The term "punishment" was read clear as day. Who or what displayed that poor man inside? Who did this?
"Th-this is too much! I want to go home!" Rachel heard Serenity cry out.
"This is way more than we signed up for, Sunset." Cassandra yelped.
Rachel gritted her teeth as the girls continued to panic. "If anyone wants to go back home, do it now." She growled.
The girls shut up and turned to Rachel.
"You can't be serious about continuing?" Elizabeth asked, eyes widened. "Obviously this is a warning for all of us!"
"We don't want to end up like that guy!" Lucy yells.
Rachel turned to face them. "I told you all that there will be forces that aren't just the soldiers we'll be facing. You all don't have to do this with me, but I have to venture on."
"This is suicide!" Serenity shouted. The meekest of the bunch shouted the loudest.
"You guys don't think I know that? I have to do this mission, if I go back without the staff, Equestria will fall. You guys can turn back, I can't." Rachel grunted. "I knew this mission was going to be dangerous from the get go. I told you all that it's going to be different than what you all are used to. I'm staying because I don't have a fucking choice." She then gestures to the path out of there. "Anyone else wants out, now's the time to go. I'm not begging or forcing you guys to do this with me."
If she had to do this alone, Rachel would do it if she had to. She doesn't want to do it alone, but she's not turning back now. The fate of Equestria, her mate, the dragons, everyone depends on her retrieving the Blue Celestial. Pregnant or not, she has to do this.
Spike looked up at the other girls before he padded over to Rachel and sat down by her feet.
Sunset looks back at the others, they didn't say a word, but the looks on their faces spoke volumes. She looks at Rachel. "We promised Princess Twilight that we help you, and that's what we're doing." The other girls muttered and nodded, though all of them had fear in their eyes.
Rachel let out a sigh of relief, relieved that she really isn't doing this alone.
"Thank you guys," Rachel said softly.
"What do you think happened to that man?" Cassandra asked her. "You translated what it says on the door."
Rachel shrugged. "I have no clue. The Dragon language is hard to translate, dating back eons. I only know some terms…"
"Is there anyone alive who knows it because… "
"We'll learn I guess once we get inside…" Rachel said, though she was having a bad feeling that they'll find out soon enough.
"Maybe we can have Sunset here touch the body to see if she can see anything?" Rainbow Dash suggested.
"Yeah, I only work with the living and I am not touching it." Sunset looked at Dash with a disgusted look.
"Touching that body would only incriminate us, let's just go to the temple." Rachel said. Also not wanting to go near that thing…
The girls, though all of them were rightfully disturbed, they had to keep going.
"Everyone, gimme your phones." Cassandra said as she dug into her bag and pulled out a waterproof pouch.
All but Rachel, who didn't have a phone, gave their friend theirs and stuffed it in the pouch. "Okay, they should be protected for now."
"One more thing." Applejack said. "Spike, come here." she said as she knelt down and went into her personal bag.
Spike walked up to Applejack confused before seeing her pulling out a collar. This collar, unlike the decorative spike collar he was wearing, these spikes were bigger, roughly about three inches long, having a leather band.
"Wow, that's a bit gnarly." Rainbow Dash commented.
"Wouldn't it harm him?" Serenity asked, frowning to see that thing.
Applejack shook her head as she switched collars. "No. It will protect his neck and more important vitals. Sorry Twi, but the collar you had on him won't do him good. Winona and the other dogs on the farm have these wolf collars when on patrol." She tossed the decorative spiked collar to Cassandra. "Whatever did that to the poor bastard," she gestures to the hut, "we need to be on our toes."
Spike glanced down at his new digs. "Pretty metal, neet."
"Everyone ready?" Rachel asked. The mane 7 and Spike nodded and they all made their way to the lagoon.
They all waddled in the brisk cold water, shuddering as their nerves came alive, holding their gear up so they wouldn't get it ruined. When unable to touch the ground, they swim closer and closer to the waterfall, one flash shower later of passing through the fall, they swim up to a rocky ledge. Collectively pulling themselves out of the water and onto the semi dry ground.
