Chapter 14

Right Place, Wrong Time

The Next Day-

"Trust your eyes, they deceive you not. Behold, my friends: Old Canterlot."

Pinkie, Zecora, Vigil, and Ras stood on the edge of a tall, grassy cliffside deep in the heart of the Everfree Forest. Sprawled out beneath them were the crumbling ruins of an ancient city, barely discernible in between the towering trees. The buildings were made of weathered and bleached stone, all of them with caved-in ceilings and holes blasted in their sides. Their frameworks and innards had long since been abandoned to be reclaimed by the forest, which had done so with great abandon. Fuzzy green moss, long leafy vines, and plants of all kinds had sprung up everywhere, long since destroying any evidence of order. The decrepit walls of the city were covered in ivy and looked like swiss cheese, and the remains of a once-great, now-fallen castle stood on the far edge.

"This is so exciting!" Pinkie's eyes filled her head as she beheld the ruins.

Ras frowned as he turned to her. "Weren't you here when you got the Elements and used them on Nightmare Moon?"

Pinkie pointed to the northwestern edge of the city. Ras could make out a deep, gaping chasm that was spanned by a rickety rope bridge. Even from this distance, the faint roaring of water could be heard, accompanied by the fine spray of mist rising up from the depths below. The city wall had collapsed and led straight into the castle.

"We came in from that side," Pinkie said, "and it was really dark and misty and stuff. I didn't see any of this as we were coming in."

"Doesn't look like you missed much." Vigil shielded his eyes with a hoof. "There's barely anything left."

Zecora stepped up to the edge of the cliffside, eyeing the city walls. "Afraid that you are incorrect, there's something here we can collect. The crumbling rock's a telltale sign, its here we'll find Dalaci Vine."

I can't believe how useful this plant is! I've never even seen it around her hut! Pinkie turned around to examine the cliffside. The giant trees of the forest went all the way up to the very edge, their tough thick roots becoming exposed as they snaked down the cliff. "Guess we need to find a way down, huh?"

Ras walked over to a massive looming tree whose roots were thicker than his legs. He gave one an experimental tug. "This looks like it might work."

Ras nimbly climbed down the side. Vigil watched for a moment before looked over to Zecora.

"Are you sure this is safe? I've heard stories of nasty things that sometimes move into ruins like these."

There was a clicking sound from Zecora's saddlebags as she laughed. "Danger lurks round every bend, and hides in every shadow. There's not a place within this world I would describe as hallow."

Vigil didn't notice Pinkie sneaking up behind him as he stared at the ground, trying to pick apart Zecora's verse.

"That doesn't make me feel any better about going in there." Vigil squinted as he looked down at Ras, who had made it to the bottom. "I'd rather we ju—"

"Silly Viggy!"

Vigil went rigid and whipped around. Pinkie hid her amusement under an innocent smile as she continued. "We're in the middle of the Everfree; there's supposed to be nasty things everywhere! What does it matter if we run into them out here or in there?"

He pressed his lips into a thin line. "I really wish you wouldn't do that."

Ah, he's too much fun. He's almost as easy as Twilight! Too bad I can never get Rassy; he's always sees me coming. Pinkie winked at Vigil. "Maybe you shouldn't let me then! I keep telling you to watch your blind spots."

She could barely contain her laughter as she watched him grind his teeth.

"Caution's not unjustified; the peril is quite real," Zecora cut in. "Many native creatures think we'd make a tasty meal. But preparations have I made for times of dire need. And been here several times I have, so let me take the lead."

Vigil considered her words for a moment again, this time giving an occasional glance to his left and right. "All right," he said. "Let me go down first though, just to make sure."

"Go ahead!" Pinkie said. "We'll be right behind you."

Vigil walked over to the tree root and tugged it a few times. Satisfied with its strength, he climbed down the cliff.

Pinkie came up beside Zecora and lowered her voice as he descended. "Why didn't you tell me sooner that Dalaci Vine can be used as a panacea? Are you still worried about them?"

Zecora examined a nearby bush as she spoke out of the corner of her mouth. "Many uses this plant has; not all will make you whole. Before such knowledge could be shared, I had to see their souls."

Why is she still so edgy? I've told her a million times that they're just here to help. They've been here for weeks now. If they were going to do something, they'd have done it already. Pinkie watched as Zecora removed a few of leaves from the bush and put them in her pouch. "Do you trust them now?"

"One of them yes, the other I'm unsure." Zecora's turquoise eyes met hers. "Take heed dearest student: for not all hearts are pure."

( * * * )

Pinkie and Zecora followed Vigil down the tree roots to the forest floor below. As they landed, they saw that Ras had gone ahead and found a path through the brush, which he now guided the rest of them through. A few minutes later they beheld a set of twisted, rusted gates that stood off its hinges and lay in the middle of what looked to once be a wide road leading in and out of the city. What little of the walls that weren't covered in plant life looked even more dilapidated from this close up, and beyond the walls were the continued trees and the shrubs of the forest. They completely ignored the once established order of civilization, growing in any place they could. Zecora went to the front of the group and guided them past the gates into the ruins proper.

Pinkie took in the remains of the abandoned buildings as she bounced along. The few that were still standing were little more than bare foundations and shattered walls. The only things inside them were rays of sunlight, shadows, and the slow, inevitable creeping of the forest.

So this is where the big old nasty war between Celestia and Luna happened, huh? Viggy's right; there really isn't much left. Makes sense though, if both of the Princesses are really super-duper strong, then anywhere they would've fought would've got smashed up pretty bad. I just hope all the other ponies evacuated in time.

Pinkie heard the clattering of a misstep. She looked over to see that Ras had stumbled on an upturned cobblestone. He cursed and kicked at it, causing it to explode into fine powder.

Pinkie chortled as she watched him cough from the dust. "Careful Rassy, this place is destroyed enough as it is."

"One thing that I don't endorse," Zecora said from ahead of them, "is the use of too much force. The structures teeter on verge of collapse, turning them all into giant deathtraps."

Ras's face was grim and pale as the dust settled. "Stay out of the buildings, got it."

"I never understood why Her Majesty didn't make any kind of effort to preserve this place." Vigil glanced down a side street to their left. "This is a historic site! Ponies everywhere should be able to see it."

"I can understand why she'd wanna forget about it." Ras's eyes unfocused as he followed Vigil's gaze. "This war wasn't pretty."

Pinkie noted his expression. "Do you know anything about it?"

Ras turned to her and curled his lower lip. "Sorta. Blair likes to ramble about strategies and battles in general. The War of the Sun and Moon is his favorite."

Zecora stopped as they reached a crossroads of three paths. "A tragic tale of darkness and light, born of those who forsook the night."

"Pretty much," Ras agreed. "Luna went psycho because nopony even treated her like a Princess anymore, so she took her half of the military, corrupted them with her magic, and tried to stage a coup."

Pinkie's bouncing was halted as she stopped to stare at him. "Corrupted? What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said." Ras brushed the dust out of his coat. "When Luna turned into Nightmare Moon, her magic also mutated all her soldiers into bloodthirsty monsters. They slaughtered anypony they could: Soldiers, civilians, even chil—"

Ras stopped as he recognized the awkward silence. He looked up at the others. Zecora had narrowed her eyes, Pinkie had cocked her head, and Vigil had his jaw clenched with his teeth exposed. He stormed over to Ras, stopping only inches away from his face.

"Where in Celestia's name did you hear those lies?!"

Ras put up a defensive hoof, speaking in a relaxed, casual tone. "Hey, hey, calm down. I already said that Blair told me. Get a few beers in that guy and you won't be able to shut him up. We've been drinking buddies since before we joined the military."

Vigil considered him for a moment before stepping away, speaking in a quiet tone. "You should know better than to trust the words of someone when they're drunk."

Ras lowered his chin, an odd smirk playing on his face. "Au contraire, depending on the pony, those words may be the most honest you'll ever hear."

"Not in this case," Vigil snapped. "Nightmare Moon's half of the military wasn't corrupted by magic, and they certainly didn't murder civilians or children. The soldiers were tried as war criminals and then banished to the Changeling Wastes. That's it."

