Rarity awoke to notice that she felt sort of sweaty in her sleepig bag. Why was she sweaty? But as soon as she regain conciouss she looked at the angle of the sun, which revealed to be near it's highest point. She and the other groaned at the fact that they woke up with sweat in their sleeping bags. When Rainbow Dash was about to get some of the strange new food from her bag, she caught a glimpse of rarity. Her mouth dropped. "Rarity. Your hair." She said.

"What about it darling?" she asked as she felt it with her hoof. Her eyes widened as she let out a screech that even startled Crimson. "My hair!" she yelled. "Why, it's a disaster! Where's a comb? Anypony got a hairbrush? I need some shampoo! I have to apply come face powder! I…"

"Be quiet." Crimson said in a low tone of voice.

"I beg your pardon, but how can you say that?" Rarity beckoned. "My hair. What happened to it?"

"Yeah, about that. When the sun rises in the desert, it get hotter than it normally does in other places. Therefore you sweat, and when you do, your hair gets messed up. I'm also guessing that you tossed and turned to get used to the heat." Crimson explained.

"Yeah, about the heat." Rainbow Dash said in a stern tone while Pinkie Pie was searching through her packback crying out, "Water! Water! Water!" Crimson sighed. "Okay, I'm sorry about this. I knew that we would all sleep in a bit from last night's event if I didn't set my alarm clock. But it seems that I forgot. My sincere apologies." He then bowed to show humbleness.

"Your alarm clock?" Twilight said confused. "But I thought we only had to take stuff that was absolutely nessecary." Crimson got into his backpack and pulled out a small object. It seemed to illuminate numbers on it. "This is my alarm clock." He said.

"That's a clock?" Rainbow Dash asked. Fluttershy being next to her was to heat-deprived to ask anything. "Yep. Genuine silver lining with a carbon based body. Inside it are tiny amounts of oxodized silicon-hydroxidonium that can generate these baby's for up to three years before it needs to be recycled. That's the marriage of science and magic." Crimson said before seeing Pinkie Pie chugging down her water sack. "Hey there, don't overdrink or else you'll become dehydrated before we reach the canyon." He said. "But yes, drink enough water. You'll need more than plenty to get through this kind of environment." As the ponies drank until they couldn't anymore, Fluttershy pulled out the strange new food. "What is this?" she asked.

"It's the food that Bakennanefu gave us. Why?" Crimson stated.

"Umm, well I didn't know what it really was, so I didn't eat it." Fluttershy responded. Crimson sighed. "Has anypony else eaten it last night?" The others shook their heads. "Well then I'll explain." He continued as he pulled out his share of food. "This stuff is really potent. Your only supposed to eat a spoonful per meal."

"Just one spoonful per meal?" Applejack. "I'd imagine we'd starve ourselves."

"Actually, you won't starve with this stuff. You see, one spoonful of this equals a whole mealworth of nutrients. And it also expands by an enormus amount in your stomach not making you hungry." Curious, the ponies took a bite.

"I don't feel anything!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"Don't expect it to just expand in a second or two. It will take time. For now I suggest you get some water in your system, put on your backpacks, and get going." Crimson responded as he chugged down some water and put his sack around his back. He saw Spike streching akwardly. "Is something wrong?"

"I think I slept funny." he responded.

"Well that happens. Just get over it."

"No no. Not like funny. But I felt like I slept actually on something. Not just the rock." Crimson rolled his eyes and trotted over there. When he saw what was one Spike's back, his eyes widened and he futher examined it. "Oh. Now this. This is impressive."

"What's impressive?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Can I see? Can I see? Can I see?" As she went over, she noticed two strange arches coming out of Spike's back. "What in the world are these?" she asked.

"That my friend, it Spike becoming and actualy dragon." Crimson responded. When Rarity heard this, she gasped. But this wasn't a horrific gasp, she was surprised. "You mean…?"

"Exactly. Spike is about to grow some wings!" Crimson responded. Everypony looked surprised and delighted at the same time. "But how is this possible? Spike's still a baby dragon! Well, not a baby dragon anymore but, you know what I mean." Twilight asked.