"That was cold! BRRRR!" Lucy called out, teeth chattered, hugging herself.
"Eh, that was nothing." Dash said.
Spike climbed up out of the water and immediately shook the water droplets off his fur, spraying everyone, getting as much water as he could out of his coat. "Phew, guess that counts as my monthly bath."
"You're still going to get a bath when we get home, boy." Cassandra murmured as she took her glasses off to inspect it for any nicks and dirt.
As she did that, Applejack dug into their survival gear and pulled out their flashlights and helmets, turning them on and passing them around.
"Got any light for me?" Spike asked.
"Yeah sorry, Shaun didn't pack a doggy light. You'll just have to stick to one of us." Cassandra responds as she grabs the helmet and puts them on before digging into her bag to grab what she believes was a dried cloth to clean her glasses.
"Ugh, does it have to be so dark and dank?" Elizabeth groans, taking off her jacket. "This was such a cute outfit."
"Oh you have bigger things to worry about than a wet, soggy outfit." Rachel grunted as she put on the helmet. "It's water, it'll dry up." Feeling she's having a bit of deja vu, regarding the similar conversation she first had with Rarity when they first met months ago on the cruise. This time she wasn't careful with how she held her tone.
Elizabeth glared at Rachel. "Do you have something to say to me?" She asked.
"I have nothing to say to you. Nothing." Rachel emphasized the word nothing.
After they switch their climbing gear and axes out, they decide to leave the unnecessary items here until they can retrieve them before Rachel begins leading the girls inside the cave.
"So Rachie, how far have you explored the Temple?" Lucy asked as the gang followed her. "How much have you seen?"
"Not much," Rachel responded. "From what I remember, a lot of places in the Temple were sealed off. The archaeologists who discovered this place were still doing excavations. However, a lot of rooms and corridors had collapsed so there weren't many places we could wander and were closed off. I only got so far until I got caught."
As they ventured deeper in the cave, they soon came to a large set of doors casted in gold shimmering by their headlights. A bloody handprint streaked across the doors as if it was left there while closing, causing Rachel to frown.
"Is it too late to turn back?" Serenity asked with a whisper.
That was a dumb question that no one responded to.
Cassandra gulped before waving her hand, causing the door to glow pink before pulling it open. There was a strain due to the heaviness but opened it up with no problem.
"Did you open the doors yourself?" Sunset asked Rachel.
"Was a bitch, but yeah, I did." Rachel muttered as the doors opened.
Once open, they stared at the darkness inside. They waited to see if anything greeted them before venturing inside.
They went slow, gazing at everything as they entered. Their lights illuminating many, many barrels stacked high, emerging from what was meant to be like an emergency exit, coming into the large wine cellar.
"Wow, those barrels are huge, just how big were these dragons?" Rainbow Dash whistled while Cassandra as she took her phone out of the waterproof pouch to snap photos.
"Huge." Both Rachel and Sunset Shimmer responded in unison.
"Is your Spike huge?" Lucy asked.
"Actually, height wise, he's pretty small in comparison to the typical large dragons. But he's big in other ways." Rachel instantly blushes once she says that. "He has a big heart." she tried to stir the conversation elsewhere.
The dog snickered and Lucy giggled. Already getting the thoughts in their minds.
Cassandra, Elizabeth and Sunset looked at her more, more like looking at her legs. Sensing questions were about to be asked, Rachel glared at them. "Don't ask."
They whistled innocently.
Applejack went up to one of the barrels, walking to one of the brass spigots. She knelt down to it and turned the knob.
It took a moment before some liquid began to leak out. Curiously, she cups her hand, getting a handful before sipping it. "WHOO-WEE! That's strong, wow!" She quickly turned it off. "It's really old." the farmer coughed.
