tig fumed.~

"This is ridiculous! Here we are absolutely powerless while that scheming Crone gets away with it. It makes me sick. I mean, its stupid! She's got them all now. Why on earth did we give up Dalton as well?" Alaxe demanded.

"We had no choice really, did we?" Tig replied. "He was so insistent that it was the right thing to do that we couldn't have stopped him if we'd tried. What he would wish, he told us."

"Well, I don't know about that," said Alaxe. "I don't trust Crone as far as I can throw her. Tig, get the troops ready. I want action, no negotiations. We can't just sit here and do nothing."

~Tig ran off obediently. The Cropers reached Hexia with their burden and dumped Dalton on his feet in front of her. For a long time there was silence as the two stared at each other.~

At length, the Crone spoke. "So. We meet at last, Dalton, son of the King of Asteral," she sneered. "It's been a long time. You have changed very little by the looks of you. Just a bit older."

Dalton's face betrayed his sense of horror. "What has become of you, Orita?" he whispered.

Overhearing them from where they were, The Rainbooms, Joskye, Swift and Argie looked puzzled. "Huh? Orita?"

"What does he mean?" Argie asked.

"You have changed so much since I first knew you." Dalton shook his head sadly. "What is this evil that has ruined you?"

"I'm not ruined, Dalton. Fool! Do you think outward appearance is all that matters? My beauty lies in my power that will conquer the world. That is, when I've finished with you." She laughed in triumph. "Take him away!"

"Wait! You have my life in exchange for the children. That was the agreement. Release them!"

~The Crone still held the flaming torch. She stared at it for a moment, considering. Reluctantly, she doused it on the ground.~

"Your friends can get them down. Pah!" she spat. "I don't need them now. Not when I've got you, Dalton. Now, they can go back to where they came from. The other girls can too."

"Let him go, you rotten old rat!" Argie shouted. "You've no right to make him a prisoner."

The Crone spun around. "Right? Did you question my right? I hold the Islastone, fool. I have the might, so I have the right!"

~Hexia thought this sounded rather clever so she repeated it. She marched away from the despairing teenagers and back to the castle, followed by her guards, who carried the captive Dalton slung across their shoulders.~

The moment he saw that the Crone and her crew were well clear of the Whites, Alaxe spoke to Tig. "It's now or never. Do you agree?"

~Tig nodded. He glanced around at the creatures assembled behind them. They had armed themselves with sticks and stone, catapults and slings, spears and swords and just about anything else they could lay their hands on. It was time to engage the enemy.~

"This is it then. Charge!" Alaxe cried.

~Alaxe led his troops at full tilt across the wide clearing. Heedless of danger now and full of pent-up fury, the creatures surged towards the Whites and their retreating captors. They had almost reached Joskye, Swift and Argie when Hexia heard the commotion behind them. She turned and her face flashed with anger.~

"The cursed fools! Do they think to stop me now? I'll give 'em something to think about!"

~So saying, she drew her wand from beneath the folds of her gown and pointed it with cold deliberation of the captive teenagers. A blinding flash of fire shot from it's tip, bright as the sun. In the next instant the pile of gorse beneath them burst into flame.~

"Meddling fools. That'll teach them not to cross me." she snarled.

Dalton struggled vainly in his bonds as he realised what had happened. "Put it out, Orita. Please," he begged. "They haven't harmed you. What about our bargain?"

~The Crone laughed with harsh indifference and turned on her heel. Dalton groaned in anguish for the White's lives. There was nothing he could do to help. The gorse began to crackle into life as the fire took hold and smoke started pouring upwards, rapidly enveloping the White's. Swift screamed and the boys called hoarsely for help. Already they could feel the heat of the fire beneath them. Struggling in desperation, they began to cough and splutter and their eyes smarted in the smoke. The forest-folk, led by Alaxe, stopped short in their tracks when they saw what Hexia had done. For an instant nobody moved, each creature paralysed by his natural fear of fire. The Rainbooms froze also, then, Lightning Star, heedless of the danger, leapt forward.~

"Noooooooo!" She screamed.

~Equestrian magic overwhelmed her in an instant. Her jacket puffed up and with her hands glowing bright blue, she conjured a flurry of ice and shot it down towards the gorse. It burst with the flames on contact and it began to die down. It was spreading quickly, however. The nearby trees casted fire and began to swarm. The other Rainbooms reacted swiftly to their friends' example and rushed to help. Tad swiftly organised the remaining creatures into a chain to pass along bark containers filled with water from a nearby stream. Alaxe, seeing that the Whites still trapped, plunged into the burning trees and gorse. Frantically, he began scattering it as far apart as possible, pushing the whole mass away from the teens. Vast hissing clouds of steam soon mingled with the acrid smoke and the desperate helpers were soon coughing and spluttering. For a while, total confusion regained. Nobody could see a thing in the smoky fog and many of the creatures found themselves pulling one another away by mistake rather than grabbing the gorse branches. Orders were lost in the noisy chaos of shouting, choking and crackling firebrands, so that nobody really knew what was going on. It looked like a complete disaster.~

"Girls! Where are you?" Rarity cried, fanning the smoke with her diamonds.

"I- don't know!" cried Fluttershy. "Somebody help!"

"I got you, Fluttershy!" Lightning appeared from the heavy mist of smoke and put her arms around Fluttershy.

"Over here, girls!" Applejack suddenly called. "I think I found the rope securin' Joskye, Swift and Argie! Give me a hand!"

~With Rarity, Fluttershy and Lightning's help, Applejack released the rope. With cries of relief, Joskye, Swift and Argie tumbled out one on top of the other in a confusion of arms and legs and soot-blackened clothes. It had been a near thing and the teens were shaken and exhausted by their terrible experience. For a moment they lay on the ground among the sodden cinders just clutching at one another. Argie and Swift were still shuddering as Joskye slowly opened his eyes and staggered upright. His eyes stung horribly and to the Rainbooms' anxiously watching, they stood out pink and bloodshot against the blackness of his face.~

"Come on," he said. He pulled his brother and sister to their feet. Together, they tottered across to the Rainbooms.

"Are you three okay? We were worried." Lightning said.

Joskye put his arms around her and pulled. "I...don't know what to say." He gasped. "Just...thank you." Lightning smiled and patted his back.

Swift was still shaking from her ordeal. "I really th...thought we were g...going to d...die. " she shuddered. "It was terrible."

Argie was trying to brush some of the soot off his clothes. "Thanks for everything, guys." he said.

Applejack chuckled. "It was our pleasure, y'all. But, I think it's Alaxe whom you must thank rather than us." the cowgirl replied. "Why, if it weren't for him, none o' us would have had the courage to tackle this by ourselves."

"Incredible bravery, if you ask me." Rarity nodded. "He just charged straight in without any thought for his own safety."

"I've never seen anything like it." Fluttershy agreed.

"Yes, you're right. But really all of you were fantastic. You saved our lives." said Joskye.

"Where is Alaxe?" Argie asked. "I can't see him anywhere."

~The smoke had more or less cleared by now and the creatures were beginning to sort themselves out. Some stood back to admire their handiwork with satisfied smiles on their faces. Others, who bore singe marks here and there, were busy checking their tails and whiskers and hooves. Many were discussing the events in small groups.~

"Alaxe? Alaxe?" Joskye called.

