Oblivion said nothing as he approached the Library to see if Twilight had any plans. He had finally narrowed down where the next map piece might be. Sasa walked quietly next to him and he could hear her purring as they walked. It had been her idea to see if Twilight wanted to come with him. At first, he had questioned her reasoning but in the end, he did not see any reason to deny the idea. Twilight had expressed a desire to join him once before so he saw no reason not to give her the opportunity. The Library loomed up ahead of him and he walked into the Library and looked around to see where she might be. Her spirit was bright as it seemed to be coming toward him. The purple Unicorn came around the corner and she gave a bright smile at the sight of him.
“Good morning Twilight.” He greeted.
“Morning.” She said back to him as a slight blush approached her cheeks. “What can I do for you this morning?”
“I have found where I believe the next map piece is, and you wished to come along.”
“Can I?” She interrupted. “Sorry.”
“No harm done. If you wish to join us you are more than welcome.” He assured her. “Bring your saddlebags. I am not sure how long we will be gone. It’s a fair distance from here.”
“Should I bring Spike?” She asked as her horn lit to call on her saddlebags.
“If you wish you can. If we run into monsters then he would need to run and hide. While I do not doubt his heart, his lack of fighting ability is an issue.”
“Hmm. Good point. Can we drop him off with Applejack?”
“We have plenty of time to stop there if you want to.” He reassured her.
She nodded and turned back to face the back of the Library. “SPIKE!” She yelled.
Oblivion ears pinned at her volume. Sasa grumbled at his side but said nothing to him. Spike growled as he came into the room. His eyes narrowed at the shouting mare. “Yeah?”
“Can you gather some of your things so we can go? I will go with Oblivion to hunt for another piece of the map he is working on.”
“Awesome!” Spike yelped as the mare paused. “We get to go with him? That’s gonna be awesome.”
“Actually,” Twilight said to him, her voice low. “I’m going to drop you off with Applejack.”
Spike’s eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open as he stared at her. “But… I can help.”
Twilight looked over her shoulder to Oblivion who took her look to be asking for his input. He took a couple of steps forward and Spike looked up at him. “We will be gone for potentially a few days Spike. We will be potentially coming in contact with the normal monsters from the Everfree along with ones that could be similar to new ones. It’s not your heart I do not have faith in. You can't fight those monsters. I cannot be worried about you while I am fighting those. Distractions lead to injuries or worse in those situations.”
Spike looked dejected as he seemed to understand it. “Okay. I’ll be right back.”
His shoulders slumped as he left the front of the Library. Twilight cringed down at the sad look on the baby dragon’s face. “I hate seeing him sad.” She said to him.
“I understand that. While I do not relish upsetting him it cannot be done. Perhaps when he is older he can easily join in. It is for the best this time.” Oblivion replied quietly to her.
Twilight sighed and nodded in agreement. “Maybe we can bring something back for him?”
“Such as?”
“I guess bringing a monster back to him is a bad idea?” She asked with a smile.
“If it was a harmless one, sure.” He said to her as a chuckle broke from him. “He will have to be content with a story or two.”
“Could you draw what we see?”
“I can yes.”
“That could work as well. Maybe draw it and use the story as well?”
“That would probably work well.” He agreed. “It will have to do.”
She nodded and they waited for Spike to rejoin them.
Once Spike had been left with the Apple family the three of them set out. Oblivion teleported them from the farm to close by where they believed the map piece was located. Twilight looked around them and quickly realized that she had no idea where they were.
“Okay, so where are we?” She asked with a chuckle.
He leaned forward and showed her the full-size map she had given him. He leaned over her shoulder and she looked at what he indicated and she nodded. He tapped his horn to hers as he moved to lead her forward. He didn’t see the blush that crossed her face. She looked at Sasa who winked at her and Twilight looked at the ground for a moment before she fell in line with them.
His eyes scanned the ground ahead of them and behind him, Twilight looked as well. Sasa was following the mare and her nose was in the air to see what she would smell. As he searched for anything that might be out of place he found himself taking paths that would not cause trouble for the mare with them. Hours ticked past as they walked and he looked over his shoulder to find the mare seemingly content with their path.
“Anything upfront Chosen?” Sasa questioned.
