High in the mountain ridge in Badlands, two ponies fought against the awful weather. The storm came out of the blue and caught them by surprise. The strong wind and the heavy rain made the climbing even more difficult and dangerous. Some places were impossible to be crossed, so that they had to take the longer path, which was not less risky and easy.

"We have the worst luck of all time!" the earth pony yelled. He was wearing a blue ninja outfit. It had gold stripes on the sleeves, indicating that the wearer was from a noble family. On his back, the compact backpack was completely soaked. Everything inside it, including the food, was wasted because of this bloody gale.

"Triple Spirit warned us not to challenge the mountain but who listened." the black mare turned to her partner. A long handle stuck out from behind. She would not go on an adventure without the legendary Claw Sword. Heavy drops of water were falling from her chin. Her orange eyes looked at him and then at the long dark rocky path, from which they came. It took them an entire day to get to here. Exhaustion plagued their bodies but they had to keep going.

Lightnings shined in the gloomy sky. The silhouettes of the peaks emerged from the blackness like ghosts. Some of them disappeared above the sad clouds, others formed sharp toothed line. If the weather had been better, this place would have been great for exploring.

"Maybe we should turn back? I can barely see, where I'm stepping and this storm might rage for days."

"Has the little prince become a coward out of a sudden?"

"No, I just do not want to die in this place! I highly advise that we find a good cover and wait until the the weather soothes."  

She impaled his green eyes. There was no fright in them. That was good because she planned to get to their final destination without resting. Time wasn't on their side. She desperately fought it and would not give a second because her death was imminent.

"When you asked me whether you could join me on my journey to here, I said that it's going to be my speed or remain at home. You agreed on my terms, so be a good little pony and get your flank moving!"

He sighed.

"As you wish, Snake Tail." the stallion began climbing again and when he got to her, she said:

"Wasn't so hard, eh? No wonder everypony calls you Young Hair and not Heir."

"I'm not here to listen to your mockeries but to help you get safely to the secret temple. Although I myself start to think that it is just a myth. Who would want a temple on top of the deadliest mountain?"

"Ponies, who had a lot of courage and intellect to hid its secrets here, so that no other creatures would dare to look for it, except us!" Tail smiled.

"Huh, I can see the horrible cold I'm going to get because of this. Hope it's worth it."

After the short brake, together they began climbing the slippery rocks. The temperature was near zero. Their bodies generated enough internal heat to keep them from completely freezing to death. The windstorm didn't reduce its power, but only got more fearsome and brutal. It started raining hail, which only Snake Tail could withstand but for the earth pony this was utter hell.

Young Hair tried to follow her tightly. The constant bombardment hurt every part of his body. To make matters even worse, this mountain chain was the favorite home of many dragons. It would be very unfortunate, if they stumbled across one of these good hosts. The beasts had zero tolerance for other species and sometimes other dragons. They'd attack immediately and pursue their preys until the little beings become one with their big hungry stomachs.

The stallion began to considerably fall behind. Snake climbed rock after rock and didn't showed signs, that she noticed her partner's problems. His head hurt like hell. Bloody drops were falling from his forehead. Suddenly he felt dizzy, after a heavy hit. Young Hair couldn't hold on his hooves and collapsed on the ground.

She turned around and for her horror, Tail saw how his body began to slide to the edge of the narrow path. The wind was steadily pushing him to his doom. When his right legs hanged down above the abyss, she grabbed him tightly and pulled him to her. He couldn't speak and was barely breathing.  

"Now I have to carry you to the top. Great!" Snake shouldered him and began to climb the titan again. She was very careful because one slip, meant certain death. The wind ferociously blew in her face. The visibility was almost nonexistent. The hail slowed and soon dropped only fewer icy balls of pain. However, the terrain was becoming steeper and harder to move on. She pulled her claws out from the hooves to have a better grip on her ascent.

With each step, the razor sharp nails struck deep in the soul. She was like a tireless puma, that knew no fear. Her entire being was concentrated only on the task. Her mind pictured them at the temple. Snake Tail could feel that they were close. A few more meters and finally they got to top, which wasn't the highest one in no means. Her eyes grew bigger, when she noticed a round rock in the middle of the barren peak.

