Chapters Chapter 2
Only a few minutes late, the rest of the party stumbled down the inn's stairs. The Professor headed straight to the bar and asked the innkeeper for that crucial, life-saving cup of coffee, while his two students approached Rusty's booth. They were both staring curiously at the griffin.
"Um, h-hi?" the mare offered, her ears splayed to the side as she eyed the bird's tough appearance. It was obvious she was a little afraid of Gustaf, but she was trying hard to hide it.
Not so Ember Clover. The stallion's muzzle split into a grin and he looked over their final group member with significant interest. His tail flicked and Rusty could have sworn his feathers rustled. Maybe it was a form of greeting between winged creatures, she figured as she slid aside to let Winter Shine sit.
The stallion bowed very formally. "Ember Clover, at your service."
His manners were a touch too fancy for the gruff griffin, who just held out a claw and introduced himself: "Gustaf." After they had shaken he shifted further into the booth until his back was against the wall and Ember joined him. He looked with deep interest at the scar across Gustaf's beak.
"I'm sure I'd love to hear the story of how you got that. It must have been quite the battle!"
The bird glanced over at Rusty Bones, as if to ask: 'What's up with this guy?' She gave a tiny shrug.
Gustaf brought a claw up and felt the old injury. "Not particularly. A couple of my country-griffs decided to rob a trade caravan I was hired to guard. Things got ugly."
Ember scooched closer and peered at the scar from uncomfortably close. Gustaf's neck feathers rose, but he held his ground against the too-curious stallion. Then Ember Clover reached out with a wing and brushed it along the line, down Gustaf's cheek. "Oh wow, what kind of weapon did this? Did you save the caravan?"
Gustaf had frozen at the touch for a moment, but he soon came to and pushed the feather away with a claw. "Griffin talon. We fight dirty," he explained, then shrugged. "I kept them from killing my clients, but they made off with the goods. Got damned blinded with blood..."
"Oh, how awful..."
Rusty cleared her throat as Professor Curio joined them with his precious cup of coffee. "Okay, so here's the plan," she spoke up. She slid one of the papers to the center of the table and turned it around so the teacher could read it. "I made us a list of provisions we'll need and Gustaf has checked to make sure it's as complete as we can make it. I actually already have most of these items, but we'll need to stock up on food."
Curio scanned the paper quickly, but he didn't seem much interested, so he shrugged to himself about halfway down the page and looked up at the mare. "I'm sure you have everything in hoof, Miss Bones. I place myself, and my students, in your care." He then spotted the newcomer and reached out a hoof and smoothly added: "And that of our esteemed guard. Curio Trinket, at your service."
"Gustaf."
With that out of the way, Rusty continued. She hadn't expected the soft academics to understand the logistics of travelling through the mountains full of snow, but she would have liked for them to at least take an interest. "Be that as it may, you and your students, Professor, will have to help gathering these supplies. I plan for us to be on the way by nine. Get your breakfast quickly and then we'll go buy what we need."
Curio inclined his head while Winter Shine waved to the innkeeper in a sudden panic of missing her meal. On the opposite side of the table Ember Clover looked completely disinterested in food and kept looking at Gustaf's scar. Despite his apparent focus on the bird to the exclusion of everything else, the stallion was present enough to order a coffee and a simple breakfast.
Once he and the mare were done, Rusty went on with her plan: "Good. Well split food evenly among us, so that if anypony gets lost they won't starve in the time it takes us to find them. We'll take mostly dry oatmeal, since it's dry, filling and high-energy, with a few other things for variety."
Talking about getting lost and starving was making both the Professor and Winter Shine nervous, although, Rusty figured, for completely different reasons.
"We'll also take a small, portable gas stove each with plenty of fuel, and a couple of pots."
Of course it was the pudgy unicorn who immediately complained. "Each?! Can't we just take one for all of us and some extra fuel?"
"No. Two reasons: First, redundancy. It'll be cold out there. Firing the burner and then letting it cool back down does bad things to metal. We don't want to lose our only source of heat."
"Can't we just take cold food? Why do we have to cook anyway?" Ember Clover asked. "I wouldn't mind roughing it for a bit."
"No, and that leads me to the second reason: We won't bring any water since there'll be plenty of snow and ice. We'll melt what we need to drink."
The news about lightening their burden made all three of them cheer up.
"Okay, next up: emergency gear. Sleeping bag, warm clothes, snow boots, I trust you came prepared like I wrote in my letter?"
There was a chorus of yeses and Gustaf gave an approving nod.
"Beyond that, you'll each carry a length of rope, a hoof held ice-axe and a set of ice screws. I'll teach you how to use them when we get to the mountains."
"What for?" the Professor asked, a little bewildered at the complicated list.
"Look," Rusty said less forcefully, "I don't know what's between us and the ruin. We might have to climb an ice wall and I won't have any of you slipping into a ravine or a crack."
"Duh, some of us can fly," Winter Shine pointed out. "Ember or Gustaf can catch anypony who falls." Her general recalcitrance was making Rusty Bones a little worried.
"Okay, if more than one pony slips, how long can a pegasus hover while holding two unicorns? Or a griffin for that matter?"
The mare glanced over at the Professor and her classmate, then deflated. Her ears went down and she nodded. "Okay, I see your point."
"We probably won't need them, but if we do our lives may depend on them. Anyway, there's not much else for the most part of the journey. You'll each have a couple of magical flares and a whistle." Rusty was about to end there, but she remembered something else which was important. "Oh, and we'll take plenty of those new, plastic water bags, but you don't have to worry about those for now. I'll carry them. That's it, other than your personal gear."
She meant, in particular, Curio's books. Rusty had caught a glimpse at his pack and it looked absolutely loaded with textbooks. She hoped they were related to their discovery and not just idle reading.
"Question," Curio said and lifted a hoof, as if he were in school. He waited until she gave him a nod before proceeding: "Us unicorns don't need that extra stove. We can melt ice with our magic. Same for flares, no?"
"I thought of that, but no. You'll still carry the gear."
"Why?" Winter asked.
"Imagine this scenario. We get separated and you slip at the top of the cliff. On your way down you bonk your head on a couple of nice, hard rocks and you're out cold by the time you hit the bottom. Got that?"
The mare went a little pale, but she swallowed a lump and nodded.
"Now imagine there's only me who finds you, or maybe Ember Clover. Yeah, let's go with that. He can't fly, because a blizzard just started, so he slides down to save you. His stove turns out busted and then you both freeze to death because you don't have a source of warmth."
The Professor inclined his head. "Point taken. Winter, Ember, I guess a bit of exercise won't hurt us. Think of the discovery we'll make!"
"One more thing," Ember Clover lifted an inquiring hoof, as if he were still in the classroom. "Why are you taking empty water bags?"
"Good question! We're going deep into the ruin and I don't know what the water situation will be like down there. We'll melt some snow and fill up the water bags before we commit to any multi-day exploration. If we find water in the ruins we can always empty them out." That, and their Professor's reassurance shut them up and Rusty passed around bits of paper. "Okay, here's what each of you needs to buy individually. If you don't have bits with you, let me know and I'll give you some. Questions?"
There were none, especially from Winter Shine because Cinnamon chose that particular moment to bring their food. The three academics were soon occupied with that, so Rusty sat back and simply enjoyed the warmth of the common room. In a few minutes they will go out into the harsh conditions of the Frozen North and she probably wouldn't feel warm again until they returned to civilization. No matter, it would be an adventure and that meant a certain amount of hardship. Her expedition wouldn't be noteworthy if it were easy!
Gustaf nudged her and leaned closer. "Where did you find these three?" he whispered.
She replied to him just as quietly: "Curio is the authority on Ancient Ponish. He is just about the only pony in Equestria who can read the map. Well, other than the Princesses, of course, and maybe somepony in the Crystal Empire."
"Okay?"
"We might come across inscriptions. I dunno, instructions on how to open doors. Warnings about traps. It'll be important we can understand them."
"Agreed. The other two?"
Rusty Bones shrugged a little and glanced at the two students. They were completely engrossed in their meal, except for an occasional glance from Ember Clover, who for some reason couldn't keep his eyes off the griffin. "They're writing their doctoral thesis and this is their practical exam."
The bird gave a nod. "Gotcha. The more eyes and brains, the better. You think there will be traps and such?"
"Yes. We're talking about a civilization of probably paranoid, underground ponies, who knows what else we can expect."
This promise of danger made the warrior griffin grin in anticipation. "Perhaps this trip won't be boring after all!"
Rusty rolled her eyes at his bravado, but she couldn't help smiling back as her heartbeat quickened. "Maybe. I wouldn't mind boring, though."
Gustaf's grin widened as he read her expression plain as day. Safe and boring would be fine, but a bit of excitement on an adventure like this made it all the more special.
That, Rusty Bones thought, the five of them in that room, making their plans. That was how history was made! Or discovered, as the case might be!
After her new pony adventurers had gotten over the shock of how large their packs were, Rusty and her group made good time. By noon the little town on the edge of Luna Bay was lost in the uniform, white horizon, and the mountains before them loomed taller than ever. She had angled them slightly to the east to catch a valley and avoid the worst climb, but the entrance to that was still some hours away. Rusty Bones expected to make camp on the top of the glacier where she could instruct her charges in the proper use of their ice gear while there was still light. They would undoubtedly sleep earlier than usual after the day's efforts and then head out at first light. The next day should see them at the entrance to the ancient tunnels with luck, though Rusty was prepared to spend another night on the ice rather than stumble around in the dark. She glanced back to make sure the academics were still close behind and couldn't suppress a slight smile. All three had their heads down and were concentrating on walking.
When they had started out Ember Clover had made an effort to talk with Gustaf, but even that had ended. For some reason the pegasus was fascinated with the griffin and had endless questions about his prior contracts. That chatter had stopped after the ground began to slope upward and now the poor stallion was saving his breath for walking. Rusty was sure the quiet was appreciated by their griffin guard. Gustaf had answered Ember's questions politely, if a bit stiffly, but she had a feeling he didn't like that much attention. At the moment he was walking easily beside her and inspecting the peaks up front. He had been staring at those for a while and Rusty was beginning to wonder what he was looking for with his sharp, bird eyes.
"About an hour and we'll be on the ice," she murmured in an effort to start a conversation.
"Yep. It looks like the climb is nice and easy, but we should tie together before we start. Don't want ponies slipping off." Gustaf didn't specify, but they both knew which ponies he had in mind. Of course the ice wouldn't present the clawed and taloned griffin any problems, and he had surely seen that her own boots had a good grip, but the Professor and his two students weren't quite as sure-hoofed.
"What else do you see?"
Gustaf blinked and turned his head to look at the mare. "Nothing," he answered unhelpfully.
"Any beasts we should look out for?"
"An Ursa or two, maybe, though they'll steer clear of us if they can. We're too far north for Rocs or minotaurs. Windigos, if we're especially unlucky."
It was about what Rusty had thought, but the chances of encountering any of those on their short trip were vanishingly small. She nodded and returned her gaze to their destination.
"I was looking for possible avalanches," Gustaf explained. "I think we're okay, but we should stay quiet nevertheless."
"Agreed."
There came a long sigh from behind them and the pair slowed their steps as they glanced back. Winter Shine was frowning. "When do we stop?" she demanded. "We've been going for hours, how about lunch?"
Rusty Bones and Gustaf shared an amused glance, and it was the mare who answered as diplomatically as she could: "We can take a short break and melt some snow to drink. We'll eat on the glacier in about- what do you think Gustaf, two hours?"
He gave a nod and made a bit of a show of looking at the mountains. "Two, maybe three. It's steep, so we'll go slow."
The unicorn mare groaned at the news and for a moment it looked like she would give up and turn back. If she was that easily deterred than Rusty would prefer to continue without her.
Luckily Curio had an answer: "Winter, take an oat bar to tide you over. In fact, we could all use one."
That settled his pudgy student and she immediately stopped and unbuckled her bags. It seemed as if they were stopping right there, which was just as well. Rusty Bones unslung her own gear and took out her trusty propane burner and pot.
Curio came up to her and waved a hoof. "No need for that," he told her. "We can melt and purify the water with magic."
"Save your energy," she told him. "Gas is easier and we have a long way to go yet. Magic only in an emergency."
When he cocked his head to one side in curiosity she explained some more: "Look, everything takes energy. Magic isn't free. We'll be burning eight, maybe ten thousand calories each day we're walking up the glacier. Conserve what you can."
He understood and looked up at the mountains with perhaps a touch of fresh respect. They had discussed distances in their cozy common room back in Ice Floe last night, but only now, Rusty suspected, was Curio beginning to translate the miles into actual pony experience. Everypony had to go through it, it was just that most of them went hiking at least once in their life with their parents. It seemed unicorns were even more sheltered than she had suspected, though.
As she was setting up her burner Ember Clover joined them, already munching on his oat and honey treat. He held it out to Gustaf. "Want some?"
The griffin looked at it curiously and then at Ember's face. "Not really."
"Oh, sorry," the stallion went on, "I can get you a fresh one."
"Thanks, but no need. I have my own provisions." With that Gustaf shrugged off his own bags and picked out a strip of something brown. Rusty had a suspicion what it was and didn't mind. Different creatures had different diets, after all.
Ember Clover, on the other hoof, looked at it in confusion. "What is it?"
Perhaps there was a touch of nasty in Gustaf's grin. "Meat. Jerky, to be precise." He watched the pegasus expectantly, probably waiting for him to flinch or gag, but Ember did no such thing.
Perhaps his ears twitched for a moment, but his smile never slipped. "Curious," he commented. "You're carnivores, right? The griffins, I mean."
"Not completely," Gustaf answered, then bit into the strip of dry meat and tore a piece away with his sharp beak. "Just mostly," he said while chewing.
His behaviour would have been considered rude in Canterlot, but Ember Clover didn't seem to mind. Instead the pony stepped closer and brought his nose nearer Gustaf's claw so he could sniff.
"Can I try a bit?" he asked, making both Gustaf and Rusty Bones blink in surprise.
The bird was the first to recover and he asked: "Really?!"
"Sure! I'd like to try everything once!"
Gustaf shrugged a little to himself, but tore a bit off jerky with his free claw, which he then held out to Ember. The stallion sniffed at it again, then took it gingerly in his mouth right from Gustaf's claw. He chewed it a few times, then leaned his head to one side as he concentrated. His ear twitched this way and that as he examined the flavors. "Not bad," he concluded. "I like how salty it is. Any more would probably make me sick, but it's not horrible."
Suddenly Rusty Bones was curious about it too, but she kept herself from showing it. It would look unprofessional, she thought, so it would have to wait. Maybe she could casually ask Gustaf for a small taste that evening, when they were having dinner. Meanwhile the griffin had taken another bite of his jerky and was chewing it while looking thoughtfully at Ember Clover.
The pegasus stallion crammed the rest of his oat bar into his mouth and sat down next to Rusty Bones beside her little stove. "So, Gustaf," he began, "got any family? Foals? Uh, or whatever griffin young are called?"
"Chicks," Gustaf answered, "and no. My job isn't exactly compatible with family."
Rusty could have sworn Ember's grin grew wider at that news, putting a lie to his words: "Aw, that's unfortunate. I bet it's quite a lonely life at that."
The bird shrugged and settled down in the snow. "It has its ups and downs." He looked a little uncomfortable with the intense scrutiny Ember Clover was giving him once more.
Rusty decided to jump in before things got too weird. "How's your pack? We've got a long way to go, so if it's too heavy now's the time to say. You should also make sure it's balanced properly, or you'll hobble yourself."
"It's not too bad, actually. Anyway, I can fly," he told her, then immediately went back to his griffin obsession. "So, it's gonna be pretty cold tonight, I guess? Do you travel this far north a lot, Gustaf?"
"Occasionally."
Ember directed his next question at the mare, but his gaze kept straying to Gustaf: "Um, should we, I dunno, huddle tonight for warmth? Those tents looked quite flimsy for these conditions."
Rusty Bones was getting a funny sort of feeling about the pegasus, but she didn't have any proof and she wasn't about to embarrass him needlessly. She resolved to talk to Gustaf once they were on the move again. "We'll be fine," she said firmly. "The tents are only part of the thing, remember? They're meant to keep out the wind and rain. We'll still have our sleeping bags and our clothes."
"We'll sleep fully dressed?" Ember Clover asked, his curiosity about their survival momentarily eclipsing his interest in their guard.
"Of course! It'll be a long way below zero by the time the sun goes down."
Ember Clover shrugged a little. "I guess. I daresay me and Gustaf will be a bit better off. Us flying creatures have down feathers and fur to keep us warm at altitude."
"Maybe so, but I'm not risking it. When we reach the ruins we'll make a camp inside. It'll be warmer underground, but until then we do it my way."
The stallion held up a conciliatory hoof. "Of course, of course. We'll follow your advice, Miss Bones. I was just surprised. I've never thought about the mechanics of travelling in the Frozen North is all."
Rusty gave a nod and then looked down at her pot. The water was boiling and she removed it from the stove and placed it on the snow to cool down. Then she held out a hoof to Ember. "Give me your pot too while I have the flame going."
Chapter 3
The little group settled in a depression which formed a circle of ice. It wasn't really a cave and could hardly be even called a hollow, but it provided some slight shelter from the wind and that was good enough. Rusty Bones spread one of her tough, waterproof blankets on the snow and sat for a moment to rest while her group of academics simply flopped on their sides, barrels heaving for air.
"Don't do that," she commented. "I know the snow feels nice after that climb, but you're liable to catch a cold. Get your blankets."
The professor was old enough to see the sense in her words and made his students get up and unpack their sleeping bags. They were still tied together, but the rope between them was long enough so it didn't impede their efforts and they had apparently decided to leave it for now. For that matter, Rusty herself and Gustaf were also still harnessed. She unclipped the line from herself. The terrain was pretty flat and her charges probably wouldn't go sliding off the mountain anytime soon.
Gustaf saw her example and did the same as he walked over. "One day down. Want me to fly up and scout out the area?"
It sounded like a good idea and Rusty mentally berated herself for not thinking of it herself. They had pegasi and griffins, they could keep an eye on where they were going and the weather around them. "Please. See if you can spot any storms coming up on us or something."
"I'll come with!" Ember Clover piped up and unclipped his safety rope too. The stallion had been in the process of unpacking his sleeping bag, but now he stuffed it back in and put his bags next to Gustaf's.
Rusty didn't see a problem with his offer, especially since she had no experience with flying. If there was any danger the griffin would have spoken up. "Sure. Two sets of eyes is better than one." The departing fliers caused some wind, which flung snow into Rusty's face. She blinked it away and wiped her muzzle clear with a fetlock, then stood up. "Right. I'll get the stove started, we can heat up some of the cans and melt some snow. Let's get a hot meal ready for when they come back."
Those were the magic words and Winter Shine hurried over to help. The pudgy unicorn had long since eaten all three of her oat bars. Those were intended to last them until the ruins, but Rusty wasn't prepared to police her pack of newbies. It looked some of them would learn to ration their food the hard way.
"So, what are we having?" Winter Shine asked, eyes gleaming in anticipation.
"Bean soup."
So great was the unicorn's hunger that she didn't even flinch at the unappetizing news. She floated her sleeping bag over and set it down next to where Rusty was unpacking her small stove. "Need any help with that?"
"If you want it done faster, get your own burner out and we'll cook with two. You might as well practice how to use it."
The mare gave a happy nod and hurried back to her pack. With some guidance, she soon had a pot of snow melting and a can of beans open and ready to go in. Rusty Bones glanced at the Professor, but he was apparently lost in a book. His horn glowed brightly as he fought the occasional draft which tried to ruffle the pages, but his effort seemed purely subconscious. Once the water had melted they poured both their cans in and lowered the flame, as per Rusty's advice. The hardened explorer had had plenty of practice cooking in such conditions and a slow boil was usually preferable if she wasn't in a hurry. Winter Shine would just have to be patient.
While they were stirring the soup Gustaf and Ember Clover landed a short distance away. It was undoubtedly the griffin's idea to keep from blowing out their stoves. The two made their way over and settled down on their haunches around the cooking food. Gustaf held out his claws to the pots to soak up some warmth and after a moment the stallion copied him.
"So?" Rusty asked him.
"No inclement weather," the griffin reported. "It looks like we have a pretty straight path through the mountains. No avalanches as far as I could see."
Ember Clover wanted to show off his skill too, so he added: "I checked the winds and it looks like we'll have clear skies for a few more days still. We should be good until we reach the ruin."
"That's good news. Thanks, both of you."
Gustaf responded with a simple nod, but Ember Clover grinned proudly. He wrapped his forehooves around himself and shuddered. "Brr, it's colder than I thought. If I weren't a pegasus I would probably have frozen to death up there!"
Rusty glanced at him with concern, but she caught the sly looks the stallion was giving their griffin guard and she shook her head to herself in bemusement.
"I don't suppose," Ember Clover began, then shuddered again. "Brr- I don't suppose we should cuddle up or something. You know, for warmth?"
"That's up to each of you. Our tents and sleeping bags should be enough, but you can cuddle if you want."
Ember Clover glanced at their guard with a big smile. "What do you say, Gustaf? Us feathered creatures ought to stick together. It's the only way we can be sure some unicorn or earth pony won't step on our wings, right?"
The toughened warrior looked away and Rusty caught a slight glimpse of panic in his expression before Gustaf brought himself under control. "I'm- uh, I'm actually fine. I got my gear, I don't mind the cold."
Ember Clover's ears flopped down and he heaved a sad sigh. "I guess," he muttered, kicking dejectedly at the snow with a hoof. "It's just, I thought we would be more comfortable."
There was silence as nopony knew exactly what to say to that, so Rusty interjected some welcome news: "Well, food's done. Get the Professor and we'll eat!"
It soon became obvious that Winter Shine had no intention of leaving the pots. Perhaps she thought the soup would vanish if she let it out of her sight, so in the end Ember sighed again and stood up to fetch the older unicorn. Gustaf settled down next to Rusty and held out a metal bowl he'd fetched from his pack for her to fill.
"They're just plain beans," she told him.
"I know," Gustaf said and held up his other claw to show her a few strips of jerky. "I'll spice it up myself."
Rusty Bones shrugged to herself and poured the griffin a generous serving. There was plenty to go around and even after she had gotten a bowl for herself there was about a third of the pot left. The meal was simple and very plain, but no less delicious after their day of hard travel. The ponies were starving and slurped down their soup with gusto.
About halfway through her bowl Gustaf leaned closer and murmured in Rusty's ear: "I think that one is coming on to me," he commented, briefly turning his beak toward Ember Clover. "Is that a usual thing among ponies? Two, well, males?"
Rusty had to work to keep her face neutral and her voice low. "Not usual, but not unknown either. I might have guessed when I saw him first. The way his gear matched in color, impeccable hooficure, nicely styled mane. I thought he was just a very fussy pegasus."
Gustaf looked a bit confused. "Why would those things-"
"Stereotype," Rusty answered. "I'm just being an ass. Yeah, he likes you, though."
The griffin beside her swallowed and whispered urgently back: "What should I do?!"
"Best nip it in the bud. Unless you wanna see where it goes?"
That last bit was just a little joke, her attempt to rile the bird up a little, but to Rusty's surprise, Gustaf actually looked thoughtful for a moment. "Nah," he said, finally, then appeared to change his mind. "Well-" he paused, then firmly shook his head again. "Nah."
Rusty Bones couldn't help noticing that he hadn't quite dismissed it out of claw. In any case, it was none of her business and she shrugged to herself as she went back to eating. Gustaf was a well-travelled, toughened warrior bird from a race which was renowned for their fierce courage, if not outright foolhardiness. She had no doubt he'd be able to deal with one overly amorous stallion.
"Okay, just let him down gently. We need everypony's mind on the expedition."
Gustaf gave her a nod, but she saw how his gaze kept straying to the pegasus while they ate. It was pure luck that Ember Clover was in an animated discussion about their destination with his professor, or else he might have seen and misinterpreted Gustaf's interest. Other than the two academics talking and Winter Shine slurping loudly, the dinner passed in silence and the sky went from bright white to deep blue. Rusty knew from experience that it would get dark surprisingly quickly and very soon.
"Okay, everypony- oh, and every-griffin too," she announced after they had had time for their food to settle a bit. "I'll set up my tent, anypony unsure about how it's done, you might want to watch."
The younger ponies were quite interested, but the Professor shook his head and went back to where he had left his book. Either he already knew how to put up a tent, or he was supremely confident in his abilities. Rusty didn't worry, even if Professor Curio failed, she had no doubt that both his students would be happy to help him.
"Good. Now, this is an older style of tent, but the basic principle is pretty much the same. I'll have to fit my poles together, but yours are already attached by elastic string and it's just a matter of lining them up." She stuck two of the flexible rods together to demonstrate and her audience ponies both nodded. "Then it's just a matter of unrolling the tent fabric and finding where the poles go. They'll either make a cross, or you might have some fancy T-junctions you'll have to fit together. I'll help you when I'm done with mine."
A little way away Gustaf was already well on the way to putting up his tent. Her first estimation was that it would end up quite a bit larger than the simple ones she and the other ponies got. That would make sense, he was quite a large bird.
Rusty talked through her process, but it wasn't particularly complicated and soon she was hammering the pegs into the hard, packed ice with a hoof. "You have a hammer in your gear if you prefer to use that, but this is easier, especially for an earth pony," she pointed out.
"Wait," Ember Clover spoke up, "can you show us how to do that knot again?"
"Oh! Of course. It's called a Tautline Hitch, a griffin invention, actually. It's tricky with hooves, so you might want to use your magic, Winter Shine. Ember, if you can't manage it, ask Winter Shine to tie it for you, right?" The two ponies shuffled closer to see better as Rusty expertly untied the line and began to demonstrate with exaggerated, slow motions. "Just a heads up, you might need to set up your professor's tent as well."
Both students looked around at their teacher, who was still lost in his book, then Ember Clover shrugged. "I don't mind. It's such an honor to be on this expedition at all!" His gaze strayed to where Gustaf was unrolling his sleeping bag. "Not to mention an unexpected pleasure!" Ember Clover finished.
The comment made Winter Shine roll her eyes. "Keep it in your pants, lover boy!"
This made Ember blush fiercely enough to justify his name and his ears flattened in embarrassment, but he did return his gaze to the knot Rusty was demonstrating. She carefully hid the little grin on her muzzle. Emotions running wild on an expedition such as theirs could be problematic, but in small doses, and if she kept her eye on it, Ember's crush was cute and amusing.
The night passed without incident, even though Ember Clover repeated his idea for ponies to cuddle through the chill, which Gustaf firmly, yet politely, declined. Rusty Bones woke up refreshed and rested, ready to tackle a new day of their challenging journey. The others didn't fare as well, but once Curio reminded his two students about the discoveries they would make they quickly got over their morning grumpiness. Gustaf, being a seasoned traveller, also seemed quite fine as he stood up on his hind legs and stretched out both forelegs and wings to their full reach. By that time Winter Shine was quite comfortable with the stoves and Rusty felt she could trust the young mare with breakfast. She left her heating up the mixture of water, powdered milk and oatmeal while she herself walked over to their guard.
"You know, this far north I wasn't expecting any bandits or creature attacks, and the ruins will probably be more boring than dangerous, but I'm still glad you're with us."
Gustaf barked a laugh and his yellow eyes glittered in amusement. "While I wouldn't say no to some excitement. Boring will be fine."
"Yep. Let's just hope I won't have to eat those words."
"I have plenty of salt if you need it."
They both laughed at that, but then Rusty stared at the bird with curiosity. "Salt? Why?"
Gustaf shrugged a little. "It doesn't weigh all that much and I knew I'd be travelling with ponies, so I thought- just in case. I heard how much salt you need."
"That's a stereotype!" Rusty said indignantly. "Besides, you griffins need salt as well!"
"I get mine from my jerky."
She couldn't argue that logic and she couldn't exactly fault Gustaf's thinking, even if it was misguided, but she still wanted to be a bit miffed. "Well, you can carry it all the way there and back again, if you like. Even if those three can't, I can take care of us all."
The griffin held up both claws in a conciliatory gesture. "Fine, fine. It was just a precaution, don't get your feathers in a twist."
"I don't have feathers!" Rusty huffed and turned to walk away.
"So, does that mean you don't want one of these licking stones?" Gustaf asked and took a round pebble from his pack.
Despite her lingering annoyance Rusty couldn't prevent her mouth from watering. She had some of those in her own pack, as well as a couple of packets of regular salt for their meals, but her own body was betraying her. There was a grain of truth in that stereotype. "Maybe just one," she grumbled.
Gustaf laughed as he held it out and she snatched it from his claw. It was one of those mixed mineral and salt licking stones and her tongue attacked it eagerly. Her ears were already down, but she made herself look at the bird. "Thanks. I'm glad you came prepared, just- try and keep the stereotypes to a minimum, okay?"
The griffin just chuckled some more. "So, I take it that means no ear scratches then?"
"I'd like some!" Ember Clover piped up as he trotted over. Rusty blushed and wondered how much of their discussion the stallion had overheard.
Her consolation was the way Gustaf suddenly shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, it was just a joke, kid," he tried to wring himself out of it.
"Aw. Well, I wouldn't mind some anyway!" Ember was indefatigable.
There was no easy way out of that for the griffin and Rusty wasn't about to save his rump, not after that slight annoyance. She headed back to her tent to start packing up, all the while smirking a little to herself. "Um," Gustaf said as he looked longingly after the mare, "I gotta pack up. M-Maybe later!"
Ember Clover shrugged to himself and went to take care of his own tent and help Winter Shine with their professor's.
She raised her voice: "Alright, ponies, it's gonna be a hard day of marching. I want us at the ruin by nightfall, if possible. Fill up your flasks with what's left of the water and carry them close to your body so it doesn't freeze!"
There was a chorus of assent from her little herd and Rusty nodded to herself in satisfaction. They weren't a bad lot and all the work of guiding them across that inhospitable landscape would pay off when they helped her decipher the mystery of those ruins. It was going to be a remarkable and profitable journey, that much was certain.
She caught up to Gustaf, who had pulled something small and glittering from a pocket and was examining it closely. It was a small compass. "That won't be reliable here," she reminded him.
"I know, I know," the griffin said, "I was just curious. Looks correct, though." He lowered the instrument so Rusty could see. As best she could tell, it was indeed pointing correctly to the North, judging by the sun.
"Maybe it's okay now, but it could just be a few degrees off. Too much background magic. Anyway, if a storm kicks up it'll be completely wrong, and that's exactly the time you tend to rely on a compass. When there's no visibility." She shrugged a little and patted a hoof on her back. "Plenty of food and we're making our own water. If we get stuck in a storm, I'd rather just wait it out in a tent."
"Agreed," Gustaf said and put the compass back.
Rusty could understand his curiosity, especially if he hadn't seen before how strong magic messes with magnetic navigation. Her own compass, useful across most of Equestria, was safe in her pack.
Chapter 4
Their midday meal saw them in the middle of a landscape so white that it was almost impossible to tell where the steep mountains ended and the sky began. There was a patch of deep cerulean directly above them, but other than that the horizon was blurred. Already Winter Shine was lying on her side, panting, and Rusty Bones had to remind the mare again.
"Winter Shine! Up on your hooves. You'll catch a cold that way!"
Her other academic friends already knew and remained standing, even though the Professor had his head bent low and Ember Clover was staring into the distance as his chest heaved.
"Don't worry, the worst is behind us. We actually have to descend a little before we get to the entrance. This is probably the highest point in our journey." Rusty looked at Gustaf, who shrugged, but didn't contradict her. She was most likely right, at least approximately. Her memory for maps was pretty good, after all. She had already unpacked her stove and her pot, and was collecting some clean snow to boil so she could replace what they had drunk. "Eat your oat bars, those who still have them. I'll pour some oatmeal, but I think we can make it to the entrance before dark, we'll cook more one we're there." With luck they would find a way inside, which would make them a lot warmer and more comfortable.
Unfortunately her proclamation made the unicorn mare whine in dismay: "I don't have any oat bars left!"
"I told you not to eat them all yesterday."
"But I was hungry!"
Rusty felt her ears flatten of their own accord as she prepared for an argument, but luckily Professor Curio stepped in: "Now, now, Winter Shine. I'll let you have half of my oat bar. You'll know to pack more the next time, and to ration them better."
That soothed the mare and she smiled once again. "Thanks, Professor!"
Rusty crunched her own treat while the ice was heating up. She was about to ask Gustaf to fly up and scout out their way, but Ember Clover was already standing beside the griffin and murmuring something too low for her to hear. She left them alone and instead took out her book of maps from her bags. It was organized well and it took her no time at all to find the correct page. She inspected the peaks marked on the paper, then looked around. The tallest one was just behind them and to the left, hard to spot even with her experienced eyes. The mare fished out a compass from her pack and noted the direction, more out of curiosity than as an actual measurement. Then she looked for mountains ahead of them and matched them up to the ones in the map. It wasn't as precise as a griffon or a pegasus could do from above, but it gave her a pretty good idea of their position. She could do really precise if she used the compass headings and a ruler, but she didn't need it at the moment. Assuming it was correct. The weather was clear, so it should be fine.
"Okay, if we're here, the entrance is there. That's about..." She measured the path approximately with the notched chain from the compass which she then laid next to the scale line. "Twenty, twenty-five miles. Four or five hours if the way is straight. Good."
Nopony was listening to her, but Rusty Bones was used to talking with herself. It was either that or go insane on her many, lonely journeys. Beside her the pot had melted completely and she could see the tiny bubbles forming in the water. A few more minutes for it to boil. Gustaf and Ember were still conversing, though the bird looked a little uncomfortable at whatever the topic was. On the other side Winter and Curio were poring over one of his books. Everything was in order and Rusty went back to watching the water boil. A couple more hours and they'd be at the ruin. Then- adventure! Her heart began to beat faster as she imagined walking slowly down dark corridors, abandoned for millennia. Who knew what kind of forgotten treasures they would find in that place!
The mare grinned to herself and rubbed her hooves together. Soon!
"There! I see something!" Ember Clover called out.
Rusty peered into the distance, but she couldn't make out anything in the white horizon. "What is it?"
"Dunno, looks like stone."
Gustaf lifted himself up on his hind paws and spread his wings to keep his balance. Rusty could see his pupils shrink as he focused on the distance. "I see it too," he confirmed. "Looks like a cave or something."
Ember pranced in place at having his observation validated. "Exactly! Cave entrance with gray stone! Come on, we're almost there!"
It was a relief for Rusty Bones. She had led them mostly through guesswork and had been debating internally whether to stop and estimate their position more precisely on the map, but now she didn't have to do any of that. There was only one significant feature for miles and miles around them and that was the entrance to her ancient ruin. It was marked on her maps in ink, but only because she had put it there herself based on the coordinates on her precious parchment.
"Okay, we'll take it slow. Ground can be treacherous this far north and we don't want to slide into a crack because we were rushing blindly ahead." She glanced over at the griffin, who was still standing up and staring at the thing. "How far, Gustaf?"
"About two miles, maybe two and a half."
"Good. That's thirty minutes, we can afford to take it slow. Since the ruin is entirely underground, it should be warmer once we get past the ice. We'll camp in there tonight."
Curio, Winter and Ember bent their heads together and began conversing excitedly. Rusty thought she heard 'door' and 'open', as well as something about 'runes' from the Professor, but she paid it no mind. One problem at a time. Despite her warning, she had a feeling they would rush and stare at the entrance, and forget to look where they placed their hooves.
"Alright, behind me, everypony. Gustaf, walk with me." She could rely on the tough old bird to keep his mind on the job, Rusty had no doubt of that. The ponies formed a line and she began walking once more, careful to keep to that distance-eating, measured pace she had practiced all her life. Her hooves itched to go faster as she imagined she saw the dark patch of the opening, but she exercised her discipline and kept both her speed and her eye on the ground in front of her.
No sense breaking a leg in the last couple of miles.
As promised they were at the cave entrance before long. The opening was completely black, even in the fading light, and Rusty was looking for torches in her backpack. She didn't technically need those, not with two unicorns around, but she liked to be prepared for anything.
"It looks like a natural cave, are we sure this is the entrance?" Curio asked.
"It's exactly where it was supposed to be."
He went on: "It's just that the bits of ancient legend I was able to find mention some kind of a door."
"Legend? Why didn't you tell me about it?"
The unicorn shrugged and gave her a half-embarrassed, half-apologetic smile. "I think it just slipped my mind in excitement. Anyway, it didn't matter until now."
Rusty shook her head, but accepted the explanation. She grabbed a torch and her box of matches and soon had a nice, friendly flame going. There was a holder sewn into her coat and she slid the bit of wood in with practiced ease. Curio looked at it, then shrugged to himself and concentrated. A spark from his horn leapt into the air and stopped above him. It emitted pure white light and shone into the entrance to reveal worked stone.
"Steps!" Winter Shine exclaimed first. "This is the place! Come on, everypony!"
She would have run inside if Rusty Bones hadn't stepped in her way and held out a hoof. "Easy! Me and Gustaf first, you three follow."
"Why?" the mare whined.
"We've done this sort of thing before. There may be traps, or some steps may be broken off. Or maybe there are patches of ice."
The academics seemed to agree, even if a little reluctantly, and they filed behind Rusty once more. She went ahead and Gustaf followed right on her hooves. The stairs were only wide enough for a single pony or griffin. A few dozen steps later they were surrounded by darkness, the entrance hidden behind a bend in the cave. Some natural light still filtered from above, but gradually the torch and Curio's spell were becoming their only means of penetrating the darkness. Rusty Bones kept her eyes wide open and her ears focused forward. She wasn't expecting to hear anything, but she could never know. A quick glance behind her revealed that Gustaf was also watching the darkness in front closely. His pupils had grown until they nearly filled his eyes, the yellow leaving nothing more than a thin, gold rim around the black. The sight made the mare chuckle a little.
"What?" he asked.
"You look as if you're on some hard drugs," she explained with a grin.
Gustaf barked a laugh of his own, but didn't comment. He probably knew how he looked in this dim light. They went on and Rusty saw where the staircase ended. It had been mostly complete, with only a few steps chipped off. The architecture had held up pretty well, considering its age, which boded well for the rest of the ruins.
"Flat bit up ahead. Eyes forward!"
They were already past the ice layer, as best Rusty could gauge. Her rough estimate was about fifty to eighty yards under the starting point. The air was noticeably warmer and she was considering shedding her topmost coat. The thought vanished when she reached the bottom of the stairs and her torchlight illuminated the way ahead.
Curio beat her to it and said: "The door..."
He and his two students rushed ahead despite her warning to wait. They were simply too excited and Rusty hung her head in dismay. "There might have been traps or holes or something," she muttered.
Gustaf just grunted and followed the trio, but he kept his eyes on the path, Rusty noted with approval. There was nothing else to do, so she hurried after them. The door was massive. It was easily nine yards tall and three wide. The frame, itself a yard thick, was smooth, dark stone, carved with intricate detail. The door itself was just two giant slabs of stone, apparently impenetrable.
"Okay, we can camp here while we figure this out."
"I'm on it," Curio announced. He had already shed his bags and was rummaging for books. "There was some cryptic puzzle in that old legend. At the time it didn't make sense, but I think once we examine these carvings we'll know what it means."
Winter Shine was already running a hoof on the stone frame, while Ember Clover had dug out a notepad and was jotting down observations. They seemed to have everything well in hoof, so Rusty Bones shrugged off her baggage, then removed her coat as well. It was still chilly, but not too bad. They could live there quite comfortably in nothing more than their fur, she gauged.
She set up her stove and looked at Gustaf, who was also unpacking nearby. "Tea? This bit is up to them and all we do is wait." If she had to, Rusty had no doubt she could figure out the door herself, but she had dragged the university ponies along so she might as well let them try first.
"Sounds good. I'd offer you jerky, but I don't think you want any. Salt pebble?"
"Thanks."
They settled down and Rusty poured what was left of her canteen in the pot. There was plenty of fresh ice up above, but she didn't want to leave the three ponies alone in that place. They could replenish later.
"Do you want to set up tents?"
She glanced around, then shook her head. "No need. It's warm enough for just sleeping bags, and I don't expect rain or wind here." They both shared a chuckle at that. "Oh, I'll snuff out the torch. Between the Professor's light and the stove it should be plenty."
Gustaf gave a nod and she did so. The cave became slightly darker, but her eyes soon adapted. She sat on her haunches beside the pot while she waited for the water to boil, and the griffin came to sit with her.
"How long do you think they'll need?" he asked.
"Well, I could probably get in there in, let's say two or three hours. There's three of them and they're a lot smarter than I am, so maybe an hour? Curio said he has some old legend which mentions the door, so maybe even sooner than that."
Gustaf gave a nod, then went back to looking at what the academics were doing. "What happens if we can't get in there?"
Rusty shrugged. "We take these back and I find some better scholar ponies."
Both of them grinned at that, but then Curio called out: "I heard that!"
"Sorry!"
"You won't find anypony better, by the way. We're it. Now let's see here."
Luckily he was soon lost in his book and the mystery of the gate, and quickly forgot Rusty's hasty remark, much to the mare's relief. She dropped a tea bag into the boiling water and turned the stove off. They were left only with Curio's light, but that was still enough. "Give it five minutes to steep," she instructed.
"Sure."
Ember Clover was the first of the university ponies to give up on the ancient door. He came over to Rusty Bones and Gustaf and sat on his haunches near the griffin. "Looks like it might take a bit," he reported. "The Professor has this, like, ancient riddle for the door, but we can't make heads nor tails about it."
"What is it?" Rusty asked, intrigued.
The stallion looked at the dark cavern ceiling and scrunched up his muzzle in thought. "Let me see how it goes," he said and recited: "Light and Dark, Day and Night; In the heart of the Sun there is the Moon; place yourself in the middle and reach out your hoof in greeting. The Darkness will part for you and the way to its inner Light will be revealed." His careful inflection made the capital letters plainly apparent and the three considered the puzzle.
"Sounds straightforward enough. Are there any symbols for day or night, or darkness or such?"
Ember shook his head. "We looked. That was the first thing Professor Curio said. We figured they were markers to tell us where to stand, which would presumably show us where to press with a hoof. That 'darkness will part' is obviously the door opening."
"Obviously."
Gustaf looked particularly interested and gripped his beak with a claw in thought. "How about sun and moon? Those sometimes mean day and night, no?"
"You mean like Celestia and Luna?" Rusty pointed out.
"Now that you mention it, yes," the bird agreed. "Well?"
Once again Ember Clover shook his head. "No, at least none that I've seen."
Their tea was all but gone anyway, so Rusty drained the last few drops, put the pewter mug down and stood. "Let's go and see about this, then."
All three of them walked over to where Winter Shine and Curio Trinket were examining the door frame in minute detail. Several books lay scattered around them, all of them showing pages of old symbols. The pair hardly even glanced up when they noticed the newcomers, so engrossed were they in their study.
Rusty examined the door and something immediately stood out to her. "Why is there a torch stand only on one side?"
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at where she was pointing. There was indeed a metal bracket for a torch, but only on the left side of the door frame.
"Hold on, let me check something." She hurried back to where she had left her bags and dug out the parchment with the map. There was very little light now that her torch and stove were extinguished, so Rusty hurried back to examine the paper under Curio's magical glow. "See? There's a picture of a torch here at the entrance. I thought it was just a reminder that the ruins are dark and we'll need light, but now that I'm thinking about it, that's dumb. It's obvious we'd need torches."
The other ponies looked at one another in surprise, but Gustaf shrugged. "If it's just a lever, then-" he began and grabbed the metal hook with a claw. They all watched in silence as he pulled, but nothing happened.
"Light a torch and put it in, it could be magical," Curio said.
Rusty was doing exactly that and ran back to the bags to grab the torch she had dropped on the ground there. She reached in her bag to get matches, but then thought better of it. They had a couple of unicorns, after all. Indeed, as soon as she was near enough, the torch in her mouth burst into flames and the glow around Winter Shine's horn showed who had done it. She held it out to Gustaf, who smoothly took it and slid it into the metal frame. All five of them waited with bated breath. Rusty was just about to shrug and turn away when there came a deep, dull thud. The academics hurried away from the door and even Gustaf took a cautious step back. This was the exciting bit, Rusty thought to herself as she felt her heart speed up. The heavy slabs of stone were moving with a very faint grinding noise. The mechanism had to be particularly clever, or magically enchanted to still work after all these years. Soon both stones had swiveled away and revealed a black opening. Curio's light penetrated a short way inside and revealed a tall, straight corridor. Just as Rusty's map predicted!
Motes of light flew against the incredible darkness of the passage beyond, bits of dust disturbed by the intrusion of new air and reflecting the magical light. They stood in silence and listened, but of course there came no sound out of the cavern. This was the only opening and it had been closed for centuries, if not longer. Nothing was down there.
Nothing could be down there.
"Well," Curio said and cleared his throat. "We should pack up our things and go down."
"No," Rusty interjected. "First I go in and see if I can close the door. Then I try to open it from the other side. We don't want to lock ourselves in."
Gustaf nodded approvingly. "Good, yes. The door may close by itself after some time and we want to be sure we can open it from that side."
The academic ponies looked at one another, but the professor nodded. "Agreed. I'll go in with you. Winter Shine, create a light for outside. Give us fifteen minutes, then open the door if we hadn't done it ourselves by then."
It was agreed and Rusty and Curio walked into the dark opening. The light revealed more of the antechamber as they entered, but the walls were bare. Here and there Rusty could see metal hooks in the stone and guessed they must have been used, once, to hold tapestries or paintings. She looked back at her party in the natural cave outside the door. It felt a little like shutting herself into a tomb, but Rusty reminded herself they would open the door if she couldn't do it herself.
"Okay, let's see here," she murmured. "Professor, move the light over there."
As she had predicted, there was what looked like a stone plate in the floor a few paces to one side. Rusty went there and examined it. It looked like a button, but she didn't step on it yet. The first thing was to check the walls for holes, out of which poisonous darts might fly, or the ceiling for stone blocks which might fall. Her map didn't mention any traps at the entrance, but a mare could never be too careful.
"Okay, I'll press it down now." She stood off to one side and reached with a hoof, just in case. The stone plate was hard to move, but Rusty Bones was an earth pony and she applied more force. It suddenly sank down until it was flush with the floor and the grinding noise was back. The doors were closing! "See you in fifteen minutes if we can't open it from this side!"
She and Curio waited until the stone slabs were back in their original place, then they looked around.
