What's wrong, Twilight?!
I've gone through every book in Ponyville, Spike,
and there isn't a single mention of the mysterious chest that came from the Tree of Harmony!
Nor anything about the keys to unlock it!
But something tells me that opening it is pretty important.
I hope Princess Celestia has some ideas.
If the library in Canterlot doesn't have anything, I don't know where else to look!
My dearest Twilight,
while it would be perfectly lovely to have you in Canterlot once more,
I have another option in mind, much closer to Ponyville.
As you know, the ancient castle that I once shared with Princess Luna,
lies mostly in ruins deep in the Everfree forest.
But if you look carefully you may find a book that could prove helpful to your research,
hidden somewhere in what's left of the castle library.
Wow! Look at all these ancient books!
It's a veritable goldmine of information!
I can't believe it!
So, Twilight,
ready to head to home?
Are you kidding?
This place is perfect!
I'm not gonna move, you move.
There is no way I'm moving.
This is the most daring dare anypony ever dared dare another pony in a dare!
It's exciting!
Uh, whatcha all doing?
Rainbow Dash and Applejack are competing for the title of most daring pony!
This is the final test.
"The Bee Stare"!
Last pony to blink wins!
I'm gonna need my bees back.
But then we'll never find out who the most daring pony is!
I'm sorry about that!
Well, what do we do now?
Don't worry, ladies, I've been keeping excellent score all day!
Hmm, move to decimal, carry the two and...
Congratulations! You're tied!
Tied?
You can't be tied for the most daring pony!
I don't know! Numbers don't lie!
I'd love to stay and keep keeping score, but I promised to help test the new school bell!
I get to ring it all week non-stop!
And I don't even have to take turns, because no one else volunteered!
Ok, no problem.
We just have to come up with another daring dare.
Right.
I think I might have an idea what we can do.
Rarity? Don't you think it's a little late in the day to be walking through the forest?
It is star spider season, after all.
Though, I'm sure you have a very good reason.
Simply the most important reason I've ever had in my entire life!
Oh, well then I'm happy to help. What is it?
I've heard rumours that the Castle of the Two Sisters is filled
with the most gorgeous of ancient tapestries in all of pony history!
It pains me to think of those magnificent creations rotting away
in those old ruins, totally unappreciated.
I see...
I require your help in borrowing one or two
to bring back to the boutique where I can restore them.
Maybe I'll even use the patterns as an inspiration for a new line!
That does sound...
very important.
Yes! Well... umm.
Maybe not the most important thing in my entire life,
but retro-ancient classical will be all the rage the next season,
so it's nothing to sneeze at.
Are you sure you need those tapestries?
But of course!
Although, I must admit these ruins are a fright.
And look at all the dirt everywhere! Ugh!
Angel!
Goodness!
It's practically an artistic treasure trove of ancient good taste!
Angel! Oh, you really shouldn't have run out like that!
Ancient ruins are filled with the sorts of things that can hurt you!
You could stub your toe, or trip on a loose stone.
You have to be careful!
I don't think I'll need all these candles, Twilight.
I was really only scared for a second.
Oh, these aren't for you, Spike. We're gonna be studying late into the night.
And we're gonna need all the light we can get.
Oh, great.
Well, here we are!
Eh, what's so daring about this place?
This is where we got the Elements of Harmony.
When I was just a filly,
Granny Smith told me of an ancient legend.
When Nightmare Moon was banished,
not every last bit of her dark magic went with her.
Granny used to say:
"When night falls on the castle,
that magic takes the form of...
the Pony of Shadows!"
You mean like a ghost?
Nopony kno~o~ows!
This one is perfect!
Well,
it certainly could use some restoration.
Be dear, fly up there and lift it off that hook.
Maybe from below?
I don't see what's so daring about an old legend.
Plus, I don't believe in ghosts.
You might want to rethink your position on that.
You saw that, right?
Ru-u-un!
Ough! I think I hurt my wing.
Oh my dear, I'm so sorry!
This tapestry is far too heavy. We'll just have to find a smaller one.
Oh, of course.
Where pray tell did you disappear to?
What do you mean?
While you were struggling under that fabric, the entire wall spun around.
You must have activated a secret door.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I suppose these ruins are choke full of them.
Really?
Absolutely.
We must use the utmost care as we...
Okay! So maybe the legend is true.
Well, that's why I brought you here.
I guess, only the most daring pone of all
could stay in this castle all night without being scared off.
Scared? I'm not scared.
Well, me neither!
Then it's settled.
Whoever stays in the castle the longest is the most daring pony.
Deal.
But it's gonna take a lot more than some shadowy ghost pony to get me to leave.
Me too!
Find anything, Spike?
Eh, nope, nothing yet.
Angel? What're you doing here?
"The Journal of the Two Sisters."
Maybe this is the book Princess Celestia was talking about!
I sure hope you're not afraid of the dark, Applejack!
I can't say that I am.
But even if I was, I'd be at least fifty percent less scared of it than you, Rainbow Dash.
I don't know how that math works, because i'm not scared at all!
Me neither!
What's the matter?
It's just a dark hallway full of disembodied pony legs.
Yeah, nothing creepy about that.
I'm starting to wonder if maybe this castle doesn't want my expertise.
Oh dear.
Angel?
Rarity, have you seen them?
