Fire of the Flame Ponies

After dinner, Twilight checked her watch. 2:30 P.M. Sunset was at 6:00 P.M.

''Come on guys, let's get moving. Fireflight said to bring the crystal back by sunset, in about three and a half hours. I think we should get moving if we want to bring it to her,'' Twilight said.

As soon as dinner was packed in saddlebags, and everything was picked up and put away, the ponies started east some more. They ran until their destination came up in .2 miles.

''There it is!'' Twilight looked up at a light, golden pedestal. At the top of it, there was a small blue, yellow, and purple crystal centered and was gold-plated around the edges. Its glow reflected in Twilight's eyes. The ponies ''oohed'' and ''ahhed'' at the sight of this pretty substance.

Twilight frowned. Something seemed different. There were no guards protecting it, nor was there lava or avalanches destroying the ponies by now. It didn't seem right. Not that it NEEDED to be dangerous at all. Just... Akward.

''Well, guys-- If we're going to anywhere, we might as well just take the crystal and leave. We're not wasting all day,'' Rarity said. Twilight nodded.

''She's right,'' the purple unicorn said. ''After all, we don't have much time left.''

Twilight simply took the crystal of the pedestal and placed it carefully in her saddlebag. Rumbling started echoing through the hills.

''Uh oh,'' Twilight said. ''Maaaaaybe this was a bad idea.''

''You bet your boots!'' a male voice shouted.

''Whoa, nelly,'' Applejack said under her breath.

A white sillouhette gleamed in front of the ponies. Sparks flew everywhere. A boy Alicorn, obviously Flame Pony, appeared in the flash's place.

''Nopony-- And I mean NOPONY-- Well, maybe besides other Flame Ponies-- Takes Shredder's Crystal EVER!'' the Flame Pony's voice boomed.

''B-But, Fireflight needed it--'' Twilight stammered.

''Oh, well... Why didn't you say so?'' the Flame Pony replied. ''I'm Scortchfire. I... Wait a minute. How am I sure Fireflight sent you to retrieve it?''

''Why don't you ask her herself?'' Twilight got up the nerve to stand up for herself and the others.

''And how, pray tell, am I going to do that?''

Twilight hadn't thought about that. She thought powerful beings such as these were clever enough to think of anything right on the spot. Turns out she was wrong.

''Well?''

Twilight had to think fast. She had no choice, anyway, but to simply throw a coin at the smirking Flame Pony.

''A COIN? Really?''

''I.M. Fireflight!'' Twilight replied.

''Wait, you're Fireflight??''

''No! Instant Message her! Ask her! She'll say yes!''

''Fine. I'll let you go, but when you leave, I'm asking her!''

''Fine! Like I said, she'll say yes!

''Go! Arrivaderchi!''

The ponies headed off west to Fireflight. Scortchfire's chuckles turned into laughter.

''They don't know that they have a FAKE gem?'' Scortchfire held up a gem that looked just like the other one, but bigger.

The ponies saw a hot air balloon above them.

''HEY!'' Twilight shouted. ''MIND GIVING US A LIFT?''

The hot air balloon flew faster than the ponies could run. They got back to Fireflight in no time. They gave the gem to the Flame Pony, but she didn't look so excited.

''This... This isn't Shredder's Crystal,'' was Fireflight's reply.

''Wait, huh?!'' Twilight said.

''This isn't the crystal I wanted. It's a fake. The real one is much bigger.''

Twilight looked down.

''Where did you even get this from?'' Fireflight asked.

''Scortchfire,'' said Twilight.

''SCORTCHFIRE!'' Fireflight's voice boomed in the valleys. Twilight and her friends backed away.

''Let us get past.''

''Fine,'' said Fireflight. ''Since you tried.'' She opened the entrance.

''The maze. The... Maze,'' Fluttershy said. ''I forgot about that.''

''Exactly,'' Twilight said. ''We were concentrating so much on getting that crystal that we forgot why we were even getting it.''

''And it wasn't even the real one,'' said Rainbow Dash. ''I'm never trusting that Scortchfire again.''

Everypony agreed.

''Well, girls. Let's go,'' said Twilight. Ponies ran in different directions, their hooves made small clopping sounds on the rock grounds. Fluttershy, in fact-- Didn't clop as much as the others-- She walked slowly, to save her energy.

''Oh, hey Angel!'' Fluttershy said as her bunny crossed her path. ''Wait, Angel?''

Where DID that bunny come from? The pegasus didn't remember anypony bringing any pets along with them. Fluttershy reversed her steps and picked up the bunny. She said, ''Where did you even come from?'' and continued her maze without that much worry.

Rainbow Dash ran in the maze, trotting sounds came from her feet. A whirring sound came from behind her. Greatly puzzled, the rainbow maned pony turned around. What a relief! It was only Tank, Rainbow's pet tortoise. Waaaait a minute, Tank?

''Tank? Wha-- How did you get here?!'' was the pony's reply. The tortoise said nothing. After all, he was only an animal. Rainbow shrugged as if she were to say, ''Whatevs'' and picked up the tortoise.

''Wow, you seem lighter than I last saw you a few days ago,'' Rainbow told Tank. Rainbow continued the maze with Tank in her feathery wings.

A certain pink pony skipped around this maze. An orange pony skipped from the opposite direction. The ponies collapsed into each other.

''I'm mighty sorry, Pinkie!'' Applejack said.

''Sorry, AJ!'' Pinkie apologized. ''By the way, I found Winona out here. I believe you brought her here?''

''WHAT?! I didn't bring my dog out here!'' Applejack exclaimed. ''Strange. By the way, I found your alligator out here. What a coincidence!''

''Gummy!'' Pinkie hugged her pet. ''Thanks, AJ!''

''Glad to help!''

Rarity trotted through twists and turns slowly and ladylike like Fluttershy. A cat, white, strode down the turns. Rarity gasped.

''Opalescence! What are you doing out here?'' Rarity asked her cat.

''Why are everypony's pets doing out here?!'' Twilight yelled, almost completely out of nowhere. ''It's almost like a vision or something.''

They didn't know what was coming up for them next.