The goblin cats had been humiliated for the third time, as they taking a break in the shadows under one of the fallen trees. Until they hear a growing voice, they look out and to their shock. Merissa was standing in front of them, standing tall and with a hood on.
"Mistress," Azrael inquired slowly, "what are you doing here?"
"I have put my fate in you three useless fools," mutter Merissa with glared eyes, "and yet you couldn't do thing right. So now like I said, it's time to do things my own way.
"For now, the ponies will find the heart for me and when they do," she continued with a wicked smile, "…it will be mine, but to awaken its power I need one pony to help me do that and one those ponies shell be useful to do that."
Meanwhile, the ponies journey on through the forest along with Arthur, who save them from the tree monster.
"Thanks for saving us back there Arthur," said Twilight, "it was really nobble of you."
"Don't mention it Princess Twilight," replied Arthur, "it was the least I can do."
"You've heard of me?"
"Of course, I've heard about your actions along with your gang and it's really impressive."
"Thanks. But there's one thing. How do you manage to find us so quickly?"
"If you like to know," said Shooting Star, "Arthur is a special pony like you and Ember. He the unicorn of aura, soon to be the aura knight and to be our protector."
That brings amazement to Twilight.
"An aura knight?" whaled Pinkie Pie, "A protect for all ponies? How cool was that?"
"Even using that sword," added Rarity, "and facing that terrible tree monster. I never imagine we'll been safe by a knight."
"But what's an aura?" Rainbow Dash wonder and confused.
Twilight explain. "An aura is a sprite feeling, an emotion. We all have auras."
"That's right." Agreed Ember, "Arthur has the power to sense any pony or creatures auras. That how he was able to find us and can do some spells that no unicorn can, like the invisibility spell and summon his sword."
"Well, I'm glad he on our side," said Applejack, "and that power he use is way incredible. Also good as Ember and Twilight."
"Thanks Applejack." inquired Arthur, "But am not really an aura knight just yet, I still need to work on my skills."
Twilight find it even more amazing. She never thought there's another pony that can do some rare spell in Galloping Valley, she would have learn new spell at the Heaven Leaf Library.
And also, Arthur remind her of her brother Shimmer Armor, she wonder there were something between Ember and Arthur, like the time she had with her big brother.
"So Ember," Twilight ask Ember, "What's this about you and Arthur? I remember you ask about him when we arrived."
Ember blush, "Well we do have a lot in common. We were good friends back before I move on with my studies. Arthur had always be there for me, just like the time I've been there for him and to all my filly hood friends."
"But what beautiful moments you had with Arthur?" Twilight ask again with a smirk.
"I'm not telling you. Those are just secrets between us."
"Sorry." Twilight apologises quickly and then say something else. "Ember, when you can to Canterlot. The truth is I was really worried about it, I was been a fateful student to Princess Celestia and I've become a princess like her, you've be accepted to be her new student.
"I don't mean to be rude, but I never thought that things are turning so…new."
"You know what Twilight?" Ember said with a little smile, "I felt the same right after when I accepted Celestia. I excited at first, but soon I felt so worried that I'm not sure I about.
"I have move on to a new teacher, my mum said that Celestia will help me with my studies. I really hate to leave her and all of my friends.
"But I just have to and I can't just let them down. Yet it's really hard for me, they always be there for me. As much as I always be there for them. Just like I said a minute ago."
Twilight thought about her Ponyville friends and how they always be anyway with her and be there for her. She even do the same for them. She guesting that she and Ember did had something in common.
"But when I meet you," Ember continued, "and your Ponyville friends, things starting to get better for me."
"Too me," Twilight agreed, "and I can learn a lot of thing about you."
"Like what?"
Twilight was about to say something, when Spike call out.
"Hey! Do you think it is the deepest part of the forest?"
"It should be." said Arthur, "The house of stone is just maybe through those brushes."
"Oh my." Rarity complain "I hope I won't get those twigs in my mane."
"We've better hurry. The sun will be setting in a few hours."
"So soon?" Applejack in for a surprise, "How long we've in the wood before we enter?"
"I think we need to get to the house before dark." Twilight suggested.
"There's something you should," Arthur continued, "There's some rumours about the house of stone."
"What can of rumours?" ask Rainbow Dash.
"There's some sort of sprite leaving there."
"You mean…a ghost?" ask Fluttershy in fear.
"A ghost!?" Spike whaled, then grabbing hold of Twilight.
"Oh come on Spike," Twilight inquired, "you don't really believe in ghost, do you?"
"No…not r-really."
"Well then," suggest Ember, "it too late to turn back now."
Twilight agreed with Ember, so does the other ponies, well Fluttershy is close. She is now nervous about the house of stone, but she has to go on with her friends and they have a job to do.
The ponies are have a hard time, by getting through the thick brushes. But is a good thing Arthur is with them, he use his magic to summon a sword to cut through, the sword was exactly the one he use to save Ember and Jasmine.
They make their way through deep into the woods, in the unknown part of the Shimmering Forest.
Until they found a stone step, they can see more steps made out of stone and there they notice a strange ruins over run with wild plants of moss, ivies, weeds and the trees are cover in from above the place, there was some sunlight coming through. There were walls with holes, windows and falling roofs, but some other roofs still on.
"This must be it," said Shooting Star, "the house of stone."
"But it does look a house," said Spike, "look more like a maze."
"And it sure need some fixing and some cleaning up." added Rarity with complains.
"No telling the golden heart is hidden in there." Twilight inquired.
"It looks creepy." said Fluttershy nerviest.
"What are we waiting for?" Rainbow demand, "Let go and find the golden heart."