"There. Lever. That was easy." Rusty Bones was pointing at a metal fixture on the wall near the pressure plate. It looked like a wooden rod was sticking out of the mechanism on the wall. She walked over and put her hoof on it. The ancient wood crumbled under the lightest of touches. "Whoops."
"Let me see," the Professor said and came to inspect it. There wasn't enough left to grip, but the stallion moved his light until it was shining in the hole and he hummed to himself. "Ah, the rest of it is metal, looks like. It's just the handle that's rotten. Let me try and move it." His horn glowed brightly and Curio poked his tongue out in concentration. After a few seconds there was a click and the now-familiar grinding noise.
"Good work. Can we put a new bit of wood in there? I want any of us to be able to open it."
Curio stared into the hole again, then shrugged. "Possibly one of our tent poles. We can grab it when we're done and heading out. It looks like one of the thicker ones might fit."
"Good." She waited until the door had opened enough to reveal the smiling faces of the rest of their party. "Everypony, pack up. We're going in. We have a way out if we need it!"
Chapter 5
It took everyone less than ten minutes to get packed and organized, then Rusty Bones laid down the law about exploring the ruins: "Nopony goes anywhere alone, always two or more, understand? No walking down unexplored passages, I'll go first. There may be traps. Curio, you're second behind me so you can hold the light above me, then Gustaf. Winter Shine, I want you last with another light shining on our hooves so we don't stumble."
Ember Clover raised a hoof: "What should I do?"
"For now, just walk and keep your eyes open for anything interesting. Once we've explored a corridor and determined it's safe, that's when you three come in. We're looking for carvings, artefacts, anything that will tell us who lived here and where they went."
The pegasus gave a nod, then brightened up as he realized he would be walking behind the statuesque griffin.
"Good. It's late today, so we'll just explore to here-" Rusty said and pointed a hoof at her map. "This looks like some kind of an office, or maybe a guard room. The notes say there's broken furniture, but I guess it's useless by now. We'll camp in there. Any questions?"
There was a chorus of agreement and the ponies and griffin organized themselves into a line. Rusty took the lead and went in the ruins again. She briefly considered closing the door behind them, wary of strange creatures in the Frozen North who might come in after them, but then she decided not to. It should be left open to let in fresh air. They could always come back and close it once they determined if the ruin has ventilation. She took a deep breath and walked into the dark corridor. The clop of her hooves on ancient stone echoed, soon accompanied by the hoofsteps of her companions. Rusty found herself trying to step lightly, feeling a bit uneasy about disturbing the quiet of the place. As they walked Rusty tried to gauge how long the corridor was, but all the walls were uniform gray and they were only interrupted by the occasional torch bracket. It was too quiet, she thought. Every cave had some noise: a drip of water, a breath of air, even a low rumble if there was a river or something above. In this frozen wasteland she had expected to hear the occasional groan of ice above them, or a dribble of liquid.
Instead, there was silence.
The light was wrong, too. It was putting her on edge. Curio's spell was very bright and showed the walls and the floor clearly, but it was too white and too steady. She was used to the slightly yellow, dancing flame of a torch. She looked down at her hooves and clearly saw her own outline. There was her head, the bulge of her pack, an ear. The lines were too sharp. The shadows were too well-defined. It was an unnatural light. Rusty Bones decided she would use torches the next day, even if they were cumbersome and less efficient. Perhaps the unicorns were okay with that strange, magical light, but she would only use it as a last resort. She was jolted out of her inner monologue when she noticed a dark rectangle in the wall ahead. Curio's mage light cast a knife-straight shadow into the room beyond.
"This is it," Rusty whispered and slowed her steps. "Send the light forward a bit."
The Professor did as he was told and the little glowing ball floated a few paces ahead so it shone into the room. Rusty stretched her head out and looked around the frame. There was indeed furniture in the small office, a large desk in the middle and a number of wooden chairs around. At first glance they seemed okay, but after all this time they were probably as rotten as the lever at the entrance.
"Don't touch anything. It's liable to crumble to dust and we'll end up sneezing the whole night," Rusty warned the others. Her words were proven true when they entered the room and walked around. Part of the table had collapsed and the side was torn like thin paper. Rusty could see the shapes of drawers inside and wondered if there were remnants of ancient documents still in there. Who knew what had been written down, once. There was a metal candle holder on the floor which she picked up. "Professor?"
Curio, who had been inspecting a dark mass under one of the walls, came over. "Hmm?"
"Here. Can you tell how old this is?"
He picked up the object in his magic and concentrated for a moment. "Quick guess, between seventeen hundred and two thousand years. Definitely pre-Celestial, and quite possibly pre-Equestrian too."
It was music to Rusty's ears. The ruins really were as old as they had suspected. There had been a civilization of ponies who had chosen to live underground! This was a once-in-a-lifetime find. Tartarus, maybe even once-in-a-thousand-years!
She rubber her hooves together in delight. "Good! Okay, everypony, settle down in this room. We don't need tents, so there's plenty of space. Careful with the furniture. This room is safe and the corridor back outside too. Nopony ventures forward until we've explored it tomorrow." She took out her stove again and spread out her sleeping bag. It would be hard on the stone floor, but Rusty didn't mind. The room was dry and warm, which was more than some other camping spots she had had over the years. "We'll have a quick dinner, then I need two volunteers to go outside and grab some ice so we have drinking water."
"How about me and Gustaf?" Ember Clover proposed. Both the unicorns looked at him strangely and the bird gave a surprised squawk, but Rusty hid a mischievous grin and nodded.
"Good idea. We don't know if any beasts are roaming around. Anypony going out takes either me or Gustaf as escort. That okay with you?"
That last question was aimed at the griffin, who shrugged and nodded. "Fine. It's what I'm here for, anyway. Not like I can contribute much to the research."
The two volunteers dropped their bags and took all the empty pots for the ice while the rest of the party set up their sleeping spots. Curio kept glancing at the door out of the office, but didn't leave. It was just as well, since Rusty would have called him back immediately. He really was excited to explore the ruin, but they were all tired from the hike and it was late in the day. The last bit didn't matter much underground, but tired ponies made mistakes and Rusty didn't want any of those marring her expedition.
"We'll sleep eight hours, then we'll explore. Curio, let's pick a few spots we could reach tomorrow."
This was something concrete to do and the Professor gladly came over with his light to examine her map. "Maybe this way, it looks like an armory with adjoining barracks. If we see any weapons and armor we might be able to place the time more precisely, or at least know from which civilizations these ponies splintered."
"Sounds good. I'd like to go and see this area. It looks like a mess hall and a kitchen, but I don't know what these are." Rusty pointed at several large boxes which seemed to go off the side of the map. "It almost looks like fields, but there are no notes. Maybe it was where they grew their crop? Could it be open to the outside you think?"
Curio shook his head. "No, I don't think so. That legend mentions they subsisted exclusively on cave-growing mushrooms. If these are fields, they're almost certainly mushroom fields."
"Interesting. A species of pony who lived in caves and ate mushrooms. Do you think it could have been Thestrals?"
"Maybe. Though that wouldn't explain where they came from. Most theories have them as Nightmare Moon's creation, but maybe she found a tribe in a place like this instead."
"Anyway, that's enough of the labyrinth for one day. Armory, barracks and maybe this way to the supposed mushroom fields. After that we'll decide."
"Agreed."
Rusty rolled up her map and began digging out supplies from her pack. They had reached their destination without difficulty, so she was feeling confident enough about having a big meal to celebrate. They would probably need the energy with how exciting the next few days were likely to be!
The night passed with extraordinary slowness, at least for Rusty Bones. She listened to her co-adventurers breathing for a while and even managed to fall asleep a few times, but each time something woke her up. For a while she thought some of the ponies with her were whispering in the night, but when she sat up and listened more closely she heard them breathing deeply, or snoring. Besides, their beds were spread apart in the room and anypony walking around would be easy to hear. She would have attributed the faint, dry, rustling noise to wind, but they were deep underground and the air was completely still. They had left the outside door open with a clever little magical trap placed across it which would alert them if anything passed that portal, or so Curio assured her, but no draft made it to the office they had occupied as their sleeping chamber. In the end Rusty Bones had attributed the weird noises to her own imagination. The ancient ruins were completely silent and the darkness was impenetrable without a source of light, so perhaps it made sense that her mind was playing tricks on her. Celestia knew she was excited enough and couldn't wait for morning.
Eventually it came and her group began to stir. Winter Shine was first and she stood up with a quiet groan about the hardness of her bed before she walked to the door. Her hoofsteps roused Rusty from a light slumber and she opened her eyes to see a faint ball of light floating in front of the pudgy student.
"Stop. Wait. Where are you going?" Rusty asked the mare.
The unicorn stepped from hoof to hoof as she swung the light around to shine on the adventurer. "Toilet. I'm not gonna do it in here, obviously."
"Take somepony with you. None of us go alone outside."
"Why not?" Ember Clover asked, then sat up. The others followed suit, having been woken up by the conversation.
"If there's fog or a blizzard it's too easy to get lost. You'd never find the cave again. We go in pairs or more, and we'll tie a string to the cave entrance if it's fog or blizzard outside."
"Fiine," Winter Shine groaned. "Ember, wanna go with me?"
"I'll go," Gustaf said, but that of course meant Ember Clover refused to be left behind. In short order Rusty was alone with the Professor, who created a fresh ball of light for them and went to rummage in his pack.
Rusty's first thought was that he was looking for breakfast, but the stallion got out a book and settled back on his cot to read. She sighed and shook her head in bemusement. "Oatmeal?"
"Yes, please."
Her stove was soon lit and the cheerful little flame cast dancing shadows on the walls. It made the room look infinitely more friendly than the harsh, pure white light the unicorns produced. She had plenty of supplies left, so Rusty poured a packet of powdered milk into the water before adding the oat mixture. "Salt or sugar?"
"Either," Curio replied, lost in his book.
She shrugged to herself and then opted for sugar. She was feeling optimistic about the day and she could always have salt later in the form of the licking stones. Pretty soon the two students and their griffin guard came back and immediately smiled when they smelled the meal.
"Serve yourselves, just leave enough for me and Curio. Come, it's our turn," Rusty called.
That did the trick and the Professor finally left his book and stood up. He followed her wordlessly out of the office and back up the corridor to the entrance.
Something occurred to the mare as they passed the threshold. "Your spell didn't work. We didn't hear the alarm when those three went out, nor when they came back."
Curio was already shaking his head even before she had finished talking. "No, I keyed the sensing spell to us so it will only react to things which are not us or our equipment. It'd be a bother to keep dispelling and recasting it all the time when we wanted to go out."
"Clever. Is there a way for us to test it?"
The Professor didn't reply, but he levitated a nondescript stone from the ground and flung it through the portal. Immediately an invisible klaxon began to wail. He let the sound go for a few seconds, then his horn flared and everything went silent.
"Good. Thanks."
They were about to continue their way, but a scrabble of paws on stone made Rusty Bones look back. Gustaf was hurrying up the corridor, but stopped when he saw them.
"Sorry, we should have told you. I wanted to test our alarm," Rusty explained.
The griffin shrugged a little and his feathers, which had been puffed out, settled back down. "No harm. Might as well go with you since I'm here. Just a sec." He took a deep breath and turned back into the corridor. "FALSE ALARM! IT'S FINE!" he bellowed. It took a while for echoes to die down and Rusty thought she heard a shouted response from the two ponies still in the ruin, though she couldn't understand the words.
She turned to continue to the surface. "Okay, let's go, then."
"It's a nice day out. I might want to go stretch my wings a little, since it looks like we'll be stuck underground for the whole day."
Her rule about always going in pairs didn't apply to the experienced and toughened griffin warrior, so Rusty just nodded. "Sure. We'll wait for you at the entrance. Fresh air would do us all some good," she said, remembering the strange noises she'd heard in the night.
Their oatmeal was almost completely cold by the time they made it back, but it was still good and both Rusty and Curio wolfed it down. She was pleased to see that the two students hadn't been idle during their absence and had prepared their gear. There were a few cameras, some torches, a lot of rope and she saw saddlebags full of little plastic zip-lock bags, presumably for any small artifacts they might come across.
Professor Curio looked it over, then grabbed his own gear and looked expectantly at Rusty. "Your lead," he said.
The mare was pleased that he remembered her instructions from the previous day and gladly took point. She glanced both ways in the corridor, then headed the way they hadn't yet explored. If her map was to be believed they would come to some stairs and then a junction in a few hundred yards. "Careful, the note says there's a pit somewhere in this corridor. I'm guessing a trap door against intruders. Keep your eyes peeled."
"Aye," Gustaf confirmed. He was second in line and his sharp, griffin vision would come in useful.
Rusty took a deep breath and led them deeper into the labyrinth. Soon everypony fell into a reverential silence and their hoofsteps became careful and quiet. Once again it felt as if they were intruding in something that was not meant to be disturbed. Each noise came back amplified by echo and the harsh, magical light made every feature surreal.
After only a few minutes Rusty stopped and pointed, slightly relieved. "There's the hole. I was worried it would be hidden somehow, but this is pretty straightforward."
There was indeed a black pit in the floor of the corridor, stretching the entire width and perhaps a little less than one pony-length long. She walked carefully up to it and Gustaf laid a claw on her rump. Rusty didn't mind. She knew the griffin would grab her and pull her back if the ground should suddenly give way or crumble beneath her hooves. As it was, the mare stepped lightly and tested every hoof before putting her weight on it.
Quickly she had reached the edge and peered down. "Curio, some light please?"
The magical ball obediently floated above the pit and stopped there. The edges of the hole cast sharp shadows down the sides, but the bottom was nowhere in sight. Rusty turned her head to one side and listened. Absolute silence. She licked her nose and held it still above the opening, feeling for a draft, or any movement of air. Nothing.
"How are we going to cross it?" Winter Shine asked.
"Jump, I guess. It's not really wide. I don't see a way to close the pit, and I wouldn't trust it if I did close it. If anypony isn't sure, the fliers can ferry them across. Gustaf?"
"No problem. Come," Gustaf said and his claw went down to grab Rusty around her midriff. He got a good grip on the mare, then spread his powerful wings and jumped. It wasn't really flight, just hop and a single flap to take them to the other side. She could easily have jumped it, but the apparently-bottomless pit unnerved Rusty slightly and she didn't want to risk herself without reason. The griffin left her there and hopped back to pick up Winter Shine. That left Ember Clover to ferry his professor, which he did with a murmured apology for how he had to grip him. In less than a minute they were across.
"Remember that this is here," Rusty Bones told them. "There's other traps marked further on. When you're walking from room to room, keep your mind on walking, understand?"
There was a chorus of agreement. A day ago the academics might have argued, but seeing the hole made them realize just how easy it would be to get themselves killed through inattention.
"Let's move on."
It wasn't much further until the party came to the junction. The map showed a large, rectangular room, but it absolutely didn't do the place justice. They all stopped when they filed out of the corridor and Rusty looked up in wonder. The place was huge ! Her map didn't show pillars, but there were pillars, like half-seen tree trunks in the darkness as far as the light would reach. Ancient dust, disturbed by the heat of their bodies and their breathing, floated around them like twinkling stars in the white light. The ceiling was lost in shadow, so it looked as if they were walking in a forest of stone columns.
"Wooooow," Ember Clover was the first to break their silence.
'Wooow- oooow- ow- WOOOW!' the echo came back, making them all flinch.
"No loud noises," Rusty whispered and the others nodded. "The notes say this room is safe, but I want to make sure. Wait here while Gustaf and me walk around."
The three ponies settled down and Curio took out a notepad and began writing. Rusty fetched a torch and caught Winter Shine's eye to get her to light it. Having a unicorn or two on an expedition was proving to be quite useful, after all. Once she had her own, non-magical light, Rusty Bones picked the right side and began to walk along the wall, Gustaf closely behind her. She watched the floor for any pressure plates and the way before her for possible tripwires or ropes, but the notes on her map were proving correct so far.
"Looks clear," Gustaf said. His eyes gleamed like polished gold in the torchlight and he kept glancing in all directions, including straight up.
"Yep. I wonder why this place is so big."
"Bah," the bird said dismissively, "it's showing off. They had to trade with the outside world, at least sometimes. Get a delegation into a room like this, show off a little, get better prices. It's a common trick. Especially if there were torches to light the ceiling."
"You see the ceiling?"
"Barely,", Gustaf replied. "It's about fifteen or sixteen yards up. Looks too regular to be a cavern, which would explain the pillars. I think they simply excavated around them."
"Impressive."
"Very."
They found the exits from the big room just as Rusty's map had predicted, so the pair decided to walk back down the middle. There were remnants of ancient carpet, the mare thought, but it was blackened and little more than dust. She avoided stepping in it. Every now and then they passed a small pile of broken wood which might once have been a chair or a table. Places for the officials to write and sign their documents, she thought. This place must have bustled in its heyday. Now it was dark and empty and quiet. Very likely they were the first living beings to see these sights in centuries. She wondered what it must have been like for this room, sitting empty under the ice while Equestria grew and prospered outside. The ponies who had built it, loved it, lived in it, gone for so many thousands of years. She almost felt as if the ruin resented her for intruding upon its quiet contemplation. Rusty Bones was so lost in her thoughts that she was startled when Gustaf put a claw out and held her back.
"What?" He didn't answer, but she immediately spotted why. "Oh."
There was a suit of armor on the carpet. An occupied suit of armor. The sight made her skin crawl and Rusty took an involuntary step back. Most of the skeleton had crumbled to dust, but the skull was still recognizable, its empty sockets staring silently at her from under a heavily corroded bronze helmet and the teeth grinning at her in a horrific mockery of a smile.
"I wonder what happened to them."
Gustaf shrugged. "Something sudden. No one came back to put the body to rest. I reckon we'll see more."
"That could mean that the denizens had to leave quickly, or were wiped out by something sudden. Poison gas from some deep mine? Enemies? Probably not sickness, or this one wouldn't have died in armor. Maybe a magical curse?"
"Perhaps the unicorns will be able to tell?"
"Good idea. Let's go back," the mare agreed. She walked carefully around the corpse and looked back. The skull was staring that way, away from the entrance. Rusty wondered why that was.
Chapter 7
The group settled for a late lunch in the old mess hall, which seemed appropriate and had some unbroken tables. Of course, the only reason those were still intact was because they were carved from stone, and the ponies needed to stand because the wooden benches had long since rotted away, but it still felt a lot more civilized than eating on the floor. A nice bonus was also that there didn't seem to be any ancient dead ponies in that particular room. To Rusty Bones' relief the room was lit by a few torches stuck in scones on the nearby wall, mainly because the unicorns were starting to complain about magical exhaustion. It turned out that even something as small as a ball of light was quite draining if maintained for most of the day. She actually preferred the yellow, flickering light of flames over that unnatural, bright white spell. Perhaps that was simply because she was used to primitive torches, but an added benefit she had thought up was that failing torches would warn them about the lack of oxygen. It had been a concern, but so far apparently unwarranted. There was not so much as a breath of wind in the ancient ruins, but it seemed as if some air still circulated, or they would have undoubtedly noticed the effects by that time.
"Curio, do you have any spells to warn us if there's not enough oxygen in the air?"
If the stallion was surprised by the sudden question he didn't show it. His eyes got that thousand-yard stare as he considered, then Curio nodded. "Sure. I understand what you mean. Good thinking."
"Yeah, as we go deeper in-" she began, but the professor finished her sentence.
"The diffusion from the entrance might not be enough. For what is worth, I believe the ancient ponies who built this place ensured some kind of ventilation, but you're right. Whatever system of shafts they had made might have collapsed by now."
Gustaf thought this over for a bit, then nodded. Rusty guessed he also hadn't thought of the problem, but now he was satisfied with their solution to it.
"What will happen to us if there's not enough oxygen?" Ember Clover asked.
"Tiredness, yawning, those are the first symptoms, so be on the lookout. Then headache, confusion, dizziness, then unconsciousness," Rusty explained, but didn't finish with the last bit: death, but Rusty felt they all understood it. There was a moment of silence and then Winter Shine resumed eating. It was just dried rations and melted ice, but after a whole day of exploring it felt like a feast.
Curio went back to his report: "Anyhow, the officers' records are interesting, but they are mostly just lists of names, supplies, training schedules, things like that. It did give us one very useful bit of information."
"Oh? What's that?" Rusty asked.
Curio flashed a triumphant grin at the group as he answered: "The date when this place was abandoned!"
The two students just nodded quietly and Rusty guessed they must have heard this before, but she and Gustaf looked at one another in surprise. "How?!" the griffin beat her to the question.
"Simple! The officers' records stop on that date."
"Yeah, okay, but are you sure? Maybe you're missing the last few pages of records or something," the mare pointed out.
Even before she had finished her objection Curio was already shaking his head and he looked ready to burst with excitement as he answered: "I know for certain, because the record stops mid-sentence and there is a blot of ink, as if the pony writing it had been interrupted!"
"Oh. Wow. That's amazing," Rusty said, both excited and slightly dumbfounded. "So, what's the date?"
"I'll have to double check with the records in Canterlot Library, but if they used the common pre-Grogar calendar, it was April twenty-second, eight hundred sixty-three years before Nightmare Moon. That would make it approximately nineteen centuries ago!"
Winter Shine was practically bouncing on her seat and she hurriedly added: "Which matches the magical dating on the most recent items and the bones!"
It confirmed some of their theories and Rusty found herself sharing that excited grin with the other mare. The rush of discovery made her start pacing around the table and she began talking on automatic. "That's incredible! Okay, okay, next step is to place an upper bound on when this place was established. Any ideas so far? Blast, probably not from the weapons and armor, those must have been replaced frequently. They probably also didn't keep military records for more than a couple of years back."
"Correct," Curio confirmed. "The weapons we were able to date at most fifty years before the Event."
Gustaf raised a claw. "The Event?"
Ember rushed ahead to answer the griffin: "That's what we're calling whatever happened to wipe them out. Until we know more details, at least."
"Okay, do you need more time to search through the mess hall and the kitchens, or do we want to push further today?" Rusty asked.
"Push further!" Winter Shine said, but the others didn't immediately agree.
The Professor rubbed at his chin with a hoof. "As tempting as that sounds, Winter, we should finish the preliminary survey of the bodies and objects before we rush forward, or we'll just make a mess of things. You and Ember catalogue the rest of the barracks and I'll get started on the kitchens. We'll push forward tomorrow."
It wasn't what the students wanted to hear and their ears splayed in dismay, but they both nodded and chorused: "Yes, sir."
Hearing him mention the kitchen, Rusty asked: "Anything unusual in the kitchens?"
Ember Clover spoke up before the Professor had finished thinking. "A lot of bones. It's not a happy place."
Curio shook his head in bemusement and explained in more detail: "Yes, I believe the kitchen staff barricaded themselves in the kitchen. The door has rotted and fallen off its hinges by now, but I think it had been bolted originally.
Rusty Bones gulped and her ears pinned back at the unwelcome thought. "Uh, do you think they were trapped in there for a long period? Did- um, did they die of starvation, or what?"
Both Ember and Winter Shine's ears folded down and they looked at the Professor for the answer. "It really isn't obvious, one way or the other. We just have the fact that they never went out."
The answer and the uncertainty made Rusty shudder. She could almost imagine a group of ponies, scared and desperate, lingering in that kitchen until their supplies ran out or rotted. Had it been something physical keeping them trapped, or just their fear? It would explain something of what had happened, but it would likely need detailed magical forensics to get the answer. She forced her mind off the mental image. "Well, we'll know eventually. Do what you can right now, then it'll be time for bed. We've got a lot of walking tomorrow."
"Will we go back to sleep in that tiny office again?" Winter Shine asked as they begun packing up what was left of their lunch.
Rusty leaned her head to one side in thought, then shrugged. "I guess... not? Okay, me and Gustaf will go get our gear and bring it here. We can sleep in the mess hall, since there doesn't seem to be any corpses in here."
"Need a hoof with that?" Ember Clover offered suddenly.
Rusty glanced at Curio, who gave a small shrug.
"Sure, if you like. It's just carrying stuff, but it's always nice to stretch your legs a little."
The group split up without much ceremony and Rusty grabbed two of the three torches as they headed back. Gustaf accepted one without her having to prompt him.
"So, question," Ember Clover said from behind the griffin as they made their way back to the grand hall, "why aren't we using battery lanterns? You specifically said we don't need them in your letter, Miss Bones."
"Mostly because they don't last nearly long enough for how heavy they are," she explained. "Like, for example, a box of tar and some cloth will keep you in torchlight for a couple of days, but the same amount of batteries will last what, maybe eight hours?"
"Yes, that's what I found too," Gustaf confirmed. "If you're near a store and can go buy new batteries that's fine, but out here? Torches are better."
The stallion was quiet for a bit, then went on: "Okay, but what about those magical, unicorn-powered batteries?"
"Magical what now?" Rusty twirled to look at the stallion.
"They're new, but it's like batteries, except a simple spell will fill them back up. Any unicorn can charge them up in a minute or two."
Rusty caught Gustaf's disbelieving stare and knew she had a similar one. Had she really lost touch with modern technology so much? Then again, she hardly ever adventured with unicorns. "They have that?"
Ember pushed his way forward so he was walking between her and the griffin, and he smiled. "They're a bit expensive, but you don't have to buy batteries ever again."
"Do you have any with you?!"
Once again the stallion nodded. "I know Winter Shine brought a couple and I have one too. We- uh, we didn't want to bring them today in case you had some reason you didn't want them, and I guess Professor forgot to ask you about it."
"What kind of a reason?" Gustaf asked curiously.
"Dunno, we figured maybe since they are magical batteries they might trigger some kind of magical traps?"
It was a very good thought, and something Rusty herself was wondering about. It reminded her of something she had forgotten to ask Curio. "By the way, any unicorns among the bodies you checked out?"
This time Ember Clover shook his head. "Strangely, no. So far they were all earth ponies. The Professor is starting to think this was an entirely earth pony city."
"That is strange. What about the military records?"
"Same thing," Ember said, "all earth ponies. I mean, it wasn't unusual in those times for tribes to segregate like this."
"You're right, it wasn't. There was that whole Wendigo thing, after all," she noted. That laid one of her worries to rest and Rusty got a bit more bounce in her step. "In that case, we probably don't need to worry about magical traps, so that's a relief. I think we can use these new lanterns, although I have enough stuff for torches to last us a couple of weeks."
They walked in silence for a while, with the mare leading the way mostly by memory. She and Gustaf had explored these tunnels and they both knew the shortest way back to their camp.
"So," Ember Clover piped up after a few minutes, "how long until we reach the bottom of this place? Professor says that's what he's most interested in. That group who made our map didn't go all the way down, it looks like, and he's wondering what's down there."
"I don't know. I mean, the ruins are probably really big. This was an entire city, after all. If we made a beeline for the bottom, I guess we could reach it in three or four days of hiking, but we'd have to sleep down there." It wasn't something Rusty was fond of thinking, but perhaps their small group was in over their heads. She sighed and lowered her ears. "We'll have to pick a few things to explore, then hoof it back to Ice Floe and call in more help. This is a project for whole teams of archaeologists."
Gustaf laid a gentle claw on her back. "Maybe so, but you'll be the one who discovered it, remember that."
His words cheered her up and Ember Clover sidestepped to give the bird a full-body nuzzle. "Thanks, Gustaf. That was nice of you to say," he thanked the griffin in her name.
"What, it's just the truth!" Gustaf protested, but he kept his eyes on the opposite wall.
"Alright, left here, then we'll be at the grand hall. We pick up all our stuff and head back to the mess hall. We'll camp there tonight and discuss what to do tomorrow."
"Sounds good," Ember Clover said. The new corridor wasn't wide enough for three of them, at least not if they didn't want to bump into ancient furniture, so the stallion fell back to walk behind the griffin.
"Anyway, I think we should go to the bottom of the ruins. The ponies who built this place would put their most valuable treasures down there, as far away from the surface as possible," Ember Clover suggested.
"That makes sense," Rusty confirmed, having had the same thought herself. "Maybe that's what we'll do. Hike down, catalogue any interesting rooms, see what's at the bottom, then return slowly and check out what we marked, and that'll be it for this trip." She fell silent as they stepped into the large, echo-ey room and so did her companions. Perhaps, Rusty thought, they didn't have to call for help or publish their findings just yet.
It would depend on what Curio wanted to do, but maybe he would agree to the plan she was formulating. They could retreat to Ice Floe, rest for a bit, restock, and mount another expedition right away. For some reason she wanted to at least poke her nose into every single room in the ruin before letting other ponies come there. Maybe the academics would agree with her.
Before long the four ponies and one griffin were gathered in the now-familiar mess hall, where they were camped around a softly glowing unicorn-powered lamp. It wasn't quite as homey as a torch, Rusty thought, but it was more diffuse than the harsh glare the unicorns produced directly. Off to one side Winter Shine and Curio Trinket were going over some notes and quietly murmuring to each other while Rusty and Gustaf discussed the possible designs for traps they might see the next day. Ember Clover had looked undecided which group he would like to join, but in the end he went and sat himself on his sleeping bag near the griffin.
"This one says 'darts', but it's crossed out and 'empty' written next to it," Rusty explained. She had to compare the map with her own notes where she had the translations. She had memorized the few markings around the entrance, but not the whole thing.
"That's a relief, but we should still be careful," Gustaf said.
"Agreed. Then there's the usual, trap doors, secret passage, snake pit, yada yada yada, then here- 'falling blocks'. We really don't want to trip that one, or it might block off part of the city."
"You think there's only one way to get to that section?" Gustaf asked.
"Could be. If it was important enough for such a drastic trap."
"I see."
The mare traced the path they would take and memorized the turns and stairways. It went pretty deep, but still nowhere near to where they wanted to go. Curio Trinket had agreed with her that they should hasten to the bottom of the ruin. That's where the most interesting stuff would be hidden. "Okay, we'll take all our gear and we'll keep an eye out for a good place to camp. We'll keep going until we're tired. It doesn't matter if it's day or night down here, after all."
Her two friends seemed to agree and Rusty had no doubt Curio would be all too eager to delve into the mysteries of the place. Their course was decided and she leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. The rest of her companions fell silent and she listened to the deafening silence of the ruins. It must have been a lively and interesting place back when it was full of ponies, but now it felt like a grave.
For some it was literally a grave, she remembered. All those bones in the barracks.
"Huh?" Ember Clover suddenly grunted.
"What is it?"
"Say again? I didn't quite catch that."
"I said, 'what is it'."
The stallion shook his head. "No, before that."
Rusty had to think back, but she remembered the gist. "I said it doesn't matter if it's day or night down here."
Once again Ember Clover corrected: "Not that far back. Just now, you murmured something to me."
"I didn't."
He blinked at her in confusion, then poked at his ear with a hoof. "I was sure I heard you say something about ponies."
Surely he couldn't have read her thoughts, could he? Pegasi didn't read thoughts. Unicorns, maybe , although Rusty had never heard such a thing.
"I didn't hear anything," Gustaf pointed out. The three looked at one another, then the griffin pointed. "Maybe it was them and the echo made it sound like it came from Rusty Bones?"
The Professor and Winter Shine had their heads together and were whispering something. That had probably been it, Rusty thought, and relaxed once again. Ember Clover seemed to agree, but he drew a little nearer to Gustaf. "I don't mind telling you," the stallion muttered quietly, "this place gives me the creeps sometimes."
"Because of all the bodies?" Rusty guessed.
"No, it's not that. It's like- do you ever feel like somepony is watching you from the shadows?"
Despite her conscious effort Rusty's ears folded down at the thought. She hadn't thought about anything like that, but now she couldn't help it. "Well, I didn't use to !"
"Sorry."
She sighed. "It's fine. It's not a natural place for ponies. Us earth ponies like good, solid ground under our hooves and sun on our backs. I guess pegasi are similar with open skies?"
Ember Clover nodded emphatically. "Sure do. It feels weird having the ceiling this close."
"Yep," Gustaf agreed.
"Should we go out so you two can stretch your wings before we head deeper tomorrow? We're still pretty near the surface," the mare proposed.
The two looked at one another, then Ember shrugged. "I'm okay. You?"
"Same."
That would save them some time, but Rusty wouldn't have minded seeing the sky and the sun, or possibly the stars before descending into the depths. "Well, I guess we better get some sleep," she announced when she saw Curio and Winter Shine split apart and head for their respective sleeping bags. She was already sitting on hers so it was just a matter of lying down and wrapping herself up in cloth. Ember Clover did the same, but Gustaf had to unpack his still. As he was doing that the stallion grinned and patted the ground next to him.
"Here, I saved you a spot," he whispered. "In case it gets cold, we can, uh, share warmth, right?"
It was a stupid thing to say and they all knew it, but Rusty still grinned to herself where nopony could see. The excitement of discovery had distracted the pegasus for a bit, but now he was apparently back.
Gustaf shrugged and set his sleeping cot down a short distance away. "Uh, I'm fine over here. If you get cold I can loan you a blanket."
That made Ember Clover sit up, eyes gleaming in delight. "Would you?! I mean, if it's not too much trouble..."
The response was surprising enough that it made Gustaf pause, and he wordlessly held out the piece of cloth in his claw. Ember grabbed it before the griffin could change his mind and wrapped himself up in it.
"Uh... what just happened?" Gustaf whispered to Rusty Bones.
She didn't answer as Ember Clover heaved a comfortable sigh. "I like your cologne, Gustaf," he said. "Your blanket smells nice."
This just made the poor bird more confused. "B-But I'm not using cologne..."
He got a slightly suggestive wink from the pegasus. "I know."
That was too much and Rusty Bones chuckled a little. "Sorry. Sorry. It's just... cute. I didn't mean to laugh."
"Cute?!" poor Gustaf almost squawked. "Bah. I don't get paid enough for this," he grumbled and laid down so he was facing away. He tried to sound annoyed, but Rusty knew he didn't really mean it and obviously so did Ember Clover, because the stallion chuckled.
"Enough, you two. We really need to sleep. Ember, since you're still up, turn the lights off."
He did as instructed and the room was plunged into darkness. Rusty listened to the noises as the group settled down and pretty soon she heard their regular breathing.
"What?" Ember whispered a few minutes later.
"What is it?" Rusty asked.
"You said something."
"No I didn't."
There was silence, then Ember continued in a hesitant tone: "Uh, G-Gustaf?"
"No. I didn't hear anything."
"Me neither," Rusty confirmed.
Suddenly Rusty Bones was worried. Was her companion starting to hear things? Could he be losing touch with reality this quickly? "Ember, you feeling okay?"
"I just thought I heard something," the stallion explained, but that didn't exactly improve his case. Rusty decided she would keep a closer eye on him, just in case.
All was silence again, except for the soft breathing of ponies and griffin. The mare felt her eyes starting to close. Things would look better in the morning. Except they wouldn't. They were already in perpetual darkness and they were about to go deeper. This was a tomb, full of ancient corpses. Were there ghosts? Did she even believe in ghosts? Perhaps in a place like that a pony might start to believe in ghosts. She sighed and turned to her other side. Despite the nameless, lingering worry, they had had a busy day and the mare found herself drifting off. Her thoughts became unfocused and jumbled together as she drifted off. A quiet, gentle wind ruffled the fur on her muzzle and brought a smell of ancient dust. She smiled to herself. Soon the secrets of this place would be hers.
With that thought Rusty Bones fell asleep. The last thing she was aware of was a faint echo of a single drop of water, somewhere in the depths below them. Probably an aqueduct or a well, she thought to herself.
Chapter 8
There was no waking up that night, at least not as far as Rusty Bones could remember. Perhaps it was just sheer exhaustion after the previous couple days' effort, or she was growing more familiar with this dark and quiet place. She remembered some vague, undefined dreams which felt like they should be disturbing, though. It was odd because she didn't recall any particular themes or images, just feelings of being trapped and watched from the dark. It probably made sense given the ruin they were exploring. Trapped would be a good description and all the dead ponies they had found would account for the watched. Odd how dead, empty eye sockets still had this vague, indefinable alertness around them.
The quick cup of morning tea dispelled those thoughts, but brought up different, completely equine problems. "Drat, it's going to be a long walk to the surface, isn't it?" she mused to herself.
Gustaf, who had risen shortly after her and was munching on his strips of dried meat looked up. "Huh?"
"When we have to go potty. Already it's a long walk, but I don't know how we'll manage when we go deeper."
It wasn't a problem anypony gave much thought to. Weird how all the reports and stories of exploration never mentioned it. The bird didn't seem perturbed, though. "It's gonna be fine."
Before Rusty could answer a sleepy voice replied: "No, yer flank is fine."
The two stared at each other and blinked a few times in confusion, before they realized it had come from Ember Clover. Then the mare started giggling and the griffin buried his beak in his mug to try and hide the red in his face.
Moments later Ember stretched all four limbs and yawned. "Mornin'," he said, as if nothing had happened. "Uh, what's wrong with Miss Bones?"
All she could do in reply was shake her head as she tried to keep full-blown guffaws inside. Even the giggles were causing some unpleasant echoes, she didn't want to hear what the ruins would twist laughter into.
"What?!" the poor, confused stallion asked.
Luckily Gustaf came to her rescue: "Don't you remember what you just said?"
"Did I say anything? Uh, I sometimes talk in my sleep. What did I say?"
Gustaf relaxed. Knowing that Ember's comment hadn't been intentional made it less mortifying, though it did raise some implications the old warrior just wasn't ready to think about. That could wait until their expedition was done. With luck, it would also wait until he had escorted the group back to the town, as per his contract, and then it could keep on waiting as he made his escape.
"It's not important. Just something random," Gustaf said.
Although that didn't completely satisfy Ember's curiosity, it was enough and the stallion stood up. "Well, time to walk up to the surface. Wanna go with, Gustaf?"
Rusty jumped into the conversation: "Actually, we were just talking about that. It's going to be a problem as we go deeper."
"Huh," Ember said, "you're right. What are we gonna do."
"I believe Gustaf has an answer. Curio. Winter Shine. Get here, briefing."
The other two ponies wandered closer and sat on their haunches in an almost perfect imitation of each other. Rusty motioned for the griffin to speak.
"We were discussing our, well, 'toilet arrangements'. Going to the surface won't be viable if we keep going deeper, but there's a simple solution."
They all waited for it and four sets of eyes and ears focused on the griffin.
"The old ponies, who built this place, they probably had the same problem, right? I don't imagine everypony in a city this big went outside for their, well, business."
Rusty Bones nearly facehooved. "That's right ! Why didn't I think of that? They must have facilities. Even if they're ruined, some kind of a sewer or something probably still exists."
Curio raised a hoof and waited to speak until Rusty nodded at him. "We might want to reconsider that. We got more information out of their garbage than their libraries for some ancient cultures."
"The way I see it, it's either using their sewers, going in bags, or maybe you have some magical way to solve this. Can you teleport us to the surface each time we need to go?" Rusty pointed out.
Curio shook his head. "Maybe a powerful unicorn could have, like Princess Sparkle before she became an alicorn. Or now, any alicorn obviously, but not me or Winter Shine."
"Any other idea?"
Winter Shine raised a hoof next, but she didn't wait for a signal before talking: "I have one," she said. "What if we burn it? It obviously won't work for the- uh, the- you know... 'liquid kind', but a magical fire spell isn't that difficult and-"
Her professor smoothly jumped into her word as he picked up on the idea: "That's right! We find a nice bit of empty floor, then- well, like Winter said. Burn it to ash, problem solved. Magical solution, like you wanted."
"And when we have to pee?" Rusty asked.
"That would probably be alright in the sewers. It'll evaporate. At worst there'll be a smell, but we'll deal with that when we come back for a full study. Then we'll have more ponies and we can bring those portable, you know... what are they called?"
"Portable potties," Winter Shine finished.
"Okay," Rusty Bones concluded, "it doesn't sound pleasant, but we gotta do what we gotta do. We're not eating a ton so it won't be too big of a problem."
That settled the discussion Rusty had never expected to have in her life and they split up to pack their things. It was a day for exploring deeper into the ruins. For some reason, talking about such mundane pony things also seemed to lift the oppressive presence she half-remembered from her vague dreams. Remembering that they were alive, with all the problems and inconveniences that brought also served to remind her that these ruins were abandoned. There was nothing in them which could hurt them, other than traps, obviously. Rusty knew traps, so that wasn't a worry.
She took out her map and studied it. "We'll set out in five. First order of business, we're going back up top and melting plenty of water. Six of these bags per pony, that'll last us five to eight days." She saw Winter Shine open her mouth, but forestalled her: "I know it's a bit of weight, but we have less food by now. If we find pure water down there you can pour it out."
There were no further complaints, or even attempts after that, so Rusty nodded to herself in satisfaction and went on. "After that, we'll be going past the kitchen there, through these storage rooms and down this passage. It takes us out of the way of any traps."
"Why would they need traps this far inside?" Gustaf asked. "I kind of understand them at the entrance, but wouldn't they just cause problems?"
It was a valid question and not one Rusty had contemplated herself before. After all, ancient ruins went hoof-in-hoof with traps, didn't they? "Hmm," she murmured as she looked at the map with fresh eyes. Looking specifically at the traps their predecessors had marked revealed a new picture. "That's a very good point. Looks like the traps are set only in these corridors leading to and from the barracks and armory, if you don't count that cluster over there."
Gustaf nodded sagely. "Ah, that would explain it. They probably intended that to be a fortified position in case their front door was breached. What is the other place?"
"Throne room and treasury."
The bird grinned and cracked his knuckles. "Also easy to explain. Good ol' paranoia. Who cares if the invaders kill common ponies, just so long as the royals and their loot are protected."
It was a cynical way to think, but Rusty Bones suspected her griffin friend was right. It also made her job a little easier. "Okay, let's go down the side tunnels then, through what looks like some kind of a bazaar. Then through these living quarters and- workshops, I guess?"
"But-" Curio started and she cut him off smoothly.
"We'll visit the throne room on our way back. I want to see it too, but I'm worried we'll spend too much time and I am more curious about this." She jabbed a hoof at a spot in the map. "Looks like the map isn't finished in that bit, so it must be something really exciting or scary."
Winter Shine pointed out: "Or, like we said in Ice Floe, they spent most of the time near the entrance so they explored that bit more thoroughly."
"Also possible, but I would have expected at least the basic shapes of tunnels to be drawn. These just... stop."
"Probably a big find," Curio Trinket said. "They were drawing the map as they went along, which is a good idea so they didn't get lost. Maybe the map pony was in the middle of drawing that last corridor and one of the others came back with exciting news and they all went to see, and forgot to finish the map."
It was as good an explanation as any, Rusty guessed. She worried slightly that the group might have been surprised by something nasty instead, and driven out of the ruins. They would have to be careful. She couldn't imagine what might have happened, especially with how long the ruin had been abandoned. Maybe some kind of wild animals had made their home down there. If so, what kind of a beast lives in a dark labyrinth? The mare shook her head. They had two unicorns and a griffin, not to mention her experience. They were going down there pre-warned that something might not be right. They would deal with it. Worst case, they would have to hoof it out of the place and return with reinforcements.
"Okay, let's go," she announced and rose to her hooves.
Nopony talked much, at least not after the first few minutes. The corridors in this part of the labyrinth were narrower, which lower ceilings, which added to the feeling of claustrophobia. Ember was feeling it particularly hard, but the stallion denied any discomfort. She could see how his ears were flattened and his tail tucked between his legs when he thought nopony was looking, though. Rusty didn't begrudge the stallion the way he kept close to Gustaf and apparently neither did the griffin himself. Down there the place really began to branch out and every few dozen steps they would come to a new intersection. She led them in the right direction with the map, but after the second turn Curio had stopped her. The stallion had picked up a stone in his magic and scratched a groove on the stone floor, a rough arrow pointing the way they came. Then he had gone to do the same at the previous intersection. That way, he had explained, if they were lost they just had to look out for the markings. In a pinch, they would be able to feel the direction even in darkness. It was a good idea and Rusty dutifully stopped at every split to let the pony mark their way. Especially if they had to retreat in a hurry there might not be time to read the map.
After that they proceeded smoothly, down abandoned tunnels and crumbling stairways. There was more rotten furniture and an occasional skeleton, sprawled on the ground. Some of the finer bones had turned to dust, but the remains were still recognizable. Some times the bodies wore bits of old clothing, but it was tattered and fell apart at a breath of air.
"All earth ponies, which confirms our hypothesis," Curio noted.
"Yep." Rusty kept track and so far the majority of the dead ponies had been facing inward. That meant whatever had killed them came from that direction. Perhaps there had been a rebellion or something, and it had started in the heart of the city? It would be more plausible than invaders making it inside, especially after having seen the armory and barracks.
They stopped where the tunnel suddenly spread out in all directions. According to the map, they were at the bazaar and the large cavern seemed to confirm it. There were occasional columns with brackets for lamps or torches, and Rusty saw some ruined wooden structures in the circle of their lights. Merchant stands, she guessed. Off to one side there were more stone tables, hewn out of the rock. Some were cracked, but most of them were still solid. It was as good a place as any to have their late lunch. Once again they had to stand, since the wooden seats had either fallen apart or tended to crumble as soon as they touched them. It shouldn't have been possible, but the silence in that place was even more oppressive than in the caverns above. Any tiny little sound they made echoed from the vast cavern, so nopony spoke much and they tried not to tap their bowls against the stone.
"Can you imagine this place full of ponies?" Winter Shine whispered.
They all looked around. If they ignored the decay and ruin, the place could have been any open market in Equestria, except for the darkness. Not even on the blackest of nights could match the almost palpable gloom in the ruin.
Ember Clover shuddered and briefly pressed his side against Gustaf. "I'm not sure I want to," he replied, just as quietly, "if I try, I start thinking of all those corpses we've seen. I think I'm half-expecting them to start shambling around."
"Eugh!" Winter Shine hissed. "Don't say that! It gives me the creeps!"
It made Rusty's skin crawl as well and she looked around to convince herself it was just fanciful talking. Dead bodies did not walk around. "It must have looked a lot different back then. You've seen all those brackets and lamps. This place must have been well-lit."
"Yeah," Ember agreed. "I still can't imagine living here, though. Maybe you have to be an earth pony to like it?"
Rusty Bones shook her head. She was one, and she liked exploring old ruins, many of which were underground, but she couldn't imagine living in a place like that. "No, not really. These were very strange ponies. I wonder what made them build this place and leave the surface."
The Professor sighed wistfully. "If only we found a library. Tartarus, even a second-hoof book shop would do. I bet we'd find answers."
