Chapter 16: In the Dragon's Den
Shrieks erupted from the frenzied crowd as the dragon-mounted guards circled around them. The guards struck quickly, felling several before the group could begin to retreat. Twilight twisted her head, looking from the panicked creatures about her to the gallows where the stallion and his diminutive black dragon had already disappeared from view.
Heart thudding against her chest, she wove through the crowd, narrowly avoiding the spear heads and blades the guards pierced haphazardly into them. Without a second’s thought, Twilight pushed off another mare in an attempt to change direction, sending the mare directly into a guard. With a growl of indignation, the guard jabbed the blunt end of his spear into the mare’s gut, sending her to the ground. Twilight watched as the guard screamed at the scared pony, barking accusations of assault and battery before striking her again and again. Twilight quickly swallowed her guilt, broke away from the group and scurried into one of the alleyways. She stopped just within the safety of the alley, peering back to bear witness to the end of the guards’ work.
Citizens lay scattered across the ground, heaving and crying out as the guards loomed over them. Several of the injured were picked up by other citizens and laid across a dragon bereft of the regalia the guard’s dragons bore. In short order, even the stragglers were escorted from the meeting ground. Twilight watched them closely for some sign of Applejack and Rarity, praying that neither had been a victim of the frenzy, but all proved to be strangers as the street was left deserted save for the scattered belongings lost in the chaos. She ducked her head back into the alley as the victorious guards marched by. When the last soldier passed, she leaned her haunches back against a wall and slid down until she landed with a wet plop in the snow.
For the first time since she had left Equestria, Twilight was completely alone. She scanned the streets again in the hopes of finding her friends bounding towards her, but the streets were empty. Those that remained staying hidden inside their homes and shops. She wanted to call out their names; she wanted to yell out amidst the silence, but she knew it was too much of a risk. Names like ‘Rissen’, ‘Balan’, ‘Calwyn’, and ‘Astris’ were all commonplace and expected in Ventia while ‘Applejack’ and ‘Rarity’ were objects of suspicion.
Without any other options, Twilight slunk away into the alleys in search of a warm place to stay the night. The snow had nearly stopped falling as the clouds dispersed to reveal the oranges and reds of the setting sun, giving her a moment of repose before she felt the knot tighten in her stomach. The image of the mare being knocked down and beaten by the guard played over in her head, each iteration becoming more twisted than the last. As she came to a crossroads in the back alleys, she put a hoof to the wall and felt herself pushing that mare into the guard. The memory haunted her senses and immediately snapped her hoof back. Even with the clearing clouds, the cold winds persisted, funneling through the alleyways, lashing at her face as she pressed onwards. Her body was wracked by exhaustion, something she had been able to ignore amongst her friends, but now stood at the forefront of her thoughts. Slowly, she hobbled along and hugged the wall until she heard voices fill the air once more.
Gas-powered lights began to shine from windows as the hour turned from dusk to night. Several ponies here and there conversed, donned in clean garb that reflected the new district. She slowly trotted onto and down the road, looking towards the alleys for any signs of where her friends may have gone. Twilight’s eyes grew heavy as she wandered, making it difficult to keep them open as her thoughts shifted towards finding a place to sleep that night.
Where are they? she thought as the last of the snow floated down from the sky.
She was surrounded by Ventians from every side, all of them ignoring her as they passed. Only the streets were illuminated now with the light from shops and lantern posts, leaving the alleyways and other unpopulated areas black as pitch. She sighed in exhaustion, staring at the ground with a defeated gaze.
Her head hung low. She walked slowly, keeping her cloak wrapped tight around her. She saw neither hide nor hair of her friends amongst the crowd, bringing her to focus her attention in front of her. Before she could even begin to clear her head, however, she heard a soft, popping sound and, as she peered beneath her cloak, her cutie mark slowly reappeared on her flank. Twilight knew this would leave Applejack and Rarity only a short time before they too would be at risk of exposure, sending a chill down her already frozen spine. She had never felt more guilty or more alone in all her life, and the flaring pain in her side only served as reminder of the danger she had thrust them all into.
I should have waited for them... she thought before stopping and placing a hoof to her face in dismay.
Before she could berate herself further, she looked up and saw a sign bolted upon a three story tall building that read Inn in ornately-carved red letters. Lacking the energy to even entertain the possibility of another option, Twilight stumbled to the door and weakly pushed it open, the hinges creaking as it swung outwards.
