My Little Pony_Ponyville Mysteries_Peryton Panic Page 4

  “The Everfree Forest,” Apple Bloom whispered. Luna nodded. As they continued to watch, magic swirled around the chalk sisters and an opening appeared in the ground. The Helm flew into the opening and plummeted for what seemed like forever.

  “We buried the Helm deep in the ground, in a prison of our own design.” Trees sprouted up around the cavern, their branches moving like serpents, slowly wrapping around one another. “We built a wall of living forest to keep ponies out: the Livewood. And from that living wood, we created creatures to guard the forest.” Sweetie Belle shuddered as wood splintered off the trees and re-formed into hulking shapes she was all too familiar with… Timberwolves. They howled at the night sky as they circled the cavern that held the Helm. But before Sweetie Belle got too nervous, a familiar shadowy creature flew through the sky, wrapping itself around the Livewood, trapping most of the Timberwolves inside a blanket of shadow. Sweetie Belle heard the faint tinkling of bells.

  “The peryton!” she exclaimed.

  “Yes. The peryton.” Luna smiled. “I summoned a creature of shadow to keep watch over the prison. And to alert me if anything ever threatened to breach its defenses.” Luna turned to look at the Crusaders. “When the peryton called to me, I knew it was time to reach out to the three of you.” The Crusaders looked at one another.

  “Why us?” Scootaloo asked. Luna turned back at the scene in front of them, watching as the peryton rotated its head and stomped its hooves and talons. It leaped into the air and flew into the Livewood. Sweetie Belle was so tense, she could barely breathe. After a few moments, the peryton burst from the Livewood and slammed its antlers into the ground. In response, shadowy antler vines sprouted in three distinct spots. Roots, rocks, and dirt grew from the ground as if the antlers were pulling them from the earth. They formed together until three matching pillars stood next to one another. Each pillar loomed about eight feet tall and had steps twisting around it from the bottom to the top.

  “That is why,” Luna explained. “For reasons I do not know, the peryton decided to create one final lock that even my sister and I could not open. After much study, we came to believe that the only way to enter the Livewood would be to find three ponies with matching cutie marks. It was the perfect way to keep ponies away from the Helm of Shadows forever, because there have never been three ponies with matching cutie marks in all of Equestria’s history.” Luna turned to look at the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Each of their cutie marks glowed brightly. “Until you came along. Which is why you must protect the Livewood.”

  “… I shall be waiting for you right here when school lets out, so don’t even think about going anywhere.” If anything, Rarity was even more upset this morning. She had insisted on walking Sweetie Belle to school and walking her home afterward. But Sweetie Belle was barely paying attention to her sister, she was so preoccupied thinking about everything she had learned last night.

  Was the Helm of Shadows really buried deep in the Everfree Forest behind a wall of living trees? And then there was that stuff about the matching cutie marks and protecting the Livewood! Did that mean that she was going to have to go into the Livewood? Sweetie Belle had no desire to go near that place.

  “I just can’t believe y’all.” Applejack’s voice pulled Sweetie Belle’s thoughts back to the present. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were trotting toward the Schoolhouse. Applejack and Rainbow Dash followed, sharing their versions of the lecture Rarity was giving Sweetie Belle.

  “… and I told Auntie Lofty and Aunt Holiday I’d walk you home. So no funny stuff,” Rainbow Dash finished as they reached the school. Apparently, all the Crusaders were under house arrest for the foreseeable future.

  As soon as they were alone, Sweetie Belle turned to the others. “So… last night…”

  “Princess Luna?” Apple Bloom asked. The others nodded.

  “The Helm of Shadows?” Scootaloo shuddered. More nods.

  “Did either of you say anything to anypony else?” Sweetie Belle asked. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom shook their heads.

  “I wanted to make sure we all really did have the same dream first.” Apple Bloom glanced around the room. “Have y’all seen Lilymoon?” Sweetie Belle looked around. It didn’t seem as if she had arrived yet. Apple Bloom spoke quietly. “Y’know, we’ve heard about the Livewood before.”

  “We have?” Sweetie Belle asked. She couldn’t remember that.