"We'll keep a look out. Actually, we've made good time so we can take the rest of today to explore this bazaar. We'll sleep on the other end, where the tunnel to living quarters branches off."
The suggestion was uniformly liked and everypony nodded happily at the chance to do a bit more exploring. Curio was right, if they could find the reason why this civilization came to be that would be an amazing find for their first excursion.
She began packing away her bowl and stove, but paused. "Ember, you haven't been cooking. Give me one of your stove cartridges, I'm running low- well, not exactly, but since I'm using my stove the most, I'd like to stay stocked on fuel."
The stallion didn't object and searched his pack for the item. He got out the cylinder and wordlessly held it out to Rusty.
"How about you Gustaf? The Professor still has two full ones, I think."
She was right and Curio nodded at her assessment, but the griffin shrugged. "I've got plenty left. I'll tell you when I'm done with this one and we can rebalance so you don't have to carry around full stove cartridges."
Rusty Bones began to pack her stove back, along with the extra fuel, but froze as she caught something from the edge of her eye. "What was that?"
It took her precious seconds to grab one of the unicorn-powered lamps from the table and swing it around to the tunnel entrance. Was that the one they had come through? Was something following them? Something silent?
In an instant Gustaf was by her side. "What did you see?"
"A shape, just from the corner of my eye. I think it was a quadruped."
"Pony?"
"No, too silent for that. Maybe a beast on paws?"
The rest of the group looked at one another, then Winter Shine volunteered: "A-Actually, I've been seeing it too."
Her news was so unexpected that Rusty forgot to look for the creature and twirled around to shine the light back at the mare. "You have? What did you see?"
Winter gulped and her ears splayed, but she plunged on: "Just like you, I t-think. Out of a corner of my eye, like a shadow. I thought it was some kind of a large cat or something."
"That would explain how it can be quiet," Gustaf muttered.
"Any theories?" Rusty asked.
Surprisingly the Professor piped up before the griffin could say anything: "Is it possible it's just a wild animal, attracted to our food? I haven't seen anything, how about you Ember?"
The pegasus, wide eyed and trembling in fear, shook his head.
"See?" Curio went on. "Probably just some beast that lives in the Frozen North and it wants the crumbs we leave behind."
"W-W-What- what if it- it eats p-p-ponies?" Winter Shine asked, her voice starting to stutter in fear.
"No, I don't think so."
The mare didn't reply, but she cast an imploring look at Rusty Bones. She wanted to be reassured.
"If it wanted to eat us, it would have attacked by now. The fact we've hardly seen it tells me it's scared of us," Rusty went on.
In some ways, having others confirm her vague sightings was a relief for Rusty Bones. She had been worried that the apparition was just in her mind, an early sign of some madness brought on by the spooky ruin.
"That's it, from now on we have a guard when we sleep. We'll take shifts," their griffin guard commanded.
"Agreed," Rusty said before anypony could object. "We'll set the order before we sleep each night. It's probably nothing, but it won't hurt to be sure. Also, make sure you don't leave any food behind, maybe it will go away."
It was a plan and the tough explorer sounded as if she knew what she was talking about, which reassured her party. Even Winter Shine relaxed after a bit, but she made extra sure not to leave a single crumb on the stone table.
"Okay, while you're exploring this- this-" Gustaf began, but looked a question at Rusty.
"Bazaar."
"Yes, bazaar. While you're searching through here, please stay together. I'll take a walk around the nearby tunnels and see if I can spot anything."
"You'll get lost."
"Loan me your map then."
Rusty was a bit unwilling to part with her precious parchment, but they still had Curio's one, even if something happened to hers. Besides, hers was just a copy and the Professor had the original. "Very well. Don't lose it."
"More importantly, Ember Clover whispered, "don't get lost yourself. We'd miss you." He gave the griffin a suggestive wink, which told Rusty that the stallion was over his fear, at least.
She interrupted the flirting: "Good. We explore the bazaar together, meet back here at this table in, say, three hours."
They all nodded, but then Winter Shine suddenly pointed out: "How come he is allowed to wander around alone? You said we always go in pairs!"
That was true, but Rusty had guessed Gustaf's intentions. "I'm making an exception. First, Gustaf can take care of himself and he won't get distracted and fall into a hole. Secondly, he is planning to sneak, probably in darkness-"
She looked at the griffin for confirmation and he nodded.
"He has a chance of sneaking up on anything that's following us, but it won't work with hooves. I'm sorry, but us ponies just aren't particularly sneaky. Any more questions?"
There were none and Gustaf slunk away, already prowling and completely silent. Ember Clover watched him go with considerable admiration.
"Okay, let's head this way and circle the central marketplace first, then we'll go see the side caves. I guess those were the more prominent, permanent shops. If there's anything left to find, it'll be in those, but I want to be thorough."
"Agreed," Curio Trinket said and they headed off in the opposite direction.
Chapter 9
"Anything?" Ember Clover asked from the opposite side of the room. He and Rusty Bones were going through what looked like a general store, although it was hard to tell. Some crockery and cutlery was vaguely recognizable, but most of the shelves' contents had decayed away a long time ago. The furniture itself had collapsed into piles of rubble in most places and touching anything was liable to bring it down more often than not.
"Broken plates, you?" Rusty called back.
The stallion sighed. "I guess... belts or straps of some kind? Cloth maybe, all I got are buckles and dust. Copper, I think. Oh, and another body."
Rusty wondered for a moment what it said about them that they had gotten so used to seeing those sad, old piles of bones everywhere that they hardly commented on then anymore. They were sure not to disturb the remains, partly because it would be disrespectful, partly because it was macabre and nopony really wanted to touch old bones, and partly because their positions might reveal clues about their deaths for the next expedition. There were a number of bodies in the streets, so many that they had blended together where they didn't have some distinguishing feature. Like the one still strapped into a harness of a pony-drawn cart. Well, the ribcage had been the only thing still in the crumbling leather straps, the rest of the pony was strewn around. She also remembered a pair of guards, their skeletons jumbled together, but their bronze helmets, what was left of them, touching muzzles. Perhaps it was the romantic in her, but she thought one of them had subtler, female shapes and the other was more robust, male version. Two lovers in the guard, at least they died together, the mare thought to herself. Tragic, but perhaps a touch less than most of the others.
"Those plates, anything interesting?" Ember Clover's voice intruded in her little daydream.
Rusty didn't bother replying and went over to the next piece of furniture which wasn't completely ruined. It looked like a shoulder-height table with drawers. She took a deep breath and gently pulled one open with the edge of a hoof. To her surprise it didn't immediately collapse in a crash of noise and dust and she was able to look inside. There were gold discs and something larger, heavily corroded. She stared at the object and tried to puzzle it out before reaching in and potentially breaking it. The thing looked to be in three pieces, a stalk with a heavy base and two round dishes with holes around the edge.
"Oh!" she said, suddenly understanding. "Scales! This was the money drawer. It's still got coins."
"Let me see, let me see!" Ember gushed and hurried over. He accidentally bumped into a set of shelves with his rump and sent them crashing down as one side gave way. They both winced at the cacophony.
"Sorry," the stallion whispered when it was over.
"It's fine, come over."
He made it without further mishap and rummaged in his bag for a camera. "Let me take a photo before we disturb anything."
Rusty obediently stepped away and closed her eyes to protect her night vision from the bright flash. The camera clicked and she dared look. Too soon, because Ember apparently wanted more pictures. Snap ! The whole world went white for a moment and Rusty's eyes teared up. She blinked to get rid of the afterimage. "Ow, darn it!"
"Sorry!" Ember said again, but she waved a hoof even as she wiped at her face with a fetlock.
"Not your fault. I should have been looking away until you were done. Gah, I can't see a thing!" Her vision would clear up in a few moments, but until then she was useless. "Can you collect the coins and the scale? I'll go out to grab some air, it's stuffy in here."
Whatever system those ancient ponies had built for air circulation was probably damaged. So far they hadn't had trouble breathing, but the air was decidedly stale in places and often there was a smell of ancient mould. Quite possibly nothing had disturbed the ruin since it was abandoned, or at least since the last expedition. Ember Clover bent over the drawer and reached in expertly with a feather. It was actually a clever idea to pick out coins one by one that gently and hopefully keep the drawer from caving in. She left him to it and made her wobbly way outside mostly by memory. She sat on her haunches in what passed for a street and blinked her eyes a few more times. The shadows seemed to dance around her and she kept thinking she saw shapes in the gloom. It was still just the flash, though, and Rusty looked down at her hooves. Her shadow spread before her and the light of their magical lantern spilled around her from the door. Even that seemed to be moving, as if she was watching a puppet play.
Rusty looked at the dancing shape, entranced, but approaching hoofsteps made her glance up. It sounded like a fast canter, and it was only one pony. She almost growled under her breath. Always in pairs she had told them! Whoever this was would get the sharp side of her tongue, even if it was the venerable professor! A point of light flickered above the approaching shape.
"Miss Bones! Miss Bones! Come quick!" Winter Shine gasped out when she saw the shape in the door frame. "You gotta help! It's Professor Curio!" The light winked out and plunged the two mares into near darkness.
Something had happened! Rusty's blood instantly ran cold and for a terrible instant she was unable to move. She had led them down there and now he was hurt, or worse! It took an effort but the mare forced that thought out of her mind. She didn't even know what had happened yet! For all she knew the Professor and Winter Shine might simply have run out of tea. "Slow down. Tell me what happened!"
She was about to yell for Ember to come out, but the stallion had heard and was already beside her, the lantern in his mouth. "Waff if if?" he asked.
"I don't know what's wrong with him! We found the library, and- and there was this mosaic," Winter Shine said, her sides heaving with the effort to keep her breath steady. In another minute she would pass out from lack of oxygen.
She must have run the entire way, Rusty guessed. The mare had never been all that athletic to begin with. She stood up and put both hooves on Winter Shine's shoulders. "Relax. Slow down. Breathe," she ordered.
It worked and the unicorn closed her eyes and took a deep lungful. That helped and she was able to go on: "H-He said he wanted to see it from up above, so he went up to the balcony. Then- then-" Winter Shine closed her eyes and shook her head. "He was up there for a long time and then his magical light went out! W-When I looked, he was staring down over the fence, but he wasn't answering me! I didn't dare go up! I'm sorry! I didn't know what to do so I came to find you!"
The story sounded strange, but Rusty didn't have time to analyze it. If the Professor had passed out or something he might fall. It sounded like he was somewhere high and precarious. "Okay, let's go. Lead the way!"
Winter Shine gave a gasp of relief and twirled on her hooves. Her hoofsteps faltered as her weary muscles betrayed her, but she stumbled off and the other two followed. It wouldn't be a very fast run, but yelling at the poor mare to go faster wouldn't accomplish anything.
"You're doing fine," she told Winter. "One hoof in front of the other. Don't run yourself into the ground. As soon as we see the building point it out to us, okay?"
Luckily it wasn't too far and the three soon found themselves on a kind of plaza. There was a dried out fountain, looking dark and forlorn in their feeble light, and two statues of ponies on either side of the stairs. A faint light was coming from inside and it was enough to see her way, so Rusty could leave the lantern with the two students. A glint of metal caught Rusty's eye and she saw a broken spear tip in the fountain. On second glance, she could see more bits of blackened armor and a white-yellow of old bones. Perhaps a guard had drowned in the panic, or maybe a corps had fallen in the fountain.
"Up- up in there!" Winter Shine gasped. It looked as if she would collapse any minute so Rusty made a judgement call.
"Ember, help her up. I'm going on ahead to see what's going on!"
The stallion gave her a nod and said: "I got it. Be careful!" Then he went and stood next to Winter Shine so she could lean on him for support. "Come on, I'll give you a bit of water and then we'll walk up those stairs, right?"
The mare was still concentrating on drawing breath in great, sucking lungfuls, but she managed a nod. Her ears were still completely flat. Rusty knew she was in good hooves so she forgot the two students for the moment and ran up the stone steps into the library. It looked like a grand building, all in white marble. Well, at least originally it had been white marble, now it was yellowed in places and covered with moss. For some reason it reminded her of a partially-decayed corpse. Rusty pushed that image aside and galloped through the doors, which were wide open and barely hanging on their hinges. A breath would tear them down, it looked like.
Inside was a big, circular floor with some kind of a mosaic, which she couldn't make out from her angle. She saw why Curio had wanted a higher vantage point. A unicorn-powered lamp was sitting in the middle, providing enough light for her to see. Rusty hurried to it and picked it up in her mouth so she could swing it around and look for the Professor. She scanned the hall above her and quickly saw what Winter Shine had been talking about. The main part of the library was on the floors above, on balconies built around a central shaft. There were spiral iron staircases, once beautifully designed to look like tree vines and leaves, but now heavily rusted. The steps had once been wooden, but had decayed away and left gaping holes. That was probably why Winter hadn't been ready to go up there either. A pony could climb those if they stepped on the iron bits only, but it would be scary and dangerous.
Rusty almost cursed under her breath at the foolhardy Professor. He should never have attempted this without all of them present, especially a pegasus and a griffin who could catch him if the iron gave way. She shone her lamp around the first floor of the balconies and quickly spotted the Professor. He was staring down and his eyes were wide open and nearly completely black. For an instant Rusty thought he was possessed by some evil force, but then she realized his pupils were completely dilated. Could it be shock? What did he see in the mosaic?!
"Professor?" she called up to him. "Curio? Curio Trinket! Hey!"
He didn't so much as stir. He kept staring down at the floor, his ears upright and alert, but unmoving. From this distance Rusty couldn't even be sure he was still breathing, although him standing up was a good sign for that.
"Darn it, I'm gonna have to go up there, won't I?"
She heard the other two as their slow, careful hoofsteps rang on the marble floor. Ember Clover had a wing around Winter Shine and was leading her inside, and the mare was looking at the ground and focusing on her breathing.
"Wow. This place must have been something back in the day. Look at that chandelier!" the stallion commented.
Rusty swung her light around and saw what he was talking about. There was a mass of iron and gold in the middle of the hall, with what looked like clear, teardrop gems scattered around. There were cups for candles and she wondered how they were changed and lit, especially with a city full of earth ponies. It didn't matter, not until they got Curio down safely. To her relief there was a chest-high railing around the balcony so the unicorn probably couldn't step off, but his silent staring was beginning to unnerve her.
"I don't trust those stairs. Can you fly up there and bring him down, Ember?"
The stallion stepped away from Winter Shine and flexed his wings. "I can," he said and crouched down to spring into the air.
"Don't just grab him, okay? He looks out of it, he might jump in fright. Be ready."
"Got it!" Ember Clover murmured and jumped. He flew up to the balcony with swift, sure wing strokes and stopped to hover in front of the professor. He waved a hoof in the older stallion's face. "Professor? Hello?"
There was still no response, so Ember edged closer and laid a careful hoof on his professor's shoulder. That got a reaction and the unicorn jerked. "Huh?! Who's- oh, it's you, Ember Clover. Where did the light go?"
They all stared in shock as the professor recast his ball of light and looked around. "Can you get out of my way, I'm trying to get a look at that mosaic down on the floor."
"No. Bring him down right away," Rusty commanded.
Ember Spread his hooves in apology. "Sorry Professor, Miss Rusty's orders. We'll look at the mosaic later." Before the befuddled stallion could protest, Ember swooped in and gripped him around the barrel. He held him securely in his forehooves and quickly glided down to the ground floor. He tried to put Curio down gently, but the unicorn was so shocked by the sudden action that his hind legs folded down beneath him and he sat.
"What in blazes was that all about? You two just swoop in here and pluck me from the balcony, why?"
Winter Shine hurried over to give her professor an urgent nuzzle. "You didn't answer me for ages, Professor! I'm sorry, but I had to fetch Miss Bones and Ember!"
"What?! What do you mean 'ages'? I hardly got up to that railing when Ember blocked my view and made me fizzle my light! You never even left!"
They all looked at one another in confusion and Rusty came right up to the stallion to peer in his eyes. His pupils were down to normal size now. Could he not remember from whatever state he was in? "Sir, tell me exactly what happened, okay?" she ordered, but respectfully.
Curio looked a little shaken and confused by what they were saying. He leaned his head to one side as if he thought they were simple, but then he rolled his eyes and spoke: "Okay, I might as well humor you, but then you'll explain what has happened."
"Deal."
He took a breath and pointed a hoof at the floor. "Me and Winter Shine had found this library, say, about five minutes ago. I was about to cast my paper-preserving spell, but I noticed this mosaic. I couldn't make it out from here, so I decided to climb up to the first level to get a better look."
The others glanced at each other and Ember Clover mouthed: "Five minutes?" at Winter Shine, who shook her head, wide-eyed with fear. The Professor didn't seem to notice the exchange and went on: "Anyway, up there would also be a lot better vantage point for my spell, so I could be sure it reached every nook and cranny. I'd have to recast it from every level up anyway, but this way you three could start looking at the books on the ground floor."
The stallion shrugged. "Anyway, I carefully climbed those iron stairs. They're quite sturdy, but you have to watch where you put your hooves. The wood is completely rotten. I got up on the first level and walked over to the balcony, and that's when Ember Clover swooped in front of me and grabbed my shoulder."
"That's so weird!" Winter Shine whined a little. She could not have made her ears flatter even if she tried to iron them down.
Curio looked at her in confusion. "Why? What do you think happened?"
The mare glanced at Rusty Bones, who nodded in confirmation, then told her story: "Professor, you went up there about- about an hour ago! I started looking around the librarian's desk, but then I noticed you were gone for a while. I called up to you, but you didn't answer You had that strange look in your eye!"
"An hour?!" Curio explained. "Surely you must be mistaken!"
Winter Shine shook her head. "No, professor! I called for at least ten minutes, but- but I didn't dare come up after you, I'm sorry. Then I went to look for Miss Bones! The time until I found them, and then before we could get back here, it was nearly an hour, surely!"
"We've spent over fifteen minutes just getting back, Professor," Rusty Bones confirmed. He opened his mouth to object, but she overruled him and went on: "I myself spent a good minute or two calling to you! Then Ember came in and I told him to go up and fetch you."
Maybe it was a good thing that Curio was already sitting, because he looked ready to collapse from shock. "An hour? Surely not! Why don't I remember any of this?"
Rusty thought for a plausible explanation, but quickly gave up. "I don't know? Is this something that happens to ponies? Your pupils were dilated and you weren't moving. Your light spell had gone out. Have you ever heard of anything like that happening to a pony?"
Once again the stallion shook his head. "I've never heard of anything like this."
Rusty looked down at the colorful little bits of stone on which they were standing. "Is it possible the mosaic is some kind of hypnotising pattern? Maybe it only works on unicorns? Like a unicorn trap?"
Curio was about to shake his head, but froze. "M-Maybe? I haven't heard of the sort, but with how old this ruin is, I can't be sure. Hmm..." An idea was brewing up and Rusty wasn't sure she was going to like it. The Professor looked at his pegasus student. "Ember, can you fly up and look at it from above? If it affects you the same way, Winter and myself will catch you with telekinesis and lower you down."
The stallion flattened his ears, but then he nodded. "I'll do it."
"Is this a good idea?" Rusty asked.
"I guess we should know if the pattern has effect on ponies. So we know not to look down when we're exploring the upper sections."
It still felt like a dumb idea, but Rusty found herself curious. She turned back to the Professor. "You're sure you can catch him?"
"We'll both stand ready, right Winter Shine?"
The mare was still shaken from the strangeness of the whole ordeal, but she pulled herself together and gave a nod. "Yes, Professor."
Ember backed away from the group and spread his wings. "Here I go," he announced and flapped into the air.
They all watched him carefully as he gained altitude. His gaze was set firmly on the far wall until he was level with the first floor balcony. "Ready?" he called out.
"Ready!" Both Curio and Winter Shine chorused. Their horns lit up and they prepared to snatch a falling pegasus.
Ember turned his head down and stared at the mosaic. They all held their breath, but a moment later the pegasus called down: "I don't feel anything. It looks like- Miss Bones, can you move to one side and shine the light behind you?" She did so and the pegasus began to descend. "Yeah, it's an eclipse. Black center and the corona. I see it clearly. It's nothing special. It's not messing with my head." In a few more seconds he landed with four gentle clicks of his hooves. "I don't know what to tell you."
They all thought about it, then Curio heaved a sigh. "Only one thing left to try. Take me up again and I'll look at the mosaic one more time. If I- what did you call it? Zone out, we'll know it affects unicorns."
"Maybe it also affects earth ponies?" Rusty suggested.
"Unlikely," the Professor said. "If it did, they'd have catatonic ponies each time they went into the library. I don't think they'd do that to themselves."
"Good point. Okay, Ember, you up to carrying Professor Curio again?"
The stallion gave a nod. "Yeah, easy! Um, come here, let me-" It looked more awkward than before, but Ember Clover grabbed Curio from behind and firmly locked his forelegs around his barrel. "Ready?" he asked and at a murmur from the older stallion he kicked off. This time his rise was slower and his wings had to work harder. The wind blew down into Rusty Bones' face and swirled bits of dust around them.
Curio kept looking down and studying the mosaic as it came into view. His eyes moved here and there as he scanned the picture, then he said: "Ember was right. It's an eclipse. I feel quite normal. We can land now."
The pair descended and Ember lowered his Professor gently on the floor, even if he had to whip his wings in a near frenzy to ensure a smooth landing. When he alighted down beside them, he was breathing heavily, but didn't seem otherwise distressed.
"Weird. So what happened to you up there, Professor?" Rusty asked.
The stallion shrugged. "I really can't tell. I don't remember anything. If you're right and an hour has passed-"
He didn't finish that sentence because Rusty had an idea. "Did you look at the clock at any time before?"
Curio Trinket brightened up. "Excellent thinking," he said. "Let's see, I checked my pocket watch outside on the steps, that can't have been more than about ten minutes before I went up the ladder. It took me about five to climb it, and I went straight to the edge. If my reckoning is correct, it should be just after five twenty in the afternoon." He pulled the watch out of his saddle bag and inspected it. His ears fell. "S-six thirty..."
His gaze swept across all of them. "I don't know what to tell you."
Rusty bones was just as uneasy. "Okay, maybe this place is getting to us. We've worked hard the past couple of days and I, for one, haven't been sleeping all that well. We keep to the rules: always at least two of us together. Nopony goes alone into unexplored tunnels or rooms."
They all nodded.
"Good. Let's head back, we're due to meet Gustaf in twenty minutes. We'll come back here so you can cast the preserving spell on the books, Professor, but I suggest we move on. We still want to find out what's at the bottom?"
This time the nods they gave were less sure, except for Curio, but they were still in agreement. "How much f-further?" Winter Shine asked.
"It's another ten floors down, if I'm counting the stairs correctly. About one more day. We should be there tomorrow evening, then we can return through the throne room."
"Agreed. We've found plenty of interest and with my spells on the library it should hold out for at least a month or two, plenty of time to get a proper expedition from Canterlot over here. Then we can start with the real work. I'll pick out a few likely books I can find quickly on the lowest level, then we can go."
A day ago Rusty would have been annoyed at the thought of other ponies tramping all over what she thought of as 'her discovery', but after the strange couple of days, she found herself looking forward to getting out of this ruin and seeing the sun once more. Another thing bothered her, but she didn't say it out loud yet. She wanted to think on it some more. Why was the mosaic on the library floor an image of an eclipse? There was something familiar about that, but she couldn't quite get her thoughts to line up. It felt like something she had heard, or read.
Chapter 10
The group which sat down for dinner was worried and subdued. After Gustaf had returned Rusty relayed the events to him in short, clipped words, then excused herself to her cot. She was about ready for the weirdness of the day to end. Her companions followed suit and pretty soon all was quiet. Only one, faint lamp shone to give a modicum of light. It felt like a tomb, and not just because of the fallen civilization and the dead ponies around them. Rusty was glad of the tiny glow, but on the other hoof it made the darkness that much more... visible . She couldn't sleep, so she lay there in the gloom, watched the ceiling, and listened. After some time, she thought, the sheer silence would be maddening, so the mare focused on the soft breathing of her pony friends, or the quiet, raspy snore of their guard. Knowing that Gustaf - good, unshakable Gustaf - was there with them did help. He would not fall to these strange fancies. The griffin had no imagination whatsoever, which was perhaps his greatest asset in a place like this.
"Gustaf?" she whispered, as low as she could so as not to wake the others.
"Yes?"
"I forgot to ask, did you find anything?"
He was silent for a bit and when Rusty turned her head she saw the glimmer of his amber eyes. "I would have told you if I had. There was nothing. No creature, no tracks, no smell."
"I thought as much. What if-"
After she failed to continue the bird gave a grunt and lifted himself on his elbows. "What if, what?"
"What if it's just in our minds? Are we going crazy?"
There was no reply, but that was because Gustaf was thinking about how to put it. "If you were, you wouldn't be worrying about it."
"Maybe you're right."
"It's just a dark place. We'll see what's down there tomorrow evening, then we'll go out. Next time you're here, it will be with a bunch of pony archaeologists and historians. It'll feel completely different."
Rusty Bones thought she understood. The ruins felt dark and brooding and empty because they were vast and the ponies were small. There were secrets hidden in the darkness, some of them undoubtedly terrible. Even the best pony civilizations had some darkness, usually expressed by mad, deranged villains. Case in point: Sombra and the Crystal Empire.
"Let's be quiet now, I don't want to wake the others."
She saw Gustaf give her a nod in the dim light. "You're the boss."
His matter-of-fact-ness, and down-to-earth-ness was refreshing after her worries about the Professor. He claimed he didn't know what had happened to him, or why he had frozen like that in the library, but Rusty had caught the old unicorn staring off into the distance, as if entranced. Sometimes she had to poke him with a hoof to get his attention. Even Winter Shine, who never went far from her beloved teacher was starting to notice. The mare was becoming skittish and easily frightened. Maybe they really were just tired and weirded out by the strange place. She listened to the slow, steady drip, drip, drip of water as Rusty Bones drifted off. Something vague, and terrible and secret was waiting for them. Something was waiting where the water dripped.
That was the final thought before sleep, the one Rusty didn't remember. It led to more uneasy dreams, of lying in a grave while rain pattered on her coffin. Of the earth closing around them, and of a seductive, warm presence. In the chill of the earth, there was another body next to hers, warm and inviting. It promised to make all the bad feelings go away.
Rusty nuzzled up to it and fell into a dreamless slumber.
The next day brought more of the same. Empty corridors, ruined furniture, ancient bones, abandoned houses. Well, not exactly houses. The group had passed through the living quarters of the underground city and the homes were little more than small caves, hewn into solid rock. Most of them were empty, thank Celestia, at least of bodies. Rotten tables, cupboards and beds had been left behind and in a few places Curio found documents- letters, forms, even a few books. These he packed into his saddlebags and took with him, of course after carefully wrapping them in his special preserving spell. These homely things would often yield greater insight into a lost civilization than their history books, the Professor claimed.
Some of the dwellings were not empty, though. One particular scene had shaken Rusty to her core and driven home just how large a tragedy had occurred in that place. A wooden table, broken in two on the floor because the legs had long since given way and the wood had become brittle. Three ponies had been sitting around the table. There were bits of crockery everywhere and two sets of utensils.
The third hadn't needed utensils, not at that age.
She had stared at those tiny, tiny bones, uncomprehending at first, then she had to look away. It had been a family. A young foal.
Perhaps the only good thing was that it had happened quickly. Too quickly for the dam to reach her foal, or for the sire to clasp either of them. They died in their seats and perhaps they knew no terror, no despair. Rusty Bones hadn't let the three academics explore after that. It had been luck that the two students hadn't seen that room and Rusty wanted to spare them that.
The empty streets and the silence of the forgotten city were beginning to feel really oppressive and she wanted their expedition over as soon as possible. She was beginning to realize that her claim to fame would rest on so many innocent deaths. Rusty was not yet sure how she felt about that. Besides, thoughts of glory and discovery were being pushed aside by her desire to see the sunlight once more. Perhaps it was because they were deep. Despite the map, despite having walked all that way, Rusty couldn't quite picture in her mind just how far down they had gone. The air felt decidedly warmer and she kept imagining huge, unimaginable masses of rock above their heads. If the roof were to weaken, even in a single spot, the earth would bury them and nopony would ever find them again.
The others were affected as well, she saw. Winter Shine kept herself pressed against Curio and her ears were permanently flat. Ember Clover stayed near Gustaf and his barely-veiled attempts at flirting had almost completely ceased. Even the solid griffin kept glancing back, as if expecting a pursuit. Rusty herself tried to appear calm and in control, but she flinched at every loud, echoing hoofstep, every clatter of an object they overturned. She hissed at her companions to stay quiet.
The party made their way past the workshops. Those held little of interest to Rusty Bones, but Curio insisted they should poke their noses into each room and stairwell. He made judicious notes, exclaimed over the interesting items he found, and bemoaned their hurry. Strangely, the mare suddenly realized, he was the least affected of them all. The Professor was still filled with the same curiosity and the burning desire to know they'd had on the surface.
The surface.
Even that small guard room in the first corridor. Sometimes Rusty thought about it and in her memories it always seemed brighter, somehow. The ruins were pitch black beyond the entrance, but perhaps it was the closeness to the surface world which painted her recollection. That tiny guard room where they had spent their first night, and the hall of columns just beyond it. It felt like that had happened ages ago, to ponies other than her. Rusty simply couldn't make her mind accept that it was no more than a couple of days. She longed to go back there, but she had decided to explore the depths of this labyrinthine ruin and so she would. Her stubbornness would guide her, even when her curiosity had shrivelled in the dark.
"Hmm, those carvings. We've been seeing them for a while now," Professor Curio pointed out. He aimed his lamp at the relief above the door and they all studied them.
Winter Shine, despite her unease, was the first to answer: "It's the eclipse. See? The recessed circle and the sharp circumference. The burst of light on the right side?"
"An eclipse? Now why does that sound familiar?" Curio went on. "I'm sure I've seen something in my notes."
His magic rifled through the notebook he always kept near and he seemed engrossed in the search while the other four glanced at one another.
Rusty was the one who spoke up: "Curio- it was on the floor of that library in the bazaar, remember?"
The stallion seemed lost in his notes and hardly even registered Rusty Bones' words. "Library? We must go there immediately. A library would hold countless treasures!"
"We- Professor, are you feeling alright? We've been there. You've cast your spell to preserve it. We decided we'd come back with more ponies, since it would be pointless for us to search on our own."
This got his attention and Curio Trinket looked up. His eyes were wide and incredulous, and he blinked as the light shone on his face. "We have? When? Why don't I remember? Are you sure you're not thinking of something else?"
He really did not recall, and the fact started a nagging worry deep in Rusty Bones' mind. Surely the Professor wasn't losing his grip on sanity already.
"Let's stop and eat," she suggested "I know we've only had lunch a short while ago, but I think we need some sugar to calm us down. We'll make the final push after."
They were near their goal. Her map had long since gone vague and useless, and the corridors it showed were imprecise and incomplete, but surely the ruin couldn't go much further down. It didn't make her feel any better when Rusty realized that the structures they were seeing were a temple.
The deepest cave, the culmination of those ancient ponies' work was a place of worship. She couldn't stop herself thinking that they wanted to worship as far away from the sky as they could. As far away from Celestia and Luna as possible. Except that didn't make much sense. The Royal Sisters had not been a thing when this civilization had thrived. Unless...
"Professor," Rusty asked urgently, "how old would you say this place is? These halls? Were they carved at the same time as the ones above?"
A direct question, something addressing his chosen field seemed capable of cutting through the fog in Curio's mind. He shook his head without hesitation. "Certainly not. These tunnels are newer, by- let's see, about two, maybe three hundred years after the rest of this place. This was hewn during their most prosperous days."
"How can you tell?"
He pointed a hoof at the near wall. "Carvings," he explained. "Nearly every surface is carved with intricate patterns, scenes from their city, religious imagery. The ponies who did this work had a lot of time and wealth on their hooves. They could pay artists to decorate this place."
Rusty Bones glanced over the carvings and shuddered. They showed what she assumed were their religious leaders, with hordes of followers bowing down to them. Most often they were depicted in rooms, or caves, but each time they were shown on the surface there was an eclipse. They were big on eclipses, for some reason.
Rusty was about to ask, but Ember Clover beat her to it: "What's with all the eclipses?"
"Don't you remember?" Curio asked them, clearly surprised that they didn't.
"N-No?"
There was no reply and when Rusty turned her head to look she saw that Curio was examining one of the reliefs on the wall next to him. "Professor?"
"Hmm?"
"Remember what?"
"What?"
She caught the eyes of Winter Shine and Ember Clover, both looked uneasy. The mare went over to the Professor and murmured gently to him: "Professor, you were just telling us about the eclipse. Why is it important?"
He blinked at her a few times, then his gaze strayed to the wall again. "Well, the religious imagery of this place if full of eclipses. I just thought that was noteworthy."
Rusty was sure there had been more to it, but she didn't want to question the poor stallion more. His grip on sanity was starting to worry her and not for the first time she considered turning back and taking them all out of the ruin. They could always come back with more ponies, more helpers. More light. Except- they were so close. A few more hours and they would see what was in this deep, underground temple. They would see what those ancient ponies had worshipped. It would probably be that damned eclipse, but at least they would confirm that.
After that...
Rusty had planned to return through the throne room, but she abandoned that idea. She would lead them out by the shortest path she could find. They would push hard and maybe, hopefully, as the mass of rock above their head lessened, so would the gloom in their hearts. The air would grow lighter as they came closer to the surface and the sky. She had no doubt Curio would snap to normal once they saw some natural light and breathed fresh air again. She was sure of it.
They could always return. It would still be her discovery.
"We're all tired," she lied to them. "Let's drink, have something to eat, then we'll get to the bottom of this."
The group accepted her lies. Gustaf because he knew why she had said them, the two students because they wanted to. Curio- Rusty didn't know whether he believed her, or if he simply didn't care, lost in his own little world.
She would have to keep an eye on him. If he got any worse she would turn around. Some confusion and forgetfulness could be explained through excitement. This ruin would likely be the culmination of Curio's work, his grand achievement. Perhaps he was simply thinking on that, putting the story of the ancient civilization together, and couldn't be bothered to answer their silly questions. Perhaps that was all it was. That, and they were tired.
As they began to walk again the Professor seemed to return to normal. Winter Shine kept close to him and talked about the Academy and their classes, which seemed to ground the old pony in reality. It was a relief, but Rusty decided to keep a close eye on the unicorn stallion herself. That wasn't her main concern, though. Her ears had been turned back for the better part of an hour and she was convinced somepony was following them. Not a beast like they had surmised, but a pony. She had heard distinct hoofsteps, faint with distance and almost completely muffled. Once or twice she thought she caught a whisper, so quiet as to be nearly unintelligible. She was sure it was none of the others. It worried her, but the bulk of Gustaf walking confidently beside her eased her fear somewhat. Perhaps it was a rival, out to steal her discovery, but more likely it was some opportunistic thief who had overheard one of their conversations in Ice Floe and hoped to grab a few priceless artifacts for themselves.
In either case she probably didn't need to worry about their safety. At most there would be two thieves, considering the whispers she had heard. Odd that Gustaf hadn't caught anything.
"Gustaf?" she spoke in a quiet voice which wouldn't carry.
"Mm?"
"Have you heard anything behind us? Hoofsteps? Talking?"
The griffin immediately twirled back and stared into the dark corridor which stretched into the distance. "What? When?!"
"Just now."
Rusty wasn't surprised he hadn't heard anything. Griffins had absolutely amazing eyesight, but their hearing was usually slightly worse than pony. Probably all those feathers around their ear holes, she guessed. "Keep an eye out. I think it's probably just thieves, must've heard us in Ice Floe."
"Gotcha. We'll set a trap when we come to a branch next. You and the others make some noise and I'll hide in a side tunnel in the shadows. If anypony is following us, I'll get them."
It sounded like a good plan and Rusty gave the bird a nod. She looked him over once more and her ears splayed in apprehension.
"Do you- uh, do you have weapons?"
Gustaf was quiet for a few steps, then he answered, but he didn't meet her eyes: "My talons and beak are weapons enough."
"You know what I meant."
He deflated a bit and looked down at his claws. "Fine. I have a set of throwing knives and a sword."
"Good. I thought you'd come prepared. Thanks for not flaunting them, the others are nervous enough as it is. By the way, why a sword?"
"Easier to conceal than a spear. Swords are a griffin weapon. You need a claw to wield them."
"Unless you're a unicorn."
"Not the same, too much concentration. Spears are pony weapons. Anyway, I still hope I won't have to use them."
"Me too."
Before they could go back to discussing Gustaf's plan there came an exclamation from up ahead. Winter Shine and Curio were first through a door and Rusty cursed herself for having fallen behind. She ran past Ember, still cursing quietly under her breath. "I thought I told you I go first into any new room! Just because we haven't seen any traps-"
The mare trailed off as she reached the chamber beyond. It was huge and at first glance she couldn't even begin to guess at its purpose. Whatever furniture there had been was lying in ruins and the stones underhoof were bare of carpets. Those hadn't survived all that well in general, but there were usually signs where the floors had been carpeted. She looked up, but the ceiling was lost in shadow. She could just about make a circle of a large, iron chandelier. Rusty flattened her ears and swallowed. If that thing fell on them...
Her attention was soon diverted to the distinguishing feature in the room. There was a shoulder-high circular shaft in the middle of the place and both Winter Shine and Curio Trinket were peering over the edge.
The mare caught sight of the newcomers and grinned. "Well!" she said. "Maybe we can get fresh water!"
They had come across public wells in the living sections of the city, but they had been dry. Whatever aqueduct had been feeding them once was either broken, or the springs had since dried up.
"What makes you think this one will have any water in it?" she asked.
Curio was the one to answer that one. He was still leaning over the edge and he had apparently sent his magical light down the shaft, because the illumination from below gave his face a decidedly odd appearance. The shadows were wrong and, combined with his gray coat, made him look like his head was just a skull. "This one goes deep down. Possibly to an underground aquifer. Those might be more permanent than surface springs."
"Okay, how do we find out? We don't have a bucket."
In lieu of a reply, Curio's magic rummaged in his bag and he brought out his cooking pot. He floated it over the well and then lowered it down. Rusty came forward and looked over the lip of the well. They were soon joined by Ember Clover, but not Gustaf. The mare glanced around, but she saw him standing just beside the door, looking ready to pounce. She smiled to herself. Good, he was on the lookout for their would-be thieves. She focused her eyes down the well. It was a rough shaft, built out of irregular stones and it seemed to go quite a long way. Curio's light was a tiny speck in the distance by now and the pot was lost in the glare.
The stallion grunted and his horn glowed brighter. "I can't- I- quite- reach."
He suddenly gave a gasp and the magical glow around his horn vanished. Rusty blinked in surprise, but then a series of deafening clangs came up the shaft as his pot tumbled down and hit the sides repeatedly. All of them winced at the racket as it grew fainter and fainter.
Eventually it faded away and the ponies looked at one another.
"I heard neither a crash nor a splash. This thing is incredibly deep," Ember Clover pointed out what they were all thinking.
Curio looked embarrassed and wouldn't meet any of their eyes. "Sorry about that. I over-reached and it slipped from my grasp."
Even as Rusty Bones opened her muzzle to say it was fine, something stirred in the depths. That was the only way she could put it to words. There was a deep, bass thump, as if the rock itself had been struck by a mighty hammer down in the bowels of the earth. She imagined she felt a slight shudder run up the stones and into her hooves. Warm, stale air rushed out of the well and tousled their manes. They were quiet and listened, slack-jawed, for what would happen next.
Nothing did.
"W-What was that?!" Winter Shine asked first, because Ember Clover was busy swallowing a lump. All of them had their ears flat and the three academics were backing away from the hole.
Finally Ember found his voice: "I don't like that. What did we just do? Did- did..." His words ended in a low, strangled whimper, but the stallion forced himself to continue. "Did we w-w-wake something up?"
Rusty Bones had to remind herself to breathe. She felt a sense of fear and foreboding as she approached the lip of the well again. "Curio? S-Some light, p-please." The unicorn obliged and created a fresh magical ball, which he sent to hover above her. As she glanced over, Rusty's head cast a long shadow down the side of the well. "L-Lower it in, please? As far as you can reach?"
If Ember Clover was right and they had disturbed some ancient monster in the depths the light might irritate it further, but Rusty had to see. She had to reassure herself that nothing dark and scary was coming up from the well. Her eyes tracked the point of light as it descended down the featureless shaft. There was always shadow below it, but nothing seemed to come out of it. Eventually the light winked out and Rusty nearly jumped in surprise. She twirled to look at Curio, but his horn was dark and he nodded. The spell had gone out because of the distance, not because it was swallowed by some shadow.
"Nothing."
The others approached and focused their ears on the old well. They listened for a long time.
At last, Curio spoke up: "I think it was just some weird effect of the echo. My pot hit the bottom and it sounded- like it did."
It was the best explanation any of them could come up with, so Rusty nodded. "Sounds about right. Okay, so no water here. Good thing we brought our own."
All of them were a little shaken after that fright, so Rusty made a judgement call. "We'll break for tea. If anypony is hungry, now's your chance. After that we go on. I think we're close to the end. Then we can start on our way back."
The ponies all nodded and Ember Clover hurried over to the door, where Gustaf was still waiting and listening at the corridor. The two looked at each other and Rusty Bones noticed that even the griffin had his feathers up. He must have heard the noise and the thud, and was just as unsettled. Perhaps that was why, when the pegasus gave him an imploring look, Gustaf reached over and laid his wing across Ember's back. A moment later his claw followed and then Ember pushed his muzzle into Gustaf's side for a good nuzzle.
"I think we should wait until tomorrow," Curio Trinket said beside Rusty. She forgot about the other two and turned around to speak with the Professor.
"Why?"
"We're all tired and this place is getting to us. Let's camp in the next room, have a good dinner, maybe tell a few stories. Get our spirits up. We can see what's down there when we're fresh tomorrow morning, and then we can immediately head back."
It sounded quite tempting, and coming from the scholar it made all the more sense. Rusty found herself nodding. "We'll set a watch rota. Don't tell the others," she whispered back, "but I think we have unwelcome visitors."
"Oh?"
"I thought I heard hoofsteps and whispering behind us, back in the corridor. Maybe thieves out to grab ancient artifacts."
Curio took it all in stride. "What do we do?"
"Nothing, for now. Gustaf has an idea to set a trap. I propose we three do the watch and keep our ears open. Gustaf and me are fighters and you have your magic. No reason to scare the young ones."
"Agreed. I'll take middle shift."
That was a sign of the old Professor and Rusty smiled with relief. Whatever had been going on with him before was truly over. The middle shift in the night was the most ungrateful one, since it forced a pony to split their sleep into two parts. Volunteering for that proved that Curio really did care about his friends. No mad pony would do that.
"Thanks!" she said and smiled at him.
For a moment Rusty Bones considered offering the stallion a hug, much like what Ember and Gustaf were doing, but her thought passed and she felt awkward, so she decided against it.
Chapter 11
By unspoken agreement they had all placed out their sleeping bags near each other. It wasn't cold, but after the events of the day, and the oppressive darkness and silence of the ruin, everypony wanted to know there were other living beings around them. It also hadn't been a big surprise when Ember Clover had set up his cot right next to Gustaf and Rusty also couldn't help noticing that the griffin made no objection. On her other side were Curio and Winter Shine in a similar arrangement.
She had chosen first watch and took up a position near the door. The lights were turned down and the only illumination came from a single, dim lamp which should hold throughout the night. Then, as everypony had settled down and finished their stretching and turning, that all-encompassing silence had gradually come back. Rusty had tried listening for her suspected thieves, but she couldn't stop focusing on the sound of her own breathing and heartbeat. After a while she couldn't sit still anymore and got up on her hooves. She took the lamp in her mouth and set off on a patrol. Moving took a bit of patience and skill, but she managed to keep her hoofsteps quiet so as not to wake the others. That gave her something to concentrate on and she walked around the well hall and poked her nose into the side rooms. A few were tiny, barely large enough for two or three ponies and full of wooden rubble. Some were larger and she saw metal frames which could have once been shelves. The largest were the one they had chosen to sleep in, and the corridor where they had come.
It was still part of the temple, at least that was what Curio had said and Rusty trusted the scholar. She could see the walls were still carved with reliefs and she ran her gaze along them and tried to piece together what story they were telling. She couldn't decide where was the beginning, but it would have been reasonable to start at the entrance corridor, so that was where she went. The first few images portrayed earth ponies building cities under a sky where a permanent eclipse apparently shone. Then she saw ponies emerging from a cavern and blinked in surprise.
"Wait, that's all backwards, isn't it?"
A thought struck her and she returned to the door and went the other way. The ancient cultures of the North wrote from right to left, she remembered. That made more sense. She saw images of ponies apparently giving sermons in a forest clearing. She saw them packing up their belongings and loading themselves up. Those skies all had the sun, it was unmistakable. Her heart began to beat faster when she came to an intricate carving which closely resembled the door they had found up in the cavern. There were earth ponies digging and others dragging buckets of soil and rocks away. This was the story of how their city was founded. Her hoofsteps hastened and Rusty skipped forward what felt like decades of prosperity and trade with the other pony nations. Soon, hooded figures began to appear, wearing what looked like ceremonial or religious robes. After some time the sun in the sky, at least in the outside scenes, was joined by a crescent moon.
She was wondering what that was meant to signify. Was it about that period when Discord had terrorized Equestria and both heavenly bodies were in the sky at the same time?
"No," Rusty murmured to herself, "that was a thousand years after their heyday."
The answer came a few walls further on and the mare gave a soft gasp. Those were definitely two alicorns and their cutie marks were unmistakable. Were those the events of the day, or were they prophecies? Whichever it was, the ancient ponies clearly didn't like them, because they had carved the Princesses as tall, grotesque monsters, mockeries of a pony shape. Perhaps they were predicting Nightmare Moon, or describing those events, but Rusty didn't think so. In the reliefs, even Celestia had fangs for teeth and vicious, spiked battle armor. The ponies of the underground city fled before the wrath of the two tyrants and closed their huge gates. Then there were scenes of hooded ponies helping others. The symbol of the eclipse began to appear and-
"What the-?"
Rusty hurried along the wall, but it was... gone. There had been images at some point, but somepony had gone to great lengths to erase them. She looked down and saw dust and broken bits of rock. Somepony had painstakingly chiseled away a large section of the story.
