The Blank Flank Adventurer

by Sapare

Dashing to Conclusions

"I told you he could handle it. When have I ever been wrong?" Rainbow Dash smugly informed Twilight Sparkle while she rushed over to Dream Feather and Fluttershy. Twilight's approach was much calmer, as was her deadpan response.

"I never voiced mistrust in his capabilities, I was only commenting on how long he had been gone. Or have you forgotten about the pony that's apparently trying to capture us?" Twilight shook her head softly before speaking up again, suddenly serious. "Now that everypony is here, we need to focus on the matter at hoof."

"Finding a way to stop the villain and get the others back?" Dream Feather inquired, shifting his body and getting ready to burst into action.

"Yes, we can't let this go on any longer. This unicorn is too ruthless and too dangerous. He's done horrendous things and even tricked some of us into performing horrible acts."

Fluttershy voiced a pained noise before backing away from the circle of ponies, trying to hide her face beneath her long mane. Dream Feather was quick to offer her a reassuring smile, while Rainbow Dash placed a hoof across her back and pulled her back into the group. Fluttershy slowly lifted her head and returned the smile. Seeing that the situation was resolved, Twilight continued her speech.

"But I fear that now that his original plans were disturbed he will stop his mindgames and switch to even more vicious tactics. We might be momentarily safe, but we cannot waste much time here. Not while our friends are still out there and subject to his dark whims."

This statement made one thing clear in every pony's mind: they had to go back out and save their friends, no matter what dangers they might face. The silence which befell the group during their contemplations was broken by the most unlikely of them all.

"But why is he doing all of this? Why would anypony do such...." Fluttershy fell silent, unwilling to finish asking her question. The others already knew what she was going to say, the events were still fresh in their minds. The only pony with an answer was Dream Feather, who turned to address Twilight.

"I am not sure why, but he seemed specifically focused on you, Twilight. He spoke of... of your demise. And he mentioned something about Celestia too." Dream Feather knew that what little information he could provide didn't really mean anything. The villain's goals still seemed arbitrary to him and he couldn't even begin to explain the motivations behind his actions. Twilight, however, seemed very interested and Dream Feather could tell that her mind was racing to connect some things together.

"Did any of you ever have a good look at his cutie mark?" Twilight inquired after a moment of thought. Dream Feather was quick to reply.

"It was a lense of some sort. If I had to guess, I'd say his special talent was something to do with perception. Alteration or illusion, most likely."

Nodding, Twilight returned to her ruminations, speaking some of her thoughts out loud.

"All these facts feel like puzzle pieces. Whenever they fit together, it feels like there's something I should remember. Or somepony. And yet, I can't recall any of it clearly! It's like it was washed away by time... or maybe-"

"Does it really matter who this pony is or why he's doing all of this? I just want to get our friends back and make him pay for everything he's done. That's what we should be focusing on." Rainbow Dash interrupted Twilight's contemplations, obviously impatient and eager to rescue the other ponies.

Twilight slowly nodded. Strangely enough, she seemed almost glad to stop working on the riddle before her. "Rainbow Dash is correct. For all we know, that unicorn could be preparing to attack us at this very moment. To be honest, I am surprised that we have remained uninterrupted for so long as it is."

The words struck a chord in Dream Feather, bringing to the forefront some thoughts that had been bothering him about the ancient castle.

"Don't you find it odd that there are no forest creatures here? Look around us, beyond some minor plant life this place is completely deserted. If this place is so old, why has the forest not yet made it its own?" Dream Feather mused aloud.

Twilight stared at him curiously for a moment while the other two ponies examined their surroundings. He could almost see the gears shifting inside Twilight's mind as she turned contemplative once more.

"Good observation, there has to be a reason for this..." Twilight trailed off as her horn began glowing with her magic, her eyes closing as she concentrated.

Silence pervaded the room for a time, long enough for Rainbow Dash to grow impatient and begin shifting about, obviously uncomfortable with extended periods of inactivity. Just when it seemed to Fluttershy and Dream Feather that the cyan pegasus was at the edge of her patience, the light of Twilight's magic dissipated.

"There seems to be some magical resonance from a very powerful protective spell. Back when this castle was built, the princesses must have put a magical barrier on it. I don't know what it was meant to protect against, but even now enough of its structured presence remains that the wild creatures of the Everfree are unwilling to approach the castle." Twilight explained, seemingly enthralled by the avenues of study that the information represented to her.