Ras's lips parted as his eyes went wide. He lowered his head a moment to rub the dust out of his eyes. When he looked up again, his face was a stoic mask.

"Is that so?"

"Yes," Vigil said as he turned away, "and with all due respect to the Lieutenant, you shouldn't listen to somepony who doesn't know what the buck he's talking about."

Ras chuckled as he spoke under his breath. "You're absolutely right."

Pinkie's ears twitched as a gust picked up. She looked at Ras through the corner of her eye as he trotted to catch up to them.

Zecora cleared her throat. "We need not feud about the dead. Our quarry lies but straight ahead. "

The buildings became more run-down as they continued, the walls, arches and frames almost completely giving way to grass-covered mounds of rubble and dirt. The few skeletons of buildings that remained so far gone, there was no way of telling what they once were. The road they were following split again, but the left path was blocked by a large mound of rocky debris. A single weather-beaten spire still stood at the top like a clawed, rocky finger pointing to the sky. Zecora led them off the path to the right and back under the looming shadowy trees and thick underbrush.

They hiked for a few minutes, making slow progress before Vigil spoke up. "How much farther do you think we'll need to go?"

Zecora pushed down a large fern with her hoof in response, revealing a blinding ray of sunlight from a clearing just beyond. "No further need we go this time, for in here grows Dalaci Vine."

It's just in here?! This will be so amazing! If I can figure out how to get rid of the bitter taste without distilling the effects, I can put it in my punch and then I'll have made a super-duper medicine! Then I can help all those ponies who're hurting feel better! Pinkie squeed and took a step forward.

A faint sound rang in her ears, like the chiming of a bell. It was a single definitive note; low, ominous, and minor in key. Pinkie stopped as a chill went up her spine.

Ras and Vigil disappeared into the light as they walked into the clearing. Pinkie rubbed her ears and looked at Zecora.

"Did you hear that?"

Zecora was still holding down the fern as she stared quizzically at Pinkie. "Nature's sounds are prolific. You must be more specific."

Pinkie took another step forward. "It was like a b—"

The sound came again, louder and higher on the scale. Pinkie shuddered as she felt a stronger, more noticeable chill.

Zecora wrinkled her brow. "You act as though the fern will bite. There is no reason for such fright."

What? I'm not talking about the plant, it's a bell! Somepony is ringing a bell! Pinkie squinted and leaned forward as she tried to see what was in the clearing. "Can't you hear the—"

The chime rang so loud that Pinkie squealed and fell to the ground. Her entire body quivered as she covered her ears and lay prone on the grass.

Zecora rushed over to her student, putting a gentle hoof underneath her chin. "Enough stammering, speak true. What is happening to you?"

The ringing had stopped as soon as Zecora had released the fern. A small ray still shone in from the clearing beyond, creating flecks of light and odd shadows that played about the forest floor. The faint luminance in Pinkie's eyes went unnoticed as she looked up into her teacher's face.

"I—I don't think… we should go this way."

Zecora raised an eyebrow at Pinkie's words. "Far have we come and much have we risked to get this potent herb. If we turn back now empty-hooved, what purpose did coming here serve?"

Every fiber in Pinkie's body was telling her to turn around and go back the way they came. She'd always been one to trust her instincts, and while they told her to do some odd things at times, they hadn't steered her wrong yet. She'd long since dismissed the peculiarities of the feelings and just went with the flow, and if left to her own devices this time would be no different.

However, Zecora had a point.

Am I really gonna chicken out just because I heard a weird noise and got the chills?! I feel weird stuff all the time! Okay yeah, most of the time it turns out to be right, and I have been on a pretty good streak lately, and when I get that kind of chill it usually means—no! I came all this way; I'm not gonna be a chicken-scardey-pants now!

The light in Pinkie's eyes died as her resolve drowned out the ringing. She got to her hooves and smiled at Zecora.

"Sorry about that. I got the heebie-jeebies there for a second. Let's go!"

Zecora held her gaze for a moment longer, searching for some sign of relapse. After finding none she relented and held down the fern again. Pinkie stepped through.

Her eyes adjusted to the bright light to see that they now stood at the bottom of a set of terraces with a great set of stone stairs in the middle. The buildings higher up were in decent condition, but the ones on the first level were nothing more than crumbling piles of rubble. Pinkie looked up to see a giant fountain on the second terrace, as well as another set of stairs continuing up the hill to a third.

Zecora walked up behind her and pointed to the third level. "Last I was here, found quite the crop. It should be plentiful at the top."

Ras and Vigil had gone ahead and were halfway up the stairs, gingerly testing each one. Pinkie and Zecora followed them, stepping where the guards indicated was a safe portion. They reached the second terrace and approached the fountain, which was fifteen feet in diameter and filled to the brim with dark rainwater.

Ras and Pinkie went around the left side while Zecora and Vigil elected to go around the right. Pinkie aimlessly meandered by a pile of rubble, scooping up a weathered stick and throwing it into the fountain. It landed with a slurp, slowly descending to the depths.

The stick began to lose cohesion as it fell to the bottom. Pieces of it broke off before it completely dissolved and faded away to nothingness.

Pinkie stopped as she watched the stick disappear. "Cool!" She looked around for another. "It's a stick-eating fountain!"

Zecora stopped at her words, eyeing the liquid within. "In future travels such sights may bring, but I've never heard of such a thing."

Pinkie had found another stick with a knobby end and brandished it at Zecora. "Look at this!" She threw it into the fountain.

The stick flew in the air and landed with a plop. Both Ras and Zecora gasped as they recognized what Pinkie had just thrown. Vigil watched with interest as it slowly dissolved into the depths and disappeared like the first.

The water in the fountain began to shift and move about.

Ras blinked several times as his jaw dropped. He grabbed Pinkie's tail in his mouth and yanked her backwards several feet.

"Hey!" She turned and rubbed the base of her tail. "Rassy, what—"

"Stay away from it!" he snapped.

The water in the fountain quivered and rippled, but no new object had disturbed its depths. It sloshed back and forth in a more excited fashion, yet not a single drop fell out.

Zecora took a few tentative steps back, her shaky legs making no sound on the mossy stone. She reached inside her saddlebags and pulled out several small silver spheres with wicks in them.

Vigil noticed her action. "What are you—"

"Run."

Zecora's had spoken the word in a clear, urgent voice of command; her teeth were bared and her breathing was ragged.

The fountain was churning violently. Vigil took one last look as the fluid brushed his tail, causing it to sizzle… then disintegrate. His eyes turned to pinpricks as he yelped and scrambled over to Zecora.

The water fell out of the fountain with a wet sloshing heave and gathered itself up as a giant, transparent inky blob. It extended a pair of pseudopods towards both groups of ponies.

Zecora lit the wicks of the spheres and rolled half a dozen of them towards the quivering mass, screaming one word in a shrill voice.

"RUN!"

"I thought you were the lucky one!" Ras shouted as he heaved Pinkie on his back. He galloped away down the left street at full speed.

The terrace exploded in a fiery blaze. Tons of ancient rock shifted from the blast with an awful grinding and smashing, sliding down the hill and taking the ruins with it. The blob made no sound other than a sickening squelch as it was caught in the blast and buried by the sliding rocks.

Pinkie shielded her eyes as she was pelted by bits and pieces of raining debris. She tried to speak, but found she couldn't hear herself very well. She rubbed her ears and tried again in a louder tone.

"Put me down!" She squirmed on his back. "I can run!"

Ras didn't slow down. "Not out of danger yet!"

Pinkie watched as smoke billowed out from where the terrace used to be. "You should look behind you. Zecora just blew that entire area to smithereens!"

"You don't understand!" Ras looked wildly around as he ran. "If oozes have an ample supply of food—"

They came to a crossroads to behold two inky spheres blocking the path to their right.

Ras gulped. "—they split."

The oozes rolled towards them. Ras turned and galloped down the left path instead, which was covered in snaking vines, grasping tree roots, and raised cobblestones. He deftly weaved back and forth through the natural obstacle course, doing his best to ignore the slurping sounds as the oozes heedlessly rolled on after them.

