Rarity was busy with herself, dusting the curtains. "Tra-lala, la-la-la, la-laaaa-ah choo!" she sneezed.
"Bless you!" somepony shouted out.
"Thank you!" Rarity called back, moving on to the next curtain.
The unicorn heard a little pop, and the owner yelled: "Slave!"
She jumped, screaming "Whaaaaaaa?!" and fell over on her side.
"Gee, why are you so jumpy today?" King Sombra snorted, his voice threatening to laugh at her.
"I couldn't sleep well and you shouted in my ear!" Rarity accused. She still has those nightmares, and it wasn't going away. He was certainly not helping with the issue. Rarity stood up and with a note of flippantly, "Sir!"
"Tell the unicorn to knock it off, Pip." He ordered, rolling his eyes.
"You heard him, knock it off!" the shadow next to him, Pip, squeaked.
"Okay, okay, what did you need me today for?" Rarity gave a long sigh as she finished beating the dust out of the curtain.
"You're going to help us find crystaaaaaaaaaaaaals…." Her master hissed as he licked his lips, "since my mine is down due to the sudden cave-in! Also, I'm hungry!"
Rarity stared at him with suspicious, while rubbing her cheeks. "How did you know that I can find crystals, and judging on your faces, you know I'm a professional Jewel Hunter?"
"Who else has a cutie mark of three diamonds?" Pip answered sarcastically after King Sombra had kicked one of his hind legs. The latter was whistling and looking around innocently.
"Lazy ponies," Rarity muttered under her breath, "a gem finding spell is a magic that all unicorns can use! Including whom, that can perform powerful spells." With a louder voice, she questioned "So, when are we setting out?"
"Like, now?" King Sombra suggested, gesturing to the outside world, "Oh, and I heard that. You get to carry and dig stuff. Ooh, and-"
"Okay, okay, sir!" Rarity hastily interrupted him. Her master tossed an old saddle bag towards her, and teleported out. She wrinkled her nose in disgust as she hoisted the saddlebag on, and galloped outside
"Zippy, please guide the little lost servant," Sombra commanded to the shadow next to him as he chewed onto a piece of crystal. He trotted away from the spot he was standing on at a steady pace.
"Right, sir!" he bowed, and then beckoned Rarity to follow him and the king. They had nearly left when Rarity was suddenly sent back from the border wall. She ran towards it, only to be pushed back further.
"Hey, a little help here?" Rarity called out, poking the invisible force.
"Maaaaaaaaaaaster!" Zippy yelled, "She's stuck!" Rarity and Zippy appeared next to King Sombra and the previous shadow pony. Pip was eyeing the narrow trail on the mountain.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Follow Pip (or this trail) to the rain-shadow." Sombra said with dismissual.
"What's that?" Rarity asked.
"The side of the mountain where it rains the most," Pip squeaked up.
"Can't you like, teleport us there, sir?" Rarity asked her master.
"Well, I need the exercise," he calmly responded, "asked the mare who called me lazy."
"How can you eat that, o-wonderful sir?" Rarity squeaked, trying to avoid unwanted consequences.
"This trail-mix crystal? It's like eating a carrot, but with more crunch and more flavors than a pie. To eat one, however, a pony needs teeth about as strong as diamonds."
"Doesn't it has like, no vitamins or minerals?" Rarity shuddered, "how is that a trail mix anyway?"
"Quiet, you're asking too much questions!" He growled and snapped, biting into his last piece of the crystal. He grinned at her, bits showing. He mockingly added; "Mm, delicious!" Rarity wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"We're here, master." Zippy announced, looking around at the green land and trees.
"Excellent! You, maid, get to work." The king commanded as he plopped down onto the green grass. He rolled around as Rarity powered up her horn and pointed it to the dirt.
"He acts like a colt!" Rarity thought, "This grass is refreshing, though. Wait… what's this strong signal?" The signal had a powerful magical force, it was pulling Rarity. This unknown magic was stronger than the magic that had led her to the source of the unicorn's cutie mark. She hesitated, but it was too late to tap out.