"Remember when I told you how the elements of harmony affected each of you back at Ponyville as well as causing a mess in your houses? Well, it seems like my hypothesis is proven correct! The energy cast of by them traveling into you has affected Spike's growth rate!" Crimson said. Everypony's eyes began to widen even more. What more suprises could this trip bring them? "Alright. This is exciting. Still, we have to get going or we won't make it to the canyon by sundown." Crimson continued.

As the mare six traveled over the rocky terrain, they saw more and more fascinating sculptures carved out by nature that they have never seen from smooth slippery sandstone, to arches many feet long. They even travel over some arches before they came to the mouth of the canyon. There they saw a river which instead of flowing into the desert, led into a hole. Applejack stared at it. "Where exactly does this river go?" she asked.

"Back to Phaeros AJ." Crimson responded. "You see many years ago on the other side of the dead basin, the Kygif Sea used to be much closer to where we are. But as the sand built up, the sea retreated. So the river that you and I are looking at is the same that carved out the rocks behind us and led to the Kygif Sea. But since it retreated, the river eventually dried up and counldn't reach it. So the Phaericians who were already in the process of moving underground decided to use the river for there own purposes instead of letting go to waste. So they dug until they reached a cavern that could lead to where they are now."

"Interesting." said Twilight. "And clever of them to do that."

"Indeed." Crimson spoke as he led the others up the canyon. As they entered their heads turned. "Wow." Rarity said. "What are these rocks? They look like cobblestone walls that somepony just made a few hours ago."

"That's why this canyon is called Canyon of the Ancient Pillars." Crimson responded. "It was once primitive habitat for ponies before they moved on. You know, that reminds me of a story."

"A story?"

"Share by both Phaericians and Apexians alike. Legend has it that this canyon was in fact consturcted by ancient being that we call equus. Some thought that was just a bunch of malarky, but about 20 years ago, Apexian scientists and alchemists uncovered a large skeleton that could belong to the fabled being equus." Crimson using his magic pulled out a picture of the skeleton and handed it to Twilight who held it in mid-air.

"Wow this is actually…" She paused and then focused her eyes on a picture. "Wait a second. I may recognize this."

"You do?"

"Yes, back at the Equestira Daily Office in Ponyville, I was asked to deliver an article of some old Pony skeleton found near Appleloosa. I took the time to look at the article myself. This picture you gave me here seems familiar!" Twilight responded as she hoofed it over to the other guys. "Hey you're right." Rainbow Dash said. "I was once in the hospital for injuring my wing, and this looks familiar to the pony anatomy that I saw on one of the walls." She handed over to Rarity who raised an eyebrow. "Interesting." She said.

"C…could it be…" Fluttershy said before being cut off by Rarity. "No darling, it just could be a coencidence. I…" She paused. "Hold on. Equus, equus." She mumbled to herself before turning to Twilight. "Don't you think the word Equss sounds familiar?" she said.

"Now that you mention it, it does." She thought for a moment and then caught on to something. "E…Equestria?" Fluttershy put her hoof over her mouth. "Ooooh myyy…"

This trip can't be more suprising. Rainbow Dash thought.

"Indeeed." Crimson said. "Most historians in the former nation of Gladius believe that the world of Equestria was named after this being."

"But…about the thing. Between ponies and the…the…auugghh what's the name of the creature Forgie mentioned?" Pinkie Pie began to ramble.

"Equus." Crimson answered. "And you are definetly onto something there. You see, science is allowing the folk at Mount Apexia to make new discoveries. One of them is that they are on the virge of confirming whether or not we are the descendants of equus themselves." Rainbow Dash shook her head. All this new information was giving her a migrane. "Can't we just keep on hiking?" she asked impatiently.

"If you want, sure." said Crimson. As the group hiked up the canyon further next to the river, he noticed that their noses began to cringe. "Pee Yew! What smells like rotten egg?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Just what is that horendous stink?" Rarity implied as the others held their noses. Crimson responded, "It's sulfur."

"Sulfer? Asked Twilight.

