Applejack awoke at the first ray of sunlight. Her eyes shot open as she jumped out of bed. The first phase of their plan was a success. Turning to Twilight beside her, AJ began to shake her awake. “Twilight. Twilight get up.” Twilight had come to sleep beside her the night prior so she could be the first to know what Aaron had sent them. “Come on sugarcube, now’s not the time for sleepin’ in.” Twilight let out a long groan as she slowly arose like a creature of the night. Her head hanging back and her mane an utter mess.

“Uuuuugh… do you have to be so loud, AJ?” Applejack looked at her with a raised brow. She kept her volume almost at a whisper, not wanting to wake the others if they were still asleep.

“Then I guess ya don’t wanna hear the news I brought back from Aaron.” That was what Twilight needed to hear. Her tiredness was pushed aside as she turned to Applejack with a burst of energy.

“Well, don’t just sit there!”

“Shhh.” Twilight’s eagerness could practically stir the building. “Alright, here’s how it is. Aaron says that there are a lot of ponies down below. Enough to form a small town.” Twilight was hanging off of every word that left her mouth, like a small child being told her favorite bedtime story. “The ponies down there are in a hell of a rut. Griffons on one side and diamond dogs on the other.”

“Diamond dogs?”

“Yeah. He says that they keep them in line and from leavin’.”

“I see… what else? Is Rainbow down there with him?”

“She is. Aaron says she’s lost hope. I dunno what I could have told him to lift her spirits, but I did tell him something that could convince her that I'm alive.”

“Oh… that’s…”

“It’s okay though. Aaron does have help in somepony else. Now… before I say who it is, I want ya to brace yourself.” Twilight didn’t know the reason to do so, but she looked on at Applejack. Applejack took a deep breath and worked up the courage to tell Twilight the truth. “Aaron found Shining Armor in the prison.” Twilight’s eyes shrank to the size of pins. Her heart began to beat furiously in her chest and her body felt like it was filled with led. “Ya alright?”

“Y-Yeah I’m… I-I’m just a little taken aback is all.” Her eagerness had faded and in its place, Twilight appeared to be utterly dumbfounded by this new revelation. “Is… he okay?”

“He’s fine. From what he told me, he and Shining are working together. So if all goes well, you should be able to get your brother back.”

“Did… he say anything about Cadence being there as well?”

“Sorry. He didn’t mention anything about her. The only other pony he mentioned by name was Spitfire.”

“Oh. Okay then.” A sense of disappointment filled Twilight as she looked down at the ground.

“Hey, don’t worry Twi. We’ll get Aaron, Shining, Rainbow, and all the other ponies out. Then we can leave this place and go get the rest of our friends. Who knows, we may find Cadence along the way.” Twilight struggled to look up at Applejack’s face. “Don’t worry Twi. Thing will look up for us.” With a smile, the purple alicorn brought Applejack into a comforting hug.

“Thank you, AJ.” She held her friend close, only to part once she felt she was ready to stand. “Alright, let’s go tell Draco. We have work to do.” Applejack and Twilight gathered their things together and left their room. To their surprise, they found Draco and his gang waiting in the main room for the two mares. Upon seeing them enter, the room fell silent, all attention was on them.

Draco stepped forward and smiled in greeting. “Did it work?” He asked. Twilight nodded in confirmation, much to Draco's delight.

“It did. Aaron gathered what he could about the area below. Rainbow Dash is alive and well.” The ponies began to cheer to themselves, ecstatic to learn that their leader was alive and well. “And, we’ve learned that there are two others that are helping Aaron. Apparently… m-my brother, Shining Armor is in the prison with them.” That revelation didn’t earn a cheer, but more so shock and awe. “The other is… Draco, I don’t want you to worry, but Aaron says that Spitfire is down there with him.” Draco felt his heart stop, the eyes of his crew looked to him, wondering how he would take the news.

He tried to force a smile, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. “I-… Is she okay?”

“She is. Aaron didn't tell us much but I think he would have told us something if she were in any form of danger." Draco let out a sigh of relief.