  Apple Bloom nodded. “Back when we first followed Lilymoon home. Her dad said something about tryin’ to break into the Livewood.”

  “Oh yeah!” Scootaloo scrunched up her face as she tried to recall the details. “And remember how interested they were in our cutie marks?” Sweetie Belle’s jaw dropped as she realized something.

  “They have matching cutie marks, too!” She looked at the others, wide-eyed.

  “You mean we have to protect the Livewood from Lilymoon and Ambermoon’s parents?” Scootaloo groaned. “Great…”

  “But if they have matching cutie marks, why haven’t they already unlocked it?” Apple Bloom wondered.

  Scootaloo’s wings fluttered nervously. “Does this mean Lilymoon and Ambermoon are bad guys now?” she asked. They all stared at one another.

  Then Apple Bloom shook her head. “Whatever their parents are up to, I can’t believe Lilymoon and Ambermoon are in on it,” she said.

  “Me neither.” Scootaloo sighed. “But should we tell them what Luna said? How do you let somepony know her family is messing with dark magic?” Sweetie Belle wasn’t sure if they should share the dream or not. Luna had told the Crusaders to protect the Livewood… but what if they just ended up making things worse?

  Suddenly, Sweetie Belle saw the slightest movement in the shadows accompanied by the softest chime of a bell.

  “The peryton,” Sweetie Belle whispered. The other two looked at her.

  “What about it?” Apple Bloom asked.

  “A peryton was there when Luna and Celestia buried the Helm of Shadows,” Sweetie Belle said, working it out. “It made the pillars to unlock the Livewood. And Lilymoon was studying perytons—that’s when she got her cutie mark. Our peryton showed up in Ponyville after Lilymoon’s family moved here. I think it’s the key to figuring all of this out!”

  “That makes sense.” Scootaloo nodded. “But… how can we find it? We’re grounded for life!”

  Sweetie Belle wished she could explain everything to her sister and let Rarity and her friends handle things. But with everything that had happened in the last couple of days, Sweetie Belle knew her sister wasn’t in any mood to listen. They had to do this themselves.

  “We’re going to sneak off after school, find that peryton, and figure out what’s really going on!” she announced. Her friends stared at Sweetie Belle in shock.

  “You sure?” Apple Bloom asked.

  “Not even a little bit,” Sweetie Belle admitted, “but what other choice do we have?”

  “You all realize that if we don’t get any answers out here, we’re in… like… the most trouble of our lives, right?” Scootaloo pushed some vines out of the way as the Crusaders traveled farther into the Everfree Forest. When class had been dismissed, Sweetie Belle and the others had hung back until Miss Cheerilee walked out to the front steps to see the class off. Then, the trio had crawled out the side window. Not the most graceful as far as escape plans went, but it had done the job.

  Sweetie Belle was sure they’d get answers, but she wasn’t as convinced that they’d like them. For example—why hadn’t Lilymoon been at school today? She hoped nothing bad had happened to her friend.

  “I got a better question,” Apple Bloom said. “How are we s’posta find this peryton? Anypony remember what we’re s’posta say?”

  Sweetie Belle had been thinking about that. They didn’t have Auntie Eclipse’s spell book, or cupcakes, or any other things from the night before. But Sweetie Belle wasn’t sure they needed them.

  “I think we just have to find a place that’s dark and quiet,” Sweetie Belle said. S
he took in her surroundings. The trees blocked most of the late-afternoon sun. “Like somewhere over—” Apple Bloom covered Sweetie Belle’s mouth and made a shushing noise. Sweetie Belle listened. She could hear ponies nearby, whispering! But before she could even think about what to do next, Scootaloo threw herself on the ground.

  “You found us!” Scootaloo wailed. “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash! Please don’t tell Auntie Lofty and Aunt Holiday! I don’t want to be grounded foreverrrrrrrrrr!”

  Lilymoon and Ambermoon stuck their heads out from behind a large oak tree and stared at Scootaloo.

  “What are you wailing about?” asked Ambermoon.

  Scootaloo jumped up and dusted herself off. “Nothing,” she said quickly. “I knew it was you.” The sisters joined the Crusaders. They were both wearing packs. Nopony said anything for a few seconds. Sweetie Belle could feel the tension in the air.

