//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: Day 3 
// Story: An Equestrian Freedom 
// by FullMetalFurbee 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight was dreaming. She, a small unicorn, fought to settle the squalls of unease roiling inside her. She groaned and buried her face in her father's lap. 
“What's wrong, Twilight?” asked the blue stallion Night Light. He stroked his daughter's mane. “Still worried about starting school tomorrow?”
Twilight nodded and kept her face hidden. She mumbled something inaudible. 
“What was that, sweet pea?”
The filly looked up at her father. “I don't know anypony there. What if nopony likes me? What if I'm not good enough?”
Light shook his head. “Oh come on now, that's silly. There are plenty of other fillies there who are just starting out, and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to be friends with you.”
The response satisfied her partially, but something else picked at her mind. “What if school is too hard? What if I can't learn the lessons?”
“A little bit of challenge never hurt anypony. Besides, I'm sure Princess Celestia won't assign you anything she doesn't have full faith you can complete. She knows it won't be easy for you, and I'm sure she'll give you and your classmates all the help you need.”
Twilight smiled at her father's words. “Yeah.”
“You'll do great, sweetie. I know it. Your mother and I were so excited to hear you were accepted! Only the best of the best are allowed to attend, you know! You're destined for greatness, Twilight. This is only the first cornerstone. There are many, many great things in store for you. You're a very special unicorn.”
Twilight hugged her father with complete belief in his words. She was destined for greatness. This was only the first cornerstone.



---



She finally awoke to a snug, comforting heat. She removed the bed covers and sat up to examine her surroundings. The room was small and built from cut logs stacked neatly together. To the left of her bed sat a stone hearth that cradled a small wood fire in its belly. The crackling flames choked out a thin veil of warmth into the air. The dark walls of the room were relatively bare. There weren't any pictures or art, and the only other furnishings were a chest for belongings and a small night table next to her bed. 
The chest bore nothing useful, but on the table was a small hoof-written note waiting patiently for her. She levitated it to face level.

Twilight -

As you may have guessed, we've arrived in Neighpal. Feel free to wander about the village if you like. Should you wake up before we get back - don't worry about Cian and Neeson. I've taken them to gather supplies in the forest to the south of town. We're expecting quite the blizzard soon and we're going to need an adequate supply of  firewood. You fell asleep as soon as we made it to the cabin the other night, and we didn't want to wake you. I suppose the shock of recent events was too much to process. Completely understandable given the circumstances. Take it easy. Celestia is handling things back home. We'll be back soon.