Pinkie liked watching how the amorphous creatures smoothly flowed and jiggled as they bowled over anything in their path, but Ras's jerky movements were starting to rattle her brain.

Okay, as much as I love piggyback rides, this getting ridiculous. She stood on Ras's back and did a backflip, spinning in midair to land beside him and run alongside. He snorted as she matched his pace.

"Fine, just stay close to me! These things like to—"

They came to an abrupt stop as the road ended. Below them was a grassy pit eight feet deep, filled with quivering goo. It shifted as it sensed their approach.

"—hide?" Pinkie offered timidly. She jumped back as the ooze started to climb out of the hole.

Ras turned around. The other two oozes were advancing behind them. To their left was an alleyway that ended in massive pile of jagged debris. He raised his eyes to the sky, softly muttering to himself.

"Commercial District… Tipsy Coinpurse…"

Ras's eyes lit up as he turned to Pinkie and motioned down the alleyway.

"Follow me!"

Pinkie looked down the broken pathway. "That's a dead e—"

"This isn't a debate!" He lowered his head, preparing to scoop her up again.

"Okay, okay!" Pinkie dodged around him and ran down the alleyway to the moss-covered stone mound. She tried to climb, but it tore away at her touch, revealing a smooth rock face. She looked up and saw that the moss continued up for thirty feet.

Pinkie's chest began to tighten as she looked for a hoofhold. "I don't know if we can cl—"

There was a loud clang, followed by the screeching of rusted metal giving way. She turned to see Ras standing beside a pony-sized hole in the side of the wall.

"Get in!"

Pinkie looked back once at the entrance of the alleyway. The oozes had cut them off and were now rolling towards them. She went toward the hole, hearing the sound of rushing water from somewhere within the darkness.

No choice I guess… Pinkie hopped into the hole. Ras turned to look at the oozes one final time before clambering in himself.

Pinkie fell through the darkness for a few seconds before landing on slippery stone. She fumbled blindly for a few seconds before striking a rough wall with her hoof. She went up against it and tentatively inched alongside, trying to make room for Ras who she expected to be right behind her. However, there was no indication of his descent.

Don't tell me he... the invisible hand on her chest doubled its grip. She stared out into the darkness.

"R—Rassy?"

"Get away, Pinkie!"

Ras's voice had come from above. She looked up to see Ras hanging by one hoof on an outcropping of rock beside a beam of light ten feet up. In his free hoof was a small silver sphere with a sparking wick.

Pinkie froze. "Is that—"

One of the oozes slithered into the hole.

Ras tossed the sphere. "I said get away!"

Pinkie's chest became so tight she couldn't breathe. Her heart hammered as a vision of Ras being blown to bits or crushed by falling rocks surged to the front of her panicked mind. Her eyes bulged as she screamed in a primal voice.

"NO!"

The Element of Laughter awoke with a blaze of light. Pinkie's world slowed down to a crawl as the darkness of the tunnel melted away, the colors of the world intensifying with a blinding flash. The dim chiming sounded again, still playing the same low, ominous note from before from the grove. Pinkie now saw that she stood beside a shallow stream, where in the center was a single circular spot of light that shone brighter than all the rest. It beckoned to her like a warm fire on a cold winter night.

Pinkie heeded the call. As she arrived in the circle, the low, dangerous note turned bright and happy, like she had just won a prize at a fair. She turned her gaze back to Ras, who had jumped away from the hole and now flew in slow-motion through the air. She knew he wasn't going to make it; he hadn't known that Zecora used fast-burning fuses in her bombs.

Only one thought filled her mind as she concentrated on his airborne form.

You will live.

The light in Pinkie's eyes brightened, filling her irises and reflecting off the water. Ras became surrounded in an aura of blue light.

The bomb exploded with a deafening bang that was amplified by the enclosed space. It was followed by more grinding and shifting of rock as the foundations above collapsed, crushing the ooze and killing the light. For an instant, Ras felt a force behind him tear and rip at him before being banished by a soothing warmth that enveloped him like an embrace. He landed beside Pinkie and instantly dropped to the ground, covering his head and shutting his eyes.

The rocks ceased falling, and silence reigned for a time. Ras cautiously lowered his hooves and did an internal check, expecting to encounter some kind of searing pain, broken bone, or numbness from a grievous injury. He was amazed to discover there were none. Not only was he whole and unharmed, but the fatigue from walking all day had vanished, as well. He felt calm and at peace, with not even a trace of adrenaline present from the chase or explosion.

"Rassy."

He jerked at the address. Pinkie had spoken in a whisper that was laced with a faint echo. Ras's skin tingled as he looked up at her.

Pinkie's eyes were half-filled with a soothing blue light that illuminated the remains of the cavern. She was soaking wet from the large, jagged rocks that had fallen into the stream around them, causing her normally poofy mane and tail to go flat and straight. Even as an earth pony, Ras could feel the waves of magic radiating out from her like warm gusts of wind on a late spring day.

She stared at Ras with furrowed eyebrows and spoke again; her warm, earnest voice saturated with quiet power and concern.

"Are you okay?"

Ras returned her gaze for a few seconds as his face contorted with internal conflict. Finally, he sighed and got to his hooves. "I should be asking you that."

Pinkie blinked. "Me? I'm fine! You're the one that got caught in the explosion!"

Ras pursed his lips as he turned to examine one of the fallen rocks behind them. "Didn't think the fuse would burn that fast. Oh well, no harm done… thanks to you."

Pinkie looked down at her reflection in the water. Even with the ripples from the fallen rock, she could see that her eyes were glowing like a pair of nightlights. "You know what this is, don't you?"

"Yep. It—"

Ras felt another wave of light roll through him. He rolled his eyes and turned back to her. "You worry as much as Blair. You don't need to keep blasting me like that."

Pinkie's face was blank. "Blasting you with what?"

"Your Healing Power," Ras said. "I'm fine. You can turn it off."

Pinkie continued to stare at him with her half-filled eyes.

Ras sat on his haunches. "Come on, make the connection. Don't you feel anything right now?"

Feel? I don't—

Pinkie gasped as something inside her pulsed lightly in response. She closed her eyes and searched within herself, finding that the warmth was radiating out from her heart. As she mentally poked and prodded it, she realized it was like a sixth sense that had been there the entire time, but she never knew she had.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You tell me." Ras had his head turned as he poked around in his saddlebags. "Haven't you felt it before?"

Have I? It's like it's foreign and familiar at the same time. Now that you mention it, this is just like I remember from when we fought Black Snoo—er, Nightmare Moon! It was a lot stronger then, but it made everything really bright, just like now, and I felt really happy and calm, just… like… now…

Pinkie's eyes snapped open. "I—It can't be, that's just silly. There's no way it's—"

"—the Element of Laughter?" Ras finished. He pulled out a small cylindrical tube. "Of course it can. Half of its power got transferred to you when Nightmare Moon smashed its original vessel a few months ago. You're its new avatar."

Pinkie said nothing at first. She waited a few seconds, half-expecting Ras to say something else. He didn't. He simply sat in the water with a raised eyebrow, watching how she'd take in the revelation.

The Element of Laughter is… inside me? I have the power of—

Pinkie squealed with delight as her hair poofed back out. She dashed forward to Ras, picking up his forehooves and dancing in a circle.

"It is it really is it really really is!" Pinkie spun round and round, her echoing voice filling the cavern. "I saw the ooze when you threw the bomb and I panicked and everything slowed down and then I knew where the rocks were gonna fall so I went there and then I saw you were gonna get caught in the blast and get hurt and I really really really really didn't want that so I focused on you as hard as I could and it felt like I was hugging you with light and then the bomb went off and I was safe but you weren't and ohmygosh you got hurt and I healed you didn't I?!"

Ras couldn't help it. He burst out laughing as he let himself get caught up in Pinkie's excitement. He managed to free himself from her and tried to recover from the dizziness. "You're taking this better than I thought."

Pinkie giggled as she bounced all around, splashing him with each jump. "Why wouldn't I be excited? Now I can heal ponies along with my herbalism and my parties will be super-super-super—"

How does he know about this?

