Author's note: Couple things I must mention. First of all, the mandatory disclaimer: MLP and all related places and characters are (c) Hasbro and whoever made the cartoon. Amethyst and all other fanchars (none of which appear for several chapters)are (c) me.
And yes, though it says it was written by Amethyst, this is Violet Whirlwind and I DID write it. Amethyst and Violet Whirlwind are just two different pen names for the same person, and I go by either one,depending on the fandom I'm writing for.
Also, I have been told that there are similarities in this to Dark Crystal. And while I enjoyed the movie, this is purely coincidental. Appologies to the creators of that for the coincidences. I did not intend to have these similarities. In fact, this was written before I ever saw the movie.
This is also kind of old. I am aware of a lack of realism in some places, and some character inconsistancies. I appologize for that. I have not seen the show in AGES, and some of the episodes I have been unable to see AT ALL. So please excuse the possible out-of-character-ness of some of the cannons. Also, I have taken some liberties in places. I have a STRONG desire to rename Ponyland, as it seems annoyingly obvious. However, I have not come up with anything good as of yet. And 'winking' in MY version is called 'teleporting' as I find the word 'winking' as dorky to be used for what it was used for, as well as causing confusion with the normal meaning of the word 'wink.' Aside from these things, I tried to stay as accurate as possible, considering my annoying lack of info about certain things in a fandom that I have held dear to my heart formany, manyyears.
Another note: This is written in first person, from my main fanchar's point of view...though that may have to change in future chapters, I don't know.
Amethyst's Adventures #1: Humble Beginnings
By Amethyst, Defender of Dreams
Most ponies are born into a world of bright sunshine and flowers. Not me. My name is Amethyst, and I was born in a cold, dark cave far beneath the sun-warmed grass. My mother told me of a land where the wind sighs softly and birds sing sweetly. In the eerie green light shed by the bioluminescent fungus that somehow grew on the cave walls I could only imagine what that other world looked like, but it gave me hope. Someday, I vowed I would escape this dungeon and make a place for myself in the world above.
One day, several weeks after I came into this dark world, I lay beside my mother on the cold stone floor of our prison. I was asking her again about the world above, when a commotion at the rear of the birth chamber made me jump to my feet. Many strange creatures were entering through a hole in the rear wall of the chamber. Their bodies flickered and changed shape every time they moved. They moved about the cavern shouting and prodding sleeping ponies with their spears. I became frightened and moved closer to my mother, who stood protectively by my side. She tried to reassure me, but I could feel her trembling with fear beside me.
"Mama, what are they?" I asked as the creatures approached.
"They're called Chaoticals, and they are the reason we live in this dark cave. They're coming to take me back to the slave quarters. Remember what I have taught you; we may never see each other again. Never forget about the land above."
"I won't, but why do they want to separate us?"
"They don't want us to try to fight for our freedom. Breaking up families is just a way to keep us under their control."
"But why?"
"That's just the way things are."
Just then, a group of Chaoticals came to take my mother away. As she was led away, she called over her shoulder, "Remember, Amethyst, you must not forget the land of sunshine. Find a way to escape this dungeon!"
"Mother, don't go!" I cried as she disappeared through the gap in the wall that the Chaoticals had entered through. The only ponies left inside the great cavern were the other foals who had been born in the past couple weeks.
That night I couldn't sleep. I felt totally alone without my mother by my side. All around me I heard the cries and whimpers of foals that felt the same loneliness I did. I cried myself to sleep.
Several days later, some of the others had gathered in small groups of friends who helped each other adjust to life without their mothers. I, however, continued to sit alone by the rift my mother had been taken through. Several of the other foals had come up to me and invited me to join their groups, but I politely refused. I was still not over the grief of being separated from my mother. There was another reason that I didn't join any of the groups, however. I felt somehow different from any of them. I felt a great sense of purpose well up within myself. Once again I silently vowed to escape to the land my mother had told me about.
One day as I was sitting alone as usual, I was startled by a sound emanating from beyond the rift in the wall. Curiosity got the better of me, and I stuck my head in the hole. I found myself staring right into the eyes of a huge Chaotical. With a frightened whinny I jumped into the air. Surprise replaced my fear. I looked at my back, where the air was whooshing curiously. I had wings! I stared at the wings - which seemed to be flapping of their own accord - until a shout from a frightened pony brought me back to reality. The Chaoticals were herding terrified baby ponies toward a rift in the wall opposite the one the adults had gone through. Suddenly something inside me spurred me into action. With a mighty rush of air, I swooped down like a purple lightning bolt and began chasing and dive-bombing the Chaoticals.
"Run!" I shouted to the other babies. "I'll keep them busy!"
For several impressive minutes, there was chaos in the birth chamber. I realized - too late - that even though I had told the others to run, I hadn't told them where to run. The Chaoticals were beginning to catch the tiring foals, and I realized that I too was beginning to tire. I drifted gently to the floor in a puff of dust. Several Chaoticals converged on me, and I blacked out.
