Sunset and Sunny Flare were now doing their best to fend off against Gaea Everfree within the grotto. The intense battle had begun, with the two mares trying their best to rescue their friends, still trapped within those thorn vines. Knowing that half of their team was already ensnared by the angered spirit’s wrath, the duo had to tread lightly, as it seemed unlikely that Twilight’s team would come to their rescue in such a predicament. Sunset used her physical strength and resilience to try and break Flash and Night Glider free from the vines, while Sunny Flare focused her magic on attacking the angry spirit directly. However, it took the spirit a moment to realize that the unicorn was somehow… using magic again?

“How is a mortal like yourself… using magic on my island!?” Gaea Everfree exclaimed, her anger only growing. “The protective mystical fog should have removed you of your powers! But no matter… for I shall claim your magic as my own, and you shall serve me for the rest of eternity!”

“You misunderstand, Gaea Everfree!” Sunny Flare spoke up, trying to act brave. “I didn’t lose my powers! The fog only made me realize that my magic is more powerful than I ever thought! Now, you’ll pay for all the harm you’ve caused!”

“Silence, insolent fool!” The spirit roared, commanding her vines at the unicorn. “You have no idea of the power I wield! Even if you do have magic left within you, it won’t be enough to defeat me!”

Gaea Everfree’s vines lashed out at Sunny Flare, intent on binding her in place. The vines wrapped around her legs, immobilizing them, and then snaked their way up her body, squeezing the unicorn’s chest tightly. As Sunny Flare struggled against the bonds, Gaea Everfree laughed on maniacally.

“There you are, my little mortal… now you’ll see the true power of Mother Nature!” The spirit cackled.

Gasping for her breath, Sunny Flare had attempted to break free from the vines binding her. She glanced over at Sunset, who was still desperately trying her best to free Flash and Night Glider. Understanding Sunset’s struggle against those nefarious thorns, Sunny Flare felt a sudden surge of determination. With a mighty heave, the unicorn used her magic to lift and break off one of the large stalagmites nearby, intending to hurl it at the spirit, and free her friends at the same time. But Gaea Everfree sensed what was about to happen, and swiftly used her own magic to deflect the stalagmite, sending it hurtling harmlessly into the grotto’s wall instead.

“Oh, you think you can best me with your pitiful little rocks?” Gaea Everfree laughed evilly. “My powers come from the very Earth itself! You might as well try to stop a mountain from falling with such puny efforts!”

Without even thinking, Sunny Flare quickly used her magic to levitate an entirely new barrage of stalagmites, which were then launched at Gaea Everfree. This sudden attack had caught the spirit off-guard, forcing her to deflect the projectiles at ease, without further consideration. As a result, one of the stalagmites had managed to pierce through the thorn vines holding Night Glider in place, freeing her. Noticing this, Sunset quickly helped Night Glider back up, before bringing out the Enchantment Tonic.

“Mind if you take some?” Sunset asked, holding the bottle out. “It might supposedly taste terrible, but it’ll get the job done.”

“Sure, it’d be nice to have my flight back again, even temporarily. “Night Glider agreed. “Who knows how much magic Sunny Flare has left?”

As Gaea Everfree was too focused on Sunny Flare, she hadn’t noticed Sunset was giving the pegasus a magical stimulant. Despite the tonic giving Night Glider an awful taste, she began slowly regaining her magic, and fluttered her wings, determined. Sunny Flare’s effort was well spent, as Sunset had certainly struggled to penetrate the tough hide of those vines, even with her resilience. However, that last stalagmite attack had suddenly burnt the unicorn out, as she began panting from exhaustion. Her horn begun to emit nothing short of a few sparks, indicating that her artificial magic from the Enchantment Tonic had suddenly ran out.

“Pathetic, so pathetic…” Gaea Everfree hissed, before getting ready to stab the unicorn before her. “You think you can defeat me with such petty tricks? I shall teach you the folly of your ways!”

“Not if we have anything to say about it!” Night Glider announced, with Sunset by her side. “You won’t be hurting anypony!”

“You’re a monster, and we’re going to stop you!” Sunset added, glaring at the spirit. “So, you want to fight? Bring it on!”

“Very well, then… if that’s what you want!” Gaea Everfree laughed mockingly, her eyes filled with amusement. “But you’ll soon find out that fighting me is no game!”

Gaea Everfree’s body began to glow with an unnatural energy. She let out a powerful screech, causing the very ground beneath Sunset and Night Glider’s hooves to tremble. Her vines, which had been holding Flash and Sunny Flare, had snapped free of the two ponies, and shot toward Sunset and Night Glider instead, trapping their hooves, and binding them in place. Although Sunny Flare was now weakened, Flash sprang into action the moment he realized that the vines had released him. He picked up his katana that he had dropped earlier, before noticing Gaea Everfree about to launch a volley of razor-sharp thorns at Sunset and Night Glider, aiming to pierce their flesh.

“Look out!” Flash shouted, rushing toward the trapped duo, using his katana to best deflect everything, just as the thorns were about to hit them.

