/pone/ - My Little Pony★

>>285924 (OP)

>You are seized by the weightlessness of falling.

>There is no light, no rush of wind against you, and yet you know that you are falling into the abyss.

>You fall for who knows how long.

>And then, the next thing you know, you're running.

>You have no idea how you got here, but you know you have to escape.

>The only things you can hear are your own labored breathing and the sound of your shoe soles clacking against the polished stone floors.

>And yet, you know you're not alone.

>Something is following you.

>Something malevolent.

>You look around for any exit, but find nothing. These uniform black stone corridors go on for what seems like forever. They twist, turn, and fork with no rhyme or reason.

>The ancient, dusty hallways are all covered in giant spiderwebs. The gossamer settles all over your body, its strange, smooth texture uncomfortably tickling any exposed skin.

>You run facefirst into a particularly thick web. You're temporarily blinded until you rip the sticky silk from your face with a gag.

>And still, you press on.

>You don't know where you're going, but you can't stop now.

>You don't dare to look back, but you sense the presence just inches behind you.

THE END IS THE SAME, NO MATTER THE PATH

>You feel its terrible voice right in your ear as it speaks. You shudder at the hot blast of its breath against your earlobe.

YOU HAVE BEEN RUNNING FAR TOO LONG

>All at once, you realize that the voice is familiar. That it belongs to a phantom who haunted your dreams long ago.

INTOXICATED BY THE ILLUSION OF CHOICE

>To your horror, the corridors are getting darker. You round a bend and find that you can barely see five feet in front of you.

YOU DENIED YOUR BIRTHRIGHT

>Soon, it's pitch black.

>You still keep running. You can't stop now.

>And then, you take a step and find nothing there.

>A horrible churning feeling of abject terror seizes you as you stumble and fall into a deep, dark, pit.

>You cry out as you fall, and fall, and fall.

BUT THE WEB OF FATE IS WIDER THAN YOU CAN KNOW

>Your fall is eventually stopped by a strange net.

>It bends underneath your weight and eventually springs back, flinging you upwards.

>You soon come to a rest and cautiously feel around the strange material that you've landed on.

>It's springy and incredibly sticky.

>You gently press your palm against one of the ropes, and it takes most of your strength to pull it away.

>Panic starts to build within you as you attempt to move a leg and realize that it's stuck.

>You pull with all of your might, but the substance grips you even harder.

>Thrashing around only worsens your situation.

>Suddenly, the room begins to light up.

>You look out and see thousands of beings all ensnared in this same trap.

>Ponies, llamas, griffons, zebras…even the Princesses are here.

>All struggle against their bonds, but none can escape what you now realize is an expertly-woven spider web.

>"Anon…" comes a weak voice.

>You look over to find Cheerilee lying right next to you.

>She's covered in web and struggling mightily to move even the tiniest muscle.

>You reach out for her, but the dark, raspy voice in your ear speaks up again.

IN THE END, WE ARE ALL ENSNARED

ALL WILL BE SET RIGHT

ALL WILL BE AS IT SHOULD BE

>The world turns upside down, and you and Cheerilee both fall upwards into the sky.

>The last thing you hear before everything goes white is her crying out your name.

>>285925

>You wake with a start.

>A bit of panic rises in you as you look around the room and find it unfamiliar.

>Then you remember where you are.

>You're still in Cheerilee's living room, reclining on the sofa.

>It's dark now, and the city outside is quiet.

>At some point, a warm blanket was draped over you.

>You notice that the coffee table in front of you has a plate with some very appealing-looking food in front of you. It appears to be stuffed peppers with black beans and rice on the side.

>You groan softly as you stretch out, feeling a bit embarrassed that you apparently passed out on Cheerilee's couch and missed out on her cooking.

>Oh well, you'll enjoy it now. Your stomach is rumbling like crazy.

>You dig in to the lukewarm dish and find it to be delicious. The beans and rice are savory, and the peppers have a whole lot of flavor and just the right amount of heat.

>Once you finish, you lie back with a contented sigh. You hadn't eaten a proper meal since breakfast yesterday, and that really hit the spot.

>With your pressing needs addressed, your brain wanders to the dream you just had.

>It was disturbing, of course, but familiar.

>Even though it was decades ago, you still vividly remember that voice from the dreams that haunted you in your youth.

>The dreams stopped once Cheerilee went away. But now that you're back under her roof…

>You sigh. You tried so hard to put the question of why you were here out of your mind. You almost succeeded. You focused on living a good, productive life. But now, here you are again in the most unlikely of circumstances.

>Back in Cheerilee's presence. Back wondering just what the hell your bond actually means.

>You hear noises from another part of the house.

>Someone is stirring.

>The clip-clop of their hooves down the stone hallway is muffled somewhat by the plush rugs that decorate the floor of the house.

>Cheerilee enters the living room dressed in a modest white nightgown. She gives you a sweet smile when she sees you awake. "Hey there, Anon," she half-whispers, "it's good to see you awake."

>"Cheerilee…" you murmur, sitting up a bit straighter. "Sorry I fell asleep on your couch. I tried the food you left out, and it was delicious."

>She giggles and takes a seat next to you, her old, worn-out bones creaking and popping as she does. "Oh, it's no problem at all. I probably would have done the same thing if I had the kind of day you did."

>"Heh. Yeah, I guess I don't have the energy I used to…"

>She grins broadly. "Oh Celestia, isn't that the truth. Do you remember our first 'date' at that dive with all the miners? We must have danced for five hours straight…"

>You laugh. "Oh yeah! I think I would die if I tried that nowadays."

>"Probably not before me!" she replies in a singsong voice.

>You both share a laugh. It reminds you so much of the old days.

>Cheerilee rubs the back of her neck. "In all seriousness though…you look well, Anon. I'm glad to see it."

>"You look great as well, Cheerilee." you respond sincerely.

>It's hard to tell in the low light, but you think you see a bit of a blush come to her cheeks.

>Your heart is beating faster for some reason.

>The two of you look at each other for a few moments that eventually start stretching out to become awkward.

>"So, what's got you up at this hour?" you blurt out, trying to rescue the conversation.

>The smile fades from Cheerilee's face. "Anon…I think you know the answer to that. It's the same reason I knew I'd find you awake out here."

>"You too, then…" you murmur.

>Cheerilee looks down at the floor. "Those strange dreams stopped for me once I moved to Appleoosa."

>"Same here."

>"But now you're back…" Cheerilee ponders this for a moment and then sighs deeply. "I'm going to make some coffee, Anon. Would you like to join me for a cup on the balcony?"

>"Yeah, that sounds nice."

>>285926

>Cheerilee gets the coffee ready and leads you out through the kitchen.

>She opens up a door to reveal a breathtaking view of the darkened city below. Directly opposite you, the moon peeks just over the crest of a nearby mountain and causes the dull gray stone buildings of Inti Pacha to shine with a soft, silvery luster.

>There are two lawn chairs on the balcony. They were obviously made for ponies or llamas, but you manage to squeeze into one.

>"What a view…" you remark, once more feeling awestruck with the majesty of this place.

>Cheerilee hums in approval as she sits down in the chair next to you. "It really is…"

>You sit in silence for who knows how long before Cheerilee finally clears her throat to speak. "So tell me, Anon…do you believe in fate?"

>You stare out at the city, carefully considering your answer. "To be honest, I'm not sure. I know I didn't really believe in it before I came to Equestria. But I was young then, and perhaps I was unwise. This business with the weird dreams and our bond certainly makes me wonder. The voice in the dreams sure talked about fate and destiny quite a bit, if I recall. But…I really don't know."

>Cheerilee nods slowly. "I always did get the sense that your attitude towards destiny varied from the standard pony view. As I'm sure you've gathered, we believe in it quite strongly. Your cutie mark is a representation of who you were meant to be; it's a visual manifestation of destiny. Most foals are named based on the prophetic dreams their mother has while she's pregnant, and more often than not, our names end up lining up perfectly with our cutie marks. It seems to be strong evidence that each of us are marked by destiny before we are even born."

>"That's the standard pony view. Do you believe it?" you ask her.

>She smiles wryly. "You always did ask such good questions. To be honest, Anon, I am in the same boat as you. My mother never had prophetic dreams when she was pregnant with me. 'Cheerilee' is an old, generic name given to ponies whose fate is unclear. It's just a phrase in the Old Tongue wishing the child a joyful life. I'm also sure you noticed that my cutie mark has nothing to do with teaching. I tell the students that the flowers mean I love to help young minds bloom, but I don't really know that. I just woke up and had a cutie mark one day. I had no idea I even wanted to be a teacher back then."

>"I never thought too hard about your cutie mark. That's kind of sad." you murmur.

>She shrugs. "It's no different from being human, is it? When I was young I felt bitter towards fate. I thought it had cheated me, and I resolved to make my own way in the world. As I grew up, I started to wonder if it existed at all. But then you showed up, and I had to reconsider. We had a special bond that transcended time and space. We seemed meant to be. And now, you somehow wander right up to my school on the other end of the world and waltz right back into my life…"

>"But we didn't end up together. You chose Big Macintosh." you respond, doing your very best to suppress any hint of bitterness in those words.

>>285927

>Cheerilee takes a deep, shuddering breath. She can no longer meet your eyes. She stares off into the distance instead. "Yes. I did. I was…I was afraid, Anon. I worked so hard to make a life for myself. Fate abandoned me, but I soldiered on without it. So when it finally seemed like destiny was reaching out to me, I drew back. I stuck with the life I knew. And don't get me wrong, it's been a lovely life indeed! I wouldn't trade my children and the time I shared with Big Mac for anything, but sometimes I can't help but wonder if I, you know…made the right choice."

>Ancient feelings are beginning to swirl around in your gut like an old, rotten meal. You shake your head and do your best to put them away again. "Cheerilee, what's done is done. You've had a good life, and so have I. There's no point in wondering what might have been."

>She frowns. "I…I guess. I suppose what I'm getting at is that us meeting again like this seems quite unlikely. And then the dreams start up again as well. It seems like something really wants to push us together. Maybe it's fate, maybe it's that weird voice in the dreams, or maybe it's something else entirely…"

>"Yeah, who knows?" you respond. "I definitely agree that it's something. We'll see if the Princesses have any insight into the matter tomorrow."

>"That might be best." Cheerilee nods sagely.

>You fall into another lull of silence as you gaze out at the shimmering moonlit city.

>Eventually, you become aware of a hoof being placed gently on your shoulder. Cheerilee gulps nervously and clears her throat. "Hey, Anon?"

>"Yeah?"

>"I don't know whether we really were meant to be together or not, but I do know that I'm very sorry for hurting you. Even after all these years, I've never stopped feeling terrible about it, and I'm really glad I finally got the chance to apologize to your face."

>You turn to look at her. Her brilliant green eyes are glassy with nascent tears as she gazes right back at you.

>"Cheerilee…" you whisper, placing a hand over her hoof. "Thank you."

>She smiles that same beautiful, infectious smile you remember so well, and somehow, all of the pain of the past is forgotten. All of your lingering, unresolved feelings are put to rest.

>You had no idea how much you needed to hear that.

>You spend the next few hours happily chatting with Cheerilee about less consequential things, feeling truly at ease in her presence for the first time since you ran into her earlier today.