She put him down on a safe spot and then approached the stone sphere. There was only one sign on it, a 'V' with a circle around it. This was the place they were looking for. Snake checked it from all sides but found nothing else.

"Only the one with immense strength can touch the stars." she quoted.

Her front hooves touched its smooth surface and pushed. It didn't move at all. She pushed again with all her strength but again without result. Snake stood there silently for a moment. Then suddenly she straight punched it. Her hoof went deep inside its rocky structure, though it didn't felt like Tail just hit a solid scale. More like rubber.

A bright blue light came from the hole, that illuminated the entire peak. She quickly stepped away and stood between him and the magical object. White lines appeared on its round surface, then it broke up into six pieces, which elevated high in the air. On the place, where it used to stand, there was a round hole and a staircase, which led down to the center of the mountain.

This was their way in the temple, so without wasting any second more, Snake toss him on her back and carefully went inside. The entrance behind them closed with a loud bang. It was darker than outside but at least it was not raining. The hollowed out staircase was moist like the walls and the short ceiling. There was a dead silence, unlike the world outside. Snake felt uncomfortable. She was used to hear constantly many sounds around her.

"It's warmer in here, I wonder why. Let's see how deep the rabbit hole goes." she looked at him. He hadn't waken yet and probably needed some medical care, judging by the blood that stained his blue outfit. "Hang in there Lupi Do. You will see the light after this."

With careful steps, she began going down through the tight stairway. It spiraled downwards without an end. Drops of water fell down from the ceiling. They descended deeper into the heart of the petrous titan. It was a good half an hour, when Young Hair opened his eyes. He saw nothing but total blackness.

"Am I dead?" his voice echoed from the walls.

"Of course not. It's not that easy to escape me!" the familiar voice came next to him. "You are stuck with me in this sacred place."

"So, the temple exists?" he sounded very weak.

"I hope so, as you can see we are not there yet. How is your head?"

"It's like after drinking too much cider and my body hurts like after a battle against ten ninjas."

"Good, you feel pain, which is promising. I would be worried, if you felt nothing."

"Snake, thanks for carrying me."

"Not a problem. How could I leave the son of the leader in that storm?" she smiled under her mask.

The two continued down the tunnel. The claustrophobic feel was very annoying for both of them, though that didn't slow their pace. Soon the staircase ended in front of a small entrance that led to a vast chamber. When they got there, Snake let him go. At first he swayed in one place but quickly found balance.

"Can you walk on flat ground?"

"I think so. However, I can't see anything from this utter darkness. I do not have your eyes, you know."

"Then use one of the torches in your backpack."

"They are probably all wet and... Hey what are you...!"

Snake opened the knapsack and took out a moist stick with a flammable material on its end. After one fire breath, it shinned with a bright light that blinded him for a few seconds. She then put the torch in his mouth and smiled on how silly he looked with it.

"You could have just put it on my scabbard." he said with clench teeth.

"Where would be the fun in that, eh?" she then turned to the entrance. "This way you won't be able to talk much. We'd not want to wake the creatures that might live in here with your horrible singing."

"Yeah, as if the light won't point them at our direction. Actually, what could live in here?" he put the torch in his scabbard. The fire was burning mere centimeters from his face.

"I was just joking. Probably this place is completely empty. Let's not waste more time and continue to the temple."

Snake then cautiously passed through the gate, shortly followed by the stallion. They found themselves on a small platform that stood above a huge chasm. The walls in front of them were not visible with the dim light of the little fire. Snake could not see them with her superb night vision. They looked around and noticed a narrow path next to the wall on their left. It was the only way to go and Snake went first.

They moved very carefully. Snake constantly checked what was in front of them and occasionally looked down at her hooves. The adrenaline had kicked in. There wasn't a single thing, on which they could grab, if the unthinkable happened. Some parts of the path had collapsed and they had to make dangerous jumps on the other sides. Good thing they were trained in agility.

They leaped high above the precipices like two little locusts and landed softly every time. Their steps sounded through the entire cave as they were the only sounds. However, one thing bothered her nose. It was the smell of fire, though weak. Maybe it was the old air or something else?

Snake suddenly stopped in one place and tried to locate from where the odor was coming. Lupi quizzed at her.

"Should I extinguish the light?" he asked her very quietly.