Dream Feather nodded slowly; he had expected something along those lines and the next step seemed obvious to him.

"Then we have to find a way to fight him here, where he will be without allies. Anywhere else and he could simply take control of the forest's monsters again and overwhelm us easily."

"He probably knows that too. So unless we can trick him into entering the castle, he will simply wait for us to starve. Or worse yet, use our friends as bait to make us leave," Twilight replied, obviously disturbed by the potential outcomes.

She has a good point. I can't think of any reason that he would throw all of his advantages away, when he is the one holding all the strings at the moment.

"I don't see what the problem is. Twi's good with her magic stuff. Can't you just copy whatever spell was cast on this castle?" Rainbow Dash stated, sounding exasperated and confused.

Twilight and Dream Feather turned to look at Rainbow Dash curiously, wondering why they hadn't even considered such an obvious possibility. After the idea had fully sunk in, Twilight responded, sounding very uncertain.

"Well, I don't have much of anything to work off of to replicate the spell. And I feel confident that the original spell was cast by more than one pony or even the princesses themselves. But, given enough time, I might be able to learn enough about the structure of this spell to reproduce its effects on wild animals. But even if I could pull it off, how would that help us?"

Rainbow Dash shot Twilight a look that clearly stated that she was missing the point, before answering in a cocky tone.

"Well you two are so focused on keeping his pet monsters away from us when we fight him, so I figure if you know the spell you could just cast it wherever we need it and then we could beat the tar out of him."

Dream Feather found himself nodding along with the brash statement. He didn't know that much about how magic worked, but Rainbow Dash's confident phrasing made the idea seem sound.

"I think you are underestimating the complexity of this spell. A barrier spell of this sort can't easily be cast on the fly. It would take preparation and a lot of energy. And even then, it would only cover a limited space, all he would have to do is wait outside of its area of effect. We'd be in the same situation as we are now, except that I'd most likely be exhausted from performing the spell." Twilight replied at length, pointing out the numerous flaws in the plan. She knew that shooting down ideas like this wasn't doing them any good, but she also feared that they weren't fully grasping the situation. This wasn't a problem that could she solve with just one spell. Especially considering the way their opponent had use one of her favorite spells against them. Twilight's eyes suddenly lit up as an idea sprung to her mind.

"If he really is focused on me, then what would he do if he knew that I was separated from the rest of you? I know this might sound like a terrible idea, but what if I teleported myself into the forest somewhere?"

Rainbow Dash responded almost immediately, taking the opportunity to point out the most obvious flaw of her plan.

"Are you crazy? Did you forget the part about him being able to mess with your teleportation spell? I know you got it to work earlier, but I thought you said that was because he was distracted at the time and wasn't ready for it. There's no way he won't be on the lookout for it now."

"But that's just it! He can mess with my spell all he wants and it won't do him any good. Considering that we didn't all end up in some cage when I first used my spell, I feel safe in assuming that he can't actually control where we end up. Instead, it seems that he disrupts the magical pattern surrounding the destination portion of my teleportation spell. I won't bore you with my theory in detail, but to put it simply, where I end up should be mostly random within a certain area." Twilight explained excitedly.

At this Dream Feather began to connect the points Twilight had laid out, allowing himself to ponder her plan out loud.

"So you intend to have him disrupt your spell, teleporting you to a random spot in the forest all alone? You plan to divert his attention toward yourself, I assume? You could then use the shield spell to protect yourself from the monsters and force him to confront you directly. Meanwhile, we would be left with more freedom to find the others, even though there will probably be a hoard of angry animals waiting for us. But to what end? Even without that fiend tracking us or hindering us, how are we supposed to find the place where he's keeping them?"

Twilight frowned and looked toward the corridor that led to the castle's exit. Dream Feather had managed to piece together most of her plan, but he had also discovered the one point which she was still unsure about.

"Honestly? I don't know. If one of us had some clue about where he might be hiding our friends..." With those words she paused briefly, glancing rather overtly at Rainbow Dash before continuing. "Then you might be able to free them before he could even locate me. And then you could either come assist me, or if the others are in really bad shape, get them out of the forest and contact Celestia."

"Are you seriously expecting me to let you go out there and face that nut all on your own, while I run away like some coward? It's bad enough that I left you all when he screwed with my mind, but I'm never going to abandon my friends ever again!" Rainbow Dash burst out, very distressed by Twilight's suggestion. Even a pony as socially awkward as Dream Feather could tell that such an idea would never work for the pony that represented loyalty itself.

