“So these are the three?” Duskfall asked the trio.
“Yep” Sour responded, not a moment later. The three looking at the alicorns with some focus in their stare. Soundwave and Dawn looked at eachother, their expressions being that of unease. Cluttered however, trotted up to the three. Staring at Harmonous, Arcane and Dallasite as he spoke up. “So, do you feel pleased with yourselves?” he quite bluntly asked, with some annoyance in his voice. Sour, Sweet and Acidic looked at eachother, then at Cluttered. With dread permeating their faces. Arcane speaking up with some aggression. Simply asking “What is this simpleton on about?” as his horn began to glow. Cluttered noticing, but determined to get his point across. “Well this SIMPLETON has seen what you’ve done to these three. Splitting these three up from their original body? Then trying to murder them in more than a few situations? You should be ashamed of yourselves!” he finally finished off. With the air going temporarily still. Until Arcane’s horn finally let out a beam of white magic. Rage in his eyes. The only thing that stopped Cluttered from becoming an ice sculpture being both Sweet and Duskfall forming a shield to absorb the beam. Magic twinkling from Sweet and Duskfall’s horns whilst Dallasite and Harmonous stared. Harmonous observing, whilst Dallasite decided to prepare himself for what could possibly happen next.
“Now now, Arcane. Your emotions are weakening you again” Harmonous simply ended up adding on. Arcane’s reaction to that specific statement seemed to be a complete shutdown of any facial expressions. It was almost disturbing to witness. “Emotions aren’t… Weak” Acidic quietly said, with a little shake in his voice. That however, was when Harmonous gave Acidic a cruel grin. With lashing sarcasm in his voice, he instantly responded. “Yes, because the Alicorn that can’t make up his own mind on whether to stay as one or three is the martyr for advice” he spat out. It was almost anger fueled by the end. But there was a distinct lack of care, or even effort in his voice as he proceeded to use his magic to open a portal to the city gates. An extremely pale blue portal that swirled from the center outwards. Dallasite, throughout the entire exchange, seemed unsure of how to react. He was almost trying to shake his head at the three; hoping they’d notice. But when it was clear that they didn’t, he sighed. Which wasn’t heard by anypony other than Arcane. Who jolted his eyes slightly at Dallasite before focusing his attention back on the seven infront of the three alicorns.
“Ignoring your blindly humorous statement, it’s time we got going Bounded. Time is ticking” Harmonous then finally said after a moment of silence. “Yeah yeah… Give us a minute to say goodbye first, though” Sour then responded to Harmonous. Making Harmonous almost flinch. Some apathetic cold came from his next reply. With a small boom in his voice, and the smoke where his missing eye should’ve been becoming sharp and jagged, he snapped back with “You’ve had two weeks to bid farewell to these… FRIENDS… of yours” which prompted Dallasite to finally speak up. “Well, to be fair, they probably spent that trying to accept what’s about to happen. We can give them this, right?” he asked Harmonous, with daggers being shot at him metaphorically from Harmonous’ eyes as Arcane gulped slightly and then jumped in himself. “Yes, but they should’ve spent their time more wisely. Surely they should know that” added in. “Yes, well, the one who asked you his very blunt question does have somewhat of a point. If we put him in these situations, we should at least let him cope with them however he sees fit” Dallasite then finally added, an apathetic tone covering what seemed to be some undercover care for the three. Which Sour and Sweet picked up on. Both glancing at eachother as Harmonous rubbed his forehead in slight annoyance with his wing before gritting his teeth and bluntly saying “Fine” as the three alicorns then waited. The smoke where Harmonous’ missing eye should’ve been, starting to also flicker somewhat.