"Why?!"
The story resumed near where she had gone in the wrong direction at first. The underground city opened and masses of ponies poured out of the gates. The eclipse dominated the sky and the earth ponies began to rebuild Equestria. Those were obviously prophecies, or at least wishful thinking. Perhaps they were promises the clergy gave the commoners to keep them compliant. Life in the underground city must not have been very comfortable after the trade with the surface had ended, so the average pony was bound to grumble and complain. She could see it in her mind's eye: "Bear these hardships with us, citizens, for one day we will free ourselves of the Tyranny of the Sisters and rise up once more! Then the surface world will be ours, as it should be by right!"
Why then, erase the most important part of their story?
Perhaps the explorers who had come before her had done that? The ponies who had made the map? Whatever could compel them to destroy a part of history like that? Maybe they would find answers deeper in the temple.
In any case, the walls would surely be interesting to Curio and they would have to take photos before they went on. Rusty was glad they had decided to wait the night, or else she might have missed this in her rush to get to the bottom. For the moment, however, she walked over to the corridor and stared into the distant darkness. Were her thieves out there, perhaps sleeping in a side tunnel or a room? She lifted the lamp up high to get the light as far as she could, and focused her ears. Was that breathing?
It could just be auditory hallucinations. Rusty vaguely remembered a text she had read a long time ago. In perfect silence the mind began to imagine the strangest sounds. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the noise she thought she heard. A deep, slow, rumbling breath, like a sleeping dragon. Maybe it was just whatever ventilation system those ancient ponies had built? Something brushed against her flank and Rusty yelped and spun away. She dropped the light in her surprise and it cast crazy, confusing shadows as it rolled on the ground.
"W-Who's there?!" she demanded.
Her voice came echoing back: "Who! Hoo! There! Who! Who's there!"
Rusty Bones dashed to her lantern and picked it up. She swung it all around herself, but there was nothing to be seen. Her side itched where she had felt the touch, but when she looked there was no mark on her. She backed into the well room and kept scanning the empty corridor. Surely she hadn't imagined it?
Could it have been a wisp of air? The slow breathing she had imagined she heard might have been ancient air shafts, perhaps leading all the way up to the surface and responding to the cool of night. Air expanded and contracted, perhaps those ponies had found a way to make that phenomenon work for them to circulate the air. After all, it was still quite breathable even this far down. A sudden wind, even the tiniest whisper of it, would feel like a cold touch after the stillness. Not to mention that she had been focusing her entire body on listening, on feeling. She had probably made herself hypersensitive to every slightest movement.
Rusty Bones shook her head and went back to where the others were sleeping. She kept telling herself that had been it, but her ears remained flat and her tail remained firmly between her hind legs. At least in their sleeping chamber she would hear the actual breathing of ponies. The noises of the living. She wouldn't feel as alone.
The rest of her shift passed in silence, with only the faint noises from her sleeping companions to keep her company and Rusty Bones gradually relaxed. At the agreed time she woke up Curio and fell gratefully into her sleeping bag. She stretched out and then curled up, but caught Gustaf looking at her in the faint light of the lantern on its dimmest setting. Once again she noted how the griffin's eyes were like rings of polished gold.
"Can't sleep?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper to avoid waking the two young students.
He slowly shook his head, but didn't answer. He was lying between her and Ember Clover, so Rusty couldn't see the stallion, but she assumed he was asleep. It was more or less the middle of the night, after all. Something was off about his sleeping bag, though. At first glanced it almost looked as if Gustaf had his wings partially spread under the cloth.
Rusty lifted her head up to get a better look. "What's that?"
Unfortunately Curio picked that exact moment to levitate the lantern up and took it away with him to the door. He was probably going to relieve himself and Rusty didn't pay him much mind. She was more worried about what might be happening with Gustaf. Was he hiding an injury from her? A sprained wing, maybe? They were plunged into darkness, but she sat up and fumbled around until she found her own light. She hit the switch and shined it on their guard. The shape of his body was completely wrong, which became even more apparent as Gustaf lifted a claw to shield his eyes from the sudden brightness.
"Gustaf, this isn't time for jokes. What's wrong? I need to know!" she pleaded.
Rather than replying, Gustaf raised the edge of his blanket to show her the back of Ember Clover's head. The stallion had his muzzle pressed firmly into Gustaf's chest. He gave Rusty a wry grin and explained: "He said he was scared and- well, he just kinda found his way in here."
As cute as the sight was, Rusty hadn't expected the bird to be such a pushover. She scrunched up her muzzle and pointed a hoof. "You don't have to coddle them, Gustaf. You're our guard, not our babysitter. Shove him off."
The griffin didn't move. "Actually," he whispered back and put his claw around Ember again, "this is kinda nice. I don't mind."
Rusty Bones blinked in surprise. "Huh, I didn't peg you down as liking colts."
He hurriedly shook his head. "I'm not. I don't. Well- um." He looked down at the sleeping stallion and then back up. Rusty imagined he was blushing, but it was hard to tell in the faint light and with all those feathers in the way. At last Gustaf finished: "I don't know. I guess I never thought about it."
"Never had a special griffin, uh, what was it called, hen-friend?"
His claw rose up again to wave her question away. "I have, I have, even if never anything serious. I guess... this is nice too."
Rusty Bones shrugged to herself. Gustaf and Ember Clover and their antics, and possibly the griffin discovering that he liked colts was a normal problem. It wasn't weird rumbles from the unfathomable depths, or one of their party going insane, or strange sounds and sights. It calmed her down. As weird as it was to think about a griffin and a pony, both colts, somehow finding each other and working out all the stigma they'd likely attract, it sounded like a normal problem.
She realized Gustaf was talking again: "Saw anything? Heard anything?"
Rusty almost nodded, but then decided she didn't want to think about those things, not right before sleeping. She was liable to have strange dreams as it was. "I'll tell you in the morning."
Just as she was about to tell Gustaf good night the bundle in his bag shifted and Ember's snout poked out. "Can you two stop talking and go to sleep already?"
"Sorry. You look snug anyway."
This prompted a small smile from Ember. "I know! Griffins are nice." With that he pushed his nose back into Gustaf's chest plumage, shifted a bit closer and let out a long, luxurious sigh. The griffin pulled the blanket a bit more closely around the pony.
"Good night."
"Night, Rusty."
The mare turned around to face the other way and saw that Winter Shine was fast asleep and hadn't been disturbed by their whispered conversation. She looked peaceful, almost serene. It would be a good idea to imitate her, so Rusty Bones flicked the lantern off, closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She consciously relaxed her muscles, limb by limb and forced her mind to go blank.
Her ear twitched at that incessant drip, drip, drip of water in the distance, but she paid it no mind as she drifted off.
She was still surrounded by total darkness when Rusty Bones woke up. Someone was shaking her and she shot upright.
"What?! Who's there!"
"Here. It's me," Gustaf said beside her.
She reached out for her lamp, but her hoof paused before touching the switch. "I'll turn on the light."
There was no reply, so Rusty assumed it was okay. The lantern fountained with light and immediately cast strange, misshapen shadows on the walls. Gustaf was still in his sleeping bag, but he was upright and Ember Clover was apparently gripping him around his waist. Was that the reason he had woken her up? Was the stallion too clingy and wouldn't let go?
"Curio is gone. He's been gone for a while. He should have woken me an hour ago," Gustaf explained and all thought of amorous pegasi fled her mind. She was instantly on her hooves.
"What?! Where? Why?"
Gustaf just grunted, since he didn't have any of those answers. "I'll go look for him, but I thought you should know in case you woke up and found both of us gone."
"Thanks. I'll go with you. Is- um, is Ember awake?"
All she got in reply was a quiet groan from under the blanket, which she took as a yes.
She address the sleepy pegasus: "You heard all that? Me and Gustaf will go look for the Professor. Stay here with Winter Shine, we'll be back." She pulled her saddlebag closer and fished out her watch. Nearly five in the morning. The two students could get a few more hours of sleep, even if she couldn't. That was alright, she was used to going without much sleep during her expeditions. Her eyes still felt like they were full of sand and Rusty Bones felt weary. She tried to imagine fields of green grass under azure skies, but the image simply didn't want to form in her mind.
It felt as if they had been in that damnable hole for all their lives. As if the things they had seen and experienced before weren't even real.
No time to think about that. Rusty stood up and grabbed her lantern in her mouth. She jerked her head and Gustaf gently pried Ember Clover off himself. The pegasus complained, but he curled back up in the warm spot Gustaf had vacated. "Okay, let's go."
Rusty led the way to the large chamber again and glanced wearily at the well. Had Curio fallen down it? If so, they would never find his body. She shook her head and tried to think more positive thoughts. The next decision was crucial: Back the way they came, or further into the temple? Maybe the silly academic had seen the same wall carvings as her and had gotten curious? Something told her that she might had hit the nail on the head with that guess.
"Thiff way," she told Gustaf, speaking around the lamp handle in her mouth.
He paused and looked in the other direction. "You sure? Maybe we should split up."
"I'm fhure. Come on."
She led him to the inner door, which was intact but open. This one had not rotted away because it was completely made of stone. Beyond was a staircase, going almost vertically down in a steep spiral. Rusty Bones held the lantern aloft and let its light spill down the steps. She considered calling for the Professor, but the resulting cacophony of various echos would scare the wits out of the two students, so she filed it away as a last resort. There was a faint metallic, grinding sound and when Rusty glanced back she saw that Gustaf had drawn his sword. She felt better for that.
The first hoofstep was the hardest. The staircase twisted and she couldn't see more than a few yards ahead. Anything could be lurking just around the corner. When she moved, the light shifted as well and the sharp, precise shadow slid further around the bend. Her step echoed down into the hole and Rusty forced herself to put her other hoof down more gently. Sometimes she envied griffins for how silently they could move. After that it became easier. They fell into a rhythm of slow, half-turning steps. The staircase looked the same and when Rusty paused to shine her light the other way, she could see no difference. There were no markings on the wall and the stairs felt like they went forever in either direction. Somewhere up there, no more than a few turns away, was the big room with the well and the small storage room in which they had made their beds. Up there were other ponies. The other way, down, was that unknown darkness and unnatural silence.
She felt it was watching her. Waiting.
Her breathing quickened and her foreleg trembled as she placed it on the next step. Already her ears were completely flat and Rusty wanted nothing more than to turn tail and run out. Run, and run, until she found the exit. Even the Frozen North was preferable to that oppressive, quiet darkness. Gustaf placed his claw on her back and she caught his gaze as she looked back. He gave her a nod. It helped. She wasn't alone there, on that infinite staircase. Her eye was drawn to the sword the griffin held in front of him, to the gleaming edge and its reflection on the wall. Gustaf would keep her safe, even if there really were monsters.
She turned back and continued down. The light from her lantern gradually revealed more and more of the same spiral. There was always that plane of pure black, as if the darkness was a physical thing being pushed ahead of them by her light. Something loomed out of that shadow and Rusty, her nerves already impossible taut, yelped in fear and dropped the light. She tried to push herself back with her forehooves, but she didn't have time to plant them solidly and she slipped. Her hind legs folded up and her rump hit the step behind her.
Something large pushed past her and Rusty saw the gleam of the blade as it swung. She closed her eyes.
The strike never came. Instead, Gustaf exclaimed: "Professor?!"
When Rusty opened her eyes she saw her own light being levitated in Curio's tell-tale magical glow. He blinked at them in surprise, then asked: "What are you two doing here?"
Her sudden fright, her yelp, and her fall had spiked her blood with pure adrenaline and Rusty breathed heavily as she recovered. Her ears pinned back and she almost growled back. "Us?! What are you doing here? You were supposed to be keeping watch!"
The Professor seemed unconcerned. "I thought I heard something and came to investigate."
Gustaf looked at Rusty and she met his gaze. They didn't know what to make of the excuse. "Why were you walking around in the dark?" she asked him.
"Yeah," the griffin added, "I nearly stabbed you before I realized who you were."
Curio blinked a few times, then looked at the lantern he was still holding. "In the dark? No, no, I wasn't in the dark. I had my magical light with me."
"I didn't see it! You just jumped out of the shadow!"
"Seeing you two so suddenly startled me and I lost the spell."
It all sounded reasonable, but Rusty couldn't shake the feeling that the Professor was lying. In any case, the middle of a dark and scary staircase was no place to discuss it. "Come on. Let's go back, then we can talk about this," she ordered.
Curio shrugged, but he did start to climb the steps again. "Sure, but there's nothing to discuss."
Rusty Bones heaved a sigh and fell in step beside the professor. Gustaf cast a last glance down the stairs, then followed them. He kept his sword in his claw, she saw, and she couldn't really blame him. Why did she not trust the Professor's word? There had been something about his face. Did she know him well enough to see when he wasn't being truthful? Why would he lie? Had he found something down there and didn't want her to know?
The ruin was getting to them all, especially if she considered Gustaf and Ember and how quickly they had gotten together, even to the small degree they had. The trio walked in silence, except for faint hoofsteps which rang through the staircase. Rusty didn't feel like questioning the Professor just yet, and he apparently had nothing to volunteer. She was starting to seriously fear that the staircase was cursed or something, and it really would not ever end, when they suddenly came to the top. Despite herself the mare breathed a relief.
"We might as well get the breakfast going and then finish this exploration. I want to see what's down there." Her own words gave her pause and Rusty looked at Gustaf. "Maybe- maybe we should turn back. We've seen plenty, we have some documents and artifacts. We can plan a larger expedition when we come back."
Curio immediately shook his head. "Nonsense," the Professor said. "We've come all this way, so we might at least take a quick look. We have plenty of water and food. I for one would dearly love to know what we're dealing with here."
"Did you see the wall carvings?"
He gave her a nod. "I did, and I recognize the prophecy. The version we have in the Canterlot library is somewhat distorted, doubtless from telling and re-telling, but it essentially predicts the rise of Celestia and Luna. Well, the first part of it does."
"What else does it say?" Rusty asked, thinking about the bit of wall which had been destroyed.
Curio sat on his haunches next to his cot and put a hoof on his chin. "Let me think, a group of ponies was supposed to sleep underground, in a safe place, while the Sisters oppressed the world with their tyranny. Now it's obvious it was not 'sleep', but rather 'wait'."
He hummed a little to himself and Rusty let him think in peace while she went and fetched one of her water bags. She drained it and folded it back up to pack away again. At least the empties would be easier to carry.
At last the Professor continued: "The end of it predicted the fall of the Sisters at the hooves of these 'chosen' ponies, and their triumphant return. Pretty standard stuff for prophecies."
"Do you know who these chosen ponies were?"
"No, that part was lost in history. I can, however, make an educated guess that our ancient friends here might have been it. It'll take more study and I don't want to say more until I'm sure."
"Guess? We understand it's just a guess, Professor. We won't hold you to your word."
The two students had woken up and were blinking in the light and looking strangely at Curio, but they didn't interrupt.
"Well," the stallion said, "if I had to come up with a name, I would call them the eclipse cult. You've noticed the imagery of the eclipse everywhere, right?"
"Yes. So it was a cult?"
The Professor nodded. "I think so."
Something he had said earlier bugged Rusty Bones. "Wait, Professor, you said you would like to know what's down there. Weren't you just there?"
This brought out a quiet 'eep' from Winter Shine and she stared at the older pony. "Professor?!"
"No, I turned back before I came all the way down," he replied smoothly, his eyes never leaving Rusty's. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to visit the little colts' room." He created a magical light for himself and walked away, but not before Rusty caught Gustaf's gaze and gave a slight nod. The griffin understood and followed the Professor. No more wandering around alone.
"What was that all about, Miss Bones?" Ember asked and Winter Shine gave a nod to the question.
"Gustaf and me woke up and the Professor was nowhere to be found. He hadn't woken Gustaf up for his watch, so we went looking for him."
"I know that part," the pegasus confirmed. "What happened after?"
"We went down this staircase, I think it leads almost directly under this room. It goes pretty deep down, but we met the Professor coming back up."
Winter Shine sighed in relief. "That's okay then. He must have gotten distracted with something and wandered off. He does that sometimes."
Already Rusty Bones was shaking her head. "No, Winter. He was walking up the stairs in the dark. He didn't have a light. He claims he did, but I would have seen it."
"This staircase," Ember asked, "How tight a turn was it?"
Rusty tried to estimate from memory. "Hmm, about three yards radius, it descended about one hoof down for every two hooves forward."
Ember smiled dismissively. "Then you're both right. The turn was too tight for you to see his light until he was right on top of you. He could have lost it from surprise."
Despite his confidence, Rusty Bones wasn't yet convinced. She tried to put her hoof on what had bothered her about Curio's face. "Winter Shine, what color are the Professor's eyes?" she asked.
The mare blinked in surprise and looked at her classmate, but she answered: "Orange. Kinda like Gustaf's, except not as reflective. Why?"
"Take another look when he comes back."
Surely it hadn't been a trick of the light, had it? She could have sworn Curio's eyes had been brown now.
Chapter 12
There had been no real explanation. Curio insisted that he felt fine and Rusty Bones herself didn't quite remember if his eyes really had changed color. Ember Clover and Winter Shine were convinced that they used to be orange, but they sounded less and less sure as the discussion went on. Perhaps, Rusty thought, it really was just a strange effect of the low light. What else could it be? She hadn't heard stress or fear being able to change the color of a pony's eyes, although with an unicorn she supposed it might be possible.
It was just another strange thing in a pile of weirdness and unreason that had become their expedition. "Maybe Winter Shine is right. I don't like this. You've been behaving strangely, Curio. We should go back."
The stallion whirled on her with a shocked look on his face. "What?! You too?" he accused. "We're so close! Just one stairway and we'll know! We have to go down there and look!"
Rusty found herself agreeing, at least in principle. To have come this far and then not to take the final step betrayed every explorer's instinct she had. Weird or no, delaying their trek back by a few more hours wouldn't significantly change things.
"I'm scared, Professor," Winter Shine repeated. "I don't like this place. I feel like somepony is watching us!"
"There's nopony here," Curio replied in a stern voice. "Snap out of it. This is most foalish of you. All of you! Aren't we ponies of knowledge and reason? What kind of scholar turns back on the doorstep of discovery?!"
Gustaf and Ember Clover stood off to one side and a movement from their direction drew Rusty's eye. The pegasus brushed his muzzle against the griffin's muscular side, then came forward.
"I'm scared too," Ember said, but his eyes glinted with determination. "This place gives me the creeps, but the Professor is right. We've come this far, we should see it through. Then we can leave."
Curio Trinket smiled at this show of support. He gave a nod to his student and said: "I've always thought you'd make a fantastic scholar, Ember. What do you say, Miss Bones?"
She caught Gustaf's eye, but the bird just shrugged at her. The decision was fully in her own hooves. The weight of it made her sigh, but she lowered her head in defeat. "We'll go and see what's down there. Then we'll leave as fast as we can. Now that we know the way, we should be out in two, maybe three days."
There came a faint whimper from Winter Shine, so Rusty went to the young mare and put a hoof on her shoulder. "It's going to be alright. It's just an old ruin. The quiet and the dark is playing with our senses. Besides, there's probably nothing down there."
Winter swallowed a lump and gave her a nod, but her ears remained flat and her tail tucked in.
"Everypony, pack up. Curio, counsel," Rusty ordered.
The Professor came over, already grinning eagerly for the anticipated discovery.
"How far is it down those stairs. What did you see below?"
His smile vanished and he leaned his head to one side in thought. "I'm- I'm not sure. I don't think I came all the way down. I heard your hoofsteps before the stairs ran out, and I turned back to come meet you."
"You said we surprised you last night. Which is it?"
He shook his head and turned away. "I spoke poorly. I heard your hoofsteps and turned back, but the echo tricked me and I didn't realize how near you were. I came upon your light suddenly, before I was expecting it, which is why it startled me."
Rusty Bones wasn't entirely sure about this new, slightly different story, but she had made her decision. It was the right one, she was sure of it. "What are we likely to encounter down there?"
His smile crept back and Curio speculated: "With luck, an inner sanctum with the old cult's forbidden knowledge. Scrolls, books, perhaps explaining why the cult formed and what was their ultimate goal."
"And if we don't have that kind of luck?" she prodded.
"In that case, nothing. Probably sleeping quarters for the clergy, maybe an office or two. Still interesting, though. It could shed light on the ancient ponies' religion."
"Alright. We'll look in, you can grab any books or artefacts which are interesting, but we're not spending more than a couple of hours."
Curio inclined his head. "Fine, fine," he assured her, then went to pack up his own bag. Rusty watched him for a few moments, then walked over to Gustaf. She lowered her voice so it wouldn't carry to the others.
"I don't trust him," she murmured. "Keep an eye on him, okay?"
"Aye."
They both looked at the scholar and Rusty's muzzle scrunched up. "Use that sword if you really have to. Get the students out, that's your first priority. Last resort, though, only if he turns violent."
"Understood."
Four ponies and a griffin stood in front of that dark, twisty staircase. Once again Rusty Bones remembered just how impenetrable the darkness ahead of them looked. For once she thought she would prefer the unicorn's unnaturally bright light to that inky shadow.
"Curio? Winter? Can you light this up a little?"
The named two ponies nodded and concentrated. Two horns began to glow, followed soon by two points of light. They sent those into the staircase and the darkness receded, but there seemed to be a sharp border between the bubble of light and the blackness around it.
It looked almost like bubbles in some kind of oil and Rusty shuddered at the sight. At that moment it felt as if no light had ever pierced that darkness. It was primal, unyielding.
Winter Shine swallowed a lump and took a half-step backward.
"Alright, everypony behind me. Gustaf, you're with me at the front," Rusty ordered.
The academics stepped aside to let the griffin pass and he took position at her side. Rusty caught his eye and Gustaf gave her a nod. They stepped on the staircase. Hoofsteps behind told them that the other ponies were following. Curio and Winter Shine's lights remained in front of them, lighting up the steps, but despite those points of brilliance Rusty couldn't see very far because of the tight turn. She tried to remember how far down they had gone in the night, but her memory failed her. Perhaps she and Gustaf had walked for hours, or maybe it had been just minutes. There were no features to distinguish parts of the stairwell from others. Rusty kept her ears focused forward, but she couldn't catch a single noise other than their own hoofsteps and the faint click of claws on stone, coming from Gustaf beside her. She remembered the griffin could move absolutely silently and wondered why he didn't. It wouldn't do much good, not with the noise the ponies were making, but perhaps another reason was that the warrior had his claws ready to tear if anything came against them.
It was a comforting thought.
Gustaf hadn't drawn his sword, probably so he wouldn't frighten the youngsters, but she had caught glimpses of the handle in his open bag. The scabbard was cleverly sown into his pack to conceal the weapon from casual observers. If the flap was closed it was completely invisible, but Gustaf had left it open so he could draw it faster.
"Ho-How much further?" Winter Shine asked, and her voice seemed to carry down into the depths. The echo came back: "Fur. Further. Much further. How much?"
"Not too far," Curio replied, but he kept his voice low enough and the whisper didn't echo.
They had been walking for a while and Rusty Bones began to wonder if the air was getting warmer. Surely they weren't deep enough for that yet? Perhaps the stairs led all the way to Tartarus? She froze when the light ahead showed something new. The tunnel opened up and the stairs stopped. The end had come as a surprise and Rusty let out a breath which had caught in her throat.
"We're here," she murmured.
The opening led into a featureless room. It could have been a corridor, but there were no doors except at the far end. She saw a few iron brackets for torches and shelves which might have been intended for oil lamps. Her group spread out and the academics began looking for any distinguishing features, but the walls were bare and there wasn't any furniture around.
"Antechamber?" Curio asked. "I guess we press on."
The door before them had long since rotted and fallen off the hinges. The two large, wooden wings were lying inside the chamber and Rusty could see a faint gleam of brass handles in the crumbling mess. There was nothing else to do but step on the soft, spongy material and enter the next room. She had her lamp in her mouth and lifted it up high to brighten the room beyond. It was large, but there weren't many features in it. A few piles of wood and metal, which might have been chairs or tables.
The most distinguishing feature was a stone slab in the middle and large carvings on the walls. To her left was a relief depicting a stylized sun with its rays forming a circle of lines around it. On the opposite side Rusty could see a crescent moon, exactly like the one she had seen in the chamber above. That led her eye to the far wall, which was adorned by the eclipse. "Eclipse again, but why those other two?" she asked idly.
Professor Curio had followed her in the room and was examining the central stone pedestal, but at the sound of her voice he looked up. "Two theories," he announced after a short time to think, "either they carved these after the Sisters' rise to power, or they were part of their prophecy. You'll note that they are similar to the Princesses' cutie marks, but not an exact match, so I'd lean toward the latter."
"Looks like it, yeah."
By that time, everypony was in the room and the combined light from their two lanterns and the unicorns' light spells made the place quite bright.
"For that matter, where does that well shaft go? I was half-expecting to find it down here," Rusty Bones said.
Curio shrugged at the question and said: "I guess it misses this place. It probably really was just for water. Maybe that was easier than bringing those aquifers all the way to the temple?"
He apparently hadn't yet looked at the slab in the middle, so Rusty went to examine it for herself. She had to squeeze past Ember Clover, who was sitting in front of the sun symbol and sketching it down into his notebook. The thing was an altar of some kind, there could be no doubt. It could not be mistaken for anything else. A large, stone table with raised edges, carved with incomprehensible runes.
Her heart began to beat faster. Whatever the thing represented, it looked like the heart of the ancients' religion. The symbols didn't look like any script Rusty had ever seen, but even if she could have read it, she had a feeling she probably wouldn't want to.
There were five metal rings set into the stone, four smaller ones and a large one, all rusted. Perhaps fixtures for lamps, or other religious artifacts? Rusty walked around to try and get a sense of their positions. Perhaps, if a pony were stretched out, those would be in perfect places to hold hooves and a neck.
The raised edge, the metal restraints, there were even channels carved into the surface, leading to- a funnel. Her hear sank and Rusty took an involuntary step backward as she recognized what it all meant.
"Crap..."
The others looked at her word, all except Curio. He had already deduced the purpose of the altar and was paying it no mind. Ember Clover's ears folded down immediately and he looked away, but Winter Shine cast her a curious glance.
"Sacrificial altar," Rusty explained. "This cult was worse than we thought."
"O-Oh..." the mare squeaked. She, too, averted her eyes, but after a moment Curio addressed his two students.
"Ember! Winter!" he called sharply. "I know this is tragic, but it was a long time ago. We are scholars. Sometimes we have to look at the bad parts of history."
That seemed to buck them up and the two youngsters returned their gazes to the horrible stone slab. "Describe what you see!" Curio barked.
Winter was the first to speak up, but her voice was faint and shaky: "Uh- it- it has a rim and, um, g-grooves to c-channel the bloo- blood."
"Very good. We must remain dispassionate when observing these things. Think of it as ancient history, which it is. Ember?"
The pegasus swallowed a lump and pressed himself closer to Gustaf, who absentmindedly placed a claw on his withers. "I don't recognize the ru-runes," he began, "but they remind me of Eastern pre-Grogar earth pony script. M-Maybe a variation or an evolution of that?"
"Good, that was my thought exactly. The similarities are there, but without more text we might not be able to decipher it. What can we deduce from this fact?" Curio asked.
His two students were silent and their eyes slid away from the horrific altar. They apparently had no answers. Rusty Bones spoke up, remembering her own education, a long time ago. "Basically, the cult, or at least this aspect of it, developed a lot later than the establishment of the city. They'd need to have been separated from the surface for a significant time for their script to diverge this much."
Curio was nodding in approval, but he continued after Rusty had fallen silent: "Excellent, excellent, if not quite correct. Crucially, the cultists used a different script. Remember, we found records in the barracks and the library which were quite readable still."
"What would that mean?"
"My best explanation is that the cult was established early on and they practiced secrecy. So much so, that they developed their own script which regular ponies could not, or were not meant to, read." The Professor only paused long enough to take a breath before rushing on: "The other denizens of the city kept in touch with the surface, so their writing would not have changed overmuch, but the clergy were apart - possibly inheriting their positions - and so they diverged. It also means that contact with the surface had been maintained for quite a long time, despite what the carvings in the room above would have us believe."
The explanation made sense and all three ponies found themselves nodding to the Professor. In a way, analysing it like that had taken some of the fear from the gruesome artefact.
"Still," Rusty murmured, "pony sacrifice. Things must have gotten pretty bad down here."
"Sadly that sometimes happens in isolated communities. They probably believed they had some sort of a divine reason or justification."
The academics gathered around the altar and began taking notes and copying the runes which were carved on the sides. Rusty let them to it and went to take a closer look at the eclipse symbol.
Gustaf joined her there and studied the symbol with her. "So, cult? Pony-sacrifices? Dark stuff. Did you expect anything like that when we started out?"
Rusty Bones shook her head, but then paused and shrugged. "Not as such. I mean, I knew there had to be a reason the place was abandoned, but I thought maybe they just- you know, died out. Too few foals born with every generation until there weren't enough to continue."
The griffin put his claw on her back and Rusty welcomed the touch. It reminded her she had other living beings in the depths of darkness into which they had descended. She wasn't alone.
A faint sound caught her attention and she froze in fear. Drip, drip, drip.
She had been hearing that exact same dripping noise for days! "The dripping!" she gasped.
Gustaf looked at her in concern. "You okay? What dripping?"
The mare shook her head and stepped back, breaking Gustaf's hold on her. She swiveled her ears to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. How had she not noticed it before? The ruins were absolutely silent. They had never heard any sort of noise. How could she have thought the sound of dripping liquid was normal as she was falling asleep?!
Curio and his two students were also staring at her in surprise. "What is it? I don't hear anything," Ember Clover remarked.
"Shush!"
Drip, drip, drip.
It was coming from the altar! Rusty Bones swallowed a lump and came closer.
"Move. Let me see."
Winter Shine obeyed and stepped aside.
There was a metal funnel built into the slab on one edge, and all the grooves in the surface led into it. The spout was rusted through, but enough of it remained so the liquid dripped, rather than ran down the side.
It was blood. Rusty could see each individual drop, rich and crimson in the bright light, as it detached from the metal and flow the short distance to the floor. There was already a puddle.
"Where is it coming from?!" Rusty cried.
She didn't hear Curio's question: "Where is what coming from? Miss Bones..."
There was nothing on the altar. Or was there? For a moment Rusty was afraid to look and kept her eyes firmly on the pool of blood. Her breath quickened, despite her best efforts to control it, and she had to lock her knees in place to keep her legs from folding under her.
Even her tail pressed further between her legs and her ears turned back, but she mastered herself and looked. It was empty, of course, except... In her mind's eye the mare saw a pony bound to those rings. His eyes were wide open, but clouded with fear and pain. His mouth was open and there was a red slash down his belly. It was just a vision! Just her overactive imagination, Rusty told herself. Brought about by the strange events and the unnatural darkness and silence of the ruins. She was seeing things!
The scream came like a wall of sound, filling the small room and reverberating from the walls. It went on and on, until Rusty thought her eardrums would burst. A high-pitched, desperate yell of pain and torment.
So loud was it that it made the torches dance thorough sheer volume.
The other figures. Ponies standing around the altar, their faces hidden in deep hoods. They enjoyed the scream. Rusty curled up and put her hooves over her ears, but that did nothing to stop it. Was it all just in her head? It seemed so real!
"Make it stop! Make it stop! STOP IT!" she whimpered.
Strong claws gripped her around her shoulders. She was lifted up and looked into Gustaf's yellow eyes. "You're okay. We're here. Focus!"
She stared at his beak, examined the scar in minute detail as her only source of reality in the world of that scream. She reached out and grabbed Gustaf around his chest, then buried her face in his feathers, hoping they would muffle the sound. They didn't and Rusty Bones shuddered in Gustaf's grasp as the tormented, wailing shriek went on and on. Slowly, the cry of pain ebbed, then vanished. Rusty was left sobbing softly into Gustaf while he patted her back. She was dangling from his grip and her hind legs scrabbled to find purchase on his knees to keep her upright.
The others were gathered around, their faces full of concern and fear. "Are you okay, Miss Bones?" Ember Clover asked. "What's the matter? What happened?"
Rusty had to swallow a few times before she could speak. "The al-altar. Is it empty? Is nopony on it? Dead?"
"Of course it's empty," Curio said, but all three of them turned to look at the thing. "It's been empty for thousands of years, Miss Bones. What did you see?"
She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut, but she still tried to answer. "Pony being killed. Earth pony. Stallion. S-Slash on his belly. Others standing around. Hoods. So much blood!"
There was an 'urk' sound from Winter Shine, as if she were about to vomit, and a sharp intake of breath from Ember Clover. Only the Professor seemed unperturbed. "I've read about this," he said. "Sometimes, in places of high background magic where horrible things happened, sometimes the fragments, the echoes of memories can linger about. I suppose it is possible you saw one."
Having an explanation, any explanation helped a little and Rusty forced herself to relax. She released her death grip around Gustaf and the griffin took a grateful, deep breath of air. "Sorry," she murmured to him. "Earth pony strength."
"It's okay. I don't mind," Gustaf whispered back and patted her mane before letting her slip down to her hooves.
She closed her eyes and took a few more breaths to steady herself, then looked at the altar again. It was empty. There was no sign of blood. No dripping sound.
"I've been hearing that blood drip for days," Rusty muttered.
"What do you mean?" Curio asked.
"When we were sleeping. Just before I fell asleep I thought I heard water dripping. It was the blood. I don't- I don't understand how."
"A fragment of a memory echo?" the Professor suggested. It was the best explanation they were likely to get. "We'll know more once we have a few more specialized unicorns in here."
"Did you notice anything like that?"
The stallion shook his head. "Not really."
"What about when you wandered off tonight?"
He was silent, but eventually he had to nod his head. "I guess that could have been the explanation. Anyway, now we know so we can guard against it. Let's keep looking."
Rusty shook her head firmly. There had been too much weirdness for her and even the stalwart adventurer was shaken to her core. The Professor had explained it, calmly, and she believed him, but a deep, irrational part of her demanded they leave as quickly as they possibly could. "No. We've seen enough. We know what was going on here. Let's go. We can come back with a full expedition."
The Professor flattened his ears in annoyance and argued: "One more hour. Ember can finish drawing the symbols from the walls and Winter and myself will transcribe the rest of the altar."
"We've seen enough," Rusty repeated.
Curio was shaking his head wildly. "No! One more hour! We have to stay!"
His vehemence surprised them all after his calm moments before, and the two students came over so they could put their hooves around their teacher. "Why are you so adamant, Professor?" Ember Clover asked.
Rusty wouldn't budge. "Everypony, pack up. We're going. Can you grab my lamp, Gustaf?"
Curio Trinket shouted: "NO!" and pushed up. He shook off his students' hooves and his horn glared into bright light. Before anypony could react a pulse of light pushed away from him and slammed the two youngsters against the walls.
Winter Shine squealed as she flew, but it cut off when she impacted and slid down to lie in an unmoving heap. On the opposite side of the room Ember tried to catch himself with his wings, but he couldn't prevent himself from colliding with the wall. He gave a grunt and fell.
"What are you-" Rusty's yell was cut off when Curio's magical glow picked her up and lifted her into the air. The whole world whirled around her as she kicked to try and free herself. She heard a grind of metal as Gustaf drew his sword. "No, d-don't kill him! Don't- OOF!"
All breath left her body as she slammed down on the altar. The metal rings dug painfully in her limbs, but luckily nothing got broken by the impact. Her vision swam, but she saw the griffin attacking the Professor with the sword. The bird was batted away and his weapon clanged on the floor. That didn't stop Gustaf and he was already reaching into his bag for his knives, when Curio's aura gripped his limbs. The Professor was straining to hold him and the restraints around Rusty Bones softened momentarily while the stallion diverted his attention. His magic plucked the throwing knives and sent them flying to his two students.
"STOP! Or they die!" Curio yelled.
"Stop!" Rusty joined in. She had been about to swing at the unicorn, but stayed her hoof. The knives were poised above the two prone ponies, if Curio let them drop they would impale.
The griffin stopped, but he snarled a curse at the Professor. His claws clenched and unclenched, but he didn't advance.
Curio smirked in self-satisfaction. "Good. Now move away. Slowly, mind you. To the entrance. Go."
Gustaf caught Rusty's gaze and she nodded desperately. Trying to fight the Professor would result in two young ponies dying and it would be her fault. She closed her eyes and went limp. "Why? Why are you doing this, Curio?"
The stallion grunted. "Shut up. All I- blood, all I need is your blood. You don't have to die."
Her eyes flew open in terror and Rusty looked at the old Professor. There was a manic grin on his muzzle and his eyes-
They were completely black! His right eye twitched spasmodically and he blinked every now and then to get rid of it. Here an there Curio jerked his head, as if trying to shake something loose.
"Please, whatever's gotten into you, fight it. Curio! This isn't you!"
All she got in reply was a wordless snarl as the unicorn floated one of Gustaf's knives to her face. She stared, transfixed, at the point just above her muzzle.
"Please, p-please don't!"
They heard a soft sigh and a shaky voice: "Professor?" Winter Shine was struggling to her hooves, but she froze when her teacher turned to her.
"Stay there!" he commanded. "I don't need you. M-Move- take a step and you die!"
The knife, which had been floating above her, moved to where she could see it and pointed straight at her heart. Winter Shine did as commanded and there came the soft sound of liquid splashing from behind her. For an instant Rusty was afraid he had already cut her, but the acrid smell of urine told her what was really happening. Her terror was amusing to Curio and he chuckled as he waved the knife around. Winter Shine whimpered as it drew nearer, but she didn't dare move a single muscle.
"Right, where were we?" Curio muttered to himself. His eyes looked inward and he intoned: "In the heart of the Sun there is the Moon. Place the unworthy in the middle and spill their life upon the stone. Their blood will part the Darkness and the way to its inner Light will be revealed to you."
It sounded familiar, but twisted. It was the rhyme Ember Clover had told her when they were trying to open the entrance to the city!
"What?! That's not how it went!" Rusty shouted.
"This is precisely how it goes. The version written in your books is a lie," Curio said. He focused on the knife above Rusty again and it moved lower. She had a sudden vision of her own belly being slit open and her muscles tensed as she prepared for the agony.
"Hmm," Curio murmured to himself. His muzzle scrunched up and the blade wavered in his magical grip. "No no no," he muttered in a low whisper, but he was near enough Rusty for her to hear. "We might- mm."
The twitch in his eye grew more violent. "Yes! Ha! We can- we- always- why not, why not later?" he rambled, apparently to himself, but his voice was urgent and filled with strain.
He was completely insane, Rusty realized with a sinking feeling. Her bowel shriveled up in a ball of ice. The Professor had snapped, or maybe something had taken him over. His eyes! No normal pony should have eyes which are completely black, like two globs of ink.
"Please, Professor, stop this", she wailed in desperate, useless pleading. "Don't do this!"
The knife trembled in Curio's magical grip, then moved from her belly to her foreleg as the stallion grunted and jerked his head this way and that. Rusty's mind worked in overdrive and thoughts flashed through her consciousness almost before she was aware of them. Abject terror filled her with adrenaline and she tightened all her muscles, trying to break free of the unicorn's magical grip while he seemed preoccupied.
She had to- If she could break one hoof free and hit him...
The knife would find her, but it would go in her leg, not her belly now. She would lose a lot of blood if he cut her there, but at least that wound wouldn't spill her insides on the altar! The glow of bonds around her limbs brightened as Curio poured more effort into keeping her still, and his face contorted into an expression of twisted rage. The knife flicked back to her belly, but before Rusty could do much more than yell out there was a loud clang and Curio's eyes crossed.
He slid smoothly to the floor and the knives clanged as they fell. The one above Rusty's midriff nicked her, but the blade had twisted as it fell and it was just a minor scratch. Winter Shine gave a small yelp and Rusty prayed the other weapon hadn't found its mark.
Behind the Professor was Ember Clover, his pot held in both hooves. How he had moved that silently Rusty would never know, but she was immensely grateful to the pegasus. In two steps Gustaf was beside them, one claw going to Ember's withers and the other to pluck up his knife from the altar.
"Shit! Winter Shine?!" Rusty called out.
"F-Fine!" Winter managed to croak out. It seemed Ember Clover's timing had been perfect.
"Thank you! Oh, sweet Celestia, thank you!" Rusty trilled to the pegasus.
Their saviour gave her a grim smile, then looked down at the professor. His eyes were closed, but the stallion was still breathing. "What do we do now?"
She thought quickly. "He wasn't himself. I don't know if it's some kind of madness or something down here took control of him. We've all seen and heard strange things. We tie him up and bring him out with us, then we get help!"
"Um g-guys?" Winter Shine said in a trembling voice. "We- we have to go."
Rusty looked at the mare, but Winter was staring fixedly at the far wall. They followed her gaze and Rusty nudged Ember aside with her hoof so she could see. The symbol with the eclipse was gone. In its place was a pool of oily blackness. Slow ripples moved across the surface, like some obscene, vertical pool of inky water.
"What in Tartarus is that?!" Gustaf whispered.
Rusty spoke quickly: "We need to go. Grab what you can. Ember, put the Professor on my back and hold him here. Go!"
The only problem was Winter Shine, who had apparently frozen to the spot. She was whimpering in a low voice and another dribble of liquid splashed under her. The reaction was understandable. The ring of blackness was pulsing and a thousand thin tendrils of pure shadow were reaching out, seeking.
Rusty didn't know what would happen if they touched a living pony, but she wasn't about to find out. "Go! M-Move! Gustaf, bring Winter!" She slipped to the floor and braced her legs while Ember lifted his Professor up on her back. "The light! Bring the lights!"
Unfortunately, her own lantern, forgotten at the far wall, was already being consumed by the darkness. Ember took a few steps and grabbed his own lamp in his mouth, then he hurried back. He used a hoof to steady the Professor on Rusty's back and his wings to keep his own balance as they hurried around the altar.
On her other side Gustaf manually picked up the stricken Winter Shine, slung her on his shoulder and took his sword with his free claw. "Move!" he shouted. He let Rusty and Ember leave first with their unconscious unicorn, then followed right on their hooves. The chamber was growing dim as the black pool sucked all light out of it.
The tendrils were already at the altar. How far could they reach? Would they follow them all the way outside? Rusty put on more speed and her hooves pounded the fallen door to splinters. They were out of the sacrificial chamber. She glanced back to make sure Gustaf was with them, then headed for the stairs.
"Hurry. Hurry," she urged them.
A low rumble began behind them and she suddenly had a vision of the tunnels collapsing upon them. That gave her more speed and after a moment she heard Gustaf's paw-steps catch up.
In her mind's eye she remembered the countless empty passages they had walked on their way down. They were a long way from the entrance. They would need to rest, maybe sleep.
Chapter 13
Rusty Bones had to stop in the well room. The stairs had gone up far longer than she remembered and her legs were about to collapse under her. Her lungs strained and she saw bright spots dance before her eyes.
"Hold-" It was barely a gasp, but the others were more than willing to rest for a moment.
Rusty let the Professor slide down from her back and examined his face. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be sleeping peacefully, for now. Would his madness return if he woke up? Could they keep him out cold all the way back to civilization?
"Rope! Give me some rope! We have to tie Curio up. If he wakes up like- like he was, he could be dangerous."
"What about his magic?" Gustaf pointed out.
Rusty lowered her head and closed her eyes for a moment. They were looking to her for answers, but she didn't have any. She searched her memory for everything she knew about unicorns. "Winter Shine? Winter, look at me!"
The mare was still in Gustaf's arms with her hooves around the griffin's neck. Her face was pressed in the mass of feathers on his chest and it didn't look like she intended to let go anytime soon.
"Damn it, Winter, pull yourself together!"
An ear flicked her way, which was an encouraging sign. Gustaf patted the distraught mare on her back and murmured something to her. It worked and she slowly let him go. Of course, as soon as he lowered her to the floor Winter's hing legs folded up beneath her, but at least she remained sitting upright.
"Winter! Can you block the Professor's magic?" Rusty asked.
The poor unicorn looked at her teacher, then back at the adventurer. Her eyes were wide and incredulous and she shook her head.
"Are you sure? Isn't there, I don't know, a spell to keep him safe? Think, mare!"
"I- I- I'm not- ack " Winter began, but something caught in her throat and she coughed. It took her nearly a minute to get back control over her breathing. "Sorry," she gasped, "I don't think I'm strong enough. The- The Professor is much more powerful than me!"
"Try, damn it! We don't have a lot of choices!"
Gustaf raised a claw. He was glaring at the older unicorn as he made his suggestion: "I'll carry him. If he so much as makes a peep, I'll bonk him on the head again. That'll keep him nice and quiet until we're out of here."
It could work, but Rusty didn't like the idea so she shook her head. "Only as a last resort. We don't want to give him brain damage."
"Um," Ember Clover piped up, "are we sure he hasn't got that already? He wasn't exactly acting like himself down there."
"I don't know. It was like- like something took him over."
At those words there was a quiet eep from Winter Shine. They all looked at her and Rusty thought her eyes were even larger, with the pupils the tiniest pinpricks. "They- they're talking!" the mare moaned and lay down. She put her forelegs over her head as if to shut the sound out. "They're calling me!"
"Who is? Who's calling you, Winter?!" Rusty called out to her.
"I don't knoooooow!" it came out as a wail.
Gustaf leaned down and put a claw on her withers. "Hey, it's fine. We'll keep you safe. Nopony will hurt you, okay?"
Unfortunately Winter Shine wasn't quite listening. She shook her head and babbled: "No. They're not ponies! They're- please, make them stop!"
Rusty was about to ask something else, but the question simply vanished from her mind when she realized the air was moving. A gentle wind was ruffling the fur on her muzzle. It was a completely unexpected thing after days of stillness and quiet. She turned her head around, trying to triangulate where the breeze was coming from. It led her to the well in the middle of the room and she cautiously approached.
"Miss Bones, what are you-" Ember began, but she held up a hoof.
"Shush!"
The edge of the well loomed before her and Rusty took a deep breath before daring to look into it. It was just a black hole, but there was definitely a breeze flowing up from it. She carefully sniffed, but the air had no scent. Then her ear caught something. A low rumble, deep below them.
"We have to move," she said. That dark, foreboding shaft filled her with nameless dread and she backed away from it, ears pinned back. "Now!"
"I'll take the Professor," Gustaf said and hurried over to pick the unconscious pony up. He hefted him up on his shoulder, making it look easy as he balanced on his hind legs.