"Alaxe, where are you?" cried Argie. In spite of their repeated calls there was no reply.

Rainbow Dash approached her friends. "Um, guys?" She called, her voice trembling.

"Whats up, Dash?" Lightning asked.

~She didn't say a word. Instead, she just led them to a pile of scattered gorse Sunset, Twilight and Pinkie were surrounding. Gradually, one by one, the creatures stopped their chattering. An ominous hush fell over the crowd.~

"Oh!" cried Swift. "Oh no! Look!"

~Everyone stared down at the gorse. There, badly burned and quite still among the ashes lay the body of the brave Alaxe. Tad hastened across and bent over the elf while everyone waited with bated breath, watching. Then, slowly, he raised his head to face the crowd. The manticore's old eyes were full of tears and he shook his head.~

"I am afraid our noble captain is dead," he said quietly. "I'm sorry. This is a terrible loss for every one of us."

~A stunned silence greeted the news. Then, as it sunk in, a great howl of sorrow and anguish arose from the assembled forest-folk.~

Swift burst into tears. "He was the bravest person I ever knew." she sobbed. "He gave his own life to save ours. Oh, I can't bear it! I can't bear it!"

~She stumbled away from the dreadful scene with tears streaming down her smoke-grimed face. Joskye and the Rainbooms just stared horror-struck at Alaxe's body. Fluttershy began to sob quietly and she clutched at Rainbow's arm for comfort. For a long while, nobody could do anything but weep and a cloud of utter despair seemed to settle over the clearing. At length, Tad pulled himself together. With a great effort he called for everyone's attention. When he spoke, his voice was grave.~

"Matters are very serious for us, friends. Our enemy has Dalton and we have lost our fighting leader. I know how hard it is, but we must not, we cannot, allow ourselves to go under." He looked about him. "Tig, you will assume Alaxe's role. Lightning, Joskye, Swift, Argie, Sunset, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, we must talk without delay. The rest of you must return home and prepare for war." He raised his paws. "This is a dark day. Come, let us all get to the safety of our own homes and remove Alaxe from this awful place."

~At Tad's command, four young elves bore away the body of their captain upon their shoulders. With slow and solemn steps they walked towards the trees and a place of burial. The sour stench of burnt and we wood hung in the air. Small burns began to sting in the cool wind. With aching hearts and weary bodies the sad procession wound its way into the cold shadows of the silent trees.~

Chapter 13: Into Battle

Chapter 13: Into Battle.

"So, my dear Prince Dalton, the so-called son of the High King- at last I have you!"

~Hexia stood before her prisoner, gloating over her prise, her voice heavy with sarcasm. She noticed his sad look across his face.~

"Can't get used to it, eh? Not like your old Orita, am I? What did you expect to find? Some beautiful princess? Pah! You always were stupid."

Dalton spoke with difficulty. "I loved you, Orita. You were once the fairest woman in the land and the most precious person in my life. What caused this dreadful evil that has overtaken you?"

"Evil? Hah! If you call power evil, then evil it is. I want power, Dalton. I desired it even when we were younger but neither you nor your family would grant it me. So I sought it for myself. And I found it!"

"We couldn't give you what you wanted because you had already turned sour. Your heart was full of pride. You would have brought nothing but pain and sadness upon our people. That's why I couldn't marry you, even though I loved you."

"Love? Oh, yes, love." Hexia answered dreamily. "How much you loved me! Enough to ditch me, that how much. And for what?!" she spat. "For some noble concern for others. What rot!"

~Tig paced restlessly up and down in Tad's front room, his face furrowed with emotion. He was deeply grieved over the loss of his commander and the all too recent burial had been difficult for him to bear. Now Tad had made him leader of the forces; Tig, who had always been second-in-command; Tig, who was good at carrying out the orders of others but who had never been one to make the decisions. And his first task was to do something about Dalton! It was a worrying business. Joskye entered the room and stood for a moment watching the elf.~

He sighed in sympathy. "I know how you're feeling, Tig, and...well, I just wanted you to know that I feel the same."

Tig stopped his pacing and turned to Joskye. "Thanks, my friend. It helps to know that someone understands."

Lightning suddenly entered as well. "I think we all do," she replied, who overheard them from the room. "It must be a terrible responsibility for you."

"What do you think we should do, Lightning?"

"I'm not sure. But we can't waste time," Lightning answered. "If she's going to kill Dalton I reckon she'll do it quite quickly. We'll have to get a move on before it's too late. Then again, I suppose, he may be dead already." she finished miserably.

"If he is, or if we don't rescue him, then her power will grow even more and we'll become utter slaves. I'd sooner die than serve her evil ways, and I think most of our folk feel the same." Tig looked at Lightning in the face. "I don't know about you eight. You're strangers here, not forest-folk. It's still a bit of a mystery to me how you ever came in the first place, but I suppose you can escape and go back to your own land."

"No," Lightning said. "Listen, Tig, I know we're visitors, a bit like people from another world and all that, but we're in this with you."

Joskye nodded. "Alaxe gave his life to save us. We would have died if it wasn't for his courage, and I feel like we owe alot to him."

"Everyone does."

"Well then, I think he had the right idea in attacking even if it didn't work out as he wanted," said Joskye. "At least it's better than sitting around doing nothing."

"Then there's Dalton. We can't just go away and forget he ever existed." A lump came to Lightning's throat. "No, We are willing to die, too, if necessary." she concluded.

"Yeah, let's get 'em!"

~Argie had slipped into the room unnoticed and now stood with his hands behind his back looking rather pleased with himself.~

"I agree. We've got to attack that evil old rat together," Argie said. "And guess what? I've got something that will help us quite a lot." he added. Slowly, Argie drew from behind his back a small round flattish object.

"The mirror!" gasped Joskye. "Of course! Stupid! I thought the wizards had got it."

"Well, I wondered about that, but I thought I'd take a look just in case. It wasn't on the path, of course, and I was just about to give up when I saw it lying under a bush. I don't think I'd have found it if I hadn't been really looking."

"Brilliant, Argie. At least we have something on our side now." Joskye was suddenly full of enthusiasm. "Come on, Tig; things are looking up a bit. I think we should attack the castle and at least do as much damage as wecan. Who knows,it might turn out better than we expect and old Tad may be right about those prophecies after all."

"Less of the old if you don't mind! Of course I'm right about the prophecies."

~They jumped at the sound of Tad's voice as he, Swift and the Rainbooms slipped into the room through the study door. All carried swords in their hands and were dressed in the old metal and leather battle uniforms that the forest-folk used.~

"Hey, what's all this?" Lightning asked.

"Quite simple," her fiery friend, Sunset, replied. "We are all ready to fight Hexia."

"We are also willing to go alone if you alot want to stay home." Rainbow added.

"What?"

"Yes, we've decided it's gone too far to just sit around any more. We've nothing to lose, so we're going to fight." Swift nodded. "And we're ever so glad about the mirror, Argie."

~She smiled at her younger brother but he could see the glint of determination in her eyes. It was a sure sign that Swift meant business.~

"Oh, er, yes...great. Yes, we've come to the same conclusion- we fight. Glad you want to come along." Joskye said awkwardly. He wondered why it was that old folk and girls always seemed to make their minds up quickly in a crisis.