"It's a mineral known for it's smell." Crimson told the as they cringed even more at the thought. "The smell's just getting worse!" Spike said.

"Yeah, can't we turn around find another way?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"If you want to you can. But it's another day and a half worth of hiking." Crimson said. The crew hiked on and eventually got past the source of the smell. It was a couple of hot springs near the river. Crimson convinced that sulfer was good for their skin, they soon found out that it was worth relaxing in them. After having a good soak, they arrived at a particular spot where within the canyon wall, there was an overhang large enough to fit all of them along with the backpacks. They soon unpacked, gathered around the campfire, and ate their spoonful of potent food.

"Everyone get in a good circle." Crimson said.

"Why?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"So we can practice resonating our soulwaves so you can find your element s potential."

"Are you serious?" said Rainbow Dash. "When it's this late?" Crimson coughed up and pointed to the canyon wall. To Dash's surpise time was going much slower for her, the sun hadn't even disappeared behind the canyon wall. As the other giggled, she gave a stern look before Crimson spoke again.

"Okay, now I know last time you didn't do so well. Why is that?" he asked.

"Well like I said, in my head I was about to walk on the bridge of branches when…" AJ said.

"No no no. You don't have to describe what happened. Just tell me how you were feeling." Crimson said. Rainbow Dash thought, "Well, I felt like I was just holding on to something. As if I was convincing myself that everything will be alright. But then…" She paused. Then she was surprised. "I… I accepted!" she finally burst out. Then she laughed at the fact that she finally achieved the first step towards mindfulness.

"That's good." spoke Crimson as he nodded. "But acceptance by itself won't be enough." He then put his hoof under his mouth as if he was thinking of something. "Here's an idea. Let go in order to surprise yourself."

"Now what in tarnation is that supposed to mean?" Applejack asked.

"You'll find out for yourself." Crimson Forge asked as he crossed his legs and began. Applejack sighed and just decided to follow along.

Applejack found herself on the exact same rock she was on last time. And just like she remembered, it the rock was in the middle of a dark void. The rock was moist and slippery. Only this time, she didn't have to wait that long for a bridge made of branches to appear out of nowhere. Impatient at first, Applejack was about to step on the bridge before she remembered that it was that same bridge that she got stuck on. What if it would happen again? She didn't want to feel stupid! Then she remembered what Crimson told her, "Let go in order to surprise yourself." Was it really worth it? To sacrifice what you know to what you don't know? Applejack knew that fear wouldn't get here anywhere that's for sure, so she slowed her breathing. Her mind started to become more focused. Focused? How can you be focused on something if you are trying to let go? Then again, why can't you be focused on letting go? Applejack felt a slight sense of relief coursing through her. She took another look at the bridge and nodded slightly. Then she closed her eyes, and began to walk. The moment her feet touched the bridge she embraced for the branches to come up and snag her. But they didn't. She laughed. I guess what Crimson said was right after all. I did surprise myself. Applejack thought. She kept walking along the bridge for quite some time until she came to a strange pedistal. On the top of it was a tiny tree. She wondered why it was so tiny, but as she was just about to reach it, her hoof slipped through it. And particles from the tree seemed to have a mind of their own. They circled AJ until the stopped and aimed straight for AJ's heart. Suprisingly, she didn't feel any pain. Then, the bridge of branches collapsed. Applejack braced for a long fall into total black. But she didn't feel like she was falling at all, instead she felt sort of weightless like the air itself. Then she heard a rumbling sound coming from the bottom of the void. Trees began to appear out of the darkness and grew at an incredibly fast rate as they kept climbing and climbing into the void ceiling. Applejack wondered how far it went up, but before she could think, she opened her eyes. What she saw stunned her.

All of the Mare Six were dumbstruck. Fluttershy had an ever familiar prescence of bioluminsecent butterflies surronding her. But it was not just her. Above Twilight head, a huge pocketwatch the size of a tower clock hung above her in mid air. A swarm of flat crystals buzzed around Rarity. Pinkie Pie had a large group of surprise objects around her like a jack-in-the-box, a balloon, a party cannon, and confetti. Rainbow Dash had a small but dark and ominous storm cloud hanging above her. And Applejack has two trees suddenly grown next to her.

