The Princess Filly, Chapter V [END]

>when you pop back into reality, you wind up only a few feet above the cavern floor, instead of a few miles
>in a sense you're grateful for this
>but in a another sense, you do hit the ground hard
"Ow."
>the shai-hulud you landed about ten feet from seems to have hit the ground a lot harder though
>the great worm rises at the sight of you
>and stares at you with its eyeless face
"H-hi."
>and then
>it dives into the ground
>though it burrows rapidly, the massive creature takes about ten minutes to fully disappear within the earth
>the sight is so enrapturing
>that you forget you've lost Starswirl's glowing stone
>and that the shai-hulud's bioluminescence is your only source of light
>and now
>all is dark
"Well, shit. How do I find my way back up now?"
>"Anon!"
>"Darling, where are you?"
>up on the ledge you fell from, you can make out a search party of about eight ponies and one dragon
>you take in a deep breath and scream as loud as you can
"I'M DOWN HERE!"
>holy dicks
>your voice came out louder than you ever imagined was possible
>puffs of rubble are shaken loose from the cavern at the sound of that shout
<"I say, that wouldn't be a Royal Canterlot Voice I heard, would it?"
>you're not really sure what Starswirl is on about
>but shortly, Rainbow Dash swoops down to bring you up
>she gives you a big grin on the way up
>"Hey, what am I carrying you for?"
"Because I can't fly?"
>Dash "heh"s
>"You might wanna look in a mirror when you get back up to the castle."
>when you're deposited safely up on the ledge, Starswirl unironically "huzzah"s
<"I knew it! I knew your destiny was at hoof!"
"What are you on about?"
>Rainbow Dash flicks at your horn
"Ow!"
>wait a second
>you have a horn?!
>oh, yeah
"Oh, about that. See, as I was plunging all alone to certain death, I got whisked away to see Celestia. She did say something about making me an alicorn."
>you crane your neck around to see your barrel
>yep, wings
>but they're proportioned all retarded
>like they're just way too big for your body
>man, this actually looks hideous
<"You met Princess Celestia?"
>you're sort of focused on trying to activate your new wing muscles
>to see if your new wings look any less terrible when spread out
"Yeah, yeah, it was just like you said. I used a fuckton of earth magic, almost died in the process, then the Aether or whatever took me to Celestia."
>Starlight coughs
>"She, um, wouldn't have happened to tell you where she and the other princesses are right now, would she?"
>you give up on figuring out the wings
"Yeah, of course. Obviously. They're all locked up in some secret chamber under that old castle in the Everfree."
>Rainbow Dash objects to this
>"The Castle of the Two Sisters was one of the first places we looked! I was there myself!"
"Well I assume the thing about secret chambers is, they're hard to find."
>involuntarily, your wings flop down to the floor
"Anyway, I'd like to head out there as soon as possible to find them."
<"What, go yourself?"
"Yeah. I'm suddenly really well-qualified for this sort of thing, aren't I?"
<"You have no idea how to cast even a single spell."
"Psshhh, but I bet I've got earth magic for days."
>as you think of 'earth magic,' a huge stalagmite rises from the cave floor just behind you
"Holy shit, did I do that?"
^"Now, Starswirl, old friend. It is customary for young princesses to go on quests."
>Rockhoof shoots you a wink on the sly
>Applejack raises her hoof
>"I'd go with her. I'm sure all of us are real eager to rescue Twilight."
>the rest of Twilight's friends, to include Starlight and Spike, voice their agreement
"Oh, now you guys wanna help!"
>Starswirl sighs
<"Very well, you may go. Let us return to the castle and prepare for your departure at once."
>Pinkie Pie deflates somewhat at that
>"Awwww."
"What's up?"
>"We're not gonna finish your birthday party?"
>you blink
"Hey Starswirl, Celestia said the chamber she was in was a lair for 'shadow ponies.' How much immediate danger are the princesses in?"
<"Shadow ponies? Why, almost none at all."
"Let's go finish that cake Pinkie brought, at least."

<"Shadow ponies are the psychic remains of ponies who lived long ago."
<"Long after the body has turned to dust, and the soul has taken its final journey through the air, and memory has faded, the mind may live on, if the pony in question died in great unbalance."
"So they're ghosts?"
<"No. Ghosts are disembodied souls, and they usually possess memory as well. Shadow ponies have neither soul nor memory. They are nothing but mind."