Rusty didn't like that idea, but she also didn't have much choice. "Can you walk like that? I mean, how far..."
The bird grimaced, but a moment later his features settled into stoic determination. "It won't be comfortable, but I'll do it. Let's move."
"We'll take turns to give you a chance to rest. Yell out if he starts waking up."
"Got it."
He started down the corridor where they had come in, a day and a lifetime ago. Rusty was waiting for Winter Shine, who seemed paralyzed with fear and was having trouble getting her legs under her.
Rusty Bones hurried over and put both hooves on Winter's shoulders. "Winter! Look at me. We're leaving. We're out of it. Nothing can touch you all the way here, okay? Ignore what you're seeing or hearing and concentrate on walking. Come on."
Ember took position on the mare's other side and they both nuzzled the stricken unicorn up to her hooves. She took a step, which seemed to give her courage and the next came easier.
"Good, just like that. Come on," Ember said, his voice full of encouragement. "I'll take the light!"
They picked up speed and stumbled after Gustaf. Just before they left the room Rusty glanced back and her breath hitched. A mass of black, oily smoke was rising from the well. She hastened her steps and a moment later Ember and Winter matched her. They didn't look back, which was just as well. If Winter Shine saw what was behind she might find herself unable to walk again out of sheer terror. What in Tartarus was that thing?! Where had it come from? What had it done to the Professor? Rusty glanced at the unicorn mare next to her and bit her lower lip. Was it trying to do the same to Winter as well? If it did, could they fight and subdue two unicorns? Could they carry them out, even if they managed to knock both of them unconscious?
They came to an intersection where Gustaf was waiting for them. He was looking back, but turned and continued when he saw them. There was a short flight of stairs and Rusty began to breathe a little more easily. They were out of the temple. Perhaps whatever evil was after them couldn't leave it, or else they would have encountered it sooner.
She forced herself to slow down and called out to Gustaf. "Slow! Conserve our strength."
In her mind's eye she sped through the miles and miles of corridors, shafts, stairways and intersections. They were such a long way down. They'd have to stop and rest eventually, sleep if they could. Even at the fastest pace they could maintain for long periods they would need more than a day to reach the housing section. A few more hours to the bazaar from that. It was perhaps another day of walking to get to the grand hall from the bazaar, and then...
She thought longingly about that little guard office right up at the entrance. That quaint trap door in the corridor. It felt like it had happened a lifetime ago, to entirely different ponies.
Maybe, in a way, it had.
Gustaf settled down into a steady, two-legged trot, one which the tough old bird looked like he could keep up for hours and hours. The other three ponies fell in step with the griffin, determined to put as much distance between themselves and the temple as they could before stopping to rest. At least they weren't carrying as much water, and they would have even less as they went on.
A couple of hours passed in silence, only broken by heavy breathing and an occasional whimper from Winter Shine. Gustaf was the first to begin flagging, a result of his unnatural, upright gait and carrying the unconscious unicorn. Winter Shine didn't look much better and Rusty herself was beginning to feel her own lungs strain at the air.
"Okay-" she gasped out, "okay. Rest. Stop."
They came to a halt and gratefully sat on their haunches. Gustaf lowered Curio down to the floor, then reached for his flask of spirits. Rusty would have liked some too, but the griffin drained the last of it and let the metal container fall to the ground. It was just extra weight.
"You okay?" she asked him.
He gave a nod, all the while fighting to get his breathing under control. "Will be. Hard to run like that and the Professor isn't the lightest of ponies. I'll be fine."
She kept her eye on the griffin, but ultimately decided to believe him. He was a warrior, he knew lying about his condition wouldn't help anypony and would only cause more problems.
"You two? Oh, Winter, I need you to block the Professor's magic."
"I don't think I-"
"Try," Rusty insisted.
The mare gulped and cast wide, fearful eyes at her teacher. She took a tentative step closer to his prone form and lowered her head. Her horn began to glow and the magic extended from her to the stallion.
Rusty wasn't sure what exactly she was expecting, but nothing much was happening. The two ponies were connected by that unearthly glow for a while, then Winter sagged. "I can't. I'm sorry, I just can't. He's too powerful!"
It was bad news and Rusty Bones tried hard not to think about brain damage. They'd do what they had to and she'd prefer to get the unicorn out alive, even if he was the worse for wear. "Anything else we could do? Is there, like a potion or something? No, even if there is, why would you have it with you..."
"What about the wire trick?" Ember Clover suggested.
"The what?"
Winter Shine stared at him. "How do you- um, no. That's like a trick bullies in dorms play on unicorns."
"What's the wire trick?" Rusty demanded.
Ember Clover explained, but he didn't sound too certain about the facts: "It's like, when students want to prank a unicorn in the dorms, they wrap a copper wire around their horn while they sleep. I think it messes with their magic somehow."
Rusty transferred her gaze to Winter Shine wordlessly and the mare lowered her ears. "It's true," she confirmed. "If you try and do magic with metal wire around your horn it- well, it's not pleasant."
"Not pleasant how?"
"Blinding headache," Winter Shine explained. "The spell fizzles and- um, it hurts."
"Does it have to be copper?" Rusty asked.
"Any kind of metal," the unicorn mare said.
Ember Clover sighed. "Which we don't have."
Rusty almost groaned in despair when Gustaf reached into his pack and pulled out something glittering. "Here, but I'm gonna want this back."
"What is it?"
He held it aloft, a thin, sparkling chain. It looked silver and there was a tiny, clear gemstone attached in the middle. Diamond, perhaps, if Rusty had to guess. She opened her mouth to ask the griffin why he had such a thing, then changed her mind. He might have taken it from the ruins, but she didn't think so. Gustaf wasn't a thief. Probably something with sentimental value, then.
"You'll get it back, I promise."
Gustaf held the prize out to Winter Shine, who shook her head, aghast. "I'm- I don't wanna do it! You don't touch another unicorn's horn!"
With a sigh Gustaf bent over the unconscious Professor himself. "Fine, I'll do it. I just wrap it around his horn?"
"Yeah, and maybe tie it around his head so it doesn't fall off," Ember Clover suggested. At least the stallion wasn't as squeamish as his classmate and went over to help.
Rusty Bones took one of her last few bags of water and emptied it. She dropped the plastic on the floor, glad that it meant a tiny bit less weight for her to carry. She was looking in her saddlebags to gauge the state of her provisions when Ember Clover yelled, followed shortly by a screech from Gustaf.
Metal clanged against the stone wall and Winter Shine jumped back in fright. Curio was awake! His magical aura held Gustaf's sword and Rusty saw, to her horror, that it was dripping with blood!
"No no no no, buck no!" she stammered and rushed forward.
There was no time for finesse. They couldn't fight a mad, possessed unicorn. Gustaf was wrestling with the weapon and Ember held the Professor's limbs down, both had their hooves, or claws, full. Curio himself had a grotesque snarl on his muzzle and he struggled with both of his assailants. His eyes were still completely dark.
Just as Rusty Bones reached the melee, Curio went limp and the magic vanished. He closed his eyes and turned away. "Please!" he begged. "Get it out! Stop it!" He cursed in an unrecognizable language, then shifted back: "I'm sorry! I didn't- gah!"
His horn began to glow again.
"Winter! Do something!" Rusty yelled, but the mare was curled up and crying, lost to her immediate surroundings.
There was no way to tell what spell Curio was preparing and Rusty didn't dare risk it. A unicorn could be extremely deadly if they wanted to be. She lifted her hoof and, with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, brought it sharply against the Professor's temple. She felt, more than heard, a dull thwack and Curio yelled out in pain. She smacked him again and his head bounced against the floor. His eyes lost some of the darkness and she could see hints of white at the edges. The magic winked out.
"Quick! Gustaf, the chain!"
The griffin didn't have to be told twice. He gave the sword to her and she immediately understood. He didn't want the Professor to snatch it again. Rusty couldn't really hold a sword, but she dropped it on the ground and stood on it. That was the best she could come up with on short notice. In the meantime Gustaf was frantically winding the silver chain around Curio's horn. When he was done, he reached into his pack and took out a fine, but sturdy spool of string. He nipped off several lengths with a precision only a sharp griffin beak could offer, then tied the ends of the chain under the Professor's chin and around the back of his head.
It was done in no more than a minute and just in time, because Curio was already coming to his senses. His muzzle twisted into an expression of rage and he tried to use his magic against them again. There was a flash and a sort of a 'sizzling sputter', or at least that was how Rusty remembered the effect. It winked out almost as quickly as it came on and the Professor cried out in pain.
"What have you done to me?!" he demanded.
He began to struggle again, but between Ember Clover and Gustaf they quickly subdued him and tied his hooves together. Curio couldn't fight them off, but he screamed profanities at them until Gustaf shoved his handkerchief in the stallion's mouth and tied it there with more string.
They all sat down, panting and bewildered. Rusty Bones realized she was dripping with sweat and her leg was going numb from pressing down against the sword so hard. She picked the weapon up gingerly and gave it back to the griffin.
Only then did she remember the blood. "Buck! Who's hurt? There's blood!"
Gustaf grimaced and reached behind him. "He got my wing! The bastard was pretending he was still unconscious and grabbed my sword with his magic."
"Let me see!"
Rusty was not a doctor, but she had some experience with first aid. It was pretty much a requirement for her line of work and she had learned the skill while hoping she would never have to use it. Gustaf looked like he was about to argue, but blood was dripping from his feathers and Rusty's expression brokered no disagreement. He sighed and turned around so she could examine him. The cut was not deep, but it was bleeding profusely. Rusty fetched her tiny first aid kit from her bag and pressed clean gauze against it. She was being as gentle as she could, but a wound like that was undoubtedly painful. Despite that, Gustaf never even flinched.
"You won't fly with that," Ember Clover commented.
"I know."
"How bad is it, Miss Bones?" the pegasus addressed his question to Rusty.
"It's not deep, but it's a long gash. I'll bind it up, we have to get the bleeding stopped. I think it's gonna be fine, but we should hurry and get you to a real doctor."
"Sounds like a plan," Gustaf agreed.
They looked at Curio, who was glaring at them balefully.
"What do you think got into him?" Ember Clover asked, now that they had a moment of peace.
"I honestly don't know. Maybe it's the same thing that got into those cultists all those years ago? He was going to cut me open on that altar." A new whimper from Winter Shine reminded them of the mare. Rusty nearly groaned at how useless the young unicorn was, but kept her emotion in check. Winter hadn't signed up for any of this. She had come to explore an ancient ruin, nothing more. She wasn't a hardened adventurer. "Ember, can you- you know?" she murmured and jerked her head at the mare.
"Sure." he answered and walked over. "Hey, it's okay now. We tied him up, it's safe. Come on, we have to keep going."
After that his words devolved into soft murmurs and Rusty had a few minutes to speak with Gustaf in relative privacy. "You okay to go on? I'll take Curio, if somepony walks beside me and keeps him steady. We'll take turns. Buck me, but it's uphill most of the way, too."
"We could solve this problem, and the issue of our supplies. I saw you counting," Gustaf said. His claw went to the bandage on his wing and he looked angrily at the Professor.
It took Rusty a moment to realize what Gustaf was suggesting, but then she shook her head in a firm no. "We're not leaving him behind, nor killing him, Gustaf. He's one of us, even if he is possessed or something right now."
The griffin's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Are you sure he hasn't been working for them the whole time? He kept insisting we have to come down here and he seemed to know the way pretty well."
"We had a map. For the record, I agreed we should explore this far down, so it's my fault too."
"Yes, but-"
"No, and that's final!" Rusty said irritably and the other two ponies looked at the sudden noise. She lowered her voice. "I mean it. Only if there's no other way and right now he seems quiet. We got it under control and we're taking him out! Somepony can help him back home."
Gustaf sighed and lowered his head for a moment. "Okay, I just hope he doesn't have any more tricks up his mane."
"I'll take him for the next part, then Ember. Then Winter, if she's better by then."
For an instant it looked as if Gustaf would object, but he hung his head and recognized the logic in her decision: "Agreed."
"Let's rest a few more minutes. I'll watch behind us, you three eat something."
Chapter 14
Rusty had been hoping they would make it past the living quarters that day, but unfortunately her little group took a wrong turn and had to backtrack, which had delayed them. The good news was that there didn't seem to be any sign of pursuit. The bad news was that Curio's backpack and gear were down in the temple, which meant they had less water than she had planned for. While they rested, Rusty Bones took a quick inventory and calculated they would have enough for the trip back. That brought her to the next problem: Curio Trinket. He hadn't struggled while she had carried him, but now he was sitting uncomfortably with his forelegs tied together behind his back and glaring at her. They would need to give him food and water and Rusty wasn't sure he would cooperate. Off to one side Gustaf was carefully stretching his bandaged wing, but soon gave up and folded it firmly at his side.
"Gustaf? Can you take his gag off?"
It was fiddly work for hooves and Rusty didn't think Winter Shine would be up for it with her magic. During their walk the mare had retreated inward and now she was standing a short distance away and staring into the darkness. Rusty really had to do something before Winter lost her sanity too, but she had her hooves full with the Professor. One problem at a time.
Their griffin guard came closer, glaring all the while at the unicorn who had injured him. "You sure you wanna hear what he has to say?"
"We have to give him water," she explained. She addressed her next statement to Curio: "We'll take the gag out and give you water, understand?"
There was no response, other than that baleful, unnerving stare. His pupils were still completely black. Gustaf figured she wouldn't change her mind and pulled at the knot on the back of Curio's head. The handkerchief fell out with a wet plop and the stallion worked his jaw to loosen it.
Rusty took her half-finished water bag from her pack and showed it to the Professor. "It's just water, okay?"
He didn't make a move, so she uncapped it and held it close to Curio. She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting, but she relaxed when he leaned forward a little. She tipped the bag up until the water trickled slowly into his mouth. Curio didn't swallow, so she took it away. Rusty had a second to wonder what was wrong before Curio spit it all at her. Most of it ended up in her face and she yelped and jumped away. She shook the spittle out of her fur while the stallion laughed.
"Still think that was a good idea?" Gustaf asked. "Let's gag him again. He'll keep a few days. Maybe he'll be more amenable once we're outside. Besides, that means more water for the rest of us."
There was some logic in the griffin's words and the ugly smirk in Curio's face was fanning her own anger, too. "Just what in the bucking- buck is wrong with you?!" she exploded. The strangeness of the past day caught up and Rusty was dimly aware her legs were trembling. She locked her knees in place and pointed an accusing hoof at the Professor. "What's with your eyes?! Why did you- why did you try and kill me down there?!"
There was no immediate reply, but the grin on Curio's muzzle vanished and his ears drooped. He closed his eyes and averted his face. A low, whimpering sound came out of his mouth.
Rusty perked up in a mixture of surprise and tentative hope. Had they reached him? Was he fighting through this madness? "Curio, whatever it is, we're here to help. We're your friends!" She took a small step closer and reached out a hoof to place it on his withers, to give the poor stallion some comfort. His shoulders were shaking badly now. "It's okay. Fight it! We're getting you out of here."
Suddenly Rusty realized that the Professor was not sobbing. He opened his black eyes and the sardonic grin was back. He was laughing at them!
"Bastard!" Gustaf exclaimed and raised his claw to slap the unicorn.
"No, don't!" Rusty ordered.
His claws tightened into fists for a moment, but then the griffin subsided. He looked at her and voiced the question Rusty was unable to utter herself: "Are we sure he even is Curio Trinket still? It doesn't sound like him."
The stallion looked around and his gaze landed on Winter Shine. His rictus of a grin returned and he turned those black eyes back to Rusty. "You are all already dead," he said in a voice which was like gravel. He sounded so certain that it sent a shiver down Rusty Bones' spine. He also kept his gaze on Winter Shine and Rusty realized her mistake. She ran over to Winter Shine, who was still looking off into the darkness.
"Leave her alone!"
Curio spat and a snarl replaced his smirk. "The horn is a doorway in," he whispered and it sounded as he hadn't meant for them to hear those words. The next thing out of his mouth was louder, but in a language Rusty didn't recognize. She reached the other mare and put her forelegs around her. That close, she could hear Winter softly moaning to herself.
"Shut up! Stop it!" Rusty yelled at Curio.
The Professor didn't obey and just went on in that strange, guttural language. It sounded rough and it fit the deep, grinding voice perfectly.
"I'll make him stop," Gustaf said. He put himself between the possessed stallion and Winter Shine. There was a crackle of discharging magic and both the griffin and the unicorn cried out in pain. Only a moment later Curio's litany of words resumed, faster.
Rusty didn't have time to look. Winter Shine was shaking all over and her hoof jerked spasmodically as she lifted it to her head. "N-N-No..." she whimpered, "I wo- I won't. No! Please, p- no..."
"Shut him the buck up!"
There was a loud thud and Curio Trinket fell silent.
In her hooves, Winter Shine nearly collapsed in relief and Rusty barely kept the other mare upright. She was panting and sweat was pouring off her in rivulets. "Ember! Come here!"
The young pegasus was by her side in a flash and he looked extremely worried. "You need to see to Gustaf!" he said urgently.
"I will, I will. Here, take Winter. See if you can calm her down!"
He accepted the gently-sobbing unicorn and held her in a safe cocoon of his wings while Rusty Bones hurried back. The sight was not pretty. Gustaf's face was slightly singed and a few of the feathers had been burned off. He was rubbing his claw and gritting his teeth as he watched the Professor, once more unconscious.
"I told you he was dangerous," the bird almost growled.
"I know! I know! I'm sorry!" It was the best Rusty could answer. It had all happened too quickly. She hadn't expected Curio to be able to possess others like that. "The thing he said! Just before that- that language."
"The horn is a door," Gustaf answered. "It can take control over unicorns. We shouldn't let him wake up again."
For an instant Rusty was tempted. She knew Gustaf would make it quick and as painless as possible. Curio was a liability. Who knew what else he could do, even with his horn out of commission. She looked at the griffin and his charred feathers. "What happened? How? I thought he couldn't use magic."
"I guess you thought wrong," the griffin replied. He touched his face and winced, but only for a moment before his scowl returned.
"Here, let me look at that. Maybe I have something in my first aid kit."
Gustaf stood up and strode away. "Don't bother."
"But I can help-"
"If you want to help, Miss Bones, then bucking listen to my advice when I tell you to-" Luckily he caught himself and fell silent before blurting out his plan to kill the Professor right before his students. Despite what had happened, Rusty stood her ground and caught Gustaf's eye. He threw his arms in the air. "Bah, I need to clear my head!" he barked and strode off into the darkness. Rusty didn't have the energy to stop him right at the moment.
"It was supposed to stop his magic!" she said helplessly.
Ember Clover raised his voice, even while his hooves and wings were still wrapped protectively around his classmate. "It doesn't prevent a unicorn from using magic, it just makes it fizzle and hurts them. The energy still has to go somewhere. I just-" He fell silent and sighed.
"What?"
"I never knew a unicorn who would do that willingly. They say it feels like a bolt gun right into the brain."
"He's not himself," Rusty repeated.
This time it was Winter Shine who answered: "He said it was going to kill us. He said it can kill us whenever it wants to! It- it was in my head! Tendrils of darkness..." Even in the dim light the mare looked incredibly pale. She was just about ready to fall over and Rusty didn't know if she could walk any further right then.
"Okay, we'll rest here for half an hour. Eat something. Drink. Then we'll go on."
"Miss Bones... it said we'll never leave this place," Winter Shine said, but her voice was a question. She wanted to be reassured by someone she saw as authority. "It said it will kill us all."
"Are you going to believe it? I say if it could, it already would have. It's making threats because that's all it can do. It'll get easier to ignore as we get further away."
That last was pure guesswork on her part, but Rusty remembered how Curio's weird madness had become worse the deeper they got. She hoped it was a distance thing, not a time thing. In either case, they had to get out as soon as possible. "We rest, then we keep going. We'll go until we can't anymore, okay? Ember, you're next to carry the Professor, you up for it?"
The stallion stood straighter and Rusty imagined he would salute if he didn't still have his hooves around Winter Shine. "Yes, miss. I can do it."
"Good. I'll go find Gustaf and tell him."
The griffin had wandered off, but she remembered the vague direction he took. Rusty picked up one of their lanterns and went to follow. He probably hadn't gotten far. She soon came to the end of the tunnel, or perhaps she could call it a street. She hadn't found Gustaf and realized he must have gone into one of the dwellings.
"Damn that bird," she mused.
He had been professional and stoic, so Rusty had been completely unprepared for what seemed like a temper tantrum. She began making her way back and shone her light into each entrance as she passed them.
She quickly found Gustaf. "Hey."
He was sitting in one of the 'houses', on a stone bench under a window. Well, at least Rusty assumed it was a window, since it was approximately waist high and was beside the entrance. "I still think he's too dangerous. We shouldn't risk bringing him with us. You certainly shouldn't have left him alone with the young ones."
"I know, but I had to find you. We're resting half hour, then we're going. We'll sleep when we can't walk any more."
"Agreed."
He would do exactly what she said, Rusty knew, but he was unhappy. "Talk to me, Gustaf," she prompted.
"I said what I wanted to, boss."
"Celestia blast it, we're not killing Curio. Before you ask, we're not leaving him behind either. He's one of us and I'm responsible to bring him back alive."
The bird stared at her, then said quietly: "Are you sure it's him you're bringing back? Rusty, he took my sword and would have run me over without a moment's hesitation. The only reason I'm alive is because whatever that is, it wasn't familiar with a sword, or with a unicorn's magic." His claw went to the bandage around his wing while Rusty sat down on the ledge beside him.
"I know. I get it, I really do. I know he's dangerous. He damn nearly took over Winter Shine just by talking in that weird voice! But-"
He interrupted her by jabbing a claw in her barrel. "You are paying me to keep you safe! You should bucking let me do my job. Curio is dead! Accept it, cut your losses, and let me get the rest of you out!"
"I don't believe that! Whatever's gotten into him, they can get it out. We just have to bring him out alive!"
They glared at one another and Gustaf was the first one to look away. He gave a grunt of grudging respect. "You ponies don't leave one another behind. Ever. You know, I always thought of it as a weakness." Gustaf glanced back and Rusty saw a faint, wry smile on his beak.
"I take it griffins don't think that way?"
Gustaf shook his head. "Nope. Member of the pride starts acting that way, we put them down and call it a mercy."
"Well, what'd you say if it were Ember who was possessed like that?"
Gustaf controlled himself exceptionally well, but Rusty had been watching and she saw the slight widening of his eyes and the involuntary opening of his beak. It was only momentary and then the griffin had himself under control again. "Same answer."
"That's a lie."
Gustaf groaned and put his face in his claws. "Okay, fine. I'd at least try to save him, but that's only because he has more honour than the rest of you put together." Rusty just quirked up her eyebrow and the bird quickly amended: "Well, except for you, of course. You're sensible." That flew in the face of what he had said a few moments ago, so Gustaf corrected himself a third time: "Well, usually you're sensible!"
She tried to glare, but a quirk of her mouth betrayed her and they both chuckled. "Look, if he attacks us and we have to defend ourselves- well, I'd understand. But as long as he's tied up and gagged we're taking him back. We have unicorns who specialize in mind magic. I'm sure they can save him." She slid from the ledge and picked up the lantern in her mouth again. "Leff 'o!"
Rusty led the way out of the building and looked down the tunnel to where a faint glow betrayed the rest of the group. The layout of the dwellings looked familiar and she realized that just opposite the dwelling Gustaf had picked was the... other one. The one with the family. Part of her wanted to go in and maybe say a few words. Pay her respects. She looked longingly at the dark entrance.
Did she have time? She could take a minute. She put the light down to talk. "Go ahead. I need to- to take a look at something. I'll be right behind you."
Gustaf looked at her, then at the distant glow. He seemed torn between staying near her and going to make sure no mischief was happening with the youngsters and the Professor. They had left them alone for too long as it were. It only took Gustaf a second to decide, then he reached over to pat Rusty's back and strode off. He glanced back and his eyes gleamed like polished golden rings in the dim light. Rusty looked back at the family dwelling and hesitated for a few more seconds. Then she retrieved her lantern and went in.
The room was just as she remembered, of course. The broken table, the scattered cutlery and broken dishes. The sad remains. Except- were there fewer bones than Rusty remembered? She thought furiously back to her previous visit. She knew there were three ponies around the table; the parents and a foal. She could see the larger skulls, but not the smaller one. Had she remembered wrong? Maybe she had only imagined it? A sense of dread filled the mare and she laid her ears flat down. She suddenly wanted out of there, but in her state she missed the door and walked into the bedroom.
There were the missing bones. The scattered bits of wood could have been a crib, if Rusty applied her imagination, and the notion was further strengthened by the tiny skeleton mixed in the rubble. The mare shook her head and forced herself to take a breath. It was alright. She had probably seen the foal in the bedroom and then mixed it up. It was never at the table. When she thought about it for a few seconds it made sense. The past couple of days had been filled with strangeness, fear, panic. Was it any wonder that her memory was warped in places? Especially where strong emotion was concerned. Rusty swung her light around the room, but there was nothing out of place. The metal frame of the master bed was still recognizable, even if most of the wood and the mattress had rotten away. There was a large wardrobe, still mostly intact. She didn't want to touch it. Past experience told her it was liable to fall over at the slightest disturbance. Nothing useful, but that wasn't why she had gone into the dwelling in the first place. Rusty went back into the dining room and looked at the long-dead ponies. She put the light down to free her mouth.
"I- I'm sorry. I don't know who you were, but at least I know you were here. You and your foal. It wasn't right what happened here, but- just- I'm sorry."
It sounded lame even to her ears, but it was the best she could come up with at short notice. A faint sound caught her ear and Rusty glanced back. Her first thought was that she had disturbed a bit of rubble and it had shifted.
Her blood froze in her veins and her breath caught.
It was staring back at her.
A skull, looking out from the darkness of the bedroom. An infant skull. There was a faint, red glow in the dead eye sockets. The jaw moved as the mouth opened. Rusty Bones opened her mouth to yell, but there was no strength in her lungs to move the air, no control in her larynx to shape the sound. Her legs refused to budge. It felt like a dream, one where she was powerless to act. She kept her eyes locked with the dead pony's. As long as she kept it in her sight it couldn't come on her from behind.
"haa- staf..." It had come out as barely a breath, but it was the best she could do. She tried again. "Gustaf."
This time it was no more than a low whisper. She thought about running, but a single hoofstep would end with her collapsed in a heap. The dead foal wasn't doing anything, it was just staring. The door seemed like a solid black curtain and Rusty couldn't see anything past it. It was as if her light just stopped at that boundary.
It had moved!
She hadn't misremembered. The thought was faint and skittered around the edge of her growing panic, but she was aware of it. The foal had been at the table and it had moved to the bedroom. Now it was looking back.
"W- Wha- Waa-", Rusty tried, but her mouth was dry and her tongue refused to work properly. "Wha- you- what do you wa-want?"
The tiny skull leaned to one side, as if in curiosity. Then the corpse of the foal took a step forward. Its foreleg emerged from the darkness.
Rusty's nerveless hind end nearly buckled under her weight. 'Run!' she thought to herself. 'Get the buck out of here!' Her legs refused to move. All she could do was keep staring at the apparition. It took all of her strength of will to fight the blind, maddening panic which was threatening to overwhelm her sanity.
Something grabbed her withers! Something sharp and clawed and rough. "AAAAAH!"
With all of her remaining strength Rusty tried to buck with her hind legs, to kick her attacker off, but her muscles failed her and the best she managed was to make her hind hooves slide out form under her. She collapsed and hit her jaw on the stone floor.
The claws grabbed her and pulled her upright. She looked into Gustaf's burnished-gold eyes. "Rusty! What's wrong?!"
The foal!
"D-D-Dead," she managed to breathe out.
The griffon looked at her strangely. "Dead? What do you mean?"
"Th-There... Dead wal-walking."
This time he looked around in fear, but soon settled back down. "I don't see anything. Where? What's going on?"
His assurance helped and Rusty was able to move. She looked at at the bedroom door. It was dark, but empty. The apparition had gone. Maybe the sound of Gustaf's living voice had driven it away. Rusty swallowed a lump and tried to stand, but her knees wouldn't hold her and she stumbled.
Gustaf deftly caught her and lifted her to her hooves. "Hey, easy. You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I- I- I think I have," she whispered. "Let's get out of here. S-Stay with me, please."
"What are you talking about? There's nothing here."
She managed to lift a badly shaking hoof. "Skull- walking. D-Dead foal. In there."
Before Rusty could stop him, Gustaf walked over and put his head in the bedroom. He was silent for a long while and she began to fear the monster had done something to him. Just as she was opening her mouth to call his name, the griffin looked back. "Very sad," he commented, "but it happened millennia ago. Don't tell me an infant corpse was enough to make you- like that?"
Rusty shook her head. His calm, self-assured voice was doing wonders for her own sanity. She found she was able to move her legs. The paralyzing dread was draining out of her in the face of the solid griffin warrior. He wouldn't even blink in the face of that horror, Rusty knew. He would attack it. "I saw it- that thing. It stood in the doorway and looked out at me. Just- just the skull. It was watching me."
Gustaf looked back into the bedroom once more, then came closer to put his claw on her neck again. "Well, it's mixed in with I guess the crib. The skull is under a few bits of wood. I really don't think it moved in thousands of years."
"I saw it!" Rusty insisted and stomped a hoof.
There was an uncomfortable silence before the griffin broke it: "Um, are you sure it wasn't just- you know."
"Hallucination? N-" Come to think of it, she wasn't sure. She remembered her previous visit and seized onto the detail. "I came in here on our way down! The foal was sitting at the table with the parents. I distinctly remember thinking they died as a family at dinner time! I'm sure I didn't go into the bedroom that time!"
Gustaf was silent.
"I know what I saw! M-Maybe that thing, whatever it is, can bring dead ponies back to life?"
"Maybe it can make ponies think it has."
It sounded reasonable, but Rusty wasn't ready to believe it. She had seen the foal at the table, she was sure of it now. It had moved to the bedroom, and then it had stood in the doorway! "Buck, we have to get out of here!"
"That's what I came to tell you. We've waited for you and I went back when you didn't show up."
"What?! You were gone like five minutes!"
Gustaf shook his head. "Rusty, we waited for over half an hour for you."
It sounded familiar and her breath caught. "Just l-l-like the Professor. In the library!"
Was the madness starting to consume her as well? Rusty quickly calculated how much time after the library episode was Curio possessed. It must have happened in the night when she and Gustaf had found him wandering that staircase. He had probably been down in the temple. That was when she had noticed his eyes had changed color! About thirty hours. It sent a chill down her spine.
"Crap. Crap crap crap, we have to move!" She cast one last glance at the bedroom, but the strange wall of darkness was gone and there was no sign of a walking pony skeleton. Rusty put it out of her mind and ran out to the street.
Gustaf grabbed the light and followed her.
"Gustaf, if anything happens-"
"Hush, nothing is gonna happen. We got out of that altar room and we have the Professor under control."
"Promise- you'll get us out. The youngsters. If y-you- if there's no way-" She sighed and tried to find a way to say it. "If you have to choose, choose them. Promise!"
"Fine. I promise."
It helped and Rusty concentrated on the faint glow up ahead, where the others were waiting. Once more she prayed the distance would help. Maybe if they got far enough away, the evil wouldn't be able to take her, or at least it might be slowed. She looked at Gustaf, who was running beside her, at his sword. "If- If I get like Curio-" She didn't know how to finish that sentence and bit her lip with indecision.
Gustaf solved her dilemma for her: "If that happens, I'll tie you up and we'll take you out. We'll leave him."
"But-"
"No argument! We'll leave him some food and water and we'll get you out. We can get help and come back for him!"
A small, guilty part of her was relieved. "Thanks."
They were almost with the others. Gustaf still had his bags slung on his back, but Rusty had left hers behind when she had gone after him.
"Help Ember with Curio. I'll grab my pack. You know the way?"
He silently shook his head.
Rusty decided quickly: "I'll take lead. We need to get to the Bazaar. We have to take the same route back, there may be traps when we come near the barracks again."
"Agreed. Rusty?"
She gave him a silent, questioning look and saw that Gustaf was smiling. It looked a little forced, but he ha made the effort. "We'll get out of here. It's gonna be fine!"
Rusty Bones really hoped so.
Chapter 15
When they could move no longer Rusty Bones called a stop. They hadn't reached the plaza, but she thought they were close. The tunnel was unfamiliar, though. She took out the map and tried to make sense of their position. It would be the height of irony if she had gotten them lost right when they were in danger.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" she swore softly under her breath.
"Problem?" Gustaf cut in smoothly over her shoulder. She hadn't heard the griffin approach and his sudden appearance made her jump a little.
"Yeesh, don't sneak up on me like that! Here, can you make heads or tails of this?"
She thrust the map at him and Gustaf examined it closely. His claw traced the path from the deep temple up to the living sections. Then he paused. "Hmm, the shortest path would have taken us down a flight of stairs, but we didn't do that. We could have turned left here, instead of going straight. What about the arrows we were supposed to be leaving to find the way back?"
That failure was on Rusty Bones and she looked away in shame. "Two problems. We all got a bit excited when we got near and I guess we hurried too much. We forgot to make them." She looked back at where a tired-looking Ember Clover was standing still with the Professor on his back. The stallion's head was lowered and he was breathing heavily. He was done with carrying the burden until they slept. "Also, would you trust Curio's markings now?"
Gustaf looked at the floor in thought, then back up at the mare. "I see what you mean. Any idea where we are?"
She nosed his forearm until he lowered the map so she could see, then traced a few likely paths. The problem was that the city was absolutely lousy with hundreds of passages going every which way and they all looked pretty much the same.
Rusty sighed in defeat. "If we find some kind of a landmark we'd know, but I don't remember seeing anything like that. We're kinda lost."
"I'll scout around a little."
Rusty was about to say no, fearing that Gustaf might lose his way too, but then she remembered the bazaar. The bird had good orientation and he was good at tracking. He would be able to find his way back. "Okay, but don't get lost."
He cracked his knuckles and picked out a torch from his bags. "The lamps are nearly out," he explained when Rusty looked at him strangely. "Have Winter recharge them while I'm gone."
Mentioning the unicorn reminded Rusty about another important task. She brushed her muzzle against Gustav's side in a wordless 'good luck' and 'goodbye', then walked to Winter, who was trying to wring the last bits of water out of a bag. "Hey."
The other mare lifted her water bag to peer into the opening, then sighed and let it drop. "I only have one left," she said. "I guess that's enough for one day, and then we'll be pretty near the surface, right?"
"Sure thing," Rusty lied.
Their developing water situation put additional pressure on her and Gustaf to find their way. They had to get un-lost, and fast!
"Listen, we should keep moving as long as we can. We've all carried the Professor, except for you. Think you could take him for a bit?"
Already the unicorn was starting to shake her head no, but Rusty forestalled her by wrapping a hoof around her withers.
"Winter, I know it's hard, but he's gagged and he has the chain on his horn. He's safe. I also know how heavy he is, but you can do it, okay?"
Winter's ears were completely flat and she refused to meet Rusty's eyes, but she gave the tiniest of nods.
"It won't be very long," Rusty promised, "we're all tired. An hour, at most, and we'll stop to rest," Rusty went on, then remembered the empty water bag in Winter's magical grip. "It'll bring us that much closer to the outside, where we can make more water."
That clinched it and Winter Shine gave in. She sagged a little, but her nod was a bit more determined this time. "Okay, I'll do it. I-" she swallowed and turned pleading eyes on Rusty Bones. "I'm not... really used to, um, physical labor. I guess you already know that."
Her words came in a whisper and Winter darted furtive glances at Ember Clover, to make sure he couldn't overhear. In deference to the mare baring her heart to her, Rusty also lowered her voice. "I know, but you've gotten stronger in the past few days, okay? Just think of how far you've come already! Besides, the packs are a lot lighter without food and water."
Another gulp, but the words seemed to hearten the mare. She gave another nod, but then asked: "We'll go slow, r-right? I don't think I can move very fast with the Professor..."
She left the end of that sentence hanging in the air, but there was no need to say more. Rusty understood. "We'll go really slow. Besides, Gustaf is scouting ahead for danger," she lied, "so we have a few more minutes to rest. Here, take some of my water."
She hoofed her own water bag over to Winter Shine, who drank a few mouthfuls and then gave it back. "Thanks. You're sure you have enough?"
Rusty didn't want to worry her, so she forced a smile. "I'm an adventurer. This is kinda what I do," she gave the vaguely-reassuring non-answer. It seemed to work and Winter Shine looked more confident. "I'll go and poke my head in that intersection up ahead. I'll take the better lamp, can you recharge the other one?"
"Okay."
Winter Shine walked over to where Ember Clover had laid the older stallion down. He was still bound and gagged. Rusty had considered untying him and making him walk, but she had a feeling that would be more work than it was worth. She didn't imagine whatever malignant evil had possessed the unicorn would meekly follow them when it was doing everything in its power to stop them. She remembered those dead ponies and shuddered. It had probably just been a hallucination, but that didn't say much. It could have been an image put into her mind by the evil in this place, which was even more disconcerting than her seeing things on her own. It hadn't happened since, so Rusty put it out of her mind and walked up to where two tunnels met. She kept near to one wall and carefully leaned her head out to look both ways. Down one side was nothing but darkness. She could see bits of broken wood in the distance, but that was nothing new. There had been a number of ornaments or tables or wardrobes through the passages. She wondered if the ancient ponies considered these tunnels like streets, or more like corridors within a building. She couldn't decide, herself.
Then she looked the other way.
Smoke!
Rusty gasped around the handle in her mouth and nearly dropped the light. Thick, black smoke was billowing from that side of the tunnel. There was a fire somewhere! It could be bad! If there was enough fuel, it would use up all the oxygen and they would suffocate, or pass out from the smoke!
Strange that she hadn't smelled it.
"C-mwfh!" she swore, then quickly put the lantern down. "Gustaf! GUSTAF!"
The other two ponies looked around and Winter Shine let out a startled whinny at the sudden exclamation.
"Crap, he must have dropped the torch!"
It was the only possibility for a fire to start in this deserted city. If there had been any other way, it would have happened long since! Her instincts told her to run away from that encroaching curtain of smoke, but she fought them. Gustaf was in there and if he was still alive she had to find him! Except- running into smoke-filled tunnels would be suicide. Rusty Bones pranced on the edge of that tunnel, desperately trying to come up with the idea but only capable of thinking about that smoke. Soon it would be on them. They had to move themselves if they wanted to survive!
"You two, get the Professor ready! Move!"
There was a scurry of hooves behind her, telling her that the youngsters were obeying. While she waited, Rusty took a half-step toward the smoke, then flattened her ears and changed her mind. It would still be suicide.
"Damn it! Gustaf! Are you in there! GUSTAF!"
She grumbled something about stupid birds and reached for the lantern. She took a deep breath and stepped forward. Maybe they would get lucky and he was near - a few hoofsteps into that cloud. She could hold her breath and run in. She would only be able to search for a few seconds, but she owed it to the griffin to try.
The smoke billowed to the sides of the tunnel, parting as if driven by powerful wind. At first Rusty thought it was just the blaze drawing in fresh air, but she realized she didn't feel the air moving. It would have to be coming from behind her. She put the lamp down once more and licked her nose, then she lifted her head as high as she could reach. The air was completely still.
Yet that smoke was blowing away!
The mare stared in uncomprehending astonishment. There were shapes in there! Pony-shapes! The black, billowing blanket of smoke clung to two forms - two ponies standing upright and watching her. Red embers glowed where their eyes should have been.
"Mmmph!" Rusty mumbled in terror.
She took a step back as something large, a looming shadow appeared behind the two apparitions. A stray thought reminded her about the lantern, but it was already a hoof-length away and she could not make herself get it. Whatever was behind those two dead ponies was a new type of monster. It smoothly walked through them, its smoke mingling and passing through theirs. The shadow of its wings hid the malignant glow of their eyes.
"P-Please," Rusty breathed and took another step back.
The hood of smoke parted and the creature's true form was revealed.
"Gustaf?!" She locked eyes with the griffin, who was coming calmly toward her. "L-Look out! They- uh..."
There was nothing in the tunnel. No billowing smoke, no shadow creatures with ember eyes. Griffin quickly looked around at her exclamation, but he obviously couldn't see anything. He swung the torch back to examine the tunnel he'd just come from, then brought it around to light the way.
"What are you talking about?"
"The tunnel! It was full of smoke! Some shadow ponies- two of them! You walked right through them?"
His gaze on her became concerned and Gustaf hurried the rest of the way to the mare. He looked into her face closely. "Rusty- the tunnel is empty. It's always been empty. I saw your light this way so I came to tell you what I found. There was no smoke, nor- what did you call them? 'Shadow ponies'?"
She opened her mouth to tell him otherwise, but then she looked at the emptiness behind Gustaf. There really was nothing there. Another hallucination? "I- I-" she began, but had to swallow before she could finish: "I think I'm seeing things."
"Miss Bones?" came a faint voice to her side. Winter Shine and Ember Clover had come when she yelled for Gustaf and they watched her with wide, frightened eyes. "Miss Bones? What happened?" Ember asked.
She wanted to reassure them, but what could she say? Definitely not that she was possibly going crazy. "I thought I saw his torch from a distance."
It was a lame excuse and Ember, for one, didn't buy it, but he cast one glance at Winter Shine and accepted it for her sake. "Okay. So which way?"
Gustaf came to the rescue and pointed at the tunnel opposite the one he had come from. "That way. Come on. One of you grab the lamp, I think I'll keep my torch."
The youngsters took the lead and Rusty lagged a little behind so she could whisper with Gustaf in private. "Gustaf," she whispered, "I don't know what happened back there. I was sure I saw-" She didn't finish the sentence.
The griffin shrugged to himself a little, then laid a comforting claw on her back. "We're all under a lot of stress, Rusty, you most of all. It's not a nice place. We have to get out of here."
"Yeah, but we're lost..."
This time he grinned at her widely. "Not anymore! We're really close to the throne room. I nearly walked into a trap, actually. Here, I'll show you on the map!"
It was a relief, but it was also worrying that they had gone this far out of their way. A very unwelcome thought struck Rusty and she shuddered. "Do- do you think I might have hallucinated when I was leading us? If I can see smoke and shadow creatures, maybe I saw a wall where there should have been a tunnel. Or maybe I saw the map different than it really was?"
Gustaf put a claw on his beak and tapped it a few times in thought. "I suppose it's possible?"
That wasn't exactly a confirmation, but it came close. If she could not trust her own eyes and ears, what could she trust?! It went against her every instinct as a self-reliant adventurer, but Rusty swallowed a lump, took a deep breath, and did the right thing. "It looks like it's not affecting you. You better navigate from now on. Keep the map. The only other copy was in Curio's pack."
"Agreed, but I have a suggestion."
"What?"
"Take some paper, make a copy. At least the important bits, how to get up to the surface. We each take one, just in case- well in case something happens to one of us."
"Good thinking."
She should have come up with that idea herself, but the terror from a few moments ago was still addling her brain. Rusty's heart was still pounding with that fear. A fire in the tunnels would have been terrifying enough, even without dead ponies walking around. Both- it was unthinkable.
The other two slowed so Rusty and Gustaf could catch up. "How- how much further?" Winter Shine asked. She was struggling with the Professor, but she seemed determined to go on.
"We should be able to reach the Bazaar in an hour, then we'll find a place to sleep."
"So, we'll be out tomorrow?" Winter Shine asked hopefully.
"Yes," Rusty said, even though she didn't know for sure. "We won't spend another night in here, I'd rather camp up in the snow. Buck up, everypony, we're getting out of here!"
The group was very nearly at the end of their endurance. Rusty had had to slow down their pace several times in the past twenty minutes because Winter Shine was gradually flagging under the weight of the Professor. She had to give the mare credit; for being an out of shape, academic pony she had carried Curio a significant distance and up a lot of stairs. It still wouldn't do to push her too far. They had a long way to go and working themselves into a lather wouldn't do anypony any good.
Rusty hurried forward to catch up with Winter Shine, who was trotting along alone. Ember Clover had gone ahead to talk with Gustaf after the mare had assured him that she could keep the Professor stable with her telekinesis. There was a low, rhythmic humming noise coming from Winter Shine and whatever Rusty had been going to say died on her lips. Instead she fell in step with the unicorn and turned an ear to listen. She was saying something, just under her breath. It came out as a hum and Rusty couldn't recognize any of the words. It took her a few steps to realize that Winter Shine was singing under her breath, but even after listening for a while she couldn't place the song.
"What is that?"
The humming stopped and Winter Shine lifted her head to look. "It- it helps," she said. "So I don't think about them."
"About who?"
Winter Shine didn't answer.
"About who, Winter?"
"Can't you see them? They're following us."
The statement made Rusty's hackles rise and she twisted her head around to look behind them. Unfortunately the lantern, fixed to her pack, was facing forward and the tunnel was completely dark. Not completely, Rusty realized. There was a soft gleam here and there. She narrowed her eyes and tried to pierce the darkness.
"Hold on. Gustaf! Five minutes break!" she called.
That enabled her to turn around and illuminate the path behind them.
They scurried back from the beam of light, but not before Rusty saw a flash of white bone. How could they move so quietly on dead hooves?! "I see-" she said and gulped, "I see them."
She was glad of Gustaf who had made his way back. "What is it?" he asked, looking down the tunnel.
"Can't you see them?" Rusty asked him.
"See who?"
Rusty switched her gaze to the pegasus: "Ember?"
The pegasus came to stand beside his griffin friend and frowned at the darkness. "Sorry, Miss Bones, I don't see anything either."
"They're gone," Winter Shine whispered. "You scared them off."
She was right. The skulls had melded back into the shadows and there was nothing to be seen in the tunnel behind them. Perhaps they drew back from the griffin, but Rusty was sure they had still been there when Gustaf looked. A realization sent chills down her spine. This was no hallucination. Winter Shine had seen them too. Whatever these ghosts were, they were real. They should keep moving, but what good would that do? The dead ponies could keep up with them. When they stopped to sleep, they would come.
Rusty beckoned to Gustaf, who lowered his head and brought her ear near her mouth. "They're afraid of you. Gustaf- I don't want to ask you this, but..."
He interrupted before she could finish the statement: "I understand. I'll keep watch."
"I'll stay up with you."
"No, you sleep. No reason for two of us to miss sleep. At least one of us should rest and clear their head."