"Right then," cried Tig, feeling much happier now that a decision had been reached. "To arms, everyone. Let's prepare the troops!"

"It wasn't like that, Orita, and you know it." Dalton answered.

"So what was it like, then? Tell me," she demanded. "No, I'll tell you. It was like this: I expected to marry the prince and to have all my dreams fulfilled. I would become queen and have honour and influence. People would know their place, and I would know mine…"

"But that's not what it's all about," Dalton interrupted. "My family doesn't rule like that. We are there to serve our people, not to humiliate them."

"Serve the people? Do you really think that's what ruling is all about?" Hexia arched her eyebrows incredulously. "People are there to serve their rulers. That's what. What's the point of being in charge if you can't order people about and take their money? Power to the powerful, I say! You and me together."

~So it was that a large company of forest-folk swiftly railed to Tig's call. This time they were in deadly earnest, ready to fight to the death, if needs be. Encouraged by Tad's example, many of the older creatures joined in, proudly bearing ancient swords and clubs, slings and staves.~

"Right, fall into ranks of six," he ordered.

~Everyone obeyed with much shuffling and good humour, particularly when Fumble managed to bring four others tumbling over with him as he tripped over his own staff.~

"I give up!" groaned Grumble, who was one of those who had fallen.
Tig addressed his troops. "We all know why we're here. If we don't defeat Hexia we will be her slaves for the rest of our lives, which she may shorten, in any case. We either accept that or we fight and maybe die in the attempt. This will be a fierce battle, with no quarter given; so if anyone wants to drop out, let him do so now." Silence descended on the company as he waited. Nobody moved. "All right, then, let's go!" he cried. "Death to Hexia and all her evil! Vengeance for Alaxe!" Everyone present took up the cry Tig gave command, "Forward, march!"

~The motley army set off for the castle and whatever fate had in store for them. The company moved at a fast pace and before long was in sight of the grim stonewalled fortress.~

Dalton shook his head sadly. "You are wrong, Orita," he said. "I could never be married to someone who thought like that. I am sorry it had to end but you really gave us no choice. And you gave me no choice for this. Rejecting you was as hard for me as…"

"Oh yes, you rejected me, alright!" Hexia cut in bitterly. "And don't think I have forgotten it The humiliation! You have no idea how I felt before my friends and advisors."

"What advisors?"

"Well, never you mind. You wouldn't understand, anyway. Let's just say that you ruined our plans."

~If Dalton had ever had doubts he knew now for sure that he had made the right decision in not marrying Orita. Even back in the days of the courtships a sinister plot had been hatching between Orita and her secret advisors.~

Hexia was speaking again. "Strange how the wheels turn, isn't it? I vowed vengeance on you and your loathsome mother and sought other powers to help me. They have done well." She grimaced. "I have waited a long time for the chance to destroy you and your wretched family. And now, at last, you have come within my power."

Tig held up his hand and ordered a halt. "Surprise is our best weapon, so we'll charge straight in," he said. "Those of you with ropes and grappling irons, use them. Those who can climb walls anyway, get up there as quickly as possible. It's important that we get the main gates open for the rest as soon as we can." He pointed to those on his right. "Some of you, under Robin's command, are to take the tunnel entrance through which the humans escaped. I don't think they'll expect us, so there may not be many guards on duty. Even so, be ready for anything. Fight hard." He drew his sword and an eager murmur ran through the company. Nerves and sinews tightened as the thrill of battle gripped each of their hearts. "Charge!" Tig yelled.

~The army surged forwards as one. Brandishing their weapons, they flooded across the open ground before the castle, shouting and yelling as they ran. Most were about halfway across the intervening space when without warning the ground trembled beneath them. It was followed immediately by a great earthen wave that heaved with such violence that many were thrown to the ground. Dismay and confusion replaced courage as the troops scrabbled to their feet and tottered about. Hexia must have been expecting them after all. The battle was lost before it had even started. Expecting to be swallowed up alive at any moment, many of the forest-folk dropped their weapons and just stood waiting their fate to be taken at the hands of the Crone. Worse was to some; a great roar rose from within the castle walls. It was followed by an almighty crash, and then a vast sheet of billowing flame shot into the sky. Everyone stared awe-struck at the sight. Another crash followed, and the walls began to split. Fire and smoke poured from the windows.~

"What's happening?" cried Twilight.

"The prophecies are coming to pass, I believe," Tad replied quietly as he lay beside the girl on the shaking ground "I think the Islastone had been made whole at last."

~The walls continued to crash down and they saw dark Cropers fleeing for their lives.~

"Get them!" Tig commanded as he regained some control over the situation. "Attack now, while we have the chance."

~In spite of their fear, the creatures rose to the order and streaked after the fleeing guards who had for so long held them in terror. At that very moment, a shattering whistle rented the air.~

"Go, Lightning!" cried Swift.

Joskye smiled. "Look at her go!"

~The raccoon girl swooped low with her fearsome moves, her shadow racing across the ground like an avenging angel. Terrified Cropers fell before her, never to rise again. Not a shred of mercy did she show to those cruel creatures who had caused such pain to so many of the forest-folk.~

Swift grabbed the mirror from Joskye. "Use your sword. I'll take this," she cried. Before he could argue, his sister had disappeared into the thick of the battle.

"Come on, girls, let's go." Sunset commanded, also dashing into the battle.

"I did not expect it to be you I would face," Dalton replied. "It was a deep shock when I discovered that in the glade. I nearly turned back there and then." His eyes pleaded with the Crone. "Orita, I want you to give up this madness before the judgement of prophecies falls on you and destroys you. Make no mistake; the time for their fulfillment has come." Dalton spoke earnestly but Hexia only laughed in his face.

"Yes, they say you've come to fulfill the old prophecies. Revelation? Pah! I do not believe them. Delusion! Only fools listen to such old words- and you are a fool, Dalton, and those meddling children. You think to scare me with your vague threats? It is you who should be afraid, not I!"

Dalton winced at the mention of the Whites. "You broke your word, Orita. You killed them for no reason."

"My word? Fool!" She screeched. "You and your words. Words of prophecy. Words of honour. I care nothing for them. It's power that counts. Power, my dear Dalton, power that I shall soon unleash upon the world. No brats or stupid creatures will stand in my way, and nor will you. Your pleas are wasted. I shall not change. Do you hear. I shall not change! I have created a weapon that will make all people serve me- or die! In fact," she sniggered, "I've planned to try it out on you. Then we shall see the value of your worthless prophecies."

~With a dramatic swirl of her cloak, she turned from him and crossed to a cupboard. She reached in, giving Dalton a sly smirk as she did so. Then she drew out the strange rod that she had formed in league with the dark forces.~

"With this," she cried triumphantly, "I shall rule the world!"

Dalton looked puzzled. "What is it?" he asked.

"What is it? It is the power of light and darkness fused into one. It shall be terrible to behold, more powerful than even the Islastone itself, more dreadful than Cropers or Harats. With this, I shall sweep all before me."

Madness filled the Crones eyes as she spoke, and Dalton looked at her with horror. "Orita, renounce this evil while you can," he pleaded. "Destroy the thing before it destroys you. I beg you."

"Yes, you will beg, but not like this," she answered. "For it is not I who will change, but you. You must become as I am and serve me- or you will die. That will be my revenge."

"Never!"

