Vanilla felt her mind awakening. The first thing that came to her mind and surprising was the fact still alive. It was a nasty fall at the end, how she had survived?

Opening her hazel eyes she slowly got focus on a cave. Chocolate stalactites hung from the ceiling and dangerously ahead there was a lake of hot chocolate.

She tried to move, but felt every inch of her aching body. But what should she expect after such an accident?

She waited until she was able to fly, her wings seemed better than her hooves at the time, and frankly, anything seemed better than her head right now. She could only imagine she had hit her head somewhere, she didn't remember anything. She just couldn't fly not very high, fast and far, because her wings still ached a bit.

She floated to the edge of the lake and laid there, enjoying some of the warmth of the place. The smell of chocolate did her notice how hungry she was, she seemed to haven't eaten anything for days. Half unwillingly she flied away, a bit lucky for her because in the next instant a slight tremor ran through the cave and if she was still lying in the same place it would have splashed hot chocolate on her.

Curious, Vanilla went to where she imagined to be the source of the sound and came across the cave entrance, but this almost completely blocked by two large and rocky figures. The little pony didn't doubt for a moment what they were, although the light doesn't facilitate her vision, Jawbreaker Trolls.

She had heard many legends about those big, strong and dangerous creatures that lived in the canyon, none of them ended well for ponies, mainly to Candy Ponies.

She tried to hide behind some chocolate rocks, and waited for them to leave.

"What are we doing here?" One of them asked.

The voice was not quite what Vanilla expected. It was rather a strong, deep voice, but still looked young and even somewhat friendly, if she could say so.

"I found her a few days ago. Thought she was alive, so brought her over here. But she is asleep since I found her." The other answered, and the girl had a nasty feeling they were talking about her.

"What are you talking about? Ponies? Those who end up here do not survive." The first one replied.

"Well, this one did, I think. Anyway, she disappeared."

She risked a peek. They were not as big as she expected, but still the highest was at least twenty times bigger than her. And, until they were cute for giant jigsaw chin.

But what she really noticed was that the monsters of gigantic stone, stupid and violent the stories described didn't exist. One even had cared enough to bring her up there and they clearly spoke the same language as her. And while the stories of trolls would be hitting the ceiling of the cave, those two were not that big.

Were they really dangerous? Sure they could accidentally crush her if not to see her, but would they hurt her intentionally?

No. Otherwise she would not be there, right? And certainly they wouldn't be looking for her now. So maybe she could fly there and make friends? Who knows they might even help her?

For sure it was what she would do. She need help if she wished to find out what happened to her father and arrest Dusky and save her kingdom.

She could also send a letter to Moonlight via fluffgeon* and ask for help. But despite the offer, she doubted anyone would help. She doubted that adults believe her and since the letter would stop directly in hooves - or claws? At that moment she was confused, after dealing with so many dragon-ponies - one of them, since Moonlight was very young and couldn't read. And even if she knew, she would have to recruit adults to help her, and they wouldn't believe her anyway. She needed local help and while she wasn't well enough to fly to her friends, would have to settle for what you find, even if they were jawbreaker trolls.

She finally came out of hiding and flew to where the trolls were.

"Hello!" She welcomed the highest she could.

Two pairs of big blue eyes fixed on her.

"There she is!" The littlest pointed.

"So..." She got a little nervous. "It was you who saved me? Thank you!"

"How'd you get here, little pony?" The littlest asked curiously.

"It's a long story, and when I'm too hungry to long stories." She said apologetically. Not that it was a lie, but it was not the whole truth. The other part was that she didn't want to discuss what happened, another reason would be that she didn't feel very comfortable in that situation, couldn't stay flying forever and that high volume conversation wasn't helping.

"Well, we have food. It's why we're here." The taller replied. "You are little, don't think you eat enough to miss, right?"

She had to nod, doubted that too.

"By the way, my name is Rocky!" He commented as he walked back to the cave entrance. "And my friend here is Tom"

"It's a pleasure." She smiled, even though they were no longer looking at her. "I'm Vanilla!"

"You know, you should come with us to the village." Tom commented. "You look much like her."

"Who?" Vanilla didn't expect them to know other ponies.

"Are you crazy?" Rocky asked softly because of their new pony friend, but still sounded somewhat altered. "If others discover will kill the three of us. Whether she'll probably end up turning us to actual stone or something and didn't even want to imagine what she would do with the little one here."

Vanilla gulped, suddenly deciding she didn't care. That story about die or turn to stone, sounded like it was safer back and face Dusky.

But she couldn't contain her curiosity too. Who they were talking about? But a bad idea struck her: What if it was the mysterious person who talked with Dusky in the morning when she fled?

By thinking about it, how many days she had spent in that cave? By her hunger, something close to a week probably. And speaking of hunger, she followed her new friends to the entrance of the cave, where there was a sled made of candy cane trees and it was full of chocolate rocks, marshmallows, giant jelly beans, a veritable feast of giants, she dared to say.

She landed gently on the edge of the sled and caught one of sharps marshmallow, which nonetheless still had half her size, but at that moment she didn't care, quickly took a bite of the dessert. She felt renewed her sugar energy, although she was unable to heal her wounds, or save her from headache, mild now, she felt, was still an extra energy she really needed.

