Dreams of Broken Promise

Darkness surrounded Discord, strange voices called out from below. A single eye rimmed with purple fire, stared down upon him. A distorted cackle of laughter rang out around the now frightened changeling.

"I can see you, boy! Fear not that which appears before thee now, this is simply a test of your true chaos! The true fear is that of hidden lies and broken promises! I can see into thou black heart. The future is bleak... For you!" The fiendish presence gave off a voice of malignant hatred, a creature borne of pure darkness.

"What? Where am I? Your words ring hollow, come show thou true guise!"

"In due time my little changeling, in due time!"

Discord awoke with a start, the vision still fresh in his mind. He contemplated the fiends words, wondering on there significance. Perhaps it was merely a nightmare, nothing more, nothing less. But deep down he knew that it was more then just a raging subconscious.

"Discord? Are thou alright? You look very pale my dear..." Aurora silently whispered, concern showing on her features.

"Do not fret, it was simply... A very lucid nightmare. But there aren't any beasts capable of entering dreams, right?"

"Not that we are aware. Perhaps in some dark corner of the world, but we very much doubt that! Now get some rest, tomorrow we venture into the cavernous mines."

In what seemed like a mere moment, the warmth of the sun washed over the changelings sleeping form. He peered through heavy-lidded eyes, staring in minute wonder at the now sunny morning. A tiny songbird sat high in the branches of a dead tree, whistling his song of courting. Slowly Discord rose from his lying position and regarded his small campsite with feelings of sadness. This would be the last time in however many months or years he would be witness to daylight. The cold black stone would soon be his home.

Both unicorns had fallen asleep within touching distance, their hushed words lying unspoken. The light snoring coming from the elder blue unicorn rapidly ceased, his eyelids pulling apart and revealing bright silver eyes full of a sudden energy.

"Discord! Awake bright and early we see! Intrigued with our quest perhaps?"

"Not really, cold dark caves are not what I'd imagine for a holiday! One day the safety of a kingdom will actually be found in a warm, tropical setting. Though then we'd probably have to contend with cannibals and giant mosquitoes..."

Starswirl shook his head, the young changelings comedic routine falling short.

"And one day, pray tell... Thou will actually develop some maturity!"

"Perhaps I do not wish to mature..."

"Why is it we cannot even go one morning without thou two ending up in some form of boyish argument. We mean it, honestly! Colts and their showmanship my mother would say..." Aurora simply gave them a look that would stop even a rampaging yeti. A light trickle of laughter escaped her as she saw the expression dawning on their faces.

"Oh, don't get so worked up Master! Learn to live a little!"

"We have a duty to fulfill! The time for jests can wait... It will be quite a long journey and we do not wish to fall pray to some half-brained prank turned ill!"

"Alright, don't get too excited!" Rolling her eyes, she turned her head to the side and asked Discord once again about his dark dreams.

"I already told you, it was just a bad dream! So what if it spoke of ill omens!"

"Don't be so quick to anger youngling, dreams have a horrible way of pertaining a small sliver of reality. I myself have witnessed such an event!"

"Fine, if I tell thou, will it be enough to diminish your concerns?"

Starswirl remained silent, hoping that with no pressure, Discord would come to reveal his twisted dream on his own terms.

"It started off with nothing but darkness, not just the dark of night but completely devoid of any light. A single glaring eye wreathed in purple flame stared into my very soul. It spoke words of lies and fear, it mentioned briefly that my future was bleak, but before I could begin to wonder I awoke with a start. Does this give any meaning to thou?"

"Only small theories, but for now let us focus on other things."

Discord wondered briefly why the elder unicorn was so intent on avoiding the subject. Perhaps there was more to the vision then previously thought? He was about to ask said question until he was interrupted by the sound of metal on stone.

A large door slid open beneath the campsite, their supplies falling into the now gaping pit. Far below a small, iridescent glow could be seen. It shimmered like scales on a fish, revealing a large pile of mostly undamaged supplies.

"It seems we have stumbled upon one of the many entrances to the city of Zar. Perhaps a switch lay beneath one of thee, hidden within plain sight. Come, the city ruins await!"