"We shall see. Watch!"

~She turned away and pointed the rod at the far wall. Projected there Dalton could see great multitudes of people thronging the city streets as they went about their daily business. Hexia muttered a spell and, to his horror, fire began to consume one side of the vision. It spread rapidly, devouring everything before it. He heard the screams of terrified people, saw them fleeing madly, felt the heart of the merciless flame as it swallowed up people and property alike.~

"Do you not think it's a great power?" Hexia demanded. "I shall use it, make no mistake." The Crones eyes glinted. When she spoke, her words were cold and clear. "The demonstration is over. You, Dalton, will bow to me and serve me. If you refuse, I shall kill you."

"I shall never bow to your evil power!" He replied, as he recovered his composure. "I will no longer call you Orita. You are Hexia truly. You have tormented and killed the innocent. May hell strike you!"

The Crone face darkened with fury and her voice rose to a wild scream. "Then die! Die Dalton, son of the High King!" She shrieked. "Die!"

~She pointed the rod at his chest and uttered a deep and powerful spell. The rod shone like polished silver and from the inner depths of the Islastone fire began to flash. The roar became a deafening thunder and the whole room began to shake. A single beam of blue light blazed from the Islastone and struck the ring on Dalton's finger. It dissolved the gold in an instant. Immediately, the fragment of the jewel it had contained flew through the air to rejoin the stone. A thunderous crash marked the uniting of the Islastone, the room streamed with dazzling, ricocheting light. At this very instant, Dalton's bonds fell from his body and his hand were loosened. Hexia was stunned and could only stare in amazement. Then, with a howl of rage, she lunged at Dalton with the white-hot rod. Light and fire spattered the walls in a storm of colours. Lightning flashed. The ground shook beneath their feet. With a fierce twist of his body, Dalton evaded her thrust and found himself locked in a desperate life and death struggle with the Crone. The whole room burst into flames and at that very instant a mighty earthquake shook the floor upon which they fought. With a deafening crack the floor tore apart to reveal a vast abyss of unimaginable depth. Fire burned a sullen red deep within the chasm. Together, Dalton and Hexia struggled on the brink of the pit while the Islastone wreaked its own terrible revenge. They fought grimly, oblivious to the havoc around them, gasping and panting as each sought to gain the advantage over the other. By now they were teetering on the very edge of the chasm. Then Hexia had him; the gleaming rod was under his throat. With a cry, she lunged upwards. In the nick of time, Dalton twisted away and the Crone lost her balance. She clutched at Dalton's clothing as she struggled to regain her footing. He tried to free himself, but it was no good. She staggered back and fell, taking him with her. There was nothing he could do and together they plunged into the unmistakable depths of the pit. A long piercing scream of despair echoed up from the flaming abyss. Fore and smoke billowed out until the room was filled with roaring flames and nothing else could be seen.~

~Weapons clashes, shouts and groans filled the air, smoke and dust choked their lungs, but The Rainbooms ignored it all and made it for the blazing castle. There was only one goal in their minds. They wanted to find the Crone themselves. Sprinting across the open ground they reached the walls and gena to clamber over the rubble. Rarity rode on her large diamond shield. A large Croper blocked her way almost immediately. With a growl of fury, he raised a great broadsword and prepared to strike them down. Without hesitation, Applejack stepped forwards. She threw her fist and the Croper at once fell down, out cold. She was not sorry. With a shrug, she and the rest pressed on. Moments later, they were standing in the courtyard. Buildings blazed all around them and massive beams and towers fell in noisy showers of sparks and dust. Smoke swirled everywhere as The Mane 7's eyes darted about in an attempt to find their bearings. The next moment, a huge, dark shadow fell across them. They turned and looked up in panic. There before them reared a gigantic Harat, like some prehistoric monster, with its fiercely taloned wings outstretched. And as black as night. It's eyes glared with blood-shot hatred and the long jaws snapped greedily, revealing it's vicious reptilian teeth. Fluttershy fumbled. Her hands were trembling, and she almost dropped to the floor. Rainbow acted quickly and threw her weapon- it missed! Her mouth fell open with horror as the loathsome creature advanced on them. They all screamed and held hands. Then, just as the vile creature was about to strike, a light shone and the ground shook once more, a wide chasm opened. With a scream of rage the creature lost balance and with it's limbs thrashing wildly it tumbled into the depths. The Rainbooms lay panting and gasping, their hearts beating fit to burst. They shook with fear and their legs refused to hold their weight. Time seemed to stand still. Lightning Star, Joskye White, Swift White and Argie White slipped into the courtyard, also panting, and approached them. The noise and chaos around them faded into the background. The Rainbooms thought about home, about their friends and family. Would they ever see them again? If only they were here with them now. Slowly, they rose to their feet. A firm resolve filled their hearts. Lightning felt it as well. A door hung from broken hinges and, headless of the chaos about them, with courage, they all stumbled towards it.~

"Tig, Tig, we're winning!" A troll grinned in triumph at the elf as he struggled towards the castle.

"Yes," he shouted in reply. "I reckon we've got them on the run. Dalton must be behind this somehow. I wonder what he's done?"

"We'll find out soon enough now," his comrade replied. "Looks like those revelations were right after all."

~It wasn't long before all the Cropers had been dealt with and the noise of battle began to quieten down. Hexia's castle was utterly ruined, making it easy for the creatures to climb over the broken walls and enter the wrecked courtyard.~

"I wonder where Dalton is? The children, too," said Robin the faun. "They must be around here somewhere."

"Dalton? Girls? Where are you?" There was no reply to their calls. They stood in silence and waited.

"Hush! What's that?" said Tig. They listened, and heard the sound of sobbing.

"That's Fluttershy." cried Tad. "Quick, it is coming from over there."

~They ran across the yard and entered a large room. Although it was wrecked it had obviously been Heixa's lair. There they found The Whites and the Rainbooms, begrimed with soot. Fluttershy was sitting on the floor among smouldering spell books and broken furniture, sobbing her heart out. That wasn't all. A deep chasm ran the length of the room. Gingerly, Tad, Tig and Robin approached the rift and peered over the edge. It seemed to go down for ever but somewhere deep they could make out a dull, red glow and could hear a subterranean roar that muttered by the distance.~

The Rainbooms turned at the sound of their coming. Fluttershy looked at them in anguish, with her tears making white streaks down her blackened cheeks. "He's gone," she wailed. "I know it. And Hexia too. They've fallen down there- into the awful pit." She pointed to the gaping hole.

"We were too late." Lightning sighed sadly.

Swift burst into tears again as well. "Oh, why did it have to end like this? He's destroyed her but he's died, too. We've won, but we've lost as well." She cried.

~The other edged towards her, aware of how dangerously close to the chasm she sat. Joskye reached her first and he stooped down to put his arm around his sister. Suddenly, he felt weary. Together they gazed into the pit but it was too deep to see anything except the red glow.~

Joskye spoke at last. "Come on, guys, it's no use staying here," he murmured, and gently he helped Swift to her feet.

Chapter 15: Return to the Trees

Chapter 15: Return to the Trees.

"Goodbye, everyone."

"Take care of yourselves."

"Hope to see you again."