I'm not sure he made the trip down with us, dear.
Oh goodness, we have to find him. An ancient castle is no place for a bunny.
He can get hit by falling debris, or a floor can give out under him!
He can be trapped in a dark place with no way out!
I can only imagine how that might feel.
Applejack!
If you're scared, you can just admit it,
you don't need to put your hoof around me
I'm over here.
Rarity,
where is it?
I felt something...
alive!
Angel!
Well, tapestries or no.
I have had just about enough of secret passages,
mysterious presences and unappreciative castles.
But we can't leave now.
Now with the Angel lost somewhere in this dangerous old castle.
He can be trapped under crumbling statue.
Or stuck high in a tower without food or water or any friends at all!
Spike, you've got to hear this
I love to duck behind the paintings,
and though the hall of hooves still gives her a bit of a fright,
the trap door slide is Luna's favorite.
Hall of hooves?
"Soon the organ to the outside will be finished.
I can hardly wait."
What's the "organ to the outside"?
I have no idea!
You hear that?
You mean...
the creepy sound of a haunted pipe organ?
Maybe.
I don't know what are you talking about.
Twilight.
Did you hear something?
Oh, Spike!
Quit being such a scaredy dragon!
This castle is thousands of years old and half of it was destroyed by Nightmare Moon.
Of course it makes strange sounds.
It's practically falling apart.
O-kay.
Angel.
Angel!
I'm sure, we'll find him.
Angel!
Did you find Angel? Is he okay?
They are perfect!
No castle in it's right mind can possibly object to my restoring such exquisite works of art.
They are lovely, Rarity, but...
I have to keep looking for Angel.
I hope he doesn't think, I given up on him.
I'm right behind you.
I'm on it...
Do you think there is a single room in this castle
that isn't filled with terrifying things?
It's just old pony armor. What's the big deal?
Yeah.
It's not like it's gonna come to live or anything.
Right?
Now you look here, castle!
You're very old and very scary,
but your wall art is in an atrocious state!
And there is nothing you can do to keep me from my sacred task of restoration!
Applejack!
If you went back to Ponyville, that means I win.
Right?
Rarity!
I know hiding isn't really your sense of humor,
but please let this be a joke!
Rainbow?
Hello!
I guess if I don't find you
I win by default, right?
Of all the castles in Equestria this is by far the most ungrateful!
Angel!
Rarity!
I hope you two are together.
Haunted statues, creepy armor...
Come on castle, is that all you got?
I was only trying to restore ancient art...
Angel?
Angel!!!
What in the world is that?
Oh, you know,
probably just more strange sounds of this old castle falling apart.
No one likes sarcasm, Spike.
What got into them?
It's okay Аngel, you're okay, you're okay...
Shadows everywhere!
Ange-e-el!!!
Alright, everypony,
stop!
Twilight?
Must.
Save.
Angel!
Fluttershy? What are you doing here?
She's with me.
Thank you.
Have you all spent the whole night running around, scaring each other?
Well, that depends.
On what?
On whether or not you are the Pony of Shadows.
What's the Pony of Shadows?
Oh, that's just an old pony's tale.
Then who's playing
that?
We're going to find out.
A Pony of Shadows!
Hey you guys! Did you know I can totally play the organ? Because I didn't!
Pinkie?!
Check it out!
You're the Pony of Shadows?
The pony of what?
See? What'd I tell ya?
I though you were to ring the school bell all week.
Oh yeah. I only had to ring it for like five minutes.
They said that was good enough.
Can't imagine why.
So then, I decided to throw a "Finish ringing the school bell" party!
But I didn't have any bluebells, and you can't throw a "Finish ringing the school bell" party without bluebells,
so I went to Everfree Forest to pick some, but it started to get so chilly!
I had to wrap myself up in the tarp I was gonna use to carry the flowers, and then I saw Fluttershy and Rarity!
But they went into the castle before I could invite them to my party!
Luckily, I followed them inside so I can help you all with your party!
What party is that?
The "Everypony come to the scary old castle and hide from each other while I play the organ" party?
Duh!
I swear, this is going right back where I found it,
just as soon as I've returned it to its former glory
Now don't go running off again.
Oooh, I can't believe I was so frightened.
Guess I let my imagination get the best of me.
I think we all did.
I always let my imagination run away from me.
Then it comes back, with cake!
Well, it's good to know that whenever your imagination is getting away from you,
a good friend can help you rein it in.
And even though I didn't find anything out about the mysterious chest,
I'm glad I was here to help all of you.
You certainly did that, Twilight.
Yeah! Why weren't you scared?
Reading Celestia's diary made it hard to be afraid,
because I knew what it was like when she and Luna lived here.
Knowing something about the past made it easier to deal with my problems in the present.
Even the scary ones.
I just thought of a great idea!
Why don't we keep a journal? Just like the royal pony sisters!
All of us?
Sure! That way we can learn from each other.
And maybe some day, other ponies will read it and learn something, too!
What a splendid idea!
I know what my first entry will be.
"Dear diary, I'm glad Granny Smith's legend wasn't true"
Me too.
Me three!
Because that means you two are still tied for most daring pony!!!
"Shadow Ponies." How ridiculous is that!
SCHASTLIVYI` PONETC
anon 2 anon sunnysubs.com