As she entered the inn, Twilight nearly melted beneath the rush of warm air caressing her frozen, wearied body. She let off a gentle sigh as the warmth of a roaring fire soothed her from its hearth, earning her a stare from the lone mare tending the desk. A few patrons who sat on cushioned chairs in the lobby looked up at her as she approached the counter, but only paid her a cursory glance before resuming their chatter. Twilight placed a shaking hoof on the desk before looking up at the mare who wore a stern scowl. Twilight opened her mouth to talk, but the cold and shock of recent events stole her voice as she tried to speak. She resorted to only looking up at the mare's brown eyes, watching them dance around puzzled.
“How many?” she asked, rummaging through an open wooden drawer. “Just one?”
Twilight nodded. She looked over her shoulder at where Applejack and Rarity would have been standing if they were they still with her. One of the patrons, peering over a scroll, stared at her incredulously and she quickly turned back to find an iron key on the counter before her.
“It’ll be two gold pieces.”
“W-will these do?” she asked, digging into her bag to pull out two bits. She placed them on the counter, watching with a light head as the mare examined the bits. She could only pray that she would be allowed a warm place to sleep for the first time in nearly a week.
“Well these aren't any currency I've ever seen, but they seem real enough. I’ll be going down to the Shade Market tomorrow, and if these aren't worth gold, I'll have you arrested for thievery, y’hear?” she threatened.
“The Shade Market?” Twilight took the key, holding the cold metal in the sole of her hoof.
“Aren’t from around here, are you? It's two streets past the twin spires and deep in the belly of the wind. Mind your way and your manners. You also shouldn't look like garbage when you get there; those rogues’ll take notice,” she explained, gesturing to Twilight's ragged attire.
“Hey, I don’t look like garbage!” Twilight protested. The mare only smirked and turned to fill out a ledger on the counter behind her. Twilight sighed to herself, then trotted towards the flight of red carpeted stairs near the far wall. Twin spires? Belly of the wind? Those aren’t directions! Those are... those are just riddles! Twilight thought as she reached the top of the stairs and walked down the hallway. Soon enough, she found herself at a door near the end of the clean, nicely furnished hallway. She looked down at her key and saw the number ‘207’ engraved on it, before looking at the door in front of her and seeing the same number. At least her business practices are better than her directions.
After finding her room, Twilight slipped the key into the brass doorknob and opened it. It was much roomier than she had expected. A fireplace sat past the foot of the large, plush bed that lay in the middle of the room. A candle sat on an oaken nightstand beside the bed, as a window with floral-patterned shades greeted her on the far wall that looked out at a decent view of the street. She entered and placed her bag on the floor, rubbing at the furrows it had dug into her hide before flopping onto the soft, fluffy bed. It had been so long since she had slept on a proper bed that she sunk right in and refused to move, adjusting herself to sink further in.
Before she could become too comfortable, however, she still had a promise to Rarity to keep. She sat up and slowly scooted off of the bed, closed the door, and magically sparked the logs into a blazing fire. Twilight sat and watched the flames dance as smoke curled into chimney above, letting the warm light and heat cast away every last ounce of cold that clung to her body. She closed his eyes and focused on Fluttershy and Pinkie, hoping they weren't asleep or possibly worse off. Not a moment later, she felt the twinge that signaled a connection, allowing her to breathe a small sigh of relief.
“Fluttershy? Pinkie? Can you hear me?” she asked silently.
It took a few moments, but she finally heard Pinkie gasp and Fluttershy let out a startled meep that couldn't come from anypony but her.
“Twilight? Is that you? I'm so glad you're alright,” Fluttershy said, sounding shaken and more than a bit unnerved. “How has everything been there?”
“Did you find the book yet?” Pinkie asked in her usual excited tone.
“No, not yet. Everything is fine here, though,” she lied, their voices bringing back the guilt she had swallowed back in the Ventian forest. “How are things there?”
“They’re... fine,” Fluttershy said. “Things have been getting a lot stranger here. We did find somepony who's exactly like you, Twilight.”
“Yeah, she's really strange, but you’d like her! She studies a lot and is as obsessed with books as you are, except they're all about rocks,” Pinkie chimed in. “We've done so much since we last talked! We've sailed on a boat... explored a cave... battled this crazy stallion and a gigantic sea monster—”
“Wait, you did what?!” Twilight interrupted, perturbed by just how nonchalantly Pinkie had let that slip. “A sea monster?! Was it a hydra?! A kraken?! Scylla?! We were trying to be quiet, but if you’re in danger, we can just—”
“Y-you don't have to worry. We're all fine,” Fluttershy said with striking and uncommon conviction. “We're headed for a volcano right now to find out who that stallion with the gyarados could be. I don't want you to risk yourselves to get us out any faster.”