With the next update, we'll be returning to the adventure in the ruins, and entering into the final sequence. It's going to be a long one, but the end is in sight!

>>285928

>You go to bed in the wee hours of the morning.

>You close your eyes, and before you know it, Coriander is shaking you awake.

>"Come on, Professor! We have to get an early start today."

>A symphony of creaks and pops serenades you as you groggily pull your tired body out from the cozy, downy confines of the bed.

>You stumble out into the kitchen to find Cheerilee and Coriander chatting animatedly with one another.

>Cheerilee got just as much sleep as you last night, but somehow she's as perky and peppy as ever.

>"Good morning, Anon!" She cheerily greets you, sliding a plate of tamales your way as you slink into a chair at the table.

>You mumble a greeting back at her and hungrily dig in, finding the breakfast to be perfectly seasoned and oh-so savory.

>Cheerilee really is an amazing cook!

>Coriander Blossom is flipping through papers of some sort. Probably an itinerary that she's drawn up or something. "Okay, Anon. We need to be at the ruins in one hour, so once you finish breakfast, we should probably depart. Cheerilee also tells me that she will be joining our expedition today. Is that so?"

>Both of the mares stare at you with great interest.

>You look at Cheerilee's hopeful face and slowly nod. "Yeah. We can use a translator, at least until the main expedition arrives."

>Cheerilee bounces happily while Coriander jots down a note.

>"Okay then, I'll be sure to let Minister Apurimac know that we'll be needing supplies for one extra today." she states.

>You finish up your delicious tamales, get dressed for the day, and gather up your supplies.

>Upon returning to the room, you find Coriander all ready to go.

>Moments later, Cheerilee dashes out from her room.

>"Alright, all ready to go!" she calls out.

>She's equipped with a rugged pair of saddlebags, a length of coiled rope around her belt, a sturdy khaki shirt, and a matching pith helmet.

>She looks like she's straight out of one of those Daring Do adventure novels the kids used to love.

>"How do I look?" she asks you, doing a little turn to show off her outfit.

>"You look ready for anything the ruins might throw at you." you diplomatically respond, trying hard to sound convincing. You know that Cheerilee has always dreamed of having an adventure like this, and you don't have the heart to tell her that today's work will likely be fairly tedious, as most archaeological work is.

>You only hope she's not too disappointed.

>With everything in order, you head out into the crisp mountain air and head for the ruins.

>>286779

>A drizzle of freezing mountain rain begins pouring on you about halfway to the mine that houses the ruins.

>You, Coriander, and Cheerilee run as fast as you can to reach your destination.

>Or rather, you and Cheerilee run as fast as you can while Coriander sticks with you at a brisk trot.

>You arrive at the Lucky Phoenix Silver Mine roughly 15 minutes later, soaked and wheezing for breath.

>On the outskirts of the mine, you immediately notice a large tent of luxurious gold, purple, and white cloth bearing the royal standards of Equestria's princesses atop it.

>It is surrounded on all sides by Royal Guards who look miserable and cold as the proud feather crests on their helmets droop in the rain.

>You present your credentials to the two imposing guards at the tent's entrance, and the wordlessly wave your party through.

>You hear an awestruck "Oooooh…" from Cheerilee as she takes in the lavish interior of the tent for the first time.

>You're just glad to be out of the rain.

>You proceed past another cloth flap and into the makeshift royal court located at the back of the tent.

>Celestia and Luna rest on their thrones and greet you with a regal nod as you enter.

>Twilight is off to the side at one of the tables, poring over a map of some sort.

>Cheerilee and Coriander immediately hit the dirt, bowing deeply in the presence of three princesses. You simply bend at the waist, ignoring the twinge of pain it sparks in your lower back.

>"Welcome, Professor Anonymous and Coriander Blossom." Celestia says in the resounding, dignified voice she uses for official functions. "We are delighted to receive you once again, and pleased to see that you have brought a guest. To whom, dear guest, do we owe the pleasure?"

>Cheerilee keeps her forehead to the floor as she speaks. "Cheerilee of Ponyville, teacher and resident of this city of Inti Pacha, your majesties."

>Twilight Sparkle perks up at this. You spot her making her way over from the table and trying to get a good look at Cheerilee.

>A smile creeps across Celestia's face, and she glances over at Luna, who looks appears to be staring at Cheerilee with deep concern. "I see. You all may rise."

>The three of you rise from your bows just as Twilight Sparkle reaches you.

>"Cheerilee, is that really you?" she asks incredulously.

>Cheerilee responds with another dignified bow. "It is, your highness. A pleasure to see you again."

>Twilight looks at her, then at you, then back to her. "But…what are you doing here?"

>"I have lived here for a few years now. Anon just happened to run into me yesterday and we agreed that I could help with your survey." Cheerilee calmly replies.

>Twilight cocks her head to the side. "Really? I…I had no idea you lived here. That's an amazing coincidence."

>Luna speaks up from her throne. "There is no such thing as a coincidence, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Pardon me for asking, my good Cheerilee, but what do you have to offer the expedition?"

>"I have extensively studied ancient Llaman script and can translate any inscriptions or written documents we may encounter, your majesty."

>Luna shoots a knowing look at Celestia, who merely nods serenely.

>The Princess of the Night sighs. "Then it is as we thought. Anonymous, this is the same mare that you share a strange transdimensional bond with, is it not?"

>"Yes, your majesty. We have reason to believe that she is anchoring me to this dimension." you reply.

>"And have you noticed any strange occurrences since you have been in proximity to her?"

>Your eyes widen a bit, shocked that the princess could know that.

>Then again, dreams are her domain…

>"Well…yes, your majesty. Cheerilee and I had a shared nightmare again last night. It had many of the features of the ones we shared when we spent time together in our youth.

>Luna nods gravely. "I see. Such a nightmare was not my doing, but I am unsurprised by it all the same. Cheerilee, your presence here is no accident. There is much we must discuss, but we must do so down in the ruins, away from any prying ears, even those of my trusted Royal Guards." She then fixes her cold gaze on your assistant. "Coriander Blossom, please go and obtain Minister Apurimac's approval to bring Cheerilee along with us, and inform him that we wish to descend into the ruins as soon as possible. He should be in another nearby tent."

>Coriander bows and sets off on her task.

>>286780

>Within half an hour, you, Cheerilee, Coriander, the three Princesses, and Apurimac are all descending into darkness once more on the mine's primitive elevator.

>The ride is bumpy, dark, and terrifying.

>About halfway down, the elevator lurches particularly hard. Cheerilee gasps and instinctively presses herself close to you.

>You hesitate for just a moment before resting a comforting hand on her back.

>It feels so strange to touch her again.

>Everyone sighs with relief when the elevator finally squeals to a halt on the lightless floor of the mineshaft.

>Minister Apurimac hefts his lantern and leads you forth with a wordless nod, once again lighting all of the lamps along winding tunnel.

>A familiar reddish light soon begins suffusing the tunnel, and you once again find yourself standing before the demonic ruins.

>You can hear Cheerilee gasp with awe behind you.

>Before anyone else can do anything, Princess Luna steps forward and turns to address the group.

>"Very well then. Now that we are alone, I believe that it is high time I explained our interest in this place. Fate is a powerful force in our world, but the truth of the matter is that neither I nor my sister understand it fully. At times it seems all-powerful, at others, it seems like it can be cheated or overcome. Fate seems to have a plan for most ponies that is set from their birth, but for some…" she says, looking directly at Cheerilee, "…it seems to have no plan at all."

>Princess Celestia takes over. "Before our mother ascended to the heavens, she spoke very little of fate. When she did, she spoke in riddles. Through thousands of years of study and meditation, I have come to believe that there is something extremely significant about this mountain. All of mother's riddles seem to point to it as some sort of wellspring for fate. When I heard about the discovery of strange ruins here, I knew that we needed to investigate immediately."

>Princess Twilight glances at both you and Cheerilee. "So then, the bond that Anon and Cheerilee share is tied to this place as well?"

>Luna nods. "We believe so. Destiny has bound them firmly together, and it is no accident that they should be reunited just as we are exploring this place." She regards both you and Cheerilee with a stern look. "You two will no doubt have an important part to play in whatever is waiting for us beyond that door."

>You're overloaded by all of this information and unsure how to respond.

>Cheerilee, however, boldly steps forward, looking quite pleased that she has such a vital role to play in this adventure. "Anon and I will be ready, trust us."

>You shoot her a glare, but she gazes up hopefully at you with those big green bespectacled eyes, and you feel your resistance melt away. With a sigh, you meekly nod in agreement.

>Princess Luna gently smiles. "Then let us begin."

>>286781

>Everyone resumes their roles from yesterday. Twilight and Coriander handle the paperwork while you go around with Cheerilee and have her translate the inscriptions on the walls.

>You start with a carving that appears to show llamas gathered around the familiar mountain upon which Inti Pacha is built.

>Cheerilee adjusts her glasses and squints as she examines the carving. "Hmm, the top inscription is in some sort of demonic script, but the bottom is definitely a very archaic form of Llaman. Hopefully they both mean the same thing. We might be able to get some insight into Demonic out of this as well!"

>"We had noted that." you reply with a wry smile, pleased that Cheerilee picked that up so quickly. "A few of my colleagues have been working to reconstruct Demonic for the past 10 years or so. This will definitely help, provided, of course, that you can translate it…"

>She looks closer. "Yes, yes, I think so. It says something along the lines of: 'Many moons ago, the Llamas found a…strength or power, perhaps…under the great mountain of life.'"

>You jot down the translation. "Which do you think is more correct, power or strength?"

>Cheerilee hums thoughtfully. "Strength is probably the more correct literal translation, but power makes much more sense in context. These inscriptions are much older than the Classical Llaman you can pick up in a book, and meanings of words can certainly shift over time. I would probably just assume it means 'power.'"

>You fill in the appropriate word and move on to the next carving, which is the first to show the human-like figure. He is marching at the head of an army of demons while the Llamas bow or cower before him.

>Cheerilee takes a close look and does her stuff. "Hmmm, this one definitely starts with a name of some sort…is it…the One? I think so. I think that might be what they refer to that human as. Anyways, this one says: 'The One came seeking…seeking to heal, or maybe it's to reclaim… that which he had lost. With sword and fire, he claimed the power of the Llamas."

>"Using reclaim probably makes more sense there." you decide.

>Cheerilee nods in agreement and you write it down in your notebook.

>The next carving shows the human on a throne of some sort, with a small, heavenly equine figure floating above his head.

>Cheerilee stamps her hooves excitedly as she reads the inscription. "Ah-ha! The human is almost certainly named the One, because it reappears in this inscription as well: 'The One used the great power to rule all he saw, but above all else, he sought to reclaim his greatest love.'"

>"Do you think that figure above his head represents his greatest love?" you ask.

>Cheerilee scratches her chin. "Yes, that kind of iconography is sometimes used to denote a thought or a dream. It's interesting that his greatest love looks almost…pony-like."

>>286782

>You make a note of that and move on. You're quickly approaching the stairs that lead up to the immovable temple door.

>The next carving shows a great host of demons having some sort of perverse celebration. The human apparently named the One is visible standing in the background.

>"This one seems to be a dedication: 'Ornias, the Architect of Hell, built this temple to house the power of the Llamas and aid the great king in his quest. May all who look upon it tremble at its might.'" Cheerilee recites.