-Luna-

Twilight marveled at the letter. She'd slept for over a day. The thought pervaded her mind as she trotted out of her room into the bulk of the cabin. The building wasn't sizable, but it had a rustic sort of appeal. It was rather barren aside from a handful of chairs and a couch. Even the kitchen contained preciously few utilities. The ambiance was provided by several oil lamps glowing humbly from their wooded nooks. Twilight guessed Neighpal wasn't big on tourism. 
What kind of village is this, anyway? Hopefully it has a library. 
She hoped for anything to take her mind off the apocalypse happening in Canterlot - the apocalypse she was still largely in the dark about. Shaking the daunting thoughts out of her head, she made for the kitchen She needed food. 
The sky sprinkled a light snow as Twilight later made her way down the dirt path to the village. At first glance, the landscape was almost blinding from the refracted sunlight off the snow. After she grew accustomed to the harsh rays, she observed the boundless fields of white with a sense of mild wonder. The village was high up, and the line of sight into the horizon was miles long. She couldn't help but smile as she scanned the frozen alabaster world around her. A gaze upwards offered a hazy blue sky with thick ashen clouds looming densely to the west. There was a blizzard fast approaching alright. 
The village of Neighpal was cozy and somewhat charming. Petite houses hugged the mountainside in close proximity, each coughing a steady stream of smoke from a stout chimney. The whole settlement was much smaller and much chillier than Ponyville. All in all, the village was idyllic in its own peculiar way. The native ponies eyed Twilight with curiosity as she passed by, not used to seeing a foreign pony, especially an alicorn, bumbling around their village like it was a museum. 
She cantered on past the last handful of roughly thatched houses. Just as the edge of the thick white-capped forest came into view, a familiar entity approached her.
“Twilight!” Cian called. He shifted the collection of chopped logs on his back and waved. He grunted under the weight of his haul and fidgeted with the logs once more as he ambled up to her.
“Took ya long enough to get here. You're pretty slow for havin' wings and all. So, wanna help me get this load back to the cabin? I'd much appreciate it.”
Twilight giggled. “Actually, I kind of like it out here. I don't quite want to head back to the cabin just yet. Besides, I haven't seen Luna or your Granddad yet. It'd be polite to say hello.”
Cian smiled and shook his head. “Oh, we're far from done. We'll be right back out here soon enough. Come on.”
“Ugh. Fine, if you positively insist,” Twilight joked. She lit her horn and levitated several logs off Cian's back, then turned and reluctantly began the sojourn homewards. 
“So, Cian,” said Twilight after a few minutes. “What exactly is your homeland like? I've never read any books on it. In fact, I don't even know what it's called.”
“I'm not surprised. Nopony in Equestria has any reason to know Halcyon exists,” he replied.
She considered his words. “Halcyon. I see. That's quite an eloquent name. But, what do you mean nopony has reason to know it exists?”
His tone took on a more austere edge. “It means that up here, life is free. There exists no need for sacrifice. Everythin' is certain. Equestria is a paradise, Twilight. I don't think ya realize that. Ya live your life here free of strife. It's a dangerous paradise because all it costs is your loyalty and devotion.”
“What are you trying to say?” demanded Twilight, taking the explanation as an insult.
Cian sighed. “Look, all I'm sayin' is that life ain't so easy in Halcyon. Everypony works because everypony needs food. Everypony needs food because our crops don't grow well. From the moment some of us can walk, all we do is strive to produce crops and  make sure the conveyor belts are runnin'. That's our industry: industry. Chances are that any half decent strip of metal came hot off the line from a Halcyonic factory. The whole place is just a pile of infertile dirt and scrap steel, really.”
“Oh. I see.” Twilight didn't quite know how else to contribute to the conversation. “Well uh, what do you produce?”
“Everythin',” he said. “Guns and ammo, automatons, boats, construction metal, railroads, the whole bit. Hell, we even mass produce our food.”
Several of the aforementioned items flew right over Twilight's head. She tried to steer the conversation another direction. “So anyway, this earth pony Salvator is your king, right?”
“Aye,” said Cian.
“Why does he have such a grudge against Celestia?”
Cian brushed a twig out of his goatee. “Ah. Honestly, I don't know. You'll have to talk to my granddad about that. Salvator rarely makes public appearances back home. He's always shut away in the capital, tryin' to salvage failin' treaties and drinkin' himself into a stupor. At least that's what everypony says. What I do know is what I remember. Ever since I was a foal, I can recall Salvator forcin' propaganda down our throats about how Equestria is a 'great scourge' and needs to topple. Nopony from my generation seems to know why. All we know for sure is that he's been our faithful king ever since the beginnin'."
“The beginning?” repeated Twilight.
“Aye. There wouldn't even be a country without him. King Salvator founded Halcyon. He doesn't ever talk about those early years, or himself, but we know he's at least as old as Celestia.”
A red flag shot up in Twilight's mind. “Whoa whoa, you're telling me that Salvator is well over a thousand years old? That's impossible! Unless he's immortal. I've never heard of an earth pony with such a lifespan! Why haven't we ever heard of him here if he's such a prominent worldly figure?”
Cian thought, then said, “It makes sense that you haven't. Part of the propaganda we always hear is how Celestia withholds information she thinks can jeopardize her power. We hear she pretty much keeps her citizens in the dark and bans anything she deems hazardous to her regime. Makes me wonder what else you guys don't know.”
Twilight gritted her teeth. “Now look here, that's enough. I don't care what your king says. You can think whatever you want to, but don't insult Celestia in front of me! She's a kind, intelligent princess who would do anything for the well-being of her citizens!”