She allowed herself to enjoy some more sweet without calling too much for what was happening around her.

She didn't saw when Rocky and Tom stood up, alarmed, she barely acknowledged the shaking on the ground and rocks falling from the top of the valley, until a dark shadow loomed over her, causing her to finally look up. Then she saw another Jawbreaker Troll standing there. This was much bigger than her friends and didn't seemed at all pleased to see her.

"So that was why the two were taking so long!" He said angrily to Rocky.

"She was sore and hungry, we couldn't let her!" Tom tried to justify.

Vanilla felt it was time to get out but once started away flying the oldest troll reacted quickly and grabbed her.

She felt the air missing at first, but it only lasted a few seconds, apparently he wasn't trying to kill her. He would have no trouble if he wished to.

"Don't hurt her, Stone! She did nothing!" Rocky tried to defend her.

"I will not hurt her. This isn't my task. You know we received orders, all I do is keep them."

Vanilla didn't like the sound of that, but the boys seemed to think better not argue.

Vanilla didn't know where she was being taken or because she was scared and worried, especially when her friends were sent back home and she was alone with Stone on a journey through the canyon.

"Where are you taking me?" She finally decided to ask.

"To the Vigilant. She came here a few days ago, looking for a pony that fell in the canyon. I told her that no one survived, but apparently you were lucky."

"Who is the Vigilant?"

But Stone didn't respond and Vanilla decided not to insist. Only it doesn't actually killed her was a relief. Who knew this Vigilante could not be dangerous, just a bit overprotective.

But she decided she was wrong when she saw the cave to which they were going. It was larger than the one in which she awakened and just had already appeared twice as scary.

The cave was completely dark, very different from the other. "Dark Chocolate Labyrinth." Vanilla could only whisper the name. The place itself was more dangerous than the canyon or NesquickSand Desert.

Then they came to a smaller cave, lit by several torches. In the center of the room there was what looked like a stone throne where sat a pony.

She seemed little older than Vanilla, and was the same color of her, but had her white strands in her mane and it was cut just above her shoulders. Her eyes were emerald green, but the detail that really differentiated the two was that the new pony was a Candy Unicorn instead of a Pegasus and she didn't have a Cutie Mark yet, despite her age. She also wore black armor that made her look a bit strange, but still seemed dark and threatening.

"So you really survived!" The Vigilant commented, somewhat impressed, though her expression didn't show it.

"W-Who are you?" Vanilla forced the question out, because she doesn't really want to talk to that strange.

"My name is Candy Shine, but everyone knows me as the Vigilant, or Dark Star. You've heard of me, of course."

Vanilla just shook her head slightly.

"No! Is that now? Well, no matter. Actually, I should have guessed. It's not as if that would stop me or something." She stood up and gestured, dismissing Rocky. "Trolls only look great, strong and intimidating, but they are nothing courageous in the face of magic. At least they are not as imbeciles like certad creatures that you can't do anything right, even by force."

"What do you want with me?" The youngest asked, startled.

"Not so much, princess." Vanilla didn't like the sarcastic tone in which she said the last word. "It's all a matter of who is more right. Just come with me and at peace. I'd hate to be forced to hurt you."

"You work for Dusky." Vanilla concluded.

Candy laughed.

"That fool. He can't just get rid of a small plague alone, let alone run an operation like this, but like the trolls, he's useful to us, for now. As for you, you're lucky I'm here, darling. come in peace and nothing bad will happen to you."

"Why?"

"You will discover. Or not.. Be a good filly and you may survive when it's over. Take a misstep and you may never see the sun again. Another misstep and you can go and giving goodbye to your miserable life."

Vanilla swallowed. She couldn't imagine what made it such a young pony, as she could only describe as a princess of darkness. Much less as there could be such a pony like her and yet so different.

"Guards!" Candy called, then two guards appeared from the darkness and Vanilla noticed that they were persecuted in the forest when she fled. "Take her back to the castle. I'll join you soon. Know what are the orders on the subject, make sure everything get right."

"Yes ma'am!" The two replied, saluting her.

Candy then turned to Vanilla.

"Don't worry, it will not hurt you." She said the last thing the younger remembered seeing was the oldest horn glowing with a green aura before she falling asleep.

Vanilla woke up in a dark place. At first she thought it was still in the cave, but soon began to realize that a slight light broke the darkness. The light of the full moon, coming from a small window right at her. The window was protected by chocolate bars. It was night and she was stuck in a cell, probably somewhere in the castle.

Why she had been brought back? Why Candy Shine refused to let Dusky kill her? What was happening here?

Not that it mattered. She was out of the canyon, just needed to get out and meet her friends. But she needed a proof if to ask for help.

But how to get out? The door was hard and heavy, and it probably had guards outside and she was still sore. There was nothing in the cell that could help her. Her only chance was perhaps the window, but the window bars were too thick and hard to be eaten, much less moved.

She needed a plan in Moonlight's style. Something crazy, probably dangerous, that would require a good deal of imagination and luck. She had muddled everything she had done since the first incident. Hardly would work, but she had to try.