The shadow ponies watched Rarity as she tried resisting the radar source and King Sombra got up as Rarity started making tracks in the grass. Rarity yelped in alarm when she started to move faster and forced to fall onto her hooves. She struggled to find branches and roots that she can pull onto.
The spectators ran after Rarity when she disappeared out of view. "How, in Equestria, is she moving so fast?!" Pip yelled, panting.
"Why are we even running?! We could simply get into the ground for pony's sake!" Zippy shouted back.
"You're right!" Sombra declared, slipping into the ground. "I don't need this much exercise!"
Rarity was still slipping through the grass with increasing speed. The ground was getting dry and rough as she moved down the mountain. Then all the sudden the air increased humidity and she slowed down.
"Ouch, grass burn!" Rarity yelped. She stood up, shaking her mane. She paused, surveying her surroundings. "It's too quiet…" Rarity screamed as the ground broke under her, her horn still glowing.
A few moments later, "Slaaaaave?" King Sombra popped out of the ground as he neared the end of the mare's trail. He peered down the hole as his two other servants rose out of the grass. Rarity didn't respond, and the king couldn't tell whether she landed or not, and there was no sound of rushing ground river.
"Zippy! Pip! Find me a long branch or roots!" Sombra ordered as the servants looked at each other nervously. They bolted off in different directions in pursuit of materials.
The king formed together as he pranced around, this thoughts rushing like rain. "What did she get herself into? Did she gie? She better not or I'd be in a lot of trouble with Princess Luna and Celestia… Maybe she's still falling, getting closer to the core. Or perhaps she simply fell unconscious. Where are those stupid-"
"Here's the whole tree!" Zippy panted, a branch in his mouth, as Pip helped him push a full grown tree. King Sombra stared at them in disbelief.
"Uh… turn the tree into a long rope." He ordered.
"Yes-s sir!" Pip gasped, shredding a tree branch. While Zippy was tearing a branch off the poor tree, their master prepared himself to jump into the hole.
"Wait- little help?!" Zippy cried out just before Sombra sprung in.
"What?!" he growled.
"Can you shred this tree real quick?" the shadow pony squeaked. Sombra sighed, and then the tree lost all its bark and leaves. Then he jumped in the hole, uncertain of how deep it was.
It was the longest 8 seconds of his life before he saw the ground. With his magic, he slowed the falling to a minimum. In some distance away, King Sombra saw the dirty white unicorn up and limping, away from the light source.
"We're fine!" King Sombra shouted, his voice echoing around the cave. Growling, he stomped towards Rarity, "Why didn't you answer me, you idiotic-" and stopped as he saw the huge jewelries in the walls and floor.
"Where are we?" Rarity said in awe, gasping slightly in every step she took.
Her master plucked a few crystals off the floor before responding. "I think… I believe we're in the Lost Cave of Destinies. Not the Destiny is lost-but the cave is. I heard about it before my reign of rule and did a research paper on a book. It has been lost long before Princess Luna's banishment."
Sombra noticed that his maid's cutie mark was beginning to glow, along with a 3 diamonds and a crystal. He went toward to investigate it, but when Rarity couldn't handle the pain in her fore-hoof anymore, she let out an loud squeak and fainted.
King Sombra stuffed the extra crystals in the old saddlebag he gave her. "Pip, Zippy, bring down the rope!" he shouted as he closed the pouch. A wooden rope slashed down into the air, slapping the walls furiously. He caught hold of it and hoisted Rarity onto his back and tied himself to the rope.
"Bring it up, slowly!" King Sombra roared. The rope started lifting Rarity and him up, the knot and rope good and strong. He glanced at the dying light of the four glowing gemstones.
"Sometimes, it's best that we don't know our destinies, our future," he muttered to the softly whistling air. The wind agreed with him as some blew down at him, rippling his mane. As he reached the top, he cast over a wooden net he made with the tree-rope. Glancing down once again, he covered the entrance.
Rarity opened her eyes groggily to the ceiling of her cell.
"What I don't understand," Blacky said, "is how misfortune loves you."
"Huh? Wha-ouch!" Rarity tried to get up, but there was a sharp bolt of pain from her injured hoof.