Cian seemed to deflate. “I'm sorry, Twilight. My intention wasn't to insult anypony. I promise. Sometimes I have trouble articulatin' myself. I didn't mean anythin' against Celestia. Do ya wanna know what I think of my king? I think Salvator is a crude, narrow-minded bigot who can't take criticism and thinks the whole world has turned its back on him. It's a miracle if he makes it through the day sober. I'm sorry he hates your ruler, alright? I don't think it's right for any one pony to drag an entire nation into his personal vendettas. Do ya know how ashamed I am to know that my king, my ruler, would lead his troops to their deaths over some kind of childish squabble that may or may not exist? Nopony I know, not even my granddad, remembers exactly why Salvator is the king.” 
He was quickly working himself into an uproar. “Okay!? It is what it is! Ya think I wanna freakin' be here!? It's Salvator's fault my granddad fled the country! Now we're both stuck here in a hostile territory that wants us dead, and there's no guarantee we're ever gonna make it home again! Look, I'm sorry your Princess's integrity is of such staggering importance, and I'll make sure not to insult her again. Christ.”  
Twilight looked at her companion with a crestfallen gaze. His smoldering words really startled her. “Cian, I... I'm sorry...”
The mint colt drew a sharp breath and let it out slowly. He avoided eye contact. “No, I'm sorry. I suppose I shouldn't have exploded at ya like that. Just, you're not the only one with feelings here, alright Twilight? There are ponies out there who have it a lot worse than you do. Try not to be so ignorant. Okay?”
Twilight nodded slowly and kept her head down. “Okay,” she whispered, fighting the urge to cry. Her emotions were still unstable. Minutes passed and a silence settled comfortably between the two. Neither pony noticed the light snow beginning to pick up, spitting a puffy dust of flakes onto the mountainside village. Not until the displaced companions had reached the cabin did they at last take notice of the inclement weather. 
Cian shoved the wood off his back and trotted inside. It was obvious that he was still agitated. “Blizzard's pretty much on us. I'm gonna make sure the others find their way back,” he said, facing away from Twilight. He abruptly left the cabin again. 
“Wait Cian!” Twilight urged. “Look, I'm sorry about before! Please wait!” She peered outside through the thick snowfall. The colt was already a good distance down the path. “Cian!” 
Typical. What's he thinking?
She threw her scarf back on and stepped out into the fray. The strident wintry winds had turned into howling tempests within the span of a minute. Twilight conjured herself a magic barrier, but it did little to help her snow-impaired vision. 
“Cian!” 
The snowfall had already become blinding. It took all of her will just to keep moving. She forced on through the furious winds, stumbling desperately towards what she hoped was the direction of the village. Again she called the name of her friend to no avail. 
Damn it! 
Something piqued her interest. A small mass of dark gray, just contrasting the whiteness enough to be seen. It moved to the left. 
“Cian!” Twilight called after it. She took off in its direction, convinced it must be her wayward friend. “Wait!” The frost flew into her shield, obscuring her line of sight even further. “Where are you?” She scanned her surroundings madly. 
Farther. Keep going. 
Whatever the form was, it seemed to have disappeared into the sea of white. Twilight was fearful, disgruntled, and completely astray.
Focus, Twilight. Don't panic. 
She pressed ever onwards into the raging storm. The thought of windigos crossed her mind. The spirits might have been high up in the loft, laughing in amusement at her utter confusion. It seemed like hours before her eyes finally picked something else out of the chaos. A solitary black monolith was situated about fifty feet in front of her. She eagerly approached the structure in hopes for any sort of relief from the unrelenting whiteout. Perhaps the figure had retreated into the shelter as well. 
It was a hastily made shed. Little more than a thin wooden outpost. Twilight tried pressing on the flimsy door with no results. It was glued shut by a sleek layer of ice. She tried forcing with all of her will, but still the door wouldn't open. Her body was rapidly succumbing to severe chills and she was unsure how much longer she could keep her stamina up. In a move of desperation, she turned and violently bucked the door. The hinges shattered and sent the door sprawling inwards. 
Her body trembled violently. She pumped all the magic she had into keeping herself warm. 	
Think, Twilight. Gotta stay warm... 
Not one for intuition, she figured any action towards sustaining her life was worth the investment. She picked up the inert door and propped it loosely against the gaping frame. Once she was sure it was secure, she took a moment to catch her breath and tried to keep herself heated. Strewn about the outpost were a few items of interest. On a makeshift table she found a broken lantern, a long dried inkwell with quill, and several sheets of brittle yellow parchment. The floor was covered by ancient blankets and a fur-lined sleeping bag. It was a slightly frightening to consider the structure occupied, but that reality wasn't likely. A sheen of dust muted the already drab colors of the single-roomed hut. Twilight gulped fretfully. She needed to get warm. At least until the brunt of the blizzard subsided.
With much hesitation and mild disgust, she lifted back the flap of the dusty sleeping bag and slowly crawled inside. It was significantly larger than she needed. Whomever the previous resident was sure had been burly. Twilight shifted uncomfortably to find a peaceful position in the plus-sized bag. As she stretched, her hoof struck a couple small objects under a blanket. Curiosity overtook her and she pulled back the stale fabric. They were books. The first one looked extremely dated. The cover offered no indication of the contents and the spine boasted ornate designs. The other wasn't so much of a book as a journal bound in a strange material. The shivering princess carefully opened the cover of the first tome. Her heart skipped a beat as she read the dedication.