<"Lacking memory, shadow ponies seek out the presence of the living, to bathe in their memories."
"That sounds… gross."
<"It is common for shadow ponies to abduct the living, keeping them alive in their lairs so that the shadow ponies may enjoy their memories for decades to come."
<"The princesses would be a natural target for the shadow ponies. Because they are immortal, the shadow ponies who held them would never have to abduct another living pony again. And the elder princesses have many aeons of memories to share."
<"Shadow ponies do not think in the same way that you and I do. But they are cunning, and will not want to be found by you. And should you enter their lair, they will try to keep you from leaving."
"What exactly will they do?"
<"The lore is unclear on this matter. You will have to plan your escape when you find out."
"Well that's not very hopeful, considering that they've been successfully holding four full-grown alicorns for months on end."
>you stumble over a large root
>that last discussion with Starswirl happened maybe two hours ago
>he stayed in Canterlot, to manage things in your absence
>but he didn't let you leave til he had taught you one spell
>it's a very simple one
>you just channel some magic into your horn
>and then a big laser beam comes out
>there's a giant hole in the roof of Canterlot Castle from where you first cast it
>apparently you've gotta be careful with this shit
>you shake your head and keep trudging on behind Twilight's friends
>after a full day of princess work
>followed by defeating a giant worm
>and a birthday party
>the day is growing late
>all around Equestria, pegasi are arranging thick, black stormclouds for another pseudo-night
>but over the Everfree Forest
>the weather is known to manage itself
>over the trees, the Sun shines bright as noonday
>but beneath the trees
>the forest grows thicker as you penetrate deeper and deeper toward its heart
>and it does appear to be growing darker
>your horn smacks into a low-hanging branch
"Ow! Bitch!"
>these horn things are apparently really sensitive
>not in an "oh yeah" kind of way
>more in an "oh fuck, the pain" kind of way
>the jolt sends you sprawling on the ground
>Starlight stops behind you
>"You gotta watch out for that."
"No shit. I'm not used to having a six-inch bone sticking out of my head."
>you get up
>and trudge on
>the party passes through what appears to be the nexus of the forest darkness
>at the heart of the Everfree lies the clearing where the Castle of the Two Sisters stands
>and as you get closer to it, the trees thin out
>finally, you reach the rope bridge leading to the castle
>Applejack woops
>"There it is! I knew we'd make it before dark."
"But it wasn't gonna get dark."
>the group wastes no time in crossing the bridge and entering the courtyard of the ruined castle
"What the everliving fuck is that thing?"
>"What's what?"
"That fucking ugly tree-thing!"
>Starlight points right at it
>"Oh, that? That's the castle that Twilight's students built out of the Tree of Harmony."
"Another damn crystal tree-castle?"
>"What's wrong with it?"
"It looks awful! And it's taking away from the ruins!"
>Rainbow Dash scratches her head
>"You might be making a big deal out of nothing."
"Yeah, whatever. Let's just split up and find the damn princesses."

>the parties are as follows
>Rarity and Fluttershy
>Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash
>Starlight and Spike
>you and Applejack
>should you fail to find the princesses, you are to regroup in the courtyard
>currently, you and Applejack are traipsing through some kind of dungeon
>"Look sharp now, Anon. This old castle is full of surprises."
"Right."
>"Disguised levers, trap doors, hidden hallways. You never know what you might stumble into by accident."
"Well that's exactly the sort of thing we're looking for, isn't it?"
>"True. But I'd rather know about it before I go fallin' into it."
"That's fair."
>a handful of magic torches, the few whose ancient enchantments still work, light and go out as you pass them by
>beyond the short radius of their dim light lies an impenetrable wall of black
>in the darkness, something clatters
>the air down here isn't stagnant
>but it doesn't seem to flow normally, as from a draft, either
>the musty air rolls back and forth over your head
>in waves
>it's as though the dungeons are…
>breathing
>just what Everfree monsters might have taken refuge in this place in the millennia since it was abandoned?
>what evils, left behind in the ancient forbidden archives of the castle, might have sunk down to the lowest levels of the ruins?
>what villains were left to rot in these rusted cells all those centuries ago, whose spirits may even now be lurking just out of sight?
>and what of the shadow ponies?