When I came to, I was in another great cavern. While the birth chamber had been stark and empty, this one was quite ornate. It was also quite a bit brighter than it was in the birth chamber. Many stalactites, stalagmites, and pillars of various shapes and sizes created an impressive feeling of opulence. Seated on a magnificent flowstone throne was a gigantic Chaotical, almost twice the size of the others. Upon his mammoth head, he wore an intricate silver crown with many rare and beautiful gems set in the silver. In his hands/paws/talons, he held an equally intricate and beautiful gold scepter. Although his face was constantly changing shape, the Chaotical King's expression remained the same: stern and unfeeling.
He waved his scepter idly in my direction. "Bring me the first baby for inspection."
It was then that I noticed the other foals from the birthing chamber. They were chained together all in a line. I was the last in line. The guards led the first foal in line up to the throne. The rest of us walked forward, pulled by the chain in front of us. The first baby pony walked confidently forward and stared unblinking at the Chaotical King. She was a pink pegasus with an electric blue mane and tail. The King looked at her with a bored expression on his ever-changing face. He waved his scepter to the left, saying, "Strong ponies to the left, weaklings to the right." The pink baby pranced confidently out of the cavern. The next foal quivered and cowered in front of the King's imposing presence. The King gave the pathetic-looking baby pony a mere passing glance before waving to the right and saying, "Weaklings are only good for personal service."
It continued like this for each pony in line, and before long, it was my turn. I gulped and walked forward, head held high and proud. I heard a few snickers from some of the Chaoticals in the room, and, wondering what they were laughing about, looked around. The King said, "This is highly unusual. I have seen many unicorn and pegasus ponies in my time as King, but never both in the same pony!"
What! I thought. I knew I had wings, but I thought that was all. Boldly, I asked the King if he had a mirror. This brought gales of laughter to the already giggling Chaoticals. The King actually smiled and pointed behind me. I looked. Two Chaoticals brought a mirror over. I stared. I gaped. The Chaoticals roared with laughter. My reflection stared back at me, the reflection of a winged unicorn. I turned back to the King, thinking to myself, So that's why my head itched so much after I was born. The laughter died down as the King made his decision. I shuffled nervously, waiting to find out where I would be going. The King pointed to the left, and I practically did a backflip in the air for joy.
That joy wouldn't last long however.
I was placed in the mining division. Only the ponies not considered weaklings were included in this group. The living conditions in the slave quarters here weren't bad, but they weren't great either. I was chained to a fairly large stalagmite near the rear of the immense cavern, with a large pillar to my left. The ceiling was covered in various-sized, yellow-green, glowing shelf fungus. It sloped downward, ending in many countless flowstone drips near the edges of the chamber, which disappeared into darkness. I didn't dare think what might lie beyond the lighted parts of the cave. Curiously, there was only one gateway that the Chaoticals entered and exited from, even though the dark parts of the cave seemed to go on forever.My curiosity caused me to venture toward the patch of darkness closest to me.
"I wouldn't go over there if I were you."
The voice made me jump back in fright.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
I turned to the speaker. It was the pink peg from the throne room. Her electric blue mane was heavily tousled, as if she had just woken up.
"You didn't scare me. I was merely startled, that's all." I said.
"Well, anyway, I don't think you should go over there."
"Why not?" I asked.
"There's a rumor that this cavern is almost completely surrounded by a bottomless pit, reinforced by magic. Anyone foolish enough to go over there would be sucked into it."
"But why would the Chaoticals put a spell like that there? Don't they want us as slaves?"
"I don't know, but I think it's to keep us from trying to escape. By the way, my name's Firefly, what's yours?"
"Amethyst."
It was then that I noticed her symbol, double lightning bolts the same electric blue as her hair.
"Where you from?" she asked.
"I was born here."
"I'm sorry."
"Why, weren't you?"
"No, thank the Rainbow!"
My attention was now riveted on the pink pegasus as she told me about the land above. She spoke of giant fruit trees and huge meadows of lush green grasses. She spoke of the mysterious yet peaceful and beautiful forest surrounding the meadows. I could just imagine the majestic mountains that rose above the valley. I pictured the bright blue sky lit by the friendly sun. Most of all, though, I yearned to see the bright, beautiful Rainbow arching majestically through the clear blue sky.
"The adult ponies had recently named our home Dream Valley. It's only a small part of the great island country of Ponyland; there are areas there that I have never visited. The adults were building a castle before I was captured. They're probably searching for me now," said Firefly.
"If you lived up there, how did you get down here?" I asked.
"I was just getting to that. I was playing hide-and-seek with the other babies . . ."
"What's hide-and-seek?"
"It's just a game. Please don't interrupt."
"Sorry."
"Ahem. Where was I? Oh yes . . . I was playing hide-and-seek with the other babies, and I ran off into the forest looking for a hiding place."
"Why were you hiding?"