The angered spirit continued her assault, unleashing wave after wave of thorn, stone, and vine projectiles at the trio before her. Sunset and Night Glider did their best to dodge and weave, deflecting most of the attacks, but it was clear that they were beginning to tire out. Flash, however, was a force to be reckoned with. His katana spun through the air, deflecting the attacks with ease, and protecting his friends from harm. This only served to infuriate Gaea Everfree even further, urging her to play dirty.

“You’re such a nuisance, mortal!” Gaea Everfree snarled, now focusing her magic on Flash. “I’ll show you what happens to those who defy me!”

With that, the spirit sent a powerful blast of Earth and rock at Flash, knocking him off his hooves and sending him flying across the grotto. The force of the impact sent him skidding several meters before he came to a halt, struggling to get back up.

“Flash, are you okay?!” Sunset shouted, struggling in her vine restraints.

“Sunset, take my trusty katana!” Flash yelled with the little energy he had left, before throwing the weapon toward Sunset with all his might. “It’s the only chance we’ve got!”

Sunset quickly caught the sword with her mouth, just as it landed at her hooves. She felt the weight of the weapon, and the trust that came along with it, before slashing apart the vines holding her in place. With the new determination within her, she did the same with Night Glider’s vines, freeing her as well. The battle appeared to be getting more tense by the minute, especially with Flash and Sunny Flare too weakened to get back up. However, it was clear that by this point, even Sunset and Night Glider were growing more and more exhausted, while Gaea Everfree showed no signs of slowing down.

“You think you can defeat me with that pathetic blade?!” Gaea Everfree scoffed, as she sent a new wave of thorns and stones rushing toward Sunset and Night Glider.

The two mares had managed to dodge most of the attack, but a few of the smaller rocks had hit them square in the side, which weren’t too damaging. The air around them felt humid and tense, as Gaea Everfree prepared to unleash another wave of her powerful attacks. Sunset and Night Glider exchanged a glance, knowing that they had to find a way to defeat the spirit before becoming severely injured. They couldn’t let her win at this point, not after everything they’d already been through.

The duo quickly stood before the spirit, their bodies filled with anticipation. They noticed the Earth trembling beneath them, as Gaea Everfree gathered more power for her next attack. With a look of determination, they drew close to one another, their hooves firmly planted on the ground. Seeing how there weren’t many options left, the two mares realized that they had to find a way to exploit Gaea Everfree’s own strength against her. Suddenly, Sunset had an idea, after remembering Night Glider could fly now.

“Night Glider, you’re pretty fast, right?” Sunset whispered.

“I’d like to think so.” Night Glider replied, a smirk forming on her face. “Why?”

“Well, I think we can use that to our advantage.” Sunset said, under her breath. “Try to use your speed to spin around Gaea Everfree, and trap her inside her own attack…”

Night Glider nodded, understanding what Sunset was getting at. With a burst of speed, she darted toward Gaea Everfree, her wings flapping rapidly above, as she circled around the spirit at an impossible pace. In response, Gaea Everfree simply cackled, though she was unable to keep up with the mare’s agility. As Night Glider continued to spin, she had almost begun to form a tornado around the spirit, seemingly trapping her within a tall cyclone. This only served more as an annoyance to Gaea Everfree, who was preparing for another wave of her attacks, ready to swat this buzzing fly in the air.

“Foolish mortal, you can’t hold me like this!” Gaea Everfree taunted, her body glowing brighter with energy. “Prepare to feel the full power of my wrath!”

With a mighty roar, Gaea Everfree unleashed her attack, sending a barrage of rocks hurtling toward Night Glider and Sunset. The two mares narrowly dodged most of the projectiles, though a few had managed to barely graze their sides. The real threat, however, was now the cyclone that Night Glider had created around Gaea Everfree. As the rocks struck the spinning vortex, they were sent flying in all directions, some of them hitting the spirit herself. This had only served as a minor inconvenience, prompting Gaea Everfree to unleash a powerful gust of wind herself, aiming directly for Night Glider.

The tornado around her only seemed to intensify, as it spun faster, drawing in more thorns and projectiles from the ground. Gaea Everfree’s attack appeared to have backfired on herself, as she had only managed to strengthen the cyclone with her own projectiles. Although anticipating that this would knock Night Glider out of the air, something unexpected would soon occur. As the increased amount of rocks and debris from the ground were sent flying toward the spirit herself, they became lodged into her body, weighing her down. Suddenly, Gaea Everfree’s movements became sluggish, and she could no longer keep up with Night Glider’s consistently rapid speed. Along with this, her glowing aura had suddenly faded, and she looked frail and weakened, which Flash took notice of, from a distance.

“Now’s our chance, Sunset!” Flash cheered her friend on. “Let’s finish this!”

As Gaea Everfree struggled against the barrage of debris from her own attack, Sunset dashed toward her, her eyes blazing with determination. In a swift motion, she held back Flash’s katana and swung it with all her might, aiming for the spirit’s central gem core. The blade sliced through the air in a swift motion, making contact with Gaea Everfree’s body. There was a flash of light emitting from the core shattering apart, which almost reminded Sunset of the time she and her human friends had destroyed the Dazzlings’ siren gems. Suddenly, Gaea Everfree herself began screeching at this, her essence practically dissipating into the air.

“No… THIS CAN’T BE!!!” Gaea Everfree roared, before slowly fading from the mortal realm.