“Alright, I'll stick to the plan.” “What’s a gyarados? Why are they traveling to a volcano?” Twilight asked herself aloud. She swallowed her curiosity and continued. “Has anything else happened that I should know about?”
“I don't know if this is important, but Pinkie and I shared a dream a few nights ago.” Fluttershy's voice grew softer and more anxious, giving Twilight cause for concern. “But I really shouldn't... i-it's not important.”
“Tell me, please,” Twilight said, her guilt and worry settling together in the pit of her stomach.
“O-okay. Well, both Pinkie and my dreams started off fine. I was in a meadow with forest critters and Pinkie was flying through the clouds. After a few minutes, the grass and trees withered, and a loud shriek came from behind me.”
“The clouds turned to nasty, black storm clouds for me! Then, that same scream sounded like it was coming straight towards me!” Pinkie explained.
“I looked back, and a large black creature with talons and blue eyes flew after me and I tried to run away—”
“Did you say talons and... b-blue eyes?” Twilight interrupted, her own dream racing to the forefront of her mind.
“Yeah! It had giant wings, and even a beak! I had to stand at the side of the boat the entire night just to get my mind off of it...” Pinkie explained.
“What did it do? Did it hurt you?”
“Well, i-it raced towards me, grabbed onto my neck and dug its claws into me. After that I woke up,” Pinkie said.
Twilight's breathing instantly became labored as their words sank in. Their dreams didn't exactly match hers nor each other’s, but the ebony griffon analogue was still prominent and clear in all three.
“C-could you two hold on? Just for a second?”
Without waiting for a response, she severed the connection and promptly dumped the contents of her saddlebag onto the floor. She shook it, watching as a few apples, Celestia’s letter, the Element of Magic, a canteen filled with water, the old Ventian story book dropped out before catching in midair one particular item: the spell book she had carried with her from Equestria, the one that contained the telepathy spell. Tearing through the pages, she found the spell, running a hoof over the words. Once, twice and thrice over she read it before she found it: a small passage at the bottom of the page, little more than a footnote.
“The caster links his or her mind with the ones he or she contacts, transferring their feelings with the ones he or she links with,” she read aloud. “The host may permanently sever the connection at any time if the link becomes too dangerous, but shall not be able to reestablish the link for several weeks thereafter.”
She hunched over and placed her head in her hooves, panicking as she thought over her options.
If I sever the connection, my only link to them would be Rainbow, but that would place her in the same danger as the others. No... this is too valuable. I’ll just have to be more careful. Reluctantly, she closed the book and threw it onto the pile of her saddlebag contents before taking a centering breath and scooting back towards the roaring fire.
“Sorry, I needed to look something up.”
“Okie dokie!” Pinkie said, her voice a bit distorted as the link solidified. “How are Rarity and Applejack? Having fun in the city?”
Twilight gulped, feeling her knees buckle under her own weight. “I-I lost them a few hours ago. There was an attack, and we were... scattered. I'm alone here in an inn. I... I don’t know if they’re together or apart, but I couldn’t find them anywhere.” A weight felt like it was pressing on her chest as she spoke, afraid to think about what could be happening to them. “It's worse here than I imagined... much worse...”
“Oh.”
“Couldn’t you talk to them like you're talking to us?” Fluttershy asked, her voice thick with worry.
“I... can't. I just...” She paused, hanging her head. “I know I’ll find them.”
“Good luck,” Pinkie said, tone matching Fluttershy’s.
“Just don't do anything dangerous, okay? I-I... Just please stay safe,” Twilight said as a small welling of tears formed under her eyes.
“We will,” Fluttershy said before Twilight heard the connection cut, leaving her only the sound of the crackling fire.
Slowly, Twilight stood and trudged over to her bag. She grabbed it and placed it near the side of the bed before falling into the plush comforter, then threw her cloak off and letting it crumple onto the floor. Looking back on her flank, she recast the spell to rid herself of her cutie mark before turning towards the window. Silently she lay, listening to the sound of her own heartbeat as the conversation resonated in her mind.
As the hours ticked away, the sounds of city life outside gave way to silence and Twilight continued to lay, motionless, on the feather bed, wrapped in warmth as she fought to keep her mind blissfully blank as her body recovered. As the last flicker of flame fizzled out in the hearth, the wood little more than a chunk of blackened charcoal, the room was left pitch black and silent, broken moments later bay a soft sound.