~The afternoon shadows were lengthening, and the air was warm and sweet with the scent of honeysuckle as the company made its way through the forest paths. They had decided in the end that only a few should see the girls off and so, after touching farewells to the creatures and especially to Fumble, Mumble and Grumble only Dalton, Tad, Mrs Tad, Tig and Joskye, Swift and Argie accompanied them on this last walk through the forest. Their route took them first to the monument to Alaxe where they stopped to pay their respects to the brave elf.~

"I wish he were still alive," said Fluttershy. "He would have loved to see how things have turned out." She sniffed back a tear.

Mrs Tad stood next to her. "Maybe he's more alive than any of us know," she said quietly. "The loss is ours more than his."

~Led by Dalton, they left Alaxe's park. They rounded a clump of hazelnut bushes and there stood before them lay the set of steps that led up to the dark stone-arched opening in the hillside. Slowly, the party walked to the base of the steps.~

"Well, here we are," said Joskye with a sigh. He gave the Rainbooms a wan smile. "Time for you to go, I suppose. Us too."

Lightning looked at Joskye from beneath her brows. "I'm...going to miss you, Joskye." she said shyly.

"Me too," he replied awkwardly. Then, to everyone's utter delight, he kissed her clumsily on the cheek.

She blushed bright red. "Uhh- I…" She sighed, then smiled. "Okay."

The seven Rainbooms smirked. "Ooooooh…" they cooed.

Lightning blushed harder, this time in embarrassment. "Sh-Shut up!" she said, playfully swiping at them. They dodged and laughed.

"Your eyes are like the pool and it shines like living diamonds. I will always remember them." Joskye whispered, his eyes shining in wonder too.

Swift laughed. "You have changed, Joskye!" she marvelled.

"Yeah, well, it's just that...Lightning…"

"You don't have to explain it, Joskye," said Dalton. "We know how you feel."

Swift nodded. "I sure am going to miss you girls. You have done alot for us. And me. Thank you for everything." She hugged the Rainbooms by one.

"Oh, I wish I could stay here forever!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "I love it so much now that it's all changed."

"And y'all have become such great friends." smiled Applejack. "If only I could come back when ever pleased, even though I know it's not like that."

Fluttershy bent and kissed first Mrs Tad then Tad himself. "We will never forget you. And thank you for looking after us."

"I don't know that I did much of that, my dear." said Mrs Tad. "Seems to me that there were others who protected you when you most needed it."

"Yes, but you made it all so warm and comfy."

Tig she hugged. Dalton stooped and put his arm around her. "Rainbooms, you and I have a special kind of kinship, for you possess the same gift as my mother. I want to remind you to guard it well and use it wisely to help others. Don't let the passing years take it from you."

~They looked into his eyes and nodded solemnly. Tears filled Fluttershy's eyes as he kissed them all goodbye. Lightning shook hands with the badgers and the elf as cheerily as she could and she wished each other well.~

"You girls have played a valiant part in this adventure, with courage far beyond your years, and you have learned many lessons about the ways of good and evil. Do not forget these as you grow up. It will not be the last time you are called upon Merrdom, of that I'm sure. Farewell, my good friends."

Lightning and the others said their farewells, feeling suddenly very grown up. "Right then," said Lightning. "Everyone ready? Let's go."

~So, without further ado, the eight girls mounted the steps. When they reached the entrance to the Passway they turned and waved goodbye to their watching friends, and then they stepped into the passage.~

"Take good care," called Tad as the girls disappeared from sight.

~Lightning felt a strange tingling sensation all over her body. Then she was through and walking unhindered towards the entrance. The Rainbooms did the same and moments later they stepped out of the tree entrance and into the spring sunshine of their own world. Everything seemed surprisingly normal again.~

Applejack took a deep breath in. "We're home." she breathed.

"Thank goodness!" Rarity sighed. "I wonder what day it is?" She then asked.

Lightning shrugged. "I don't know." she replied.

"Well whatever day, I have most definitely missed my boutique opening."

"And my soccer game..." Rainbow added.

"Oh...right. I'm really sorry, you two." said Lightning.

"It's alright. I suppose it's just a game. There are others."

"Mr. Secret and Mr. Star are going to be terribly worried when we arrive at school." said Fluttershy. "I wouldn't be surprised if they're angry with us."

"Well, if we explained what happened, maybe they'll understand." said Sunset.

"Let's get back to the hideout then and find out." Twilight replied.

~So quickly, the Rainbooms rushed into the school down the stairs into the hideout. Lightning ran into her dad's arms.~

"Mr. Star! Mr. Secret!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Girls?" Steven quired.

"Oh, Steven, Nimbus, we're so sorry we've been away for so long!" cried Fluttershy. "It's lovely to be safe and sound. We've had the most incredible adventure but you must have been really worried about us. Have you been upset?"

They looked up appealingly into their bosses eyes. "What are you going on about?" Lightning's father said, stroking her hair. "It's not even the afternoon yet. I don't call in the morning a long time?"

"A morning?" they repeated incredulously. The girls couldn't believe their ears. Perhaps Lightning's father had cracked up because they had been missing for so long.

"But, we've been away for days!" Rainbow exclaimed, looking puzzled. "In the Great Forest of Caisar, fighting a Crone and...and…" She tailed off, when she saw that Steven was laughing.

"Oh, so that's it. You made up an adventure for yourselves."

"No, what do you take us for? Five-year-olds?" Lightning declared stoutly.

"Where is this Great Forest then?"

"It's in the trees behind the school. On the other side. It's another world!" Sunset explained.

"It really is." Rarity insisted.

"You have to go down between the roots to get there. Well, not exactly through the ground, if you know what I mean. Through a special passageway." Lightning explained. Her father gave them one of those looks that said. 'You're pulling my leg and I'm not falling for it.'

"I think that's enough going outside for one day." he said firmly. "How about we go get lunch, girls?"

The Rainbooms all glanced at each other and smiled. "Okay, dad." Lightning said. And they went off.

~That night, in Lightning's World, the Whites stood to their bedroom window, gazing up into the velvet night sky. Stars hung like jewels in the heavens and they stared in silence for a long while.~

"Do you think we will see the Rainbooms again, and maybe find and visit their world?" asked Argie.

"Of course," his brother replied. "I'm sure we will find out. I have to, even if it may take me years."

"What do you think, Swift?"

"I know we will. I can feel it somehow." Her brothers nodded.

~Just then, one star seemed to glow more brightly than the rest. They all saw it. Then a dark shadow fitted across the sky. It was difficult to see, the sound that followed was unmistakable. A high pitched, whoop pierced the gloom and sent shivers down each of their spines. Unbelievably high in the sky, a half-human, half-raccoon girl winged her way westwards. Joskye White whispered her name in awe.~

"Lightning Star!"

~The End- until next time!~

Chapter 8: Battle of the Sky

Chapter 8: Battle of the Sky.

~Pinkie Pie had seen what was happening from her hiding place under the table. She had not been idle. Her first task had been to break through the cords that bound her fellow Rainbooms with her magic sprinkles. They were just coming around until Pinkie shook them all rapidly.~

"Guys, wake up! The scientists are going to sacrifice Swift to the Harats, you know the other creatures Tad said about, but we have to wake up Lightning, Joskye and Argie before it's too late, Let's Go!" She spoke quickly and urgently to her dazed companions.

"I hate this adventure…" Rarity groaned.