“So, I guess that gives us more incentive to get them out of there.” Twilight nodded in agreement. With a newly revived sense of urgency, Draco turned to Lock Pick. “Lock, you ready to head on in?” He immediately stripped, flinging his clothes in every which direction, Draco rolling his eyes as he covered his junk with his hands while Twilight and Applejack would divert their eyes.

“Ready when you are boss?”

“I appreciate the enthusiasm, but maybe you could… wait to strip down.”

“Too late, clothes are already off.” Draco groaned to himself, praying that this mission would be successful.

“Whatever. Twilight, get the magic ready. Gilda… be ready to bring Lock Pick in.” The griffon soldier cracked her knuckles.

“Just gimme the signal and I’ll be ready to bring him on in.” Gilda smirked to herself, having a little too much fun with the operation. In that time, Twilight sat the vials of synthetic magic down. Using a bit of rope, she managed to tie the vials down into a makeshift harness. She made sure every bottle was corked tightly, making sure they were secure for the trip ahead. Taking a small sample of the magic, her horn began to glow faintly as she ran her hand over the rope. The vest with the synthetic magic began to vanish and blend in with the surroundings area. Taking hold of the invisible vest, she walked over to Lock Pick and fashioned it around his naked chest.

“Be careful with these vials. They’re strong but they’re not invulnerable.”

“Don’t worry princess. I’ll be gentle.”

“Are you making an innuendo or being sincere?” Draco asked.

“A bit of column A and a bit of column B.” Twilight slowly stepped back as she looked at Lock, making sure to keep her vision above the belt. She inspected every part of him to make sure there weren't any parts that would give away the illusion.

“There… he should be good. Now… we leave this to fate.”

