“We…caught up…” Rarity panted at her, her normally well groomed and perfectly quaffed mane and tail in complete disarray. “Are…you okay?”
“I’m fine, thanks to Fluttershy.” Twilight looked over at the embarrassed looking pegasus who cantered over to her side, a sheepish smile on her face.
“I just didn’t want him to eat you…” Flutershy practically whispered and scuffed the floor with her hoof.
“Well thank you.” Twilight smiled brightly at her and got to see Fluttershy perk up a little. “We should keep going.”
“Hold yer horses.” Applejack put herself in the way and frowned at Twilight, “How come yer didn’t change or cast a spell at that bird when we got grabbed?”
“I…” Twilight looked almost as embarrassed as Fluttershy as she admitted, “I don’t know how and I didn’t want to get you hurt.”
“What do you mean you don’t know how?” Dash demanded. “You’re the one transforming…”
“I don’t know.” Twilight admitted, though she was frightened to do so, staring at her hooves rather than look at the others, “I’m not…I don’t change because I want to, it just happens. I don’t remember what happens when I’m an alicorn, it’s like I’m not even me.”
“You can’t be serious, darling.” Rarity stared at her as Twilight flinched.
“You’re tellin’ me you don’ remember anythin’ that happened with Nightmare Moon? Or what happened with tha’ pegasus pony?” Applejack asked, confused.
Twilight shook her head, still not daring to look up at the others. “It’s the puzzle. It changes me. It must do because I’ve never learned anything that could do it and I didn’t even think it was possible before you told me I’d done it. I have no idea what I did while I wasn’t me and it scares me. I don’t want to hurt any of you…”
“Tha’s jus’ foalish.” Applejack’s scolding tone made Twilight look up in shock, “You ain’ done anythin’ tha would harm us and even if yer don’ remember wha’ yer did, it’s still ya in there when yer in yer other form. If yer afraid o’ changin’ yer won’ do it when we’re facing Nightmare Moon. We’re not scared of yer and you won’ hurt us so do wha’ yer need to.”
“Applejack…” Twilight started, trailing off as she tried to work out how to respond to that.
“Trust us.” Applejack huffed at her, “Yer not alone and we can handle yer Princess form.” She paused and then looked embarrassed, “Not tha’ I’m sorry yer didn’ transform. Yer wings in yer other form are so badly damaged I dun think ya could fly anyway.”
“They are?” Twilight was surprised as Rarity nudged her from behind, getting her moving again.
“Yeah,” Dash nodded as she led the way, saving her strength for later, “Don’t know why though.” She commented as she reached a bridge.
“Ask me.” Twilight suggested, “If I change again I mean. I don’t know why my wings are like that when I’m…different.” They reached the rickety wooden bridge across the gorge and Twilight stopped again.
She was not the only one. No one look particularly happy. Halfway across the bridge the fog thickened even further, to the point it practically formed a solid wall across their path.
“So…what do you think is across there?” Rarity asked nervously, pacing side to side as she stared across into the mist, trying to peer through it to the other side.
“Task four, probably.” Twilight worried, knowing how tired her friends were and not really wanting to get into another fight so soon.
“I could fly across and check.” Fluttershy offered. Twilight shook her head though.
“No, thank you. I think we should stick together. If we lose each other in this fog we could end up losing each other for good.” The unicorn informed her as she took a shaky step onto the bridge. It wobbled badly and creaked underneath her hoof but it held her weight as she moved further forward. Applejack, who was sticking close to her after the bird scare, followed close behind.
“Be careful.” Twilight told them as she put her right hoof forward only for it to go straight through the rotten plank in front of her. She nearly tumbled forward but managed to catch herself in time, her hoof going through a second plank with a horrible crack.
“I…I’d rather fly thanks.” Fluttershy squeaked at the second crack and launched herself. Her actions made the bridge bounce up and down and made the others cry out in surprise. “S…sorry…” She stammered as she hovered above their heads.
“I…its okay, darling.” Rarity was the first to reply, glad when the bridge settled itself down. “You just stay close, okay?”
Fluttershy did and they got across. Twilight did not see what it looked like when she stepped into the mist but it was incredibly disconcerting to not be able to see past the end of her foreleg. “Is everyone alright?”
“Ye…yes, darling.” Rarity did not sound so sure though and neither did the others as they answered too. Twilight glanced back over her shoulder to try and see them but the dark, swirling fog was too thick.