Dedicated to the regal King and Queen of Equestria. It's here! At long last! Compiled within these pages are the numerous spells I promised to complete several years ago upon your request. Each one is crafted with care to offer the utmost defensive -and offensive- capabilities to the user. If questionable ethics are not a hindrance, these spells will do more than get the job done. I hope there is never a situation that requires them to be utilized, but I am happy to assist in any way possible. My apologies for keeping Your Majesties waiting! Long live the Royal Family!

-Your faithful student, Starswirl-

Twilight only stared dumbfounded at the book. It was common knowledge in Equestria that there was a rigorous ban on content dealing with dark arts. Simple possession of illegal literature was punishable by death. 
Could the King and Queen really have ordered this from Starswirl? Black magic? 
She leafed through the pages, in shock at the brutality they contained. Curses. Forbidden powers. Living conjurations. After reading for several minutes, she closed the book and decided to observe the other, legal one. The little journal almost fit in one hoof. She pried open the cover expectantly and was was met with – disappointment. The text was scribbled entirely in another language. Nothing she'd ever seen. To her it was gibberish. However, something within the cracked pages of the journal did reveal its secrets. On the very first page sat a single black word. A name. One that flooded her with horror. After that first page, the name appeared many more times. Henceforth, there was no doubt in Twilight's mind as to whom the journal belonged. She also realized that it was probably his sleeping bag she inhabited. That one name. Sombra. 
A shadow quickly passed over her from outside. Her gaze flew to the window. 
“Cian?” 
She hastily climbed to her hooves once again and shoved the door out of the way. Only the blizzard greeted her.  
“Cian, is that you?” she called out. The blizzard all but whipped her back into the hut. “Where are you?” she yelled with a shaky step out the door. In the distance, an ambiguous cloaked figure hoofed the ground. Twilight squinted at the stranger. She took a few more steps out into the open. The vague form approached her. Judging from its bulky frame, it must have been a stallion.
“Cian, is that you?” She lifted a hoof to her eye. In a heartbeat, the stranger was gone. Vanished with the storm. 
What the? 
To her right came a brilliant burst of magic. The cloaked interloper burst back into reality  and charged straight at her in a full body tackle. She gasped and scrambled to the side to avoid the oncoming brute. He barreled straight past with intent to kill. Upon missing his target, the attacker turned to face her again. His face was obscured by a dark hood flapping madly in the wintry gusts. 
“Who are you!?” screamed Twilight.
The lumbering pony lunged at her in response. He plowed into her with the force of a steam engine and pinned her down by the chest. She struggled to breath under the crushing weight of her stalker. He remained silent.
“Get off of me!” Twilight wheezed in peril. She smacked the stranger solidly in a desperate attempt to escape. He growled in agitation but seemed unscathed. He slowly pressed a hoof onto Twilight's exposed neck. She gagged and strained to break her attacker's grasp. Her efforts were useless, as the saboteur's strength far outclassed hers. She dug deeply into her energy reserves and summoned as much magic as her starving body could muster. Still the cloaked figure continued, slowly squeezing her life away. He leaned in close, bending her ribs to their snapping point. Her vision started to flush into a hellish kaleidoscope of white and gray. As she gasped hysterically for air that wouldn't come, her horn finally synthesized a small fragment of magic. It quickly gained heat and manifested as raw energy. With pure adrenaline fighting to keep her alive, she discharged a sturdy bolt of magic. The shot found its mark and sent the unknown pony sprawling back into the snow. He shrieked wildly and shoveled snow onto his burning face.