The sound of sobbing.
A loud commotion erupted from downstairs, causing Twilight to toss and turn in a stubborn refusal to wake. Sunlight filled the room as noise from the busy streets seeped through the walls, making things harder for her to lay in bed. Eventually she gave in and sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before scooting off of the bed. As she looked back, she saw the large wet spot on the pillow, returning all the feelings that had led her to the previous night’s breakdown, but she quickly brushed it aside. She knew that she’d have an easier time now that the sun was up again, and easier time finding her friends.
She hurriedly donned her cloak and levitated her bag onto her back before exiting the room. The door shut behind her, she stood in the hall, digging through her bag for the room key. She smiled as her hoof touched, fishing it out a sliding the cool metal between her teeth before trotting down the hall. As she descended the stairway, she found herself above a large crowd of ponies gathered in the inn’s lobby. Gingerly she waded through the massive crowd to reach the counter, bumping into several of them, drawing angry looks. They weren't as noble looking as the ponies she had seen populating the lobby the night before, their bodies wrapped in leather and steel while their manes appeared coarse and unshorn. She silently stepped around them before a white mare with pallid purple hair and a tattered cloak stopped Twilight in her tracks.
“I knew it was you! I had my doubts earlier, but it really is you!” Rarity exclaimed, wrapping her tired forelegs around Twilight. “It’s so wonderful to see a friendly face.”
“I'm so glad to see you,” Twilight said with a warm smile as she embraced her friend. She took a deep breath and sighed happily before nuzzling Rarity’s cheek, feeling the weight of her worries vanish. “How did you find me? Where were you?”
“After the guards began to attack, I ran into the back streets and waited until everypony was gone before I dared move. I made my way through the alleys before I found you trotting in here. I tried asking for a key to where you were staying, but she wouldn't budge, even for a hoofful of bits.” She escorted Twilight through the crowd and sat them down on a dark oak couch in front of the fireplace. “What happened over there?” Rarity's hooves were shaking. “Did you see anything?”
Twilight leaned down and hung her head, looking down at the floorboards. “It was a stallion. They’d hanged him, maimed his body.” She grasped Rarity’s hoof and brought her head up, watching Rarity's eyes fill with worry. Twilight told her the rest of the details—the way the stallion had swung limply from the gallows, the cuts on his flank where a cutie mark should have been. She looked up to find Rarity with her hoof to her mouth, aghast. “I don't think we're safe at all here, but we can't rush through this. Everything depends on us being as careful as possible.”
“Why? Applejack’s missing! Fluttershy, Rainbow and Pinkie are still trapped in that awful world! Time is of the essence, Twilight. Why couldn't you contact me like you do with Fluttershy? Perhaps we can find Applejack and fix this horrid mess more quickly if you just—”
“I can’t! I can’t put you in more danger than I already have,” Twilight blurted out, Rarity’s jaw snapping just at the outburst. “I contacted them. Just like you wanted.”
“How are they?” Rarity asked, leaning forward with a hopeful gaze. “Are they safe?”
“They're fine, but Pinkie told me that she and Fluttershy shared a dream. Not exactly the same dream, but they shared similar elements.”
“Is that a problem, darling?” She placed a hoof on top of Twilight’s. “You're shaking.”
“Do you remember when I woke up screaming after we’d left Zipporah's, and Applejack was carrying me through the outlands? I had a nightmare... a nightmare similar to the one’s that Pinkie and Fluttershy had.” Twilight told her the entirety of her dream, and about the subconscious link she had with them, watching as the color drained from Rarity's already pale face. Twilight’s body shuddered as she told it, mind fraught with worry, wondering how scared Pinkie and Fluttershy must have been. To her knowledge, they had never born witness to the violence, let alone the bloodshed that she had before the harrowing nightmare. To have Fluttershy’s memories twisted and inherit Twilight’s torment left her feeling more miserable than she already had. She sharply inhaled and held her head high, trying to feign confidence as Rarity shook her head and frowned.
“Why didn't you tell me all this before?” Rarity asked, a twinge of disappointment in her voice. “We are all a part of this, Twilight. You simply cannot be hiding things like this from us.”
“I'm sorry. With everything that’s happened, I didn't want to worry you—either of you—more than I had to.” Twilight took her free hoof and placed it on Rarity’s, clasping them together as she looked at her with a smile. “But from now on, no more secrets.”