But Twilight made a good point. Even if we could find the other Elements in time to be able to help her with that villain, we have no idea what he might have done to them. It doesn't seem likely that he would leave them in any shape to resist or possibly fight back. They will probably be in dire need of medical care.

"Dash, I am Celestia's personal student. I know how to protect myself. I promise you, he isn't going to get the better of me. But I won't be able to fight him as long as he is holding our friends hostage. If you free them and come to my aid, then I'm sure we'll be able to end this once and for all. And I don't want you charging into a pointless fight... if he somehow defeats me before you can free the others, then the loyal thing to do would be to make sure that everypony else gets out of here alive. If we've underestimated him and he's capable of overwhelming me, then the only ponies that can handle him are the princesses."

Dream Feather couldn't help but wonder why Twilight seemed so set on convincing Rainbow Dash to agree to her plan. It seemed that there was something regarding the plan that she hadn't shared yet. But when he glanced at Rainbow Dash, it was obvious that she was the one hiding something, not Twilight.

"Alright, fine! I might know where he's keeping the others, but I still don't like this plan. Couldn't I be the bait instead? You could teleport me out there and-"

"First of all, you are not his main target. And secondly, you can't use unicorn magic and would be unable to cast the spell to protect yourself from his army of creatures. And finally, you're the only one that has a clue of where he's keeping our friends. No, you have your part in this plan and I have mine. It won't work any other way. Now you know where he's hidden the others because he took you there with Pinkie, correct? That's one of the few mistakes he's made and we need to capitalize on it.

Rainbow Dash looked ready to argue some more, but after staring at Twilight for a moment she finally gave up her struggle. Her head dropped, muffling her voice slightly while she answered Twilight's question.

"Yeah, I was there and I can probably lead us there again. It isn't that far from here. If you really have to go through with this, then we should be able to come help you pretty quickly, but I doubt he'll give us enough time. He wants you dead Twi... and he'll do anything to get what he wants."

Hearing Rainbow Dash's concern, Dream Feather couldn't help but raise the issue that was bothering him about the plan. “There is one thing I don't understand. How do you plan to stop him from just leaving the fight? I mean, even if distracting him would give us more time to free the others, it could just as easily lead to him ignoring you and dealing with us while we are out on our own and completely exposed. Up to now he has never confronted you directly... why would he change that now?”

“I think I've got a way around that; I already know a powerful shield spell my brother invented, I could simply modify said spell to match the structure of this one, combine them and create a completely new spell with the properties of both!” Twilight seemed to glow while ranting about her idea. She explained the concept eagerly even though none of the other ponies could truly comprehend the advanced magical theory. After she paused and looked at the rather blank faces she giggled softly before speaking once more. “Point is, the spell will be able to force the villain to stay inside it with me, trapping him so he can't attack anypony else.”

Dream Feather could not help but wonder at the immense magical talent that seemed to run in Twilight's family. She was the holder of the Element of Magic itself and her brother had apparently invented his very own shield spell. He shook his head and mumbled to himself. “I doubt there has ever been a better group of ponies to get stuck in a life-threatening situation with.”

There was a heavy silence as all the ponies present knew that they weren't going to come up with a better plan, and the knowledge that every moment they delayed would give the villain more time to prepare made waiting painful. Yet nopony was fully pleased with the current plan and while Fluttershy was nowhere near as vocal as Rainbow Dash, taking a glance at her confirmed Dream Feather's guess that she was definitely not excited about splitting up again.

"Alright, we shouldn't waste any more time. Dash, I am trusting you to make the correct decisions. Now, you should really get going. I'll need some time to study the spell protecting this castle, but by the time you're outside I should be all ready."

Twilight didn't seem willing to debate the plan further. She calmly walked to the corner of the room before closing her eyes and calling upon her magic once more. Dream Feather felt a shiver run through his body as his heart seemed to clench painfully. This could be the last time that he would see the lavender unicorn; it was like watching her prepare for her own death. Rainbow Dash seemed to be just as affected by the somber scene as he was, but managed to speak anyway, though her normally brash tone sounded quite forced.

"Alright, it's time to find the others. And then? Payback."

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"How exactly do you plan to get through the horde of creatures out there? I doubt they will just let us pass by peacefully, even if he's not actively forcing them to attack us."

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find a way. Twi told me to handle this and there's no way I'm gonna fail her. So, we're gonna make it."

