Beware the Shadows
Chapter 12 (Part 1)
In this chapter, our Heroes will struggle with someone who is dangerously skilled with shadow power.
Meanwhile, on the Path of Memories…
As our heroes continued down the Path of Memories towards the forest, they came across a rocky terrain area. The area was nothing special really, however the one thing that was important about this area, was that the path the heroes were on seemed to continue down into a cave that led underground.
"Well, I guess we go a-through the cave." Mario said as they looked down the cave's entrance.
"Hmm, yeah no, not happening." Starflight said as he backed away from the cave.
"What do mean?" Glory asked.
"I'm not going in that cave." Starflight said.
"Starflight, how about you just man-up." Glory said.
"Why do we even have to go in the cave? Why don't we just walk across that field, or better yet, why don't we FLY across the field?" Starflight asked.
"Two reasons: one, it's probably safer to follow the direct path, and two, we're not going to waste our energy flying unless we really have to." Glory said.
"Well, whatever, you guys can go through the cave. I'll just fly over it." Starflight said as he took off into the air.
As Starflight began to fly over the field, hundreds of large rocks starting coming out of the ground and formed to look like rock-made missiles. Before anyone could call out to Starflight, all the rocks suddenly flew straight towards Starflight like a bunch of missiles. After Starflight was hit, he was knocked right back to the group and fell hard on his back.
"Ow… that really hurt." Starflight grunted as he tried to get up.
"Well, hopefully that gave you enough of a reason to follow the proper path. If not, I don't know what will." Glory said.
"I hate you." Starflight moaned.
Glory just shrugged as Starflight slowly tried to stand back up.
As Starflight struggled to stand, Fluttershy flew next to him and helped him stand to his feet.
"(Sigh) Thanks, that was very-Woah!" Starflight yelped as he almost fell back down again but was caught by Fluttershy. "Thanks, that was very nice of you." Starflight said.
"You're most certainly welcome, Starflight." Fluttershy said.
"Well, I guess that explains why those shovels are over there." Clay said as he pointed to 2 shovels have buried in the rocks.
"So, someone dug that cave?" Emmet asked.
"That's dedication right there." Judy said.
"I think that that guy down there was a little too dedicated." Twilight said.
"What guy?" Mickey asked.
"The guy in the cave." Twilight said as she nodded her head to the skeletal remains of a digger.
"I don't see- oh my gosh, that guy is dead." Mickey said.
"Well, everyone just ignore, the a-dead guy and keep a-moving forward." Mario said as they started making their way into the cave.
However, as the heroes walked into the cave, they failed to notice that a shadowy portal opened up from a few feet back and who stepped out of the portal, but General Sombra.
"(Evil Chuckle) Luckily for me, caves are full of shadows. This will make scaring the wits out of those fools a lot easier." Sombra said to himself.
Just then, a holographic-like image of Lord Age appeared in front of Sombra. Seeing this, Sombra reluctantly kneeled to his new master.
"General, you know your mission, yes?" Lord Age asked.
"Of course, I know my mission! Err, I mean, yes master." Sombra said.
"Good, be done with it then, and do not fail me." Lord Age said as his holographic form disappeared.
"Oh, Twilight, you and your new friends are in for a good scare!" Sombra said as he walked into the cave and then walked through a portal, he summoned due to the amount of shadows and darkness within the cave.
As the heroes made their way through the cave, they made sure to keep following the path and to stay away from the multiple tunnels within the cave.
"Can you believe that this whole cave was dug up by civilians?" Emmet asked.
"Most certainly. After all, people have built greater structures than this cave." Twilight said.
"Oh, yeah that's true." Emmet said.
As the heroes strayed further away from the cave's entrance, the amount of light began to fade away as it became really dark in the cave.
"Everyone hold, up." Mario said as the group stopped. "It's starting to a-get pretty dark in this a-cave, so can any of a-you guys give us some a-light?" Mario asked.
All the members of the team who could provide a light source of any kind activated their sources. Gumball activated his Photon Blasters' glow-in-the-dark mode, Nick and Judy activated their guns' flashlight ability, Tsunami lit up her aquatic scales, the ponies activated their light spells from their horns, Mickey used his magic to release a glowing orb above him, Donald activated a light spell from the tip of his wand, and Luigi activated his flashlight on his Poltergust G-00.