“Good. Now, let's have some breakfast. I'm positively famished.” With a smile, Rarity tipped open her saddlebag to reveal an assortment of fresh fruits and floral sandwiches on rich-looking breads. Twilight looked over the spoils, mouth watering at the sight.
“Where did you get all this?” she asked, but, before she could get an answer, she found herself digging into a sandwich. It tasted so good that she couldn't stop eating as she talked. “How did you get the money?” Her eyes widened. “You didn't ste—”
“Somepony dropped their bag of coins on the ground during the stampede,” Rarity interrupted sharply, nodding towards the nearby ponies and, in particular, the more well-armored lot. “I’ve been trying to find who it belonged to, but nopony has been able to tell me how many coins were in it. I'll be keeping it around until somepony does, though I think it would help us as we search for the book wouldn't you think?” Rarity took the canvas pouch out from her bag and held it in her hoof. “I paid for a room last night after they refused to tell me which room you were sleeping in and, I have to admit, the rooms were much nicer than I expected.”
Twilight took a drink of water from her canteen to clear her throat. “So you're just keeping it?”
“Only until I find out whom it belongs to, darling.”
“Why were you hiding in that crowd while you waited for me? Couldn't you have stayed in the open?” The group that had filled the room slowly dispersed, leaving the lobby quiet save for the crackle of the fireplace.
Slowly, Rarity looked back at her flank, still covered by her cloak. “My cutie mark came back early last night, and I didn't want to risk anypony seeing it so I hid amongst the crowd,” she said in a hushed tone. “I figured that you'd be down early.”
“You have no idea how miserable last night was,” Twilight said, recounting the night before. “With how large this city is, I thought I’d lost you and Applejack completely...” Twilight paused for a moment. “Have you seen her?”
“Well, no,” Rarity admitted. “She can’t be too far away. Applejack wouldn’t go very far without us, right?”
She's right, Twilight thought. Maybe it had been her guilt that had made her fail to realize this, but she wasn't sure.
“I'm sure we'll find her soon enough, but I think right now we need to start looking for that book. I spoke with a merchant yesterday and got some information on a few libraries and bookstores.” She took out a scroll with inky scratches that scarcely resembled words and handed it to Twilight.
“Did they say if any of them had the book?” Twilight asked as she grabbed the scroll and looked it over.
“No, no pony that I talked to had that much knowledge about the places. We'll just have to check them out ourselves.”
“While we're searching, apparently there’s a black market that's operating near here that we should visit. This may be where those ‘transactions’ the shopkeep in Balan’s district was talking about take place. We could exchange our bits for coins there so we aren't so reliant on the ones you found.”
“It's agreed then,” Rarity said with a smile before rising to her hooves. “But the libraries and bookstores first, if you please, darling. I’d much prefer to stay away from the seedier elements. I’m certain Applejack is doing the same. Turn in your key and let's get out of here. The warmth is great and all, but the humidity is doing terrible things to my coiffure.”
She's taking this a lot better than I am. “I'll hide your mark again once we're alone,” she whispered to Rarity after having turned in her key, leading them both from the inn, leaving behind its comforting warmth for the biting cold of the city streets.
A multitude of guards stood at tight intervals down the road, several of them with silver or green dragons by their sides. The ponies and griffons outside didn't seem to care or notice as they talked with one another while children with small dragons ran by and brushed past Twilight as they played through the streets. With a clearer head, Twilight began to take notice of the district's general attire and attitude. Unlike the district under Lord Balan, the inhabitants appeared very clean and well groomed with only snow gently flaked on their otherwise immaculate attire. She looked over to Rarity, her hair, though still hanging down in loose bundles, seeming more well kempt than it had just the day before. It was now wavy. It was certainly not the tightly spiraling curls she prized, but it was elegant just the same. Even her necklace was placed pridefully about her neck, her cloak and outfit cleaned and pressed, giving her a stylish adventurer look that didn't appear at all out of place.
Twilight preferred not to know how ghastly she looked by comparison.
The sun had only just risen above the outer walls of the city, the nigh horizontal rays of the sun setting the falling snow aflame, driving Twilight’s gaze lowered as she made her way through the masses. She noticed several ponies exchanging queer looks as she passed and quickly she fell in line behind Rarity.
There was no wind to speak of, making the weather almost hospitable at the very least. Compared to the day before, the district felt quiet, relaxed even, something that Twilight desperately needed. The shops began to open as the sun rose higher, and more and more ponies trickled out of their homes. Most appeared in good spirits, laughing or joking around with one another, averting their gazes away from the soldiers that stood near them in a show of willful ignorance. Twilight and Rarity merged into the swelling crowd of ponies, placing as many locals as they could between themselves and the guards’ prying eyes.