"For example, you broke your fore-hoof as you fell," the shadow pony continued nonchalantly.
The unicorn tried to summon some memory after she fell, but her memory was blurred. All she could remember is the wind singing softly and shiny rocks sparkling in the light and dark. "Did I dream after I fell?" Rarity stretched the most she can without her hoof complaining.
"Who knows? Here's your apple pie and letter, sent by a mare named Apple Jack." Blacky informed her.
"Apple Jack! How is she?" Rarity gasped with excitement.
"A Crystal pony Mail Service gave it to the borders, sorry." Blacky apologized as he set the pie on her bed stand. "Oh, and The Great King Sombra gave you two extra days of sick days to heal up. Get plenty of sleep." With that, he closed the door behind him.
Rarity groaned and picked up the letter with her horn, "Another nightmare is the last thing I need! Well, let's see what this letter is about. Now, where's my reading glasses….? Oh here it is. Ahem. Dear Rarity, Greetings from everyone in Ponyville! It's been a few weeks since we last saw you, and we miss you dearly! Apple Bloom has been rude enough a few time to mimic your usual behavior with 'Ahh! My hoof! Oh no! My ravishing mane! I will be forced to cut it all off! I'm going to die! Ahhh!' Of course, I gave her a good scolding for making fun of you. However, I wonder if that's is your attitude. Well, Apple Jack, that was how my first week went, but afterwards it wasn't so bad. Your friends wonder (including I) if you are getting enough sleep over there. Your boutique is starting to look lonely without you, and Opal had the mind of a grumpy dragon. She even scratched my face! From then on, I absolutely despite your cat, maybe all cats in general. Poor Apple Jack, haha. Pinkie Pie has been checking her mailbox a lot when she isn't busy throwing parties and helping out at the Sugar Cube Corner, so write her an extra letter. If you don't, she'll turn Pinkamenia on us! Sweetie Belle is going to attend the new Crystal University, probably to be close to you. I fear, that she'll miss her friends Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, so instead she may go to the CanterLot Castle to get a music professional degree, mostly for singing and acting. Unluckily, Opal destroyed one of her papers on her rampage. How did you even raise that cat into an despicable personality? Twilight hasn't been sleeping very much since you left. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Twilight are weeping, two of them doing it very quietly. I ran out of time and papers, so I will have to come to a short conclusion. Your honest friend, A.J., Apple Jack. PS: Spike is also suffering your absence! PSS: Spike helped bake this pie. Well, I made it (so he wouldn't burn it), but he mixed the ingredients. If the mail pony fails to deliver the pie safely, Spike threatens to burn the Pegasus alive. Don't worry, we wouldn't let that happen! Hehe, I'll wager, Apple Jack." Rarity read.
Author Note: So… the exams are (nearly) over! *collapses in relief* It's been a LONG school year for me, haha. Last month (April), I have a new baby sister! She's 6 pounds and has the biggest blue eyes EVER! She's underweight though. For her safety, I'll call her Rocky.
You can't believe how many times I messed up with Blacky's name with Blackeny or Blackey, lol. I also read my previous chapters, and I can't believe how many errors I found within the first 5 chapters, ugh. Even on Chapter 6 (or 7?), I messed up Hasbros with HASHBROWNS, haha! I had to go fix it. Probably will again with because I fixed it to HASHBROS, and I'm not sure if that's the spelling. Arghhhh.
It will do me a LOT OF GOOD if you point out anything that looks like a grammar error. I hope you see my improvement with recent chapters, my highschool English teacher had to teach the whole class with commas because we were terrible with it. :P We got higher writing grades though, and the whole class earned a good mark. We celebrated with donuts!
I am on a monthly schedule, but I am planning to do weekly or 2 weeklies publishing when summer comes. No promises- I have summer reading, summer classes, and two 4 days-camps coming up! I still have like, 10-15 chapters to write up, maybe more, before I complete this story. I really want a Christmas special, and then end it.
Thank you sooo much for enjoying my story, reviewer! It makes me smile when I see a review or a follower/favorite! I made this a longer chapter than usual to celebrate the near) end of the evil exams. I'm going to stop writing this author note, haha. See-ya~~