>With that carving translated, you have reached the stairs at the middle of the complex. You turn to Cheerilee. "So what do you think so far?"

>She grins from ear to ear. "Oh Anon, this is so exciting! Thank you so much for bringing me along. I hope you can forgive me being kind of slow with the translations."

>"Hey," you say with a chuckle, "it's a lot better than I could do. I'm really glad to have you along, Cheerilee."

>She bashfully scrapes at the ground with one hoof. "Thanks, Anon…"

>"Anyways, we can either keep looking at the carvings along the outside perimeter, or check out the inscriptions around the door. Your choice."

>She glances up at the door. "Looks like that door is magically sealed. The inscriptions might have a hint on how to undo it, so I'd say we should check that out."

>You make the arduous journey up the steep flight of stairs, and soon find yourself before the massive, faintly-glowing stone door.

>Cheerilee starts checking out the inscriptions, running her hoof over a few faded letters to try and figure out what they might have meant.

>It takes several minutes, but she finally turns around, a puzzled look on her face. "Well, I think this inscription does tell how to open the door. I hope. It's either a riddle or it's absolute nonsense."

>You frown. "I was afraid of that. What do you think it says?"

>Cheerilee clears her throat. "I guess it goes something like: 'Perfect everlasting fire, kindling for the king's desire. Swords and arrows cannot slay that which grows when lent away. Nor can time or sickness rend that which goes on without end. Speak its name with joy and pride to split this mighty threshold wide!'"

>You copy down the poem as Cheerilee reads it out and then look it over a few times. "Hmm. Definitely seems like a riddle. We know that the king desired his greatest love. Do you think that pony thing's name might be the password?"

>"That's a possibility." Cheerilee grants. "Maybe she's named on one of the other panels? Then again, I'm not sure that would make sense with the rest of the poem. Would a pony grow when lent away?"

>You shake your head. "Yes, you're right. The fact that it goes on forever does seem to indicate that it's a more abstract concept. Maybe the soul? What's the Llaman word for soul?"

>Cheerilee scratches her head. "I'm not actually sure they had a word for that. Either that or I forgot it. Does the soul grow when you lend it away?"

>"No, I guess not…" you reply.

>Suddenly, Cheerilee gasps. Her face lights up and eagerly rises to her hooves, stands right in front of the door, and shouts "Tapaipi!"

>The door glows bright red for a few moments before the sound of stone grinding on stone fills your ears.

>You watch in absolute astonishment as the gargantuan stone doors magically slide to the side, leaving a wide opening through which you can enter the temple.

>Cheerilee laughs in triumph as the rest of your expedition dashes up the stairs.

>"What's tapaipi?" you quietly ask.

>"Love." she coos.

And here we go. One or two updates left after this, depending on if I decide to break up the finale or power through. See you all soon!

>>288404

>>286783

>The rest of your party reaches the threshold in a hurry.

>"You did it! Excellent work, you two." Celestia proclaims.

>Twilight Sparkle is furiously scribbling notes, while Coriander and Luna peer into the entryway.

>"Yes, yes, fine work indeed." says Minister Apurimac. "I suppose you'll be wanting to have a look around inside?"

>Luna frowns. "I am not sure that is a good idea. Perhaps we should wait for the rest of the expedition."

>Celestia shakes her head. "Sister, this could be the answer to so many questions. If the stories are true, the power here could allow us to do so much good. You already scanned for demons and found nothing…"

>"That does not mean it's not dangerous!" Luna retorts.

>Twilight steps in. "Princess Luna, with all due respect, I think the three of us can probably handle anything that's waiting in there."

>Luna glances over at you and the other non-royals. "The three of us, perhaps, but what of the others? Would you endanger them to learn the secrets of this place a few days sooner?"

>"Why don't you ask them, Luna?" comes Celestia's reply.

>Luna looks at you expectantly.

>"I, for one, would love to see what's inside." Cheerilee enthusiastically replies.

>"Likewise." says Apurimac. "This could be the find of the century. It would be very good for my image if I personally was involved in it."

>Coriander just shrugs. "I'm just here to back up Mr. Anonymous. His answer is my answer."

>And so it comes to you. You definitely have some misgivings about this. Demonic ruins are notorious for having devious traps and maze-like corridors. At the same time, this is very exciting indeed. You're only in Inti Pacha for a few days. Waiting for the expedition to arrive means that you'll probably miss out on being present for most of the big discoveries…

>You glance over at Cheerilee and see her looking at you hopefully with those gorgeous eyes. You should do this for her. After all, there might be some answers about your strange bond somewhere down there.

>"We'll need to be very careful." You warn. "We have to stick together, draw a map, and watch carefully for traps. If we do those things, I am okay with entering now."

>"Wise words, Anon." Celestia says. "Minister Apurimac, may we have permission to enter these ruins and engage in an archaeological survey?"

>Apurimac eagerly assents.

>"I have a bad feeling about this…" Luna mumbles as your party takes the first steps down into the darkness of the temple.

>>289906

>As you enter the temple, the familiar musty smell of decaying parchment, rotten linen, and thousands of years worth of dust assaults your nose.

>It's pitch black inside. You can only see a few feet beyond the threshold thanks the dull glow of the lava pools outside.

>Twilight's horn flickers to life and summons up a giant orb of white light that airily floats to the center of the room and illuminates it like a miniature sun.

>Everyone gasps in wonder at what they see.

>You stand in what can only be described as a great hall.

>It is a tremendously large room lined with row upon row of intricately carved great black pillars jutting upwards towards a ceiling studded with huge polished obsidian spikes.

>The walls on either side of the room are lined with fearsome statues of all manner of demons. Flame demons, ice demons, bird demons, spider demons, goat demons, bull demons, imps, succubi, and so many more all decorate the periphery of the room, each nestled in its own little alcove.

>Rows and rows of cold stone pews line the center of the room, leading up to a great altar at the heart of it all with a towering and very human-like statue.

>The figure wears flowing robes and wields a longsword in his left hand as he holds aloft a gnarled wizard's staff in his right. The top of the staff is decorated with the biggest ruby you have ever seen. It's about the size of a small child and flickers and shimmers in the light like a raging flame.

>Your whole party is awestruck for a few moments.

>"So this is it…" says Celestia, trailing off as she takes it all in.

>"It's more beautiful than I ever imagined." Cheerilee murmurs.

>The room is undeniably impressive. You're not sure you agree with Cheerilee that these creepy, Demon-tainted ruins are beautiful, but the craftsmanship is exquisite enough to get lost in, and the sheer size and scale of the room and the statues within makes you feel quite small indeed.

>Still, you have a job to do, and the chains of duty drag you back down to earth.

>"Coriander, start working on cataloging these statues. Princess Twilight, if you would like to continue assisting her…"

>Twilight and Coriander nod smartly, ready the parchment, and run off to work, looking for all the world like fillies in a candy store.

>You look to Cheerilee. "Hey, would you mind searching the room for any more inscriptions you can translate?"

>Cheerilee doesn't respond. She's transfixed, her eyes carefully feasting upon every detail of this long-forgotten hall. You're not sure, but there's a strange sheen to them.

>It's almost as if she's crying.

>Regardless, you clear your throat.

>That gets her attention. She jumps and looks at you in embarrassment. "Oh! I'm sorry Anon, I was just so overwhelmed. I've waited so long to do something like this and now…now I'm finally standing here. It's…I don't even know what to say!"

>All at once, you remember the long nights you spent talking to her about doing something exactly like this. It's clear that her dearest dream never truly died, and it fills your tired heart with warmth to see it being realized after all these years.

>You place a hand on her shoulder. "Just take your time." you kindly tell her. "When you feel up to it, I bet there's some interesting stuff for you to translate."

>She smiles and nods profusely as a single tear rolls down her snout. "Yes, of course, Anon. I'm happy to help!"

>You give her shoulder a pat. "I'll be sketching the altar if you need anything."

>You know better than to assign a task to Celestia, Luna, or Apurimac.

>Apurimac just stands back and uselessly "supervises."

>Luna is looking out for danger and Celestia seems to have her own, private questions about this place that she is intent on answering for herself.

>Still, before the group gets separated, you hastily call out a warning.

>"Remember everyone, Demonic ruins are often booby-trapped. Watch for tripwires and pressure plates, and do NOT under any circumstances touch the artifacts until we can be sure that they're not cursed!"

>Your team signals their understanding and then fans out into this strange ancient place.

>>289907

>You carefully tread down the rows and rows of pews and stand before the altar.

>The first thing you notice is that there's an absolute treasure trove of offerings laid at the feet of the gigantic stone human.

>Rich golden treasures studded with rubies, sapphires, and diamonds shimmer before you, as well as bowls that seem to have held lavish food offerings which have long since rotted and withered away.

>Closer inspection reveals that not all of the treasures are particularly valuable, however. There are colorful woven blankets, plain jewelry with semi-precious stones, and even a farm implement or two.

>You puzzle over this for a second before realizing that the Demons that lived here must have exacted tribute from all of the Llamas above, regardless of their wealth or status.

>And this must have been where the offerings were made.

>You make a note of that observation before getting to work drawing out the altar. You carefully sketch every aspect of the great figure towering before you, marveling at the painstaking attention to detail that went into sculpting it.

>Whoever this human was, he was clearly very rich and powerful.

>As you work, you hear the clip-clop of hooves approaching from behind.

>Coriander comes up beside you and waves to get your attention.

>"Yes?" you ask peevishly, a bit annoyed to be pulled away from your task.

>"Hey Anon, Cheerilee wanted me to let you know that she found a few Llaman inscriptions at the bases of some of the idols. Princess Twilight is taking down the translations right now."

>You nod dismissively. "Great, great. Just keep at it. I want a full catalog of those idols along the walls."

>Your assistant starts to turn to return to her task, but stops halfway.

>"Wow, that's a lot of treasure." she says softly.

>"Yes, quite impressive, isn't it?" you say, not bothering to look up from your sketch. "It appears that this was where the Demons collected their tribute. The nature of the room seems to imply that this human was viewed as some sort of religious figure, what with the pews and all."

>"Uh huh. So shiny…"

>"Yes," you continue on, feeling very annoyed that your assistant's obsession with baubles seems to be surfacing here of all places, "but notice the more common items. Shovels? Pickaxes? Plain silver jewelry? It's clear that the cult in this shrine took tribute from Llamas of all classes."

>"Nnnh. That blade. That beautiful blade. So lovely…" comes Coriander's incoherent reply.

>The strangeness of what she just said causes you to tear your eyes from your paper at last.

>To your horror, you find that Coriander's hoof is about an inch away from the ruby-studded grip of a jagged obsidian dagger jammed into a skull of some sort that has been painted with swirling occult patterns.

>>289909

>You gasp and barely have time to shout out "CORI, NO!" before she effortlessly withdraws the blade from the skull.

>A red miasma surges out of the skull and swirls menacingly behind Coriander before rapidly taking a more solid, terrible form.

>As the smoke clears, a terrible boar demon materializes before you.

>It looms ten feet tall as it stands on its hind legs, wielding a monstrously large spiked mace in its dragon-like clawed hands. Its tusks are sharpened into fine, deadly points, and its eyes glow as red as the fires of hell.