"Good a-job everyone. Let's keep a-moving." Mario said as they continued walking through the cave.
After 10 more minuets of walking, the heroes found themselves at a point where the path spilt off into 6 different paths, leading to 6 tunnels each.
"Well, now what?" Glory asked.
"Logically, I think we should a-split up into 6 groups, as there are a-6 paths to take." Mario said.
"So, are we assuming that each of the 6 paths leads to the exit?" Penny asked.
"To keep our a-spirits up, yes we are." Mario said.
"Well, I guess we don't have any other choice. Unless we all go through one tunnel, but it would probably be faster if we split up." Spike said.
"Alrighty then, Luigi, you and I will a-take the first tunnel." Mario said.
"Emmet, you can come with me and Nick through the second tunnel." Judy said.
"Me, Donald, and Goofy will take the third tunnel." Mickey said.
"Hold on everyone. I just noticed that there is a seventh tunnel." Nick said.
"What where?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"It's that really small one on the top of the cave wall." Nick said as he aimed his light at a small opening.
"How exactly do you know that's a tunnel?" Rarity asked.
"Oh, I don't, I'm just guessing." Nick said.
"Well, even if that was a tunnel, none of us are small enough to fit through the tunnel." Gumball said.
"Well, one of us can." Nick said.
"Who?" Spike asked.
Nick slowly turned his head towards Spike and smiled at him.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Wait a minute! No! I'm not going in there, and you can't make me." Spike said as he turned his back to him and crossed his arms.
"Oh, really?" Nick asked.
"Yes, you can't make me." Spike said.
"Alrighty then." Nick said as he turned and whispered to Rarity.
"Hey Rarity, can you use your magic to turn this rock into a beautiful diamond?" Nick asked.
"Of course, I can." Rarity said as she used her magic to turn the rock into a beautiful red and shiny diamond.
"Thanks. Oh, Spike." Nick called.
"What?" Spike asked.
"You see this?" Nick asked as he held out the diamond to Spike.
"(Gasp) T-That's a beautiful diamond." Spike said.
"You like this diamond?" Nick asked as he waved it.
"uh-huh." Spike said as he reached out to touch it.
"Really," Nick asked as he suddenly pulled out his gun and aimed it at the diamond. "Go up in that tunnel right now or else!" Nick yelled.
"NOO!" Spike cried.
Nick was about to fire his gun, but then Rarity used her magic to telepathically pull the diamond back to her.
"What the-? Oh, so we're choosing sides now?" Nick asked.
"Had I known that THAT was what you were going to do, then I would have thought twice about doing you a favor." Rarity said.
"Well, I guess that was a bit extreme, sorry kiddo." Nick said.
"You're a real jerk, you know that?" Spike asked.
Nick just shrugged.
"But, fine. I'll go up in the tunnel." Spike said as his wings drooped.
As the Mane Six walked through the tunnel they selected, a shadowy figure appeared on the cave walls behind them. The shadow of King Sombra smiled wickedly as he saw an opportunity to give these ponies a real fright.
"Now which one of those ponies was always the easiest to scare? Oh yes, that's right; Fluttershy, (evil chuckle), oh this will be fun. Once the animal freak is disposed of, I'll pick them all off one by one." Shadow Sombra said as he watched the ponies continue making their way through the cave.
The ponies were making good progress through the cave before they came across another area with multiple tunnels; and ironically there were 6 different tunnels.
"Well, I suppose we all know what we have to do now." Twilight said.
"Yeah, how about we all just pick a tunnel and go together?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"How about we don't?" Twilight said.
"Look, I can understand us splitting up earlier, but now there's really no point." Rainbow Dash said.
"I see your point Rainbow, but let's just split up for now." Twilight said.
"No! We all go together! How hard is that!?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Rainbow, there is no time for arguing." Twilight said.
"Actually, there is, we are going together and that's final!" Rainbow Dash yelled.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash began arguing with each other as they yelled back and forth.
"Um, girls, we shouldn't waste our time fighting." Fluttershy said as she tried to calm them, but to no avail.
"(Sigh) Everyone hold on to somethin'." Applejack said as she walked over to the cave wall.
"Um, what are you going to do?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"You'll see, just get yourself secured Pinkie." Applejack said as she prepared to kick the cave wall.