>what unknown snares might they be laying down for you, the young immortal, that they might feast on your alien memories for all eternity?
>"Anon?"
"Huh?"
>"You look like you're psychin' yourself out."
"Is it that obvious?"
>"You've been pressed up against my legs for the past ten minutes."
"Well, when you put it like that…"
>"It's a little hard to walk like this."
"S-sorry."
>you step away from Applejack and shuffle along on your own
>"It's just a little dark down here, that's all. Why don't ya use that fancy horn of yours to light up the place?"
"Uh, I don't think I can do that just yet. I could blast a hole in the ceiling and probably let some Sunlight down here though."
>"No, no, that's uh… that's all right, sugarcube. Don't do that."
>at the edge of the dim torchlight
>something moves
>you may or may not squeal and grab Applejack's legs again
>"What is it now?!"
"It's a… I saw a… It was…!"
>from the shadows
>a creature comes
>small and swift
>skittish and…
>fuzzy?
>"It's just a rat. Calm down."
>the rat scurries past the two of you into the shadows that lie behind
"Okay. That's fine then. Let me just…"
>you let go of Applejack and stand on your own four hooves
>just in time to see the shadows themselves advance
>the shadow that enters the torchlight takes long, sure hoofsteps across the crumbled cobblestone
>a pony-shaped field of darkness stands clearly within your sight
>it is, you assume, a shadow pony
>it stares at you with faceless sight
>a strange feeling
>as of intolerable…
>nostalgia
>overwhelms your soul
>and then
>the shadow pony turns around
>and merges back into the darkness
>Applejack gallops after it
"What are you doing, following it?!"
>"It could lead us right to the lair, come on!"
>your companion speeds into the distance
>taking the torchlight with her
"Oh, man, wait for me!"
>unfortunately, your stubby filly legs can't keep up with the galloping farmer
>fortunately, you can still make out the receding torchlight in the distance
>and oddly, you can clearly see that you're following hoofprints made of moss
>a click echoes through the dungeons
>"Hey, whoah!"
>the torchlight returns to you
>and you know that you're alone in the dungeons
>with the rats
>and the shadow ponies
>you double your running efforts
>and you come to the end of the vast chamber
>the mossy hoofprints end here
>and Applejack is nowhere to be seen
>just a featureless brick wall
"Shit!"
>you strike the wall in frustration
>and the brick you hit recedes with a loud grating sound
"Shit!"
>the wall rapidly rotates and sweeps you to its other side
>there awaits a long tube of polished crystal, descending almost straight down into the bowels of the earth
"Shit shit shit shit!"
>you're sliding down at terminal velocity
>but the slide suddenly bends upwards
>and you're flying up out of the earth
>finally, you emerge into the courtyard of the castle
>where you flop gracelessly onto the ground
>"Anon. Glad to see ya made it."
>Applejack sits nearby, cradling a foreleg
>you groan unintelligibly in response
>"I'm thinkin' about givin' up for now and waitin' for the others to show up here. That all right?"
"Sounds good to me."
>it seems as though you ought to get up and go back into that castle
>but you can't
>you're too sluggish right now
>and you feel as though you're nostalgic
>for something you can't remember
>your eyes close
>and sleep comes quickly

>you're not sure how long it's been when you wake up
>with the Sun immobile in the sky, there's just no way to tell
>judging by the droning of the crickets, it could be the middle of the night
>but the insects could just be confused after so long without darkness
"Applejack, how long was I out for?"
>in the daylight, an owl hoots
"Applejack?"
>you rub the sleep out of your eyes and stand up
>looking around, you see…
>nothing
>and nobody
>you are alone
"Fuck."
>no, you do see something
>on the ground
>there's a trail of something that could be hoofprints
>it's odd though
>rather than being flattened down…
>the grass where this pony trod seems taller
>fuller
>you decide to follow the tracks
>they lead you to a set of cut, earthen stairs in the wall of the gorge
>so you climb down
>into the heart of the Everfree
>at the bottom, the trail leads into an empty, shallow cave
>they stop in an obscure corner
>or rather, they disappear into a thick patch of vines and creepers
>could it be?
>you plant your hooves firmly into the ground
>(hey. move.)