"Why would you do that?" she looked below. "Throw it there."

"Uhm, okay..." he pulled it out and soon the torch went flying straight into the black. They followed its fall. Exactly twelve seconds later, the cresset landed on an armored skin. The dragon peel was red with some purple nuances. The beast seemed asleep.

Snake made a disturbing grimace. She really didn't expect that this ancient home would be still occupied.

"I see something there. Is it an Ursa Major?"

"You should have payed much more attention in class and know that Ursa is blue. That thing below us is a full fledged dragon."

"But didn't they sleep near the cave's entrance?"

"Yes and as far as I know, the only way in is from the top of of the mountain. Maybe this fellow was trapped in here in the ancient past or could he be a guardian of the temple?"

"Either way, we have to be extremely silent not to wake him up or we are toast!"

She turned to to the path ahead and said:

"Grab my tail. I'll lead you through the dark."

He waved his hoof in front of him. Accidentally he touched her perfectly formed flank and thus received a kick in the head.

"Quit your fantasy and let's move on!" she urged seriously.

He could swear that his eyes saw stars around him. He felt very embarrassed. Luckily for him, the second try was a success. Back at school, when they were younger, It used to be a well known fact that he had some feelings towards her, which Lopi never managed to share with his friend, the dragon pony. Snake was too busy with her research to find a way to undo her curse, that she never gave him an opportunity to show what was in his hearth.

The two silently continued on the path, which steadily widened. Soon they found another entrance and when they got inside it, Lupi lighted another torch. The chamber was a lot smaller. Six stone columns supported the flat ceiling. Figures and hieroglyphs were engraved on each. There were some, in which were shown ancient rituals. A lot of them ended with a sacrifice to the demon god.

Snake approached one of them and stared in the image of this super being. It looked like nothing she had ever seen. It was biped, just like a monkey. It seemed to wear some kind of armor or it could be just his skin. He was holding in his left arm a long stick and on other a shorter one.

Far back in the middle of the temple, there was a shrine. Behind it, a big golden dragon statue stared at them. It looked like a snake with giant wings. It's evil-looking eyes were made out of red crystals. In its right clawed hand, the creature held a glass sphere. The place seemed surprisingly clean for its thousands year history. No dust or webs covered the surfaces of the artifacts.

"Woaw." Lupi admired on the sight. "Wait to see the faces of the naysayers."

Snake silently went forward. She approached the shrine and immediately felt the magical energy, that surrounded it. A lot of power was concentrated in this small place, which scared her a little. If things went wrong, she might fry herself and die on the spot.    

"Dream all you want but do not interrupt my meditation. If you see me struggle, do not attempt to help me or you'll die. Got it?"

He gulped.

"Yes, as you say." Lupi nodded.

Snake then pulled out her sword and thrust it at the ground. She didn't want to wait more to try this possible cure for her terrible illness. The mare jumped on the altar and sat in a meditating pose. Her orange eyes stared at the statue's before closing them.

The stallion in the blue outfit sat next to the left column on the second row and waited. Time passed, the fire from the torch weakened. He was starting to get bored. His green eyes looked at her still figure. She was in a deep meditation and was beyond this world now.

"Only if I could tell you..." he looked flagging. Suddenly something shining caught his eye. Lupi went to the spot and started delving. Soon in his hoof was a small red medallion on a golden chain. Its slick surface glanced from the light of the torch. It fascinated him and inveigle his curiosity.

"Greetings, son of the first dragon slayer!"

The voice caught him off guard. He immediately jumped on his hooves and frantically glanced around. There was no pony else in the temple. Only darkness surrounded him and Snake. The flame of the torch flinched.

"Do not fear my help, young warrior."

He looked at his right and froze. A dark unicorn with white eyes stared straight into his soul. Black flames came from her feathers. She was wearing a red locket with a green orb in the center.

"Who are you, demon?!" he stood in a defensive stance.

"I'm no demon but a friend. I'm here to give you warnings for the future." she answered calmly.

"Why should I listen to your lies?" Lupi prepared for the inevitable battle. He'd protect her on all costs, even if he had to sacrifice his own life.

