The next morning saw things start to go a bit wrong. Nopony could agree which way to go! They were looking over a map and trying to decide which path to take to Bridlewood. Hitch, for some reason, favored the straightest route as it had the shortest mileage. But that seemed risky to me. The straightest route is also the one that is most likely to have ambush placed on it. Sunny, however, favored the route through Ghastly Gorge, as at least we knew what was on it even if the path was longer.
So much for being a united fellowship if we were already disagreeing over the path we were meant to take. This was ridiculous.
I looked on at the debate raging, before suddenly the locket around my neck lit up, and I was pulled away from them. I know what you'll say- why didn't you take it off or scream for help? Well, if I did remove it, Opaline would know I'd had doubts about which side I was on, and even though the world was scary I feared Opaline more. As for screaming- you try screaming when one of these things is pulling on your neck!
We eventually stopped at a nearby cliff, and the locket opened, revealing the head of Opaline in a gas cloud. "Another delay, Misty?" she asked, looking around. "Where in the world are you?"
"I'm not too sure of that myself," I replied. "But if it's any consolation I have the crown."
"And yet you're travelling in the opposite direction to the castle according to my map," Opaline replied, looking a bit annoyed. "We've already had enough failed attempts at getting the crown, and its crystal contains the power I need to save this world."
"I thought you wanted to rule it."
"How am I supposed to rule the world, as alicorns are meant to, if the world gets destroyed?" Opaline thundered. "According to my assets, the One with the Stripes is making his move. Oh, and good work on creating that coup. With all the chaos going on in pegasus territory moving my own assets around un noticed will be so much easier. The lack of the Together Tree network makes things a bit more difficult, but that's a side effect of no magic."
Moving assets? Together Trees? What was she talking about? None of this made sense.
"These other ponies I'm with have something in common."
Opaline frowned. "What's that? Being annoying?"
"Well, they don't want the world blown up, so that's a good thing, right?"
A devious smile was beginning to build on Opaline's face. "And they want to reunite the crystals. Genius, Misty! If we get them to put the crystals back together I will be restored to my full strength, and then I will be able to bring him down! Clearly my genius is rubbing off on you. Keep following them and ensure they act in compliance with our needs."
I heard some sound. "Gotta go. Need to get back to saving the world and all that."
"Wait, Misty, I'm not fi-"
Opaline was interrupted mid sentence by me shutting the locket. Now I had to figure out where the Tartarus I was.
I looked around me, and soon figured it out. There was a path that seemed like it wanted me to climb it. The text I had seen in one of my dreams had told me I was to come into a great destiny, so maybe this was it? I decided that was the best course of action, to make a climb out of here and to a higher altitude. That way I'd be closer to the birds, who are arguably more free than the rest of us. Apart from pegasi, of course. They can fly, but couldn't at the time the events I'm narrating happened. The mountains continued to loom above me.
This was absolutely breathtaking. Mountains like this are few and far between where I was originally from, and yet the vistas unfolding were like I was on another planet. I suppose that, technically, I was, although the shape of Equestria does bear a rather noticeable resemblance to the continental United States and Canada if my memory of the G4 map was anything to go by. I was standing, it seemed, on the roof of the world.
As my ascent through the clouds continued, the terrain began to change once more. Lush alpine grasses and terrain built from rocky paths soon began to shift away from that, and began to turn rather more snowy in texture.
The colours and smells were wonderful, almost alien to my nostrils. Not really surprising, given I was on another planet in the body of a creature that would be considered alien if taken to the human world. It brought an odd euphoria to me, given I'd lived in urban places for much of my life.
I heard the sounds of birds and the noise of the various animals who lived up here, including an odd squeaking noise that I kept hearing from some snowbanks. This was a bit odd. If they were meant to be pikas, what were they doing this high up? I thought they usually lived lower down. Unless Equestrian pikas lived at a higher altitude than their real world counterparts.
On the topic of altitude, the increased height was beginning to get to me. Pipp may have had an easier time, as would probably have Zipp, as the pegasi have evolved to live at higher altitudes (I mean, their main city is on top of a mountain), but I still felt they would have been loving this. I continued climbing, having to stop more often as the air got thinner. If it didn't flatten out any time soon I'd probably find myself in outer space. That would be a surreal experience for sure.
I was continuing upwards when the path finally levelled out. I walked forward and sat down on a rock, quietly panting. There was no wind, and it was eerily silent. I looked over and saw a decaying sign.
HURRICANE'S PASS
HIGHEST CROSSING OF THE WORLD'S EDGE MOUNTAINS
14,000 FEET
No wonder I felt so woozy. The lack of air was noticeable, and it took me longer to get my breath back. But if this was a sign proclaiming a summit, that meant that the return run would be considerably easier, as it would all be downhill!
As I sat there and pondered to myself, I found myself realising something about this world, and this climb.
The climb had been difficult and tough, and I was still sorta working with a nutcase.
But I had never felt more free in my entire life.
Is this what they mean by the term self liberation? Because if so, this was absolutely wonderful to experience. Freedom is something you don't really experience when you've never had it taken from you.
And I'd had a lot taken from me by whatever had brought me here. All of them things I thought I could never lose. My humanity, my background, even my gender. If you'd told me then I'd be brought to Equestria as a female unicorn and be wandering across the land with a group of friends who were intent on fixing magic, I'd have asked you what story you were reading on Fimfiction.
And yet, here I was. The only question I had was... why me?
Out of all the billions of humans that exist, why did it pick me to fill this role of Misty Brightdawn? Why did it pick any of us? That still didn't make any sense.
I glanced down at the locket, and then to my side, an eternal reminder of being the oldest blank flank to have ever lived. How was I going to get my Cutie Mark? The text had made reference to a Make your Mark Chapter 4, but when I was last in the other world there were only three and Hasbro had been keeping us in limbo as to whether Make your Mark would return. I sat back a bit and relaxed somewhat.
These big questions I was pondering could wait until later. I was soaking up the atmosphere. If I hadn't come here, I'd never have seen this place. I'd probably still be rattling about the quiet seaside town with the same things going past every single day, which got a bit boring after a while.
I sat there, listening to the wind howling around and the landscape seeming to shift on the winds of snow that blew about. I shivered. I was beginning to get cold. I probably needed my cold weather cloak, so I pulled it on. It was a nice purple garment Opaline had supplied me with. It certainly helped me stay warm.
Just then, I heard hoofsteps behind me! I turned and looked at them in surprise.
The figure came to a stop at the base of the summit, and looked just as surprised as I did.