"I know what you are all thinking." Crimson said before any of the Mare Six could ask him. His eyes were still closed. "But right now, you all have just made a giant step forward. My friends, you have unlocked, you element's true potential. I'll read your soulwaves to try and decipher what your potentials are." The ponies didn't know how to feel. But for the moment they just smiled. Pinkie Pie, being so eager asked first, "What my true potential?"

"You have the ability to surprise." Crimson responded.

"Oh. Well I've always been good at surprises. Birthday parties, surprise parties…"

"That's not what I mean." Crimson interrupted. "You have the ability to surprise, startle, and distract your enemies."

"Oh really? Wait, what enemies?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"The ones ahead of us. Asmodeus for example." Crimson said before Fluttershy asked, "What's my um…potential?"

"Those luminescent butterflies around you have the abilty to heal." Crimson said as he cut himself with his claw causing a small scar to form. "What did you do that for?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I want to see if Fluttershy can heal my scar."

"How?" asked Fluttershy.

"All you need to do is have one of your butterfly spirits to land on the spot."

"But I don't know if they will…"

"Don't overthink it. Just do it." Crimson said as he smiled. Fluttershy slowed down her breathing and concentrated. In a short amount of time, one of the butterflies sofly landed on Crimson's scar. Then it turned a brighter shade of blue. As it did, Crimson's scar seemed to close itself up completely. "Good job." Crimson said. The glowing butterfly flew back to it's group as Fluttershy gave a quick, "Yay!"

"What's my potential?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"You have the ability to summon stormclouds out of thin air. You can use it to scare and electrocute your enemies."

"But…wouldn't striking them with lightning be a bit dangerous?" Dash asked.

"It's only as dangerous as you want it to be." Crimson said. "Only you have control over the stormclouds." Rainbow nodded.

"What about mine?" Applejack asked.

"Your ability is that you have the power to make trees suddenly grow from the ground. With this, you can form bridges, make tree farms, create scupltures, even tangle your enemies in it."

"What about mine?" Rarity asked.

"Your ability it reflection. Those crystal's hovering around you have the power to reflect any spell back on it's owner."

"What's my potential?" asked Twilight. Crimson paused for a few seconds as Twilight saw his eyelis move.

"The greatest." Crimson responded. "You have the ability to slow down time."

"Slow down time?"

"For only a limited period, about…7 seconds. But even though you can slow down time, it won't slow you down. You can rescue somepony from their demise in time or prevent an accident from happening."

"That's actually really helpful…" Twilight said before she was interrupted by Crimson. "Wait…I'm still reading your soulwaves. If you are holding on to another pony or living being, time won't slow down for that individual as well." Crimson opened his eyes. "Congragulations on making it this far."

"Thanks" the rest of the group said.

"Wait, what about me?" Spike said, "Do I have a potential or whatever?" Crimson sighed. "I'm afraid not." Spike looked down as if he was feeling left out. "But young dragon, does that mean you should wallow in despair? Look at you! Your growing faster than the average dragon. And in my opinion, that there is some potential you have." Spike smiled after Crimson's remark.

"Hey! It's late already?" Pinkie Pie remarked looking at the canyon wall noticing that the sun's reflection had disappeared completely as the night encompassed them. "True." Crimson responded. "You may have not noticed it, but you've all been meditating for quite some time." The poinies just shrugged. "Well how do we get rid of these things?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Just do what Fluttershy did?"

"Just do what Fluttershy did." Crimson responded. The ponies closed their eyes and concentrated. As they heard a quick wisp in the wind, they felt their powers being cast off by their elements returning inside them, as if something missing from their anatomy was returning. They opened there eyes and saw that everything was back to normal. "Well, goodnight!" Rainbow Dash said as she flew into her sleeping bag and and started snooring away.