"Enough arguing!" Applejack yelled as she used her newly enhanced strength to powerfully kick the cave wall, causing the walls to shake violently.
Suddenly, rocks from the cave's ceiling started to fall down and the cave looked like it was about to collapse on top of the ponies, but Rarity used her magic to re-secure the cave and stop the rocks from falling onto her friends.
"Applejack, what were you thinking!? Were you trying to get us crushed to death!?" Rarity asked.
"Honey, I'll be honest, the rocks fallin' thing wasn't my intention." Applejack said.
"W-Well… it doesn't matter what your intention was! You could have killed us!" Rarity cried.
"Rarity, if my kick to the wall didn't kill us, your yellin' and hollerin' might." Applejack said.
"Well, I never!" Rarity gasped.
"Anyways, listen up you two. Twilight's right; we ain't got no time for yappin' at each other like a bunch of whiney fillies." Applejack said.
"Well, she started it." Rainbow Dash said.
"Oh, for goodness sake." Twilight scoffed.
"Rainbow, I don't care who started it, I'm finishin' it!" Applejack said.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash just glared at each other.
"Now how about this; how about we all split up into our own separate tunnels for a few minutes and if none of us find anythin' in our tunnels, we come back here and then we pick a single tunnel to all go into together? Hmm? Will that calm y'all down?" Applejack asked.
"Sure, that will work." Twilight said.
"Whatever, but if my idea was better, you owe me big." Rainbow Dash said to Twilight.
"Right back at you." Twilight said.
"There see, was that such a hard thing to work out?" Applejack asked.
"Hmph." Twilight and Rainbow Dash both said as they stepped away from each other.
"Well, come on! Let's get moving! I bet I'll find the way out first!" Pinkie Pie said as she bounced away into her tunnel.
"(Chuckle) Oh no you don't Pinkie!" Applejack said as she ran into her tunnel.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash both looked at each other and competitively smiled at each other as they both flew into their own tunnels.
The last two remaining ponies were Rarity and Fluttershy.
"Well, let's be off then." Rarity said as she began to walk towards her tunnel. "Don't worry Fluttershy dear, everything will be fine. Thanks to our new dragon friend Gold, we have been given extra powers, not that we NEEDED them, but they are well appreciated. They will help us out. Everything will be okay." Rarity said.
"You're right. Thanks Rarity." Fluttershy said.
"You're absolutely welcome." Rarity said as she walked into her tunnel.
"(Gulp) Oh dear." Fluttershy said as she reluctantly walked into her tunnel.
Unbeknownst to Fluttershy, she was being watched by a Shadow Sombra.
"Now, you are alone, FlutterCRY (Evil chuckle)." Shadow Sombra said as he slowly followed Fluttershy.
As Fluttershy walked through the dark tunnel, she began to lightly hum and sing to herself to calm her fear.
*Okay this is where I attempt to make my own songs for Creativity War. Please don't judge too harshly lol.
"Everything will be just fine"
In a strange new place,
With new dangers to face,
Fear seems to keep up its pace,
But it won't get in my space,
Everything will be just fine,
Everything will be just fine,
Imagination fights its one enemy,
Known simply as reality,
In a war of creativity,
A war we call… Creativity War,
Everything will be just fine,
Everything will be just fine,
With new friends at our backs,
There will be no attacks,
We will be free of the facts,
Everything will be just fine,
Everything will be just fine,
Everything will be just fine,
Song End
"Everything will be… just… fine." Fluttershy sang.
"Everything will be just FINE." Shadow Sombra said as he laughed.
Fluttershy turned around quickly and was horrified to see this shadowy pony figure grinning at her with sharp teeth and glowing red eyes.
"W-What?" Fluttershy stuttered.
"Oh Fluttershy, your voice is still as weak as ever." Shadow Sombra said.
Fluttershy was about to scream, but Shadow Sombra literally swam on the ground towards Fluttershy, leaped out of the ground, and wrapped his arms around Fluttershy; covering her mouth as well.
"Now I've got you! I hope you had a good life with your stupid animals as well as your friends! Time to die, Fluttershy." Shadow Sombra said as he formed a shadowy blade oh one of his hoofs and prepared to stab Fluttershy.
Part 1 end; Part 2 will be here very soon :)