Cautiously the three stepped forward, searching for some way to proceed into the darkness. A single stairway wound its away down towards the light, the jagged steps leaving little room to climb down. Starswirl took the first step, his hooves touching cold hard rock eroded by time. He silently led the others down the stairway, making sure that his apprentice was nowhere near the yawning cavern in the center.

Discord followed close behind, his light trot echoing through the hollow pit. His hoof slipped off the stone, his body following suite. A moment of sheer panic gripped the changeling, he tried desperately to unfurl his wings. At the last second they burst forth, slowing his descent considerably. The loud shouts from above were full of fear and concern. Discord landed with a heavy thud, his wing tearing with the impact. He shouted with immense pain, a single crystal shard stuck out from his right flank.

Starswirl galloped down the steps, fearing for the young changelings life. The apparently lifeless form of Discord filling him with dread. He ran forward, angst worming its way through his heart. The still form of his foster son shifted, a light moan escaping his throat.

"Discord! Are thou alright? That fall should have killed thou!"

"Did you forget I have wings?" Discord said softly, a painful smile etched on his face.

Aurora came up behind her master, her concerned look replaced by relief.

"For a second there we thought thou were no longer of the waking world. It would have been a very somber journey had thou perished."

"Yes, these golem ponies really wanted to make sure they deterred visitors..."

"Alas Discord, this ancient city is full of many deadly traps. Some even work to cause  madness and fray you're very emotions. We must remain vigilant! Let us continue on..."

All three of them were finally aware of their surroundings and the cave system that lay before them. Crystals of varying sizes and colors lined the black, stone walls. Discord let out a small cry, having pulled the crystal shard free from his body. Several small red crystals glowed with a strange artificial light. They seemed to be headed in four different directions, one of the paths simply ended in darkness the lights fading into nothingness.

"If we remember correctly, it is down the lower right path. For if we traverse the wrong tunnel we'll be lost down here forever..."

"Master I think we should get going, lest we are still here once nightfall comes to play!"

Starswirl lit his horn, giving of an eerie silver glow. As they wandered through the darkened tunnel, a low electric hum emanated from the blue crystals above them. The whole place buzzed with activity, a strange thing for a desolate, empty city devoid of life.

"It almost seems as if something is watching our progress," thought Discord, as a sharp chill ran up his spine.

A small indentation in the wall suddenly snapped open, a black box appeared in the slot. The strange object whirred and sputtered, slowly zooming in as it focused on the dumbstruck changeling.

Bzzzt! "[Unknown entity detected, beginning sanitary protocols. Quarantine activated!]"

Bang! Bang! The sound of metal doors being slammed shut echoed down the corridor. It seemed that the path was now sealed from behind. As quickly as it had appeared, the small gizmo retracted into the hole.

"What the buck was that?"

"Hush Discord, this place is full of strange mechanical creations. It seems we have simply tripped an alarm system. But enough chit-chat, we need to move! That door thou heard shut is now heading towards us at a deadly velocity, blades as thick as trees surround its center!"

Starswirl grabbed his apprentice traveling at a rather leisurely pace and dragged her through the tunnel surrounded by a bubble of magic. Discord galloped beside them, adrenaline now masking the pain of his leg. The sound of metal scraping against rock steadily grew louder as the now bladed door sped up. They ran for several minutes, hearts pounding like hammers till the tunnel began to open up into a small village. Starswirl gently threw Aurora out into the open, then jumped right after her. Discord slid forward, the door crashing to a halt directly behind him. They released a heavy sigh of relief, content with the fact that they survived intact.

"They really wanted to kill intruders, huh?"

"It would seem that they had very tight security, hopefully we won't meet what caused such drastic measures!"

"You and me both, father..."

Before them stood a massive building, a perfect sphere with a single bridge connected to the sheer cliff face just beneath their hooves. It's surface was made of some strange, almost pure white metal unknown to either equine. Aurora gasped at the dark cavern beneath the sphere, several blood red eyes gleamed in the thick shadows. A hideous screech of hunger rang out causing a frenzy of tentacles to writhe and twist in the blackness. She recalled reading about said creatures in several horror novels, but did not believe they existed till now.

"Darkwraiths! We figured they were simply a mere creation in the mind of a writer. Never would we have imagined we would see one in reality."

"If we traverse this bridge avoid the edges, one slip could mean lunch for these fiends! Stay behind me and divert thou eyes, if thou stare too long they will stir!"