Dream Feather fell silent, desperately trying to wrap his head around the bizarre logic, but when Fluttershy walked up beside him his heart hardened. Alongside these ponies, he was sure he could face anything.

It hadn't taken them long to find their way out of the ruined castle. Now that they were standing in the open air once more Dream Feather felt somehow different than before. He had expected the Everfree to sap his willpower and energy, the way it had since he first set hoof in the dangerous forest. But it seemed to have no power over him anymore, as if the confidence that he drew from his companions made the dreary forest into just another obstacle to face down. He didn't have long to ponder the change before the first roar echoed through the forest, quickly followed by a second and a third. As more and more creatures added their own calls to the cacophony, Dream Feather couldn't help but depend upon the sources of his new strength even more.

Shifting his view so that he could see Rainbow Dash, he watched as she flexed each of her legs in turn. Then she continued forward, seemingly unphased by the intimidating sounds of the monsters. Her steps were all it took for the forest to explode with life. A manticore charged at them, leaping into the air towards the determined pegasus. With a swiftness Dream Feather could never hope to achieve, Rainbow Dash leapt to the side and spun around, landing on all fours before shifting all of her weight to her front legs and delivering a powerful kick to the beast's chest just as it crashed to the ground where she had been standing a mere moment prior. The manticore gave a pained howl as something within its chest snapped.

Dream Feather cringed at the sound, but the creature shrugged off the injury quickly enough. Normally it might have retreated after such a wound, but the magic that was manipulating the beast only allowed aggressive behavior. The manticore lashed out with its claws, trying to slice through the nimble mare as she danced around the attempts on her life with almost casual ease. Unfortunately, the manticore was not alone. Dream Feather noticed the second manticore approaching Rainbow Dash from behind while the mare was still focused on the first. He couldn't watch the perilous dance any longer.

Snarling, he blindly charged foward putting all of his strength and momentum into a desperate kick that struck the second manticore right before it could sink its claws into the distracted mare's back. The manticore fell back, yowling in pain and rage. Dream Feather's attack alerted Rainbow Dash to the new threat and bought her enough time to reposition herself, no longer trapt between the beasts. Not that the shaken manticore seemed to be interested in her anymore anyway. Its bloodshot eyes stared directly at Dream Feather, who no longer had his sudden rush of adrenalin to blind him to the fear that the threatening creature inspired in him. He threw himself to the ground just as the claws swung over his head and took off part of his mane. He didn't rest for even a moment, quickly rolling away from the next attack, the deadly stinger of the manticore's tail sinking into the ground beside him. He prepared himself for another desperate dodge before noticing that the vicious beast seemed to have frozen. Then he noticed the almost oppressive silence, he could no longer hear the sounds of Rainbow Dash's fight against the other manticore.

Panic overwhelming him, Dream Feather cast his gaze towards what he was sure would be a gruesome sight, only to find himself staring incredulously at an unexpected and confusing situation. The manticores had stopped moving, eyes locked with Fluttershy's. The timid pegasus was staring down both of the vicious, frenzied, and absurdly dangerous creatures. And it was working. Before Dream Feather could do so much as pick himself up off the ground, two cyan hooves struck one of the manticores in the head, accompanied by another sickening crack as the manticore collapsed. A moment later Rainbow Dash repeated the attack on the remaining manticore.

Rainbow Dash trotted over to Dream Feather after that and offered him a hoof. He gladly accepted her help and quickly pulled himself to his hooves again. She examined him briefly before marching off without a word. He shared a look with Fluttershy for a moment, their mutual confusion evident, but the feat that he had seen the timid mare accomplish seconds before raised its own confusion within him and made him turn away from her, apparently potent, eyes. But he could tell that Fluttershy was just as lost as he was about Rainbow Dash's newest behavior. Their leader was moving with a different stride than normal, she seemed surrounded by a somber air. She'd always been confident and determined, but he'd never seen the violence and force that she appeared to radiate now. As Dream Feather and Fluttershy followed behind her, he approached as close as he dared and spoke up in his most diplomatic tone.

"Dash, are you alright?"

The mare seemed confused by his question, turning to look at him as she replied.

"Of course, that thing didn't even touch me!" As her eyes met Dream Feather's and then shifted to Fluttershy's realization struck her, "Oh. I guess I went a little overboard there... it's just... we have to be quick! Twilight is depending on us, she trusts me to do this."

She paused for a moment before nodding to herself. "I'm sorry, don't worry about me. I'm fine, but... I just need talk to Fluttershy alone real quick."