Night Glider finally stopped flying, as she noticed that Sunset had done it. With their teamwork, they had managed to defeat the vengeful spirit who held her domain over Everfree Island for centuries. Flash and Sunny Flare began to slowly get back up, though they were still rather tuckered out from the battle. The royal guard and unicorn slowly trotted over to Sunset and Night Glider’s side, ready to congratulate them for their triumphant victory.

“Well done, Sunset.” Flash commended, a small grin on his face, before taking his katana back. “I never doubted you for a second.”

“You truly are a hero, Sunset.” Sunny Flare said, her chest heaving with exhaustion. “Thanks to you, our whole team’s safe now.”

“We’re all heroes, Sunny Flare.” Sunset wanted to be humble. “We watched each other’s backs and let our teamwork save the day. But remember why we’re here? There’s an artifact we need to retrieve, so let’s find it, shall we?”

“We shall, though Night Glider and I couldn’t find it anywhere in the treasure pile earlier.” Flash recalled. “You think it could be hidden somewhere, deep underneath that stash?”

“Or perhaps it’s not even here at all?” Sunny Flare suggested. “It could’ve been hidden in the volcano, after all.”

“I suppose we could keep looking through the treasure stash until we find something.” Sunset proposed. “If we can’t find anything, we’ll just head on back to camp.”

“Hey, wait a minute… what’s that?” Night Glider pointed toward the corner of the cave, where Gaea Everfree had been, moments earlier.

Sunset slowly approached where Night Glider was pointing, and noticed what appeared to be an unusual shape with a subtle magenta tint, sticking out of the wall. She went up to the shape and wiped the dirt away with her hooves, before analyzing it closely. It appeared as though Night Glider’s cyclone had managed to blow away the dust that had obscured this object, which had blended well into its surroundings. Upon further inspection, Sunset realized that because of the teardrop-like shape, magenta color, and spiral markings, it was the Dragonstone.

“I… I think we found it.” Sunset said, her voice shaking with excitement and relief. “The artifact… let’s get back to camp and find Twilight!”

“NOT SO FAST!!!” Gaea Everfree roared, before materializing back into the mortal realm. “You mortals are foolish for thinking you were able to defeat me!”

“Oh… you can’t be serious… RUN!!!” Flash shouted, as he and everypony else quickly made a break for the entrance of the grotto.

Gaea Everfree had quickly used her vines to barricade the entrance, trapping Sunset and her whole team. Everypony looked back toward the vengeful spirit, thinking they were now done for.

“You didn’t actually believe you had ended me back there, did you!?” Gaea Everfree cackled, wickedly. “Well, I’ve already been dead for centuries, even back before Equestria had princesses ruling it. But my spirit lives on for eternity here, protecting my wealth and treasures from greedy mortals like yourselves! So don’t even think for a second that you could simply defeat me and take my riches as you believe! I’m immortal, and I guarantee your days will be numbered if you do!”

“Listen, Gaea Everfree?” Sunset pleaded with the enraged spirit. “If you’re talking about your doubloons, gems, and treasure chests filled with wealth, we’re not even here for that.”

“What…?” Gaea Everfree said, rather confused. “FOOLS! Don’t you dare lie to me like that! I saw your pegasai friends back there, rummaging through my prized treasure collection!”

“That’s just because we were looking for something else that was rumored to be hidden here on Everfree Island.” Sunset explained. “We wouldn’t just take your wealth and riches like that, we’re no crooks. Plus, even if that was our intention, we wouldn’t have a realistic way to get off the island with such a heavy load, since we have no ship anymore.”

“Oh, you’re… serious?” Gaea Everfree spouted, unsure of the right words upon hearing this unexpected turn of events. “Well… you’re still trespassing on my sacred island! So I must ask, if you seek no interest whatsoever in my treasure, then what brings you here in the first place?”

All four ponies pointed toward the Dragonstone, still lodged within the grotto’s wall, before Gaea Everfree turned to the side, rather surprised at what these ponies were seemingly after.

“Huh…!?!” Gaea Everfree went up to the wall, staring at the Dragonstone. “You mean to tell me that you mortals just wanted this the whole time? This ugly little rock that sticks out like a sore hoof? Are you serious…?”

“Yeah, I mean… we mentioned earlier that we were after a particular, powerful artifact.” Sunset replied. “You mentioned that there was treasure hidden here, so we assumed that this was what you were referring to.”

Gaea Everfree continued staring at the Dragonstone, before using her magic to remove it from the walls. These ponies seemed genuine about their intentions, and would’ve been foolish to attempt stealing her treasure now, let alone realistically escaping the island with it.

“Well, alright then…” Gaea Everfree said, before levitating the Dragonstone into Sunset’s hooves. “Go on and take it, though I couldn’t imagine any archaeologist seeking such a ‘treasure’. But hey, if it’s what you want, who am I to question it? Even if it is an artifact, I personally never liked this ugly rock anyways. My only question now is, if this was all you mortals wanted, why didn’t you just say so earlier?”

“I guess we should’ve specified what artifact we were after, then…” Sunny Flare sighed. “Would’ve definitely cleared up this entire misunderstanding.”

“Well, we already have everything we need now, so… are you going to let us go?” Flash asked the spirit.