As soon as they heard the word, the trio turned around. With Cluttered, Duskfall, Soundwave and Dawn coming back in for the hug. One last hug between the seven before the end. The emotions coming out once more. But, unlike before, they were more toned down. “We’re gonna miss you three” Dawn said, sadness in her tone. “Yeah… But make sure you three live your lives!” Duskfall then added in. With Soundwave nodding in encouragement and Cluttered finally saying “Thank you, for everything” before they all broke the hug up. With Sour, Sweet and Acidic taking a deep breath before Sour finally turned around. The other two following suit as he said “Alright… We’re ready. But… Can we just walk through the town one last time? We have the rest of the afternoon after all” as Harmonous once again flinched at the question. As he went to speak, Dallasite stepped infront of him, with his stance being that of defiance. The first proper defiance the three had seen from Dallasite, or Arcane during their entire journey. “Come now, they’re coming along. A detour of a town we’re set to…” but he stopped himself. Something was clearly being concealed from the others behind him as he took a quick glance behind before continuing. “…Well, you know… My point is, we could use the time to prepare. Speaking of…. Bounded” Dallasite then paused, turning around this time, and facing the three. “Do you three have the Moonstone and Beryl?” he then asked. The three looked at eachother with blank expressions, before Sweet replied with a horizontal nod. “Nope. Why, do we need them?”.
However, instead of Dallasite answering, Harmonous finally snapped back. Sick of what he deemed as idiocy. The smoke from his missing eye becoming quite frantic. “Of course you do. Why do you think I had you obtain them in the first place? One of you two grab them. I assume it’s in their shack. Just like everything else they have at the moment” his lack of patience slipping through his words as Arcane looked at him and nodded. Opening a portal for himself to quickly find and retrieve the Spring gifts. With the other nine having a tense stare off with no words being exchanged. Dallasite slowly trotting back behind Harmonous, with Harmonous almost shooting daggers for looks at the purple Alicorn. Dallasite looking away slightly as Arcane came back not a moment later. With both the Beryl of Body and Moonstone of Mind hovering infront of him. Sweet and Acidic seemed uneasy. As if they didn’t really know what to do. Until Arcane bluntly and loudly said “Well come get them, then” with a clear annoyance at the lack of awareness coming out from his mouth. Together, they stepped forward and trotted to Arcane. Sweet using his magic to put the Moonstone of Mind ring on his horn. Sitting nicely on his head. With Acidic taking the Beryl of Body and placing it around his neck. The metal of the necklace cold, but comforting.
“Now that you both have your Spring gifts, we can proceed… At last” Harmonous then finally said, relieved that they could now proceed with what he had planned for the three. Sour, Sweet and Acidic. Duskfall, Cluttered, Soundwave and Dawn all trotted with the other six ponies as looks of awe and nervousness came from the townsfolk. Some gasping as they saw the alicorns behind the other seven. When they got to the library a moment after crossing from the beach. An absolute last hug initiated before the six irregular ponies set off. Harmonous taking the time to conceal Dallasite’s and Arcane’s wings. With his own being concealed when they started trotting off. The trot to the town entrance starting off extremely tensely. With Sour, Sweet and Acidic seeming stiff and nervous. That was until about halfway through the town, where one of the three alicorns finally spoke up .“Common folk are too loose jawed. They’ll start yapping on about the magical alicorns that trotted through their town before long” Arcane remarked with some distaste and annoyance. Harmonous not acknowledging the remark and Dallasite rolling his eyes as he replied.
“Oh please… They’re not that bad. Most of them are interesting to eavesdrop on. Their lives are so intriguing”. “You spy on them?” Sour asked, uncomfortably so as Dallasite instantly replied. “Oh yes. Staying in the mountains is ever so boring. It’s like a moving show when you tune in at the right moment in time. Drama happening and-“ but Dallasite stopped himself, seeing Arcane and Harmonous starting to get visibly annoyed with the speaking from Dallasite. However, this prompted Sweet to ask something that had been on his mind for a while now. Flashing back to the fairy book titled Fae. A guide for those seeking knowledge – By Quartz Honour. Sweet clearing his throat as he spoke. “Uh… Harmonous?” he began. Harmonous glancing as he grunted in acknowledgement of the unicorn. “Hm?” he then replied. Sweet continuing with “We bumped into a rather interesting book. One about fae… Or fairies. There were pictures Of a fairy, to be precise. Which all looked to be… You. Or somepony that looked like you… So I have to ask… Do you know anything about… That?” he finally asked. Harmonous’ eye widening slightly. As if he’d been asked a question that he didn’t fully know how to answer right away. “That book should’ve been buried millenia ago… But nonetheless… I’ll tell you who that was” he then began saying. With Dallasite and Arcane looking at eachother with some confusion. Sour and Acidic remaining quiet as the six continued to trot onward. Past the city limits and onward to the mines.