“Nothing of note.” He replied.
“Are we looking for a ruin or a dilapidated house or what?”
“I am not sure.” He admitted with a slight sigh. “Anything behind?”
“Hah! No.” Sasa replied with a bark of laughter.
“See anything?” Twilight asked him.
“Not so far. I am not sure if we are looking for a ruin or a village.” He admitted to her.
“Hmm. Well, we don’t have a timeline so be sure to analyze everything.” She advised. “Even that big flower could be something interesting.”
“Big flower?” He stopped as he began to look and his eyes fell on a large orange flower twenty or so feet away from them. “Oh, Gods.”
He spun on his heels and his magic picked up the mare and feline and he dashed off the path and into the tall trees.
“What? What is it?” Twilight questioned.
“If I’m right then that flower is an Arachasae.” He told her as he stood ahead of her, ensuring it had no chance to target her.
“And that is a…” She asked.
“It’s an Insectoid from my world.” He replied. “A big one if the size of the flower is any indication.”
“And how do we get past it?” Sasa asked.
“We don’t.” He replied to her.
“We can’t leave it, can we?” Twilight asked.
“No. If it gets near ponies then it would be a disaster. It spits poison from afar to stun its prey and then charges in after them to deliver the final blow.” He explained.
“How do we fight it?” Twilight asked.
“You don’t.” He replied to her.
She looked affronted at him and he had a moment of doubt about trying to hide her away. “I think not.” She said to him. “I’m not Spike. I don’t need to be protected like a fragile glass figure. I can fight with you.”
He paused as she argued with him. She had a point and he knew that she was a mare of skill and her aid could help. “You can’t get hit by it. Every move it makes is going to be laced with poison.” He began.
“Okay, I will stay out of the way and attack from afar. You keep it attracted to you and I will hit from far enough to avoid the poison.” She reasoned.
“She has you there Chosen. She is a mare of great aptitude. So long as she stays back then she can be of help right?” Sasa pointed out.
Twilight stared at him, determination in her gaze and he felt his resistance to her faltering. A deep sigh escaped him as he sat down in front of her. “Very well. But we fight this on my terms.”
Twilight nodded in agreement and pointed her ears toward him to listen intently. “I’m here to listen then.”
He glanced over his shoulder and the monster had not moved from where the mare had spotted it. “Attacking from the front is a fool’s errand. Your job is to stay back and always attack it from behind. Yes, it will keep it moving but that is what you will be doing. It will spin to find you when you hit and then I will hit it. We will bounce its attention back and forth between us.”
Twilight looked at him as he explained. “Oohh. Very clever.”
“If it can spit poison or webs at you, run.”
“I learned a few shield spells from my brother, should I use those?” She asked.
“Actually yes. Can you keep one active at all times?”
“I think so.” She said as she looked thoughtful. “I have never kept one going for an extended time but I am certain I can. What will you be using on it?”
“Igni, Axii, and Yrden are the ones that will be used against it. I’ll keep Quen up and running as often as I can. If I have to let it lapse in favor of the others then I will.” He paused as Twilight narrowed her eyes at him. “The fight will be longer if I play it overly safe.”
“I can last.” She assured him, having realized that was his reason for going with a different style of fighting. “I don’t want you to get hurt, same as you don’t want me to get hurt.”
“Ohh that was a good dig at you, wasn’t it?” Sasa teased.
He sighed again and lowered his head slightly to look her in the eye. “That is true. But your safety is far more important to me than my own ever will be.” He said to her and her eyes went a bit wider. “So we will compromise. I will keep Quen up as often as I can and if it drops then I will try to get it back when able.”
Twilight smiled and tapped her horn to his. “I’m good with that.” She agreed.
“I will stay as close to it as I can to ensure it does not have time to shoot webs or poison your way.” She looked at him and a slight grin quirked one side of his mouth. “And I will take to my heels when I must.”
“Deal.” She said with a bright smile.
Oblivion looked at her for a moment before he raised his head and turned to the Arachasae. “I’ll draw its attention first then you move into position.”