“Hmm… very well.” Gaea Everfree nodded. “I suppose that’s fair, if you’re not after my precious treasure to begin with. You’ve proven yourselves to be honest and honorable, even in the face of my anger and distrust, so I admire that. As for the Dragonstone, if it is a powerful artifact as you say, it must come with great power and responsibility, so you mortals be careful with it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other spirits to keep in check. Farewell, and good luck with your quest.”

With that, Gaea Everfree faded away, as she released the vines from the entrance, allowing the four ponies to leave with the Dragonstone. They could all practically hear their own hearts beating in their throats, still somewhat unnerved on what could’ve happened to them, had the vengeful spirit not been so understanding. Sunset and her team slowly began trotting out of the grotto, not even daring to look back at the treasure for a second.

“Did we just… make friends with a ghost?” Sunset had an epiphany.

“Well, I don’t know about that, but we managed to get our artifact without any more trouble.” Night Glider shrugged. “And hey, out of curiosity, what did we need to find the Dragonstone for, anyways?”

“Yeah, I know Princess Twilight wanted us all to search for it, but… why exactly?” Sunny Flare added.

“Err, let’s just say it’ll at least play a part in helping us get off the island.” Sunset said, sticking true to her word about not discussing the ruined future she had witnessed with Twilight and Starlight.

“Oh, that’s right.” Flash nodded, as he himself was aware of what Sunset was trying to avoid speaking of. “Well anyways, I guess the trek through Everfree Island won’t be as bad now. Perhaps with the Dragonstone in our possession, we’ll have a better chance of fighting against any more plant monsters.”

“Well about that… we still don’t know for certain how exactly to use the Dragonstone.” Sunset replied. “For all we know, it could require fire from dragons to work, which… unless there’s one somewhere on the island, I’m afraid we may be out of luck.”

“That’s true, but you don’t think that spirit would’ve given it to us if there wasn’t some way for us to use it, right?” Sunny Flare suggested.

“We might have to figure it out on our own, since even she didn’t seem to know it was an artifact to begin with.” Night Glider added. “For now though, let’s head on back to camp, maybe Twilight will know a thing or two.”

[hr]

As Sunset and her group were now returning to the camp, a new revelation would soon be uncovered back at Canterlot. Gloriosa Daisy was opening up about her brother, as she had already finished her last delivery that day. The flower shop owner had gone in-depth regarding her and Timber’s past, which definitely had its fascinating quirks. The rest of the council were entertained as they listened on to Gloriosa’s tales, some of them even laughing at the more comedic parts. As for Gloriosa herself, she seemed to be enjoying the attention, whilst recollecting on the good times.

“So, before you opened up your flower shop, you were a tradesmare who sold boats?” Applejack listened on.

“Well, it wasn’t my initial decision.” Gloriosa replied. “It was because my family owned a boat business, and we even used the boats ourselves to travel all over Equestria. However, I believe the business itself was what made Timber and I drift apart in the first place…”

“Why would you say that, Gloriosa?” Fluttershy raised an eyebrow.

“It began when our parents had to step down from the business, due to their sudden health problems.” Gloriosa further elaborated. “Timber and I began having our differences of interests and priorities within the business itself. As we grew older and started taking on more responsibilities, Timber became more interested in the adventures and freedom that came with being part of a boat-building family, while I focused on the sales and marketing side of things.”

“Sounds like you two had different interests, dear.” Rarity said. “My sister, Sweetie Belle and I? We may have had our fair share of disagreements over the years, but I dare say it’s made us closer than ever before.”

“True, but… I feel as though my parents didn’t seem to think so.” Gloriosa replied. “I noticed them constantly making comments regarding Timber’s behavior and temperament when he wasn’t around. How he was often impulsive and quick to anger, which made him difficult to work with. In contrast to myself, as they said I was more level-headed and professional.”

“I suppose that’s just how a family business can be, similar to my own family and the rock farm.” Pinkie added. “What happened in the end for you?”

“As time went on, things only got more complicated.” Gloriosa continued. “Timber became more distant, and I feel like I started resenting him a bit for it. Eventually, we had a huge debate about the direction the business should take, and… we agreed to disagree. He took the boat building side, and I stuck toward the sales and marketing.”

“Well, if you don’t mind me asking, what do you believe led to his unhealthy obsession for power and wealth, as well as his misogyny?” Starlight questioned.

“That’s a good question, Starlight.” Gloriosa began reflecting. “To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. Timber was always competitive from a young age. He always had to be the best at everything, even wanting to prove he could be more successful than me one day. As for the misogyny… I think it may have started when we were foals. He had a crush on another filly who didn’t reciprocate his feelings, and he never really got over it. I forget her name… Noonglancer, something like that?”

“Ohhhh, I think I know who you’re talking about.” Pinkie deduced. “Yeah, well just to let you know, it probably wasn’t even his fault anyways. Twilight’s told us all about her, and let’s just say… she was never really the social type. She actually hated parties of all things, how crazy is that?”

“Well, moving on from this, do you remember anything about Timber’s competitive nature that drove you two apart in the end?” Starlight continued dissecting the story. “Maybe something was pivotal in pushing him into becoming the kind of stallion he is now.”