“That… Was my brother. More precisely… My twin. Quartz Honour… The Fae of Ice. We were from a family born of ice fairies and regular ponies. Although I never had fairy wings and never achieved a fae transformation. My regular pony genealogy was too dominant. I carry some fae blood. But since all fae happen to have wings and a horn outside of transformation… Albeit with some peculiarity to it… I was born as an Alicorn. Dallasite and Arcane were also of fae families. But like myself, they weren’t born with a fae transformation. Dallasite specializes in lavender flames and Arcane is another ice fae descendant. Dallasite’s purple flames are simultaneously the hottest flames and the coldest flames. They represent the flames of balance between the hot and cold. He can control them to harm or comfort those around him… Not that he’s mastered controlling them. As for Arcane, he has similar powers to me. We can both create mist and create ice to use as a form of attack, defense and so-on” Harmonous finally explained. Dallasite and Arcane’s confusion also growing exponentially as they seemed to be at a loss for words. Which Sour took note of. Saying “Why’re they confused, then?” gesturing toward the two. With Harmonoous being quick, and snappy with his answer. “That’s because they didn’t expect the question and didn’t expect me to reveal their pasts” he said, glancing to his sides at Dallasite and Arcane in an almost threatening way. With the confusion being shaken off. Although the pair continued to glance at eachother often.
“Right…” Sour bluntly and coldly answered back, looking away as he finally noticed that the six of them were out of the city. Sweet remarking “Whoa… So Fae were real after all!” as he seemed happier than before. Looking at the road they were traversing on. With Harmonous detouring from the road as the others followed. All the way to the entrance of Whistleheight mines. “This should be a simple venture. I trust nothing will happen that would be awful. Protectlusium Maximia” Harmonous then finally said. As a barrier grew from the ground. Ending in a dome that glowed and lit up the entry cavern. In a bright, pastel blue. But one that lacked any real colour to the saturation of said blue. It was almost mistaken as grey by Sour at first in his mind. The other two also thinking so as Dallasite lit up his horn. Purple flames surrounding the base as an extra source of illumination. With Arcane strengthening the barrier with an extra few layers of magic incase the first broke.
“If everything is going to be simple… Then why’re you defending us so heavily?” Sour then slowly, and hesitantly asked. The barrier making Sour feel extremely uncomfortable and weary about the venture inside. “Did they not attack you?” Arcane then asked him. Making Sour, Sweet and Acidic remember their first venture in. Sour responding with “Oh…” very bluntly as he then understood. “But surely they’d pass right through the barrier? They’re ghosts” Sweet then asked. With Harmonous answering the question. “My barrier, combined with Dallasite’s magic and Arcane’s magic, will help stop that problem. It’s so cruelly cold that the spirits of this mine would be frozen solid in their attack” as he looked down and had an assured and confident smirk. With Dallasite and Arcane seeming unmoving in their stature. “Besides, they should know not to interrupt what must be done” He then muttered out. His words within that last sentence seemed like they were laced with an air of bitterness and resentment. Something that Sweet and Acidic noticed when they glanced at eachother with some unnerving shudders to them. “Huh… That explains the sudden drop in temperature then” Sour just remarked very idly, ignoring the last sentence that was spouted out as the six ponies trotted onward into the cavern.