He said nothing as his horn lit and several potions came from his saddlebags. His mind went over which ones he had in easy supply and which ones could be easily recreated. He drew out the Cockatrice Decoction and he popped the lid and drank it down. His skin shivered for a moment as he went back to the saddlebags to pull out the next couple he was going to use. The Golden Oriole was next and he drank it down as well. The Thunderbolt Potion was the final one he would be using for this fight. He drank it down as well and remained facing forward to avoid startling Twilight.
He began to walk silently toward the Arachasae as he heard Twilight walking slowly behind him. His steps quickened as it seemed he had caught its attention. He saw the flower tremble as he approached from the front. It flexed and he watched as poison was spewed from the flower as he jumped to the side and then charged in to face it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Twilight's shield go into place as she ran to get behind the monster.
“I’ll get it from the side?” Sasa questioned.
“No stay with Twilight.” He ordered and the feline peeled off and was soon at the mare’s side.
He kept its focus as Quen slid into place and the Arachasae charged him when it realized that the poison had done nothing to him. The golden light from Quen shone brightly against his black fur. A blast of magic from behind the Arachasae caught its attention and it spun to focus on the running mare. Oblivion crystal blade appeared in his magic a bare second later as he dug its sharp edge into the monster's thick hide.
“I got it!” He heard Twilight yell over the sound of the Arachasae screeching.
He heard it screech again as it spun back to the mare and he waited a moment before he charged back in and struck the Arachasae with Axii to stun it and allow him to fight its weak spot longer. It wobbled on its legs for several seconds as he drilled his blade into the back of its body and green ichor began to flow slowly from the growing wounds.
“Keep going!” Twilight yelled as he fought.
The Arachasae snapped out of the stupor he had put it in and spun back to him. Its pincers snapped out and caught him in the shoulder and he was thrown down. He said nothing as Quen exploded and the Arachasae screeched at the concussion that went over it from the Sign. He got to his hooves easily and once more faced it as he cast Yrden as it moved toward him. The Sign slowed the monster in place and he watched as Twilight began to lash magic into its exposed back and the monster screeched as she rained down attacks in quick succession.
“Keep it up!” He yelled to her and he watched as she fought the monster.
Yrden faded with the sound of shattering glass and it spun to face the mare. He used Axii once more and it wavered as he attacked its exposed back. His blade cut deeper with each hit and he finally pulled the blade back and jammed it deeper into its back. The Arachasae screeched and began to thrash. His magic twisted the sword in place and it screamed as it began its death throes. He watched as it thrashed and began to lay down. He jumped back and he glanced up to make sure Twilight was staying back, just in case it was trying to fool them. While that would be the first time one had done that in his experience it did not mean they could not do it at all.
“Is it down?” Twilight yelled the question at him.
“Maybe. Stay back till I say otherwise.” He called back to her.
After over a minute of no movement, he allowed himself to get back up to it to yank the blade free. He wrenched it free and when nothing happened he nodded at Twilight. He turned his head away from her as she dropped her shield and joined him. He began to reach into his saddlebags to use the White Honey Potion when he realized that he was not sure if he had any left form when he had fought the Protofleder with Geralt. He closed his eyes and hoped he had some in there. A small bottle appeared in his magic when Twilight came to stand in front of him. Oblivion saw her eyes scan what he looked like and her smile did not fade.
“So that’s what it looks like when you’re using the Witcher potions?”
“Yes. It’s a bit much I have been told.” He replied.
“It’s not as bad as you made it sound. Though the silver in your veins is a bit strange.”
“Silver?”
“Yeah, I assume it’s following the veins in your face and neck. It goes almost down to your shoulders. It’s almost pretty in a way.”
He chuckled and downed the White Honey potion and he sat down to allow it to work. After a few seconds, he felt the weight of the potions and decoctions began to fade away. Twilight sat down with him and waited till he got to his hooves.
“I’m thinking we are done for the night?” She asked.
“She handled that very well.” Sasa commented.
“Agreed.” He replied quickly. “I think you're right.”
Twilight nodded as she looked at the dead Arachasae and then back at him. His horn lit as he pulled the parts he wanted from it and sent them to his saddlebags. His azure flame burned through the body as he sent his crystal blade back to the band on his leg.
“Let’s get to an area that does not smell of burned insects.” He said to her as Twilight giggled and nodded in agreement.