She gestured for Dream Feather to keep an eye on the forest as she pulled Fluttershy aside. He wasn't sure what they were talking about, although now that he looked he could tell that Fluttershy was actually quite shaken by something. He was sure that Rainbow Dash would fix it and besides, he was more concerned with how still the forest had became after their fight. Before those manticores had attacked them he had heard dozens of different creatures howling and roaring and making every variety of noise. He just couldn't figure out why they'd been assaulted by only two of them.

It didn't take long for Rainbow Dash to tell Fluttershy whatever it was that had she pulled her off for and the three of them resumed their march, right up to the massive chasm that separated the ruins of the ancient castle from the rest of the Everfree. As they peered across the gap, the howls from earlier returned. Dream Feather wasn't entirely sure, but it seemed like the beasts had been waiting for them to reach this point. With a chasm to one side of themselves, their space to maneuver and their options for running were limited. After all, two of them were in no condition to fly.

Even if I am right about them purposely waiting for us to back ourselves into a dead end, what would that imply? Is this a sign of strategic positioning and that those monsters out there are still under that horrible unicorn's direct control? Or is this sort of patience and opportunistic behavior normal for a bunch of creatures recently released from magical manipulation? Has Twilight managed to grab his attention yet or not?

While he was sidetracked by his thoughts, Rainbow Dash had been looking around them for anything they could use to get past their latest obstacle. She was mumbling to herself as she frantically searched for a solution. "Come on. Come on Dash, there's gotta be something we can use. What do we do?"

Dream Feather shifted nervously as he looked toward his right, seeing an entire pack of Timberwolves approaching them slowly. He returned his attention to the chasm, once again having to face the fact that nothing of the bridge was left to fix. Part of him began to wonder if this had all somehow been a part of that villain's plan from the beginning, but all thoughts besides escape were cast aside when he heard the baying of the wolves drawing ever closer. And then there was the sound of wing strokes and the rush of air passing through his mane.

Pulling himself from his panic he realized that Fluttershy had somehow managed to lift him up and fly while carrying his weight. His surprise at the situation was almost enough for him ignore the dangerously long fall that awaited him if she lost her grip. A moment later he was once again standing on solid ground, now on the other side of the ravine. Fluttershy was gone before he could so much as voice his appreciation, but she quickly returned with Rainbow Dash held tightly in her grasp. For her part, Rainbow Dash managed to mumble an embarrased, "Thank you." It was obvious that the strong flyer had never expected that she would have to rely on Fluttershy to carry her somewhere.

"And here I thought you could hardly fly! I doubt that I would have been strong enough to carry either of you across that pit on my own. You are a mare of many surprises Fluttershy. Thank you." Dream Feather spoke gratefully as the three resumed their journey. Fluttershy blushed, but didn't respond as she was having trouble keeping up with the much faster pace that Rainbow Dash was setting now that they were in the forest proper.

Things are going surprisingly smoothly, Dash's determination seems to have inspired Fluttershy as well... Still, it took us longer to get this far than I was hoping. I just hope that Twilight is alright, but I guess worrying about her now will not make us get there any faster. Rainbow Dash knows where to go and finding the others should be our primary concern-

Before Dream Feather could finish his thoughts he felt something slam into his side, the momentum from the attack throwing him across the forest floor until he slid into a tree. All he could focus on was the pain in his chest as he breathed heavily. He knew he had to move, he had to defend himself from whatever attacked him. He struggled to pick himself up, but a wave of nausea forced him back to the ground. He was still trying to overcome sudden illness when a yellow hoof pulled him back onto his hooves and steadied him. Letting Fluttershy guide his shaken body he found himself rushing through the forest again, as fast as the they could manage with her supporting half of his weight while his breaths came in pained gasps.

He slowly began to pull himself back together, his disorientation passing enough for him to stumble alongside Fluttershy without leaning on her.

What is happening? What was that? What hit me? Ugh... wait... how come we are not being attacked now? We aren't moving fast enough to escape whatever caught us back there... where's Dash?!

Daring to momentarily take his focus off of simply moving forward, he glanced around for the missing pegasus. The answers to all of his questions presented themselves when he gazed behind himself, nearly tripping over a tree root in the process. Rainbow Dash was in the distance, doing her best to catch up to them while simultaneously fending off nearly a dozen timberwolves.

Is that the same pack that was stalking us before? How did they get across the chasm?