  “We were worried when we didn’t see you at school today,” Apple Bloom said. Lilymoon glanced at her sister. Ambermoon nodded.

  “Mother made me stay home,” Lilymoon explained. “She wants to take me out of school for good.”

  “She told us we weren’t allowed to leave the house,” Ambermoon added grimly.

  “So… what are you doing out here?” Scootaloo asked.

  “Listen. You accused our family of a lot of things last night—” Ambermoon began.

  “Because—” Apple Bloom tried to cut in, but Ambermoon held up a hoof to stop her.

  “But you’re our friends. The first friends we’ve had in a long time. Lilymoon and I think maybe you were right to question the things that have been going on. So when our parents left for the market, we went out to get some answers.” Lilymoon used her magic to pull Auntie Eclipse’s spell book out of her pack.

  “We thought we would start by—”

  “Finding the peryton!” Sweetie Belle finished. “Same here. We sneaked off after school. We’re grounded, too.”

  “Well then,” Ambermoon muttered, “let’s get moving.” She began lifting supplies out of her pack. Lilymoon opened the spell book. Apple Bloom looked at Sweetie Belle and nodded as if to say, Speak up. Sweetie Belle cleared her throat.

  “I… don’t think any of that is necessary,” she said. The sisters stopped what they were doing.

  Lilymoon glanced at her cutie mark and sighed. “I was hoping finding the peryton again would help me understand my cutie mark. But you obviously have more of a connection with it. Tell us what to do.” Everypony turned to Sweetie Belle expectantly.

  She wasn’t sure her idea would work, but there was only one way to find out. Sweetie Belle closed her eyes.

  “A rose has thorns to keep it safe,” she whispered, “but ponies have not one.” The Forest seemed to grow quieter around her. “A wild rose blooms where it is placed, but ponies seek the sun.” She could hear the faintest tinkling of bells. “A rose is sweet and beautiful; its scent is lush and rare. But a pony’s love is greater yet, and nothing can compare.” The bells grew louder. “So if I had to choose between a rose and pony friend, I’d throw away the flower quick, and keep you till the end.” Sweetie Belle looked up to see the peryton’s glowing white eyes staring at her. It glanced at the others and pawed the ground nervously.

  “Wow,” Scootaloo whispered.

  “Hey, Smarty-hoof,” Sweetie Belle said, grinning. “We were hoping you could help us get some answers.” The peryton turned and studied Lilymoon and Ambermoon, unsure. Suddenly it leaped into the air and flew deeper into the Everfree Forest. It landed a short distance away and turned back to the fillies. The bells chimed impatiently. Sweetie Belle looked at the others. “I guess we’re going that way.”

  The peryton led them deeper into the Everfree Forest, always stopping to make sure they were following. It was hard to distinguish the creature from the shadows, so Sweetie Belle relied on the constant chiming of bells to lead her through the dark forest. She realized she could barely see the others trotting next to her. She glanced up and was shocked to see stars in the sky. How long had they been walking? She was certain none of them had ever gone this deep into the Everfree Forest before. Doubt began to gnaw at her.

  “Hey, you okay?” Lilymoon asked, trotting next to her.

  “Yeah. Just a little nervous,” Sweetie Belle admitted.

  “Why? We’re just lost in a spooky forest following a creature made of shadows, with no idea where we’re going,” Lilymoon said, grinning.

  “Probably the Livewood,” Scootaloo said. Ambermoon and Lilymoon both stopped mid-trot and looked at her with odd expressions.

  “What do you know about the Livewood?” Ambermoon asked, her expression unreadable. Scootaloo looked at Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle wasn’t sure what they should or shouldn’t say. Fortunately, Apple Bloom saved them by calling out from up ahead.

  “Hey, y’all! I see some kinda light!” Glad for a change in subject, Scootaloo rushed to join Apple Bloom, but Sweetie Belle watched Ambermoon and Lilymoon out of the corner of her eye. They were looking at each other with… concern? As they all approached the light, Sweetie Belle squinted. It was bright! Like, middle of the day bright! Blinded, Sweetie Belle bumped into Apple Bloom. As her eyes slowly adjusted, she could see they were standing at the edge of a clearing. But she suddenly realized she couldn’t hear any bells.