“Stay together.” Twilight ordered, though she was unaware that it came out as an order. “Try and grab the tail of the pony in front of you and don’t let go.” She felt somepony grab her tail and stumbled slightly as they tugged gently. Before she could complain however, she heard Applejack yelp in pain and heard Pinkie call an apology back.
They made their way through for a while, just heading straight on the baring that Rainbow Dash had put them on when she had been guiding the expedition. Before too long Fluttershy’s voice softly echoed down the line, “Umm, please stop pulling on my tail.”
“I don’t have your tail.” Rainbow Dash responded, having to drop whoever’s tail she was holding to do so. “I have…had Pinkie’s…oops.” Twilight wanted to bang her head against a wall as they came to a halt and the others responded to Fluttershy too.
There was a worrying moment of silence when they all confirmed that no one had the pale yellow filly’s tail and then Applejack asked, “If none of us have Fluttershy’s tail, then what…”
Fluttershy screamed, cutting Applejack off and making the others call out, worried. Twilight cast her beacon spell to try and light up the area and make it easier to see. It gave the ponies just enough light to be able to see each other, but it also cast a huge, winged shadow that was a terrifyingly familiar.
“Dr…dra…dragon!!” Rarity squealed, backing up slowly as she beheld the giant shape. The creature in question let out a furious bellow and snapped its giant black head in their direction, its glowing red eyes blazing like fire as Fluttershy rushed out of the darkness surrounding them, limping slightly. Twilight shielded her with her own body before drawing from her deck, ready to fight the creature.
The dragon loosed a vicious roar and spat fire at the group of ponies. They only avoided being singed by the Negate Attack that the unicorn called up. “I don’t think we can reason with this one.” Applejack sounded nervous as they looked at the beast.
“You stole my jewels and my gold!” The dragon snarled at them. The creature’s black scales shimmered like obsidian in the fading flare and its eyes narrowed as it beheld the puzzle hanging from the ribbon around Twilight’s neck. “Give it back!!!”
Twilight yelped and shoved Fluttershy out of the way as the dragon’s tail whipped around, striking the unicorn and sending her crashing into a nearby pile of rocks.
The others did not get a chance to react as the dragon took flight, its great wings causing a downdraft that disturbed the fog, giving them a clear view of where they were.
The castle was so close. They could see it only five minutes away from their position in the direction they had been going. However the dragon landed in their way, cutting them off from taking refuge. The safely roofed castle might as well have been another six hours away for all the good it would do if they could not shift the dragon.
Rainbow Dash took off, ready to launch herself at it, no matter how injured she already was, only for a blur of black and purple to swoop in and strike the humongous black head. It wheeled in the air, recovering from the collision, revealing itself to be Nightingale as the dragon roared in pain and thrashed about.
“I’ll hold it off.” Nightingale informed them, feeling like she owed them for allowing her to walk away and hating owing anypony anything. “You find its jewels.”
“I have a better idea.” Rarity called up, pulling a rather beautiful ruby out of her mane and gazing at it. The dragon sniffed the air and turned to look at her, glaring at the white unicorn who held it in midair with her magic. “I found it when we were trying to catch up to the others.” She told the dragon as Twilight picked herself up unsteadily, “There wasn’t anything else there, but if you want this, you can have it.”
“I want my horde,” The dragon snarled at her, “But that is a good start.” It snatched the gem from her with its claw and seemed to examine it carefully, “This is different from the gems of my horde…brighter…” It hissed as it tilted it back and forth in the flare light. Twilight sent up a second one which brightened the area again as Rarity tried something.
“We can help you find your horde.” She offered, “But we need to lift the fog first. If you let us get to the castle, we’ll get rid of it and come back, promise. Right, everyone?”
The dragon did not look like it believed them as they agreed, but Rarity had another card to play and she sighed, “I also have a chest full of jewels back in Ponyville you can have that I was going to make jewellery out of.”
“Give it to me.” The dragon snapped, bringing its huge head down to the unicorn’s level and staring her in the face.
“I can’t.” Rarity shook her head, “Not until the fog is gone and the barrier stopping us from leaving the forest is gone.”
The dragon considered her words and then nodded and stood up properly. “Fine, go, but I want my jewels after.”
“Of course darling.” Rarity agreed, “Though I’m surprised you need any more with those glorious obsidian scales of yours and those gorgeous ruby red eyes.” The dragon preened, let out a rumble that was the draconic equivalent of a laugh and stepped aside, nudging the white unicorn with its huge head as she passed. Rarity let out a startled sound as she had to sidestep due to the nudge, but she gave the dragon a smile and carried on past it, causing the others to follow.