"But you've already-"
He gripped her muzzle with his claw to shut it. "Hush. I'm your guard. Sometimes we have to do without sleep. It's practically in the job description." Gustaf sounded confident, but Rusty knew well what this kind of situation could do to a pony. Lack of sleep, unnatural environment, constant vigil, the physical exertion of carrying Curio, and now her own hallucinations. He had to be wondering how far he could trust her judgement.
He had nopony to really rely on.
She was suddenly very glad that they had this particular griffin with them. Some of them, she knew, would have turned tail and left after all this weirdness. No amount of bits would be worth risking life and limb for. The fact Gustaf had stayed and was taking all that responsibility on his shoulders moved her deeply. He really was one in a million.
There were unbidden tears of gratitude in Rusty's eyes and she blinked them away. "You're a good guy, Gustaf. I'm happy you took the contract."
He flashed her a grin. "Happy enough for a bonus?"
That was such a griffin thing to say that Rusty couldn't help chuckling. The sound of laughter made the dark tunnel seem less oppressive. The others had heard the last few statements and joined in her laughter.
It perked them up and Rusty made up her mind. "Gustaf, how far to the bazaar?"
"Half an hour, maybe?"
"Good. Winter, give me the Professor. We'll find an empty shop and camp in there. Maybe we can barricade the door."
They shuffled the tied-up stallion and Rusty made her protesting legs move. Winter Shine breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps it was a mercy that the Professor seemed to be unconscious. He had been drifting in and out and Rusty was quietly hoping that meant the evil, whatever it was, was losing its hold on him. Maybe he would be back to normal once they were out of this place.
"Okay, let's go. We'll sleep soon."
Gustaf walked beside her, one claw on Curio to keep him steady and Ember took the rear. After a few steps, Winter Shine began to murmur her song again.
"What song is that, Winter?"
The mare fell silent, then sang the line more loudly.
"~~... beneath those fears and doubts, so just squash 'em~~"
It took a moment for Rusty to recognize it, but when she did she grinned at griffin. "Sounds like one for you, Gustaf."
"Why?" he asked back.
"Celaeno was a bird, too, wasn't she? Not to mention a pirate captain."
"Bah," Gustaf jeered, "she and her entire macaw crew are a laughing stock in Griffonstone."
"How come? I thought parrots and griffins were kinda similar," Rusty pointed out.
He shrugged and shook his head. "Normally yes, but that crew are a special case. Come on- the only non-pony creatures to sing a pony heart-song?"
That didn't sound right to Rusty. "Plenty of other creatures sing!"
"Not heart-songs. Especially not pony-inspired ones."
"What's wrong with that?"
As she had expected, Gustaf had no answer to that. He shrugged and refused to answer, accepting that he would never be able to convince a pony that impromptu musical numbers were silly.
They all walked in subdued silence for a while, but then Winter Shine picked it up again: "~~~I know the world can get you down~~"
This time Rusty Bones joined in, even though she was out of practice and didn't exactly remember the lyrics. The song would lift their hearts, especially Winter's. By the second word, Ember had found his voice as well and the melody filled the tunnel.
When the '~~light, shining deep inside~~' came around, Rusty noticed that Gustaf's tail was flicking in time with the music. She grinned to herself and sang a bit louder.
They got him at the word 'awesome', and from that moment it was a quartet. Rusty was glad - the griffin's baritone really underpinned the song and it felt like some of his steadfast courage poured into all of them.
However deep underground they were, no darkness could swallow a pony's inner light! Whatever evil ruled this place, they would show it they weren't afraid. The song was a reminder that other ponies, other creatures had faced dark and scary times, and had prevailed. It said they should never give in, no matter how bleak things became. When Rusty Bones glanced around, she couldn't see a single shadow out of place, nor any sight of the walking dead. She pranced a few steps during the refrain and bumped her flank against Winter's. She nearly lost her balance with the Professor, but Gustaf smoothly steadied him without breaking his line.
He was smiling.
Rusty Bones smirked secretly to herself. So pony songs were embarrassing, were they?
Chapter 16
"I think that'll do it," Ember Clover said as he collapsed right on the floor beside the just-barricaded entrance.
The weary party of explorers had made their way to the bazaar and the adjoined marketplace, and they had occupied a room of indeterminate purpose. What bits of furniture were left didn't give much clue to what the place was originally used for, but the two academics thought it might have been a shop store room of some sort. One of the lamps had died and Rusty Bones didn't have the heart to ask Winter Shine to recharge it. The mare had fallen over and was concentrating on breathing. She herself was about ready to flop as well, but she couldn't let herself just yet. Instead Rusty walked over to where Gustaf had stashed the Professor. It wasn't good for him to be tied and unable to move for such a long period of time, but Rusty really didn't know what to do with him. If they untied him, he would try to escape or maybe even kill them with his bare hooves. If they removed the gag, he would curse at them or talk to Winter in that strange, guttural language. They couldn't risk him turning the other unicorn to his side.
Rusty's ears were completely flat as she watched Curio, who was still glaring at her. She told herself the black in his eyes had shrunk and there were hints of white at the edges, but it was really hard to tell with the way he kept squinting angrily at everything. They could really have used his help in getting out of there, perhaps in understanding what even was after them. Then again, could they trust him, even if he did return to normal?
"Buck me sideways with a pitchfork," she swore and her words made Gustaf start in surprise.
"Wow," he whispered to her, a definitive tinge of admiration in his eyes.
"Curio, will you drink something? Please?"
The unicorn watched her for a few moments, then gave a single nod.
"You won't just spit it into my face again?"
Another few seconds went past, then he shook his head.
"We have to try," Rusty decided, "otherwise he'll die of thirst." That gave her an idea and she addressed the unicorn again. "Listen, you, whatever you are. If you let Curio die, you go away as well, got it? It's your only choice to let him drink!"
This time there was no response. Rusty splayed her ears and dug in her pack for her second to last water bottle. She drank deeply from it herself, first, then came closer and sat on her haunches next to the Professor.
"Okay, remove the gag," she told Gustaf.
The griffin did as instructed, even though he seemed doubtful. Curio glared at him briefly, then turned his hateful gaze on Rusty while he worked his jaw. It had to be pretty stiff, not to mention dry. Rusty leaned closer and brought the flask to his mouth. She was encouraged by the way he wrapped his lips eagerly around the neck. There was still a chance he was acting and would spit, but she took a chance and let some of the life-giving fluid dribble in. Curio Trinket swallowed eagerly and it made the mare smile. Maybe the evil influence was waning and it was losing its grip on him. Maybe he would snap out of it once they were out of the ruin. She let him have the rest of the bottle while he was being cooperative. She figured even if he went back to completely possessed, that should see him survive until they were on the ice and had plenty of water. That left her with one, but she might have to give that one to Winter Shine. She was sure she could make it one day. The dehydration would give her a headache, but she would make it.
"Please," Curio said, his murmur barely audible even to Rusty Bones who was standing right over him. "Please..."
Her heart skipped a beat for joy. "Curio? Is that you?"
She was right! There was white at the edges of his eyes. He was fighting the darkness!
He didn't respond to her question and his head lolled back. "My head- I can- I can't..."
She gripped his hoof between hers, just to let him know she was still there. On his other side Gustaf was leaning in and watching his face carefully.
"I think he's fighting it off!" she whispered to the griffin.
He looked skeptical, but didn't argue. He kept his eyes on Curio, still not quite trusting the unicorn.
"Rusty?" Curio asked and sought around until he met her gaze. "It's too powerful... leave me behind."
"No."
"Rusty-"
"No!"
The Professor sagged and his head bowed forward as if a great weight was pressing down on him.
"Curio? Curio! Stay with us! Fight it!"
He suddenly chuckled and when he looked up again his eyes were fully black once more. Rusty's heart sank a little, but she remained hopeful. If Curio could fight his way to the surface once, he could do it again. The important thing was that he was still in there. He hadn't lost completely yet.
"Fools..." the evil presence spoke through Curio again.
"Gustaf, gag him!"
They couldn't risk him trying to turn Winter Shine again. Luckily the griffin was able to stuff the rag back into the unicorn's mouth and he smoothly tied it back around his head. There was a spark and a smell of ozone, then Curio strained against his bonds, yelling in pain through the gag. Some of his mane got singed and a wisp of smoke rose from his horn.
"Stop that! You'll kill him!" shouted to whatever was controlling the unicorn.
The Professor strained again, his deep, throaty yell audible even through his gag as he tried to force his magic to work. It went on and all Rusty could to was watch in horror. Gustaf was the first to react and he punched the Professor right in the muzzle with his fist. Curio's head snapped back and hit the wall behind him. The magic winked out.
When he took a ragged breath Rusty exhaled in relief. He wasn't dead. She waited a few more moments to see if he would try again, but Curio kept his eyes down and concentrated on his breathing. It looked like he wouldn't try anything else, at least for the time being, so Rusty relaxed and stood up.
Her legs were trembling and when she turned she saw that both students were watching with wide, horrified eyes. "It l-looks like, uh, like the chain is holding. Good thinking, Ember."
The pegasus gave her a nod. He slowly relaxed, but he was still visibly shaken. Gustaf came over a moment later and put a gentle claw around his withers. "Come on, let's set up the sleeping bags," he told the frightened stallion.
That left Rusty with Winter, who was still staring at Curio. She placed herself in the mare's line of sight. "Have you got any water left?"
The question made her blink, and then she focused on Rusty. "Um, I'll check," she promised and slid her saddlebags off. She rummaged in them for a moment, then found a half-full water bag. "Here," she offered.
"No, you have it. If you're thirsty, drink it. We'll hurry up top tomorrow and then we'll melt snow again."
A look of gratitude flashed across Winter Shine's face and she lifted the water to her muzzle and emptied it. She seemed regretful when it was gone and her ears drooped a little, but Rusty put a hoof around her shoulders. "That's good. Old adventuring wisdom. Never ration water. You drink what you need and try to find more. Ration your loss, not your intake. Breathe through your nose. Don't work yourself to sweat. Things like that."
Winter Shine gave a nod, then began unpacking her bag. While she was at it, Rusty took one more look around. The room they were in only had the one entrance. They had wedged old pieces of shelves into the opening which she hoped would keep them safe if anything tried to come in. She took out her own sleeping bag and spread it on the floor next to Winter Shine's. Then she went to where Gustaf and Ember were talking softly.
"You sure you're okay keeping a watch?"
He gave her a nod. "I got it."
"Wake me up in four hours, I'll keep you company."
"You should sleep."
"I said wake me up in four hours!" Her voice brokered no argument and the griffin sighed and inclined his head. "Sure thing, boss."
"Okay, everypony. We sleep six hours, then it's off. We have to go past the library, up to that food court where we came in. From there it's a pretty straight shot to the barracks." Saying it like that made the distance sound a lot shorter and they all nodded eagerly. "All the traps are spent or broken, so we should be fine. Remember the trap door after the grand hall, then we're basically out. That reminds me, Ember, how's your water situation?"
The stallion didn't have to look in his pack. "I have a full bag and a half."
"I've got two left," Gustaf added.
"Okay, we're good. Winter, say when you're thirsty, we'll share."
Everypony seemed to agree to that, so Rusty reached for the lantern and turned it down, until its glow was barely enough to light the walls of the shop. Then she settled down on her bag. She watched how Ember Clover curled up with his head in Gustaf's lap, and how the griffin stroked his muzzle with his claws. His expression was unreadable, but there was a kind of tenderness in his eyes as he watched the stallion sleep. Who knew, maybe something would develop there, after all. On the other hoof, it could just be the stressful and dangerous situation. They could both just be reacting to the fear and reaching out for another living being in this dead place.
She hoped it was real, though. They'd been through too much together.
It was an uneventful night. Rusty Bones woke up when Gustaf laid a claw on her side. She startled, but quickly remembered where she was and why. "Ugh, what time is it?"
"Six in the morning," came the quiet reply. "Go back to sleep, I'm okay. I'll wake you all up in two hours."
She wouldn't have it and rose all the way into a sitting position. That allowed her to stretch her forehooves out, which brought on a yawn. "Nah, I'm good. Do you wanna take a couple of hours? If I see anything strange I'll wake you."
Gustaf shook his head. "I'll be fine. Now what?"
Unfortunately Rusty hadn't thought that far ahead. She had wanted to be awake at last for some of the time, as a kind of moral support, but she didn't know what to do with that time. She looked longingly at her sleeping bag, but firmly pushed the thought away. "I'll copy the map, and then I'll check our way back. We should have Curio's arrows from here on out, but we should double-check them against the map."
"Okay. Here," Gustaf passed her the piece of paper and Rusty settled down near the lantern to work. She didn't want to make it brighter so as not to disturb the others.
A glance around the room showed that the two students were asleep, but Curio Trinket was watching in impotent silence. Gustaf settled down on his side next to her and watched her drawing. She was annoyed for a moment, but then realized that she might see something which wasn't there and copy it wrong. It was a good idea for him to check her work.
"So, you and Ember?" she murmured.
"What do you mean?"
"Come on, I saw you last night." There was no response and Rusty looked up to try and guess what the griffin was thinking. He had a distant look in his eyes as he stared at the far wall. "I think it's cute, actually."
That certainly brought him back and his feathers bristled. "Nothing there to be cute," he answered. "We're all just scared and stressed, so it might seem as if..." He didn't finish the sentence.
"You're scared too?"
Gustaf grimaced and put a claw over his beak in exasperation. "I didn't say that."
"Yes you did."
"Okay, I meant it metaphorically. You ponies are scared, I'm just- uneasy. I don't know what's happening to you. The visions you see, the thing with Curio, Winter Shine is hearing voices."
"How about Ember?"
Gustaf couldn't hide his concern. "Both, but he's asked me not to tell you."
"You're telling me anyway."
"Because I'm worried about him."
They were silent for a long while and Rusty concentrated on the maze of tunnels leading from the bazaar in all directions.
Eventually it was Gustaf who spoke up: "So yeah, okay, I kinda like the little guy, but that's none of your business."
"I know. I was just curious. So what are you gonna do when we get out of here?"
There was no reply for a while, until Gustaf heaved a sigh. "That's the million-bit question, isn't it?"
She put the pencil down and laid a hoof on Gustaf's hind paw, which was the only thing she could reach. It was still contact. "Hey, you'll figure it out. If it's real, then you'll know what to do. If it isn't- well, at least it'll get you through this."
Another sigh and then Gustaf murmured almost too quietly for her to hear: "I hope it's real." He immediately looked up to see if she had caught it and Rusty made her face carefully blank. "Uh, yeah. I guess you're right," he said more loudly.
There was a noise to the side and Ember Clover sat up. He blinked in the faint light, then walked over to them without saying a word. For an instant Rusty was afraid he had been possessed by the evil, but she saw his eyes were completely normal. That thought was proven true when he sat down and basically flopped across Gustaf's lap.
"You two talking about me, weren't you?" the stallion asked, but it wasn't really a question, more a statement of fact.
Gustaf, who had caught the pony before he could roll off, blinked in surprise. "How do you know that?!"
"Because my ears were burning so hot I nearly set fire to my sleeping bag. You're not as quiet as you think you are and the sound carries in this small room."
"Sorry. We'll shut up, you can go back to sleep," Rusty promised.
Rather than taking her advice, Ember kicked off the floor and ended up fully curled up on Gustaf's legs. "Nah, 'm good right here." He reached out a hoof to carefully hook one of the griffin's claws, then he pulled it down to his ear. The instruction was clear enough and Gustaf began to scratch.
Rusty cast them a happy smile, then returned to her map. She had the major tunnels down and she'd copied any markings which might prove to be valuable landmarks. She also tried to remember how long it had taken them to come down. It had been most of the day, but they had stopped at every little thing to inspect it. Perhaps on the way up it would take them only half as long. There was a faint rustle by her side and she looked in time to see Ember Clover playing with Gustaf's plumage. He seemed to be very interested in the feathers on his neck and the griffin was leaning down to allow him better access. Behind them, Winter Shine let out a small snore.
Half an hour, Rusty decided. There was no use in all of them waiting around for Winter to catch another hour's sleep. She could sleep when they came out.
Before going back to her map, she sat up and rummaged in her bag until she found a bag of trail mix. "Here, you might as well have this. You'll need the energy."
"What about you?" Gustaf asked, which made Ember pause in the process of reaching for the food.
"We still have oatmeal and I have one oat bar left." She didn't say out loud that she'd give that to Winter Shine. The sugar would help pick her up a little, so Rusty was saving it for a tight spot. Besides, Rusty was used to going without when out on an adventure. She'd be fine.
With that, Gustaf accepted her offer of the trail mix and tossed a few nuts into his mouth. "Unsalted?" he asked.
It was unusual among ponies, true, but Rusty had a good reason. "Yeah, it doesn't dehydrate as badly. Besides, there's fruit in there too. You don't salt fruit."
Gustaf suppressed a slight chortle. "Well, I don't. Who knows about you salt-crazy ponies."
"Hah!" Ember Clover laughed. He opened his mouth in a silent command and after a moment's surprise, Gustaf fed him some of the nuts and dried fruit.
Very soon it was time to pack up their sleeping bags and go on. They were all eager to leave and Winter Shine woke up after the slightest nudge. Rusty Bones checked on Curio, but he was still tied. He seemed to be sleeping and didn't wake up when Gustaf picked him up. That was just as well, she thought. Perhaps if he was asleep, whatever evil controlled him wouldn't be able to spy on them. She and Ember cleared away the rubble from the door while Winter Shine charged the lanterns with her horn. It was taking its toll on her and Rusty resolved to spare the unicorn as much as possible. They might urgently need her magic before they were out of danger and she wanted the mare to be fresh and as strong as possible.
Rusty addressed the group: "Well, I guess this is it. We're pretty much on the opposite side of the bazaar. Stay close, it's easy to get lost."
She took the lead, with Gustaf right behind her and Ember following with Winter Shine. Her first steps were cautious and quiet as Rusty swiveled her ears in all directions. The ruins were as silent as she remembered them, but something felt strange. She didn't like the atmosphere, but she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. The decaying stones around her felt... watchful. A few yards later she already stopped when she saw a collapsed cart. The shafts were still sticking out into the air, their empty harness hanging loosely from the end. Once, a long time ago, ponies had strapped themselves into that girth and took their goods to and from the market. She was about to continue, but her hoof faltered. She'd seen the cart before, on their way down. Where were the remains of the pony who had driven it? Rusty distinctly remembered the ribcage hanging loosely from the straps. There were no bones on the ground either.
Perhaps she had imagined it? Celestia knew they had seen enough bones to last them a lifetime and it wouldn't be out of the question, especially after the last couple of days, that her memory was playing tricks on her.
"Let's hurry," she said to her group.
Luckily their path took them away from the cart and Rusty Bones was all too glad to put it out of her mind. Faulty memory, that was all.
She was feverishly trying to remember any other dead ponies between them and the tunnel going up when Ember Clover spoke up: "Um, Miss Bones? Is it- uh, is it normal..." He couldn't quite say and when she looked at the stallion he just pointed a hoof. "Is that normal?"
It wasn't. A thick, gray mist was curling into the street before them and Rusty's ears laid back in fear. There shouldn't have been any sort of fog underground!
"No. Let's go an- another way."
Nopony objected and they retraced their steps. "No good!" Ember called out. "It's behind us, too!"
Something told Rusty that she really didn't want to touch that soft bank of water vapor - if it even was water. It moved unnaturally and it seemed to shine with a pale, internal light. As she stared she thought she saw vague outlines of hooves and faces, but they vanished before she could fully make them out. "G-Gustaf? You see it too?"
"See what?"
That made her pause. Another hallucination? She faced the fog and took a few careful steps closer. Winter Shine called after her: "Miss Bones- don't! It's not safe!"
In that moment Curio began struggling mightily and yammering against his gag. His eyes were normal but wide with fear, the whites clearly visible.
Rusty decided to take a chance on the old scholar: "Ungag him, please."
Gustaf deposited the stallion on the ground and deftly loosened the knot which bound the rag tightly against his muzzle. Curio worked his jaw for a moment, then spoke urgently: "Don't touch it. Don't go near it. It's not a normal fog!"
She had already figured the last part, but Rusty still took a step backward, away from the unnatural wall. "What do you know about it? How can we fight it?"
"I don't know- just don't- don't- it's not..." He fell silent, then said: "Maybe I can banish it with a spell. Take this thing off my horn!"
"No!"
"No!" Winter Shine echoed Rusty at the same time. The two mares agreed without having to discuss. Perhaps Curio was lucid, but even so they couldn't trust he would remain so for long.
"Gustaf, gag him again. Sorry Professor, just a precaution."
"No! I can help! Don't- I can- gmmmbh!"
His protests fell silent as the rag was replaced. Then the griffin looked around them and said: "I don't see any sort of fog down here, Rusty. Where is it?"
She pointed a hoof and Gustaf walked toward it.
Ember Clover reached for him, but was too late to grab him. "No! Don't! It's dangerous!"
Before they could really stop him, the griffin stood partially enveloped by the white mist. It curled around his form and his movements made swirls and eddies.
"It's reacting to you," Rusty told him. "What do you feel?"
"I'm in it now?" he asked.
"Yes!"
Gustaf turned around and waved his forelegs around himself. "Nothing. It's just air, Rusty. A bit stale, but nothing out of the ordinary."
In a few hoofsteps Ember Clover was standing beside the grizzled bird. He was about to reach out and touch the fog, but the white bulged out and skeletal hooves strained for the pegasus. He drew back just as a ghostly head formed out of the mist, what could be made out of its expression wasn't pleasant.
"I t-think you should get away from there, Ember," Rusty said with a very dry throat.
It really looked as if there were ponies in the fog and they longed to grasp them and pull them inside. They completely ignored the griffin, but they were definitely reacting to Ember's presence. She didn't have to say it again and the stallion pulled back.
"What is it? What do you see?" Gustaf asked. He placed himself between Ember and the things he was looking at, then flapped his good wing.
The moving air blew a hole in the fog bank for a moment, but it quickly filled back.
"Come on. We'll find another way through," Rusty said in defeat and turned to go.
Gustaf returned and picked up the glowering Professor again. He gave a nod to the mare. "Lead the way. It seems I can't see it."
Rusty picked the only clear street available to them and led the group through it. She glanced behind and saw, with a sinking feeling that the fog quickly flowed in place to block their retreat. It was obviously herding them somewhere and she didn't like the implications of that. Perhaps it really was just a hallucination, but the mist's reaction to Ember, combined with Curio's lucid warning made her hesitant of touching it. Only as a last resort. The way forward was clear and the ponies moved swiftly. None of them liked being in that place and they all longed to be outside.
Just as Rusty Bones was trying to figure out where they were, they came upon a familiar sight. "The plaza. That's the library. Why here?" She slowed and waited for the others to gather around her. None of them felt comfortable leaving the relative safety of the side street to go into the open. The fog behind them was far, so they had a few moments to think it through.
"Well, that looks like a trap if ever I saw one," Gustaf said quietly and Rusty found herself nodding to his words.
"What do we do?" Winter Shine asked. The unicorn gave Rusty an idea.
"Winter, can you make a wind or something with magic? Try to blow the mist away in front of us?" Rusty suggested.
Winter gave a slight nod, but her ears were down and her tail tucked firmly between her legs. "I'll t-try," she promised. Her horn glowed for a moment and they all felt the breeze blowing past them into the plaza. The mist billowed away, but it seemed to regroup and flowed back almost instantly. Winter Shine grunted and the wind grew stronger.
They all stared in dismay: the fog was holding against the draft. It whipped and billowed behind, like torn silk, but the core of it remained standing in the middle of the gale.
It wasn't doing anything except tiring out their only unicorn, so Rusty ended it: "Stop. Enough."
Winter Shine sagged a little and the spell died. Almost instantly the fog wall reformed, scattered clumps of white pulling themselves together into a hole again.
"No good," Ember Clover agreed. "Any other ideas?"
"It looks like it wants us to go into the library," Rusty pointed out. There was no mist between them and the stairs, and all other exits from the plaza were blocked. "Well, that's exactly what we shouldn't do. We shouldn't have gone down this street either, but I couldn't think of a better idea."
"It won't touch me, right?" Gustaf said suddenly. "I'll try something. I'll take the Professor."
Before any of them could object, the griffin walked confidently into the open and approached the fog. He walked on his hind legs and held the unicorn close to his chest. Just before he entered the fog, his good wing wrapped around the Professor.
"No! Idiot, come back! Gustaf!" Rusty commanded, but he was ignoring her. They watched in horror as he walked straight into the white mist bank. It swirled around his form, and a moment later he was completely gone. "Crap! No, wait!" Ember had been about to run after the griffin, but Rusty caught his tail with her hooves. "Idiot colts! Stay here and take a moment to think!"
When it became obvious that Ember wasn't going to do something stupid, she let him go and the stallion hung his head. "No... Gustaf," he whined quietly.
"He's fine, you ninny! He stood in it and it didn't even touch him. He might get Curio killed, but the bird will be fine! Out of all of us, he could just leave by himself."
That sudden little realization made Winter Shine whimper in fright. "Miss Bones? Did he just leave us? Please, he can't just run away! Do something!"
"Buck, he's immune to all these weird things. Bucking griffins!" she swore as that same bleak despair found its way into her heart too. It only took her a moment to get the combination of fear and anger under control, then Rusty barked a mirthless laugh. She wasn't proud of it and Gustaf hadn't done anything to make her doubt him like that. He'd said he had a plan. "Actually, I wouldn't blame him if he did, but something tells me the idiot will be back. Talk about commitment to a contract!"
Her words seemed to calm both Ember and Winter Shine, and they all settled down to wait. It didn't last long, though, before Winter Shine said: "Miss Bones? We need to move."
The fog behind was almost upon them. It didn't look as if it would stop and Rusty was forced to make a decision. "Crap. Okay, into the plaza. We'll stay as long as we can and I hope to Celestia Gustaf comes back with some idea."
Just as they left the relative safety of the side street the griffin suddenly appeared out of the mist, walking on all fours and without Curio.
"Gustaf!" Ember cried and rushed the griffin, who stopped barely in time to catch the pegasus flying at him.
"I think it works," he told Rusty even while Ember was nuzzling against his neck. "If I carry a pony in my arms and wrap a wing around them, the fog won't touch them. I took the Professor to the other side and left him there. I'll take you all, one by one."
"How did you know where the fog ended?"
Gustaf shrugged. "I took the rag out of Curio's mouth for a moment and asked him. I told him if he lied he'd only hurt himself, because I was going to drop him. I guess he didn't lie."
It was a clever solution, Rusty had to admit, even if it was a foolhardy plan. Still, she couldn't think of a better, so she nodded. "Okay, take Winter next. Me and Ember will wait here for as long as we can, then we'll move up into the library. That's where it's trying to make us go. Hurry!"
Gustaf didn't waste any time and gathered the trembling young mare into his forelegs. She clung to him and hid her face in his feathers while Gustaf carefully wrapped his wing around Winter. He gave Rusty and Ember a single nod, then loped off as quickly as he could walk on two legs with a burden.
"Come on, we'll wait by the fountain," Rusty said.
They walked over to the low wall and looked into the dry masonry. Here and there a coin gleamed in the light of their lantern. Their glitter reminded the mare and she looked around for the spearhead. It was nowhere to be seen.
"Crap, not this too!" she swore.
Ember looked at her. "What is it, Miss Bones?"
"Please, we're past that. It's Rusty. There was a skeleton in the fountain, I distinctly remember the spear tip. It's gone now."
The pegasus looked around, then his ears lowered and he avoided her direct gaze. "I- I can't recall. I wasn't paying attention."
"It's a skill adventurers pick up, don't beat yourself up about it. Anyway, it's gone and that worries me." She remembered the empty cart harness. "Worse, it's not the first one. Celestia buck it, I forgot to ask Gustaf what he saw! It's probably just hallucinations, or it was before. I don't know!"
"W-What do you mean before?"
There seemed to be nothing else to do for the moment, so Rusty settled on her haunches to explain. "Well, other than this skeleton in the fountain, I remember there being a ribcage still in that harness on that cart- you know, outside that place we slept. It was gone this morning."
"So that means..." Ember said slowly, hoping she'd fill in the blank.
"It means either I hallucinated those bodies on our way down, or I'm hallucinating they are gone now."
Ember swallowed a lump and looked fearfully around. "Or- or the d-dead are walking around..."
"Maybe, but I'm not convinced. I thought I saw dead ponies before. There was a family down in the houses, and then more in the tunnel. Gustaf couldn't see them."
The stallion looked like he was on the verge of panic and his hooves clattered against the cobbles as he turned this way and that. "What if they're real?! B-Buck me, dead ponies walking!"
"Relax! They're probably just hallucinations. There' no need to-" She was interrupted when Gustaf hurried out of the fog. The griffin was breathing heavily, but he didn't slow down until he was with them. "Ember next. Go!"
"You'll be here alone," he pointed out.
"I know. Go!"
Both males gave her a look, Ember a worried one and Gustaf an admiring gaze, before he scooped the pegasus up and rushed off. That left the mare alone with the approaching fog and the missing skeleton. She drew closer to the fountain and tried to look in all directions at once. It wouldn't be long, Gustaf was fast and Ember was very light, she told herself. She glanced up at the library and swung the light that way, but it couldn't penetrate the dark of the entrance. It looked as if there was nothing but empty space behind the door. She really hated the idea of going in there. Maybe the evil power, whatever its origin, was concentrated in it? That was where Curio had first shown signs of possession. They hadn't recognized it before, but it made sense in hindsight. He'd blanked out and couldn't remember nearly an hour of his life. It had happened when he looked at the large symbol drawn in mosaic on the floor.
The eclipse. That was at the heart of things.
She thought furiously, trying to recall any ancient legends she might have heard in her life. The eclipse- did it feature at all in pony history? It was obviously tied to the two sisters; The sun and the moon were both necessary for an eclipse to happen. It couldn't exist independently of them, but it was- An eclipse took over the sky, Rusty realized. It was neither the one thing, nor the other. It appeared when the sun and the moon fought for control, and it drew all eyes. It was night, but without the stars. It was day, but without the sunlight. They had already known that the eclipse cult had been trying to overthrow the Sisters, but now Rusty thought that perhaps the idea had come from somewhere else. The evil in the temple.
No, not overthrow, she mentally corrected herself. It was trying to control them. You'd need to control both Celestia and Luna if you wanted to make an eclipse last forever. What sort of being was strong enough to control two alicorns? She remembered Curio. He was the first possessed. The evil went after him because he was the most powerful in the group. It was attacking her next, it seemed, or maybe Winter Shine. Maybe it could feed on pony lives. That would explain the sacrifices and the influence the cult wielded just before the city fell. It had been strong enough to kill indiscriminately, all the way up to the grand hall. Even after thousands of years, this thing was still powerful enough to snatch Curio like it was nothing and plague them with these visions and traps. If it were fed on pony lives, who knew how dangerous it could become. Maybe enough to control both Celestia and Luna.
Suddenly Rusty became aware that the fog had stopped approaching. It was hanging in place, all around her except the library, and it was no longer moving. Her hackles rose and she quickly got to her hooves. There were shadows in the mist, faintly seen outlines. Pony shapes.
"Oh buck me..." she wailed.
The spectral ponies walked through the fog, skull after skill emerging into the light of her lantern. Rusty reached for it with trembling hooves and turned the knob to make it as bright as it would go. Dead ponies watched her silently. Some of them still had bits of old armor, and a few of them held ancient spears. If they all rushed her at once she wouldn't be able to fight them off. Rusty looked around for a weapon, any weapon. Even a stick. There was nothing.
The dead took a step forward.
"Stay back!"
It was meaningless, but hearing her own, living voice helped. Rusty took the lantern in her mouth and swung it around the line of skulls. Empty sockets seemed to flinch from the brilliance and she felt a bit of hope. They were afraid of the light! The only problem was that Rusty only had one lantern and she could only focus it on a small group of the dead. The ones to the side slowly moved forward. Her breathing was getting out of control and her nostrils flared as she panted around the lantern in her mouth. She was fighting down sudden, unreasonable panic as she jerked the light here and there, trying to slow the progress of that ghastly horde. Already she had backed against the fountain and now Rusty clambered awkwardly into the basin, hind hooves first. It wasn't much, but it put her a bit higher up. She glanced quickly at the masonry in the middle, but gave it up. She'd never be able to climb it. Her best hope was to keep the dead ponies at bay until Gustaf came back. He was taking his sweet time!
"Pweah!" she mumbled around the lantern handle. "Pweeeahe!"
There were more dead ponies behind the first row. Those were already fully emerged out of the fog, but there were already new skulls looking out of the white wall. They were endless! Those nearest to her flinched as the light struck them, but recovered quickly when it passed on. Their hoofsteps were slow, but relentless. The sound of hooves falling on stone came from all around her now and a new clattering sound filled the air. Rusty realized the dead ponies were moving their jaws, clicking their teeth together. Coming from hundreds of skulls, the combined noise was utterly nerve-racking and she felt her bladder begin to loosen. Her legs were about to collapse and the lantern nearly slipped from her mouth when she heard a new voice in the crowd.
"I'm coming! Hold on!" Gustaf's voice. The only other living voice beside hers. She nearly slumped in relief when she spotted the source.
He was running on all fours, occasionally flapping his good wing to hive himself another burst of speed. He was almost here. The hordes of dead ponies scattered before the charging warrior griffin, even though he didn't seem to be aware of them at all. More than once Rusty saw him run straight through a skeletal visage, which scampered away after as if scalded. In a few more steps and a flap of his wing, Gustaf was with her. Strong arms picked her up and pressed her against warm feathers. Rusty was still panting in fright and he breath came with small, incoherent whispers. The lamp slipped out of her mouth, but she caught it in her hooves between herself and the griffin who held her.
"Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you," she murmured, fighting back tears. She had tried telling herself they were only hallucinations, but it felt as if a part of her knew it was a lie. Even if Gustaf could not see or feel the dead ponies, they were real. They were real to her. Whatever they would do to her would be real.
Claws patted her back, then the whole world began to rock as Gustaf walked away from the fountain. He had to be passing through dead ponies again, but Rusty refused to look. She pushed her face into his chest and kept her eyes tightly shut. She heard Gustaf's powerful heartbeat and his urgent, labored breathing. She felt sorry for making him work like that, but she really didn't have a choice. A moment later his wing came around her and wrapped her in a dark, but safe, cocoon.
She let the steady rocking gait carry her away from the horror of the moment.
Chapter 18
Quite soon the party passed that first little guard room near the big stone door. Rusty Bones glanced into it, her emotions conflicted between nostalgia and relief. She missed the happy, optimistic group of ponies who had spent their first night there, full of excitement and curiosity about what they might find. Yet at the same time she was glad it was almost over. Mere hoofsteps away and they would be out of the ruin and, hopefully, beyond the reach of whatever monster lay in its depths.
"The door's still open," Gustaf commented between deep struggling breaths. He had the unconscious Curio Trinket slung across one shoulder and was using his good wing to help hold the Professor in place.
Ember Clover asked: "How can you tell?"
"It's getting chilly," came the reply. "If the door was closed, the temperature would be about the same. Can't you smell the fresh air?"
They all lifted their noses and sniffed, Rusty included. The scent of new air, of snow and frost made her heart beat faster for joy.
Mere hoofsteps.
Soon there was a faint, blue-tinted light up ahead and the three ponies and a griffin stared gratefully at it. They had all gotten tired of the over-bright, artificial lanterns or the yellow, flickering torches. The opening came into view and to Rusty's relief it looked like it was still bright outside. She wanted to put as many miles as possible between them and the ruin.
Winter Shine stumbled as she looked behind. "Is- is it coming after us? No, no, we're so close. Please!"
Rusty herself slowed and turned, but there was nothing to be seen in the dark tunnel behind them. Then again, their light didn't penetrate very far and anything at all could be hiding just out of sight. Perhaps the passage was filled with those walking bones. Maybe they were watching right at that moment, trotting to catch these unlucky intruders. Her imagination tried to paint the darkness with staring, eyeless faces and a shiver ran down Rusty's spine.
"No. Nothing's coming after us," she told Winter in a steadier voice than she herself had expected. "We're home free."
The mare wouldn't hear it and stopped completely. Her hind legs sagged and she sat heavily with a clank of pots hanging from her bags. She put her hooves over her eyes and whimpered. "No, no more. No, please stop..."
Rusty's blood ran cold. Was the evil taking over Winter Shine? They had to get out of there! "Ember! Ember, come back!"
The stallion didn't ask questions, he pushed Gustaf onward with a hoof and trotted back. "What is it? What's wrong with Winter?"
"I think it's trying to control her. Quick, we need to carry her! If she starts to turn we may have to-"
She left it unsaid, but Ember Clover gave her a solemn nod. He understood.
"Winter? Here, sweetheart, look at me. Open your eyes."
As far as Rusty knew, their eyes turning black was a sign of being taken over. She pried Winter's hooves away and held her muzzle still until the mare looked. Her eyes were still normal, but she couldn't be absolutely certain in the poor light.
"Stay with me, Winter. Come on, get on Ember."
The stallion easily took his classmate's weight, but they walked more slowly. Luckily Gustaf, despite whatever Ember had told him, had slowed down and was waiting for them at the door. "Everything okay?" he asked.
"What are you doing?"
Curio Trinket was lying just outside and Gustaf was fiddling with the lever which would close the door. He turned and Rusty saw he held a piece of string. "I don't know how to close it from outside, so I thought I could use this."
It was a brilliant thought and Rusty smiled. She had completely forgotten about the stone button in the floor. "Good thinking. Let's go!"
Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Rusty felt as if she had passed some invisible, nearly intangible barrier. A chill passed down her spine as she walked out between the large, stone doors.
Ember waited by Curio and she joined him as Gustaf followed with his string. It was just long enough to reach and as soon as he was at its limit, Gustaf gave it a strong yank. There was that familiar grinding noise and the stone portal began to slide shut. Rather amazing that the mechanism still worked after all these years, Rusty thought to herself incredulously. Perhaps it was at least partly magical she thought, not for the first time.
Gustaf was still struggling with the rope and Rusty watched him with curiosity. "What are you doing? It's closing, it's fine!"
He walked to one side and pulled on the rope again. Perhaps he wanted to get it back? Rusty was about to offer help when there came a crack from inside the ruin. Gustaf pulled the rest of the string back along with a piece of the tent pole still attached at the end. "Good. Clean break. I wasn't going to leave a lever in there on the off chance something really is following us."
Rusty threw her hooves around the startled bird. "You're brilliant, Gustaf," she told him.
They moved back with the others to wait until the door was safely shut. The group watched in silence as the two giant, rune-carved slabs swung inward. Just before they met in the middle Rusty thought she saw a gleam of white in the dark tunnel beyond. It sent a shudder of fear through her, but a moment later there was a dull thud and the grinding noise stopped with a sense of finality. If the dead ponies were real, she hoped they didn't know how to open the door. Taking the lever out with them had really been a stroke of genius.
"Well... I guess that's it. Winter, how do you feel?"
She walked over to Ember Clover, but the mare was still trying to hide her face in her hooves. Once again Rusty pried them away and Winter blinked open her tear-filled eyes.
They weren't black.
"Are you okay?"
Winter Shine sniffed, then gave a small nod. "It's g-gone. It's gone. Miss Bones? Please let's go. I want to go home!"
It was encouraging and Rusty turned to Ember Clover. "Can you take her up out of the cave, then we'll see if she can walk on her own. If not, I'll carry her."
"What about the Professor?"
Gustaf was already gathering the stallion up, but paused when he heard the name.
"Gustaf, you okay until the surface?" Rusty asked him. "We'll make a sled or something once we're up."
"I'll manage," the griffin said.
"Good. Give me your pack and let's go."
It was a sorry and bedraggled group of ponies who dragged themselves back up the stone-carved stairs. They were exhausted and frightened, but also hopeful and triumphant. They had beaten something. What had attacked them in that deep place, in the dark temple dedicated to death, nopony could guess. The important part was that despite all its efforts, the visions and horrors and attacks it sent their way, they had escaped. Soon, they would get help for the Professor. Soon, they would be safe. All they had to do was brave the Frozen North until they reached civilization again.
There weren't many hours of daylight left, but the party made good time. Once they were able to put Curio on a makeshift sled made out of a tent, the going got a lot easier. Ember Clover flew up to scout the way ahead and reported their path clear. Perhaps she was cutting it rather close, But Rusty led them on a brisk march until the sun touched the western mountains. That gave them less than thirty minutes to build a tent, but they only needed one. Not one of them was comfortable with the idea of sleeping alone. It was a bit of a squeeze, but by laying all their cots together they were able to make themselves pretty comfortable.
Winter Shine, barely holding herself together, went in the middle. She had walked once they were out in the sunshine, but she was ready to fall to pieces and Rusty had had to constantly encourage her and remind her that they had escaped. The mare had kept stopping to look backward, ever afraid that something would follow them. For that matter, Rusty herself had glanced back more than once, expecting to see a gleam of bone, or a patch of darkness.
Beside the young mare was Ember Clover and Gustaf was nestled down next to the stallion. Rusty Bones herself took Winter's other side. And they had laid Curio Trinket next to her. He was firmly tied and gagged, even unconscious. This close, none of them were willing to take any chances. Cuddled like that, and with several blankets piled on top of them, they hardly felt the night's chill. More importantly, they weren't alone. The sound of other, living beings near her calmed Rusty and relaxed her enough so she could sleep. She was just about to drift off when Winter inched closer, ducked her head under the blanket and pressed her nose right into Rusty's chest fluff. She let out a huge, relieved sigh and Rusty laid a careful leg around the poor mare. Her ear flicked once when she caught a quiet whisper between Ember and Gustaf, but she paid it no mind.
This time, when she fell asleep, there was no sound of dripping blood.
Early morning brought with it shivering cold and winds which threatened to tear the tent down. When Rusty Bones roused and lifted her head, she saw that Gustaf was also awake, but apparently quite comfortable with Ember Clover sprawled partially across him. Winter Shine was still pressed firmly against Rusty's own chest. She looked around at the Professor, but he was either still unconscious or asleep. Rusty nudged him with a hoof, hoping to wake him up and give him a bit of food and water, but no matter how she shook him Curio didn't move.
"We have to take him to the town, quick."
"Yes. That last blast of magic was pretty bad. I'm no unicorn expert, but it looked painful," the griffin confirmed her thinking.
There was no point in lying around, not when it was light enough to see.
"Looks like a blizzard."
Gustaf placed a claw on Ember Clover's head and idly scratched an ear as he looked around at the shaking and bulging tent. "Even more reason to hurry," he agreed. He bent down to put his beak right near Ember's ear and murmured something which made the stallion smile in his sleep.
For her own part, Rusty pried Winter Shine away and exposed her face to the light of dawn. The mare squinted and tried to curl back, but Rusty was firm. "Hey. Time to get up. We're going home today, Winter."
That worked and the mare opened her eyes. She seemed confused to find Rusty in her bed, then memory flooded back and her breathing quickened. "Is- is it true?" she asked in a small voice. "Did we really get out or did I just dream it? I had the weirdest dream..."
"Look around. What dream?"
Winter sat up and glanced at the tent, then her shoulders sagged. She put her face in her hooves and concentrated on her breathing. It looked like she was very near bursting into tears again, but whether it was delayed shock or relief Rusty couldn't tell.
"What was your dream?"
Winter Shone thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I dunno. It's gone now." She didn't seem too worked up, so Rusty thought it wasn't a nightmare. That was good news. Nightmares wouldn't be out of place after their ordeal.
"I'll quickly boil some water and we'll drink a bit of oatmeal." Gustaf cleared his throat at that and Rusty corrected herself. "The ponies, I mean. You got your own food."
He gave a nod and took a strip of dried meat from his pack. "I'll start packing up while you eat," he announced.
Winter Shine was still in the same position as before, so Rusty decided to give her something to do.
"Winter?" she asked and waited until the mare looked. "Can you get the Professor on the sled? I'm worried about him. What do you know about, uh, magical injuries?"
The mare shrugged. "I guess- if he tried to channel with that chain, um, I mean hard enough to melt silver. I don't know. He might never wake up. We need to get him to a doctor."
"That's exactly what we'll do. Can you bundle him up on the sled. Make sure he's warm. Try trickling some water down his throat- here, take my flask. Just be careful he doesn't choke. I'll get started on our oatmeal."
"What do you want me to do?" Ember Clover asked helpfully as he stretched. The fact that his contortions resulted in pushing his rump in Gustaf's face didn't seem to worry either of them.
"You fly up, but only if it's safe. We need to know whether the storm is coming from the South or not. We may be able to reach town before it."
Ember saluted with a wing, then fumbled with the tent zipper to let himself out. Chilly air filled the interior in an instant. Rusty followed outside and inspected the sky. There was still some blue visible, but a white haze seemed to be blowing in from all directions.
"Be careful!" she shouted at Ember.
He gave her a nod and jumped into the air. His wings worked furiously and he was tossed this way and that before he gained enough control to rise. Rusty very nearly shouted for him to get back down, but he wouldn't have heard her above the wind. She kept eyes on him for a few more seconds, then reached inside the tent for her pack. Her stove cartridge was nearly empty, but that was okay. Ember had a few more, as did Gustaf, if they needed them. Besides, it meant she could leave it behind and save herself a bit of weight.
The stove was quickly set up, but she had to weigh it down with her saddlebags to keep the wind from overturning it. She filled the pot with clean snow and waited for it to boil. Behind her, Gustaf was taking the tent down while Winter Shine was working on moving the Professor to their makeshift sled. At one point the stallion slipped from her grasp and tumbled down on the snow. Rather than pick him up, Winter just doubled over and began to sob. Rusty hurried over.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
Even as she asked, she lifted the unconscious pony so he was lying on their hoof-made sled. She made sure he was wrapped in a couple of sleeping bags which she tucked under him to keep them from being blown off. Only then could she focus on Winter. The mare was once again sitting on her haunches with her face hidden in her forelegs. Her shoulders were shaking, but Rusty couldn't hear any sound above the wind.
She went and put a hoof around the poor unicorn's shoulders. "There. Just a little longer, okay? What's wrong?"
All Winter could do was shake her head.
Some kind of shock, or early PTSD, Rusty decided. Nothing she could help, not while they were out in a storm. "Can you walk? We'll tie ourselves together so we don't get lost, okay? You just have to follow in my hoofsteps and Ember will go with you."
Winter managed a wordless nod, but her face was still hidden.