However, a little ways in, they came across the same gap that the three ponies before in the mines had to cross to escape. “Memories...” Sour glumly remarked, his mind being filled with the scene as if it had just happened. Both Sweet and Sour looking at Acidic. That was until they noticed the three alicorns using more of their magic. They didn’t catch the words, but a bridge began forming. One made of white magic. That glowed with a similar pale blue hue to the barrier. “Let us advance” Harmonous announced as he began trotting over the bridge. The other five following. With Arcane and Dallasite being behind the three as they all crossed over first. The bridge disappearing the instant Arcane’s hoof left the bridge. Whisps of magic floating and dissipating in the air whilst little bits of the edge fell into what seemed to be the infinite abyss. “Spooky…” Sour muttered to himself, not hearing the bits make a sound at the bottom of the abyss. “You know…” Dallasite began. “They say it’s so deep down there that you could see the entire of the universe begin and end… At least that’s what adventurer’s say” he then finished, shrugging at the end as the three looked at eachother. Harmonous however, seemed to not be amused. “Of all the times to make your stupid jokes… This wouldn’t be one of the correct times…” he said aloud, piercing a gaze at Dallasite that made the purple alicorn shudder slightly. Getting out a “Right” through mumbled breaths. Just as they started trotting however, Acidic noticed something out of the ordinary. “Where… Where’d it go?” he asked out loud, prompting Sweet to answer with another simple question.
“What? What is it?” he questioned, the Pegasus being frantic at this point with anxiety. “The gems! I left them here when we made our escape out! Where are they?!” Acidic then responded, seeming completely overwhelmed by sadness. “You won’t find your gemstones where they were left” Harmonous then spoke up, noticing vaguely that something was happening behind him that upset Bounded. “Huh? W-whaddya mean?” Acidic then asked, curiosity peaked as Sweet rolled his eyes before explaining. “Isn’t it obvious Acidic? The spirits. They must’ve taken them back. You did try to steal their things after all…” to which Acidic simply remarked “But they’re dead” before Harmonous seemed to almost crack out a smile from some buried pride. “Well now, it seems my little belligerence parade back in the Labyrinth toward you must’ve worked in some way” he then said, aiming his words at Sweet as Sweet seemed stunned for a second. “I… Well… Uh…” is all Sweet could say before Sour tapped him to bring him back to reality. Since Sweet was semi zoning out. Then, the six advanced once more. This time, to the central room.
Which surprisingly, didn’t take too long. The six entering the same large room that Sweet had made the minecart staircase in. With no sign of spirits nearby. Except for a chilling, whispering wind that made its way around the room. “They’ve noticed our presence” Arcane said to Harmonous, Harmonous giving out a cruel smirk as he simply responded with “Good” before Dallasite and Arcane used their magic to make a bluish-purple staircase from their magic down to the ground floor. Harmonous staring at the three as they made their way down first. Followed quickly by Arcane and Dallasite, before Harmonous made his way down on his own. The magic of the staircase disappearing just like the bridge from the gap beforehand. However, when they finally reached the ground floor, Sour, Sweet and Acidic took note of the seemingly blue light emanating from the place where the Spring of Soul resided. Which is when, from that hallway, the spirits finally showed themselves. Instantly trying to attack the six as they seemed more angered than when the trio had come through the mines. The trio braced themselves, but instead of feeling the cold embrace of death, they opened their eyes to watch as a frozen spirit shattered on the floor. Sour shuddering as he mumbled, saying “talk about being frozen cold…” before Harmonous spoke up again. This time, at the spirits themselves.
“Depart. I have no need of you, and you certainly have no want of me in here. Let us through so we can do what we need to do… Or else” the stallion said, with a threatening offensiveness to the last part of his sentence. The spirits seemed to whisper to themselves as one stepped forth. He was what seemed to be a leader of sorts. One with a makeshift crown from stuck together gems. Unlike the others, he didn’t hold anger. Instead, he seemed to be rather well kept together. “After what you did? You’re not going anywhere near the Spring of Soul. After all, your majesty…” the spirit paused, with Harmonous seeming slightly stunned at the spirit then continued. “You’re the one who sentenced us to this unrest. Forced to wander a path of forgotten woes and covered up truths” the spirit then finished off. His eyes glowing brightly as his voice echoed through the room. Hauntingly and with malice pouring out from the spirit. “But that’s not possible… Is it?” Sweet asked himself. Harmonous seeming to know what he was questioning as he finally confessed. “No, he’s correct. I am… The lost King of Ellestros…” he muttered, looking away for a moment as Dallasite and Arcane looked at eachother. Dallasite going to speak until Harmonous looked at him. For the first time, he showed some care as he said to Dallasite “Not yet… He isn’t ready” as Dallasite seemed to want to protest. But he held his tongue, nodding reluctantly before Harmonous turned around once more.