She stopped as the returning thought struck her. The light in her eyes dimmed as the Element of Laughter faded to a pinprick in her heart, causing absolute darkness to envelop them both.

Pinkie wrestled with the uncertainty that clawed at her mind. She looked to where she guessed Ras was and spoke in a cautious tone.

"You're not here to protect us, are you?"

She had a few ideas on how he'd react to the question: Denial, ignorance, confusion, maybe even fear. Any of those reactions would be perfectly understandable, and she was ready for something along those lines.

The last thing she expected was to hear him chuckle and reply in a sly tone.

"I already have, in a lot of ways."

There was a scraping sound as the cavern became filled with a dull red. Ras held the end of the cylindrical tube which created just enough light for them to see each other. His face was half concealed by shadow as he looked at Pinkie with a mischievous smirk.

Pinkie breath caught in her chest. "Who are you?"

Ras set the flare down on a rock. "I'm a lot of things. Some of which you know me to be, and others that you don't. Detailed explanations are gonna have to wait though; in case you hadn't noticed we're kinda in a jam here. So for now, I'll have to ask you a question in return."

Ras swept his dripping mane behind his back, stepped up to Pinkie, and knelt down before her with his gaze to the ground.

"Bearer of Laughter, wilt thou place thy trust in me?"

Whoa, cool! He's like those fancy ponies in that one play I saw! Pinkie giggled. "Are you really from the Royal Guard?"

"Aye milady," Ras said, keeping his eyes on the water. "Served the Crowns I have for two and twenty years."

Twenty-two?! I thought he was around my age! He must use some really good age cream or something.Pinkie wrinkled her brow. "How old are you?"

She watched as his shoulders shook with more laughter. "Many answers there are to that, as well. Though in any answer, one fact still holds true."

"What's that?"

She watched the sly smirk reappear on face in the reflection of the water. "I am thine elder."

"Oooh, aren't you a sneaky-sneak." Pinkie splashed a bit of water at him. "I knew there was something funny about you."

"Thou hast not answered mine query." Ras's voice was tinged with amusement. "Wilt thou trust thy humble servant?"

Zecora said she didn't trust him, now I know why! He really does seem nice though, and he could've left me back there to those oozy-things. Pinkie looked around the cavern for a moment before answering. "Only if you make me a Pinkie Promise."

"Thy conditions are amicable."

She hesitated as she remembered what 'amicable' meant. "When we get out of here, you'll tell me what's really going on."

Ras stiffened. "By my troth, I may say I was sent to you by Her Majesty, and I have thy best interests at heart. Though not much more may I share, for already have I sworn another oath. Thou wilt have to consult thy superiors if thou wishest to know more."

Pinkie's face assumed the rare expression of stoicism. Superiors? Does he mean the Princesses? They know about this and haven't said anything, but they sent guards… to… ahhh, it's a red herring. He's not protecting me; he's watching for when and how the Element of Laughter's power manifests. Wait… if this is happening to me, then the oth–sweet sugary strudels. Looks like Rassy's not the only one around here who's a sneaky-sneak. I wonder what kind of powers they h—oh ho ho, I could have fun with this; I think I'll play along for now.

Pinkie put on a convincing smile and nodded. "All right, Mr. Fancy-Talk. I'll trust you. You can go back to normal now."

Ras asked as he got to his hooves. "What, you don't like Old Equestrian Grammar?"

"It's hard to pick apart what you're saying half the time." Pinkie watched him retrieve the flare. "One thing, though. This was supposed to be a secret, wasn't it? Why're you telling me now?"

Ras rolled the flare in his hooves. "You were gonna find out in a few months anyway. With us going into the forest so much though, I knew something like this would happen. I figured the truth would be easier to explain than some other reason for why an earth pony all of a sudden has glowy eyes and can do magic."

I'm kinda curious to see what would've come up with. Pinkie bit her lip. "You're not gonna get in trouble, are you?"

Ras shrugged. "Blair can throw ice spikes at me all he wants. I'm not gonna keep a secret when your powers are the only way I see to get out of this mess."

Pinkie cocked her head. "How's Healing gonna get us out of here?"

Ras winked. "That's not all you have. You have another power too: Luck."

Luck? How wou—thaaaaaat's what the chiming and the light was. He's right; if it warns me of danger, I can see the safe way to get out of here! Pinkie raised her eyebrows."How does that one work?"

"It was explained to me as 'the ability to sense and avoid misfortune.'" Ras raised a hoof to his chin. "You said something about knowing where the rocks were gonna fall. How'd it show you?"

Pinkie gave a toothy smile. "I heard a sound like a scary bell and then the spot we're in now got brighter than everywhere else."

"Good enough," Ras said. "So here's our situation: We're in what used to be the Dawn River Passageway. It runs underneath the entire city and comes out around the place where you and your friends came here the first time. Judging by the running water we're in now and the spray I saw coming up out of the chasm when we were up on the cliff, I'd say it still does."

How does he—no point, he Pinkie Promised somepony else. I already said I'd trust him anyways. Pinkie nodded and let him continue.

"Now, the passageway itself may be too blocked for us to get through, but there's another system of tunnels that goes under the entire city that were used for… a lot of things." Ras met Pinkie's gaze. "There's an entranceway going into them not far from here, and if it isn't collapsed, we can use it to get out of here."

Pinkie ignored the faint voice in the back of her head that was screaming something about an elephant and forced herself to look innocently clueless. "So what's the problem?"

Ras glanced to the side. "It looks like the ruins have been infested by Forest Oozes. There's a good chance we'll run into more of them down here, and if we do, there won't be anywhere to run."

Okay, this one I really don't understand. I've never seen Zecora so scared as when that first one came out. Pinkie frowned. "Why're you so scared of them? They're just blobs."

Ras shuddered. "Blobs of flesh-eating acid, you mean. Oozes are essentially nature's janitors; devouring anything and everything that isn't a plant or a rock."

Something didn't match up. Pinkie looked up at the rubble where they had come in. "That first one ate a few sticks, though."

"Pinkie…"

Ras's face was gaunt and tight as she looked back at him. He lowered his chin, causing his eyes to be veiled by the darkness.

"Those weren't sticks."

Pinkie took a step back. "You mean—"

"—if you manifest your Luck power, you should be able to see the safest way through the passageways," Ras said pointedly. "Hopefully that will make us avoid any 'unfortunate' pitfalls along the way."

He said the War of the Sun and Moon wasn't pretty. He really wasn't kidding, was he? Pinkie swallowed hard. "How do I do it?"

"Your powers are fueled by the emotions that the Element of Laughter embodies, as well as a desire to alleviate pain and suffering." Ras raised the flare and looked around. "Focus on those things, and it'll respond… I think."

Pinkie nodded and concentrated, finding the pinprick of light in her heart. It quivered at her touch.

"Oh, one more thing."

Pinkie opened her eyes. "Hmm?"

Ras wore a grimace as he spoke. "Don't go overboard. The reason why we weren't supposed to tell you is because your powers aren't fully developed. You're going to hurt yourself if you push too hard."

Something in Ras's voice made Pinkie's lips twitch. "Do I have anything other powers besides Healing and Luck?"

Ras looked away. "Let's concentrate on one thing at a time here."

Pinkie tilted her head with a playful smirk as she took a step towards him. "Rassy..."

He shook his head as he fought against the rebellious corners of his mouth. "I don't want you to get distracted trying something you can't do yet."

Pinkie went puppy-eyed and curled her lower lip as she approached him. "Come onnnnn. Can you leeeeeast give me a hint?"

Ras's shoulders slumped as his resolve caved. He met her eyes with an excited grin. "You any good at singing?"

"I love to sing!" Pinkie replied. "Why—"

Ras stared at her with a deadpan expression.

Oooooh! Pinkie jumped in the air. "I wanna—"

"Escape now, explore untapped potential later."

( * * * )

Pinkie needed a few minutes of concentration in order to coax out the Element of Laughter. It crept out with the speed of a snail, slowly filling her body with warmth and shining like a steady lantern in her heart. The darkness faded away again in her perspective as her pupils became filled with a sparkling blue. A pathway of light stretched out before her, going across the stream and into where she could now see the remains of an archway half-filled by debris.