>The demon's slavering mouth curls into a wicked smile before it emits an ear-piercing squeal and charges directly for Coriander, hefting its terrible mace above its head in preparation for a crushing blow.

>Time slows down.

>You watch, utterly paralyzed as the monstrosity barrels towards your assistant.

>She barely has time to scream before it is upon her.

>The mace head, almost as large as Coriander herself, traces a wicked arc through the air as the demon swings it downward with all of its considerable might.

>You instinctively close your eyes at the last moment and await the impact.

>It never comes.

>After a moment, you dare to crack an eye open.

>Cori is cowering on the floor.

>The mace is suspended mere inches above her, wrapped in some sort of glowing, silvery chain.

>Your eyes dart along the chains, following them to their source, and finding that they are emanating from none other than Princess Luna's horn as she hovers about twenty feet above!

>The boar demon roars in frustration and tries to push the mace down onto Coriander once again, but finds that it will not budge. Panicking, it tries to pull its weapon away from Luna's grasp, but even that is unsuccessful.

>Princess Luna laughs haughtily. "Not this day, demon!"

>The demon is a gigantic pile of muscles, but it is nothing compared to Luna's avenging wrath. She pulls on her magical chains and torques the weapon right out of its hands with the greatest of ease, flinging it to a far-away corner of the room.

>Then she lands, adopting a combat stance and facing down the monster with supreme confidence.

>You think you even detect the slightest hint of a smile on her face.

>The demon half-squeals and half-bellows, charging at the much-smaller alicorn furiously.

>Luna merely stands her ground.

>The demon leaps into the air, intending to slam her with a mighty fist, but Princess Luna sidesteps the attack with ease and counters with a powerful bolt of blue magic directly into the boar demon's butt cheek.

>The demon roars in pain and flails wildly, slashing all about with its claws in a furious attempt to find Luna.

>She is much too fast for it.

>She ducks under one claw and leaps away from another. Her horn surges with power, summoning more glowing chains made of pure moonlight.

>The chains seem to fly forth of their own volition, wrapping around the demon and ensnaring it ever more tightly the more it struggles. The demon screams in agony as the holy chains sizzle and sear its flesh even as they bind it ever more tightly.

>It smells like bacon.

>Luna gently tugs on the appropriate chain and sends the hulking demon crashing down to the floor.

>It squeals and squirms pathetically as she softly recites a few sacred incantations. Her horn shimmers intensely with a silvery moonlight halo, quite different from the normal blue glow of her magic.

>She gracefully tilts her head forward and bathes the demon in a furious jet of sacred silver flame.

>The demon is instantly engulfed and manages only one more piteous howl before the flames consume it entirely and rapidly burn away all traces of the evil entity.

>Less than thirty seconds after Coriander inadvertently summoned it, all that is left of the demon is a small pile of white ash.

>>289910

>Celestia and Twilight come galloping to Princess Luna's side.

>"Princess Luna!" Twilight cries. "Are you alright?"

>"Yes." Luna says through heavy breaths. "It was just a low-ranking Aprum Demon. Nothing I cannot handle."

>"It was well handled indeed. It's nice to see you haven't lost your edge, Luna." Celestia casually intones.

>Luna huffs and whirls around to glare at her sister. "Sister, I would take this a little more seriously if I were you! Do you not realize that someone could have been killed? Please, let us return to the surface and wait for the expedition. Charging in here like this was a mistake."

>Princess Celestia shakes her head. "No, we must press on. If someone went to the trouble of creating a summoning trap to guard this place, then it surely means that this is the temple that holds what I seek. We have you to guard us and we have one of the finest archaeologists in Equestria to guide us. We will be fine."

>Luna is about to respond when Minister Apurimac butts in. "I really must agree with Princess Celestia. The sooner we can uncover the secrets of this place, the better! You are obviously capable of protecting us, your highness."

>Luna tries to protest, but realizes that it's pointless. "Ugh…I suppose it was just an Aprum. Very well."

>With that settled, you make your way over to Coriander, who is still balled-up and trembling on the floor. You kneel down and gently lay a hand on her shoulder. "Hey…" you whisper, "it's alright, Cori. It's over. Nothing's going to hurt you."

>"I…I couldn't help myself. I wasn't in control. It was like my hoof moved on its own. It was terrible…"

>"It's alright, Cori. Everything is fine." you coo.

>You sense a figure towering over you and look up to see Princess Luna, looking understandably peeved.

>Her visage softens when she beholds Coriander Blossom's quaking form, though. "Poor thing. That was a powerful charm indeed. Just looking at the cursed object amplified your avarice a thousand times over, didn't it? The echo of the hex is still very much within you."

>Luna closes her eyes and summons a small, gentle silver ember from her horn. It slowly floats down and buries itself in Coriander's chest.

>All at once, she stops shaking. She takes a deep breath and slowly removes her hooves from her eyes. "Th-thank you, Princess."

>"Think nothing of it, my child. Just try to be more careful in the future and call out for me right away if you feel yourself being hexed again."

>Luna walks away, and you help Coriander back to her hooves.

>"I'm so sorry, Anon. I never meant to cause any trouble, honest…" she sheepishly mutters.

>"It's alright. Don't worry about it." you reassure her. "Why don't you go sit down for a little while and relax? I'll be over with Cheerilee recording the inscriptions once you're ready to come back."

>Cori hesitates. "I…I can probably go on if you need me…"

>You firmly shake your head. "We'll be fine. Go take a rest."

>Your workaholic assistant softly smiles. "Well…alright. Thank you, Professor."

>You glance one more time at the pile of white ashes smoldering on the ground and shake your head as you make your way over to Cheerilee.

Welp, that was a shitty month. I have shaken off some of the time vampires that beset me and I hope to get this wrapped up fairly soon here. Not sure if next update will be the end or not, but it will get close. We'll at least meet the big bad. If you're still reading, thanks for sticking with me.

>>290046

After three long-winded essays that had to be scrapped, all I can say is that the seamless transitions you do now are better in the long run, because the story will flow very nicely once completed, not bogged down by artificially defined chapters. In the meantime, though, it does generate a lot of cliffhangers, and this generates a lack of closure, which is in want of better words, emotionally taxing to the reader. Because cliffhangers are exciting, and excitement is exhausting to sustain. I suppose someone could read what you've got now, up to the end of the flashback arc, and get some closure since it's its own little story, but until it's actually "done" done, there will be a hunger for more. It's unavoidable and that's all I see to it, else you might sacrifice the flow of the final product to make the incomplete segments fit better.

>>289912

>Cheerilee trots over to meet you as you approach, her wrinkled brow furrowed in concern.

>"What happened, Anon? It was all over so fast. Is Coriander alright?"

>You nod. "Yeah, I think so. There was a cursed and hexed dagger in one of the skulls on the main altar. The hex got ahold of Cori and compelled her to pull the dagger out, which summoned the demon. We're all very lucky that Princess Luna was here to destroy it."

>Cheerilee slowly nods, obviously still trying to process everything that just happened. "Well yes, that was quite impressive! But…cursed objects? They're actually real? I thought those only existed in Daring Do books."

>"No, no, they're quite real. I've never seen an avarice hex stacked on top of a summoning curse, though. It must have taken an incredibly skilled enchanter to create something that devious."

>"I see. Anon…" Cheerilee begins, gnawing nervously at her lip, "do you think it's safe for us to be here? Will there be more stuff like that?"

>You sigh, making sure that nobody else is around. "To be honest, I don't know. That almost certainly wasn't the only trap, and if the others are as good as that one, we might have trouble. But still…we have the Princesses. I can't think of much they couldn't handle."

>That's true…" she trails off for a moment before taking a look at you and grinning. It's a lovely, playful smile that brings the faded memories of the times you shared with her so long ago to life once again. "Don't forget that we also have you. You've been in these kinds of situations before, and that alone makes me feel a lot more comfortable."

>You can feel the hot blush rising to your cheeks. "Well yeah, but don't let that make you complacent or anything. Keep your eyes peeled at all times and all that…"

>"Of course, Anon." Cheerilee says, her eyes sparkling like emeralds in the dull glow of Twilight's light spell.

>For a few moments, you find yourself lost in those eyes as they gaze right back at you.

>It doesn't last. In short order, you both realize what you're doing and hurriedly look away.

>"Ummm…so Coriander mentioned that you found an inscription?" you blabber out, clumsily changing to subject.

>"Oh! Yes. Yes I did. It's really interesting!" Cheerilee hurriedly replies.

>"Let's see it, then."

>A short distance away, Cheerilee stops in front of one of the imposing statues lining the side of the room.

>The fierce demon depicted in the statue has a human-like head and torso that terminates with a spider's abdomen, complete with eight hairy legs. Instead of arms, it has two wicked-looking barbed stingers and its face features a fang-filled mouth slavering with poisonous saliva and three pairs of beady, almond-shaped eyes stacked on top of one another.

>Cheerilee, however, gestures towards the base of the statue. "This is the one. All of the statues have inscriptions in Demonic at their base, but this one has an inscription in Llaman as well."

>You squint and find that she is correct. The jagged Demonic script on the statue's plaque features a few additional lines of flowing Llaman script below it.

>"Do any of the other statues have this?" you ask.

>Cheerilee solemnly shakes her head. "Doesn't look like it. All of the other statues just have Demonic inscriptions."

>You pull out your notebook, make a note of that, and prepare to write down the translation. "So what does it say?"

>Your translator clears her throat. "The Web of Fate entwines us all, and though we try we cannot flee. All paths must lead to Fate's deep hall, to feel the fangs of destiny."

>>291090

>"That's morbid." you muse.

>"It really is. Do you think it means something?"

>"Absolutely." you quickly insist. "Demons loved riddles, and this is clearly one. Just like the poem out front hinted at the power word to open the door, this one also must hint at something. The part about all paths leading to fate's deep hall makes me think that it's probably some sort of secret passage to an inner sanctum deep beneath the shrine."

>Cheerilee's eyes go wide with excitement. "Oh my gosh, that would be so cool…"

>You chuckle. "The rest of the poem is probably a hint. Let's parse through it."

>"Okay." Cheerilee says, taking a deep breath to calm down. "So the Web of Fate entwines us all, and we can't flee. What could that mean?"

>You take a long look at the statue. "Hmm. Is there any sort of web or web pattern on or near the statue?"

>Cheerilee squeezes into the tight space behind the statue and has a look around. "Well, I don't see anything on the statue. There's no web or spinneret on its spider butt or anything."

>You scratch your chin and take a look around the room, scanning the walls and ceiling for anything remotely web-like. "Yeah, I've got nothing out here either."

>She pokes her head out from the other side of the statue. "What else could it mean?"

>You take a seat on a nearby pew and look over the statue once more. "I'm not sure. Are any of the statue's legs or stingers pointing at anything?"

>The statue is in a fierce battle pose, two of its spider legs lifted in the air and its stingers ready to kill.

>However, neither you nor Cheerilee are able to notice them pointing at anything in particular.

>Cheerilee takes a seat next to you with a huff. "I'm really not sure then, Anon."

>"Don't worry, we'll get this figured out."

>You both spend a few minutes thinking. Cheerilee is quietly murmuring the poem over and over to herself.

>"All paths must lead to Fate's deep hall, to feel the fangs of destiny…feel the fangs of destiny…feel the…" suddenly she jumps up. "Wait! What if it's the spider's fangs? The fangs of destiny?"