~Still dazed, Pinkie dragged the Rainbooms across to where the boys and Lightning laid unconscious. The seven girls stared at them anxiously.~

Rainbow took Lightning's jacket and began to shake it about. "Lightning, Wake up!" She yelled.

"It's not working." Fluttershy whimpered. "How are we gonna wake them?"

Applejack waved her hand in Joskye's face. "We need somethin' physical and wet…"

"Water. We'd better try water, I suppose." Sunset said, rubbing her head.

Twilight nodded. "On it!"

~Twilight darted around and, in the corner of her eye, she spotted a low trough of water. Grabbing the goblets, she and Sunset began to splash Lightning, Joskye and Argie's faces.~

"Wassamarra?! Ugh!" groaned Argie.

"Wakey, Wakey!" Pinkie smiled.

"Listen, Lightning, Joskye, Argie. Wentor and Sireal are going to kill Swift." Sunset urged.

"What?" It was Joskye who spoke first. "Kill Swift?"

"Kill- "

~Lightning stopped in her sentence and retched before she was violently sick on the floor. A second later, Joskye and Argie were sick too.~

"Ugh! Disgusting!" Argie spluttered.

"What happened?" Lightning gasped, wiping her mouth.

Joskye pondered. "The last thing I remember was having a drink. Then everything started spinning…"

"Y'all were drugged…" interrupted Applejack. "But, listen, Swift's in great danger!"

"We have to stop those wizards!" Rainbow declared.

"Too late!"

~All ten of the kids whirled around to see the two wizards standing at the doorway. They heard the bolt slide into place as Sireal locked the heavy door. Then together he and Wentor strode down the staircase to where the boys and girls cowered.~

"You are too late." continued Wentor with a triumphant leer. "She will die and so will you."

His cold-blooded words cleared Joskye's head more effectively than the cold water. "We'll see about that!" He yelled and, leaping aside, he drew the mirror from Lightning's pocket.

~With a press of the clasp the mirror sprang open and a living light gushed forth like a jet of golden water from a powerful hose. Saturated with such intense light, books and parchments burst into flames under its glare. A crystal ball exploded into a thousand fragments. Apparatus began to melt into smouldering heaps. Jars cracked and chemicals crackled and hissed into flame.~

"Taste the fire!" Joskye shouted.

~The wizards screeched with rage and lunged towards Joskye. But there would be no stopping him. One look at the fury of his face was enough. With cries of fear and rage, they fled for the tunnel.~

"Alright, I have to get myself one of those mirrors…" Rarity smiled in contentment.

"Later! Now for Swift." Joskye cried. He, Argie and the Rainbooms rushed the flight of stairs and reached the locked door. "This time I'll do it right," muttered Joskye. "Stand back everyone. By the light, let this door be broken. Let this door be broken!" he cried.

~At once, to the sound of splitting wood, the oak door shattered into firewood before the blazing light. In moments they were outside. Ahead of them stretched the long stone staircase where they could see the distance figure of Swift in the flickering torch light.~

"Come on!" cried Lightning. They rushed up the stone stairs as fast as their still shaking legs could carry them.

"Don't worry, We're coming, Swift!" Argie called breathlessly.

~At that very moment a shrill screech pierced the night sky. All their eyes turned in the direction from which it had come. They saw a black dot high in the sky that even as they watched grew rapidly in size as it plummeted towards them. Down it shot at unbelievable speed, mighty harpy and bat-like creature with powerful wings and stretched talons that glinted in the flames from the wizards' den. Eyes glaring, it streaked straight towards the helpless Swift. Before anyone could react to this horror, three other cries rent the air. They turned to dismay to see more dark shapes speeding on great black wings towards the sacrificial victim. They were coming from the direction of Hexia's castle.~

"Quickly! Quickly!" screamed Swift. "Help me. Please, please help me!"

~Joskye, Argie and the Rainbooms were halfway up the steep stairs in their race to save Swift. They scurried at their heels, but they already knew it was too late. By the smoky light of the flickering torches, they could see Swift struggling hopelessly against her bonds. They would not reach her in time. Already the outspread wings of the giant harpy bat seemed to fill the twilight sky above Swift's head. Hovering like some prehistoric and terrifying bird of prey, the monstrous black creature was ready to pounce. Tears of frustration and defeat choked Joskye. His own sister was about to be torn to pieces!~

"No!" he gasped. "No!"

Lightning, unable to feel defeat, snapped and yelled. "I can't take it anymore! I'm not letting this happen!"

~Desperately, she reached her neck for her geode. A bright blue light surrounded her, raccoon ears sprouted on her head and the tail appeared on the end strands of her hair. In desperation, she swished the air above Joskye and Argie's heads. They were in awe. Before a Harat clutched Swift in its fearsome talons or hacked her flesh with it's hooked beak, Lightning Star swept down and fiercely batted it back to where it came from. Applejack and Rarity reached the top of the stairs first, and panted to Swift. Both girls began to tear at her bonds until her hands were loosed from the pillars. Nearly fainting with terror and unable to hold herself up any longer, the exhausted girl collapsed to the ground. Joskye was almost at the top by now, and though his legs were trembling and he was still in awe at Lightning's power outburst, he seized his chance and flicked the mirror open.~

Take that!" he gasped.

~He pointed it at the bat demons. A blaze of light seared through the twilight and struck the creatures full on. The Rainbooms raised their eyes. Above them, the Harats wheeled of such enormous size that they looked like giant shadows on the dark canvas of the twilit sky. One after the other they swooped towards their target. They attacked but they were no match for the mirror. Light streamed forth as intense as a laser beam and before its claws could strike, a Harat shrivelled to a cinder and vanished in a puff of smoke.~

"Whoa!" The Rainbooms exclaimed.

~The two remaining Harats began their attack. Lightning rose again and streaked across the sky as they followed her. She gritted her teeth for the moment of impact.~

"Lightning, catch!" Joskye called.

~He leapt and threw the mirror upwards with all his strength. Lightning stopped in mid-flight. She shot downwards to the mirror, and caught it quickly and mercifully. She whirled back to the pursuing Harats and flipped open the lid. The move was too much for the Harats and they hurtled headlong into one another colliding with a mighty clatter of leathery skin and bone. The Rainbooms, Joskye, Swift and Argie saw one drop like a stone down far below, mortally wounded. The other, sensing defeat, recovered quickly and flew hard and low back towards the sanctuary of Hexia's castle.~

Argie shook his fist at them. "Yeah! You better fly away! Never hurt us again!"

"Oh, I'm not letting this one escape!" cried Lightning as she set off in hot pursuit. "DEATH TO ALL THE ENEMIES OF ME!"

~Although fear propelled the Harat at great speed, the raccoon girl was faster and the gap closed rapidly. Lightning opened the mirror and tried to focus the beam on her target but found it impossible. It looked as if it would make it to the castle. They were right over the ramparts when she quickly decided to strike using her secret agent techniques. She tucked the mirror away and gripped the Harat's neck tightly. With a horrifying screech, the creature writhed and fought to shake off its attacker. Lightning clung on as she fought. It didn't last long. She executed a deathblow with a sharp snap and the Harat fell mangled to the courtyard beneath. At once, Lightning began to climb, but hardly a moment too soon. A crackle of fire leapt from the wand of a furious Hexia who had followed the action from her castle ramparts. Lightning heard the Crone scream with rage as the fiery bolt merely singed her tail. Hexia's face contorted in hatred, and her clenched fists shook with anger as she made her escape back to her friends. They saw the whole thing in amazement. Lightning landed safely, only to get tackled into a hug by Joskye.~

"That. Was. Awesome!" He cheered.