Pinkie pointed at the road of light. "Can you see it?"

Ras raised the flare. "What, the other side?"

That'd be a no. Pinkie walked forward. "This way."

She led Ras across the stream and climbed over the debris, taking care to test her steps before moving on. As she did, she noticed that she was accompanied by a pleasant background of musical notes. She stopped as she got to the top, swaying back and forth in tune to the beat.

"Uh, Pinkie?" Ras said as he watched her erratic movement. "What're you doing?"

She turned back to him and helped him climb. "Can't hear the melody, either?"

Ras stood still as he twitched his ears, then shook his head.

Pinkie slid down the other side and into a narrow corridor two ponies wide and made of dark sandstone. "You know, now that I think about it, I always hear happy music! It's just really really faint."

Ras looked down at her from atop the mound of debris. "And you didn't think anything of it?"

"Everypony gets tunes stuck in their head!" Pinkie defended. "I just figured I had an overactive imagination!"

"You'd get along well with Ace." Ras jumped down after her.

Pinkie put her trust in her new abilities and walked on without fear. The darkness faded away at her approach, letting her see as well as if she was out on a sunny day. The music filled her ears as she jaunted down the path.

"Where now?"

Pinkie snapped back to attention as she realized the path split in two. One path went to the north, the other to the northeast. The path of light followed the latter.

Pinkie hesitated as curiosity got the better of her. With utmost care, she lifted one hoof off the lucky road and took one tiny step on the northern path.

The music ceased as a single sharp, dangerous note rang in her ears with the force of a gong.

It took all Pinkie had to keep from screaming out in pain and surprise. She turned around and forcibly pushed Ras down the northeastern path.

"Hey! What—"

"This way, definitely this way!"

The path continued on in the same direction for a few minutes before turning fully again to the north. The Song of Luck resumed in Pinkie's ears as they continued, but the deafening note still reverberated and made her stay alert. Her train of thought switched tracks to assume a more analytical destination.

So he knows about my Element and my powers, was sent by the Princesses, talks funny, is older than me, and is sworn to secrecy. To quote Granny Pie, 'I smell me some shenanigans.' Royal shenanigans, at that! He did say I could go to the Princesses if I really wanted to know… nah, what's the fun in that? This is almost like a game, and if it is, then it'd be a shame to spoil it. Still though, I wanna know more than this, so how do I get Rassy to tell me? I know! If I get him to talk about himself, he might let something else slip.

Pinkie spoke over her shoulder. "I didn't know you knew how to use explosives."

"Norric showed me how," Ras said casually. "I don't think you've met him, he's one of the members of my platoon."

And probably another sneaky-sneak. Pinkie shook her head. "When did Zecora give you one of her bombs?"

Ras cracked his neck. "She didn't. That clicking sound was driving me nuts, so I went through her saddlebags to see what it was."

Oh, well it was a good thi—wait, what?!Pinkie whirled around. "You stole it?!"

"Borrowed," he corrected. "Thought it might come in handy."

Pinkie narrowed her glowing eyes. "You're a big meanie!"

A red outline formed around Ras at her words, and a piece of the ceiling fell on his head with a clunk. He staggered back comically as he fell to his knees.

Pinkie hoof flew to her mouth. She stared his crumpled form for a moment before rushing to him. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay?"

Ras gave a pained laugh. "Thought you said you'd trust me."

"I do!" Pinkie defended. "Why would you say that?"

"Your Luck power has two functions." Ras rubbed the spot on his head with the rock had hit him. "It makes allies lucky… and enemies unlucky."

Pinkie blinked as she realized what the red outline meant. "I'm just mad at you for stealing!" she said quickly. "I don't think you're an enemy!"

Ras looked up at her through his eyelashes. "Your words are patronizing, but your powers aren't."

Pinkie bit her lip. "Okay, I might still be a liiiiittle itty-bitty leery of you, and now I find out you're stealing!"

Ras leaned against the wall as he eyed the ceiling. "Like it or not, that bomb saved our lives. If I hadn't swiped it, we'd both be ooze soup."

She winced as the weight of his words hit her. He's right. It may have been wrong for stealing, but I don't know how else we could've closed the tunnel. He may be hiding things, but he's said he was a friend and I believe him! Stop it, Element!

Ras's outline flickered, slowly shifting back to a blue that blended in with his coat.

"I'm soooooo sorry!" Pinkie said as she helped him up. "I guess don't have full control over this."

"Figured as much," he said. "If it makes you feel any better, I was gonna put it back if I didn't need it."

"You still shouldn't have stolen it," Pinkie admonished. "She would've just given it to you if you'd asked!"

Ras tried to hide his smirk by looking at the floor. "That I very much doubt."

Pinkie couldn't see his face, but heard the disbelief in his voice. "Why not?"

"Zecora's pretty sharp." Ras picked up the rock that'd hit him and tossed it down the tunnel. "Probably has some experience with ponies of my skill set back in the Flatlands. She knew what I was first time she laid eyes on me."

Now we're getting somewhere. The path turned to the east as they continued on side by side. "And what are you, exactly?"

Ras snorted. "Officially, they call me a specialist. My fancy title is 'Covert Operative,' but I've never been a fan of mincing words. No matter how you slice it, a thief's a thief."

Pinkie gasped. "You really are a big meanie! You're a nasty-sneaky-undeserving-grabby-taker!"

Ras quickly looked up at to see if another rock would fall. The ceiling remained intact, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "You know, I've been called a lot of things, but that one's a first. I'll have you know I'm the nicest nasty-sneaky-undeserving-grabby-taker you'll ever meet."

"That's like saying you're the nicest ooze I'll ever meet!" Pinkie stuck out her tongue. "How can you think its right to take things that aren't yours?"

Ras was silent for a time. The path began to curve until they were going west. "It's not a matter of what's right," he said. "It's a matter of what's necessary."

"Necessary?" Pinkie echoed. "Why would it be necessary to steal?"

"Not everypony comes from providing family." Ras ran a hoof along the wall. "And one meal a day doesn't really cut it for a growing colt. Hunger's a pretty powerful motivator, and I had to resort to alternative means to appease it."

One meal a day?! Not even my family was that poor! It may have just been bread and water a few times, but we always had three meals. Pinkie's voice went soft. "I didn't think you were stealing to eat. That's a little more understandable."

"Well… that's how it started," Ras admitted. "Every now and then, I'd see some high and mighty noble come into the market, strutting his stuff and dressed up like a prissy peacock. I figured anypony who's that rich and stupid isn't gonna miss a few bits… or a few dozen… or his entire purse…"

"Rassy!" Pinkie swatted his shoulder.

He took the blow without protest. "You lived on a rock farm before you came to Ponyville, right?"

Pinkie jerked. "How'd you—"

"Personnel file." Ras helped her climb over a pile of rubble that filled the corridor before it turned again to the north. "I have no idea what that kind of work that is, but how hard was life for you growing up?"

"Hard enough that I left as soon as I could so my family could eat more than bare bones," Pinkie replied. She jumped over a hole in the floor, landing with a clippity-clop on the other side. Ras followed after her.

They now stood in a half-collapsed triangular room with three possible passageways leading on. One went to the northwest, another straight ahead to the north, and the last went to the northeast. Ras hung back as he let Pinkie choose their path. "Let me ask you this then: if there was a way that you could use your talents to let them live in comfort, would you do it?"

"I already do." Pinkie unerringly followed the road of light down the northwest path. "I send home the money I earn from being a party organizer every month."

Ras nodded as he followed behind her. "I tried to do the same thing. It just wasn't enough."

So he went from stealing food so he could eat to stealing money so he could help his family. There had to have been a better way than that! The pathway gently sloped upward as the walls turned a lighter shade of gray. "Why was your family poor anyway?"

Ras barked out a harsh laugh. "In a nutshell? My father's an idiot."

Pinkie shot him a reproachful glare. "That's not a very nice thing to say!"

Ras sneered. "Would you call somepony that gambles away all his money and then can't buy food for his family an idiot?"