“So then” Sour began. “How did THIS happen? How did these ponies end up not being able to move on?” he then finished off, asking Harmonous directly as he simply muttered “As if you need to know that” with his eyes thinning. However, the spirit seemed to give off a smile. “Oh, little old King Harmonous doesn’t want to tell anypony about his mistakes? I’ll be the one to, then” as the spirit’s face seemed to relish in the fact that everything was being discovered for the first time. “Don’t you dare” Harmonous tried snapping back, his horn lighting up as he went to attack. Until Sour instinctively jumped out of the barrier. Landing in one piece as he said to himself “I knew it. You made the barrier to stop them. Not me or those two” as Harmonous seemed to show genuine fear for the first time. Shouting out as he tried to pull Sour back into the barrier. “DON’T YOU DARE DO THAT AGAIN!” his voice bellowed, grabbing Sour by the neck and bringing him up to his face. His eye filling up with immense anger. But holding some restraint as he put the Earthpony down. With Sour shrugging it off with some nerves shaken up, the spirit ignored his word and started explaining things. “Well, little old Kingsy over there wanted three Springs built. One of Body, one of Mind and one of Soul. He’s not a regular pony you see”. “We know” Sweet responded, interjecting as the spirit continued. “Right, well, anyway… When we built the spring, all was well. Our continents mining workers were sent to three locations. One in Gulfmane, one in Trotquay and one here. Whistleheight. But when we finished and thought we could all go home to our Ellestrian home, a certain somepony decided to… Well… To put it lightly we became well acquainted with these mines from the day we met our fate. When we all awoke, we were this. Kingsy over there made sure to clean up his mess too. He charred us all up. Our bodies and all. Then, he destroyed most of the cavein that caused our demises and left the few chunks he had left outside of the mines. On a cliff” the spirit finally finished off.
The three looked at eachother. “So the boulders we moved…” Sour began. “Yep” the spirit then replied. “Those were part of the incident. He even began altering memories and made most of the continent that knew of the incident disappear until he was ready to take the throne again” the spirit then explained more. “Ready to take the throne again?” Sour asked, intrigued as he looked at Harmonous briefly, before going back to what he was going to ask. “Well, um… I don’t know you… You don’t know me. I’m sorry we’re here. Truly, I am. I have a goal for myself to achieve… It’s… A long story…” Sour then began, glancing at the three behind Sweet, Sour and Acidic with some resentment. “But the three of us need to get our body back. We lost it… And we’re far from home” he continued, before the spirit interjected and quickly responded with “Well doesn’t that seem familiar. This one do you three in then, too?” as he pointed at the three behind the regular ponies. “I wasn’t going to say it, but pretty much” Sour then remarked, as Sweet and Acidic looked back with a lot more annoyance than Sour surprisingly, aimed at Dallasite and Arcane respectively. Then Sour continued. “My request is… Well, to get to the Spring. The only way to get my body, or well our body back, is to visit the Spring… So please, can we pass?” Sour then finishing, his request making the spirit bluntly respond.
“Well, what will you do in return for us? Certainly not taking our jewels this time I hope?” he asked, pointing daggers toward Acidic as Acidic nervously laughed and said “Small world, huh…” with Sour glancing at him before taking a moment to think. “That’s… A good question…” Sour muttered to himself as he seemed to be at a loss for words. He couldn’t bargain his way out with wealth… Or material objects… Something sentimental had to be offered, he just knew it. Which was when he said something he didn’t expect himself to say. At least out loud. “How about telling everypony in the world the truth of what happened? So then you’re not forgotten?” he spouted out. Not noticing it was said aloud until he looked up at Harmonous’ face. Which was half shocked and half bitter at the idea. “Hm…” the spirit thought to itself.