Fluttershy was out. She was so far away from home and yet she never felt so comfortably sleepy in her life. The canyon walls felt like a line of guards protecting her from anything from monsters to nightmares. The chriping of the crickets overflowed her ears with the soft sensation of night. Then she came to her senses when she thought she heard something out of the ordinary. She pointed her ears towards that direction. It sounded like wimpering, as if somepony or some animals was hurt. Being the animal caretaker that she is or was, Fluttershy got out of her sleeping bag and started walking to the other side of the canyon. She got closer and closer until the sound seem to come from some bushes. Fluttershy saw a set of two small yellow eyes. "Is something wrong?" Fluttershy asked. The strange creature began to wimper even more. "Shhhh….it's alright. I won't hurt you." she said as she started to reach towards the creature. "Hush now, quiet now, everything's al…" Suddenly, the creature sprang from the bushed and roared in Fluttershy's face. She stared in horror at the figure that stood above her. It had a disembodied mouth hanging off it's jaw. It's translucent body looked battered and shredded and had a dark arua surrounding it. The creature then raised it's claw and aimed it right for Fluttershy. Breaking from her horrific trance, Fluttershy narrowly escaped the swinging claw before she spread her wings and flew back to the camp. Her landing was more of a crash landing than a normal one, which woke up Applejack. "Everypony! Get up! Get up!" She shouted as she brushed off the dust from her crash frantically.

"What's the matter?" Twilight asked.

"Flutters! You look like you've just seen a ghost!" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I did!" Fluttershy asked. "It was huge, and black, and…" Crimson Forge sprang from his sleeping bag. "What did you see?" he asked as he went towards Fluttershy looking almost as terrified as her. "What exactly did it look like?" Then they all heard a low insidious growling sound near the camp. Flutterhsy looked behind her to see the same creature that she encountered earlier. Her shaky hoof pointed towards it as she said in a hysterical-pitched tone, "Like that…" As if one creature wasn't enough, the Mare Six now saw eight of them emerging from the darkness, all of them looking aged and withered. "Stay behind me!" Crimson yelled. "Get back! Ut retro! Redire!" he contined to yell as he slashed his claws out in front of them. Yet the creatures didn't seem to retreat. Crimson flung his battle claws in front again and again until he saw something to his left. As the others saw what he was seeing, it was another one of the black creatures, but this one looked different. It's hair was a dark red hue and it's eyes were a light blue. Crimson's face seemed to twitch as his eyebrows rose. His breathing slowed down as he focused his attention on the figure. "Vultus hic." he spoke in an uncertain and unsteady tone. "Ego teneo ut vos es in illic quomodo." The frigthened ponies glanced at Crimson and tried to translate the best they could at what he was saying. They wondered what he exactly meant. "Nolo tibi malum. Pugnare! Delicia mea! In nomen patres sacrosanctes, pugnare!" The figure he focused on did not retreat one step. Instead it charged straight for Crimson. Just as it was about to sink it's mutilated teeth into his skin, Crimson broke from his trance and blocked the attack with his gauntlets. He pushed it back as the creature growled. It then gave a horrendous sound. That was the signal for the other monsters to attack. As they slowly approached the Mare Six, they also growled. The ponies just retreated further and further into the canyon wall. "I do appreciate the fact that you don't like to fight." Crimson bellowed. "But now would be a good time for you to try and use your new powers!"

"But how?" asked Rainbow Dash. "How do I summon my storm clouds?"

"Don't overthink it! There's no time! Just close your eyes and do it!" Crimson yelled. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. But all she saw in her mind was flash after flash. She opened her eyes to see a storm cloud above her, but without warning, it struck her instead. It didn't hurt her so much as it startled her. Applejack and Pinkie Pie tried doing the same by closing her eyes and concentrating. But the fact that the creatures were closing in on her made her loose her focus. Twilight succeeded summoned her magic poketwatch only for it to fall on top of her before it disappeared. Rarity also summoned her mirrors only for them to shatter. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were just too scared. Crimson Forge grunted much to his disappointment at the sight behind him. He turned back towards the monsters that were now even closer to the group. Crimson snorted, then stood on his hear hooves. Spike hear a noise bellowing deep from within Crimson. It sounded familiar. He wasn't sure where he heard it before. But his question was soon answered when the red warrior bent back down and exhaled a roaring flame from his mouth. He continued to do so again and again until the fire formed a circle around the Mare Six. They were surprised when they saw this, for no other pony in Equestria has been known to have the ability to snort fire. The black creatures seemed to be discouraged by the fire and began to retreat. Crimson breathed heavily ready to spew another fireball until he could see the monsters no longer. Trying to make sense of the situation, Twilight was the first to get up off her hooves and ask Crimson, "You can breath fire?"