"It's part of the game. Anyway, I stumbled upon a great, gaping hole in the ground, and decided to hide there, thinking that they'd never find me inside a cave in the forest. Little did I know that I was right. Someone else found me, however - a Chaotical guard. I didn't have time to scream, however, because the guard clapped a hand over my mouth to prevent it. I was dragged, kicking and struggling into the King's chamber. That's when I saw all of you chained together. I was very afraid, but refused to show it. I thought, 'I don't care what he does to me, I am not going to bow down to that creature! Rainbow knows, danger is my life!' So here I am." she finished.
The next day, we were led out of the slave quarters, across a narrow bridge of slippery limestone. I chanced a look over the sides of the walkway. It seemed the rumors about a bottomless pit were correct. I could barely make out the sides of the chasm descending into the pitch-black depths until they disappeared. I kicked a loose rock over the edge of the bridge. It rolled off, and then vanished into the blackness without a sound. I waited for the sound of the pebble hitting the bottom of the pit or the surface of a pool of water. I heard nothing. I recoiled in horror, almost knocking Firefly (who was chained behind me) into the pit.
"Amethyst, watch it!" cried my friend.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it. It's just that the stone I kicked . . ." I trailed off.
"Didn't hit bottom?" she finished.
"Yea," I said, shuddering.
"I told you that cave was surrounded by a bottomless pit."
"Hey, less talk, more walk! Hurry it up back there!" shouted a Chaotical guard.
We walked the rest of the way in silence. The stone bridge had been left far behind, and we were walking in complete darkness, when I began to see light up ahead.
"Look!" I whispered to Firefly, pointing to where the light was filtering through the darkness.
"I see it," she said.
"What do you think it is?"
"Well, considering we're the slaves and they're taking us there, I'd assume that's where we are going to be working. Also, considering we're in the mining division, I bet that's the mine!"
"Impeccable reasoning Firefly!"
We both jumped at the new voice.
Firefly gasped in surprise, "Applejack, is that you?"
"Yup."
"How'd you get here? I remember seeing you at home, but then you disappeared."
"I disappeared when I was captured and brought here. I've been here a hundred years or so."
"What!" I said, "You don't look that old to me. Why, you're just as small as I am!"
Firefly turned to me, "Amethyst, you are so naive!" Turning again to Applejack, she said, "Please excuse her, she was born down here only a few weeks ago. How would she know that it takes 500 years for us to grow up?"
Well, I know now... I thought.
"She was born down here? The poor thing!" said Applejack, her voice full of pity.
"Excuse me, but I don't need your pity!" I said, somewhat offended.
"Oh no!" said Firefly, clapping a hoof to her forehead, "Two hundred years old, and I still forget my manners! Amethyst, if we've insulted you, we're sorry."
Applejack nodded. "I didn't mean to sound stuck-up, it's just that I couldn't imagine living my whole life down here, never having known anything else."
"It's okay, apology accepted," I said, "I have no intention of living my whole life as a slave down here in the dark anyway."
"Thinking of escape, are you?" a Chaotical guard asked from right behind me.
"Aaaaaah!" I yelped as I leapt into the air. I landed and glared at the speaker.
Applejack stepped in front of me, "No sir! Not a chance! We were merely discussing the different positions available in the mining division." she lied.
"But I wa - Oww!" Firefly kicked my hind hoof to shut me up. "I mean . . . That's right sir!"
"Good," said the guard, "Now no more talking!"
We were led into an expansive cavern, the largest I had seen so far. It was lit by the same glowing fungus as I had seen in the other caves. I gaped openly at the mighty rock wall in front of me. It extended more than a mile in either direction, and was nearly a mile high. The rock practically sparkled with jewels from ceiling to floor! It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in the caves. At the base of the giant jewel wall, dwarfed by its immensity, a group of ponies could be seen knocking many-colored crystals out of the rock with pickaxes. Looking up, I saw pegasi hammering the gems until they fell out of the wall into buckets slung over the backs of other pegs hovering beneath the ones with the picks. Those with buckets would sink lower and lower in the air as the buckets filled up. When they reached the floor, the bucket-carriers would deposit the load into mine carts that were pulled by other ponies out of the cavern when full. I noticed that the unicorns were not supplied with pickaxes. They were forced to drill the crystals out of the rock with their horns.
I lifted my hoof and felt my forehead. The horn was just a little bump on my head, but it was definitely there. My head hurt just thinking about drilling through solid rock with my horn.
Luckily, I didn't have to. The young ones, including myself, were put to work gathering stray crystals that had fallen to the floor of the cave. It was tedious work, and the baskets on my back got heavy after a while. It wasn't bad, though. I could work alongside my friends.
After a full day in the mines, though, we returned to our living quarters completely worn out. I was often so tired that it was all I could do to keep from collapsing on the path from exhaustion. I would sleep soundly for a few hours.
Then came the morning meal. Having known little else, I couldn't complain about the nondescript gruel. Firefly and Applejack, however, always made faces when forced to eat it. They told me about a wide variety of wonderful dishes they had had in the world above. Their tales of cakes, puddings, and ice-cream sundaes always made my mouth water.