Oblivion opened one eye as the sun began to come up and he got to his hooves and made his way out of the tent he had conjured the night before. He looked back to find Sasa was still asleep and he walked out into the early morning light. His saddlebags hovered in his magic as he set them down on the far side of the small fire he created. He pulled ingredients out of them and he set the bottles on the ground in front of him. He had allowed some of his stock to dwindle and he was going to replenish the ones he was able to. As the sun was slowly rising he combined ingredients and began to spin them around him to mix them. He looked up as Twilight began to awaken and he heard her get to her hooves and he watched as she came out of the small tent.
She saw him watching her and a smile crossed her mouth. “Morning Oblivion.”
“Good morning, Aine Saov.” He replied as she sat opposite him.
“What are you doing?” She questioned.
“I have used several of the potions and decoctions over the last few weeks and I did not replenish them. I was given many of the missing ingredients by Geralt before I left and I have been lax in replenishing them.” He admitted. “So I am mixing them by spinning them.”
“Do you need any help?”
“I might in a moment.” He replied and the vials in his magic began to slow their spin and he scanned each one. “Hmm.”
“What is it?”
“This one is not mixing as well as the others.”
“Which one is it?”
“Thunderbolt.” He said as he spun the vial in a tight circle around him for a few seconds.
“May I?” She asked as her magic covered the vial.
His magic released the vial and she took it from him. She looked at the vial for a moment before she looked at him. “What color does it need to be?”
“It’s yellow right now but when finished it should be a somewhat bright green.” He replied. “A little like fresh grass.”
“Okay let me try.”
He watched as the mare got to her hooves and the small vial hovered in her magic. It started in front of her and he watched as she began to spin it in the same way he had for a few seconds. He watched as she began to spin it erratically in her magic. It went right, then left, up, and then down. He felt his head tilt slightly as the pattern was completely erratic and he heard her give a slight groan as the speed increased. As he watched he realized that the vial in her magic was also turning and he felt a bit foolish for not thinking of that sooner. After over two minutes she stopped and a pant broke from her.
“Okay if that didn’t do it then nothing will.” She said to him with a laugh and he nodded in agreement.
She looked at the vial and she smiled brightly when the color of the vial was a bright grass green. He gave a slight bow of his head to her and she gave it back to him.
“Well done.” He said to her and she sat down in her place. “Are you hungry?”
“A bit yes.”
He reached into his saddlebags for some of the rations from his pack and he gave them to her. “If you need more let me know.”
“Thank you.” She said to him. “What about you?”
“I ate before I picked you up.” He assured her.
He saw her brow furrow as she considered what he had said. “Meaning?”
He paused as he realized that she did not know about his ability to eat meat. He said nothing for several seconds as he considered what to tell her. He saw her focus on him as she chewed her rations. He gave a quiet noise and he saw her narrow her eyes at him. His ability to lie to her failed on him and he simply bared his teeth to allow her to see them.
“Oh. That’s quite the set of teeth… Which means… Oh.” She reasoned out as he pulled his lips back into place. “You eat meat.”
“I can eat anything. I am an omnivore.”
“Hmm. Interesting.” She said as she took a bite of her food. “So you hunted for… meat before you picked me up from the Library?”
“Yes. I hunt in the Everfree to avoid upsetting any pony.” He explained.
“That makes sense. I assume that very few ponies know about your diet of choice?”
“You are one of four now.”
Sasa came out of the tent she yawned ran her tongue over her teeth and sat down beside Twilight. “Good morning.” She said as Oblivion set food in front of her.
“Morning.” He replied to the tiger as she dug into the food he had given her.
Twilight smiled as she patted the cat beside her. “Morning Sasa.”
Oblivion led the way as they weaved through the tall grass and brush. Behind him, Twilight stayed several steps back. Sasa brought up the rear as he led them forward. He paused as his magic pulled out the map and the last piece as she imposed it over the map and his eyes narrowed as Twilight came to stand by his shoulder and he lowered the map to allow her to look at it.
“It looks like there is a town in here?” She asked as she looked at the map.
“Okay, so it’s not just me thinking that.” Oblivion replied.
“Is there any way you can see if there are any ponies close by?” She asked. ”Your magic doesn’t have any rules so can you do something like that?”