>You look up, and excitement starts to build within you. "Well…yeah. The sculptor did go to the trouble of sculpting each and every fang in there. That might actually be it!"

>You know just how to test the theory.

>You call Princess Twilight over and explain the situation. Her face lights up just like Cheerilee's did at the prospect of a hidden sanctum.

>"That's amazing. So you just need me to press the fangs with my magic?" she eagerly asks.

>"Yes!" Cheerilee cries out, but you put a hand on the enthusiastic mare's back.

>"Wait." you sternly command. "Before we do this, it could be another trap. Are there any arrow slits or anything like that near the statue? Anything cursed?"

>You and Cheerilee look around, but find nothing out of the ordinary.

>Twilight scans the statue with her magic and shrugs. "I don't detect any sort of enchantment either."

>"Still…maybe it would be wise to throw up a magical shield?" you suggest to Twilight.

>She smiles and nods. "Of course. Safety first!"

>With a flash of her horn, Twilight creates a magical purple bubble that encases you, her, and Cheerilee.

>Then, she gracefully floats a tendril of her magic up towards the statue's mouth.

>Ever-so-carefully, she picks one of the fangs at random and prods it.

>Nothing happens.

>"Let me try this one, then." Twilight murmurs.

>She picks another one and prods it.

>Still nothing.

>Then another.

>And another.

>You can feel Cheerilee's enthusiasm slowly wasting away with each successive failure.

>Twilight frowns. "Well, I think I've tried all of them."

>"I see. Oh well…" Cheerilee sighs.

>You smile at her. "It was a really good thought, Cheerilee."

>"Oh wait!" Twilight cries out. "I'm not sure if I ever tried this little fang here in the corner of its mouth."

>She prods it and you hear a small clicking sound as it slowly gives way and folds up into the statue's mouth.

>All is silent for a few agonizing seconds.

>Suddenly, the loud whirring of old, rusty gears fills the room.

>The spider statue slowly begins to rise from the ground as the ancient lift below it does its work and pushes it up about ten feet higher than it was.

>And there, carved into the base of the statue that was below the floor, is an archway leading to a spiraling staircase that must lead down to the deep, dark passages below the temple.

>>291091

>Naturally, everyone in your party comes running.

>Even Coriander can't resist coming back from her break to see what's up.

>"Is that…a secret passage?" Minister Apurimac asks, craning his long neck to have a look inside. "Oh, this keeps getting better and better! We must explore immediately, don't you agree, Princess Celestia?"

>"Indeed we must, Minister." She gives you, Twilight, and Cheerilee an appreciative nod. "Nicely done, you three."

>Luna scowls. "Sister, are you sure of this? We have no idea what's down there!"

>Celestia rolls her eyes. "We'll be fine, Luna. Just keep your eyes peeled. Let's go!"

>The Princess of the Sun illuminates her horn, bathing the dark stairwell in a golden glow and taking the first steps downwards.

>Apurimac eagerly follows her.

>Luna motions for the rest of you to go on ahead, grumbling angrily about someone needing to show some sense and cover the rear.

>Twilight lights her horn up and leads you, Cheerilee, and Coriander down the winding steps.

>The spiral staircase is narrow and claustrophobic, and seems to go on forever.

>You eventually stop trying to guess how deep it goes, but it must be hundreds of feet.

>With every step downwards, the air seems to become more oppressive. A general feeling of unease steadily rises in your gut.

>Everyone else seems to be feeling it too, because nobody says a single word on the long trip down.

>Finally, you hear Celestia cry out in triumph down below.

>You hurry on down and find that the stairs are finally at their end.

>The claustrophobic experience of the stairs immediately gives way to its complete opposite as you take in the room you now find yourself in and suddenly feel very, very small.

>You stand right at the entrance to a truly massive underground cavern illuminated by huge, ever-burning hellfire braziers.

>Off to your left, there's a sprawling abandoned city featuring towering obsidian spires built in the same Demonic style as the temple above, but those spires don't even come close to reaching the roof of the cavern.

>"At last. The Lost City of Namtar…" Celestia quietly murmurs.

>"So it does exist." Luna says, completely incredulous.

>Cheerilee looks up at you. "The Lost City of Namtar?"

>You can only shrug. "I've never heard of it."

>"You wouldn't have." Twilight interjects. "Namtar is a secret legend known only to Equestria's royalty. It's supposedly the wellspring of all destiny. I never thought it actually existed, though…"

>Coriander shakes her head. "Geez. This is going to make one heck of a term paper."

>Apurimac just laughs. "To think, an entire lost city beneath our noses the whole time. I'll be made prime minister for this discovery for sure!"

>Celestia regally points towards the grand staircase ahead of you that descends ever further into the deep. "Very well. If the Legend of the Lost City of Namtar is true, then that means that the wellspring is likely ahead. We will have time to explore the city later; the wellspring is our primary objective. Let's move!"

>>291092

>Despite the magnificence of the view before them, your group reluctantly complies and heads down the stairs.

>You make haste to the head of the group to speak with Celestia.

>She smiles as you approach. "Exciting stuff, isn't it, Anon? The Lost City of Namtar is real after all…"

>"Yes, my Princess. If you don't mind me asking, did you always suspect that it was here?"

>She gives you an amused look. "Yes, I did."

>"So that's why you were so eager to get inside." you deduce.

>"Mmhmm. Of course, you understand that I had to keep my true purpose somewhat secret in case Namtar was not in fact here. Can't go throwing secret legends around willy-nilly."

>You process this for a moment, formulating your next question very carefully. "My Princess, if I may ask, what do you want to accomplish here? Does it have something to do with that wellspring that Twilight mentioned?"

>Celestia looks off into the distance. "As I am sure you have gathered in your time here, Anon, I have used my powers to ensure that Equestria runs like a well-oiled machine. The sun, the moon, the weather, the seasons…these are all things that are either under my control or delegated to my loyal subjects. Even intangible things like friendship and love have princesses dedicated to their study, control, and propagation. However, there was one force my sister and I could never even understand, much less control."

>"Fate." you answer for her.

>She nods. "Yes, fate. It is the one thing that has always eluded our grasp. The one unpredictable aspect of our otherwise orderly world. When we sought to learn more about fate when we were young, our mother told us the legend of Lost Namtar and warned us to never go looking for it. It was a terrible place best left alone, she said."

>That disturbs you. What the hell is down here that an alicorn should be afraid of?

>"That never sat well with me." Celestia continues. "I searched for Lost Namtar for millennia, but could never find it. When Luna's banishment saddled me with the task of running Equestria on my own, I soon found that I no longer had time to explore ancient ruins. I stopped looking…until now."

>"So…you want to control fate?"

>"No. Not for now, at least." Celestia emphatically insists. "I merely wish to understand it. It would be foolhardy for me to try and control something I do not fully understand. Perhaps once I have devoted a few decades of study to it, I will be able to decide if controlling fate is something that would allow me to provide a safer, happier life to my little ponies. After all, that is the only reason I do what I do. It's like I always told Luna…"

>The staircase has long since descended into another tunnel, and you have been scanning along the walls, ceiling, and floor for anything out of the ordinary as you descend it. Suddenly, you pick out an anomaly on the ceiling! Instinctively, you hold your arm out in front of Celestia.

>"Stop." you command.

>"Excuse me?" Celestia asks, clearly offended that you would dare interrupt her.

>The rest of your party grinds to a halt as well.

>You point upwards towards the perfectly round, basketball-sized hole you've spotted on the ceiling.. "Up there. See the hole? That's not natural."

>Celestia hums appreciatively. "Ah. A trap, perhaps?"

>"Almost certainly. Let's check for tripwires or anything on the floor that might be a pressure plate."

>Princess Celestia beats her wings and hovers off the ground. "Princess Luna, come fly with me and help look for any trap triggers. Princess Twilight, be ready with a shield spell to protect our party."

>The other two alicorns follow instructions, with Luna launching off to help Celestia, and Twilight prepping a great shield spell that she can quickly cast on demand.

>Soon, Luna calls out. "I've found something on this step! It's a panel that has a demon's face on it."

>"Does it look like it's a little bit raised from the rest of the floor?" you ask her.

>"Yes."

>"It's almost certainly a pressure plate then." you grimly confirm.

>"What do we do, Anon?" Cheerilee nervously questions you.

>You calmly answer, having dealt with these sorts of things before. "We go single file and take it nice and slow. Everyone keeps their eyes peeled for something out of the ordinary, and we all stop immediately if anyone calls anything out. Got it?"

>"Got it!" your party answers in unison.

>>291093

>It's slow going down the rest of the stairs.

>You spot no less than three pressure plates and one tripwire, and skillfully guide your party around them all.

>Eventually, though, you finally reach the bottom.

>Or at least, you hope it's the bottom.

>Your aching knees really can't handle any more stairs.

>A huge stone door looms before you, decorated with thousands of lines of Demonic script.

>Celestia steps forward and places a hoof on the door.

>"This is it." she announces. "I can feel a tremendous amount of exotic magic beyond this threshold."

>You can feel it too. It's the same strange feeling you felt on the day Cheerilee left you. It's almost as if a faint, electric wind is swirling around your body, just at the edge of perception.

>"Well, what are you waiting for?" Apurimac cries out. "Open it!"

>Celestia, Luna, and Twilight all grasp the door with their magic and roll it aside.

>The chamber beyond almost defies description.

>It is another massive cavern, perfectly round and probably about the size of one of those domed stadiums that accommodated 100,000 people back on Earth.

>However, you barely even notice that.

>Your eyes are drawn upward instead.

>Up above you, a million orbs of shimmering light all swirl slowly around the room.

>Some lights burn more brightly than others, but all are interconnected by delicate, infinitely thin rays of golden light. The web of pure light hums and pulses in a soothing song older than time.

>It is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen or ever will see. It is as if someone took a perfect starry night, multiplied it tenfold, and weaved it all together with heavenly golden thread.

>You fall to your knees, dumbstruck.

>Everyone in your party, even the Princesses, are all completely overwhelmed.

>All is silence.

>You're not quite sure what it is, but you know that to speak in the presence of this would be blasphemy.

>The only sound comes from Cheerilee.

>She's so overcome by it all that she is softly crying.

>Suddenly, though, you hear another sound.

>It's…footsteps.

>Something is walking towards you, its heels clicking on the rocky cavern floor.

>You manage to tear your eyes away from the magnificence up above long enough to see what it is.

>What you find shocks you even more than the spectacle above.

>It stands about five and a half feet tall, walks on two legs, and has pale skin, long blonde hair, a scruffy beard, and piercing gray eyes. It is dressed in a white robe and carries a gnarled wizard's staff in its two hands.

>There can be no doubt about it. For the first time in decades, you are looking at another human.

>He smiles at you and speaks in a voice you have heard so many times in your dreams. "This meeting has been so long in the making, but Fate itself has finally delivered you to its very cradle. My name is Adalgan, and I welcome you to my home."

>>291094

>Without even thinking about it, you step forward. "You…who are you?"

>"Anon!" Princess Luna cries out. "Stay back. The taint of undeath is strong in him."

>The strange human smiles. "Yes, yes, Princess Luna. Guilty as charged. I am thousands of years old, but I have done what I must to be here for this day, Anon, when you and I meet at last."