Thoughts spun through Dream Feather's mind as the chase continued. The adrenalin rush was beginning to fade and his pace slowed as he fully registered the pain of his injuries. The sounds behind him drew ever closer and his thoughts took a grim turn. And then, just when he was contemplating throwing himself to the wolves to hopefully buy Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy more time, the dark soil and rampant plant life of the forest were replaced by a small stream of cool water splashing up around his hooves.

He had just reached the other side of the tiny river when he heard Rainbow Dash's voice, practically right behind him. "Left! Follow the stream left!"

Fluttershy turned in the indicated direction immediately and Dream Feather did his best to catch up to her, realizing how far behind he had fallen. When he heard the sound of a wolf howling so loud that it seemed to be coming from his own shadow, he couldn't contain his curiosity and glanced behind him again. Rainbow Dash was moving much faster than he was, but she was moving in such an erratic pattern, making sudden turns and weaving between trees, that she was only slowly closing the distance between them. The reason for her strange sprint was obvious: the timberwolves were all around her and occasionally one would attempt to bite at her or slam into her, but her frantic movements were allowing her to evade every attack while seemingly paying them no attention.

He was still staring at the spectacle behind him when he noticed the source of the previous howl. One of the timberwolves was actually in between him and Rainbow Dash, running through trees on his right. He saw the wolf turning around and readying itself to intercept the mare behind him, but when he opened his mouth to warn her he paid the price for his distraction, tripping over a root and literally eating dirt. He rushed back to his hooves as quickly as he could, the sounds of violence and pain behind him practically demanded his attention, but he knew he couldn't spare it any longer. He would just have to believe in Rainbow Dash and focus on his own running. If he fell again he knew that he wouldn't be able to get up in time. And knowing Rainbow Dash, there's no way she would leave him there alone.

He was still running as fast as he could, pushing himself to his limits when Fluttershy suddenly stopped. He slowed down as much as he was able to with the short warning he had, but he was forced to stop so suddenly that he kicked up a cloud of dirt and barely managed to keep himself standing.

In front of them was a large stone wall, overgrown with vines and towering above them. The wall seemed completely solid with no sign of any windows or doors. They were still staring at the wall in confusion when Rainbow Dash rushed past both of them and ran into the barrier without slowing down at all. Dream Feather was stunned when he saw the mare pass through the solid stone as if it didn't exist, leaving no trace of herself behind. The sound of the timberwolves behind them forced Fluttershy and Dream Feather to follow their friend's lead. He couldn't stop himself from closing his eyes right before the impact that never happened.

Opening his eyes, he discovered that the three of them were standing in a small room at the top of a staircase leading down into the earth. Taking a moment to examine his companions, now that they seemed fairly safe, he could clearly see the multitude of cuts and bruises that covered Rainbow Dash's body. There were even some bite marks on the exhausted mare and there were plenty of darkened patches where her coat was matted with blood. He hoped that most of the blood wasn't hers, otherwise she might collapse from blood loss alone.

"Hey... what are you two... looking so worried about? We made it... safe and sound," Rainbow Dash spoke between her gasps for breath. Apparently, he had not managed to keep his concern from being obvious.

"I was just-" He began to reply, before deciding to be honest with her "Dash, you are bleeding rather heavily and you do not appear to be in any shape to be standing right now. We did make it here, thanks to you, but now you need to sit down and rest. Fluttershy and I can find the others while you recover."

Rainbow Dash snorted and started to make her way down the stairs, but didn't make it very far before she slipped and nearly fell down the steep staircase. Frowning, she tried to stand back up, only to find Fluttershy gently holding her still. She gave a long frustrated sigh before finally climbing back up the stairs with Fluttershy's help.

"Alright, fine. I'll stay here for the moment and... guard the entrance, just in case. But if you two take too long, I'll come down there myself!"

Dream Feather felt like there was more the mare wanted to say but she simply turned towards the entrance, letting herself slide down the wall with a pained groan. She kept her gaze carefully focused on the transparent wall that had looked so solid from the other side. Dream Feather gave a silent nod to Fluttershy. It was clear that she was just as worried as he was, but also equally unsure of what more they could do. In quiet agreement the two ponies descended the staircase, leaving Rainbow Dash to her self imposed vigil.

Before long the stairs ended, depositing them in a small chamber that only contained a bare wooden table and three doorways. Dream Feather looked around for any clues or directions before sighing.

"I really hate to advise this, but considering how pressed we are for time we should probably split up in order to search these passageways quicker."