After we ate, it was time to go back to the mines. Every day was the same: wake up for morning gruel, head to the mines to work, then a midday meal of gruel, work some more, evening gruel, then back to the slave quarters to sleep for a couple hours before the whole process began again.
Years passed. I slowly grew taller and stronger. At two hundred, I was still on the ground level, picking up stray crystals. But now I was often alone. Firefly had been moved to the adult quarters when she turned 300, and Applejack followed suit a century later. I looked forward to the day when I could rejoin my friends in the adult quarters, but at the same time I dreaded it. I knew that the ponies in the adult division had harder work to do than those in the juvenile division.
When I turned 299, I was given the year off. A year may seem like a long time for a slave to have off, but after working in the mine for almost 300 years, that "free" year seemed to last only seconds. Even though that "freedom" was short-lived, it gave me a taste of what real freedom must be like, and I liked it. On the last day of the "free" year, right before my 300th birthday, I vowed to spend the rest of my life in the caves of the Chaoticals in pursuit of real freedom.
On my 300th birthday, I was taken to the adult slave quarters, even though technically I would not be full-grown until I was 500. This cave was quite a bit larger than the old one, with an even wider abyss surrounding it, and armed Chaotical guards stationed around the edge; one for every ten ponies. Fortunately, I was placed between the guards, as far away from them as it was possible.
I was overjoyed to hear two familiar voices.
"Amethyst!" Firefly and Applejack called in unison.
"Firefly! Applejack!" I cried, running first to Firefly, who was chained on my left. I gave her a giant pony-hug. I then ran to Applejack, who was chained to my right and embraced her as well. "How have you two been?" I asked.
Applejack sat down heavily. "Well, we get by, but the Chaoticals give us much harder things to do than they did when we were in the juvenile department." she sighed, "I was put to work pulling the mine carts. They're terribly heavy! Of course, the carts are often overflowing with crystals. I pull the carts to the Chaotical King's vault, wait while the crystals are unloaded, then go back for more. By the end of the day, I'm so tired, I can barely keep my eyes open to eat the horrible gruel they serve us!" she exclaimed.
"I was given a pickax and ordered to gouge crystals out of the rock all day." said Firefly, "I'm usually positioned near the ceiling of the cave because I can fly. Wow, hours of constant flying without any breaks can really take a toll on your wings!" she exclaimed, flexing her wings slowly, "Oh, my aching wings!"
At 500, Firefly was now full-grown; and Applejack, at 400, had just one century to go before she, too would be an adult. It would take two centuries for me to reach adulthood, but I had no plans on staying a slave that long. My first day of working in the adult division reinforced my desire for escape.
I, being the only winged unicorn in the mines, had been ordered to mine the upper regions of the crystal wall . . . without a pickax. I was forced to drill into the wall with my horn to get the crystals out. By lunchtime, my horn was so sore, I didn't know whether I would be able to finish the day without passing out!
After lunch, it was back to work. I worked for about four hours without a break. Then, with one hour to go before the evening meal, I felt a strange tingling in my chest. I tried to ignore it, thinking that it was only my tired body playing tricks on me. But the tingling spread throughout my body until it became impossible to ignore. It moved up my spine, and then into my head, where it began to concentrate at the base of my horn. The tingle became an irresistible tickle. Finally, when I could stand it no longer, I burst out laughing. Everyone was staring at me, but I hardly noticed. The tickle was starting to drive me crazy.
Suddenly, there was a surge of energy within me, and a stream of purple magic shot from my horn like highly pressurized water from a hose. The force of the magic flowing from my horn shot me backwards as the magic from my horn traveled straight to the rock wall in front of me. There was a blinding flash of purple light. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the magic stopped flowing from my horn. Totally drained, I sank slowly to the cave floor.
As I stood there shaking, trying to recover from my ordeal, several Chaotical guards came running to restrain me. They beat me mercilessly, until a small voice called out urgently,
"Please stop!"
The Chaoticals looked around, surprised by the voice. I stood, shaking convulsively. Through blurred vision, I saw a white unicorn standing before me. She was angrily chastising the Chaoticals who had been beating me.
"You big bullies! You should know better than to beat a defenseless young unicorn like that!" cried the dark-red haired uni. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"
"But she stopped working!" said one of the guards angrily.
" Well of coarse she did! What did you expect? After eons of keeping unicorns captive you should know that when we first feel our magic, it completely drains our energy!"
"We, um, well . . ." muttered the guards shamefully.
"Just as I thought . . . a bunch of bullies who lose confidence when faced with someone who can fight back! You should give her the rest of the day off."
"Okay," said one of the cowed guards, then angrily, "Hey wait a minute! You're the slaves, not us! We tell you what to do, not the other way around! Back to work, both of you!"
The white unicorn shrugged and whispered to me, "Come on, I'll find you a place to rest where they won't notice you."
I started to follow her when a familiar voice stopped us in our tracks.
"Ahem, where do you think you're going?"
My heart sank. It was the Chaotical King. The white unicorn turned around and was about to speak, when the King held up his scepter for silence.
"I heard what you said, young one. Is it true, tell me honestly, or you shall never see another day!"