"You snapped a Harat's neck!" Argie exclaimed.

"Yeeeaaaahhh...and...I feel so much better for doing it." Lightning shrugged. "I don't care that my anger got to me- I'll admit, that was something."

Slowly, Swift raised her head and looked at Lightning. "Thank you so much, Lightning." she gasped. "You saved my life."

"It's all in a day's work." she replied.

Joskye was speechless. "Where? And how...?"

"We...have alot of explain." Sunset came in, smiling. "We'll tell you along the way."

"Three cheers for Lightning!" prompted Argie.

~The team cheered vigorously for her but what they didn't know was that there was one more Harat soaring above them in the pale afterglow of early evening. The shadowy killer was coming for Swift. It smelt blood. Full of menace, it circled closer unbeknownst, then it swooped. It's talons sank deep into Swift's leg and she screamed painfully and flinched.~

Rainbow saw it and gasped. "- Hey!"

~With her speed, Rainbow swiftly and strongly beat the enemy down with a few hits. Joskye finished it off with the mirror. Fluttershy gazed above and checked to see if more were coming. When she saw there weren't, she kneeled down to Swift.~

"Swift, are you alright?" She gasped.

Swift clenched her teeth in pain. "No…I'm hurt, bad."

"Quickly, we need to take her to safety." Lightning commanded.

"Do ya think ya can walk, sugarcube?" Applejack said to Swift. She made an attempt to stand, but her leg wouldn't hold her. She collapsed down again. "Gonna take that as a no."

"We need to get her to Tad. Perhaps he'll have something." Rarity suggested.

"You're right. Let's go back down to where we came from and try to find an exit." Lightning nodded.

"But, what about Swift?" exclaimed Joskye. "She can't walk!"

"I'll carry her." Applejack answered. "I have super strength." she explained.

"Really? That's amazing." Joskye panted.

"Go on then, Swift!" cried Argie.

~Swift clambered onto Applejack's neck as she bent low. Soon, she was astride her back comfortably. An orange glow formed around them, and for a moment, the boys stood in awe gazing.~

"Thank you." Swift smiled softly.

"Just hold tight. And you'll be fine…" Applejack assured.

"Come on," smiled Joskye. "Let's go."

~Down the steps they raced, feeling a cold rush of wind as a Harat, with its talons bared, swooped low over their heads. They tumbled together to the bottom of the steps in record time.~

"Where's that path again?" Joskye asked breathlessly. "Quickly!"

~Fire still poured from the doorway of the wizard's lair and by its light Argie made out a dark hole in the undergrowth just to their right.~

"This must be it." he cried. "Come on."

~In no mood to hang about, the girls and the boys scramble through the hole. They discovered that they were in a low tunnel that disappeared steeply through a dense thicket of holly bushes.~

"Whew! Let's hope we're safe in here." puffed Rainbow.

"Let's keep moving." said Sunset, coughing. "This is too close for comfort."

~They nodded in agreement, and followed the tunnel as it dropped away through the holly.~

~The bleak moor known as the Waste Plains stretched in front of the prince. Behind him lay the inhospitable mountains, their peak already shrouded in cloud as if to bar his way back. Further ahead eastwards, out of sight across the rolling moor with its scrubby grass heather, lay the Great Forest of Caisar and the reason for his journey.~

"Onwards, ever Onwards…" he said to himself as he shouldered his pack.

~The keen wind and dull sky matched his mood as he tramped through the long hours. The days to come would test him and though he hoped to win through, he could not be certain. He suspected the battle would be fierce but as yet he had little inkling of what those battles might be. Strong and well- trained though he was, he would have to muster all his courage, wisdom and skill to face the challenge when it came. In a sombre frame of mind he marched all day until, at length, he came within sight of a dark expanse of wintry trees stretching from one end of the horizon to the other. He had reached the edge of the Great Forest itself and before it in the fading light of evening glinted the serpentine silver thread of the river.~

"Tomorrow, I shall enter the forest and find out why I have made this journey…" he breathed. Somewhere in the distance he heard the wild screeching of birds.

Chapter 14: Explanations and Celebrations

Chapter 14: Explanations and Celebrations.

~Swift rose, still sobbing, and with the others stared hopelessly into the chasm. She shook her head and turned away. Before she or Lightning and Joskye, or Tad and Tig could say another word a deep rumble shook the room. Dust fell all round them and the half-burned timbers of the Crone's lair groaned ominously. Masonry, great lumps of stone and rubble, began to fall, threatening at any moment to bury them alive. One of the remaining roof beams began to groan and buckle. Scrambling over the rubble, they made for the door as fast as their legs could carry them and escaped only just in time before the rest of the ceiling and roof collapsed. The moment Tad, Tig, the Rainbooms and the Whites came into view a vast cheer rose from the creatures assembled in the courtyard.~

"Hurrah! Hurrah!" Everyone began to clap and stamp their hands, paws and hooves.

~The thirteen stood together and smiled wanly at the company gathered before them. Then Tad raised a paw to incidcate quiet so he could speak. He stepped forward and cleared his throat.~

"My dear forest-folk." he began, "You have every good reason to be happy, for a mighty victory has been obtained here today. All the Cropers and Harats have been destroyed." Much cheering and clapping interrupted him. Tad waved for silence again. "The best news of all that I have for you is that Hexia herself is dead. We are free at last to live our lives in peace and without fear of arrest or death." he said. "I cannot put into words just how much that means to us all. But it has not been without its cost. I see that some of you have been wounded in the fighting, but I refer especially to our dear brave Alaxe who longed for this day, and...and to Dalton." He faltered and a murmur ran through the crowd. "Yes, I am afraid Dalton is dead, also. It appears that he died while destroying Hexia, but we do not know what happened exactly. But, we owe a great debt to Dalton's memory; he willingly paid the ultimate price for our freedom…for the freedom of Caisar."

~A solemn silence had fallen over the audience as the full meaning began to sink in. It hadn't been a cheap victory.~

"Well," said Tad, doing his best to brighten up and not wanting the forest-folk to lose their happiness. "What's done is done. So, go to your homes. Tell your loved ones and you children that they are free to enjoy the forest once again. Bless you all…and thank you for everything you have done today."

~The crowd slowly disappeared, everybody talking among themselves about the events of the day, and soon only the little band of thirteen remained.~

"We'll pull this castle right down." said Tig. "Then we'll erect a monument to Alaxe and Dalton. It'll become a favourite spot to visit, I expect."

"Great idea," Rainbow Dash said.

"You could use the stones of the castle to build it." suggested Sunset.

"I think I would like to get away from this place at the moment." said Fluttershy. "Can we go?"

"Fluttershy's right." said Applejack. "Come on, y'all. We look as though we could do with a good clean up, let alone somethin' to eat. I'm stavin'." She felt guilty as soon as she said it.

They looked at one another's bedraggled clothes and grimy faces and then, seeing the sense of her words, nodded. "We do look a sight. I wonder what Mrs Tad will say." said Tad. "Yes, let us get back." he sighed.