Fluttershy nodded in response, before casting a concerned glance back up the stairs.

"I guess... that makes sense. But please be careful. There could be traps or something..." She mumbled her agreement before tentatively moving over to the corridor on their left. Dream Feather watched the nervous mare leave and even offered a comforting smile when she glanced back at him. Then she was gone and for the first time since Twilight Sparkle had saved them, he was alone.

Shaking off his sudden loneliness, he trotted across the room to the passageway directly in front of him. As he cautiously walked forward and deeper into the underground fortress he could not help but wonder if that villain had ever expected that somepony might actually find his lair. Unlike what Fluttershy had assumed, he seemed like he was too arrogant in Dream Feather's opinion to waste time setting up traps. He had to be extremely confident in his illusions to even think about attacking the Elements of Harmony.

The passage wasn't very long and Dream Feather soon found himself in a new room. This room had no other exits, but looked much more comfortable and lived in than the previous one. It even had a bed and several other pieces of furniture, most of which had open books lying on them. Dream Feather walked through the room, taking the time to examine several of the scattered tomes. While there were a wide variety of topics on display, most of the books seemed to be focused on magical theory, history, and strangely enough, foals' fairy tales. Dream Feather knew that this wasn't the time to delve deeper into that monster's studies, but his curiousity got the better of him and soon he found himself examining books and reading their titles.

Some of the books were easy to identify as coming from Canterlot and even a few by authors he'd heard of before. While Dream Feather had never studied magical theory, he had read enough books to be able to recognize authors and publishers. Amongst the books there were several that seemed foreign, hailing from places that he had dreamed of visiting, but had never truly expected to see. The sheer quantity of knowledge before him was both amazing and frightening. The pony that had collected this information was likely facing down Twilight Sparkle at this very moment.

Frustration with the situation and with himself overwhelmed Dream Feather for a moment. He tossed aside the book he was looking at and turned to leave the room, dissapointed in how much time he'd wasted in one room when he was supposed to be searching for the captured ponies. As he crossed the room a very peculiar book caught his attention once more. He sighed, already resigned to the fact that his curiosity wouldn't let him ignore the book now that he'd seen it. The book had no title and seemed both newer and more worn than most of the tomes around him. If he had to guess, he'd say that it looked more like a journal than an actual published book.

Exasperated with his lack of willpower and dreading what he might learn, Dream Feather opened the book to the first page and began to read. The writing was unexpectedly messy and looked rush, as if the author was too excited to slow down.

I made it! Not only have I gained entry into the famed Canterlot University of Magical Arts but I also had an opportunity to meet Celestia. She's heard of me before! Of my work and my studies, the same that granted me a fully sponsored position in her fine university. She was beautiful, wise, majestic... everything a goddess should be! And so much more.

Dream Feather had not intended to read any further, time was of the essence and his curiosity regarding the book was fulfilled, but his habits were so engrained that it was hard for him to put down a book once he'd started reading.

At any rate, with my place here secured and contact made with her Majesty it is only a matter of time till I have another major breakthrough and undoubtedly prove my worth to her. And then she'll take me up to her side as her personal protégé! And as I can not let such an important part of Equestrian history go undocumented, I have taken to recording my experiences in this journal. But time is being wasted, I should start on my work... no such thing as rest for those who have dreams as grand as mine.

The entry ended there, leaving some space below it before the next one started.

Things seem to be going better and better for me! Today I had another chance to talk to the princess, she found time in her busy day for a meeting with me. She showed great interest in my work, everything from my central research to my side projects and even the things I have researched as mere hobbies. And yet to my surprise, her main interest seemed to lay in my research about the magic of our past and the magical artifacts which have been lost for too long for even her to remember if they existed in the first place. She acted strangely insistent on the topic, almost as if she was hoping for me to mention something specific... maybe she is testing me? I heard rumors that-

The text continued on, but Dream Feather had stopped reading mid-sentence when his ears picked up the sound of hoofsteps approaching him. His body froze. Slowly, he began to turn around, fear coursing through him. Before he could manage to turn himself around completely, he heard an unexpectedly elegant voice.

"Hello there, Dream Feather was it? Excuse my interruption, but Fluttershy sent me to inform you that she has found everypony."

The words she spoke put most of Dream Feather's fears to rest, but it was the sight of the white unicorn mare called Rarity that allowed him to truly relax. Her coat was dirty and unkempt, a stark contrast to the way she looked in his memory of her, but compared to most of the other ponies he had seen recently she seemed perfectly healthy. He couldn't help the smile that spread at the sight, it gave him reason to hope that the other ponies might be in better shape than when he last saw them. At least that vile manipulator didn't seem to have tortured the ponies he had abducted.