“Hmm… I seem to remember what happened, after a retired sailor sold us his old boat.” Gloriosa recalled. “One day, while we were sailing together, Timber snooped around, and found something that the sailor must’ve forgotten to take with him. It appeared to be some kind of a treasure map, tucked away in a bottle. I didn’t really believe it was pointing to any kind of real treasure, but Timber just brushed me off. He wouldn’t even let me see the map, claiming that it was his, just because he found it. Eventually, we had a tug of war over the bottle, and it slipped out of our hooves, drifting off into the sea. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but I realize now… this must’ve been the tipping point, where Timber never forgave me.”

“Oh dear.” Fluttershy put a hoof on Gloriosa. “It’s a shame that something seemingly so insignificant could’ve had such a lasting impact on your relationship.”

“I know the feeling for sure.” Gloriosa sighed. “I think that’s when his obsession with power and wealth really took over, and why he became so possessive of anything he thought he owned. I vaguely remember that he swore he’d find that treasure map and treasure someday, just to make himself feel validated about his own existence.”

“If he’s been failin’ to do so after all this time, then I reckon it’s time he’d eventually come ‘round and accept what’s really important.” Applejack said. “I wouldn’t say he’d never forgive ya over something so silly, a family bond would always be stronger than that.”

“I hope you’re right, Applejack.” Gloriosa nodded. “It’s just hard to forget all those years of being loving siblings, only to end up so far apart. It’s like we’re two completely different ponies now.”

“Out of curiosity, dear?” Rarity inquired. “Did you ever find out where this treasure would supposedly be hidden?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but I want to say… I vaguely remember him muttering that it was… Everfree something?” Gloriosa remembered. “Probably the Everfree Forest, or wherever, it doesn’t seem to matter now. I just wish that I could find my brother again, as I’ve haven’t seen him at all, since the day he left Ponyville…”

Just then, Rockhoof returned to the harbor, ready to report to the rest of the council.

“Am I interrupting anything?” Rockhoof asked.

“Oh, hey Rockhoof!” Pinkie greeted. “No, we were just reminiscing about the old times with Gloriosa here. How did your chat with Twilight go?”

“I’m relieved to report that thankfully, everypony in her crew had successfully survived and made it to Everfree Island, though not my ship.” Rockhoof explained. “Not that it matters, since I had no use for her anyways. Regardless, they reported being attacked and stowed away onto a pirate ship, and were now having trouble locating the Dragonstone. Luckily, I was able to remember two key areas where I had hidden something relating to it, and the artifact itself. A volcano and grotto, respectively.”

“That’s good to hear.” Starlight breathed a sigh of relief. “Hopefully they can get back soon with the artifact.”

“W-Wait a minute… Everfree Island?” Gloriosa’s eyes widened. “And a-a… p-p-pirate ship?”

“Yes, lass.” Rockhoof replied. “They went off toward that direction, east of the Canterlot Harbor. Why do you ask?”

“I have to go now!” Gloriosa desperately ran off, leaving everyone rather confused.

Gloriosa vaguely remembered hearing a rumor that her brother ended up taking over a pirate ship, but never really found much truth behind it. Regardless, a pirate ship that was coincidentally near a locale named ‘Everfree’, it seemed as if the flower shop owner now had a crucial lead, and she was always desperate to find her little brother after all these years. Knowing Timber, Gloriosa knew that her brother would persistently search the ends of Equestria for that treasure, and if this pirate ship in question really was the same one, she would finally be able to reunite and potentially reconcile with her long lost sibling. Gloriosa ran over to her family’s old boat storage in Ponyville, remembering that she still had a large boat tucked away in the garage…

[hr]

As this was happening, Sunset and her group had finally made it back to the camp, where Twilight’s team was still awaiting them. Both groups were thankful at seeing each other safe and all right, with nopony left behind. Twilight’s eyes suddenly widened upon noticing that Sunset was carrying what looked like the Dragonstone, as her group had already combed all over the volcano, but found absolutely nothing. They did however, find something else entirely, but believed it was moot compared to the actual artifact.

“Sunset, Flash, Night Glider, Sunny Flare, thank Celestia you all made it back!” Twilight said with relief. “And is that…?”

“Yep, this is the Dragonstone, alright.” Sunset held the artifact up. “At least, if the picture in that book was anything to go by. It was hidden in the grotto after all, protected by some sort of… guardian, who had attacked us, but we managed to get away with the artifact in the end.”

“So Ahuizotl was here on the island after all?” Rainbow deduced. “Sheesh, I mean I know his job is to specifically guard artifacts, but how many jobs could that guy possibly have?”

“Pretty sure it wasn’t him, it was a female spirit.” Sunset reported back. “But regardless, now that we have the Dragonstone, we’re unfortunately still unsure of how to even use its power. Maybe you have an idea, Twilight?”

“Well, although we couldn’t find the artifact itself inside of the volcano, we found something else that might give us an answer.” Twilight began explaining. “I’d have to imagine that since Rockhoof pointed us there in the first place, it was a clue that he left behind at the volcano’s base. We found some words carved onto the walls there, some kind of riddle, I’d bet. Unfortunately, we were unable to decipher what it meant.”

“I may be good at riddles, but even I couldn’t come up with a confident answer.” Lemon Zest added. “And this is coming from a mare who frequently does the Manehattan crossword puzzles.”