  “Where’s the peryton?” she asked. When nopony responded, she turned to look at the others. They were all staring ahead, eyes wide. Sweetie Belle turned to see what was in front of them.

  She gasped.

  It was exactly like Luna had shown them but creepier. Sweetie Belle could see the three antler-grown pillars in front of them, and beyond that…

  “The Livewood,” Lilymoon whispered. The branches and vines moved in a serpentine fashion, twisting and sliding around one another. Behind them, the glowing green eyes of Timberwolves watched the ponies intently. The peryton was nowhere to be seen. Sweetie Belle had no idea what to do next.

  “Ambermoon! Lilymoon! What are you doing here?”

  Sweetie Belle turned in surprise to see Lilymoon and Ambermoon’s parents! Lumi Nation wore a shocked expression and Blue Moon, well… he was still grinning. They stood next to an enormous flower, its large spotted petals facing the Livewood. The blinding bright light seemed to be radiating from the flower’s center.

  “What are you doing here?” Ambermoon shot back. “You said you were going to the market!”

  “I also said not to leave the house and to stay away from those three!” Lumi screamed.

  “Answer her question, Mother,” Lilymoon demanded. “What are you doing here?”

  “Just an experiment, dear,” Blue Moon responded calmly. “Nothing to worry you young fillies.” The sudden sound of splintering wood seemed to contradict Blue Moon’s sedate reply. Sweetie Belle yelped as one of the Timberwolves hurled itself against the snaking vines of the Livewood, trying to reach them. The rage on Lumi’s face shifted to concern.

  “Uh. They aren’t s’posta be able to get outta there… right?” Apple Bloom asked nervously.

  “I don’t wanna find out,” Sweetie Belle squeaked.

  “Our work here can wait. I should get you girls home,” Lumi said hastily, herding her daughters toward the Forest. “Come along, fillies. Your father will see to your friends.”

  “What should we do?” Scootaloo whispered as Ambermoon and Lilymoon disappeared into the darkness of the trees.

  “I don’t wanna stay here, but I don’t trust him,” Apple Bloom replied.

  “At least we know he’s not gonna eat us!” Sweetie Belle hissed.

  “Good point. Let’s go!” Apple Bloom said with a nod. Blue Moon stood there, grinning. He turned toward the Forest. Sweetie Belle took a step to follow him.

  But something stopped her. She couldn’t move her hooves!

  Sweetie Belle glanced to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo in a panic. They were stuck, too!

  “You three have a pleasant evening, now.” Blue Moon smiled as he disa
ppeared into the shadows of the Forest.

  Sweetie Belle struggled to get free, but nothing happened. Magic held the Crusaders in place. The Timberwolves yipped in a frenzy and she heard more wood cracking. How could the Livewood have kept them trapped for so long, only to break when the Crusaders were stuck outside? Sweetie Belle heard a dry, raspy chuckle. Somepony was behind them!

  “Who’s there?” Apple Bloom asked.

  “Help us! Please!” Scootaloo begged.

  Auntie Eclipse walked slowly around the Crusaders, facing them. Her horn glowed brightly, holding them in place. She scowled.

  “Help you?” She laughed again. “I can finally stop you. Permanently.”

  “Why’re you doin’ this?” Apple Bloom pleaded. Auntie Eclipse cackled.

  “Oh no, no dearie. This isn’t where I explain all my years of planning to you nosy fillies. This is where I leave you to the Timberwolves so I can carry out my plans without your constant meddling.” She turned her back on them and walked toward the Forest.

  “You’ll never get the Helm of Shadows!” Scootaloo yelled. Auntie Eclipse paused. She turned back toward the Crusaders, a nasty gleam in her eye.

  “Well, well, it appears you know more than you were letting on. I assume you also know about those, then?” She gestured toward the pillars. “With you three gone, I’ll have the only ponies in Equestria with the ability to access the pillars’ magic. I’ve made sure of that. So yes. I believe the Helm will be mine.” Her raspy chuckle echoed around the clearing as she disappeared into the Forest.