“There is.”
He called the World Spirit into action and it surged under his command. He called it to his horn and the white flame then poured onto the ground and he watched as it began to flow ahead of them. He saw Twilight's eyes go wide at the sight of it. It surged over the ground and flowed easily in search of anything connected to it. As it moved he watched intently and soon it surged far ahead and he found nothing of interest to it.
“No ponies.” He said to her and the mare looked confused for a moment.
“So how did you do that?”
“Another self-made spell.” He assured her.
“Ahh well done.” She said as she patted his shoulder. “Did it find anything?”
“Nothing pony-like. It found nothing of interest.” He explained.
“Weird that there would be a settlement on the map but nothing in that direction.”
“It is odd but perhaps they were here at one point but the Everfree drove them out?” He reasoned to her.
“That’s very possible.” She agreed. “The Everfree has always been too wild for ponies to easily keep.”
“It operates like my world.” He said to her with a chuckle.
“Oh really?” She asked as he began to walk forward as the map rolled up and he put them back in his saddlebag.
“Yes. The woods are infested with different monsters and humans tend to avoid them if they can. They are the reason cities sprang up in safe zones. Humans chose their locations carefully.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It’s how they made their way through a world changed by the Conjunction of the Spheres.”
“What is that?”
“My world had no magic at one point. Monsters were not a threat as they did not exist.” He explained and she stayed at his side as he went on. “Life was a simple act back then. There were no mages or Witchers. We were not needed until the Conjunction tore the land and changed it. The Conjunction happened and suddenly there are monsters and magic to contend with.”
“So magic just… Didn’t exist?”
“Yes.” He said as he glanced her way. “After it happened Witchers were needed and we were created for the Path. Sorceresses became a common thing and they rose to power within the governments.”
“Like what?”
“There is the Lodge. A cabal of the most powerful Sorceresses on the Continent.” He replied. “They make the rules in some areas and often are tasked with training new acolytes and in some they teach the children of the royalty. They search out new disciples and train them as they are needed.”
“Do you know any of them?”
“I know two. Well, I have met most of them but only know two of them reasonably well.”
“Who were they?”
“They are Yennefer of Vengerburg and Triss.” He replied.
“What are they like?” Twilight asked.
He chuckled as he responded to her. “Yennefer is a smart woman. There is very little that can get past her in matters of politics and magic. I try not to get into spats with her as I might lose that battle of wits.”
Twilight giggled. “You… lose a fight?”
“Those don’t count.” He argued. “Triss is much the same. I enjoy Yennefer’s company more than Triss, to be honest. Triss is too busy trying to get one up on those around her in my opinion. She and Geralt were a pair at one point. But he went back to Yennefer in the end. They are or used to be joined by the magic of a Djinn.”
“What is a Djinn?”
“A Djinn is a being of great power. They can be harnessed by a mage and they must then grant three wishes. Once those are done they are free once more.”
“Oh, like a Genie?” Twilight interrupted.
“That is one type of them.” He replied with a chuckle. “There are four sorts of these beings. Just as there are four planes there are four Djinns. Genies are of the Earth, Djinn of the air, Afreet is of fire, and Marides are of the water.”
“Wow. It’s pretty complicated in your world.” She said to him. “It’s a lot to think of and remember.”
“It can be.” He agreed. “But in time the information becomes as natural as your magic is to you.”
Twilight smiled at his words. “So you said they were tied to each other by a Djinn?”
“Yes. Quite a while ago a friend of Geralts, Dandelion, unleashed a Djinn and it caused quite a bit of havoc in Rinde. Geralt I believe ended up being its master and Yennefer intended to trap the Djinn. But it would have killed Yenn before she got the chance to tame it. Geralt understood that and in a moment of chaos, Geralt wished to die beside Yennefer, knowing the djinn couldn't kill its own master. The djinn granted his last wish, binding Geralt and Yennefer's fates until their deaths.”
“Oh wow.” Twilight breathed out as she considered what he had said.
“Though.”
“Yes?” She said, her voice insistent that he go on.
“A few years ago now Yenn found a Djinn that had been used by another mage and she asked Geralt to help her trap it. She was able to but not without a fight. She tells it to see the binding that held the two of them together and asks it to break it. As far as I know, it did as commanded and they were released from his wish.”