It seemed like something that could finally bring the lot of them peace of mind. But would he hold up his word? That’s what the spirit wanted to know. So, in his decision, he crafted a chain of sorts and threw it. It landed just infront of the barrier as the spirit waited. Saying “If you’re true to your word, you’ll take this chain of promise” as he stared at Sour. “Chain of promise…?” Sour asked, confused until the spirit elaborated. “It’s a chain that binds one’s life essence to a promise. If the promise is broken, well, you kick the bucket. If the promise is kept and adhered to, then we can move onto the afterlife. With you doing a good deed. It’s a fair bargain that way” the spirit said, still waiting for Sour’s decision. Sour hesitated, not knowing if the other two would agree, but when he felt their hooves resting on his back with reassurance, he knew he could. Carefully, he exited the barrier once more. Harmonous becoming eagle-eyed as Sour picked up the chain. Very quickly, the chain wrapped itself around Sour’s body like a snake. Before disappearing.
“The chain is now tethered to your life. I’d keep your word, because we’re keeping ours” the spirit finally said. Sour nodding without words. With Harmonous, Arcane and Dallasite looking at eachother; unsure of how to act in light of the event that had unfolded before them. Before they could think about it any further however, the spirit turned around. His form fading as the blue lights faded. Within a moment, all that was left for light was the barrier. Which seemed to have been taken down. The last words Sour heard from the spirit in his head were “Don’t forget” to which Sour muttered to himself in response with “I promise” as the three Alicorns trotted onward. With Sweet and Acidic making sure Sour was alright before they also continued. Sweet catching up with Harmonous before asking “So, you’re the King of Ellestros?” as Harmonous nodded glumly.
“Unfortunately… Or fortunately, soon enough” he then responded, with Arcane and Dallasite looking at eachother with unease. “You know…” Dallasite began, turning around and stopping his trot for a moment. “You didn’t have to go and do that… Bargain with them, I mean” he then remarked, looking at Sour. Sour however, just passed him. “Indeed” Harmonous also remarked. “That was my issue to clean up. Not yours” he then added on, looking at the Earthpony whilst Arcane, Sweet and Acidic headed down to the door. It took Sour not even five seconds to retort back. That being with something he wouldn’t soon escape the irony of. “Well, it helps everypony right? Reach the end of whatever stage of life… Or afterlife they’re on. They needed to pass on and you obviously wouldn’t have helped them. So, I will. It’s a one time thing” he replied. With Harmonous eyeing him as he passed. “I’d be careful with what you say. Words have an immensely humorous way of biting us when we least expect them”. Sour simply rolling his eyes and saying “Sure..” as he, Harmonous and Dallasite wandered off to the door.
Which happened to not be long to reach at all. The door that Sweet had discovered, and the door that Sour had to open. Before they did what they needed to do however, Sweet looked at Harmonous and asked him a question. One that had been on his mind for a bit. “Back in the Spring of Mind, we heard a voice. Dallasite, you heard it too, right?” he asked, looking at Dallasite. “Ah yes, the disembodied voice. It was probably another-“ but before Dallasite could finish what he was predicting, Harmonous gave a blunt answer. “The Spring of Mind was the first one finished. I was going to assign a guardian to each Spring. To protect them. However, ever since… An incident happened… There was only one. It’s nothing to worry about. They’ve moved onto the afterlife now that you have the Moonstone” he then said, taking the lead as he brought Sour up to the entrance. It had the same heart gem that Sweet had seen beforehand, and reflected the barrier light faintly. “Repeat after me… Faeris Oltun Soulun Unlon” Harmonous said, with Sour looking at him for a moment. Before he finally decided to repeat the phrase. “Faeris Oltun Soulun Unlon” he echoed, with the Beryl and Moonstone seemed to react. To his words specifically. Both gems lighting up before the heart shaped gem glowing brightly, all three gems coming together. With the necklace gem and horn gem pulsing and allowing the heart gem to absorb some presumed magic before it burst. The heart depression where the gem was being the only remnant as the door swung open. A staircase leading upward into what seemed to be the outside. With Sour, Sweet and Acidic taking the lead, they all eventually reached the final spring.