My companion gulped visibly, and stepped forward bravely. "Every unicorn is born with the ability to disappear and reappear in another place. We call this ability 'teleportation.' Also, all unicorns are born with their own magical powers that only they themselves possess. These powers usually begin to surface around the age of 400, but can come earlier or later in life. When a power first emerges from the depths of a unicorn's being, it usually comes quite suddenly, causing the individual to experience a debilitating drain of energy. A good meal and plenty of rest are usually all it takes to recover from this 'power surge.'"
"I trust that you speak truly, unicorn," said the Chaotical King, "Thus I grant you and your companion the rest of the day off."
My jaw dropped. I hadn't expected the King to do that.
"Is that true?" I asked the white unicorn as we were led back to the slave quarters.
"Of coarse it was, my life depended on it. I really shouldn't have told him that much, but I didn't want him to think I was lying."
"I still can't believe he gave us both the rest of the day off!" I exclaimed.
"What can I say, he wants his slaves in good health, I guess. By the way, my name's Moondancer, what's yours?"
"Amethyst."
It turned out that Moondancer was chained directly to the left of Firefly. When working we were often separated, but afterwards we could be together. I wasn't sure whether the Chaoticals had put us together on purpose, or if it was just accidental. Moondancer was also born in the aboveground world of Ponyland. She had been captured just that day, wandering around in the vicinity of the cave opening, looking for her long-lost friends, Applejack and Firefly. When I told her that her search was over, she looked at me quizzically. I motioned to the ponies who were just entering the slave quarters.
They're both here." I said as joyous shouts were heard from the entrance. We watched as the two ponies broke away from the crowd and ran to join us.
"Moondancer, where'd you come from?"
"The surface, where did you think?"
"It's so good to see you! We missed you!"
"Moondancer, this is Amethyst."
"I know, we met a short while ago."
"Moondancer saved me from the cruel beatings of the Chaoticals." I said.
"Why were they beating you?" asked Firefly, her voice full of concern.
Moondancer said, "She had her first power surge, and the guards thought she had stopped working to spite them."
"Ohhhh." said Firefly and Applejack in unison.
At the age of 350, I had made up my mind. I was going to escape. The fifty years of horn-breaking toil I had spent in the mines was getting to me.
"Arrrrrrraagggggghhhh! I can't stand it! I'm getting out of here! Anyone who wants to come can!" I shouted one day as I threw down my crystal basket, causing the crystals to fall from the great height that my tired wings were flapping at. The crystals crashed to the floor, shattering into millions of tiny shards. I landed as guards converged on me.
Quivering with rage I reared up and charged through the masses of Chaoticals regardless of their raking claws. I tore away down the path to the slave chamber, where I crumpled to the floor shaking uncontrollably. I heard hoof-beats behind me, and soon Firefly, Applejack, and Moondancer were by my side, trying to comfort me as I wept bitterly.
"I just can't stay here anymore! I've gotta get away!" I cried.
"I know exactly how you feel," said Firefly, "and we can't linger here much longer. They're bound to come after us."
With difficulty, I rose and stood shakily. Just then, we heard shouts in the distance.
"Hurry!" said Applejack urgently, "They're coming this way."
Galvanized by the fear of being caught, we raced off into a dark passageway, not caring which way it took us, as long as it was away from the enraged Chaoticals. The caverns were a maze of inter-connecting passages that led helter-skelter underground. In our mad dash for freedom, we lost our way in the myriad tunnels and caverns. We took a wrong turn, and suddenly found ourselves face to face with the Chaotical King in his bedchamber. We slid to a screeching halt at his feet.
"What's this?" said the King, raising an eyebrow, "A bunch of escapees, eh? Guards! Get them!"
As we wheeled around, we ran slap-bang into the advancing Chaoticals. They converged upon us and soon we were standing in chains, heads hanging low in shame before the King. He laughed cruelly.
"Thought you could escape me, eh? Wrong! No pony ever escaped the underground kingdom of the Chaoticals, and no pony ever will!"
The King's scepter lifted my chin up so that I was looking into his evil eyes. "You have spirit for one who was born a slave. I've had my eye on you. I knew you'd try something like this one day. No matter. You won't try it again, I'm sure. But just to make sure you don't, I have a little surprise for you. Your friends will go back to work in the mine, and you shall join them, but not before I have my fun with you."
He then turned to the Chaotical guards that were restraining my friends. "Guards! Take those three back to the mine, where they belong."
The Chaotical king turned back to me. "Yes, you shall join them, but not yet. I have other plans for you at the moment."
He released my muzzle from his grasp, and called several Chaoticals to him. "Guards, take this rebel to the Crystal Ring!"
The guards gasped and drew back. "Not the Crystal Ring! Master, you can't!" cried one of the bolder guards.
"I can too! I am the King! I can do whatever I want!" he roared at the unfortunate guard. "Take this pony to the Crystal Ring, now!"
The guards hastened to do his bidding. I was led trembling from the chamber.