Twilight’s eyes were bright as he spoke and a bright smile spread over her mouth. “And are they still together?”
“I do not know. When I was sent back there I did not think to ask.” He admitted.
“Ugh!” Twilight groaned and her head went back for a moment. “You should have asked. Now I don’t know the ending of the story.”
“My apologies.” He said to her as a chuckle broke from him.
She sighed and her head hung for a moment before she looked up at him, her spirit bright. “Okay, I forgive you.”
“I’m so glad to hear that.”
Oblivion raised his nose into the air as a scent went over his nose. Behind him, Twilight watched him closely.
“What is it?” She asked.
“Water.” He said back to her as he broke into a gentle trot. “Come on.”
He pushed past a set of large bushes and ahead of him was an enormous lake. He paused at the shore and he scanned the surface carefully. Twilight drew up next to him and Sasa sat down beside her.
“Well. We found something at least.” She quipped.
“True.” He replied to the feline.
“What?” Twilight asked.
“Sasa said we did find something at least.”
“That’s true,” Twilight said with a laugh. “Maybe this is where the village used to be?”
“I think you're right. Toward the middle is a chimney, or what’s left of one.” He explained.
“You can see it?” She asked and he nodded. “That’s convenient.”
“Well, it could be underwater.” Sasa pointed out and he nodded.
“Sasa’s right. Now we check underwater for the piece.”
“That's going to take a while,” Twilight said. “Even for you.”
“It will take some time but between us, I think we can manage it.”
“I don’t know about you but I can’t hold my breath forever.”
“Neither can I.” He admitted. “But I can hold it for quite a while with the use of a potion.”
“Oh. That’s useful. Which one?”
“Killer Whale.”
“Oh, that one was in that notebook you made for me. Will it last long enough to search the entire lake? I thought it had a limit of about ten minutes. Fifteen at the most.”
“You're right. But the vial it’s held in was a gift from Yenn. It will replenish on its own without me using more ingredients.”
“Oh, that was nice of her to give that to you.”
“It was a set of five vials. I put the most used in them. Killer Whale being one I was using frequently at the time.”
“Have you used it while you’ve been here?”
“I have.” He replied as he pulled the potion out of his saddlebag.
“That’s a bright orange one, isn’t it?” Twilight chuckled.
“It does have some color. It also gives greater sight underwater. I’ll be able to see easier in the water, even if I end up kicking up silt.” He agreed. “Now we need to get out there.”
“I can do that,” Twilight assured him as she patted his shoulder.
“Then I will leave it to you.” He said to her as she walked a bit away from him.
He sat down with Sasa as he could hear the sounds of breaking limbs and after several minutes Twilight returned with a raft made of trees and it was lashed together with vines. She set it in the water and then jumped onto it to show him that it would hold her at least.
“See?”
“It looks good to me.” He agreed as he got to his hooves and jumped to the raft with her. “Sasa?”
“Oh hell no.” Sasa said back to him. “Chosen you are out of your mind.”
He chuckled as Sasa lay down on the bank. “I guess you and I are on our own.”
“No faith in my raft-making skills Sasa?”
“Not that. I am perfectly sure that the raft is safe. I just don’t think it’s big enough and I will end up in the water. You’re going to be getting in and out of the water Chosen, as the potion comes back in the bottle. And I do not trust that raft pitching and moving as you get in and out of the water.”
He parroted what she said and Twilight jumped off and went back to the woods. Several minutes passed and Twilight came back with another small raft she lashed it to the bigger one with a vine and then jumped onto the big one.
“There you go Sasa. That way you’re not left behind.” Twilight said to her.
Sasa purred as she jumped into her raft. “Perfect. Thank you Twilight.”
“She thanks you.” Oblivion said for her.
“You should cover her in your magic more often so she can talk to me.” Twilight teased.
“Or I can just do to you what I did to Blue Blood.”
“Oh?”
“He can hear her when she wishes him to.”
“He can? But we can’t?” She teased.
“I’ve been a bit slow on that, I admit.” He replied with a shake of his head.