>surprisingly, the wild Everfree vines are eager to obey your command
>once they retract, you can see that they covered a downward-sloping tunnel
>you can't see any trail of strange hoofprints down the tunnel
>but you don't need them anymore
>the trail is so tangible to you that you can almost smell it
>earth magic
>the tunnel twists and winds and forks for ages
>eventually, the light from above no longer reaches you even a little bit
>but you don't need it
>you know where you're going
>this place is pungeant with earth magics
>the soft, earthen floor
>the scent of damp moss
>the low-hanging tree roots which threaten to snag in your mane
>it makes you feel alert
>it makes you feel alive
>in the distance, you can see torchlight dancing on the walls
>and you know that your trail ends just around the corner
>coming around the bend, you see them
>at last
>the princesses!
>all four of them
>well, five if you count the babby, who's asleep in her mother's hooves
>Twilight's friends are here as well
>and Spike
>and Starlight
>none of them are restrained in any way
>they're all just…
>sleeping

>you cough
"Excuse me. Hey, yeah, you guys. Wake up, I'm here to rescue you."
>the mass of sleeping ponies shifts and groans
>Applejack wakes up first
>"Anon? What's goin' on?"
"Hey, you're the one who disappeared. You tell me."
>"I… don't remember. Last I knew we were up in the courtyard."
>Celestia's eyes flutter open next
>she raises her sleepy eyes to you
>"Anonymous… you came…"
>heh
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm here, Princess. Why's everyone asleep? Let's get out of here."
>"It is the power of the shadow ponies… Too tired to move… Why are you so… lively?"
"Are you kidding? This place is dripping with earth magic. Can't you feel it?"
>Applejack scratches her chin
>"Earth magic, huh? I'm feelin' pretty good too, to be honest."
>Luna's ears visibly strain to hear your conversation
>and the moon princess lifts her tired head as well
>"Earth magic…"
>Luna's eyes scan the room slowly
>"I see… I recognize this place now."
>"What, sister? What is this place?"
>"Has it been so long? Have you forgotten? A thousand years ago, this was the hermitage of the royal earth mages."
>Celestia's eyes widen as she looks about the chamber
>"You're right. So it was."
>this place…
>these shadow ponies…
>they must be…!
"Princess. What happened to the earth mages? 800 years ago they died out, but you never told Rockhoof why."
>"It is… painful… to tell…"
"I need to know."
>Celestia nods
>"A little over one thousand years ago… the Castle of the Royal Sisters found itself with just one sister."
>"The castle… the memories… it was too lonely… too terrible."
>"I left this place, and founded Canterlot."
>"But in those days, the Everfree Forest was the Everfree Grove… the greatest hub of earth magic in all the land, and the pride of all the royal earth mages."
>"The earth mages… refused to leave. They stayed behind and tended to their precious grove… They abandoned me."
>"Over the years… the earth mages grew more and more isolated…"
>"They stopped contacting me… they refused to train new earth mages for me… Eventually, they refused to train new earth mages entirely… for fear that they would come to me."
>"After 200 years, the Everfree Grove had become a wild and terrible forest… And I knew that the last of the old earth mages were gone…"
"Not the last."
>"No… Rockhoof was trapped in time… and returned a short while ago…"
"And he trained me."
>Celestia smiles a sleepy smile
>"That's… good… I'm… glad…"
>the Princess's head sinks back to the ground
>nobody is left awake but you and Applejack
>your gaze seeks, finds, and rests upon the sleeping form of Twilight Sparkle
>the mare who accidentally made you a princess
>she's snuggled up next to Cadance
>her torso rises and falls with her deep, steady breaths
>"Uh, pardner."
"What's up?"
>"Might wanna look behind you."
>you turn around
>dozens of shadow ponies loom in the torchlight
>you're hit with that strange wave of nostalgia
>the power you felt when you threw that rock at Blueblood
>your simple, black cutie mark
>the dancing flowers
>the tumbling boulder
>the days when Celestia's royal earth mages lived in great honor
>Applejack has already fallen to her knees and begun yawning
>you're feeling pretty sleepy, too
>you've got to do something
>you've got to do something fast
"Wait…"
>you sink down to your belly
"I can… bring it back."
>the shadow ponies tilt their heads at this
"I can bring those days back."
>strength slowly returns to your limbs
>you take a shaky stand
"I can bring earth magic back."
>the shadow ponies look at each other
"Look at me. I'm a damned alicorn princess, with an earth magic cutie mark. I can bring it back."