"Alright, let's go in." Twilight suggest, "But let be careful, no tell what dangers we might find."
When the ponies enter the house of stone, they never through it will be quite big, there was nothing but ruin walls with old rooms, plants ivy and weeds everyway. And Spike was close to be right, the house of stone is like a maze.
"This is so confusing," complain Rainbow Dash, "where do we look."
"The riddle did mention something about the chamber of shadows," said Jasmine trying to remember, "This that right Ember?"
"That right," explain Ember, "I think that's where we look first."
"I think we should spilt up in to groups," suggest Arthur with a plan, "that way it will be much earlier to look."
"Good idea," Twilight agreed, "if one of use has found anything, let us know."
Twilight is alright with Spike and Applejack.
Rarity is with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.
Arthur is with Shooting Star.
And Ember is with Fluttershy and Jasmine.
They've search everyway, but found nothing. They look in the rooms with roof and other ones that don't have roofs. I've look for an hour and the sun will set soon.
Ember, Jasmine and Fluttershy were in the garden and the centre of the house of stone, where there's a beautiful fountain with three statues of the three kinds of ponies, an earth pony, a pegaus pony and unicorn.
Ember was looking at the statues, while Jasmine and Fluttershy were looking at the wild flowers.
Just then, something had caught Ember attention. A glowing bubble came out of no way and pop its self on Ember's horn. Then Ember could feel a strange sort of trance, as she can see some sparkles burst from the bubble. She was so in silent when a voice came to her ears .The same voice in her dream.
"You are getting close," said the warm voice, "to find what you looking for and to your destiny.
"You will not do thing alone, your friends are by your side and your spark of friendship will always keep you going.
"Now for the third riddle. In the darkness you will enter, but fear not for the little glow friends will lighten you the way.
"Look into the pool of fire, when the sun shines before setting.
"Knowing this, the one pony who will became one with the heart of gold. If she carries the mark of the heart and understand what she will do."
"But what does that mean?" Ember wonder.
There was no replied, but the golden sparkles from the bubble are now shooting towards the fountain.
Just then, Ember could hear other voice.
"Ember? Ember!" cried the voice.
Soon everything in Ember's trance disappeared and Ember was back to where she was. The one who is calling her was Jasmine.
"What's happen to you?" she wonder, "It looks like you've see a ghost."
That word bring a shock to Fluttershy, "You don't mean that's the spirt that Arthur was talking about?" she squalled.
Ember explained about what happen to her and that make Jasmine and Fluttershy so confused.
"I don't see any bubble, but the golden sparkles you mention sounded pretty."
"They heading towards the fountain." Ember continued.
They look at the fountain, with wondering thoughts.
"You know what I think," said Jasmine with the thought, "I think the garden is the centre of the house."
"I think you're right," Ember agreed, "and I think the fountain is maybe the entrance to the chamber of shadows."
"We better let Twilight know," Fluttershy suggested, "and see that you're right Ember.
Ember agreed to Fluttershy's plan. She and the other two ponies hurried to get the others.
In five minutes, all the ponies are in the garden just at the fountain. Ember had explained about it and then Twilight studies the fountain.
"You sure this?" Rainbow complained to Ember, "It looks like an ordinary fountain to me."
"Well I think it's devein." Rarity taking inters to the statues. "But it is a shame that there no water to go with it."
"Hold on," Twilight confits as she remove the ivies from beneath the statues, "there something there. Some sort of puzzle."
It was a turning puzzle, with a turning disk. There were symbols and they need to work out which symbols go with the statues.
"I believe you are right Ember," said Twilight with delight, "this is must be the entrance. But to open it, we need to solve this puzzle."
"Oh. Me, me, me." Whaled Pinkie popping beside Twilight. "Let me do it, I just love to solve puzzle."
Pinkie quickly turns them with a turning disk before Twilight. The disk turn the symbols, until a tree symbol came under the earth pony statue, then a cloud came under the pegaus statue and a star symbol came under the unicorn.
Suddenly, the statues are going something. They began to move away, then some steps appeared with leads down.
The ponies mouth were wide open, Pinkie solve the puzzle and open the entrance.
"I don't know how she does that." Applejack inquired about Pinkie Pie, "but I am glad she did."
Twilight and Ember went to take a look down the stone steps.
"Do see anything?" ask Shooting Star.
"Not really." Twilight replied, "Is too dark."
"Maybe that's why they call it the chamber of shadows." Rainbow with a thought.
"We're not thinking about going down there are we?" ask Fluttershy feeling nervous.
"Yeah," Spike agreed, "it look spooky."
"Alright," Ember suggest, "any pony who's brave enough, will go inside. While the rest will stay out here, in case anything happens."
Fluttershy and Spike were too nervous to go in, Rarity decide to stay with them. So does Jasmine and Shooting Star.
So Twilight, Ember, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were available to go in the chamber of shadows.
"I wish I can go down with you," said Arthur, "but knowing the other might be unprotected. So I'll stay with them."
"Great idea Arthur," Twilight agreed, "we'll take it from here."
"Come on," Rainbow Dash demand, "let's go in."
Twilight went in first, follow by Rainbow, Applejack and Pinkie.
Ember went after them, but Arthur stop her for a moment.
"Be careful," he said, "no telling what you will find down there."
Ember smile a little with sweet moments, "Don't worry about me," she replied, "I know what I'm doing, I hope. You just stay put."
The two unicorns look each other eyes for a moment.
"Ember, what doing? Come on!" cried Twilight.
Ember snapped out of it and hurry inside.
Arthur watch her go, while the mares who are now with him had notice a sweet moment.
"Eh, what just happen there?" Spike wondered.