“That we do. Gilda!” Lock Pick braced himself as everything went black for the moment, but unlike Aaron, he was caught before he could hit the ground. They were close now, closer than they had been ever before. Hopefully, they can get what they needed to them, to begin the actual breakout.

~~~~~

The walk out of the mines was a silent and awkward one. Rainbow and Aaron managed to sneak into the crowds as the ponies just as they began to change shifts. Rainbow would leak semen with every step she took, small drips leaving her rear as the sensation made her shudder. She praying nopony would see it or her torn pants. Her tail would do most of the work, but the coarseness made her shudder as the slightest touch against her plot stung. Aaron could see her pain and acted as her cover, he would walk closely with Rainbow as they made their way into the main building.

Once in the clear, Rainbow leaned against the wall with a short gasp. Her legs felt like jelly on the verge of giving out. Her plot felt like it was on fire, burning and stinging without end. “You okay, Rainbow?” Aaron asked.

“I’m fine. J-Just a little sore.”

“Do you… want help up the stairs?” She saw the poorly sculpted staircase leading to the second floor. Her ears fell back as she imagined the trial it would walk uphill.

“F-Fine. Just... be careful. I don’t want anypony seeing or asking questions.” Aaron held out his hand to her, offering his aid. She didn’t want to take it, every fiber of her being wanted to refuse his help. Yet, she had walked up the stairs in the state before. Knowing what was to come if she didn’t take his help, she leaned into his arms and walked with him up the stairs, leaving a small drip of fluid on each step. “Th- gah… th-thanks.”

“No problem.” Before she knew it, she was already half way up the stairs. Alone, it would have taken her an hour or so to do that. She would have to think of an excuse to hide behind when she was eventually caught and had to come up with something on the spot to hide her true actions. Before she even realized it, Rainbow and Aaron arrived in her room and being set down on her bed much faster than she ever could alone. “Can I get you anything else?” Rainbow had a lot of things she wanted, but in the context of her present situation, there was one thing.

“A-Actually, there is. The medical ponies managed to… make a salve out of mushrooms and herbs found in the caves. It's used mostly for bruises and aches. I found it works on… eh… this particular situation as well. It’s in my chest by the window. Should be in a covered clay bowl. Could you get it for me?” Aaron nodded as he went to the chest in question. Removing the lid, he found a small plethora of objects; a dirtied set of silver armor, a tattered book of a Pegasus swinging on a rope, a hilt of a broken sword, and a small set of extra clothes. Beneath the armor, he found the clay bowl and presented it to her.

“This it?” rainbow nodded as she began to turn a bright red.

“Y-Yeah. That’s it.” Aaron handed her the substance, peeling the cover off to show the foul smelling medical substance. Once opened, he handed her the medicine and got up, wanting to give her some privacy. “Wait!” Aaron froze in place. “I… I have a favor to ask.” She bit her lip, hesitant to speak the words. She would listen out for anything or anypony that could be around. Shining was on guard duty, meaning it was just the two of them for the time being. Other than that, no pony could hear or see them. “I need you to… apply it on for me.” Aaron remained paralyzed, unsure how to react to the situation.

“C-Can’t you do it?”

“I can, but… it really hurts. I wouldn’t really ask anypony to do this for me, but you’re the only po- one that knows what I did. So… I figured… you could help me get the stuff on much faster. My hands are too fidgety right now; I can never get the stuff on right.” Aaron turned around to see her face, a look of desperation plain as day. “I wouldn’t ask anypony else to do this for me.” Aaron didn’t want to; he really didn’t want to. He had watched her getting raped by the diamond alpha. The last thing he wanted to do was see the aftermath of it. However, he couldn’t just refuse. With a sigh, he walked back to her bedside and took hold of the bowl.

“Just this once?”

“Trust me, I don’t like this anymore than you do. Hopefully, we can get out of here and we never have to speak of this ever again.”

“Agreed.” With that said, Rainbow pulled her pants off, making sure to cover her front. She was exposing enough as is to him, she wasn't about to show off more than she had to. Taking a deep breath, Rainbow turned around and flagged her rainbow tail, revealing herself to him. Aaron could see the swollen red ring between her plot. Just the mere action of flagging her tail cause a slight stinging sensation. Rainbow would let out a soft gasp as she felt the air hit her sore, swollen rectum.

Not wanting to take too long, Aaron scooped up a small amount of the substance and tried not to stare. "So, should I-"

“Just… rub it on the ring. I'll tell ya when to stop, just... please hurry. This really hurts.” Aaron would start out slow. He was hesitant to touch her, not wanting to cause any more pain than she was already in. Taking a deep breath, his finger made contact with her swollen tail hole. Rainbow would suppress a pain yelp, the slightest bit of pressure was emphasized greatly. She could feel him lightly applying the substance onto her, but it wasn’t enough. “C-Can you use more, please?” Tears began to form as the constant touch of the cream cause a stinging sensation. She felt him retract a finger to scoop up more.

This time, she felt a sizable glob of the stuff being spread around her destroyed rectum. The pain flooded her but soon enough it subsided. The substance began to work its magic on her as the burning began to leave. She began to pant softly, relieved to be free from the stinging for the time being. Her wings would slightly fluff out as the soothing sensation started to flow through her lower body. “Aaron?”

“Yeah?”

“You promise not to tell anypony about this, right?”