She laughed and his horn lit and cast the spell he had used before to allow Sasa to speak directly to her if she wanted to. His magic faded and Twilight looked at the little raft as Sasa purred.
“Try it Sasa.” He encouraged.
“Can you hear me Twilight?” She asked the mare.
Twilight smiled and nodded happily. “I can hear her. This will be so much easier for all of us.”
Oblivion nodded in agreement and turned to face the chimney in the center of the lake as his magic propelled the two rafts. As they neared the chimney Twilight stood up and began to look down into the blue water. He slowed them down as they came up to the chimney.
“Okay, I figure we can start here.” He said to the purple mare.
“How are we going to find it?” She asked.
“I will use the same spell I have been using to find the others.” He explained. “It’s using Starswirls metal finding spell with a bit of a twist.”
“I know that spell. It doesn’t work unless the view is unobstructed.”
“I add in my spell that bypasses that limitation. That way it can the metal even with the line of sight limit.”
“Okay sounds like a solid plan to me,” Twilight said to him as he picked up the Killer Whale potion and downed it.
“Be prepared to be bored Twilight.” Sasa advised.
“What do you mean?”
“He will be doing the searching of an entire town and we will be up here waiting.” Sasa explained.
Twilight looked at her for a moment before understanding went over her face. “Oh.”
“Yeah. We can’t use the potions due to them maybe killing us so we have to wait as he does this part.”
“Got it,” Twilight said.
“I’ll try to be quick.” He assured them both as he leaned back and fell off the raft. The water rippled and splashed as he gulped in air and then dove down.
Under the water, he swam for the first building as his horn charged and he cast the two spells. Under their illusion, his wings beat and they propelled him faster to the water-logged town. Metal objects illuminated as he went to the first building swam to the door and looked in. Within it small metal objects were bright but none of them looked like the cylinder he was looking for. ‘This is going to take a while.’ He thought to himself as he made for the next building.
His head broke the surface and Twilight propelled the raft toward him, allowing him to grab hold of it and pull himself out of the water. He shook himself free of water and sat down to wait for the vial to refill. He shook his head to get the water out of his ears and drops of water struck Twilight and she grimaced at the cool water.
“Okay, so this is going to be very boring.” She said with a hint of teasing in her tone.
“If I could take you with me I would.” He informed her. “But you can’t use the potion. It will leave you either broken or dead.”
“Broken?”
“For example. Geralt used Swallow on a girl that had been attacked by a Gryphon and it had nearly killed her. She survived the potion but it left her mind shattered. She spent most of her time asleep or she had to be taken care of completely. She was unable to do anything for herself again. The young man she was going out to meet was a soldier at a camp we met up with. He told Geralt that he's not certain whether to thank him for saving her life or to be mad at him for not easing her suffering.”
“Oh my,” Twilight said as she looked down at the refilling potion between them. “I will never think of drinking one of those.”
“Exactly.” Oblivion said as the potion refilled to the top once more.
“Is there no way I can go with you?” Twilight almost pleaded.
He was quiet for several seconds as he was not sure what to do with her now.
“I have an idea, Chosen.” Sasa piped up from her raft. “Put her in a bubble, tie it to you and she will be along for the ride without drowning or using the potion.”
Both Unicorns stared at the cat for a moment before Twilight smiled. “I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t think of that.”
“That makes two of us. Hold on.”
Oblivion horn lit and it covered the mare, who held still as stone, and a bubble of azure fire surrounded her. The bubble was large enough that she could easily watch him and move around a bit as she looked around them if she wished. He created a tether that went from the bubble and he lashed it around his girth. He downed the potion and fell back into the water with the mare yelping as she was pulled with him. He oriented himself and began to swim down to the next house. He stopped above the next building and his horn charged and the spell was cast. He looked back at Twilight as she had her hooves pressed against the side of the bubble a wide smile on her face.
“Oh, you clever pony.” She praised.
Oblivion turned to look back at her, a rare smile crossed his mouth and she smiled wider at the sight of it. It fell from his face as he dove down with the mare following.