"Yes, I can." Crimson responded as a surprised Spike just looked away and scratched his cheek.

"But how?"

"I know. It's incredibly rare, but I achieved that ability in alchemy school back at Mount Apexia. Only a few ponies there have been known to unlock that power. I kept practicing until I knew I could use it to ward off enemies like those."

"Yeah, about that. Just what in tarnation happened, and what were those things?" Applejack asked.

"Those are revenants." Crimson replied. "Spirits who come back from the dead to seek vengance on the living. Those are servants of Asmodeus who extracted their souls from it's bodies to turn them into his slaves. In return, he gains more power. He must've sent them."

"Does that mean…Asmodeus is a…a necromancer?" Twilight stated..

"Yes." Crimson replied. The ponies started at each other upon hearing this. If they weren't safe in the canyon, where else was is safe from the revenants? And how much time do they have before Asmodeus sends them to catch the Mare Six again?

"Crimson?" asked Twilight.

"Yes?"

"I saw you speaking to that one revenant. According to what I've learn, you said in Latin that you didn't want to hurt it." Twilight mentioned. "Why is that?" Crimson just started at Twilight before looking away, his face seeming remorseful.

"C'mon darling." Rarity said. "Tell us why you didn't want to hurt it." Crimson shook his head up and down and tightened his lip. He turned around and sighed. "Do you remember how I told you that I used to have a marefriend named Iris?"

"Yes." Fluttershy said. "Why?" Crimson gritted his teeth and spoke. "Well, that revenant was her." The ponies gasped at that remark, their eyes have never been wider. All were speechless for an entire moment before Rainbow Dash had the courage to say, "Y…your marefriend became a slave of Asmodeus?"

"Yes." Crimson Forge said as he sniffed.

"Does that mean…?" Twilight asked before she was interrupted by a hysterical Crimson Forge. "I know! She was one of his victims!" he yelled out before pounding his hoof/claw on the dirt. "Haec ossicor delicia mea (He murdered my sweetheart)! I arrived at the scene with the Apexian guards and saw her body just *sniff* lying lifeless on the cold stone floor. *sniff* I just stood there doing nothing even when the the guards carried her body away. Right now, here soul lies trapped inside my brother. That's the real reason why I'm after him." As he began to shed a tear. "Pro di immortales." The others went up to him with their faces full of sympathy. Pinkie Pie put her hoof around Crimson's neck as she thought of her stallionfriend, Cheese Sandwich. She couldn't bear the idea of loosing somepony really precious only for them to return as something more horrific. "I…I'm so so very very very really really really really sorry." she said allowed. Crimson lifted his head off the ground, sniffled and gave a melancholy smile as he said, "Thanks. *sigh* It's alright…"

"No! It is not alright!" Rainbow Dash yelled out. "That it not alright at all! That is messed up!" She shoved all of her gear into her pack and started to roll up her sleeping bag. "We are marching straight to Mount freaking Apexia, alerting the guard, lureingthat sick necromancer of a brother of yours and make him pay for taking your marefriend and all the other souls he took!" She put her pack on her back and started tromping up the canyon with vengeful pride. "Dash. You're serious? About getting up this early and heading to Mount Apexia on such short notice?" Crimson asked.

"For Celestia's sake, if it means saving the world, heck yes!" she responded as she turned her head. "Who's with me?" The ponies just exchanged looks. Knowing what just happened, they just shrugged and packed up their stuff. Crimson just stared at them before he walked over to his stuff and started packing up as well. "I really applaud your perseverece you guys." he said. "I really do." Then they started walking up the canyon into the early dawn, the early sunrise casting shadows of the stone guardians watching over the canyon.