Sand... and beneath it

" Ah! " the pony group fell through the portal. Strange, this time it wasn't on solid ground, but 6 feet over the ground.

" Where are we? " Rainbow Dash asked.

" Can't you see, Rainbow, dear? " Rarity replied. But what she didn't see, was that only those, who had wings, she, Hawk and Pony were standing. The rest were with heads burried in... sand. Pony and the others took them out of it.

" I got sand in my ear! " Rainbow tilited her head to the left. A stream of hot sand got out of her ear.

   The ponies looked around. They stood in front of a dune, around them there was only sand.

" That's good. The lord of sand will join us, then. " spoke Celestia

" Hey, Twi! Wha's happenin to that ol' medalion? " Applejack asked

Twilight got the medalion of her neck. The sand rose, that represented the lord of the sand, shrunk, untill it dissapeared. Than a stream of sand surronded the empty place for the earth jewel.

" I don't know. Does that mean, that the sand lord is dead? " Twilight was confused

" No, it didn't dissapear. It just turned to sand and went to the spot for the topaz. Maybe the earth lord, who we will fight now, took his powers? " Luna suggested

" But... how are we than supposed to beat him? Two lords in one body? I even am not sure, that Stark's gadgets and Hawk's arrows will help us this time! " Dash was desperate.

  And just like if the stone wanted to prove her wrong, a green stone appeared on the spot of the sand rose. First there were more than one stones, but they somehow dissolved in the air and went into the central green stone.

" Huh? " AJ was confused

" But how..."

" I can hear the music! " Pinkie interrupted Twilight

" Pinkie! " Twilight was annoyed.

" No, really! Listen... Ta- ta - tararata..."

Everypony ignored her. Just Spike listened. There was really a kind of music. Circus music.

" She's right, girls! " the dragon supported her.

Now the whole gang could hear the music, because it was now louder.

" HUH? " now everypony were confused.

" I told you! " Pinkie laughed

The ponies climbed up the hill. They didn't suceed from the first time, because the sand was slipping. At the end  Pony, Cadence, Glace, Applejack and Pinkie helped the rest, who couldn't fly, get up the hill.

" And how did this get here! " Rarity was very confused.

And nopony could of been more confused. In the middle of the desert, not only, that there was a circus, but a whole amusement park: with rollercoasters, ferris wheels and all other kinds of fun things to do.

" Yupee! " Pinkie slid on the sand to the entrance.

" Pinkie! " both Celestia and Twilight yelled

" Oh, come on! Nopony gets killed in an amusement park! "  Dash told them and also slid down. Soon everypony followed her.

" First the ferris wheel! " Pinkie was excited. She stood in front of the ticket seller. But then she frowned:

" Oh, I don't have any money! "

" Heads up, m'am. It's free! " the seller pony told her

" YES! " that was all Pinkie needed to get her back in mood.

Even Celestia and Twilight, the most suspicious ones, were now sure, that it wasn't a trap. Pinkie was already in the cabin, when suddenly the whole park flickered, split to several different images and dissappeared in the air. It all happened in a blink of an eye.

" Was that a mirage? It was so real! " Twilight was unsure what to think.

" It is not a mirrage. It is an ilusion. A well made illusion." spoke a voice from behind them.

When they turned around, a very strange landicorn stood behind them. He was wearing a green robe and a golden armour on the chest. A strange spear levitated with his magic. It was golden and it's tip had two flat spikes.

" Does your mother know, that you are wearing her drapes? " Pony asked him.

The stranger just smiled and the tip of the spear shined. A purple drape appeared over the Iron Stalion suit.

" And does yours know? " he replied " It is great honour to introduce myself, fillies and gentlecolts! Loky, the Lord of Jokes and the Master of Deceipt is currently in front of you!"

" So you're helping us fighting Landrock? " Twilight asked.

" Ah... no. " the stalion answered. " More like the opposite, but not quite so."

Before the ponies could even react, they sunk in the sand and fell on a very strange slide. Hawk fired some arrows at the trickster, but he appeared and dissapeared too fast. Finally, they fell into a room. The first thing, what they saw, was a landicorn stalion, covered in sand roses and quartz crystals sitting on a throne and laughing together with Loky.

" Ha- ha! You really thought you would defeat me as easy as the others? No! " he taunted

" The earth lord! " Hawk recognised him.

" Yes! Now, Loky, you did your part. You tested the caramel slide..."

" IT WAS MADE OUT OF CARAMEL?" Pinkie was angry, because she missed the chance to taste it

" ... now get it out of my throne room! " Landrock commanded.

" But..."

" NOW!" a miniature sand storm spun around the lord and a crystal nearly pierced Loky's hoof.

" Oh, come on! " Loky was angry too. But instead of something useful, a hat with a flower stuck on it appeared on the head of the earth lord.

" You've been the least godlike of all the gods of Horsegard! You are useless! " he yelled. The crystals pierced the slide and shredded it to pieces.

" YAY! " Pinkie immeadietly ran to the slide with the hope of eating some caramel. But the sand on the floor lifted and she confused and instead returned to the others.

" Serious, please! You are facing at two lords in one body! Have some respect! " Landrock yelled

The second he said that a repulsor ray flew to him, but it was reflected form the quartz covered wings on his back.

" You think you'll beat the lord of Sand and Earth  with lights, just how you dealed with the guards of the Wind one ? Forget it! " he taunted at Stark.

" What happened to the sand lord? " Twilight asked.

" Well, when I heard about the prophecy becoming true, my first job was to get rid of him. And his power were a tasty bonus for me! He was no match for me!  And now you couldn't defeat me either! To the dungeons! "

A bunch of guards surrounded them and led them to the dungeons.

" Better think of your last words, because you die tommorow! " they heard him yellling.

It was hot in there. The dungeons weren't the cosiest place.

" So... this is the end? " asked Hawk with a sad voice.

" I guess, darling. " Rarity replied with an even more sad voice

" It was a'honour to fight with ya all! " AJ told everypony.

" Same for me." Stark replied.

" Hey, can't your suit break the walls? " Glace asked him

" No. The ray will bounce off, just like it happened with the wings of Landrock " answered the earth pony

" Well, we have nothing else to do but... to think of our last words! " Cadence cried

Nopony couls look each other in the eyes. It was going to be a long night. And a short one.