>power from the earth rushes into your hooves and awakens you to full awareness
"I'll bring it back. I promise. But you have to let me go. You have to let my friends go, too."
>the shadow ponies look at you
>then back at each other
>the ancient earth mages share a nod
>and then
>they vanish

>long story short
>everyone woke up
>Twilight flipped shit when she saw you
/"Who thought it would be a good idea to make Anon an alicorn?!"
"Lemme see. Starswirl the Bearded, Rockhoof, the Aether, and uh… her."
>you point at Princess Celestia
>but she's taken a strange interest in staring at the chamber ceiling and whistling
>everyone got safely out of the tunnel
>but you made sure to seal it back up when everyone was out
>following this, you made a triumphant return to Canterlot
>to your eternal gratitude, Celestia took her job back
>thus ensuring that you'll never have to do Day Court ever again
>almost even better, it was right around time for Sunset when the train pulled into the Canterlot train station
>Luna took the opportunity to make a beautiful, clear, starry night
>with a big full Moon and everything
>Pinkie Pie took the opportunity to throw a formal "Anon's After-Birthday Party / Return of the Real Princesses Party" in the castle courtyard
>and by "formal", you mean that she's currently bouncing around the courtyard trying to coax ponies into doing the Pony Pokey with her
>Twilight's chatting with the rest of her friends on a white marble pavillion
>the elder princesses are smiling and waving from an elevated platform
>Cadance is sitting in a corner, bouncing her kid around in her magic
>th-that's pretty sweet...
>too sweet, you might die of diabetes if you stare too long
>you quickly turn away and search for something else to look at
>Discord scowls at you from the buffet table
>you trot over to him
"Hey, buddy."
>"Hmmm…"
"Is that offer to make me human again still on the table?"
>Discord scoffs
>"What? Now that you've restored order and harmony to the land for the rest of the foreseeable future?!"
"Uh… yeah?"
>"Heavens no!"
"Dick licker."
>Discord snaps his claws
>you're telepoofed into the middle of Twilight's friends
>immediately, four pairs of pastel hooves begin poking and prodding you
>"Ooh, look, it's widdle Princess Anon!"
>"You look sooo cute with those wings!"
>"Darling! You must let me smush your face some more!"
>"He he, ha! Lemme tousle that mane, sugarcube!"
"Ah! No! I never asked for this! Twilight, help me!"
>Twilight rolls her eyes
>then hoists you up in her magic
>a chorus of "aww"s rises from her friends
/"Come on, you. We have to talk."
>Twilight waves to Princess Celestia, who nods and takes wing
>then she takes you over to a corner where Starswirl the Bearded and Rockhoof are waiting
>she sets you down
>and Celestia lands nearby
<"Ah, Princess Anonymous. We've been meaning to speak with you."
"Oh, hey, what's up? What do you want to talk about?"
<"Your continuing education."
"Whoah, hang on a second, dude. I brought back the real princesses. I'm done with this bullshit now."
<"The other princesses, Anonymous. Not the real princesses."
"Nope, nope, nope nope nope nope nope!"
>you attempt to flee
>but Twilight blocks your path
/"Anon, I think you're old enough to take on a few responsibilities."
"B-but I'm only 30!"
>Celestia giggles
>"Anonymous, I promise, you won't have the same workload that you had during our absence. As a young alicorn princess, we only want to give you a small responsibility."
>you look at Rockhoof
>he smirks
^"If I heard the story correctly, lass, you seem tae hae made a promise tae some old friends of mine."
"What, the earth magic thing? I mean, I was kind of thinking that could be sort of a private venture, maybe like a few years down the line when I'm fully grown-"
>"Then it's settled!"
"What, settled? What's settled?! I didn't settle anything!"
>"Anonymous, your ascension and acts of bravery have demonstrated the true value of earth magics, a field of study which has gone neglected for far too long."
>Celestia begins to lower her horn toward your shoulder
>"I hereby appoint you-"
"No!"
>you dodge the horn
>Celestia tries again
>"I hereby appoint you-"
>you dodge again, and try to flee
>but Twilight restrains you with her magic and places you back in front of Celestia
"No!"
>"Thank you Twilight. Princess Anonymous, I hereby appoint you…"
>Celestia's warm horn gently touches your right shoulder
>then moves to your left
>"The Princess of Earth!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"