The Crystal Ring was a circle of giant, dark blue crystals that jutted from the floor in the center of a huge amphitheater-like cavern. The Chaotical King was seated in an ornate chair-like cave formation overlooking the center of the Crystal Ring.
One of the crystals slid back and forth in a groove in the floor like a sliding door. I was shoved through the gap in the ring of crystals formed by this moving crystal door. I looked around, but all I could see were the dark blue crystal walls of the Crystal Ring. Then I looked up. The Chaotical King sneered down at me. "Would you like to know how the Crystal Ring works?" he asked, then, not waiting for my answer, he said, "Good, I will tell you. As soon as the Door Crystal closes, the circuit will be complete, and the Ring Crystals will sense your presence. They will concentrate their power on you, and slowly begin to drain your spirit. The crystals will begin to glow with the spirit they drain from you. As soon as all spirit has been drained from you, you will be released from the ring, but you will never be the same. No, you will never be the same. You will be just an empty shell, with no will but to serve my Chaoticals and me! Have fun! Mouahahahaha!" his evil laughter ricocheted around the chamber, echo compounding upon echo until the laughter seemed to ring inside my ears and head. Suddenly, he stopped laughing. "Guards, close the Crystal Door!"
I watched in horror as my only chance of escape was cut off. Suddenly, there was a tremendous throbbing that reverberated throughout the chamber, as I was pushed down to the floor by an immense pressure. I tried to move toward the edge of the Crystal Ring, but was flattened to the ground by the pressure. Far away, I thought I heard the insane laughter of the Chaotical King. I strained my head to try and see him. He appeared much closer than he sounded. Then the laughter stopped. The King looked dismayed, glanced down at me, then hurried off.
I saw a faint glimmer in the crystal wall. No, I thought, you won't drain my spirit that easily! Straining against the flattening pressure, I fought my way toward the crystal wall. I stared, thinking, What was that? There it was again. Something moved beyond the wall of the Crystal Ring. Something orange and vaguely pony-shaped. I fought to resist the formidable pressure pushing me back toward the center of the Crystal Ring. Finally, I reached the wall of crystal. I suddenly felt an irresistible urge to press my face against the crystal. Something deep inside me said, No! Don't touch it! I pulled away, realizing that if I so much as brushed up against the crystal wall, all my spirit would be torn away from me. I sunk to the floor, overwhelmed by the invisible hand that was pressing down on me.
Suddenly, the instant before I would have blacked out, thus transferring the last of my spirit to the Crystal Ring, the monstrous pressure dissipated. Shakily, I stood and faced the crystal wall. I felt extremely weak. When I took a step forward the world pitched violently, and I nearly fell over. The wall before me shimmered with my trapped spirit, taunting me. There was more movement beyond the wall. I squinted, trying to determine whether I was truly seeing what I thought I was, or whether I had just imagined it. Suddenly, two orange hooves appeared pressed against the other side of the crystal wall! Startled, I leapt backwards. A familiar orange face became visible above the hooves, framed by a yellow mane.
"Amethyst, can you hear me?" came the muffled voice of Applejack.
"Barely." I said as loudly as I could.
Applejack said something I couldn't make out.
"What!" I shouted, "Speak up, please, this crystal wall blocks your voice!"
"I said, stick your horn through the wall!" she shouted back.
"ARE YOU CRAZY! I can't stick my horn through that, it's solid rock!"
"Just do it, OK? Trust me!" she shouted urgently.
"Okay, if you insist!" I said skeptically.
Backing up a few paces, I prepared to charge the wall of the Crystal Ring in front of me. "Look out! Here I come!" I shouted to Applejack. The orange face and hooves disappeared from against the crystal walls. Lowering my horn, I hurtled toward the wall, yelling at the top of my lungs,
"I am Amethyyyyyyst! I am the Defennnnderrrr!"
With a shattering sound, I crashed into the wall, horn first. My horn stuck fast in the wall. As I strained to look around, I felt a peculiar pull from within myself. I managed to catch a glimpse of the Crystal Ring wall. The bright streak trapped within the crystals was quickly disappearing. I felt my strength and spirit returning as the streak in the wall dissipated. Finally back to normal, I tried to extricate myself from the wall. But my horn wouldn't budge. I was stuck!
"Amethyst! What's taking so long! We have to go now if we're going to escape!" I heard Applejack exclaim. Her voice was much easier to hear now that I had breached the Crystal Ring with my horn.
"I can't move!" I cried desperately, still struggling to free myself. "My horn's stuck in the wall!"
"Teleport! It's the only way!" The voice was Moondancer's.
"I don't know how!" I said, beginning to panic. I could hear the voices of Chaoticals making their way toward the cavern.
Moondancer's face appeared on the other side of the crystal wall. She looked into my eyes. "Yes you do, Amethyst. All unicorns are born with the ability to teleport. Your horn is sticking all the way through the wall; I think I can help you, but first you must listen to me. I will help you teleport by touching my horn to yours, but as soon as you are free, we must run. Our combined power will be enough to completely destroy the Crystal Ring, which is what holds this cave system up, and keeps it from collapsing. While Applejack and I were working to free you, Firefly has been freeing the others from the bonds of slavery. They should be safely at the surface by now, but the Chaoticals will be out in force trying to recapture them." Moondancer paused and turned at a sound from the entrance to the cavern. She turned back to me.