“Of course. I thought that went without saying?” Rainbow would let out a soft sigh of relief, for more than one reason. She turned back to face him, seeing his embarrassed look he had. She found it quite amusing, in an awkward sort of way. He would continue to rub around her hole, seeing it slowly close up and go from a sore red to a soft pink in a matter of seconds. Once it had gone numb, Rainbow let out a soft breath. “Aaron… you can stop now.” He quickly retracted himself from her plot hole, wiping off the substance and other fluids on a small rag she kept close by. "Thank you. I really owe you one."

“Think nothing of it. It was to help a friend in need.” Rainbow chuckled to herself.

“So… how’s it looking, doc?” Aaron turned to face her rear once more, finding her anus had actually managed to close all the way. From what he saw, he had thought it would never again see its shape.

“It’s uh… doing better now. I suggest you lay on your side or on your stomach to... let it rest. Maybe stay off your hooves for a while.”

“Way ahead of ya on that one.” Rainbow sat up for a moment, still on her side. “Hey, could you do me another favor?”

“It depends on what it is.”

“Don’t worry, you don't gotta do anything like that. I wanted to ask if you could go get me some water.”

“Sure, I can go get some water. Uh… where can I find it?”

“There’s a barrel on the side on the building filled with water and a few tin cups.”

“Okay. I’ll be back in a moment.” Leaving her on the bed, Aaron left the room to fetch Rainbow her water. As he does, he is met by stairs and ponies talking in whispers. They would pass him quickly, wary of who or what he was. Due to a few eavesdroppers, word had gotten around that Twilight was topside and was currently being aided by Aaron. Though, as he listened, he would hear soft whispers about outlandish stories about him. Some even brought a smile to his face as he listened in.

“Is that him?” A mare would ask to her friend.

“I think so. Never seen… it around before.”

“Think he’s dangerous?”

“Dunno. He’s with a princess, so he can’t be all that bad.” Aaron smiled softly as he listened in on the gossip. The two would continue on, unaware that he was listening in. Once he had his water though, he turned to the two mares and smiled their way. They froze immediately as he waved to them before heading back inside.

“You don’t think he heard us?” That was the last thing Aaron heard before disappearing into the large, stone building. He barely took the first step up the staircase before someone called his name. “Hey Aaron.” Turning around, he would find Spitfire walking towards him.

“Oh, Spitfire. What’s up?”

“Not much. Just got off work, got a change of clothes. Heard some ponies saw you and Dash walk back here pretty beat up. I didn’t really expect you to make it out alive.” Aaron shrugged in response.

“Things got hairy. I would have died if Dash hadn’t shown up and pulled me out of the frying pan like she did. We’re a bit beat up but we’ll live.” Aaron continues up the stairs, only to freeze at what Spitfire said next.

“Rainbow was raped, wasn’t she.” Aaron froze in place, turning to face Spitfire.

“H-How did-“

“It wasn’t the first time. Far from it.” Aaron turns to the top of the stairs then back to her.

“How long have you known?”

“Dunno. Time means nothing to me anymore.” A look of discomfort came over the both of them. “I know why she does it. I kind of put things together when the diamond dogs started bringing us food and clothes. I caught Rainbow sneaking into the mines and I saw… everything. Rainbow, the Diamond Dog… the act itself.”

“So, why didn’t you stop it?!”

“I wanted to. Trust me, I wanted nothing more than to beat the canine into the ground with the pick axe I use to give them and the griffons their shiny rocks. But, if I did, we'd lose all of our supplies. The food would stop coming in, the clothes would be gone. If I stopped it, I knew that all Rainbow had done would have been a waste of time.” Aaron sighed to himself, frustration building up.

“What… What can you tell me about the Alpha?”

“What’s to tell. Diamond Dogs build their clans around the strongest. Right now, the Alpha is named Ra’om. He’s not the strongest, but… from what I’ve seen of him, he’s a conniving slug of a diamond dog. Cruel, manipulative, regular sociopath if I ever saw one. It’s rather fitting this place is a prison. The guy belongs in one.”

“So I’ve seen. Is there any way that we can... get rid of him?”

“Not that I know of. Ra’om seems to be three steps ahead of us in every time we’ve tried to stop the diamond dogs from harassing us.” Aaron sighed once more. “But hey, if things work out, we won’t have to see the dogs ever again.”

“Yeah… hopefully.” With that said, Aaron returned to Rainbow’s room, setting the water on her nightstand. “Here you are, Rainbow. Hope I didn’t keep you waiting.” Rainbow remained silent, curled up in a ball on her bed. “Rainbow?” He saw her shudder from the sound of his voice.

“Do you think what I did was the right thing?” She asked faintly.

“Excuse me?” She turned over to face him.

“What I did… with Ra’om. Do you think what I did was the right thing?” Aaron looked to Rainbow in shock. She had heard his conversation with Spitfire and knew that she knew. She had always convinced herself that what she did was for the greater good, but now that they were getting out soon, she feared that it was a short term solution. Aaron didn't answer immediately, setting her cup on her nightstand as he sat beside her.

“I… I-I don’t know, Rainbow. I’ve never been in this sort of situation before. I don’t like it, that much I know. What I saw was one of the most harrowing things I’ve had to sit through." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "I don't know if it was or wasn't. So long as you feel it’s right, then… I guess that’s all that matters. But I promise you Rainbow, I’m going to get you out of here. I don’t want that to happen to you again.” Rainbow sighed, trying to sit up cautiously. She felt the stinging but not as much as before.

“If you can get us out of this… then I’d be grateful.” She gave him a soft smile; Aaron was more than happy to return it with one of his own. After an awkward moment, Rainbow clear her throat. “So, I don’t wanna be rude, but… do ya mind leaving. I’d like to get some sleep.”

“Sure, no problem. I’ll let ya know if anything happens.”

“Thanks. Just don’t get into any trouble, okay.” Aaron chuckled to himself as he went to leave Rainbow to rest. Rainbow would lay in her bed, debating with herself of her past actions. Wondering if what she did was truly the right thing to do.