Oh… um, yeah. Wow, that's…. Pinkie shuffled. "I suppose that's a pretty idiotic thing to do."

Ras sighed. "My dad had a mountain of gambling debts that he had no way of repaying, and when he found out I was good at stealing, he asked me if I wanted to 'help the family.'"

And then he was stuck doing it. Aww, poor Rassy. Pinkie spoke in a quiet tone."Did you ever get caught?"

Ras raised his chin. "I've been stealing since I was six. Not to brag or anything, but I'm kinda good at it. First thing you learn is how to cover your tracks. After that, you figure out how to recognize safe targets, and you never make a move unless you have a backup plan. Unlike most thieves though, I had standards: I never stole from the poor, I never stole more than one thing at a time, and I never chose the same target twice."

The path leveled out as they entered a rectangular room where the floor had caved in, stretching out into a yawning darkness. Pinkie could see that the hole went down several dozen feet before ending in a pile of jagged rocks. The path of light went along the edge of the hole to their right, which was just wide enough for them to continue on single file. She kept her voice casual as she went first. "Did you manage to pay back your dad's debts?"

Ras eyed the pit before following carefully behind her. "In order to fill a hole, you need to stop digging. I'm pretty sure I repaid the original amount he owed ten times over, but as soon as he paid back one debt, he went and made another one. I don't know how many times he told me 'last one, I promise.'"

He facehooved as Pinkie scrambled up into a hole in the wall. "Who's the bigger idiot: him for squandering away his money or me for believing his lies?"

Pinkie's voice echoed from within the hole. "You were just trying to help!"

Ras shook his head as he climbed up into the hole with a grunt, having a harder time due to his slightly larger frame. "I never liked stealing. At first it was just so that I wouldn't go hungry, but then Dad starting taking bigger and bigger chances and wound up owing more and more. I finally realized it was never gonna end, and I had to get away from him. So soon as I turned eighteen I moved out, got a real job, and tried to go straight."

The tunnel turned to the left and then opened up into a proper passageway. Ras's head poked out, but found that the rest of him was stuck. He wiggled and struggled as he tried to get free. Pinkie grabbed onto his head, pulling with all her might. Ras came free and tumbled out of the hole, landing on Pinkie as they fell to the ground together in a jumble of manes and hooves.

Pinkie giggled as she helped him up. "What do you mean, 'tried'?"

Ras picked the cobwebs out of his mane. "You can't stay away from family for long. When we eventually crossed paths, the first thing that came out of his mouth wasn't 'Good to see you,' or 'How've you been,' it was 'I need your help again.' I'd just gotten out, put it all behind me, and here he was trying to suck me back in again. I didn't take it very well."

The corridor and the path of light continued on to the north as Pinkie led on. "What happened?" she asked.

"We had an argument," Ras said simply. "The gist of which was that he didn't care that I was trying to build an honest life, and I didn't care that he was an idiot. He tried to throw a lot of things in my face about an obligation to family, but they were the same lines he'd been feeding me for years, and at that point they didn't even phase me anymore. I finally told him that I wasn't going to help him, and it'd be the last time we'd ever speak if he ever asked again."

Uh-oh, that can't have been good. Pinkie pursed her lips."What'd he do?"

"He gave me an ultimatum of his own," Ras said through gritted teeth. "He said if I didn't help him, he'd turn me in to the authorities."

They were just about to enter a new room. Pinkie stopped in the corridor and turned back to him. "He really wouldn't have—"

Ras flared his nostrils. "It was an empty threat. Like I said, the first thing you learn as a thief is how to cover your tracks. He had nothing on me and we both knew it, but that wasn't the point." He walked past her into the blank, featureless room, pacing back and forth as he continued in a rising voice.

"How many times had I risked my neck for him, only inches and seconds away from being caught, one false move away from getting my nose smashed in, hauled away to jail or worse, all to help put food on the table because he was too much of a pathetic, selfish, weaseling, useless wastrel?! And after all of that, after years of bailing him out of his jams and fixing his mistakes, he has the audacity to try and betray me when the whole reason I was doing it the first place was for him?! He'd made our family suffer, used me like a tool for years, and now shows that he never cared about me in the first place?! How darehe—"

Ras went to the far wall, raising his back legs to strike it as hard as he could. He only remembered himself at the last minute, holding back his strike and hitting the wall with a soft tap. He let his legs fall to the floor as he hung his head, his shoulders sagging as he sat down on his haunches.

Pinkie walked up to him and put a hoof on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Rassy."

Ras didn't look up as he spoke in a soft, strained tone. "Some ponies are so blind to their own faults and mistakes that they turn around and blame their misfortune on others instead of realizing they're the ones who need to change. I knew how desperate he must've been to try and use that, but I didn't care; you don't try to blackmail your own son. He'd dug his own grave, and now he was just trying to bury me with him. I felt used, betrayed, and most of all, filled with blinding rage."

Ras swallowed hard as his breathing became forced and controlled. "And… in the thrall of that rage… I did something I'm not proud of."

Pinkie took a step back from him. His outline darkened dangerously for a moment before she got a grip on her anxiety. She spoke in a whisper. "What?"

Ras didn't flinch as he met Pinkie's luminant eyes. "I set him up. He was trying to get me to rob a bank, and I pretended to agree to it. On the night of the heist, I anonymously tipped off the authorities, planted evidence in his house, called in some favors for some eyewitnesses, and tied myself up as a hostage. He got caught red-hooved, took the entire fall, and was hauled off to jail. I was never even a suspect."

Pinkie's jaw dropped. "You got away with it?!"

"Wasn't even the hardest con I've pulled." Ras crossed his hooves. "Who would you have believed: a hard working model citizen with a spotless record or a penniless gambling addict with a history of involvement in illegal acts?"

He did that to his own father?! How could—he didn't really have any other choice, did he? His dad was trying to get him to do super-bad things all because he kept throwing away his money and was using him! What else could he have—wait, if he framed his dad, then why is…

Pinkie lowered her chin. "You just blabbed a pretty big secret."

Ras laughed as he got to his hooves. "This is all ancient history, Pinkie. The Princess granted me a boon in recognition for my services to the Crowns a while back. I told her what happened, requested she pardon my transgressions, and then drop the charges against my father."

The two of them walked out of the room and into a new corridor, which went on for several paces before turning to the west. "Did she do it?" Pinkie asked.

"Her Majesty is as benevolent as she is powerful." Ras fervently lowered his head. "Not only did she grant my request, she also voided my father's debts and moved him from prison into rehab."

Well now at least he won't hurt anypony.Pinkie looked down the corridor to see that they were entering another room. The northern pathways had caved in, but the path of light beckoned her to the southwest. "Have you seen him since?"

"No," Ras said immediately, "and I never want to. I'm glad he's not in prison, but I've had enough of him for two lifetimes."

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that," Pinkie said.

Ras gave a heavy sigh. "You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family. It's not easy to watch them hurt themselves, and you try to do everything you can to help them, but ultimately you can't do a thing if they don't think they have a problem. Blair helped me to see that."

Oh yeah, he'd said that he was buddies with him or something. Pinkie kicked at a pebble. "Blair seemed nice. How long have you known him?"

Ras scrunched his eyebrows. "When did you talk with him?"

Pinkie reached over and ruffled his mane. "Silly, he was there at the picnic last week, remember? How'd you guys meet?"

Ras chuckled as the corridor widened and went on to the west. "I prefer his version of the story." Ras cleared his throat and plugged his nose. "We both got mistakenly involved in a dispute with some unsavory individuals that quickly escalated to hostile levels. We found ourselves ill-at-odds and so formed an alliance to achieve to a desirable outcome."

I… think that means… okay, I got nothing. Pinkie blinked several times as she stared at Ras, who burst out laughing.

"We started a bar brawl," Ras said with a snicker. "It was late one Friday night and we were in separate corners of the room, just minding our own business and not being rowdy or anything. I was playing cards with a group of ponies and Blair was at the counter by himself."

Ras stopped for a moment as Pinkie squeezed through a half-collapsed archway. He had to get up on his hind legs to edge through after her. "A group of stallions came in from another bar, already drunk and looking for trouble. One of them was this big burly guy with legs like a tree trunk and a face only a mother could love. For no reason, he stormed over to Blair, whipped him around, screamed 'you look like the guy who stole my mare,' and decked him upside the head."