"Firefly has just arrived. She said that everyone reached the surface safely. She returned to see what was taking us so long and to warn us of the approach of the Chaoticals. Firefly and I are the only ones who know the way to the surface, but the Chaoticals could cause us trouble. Firefly rushed off to create a diversion while we make our escape. You and Applejack must stay right behind me when we leave here, else we might not make it to the surface before the entire cave system collapses. Understand?" said Moondancer.
"Yes." I said, unable to nod because my horn was stuck in the wall.
"Are you ready to teleport?"
"Yes."
The white unicorn touched her horn to mine, and I felt my body dissolve. I appeared beside Moondancer as the Crystal Ring began to shake and rumble.
"It's going to explode!" screamed Applejack.
"Now, follow me as closely as you can. We must get out of here at once!" Moondancer shouted over the din.
The three of us raced up winding, twisting corridors. Upward, ever upward, the rumbling and shaking growing louder and more violent by the minute. As we ran, the light in the tunnels gradually increased, until the bioluminescent fungus was no longer needed to light our way in the dark. Finally, when a cave-in seemed imminent, we reached the surface. We quickly emerged and made our way through crowds of ponies until we stood well out of danger of being caught in the cave-in. The three of us anxiously watched the crumbling entrance for any sign of Firefly. The cave finally collapsed in a heap of rubble. As the stones settled, a sinking feeling crept over me. Where was Firefly?
My two friends were standing by the pile of rubble, looking at it despondently. I hovered nearby, totally unresponsive to anyone. Hours passed, and gradually the other ponies wandered off to find homes for themselves. But my friends and I kept silent vigil over the heap of rocks that had once been the opening to the underground world of the Chaoticals, refusing to give word to what we all feared.
Applejack was first to break the silence. Looking up, she wiped her tear-stained face. "Well, we're free at last!" she said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yah, but at what cost? We'll never see her again!" sniffed Moondancer, as she burst into tears again, "I almost wish we hadn't tried to escape (sniff), 'cause then F- F- Firefly would still be with us!"
"But then where would we be?" I asked, landing on the rock pile, "Still down there, being oppressed by Chaoticals." I said, answering my own question. "She gave her life for our freedom . . ." I trailed off, unable to finish my statement. I turned away from Applejack and Moondancer, and gazed off into the darkening forest, so that my friends wouldn't see the tears that were coursing down my cheeks.
"Amethyst's right. A truer friend there never was." said Applejack, "Firefly fought always for freedom, and finally gave her life so that her friends could live theirs in freedom and happiness. We need to pick ourselves up and live our lives the way that she would have wanted us to - free and happy. We shall never forget Firefly, the pony who gave her life so that her friends could live theirs in freedom and safety!" said Applejack, standing proudly on the rubble beside me.
Moondancer looked up at us. "I suppose you're right. Let this mountain of rock remain here as a monument to her bravery!" she said, climbing up to stand beside Applejack.
Suddenly, the rock pile began shaking again. "Whoa!" We shouted in unison, as we tumbled off onto the soft grass surrounding the mound.
"Let's get outa here!" cried Moondancer, "Hurry, before those rocks fall on us!"
"No, wait. I thought I saw something!" my companions looked at me quizzically. "There!" I said, pointing.
The rocks were indeed moving, but it looked like they were being pushed out from the inside. "Come on!" I shouted, as we raced up the pile to move the rocks away.
We dug feverishly at the rocks. Soon we had a small pile cleared away from a hole in the rubble. I pressed my eye to the hole, and strained to see inside.
"Oh, what's the use!" said Moondancer dejectedly, "We're just fooling ourselves. It's not her."
"Shhh," said Applejack and I simultaneously.
"Halloo . . ."Applejack called into the hole. I thought I heard a faint answering cough from within. All three of us then dug furiously at the rocks around the hole. Soon, it was big enough for Applejack to stick her forelegs and head inside. We pulled her back out, lest she fall in.
"Quick, Moondancer, get a rope!" Applejack told the unicorn.
"That won't be necessary, thank you." came a familiar voice from within the hole. Two pink hooves appeared on the rocks outside the hole, followed by a pink head framed in electric blue. Firefly extricated herself from the wreckage of the cave opening.
Moondancer, Applejack, and I stood in shocked surprise at the pony we had thought dead. Considering she had been buried alive, Firefly looked surprisingly healthy. She had come out of her ordeal with barely even a scratch to show for it!
"Eeeeeee! You're alive!" cried Moondancer as she tackled Firefly with a huge pony-hug.
"Gaaaa! I won't be for long if you don't stop strangling me like that!"
"Sorry."
"How did you escape that cave in?" I asked as we walked through the forest toward my new home.