"Ah, thank you Rarity. In that case we should probably get back to the others right away. There isn't much of interest here anyway, just a bunch of old books... but Twilight might find this book interesting." With those words, Dream Feather closed the diary he had been reading. His heart ached to read more, but he knew that now was not the time.

Rarity glanced at the book before nodding and leaving the room. Dream Feather started to follow after her when he noticed an old, well worn saddlebag laying beside a very simple looking bed. He nudged open the flap of the bag and carefully placed the diary inside. Then he spent a minute awkwardly attempting to affix the saddlebag onto his own back without damaging his wings further before Rarity trotted back into the room, confused by his delay. He sent her an embarrassed shrug as the bag fell to the floor once more. She huffed, but the small smile on her face displayed her amusement clearly.

With Rarity's help, it was only a moment before they were on their way to meet up with the others, saddlebag securely attached to Dream Feather's side. As they walked, he did his best summarize the situation in order to break the awkward silence that had settled between them. "I do not know how much Fluttershy told you, but the only pony we do not have with us is Twilight. She went out to face the pony behind this so that we would have time to come rescue you all."

Dream Feather shuffled uncomfortably for a moment, worried about how the mare would react to the information. To his surprise, Rarity simply nodded and smiled.

"I can tell how worried you are about her, but you really shouldn't be dear. Twilight Sparkle is an extraordinary unicorn with amazing magical talent. And though she would not admit to it, she has studied a far greater variety of spells than simply those used in her research or her everyday life. Do you truly believe that she would be unable to face another unicorn?" The confidence that Rarity showed in her friend's abilities seemed to alleviate some of Dream Feather's concerns as well. He couldn't stop himself from returning her smile.

By that time they had reached the room with the staircase and he saw Fluttershy with the other abducted ponies, both of which looked heavily bruised and battered. Nausea and guilt swept through him and he lowered his head ashamedly, incapable of meeting the eyes of the two mares he had viciously attacked. Part of him was honestly surprised when neither of them assaulted him or ran away from him. They had every right to hate him, despise him, and even fear him, but he didn't hear so much as a single exclamation or threat. In fact, Fluttershy was the first one to speak, breaking the tense silence with a tone that seemed every bit as stern as her normal voice was timid.

"I've already told them the most important parts, anything more will just have to wait until-" Fluttershy stopped mid-sentence when Rainbow Dash came running down the stairs. She was still bloody and busted up, but she had at least managed to collect herself a little. Her appearance managed to gather gasps from the recently rescued ponies.

"It's awesome to see you all again, and I would love to stay and chat, but you all need to come up here and check out what's happening!" Rainbow Dash forced the words out as fast as she could before running back up the stairs.

Dream Feather watched the remaining mares turn to face each other and shrug simultaneously before they followed after the panicked pegasus. As he made his own way up the stairs, he noticed a particular absence. Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were climbing the stairs right ahead of him, but no matter where he looked he could find no trace of Spike. The baby dragon had been foalnapped right in front of him, even if he couldn't remember it he still felt partly responsible. Before the guilt and concern could further consume his thoughts, he realized that he had reached the top of the stairs. And what he found wasn't at all what he was expecting.

The Everfree Forest was quiet. The beasts that had chased them were gone, replaced by a thick mist which limited their vision drastically. However the fog was not enough to stop them from seeing the bright purple beam of light that arose from the forest and stretched into the sky.

While almost every unicorn could create light with their magic, the difference between this light and the lumination that other unicorns were capable of was like the difference between a tornado and a gentle breeze. The light's intensity, the ease with which it penetrated the thick fog, and not to mention its immense size. It was clear that the unicorn behind this spell was more powerful than anypony thought possible. Maybe even as powerful as Celestia herself.

Dream Feather stared amazed, listening to the others mumble and murmur. The impressive display had apparently stolen the words right out of their mouths. He was still sitting there awestruck when Rarity walked up beside him and proudly declared, "You see? Any pony who can do something like that can more than take care of herself. So don't worry, she'll be fine until we can get there."

And yet, without any further communication, they all took her words as a cue to begin running towards that distant source of light. Dream Feather's body ached. He was tired and hungry. He was sure they all were, some more than others. But they all ran with everything they had. No second thoughts and no hesitation.