Rusty grasped the mare, pushed her forelegs away and pressed her muzzle against her own neck. She stroked Winter's mane for a bit as the distraught mare sniffed into her fur. "Just a bit longer. We're going downhill and we'll hurry. We're carrying a lot less than on the way in, so we'll be able to move fast. We'll be in the town before night, okay?"
She felt the nod.
"Come, want to help me make oatmeal? You can put as much sugar in it as you like."
That worked and Winter Shine allowed herself to be led to the stove. Despite the wind the little burner radiated welcome heat and both mares held their hooves out to warm them. The snow had already melted and it looked like it would boil soon, so Rusty rummaged until she found an open packet of oatmeal and a new bag of sugar. The first she poured in herself, but the second she gave Winter. Of course the unicorn would make the food too sweet, at least for Rusty's taste, but on the other hoof they could use the energy boost. She realized she had really meant her plan to be in town by nightfall. A quick glance at her watch showed it was just after seven, which gave them more than ten hours of usable light.
Ember Clover landed beside them, his fur looking decidedly more white with the water it had absorbed. He almost gleamed, even in the dim light. "It's almost on top of us," he yelled above the noise of the wind. "We have to go, like now!"
There was no real time to finish boiling the oatmeal, it would have to do. Rusty gave it a few more stirs, then poured it in the little metal bowls. "Here! Drink it as quick as you can. Put the bowl in your pack. If you're thirsty, chew some snow on the way. We can't afford to melt more right now!"
She was already packing the stove while the other two swallowed their meal. Then she quickly downed hers. She had made it with more water than usual, so it served as both a drink and a meal at the same time, and it was faster to eat. Then she shoved the equipment into her bag. There was no time to wash it, or wait for the burner to cool down. It would keep her warm for a bit. Rusty went to Curio's sled and tied herself into it. She tossed the other end of the rope to Winter.
"Tie it around your waist. That way I'll know if you stop and need something, okay?"
The mare looked afraid once more as she watched the mists of snow being blown about around them. Her ears were completely flat and her eyes were wide and frightful. Her hooves shook as she tried to wrap the rope around herself, before she remembered her magic and quickly tied a knot. Rusty looked around for Gustaf, but he was already at Ember's side, brushing some of the water out of his exposed fur. It was just a gesture; Rusty knew for a fact that the smooth down under their regular fur would keep a pegasus dry in anything but the worst downpour. They were as ready as they were going to be. A night's sleep had helped rejuvenate them and she felt confident they could reach the town before long. She just had to make sure of the direction, but luckily she had both a pegasus and a griffin with her.
"This way, right? By the way, you griffins have a compass in your beak, right?"
The bird chuckled at that. "That's pigeons!" he yelled back.
Ember Clover leaned his head to one side in confusion. "Miss Bone- uh, Rusty, don't you have a compass?"
She did, but it was no use and the mare shook her head. She spoke up at exactly the same time as Gustaf: "Won't work thi-"
"No use!"
They chuckled at each other and then Rusty continued. "Won't work this far North. Too much magical interference, especially during a storm. We'll have to do it the old-fashioned way, navigate by landmarks. As long as we can keep an eye on at least some of the mountain peaks..."
Ember gave her a nod and closed his eyes for a moment to focus on his memories. Then he blinked a few times and turned on the spot to look all around him. "It's this way, yes. We just have to go straight until we reach that cliff."
That was their best landmark. As Rusty remembered, it was between them and the town. If they found that cliff, all they had to do was continue straight from it. It was easier said than done, but she didn't have a lot of choice. Curio needed help sooner, rather than later, and she didn't know how much longer Winter would be able to keep it together. She had to take a risk and rely on Ember and Gustaf's navigation. For as long as at least a part of the horizon was visible, she could trust the two to guide them straight. Since it was her turn at the sled, she set the pace. She picked a light canter, something she knew she could keep up for many hours, even with the unwieldy burden tied to her. The others fell in step behind her, clustered around Curio and Winter Shine.
Chapter 19
Their luck held through the morning and a patch of sky before them remained open, clear enough for Ember to keep a fix on a distinctive-looking mountaintop and guide them in a straight line. They were following a valley, so theoretically they should have been able to find the way even without that navigation, but Rusty knew just how easy it would be to get turned around in a blizzard. She couldn't even rely on the sled tracks they made because the storm behind them was probably filling them in almost as soon as the party had passed. Perhaps they were outrunning the storm, Rusty thought. The amount of visible sky didn't seem to change and the full-blown blizzard was never quite upon them. The pace she had set was taking its toll, however, and they wouldn't be able to keep it up for long, especially once she gave the sled over to one of the others. After all, she had that earth pony endurance to fall back on, her friends didn't. That was why she kept quiet and pulled the Professor along a lot longer than she was supposed to.
It beat carrying the old stallion anyway.
Presently she was ready to fall over when the ground changed. It was quite sudden and Rusty stumbled to a shaking, gasping halt. Even as her lungs worked to fill the lack of oxygen she examined the snow underhoof.
A smile made its way on her muzzle, even through her panting. "It's-" she gasped, "we're... here."
The others looked around in confusion, except for Gustaf who hurried over and examined the ground. "Yep. Glacier. Going down it in this will be tricky, but we don't have a choice. I'll take the Professor."
Rusty gratefully began untying herself from the sled. "Winter, how's your magic?"
"Um, w-what?"
"Your magic. You haven't used it, can you melt some snow for us to drink?"
The mare closed her eyes for a moment and her horn flickered. It died almost instantly and she sagged, but Ember hurried to her and put his wings around her withers. Rusty didn't hear what he murmured to his friend, but they had their heads together for a while. He pulled away and Winter Shine closed her eyes and tried again, but this time Ember kept a hold on her hoof.
The magic came once more, flickering and feeble, but there. Winter was visibly straining to hold it. "P-Pot. Get a pot," she grunted.
Rusty hurried to unbuckle one of her soup pots, but Ember was quicker and produced his. He laid it on the snow in front of Winter Shine.
"F-Fill it with snow," she ordered, her eyes still closed. Ember did so, and then they all watched with bated breath.
The glow surrounded the pot and its light strengthened. At first there was no change, but then Rusty saw that the snow was growing darker. It began to melt more rapidly, clumps dissolving into liquid before their eyes. A bit of steam rose above the water.
They waited a little longer, but when Ember saw that the snow outside of the pot was beginning to soften and melt he put a hoof on Winter's back. "That's it, you can stop now," he told her.
The mare let out her breath and sagged a little as the glow winked out. She opened her bleary eyes and looked at the pot in half-surprise. "It worked?"
"It worked. You did well, sweetheart," Rusty praised. She got a grateful smile in return. "Everypony drink. If you want, there's more dry oatmeal, but we can't cook it."
They took turns sipping from the pot of lukewarm water. It was delicious and much needed after their weary slog, and it served to warm them a bit from the inside. When they were all full, Rusty drained the last few drops even though she had to force herself to drink. She'd lost a lot of water sweating with the Professor and needed to replace it, even if her body didn't know it yet. Ember accepted the pot back and strapped it beside his saddlebag, then they were ready to descend the cliff.
Rusty gave them the last bit of instruction before they started their descent: "Careful now. Everypony make sure your rope is tied securely. If you slip, don't flail, we'll catch you. Easy does it. It's more important we get down in one piece rather than quickly."
Even as she said that, Rusty cast an eye at the sky. The storm they had been outrunning was closing in. Soon, the last remnants of the sky would be hidden by white mist and then they would be lost and forced to stop. She examined Curio as Gustaf pulled him past her. The sliver lines were melted into his horn and he was still unconscious. She saw the mist of his breath, which meant he was alive, but it was worrying.
Ember followed, since he was tied directly to the griffin, and then Winter Shine. Rusty fell in step beside the mare and bumped their flanks. "Good job on that snow, Winter. You saved us a lot of time."
She got half of a nervous smile before Winter Shine's face fell. "I should- I should have been able to do that in my sleep," she murmured. "I just couldn't concentrate. I'm sorry, Miss Bones!"
Rusty didn't correct the honorific, not with how shaken the other mare looked. "We're in a very difficult situation, Winter. You did great under such pressure. I'm proud of you."
That seemed to perk her up a little and led the way for Rusty's next question.
"Listen, do you know any kind of a spell which would show us directions? Any direction. North, South. Heck, even a pointer toward Canterlot would help."
Winter Shine looked afraid. "B-But, but you know the way, right?! We're not lost, are we?!"
Rusty quickly threw a hoof around Winter's withers even as they walked. "No, no, we're fine! We've kept landmarks in sight and it's a pretty straight run from the base of this cliff. I just want to be extra sure." She thought quickly for a convenient lie which would still hold a grain of truth. "Look, we'll find civilization no matter what, but if we go slightly off course we'll run into the Ice Floe road, right? We can just follow it to town, but it'll take more time. I want to get the Professor some help as soon as we can!"
It was technically true, but Rusty didn't say that in a blizzard the road could be covered with snow. If they were unlucky and came to it where there was no signpost or marker in sight, they could miss it. With luck they'd hit the Luna Bay, but if they got turned around they could wander in the wrong direction all the way to the Crystal Empire!
"Oh. Yeah, I understand," Winter said. She scrunched up her muzzle in thought. "I t-think I know a spell to show a compass, but I'm not sure I can do it. It's pretty complicated."
Rusty gave the mare a quick nuzzle, then removed her hoof around her so they could both walk more easily. "That's okay. Will you try when we're down the cliff? It's just a precaution, so don't worry too much if you can't do it, right?"
Phrasing it that way helped and Winter managed a tentative smile. "Okay. I'll try, Miss Bones."
"Rusty, please."
That time Winter just inclined her head. There was no more time for talking because they reached the edge of the cliff and the path they had to follow was barely wide enough for one pony. Rusty Bones fell behind and followed Winter. She had to trust in Gustaf's ability to both find a safe way down as well as keep the Professor's sled from slipping and pulling them all after it. Hoof over hoof. Slow and steady, the mare told herself. She made sure to brace her legs into the hard ice as best she could. If one of the youngsters slipped the other would likely follow. It would be down to her and Gustaf to stand firm and arrest their slide.
Thank goodness for her earth pony strength and stability.
Hoof by hoof they made their slow way down the side of the cliff.
By the time the group was at the bottom, luckily with no mishaps, the storm was fully upon them. Every direction was white and large snowflakes fell in a swirl all around them. The wind had picked up slightly and it would probably get worse. To Rusty's dismay they couldn't see any sky, nor even a bit of horizon.
"I'll fly up and see which way we have to go," Ember offered, but both Gustaf and Rusty shouted him down.
"Nope!"
"You'll do no such thing, you idiot! The wind will pick you up and smash you on the cliff!" Rusty commanded.
Ember subsided a little, but his ears splayed and he grumbled mutinously: "I could do it!"
Rusty shook her head again. "Pah! Not even Rainbow Dash herself could fly in this! It's getting worse!"
The stallion had no response to that, but he still kept glaring at the sky as if it had personally offended him.
There came a squeak from Winter Shine. "D- D'you think it's the- the whatever is down in that ruin?! Causing the storm, I mean? Is it still after us?!"
Rusty grinned and shook her head firmly. "No chance! This is a perfectly natural storm for this time of year. If we didn't have the Professor to worry about I'd have us set a tent in some hollow and wait it out. It'll blow itself out in a day, maybe two, and we have plenty of supplies."
Her easy confidence helped and Winter Shine's ears lifted a little.
"Anyway, can you try your spell? Ember, Gustaf, in the mean time you two try that famous flyer orientation and pick a direction to the town. Don't watch each other. If you both pick the same way independently, we'll know it's the right one."
The two gave her a nod and walked a few paces away from each other. They started to do whatever pegasi and griffins did to find their way in a storm. Rusty stayed with Winter Shine.
"Remember, it's just to confirm, so don't push yourself too hard. See if you can do it."
The mare gave her a nod. She looked worried and Rusty suspected that on some level Winter Shine knew how critical her navigation spell would be. She still accepted Rusty's words, though, or she might fold under the pressure. "Alright. Compass. Compass. I can do it," she murmured to herself. She took a few deep breaths, then her horn flickered to life.
Rusty got her map out just in case it worked, and eyeballed the direction from the base of the cliff to the town. At least she hoped she had the right valley in mind. She retraced the steps from where she had marked the ruins and their first camp that first night out of Ice Floe. She was sure it was the right spot.
Winter Shine grunted a bit and her magic flashed on and off a few times as she struggled with it. Just as Rusty was losing hope, faint, glowing lines appeared in the air in front of the unicorn. She watched them eagerly and they slowly resolved into a circle with markings. S, E, W and N. There was a thicker line running from the center to N. It had worked! Rusty quickly dragged her hoof in the snow just under the floating compass to capture which direction was North. She added South as well, then grasped Winter Shine in a big hug.
"That's it! It worked, you can stop now!"
The mare blinked her eyes open in confusion and saw the magical compass, which made her gasp a little. "It worked?!" In her surprise she fumbled the spell and the glow around her horn faded with a quiet pop. That didn't matter, since Rusty had copied the markings onto the snow.
She lifted her map and compared it with the directions. She knew which way to the town, but didn't say anything. It wouldn't hurt to corroborate her thoughts with the colts' orientation.
Rusty stood in front of the drawing in the snow and waited for Gustaf and Ember to finish whatever they were doing. When they both looked relatively certain she called out: "Point toward the town. Both at the same time, so you don't copy each other. On three!"
She counted and the two lifted up their forelegs. They seemed to match pretty well with each other, but more importantly it matched what Rusty herself had estimated based on the map and the magical compass.
"Nice!" she praised. "Okay, let's go. I'll walk in the back, keep an eye on the sled tracks to make sure we're going straight."
Rusty knew they could still easily deviate, but she hoped it wouldn't be too significant over the short distance they had left, especially with their two navigators up front. They would keep check on each other.
The party set off once more, pushing bravely into the white, gushing storm.
Chapter 20
The white around them was completely monotonous. Rusty couldn't tell how long they had been walking, nor how far they had come. Maybe they had missed the town entirely and were wandering in the wilderness of the Frozen North. She tried not to think about that. Gustaf and Ember were up front, but all she could see were vague shapes. The pegasus had been pulling Curio's sled for a while now, after they had switched. Beside Rusty, Winter Shine was walking with her head bowed down. She hadn't spoken in quite a while, but Rusty couldn't muster up the energy to ask how she was doing. Not that she had to. They were all cold and tired, hungry and thirsty. It was a small wonder none of them had fallen over yet. Rusty couldn't even feel her hooves anymore, but she raised her head and tried to pierce the fog anyway. Surely they had to be close? She saw nothing. There was no choice left. They had to stop and make a camp. Perhaps the weather would clear in the night and they would be able to navigate the next morning.
Even as she made that decision Rusty's heart sank. Curio hadn't stirred at all and she doubted whether he would make it another day. If nothing else, he hadn't drunk any water since the ruins. Their only hope was to put up a tent, boil some water, then sleep a few hours. There was some daylight left, but they couldn't take the blizzard anymore. Despite their warm clothes, the wind seemed to get into every seam and froze their sweat.
She lengthened her pace to catch up with the two colts up front and tell them to stop. Winter Shine gave a small whine when she saw Rusty pulling ahead and that seemed to be the final straw. Her legs folded up and the poor unicorn fell into the snow. Her side heaved with each breath and she raised her voice in a plaintive mewl at what must have looked like being left behind.
"Ember! Gustaf!" Rusty called in a hoarse voice.
They heard and stopped to look back.
"Can't-" she gasped. "We have to stop."
Ember came back and saw Winter Shine lying on the ground. He hurried over to check on her while Gustaf simply sat in the snow. Rusty wanted to do the same, but the chilly ground would sap what little was left of her body heat, so she forced herself to keep standing.
"Have to... tent."
The griffin gave her a nod and slipped Ember's saddlebags from his back. Rusty hadn't even noticed when he had taken them. He was in the process of untying the bundle with tent poles when he stopped and stared at Rusty.
"What?"
"You're glowing," he said.
It was such an unexpected thing that Rusty opened and closed her mouth a few times in amazement. "What?!"
Gustaf pointed a claw and she looked down. Her forelegs were encased in a faint, golden yellow glow, like nearly transparent liquid honey.
"What is that?!"
She was suddenly aware that the wind had stopped and the sky was growing brighter. Was the storm passing? Perhaps some kind of a strange weather effect? Her eyes were drawn to a point of brilliance just beyond the griffin.
"Gustaf! Look out!"
Before either of them could do much else the mist swirled aside and a tall, gleaming white alicorn emerged from the white fog. Her horn, longer than any unicorn's, glowed brightly with that same golden yellow light.
"Princess? What are you doing here?!"
"I am the deus ex," she said with that secretive little smile Rusty remembered so well, despite only seeing it a few times from a distance. Her voice sang like a melody in her ears and a sense of relief washed over the mare as Celestia spoke.
"Wha- huh?!"
The Princess chuckled softly, then shook her head. "Never mind that. The important thing is that we found you." Even as she said that, more ponies poured around Celestia. A few of them had the distinctive white cap with a red cross, and some had gleaming golden armor.
"How- how did you find us?" Rusty managed. "We must have gotten lost! Ice Floe-"
Celestia smoothly interrupted her as she strode forward: "-is a few hundred hoofsteps. You had nearly made it yourself, but you stopped."
She had been about to set up camp mere yards from the town! Rusty flushed in sudden embarrassment and lowered her gaze to the ground, but a large white feather tipped her muzzle up again.
"Do not be ashamed, with the blizzard it was impossible for you to tell." The golden light kept flowing around her and Rusty Bones saw that Celestia's magic was wrapping around the others, too. When it touched Curio, the Princess gave a small gasp and turned to look. "Careful with that one," she ordered her medics. "Make him comfortable, but do not attempt to heal him. I will see to him personally."
"What? Why? It's just his horn," Rusty said, confused at the sudden attention.
"It's more than that, I am afraid," Celestia explained. Her mouth twisted a little and a look of frustration and anger came into her eyes as she stared across the impenetrable fog in the direction Rusty and her party had come from. Then she sighed and lowered her ears. "It keeps finding its way back, no matter how many times we wipe it from history."
"What does? What are you talking about."
Only then did Celestia apparently realize she was not alone and looked once again at Rusty. "Forgive me. Had I known sooner about your expedition, I would have stopped you. As it was, it only reached my ears yesterday and I hurried over. You may thank Princess Luna for finding Winter Shine's dreams, otherwise we would not have known to expect you."
The answers were there, Rusty knew that in her heart, but she was too tired to piece them together. She stood up, but her legs swayed.
Celestia saw how tired the mare was and shook her head. "Later. I will explain later. First, let's get you inside and warmed up."
Some of the ponies with the Princess had stretchers and Winter Shine was already lying on one of them. She was curled up and sobbing miserably. Ember walked beside her with his wing extended and the mare looked like she was clutching it to her chest. On Rusty's other side, Gustaf waved away the offer to be carried, but he did let one of the unicorn medics examine his wing. A third stretcher came beside Rusty and one of the medics gave her an expectant look. She shook her head and waved the offer away. If the town was only a few hoofsteps away, she would walk herself.
Celestia quirked her mouth up in a smile and turned. "Come then," she invited and began to move, slowly for her, but it still took some effort for Rusty to keep pace.
"I d- I don't understand," she said, looking up at the Princess. "What is that place? The eclipse cult? The sacrifices? Why doesn't anypony know about it?"
"Later," Celestia repeated. "Are any of you injured? Did anypony behave strangely? Like they were not himself? Beside the Professor, I mean?"
"You know about that?!"
The Princess inclined her head. "Some of its darkness lingers around him. I will banish it."
"Will he be alright?"
This time Celestia drew a deep sigh. "I do not know. We will see."
It wasn't the best of news, but at least it seemed Curio was still alive. There was a chance, and the Princess didn't look entirely resigned. She was about to ask more, but the lights of Ice Floe came into sight from the fog. They really had been mere paces away!
"At least we were going in the right direction."
"Yes, at least there was that."
They headed straight for the tavern. It had been a little over a week since Rusty had been there, but it looked completely different. For one, it was brightly lit and warm. It was the most welcoming sight she had seen in her life.
Celestia held the door open for her with her magic and Rusty stepped into the warm common room.
It wasn't much later that two ponies and a griffin were sitting at one of the tables. Rusty and Ember had their hooves on the seat, with thick blankets wrapped around their entire bodies, and still shivering in residual chill. Gustaf claimed he was fine, but Rusty saw how tightly he was holding his mug of hot coffee, and how Ember had covered his legs with the edge of his blanket. Celesta sat opposite them with one of her scribes, a black-maned unicorn the Princess called 'Miss Inkwell'. The name suited the serious-faced mare. Every now and then a guard or a medic would come to the table, murmur a few words with the Princess then leave. Their voices were too low for Rusty to catch their words, though.
"Princess? What did you mean by erasing it from pony history?"
For an instant it looked like Celestia would refuse to answer, but then her ears splayed. "Very well, you know a great deal too much, so I might as well fill in the gaps. Perhaps that way curiosity won't drive you back." Rusty shook her head and started to say that she would never return to those ruins, but Celestia simply spoke over her. "You know by now, I assume, that a tribe of earth ponies took to living underground sometime even before Equestria itself had been founded. You also know that the city they built died suddenly, with many of its inhabitants unable to escape their doom, correct?"
"Yes, but-"
Once again the Princess interrupted: "You have probably seen the temple of the Eclipse cult, since you mentioned it. I believe you've seen their prophecy?"
"It showed they would defeat you and Luna and take over Equestria!"
Celestia inclined her head and smiled. "Then it is lucky, is it not, that it's a false prophecy?"
"False?"
"Indeed. Neither me nor my sister know exactly what kind of evil those ponies found under the Frozen North, but all it fed them was lies. The prophecy, while it was something it wanted , was not something it could achieve, at least not easily."
"Then why give it as a prophecy at all?" Ember Clover interjected.
Celestia paused for a moment to think, her eyes unfocusing as she searched her memory. "My best guess - and mind you, it is only a guess - is that it fed the lie to the ancient earth ponies, or at least to their priests. It played on the old hatred between the tribes. Undoubtedly they saw the rise of Equestria as a direct threat to their city. A promise of conquest, of Equestria's riches, would have kept them obedient."
"Why would it need obedience when it could control ponies? Like the Professor."
"Control, yes, but not many, and not completely. Why do you think it has not simply taken control of you all, especially once you realized what had happened to Curio Trinket?" All Rusty could do was shrug her shoulders. Celestia smoothly went on: "It could not. Whether it can take over a mind or not varies from pony to pony. Luna believes that a mind must be receptive for it to enter. In any case, it took Curio because it could, but more importantly, because he was the most powerful among you."
"We all saw visions- walking dead ponies, fire which wasn't there, strange fog. Was any of it real?"
This time Celestia didn't seem to have a good answer, judging by her shrug. "Who knows? Some of the horrors are in the mind, but some may be real. How else could it have killed the original inhabitants? We do not know how capable that evil is, but we do know it is bound to the ruins and its power wanes quickly outside, in the light of day."
That had been Rusty's guess too and she was about to say that, but a white unicorn came over and murmured some words with Celestia. The Princess' face became serious and her ears drooped. She closed her eyes for a moment, thanked the medic, then looked gravely at Rusty.
"It is about your friend, Winter Shine."
Ember Clover sat up straight. "Will she be alright? What's wrong with her?"
Celestia didn't answer at first, searching for a gentle way to put it.
"Tell us, please!" Rusty pleaded, finding the wait unbearable.
Finally the alicorn spoke: "She may be fine, in time. She has suffered some kind of a mental breakdown. The evil had tried to work on her mind, as the second most powerful after the Professor. She fought it off, but at significant cost to herself. There are ponies in Canterlot who will work with Winter Shine and do what they can."
"So- she will be alright?"
Again Celestia looked sad. "It is too early to say. I remain hopeful, but she might carry the seed of this fear within herself for the rest of her life. I will ask Luna to safeguard her dreams, since she is likely to suffer nightmares for a long time."
Rusty and Ember shared a look, then the stallion asked: "Can we see her?"
"Of course," Celestia said with an approving little smile.
"What about Curio?"
This was another difficult question, but it seemed Celestia wasn't as keen to sugarcoat this one. "I cleansed the darkness from his mind. Like most creatures of shadow, it cannot survive direct sunlight. As for his horn-" Celestia shook her head, drew a deep breath, then went on: "I'm afraid it's permanently damaged. He should regain some magical ability, the doctors tell me, but it will be a far shot from what he could do before. Mentally- unfortunately we have to wait until he wakes up." Seeing her grim face, the Princess reached over to place her hoof on top of Rusty's. "Know at least that he will live. You have brought him out."
They were all silent for a while, then the Princess withdrew her hoof and that jolted Rusty into action. "What did you wipe from pony history and why?"
"You have not guessed?" Celestia asked, slightly surprised. "Very well. You've seen how dangerous that creature is. The only reason you escaped is because it was impatient. It had been alone for centuries, so it wanted your blood, fast. Had it shown patience, you would have brought an expedition there. Who knows, perhaps it had learned from its mistakes and this time it would not kill its servants."
"So you... wiped it from history?" Rusty repeated to get the Princess back on track.
"Yes. When it happened for the first time, some of the survivors came out of the North and they told us their story. My Sister and I went to confront this evil, but it is too crafty. It hid from us. We could not destroy it in the depths of the ruin. We endeavoured to hide all traces of that city from pony knowledge, so that unwary adventurers, such as yourself-" Even though the Princess smiled as she said it, Rusty's ears splayed and she averted her gaze. "-would not be tempted to seek it. Unfortunately, it seems some rumour has survived. Incidentally, you will give me all the maps you have, and promise you will not make more, nor tell anypony what is out there."
Ember Clover lowered his gaze. "Yes, Princess."
"The ponies who made our map. You knew about them?"
It was Celestia's turn to look down and lower her ears. "Yes, but not until it was too late. They found the evil, but it was weak, much weaker than what you saw. They began looting the upper levels of the city while it worked on their minds. Once it was able to lure them down, it had them too firmly in its grasp and killed most. Only a few escaped, which I assume is how that map slipped through."
"Why was it stronger with us?"
"Two reasons," Celestia explained, "There was a larger gap of time since the original destruction of the city and the first expedition, compared to between that and yours. Second, I believe the entity, whatever it is, has learned to conserve its strength." Nopony said anything, but the expressions on their faces told it all and Celestia inclined her head. "Yes, it feeds on lifeblood. That is why it had to institute a religion of pony sacrifice."
They all sat in silence, horrified at the revelation and unwilling to learn more. Ember Clover changed the topic: "Anyway, Gustaf here is the only reason we made it out. He was immune to the visions and all that."
"I expect that is because the being had never seen a griffin before. It can learn, however, and next time, if there is a next time, it might be ready. It will know about them and perhaps find a way into their minds."
"Like it did with Curio?" Rusty asked.
"Exactly."
"So it could see and hear everything Curio Saw and heard? What about the Professor's knowledge?"
This time Celestia smiled brightly. "That much, at least, is safe. My Sister and I were not able to find out much after the previous expeditions, but we know the being can't read memories. It can see through a pony's eyes, hear through their ears, perhaps even speak through them and compel them to some actions, but it cannot read minds. Well, at least in the conventional sense."
Once more they were silent as Rusty and Ember thought this over. Gustaf broke the silence: "Well, I got you all back, more or less. I'll be expecting my pay, Rusty."
They all chuckled to that and the mood lightened. Rusty threw her hooves up in mock exasperation. "Fine, sheesh, you'll get your money, you griffin!"
"More than that," Celestia said after they were done giggling about such an unimportant matter. "There weren't many in history, especially from among other races, but I will make you a Knight of the Realm, Gustaf."
Gustaf stammered a little and looked down at his claws, but Ember slipped from under his blanket so he could throw his hooves around the startled griffin. "I'm so proud of you!"
"We will arrange a ceremony in Canterlot when this is all over. We'll have to come up with some other reason, it would not do for this knowledge to get out. Speaking of, please promise to me that you will not tell anypony about what you have found."
They looked at one another, but after their harrowing ordeal it wasn't an onerous promise. "We promise, Princess," Rusty answered for all of them.
"Good. Since the being hadn't been able to feed on any of you, I am hopeful that it might not have much energy left. Perhaps this time it will stay forgotten until the caves and the tunnels collapse." There was nothing much to add, so Celestia turned her gaze on Gustaf once more. "Are you sure you will not accept healing for your wounds?"
"Thank you, ma'am," he replied, already shaking his head. "Scars are a symbol of my trade, you see."
That statement nearly sent Ember into a panic. "B-But! I thought we were gonna- and you'll- or I will move to Griffonstone- and then we'll-"
Gustaf chuckled a little, but he took Ember's hoof with both claws. "Relax, boy. Don't get ahead of yourself. I promised you can take me on a date or two, we'll see how it goes from there, okay?"
It wasn't exactly the answer Ember had been hoping for, but he relaxed and smiled. "Yeah. Okay. Just you wait, I'll wow you off your hoove- um, claws? Paws? Both? Yeah, and then you won't want to leave."
"Maybe," Gustaf laughed.
Rusty Bones picked up her mug of coffee and emptied it. She looked up to see Celestia watched her with great interest and felt like something was expected of her. "Um, thanks, Princess. For finding us, and for telling us this. I'm sorry we went down there, but we really didn't know."
Celestia closed her eyes as she inclined her head in acceptance of the apology. "Where will you go next? You are free to stop at the Canterlot Palace for as long as you wish, you know? Perhaps you will want to stay near Winter Shine and Curio Trinket to make sure they are doing well. Rest before your next adventure?"
It did sound good. There was still her life-long dream of leaving a mark on history, though it felt like a very distant thing at the moment. Rusty knew herself, however, and understood that it would come back eventually. "Will you let me in the Royal Library?"
"All except the forbidden wing, and on the condition that you inform me about your future expeditions."
"What?! There are more places like that?!"
The only description for Celestia's expression was 'distaste'. "Unfortunately, there are some places it would be best ponies didn't venture. I will say no more."
"Okay, okay, I don't want to know. I just- I never realized being a Princess meant having these sorts of secrets."
"It means much that most ponies never realize," Celestia replied with a slightly wistful smile. "At times I envy you. Enough about that, however. I must see to Curio Trinket again. I suggest you get some rest, we will leave for Canterlot in the morning."
Rusty nodded absentmindedly as she played with the empty mug on the table. She thought back on that dark, quiet city under the mountain. The miles and miles of stone corridors and long-forgotten rooms. She thought of the ponies who lived there, whose only legacy was to leave a pile of bones. Mostly, she thought about that newborn filly and her family, forever having dinner in a city nopony remembered. She hoped they were in a better place, that whatever evil dwelt there couldn't touch them. Her own story was now tied to that ruin. That was a legacy, of a sort. The evil being would forever know that she, Rusty Bones, had slipped through its claws.
She had escaped and brought her friends out.
More than that- she had made some friends.
She would accept Celestia's offer. She had to stay near Winter Shine and Curio Trinket, at least until she was sure they would be alright. She owed them that much.
Rusty caught a glance of Gustaf and Ember Clover, still hugging to her side. "By the way, Gustaf, Equestrian Knighthood comes with a substantial monthly stipend, did you know that? You're basically set for life, and it will extend to any children you might have."
The griffin started in surprise. "It does?! You know I was only joking about the pay! I'm just glad we made it out of there!"
"Yes, I knew. Yes we did. And yes, it was thanks to you. You deserve it."
Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Gustaf seemed to sit a little straighter. Ember Clover was grinning at him and murmured: "Gustaf, Knight of Equestria. Has a nice ring to it."
After that Ember Clover began talking about a particular club in Canterlot and Rusty stopped paying attention. She slid from her bench. "I think I'll go get some sleep. See you in the morning."
She got an absentminded wave goodbye, but the two were already engrossed in each other and she didn't disturb them. She waved to the Princess on the way up the stairs. She moved slowly and all her muscles hurt, but she didn't mind. All Rusty could think about was the soft, inviting bed in her room.
There would be time for more adventures in the morning.
END
Chapter 1
Rusty Bones, pulled her thick woolen coat closer around herself as she stepped off the last train in Ice Floe. It was summer in the rest of Equestria, but this place, as far north as it was possible to go without visiting the Crystal Empire, was a landscape of eternal winter. She glanced up beyond the town, where the tall peaks of nameless mountains thrust defiantly into the sky. Somewhere up there was the hidden village of the Yaks. She would have to visit that someday.
This time, however, her business lay in a slightly different direction. The long-legged, grass green earth pony turned toward the town proper and its strings of welcoming, orange lights. Ice Floe was a two-horse town on the very edge of Equestria, sitting squat in the middle of Luna Bay nestled between the snow-covered foothills before the vast mountain ranges of the Frozen North. Rusty wondered if any creature had crossed those inhospitable peaks. Maybe back when Equestria had been young and wild, some unsung heroes had attempted such a journey, but despite her recent research into the area, Rusty Bones, Adventurer Extraordinaire, hadn't found even a rumour of a legend. A dragon could probably fly over those mountains, she thought, but it would have to be a big one to brave the almost incessant snow storms. Perhaps she would visit the Dragon Lands in a future expedition and try to solicit some help. That way her name would go down in history for sure!
The mare shook her head and hurried her hoofsteps in an effort to get out of the cold. The day had long since turned and twilight was fast approaching, bringing with it a promise of an exceptionally cold night and fresh snow. Rusty tightened the scarf around her neck, lowered her head into the biting wind and hurried along. She hadn't really expected anypony to come meet her at the station, though it would have been a nice thing to do. It wasn't necessary anyway. The well-travelled pony could find the sole inn in a town this small blindfolded, just following her sense of smell. Why was it that those places all seemed to favor baked potatoes? Her nose wiggled as she orientated herself and soon Rusty spotted the sign hanging above the door on one of the few two-storey buildings in the place. All the windows on the ground floor were lit and a few of the locals were headed that way. Bingo. Snatches of piano music could be heard each time the door swung open, and sounds of merriment. It seemed as if everypony wanted to forget their burdens and the dismal landscape for a few hours. Rusty quickened her pace and soon pushed into the warm common room, where her appearance caused a momentary lull in the conversation. Strangers were apparently not a common sight in the village, but the locals soon assured themselves she was just a pony and went back to their food, drink and company.
When she shook of her hood, her mane drew a few more odd glances, but nopony commented. She knew it was unusual, charcoal gray with a black stripe down the middle. The adventurer looked around the tables and spotted a likely group in one of the booths against the wall. Two unicorns were quite unmistakable in a town full of earth ponies and an occasional pegasus. If that weren't enough, their fancy clothes made them stand out like a bugbear sting on a light-colored rump. Rusty walked slowly, giving herself a few moments to study her soon-to-be partners on this, her latest and greatest expedition. The older stallion was undoubtedly the Professor, especially if she considered his sense of importance and a scruffy attempt at a beard. He wanted to look older than he was, Rusty assumed, hoping the increased gravitas would earn him more esteem at the Canterlot University. He was a lean pony, his coat gray, bordering on black, with a vivid orange mane which made him look like a small flame burning out of a bit of charcoal. She couldn't see his rump, but the description in the letter named his cutie mark as an old-fashioned bronze bell.
Their gazes met and the stallion's ears twitched down as he hurriedly looked away. He hadn't recognized her and thought she was just another local mare. He was uneasy away from his University and he fiddled with his mug as he kept scanning the room. Beside the professor were two of his hoof-picked students. Rusty would have preferred not to take youngsters on what could potentially be a dangerous expedition, but Professor Curio Trinket had insisted. Apparently it would be a part of their final thesis, or something. The mare, another unicorn, had a coat very nearly the same color as the Professor. Rusty wondered if that showed a strange bit of nepotism there. The student's name was Winter Shine and she was focusing on her plate of baked potatoes almost to the exclusion of everything else. Here and there she glanced at her Professor with what Rusty identified as admiration and excitement. The third pony at their table was a pegasus, which was quite unusual for Canterlot University. His name escaped Rusty at the moment, but she remembered the endorsement the Professor had given the pony, calling him his best student in all his years of teaching. Perhaps he belonged, she thought, eyeing the stallion's immaculately styled mane and his expensive-looking hooficure. Maybe he was a unicorn born in a pegasus' body. Rusty glanced around the room one more time, looking for the fifth member of their party, but didn't spot him. Gustaf would be easy to notice, since he would be the only griffin in a room full of ponies. There was no reason for concern, the bird lived further away from this place than any of them so he would probably arrive on the morning train. First impressions were good, the adventurer thought to herself. The Professor looked a bit flighty, the unicorn mare was a bit on the heavy side, but his pegasus student and their griffin guard would pick up the slack in the more strenuous parts of their journey.
She put on a welcoming smile and walked up to the table. The younger stallion noticed her first and his eyes widened when he realized she was going to join them. A moment later he smiled in recognition. "Ah, you must be our esteemed guide!"
Rusty Bones held up her hoof as the other two looked over in sudden surprise. "No, not guide. This expedition is my idea. You can call me 'boss', although 'Miss Bones' will do."
After a second the Professor remembered his manners and jumped to his hooves so he could shake her offered foreleg. "Of course, of course! I must say, Miss. Bones, that map you sent me was quite a find!" He sat back down in his previous spot, so Rusty slid into the opposite bench and bumped the pegasus' rump to make him shift over. "I guess introductions are in order," Curio continued. "Students, this is Miss. Rusty Bones, an adventuring archaeologist. You have likely seen some of her finds in the Canterlot Museum of Pony History."
Rusty nodded her head and splayed her ears for a moment in lieu of saying hello.
Then the Professor pointed out the other two. "This here is Winter Shine, a very promising student of mine, and sitting beside you is Ember Clover. They will help me take notes and catalogue whatever we find as part of their doctoral thesis on early pre-Equestrian civilizations."
"Howdy. Nice to meet both of you. Professor, tell me you remembered to bring the map with you?" Rusty had made a copy before she had sent it to Canterlot University, but there was always the risk she had missed some small detail. The original would be preferable.
"Of course, of course," the stallion assured her and levitated his saddleback up into his lap. A quick rummage found a scroll case and his students moved the dishes on the table off to one side to give him room, even without being prompted. Curio unscrewed the tube and took out a yellowed piece of parchment, which he unrolled before them. All four of them bent over to study the map. It was full of straight lines and right angles, many of them criss-crossing. There were markings on it with a legend hastily written down in a corner.
As before, Rusty spotted a curious thing about the symbols and she looked up at the other ponies to see if they would mention it.
"The interesting thing, Miss. Bones, is that this map is not old enough for what it portrays," Curio explained. "We were able to magically date it to early Celestial period, certainly before the banishment of Princess Luna, but definitely after Equestria was established as a country."
"Okay, so that means..." Rusty prompted.
"Winter Shine?" he deferred and Rusty got a feeling this was a small test for the unicorn mare.
She glanced over the paper as if looking for clues, then gave a nod. "It means," she said at last, "that whoever made this map discovered the labyrinth, but did not build it." The mare took a breath and continued: "These, here and here," she pointed with a magically levitated fork, picking out a few hoof-drawn diagrams showing what looked like ornate doors, "are clearly pre-Equestrian. Therefore we can assume that the ponies who made this map had found the ruins and explored them, and this was their reference."
"Very good!" Curio Trinket praised, beaming proudly at his student. "Anything to add, Ember?"
The stallion studied the map some more, then shrugged a little to himself. "The markings show interesting places or rooms, perhaps where the explorers found treasure, or traps. We'll have to translate the legend, obviously, to know which is which."
"Good, good," the Professor said and looked up at Rusty to gauge how impressed she was with his favourite pupils.
"That's not all."
"Oh?" Three of them looked at her in surprise, then bent over the map once more to study it again.
Rusty settled in to wait and waved to a serving mare who was just taking empty mugs past their table. "Can you fetch me some of these fine-looking potatoes? Do you have anything else to go with them?"
The waitress smiled politely back and shifted her hooves deftly to keep the tray on her back without spilling it. "There is some lovely pea soup left, and I can get you fresh-baked bread to go along, miss."
"That sounds lovely!"
"Would you also like a mug of our famous ale, or maybe some tea?"
Tea or coffee would be her preferred choice, but Rusty wanted to try and sleep soon so she would be up fresh and rested early the next day. "Ale, please."
The waitress thanked her for her order and wandered off to see to it, while Rusty Bones looked back at her companions. Their ears were decidedly lower than before and the Professor especially seemed a bit peeved that she knew something about the map he didn't. A short while later he sighed and looked up. "I give up. It must have something to do with how you found the map, something you didn't mention in the letter."
"No, not really."
His mouth tightened and Rusty smiled more widely. Curio Trinket was at the top of his field, but he couldn't think like an adventurer. That was why a pony like herself was a good one to have on such an excursion.
"Well?" Curio asked a bit impatiently and his two students looked up with small shrugs. They too had given up.
Rusty stood up so she could reach the map with her hoof and carefully tapped a few places. "I was wondering why the markings here," she tapped a place, "are much denser than over here. If you look this way, there are hardly any notes on this side of the map. I wonder why that is."
The three scholars bent down again, all traces of annoyance forgotten in fresh excitement. "By Celestia, she is right," Curio exclaimed. "It is almost as if the notations get sparser and sparser as you go West!"
"I wonder what it means?" Winter Shine asked, looking at her professor in question.
Curio shrugged to himself and glanced back up at Rusty.
"I'm not sure yet, but I find it very strange that the entrance comes in from the East. That is surly not a coincidence."
They looked at the map once more and it was Ember Clover who made a guess: "Perhaps they explored the bits near the entrance more thoroughly. Maybe they got all the treasure they could carry before they reached the middle and then they just hastily finished the map and left?"
"Yeah, maybe," Rusty said. The same theory had occurred to her as well, but it didn't sound right. That simple fact that the map was much more detailed near the entrance made her slightly uneasy. It was a good thing they would have a fierce griffin as a guard, she thought.
A moment later her food arrived and Curio rolled up the map once more. "We'll have plenty of time to study it as we make camp tomorrow afternoon. We can't reach the entrance in one day, so we might as well take it easy."
"Agreed."
The smell of baked potatoes and pea soup went around the table and Winter Shine hastily placed an order for herself as well. She went on to talk with her Professor about unrelated things as Rusty began to eat. Soon Ember joined in the conversation and the three were lost in discussion about their thesis papers, leaving Rusty Bones in peace to finish her dinner. Whatever they found in that place would be significant, she knew it. Perhaps she would get her picture in the papers this time, and her name in the history books. Without wings to do daring aerial stunts, or a horn to perform astounding feats of magic, this was the only way she could see to leave her mark on Equestrian history.
Despite her best efforts Rusty didn't get a whole lot of sleep. She was used to roughing it, but the bed in the inn was too soft and she couldn't find a comfortable position where she didn't feel like she was being bent double. It felt like she had tossed and turned for most of the night before she finally drifted away, and even then she woke up before dawn with a crimp in her neck. She lay on her back and stared at the ceiling until it was nearly six, then gave up in disgust. With luck the day wouldn't be too strenuous and she could catch up on her rest that night in the tent, where she would have a hard surface and a sleeping bag.
Rusty Bones got up from her bed and walked over to the window. The night was surprisingly bright, despite the thick clouds which covered every hoof of the sky. Perhaps it was some kind of strange reflection from the snow, or maybe the street lamps of the town were deceptively bright. She looked at the Luna Bay for a while, the shoreline clearly visible between the deep black of the water and the white of snow. The town was sitting right at the edge of the sea and Rusty saw wooden piers jutting out from the shore with a few boats, dark and apparently deserted at this time of night. In a few minutes, after Rusty had stretched a bit, she felt a lot better and all trace of sleep was gone. She turned her back on the window, grabbed her bag of toiletries, and left her room in search of the facilities.
The inn was quiet, but she could hear snoring coming from one of the other rooms. Rusty hoped it was not the Professor or one of his students. There were few things worse in a travelling companion than snoring. The mare made her way to the common bathroom and finished her business. Then she washed and gave her short mane a rudimentary brushing, and shook most of the tangles out of her tail. She stared at her reflection for a few seconds and the face in the mirror looked back at her with visible excitement. Her amber eyes glittered with eager anticipation and she smirked at herself.
"This one could be big. Go get it!" she murmured to herself.
The little ritual served to focus her mind on the goal and Rusty hurried to grab the rest of her things from the room. She could pack up and sit in the common room while she waited for the rest of her little party. There were supplies to be worked out, gear to be checked and maps to be poured over. All of that would be a lot more comfortable on the large table in one of the booths, while she sipped a hot cup of coffee and maybe had a bite of breakfast. She had told Curio and the others to be ready at seven, so she had about an hour to enjoy in quiet and solitude before the adventure began. The mare was ready in minutes. She hadn't unpacked the previous night, other than taking her self-care kit out of her custom-made back-and-saddle-bags and it slotted perfectly back into the correct pocket. She didn't tie the bags since she would be taking things out to check them in a few minutes anyway. Then Rusty made her way down the stairs to the common room, wondering if she would have to wake up the staff to get that cup of coffee. To her pleasant surprise there was already a fire going in the kitchen and a rather round stallion at the bar, stacking plates.
"Mornin'," a voice said from behind the bar. The stallion, probably the proprietor, Rusty thought, gave her a friendly nod. "Care for a touch of breakfast, miss?"
"Coffee first, please. What do you have?"
Even as he answered the innkeeper picked out a mug and poured the life-giving nectar. "Sugar? Cream?"
"Touch of cream, no sugar. Thanks!"
"If you can wait twenty minutes there will be fresh bread. Wife has just put the loaf in the oven. If you want quicker'n that, there's eggs, scrambled or Celestia-style and some bread left over from last night, it's still good. There's also oatmeal. Oh, you can have sausages or bacon, if fancy takes you that way."
The last two were a bit of a surprise and Rusty paused in the process of settling into her booth. "Wait, bacon? Sausages?" She had travelled all over Equestria and beyond, so the adventurer wasn't a stranger to exotic foodstuffs, but she hadn't expected something like that in a small pony town.
The innkeeper slipped deftly around the bar despite his bulk and brought her mug over. "Yup, miss. We get an occasional Griffin through here and, well, a few of my regulars are partial. They say it's an acquired taste, but well worth acquiring."
"Interesting. Anyway, scrambled eggs will be fine. I don't mind yesterday's bread." In truth she had had to eat much worse at times.
"You got it, miss...?"
"Rusty. Rusty Bones."