“Interesting… do you remember what the riddle was?” Sunset asked, curiously. “Maybe we can crack it.”

“Even my Cheesy Sense couldn’t come up with anything.” Cheese Sandwich spoke up. “But it as, ‘What is taken by all, given by few, but kept by none?’, if you want to give it a shot.”

“No clue either here.” Twilight sighed. “Though yeah, whether or not this riddle is actually linked to the Dragonstone, we’re still unsure of. I tried to write another message to Rockhoof through Night Glider’s book, but unfortunately, it already ran out of magic by the time we returned to camp, so… we may be out of luck.”

“I’m sure we can still figure something out, Princess.” Flash kept his hopes up. “For now though, why don’t we focus on crafting a boat or raft to escape the island?”

“Already taken care of.” Twilight replied. “Thanks to Captain Zest and Ragamuffin, who’re particularly well experienced at constructing vessels, we now have a fairly-sized boat that should fit all of us.”

“Couldn’t have done it without the lumber you and Cheese brought back, Sunset.” Ragamuffin added.

“But speaking of which… how would we ensure returning to Canterlot safely?” Rainbow inquired. “What if those vines from that mysterious fog sinks our boat again?”

“Well you know that spirit Sunset just mentioned?” Night Glider replied. “Let’s just say… we seemingly earned her respect, so we may not have to worry about that anymore. She was the one responsible for the attack on both of our groups’ ships.”

“You gained the respect of a vengeful spirit who tried to drown us all?” Twilight said, rather astonished. “Well, that’s certainly good news. So in other words, it’s a safe bet that we can all get off the island now without much trouble?”

“I don’t know, didn’t Rockhoof mention that this spirit forced him to give up something in exchange for sparing his life?” Rainbow reminded. “You think that she’d just let us leave now after trespassing on the island?”

“Well, she specifically said that she’d let us go, since we weren’t intending on stealing her treasure.” Sunny Flare explained.

“She also let us free to take the Dragonstone, and didn’t seem all that bothered anymore about us trespassing in the grotto.” Flash added. “I’d like to think that after we managed to defeat her in a fair fight and left her treasure alone, she earned a begrudging respect for us all.”

“That’s right.” Sunset nodded. “Let’s just get everypony on the boat and set sail. We can come up with something along the way, and if we encounter her again, we’ll talk to her and work something out.”

“I still have a bad feeling about this.” Lemon Zest replied. “I mean, we’ve already tried to make a deal with some pirates earlier, and look how that ended up. You think a vengeful spirit who haunts the island is more negotiable?”

“Sunset and her group sounds pretty confident about everything.” Twilight said. “I think we can trust their word on this, especially since they managed to find the artifact and escape safely. So in that case, why don’t we head on over to the shore and get on the boat?”

“Wait a second…” Flash realized that Captain Zest had just reminded him of something crucial. “Has that iceberg melted by this point? And aren’t those vicious pirates still out there?”

“Oh!” Twilight’s eyes widened. “Right, the iceberg! I’d better go check on that…”

Twilight climbed atop a tall palm tree, giving surveillance around the island, noticing that the iceberg was practically completely melted, though what little had remained appeared to be insignificant.

“Well, it’s safe to say that it’s melted.” Twilight reported from above, before slowly climbing back down. “So we shouldn’t have any issues taking our boat off of the island. And as for the pirates, I don’t see any sign of their ship anywhere, so they’re not likely to be a threat to us at the moment.”

“In that case, what are we all waiting for?” Ragamuffin chimed in. “Now that we have our chance, let’s finally escape this dreaded nightmare, and return home safely!”

The entire group quickly assembled themselves to shore with the Dragonstone, their newly-crafted boat waiting for them. There was an initial sense of relief in the fact that everypony had made it, surviving the many dangers on the island that had posed a threat along the way. The volcano, plant monsters, pirates, and Gaea Everfree herself, none of which had put an end to their journey. But just as the entire group was about to board their vessel, ready to return home safely, Rainbow instinctively pushed everypony out of the way, upon hearing the distinct noise of a cannon firing.

“DUCK AND COVER!!!” Rainbow shouted, prompting everypony to do the same.

Just then, a cannonball had landed on a vital part of the boat, wrecking the inside, and no longer making it safe to traverse the seas with.

“Yikes, where’d that come from!?” Night Glider said, shocked.

“What the hay?!” Lemon Zest gritted her teeth. “We just finished building this vessel! Who’s out there firing at us?!”

Captain Spruce’s pirate ship had suddenly came into view from out of nowhere, completely surprising everypony on shore. Moments later, the ruthless pirate captain stepped aboard the bow, speaking to the ponies who were once again stranded.

“How’s that for a good trick?” Timber announced. “Me ship was hidden behind these mountains on the side, rendering it invisible to the naked eye! We’d be followin’ ye since settin’ hoof on the island, waiting for the perfect moment to strike! Now that yer all together in one place, and have no other means of escapin’, what do ye scallywags say we make another negotiation?”

“You mean like the one where you promised not to harm us, and then double-crossed us anyways!?” Twilight replied. “I don’t think we’re interested in any more of your offers, Captain! We’d rather just find another way off of this island!”