"Only some of the caverns collapsed, thank the Rainbow . . . I was battling the Chaotical King when he and the other Chaoticals disappeared, just vanished into thin air! That Crystal Ring must have been their source of power. When the caves started collapsing, I knew I had to get to the surface, so I sped along the tunnel that led up and out as fast as my wings would take me. I wasn't fast enough though. When I got to the opening, it had already fallen in. I was trying to scrabble my way out when I was knocked out by a falling rock. The next thing I remember is hearing you three above me. I was about to call for help when I heard you giving those beautiful eulogies. I just had to stop and listen! Only when you started to leave did I try and escape that tomb."
"Wow," Applejack said, awed by the tale. "What an adventure!"
"What can I say, danger is my life!" shrugged Firefly.
The remark made us all burst out laughing.
"By the way Amethyst," Firefly said to me, "Is that what your symbol is supposed to be?"
"Er, what?" I said, taken completely by surprise.
"Your symbol; is it an amethyst crystal?"
I turned to look at my back. On my hindquarters glittered a beautiful purple crystal symbol. "Yea, I guess so. Why?"
"No reason." the conversation trailed off, and we walked in silence for a while.
"Amethyst?" Applejack asked.
"Yea?"
"Back in the cave, I heard you yell something about being the defender. What was that all about?"
"I . . . don't know." I remembered saying that, but I was mystified as to the meaning of the words.
It was then that we emerged from the trees into the bright sunlight. I gazed in open-mouthed wonder at the beautiful valley before us. Everywhere I looked, ponies were playing and frolicking in the lush grasses of the verdant meadow, or resting peacefully under spreading shade trees. The meadow was surrounded on three sides by majestic mountains and green, leafy woodlands. The fourth side of the grassy field sloped gradually down to a sandy beach, beyond which stretched an endless ocean. A babbling brook located at the edge of the meadow gurgled and laughed its way from the mountains down to the sea. Where the stream left the mountains and entered the valley, a mighty waterfall was seen crashing down in a tremendous spray of water.
In the center of the lush valley rose a magnificent castle painted a bright shade of pink. Blue turrets and a bright blue drawbridge contrasted nicely with the pink of the castle walls. The drawbridge rested across a deep, empty moat that surrounded the beautiful building.
I then looked up and gasped. I had never even seen the sky, let alone one so blue! White fluffy clouds floated lightly by on a gentle breeze as the sun shone down lovingly on the little valley. But the crowning glory was the magnificent Rainbow that arched brilliantly over the entire scene. I stood in awestruck wonder at the sight. No wonder all these ponies worshiped the Rainbow! It was absolutely breathtaking! Overwhelmed, I sat and stared.
"Oh, wow!" I said, my voice full of reverence.
The ponies in the field had seen us and were hurrying over as my friends and I stepped into the sunlight. A barrage of questions hit Firefly, Moondancer, and Applejack as we entered the valley.
"Firefly! Applejack! Moondancer!"
"Where have you been?"
"Firefly, what happened to you? It looks like you were caught in a cave-in."
"I was."
"What have you girls been eating? We can see your ribs!"
"Slimy, disgusting, tasteless gruel!" said Applejack, making a face.
"Yuck! Why would anyone eat that?"
"We had no choice," said Moondancer. "We were slaves."
"Slaves? Why?"
"It's a long story."
"We've got time."
Firefly sighed, and the entire story of our life in the caves poured out.
I had been sitting shyly at the edge of the forest during the whole exchange. I had lived my entire young life down in those caves; I felt slightly out of place in this beautiful world of sunshine and flowers. These new ponies were complete strangers to me, but my three friends obviously knew them well. I let them chatter on all they wanted, wondering if they'd ever notice the small purple pony who was sitting here by herself.
Suddenly, I heard someone say, "Hey Firefly, who's that?" I looked up sharply as ponies crowded around me, staring in astonishment at my wings and horn. "A winged unicorn?" said Medley, the green peg who had pointed me out in the first place. Her voice was full of disbelief.
Applejack came to my rescue as questions hammered me. "QUIET! We will explain everything. But first, back off and give us room, please. Can't you see you're making her nervous?"
Much shuffling of hooves was heard as the curious ponies backed away and formed a semicircle around my three friends and me.
Moondancer spoke. "The tale we told is true. This is the pony responsible for our freedom. She was born a slave in that gloomy cavern, but she found the courage to fight for our liberation. The four of us fought side by side to escape our captors, but she risked her life for our freedom. She is the only unicorn with wings in all of Ponyland. I believe that she was given both wings and a horn as an omen of greatness. The Rainbow chose her, out of all the slaves born in that underground world, to protect our way of life. Here's to Amethyst, The Chosen One!"
All the ponies gathered around us cheered; Firefly, Applejack, and Moondancer loudest of all. I blushed, my face the same color as a bright red beet.
I was given a hero's welcome. I thought to myself, I did it! I escaped! Mother would have been glad to see me as I frolicked in the bright sunlight and abundant, lush grasses of Dream Valley, my new home.
The End...'till next chapter...