Pinkie snorted as Ras came through. He saw that they were in an uneven room filled with scattered debris. Pinkie was making a zigzagging path through as she continued to the south.

"Normally," Ras continued, "Blair's a calm, collected guy. But like I was saying to Vigil, he's different when he's drunk and he wasn't exactly sober when that guy punched him. He didn't say a word; he just got a look of cold murder in his eyes, turned around with the force of the hit and bucked the poor sap across the room… which is where he crashed into me."

Pinkie ceased her zigzagging as the path of light turned down a moss-covered corridor to the west. "And that's how you got involved?" she asked.

Ras raised his eyes to the ceiling as he tried to hide a guilty smile. "You could say that. I'd been cheating in the card game I was in, and the ponies I was playing against could be described as… interesting. They weren't very happy when all my hidden cards got sent flying."

"I thought you were trying to go straight!" Pinkie admonished.

"This was an exception," Ras said. "The guys had stolen money from one of my co-workers, so I was teaching them a lesson. I'd learned enough about the dangers of gambling though, so I had no intention of losing. If Blair hadn't gone gung ho I would've been fine, but thanks to that I found myself facing the wrong end of five very pointy daggers."

Pinkie unconsciously looked back at Ras to check for any evidence of scars or wounds, but then giggled. Now who's the silly one? Even if he had been hurt I already healed him! She shook her head. "So what happened?"

Ras silently shook with laughter. "The bar dissolved into chaos. Blair and I both wound up fighting five guys and got pushed to the middle of the bar. We turned to each other and without missing a beat, switched groups and kept going. We cleared a path through the mob, got to the door and high-tailed it out of there just as the authorities came. After that we just kinda started hanging out every week… at a different bar, of course."

I'd imagine you wouldn't want to show your faces after starting a big-ol free-for-all punch-fest like that.The path opened in a room that stretched on to the north and south. Pinkie followed the road to the north."Was Blair the one who talked you into joining the military?"

Ras squinted as he adopted an odd, nostalgic smile. "No. That was due to another set of 'extenuating circumstances.' Let's just say that depending on how you look at it, I was either at the wrong place at the right time, or the right place at the wrong time."

Pinkie was about to ask what he meant when she realized she was face to face with a wall. Ras almost bumped into her as she jumped back.

"What's up?"

Pinkie looked all around, checking to see if she'd missed something. "The road stops here."

"Stops?" Ras repeated.

Pinkie nodded. "It just cuts off."

Ras walked up and inspected the wall. It was made of dark moss-covered stone and looked the same as all the others. The only notable feature was a few cobwebs that hung in the ceiling above.

Ras put his ear to the wall and tapped it. An odd, hollow sound resonated from within. He raised an eyebrow as he took a step back.

"Never knew about this," he muttered.

He put his back to the wall and bucked as hard as he could. A dull cracking sound resonated as a seam became visible in the wall.

Pinkie realized what was happening and went to stand beside Ras. He nodded his approval and sounded off a count.

"One, two, three!"

Ras and Pinkie bucked the wall together, causing it fall away and collapse in a mound of rubble. A passageway became revealed that continued on to the north. The path of light went in, as well.

Pinkie clapped her hooves. "This is so cool!"

Ras coughed as he cleared the dust. "Not bad, not bad at all."

The walls and ceiling transitioned to smooth limestone as they continued down the path. Ras's range of vision increased as the glow of the flare reflected off the new lighter rock. The pathway came to an end at a short set of stairs, which was blocked by an old, rusted grate.

Ras grunted and heaved and he pushed at the obstruction, but his efforts were fruitless. He stepped away and looked to Pinkie.

"Any ideas?"

Pinkie looked around for moment before doing a double take. She saw a block in the wall that shone brighter than the rest. She went over and pressed it.

There was a click, followed by a pop as the grate was freed from its hinges. Ras shook his head as he pushed it open.

"What I would've given to had you around back in the day."

Pinkie stamped a hoof. "I wouldn't have helped you steal!"

Ras waggled his eyebrows as he ascended up the stairs.

They found themselves in a vast, underground room lined with tall hexagonal pillars. Dim shafts of light filtered in from grates high above in the vaulted ceiling, similar to the one they had just come in from. Spindly metal braziers dotted the room, each of them covered in a thick layer of cobwebs and dust. The sickly green walls were filled with several deep recesses, each of them filled with a large, ornate stone box. A golden plaque etched with markings in a thin script rested beneath each one.

"What is this place?" Pinkie whispered. The place had an eerie stillness to it that made her hair stand on end.

Ras didn't reply. He stood with his back turned a few feet away from her. He slowly walked over to one of the recesses in the wall.

Pinkie remained where she was as she watched him examine the stone box a moment before lowering his head. He read the words of the plaque aloud, his voice sounding unnaturally loud in the deathly silence.

"Here lies Paladin the First, Knight-Grandmaster and Founder of the Solar Guard. May his selfless deeds and unshakable valor shine on through the hearts of future generations."

Ras reverently bowed to the coffin before turning to Pinkie. "We're in the Royal Crypts beneath the old castle. This is where high ranking military officers and ponies of notable deeds were buried."

We're beneath the castle? I didn't know we'd gone that far! Then that means that all of the boxes are… got it, special place, be respectful. Pinkie held back a sneeze as the dust tickled her nose. "What's the Solar Guard?"

Ras turned away from Paladin's resting place and continued along the wall, inspecting the plaques as he went. "Before the War of the Sun and Moon, Celestia and Luna each had a personal contingent of knights that they considered to be the finest in the military. Celestia's was the Solar Guard; Luna's was the Astral Guard."

That sounds kinda like what we have now, except it's just the Royal Guard. I wonder if they'll do something like that again now that Luna's back? Pinkie realized that there wasn't a road of light anymore, just a vague circle that moved along with her. "Before? What happened during?"

Ras hesitated as he sucked on his teeth. "You heard what I said earlier about Blair tending to ramble, right?"

Pinkie thought back to earlier in the day. "You said something about Nightmare Moon corrupting her soldiers. Was that really true?"

Ras face turned grim as he nodded. "Vigil's the one who doesn't know what he's talking about. Luna's transformation into Nightmare Moon also turned her half of the military into crazed, malicious monsters. The Astral Guard was the worst of all, and they usually led the battles while Nightmare Moon and Celestia fought each other."

I've never heard any of this. The only thing I remember from school about the War of the Sun and Moon was that it's the reason why Canterlot got rebuilt. Is he making all this up? Pinkie kept her voice even. "Is that how Canterlot got destroyed?"

Ras kept his gaze on the plaques. "They did most of the damage, yeah. Not as much as they could have, though."

"Why?" Pinkie asked. "Did the Solar Guard stop them?"

"Afraid not." Ras's ears drooped. "The Solar Guard was slaughtered by Nightmare Moon while trying to protect Celestia in the first battle."

Pinkie's stomach dropped out. "Then who?"

Ras underwent a subtle change at the question. His posture straightened as he turned to Pinkie with a fierce look in his eyes.

"On that night, the night Luna fell, while the Celestia held off the nascent Nightmare Moon, a group of low-ranking soldiers that had survived initial onslaught banded together and fought off the Astral Guard."

"Fought off?" Pinkie repeated. "You mean they just bought some time or something, so Celestia could push them away?"

"No." A cocky smile formed on Ras's lips. "Celestia had her hooves full with Nightmare Moon. The soldiers defeated the Astral Guard all by themselves."

Pinkie's eyes went wide. "Wow, cool!"

"Nightmare Moon was enraged," Ras said with a dark laugh. "When she realized what happened, she broke away from Celestia and tried to attack the soldiers instead. In doing so however, she gave Celestia an opening which she took. She blasted Nightmare Moon out of the city, and then for good measure, her troops as well."

I don't care if he's making this up, this is a good story! Pinkie nodded vigorously. "So what happened after?"