Oblivion tugged the mare along behind him as he drew up on a large building that was close to the edge of town. He grimaced as the potion began to wane. He knew he could now hold his breath on his own for another couple of minutes. He looked into the building and his eyes locked onto a small five-inch metal piece. He looked over his shoulder and Twilight nodded that she saw it as well. This was the tenth time that they had gone into the water together. The mare had directed it at times and he swam where she instructed. He swam for the cylinder and his claws grabbed the container it was held in and he spun to make for the surface.
“Hurry.” Twilight encouraged. “You can make it.”
He spread his wings under water and they thrust him up the last few feet and he gasped for air as his head broke the surface. He panted for a moment before Twilight’s bubble came up next to him.
“I think you cut that a bit close.” She pointed out.
“I did yes.” He admitted. “I didn’t want to have to wait on the potion again just to get to what I had seen.”
“That’s a fair point.” She admitted. “Where’s the raft?”
He looked around them and he spotted Sasa and the rafts. He began to swim for the raft and Sasa roared as they got close.
“Find anything?” She asked as he pulled himself out of the water and then picked up the bubble to allow Twilight to sit on the raft as well.
“I think so,” Twilight said as Oblivion finished shaking himself as free of water as he was able.
He set the box on the raft and Twilight Magic picked it up and she tried to open it but the lock held firm. She looked unsure for a moment as Oblivion sat down and breathed deeply. Oblivion pulled Sasa’s raft up to sit beside them so she was able to see what they were doing.
“Trouble?” She asked as Twilight tried to open it again.
“It should just pop apart considering it's wood under water. Treated wood like this gets saturated and falls apart after a while. But it’s like iron.” She informed them both.
Oblivion watched as she fought with it. “Force it?”
“I don’t think I have enough pull for that. Let me try though.”
He watched as Twilight stood up and squared her shoulders to let her yank as hard as she was magically able on the box. Oblivion's eyes narrowed and he reached out and tapped her shoulder. He pointed a claw at the back of the box. The hinges were pristine and Twilight's brow furrowed as she sat back down.
“It’s like it never went into the water.” She complained. “This is crazy.”
“May I?” Oblivion asked as he reached for the box.
“Good luck.” She said as she gave it to him. “You might be able to yank it apart, your magical strength is greater than mine.”
He turned it over in his hooves and he stopped to look at the hinges. His claws flexed and he began to pick at the hinges themselves. His claws flexed once more and he began to dig them into the metal and the wood. One claw was able to get underneath the hinge. Twilight watched with curiosity as he began to try to yank the hinge completely off the box. As he pulled Twilight watched as the box seemed to degrade.
“What in Equestria?” She whispered.
“I thought so. The hinge being in such perfect shape is the magic that is keeping it in one piece.” He explained as he kept pulling.
“Well keep pulling. Can you use magic now?”
“I think magic only makes it stronger.” He replied. “Think about how hard you were pulling on it.”
He said as he paused in his pulling. He watched as Twilight looked thoughtful and her eyes widened as she came to the same conclusion.
“I’ve heard of spells on items that do that. It’s not done often nowadays but it used to be popular. The magic was condensed to keep the magical piece pristine and by keeping it in one piece the magic would spread to what it was being used on. In this case, the hinge and the magic then spread to the box itself.”
“Interesting.” Oblivion said to her.
“So keep pulling it apart. Since you are right. Magic just feeds the hinge and keeps it strong. But separating it weakens the box which is what we want. The hinge will remain pristine but the box will die.” She explained.
Oblivion dug his claws under where he had lifted and with a hard yank, the hinge came free. The box began to open as he tore the hinge off it and Twilight watched as he opened the box and she pulled the cylinder out of the box.
“All that work to hide this little thing.” She pointed out. “I hope the thing at the end of this is worth so much work.”
“You’re not the only one hoping that.” Sasa said to her.
“We will see what we find at the end.” Oblivion said as he took the cylinder from her.
His magic unfurled the cylinder and he held up the map to see where to go next. He looked closely at it and Twilight leaned over to see what he was looking at and she shook her head.
“I have no idea where that is.” She admitted as he shook his head as well. “I think Princess Celestia has a bigger map that we can see if it’s clearer on that.”
“That’s an idea. I’ll be there this weekend so that will work well.” He said as he slid the cylinder into his saddlebag with the map. “Ready to head home?”
Twilight and Sasa both nodded as he charged his horn to teleport them home.