~By the time they had eaten and cleaned themselves up, it was quite late. Exhausted by the day's events, nobody needed any encouragement to go to bed and before long they were all sound asleep. All, that is, save for old Tad. The manticore was perplexed and sat up long into the night, staring straight ahead, lost in thought. It was not until the early hours of the morning that he eventually stopped and fell asleep in his armchair. He awoke with a jerk at around five o'clock. Outside he could hear the birds singing and the sun was already up. Swiftly and silently, he rose and left the house. The air was fresh and sweet and he couldn;t help noticing that the undergrowth was looking fresher than he could ever remember, even back in his days before the troubles began. Bright green leaves cast a delicate filigree of shadows over the path as he walked. He breathed deeply of the wholesome air, then made his way resolutely towards the glade. Lightning Star had slept heavily but she woke up quite suddenly not long after Tad left. She, too, rose quietly, noting that everyone was asleep but that somebody had left the house, leaving the door ajar. Waking everyone up and transforming into her raccoon form, they left to follow. Tad sat on a moss-covered rock in the enchanted glade. The air seemed electric all around him and he felt a tingle of happiness running through his old frame. It was although the years were falling off and he was young again. He wrinkled his snout and wondered if he actually looked younger.~

Just at that moment, he heard a rustle behind him. He leapt to his feet. "Oh, it's you, children," he said with a slight tinge of disappointment in his voice. "I had expected someone else. But then, I am not surprised that we should be here together."

The Rainbooms and Whites smiled. "Hello, Tad," Lightning whispered. "Sorry we scared you but, I figured you left and came here, I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I've got this feeling that, well...that something wonderful is going to happen today. I can't explain it." said Swift.

"Really?" Joskye gasped. "Like what?"

"Hush! What is that?" Tad placed a paw on Swift's shoulder. "It came from over there."

~They gazed in the direction of the pool, but nothing seemed to have changed. Still the pearl-like droplets dripped from the overhanging ledge with their musical plip-plop.~

Then Fluttershy cried out: "That water! It's moving!"

~They stared at the pool and, sure enough, its surface was in a tremendous turmoil. It began to boil and bubble like a cauldron and the slowly a watery shape began to rise from it's depths. The watchers stood transfixed as the shape, at first, formless, became the figure of a man who rose splashing from the water as it cascaded from his head and shoulders. An aura of light seemed to surround him and he was magnificently clothed in purple and gold, glistening with wetness. He rubbed his eyes with his hands and shook the water from his face. The full morning sun revealed his strong tanned features and penetrating eyes. He looked at his surroundings and then, fully rsen, he stepped from the pool.~

"It's Dalton…" cried Sunset. "It's Dalton!"

"He's come back!" Rainbow cheered.

~Slowly, the two boys stepped forward, speechless. Their mouths hanging open in amazement. All the girls raced towards him and leapt up to throw their arms around his neck. There were tears in everyone's eyes as they spoke..~

"Oh, Dalton, it's you! It's really you!" Swift exclaimed.

For a moment the man looked surprised and then he laughed. "Swift! And your brothers! I thought you were all dead! Yes, it is me. As you can see, it has all come to pass as promised."

"B…b…but how? W…what happened?" Rarity asked breathlessly when at length they quietened down. "How did you kill Hexia? How did you get here? And…and…"

"Yeah, we thought you died." Argie said, finally regaining his voice.

"We really did think you were and...and it was horrible." Joskye whispered.

"I have returned from the darkness." Dalton replied with a smile. "I have a lot to explain to you and I'll do that just as soon as- well, just as soon as we've had breakfast. To tell you the truth," he said, "I'm very hungry."

~He laughed and the awkwardness was broken. They all began to laugh together and because the idea of breakfast appealed to each of them the party set off on the familiar track back towards the cottage, enjoying the freshness of the new growth all around them and listening to the birds singing in the treetops.~

When they arrived they found Tig waiting for them. He bowed low before Dalton as soon as he realised who he was. "Tig, I am glad to see you, but where is your brave captain, Alaxe?" Dalton asked. A solemn hush fell on the room.

Tad explained. "I am sorry to say but Alaxe has died. He gave his life to save the children when they were about to be burnt alive by Hexia."

Dalton was silent for a long time upon hearing this news. "He was a courageous leader," he said at last. "We shall not let his name be forgotten. You must tell me everything and I will ensure that he is honoured throughout my kingdom." he declared.

~After a enormous breakfast, during which little was said to interrupt the serious business of eating, everyone went outside and sat in a circle on the warm grass. Swift made sure she sat right next to Dalton. Eager to listen, they all looked to the king as he gave his promised explanation of what had taken place. He explained the past for a few minutes, then explained what happened in the castle.~

"I pleaded with her to give up this madness but she had gone too far. I saw that nothing would change her and knew that I could love Orita no more. She had become Hexia for ever." He shook his head. "That was when she made her mistake. She brought out the Islastone to add power to her sceptre." He smiled grimly. "And the stone took its vengeance on Hexia's wickedness. The room burst into flames and a mighty earthquake split the floor apart. Just as you thought, Fluttershy, we fell together into the abyss, locked in mortal combat."

"Then why didn't you die? I mean, how are you here?" Lightning asked, frowning. "I don't understand that at all."

"Did you fly?" Pinkie asked, smiling.

"No, Pinkie. I cannot fully explain all that took place in the terrible depths of that pit, but we did not die, as you understand death. Great forces were unleashed, light against darkness, good against evil, life against death. We ceased to be bodies as you know them but the battle continued until with my spirit I grasped the Islastoneas mine by right and Hexia...Hexia was destroyed. That is all I can say." He paused or a moment. "Then, I heard voices call me back to life. I came at last to the pool where the light met that of the Islastone once again. Such glorious light and colour- you couldn't imagine it." he mused. "Anyway, in the midst of that splendour received my body again and came up from the waters- as you all saw."

"Wow…" Everyone droned.

"I think it's utterly amazing," Joskye declared. "I mean, I've never heard of anything like that ever, so..."

"Hey!"

~Lightning cried out and leapt to her feet. Before anyone else could move, she shot into the bushes and began crashing around. Moments later, she emerged holding a torn piece of green cloth in her hand.~

"Dang it! Too late. They got away." she grumbled.

"What was that about?" asked Argie in consternation.

"Hey, I recognize that cloth," cried Joskye.

"It's the wizards!" Pinkie gasped.

"Yeah," Lightning replied. "I heard a rustle in the bushes, thanks to my raccoon ears. They must have been listening. If only I was a bit quicker."

"Never mind," Dalton said. "They heard little to their good. I guess two wizards are at this very moment fleing for their lives. They know now that the Great Forest is no place for the likes of them. Poor shadows!"

~Deep in the undergrowth, two figures scuttled along as fast as their legs could carry them. The taller one slapped the other around his bald head.~

"You stupid idiot. Why can't you keep quiet? They'll be after us now."

"It's not my fault, you gawky old fool. I don't know why we had to go spying again, anyway. It would have made more sense to have tried getting on their side."

"Bah! You know nothing!" Wentor scowled. "You don't think that they would want people like us, do you? Come on, let's get out of here before it's too late." So, still grumbling at each other, the two wizards fled the forest to seek their fortune elsewhere.