>The questions come cascading out of you. "You were the one behind the dreams, weren't you? Why? What do you want from me?"

>"You must realize by now that those very dreams held the answer to your question of why." He tilts his head to fix his intense eyes upon Cheerilee. "After all, we have much in common, Anon. Our true loves called out to us from beyond the stars and brought us here to this magical land."

>You immediately begin to recall the details of the strange dream you had so long ago in which you inhabited the body of an ancient human. Despite it being decades ago, you recall it in vivid detail, as if it only happened yesterday.

>"So it was you." you calmly state. "You fell in love with a pony and created that portal to Equestria while your temple was under siege."

>A bittersweet look overtakes the odd man apparently known as Adalgan. "Yes. Yes indeed. But fate was cruel. The distraction of the siege caused my spell to be imperfect, and the fabric of time was disrupted. I arrived in Equestria many years later than I intended to. My dear, dear Silver Crosier was on her deathbed and I…I never even got the chance to hold her in my arms."

>"How sad…" Cheerilee murmurs.

>Adalgan points towards the far end of the massive cavern. You can make out a throne and what appears to be a sarcophagus with a glowing crystal floating directly above it. "She lies there, waiting for the day when she rises once more. Waiting for the day when we can be together at last. Waiting…for today."

>Princess Luna flares her wings out threateningly. "Just what do you mean by that, necromancer?!"

>Adalgan merely brushes Luna off and continues speaking directly to you and Cheerilee. "You see, when I lost Silver Crosier, I blamed Fate. We were destined to be together, but it all fell apart at the last moment. It was so very bitter. So wrong. I wanted an answer. I wanted to understand why it had happened, and I wanted the power to change it!"

>He clenches his fists and takes a deep breath. "And so I sought to control Fate. I scoured the land. I studied with every great teacher. I read every book. In the process, I became the most powerful wizard this world had ever seen. I summoned a great army of hellbeasts to aid me in wresting away forbidden knowledge from the monks and kings that guarded it. And at last, I made my way to Inti Pacha…"

>"The Greedy One…" Minister Apurimac softly murmurs.

>Adalgan sarcastically bows. "In the flesh. I knew that the Llamas had hidden a great secret from me. They continued to hide it from me even when I conquered their people, humiliated their leaders, and snatched the very sun from their sky. But at last, a foolish priest was seduced into disclosing the location of the Web of Fate to me." He motions upwards. "I had just begun to study this beauty when Fate spat in my face once more."

>"You were defeated by Achiq." Cheerilee confidently supplies.

>"Well…yes." Adalgan fumes. "I was too preoccupied with studying the Web of Fate. I let my guard down and fell victim to that little monster's trickery. My temple and I were sealed away, and knowledge of it slowly faded from memory. But I have been here the whole time, carefully tending to the Web and weaving it into exactly what I need in order to secure my eventual triumph."

>>292368

>"So…you have been weaving the web? Controlling fate?" Celestia asks Adalgan.

>At last, the ancient human tears his unsettling gray eyes away from you and Cheerilee and acknowledges Celestia with a wry smile. "Do not think that I am unaware of your intentions here, Princess of the Sun. You wish to usurp this power for the benefit of your little ponies, but Fate cannot be controlled. Every point of light you see above you represents a soul. They pull and push and squirm in a thousand different directions, swirling like snowflakes in a great blizzard, bound only loosely by this delicate web. You can influence Fate, you can give it a nudge in the desired direction, but you cannot control it as if it were the Equestrian weather. Attempting to do so will only break the web entirely."

>Twilight gasps. "So are you saying that ponies have free will? This could be a philosophical revolution!"

>Adalgan chuckles. "Princess Twilight Sparkle. I like you. So much like my old master back on Earth. And yes, free will exists in a sense. Fate directs all lives in a specific direction, but one can always choose to swim against the current. Most of the time, one simply struggles in vain before being swept along to one's appointed fate regardless of one's wishes, but it is possible for a strong soul to break free of the Web of Fate entirely."

>He turns and glares at Cheerilee. "Cheerilee here is an excellent example of one who has struggled against fate for many, many years."

>Cheerilee blinks. "What? Me? What do you mean?"

>"Oh please, you know in your heart exactly what I mean." Adalgan snarls. "Long ago, you had a choice between Anon and Big Macintosh. You were fated to pick Anon. You were tied to him from birth. It's why your cutie mark makes no sense for a teacher and why your mother never glimpsed your fate while you were in her womb. Your soul is anchored to a world where cutie marks and naming dreams don't happen, and so you didn't have them."

>"But I didn't pick him." Cheerilee states resolutely.

>Adalgan sighs. "Yes, and I will never truly understand why. Your choice shattered centuries of careful weaving. You were supposed to run away with Anon. You were supposed to come to Inti Pacha, just like you had always dreamed. You were supposed to be lured to this chamber, and we were supposed to be having this conversation many decades ago."

>Your brain hurts from trying to keep up with this. "Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying that all of this was just an elaborate plan to get me and Cheerilee here? Our feelings, our relationship…our lives? All of it was meant to lead up to this?"

>Adalgan smiles cruelly. "Yes. And it has indeed all led up to this. My contingency plan worked. You two stand here before me, albeit with some unwelcome company."

>"You sick motherfucker." you seethe. "What do you even want?"

>"Long ago, I shared a bond with a pony just like you have with Cheerilee. It was the most beautiful and wonderful thing in all of creation. You and I both know that no human woman can compare to these ponies. But I lost that bond with Silver Crosier when she died. It is well within my power to resurrect her body, but even I cannot restore that bridge between our souls." Adalgan sighs wistfully. "Being undead is a very cold, empty, and lonely existence. The only thing that has kept me going is the memory of her. I want so badly to feel warm again. I want to feel my heart swell when I look at her face. I want to hold her and know that everything is alright."

>Adalgan's hands begin glowing with a deathly purple hue. With one fluid motion, he summons a gnarled wizard's staff and a razor-sharp obsidian dagger out of thin air.

>He grasps the weapons and points them at you with a flourish. "I bear no ill will against you, Anon and Cheerilee. It's why I have done you the favor of explaining myself. But unfortunately, you possess a human and a pony soul connected by the bonds of Fate, and I must take them from you if I am ever to truly revive Silver Crosier."

>Princess Luna laughs ferociously. "Finally, I was getting tired of the talking! I hope you are prepared to face the fury of three alicorn princesses, monster!"

>Princesses Celestia and Twilight nod and take up combat stances, backing up Princess Luna.

>Adalgan grins. "Oh Luna, you foolish girl. Your mother warned you to stay away from this place for a reason. Allow me to educate you!"

I hate my life. I think I finally have a free day tomorrow. Knocking the rest of this out is top priority. Pray for me, and I hope to see you then.

>>292369

oh shiet nieger

>>292369

>There's a tremendous crash behind you as a formidable stone door descends to block the cave's only exit.

>The three alicorns disregard it and launch a simultaneous blast of magic from their horns. Blue, purple, and yellow beams converge on Adalgan, who effortlessly leaps twenty feet into the air to avoid them. He stays up there, magically levitating above your heads and laughing.

>The ancient necromancer raises his staff, the crystal atop it humming with dark energy. He mumbles a few guttural incantations, and dark magic explodes out from the staff in all directions.

>The scattershot rays of magic fall down to the cave floor, leaving glowing circles wherever they impact. The ground begins to shake.

>You watch in horror as dessicated limbs begin clawing their way out of the ground beneath the glowing circles.

>The stench of death fills the cave as hundreds of mummified llamas rise once again.

>Their fur has long since decomposed, revealing brownish, leathery skin stretched over rickety bones that are in some cases protruding from their bodies.

>They all stare at you with empty black holes where their eyes once were.

>"Seize the human and the pony with flowers on her flank!" Adalgan orders his undead horde. "Subdue the rest and kill them if they resist."

>The mummies cry out, their dusty voices cracking and whining as they begin their single-minded advance.

>Luna looks to the other Princesses. "You two deal with the mummies and make sure the rest of our party is safe. I will keep the necromancer busy!"

>Twilight waves her hoof at you, Cheerilee, Apurimac, and Coriander. "All of you huddle up, I'm going to make a shield for you!"

>Cheerilee presses herself close against you without hesitation. You place a hand on the shaking mare to comfort her.

>Minister Apurimac is currently cowering in a corner. Coriander goes over and tries to relay Twilight's instructions to him, but he is unresponsive.

>Your assistant shrugs, grabs onto his tail with her teeth, and drags the catatonic llama over to you.

>Twilight encases you all in an extra-thick purple bubble and then joins Celestia, who is already zapping away at the undead llamas with her magic.

>Luna summons a pair of blades made of pure moonlight and takes flight, meeting Adalgan in a fierce aerial battle.

>You quickly see why this Adalgan managed to conquer most of the world back in his heyday. He expertly blocks every one of Luna's magical blasts and parries her glowing crescent blades with his black dagger, following up each time with a vicious riposte of his own.

>"Anon, this is terrible…" Cheerilee murmurs.

>"Super terrible! Professor, what do we do?" Coriander nervously asks you once she's done scraping Minister Apurimac's fur off of her tongue.

>You look out helplessly at the raging battle between these magical titans. "What can we do, Cori? None of us are fighters. We wouldn't last a second out there."

>"I know, but…they need our help!"

>"Celestia, Luna, and Twilight are all powerful. They've got this." you say, trying to sound as reassuring as possible.

>You're quickly proven wrong.

>>292383

>Twilight and Celestia start to have trouble with the undead horde. While reducing a single mummy to a pile of ash is child's play for such powerful beings, the sheer number of monsters is starting to overwhelm even their magic. Celestia is panting loudly and becoming sluggish and Twilight is really starting to sweat as they slowly begin giving ground to the moaning, shambling mass.

>Even worse, Adalgan is starting to get the upper hand on Luna. Having absorbed her initial flurry of blows, he seems to have gained the initiative. Luna is the one playing defense now, blocking his black fireballs with pure white barriers and dipping and weaving out of the way of his dagger as they continue their terrible dance in the air above you.

>You wince as Princess Luna mistimes a parry and Adalgan manages to gash her cheek with his blade, sending her blood raining down to the floor.. Luna cries out in pain but keeps her composure. She raises her defenses to block the deadly follow-up she knows is coming.

>It never comes.

>Instead, Adalgan uses the distraction to distance himself from Luna.

>He cackles as he fires off a large bolt of writhing shadows not at Luna, but down towards the ground.

>You hear Cheerilee cry out a warning, but it is too late.

>The foul projectile smashes into Twilight Sparkle with an ear-shattering bang. Her limp body is thrown backwards a good ten feet before crashing in a heap on the hard floor.

>The shield protecting you flickers and fades for just a moment.

>It's all Adalgan needs.

>Before you even know what's happening, a giant shadowy hand surges forth and grabs Cheerilee.

>She screams and clings to your leg for just a moment before the overwhelming force overcomes her old, feeble grip.

>You cry out as the demonic appendage sails above the mummy horde, depositing Cheerilee on the altar at the far end of the room.

>You fall to your knees, feeling more powerless than ever.

>At the periphery of your vision, you see another hand flying your way.

>You know it is coming for you, and you realize with overwhelming dread that there is nothing you can do.