Twilight gulped in great lung-fulls of air, ever so tediously clawing her way back from the brink of unconsciousness. For almost a full minute she lay splayed out in the snow, helpless as an infant. Her eyes clamped shut in exhaustion and she couldn't seem to catch her breath. The relentless chills slithered back inside her and casually sapped the feeling in her limbs. She numbly rolled to one side but was wracked by a terrible fit of coughing. 
Get up! Get up!
She willed her body to rise. If she couldn't get up, she would freeze in minutes. Tortuously, her nearly comatose muscles pushed her up. She decided the shed was her only hope. Each step was an ordeal as her body threatened to fail. 
Focus Twilight. One hoof in front of the other. 
Ardently, languidly, she staggered back to the shed. Just as the safety of the outpost yawned before her, she stopped. Her muscles refused to move. She couldn't turn her head. She couldn't speak. She couldn't blink. A translucent black aura snaked around her body and ruthlessly chained her in place. She was paralyzed by a spell. Black magic. Her attacker wasn't finished.
Cian's frantic voice rang through the blizzard. “Twilight! What the hell is going on!?”
The deadly saboteur switched his focus onto the newcomer, not anticipating another variable to deal with.
“Get away from her!” Cian screamed. He charged toward the two. Twilight's attacker swiftly hunched down into a defensive stance. He summoned conjured a serrated dagger to do his bidding, then snatched the weapon out of the air and prepared to fight. Cian zoomed up to him but leaped to the left, narrowly avoiding a powerful stab.
“C'mon!” Cian yelled. He ducked under another swing and managed to land a nasty uppercut on the cloaked unicorn. The mysterious pony fell to the ground and dropped his dagger, but retaliated with a solid kick to Cian's hind hoof. Cian cried out in pain and fell to his knees. Sensing another opportunity, he pushed through the pain and lunged for the dagger. He reached it before the saboteur and promptly held it against his foe. “What now? Huh? Not so tough now, are ya!?” Cian pinned the stallion down by the chest and held the dagger up. “Move and ya die!”
She chalked it up to adrenaline, but Twilight felt her heart flutter. 
It'll be okay! Everything will be okay!
Sensing his defeat drawing nigh, the stallion readied a spell.
“No ya don't!” shouted Cian. He plunged the dagger into the pony's arm to deter further resistance.
The stallion didn't scream. He didn't make a sound even as his blood tainted the snow. Instead, he continued to summon his magic.
Cian hesitated at his insensitivity to pain. “What the hell...” He lifted the dagger. “I warned you!”
Before his hoof reached the crescendo of its path, the attacker's spell sparked and went off. With one more burst of light, it landed a direct hit on Cian. Twilight shivered in equal parts horror and fear. 	
Cian! No!
He was gone. Transported elsewhere. The cloaked pony dusted himself off and got back up. He assessed the barren landscape to make sure no more intruders were present, then limped over to his original prey. He didn't waste any words. Instead he snarled and rubbed his injured appendages. Twilight's heart thudded against her ribcage. 
Why...?
Situating himself in front of the her, the attacker raised a hoof high over his head and conjured a second weapon – a shadowy warhammer of tempered obsidian. With his target possessing no possible hope for escape, he brought the sinister tool down against Twilight's soft purple back. 
Sensing his task was essentially complete, the attacker teleported away. Twilight saw her blood flowing, but she couldn't feel it. There was no pain. Just her blood that kept on coming. There was too much of it. It trickled down her sides and onto the snow. 
Why can't I feel?  
The soft snow cradled her cheek gently. Sleep's seductive allure beckoned her into its open arms. It called out for her. Told her to close her eyes. Just for a moment. 
Not like this... she thought. No, not like this. Oh Celestia please, not like this... 
She was just so sleepy. 
Not like this...