~~~~~

With Rainbow resting in the main building, Aaron began to walk up the ramp to meet Shining Armor at the entrance to the small town. He found the stallion sitting on a small stool in his armor, keeping watch over the town’s main gate. Much like how Aaron and he first met. Once he came into Shining’s field of vision, the white unicorn gave him a friendly wave. “Hey, glad to see you’re still alive.”

“Indeed. Got a good ass kicking but I’m still alive. Would have been dead if it weren’t for Rainbow coming to my rescue.”

“Regardless, I’m glad you’re still alive.”

“Yeah, but in that time, we had to rest and I managed to get ahold of the outside world. I delivered what information I could to Twilight.” Shining tried to hide his eagerness to bombard Aaron with questions. Aaron knew the look in his eye, he had seen it a few times from his sister. “I did as you asked and delivered the message.” Shining sighed in relief.

“Thanks. I’m glad you did. Is… she worried about me?” Aaron would only chuckle. He hadn’t actually talked to Twilight but he could take a good guess as to how she would react if he told her outright.

“She’s worried sick about you. I told her as gently as possible, but you know how she is.”

“Do I ever. I love her to death but sometimes, she can often overreact to the smallest of things. Though, I’ve always found it kinda adorable.” They shared a small laugh together.

“Yeah, I have to admit, it’s sweet how she worries herself over stuff. It shows she really cares, in her own special way of course.”

“I know. I grew up with her. It’s how she likes to show affection.” Aaron soon began to blush as he began mustering up courage.

“Um… speaking of Twilight, I feel that I… really should tell you something.” Shining turned to Aaron, confused by the tone of his awkward voice. “The night before I… came here. Twilight and Applejack confronted me at a dinner, and they… asked me to join a herd with them.” An awkward silence filled the area, Shining’s smiled faded as he tried to process this information.

“O-Oh.”

“I accepted their offer and… since you’re her brother, I thought that you should know before finding out a different way.”

“I see.” Shining Armor took a deep breath. “Did you… sleep with her?” Aaron could feel the tension in the air as he spoke.

“No… w-well, not in the context you mean. Yes, she and I have shared the same sleeping space, but we didn’t really do anything. The night she and AJ confronted me, she said she wasn’t ready and I respected her wishes.” Shining Armor let out a sigh of relief.

Shining paused for a moment, thinking to himself. Occasionally he would turn to Aaron and then look off into the distance. “Well… I’m glad you told me. You really aren’t the ideal candidate to be courting a princess. You’re not a warrior, not a hero or noble of any kind.” Shining would sigh once more. “However, in these trying times, I guess we could do away with tradition this one time.” Aaron smiled softly.

“So… are you cool with it?”

“No, not really, but I’ll accept it… on one condition.” Shining Armor stood up and brought Aaron to the edge. “Ya know how high we are from up here?”

“Uhhhh… not really. I'll be honest, I don't know what this has to do with our current conversation.”