>You close your eyes and brace yourself.

>You hear a loud THUNK.

>Coriander lets out a sigh of nervous, uncertain relief.

>After a moment, you summon the courage to open an eye.

>The dark hand has smashed against a renewed purple shield! The hand quickly dissipates into nothing, and you look across the battlefield and find that Twilight Sparkle is already back to her hooves.

>"How are you doing this?!" Twilight cries out shakily. "Every test I did on Anon indicated that humans were not magical creatures!"

>Adalgan scoffs as he effortlessly blocks a renewed attack from Luna. "Most modern humans have simply been cut off from magic. Had Anon been in tune with the true gods of Earth, he could have received their gift. But it is too late for that now. Watch as I extract Cheerilee's soul, revive my beloved, and show you how powerful a human and a pony can truly be together!"

>You can do nothing but watch as Adalgan mutters an incantation directed at Cheerilee. She screams in agony as a glowing, ethereal substance begins slowly pouring from her chest and lazily drifts towards the crystal floating above the sarcophagus across from her on the dais.

>Twilight growls but is forced to return to helping the beleaguered Princess Celestia, who is on the brink of being overrun by the undead horde, despite her furious efforts to incinerate them.

>As she returns to battling the mummies, Twilight looks back desperately at you. "Anon! His 'beloved' is almost certainly a powerful wizard in her own right. If he manages to revive her, there's no way we can win this fight! We need your help!"

>As if you needed prompting. Your body burns with righteous fury, and you suddenly forget your age. You will save Cheerilee or die trying!

>>292385

>You leave the safety of Twilight's bubble without hesitation.

>You hear hooves galloping at your side and look down to find Coriander running right alongside you.

>She smiles bravely. "I'm with you, Professor!"

>You can't help but smile back. "Cori…if we don't make it through this, I hope you know that you were the best assistant ever."

>Her lip quivers. "T-thanks Anon. That really means a lot. Now come on, there's no time to get sentimental!"

>You soon reach the spot that Twilight and Celestia are defending.

>You're rather surprised that Adalgan didn't manage to grab you while you were running, but you look up to find that Luna has redoubled her efforts to keep him occupied. She's attacking like a madmare, and that smug shit actually looks like he's having a bit of trouble with her!

>Twilight glances at you out of the corner of her eye, still focusing primarily on destroying the never-ending stream of undead flesh. "Glad you two could make it. We need to get you to the other side of the room somehow, but I'm not quite sure how we'll do it yet."

>Celestia grunts as she uses a great deal of her fading strength to summon up a giant wall of flame. She pushes it outward, annihilating several ranks of your attackers, and buying you a few precious moments to think before the next wave reaches you.

>"I…have…an idea." The Princess of the Sun gasps out through labored breaths. "Instead of killing…just use force magic. Clear a path to…the altar."

>Twilight Sparkle's eyes light up. "That's a great idea! We'll push them out of the way and then hold them off at the altar. Anon and Coriander, you need to save Cheerilee and destroy whatever's left of this pony he's trying to resurrect!"

>"Got it!" you both cry out.

>Princess Celestia takes a deep breath and readies herself. "Okay. Stick together and move quickly. Make sure that no one is left behind."

>"Right." Twilight says. "3…2…1…let's go!"

>Twilight and Celestia cry out and charge headlong into the undead army, with you and Coriander following close behind.

>Right before you reach their groaning, stinking ranks, Celestia fires off the first force spell, launching a shockwave of pure kinetic force in all directions and sending dozens of bony, leathery bodies flying.

>Just as the ranks of the undead close in again, Twilight fires off her force spell, clearing the path once more.

>And so you go, racing against time as you blast your way across the floor of the giant cave.

>You try not to look forward at the altar. You try not to look at Cheerilee's body slowly draining of its color.

>She's barely even struggling anymore.

>It's everything you can do not to charge ahead of Celestia and Twilight. You want to get there now. You can't lose Cheerilee. Not now. Not after all of this.

>Adalgan laughs as he sees you making your way across the battlefield. "You'll never get there in time, fool! Her soul is already almost gone!"

>Celestia cries out in fury and redoubles her efforts, blasting the undead out of her way with truly awesome force.

>Twilight follows her example and gives it everything she's got.

>Soon, you glimpse the stairs up to the altar.

>With one more blast from Twilight, they are cleared of the dead, and you and Coriander rush forth.

>Twilight and Celestia take up their positions at the base of the stairs. Celestia looks back at you. "We'll hold them off! Get Cheerilee off that altar, now!"

>>292386

>You and Coriander climb the stairs.

>Cheerilee has almost turned completely white. She is barely breathing now, and the flow of the soul leaving her body has reduced to a trickle.

>Worst of all, you can hear movement from inside the sarcophagus.

>"Hold on, Cheerilee!" you cry out.

>Her limbs are secured to the altar by thick obsidian shackles. You tug at them with all of your strength, trying desperately to save the mare you've always loved.

>They don't budge.

>You begin to panic. Cheerilee has almost slipped away!

>Suddenly, Coriander comes up from behind you and smashes one of the restraints with a big rock.

>It works. The restraint cracks, and another desperate blow from Coriander breaks it open.

>Cheerilee's left foreleg is free, but unfortunately, the sound attracted Adalgan's attention.

>He shrieks furiously and hear him surging through the air. "I AM THE LORD OF FATE! SILVER CROSIER AND I WERE MEANT TO BE, AND YOU WILL NOT DISRUPT DESTINY AGAIN!"

>Adalgan lands in front of you and charges at you with his dagger.

>You ready your old, aching bones to do some sort of evasive roll, but thankfully Luna blasts him with a powerful burst of magic before he can reach you.

>He flies to the ground, and Luna places herself between you and him.

>Adalgan rises to his feet and engages Luna in desperate combat, screaming madly as he throws everything he has into getting past her guard.

>Coriander nods at you. "Take the rock and get Cheerilee out. I'm going to buy more time."

>Before you can say anything, Coriander charges forth and leaps onto Adalgan, latching onto one of his arms and biting him repeatedly.

>You can hear Luna taking advantage of the distraction and dishing out some serious damage to the necromancer, but you're focused entirely on Cheerilee.

>You smash the restraints with all the force you can muster.

>You break one and then another, ignoring the steady stream of curses coming from Adalgan and Coriander's scream of pain as he manages to throw her off. You ignore the blood pouring from your hands from using the jagged rock to smash the restraints.

>The very last traces of life are leaving Cheerilee's body. The energy being extracted from her is just a tiny wisp now.

>She weakly opens her eyes and looks at you. Her mouth slowly forms into a smile.

>You pound and pound at the last restraint, fighting back the tears in your eyes.

>It gives way at last.

>You pull Cheerilee off and collapse onto the floor with her. As you do, the soul-sucking crystal above Silver Crosier's sarcophagus shatters.

>The last traces of Cheerilee's soul stop in mid-air and float gently back into her chest.

>She lies deathly still for a moment before coughing gently and starting to breathe again.

>The room goes completely silent for a moment. You can't hear Luna and Adalgan fighting, nor can you hear the groans of Adalgan's undead legion.

>The hush is broken by Adalgan letting out a piteous wail.

>You glance over to see him unevenly trudging up the stairs to the dais, Luna's glowing sword buried all the way to the hilt in his chest and protruding out of his back.

>He stumbles past you and makes his way directly to the sarcophagus. He places a hand on the still, unmoving coffin and sobs, finally collapsing to his knees.

>And so Fate has betrayed me one final time…" he whispers. "Thousands of years of work. So much death and suffering. All for nothing. Oh Silver Crosier…"

>The ancient necromancer turns his tearful gray eyes to you. "You're a very lucky man, Anon. From the moment you arrived here, I have envied you. It seemed that you were fated to be happy, to have the love of a beautiful pony, a successful career, and everything else you desired. I wanted that so badly…"

>You shake your head. "Maybe instead of waiting around for Fate to drop happiness into your lap, you should have gotten out there and taken it. I worked hard for what I had. When Cheerilee chose Big Mac over me, I didn't shut down and blame the world like a little bitch. I went out there, made something of myself, and made some great friends along the way."

>Adalgan chuckles. "Perhaps. Maybe in the next life." He gently kisses the sarcophagus. "And perhaps we will meet in the next life too."

>With that, the Greedy One falls onto his side and pitifully breathes his last. The sword wedged in his chest glows brightly, and Adalgan's body bursts into white flames that consume it entirely, leaving nothing left but a pile of white ash.

>>292387

>You turn your focus to Cheerilee. She's breathing, but just barely. You stroke her mane gently, shivering as you realize that she is as cold as ice.

>Coriander is the first to reach you.

>"Anon! We did it!" she cries out jubilantly, before immediately becoming circumspect upon seeing Cheerilee. "Is…is she gonna be okay?"

>Luna staggers up, battered and bleeding, but victorious. "Cheerilee has had much of her soul ripped out." She places a hoof on Cheerilee's forehead and shudders. "For a pony her age, t's a miracle that she's still clinging to life.

>You shake your head vigorously. "No. No. She will wake up. She has to!"

>Twilight and Celestia trudge towards you, looking tremendously worn-down.

>"I am so sorry I put us in this situation, everyone." Celestia murmurs.

>Twilight pats her back. "It's alright, Princess. Adalgan is dead and his undead army can finally rest. Let's just focus on making sure everyone is okay."

>You cradle Cheerilee's head and rock it gently. "Please wake up…" you repeat over and over.

>Minister Apurimac eventually makes his way to the dais, safe and sound thanks to Twilight's bubble.

>"Well fought, ponies. I suppose I was a fool to charge into this, and I thank you for protecting me. I think this is one part of our history that may be worth forgetting."

>"That might be best." Celestia affirms. "I think that I shall leave the Web of Fate alone as well. Manipulating it has caused enough suffering already."

>You just continue running your hands through Cheerilee's gray mane.

>Suddenly, her eyelids flutter. Her green eyes are glazed over, but with some effort she manages to focus them on you. She smiles when she finally does.

>"Anon…" she rasps.

>"Cheerilee! You're alright!" you cry out.

>She takes shallow, rattling breath. "I…I don't know about that, Anon.

>Luna scans her with her magic and shakes her head quickly. "I am sorry, but she is fading quickly."

>Your feel your heart tearing in two. "No, no, come on, Cheerilee. You can make it through this. You have to, please…"

>Cheerilee smiles and caresses your cheek. "Anon, ever since I was a little filly, I have wanted to go on an adventure just like this. We explored an ancient ruin, we overcame its traps and puzzles, and we even beat the bad guy in the end. It couldn't have gone better. I am so glad I finally got the chance to do this. And…and I'm even happier that I got the chance to do it with you. I've lived a full life, and this was the cherry on top. Don't cry for me…"

>"Cheerilee, please…you just came into my life again. You can't leave. I still love you…"

>A tear runs down Cheerilee's cheek. "And I still love you, Anon. I never stopped. I'm glad you're here. I'm just sorry you'll have to leave this world too when I go…"

>You look to Twilight for confirmation. She grimly nods her head. "She is your anchor in this dimension, Anon. Without her, you can't stay."

>"I hope you can find happiness back on Earth. And thank you…for everything."

>You don't know what to say to that.

>There's nothing more to say.

