The Unknown Daughter's Reunion:Part 2

Walking into the hospital room in medical that princess Luna was staying in, Steady Pulse took a slow breath to steady her nerves. On the one hoof, she was excited that the princesses sister was found. On another hoof, her sister wasn't alive and well... the news was still grim, despite it being good.

"Hi your highness" she greeted her

"Hello again, doctor" the princess greeted her.

Sitting next to her bed, Pulse began "I, just got done speaking with her highness..."

"she had some good news, and a question for me to ask on her behalf" she finished

At Luna's nod, she continued "Well...they found her your highness. Your, sister..."

For a few moments Luna wasn't sure what the doctor was talking about. The nightmare already had her... what was there to find?
Then it made sense. 'the rest'
Looking down, she nodded.

After a minute, Luna looked up and asked "The question?"

"It turns out that, she wasn't alone. There were two others with her. Alicorns.." Pulse replied

Closing her eyes and swallowing a lump in her throat, she replied "Cadance, and T-twilight Sparkle." choking up "Wonderful ponies, and, my friends."

"princess..." Pulse's heart going out the the alicorn

"Filled with life and love, they were." Luna went on "More than just the princesses of love and friendship. They were filled with joy, and happiness. Wonderful princesses even for so young. They brought ponies together, as well as others."

"If your up to it, your highness. Could you tell me about them?" Pulse asked

Nodding, and taking a few minutes, she began

"What are you proposing Blade, that your guard containing a less than ten pegasi are going to be able to fly three stone vaults through, and out of the mine?" Moon's inquired

Sitting back, he thought 'perhaps one at a time'

"Yes! They know exactly where they are, the route, and the terrain. Depending on the weight, the worst is that, it'll limit us to one recovery per two days." Blade stated

"Hrm" 'I suppose that could work' "They'll need harness of some sort. As keeping hooves securely on heavy stone while flying, will be next to impossible." Moon replied

"Yes... I'll talk to the engineers. They'll also have the scans taken, which will let us know how much weight to expect"

"The next issue of concern would be possible traps guarding them" Moon said, pushing the conversation forward

"Traps.... yeah" Blade thought aloud.

"While it is possible that she left none, expecting secrecy or fear to keep them protected, we must count on there being a proactive defense"

"Magic? Wouldn't that dissolve once she, passed?" Blade asked

"Not all. Some magics are perpetual, provided there is a continuous supply. This mine's location having that to provide."

"Wouldn't that have locked her out of it as well?"

"In a way, yes. Though she had the stolen magic of a number of alicorns. Even in the unlikely event she would want to move them, she would have had the power to overcome anything she set up beforehoof."

"What would we be facing, your highness?"

"In short, anything you could imagine. Blasts, cave-ins, stuns, petrification, to name a few. She had access to the royal library for some time, including some of the more unsavory and restricted spellcrafts I presume. We can hope that she never had the need to consult such works, but we musn't trust to it." Moon went on.

Sighing, she concluded "There is no way around it, I will have to accompany you into the mine."

"But, your highness" Blade objected

"I understand your objections, and share them. I do not seek to enter a dank, constrictive, and dangerous hole in a mountain. Of all of the places I would like to visit in Equestria, this is not one of them."
"Nor do I wish to look upon their entombment" She added "However, you will need somepony at least somewhat versed in what may be there, and the strength to counteract it."

"To mitigate the danger, and some of your fear, I will not engage in any casting until the need is apparent. I propose that we perform our task entirely physically; With beacon, wing, and harness, quietly as well." Moon proposed

"That does make me feel better about the whole thing...."

"I, will wear a harness as well. My size should aid the effort, as well as lessen the load for the others." Moon volunteered

At first he was going to object, but after realizing who the rescue mission(of sorts) was of, felt a bit impressed.

"Okay, Its a plan. Shall we go see ensign Warm Glow? The sooner we get this over, the better." Shadow Blade proposed, standing up

With an affirmative nod, she turned and they both exited Blade's cabin, headed for the bridge. He couldn't wait to see Glow's face when asked to make an empress sized towing harness!

Canterlot had finally settled into slumber. The ponies of the city having a more fitful time falling asleep than they had in recent memory. However now it was midnight, the moon was overhead, and the city was finally quiet.

Below their homes, beneath the shelf that held the city aloft, a lonely cave mouth stood. Forgotten by most ponies, it stood alone, visited by only bats and the like.
This night however, it had company. For only the second time in uncounted decades, ponies appeared there. Silently, more, and then more appeared. Seemingly from nothingness they came, unspeaking.

Once their numbers stopped accumulating, they all spread their wings, and entered.

Placing the occasional object on the ground as they went, they kept moving deeper. Four that had seen the place only once before, lead the rest, the largest of them, last.

All of them moved with purpose, seemingly knowing their way and destination. Despite the crystals attempts to mislead them with their trickery of light, the ponies forged on unhindered.

After a many minutes, they entered one of it's larger voids. Landing on a place visited recently; straps, clips, and wedge bars were removed from their saddle bags. Taking a couple extra minutes to stretch their wings, they became airborne once again.

Hovering around one of three stone boxes, they went to work with their wedges underneath it, lifting it less than hoof from the rock and gravely floor. Straps being pushed under, from one side to the other. Once a few were under one end, the wedges were pulled out, then placed under the opposite end, repeating the process. Clipping the straps together above the box, they left for their landing spot for a time. After many minutes, they returned to the next stone box, performing the same process once again.

Upon the end of their fourth rest, they came back to the box they first paid attention. Surrounding it, each and every one attached the harnesses they wore to the straps. Looking at each other, nodding, their wings beat faster and harder against the air in the mine.
With a scraping sound, the stone box under them rose into the air with them, and back where they came from, they flew.

Setting their burden down at the cave mouth; the straps were released, the ponies unbound, and rested once again.

Three times the ponies made the trek, resting at each end.

Once all of the burdens were at the cave mouth, two ponies went back in to collect what they had placed to aid their journey though the mine.
Upon their return, clips, straps, objects, and ponies disappeared into thin air. All except one.

Alone, the largest of them all, stared silently at the stone boxes for a long while.
After a time, It's horn glowed. The boxes lids lifting off, and then placed back again, in turn, one after the other.

Then without warning nor a word, turned, and bucked all three off of the cliffs edge, sending them crashing down the mountain side. The boxes breaking apart as they tumbled.

When the rubble reached the bottom and was quiet once more, it put a hoof to it's ear.
Speaking the first words heard there in years uncounted, it then disappeared.

Leaving nothing behind, but broken stone, at the bottom of the mountain.