//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: Finding My Place // by Firestar463 //------------------------------// It was going to be a long night. After I’d agreed to go along with Serenity’s plan, I’d been given a brief rundown of what was going to happen. I’d be bringing all of my stuff with me, and set out in just a few hours. It wouldn’t be a long trek - I’d probably be seeing the walls of the city by dawn. That gave me a bit of time to get my things together and rest before setting out on my journey towards Everfree. It was easy enough to pack up. Nearly all of my belongings were still in my backpack, with only a few essentials scattered around my tent. It took maybe a minute to be packed and ready to leave. And so I’d crawled into my sleeping bag - “Should I bring that too?” I wondered. “Probably not…” - and closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep. But funnily enough, after being told that you’re going what is essentially a suicide mission, sleep doesn’t come easily. I tossed and turned in my bag, trying to find a comfortable spot. Most nights I had no trouble drifting off. But tonight, I just couldn’t seem to find that sweet spot. My leg needed stretching. My ear started itching. A rock I had never noticed before was now an irritant like no other. A normally comfortable position suddenly made my arm fall asleep. And there it was again. That little nagging voice in the back of my head. “They’re sending you to your doom. You know it. And so do they.” “What else can I do?” I muttered dejectedly. I felt like a damn fool, arguing with myself like that, but I also wanted to silence this internal voice of dissent. I knew this was what had to be done. “It’s either this, or wait until the Minotaurs find us and kill us.” “What else can you do? You know what else you can do.” “...” “You just don’t want to consider it.” “... Shut up,” I growled, rolling over. “That’s not even an option.” “As I said.” “And I said shut up,” I snarled, a little louder this time. Why this little voice seemed to pop up only when bad things were happening, I had no idea, but I couldn’t stand the smugness with which it spoke. If it had been an actual person - “Chris?” I blinked and turned my head towards the entrance to my tent. “Hello?” “It’s me. Luna.” Sure enough, just outside the tent, I could see a small shadow cast by the figure and the energy orbs onto the canvas. “Can I come in?” I paused for a second. Luna’s arrival seemed to have silenced that irritating voice, though I had a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that I hadn’t heard the last of it. “Sure,” I finally replied, pulling myself halfway out of the sleeping bag and pushing myself into a sitting position The flap of the tent was pulled open, and a moment later Luna was hunched over inside my tent., with one of those energy orbs hovering above her to give off some light. I had to admit, with two people in there, it was more than a little cramped. I wiggled a bit to try to giver her some more room, but found myself restricted by the pole in the center holding the tent up. Finally, we managed to make enough room, and she fell backwards to sit on the canvas floor. There was a long stretch of awkward silence between us before Luna finally spoke up. “I hope you are feeling well…” “Sure,” I replied dryly. “Absolutely fantastic. Never better.” Luna let out a sigh and looked down towards her lap. Instantly, I felt like a jackass for how I’d responded to her. “I apologize, Chris,” She said quietly. “I tried to tell mother that you were not ready yet, but -” “Don’t worry,” I interrupted. “I don’t think I’d ever be really ready. Not in time, anyway. I might not like it, but your mother is right. This is the only shot we have at ending this war before it’s too late.” “I wish there was more we could do to aid you.” Luna’s horn began to glow as she continued. “But I’m afraid you will have to make the journey to Everfree by yourself, so as not to be seen by the Minotaurs in the company of Ponies. This is a road you must now walk alone. All I can do is provide to you a few tools that I pray will be of use to you.” The glow surrounding Luna’s horn faded slightly, then pulsed brightly twice before fading entirely. On the second pulse, a trio of items popped into existence in her lap. She set one of them aside before holding the other two out to me The first item I took from her was a leather quiver. It was very simple, very plain, with only a single engraving upon it - a small rune on the back, which would be pressed up against my back when the quiver was strapped to me. A few dozen arrows were already resting inside. As I took the quiver from Luna, I could feel that something was different about it. “This quiver was crafted by the Griffons of Griffonstone. Few creatures in this world can match their leatherworking capabilities. This quiver should survive all but the most traumatic of damages. In addition, it has been enchanted by myself and my sister. Should the quiver run dry of arrows, it will begin to produce arrows of magic for you to draw upon. While these arrows will be useless against Minotaurs protected by Adamant Will’s talisman, in the future it will provide a nearly limitless amount of arrows.” I then turned my attention to the second item that Luna had given to me - a shortbow, painted entirely black. As with the quiver, a small rune had been carved into the wood - this time on the handle, so that it would be covered by my hand when holding the bow. As I took it, as with the quiver, I felt something was different about this