This spring, being surrounded by waterfalls all around. A statue, like the one that sat at the prior two springs awaited. Water trickling around the six ponies hooves as Sour, Sweet and Acidic instinctively got into their positions, Sour being infront on a platforms in the waters, with Sweet and Acidic standing on two adjacent platforms behind him. Harmonous split his shield up for this part. Making Sweet and Acidic look at him with some intrigue before Harmonous spoke. “The phrase is Reparum Dias Soulun” Harmonous bluntly said, with Sour looking at the other two. Their adventure would finally be over. They could go back to Manestralia with the last gem uniting them as he repeated what Harmonous said.
“Reparum Dias Soulun”
Just as the statue at the Spring of Body had done, the statue flapped its wings. This time emitting both golden and purple light from each respective wing. Before the horn lit up in pure white. The Beryl and Moonstone flashing white as the statue was lifted. Then, in an odd turn of events, the statue exploded. Pieces flying everywhere. With the barrier Harmonous had made protecting the three as the final gemstone made itself known. It was a yellow and black stone. Engraved within a pure gold crown of sorts. Purple smaller gemstones on the fine points shaped like point cut diamonds. With the Sardonyx yellow glowing around the black that covered it. Almost like a unity between the light and dark. Both colours danced around eachother on the stone. Both never seeming to try and overtake each other however. With the general shape being that of a intricately faceted diamond. “The final gift…” Sour said to himself, almost amazed by the crown itself that held the Sardonyx. However, Harmonous seemed irritated. “Why isn’t it happening…?” he asked himself quietly, with some confusion and, in a rare moment, fear etching into his face.
“Why isn’t what happening?” Sweet then asked the stallion, confused until Arcane jumped in and explained. “The general thought pattern was that once the three gems were together, that you’d get your body back and reform. At least… Unless we’re missing something?” Arcane then asked himself, half aiming the question at Harmonous as Dallasite trotted over to the three normal stallions. “I-I’m sure we can discover what makes these gifts tick… Or what will make them-“ but before Dallasite could continue trying to come up with some form of optimism, Harmonous simply interjected, turning around with some cold fury in his eyes. Aiming his words at Arcane as he quietly echoed “I’m never wrong” with Sour rolling his eyes. “You’re never wrong? Please, we’re ALL wrong at points. Maybe you’re not as sure of this as you thought. That’s… That’s okay!” he said, seeming self-assured and relieved at the fact the fear they had, having subsided thanks to this apparent failure. Harmonous then turned around once more. Using his magic to fling Dallasite out of the way as he got to eye level with the Earth Pony. Dallasite landing safely, but going back in to try and stop whatever was about to happen. Just as Harmonous went to speak to Sour however, presumably with a lot of anger in his voice, the six felt tremors. They were brief, but they weren’t alone as more soon followed along.
Alongside that, Arcane looked up. “The clouds have gotten darker…” he said, taking note of clouds that were flying on by above them. With a noticeable purple-gray in their colouring. Dallasite also looked up, with Sweet and Acidic doing the same. It wasn’t until a bolt of purple lightning landed down just behind Sour, that Harmonous seemed to break his stare at the Earthpony. He hadn’t spoken, given the fact he was simply expecting Arcane and Dallasite to fill him in before he continued. Intrigued, somewhat, the alicorn flew up himself. Far above the mountain peaks as he assessed where the clouds were going. Protecting himself as a few bolts from the clouds tried electrocuting him. From the skies, he saw that the clouds were swirling around Buckgrove’s near oceans; which should’ve been now entering a nice sunset. Twisters forming and the weather becoming atrocious as he noticed a faint purple light coming from a newly formed crack in the skies where the weather was congregating. "Where did Dallasite send that Stardew to...?" Harmonous then quietly asked himself in his mind as his horn began to glow.
Using his magic, he produced makeshift barrier protecting him as he soared back down. When he landed, he had a noticeable shift in his face. Confusion and curiosity replaced with pure fear. As if he’d seen a ghost. “Dallasite… Out of curiosity… Where did you send that Stardew colt?” he asked, glancing at Dallasite as he very bluntly responded. “The Undermension…. Why?”. It was in this moment that Harmonous turned around, facing Dallasite and the other three. Arcane behind him as he simply muttered to himself something that made the other five shocked. Taking a deep breath, he finally responded to Dallasite.
“So then that means the Undermension is going to devour Buckgrove… And everything within a continent radius”