Everypony else protested in mutual agreement with the princess, knowing subconsciously that Captain Spruce was obviously going to stray from his word in the end.

“Well, since ye landlubbers all be in such a defiant mood, we’ll just have to see how well ye can taste me cannonballs!” Timber yelled. “And how rude of ye to not even hear me out on me demands!”

“What do you want, exactly!?” Sunset crossed her hooves, glaring at Timber.

“Oh, come now, me hearty!” Timber began explaining his proposition. “Is it not obvious that I’d be after the legendary treasure of Everfree Island!? Ever since I lost the treasure map ages ago, I’ve made it me life-long goal to take the riches for meself! Bring me crew and I as many treasure chests as ye can carry, and I’ll take ye all home safely. Refuse, and… well, let’s just say it won’t be pretty for ye scallywags!”

Sunset and her team knew that stealing Gaea Everfree’s treasure would absolutely spell bad news for everypony, even if Timber was somehow keeping his word about giving them all a ride back home. She spoke up, having learned her lesson of trusting the shady pirate captain.

“We’d rather not get involved with that, Captain!” Sunset replied. “And don’t think we’re afraid of you firing at us! Eventually, your ship will run out of cannonballs, and you’ll just leave us be! Plus, even if you come to shore to fight us, you’re outnumbered! It’s nine against four!”

“I’ve got plenty of cannonballs to spare!” Timber sneered. “I could fire at ye for days if I had to! As for ye lot outnumberin’ me crew, well… that’s what ye want to believe!”

Timber then fired another cannonball at shore, which only managed to hit the beach, completely missing anypony. This projectile was emitting an unusual chartreuse glow, but nopony thought much of it.

“Ha!” Rainbow smirked. “You weren’t anywhere close that time, you’re just wasting your ammo now!”

“Wasn’t even targetin’ ye!” Timber cackled, as the shore suddenly began to rumble from the special cannonball’s aura. “Avast ye lily-livered landlubbers, at me cannonball coated in a specialized Necromancer Tonic!”

Suddenly, a bunch of skeletal zombie-like ponies began to rise out of the sand, their eyes glowing with bright yellow pupils in their skulls. As they turned around, their eyes had immediately fixed gazes upon Sunset and all her companions. The Necromancer Tonic had influenced the creatures with a magical compulsion, forcing them to attack any who dared defile the sanctity of Everfree Island. More and more of the undead creatures began to swarm out of the sand, until Sunset and her entire group were surrounded by an entire army of them.

“Oh no…” Sunset gulped as she and her friends found themselves surrounded by the undead creatures. “What are we going to do now?”

“Well, we could try to reason with them?” Night Glider suggested, though she didn’t sound very confident. “Um… excuse me, uh… undead pony skeletons? Could you please… not attack us? We’re just trying to have a peaceful vacation here.”

The skeletons simply roared in defiance, as the entire horde advanced further.

“Did you actually think that would work?” Cheese Sandwich put a hoof on his face.

“No, but it was worth a shot, I suppose.” Night Glider sighed.

“Alright, so… plan B?” Twilight asked, looking around at her friends, as the horde of undead creatures continued to advance, surrounding them on all sides. “I’m usually a good planner, but what kind of plan could I come up with now in such a short timeframe?”

“I guess we’re just going to have to fight our way out of this, then.” Flash said, bravely. “Everypony, stick close together and try to focus on taking out the strongest ones first. I’ll lead the charge with my katana and try to distract them so you can get a better opening!”

“That’s the spirit, Flash!” Sunset nodded. “We’ve got your back!”

The battle was brutal and desperate. Despite their best efforts, Sunset and everypony else were unable to make any real progress against the overwhelming numbers of the undead horde. Flash’s attempts to distract them only seemed to enrage the creatures even further. However, the royal guard charged ahead, his sword held high, drawing the attention of the strongest of the undead creatures. Focusing on the more resilient ones at the front, he parried the first attack, feeling the blade of the sword bend slightly under the force of the impact.

Flash then lashed out with a powerful counterattack, severing the zombie’s legs and sending it tumbling to the ground. As another zombie lunged for him, he swiftly dodged to the side and delivered a spinning slash that sent it flying off its hooves. He continued to fight valiantly, but he could feel his strength waning, and the other zombies were closing in around them. He glanced over at his friends, worried about their safety, but remained determined to protect them as best he could. The battle raged on around them, with the undead creatures relentlessly swarming everywhere.

Sunset and her friends fought desperately, using whatever they could as weapons against the seemingly endless tide of zombies. Branches snapped and flew through the air as they defended themselves, trying to keep the creatures at bay. Sweat and fear mixed on everypony’s bodies, as they struggled to breathe through the dust and sand kicked up by the constant assault. Eventually, through enough determination and resilience, the undead skeletons were all motionless once more on the beach, giving Sunset and everypony else a bit of breathing room.

“Well…” Sunset panted from exhaustion. “That was certainly an adrenaline rush.”

“Yeah, no kidding…” Twilight replied, in between catching her breath. “But are you sure it’s a good idea to take a break? I mean, what if more of them keep coming?”

Suddenly, the skeletons began to rumble and slowly regenerate, much like timberwolves. This wasn’t too surprising, given they were undead creatures who technically couldn’t be killed.