Slowly they traversed the bridge, using all the willpower they could muster to avoid their gaze. Finally they reached the other side, the creatures returning to their tunnels beneath. A small trickle of stones rolled down the cliff, setting off a second frenzy. Once satisfied the Darkwraiths froze up and drifted back into their ancient slumber.

A large door stood before them barring their way. To the left was a small keypad with strange symbols resembling numbers. The always mathematical genius ,Aurora quickly worked out the common pattern.

"Hmm a simple continuous number pattern, if we were to adjust this algorithm with a sequence of letters... It should just slide open, just give it a bit."

Suddenly the door slid open, sliding into the now flat wall. The building was black as night. But aa they entered a generator roared into life, blinding them with dazzling white light. It took several minutes for their eyes to re-adjust to the brightly lit interior. A room full of high tech gadgets opened up before them. A large flickering screen was connected to a small work station, apparently showing a video feed dated more than three hundred years ago. Discord pressed a random key in the center of the work station sending the footage to the larger screen.

"What is this magic? It replays images it has seen previously?"

"This is no magic Discord, all this here is the wondrous study of science and technology. The golems were the first to tinker with it, granting them skin of metal and hooves of stone. They were the outcasts of society, the ones fooling with magic beyond normal understanding. In the end it was their reliance on technology that was their greatest downfall."

The image faded into view, a seemingly peaceful scene playing out on the screen. Golem-ponies wandered in and out of frame, their metallic flesh twinkling in the light of crystals. This scene continued for several minutes, everything appearing perfect. Suddenly the screen blacked out, the image disappearing behind a curtain of moving shadow. A moment past before it faded out, revealing a scene of death and utter carnage.

Headless golem-ponies littered the floor, their dark silvery blood seeping out. Wires and paneling were yanked out of walls. Beneath the ruined wall was written a message made from skulls.

Beware thee who enter into shadow, the ancient one sleeps lightly, his nightmares becoming thou reality. Avoid the abyss beneath, his son awaits with open maw. Fear was our greatest threat, both of others and ourselves...

The camera slowly panned upward, revealing a colossal creature made of pure shadow. Its eyes fell upon the small black screen. A roar of pure malice escaped it, it dove towards the camera with jaw outstretched. With a loud crunch and the sound of shattered glass the screen flashed white then cut directly to black.

"T-that thing.... It appeared in my n-nightmare! Did... Is that what caused all of this?" He gestured towards the abandoned structure they stood within.

"Nothing is for certain... The only records of what happened were burned before they could be recovered. The only thing we do know is that only a being capable of dark magic could destroy an entire nation."

"Wait! There is another image on here, hang on I'll just send it...alright perhaps this will help clarify."

A new image appeared revealing a large empty chamber, held in place by pylons. A single golem-ponie stood before a pedestal, her hooves grasping seven small crystals, each a color in the rainbow. From behind a barred door came the sounds of cannon fire and the screams of innocents. The young mare looked towards the sounds, her face contorted in an image of sadness. Returning to the crystals, she began to whisper ancient words of magic. With each syllable the sounds of suffering were extinguished, time was now a luxury she could not afford.

Finally her spell was complete, the crystals were now connected in a field of electricity. The golem-pony took one last look at the chamber before leaping into the field of energy. A brief flash of multi-colored light flew in all directions, revealing nothing but the crystals and a small blockade of stone now barricading the door. The sound of fury roared through the city finally ending in utter silence.

"What was that? Why was she carrying those crystals?"

Starswirl stood with his mouth agape, they now knew where to find the gems they had sought on this dangerous quest.

"The Gems of Emotion! They are within the cave system below us! If we remember there is a machine that will take us down a floor."

"The cave system, beneath the Darkwraiths?" Asked Aurora, a fearful inflection in her voice. "This is foolhardy but we guess there is little choice..."

Discord swallowed hard, he imagined the tentacles tearing him apart and shivered.

"I wish, t-to remain here! I cannot enter the darkness where t-that thing c-could be watching."

"If thou stay above, the voices of the dead will drive thou insane..."

The changeling tried with effort to keep his demeanor calm, his fear staying close to the surface. "No, I must be brave, for the kingdom...and Luna!"