"If I wasn't carrying a baby, I'd get a drink…. my god I need a drink." Rachel muttered, rubbing her forehead. With everything she had been through, a stiff drink would help calm her nerves some.
Temptation was strong but she's resisting it. Gotta focus on what's in front of them.
"After we're done here, why don't we snag some of the barrels on the way out?" Rainbow Dash grinned. "As a souvenir."
Rachel quickly led the gang out of the wine cellar, going up a set of stairs that lead up to a long hallway. Ceilings so tall that no one could see it, sedimentary and igneous rocks walls stretched down almost endlessly as far as they knew. Large stone columns with draconic writing and paintings covered in layers of dust and cobwebs.
"Everyone, welcome to the Temple of Draconia." Rachel announced as she looked around the area.
"Oh wow!" The girls exclaimed as all looked around the hall.
There was so much art above them, all depicting many dragons, depicting many battles and giving hints of what the type of culture the Dragons and their human guards, the humans were drawn as if they had powers coming from the dragon's essences given to them.
Rachel smiled softly as she looked up at the art and watched the girls and Spike looked at the art.
"Hey, is that the staff you're looking for?" Sunset Shimmer asked.
Rachel walked to where she was and looked up. There was a depiction of a Dragonlord. She didn't know which one it was, but it was holding the Bloodstaff.
"No, that's the Bloodstaff. The staff we're looking for is blue." Rachel mentioned.
Rachel….
"Huh?" Rachel turned her head. Hearing this familiar, ghastly voice.
Rachel….
"Okay, who just said my name?" Rachel asked the girls. Looking at them and at Spike.
The mane 7 and the dog looked at each other before looking back at her. "No one said your name," Cassandra said.
"So, do you know where the blue staff is?" Sunset asked.
Rachel shrugged. "I have no clue where this thing could be. I got as far as down there. Five minute walk before I got caught." She pointed to the left side.
Rainbow Dash dug into her bag, pulling out a can of spray paint and marked one of the columns with a green X.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Rachel snarled. Ready to punch this bitch again for ruining the art of this historical place!
"Relax, Mama Bear, I'm just marking our way, if we get lost, we come back." Rainbow Dash explained as she stood. "Each corner and every other room we go, it's gonna get marked so we don't get lost and we get either stuck in this place or get caught by the soldiers."
"Or whatever has left that bloody mess outside." Elizabeth gulped.
"So, left or right?" Cassandra asked, looking both ways.
"Well…the left side is where I got caught. Let's try the right side for now." Rachel said.
"Right side, okay, we'll start there and work our way back here." Cassandra said, snapping some more pictures of the art filled walls.
The gang began to walk down to the right.
Help me…
Rachel tried to ignore the voices, thinking she was just hearing things. She heard voices when she was here the last time, her summoning up just hearing the scientists and archaeologists and the other applicants speaking through the various cracks of the walls.
The gang traveled in the darkness, looking side to side, seeing the painting on the wall, though it was hard to translate, they could tell that the paintings were depicting some of the history of the Temple. The passing of each DragonLord in a bloody hand to hand combat, only leaving one standing while the other one dies underneath their claws.
"Is that really how they pass the title?" Serenity asked as she looked at the mural.
Rachel looked up and studied the mural and nodded. "Eeyup. Trial by Combat. The last one standing wins the title. The Dragonlord can be challenged anytime, they have the right to defend their title."
"Is it always so violent?"
"It's their way. The only exception of the passing of the DragonLord title that didn't end up in bloodshed was Torch. That big guy decided to have a contest, a Gauntlet of Fire. Spike won it that way. Pissed off a lot of dragons when a baby dragon won."
"So he won by sheer dumb luck?" Spike the dog asked.
"And with nobility. He only participated in the Gauntlet was to make sure none of the other dragons destroy Ponyville." Rachel smiled softly.
As the girls discussed what Rachel said, passing by a dark room, that same voice she kept hearing calls her out again. However this time, a bright green glow flashed after she passed the room.
Rachel….