“Oh, it has everything to do with it. We’re approximately twenty-seven feet above the town. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’d say falling from that height would be really, really painful.” Aaron froze, putting the pieces together of where Shining Armor was going with this.

“Shining, what are you saying?”

“All I’m saying is, that if somepony were to say… oh, I dunno, break somepony’s heart, a fall like this would probably equal to the pain she would feel. Are ya getting the picture?"

“Uh-huh.”

“So, do you want to know what it feels like to break a mare's heart?” Aaron turned to Shining and took a few steps back, now a bit regretful that he told him.

“Look, Shining. I’m not going to hurt Twilight. That’s the last thing I would ever want. I really like Twilight; she’s sweet, caring, funny, smart. I’m glad to be in a herd with her. I wouldn’t think of anypony else I’d rather be with than her.” Shining crossed his arms, his eyes fixated on Aaron. With an approving nod, shining made a decision.

“Alright then. If you can stick true to those words, you have my blessing. That’s usually something the father would do, but… since he’s not here, I guess I’ll have to do.”

“Thank you, Shining.”

“Call me Shiny. It’s what my family calls me. If you’re gonna be with Twilight, ya might as well use it too.” Aaron nodded, taking a seat with Shining to join him on his guard duty. However, it wouldn’t be long before they heard something knocking on the door. Shining Armor got up and readied his weapon. “Who goes there?!” He shouted.

Aaron could hear a muffled voice on the other side. Shining began to unlock the door and slowly slid the large slab of metal along the rails. Once out of the way, Shining and Aaron came face to face with a diamond dog, but not as Shining knew them. Aaron stood up as he approached the door. “Mink?”

“Ah, what luck Mink has! Mink brings news. News that friend may want.” Shining turned to Aaron with a skeptical look.

“You know this thing?”

“He’s a friend. He helped me get here when I arrived. Speaking of which.” Aaron reached into his pockets and brought out a few gems, of which Mink saw immediately. “As promised, Mink. Two gems.” He threw them to the small canine, scrambling to pick up the shiny rocks. “Now, what news do you have.”

The canine stopped drooling as he pocketed the gems he was given. “Ah, yes. Mink smells feathers, coming down the hole with ‘nother not-pony.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think you friend mean’s griffons.”

“Yes! Yes! Griffies, taking not-pony and pony down hole.” Aaron looked to Mink, bringing out a third gem, much to Mink’s pleasure.

“Can you take me to him?”

“Yes! Yes! Mink take you!” He nodded furiously, eager for more gems. Aaron began to follow Mink, only for Shining to stop.

“Hold. You aren’t seriously going to follow him, are you? What if it’s a trap?”

“Mink isn’t like the other diamond dogs. Sure he’s scruffy looking, but he helped me through the tunnels once already. He’s given me no reason not to trust him.” Shining Armor groaned in frustration, unprepared for the mental gymnastics Aaron was giving him today. “I’ll be back. Hopefully in one piece.”

“Fine. Just hurry back okay.”