bow. I gave the string a small tug back, and found that it gave relatively little resistance. I relaxed my draw on the bow and looked up as Luna began talking again. “This bow was crafted here in this very camp,” she began. “Simple, crafted for pure utility, but it will serve you well. In addition, as with your quiver, we have placed a small enchantment on this bow. You will find that it is far easier to draw back than a normal bow of similar size, and yet the arrow will fly just as quickly, and with the same power, as normal.” I placed the quiver and bow in my lap as Luna handed me the third item - a small leather pouch, designed to be tied onto a belt by a set of leather straps. As I took the pouch, I raised an eyebrow - the pouch was so light that I thought it was empty. Undoing, the drawstring, however, I felt my jaw drop as I peered inside. The pouch was far, FAR larger on the inside than it appeared - I had to stick my entire arm in, up to the shoulder, to touch the bottom. Nor was the pouch empty - far from it, in fact. Inside the pouch were a large number of what appeared to be scrolls, each one rolled up and sealed with a red wax stamp. As I pulled a couple of the scrolls out, I noticed that many of the stamps had different runes inscribed upon them. “As you have already found,” Luna began, “This pouch has been given enchantments as well. The inside is far larger than its outer appearance might lead you to believe, and you will find that no matter what you add to this pouch, it will never grow any heavier. Currently contained within are a number of scrolls. Each scroll has been imbued with a single cast of a particular spell. The symbol inscribed upon the wax stamp will indicate the spell that will be unleashed when activated. To use one, simply press upon the stamp, and the spell will be directed by your willpower, with the scroll disintegrating upon use.” By this point, I had already removed a half dozen scrolls from the pouch, and it seemed that there were a number more still within. “So… How do I tell what each of these spells do?” I asked. “I mean, the symbols showing that these two scrolls do the same thing are great, but… how do I tell what they actually do?” “With this.” Luna flicked her wrist, and a small sheet of paper appeared in her hands. “I would recommend memorizing this paper tonight, Chris,” she said as she handed the paper over. “In a desperate situation, I doubt you would wish to spend time consulting this paper to figure out which scroll to use.” With that, Luna pushed herself to her hooves, still having to duck down to avoid bumping her head on the top of the tent. “You will set out from here in only a few hours,” she continued. “The idea is for you to arrive at Everfree just after dawn, so as to conceal your approach but not make it seem as though this was your intention. Once within the city, we will be very limited in our ability to contact you. I can only hope that these items will serve you well in your endeavours.” For a moment, I was silent. I turned the bow over and over again in my hands, bounced the pouch up and down in one hand, gripped the quiver tightly. It was a few moments before I could speak again. “Thanks, Luna,” I finally said. “I’ll do my best.” “I know you will.” She paused for a moment, staring down at me, one hand on the tent flap. Suddenly,.the hand let go of the flap, and she extended it down towards me. “Friends?” I couldn’t help but smile. I reached up with my right hand and gripped hers firmly, giving it a quick shake. “Friends.” I watched as Luna returned the smile, and then turned to pull the tent flap open and step out into the night air. She closed the flap behind her, taking the energy orb with her and leaving me alone in the darkness once more. I reached over to my bag and unzipped it. It was only a few seconds before I pulled my flashlight out and clicked it on. I aimed the light at the ceiling so as to give the tent the best illumination possible, and began pulling all of the scrolls out of the pouch. All in all, there seemed to be thirteen of them once the pouch had been emptied. I began sorting the scrolls into different piles, sorting them by the symbol upon the wax seal. Once the scrolls had been sorted,  I then turned my attention towards the paper that Luna had given to me. Above the series of six symbols was a small note from Luna. quickly scanning over it, I realized it was an outline of several things that I already knew, including that Adamant Will’s talisman would protect the Minotaurs from nearly all spells. However, two of these spells had been selected because they, for whatever reason, seemed to bypass this protection, unleashing their full effects even on those affected by the talisman, while the other four had been selected for the utility they could bring to me. Having finished reading the note, my eyes slid down the page towards the first symbol The first symbol scrawled at the top was what appeared to be half of the taijitu symbol that represented the principles of Yin and Yang. This symbol was that of the Yang - the left half that was mostly white but with the single black dot. I quickly found the pile of three scrolls that had this symbol inscribed upon them. According to the paper, this symbol indicated that these scrolls were infused with a spell that would release a blinding flash of light, while at the same time shielding the user from its glare. This was one of the two spells that could pierce through Adamant Will’s protection. I carefully picked these three scrolls up and carefully deposited them back into the pouch. The