“We might want to figure that out now!” Sunset shrieked, upon seeing the skeletons reviving so soon. “Let’s keep moving and sprint back to the camp!”

The entire group of ponies frantically ran back to the camp, with the newly revived skeletons in pursuit. The undead creatures were now faster and more relentless than ever, and it was clear that they would stop at nothing to prevent the ponies from reaching safety. As the distance between them and the camp slowly closed, the ponies could see the look of determination on the faces of their friends, as well as the fear that began to overwhelm them. Captain Zest and Rainbow desperately worked together to fend off the skeletons by pelting them with stones and coconut shells, which only barely made them flinch.

The situation looked dire, as the entire group was surrounded once again, but nopony had any energy left to fend off against another wave. Out of desperation, Sunset brought out the Dragonstone, which began having an unusual effect in front of the skeletons. The undead creatures suddenly froze dead in their tracks, as Sunset opened one of her eyes, confused at what was going on. Moments later, the Dragonstone began to emit a bright glow from within, sending a wave of energy across the camp. It was unknown to anypony what was happening, but from their perspective, this had caused the skeletons to screech out in terror, before they all collapsed, their bones now turning into dust.

“What just happened?” Sunset asked, now reeling from the unexpected.

“Sunset, did you just… use the Dragonstone’s power?” Twilight gasped.

“I guess I did…?” Sunset replied, rather puzzled. “But how? All I did was bring it out in front of those skeletons, and they just… crumbled like that?”

“The riddle!” Lemon Zest’s eyes widened. “What is taken by all, given by few, but kept by none? Maybe we finally have our hint for a more clear answer?”

“Perhaps more than before…” Twilight pondered. “But I don’t know what it means just yet. In any case, I suppose now we have a secret weapon to face off against not only those undead creatures, but also Captain Spruce and his gang!”

“Yeah, that’s true…” Sunset glanced at the Dragonstone, still in her hooves. “But I still don’t know how I did that, or what the riddle means. It was like… some kind of instinct just took over, which activated its power. Either way, we’d better keep this as a reserve, in case we get cornered again.”

“Well, now that that’s taken care of, one more problem remains.” Flash spoke up. “How exactly are we going to get off of the island safely, without being seen by those pirates?”

“Something tells me that we’re going to have to get creative.” Lemon Zest said. “The best plan I have is, we gather as much wood as we possibly can, and build another boat. Then, we’ll travel to another side of the island and quietly escape, hopefully losing those pirates in the process. It’s the best plan I can come up with, anyways. Any other ideas?”

Everypony else muttered around the camp, shrugging, before going along with Captain Zest’s plan, as they didn’t have many options.

“Well, I could always try to use my magic to make us invisible, or at the very least, better camouflaged.” Twilight suggested, glancing around. “But will the Enchantment Tonic even allow me to do that?”

“Worth a shot, I suppose.” Sunset brought the tonic out, before giving Twilight another sample of it.

“Here goes nothing…” The princess took a sample of the tonic, ignoring the awful taste, and began to focus on her magic. “I… I think it’s working. Let’s try this out.”

Twilight used her artificial magic on a nearby rock, expecting it to vanish. However, it had instead enlarged the rock, making it even more visible than it already was.

“Oh… I forgot.” Twilight sighed. “If you’ve already used an Enchantment Tonic once, it’ll make your magic malfunction. I believe it’s some sort of side effect, as a result of the magic being artificial. In other words, I have no way to reliably make any of us invisible.”

“What about Sunny Flare?” Ragamuffin suggested. “She’s the only other one among us who has a horn.”

“Unfortunately, I already used the tonic myself.” Sunny Flare said. “I needed it to help my group and I fight that spirit in the grotto.”

“If only I still had my horn…” Sunset added, before sighing. “Well, in that case, getting around those pirates is certainly going to be quite the challenge…”

“Alright, well now that we know for sure that there’s no easy way off of the island, we’ll just have to work with what we’ve got.” Twilight began leading the entire group. “Let’s gather as much wood as we can, bring it back to camp, and get started on building our new escape boat. The sooner we get off this island, the better.”

“What if we encounter any more undead skeletons?” Rainbow asked. “We only have one Dragonstone.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Twilight replied. “Right now, we need to focus on escaping the island. Sunset, could you hold onto the Dragonstone and use its power again if we really need it?”

“I can try.” Sunset agreed. “But I still don’t know how I did it the first time. It was like the power just flowed through me on its own. Either way, let’s move out!”

Everypony scattered and went off in different directions, though they had still gone off in groups to watch each other’s back. Cheese Sandwich and Ragamuffin went off together through the jungle, Twilight and Flash headed toward the direction of the volcano, Sunset was accompanied by Night Glider toward the grotto, and Sunny Flare followed behind Captain Zest and Rainbow Dash to a nearby beach. As the ferry captain and pegasus climbed atop a nearby tree to gather resources, the unicorn stood at the bottom for a second. Sunny Flare realized that after having a huge change of heart after opening up to Sunset, Flash, and Night Glider, she could very much do the same with these ponies as well, whom she had definitely got off on the wrong hoof with earlier.

“Hey…” Sunny Flare addressed the two ponies from atop the tree, before sighing, sadly.