The proprietor held out a hoof for a quick shake as he introduced himself. "Cinnamon Crescent, although friends call me 'Cinnamon'. The 'Crescent' part hasn't been true in years." The stallion chuckled at his own joke as he patted his belly and Rusty offered a polite grin of her own. "Unusual name, Bones," he went on, apparently opting to keep her company rather than get the bar ready for his patrons.
"My parents were paleontologists," Rusty said with a shrug. "They don't know where the 'Rusty' part came from, though."
"Gotcha. Well, let me get you your breakfast. Had a good night?" Cinnamon asked as he made his way back to the bar.
Rusty opened her mouth to reply, but waited while he spoke through the open kitchen door to place her order. A mare replied back, but her exact words were too muffled to understand. When he looked back she said: "Actually, the bed was too soft for me. It kept me up most of the night."
This was an unexpected complaint and Cinnamon blinked in surprise. "Well, that's a first. I'm sorry to hear that, miss. Of course I'll be happy to refund you some-"
"No need," she interrupted with a raised hoof.
"Well, thank you kindly, Miss Rusty. I'll make a note of it and get a couple of harder mattresses in. Next time just mention it and we'll make sure your room has one of those."
"Thanks. Maybe on our way back then."
The stallion glanced over her large pack and made a guess: "You're heading out into the North?"
"Yup." Rusty didn't say anything more, unwilling to divulge their destination or what they hoped to find there. The ponies in Ice Floe probably wouldn't try to steal her discovery, but she had learned to be careful about these things. Instead she picked her booth and pushed her bags in the seat before joining them herself.
"An explorer, then?" the bartender kept talking across the room.
"Something like that."
Cinnamon didn't look like a pony who liked to travel, let alone venture into uninhabited places He shrugged a little to himself. "Well, it takes all kinds, I guess. Myself, now-"
Whatever he was about to say was interrupted as the outside door opened and a figure walked in. Her guard, Rusty guessed immediately, unless there happened to be two griffins passing through that small town in the same day. The half-bird, half-lion creature walked into the common room with a strong, determined stride, before stopping in the middle to look around.
He hadn't sent a picture or a description, so Rusty just went out on a limb. "Gustaf?"
The feathered head snapped around and those large, forward-facing eyes focused on the mare. Those were a predator's eyes, she couldn't help thinking. There was a scar, or a scratch down the griffin's beak and it continued across his face, under his left eye. Rusty could see where the feathers hadn't grown back evenly. He walked over to her booth and inspected the pony before him. "Bones?" he asked.
"That's right. Please, sit. We have some time before the others are ready. Do you want breakfast?"
The griffin, Gustaf, shook his head, but he did take the seat. "Pony food doesn't sit well with me. I have my own supplies and I'll eat on the move."
She couldn't help but grin in delight at her news. "Actually, they serve bacon and sausages here."
This was a surprise and Gustaf looked around the place with fresh appreciation. His eyes landed on the innkeeper, who was already smiling at the new guest. "Indeed we do, master griffin. We also have coffee or tea."
"Coffee. Black," the bird ordered. "Then a couple of sausages. You don't usually see those in pony lands, so I guess I have to try them." As Cinnamon scurried into the kitchen to help his wife make the meal, Gustaf looked back at Rusty. He glanced over her pack again and seemed to like what he saw. "You obviously know what you're doing, so that's good. What about the others?"
She glanced at the stairs to make sure the Professor and his pupils wouldn't overhear, then shook her head slightly. "Academics. We'll have to keep an eye on them."
Gustaf shrugged a little to himself. "So, what's the job? Your letter was a little vague."
Rusty nodded to show him she would tell, but leaned closer and lowered her voice to keep at least a modicum of secrecy. She had spoken openly about their destination with the others the previous night, but a common room full of eating and drinking ponies was a special kind of privacy, one not afforded them in the stillness of the morning.
"Ancient ruin, judging by the drawings I found it's pre-Equestrian. Emphasis on 'pre'. Pre-Grogar, certainly."
"Okay? What's a Grogar?"
Rusty realized she had gotten too used to the her more educated companions from last night. Gustaf was hired muscle, he probably didn't know ancient pony history. "Okay, let's just say these are old."
The griffin knew his limitations and didn't mind skipping the history lecture. He gave Rusty a nod, but held his beak while Cinnamon brought over her scrambled eggs and his coffee.
"The rest will be out in a few minutes," he assured his new guest, then hurried off to see to it.
"Okay, I got ancient ruin. Why do you need me?"
"It's up in the north. On the one hoof, I'm dealing with three academics so I wouldn't mind some more muscle," she explained. Her gaze slipped from Gustaf's scarred face to take in his powerful forelegs and the toned flanks. She had no doubt he could match an earth pony for sheer strength. "On the other hoof, the Frozen North isn't well explored. We might run into unexpected fauna, so somepo- some creature who knows how to fight would be a useful thing to have."
Gustaf gave her a grim smile and flexed his claws. "Excellent. I wouldn't mind a good fight."
"I'm hoping we won't need to."
"Eh," Gustaf shrugged, "I get paid either way. Okay, to summarize: escort some ponies into the Frozen North, wait while they dig around in some ruin, and bring them all back alive. Sounds simple enough."
"Yep, that about covers it. Except it's not the normal type of ruins."
"Oh?"
Rusty Bones couldn't keep a grin off her muzzle as she shook her head. "It's tunnels. Judging from the map, this place is like a whole city, underground. A pony city, dug into a mountain, can you imagine?"
The bird obviously couldn't and he leaned his head to one side in confusion. "I thought ponies loved the sun."
"Exactly! This was a group of ponies who lived underground. Maybe a whole civilization! It's the discovery of a lifetime!"
"Fascinating." Gustaf didn't seem particularly impressed, but that was because he was a fighter, not a scholar. Rusty Bones, on the other hoof, was an explorer who knew her academia.
"Anyway, that's the job. I assume you're still in?"
"Certainly. I'll see you all safely back, you can count on that!"
Once again their conversation was interrupted as Cinnamon brought a plate for the griffin. It was indeed piled high with sausages and there was a thick chunk of bread laid on the side. A large wallop of mustard completed the set.
"Well, I'll be," Gustaf exclaimed in pleasant surprise. He thanked their host and didn't waste any more time before digging in. His appetite reminded Rusty that she was hungry too.
As she ate, the mare returned her focus to the list she had made some days prior. It was the equipment they would need to survive the Frozen North and she wanted to go through it with Gustaf. If there was anything she had forgotten, he would undoubtedly catch it. If they lacked any crucial gear they could buy it in the town before they left. After that, they would be completely on their own. Rusty glanced at the big clock on the wall behind the bar. Fifteen minutes until seven. The others should be arriving shortly and then they would make plans.
Chapter 6
"Here, try this," Gustaf said as he and Rusty Bones were sitting a short distance away from the macabre remains. He passed her a small metal flask and she took a swig without asking what it was.
"GAH!"
It was too late to spit it out and Gustaf expertly caught her hoof before she dropped the whole thing. It burned! "Sorry, I should have warned you. It'll take the edge off."
Rusty wasn't listening because she was too busy washing the taste out of her mouth from her own water flask. "Yeah, it will take the edge off now . I thought it was water or something!"
The griffin held up the small, metal object. It was flat, easy to nestle in a pocket, and had a very small opening. There was no way of mistaking the shape of a spirits flask. It had been her own fault for not looking. In either case, it would probably help. The skeletal remains Curio and his students were examining had been somewhat unexpected. Now that she thought about it for a minute it should not have been. Finding bodies in a long-abandoned, unvisited place really wasn't that unusual. On the plus side, it also told them something about the history of the place.
"I guess we'll see more of that, huh?"
Gustaf nodded and glanced very briefly at the bones. He didn't seem particularly affected, but he was a griffin with combat experience, so perhaps this was nothing new to him. At least that guard had been dead for possibly thousands of years. "I reckon. Looks like they left this place in a hurry. Not even time to bury their dead. I wonder what happened."
Rusty Bones wondered too. It was part of what she and Curio were there to find out, along other important questions such as 'Who these ponies even were?' and 'Why did they live underground?' She looked up when one of the unicorns approached. "Professor?"
"Earth pony, about the same age as that lamp yesterday. Armor- is unusual."
"How so?"
Both she and Gustaf watched Curio Trinket with curiosity as he flipped through his notepad. "It has certain similarities with the pre-Grogar civilizations we know, but it's different."
"Which means?" Rusty had a thought, but she held her breath in excitement and waited to hear what the academic would say.
"Which means," Curio went on, "that this particular group had been separated from other civilizations for quite some time. Hundreds of years. I daresay they traded with the surface, the entrance and this room seem to suggest that, but they had their own craftsponies and evolved their art in a separate direction."
The mare nearly pumped her hoof in triumph, but remembered at the last moment that it would have been a little disrespectful to the deceased pony. "So we were right? A group of ponies splintered off and lived entirely underground for a long while before- well, before whatever happened here drove them out."
"It's a bit early to say, but yes, I am leaning in that direction. We'll probably know more when we find their armory, and perhaps something like a government office. You must let me enter first if we come across such a place."
"Why so?" Gustaf asked.
Curio glanced back at the corpse before answering: "It's a long shot whether any paperwork survived all this time, but some of the cloth pieces on that armor are almost recognizable. This place is incredibly dry, cool, no real air movement and a uniform temperature, some records might have survived."
"They might, but the moment you so much as look at them they will crumble into dust," Rusty pointed out.
The Professor grinned and his horn flashed very briefly. "I came prepared!" he said with a happy little twinkle in his eye. "Paper-preserving spell. I can cast it over a whole room, then we can handle the paper without fear and maybe even get something legible off it."
Despite herself Rusty Bones was impressed. Unicorns really were useful for expeditions such as these! "Clever! Okay, get your students- oh, you're already here!" She almost hadn't noticed, but the two other ponies had finished with their photographing of the ancient remains and were standing just behind their teacher. They took a step forward to join the conversation. "Anything even slightly looks like an office or an archive, get out as calmly and as quickly as you can, then fetch Professor Curio. We can't afford accidentally destroying anything!"
They nodded, but Ember Clover raised a hoof. He spoke when Rusty glanced at him: "Wouldn't have the previous expedition destroyed it before us anyway?"
He meant the ponies who had drawn the map. Rusty opened her mouth to answer, but paused to think for a bit. "Maybe, but we still don't want to risk it. I think they were only after valuables, so if they saw a room was just an office they might not have bothered searching it."
"Fair point, "Curio confirmed. "Okay, what's next?"
Rusty already had the aforementioned map out and held it up to the light. "We go down this corridor, that way," she pointed with a hoof. "The map doesn't show any traps and we should find an armory and a barracks. We'll probably came across more dead ponies, so steel yourselves. At least we'll know if it was only earth ponies or if there were other races here too."
They all agreed with her choice and soon the party filed out of the grand hall. That was what she was calling it, for now. Rusty had elected to keep a torch burning, because the sharp shadows cast by Curio's magical spell felt too unnatural in that place.
"This is definitely an area outsiders didn't get to see," Winter Shine pointed out, but then fell silent when a reflection of her voice came back: "See! To see! See!"
"Sorry," she whispered.
Nopony minded and Curio asked her as soon as the echo died down: "Explain."
She swooped a hoof along the corridor. "Hooks in the walls for art and curtains. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, rather than torch brackets. Tables and cabinets, looks like."
She was right and when Rusty looked ahead she could see that one of the metal chandeliers was indeed lying in the middle of the floor, its chain rusted through. The furniture Winter Shine had pointed out was more guesswork than observation, but the small piles of wood could have been tables.
"I guess you're right," Rusty said.
The carefully circled the twisted mass of metal, but Ember Clover stayed behind a few moments to make a few more pictures. Rusty kept her gaze firmly on the corridor ahead to avoid the flash spoiling her night vision.
She suddenly stopped and her blood froze. "What was that?!"
They all came to a halt and Gustaf immediately jumped beside her, wings outstretched so he could push himself faster. "What did you see?" he murmured.
"A shape. I thought it was a pony! Up ahead!"
At those words Curio sent his ball of light flying ahead, where it revealed a large cupboard precariously leaning across the hallway. The ponies relaxed, all except Rusty.
"Come on, the armory should be right past that," Winter Shine said.
"No, that wasn't it. I was sure..." She didn't finish her sentence because Curio chuckled softly. He would have said something else, but his quiet laugh echoed back as a grotesque mockery of the original sound and sent a shiver down their spines. In either case, there was no choice but to press forward. As they neared the obstruction Rusty began to doubt herself. Had the shape really been that of a pony? She hadn't been looking directly at it and the camera flash had been very brief. Perhaps it had just been that old cupboard, twisted by the shadows and her imagination.
She didn't much like these ruins, but Rusty pushed that thought down and examined the obstacle. "I don't want to destroy it, but it looks like it'll fall apart the second we try to move it."
"Let me try," Winter Shine volunteered and her horn began to glow. The magic enveloped the whole wooden item and carefully lifted it upright and placed it in its original spot. It looked like it would remain mostly undamaged, until the mare released it and the cupboard simply collapsed in on itself. The crash was far louder than they expected and all of them jumped back, Gustaf included. The sound of tumbling wood and breaking crockery made a cacophony in the quiet corridor and Rusty winced as it went on and on.
"Sorry! I'm sorry!" the unicorn mare whined above the racket. She earned herself a glare from her professor, but Rusty really couldn't fault her. Winter had handled the cupboard extremely delicately, it just couldn't be helped that it broke apart when it was stood up.
Curio walked over as the final bits of debris settled and the noise thankfully receded. He lifted a few shards with his magic. "Shame about the pottery, but I daresay the thing would have fallen apart if we tried to open it anyway. We'll have plenty of time to put these back together back in the Canterlot Museum."
It looked like he was about to start collecting the fragments, but Rusty laid a hoof on his shoulder. "Leave it," she said. "It's not going anywhere, we can grab it later. No doubt there will be more ponies here once we bring our findings back. We should look for more important things."
The stallion seemed to agree, because he carefully laid the pieces back down, but his gaze lingered longingly on the ancient pottery. "Okay, you're right. Step carefully, though, don't crush anything underhoof."
Luckily the cupboard had sagged against the wall, so the wreckage was concentrated on one half of the corridor. The group was able to make their way around it without damaging anything priceless with their hoofsteps.
"Okay, this is the armory," Rusty Bones announced.
The corridor opened up into a room, but it was nowhere near as grand as the previous one. The ceiling was much nearer, though tall enough for Gustaf to walk comfortably upright on his hind paws. The room was also much smaller and there were no pillars. Probably not needed at this size, Rusty thought to herself.
"Wow. This place alone would keep our entire class busy for a whole semester," Ember Clover pointed out. Curio and Winter Shine murmured agreement as they stared.
There were racks. Most of them had been wood and had long since collapsed, but there were bits of armor and the occasional weapon visible under the rubble. Some stands were made of iron, or at least had iron frames, and those were still standing. Every kind of weapon conceivable to pony kind was there. It would indeed take a lot of work to catalogue and examine each item.
Rusty walked through the racks and peered into the room beyond. The shape of bunk beds was unmistakable, even if the mattresses had long since rotted away and most of the wooden frames had collapsed. "Ugh," she said, "more bodies. It looks like some of them were still in their beds, too."
"Yeah, there's dead ponies here as well," Ember called out.
Rusty pulled her head out of the barracks and saw that the archaeologists had spread out around the armory and were examining the items there.
"Earth pony," Curio murmured to them.
Winter Shine asked: "How can you tell? I mean, it's not a unicorn, or rather, it wasn't, but it could have been a pegasus."
"No," her professor said and switched to what Rusty called his lecturing tone. She walked deeper into the barracks, but the eerie silence and the echo ensured she heard everything without trouble. "See, that bit of femur there. Much too thick for a pegasus bone. Even if that didn't give it away, look at the armor. No wing holes."
She still wasn't convinced. "Maybe they just made one type of armor and pegasi wore it too?"
This time it was Gustaf who answered: "Nope. A pegasus warrior is almost like a griffin warrior. Flying is just too great an advantage, a skilled fighter would never give it up. I reckon a pegasus would rather fight without armor than without flying."
It was about what Rusty herself would have guessed and she nodded, even though nopony could see her. She proceeded further into the barracks, counting the dead ponies in the bunks. She was up to eight when she heard soft padding behind her and guessed it was the griffin. He was easy to tell apart from the ponies on that hard floor.
"I thought you said nopony goes alone," he whispered quietly to her. She could almost hear his grin.
"Obviously I meant that for everypony except myself. Well, maybe you. We know how to handle ourselves."
The bird didn't reply and joined her in looking around.
"Nine. That's ten. Um... A little help, are those two bodies or one?"
It was hard to tell when the bones were strewn about and mingled with the wreckage of the bed. "Two, I think," Gustaf said.
"Whatever happened, some of them were still in their beds. Only that one had his or her armor on," she pointed. Perhaps thanks to the protective suit the bones seemed to have retained more of a pony shape than the others in that room. The remains were sprawled on the floor, the ancient soldier's spear beside them. "Facing deeper in," Rusty pointed out thoughtfully.
"Is that unusual?" Gustaf asked.
"Maybe not, but this is the second one like that.
"What kind of a sudden catastrophe could happen to an underground civilization?"
Rusty spent a few long seconds thinking it over. "Uprising? No, they'd have kept the place and cleared out the bodies. Some kind of creature attack? Diamond Dogs, Yaks, what else lived up here?"
"Maybe your Professor will know."
"Probably. What else? Flood?"
"Hmm, we'd see more rust, I think. Some of these iron frames look too clean," Gustaf commented, pointing at the metal beds.
"Yep. Disease is also out, they wouldn't have died suddenly. I really don't know what it could have been. I guess we'll go with 'creature attack' for now. Something scary enough so that it either wiped them out completely, or the survivors didn't want to come back."
The two of them stared at the far wall, which was only dimly lit with their torches. A scary monster, rising up from the dark. Could it still be lurking in this place? Were she outside, Rusty Bones would have laughed at herself for such silliness. There was nothing to eat in the ruins. Even if a beast had been trapped inside, it would have died long ago. There, in the darkness, surrounded by the rubble of furniture and the dead, staring eye sockets of ponies long gone, the thought didn't sound quite as ridiculous. She swallowed a lump and firmly pressed an image of something long and scaly out of her conscious thoughts.
A clop of hooves alerted them to another arrival. It was Curio, with his own copy of the map held before him and illuminated with his spell. The sharp, crisp shadows it cast on the wall through the wreckage and bones looked like nightmare creatures in their own right and Rusty couldn't help but shudder at some of the things she saw from the corner of her eye.
Curio tried to push past her. "Looks like there's some kind of officers' quarters through here. Maybe they have records or something. I should go ahead."
Rusty held up a hoof to block his path. "Yes, but at least let me look inside for traps."
The stallion agreed and they made their way around a few smaller piles of rubble to a doorway. There had once been a wooden door, but now it lay on the floor, iron hinges torn out of the soft, rotten wood. There was no real choice but walk on it and Rusty grimaced as her hooves sank into the material. She could feel it breaking apart under her weight. "Send the light this way."
Unnatural shadows or not, the magical light was still useful. She inspected the smaller room for anything suspicious, but it looked fine. Her map also lacked any symbols in it and this was still the part of the labyrinth that had been explored well.
"Okay, looks good. There's a desk, maybe some paperwork in the drawers. Cast your spell." She didn't have to say it twice and Curio Trinket joined her in the entrance. His horn glowed brightly and emitted a bubble of light, which plastered itself to the walls and every object in the room. It glittered for a few moments then seemed to settle into the material.
"There. Now we can examine it safely," the Professor said, a clear note of satisfaction in his voice.
"Go ahead. I'll go look at this other corridor out there, looks like it goes to the mess hall. We might find more pottery and cooking utensils, which might give us clues about their diet."
"Agreed. Don't disturb anything if you find it, I'd like photos of exactly where each item was before we moved it."
Rusty just nodded and left the officers' room. Gustaf looked from Curio to her, then sighed and followed the mare. "You really weren't serious about this 'always in twos' rule."
She shook her head and flashed him a smile. "I said we have to stay in pairs for the unexplored areas. The armory and the barracks look safe, they can spread out and examine them to their hearts' content. Good call on coming with me, I would have asked otherwise."
Gustaf inclined his head and padded quietly after the mare. Sometimes she envied griffins their silent stride. The echo of her own hoofsteps, no matter how carefully she placed them, was becoming bothersome.
"Careful up here. The map says there are iron doors, but there might also be traps. Keep your eyes open," she warned him.
Chapter 17
It wasn't long before the group was gathered once more in a dark tunnel. Gustaf lowered Rusty Bones to the floor, but she clung to him a little longer than strictly necessary.
"Are you okay, Miss Bones?" Ember's voice brought her out of her fugue state.
"Just- Rusty, remember?" she told him. "You too, Winter."
Finally the griffin had pried her off so he could sit down for a while and concentrate on his breathing. Droplets of sweat began to collect on the ground around him.
"Gustaf?" Rusty asked gently.
He looked up, but didn't answer.
"Thanks. That was- thanks. Just- thanks."
The other two ponies hurried to add their appreciation as well. Ember Clover dug out a clean towel from his pack and stood over the sitting griffin so he could carefully dab the sweat around his face.
"Thanks," Gustaf managed.
Ember stayed nearby even after he'd done all he could with the towel and the griffin brushed a stray lock of mane from his eyes. They grinned at each other.
Unfortunately for them, Rusty Bones had managed to get herself under control and stood up. "Okay. We're going, right now. We're not hanging around until that thing catches up with us!"
The other two were only too happy to obey, but Gustaf raised a weary claw. "First- give me a minute. Second, just what was it you all saw? I just carried you from the plaza to here, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary."
"Did you see any dead ponies?"
"Yeah."
Her breath caught and Rusty stared in surprise at the griffin, but he continued: "They were more or less where I remembered them. I mean, maybe a bone has moved a bit since we went down, but I didn't really pay attention then so I can't tell. If I had to guess, I'd say it was all where we left it."
"Okay, but the last time we were at the fountain there was a dead guard pony in it! With a broken spear. It was gone!"
Gustaf leaned his head to one side. "It was there, Rusty."
"What?!"
"Didn't you see? You were standing on some bones in the fountain when I found you."
The mare put her head in her hooves and squeezed her eyes shut. The other ponies looked at one another and Ember was about to reach a hoof to comfort her, but she shot up before he could touch her. "Let's get the buck out of here..."
"I'll take the Professor," Ember volunteered, having seen how much all that running had taken out of the griffin. For an instant it looked like Gustaf would argue, but then he hung his head and nodded.
They loaded up Curio and Gustaf was about to take his spot next to Ember to help balance the old unicorn, but Rusty wouldn't have it. "No. Winter, you go with Ember. Use your magic to keep the Professor steady. Gustaf, you take it easy. I hope to Celestia we won't have to fight anymore, but I want you rested."
There was wisdom in her words and Gustaf inclined his head. He fell in step with her at the front, but he kept checking that the other two were following just behind. The piece of luck was that they weren't that far from the armory, and the tunnels had gotten sparser. It would be easier to find their way. Rusty still checked the map and conversed briefly with Gustaf to make sure some vision wasn't leading her astray, then they set off. The pace was slower than the previous day. They were all exhausted and bewildered, and the recent events seemed to weigh heavily on everypony. They could apparently no longer trust their senses. Perhaps the worst part was that they didn't know if their hallucinations were dangerous. If they ignored the dead ponies, and let them approach, would they get hurt? Were they just visions in their minds, or were the dangers they saw real? What if another wall of fog blocked the tunnel? Rusty supposed they could use the same trick to pass it, but that meant her entire plan for getting out relied on Gustaf, and that was not a good situation. Too much depended on the griffin already.
However tough he was, Rusty was worried he would break.
Bucking Tartarus, she was nearly ready to buckle under the pressure herself! The only reason the youngsters were keeping it together was the show of strength and confidence from the older adventurers. If either of them showed serious weakness it could drive them all into a panic and then...
They might run off into the tunnels and get lost, never to be found again. Rusty was slightly surprised and immensely grateful that it hadn't happened already.
"You okay?" Gustaf asked, having seen her expression.
"Fine. Just bewildered. I can't wait to be out of this Tartarus-pit."
He chuckled. "You can say that again. It's not far now."
His words sounded just as confident as ever and Rusty wondered if it was all an act. She decided to change the topic, perhaps to something more positive. "How's your wing? You think you'll be able to fly soon?"
Gustaf flexed his shoulders and strained against the bandage for a moment. "Ugh, maybe another day. Tonight, if I really have to, but it won't be pleasant."
"Only if our lives depend on it," Rusty Bones agreed. She looked back and swung the lantern that way to check up on the others. Ember was plodding along, not much interested in the way or in any discussion. Winter Shine was alert, but she also looked jittery, darting glances back the way they came and often shuffling her hooves nervously when she thought she heard something.
Curio was looking forward over Ember's shoulder and his gaze met Rusty's. He looked afraid. It was an encouraging sign and she gave him a reassuring smile. If he broke free from the influence then it really was bound by distance. That meant they should be seeing fewer and fewer strange things as they made their way out of the ruin. Despite that she wasn't about to ungag him. If the evil presence surged it might try to take over Winter Shine. The mare had held up well, but Rusty had no illusions as to her self-control and mental resilience. It'd just be too dangerous to have two possessed unicorns among them. She could apologize to Curio when they were safe.
"It's this way," Gustaf suddenly proclaimed and shone his light at the arrow which had been scratched into the floor. "We're back to where we still remembered to mark the way."
That symbol on the stone floor was perhaps the most welcome sight Rusty had seen in her life. It felt like it had happened to some other ponies, in another lifetime, but she remembered Curio's look of concentration as he gouged the marks into the rock with his magic. Back then they had still been interested in the ruin. They wanted to go down and penetrate its deepest mysteries. If only they'd known how bad it would be; what a sorry and bedraggled party would be limping along the same tunnel only days in their future.
Had it only been a few days? If felt longer.
Rusty pointed the carving out to the others. "Okay, if anypony loses their way, look for these arrows and they'll lead you out. That said, please stay together and yell if you have to stop."
There was a chorus of agreements and the group moved on.
They stopped a few times to drink and shuffle Curio Trinket around, but despite their slow pace the party made good time. Gustaf said he recognized the tunnels and they were near the dining hall next to the barracks. Ember agreed and thought they would come upon the kitchen very soon. The long, monotonous tunnels had long since began to blur together for Rusty Bones, but she trusted the two born navigators of the group. True, pegasi and griffins usually had to find their way from the air, but she guessed some of the skill was transferable. So far they had escaped any more strange happenings, which reassured Rusty and made her think that they had surely passed beyond the range of the evil in the temple. She had kept watch on Curio and not even once had she seen his eyes turn black. The other problem was that he didn't spend a whole lot of time awake. They'd given him water, but Curio drifted in and out of consciousness. During the times he was alert, he seemed confused and bewildered.
During their latest stop she had Gustaf remove the Professor's gag, despite the griffin's protestation. As expected, Curio didn't remember anything that had happened since that night he had gone sleepwalking. He struggled and demanded to be untied, but even before they could make a decision he fainted. Despite that, Rusty began to hope they were past the worst. Once they were out of the ruin she would have the Professor untied, but she'd keep the chain on his horn. They'd have to watch him, in case he tried to remove it. With luck he might even be recovered enough to walk on his own. She was willing to trust him a little, but she wouldn't allow him the full use of his magic until they were back in civilization and some competent unicorn doctors had had a chance to examine him in detail. Gustaf would just have to wait to get his chain back.
All their spirits were lifted by their proximity to the surface and even the darkness itself felt a little bit less black around them. Winter Shine smiled sometimes and Ember was slowly becoming his old, flirty self around Gustaf. Rusty Bones knew they weren't out of the woods just yet, but she also began to relax a bit. She allowed them to drink most of their water during their last stop, after Ember and, more importantly, Gustaf had assured her that they would reach the surface in less than six hours. Their food supplies were still plentiful, but dry oatmeal without water would be quite unpalatable.
Winter Shine was whistling a happy little tune when they came to the dining hall.
It felt so familiar...
They had slept in that room, full of excitement after they had decided to go deep into the ruin. Rusty Bones sought out the exact table they had stood by when that decision was made. It was there, right opposite the kitchen.
She looked at the door and saw a flash of white, which vanished from her vision. "No! Gustaf! The kitchen!"
The others jumped at her shout and the griffin, his reflexes as sharp as ever, hurried to it. He placed himself in the doorway and shone his light inside. "What did you see?" he asked, not taking his gaze off the pile of bones.
"Bone. I think- I think it was a dead pony." Ember Clover and Winter Shine drew closer to her and their ears folded back. Rusty wanted to copy their posture, but she forced herself to listen intently. There was no sound in the kitchen, other than the gentle rustling of Gustaf's feathers as he moved. "I think we shouldn't rest here. We should keep moving. I'll take the Professor for a bit."
Ember agreed only too gladly, happy to be rid of the burden. "Come on, I know the way," he said and waited only long enough for Gustaf to join him. Rusty followed, with Winter walking beside her to keep the Professor steady on her back. She kept looking back at the kitchen, but she saw nothing else. To her relief, Gustaf was also keeping an eye on the doorway.
"Just the barracks and then the armory," she said what they all knew. "Lots of bones there, so keep your eyes open. If you see anything moving, ask Gustaf first, but stay away from it." Rusty quickened her pace and made herself take deep, even breaths. The air smelled less musty up there and she felt she could manage a slightly faster walk. She caught up to Gustaf and Ember Clover, and the two subconsciously sped up to stay ahead.
The sooner they got out the better. They could rest up on the ice.
No new visions of walking ponies appeared from the darkness as they ascended the last few stairs. Everypony was pushing themselves beyond their limit now that the exit was so near. Rusty thought she could smell the fresh air and feel the weight of the stone above her lessen. The others walked with a slight bounce in their hoofsteps and a new perkiness around their ears. Only one more hurdle remained.
"Okay, that's the grand hall up ahead. Remember the pit in the tunnel above it, before we come to that small guard room. Make sure you don't fall in, not when we're this close."
They all nodded. She, as the only earth pony among them, had opted to carry Curio the rest of the way out. They could perhaps fashion up some kind of a sled or something to drag him to the town. Maybe they could cannibalize one of their tents or something. She wrenched her mind from those plans and focused on the there and then. They weren't outside yet.
"Light the torches. We have plenty left, we might as well use them and then throw them away. Let's not risk stumbling around in the dark," Gustaf suggested.
"Good idea. Do it," Rusty agreed.
The griffin had his own lit with a match pretty soon and Winter Shine helped Ember with her magic. The little flames brought both light and warmth, and eased their hearts.
Rusty Bones checked quickly on Curio, but he was still out cold. With luck he would remain quiet at least until they were out of the ruin. "Okay, let's go."
She headed out into the relatively open room among the columns. Once again the grandeur and majesty stunned her into quiet awe. She could hardly imagine that earth ponies, without the use of wings or magic, could have built all that. As before, she gazed up, but even with the combination of torches and their magical lanterns she could not see the ceiling. It truly was a grand hall. She remembered the corpse of the guard they had found. The first one of many. She looked for it and soon came across it. At the sight they all stopped and Winter Shine nervously flicked her ears this way and that. It wasn't moving, so Rusty took the lead and walked around the remains. She gave them a wide berth and kept looking, but the bones never moved. The pony had died running from something behind, his snout pointed toward the distant surface he would never reach.
No, no, that was wrong, Rusty thought. He had been facing the other way when they had gone down. She opened her mouth to ask the others what they saw, but thought better of it. No reason to worry them again, not when they were nearly out. The dead pony hadn't moved since they were watching, so perhaps it wouldn't come alive like the others. Rusty waited for the rest of the group to file past her, then she followed behind. She kept looking back, but there was nothing in those empty eye sockets staring after them. Had she remembered wrong? She recalled a conversation with Gustaf about which way the pony had been facing when they died, but perhaps it was about some other pile of bones? Perhaps one in the barracks?
There had been so many...
Eventually the sad little skeleton was lost in the darkness, but that didn't help. Rusty kept staring at the blackness behind them, expecting at any moment to see that white gleaming skull look back at her.
She bumped into Ember Clover who was walking in front of her and he looked back. "Is everything okay, Miss- um, Rusty?"
"Yeah. Yeah. Fine. Let's go," she answered a bit impatiently.
Even after they were back in the tunnel she didn't relax. The skin on her neck and back crawled and it had nothing to do with the weight of Curio Trinket. She kept turning her head and shining the lantern back there, but the passage was empty. She nearly walked into Ember again when the pegasus suddenly stopped. She was about to ask what had happened, but Gustaf spoke up: "Pit. How are we going to deal with Curio?"
Ember came up with the first suggestion: "Can you levitate him across, Winter?"
The mare gave it some thought, then hung her head. "Sorry- I- I can't concentrate well enough. I'm tired..."
"It's okay, I can jump it," the pegasus said.
"Like Tartarus," Gustaf snorted. "Give him here. You've been carrying him for a while, I'm rested enough to take him the rest of the way."
It was probably the best solution, Rusty was forced to admit. He was the strongest and the most dexterous with his forelegs to hold the unconscious stallion. She turned her side to the griffin in silent acceptance.
Gustaf lifted the Professor and held him to his chest. The sudden motion made Curio open his eyes. "Wha-? Whe- Where am I? What's happening?"
Rusty was the nearest and reassured him: "Hush. It's okay. We're almost out of this place. We'll get you some help soon."
That seemed to do it and Curio quietened down.
"Good. Winter, go across first. Be ready to steady Gustaf when he jumps so he doesn't drop Curio. Ember, you go after him. I'll go last."
They all nodded to her plan and Winter easily leapt over the pit, even if she squeaked in fright mid-air and stumbled when she landed. Her legs were shaking, but she forced herself upright and smiled back. "I'm okay!" she reassured them.
Gustaf was next. He crouched a little at the edge of the pit and the muscles along his hind legs bunched up. He half-extended one wing to better keep his balance and pushed.
"LOOK OUT!" Curio yelled suddenly and twisted in Gustaf's grip. The exclamation was so unexpected that they all flinched and Rusty nearly threw herself on the ground out of sheer reflex.
His shout startled the griffin, who fumbled his jump and squawked in alarm. His clawed paw slid and he desperately flapped his wing to gain back the momentum he had lost. He made it to the other side, but just barely, and he balanced precariously on the edge of the precipice.
Rusty Bones saw with mounting horror how Gustaf started to tilt backward with the Professor still firmly grasped in his forearms.
"WINTER!" Rusty shouted.
Unfortunately the unicorn mare had been too startled by Curio's shout and she had turned her head away. She wouldn't react in time. Gustaf beat his good wing desperately and managed to halt his tumble. They all watched in absolute silence as he regained a flimsy balance on the edge of the pit. Before he could move Curio began to scream. His horn began to crackle and sputter with magic as he forced more and more of his power into it. The pain from the loop of chain made his eyes turn back in his head, but he kept channeling and he kept screaming. Droplets of bright, molten metal flew from his forehead and splattered against Gustaf's fur. The griffin roared in pain and pushed the Professor away to scratch at the burning silver on his skin. Curio's sputtering horn went out when the stallion hit the ground, but he kept screaming in agony. Unfortunately it was too late and Gustaf couldn't recover his balance.
He caught Rusty's gaze for that one, dreadful moment before he plummeted. Her heart felt like it would burst out of her chest and she opened her mouth to shout something, anything.
Even faster than she could react Ember flew past her. The pegasus pushed his wings against the air with such force that the wind nearly toppled her. One of his feathers smacked her in the muzzle and she reeled back from the blow.
Then the only sound was Gustaf yelling, growing fainter.
"No!" She hurried to the pit and looked in, already fearing what she'd see. A long way down was the magical lantern Gustaf had been carrying around his neck, tumbling end over end as it fell.
It highlighted shadows above it, two feathery bodies. Her breath caught when Rusty realized they weren't falling. Ember Clover was flapping urgently and she heard the scape of his feathers against the walls of the pit, but he held steady. The light went out and she couldn't see anything else down there. Only then did she remember her own light and scrambled to fetch it. Ember would need to see! She tried to angle it, but it kept casting deep shadows over the pegasus and the griffin. She couldn't hold it far enough.
"Winter! Pull it together! You need to hold the light for them!"
The other mare was mid-wail, but at the sound of Rusty's voice she looked up. "They- they're not-?"
"Ember caught him, but he needs light! Here, hold this above the hole!"
Her magic flickered fitfully and the lantern slipped from her grasp a few times, but then Winter managed to grip it strongly and levitated it to the center of the hole. She was using more power than necessary out of fear of dropping it, and the excess was feeding into the light and made it shine brighter. Rusty put her head over the pit again and breathed a sigh of relief. The two were closer.
"Keep the light steady!" Ember shouted, already panting with effort. "There's not- not enough room-"
"Save your breath! We know!"
He fell silent and all she could hear was the rapid whoosh-whoosh of his wings and the gasping of his breath. She winced at the sound. Ember was at the end of his strength.
Gustaf recognized it too. "Let me go, kid! I'm not taking you down with me. You can save yourself! I said-"
"Shut! Up!" was all the reply Ember was capable of making. They were really close now and Rusty strained, reaching her hoof into the hole to try and grab one of them should they falter. In a few more moments Ember emerged from the pit and Winter Shine quickly pulled the lantern out of the way. As soon as he was out, the pegasus could spread his wings more. He gave a few more urgent flaps and both he and Gustaf tumbled to the ground on the other side of the pit.
They both lay on the floor, panting.
Rusty didn't wait. She leapt easily across the hole and hurried to the griffin. "Are you okay?! The chain-"
"Bastard melted it right off!" Gustaf growled and started to rise, but Rusty Bones pushed him down.
"Stay still. Let me check. Where did it hit you?" She looked up at the unicorn mare, who had collapsed and was weeping softly into her hooves.
"Winter! Check on the Professor! Make sure he's out cold and tell me!"
The authoritative tone helped and Winter pulled herself together.
In the meantime Rusty hurried over to the lamp and brought it back. She examined Gustaf's forelegs. There were a few patches where the fur had been burned off and angry red flesh was visible underneath. "We'll put ice on it as soon as we're out. It doesn't look too serious, but it's gonna leave some scars."
Gustaf slumped back in relief. "Scars I don't mind." He raised his head a moment later. "Gag the bastard again! He played us all for fools!"
Rusty saw where Winter Shine was feeling around the Professor's horn, expression full of concern.
"I don't think that'll be necessary. Winter?"
The mare looked up and shook her head. "I don't k-know. He's unconscious, but alive."
"Let's hope he stays that way. How about the chain? We have to do something about his magic!"
The unicorn looked horrified. "Miss- Rusty, it melted!"
"What?"
"The chain! It melted right into the grooves of his horn! I don't think he'll be able to use magic, not until they get it off him."
"That's a small blessing then. Bucking Tartarus full of bovine crap!"
They glanced at each other and then Gustaf started to laugh. "Jeez, Rusty, you sound like my old drill sergeant!"
"I don't care. Buck this place! Five minutes rest, then we get out of here!"
Ember was already tending to Gustaf's wounds and Winter Shine was looking at the Professor again. That gave Rusty Bones a precious few moments to do nothing at all, to center herself and collect her thoughts. She went off a short distance and peered down the dark hole. Then she sat on her haunches and tried some of the old, half-remembered meditation techniques she'd learned years ago. After she had gauged that five minutes had passed, she went back to the others. The moment to collect their wits had done them good, except for Winter Shine who was curled up against the wall, with her legs folded beneath, her tail wrapped tightly around herself, and her face tucked into her side. Only one ear poked out and even that was folded flat. Her eyes were squeezed firmly shut.
Rusty walked over to her and put a careful hoof on the mare, who flinched at the contact. "It's okay, Winter. It's almost over. We're nearly out of this place. Come on," she said in what felt too much like pleading. "We're so close! Just a little further"
She tried to pry the mare's muzzle away, but Winter Shine refused to budge. She was shaking a little as she suppressed her sobbing. Rusty was at a loss. This situation wasn't something she'd ever had to deal with. All her adventures had either been solo, or the ponies with her had been seasoned explorers like herself. Winter Shine breaking down like that, while not unexpected, was nevertheless something Rusty hadn't personally seen before.
"Sweetheart?"
There was finally a response. One eye opened. "Just leave me!" Winter Shine whimpered. "Give it up. We're going to die anyway!"
"No, we're not!"
"It's just playing with us!" the mare continued as if she hadn't heard Rusty at all. "It feeds on despair. It'll let us get almost all the way out then bring us back! We can't escape!"
That sounded entirely too specific and Rusty scrunched up her muzzle in worry. "Winter, who told you that?"
All the mare did was shrug her shoulders and refused to say any more. She turned her head away and stared fixedly at the wall.
"Winter, tell me! Where did you hear that?!" Her harsh words made Winter Shine flinch and Rusty slumped in defeat. "Look, sweetheart, I'm just trying to help. Can you tell me? Did Curio say that? Or was it... something else?"
That finally got a response: "I d-don't know," Winter wailed. "I just know it's useless. We can't escape!" She turned around to peer at Rusty through tear-filled eyes.
"Well, whoever said that, they were lying. Look, if that thing could get us it would have. Just now- what happened with Curio? That was the last gasp. We're too far away and it would rather kill some of us than let us escape."
Winter Shine untangled herself a bit so she could peer at Ember and Gustaf, who were talking quietly, and at Curio Trinket who was still unconscious. She was thinking it over and she looked pleadingly at Rusty, silently begging to be convinced.
"Besides, it failed. It wanted to kill Gustaf because it can't account for him. He's immune to its tricks and the visions, so whatever that thing is, it's afraid of him. Well, now it can't control Curio any more. It can't stop us."
"Y-You think so?"
Rusty smiled and nodded, despite the nagging sliver of doubt in her own mind. "Yeah. Look over there," she pointed, "it's the place we slept the first night. You know it's only a few hoofsteps to the door and then we're out. The ice will be easy after this!"
Perhaps it was relief, or maybe Winter Shine had completely surrendered to whatever fate lay in store for her. She unwrapped and clutched at Rusty, who was only too happy to oblige with a hug. The unicorn buried her muzzle in Rusty's fluff and began weeping.
She couldn't tell whether it was relief or despair, but a cry would certainly do her some good. Rusty awkwardly patted Winter Shine on her back. "There, there, it's gonna be fine. I'll get you home, I promise."
"I hate this! I hate this place. It's dark and smelly and scary. I want to go!" Winter bawled, very much like a young foal.
Rusty couldn't really blame her. The strange events and the things they had seen in the past few days had taken a toll on all of them. "I know, I know sweetheart. It's almost over. Here, let's get you up on your hooves."
At first it was useless as Winter simply collapsed right back into Rusty's hooves each time she was lifted, but gradually her weeping tapered off and she managed to stay upright, albeit on shaking legs.
"Here, you need the energy," Rusty told her as she grabbed her last treasure from the bottom of her pack.
It was a honey and grain bar, a little misshapen and squished, but still pristine in its wrapper. It was like an emergency ration, but for the soul more than for the body.
Winter Shine didn't question. She unwrapped it with her magic and crammed it in her mouth. It was gone in about two faint crunches and a swallow, then she let out her breath. "T-Thanks," she murmured with a faint blush in her muzzle. She didn't meet Rusty's eye.
"You're very welcome. Come, let's see if Gustaf is okay to walk, then we're out."
They turned to the two males sitting across the corridor. Gustaf was leaning against the far wall and there were more bandages wrapping around his chest and around both forelegs.
"I'm fine! Ember, I'm okay! They're just tiny burns, I'm-"
The stallion put a hoof over Gustaf's beak to shut him up. "Hush. I saw and they're not tiny . No, don't scratch! Leave those bandages alone until we get to the town and find a medic!"
Gustaf made a face, but he couldn't keep a small grin from his beak. "Yes, mom ."
In response Ember just stuck his tongue out at him and they both chuckled.
That was when Rusty broke into the conversation: "All set? Thanks for looking after him, Ember."
The stallion just inclined his head and said: "It was nothing." He instantly realized how that sounded and twirled to Gustaf. "I mean- I mean, not that it was nothing, of course saving your life is- is- something . What I mean, ugh.." He closed his eyes and took a breath as Gustaf worked hard to suppress his laughter. Finally Ember could continue: "What I meant to say is: You're welcom- eep!"
The end of the word was cut off as Gustaf yanked the pony off his hooves into a powerful hug, even if he winced slightly when he pressed against the burns on his chest. "You saved my life. There wasn't enough room down there for me to open my wings even if they weren't cut up."
That made Ember wince and he brought one wingtip up to inspect it. They could all see that the primary was shaved off at the end. "Yeah, there wasn't even room for myself either. Well, almost. It's really hard to fly with half-closed wings!"
"I guess that's what the designers intended. Good job on beating it, Ember."
"Y-Yeah. Good job," Winter Shine repeated.
It didn't seem the two males were listening anymore. Gustaf had pressed his beak carefully against Ember's muzzle. They both closed their eyes and the stallion seemed to purr softly. Just before they parted Gustaf murmured something right in Ember's ear, which made the pegasus 'eep' quietly and blush. Then the griffin stood up, stretched, and said: "Okay, let's get going. I've had just about enough of this dark ruin!"
"Hear hear!" Rusty exclaimed, eager to get going.
Gustaf picked up Curio once more and waved away Ember's concerns. "We'll move faster if I carry him. I'll be fine until we're out and then we'll rig up some kind of sled like Rusty said." It was a reasonable suggestion and it seemed as if his brush with death had given the griffin new energy, because he moved quite quickly even with the unconscious Professor and on two legs. The rest hurried after him, first Winter Shine, on Rusty's insistence, and then herself and Ember Clover.
She sidled up to the stallion and whispered her question. "What did Gustaf say to you, just now?"
It made Ember's blush deepen. "It's private!"
"Please?"
Not only was she curious, but Rusty felt she needed something nice and positive after that ordeal. Her pleading look worked and Ember sighed. "He said: That's how griffins kiss."
It made Rusty Bones smile widely and she nudged the stallion with her rump. "Congratulations."
His ears splayed as he looked ahead and a goofy smile came on his muzzle. "You think I've got a shot?"
"I knew you had a shot before, but plucking Gustaf out of that pit the way you did? Yeah, my boy, I think you'll get yourself a date. Or ten."
He was obviously pleased with her answer, but Ember still changed the topic: "We should hurry up. We're falling behind."
"Right. Let's move."