“I will. Mink, lead the way.” Aaron began to follow Mink through the tunnels once more. His glowing staff providing them with the light they needed to get through. Once they were out of sight, Shining Armor closed the door behind them and retook his post. Aaron had dumped a lot on his plate, giving him quite a bit to think about.

~~~~~

The walk to the entrance was much easier with a guide. Aaron followed Mink with ease as he could see the various hiding holes carved into the rocks. The two of them could hear the sound of jangling chains echoing through the twisting tunnels, slowly growing louder and louder as they walked along. With the help of Mink’s staff, Aaron could see down the bottomless pit, or rather the small basin two feet below the bridge. He couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed with that.

Slowly but surely, the griffons came down and showed themselves. “Well I’ll be damned. Look at this.” A griffon said to the other.

“Not often we get somepony to meet us. Aren’t you a special one.” The second griffon said in a mocking tone to their prisoner. Who, to Aaron’s shock, was Lock Pick; naked and held by the two griffons. Aaron couldn’t believe what he was seeing, though he made sure that what he saw was the upper half of the nudist. “Come on, get up.” The two lifted the pegasus and pushed him off their small platform, Aaron caught him him before he could fall off the bridge. It didn’t take long for the griffons to start rising back up to the surface.

Once they were out of earshot, Aaron eagerly looked to Lock Pick, but the way he looked back at Aaron said everything. “Lock, please tell me that you brought the stuff?” He shook his head slowly.

“No. They knew I was bringing it. I was almost on the platform before one of them grazed by and found the magic on my back.” Aaron was starting to panic. Their plan was falling apart beyond any sort of repair. “I’m sorry. It was inevitable.” Aaron walked around the entrance, his mind racing as he began to realized how screwed they were now. Mink would watch him, a little frightened at what he might do.

“FUCK!!!” Aaron’s voice echoed through the caverns. Shining tried to calm him down. “It’s… it’s okay. We can salvage this. We’ll find another way.” Aaron turned to Lock Pick with a defeated look. “I’m sorry we got ya into this.”

The blue stallion comforted at Aaron, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, it wasn’t your fault. If anything, it was the griffon that grazed passed me.” Aaron let out a sigh of defeat, their plan demolished before they even got a chance to try.

“Well… let’s get going guys. I don’t want to stay here longer than I have to.” Aaron started walking back to the cave. Mink following close by him. He was deep in thought, thinking of the various ways of what this event would lead to. Without the magic, they had no way of getting out. No way of even trying to escape. They were trapped down there until they came up with another plan.

He needed to get back to Applejack and send them the information. He needed to know what to do. “Worry not. Life down here is not all bad.” Aaron guessed that this was Mink’s way of trying to cheer him up.

“We don’t want to live down here, Mink. We’re miserable down here. I’m miserable. Ponies aren’t meant to live underground.” Aaron’s voice had become melancholic; a thought had come into his mind that sent him into a fit of depression. He wouldn’t be seeing Twilight or Applejack in person for a long time. If not ever again.

“Well, at least not alone. Alone much worse.”

“Yeah… yeah I suppose you’re right.” The three came to the large door. Aaron knocked on it to let Shining know they were back.

“Who goes there?”

“It’s me. Open up, I got… some bad news.” There was a moment of silence, followed by a loud screeching of metal that echoed through the caves. The three were met with the blinding light of the caves as Shining’s silhouette emerged. He would look at Aaron, then the to Lock Pick.

“Who’s he?”

“He’s a friend. He’s actually apart of the plan.”

“Really?” Shining turned back to Lock Pick, then back to Aaron. “Is he being naked because of the plan?”

“Strangely enough, it is… or it was. He was supposed to smuggle in the magic, but he was discovered. They took it and now… he’s stuck in here with us.”

“Oh!” Shining turned to the Pegasus and waved. “Well, why don’t you come in. We’ll get you some clothes and we can get you acquainted.”

“Nah, I’m good. Though I would like a tour.” He strolled in, enjoying the soft breeze of the cave against his genitals. It wouldn’t be long before the local residence gets a good look at him. As he left, Shining turned to Aaron.

“Look, I’m sure this isn’t that bad. Once Twilight knows, she’ll be cooking up a plan to get things going back into gear. She’s smart like that.” Aaron shook his head somberly.

“I don’t know, Shiny. We’ll see.” Aaron turned to Mink and tossed the third gem his way. “Here you go Mink. You earned it.” The diamond dog, looked at it happily, polishing the green stone with glee.

“Thank you… thank you!” His beady little eyes gleamed like little stars, overjoyed to have the green rock, but that glee soon faded as he saw Aaron’s sorrowful look. “Mink… Mink find way to make friend happy. Mink will, he promises.” With that said, the small diamond dog waddled back into the tunnels with Shining closing the door between them.

It wouldn’t be long before Aaron starts to walk down the ramping back into town. He had to think of what he was going to say to Applejack. He needed help, and he needed it fast. Or else, all they worked for would be for nothing and they would be stuck in the prison for the rest of their lives.