second symbol was the other half of the taijitu symbol - Yin, the black swirl with the white dot. Again, there were three of these scrolls, and I moved them closer to me as I read what they would do. These scrolls, when used, would allow the user to meld into the shadows, only being revealed if exposed to direct sun or moonlight. Only six scrolls in, and I was already beginning to see just how useful many of these scrolls could be. I carefully stored these scrolls away as well, and moved on to the next symbol. The third symbol was much simpler, and I already had an idea of what it would do before reading the description, simply by the picture - a sturdy-looking shield. Sure enough, the two scrolls imbued with this symbol, when activated, would allow the user to, with a thought, create a shield that would protect the user from all but the most deadly of attacks. As with the previous two groups of scrolls, I stowed these two away and turned my attention to the remaining five scrolls. The fourth symbol was that of a feather. Two of the scrolls remaining had matching symbols upon their seals. According to the paper, these two scrolls would allow the user to slow their descent if falling from a great height. I shuddered a little as I imagined a scenario where this might be helpful, and made sure that these two were safely stowed away near the top of the pouch as I looked at the final three scrolls. Two of these scrolls had a different symbol from the final one, and so I set the odd one to the side for the moment. I reached for one of the remaining two and took a closer look at the symbol upon it. It appeared to be an outline of a dragon, and looking back towards the paper, I found that this scroll had a rather interesting effect. When used, it would make the user appear far more powerful and intimidating than they otherwise would, and that the effects would persist indefinitely on any who were within eyesight of the caster. Perhaps more interestingly, it seemed that this was the second spell that could pierce through the talisman’s protection. How Luna had figured this out, I had no idea, though I had a feeling that it was at least partially practical experience against one of the protected Minotaurs. Already, I could imagine that such a spell would be useful when introducing myself to Adamant Will. I carefully stored this scroll and its partner away and turned my attention towards the final scroll This scroll had a picture of what appeared to be a black canvas, with a single candle standing out against the darkness. Consulting Luna’s paper, I found this symbol near the bottom of the page. Luna’s description of the scroll read: “The spell upon this scroll is by far the most potent of any contained within, and took myself, Celestia, and mother three days to prepare. When all seems lost, when darkness threatens to consume you, you will find the light within.” “Use it well.” “Find the light withi… what?” I murmured, scratching my head. It had to be a metaphor for something, of that I was certain. But a metaphor for what, exactly? I puzzled for a moment before letting out a sigh and stowing the final scroll away. It wasn’t going to become any clearer just sitting here. Guess I’d find out when I used the scroll… when darkness threatened to consume me, whatever that meant. Looking around once more, I double checked that everything was ready for me to leave in a few hours, including my new gifts from Luna. Satisfied that everything was in order, I curled back up in my sleeping bag. Thankfully, Luna’s visit seemed to have calmed my nerves, because this time it was only a few moments before I was fast asleep. --- I awoke to the sudden sound of rustling canvas. I barely had time to open my eyes before I felt something hard grasped firmly over my mouth. Instantly, I was wide awake as adrenaline pumped through my body, and my hands were scrambling for my belt to grab the knife sheathed there. But the intruder seemed to have anticipated this, for his legs fell on top of my arms, pinning me to the ground. “Silence,” A voice hissed. A voice that seemed oddly… familiar. As if on cue, a ball of energy popped into existence near the top of the tent, and my assailant was revealed to me. It was a dark grey Unicorn stallion, his dual-shade black and blue mane cut extremely short. Instantly, I was able to identify him. “Captain Thund-” “Hush!” Thunderbolt snarled, clenching his hand tighter over my mouth. “You will shut up, and you will listen to me!” All I could do was nod my head up and down. I had a brief moment to take in his appearance. His eyes were wide, frenzied, and bloodshot. Dark bags hung under his eyes, and his cheeks sported twin dark, wet patches. His camouflage shirt was splattered here and there with what looked suspiciously like blood. “I know what you’re doing,” Thunderbolt growled. “I know your plan. I know you’re going to Everfree under the Queen’s orders, to assassinate Adamant Will. Right?” Silence. “WELL?!” I quickly nodded my head up and down. “Good,” Thunderbolt hissed. “I’ve got some orders of my own for you, Human. When you get there - When you’re ready to strike - make him suffer. I want him to scream. I want to hear his anguished cries from here. Make that bastard beg for the sweet, sweet release of death. And deny him that release until his own agony stops his black heart. I want him to suffer as he made my brother suffer before…” Thunderbolt’s words were cut off by a choked sob. I could feel his grip on my mouth loosening, so I gently moved his hand off of my face. He didn’t seem to care. Tears