Ras spoke in a strong, confident tone. "Celestia was amazed that a group of noponys had just gone hoof-to-hoof with an entire contingent of vicious killing machines. And while she grieved over the loss over the Solar Guard, she realized she needed something to replace them. So she took the twelve ponies, knighted them on the spot, and formed them into a new order. That order then went on to repel the Astral Guard in every battle they appeared in, saved hundreds of lives, and played a vital part in winning the War."

Pinkie leaned forward as she hung on his every word. "What were they called?!"

Ras smiled. "The Order—"

He stopped as he noticed something on the far end of the room. He squinted for a moment as his lips slowly parted. He trotted forward, leaving Pinkie behind.

"Rassy?"

He didn't reply. Pinkie followed as he walked to the northwestern edge of the room, stopping before a large door made of smooth, polished obsidian. On it was a circle divided into twelve halves, each of which was emblazoned with a peculiar colored symbol. Ras wordlessly approached, searching for a moment before finding a pull-ring inlaid in the center. The door resisted for a moment before inching open. Pinkie watched as Ras got the door wide enough to slip through, his tail disappearing inside with a flick.

She followed him inside, and now found that she was in a narrow corridor made of silver glass. The same symbols etched on the door were on the walls, each one of them colored in a different kind of stone. Pinkie glanced at each one as she passed, her gaze hovering over a particular one: a pair of horizontal, jagged indigo lines.

Pinkie gasped as she came into a room with a low ceiling. Down a small set of stairs and lined up in two rows of six were twelve jewel-encrusted silver tombs, each one of them inlaid with a symbol and a shining golden plaque.

Pinkie stood beside Ras, whose face was impassive as he stared at the tombs. He finished the name of the order in a whisper that carried through the chamber.

"—of the Zodiac."

Pinkie's jaw dropped. She went down the stairs, walking among the tombs and inspecting the plaques.

He really was telling the truth… yep, they all say it. Gemini, Taurus, Scorpio, Sagittarius… I've never heard of any of these names. Why were they buried here instead of new Canterlot? Did they all die in the War?

Pinkie didn't notice that Ras had come down the stairs behind her and was now examining the tomb in the back right hand corner.

I remember Twilight saying something last week about there's not a lot of stuff about this War. I'll bet this is why. Nopony's gonna trust Luna if they find out that she turned her soldiers into monsters and killed civilians.

Pinkie's 'think-think-think' mode drowned out the soft click and scraping sound that came from her right.

If she was like that before, could she go crazy again? Hmm… no, I don't think so; we zapped her pretty good with the Elements. Now that I think about what she was like before we saved her though, I can believe what Ras is saying. She was so cold and lonely, filled with bitterness, anguish and hate. My heart almost broke when I felt hers. I've never felt anypony in so much pain, and I never want to again.

The Element of Laughter flared in response to her emotions. She twitched as the light in her eyes filled her irises and emitted a wave of blue light.

Ahhh, I set it off! I'm gonna have to get used to this. Calm down, Pinkie, calm down. I see why Rassy was worr—

"You can't bring back the dead."

Pinkie looked over at Ras, who was watching her with a solemn look. "Not even Her Majesty can do that."

Pinkie took deep breaths as she quelled the Element and walked over to him. "I wasn't trying to, I just—"

She was suddenly hit by a wave of fatigue. She stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

"Whoa there," Ras said as he quickly caught her. "I told you not to push too hard."

Owieeee… A dull throbbing pressure had formed in the back of Pinkie's head, making her feel woozy and drained. She noticed something odd about the tomb Ras had been looking at.

"This one's plaque is missing."

"I know," Ras said. "Don't worry about that, though. You've gotten us this far, I can take it from here."

"How do you know where to go?" she asked as Ras led them out of the chamber.

"Your Luck power led us here," Ras said simply. "There has to be an exit somewhere."

The two of them walked out of the silver chamber and back into the Crypts. Ras let Pinkie rest against a pillar for a few minutes while he inspected the area. A few minutes later he returned with a smile on his face, saying that he'd found a way up and out to the surface. She let him lead the way without protest, and ten minutes later Ras kicked open a rusted gate as they stepped out into the sunshine and remains of the castle courtyard.

Pinkie was feeling a little better by now and could walk on her own. As she followed behind Ras, a lingering thought from Vigil's outburst nagged at her. She tilted her head.

"Hey, Rassy?"

He stopped and looked back at her inquiringly.

She met his eyes. "Nightmare Moon's soldiers weren't banished to the Changeling Wastes, were they?"

Ras pursed his lips. "Why do you say that?"

Rassy, Rassy, Rassy. I just found out that Celestia is covering up a War so that Luna will actually have a chance to start over. Why do you think I'm a little suspicious of the rest of the story? Pinkie wet her lips. "Viggy was too mad too notice, but I saw. You looked shocked, like he'd said something really rude."

Ras scoffed as he looked out over the courtyard. "The Princess is a kind, loving soul. She wouldn't damn anypony to such a terrible fate… not even the Changelings."

Not… even… what? Pinkie frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ras closed his lips for a moment as he licked his teeth. "Nightmare Moon's corrupting magic granted her soldiers a form of twisted immortality. They could be wounded, disabled, even dismembered, but so long as their mistress still existed they could never truly die. There was no real place to put such vile, terrible creatures, and Celestia couldn't even try to do anything until Nightmare Moon was freed again. So she made a new place for them instead: A multilayered prison of sorts, guarded by powerful enchantments in a pocket dimension. Separate from our world, but connected at the same time."

Why does that sound familiar to something I've heard before? Pinkie rubbed her head as she tried to recall the story. "Does the place have a name?"

Ras's expression darkened as he spoke the word in a hushed tone. "Tartarus."

Pinkie flinched. "Tartarus is real?!"

"As the ground you stand on." Ras lowered his gaze to the ground. "Most ponies think it's just an old story to scare children or something to swear by. If only we were so lucky."

"Well…" Pinkie said slowly, "even if it's real, and it really is where all the nasty old soldiers from the War of the Sun and Moon were imprisoned, it must be empty now since Nightmare Moon's gone!"

Ras watched as Pinkie closed her eyes as she moved again to an unheard tune. His face contorted as he raised his hoof and opened his mouth to speak.

He then quickly looked away, lowering his hoof and letting his breath out in a sigh.

"Yeah," he said. "She's gone, all right."

Pinkie stopped her bobbing as the dizziness threatened to return. She opened her eyes and regained her bearings. "We really saved the day, didn't we?"

Ras nodded as they crossed the castle courtyard. "You really did."

( * * * )

The two of them navigated out of the castle and came out beside the bridge over the chasm they had seen from the cliffside. Ras reached inside his bags as he got to the edge, pulling out another flare with a small metallic device.

"So what are you going to do?" Ras asked as he loaded the flare.

Pinkie watched as he closed the device with a click. "About telling the others about all this?"

Ras nodded. "I can't stop you. I'm under orders not to interfere with your life."

There's more going on here than Rassy's telling me, but it sounds like we were gonna find out about all this pretty soon anyways. This just means is that I get to be in on the surprise! I don't like that the Princess trying to cover up what Luna did, but I guess I can't blame her. Celestia's working really hard to let Luna have a second chance, I'm not going to be the one who messes that up. Hehe, wouldn't make much sense to tell ponies anyway; all it'll mean is more work for me!

Pinkie looked out over the chasm to the Dawn River below. "The girls are gonna find out soon, right?"

Ras raised the device into the air. "If they don't find out on their own, then in around two months or so."

Pinkie gave a devious smirk. "This is gonna be a doozy of a surprise, and it'd be a shame to spoil it. I can wait that long."

"Fair enough." Ras looked up in the air and took aim.

"I do have onnnnnne condition, though."

He looked down at her. "Which is?"

Pinkie was bouncing up and down. "You gotta tell me what powers the other girls have. I'm dying to know!"

Ras laughed. "I think I can do that."

The flare shot high up into the air and ignited with a pop. A few moments later, a second flare shot up from the other side of the ruins. Ras and Pinkie walked along the edge of the chasm as they went to rejoin Vigil and Zecora.

"I'll start with Magic," Ras said. "Her first one is…"