~~~~~

The very moment Aaron got back to the main building, he went to the closest bed and began to sleep. He found himself floating in the utter blackness that was the void, as was how he always found himself when he needed to talk to Nightmare Moon. An image began to form as colors swirled around him. Nothing was replaced with something as the void was soon replaced with a regal looking ballroom. White and blue tiles decorated the floor as a red carpet lead from one doorway to a garden outside. In the middle was a statue of a tall alicorn mare, holding what looked to be a sun in her hands as she was dressed in robes.

Besides himself, it was completely empty of all life. Outside the tall windows, Aaron could see a gorgeous sunset setting over the horizon. A town could be seen below as the sun remained half engulfed by the horizon. “You’re here rather early?” A familiar voice said. Aaron turned around to find Nightmare in her usual regalia, walking up to him. He could feel a somber mood in the air as she approached him.

“Indeed. Things are not going as planned. The griffons found the magic and now we have no way of getting the ponies out.”

“Well, not necessarily.” She said in a cryptic manner. “You have lost one way out, not the game entirely. You merely have to try again, but from another angle.”

“How? I have no idea what to do? I need your help. I need Twilight’s help.” She turns to him and smiles warmly.

“I would love to help you. Surely, I do, but my reach is limited.”

“Then tell me, what do I do?” She walks up to Aaron, caressing his cheek. He could feel her soft coat against his skin, almost soothing his frustration.

“I cannot tell you what you have to do. If you are truly on your own now, then you must find your own path. Twilight and I cannot hold your hand forever. You must rise to the occasion, take upon the challenge.” Aaron looked up to her. He wanted to argue and debate… but he couldn’t. She was right. Twilight and Nightmare had always been there to rescue him. Now, it was time that he took the reins.

“Alright. I’ll… see what I can do. But, Twilight and the others still deserve to know what is going on.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Nightmare smiled softly as she held out her hand. “Would you like to dance?” Aaron looked at her skeptically, looking around.

“Is… it going to be disco?” Nightmare only chuckled as the sound of soft orchestral music began to fill the room. Almost resembling that of the Waltz. Aaron took her hand slowly, only for Nightmare to sweep him off his feet. Aaron didn’t know why she wanted to suddenly dance, but as he did. He began to smile. His worries were somehow melting away as he enjoyed this moment with the mare of darkness. Whether she was doing this intentionally or not was irrelevant to Aaron. For now, he would just enjoy the moment with a friend. “Hey, Nightmare. As much as I enjoy this, can you tell me when Applejack falls asleep so I can talk to her.”

“Of course. For now, let’s just enjoy ourselves.” The music grew louder and louder. The room was overtaken by silhouettes of ponies at a party. For the time being, Aaron would have a small bit of fun in his dreams before returning to the world of the waking to take on the challenge that laid ahead of him. But little did he know, that forces were conspiring against him.

~~~~~

"FUCK!!!" Aaron’s voice echoed through the caverns. Shining tried to calm him down. “It’s… it’s okay. We can salvage this. We’ll find another way.” Aaron turned to Lock Pick with a defeated look. “I’m sorry we got ya into this.”

The blue stallion comforted at Aaron, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, it wasn’t your fault. If anything, it was the griffon that grazed passed me.” Aaron let out a sigh of defeat, their plan demolished before they even got a chance to try.

“Well… let’s get going guys. I don’t want to stay here longer than I have to.”

“Sure thing.” Aaron began walking back through the caves. As he does, Lock pick halts his first step forward. With a smirk, he reaches for his shoulders, taking hold of something unseen. As he does, the spell fades away to reveal the glowing vials of synthetic magic. Turning to a hole, Lock Pick walked over to it and slid the rope in with an eager smile. “Woops.” Lock pick let out a soft chuckle as he through the halls, his actions unknown to anypony. But this was not the end, Lock Pick was just getting started.

Author's Notes:

Hey guys. Hope you liked this one. I hope it doesn't seem too fillerish. Hopefully I'll make the next chapter a lot more interesting.