flowed freely from his eyes, some falling free to land on my bag, but most flowing down to further wet his cheeks. It didn’t take a genius to guess what had happened. “He will die,” I muttered as I pushed myself into a sitting position. “I’m so sorry…” “Chris!” Instantly, Thunderbolt’s sobs were silenced. His ears perked up as Luna’s voice called from what could have only been a few tents down the row.. “Chris!” It’s time!” A second later, Thunderbolt’s hand was once again covering my mouth, this time in order to turn my head to look him in the eye. “Remember what I said,” he hissed. “That son of a bitch has shown no mercy, and deserves none in return. Give. No. Quarter.” With that, Thunderbolt’s horn lit up once more. A quick flash later, and he and the energy orb were gone. “Chris?” Luna’s voice was now directly outside of my tent. “Are you awake?” “Y-yeah. I’m up,” I replied. My heart was still hammering away in my chest, my forehead lined with sweat, but I was slowly beginning to calm down. I dragged myself out of my sleeping bag and grabbed all of my belongings, dragging them with me out of the tent. Luna was standing alone outside of my tent, a ball of energy hovering above her outstretched right hand. A quick glance towards the sky told me that it was still night time, though the moon’s position close to the edge of the horizon indicated that dawn was approaching. I shouldered my backpack and spent a moment fiddling with the quiver before I managed to get it hooked around my back as well, laying somewhat awkwardly on top of the bag. I tied the pouch of scrolls to my belt and grabbed my new bow in my right hand. “Alright. I’m all set.” Without a word, Luna turned and walked away. I took a quick glance behind me towards the tent that had been my home for the past two weeks before setting off after her. The hedge wall was directly to my left, so close that, were it not for the single row of tents pressed against it, I could touch it. It didn’t seem like anyone else was up yet besides the occasional patrolling guard, and I could hardly blame them - this was earlier than even I would rise to begin cooking breakfast. We wandered down the row for a few minutes before another orb of light came into view. This one was held over the outstretched hand of Serenity, standing next to Celestia. Luna and I stopped a half dozen paces away from them. “I hope you are well rested Chris,” Serenity said as we stopped. “You will need all your strength in the coming days.” “Don’t I know it,” I muttered. “Everfree lies directly to our east,” Serenity continued. Her free hand flipped something towards me, and I instinctively reached out to catch it. It was a small wooden box, and as I opened it, I realized that it was a small compass. “If you continue in that direction at a reasonable pace, you should arrive there a bit after dawn. Once you are inside, you will be on your own. Remember, the fate of an entire kingdom rests on your shoulders.” “No pressure or anything, huh?” I chuckled nervously. I received no response from Serenity - merely a nod towards the hedge wall. “Alright, alright. I’m out of here.” “Good luck, Chris,” Luna called out as I put one hand on the hedge wall. “Good luck… and be safe.” “I will,” I replied. “Take care of yourself.” With that, I took a deep breath and pushed forward on the wall. It offered little resistance, allowing me an easy passage through the hedge and out the other side. As soon as I pushed through, I expected some kind of attack. Some kind of assault from a hidden Minotaur, waiting to ambush the next poor soul to try to leave. But no Minotaur made his presence known. I took a few steps forward. No attack. I reached over my shoulder and drew an arrow, notching it and preparing to defend myself. Still no attack. Finally, I took the final few steps and moved past the first tree, heading towards the east, away from the safety of the camp and deeper into the Everfree Forest. To say I was scared would be a criminal understatement. I was absolutely terrified. On my own, in a forest at night, wandering around in darkness so absolute that I could not see my hand in front of my face. I barely made it a few minutes before I could stand it no longer. I sheathed my arrow and reached into my backpack for my flashlight. The instant it clicked on, the darkness faded away, and with it a good portion of my fear. At least now I’d be able to see if my death was approaching. And so, with my bow in my left hand and my flashlight in my right, I crept through the forest. I was unimpeded in my approach, by either minotaur or nocturnal predator. It seemed as though the entire forest was silent. Watching. Waiting with baited breath as I moved forward. It must have been an hour or more, but it certainly didn’t feel like it. I could already see dawn approaching, the horizon turning a deep blood red. It was still dark enough that I needed my flashlight, but I could at least see my hand on top of my nose now if I turned the flashlight off. It might have just been my imagination, but it seemed like the forest was becoming thinner as I approached. Trees were a bit more spread out, undergrowth was trampled down or had been cleared entirely… And then, suddenly I emerged. The trees had been cut back entirely here, opening up a wide plain in front of me. Off in the distance, I could make out houses, with shapes moving around between them. Roads, and farms… And a gigantic stone wall behind them all. Everfree. The capital of Equestria. Under hostile rule by the invading Minotaurs. Well, I wasn’t getting any younger. “Show time.”