>All you can do is lean in and kiss her icy lips one last time.

>Cheerilee coos happily as she returns your kiss.

>And then she goes limp.

>>292388

>Tears flow down your face. You look over your shoulder at the three most powerful beings you know and shout hysterically. "Please…please! Isn't there anything you can do? Princesses, please!"

>Twilight Sparkle frowns for a moment as she thinks it over. Suddenly, her face lights up with an idea and she whispers it in Celestia and Luna's ears.

>They both listen intently and then give a solemn nod.

>The Royal Sisters light up their horns, working some complex magic that you cannot discern the nature of.

>Twilight nods at you. "There is something we can do for you, Anon. Say your goodbyes quickly, though. You're already starting to fade."

>You look down at your bony, arthritic hands, and find that they are indeed becoming transparent. You need to hurry!

>"Celestia, Luna." You call out. "Thank you for your hospitality. If all rulers on Earth were like you two, it would be a far better place."

>They bow regally.

>You look next at your old magic teacher. "Twilight. I'm sorry things didn't end so well between us. I do appreciate everything you did for me, and I wish we could have stayed friends. You have a good heart."

>"And I am sorry I lost my patience, Anon. I wish we could have been better friends as well." Twilight says in a bittersweet voice.

>You look down at yourself. You're over halfway gone. You can clearly see the ground beneath your body.

>You turn to Coriander Blossom, who has been kneeling at your side this whole time. "And you, Cori…"

>"Do you really have to go, Professor?" she asks through teary eyes.

>You nod. "I do, but I meant what I said about you being the best assistant ever. More than that, you've been a wonderful friend."

>You reach into your pocket and pull out the little notebook you were carrying around to document this expedition. As you hand it to her, it immediately solidifies back into her plane of existence.

>"Take that, Coriander. It's up to you now to tell the story of this place. You're going to make one hell of an archaeologist. Oh, and please make sure the Cutie Mark Crusaders know what happened here."

>Coriander tearfully clutches the notebook to her breast. "T-thanks, Professor. I will do that."

>You look down at Cheerilee's lifeless body. She seems so serene. You lean down and give her one last kiss on the forehead.

>Then, you turn to face Twilight. "Alright, then. I'm ready."

>"Just in time." she says with a small grin. "The liminal bridge is fading fast."

>Twilight Sparkle's horn lights up, and she emits a shimmering ray of purple magic that begins to swirl around you.

>Celestia and Luna join in, and soon you are wrapped in a veritable cocoon of alicorn magic.

>"Goodbye, Anon. You will always be remembered fondly in Equestria." Twilight calls out.

>You are blinded by a tremendous burst of light, and can feel nothing but the strange sensation of falling upwards.

>The only thing you can see is something else falling alongside you.

>It looks like Cheerilee.

>You black out.

>>292389

>Your eyes slowly crack open.

>Birds are singing outside and the sun is shining through the window.

>You rub the sleep from your eyes and take a look around the room.

>It's familiar. Very familiar.

>The tree outside the window. The computer on the desk. The posters on the walls.

>This…can't be.

>This is your bedroom.

>This is your bedroom back on Earth.

>You look down at your hands.

>There's no liver spots or wrinkles. You can move your fingers without any pain from your arthritis.

>You experimentally move a few other joints.

>There's no pain.

>You're young again.

>You're young and back in your bed on Earth.

>Does that mean…was it really all a dream?

>You sit up and have a look around the room.

>This is definitely your room. It's exactly how you left it the night you went to Equestria.

>You can't believe it.

>It really was all a dream.

>Equestria, your job as an archaeologist, all of your experiences and all of your friends. Even Cheerilee.

>It was all just a figment of your imagination.

>You feel empty. You feel cheated.

>All of that was for nothing?

>You're back where you started. Back to the boring life you had on Earth.

>It makes you want to scream.

>In fact, you do scream.

>You let out a cry of pure frustration and slam your hands down against the mattress.

>This causes something else to stir in your bed.

>You hear a soft groan. Your eyes immediately dart down to the source of the sound.

>There's a decently sized lump beneath the covers to your right.

>That's where the groan came from, no doubt about it. Judging by the way the bedspread is rising up and down, it seems to be breathing too.

>You blink a few times, trying to process this information.

>Eventually, curiosity gets the better of you and you gingerly peel back the covers.

>You gasp.

>There's a pony in your bed. An Equestrian pony with a pinkish coat and a light mane.

>It's…Cheerilee.

>Her wrinkles are gone. Her mane has color again.

>She looks exactly like she did on the day you first met her.

>You rub your eyes. You pinch yourself. This has to be another dream, right?

>She's still there, sleeping peacefully and even making the adorable little snoring sound you remember from the nights you spent with her.

>You reach out and gently touch her face.

>She feels just like you remember.

>Her eyes flutter open.

>She looks at you with those gorgeous green eyes and smiles beatifically for a few moments before her brain kicks in and realizes something is amiss.

>She blinks a few times. "Wait, you're not…Anon? Is that really you?"

>"Y-yeah…" you stammer. "Is that really you, Cheerilee?"

>She nods slowly. "You look so young, Anon."

>"So do you."

>She looks down at herself and gasps when she realizes that you're right.

>"W-what happened? Where am I? The last thing I remember, that horrible human had taken me and he…he was ripping out my soul. It hurt so much, but…you saved me, didn't you Anon?"

>"Yeah…but then you…you died." you say softly.

>Cheerilee shudders. "Oh. Y-you're right. I did. I remember floating above my body. But then Princess Luna grabbed me with her magic. She held me like a foal and told me that everything would be alright. And then everything went white."

>You think back to your final moments in Equestria and a lightbulb goes off in your head. "Wait. When you died, I begged the Princesses to do something for you. Cheerilee, I think they might have projected your soul into my dimension!"

>Cheerilee scratches her head. "Whaaat? You mean like how your soul was being projected into Equestria?"

>"Yeah."

>"So…so that means…" Cheerilee rises up and looks around the room excitedly. "Is this…Earth?"

>"Seems like it." you answer.

>"So we're young again, and I'm in the world of humans." Cheerilee says softly, clearly trying to process this all.

>"I…hope that's okay, Cheerilee." you nervously murmur.

>She looks you straight in the eyes. "Okay? Okay? Anon…It's amazing!"

>She launches herself towards you and gives you a painfully intense earth pony hug. "The stories you told about Earth were amazing! I always wanted so badly to see it! Oh my Celestia, this is incredible!"

>You return her embrace. "But…what about Equestria?"

>She sighs. "I mean, of course I'll miss it, especially my children. But Anon, I was dead. I had already made my peace with the fact that I wasn't going to get to see Equestria again, I suppose. But then I woke up here next to you and found that I'm young again to boot. It's just…I don't even have the words to describe it."

>You hug her more tightly, running your hands along her back to make sure she's really here and this is really happening right now. "Well, I'm glad you're here too."

>She starts bouncing up and down excitedly. "So, let's go!"

>"Go where?"

>"Anywhere! Show me around. I want to see Earth."

>>292390

>Cheerilee practically pushes you out of bed. You hurriedly throw some clothes on and make your way outside.

>It's an early, misty morning, and nobody else is around.

>You take a deep breath of the morning air. The crisp scent summons a million childhood memories and invigorates you.

>Cheerilee's head is on a swivel, taking in all of the alien sights around her. "Anon, this is amazing. Where are we headed?"

>You smile. "I have somewhere special in mind. Race you there?"

>Cheerilee laughs. "Well, I don't know the way, but sure! You're on!"

>You start running. It feels amazing to be able to do this again. You don't hurt or ache or feel tired at all. You feel free. You feel alive.

>You'll never take youth for granted again.

>Having Cheerilee along for the ride just makes it all the better. You laugh and play together as you run, and you can feel your heart swelling each time you look at her. It really is like you're seeing her for the first time all over again.

>Finally, you approach your destination. When you point it out to Cheerilee, she breaks out into a dead sprint. The clip-clop of her hooves echoes off the nearby houses as you run after her.

>She beats you to the gate by a nose. You both stand there, catching your breath and laughing.

>"So…what is this place?" Cheerilee asks.

>"It's a hill with a nice view. We just have to squeeze through this gate here."

>Technically, the hill was on private property, but that never stopped you in the past and it sure as shit won't stop you now.

>You and Cheerilee squeeze through the gaps in the fence and make your way up the hill.

>Finally, you reach the top and Cheerilee gasps.

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv-yJywbtDI

>The city you live in is spread out before you. Thousands upon thousands of lights glimmer in the dawn light. Far-off skyscrapers bigger than anything Cheerilee has ever seen loom in the distance. You can see the stadium and the freeway and so many other familiar sights from here.

>A thousand different thoughts are roaring through your head right now, but all are silenced by this one serene moment.

>You are home.

>Cheerilee sits down in the grass, her eyes roving all over the alien landscape.

>"Anon…" she softly murmurs. "It's breathtaking. You told me stories, but I never really could picture it until now."

>You sit down beside her.

>She leans her head against your shoulder and you respond by wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close.

>"It's a big world." you quietly remark. "There's lots of incredible things out there, and lots of incredibly horrible things too. I never really saw much of it before I came to Equestria, to be honest. I was always so wrapped up in my own life and my own problems that I never really took the time to just sit back and appreciate the majesty of my surroundings. I guess getting to know the world of Equestria made me see my world with new eyes."

>Cheerilee giggles. "It's really hard to believe you never appreciated this place when you had a view like this so close to your home."

>"I know, right?" You shift uncomfortably and clear your throat, mentally preparing yourself for what you've been wanting to ask this whole time. "Listen Cheerilee, I know that we haven't been together for a long time. There's not much I'm sure of anymore, but I do know that now that you're here with me, there's nothing I'd rather do than to experience everything this world has to offer…with you."

>"Oh Anon…" Cheerilee coos. You can feel the hot blush on her cheek as she rests it against your shoulder.

>You pull away and look deep into her green eyes. "So what do you say? Feel up for an adventure?"

>Cheerilee simply leans forward and kisses you.

>You wrap your arms around her and return the kiss passionately.

>To the east, the sun rises up over the horizon, bathing the land in the first of its warmth and heralding the dawn of a new day.

THE END

>>292391

Thank you for reading In Winter's Hold: A drama/adventure story that took way too long to complete. It is 95,883 words, and is so long that pastebin could not handle its girth. As such, it had to be broken into two parts.

Part I is at: https://pastebin.com/EZDiU8JF

Part II is at: https://pastebin.com/WnL2yzus

I would like to extend a very special thank you to anyone who stuck with me to the end. I know that this took much longer than it should have, and appreciate each and every one of my readers. I'm so glad to write exclusively for /pone/. It's been a long ride, and life has changed a lot since I first started writing this. A lot of Cheerilee's inner conflict is a meditation on some of the own shit going on in my life, and I'm glad that I could finally get this done and get it off my chest.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future stories, please feel free to use this thread or email me at tavifag@derpymail.org

Thanks again, and remember to poni responsibly.

>>292392

>>292411 (checked)

Thank you, drawbro.

This deserves a bumpity bump, roll call for anyone that hasn't backed up this story

>>300625

I appreciate the support, but the story has been done for several months. There's a fine line between bumping and necroing. You can always find the story at the pastebin links I posted earlier, and I have posted my other stories on there as well.