Rachel stopped walking while the other girls kept on walking. She took a step back and looked down the now lit up room. On a large brazier on the wall, it was lit up, the fire was lit green.
There was only one being Rachel knows who has green fire. The voice kept calling for her, getting more familiar and familiar as she approached it.
Suddenly, everything flashes white before her eyes.
Once the white flash subsided, she was in a dark void. Her body was glowing but she was in her furry dragoness form.
"What?" Rachel gasped, looking around the void. She kept looking around and around before she suddenly stopped.
Just ten feet from her was another glowing figure, one who made her heart feel heavy.
"Spike?!" She cried out.
It was her dragon!
Both she and Spike crashed into each other, frantically holding each other. "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry I shouldn't have left!" Spike frantically spoke, holding her.
"H-how is this possible? Where are you?" Rachel asked, not truly understanding what was happening or how this was possible, but it was him. She sensed it was him.
"I-i used my magic, but I don't have much time." Spike grunted. She pulled back and saw that there was a pained expression on his face, trying to concentrate on being here. "I'm in trouble. I'm in so much trouble, I can't get out."
"Where are you? I-I'm trying to find you." Rachel framed his face. "Baby, where are you?"
"I-I'm GAH!" He screamed, pushing her back before falling to his knees, grabbing the right side of his neck. "N-No! Not yet!" he looked like he was in agony
"Spike!?" Rachel gasped, trying to touch him. "Spike, what's going~" A force suddenly pulls her away.
Spike looked up at her, reaching his hand out for her. "Rachel!" His voice screamed in pain as the force pulled Rachel out of the void, everything flashed white again.
This time, Rachel opened her eyes and she found herself staring up at the ceiling. The girls crowded around her and dog Spike was licking her face, trying to wake her up.
Rachel sat up with a gasp, her eyes widened as she looked at the brazier. It wasn't lit anymore. "Spike…Where is he?" Her voice shuddered, eyes streaked in tears as she looked around for her dragon.
"I'm right here." Dog Spike spoke.
"Are you alright? You can't just break away from the group like that." Sunset scolded her.
"H-he was just here." Rachel gasped, hugging herself, feeling his arms just around her.
He was in trouble….
The fire that lit in her that began at the start of this quest grew only brighter. She had to find that staff at once and fast.
Lucy leans close to Cassandra as they watch Rachel for a moment. "Any books you've read explain pregnant women seeing things?"
"There is such a thing as Pregnancy Brains, they tend to get a little…airheaded." Cassandra explained. "But that isn't until the second trimester."
"I wasn't seeing things!" Rachel snapped, fire sparked from her hands out of anger, causing everyone to jump.
Applejack approached her calmly. "Okay, you weren't…let's just move on, okay sugarcube?" She goes to put a calming hand on her shoulder before Rachel waves it away and moves out of the room.
The dog padded after her and soon the rest of the girls followed.
Serenity was the last one to leave the brazier room. She lingered a little bit, looking around the room before hearing this soft clicking sound.
"Huh?" She whispered. She shined the helmet light up, trying to gaze up at the ceiling though she couldn't see it. The clicking sound continued to echo around her. She rapidly looked around before letting out a scream, seeing something white slipping into a large hole in the wall.
"Fluttershy, what is it?" Rainbow Dash speed runs back to her.
"S-something was here!" She eeped, pointing at the hole.
Rainbow Dash ponyupped, grew her wings and quickly flew up to it. She gazed inside with her headlight. The hole was large enough to fit a person in it and looked like it went on and on. On the wall, there were claw indentions as if someone had dug their claws on the wall and had climbed up.
However, she didn't see anything. "Yeah, this place is fucking with everyone already." Dash muttered before landing next to Serenity. "Nothing's here, let's go before we all lose our minds.." She said, grabbing the fragile girl by the shoulders and escorted her out.
When the girls left, the clicking sounds Serenity heard just a moment ago continued, the clicking soon turned into a volatile hiss, watching them leave.