"In five months your father will die and you'll take his place. From that moment you'll be left with the legacy of the two previous leaders, who made mistakes that could be corrected only by war. You'll ignite the greatest forest fire in your short clan history. Because of your duties, you'll never be able to help her." the alicorn looked at the unsuspecting mare. "She will die trying to desperately find the cure."

"Those are all lies!" he shouted angrily. "My father is in perfect health and Snake will find a way to get the curse off her!"

"Your love for her will blind you, my little prince. What I say is the ultimate truth. I'm willing to help you in good faith and show you that I'm not here to harm you by removing the dragon from the cave."

"Yeah, as if..."

"Follow me."

The alicorn then turned to the entrance and disappeared into the darkness. He followed her every step with sight. Lupi didn't believe a word from the prophecies but his curiosity was large enough to start walking towards the gate. He put the medallion on his neck, took the torch and went outside. The stallion scanned for danger. The alicorn was standing on the small platform, gazing at the abyss.

He approached Her from behind and was ready to strike first, when a bright light illuminated the entire cave. His eyes hurt and Lupi thought that that he fell for her trick. However, no attack came. The demonic mare pointed at where the beast used to sleep.

"He is no more, there is no danger to you and your love."

He blinked a few times until his eyes adapted. The ninja was shocked to see the dragon gone.

"That's, that's..."

"Possible." the alicorn turned to him. Those white eyes could scare even the bravest pony. "Do you see that I'm only trying to help you?"

"I-I..." he shook head. "How are you going to help me?"

"Snake will die but I do know a way to revive her."

Lupi looked her in the eye and asked with a serious voice:

"What's the prize for your aid?"

"Your trust." she touched the red medallion on his chests. "I'll guide you through pain and death. When you need my help, I'll be there to lend you a hoof. I only ask you to trust me and your future, the well being of your clan and the life of your love will be taken care of. Just trust in me."

Then the black entity faded away, only her white eyes remained for a little longer and then they too disappeared. The cave returned to the darkness once more. He stood there, wondering what to do. His eyes stopped at the beautiful pendant. It whispered his name. If the future was so grim, he'd need every help to make it better. His heart would not handle her permanent loss. If this was the only way, then he had to do what the spirit wanted.

The sound of the approaching hooves made him to hide the locket inside his cloth. He turned to Snake, who looked a little pissed.

"Did it worked?"

She shook head.

"I tried to contact the spirit of the dragon, who put this horrible curse on me but I just couldn't. I could sense other serpents' souls but not his. What a waste of time this trip is. Now I'm back to square one."

He placed his hoof on her shoulder and comfortingly said:

"Don't let your spirit to fall down, Snake. I believe in you. The day will come, when you be free from your burden."

She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Never give up." then Snake smiled at him. "Thanks, Lupi. Let's get out of this forsaken place."

Then the two ponies headed back from where they came. The stallion carefully hid the secret of his unexpected meeting and the medallion from her. A big white grin appeared in the darkness. Death and destruction was coming and the Dead Sun Princess was going to enjoy the entire show.

Foxy rapidly woke up. She was breathing chaotically. Fear was readable in her orange eyes. Tail needed an entire minute before she calmed down. The mare sat on the white bed and looked down at her hooves. The peaks of the claws protruded.

She concentrated on her self-control and soon they pulled back inside her legs. Foxy turned her sight on Lucky, who was was still sleeping. He was lying with his back turned to her. Tail felt a relief, when she learned that the pegasus was unharmed. The last thing she'd want was to stab him in the back.

Foxy slowly lied down again, while looking at the wooden ceiling. Her dream was a message from the past, left by her parent. Did they completely rid the danger from Shadow Sun or were their adventures just small pieces of bigger picture? This questioned boggled her mind until the morning, not letting her to have her night rest.

Across the ocean, in the leader's chamber and tan pony with a white hair sipped mint tea from the porcelain cup. He felt the vibes of the energies that connected every living thing. His green old eyes stared at the yellow flames in the fireplace. This was the night, when he was going to fulfill the last part of his destiny. Tonight Blue Circle was going to meet his doom and with his down fall, Lupi was going to finally get the deserving happiness, which was taken from him all those years of his painful rule.   Next Chapter: Chapter 26: Into The Beast's Mouth Estimated time remaining: 7 Hours, 13 Minutes