Twilight took another look at the list, looking for the shop name in any of the windows or signs. About a half-mile later, Rarity stopped in front of a building with a large red and silver banner hanging from its roof, a detail every shop seemed to share. It stood two-stories tall with wooden shingles that ran along the outer walls. A small wooden sign with hoof-carved words stood near the door. Book Shoppe it read. She glanced down at the list, mentally checking it off before placing it back into her bag.
As she grew closer to the darkened shop window, she was taken aback by her reflection in the glass. Her eyes were sunk into her face, heavy bags hanging under them. Her mane was a mess, hairs askew and full of dirt that clung stubbornly to her fur from the days prior. Her swollen cheek had nearly gone back to normal, but had left behind a long red mark that still throbbed painfully with the memory of the blow. A decently-sized gash traveled from her forehead over her left eye to her ear, yet she didn't remember when she got it. A small bit of dried blood flaked away as she touched it, but the wound itself appeared to have healed nicely.
She brushed her hair with her hoof as she wiped away some of the dried blood in an attempt to make herself presentable. This will have to do for now, I guess.
Rarity trotted into the store, a chime marking her entrance.
As Twilight entered, she was assaulted by the pulpy smell of the old book mixed with dust that could be seen in a haze as sunlight shone weakly through the windows. Instead of a roaring fire like the inn, the store was lit with small flickering lanterns placed on tables amid the rows and rows of shelves. They extended up the full two stories and nearly touched the ceiling, each of them packed with an array of books and scrolls.
At the center, an old stallion was taking a book down from the shelf. His hoof as well as his horn were enveloped in a teal light along with the book that began to slowly float down towards them. Twilight noticed a strange design, a small circle with intertwining lines, drawn on the back of the old unicorn's trembling hoof. Twilight stood, quietly waiting for the stallion to finish his work, all the while trying hard not to break the silence with the cough building in her throat as she nearly choked on the dusty air.
“Excuse me, sir,” Rarity called out, causing the old stallion to drop the book with a thud. He looked over at them, adjusting his glasses and squinting.
“W-what is it?” he asked in a shaky tone, swinging a walking stick at his side as he hobbled towards them. He stepped close to them, bringing his head forward to get a better look at them. “You'd best not be here to wreck things again! I won’t pay for another book shelf!”
“N-no, we're here looking for a book,” Twilight explained, watching the man back away. “Do you have anything by an Arcan Grizwald?”
The stallion spat onto the floor, making the two reel back. He snorted before attempting to stand up straight. “A book? By that traitor? The day I let one of his books into my store is the day I spit on the great King Vale’s grave!”
Traitor? He was just a professor. And from over two thousand years ago! What could he have done to be called traitor?
“Do you know of any shop or library that would? It's very important that we get our hooves on a copy—”
Rarity quickly stepped in front of Twilight and covered her mouth with a hoof. “Um, we’re not from around here.”
“Bah! A pox on any stallion or mare that should seek it. Evil magic lurks within Arcan’s words, young mare. I'd do all I could to stay away from it if I were you,” the shopkeeper said, waggling a hoof at Twilight. “Is that all, or do you have more damnable names you wish curse my shop with?”
“I do have this if you could take a look at it,” Twilight said, taking the small book she salvaged from the ruins out of her bag and handed it to the librarian. “It's hard for me to read it; I've never seen words arranged like that before.”
The stallion squinted and slowly turned the pages of the book, carefully laying them one on top of the other as he flipped through. His face showed pains of determination as he read, making Twilight nervous as to what the book could be about. After a few moments, he placed the book down and huffed, sliding it back over to them. “Barbaric trash, that's what this is. Where did you get this, outside the walls?”
“Yes, it was buried in some—”
“Burn it. Nothing good could come from reading such vile lies.” He began to hobble back towards his fallen tome, mumbling to himself. Twilight carefully closed the text and put it away, watching intently the stallion draw the intricate design on his hoof with his horn before his hoof and the book began to glow once more.
“Thank you for your help,” Rarity forced out, trying to be polite. The stallion responded with incomprehensible curses before resuming his focus on the book. “Let's just go,” she whispered to Twilight. “We still have three more places to look at least.”
Every one of their attempts turned out the same. The libraries cursed them for merely mentioning the “traitor's” name in their presence while the only other bookstore’s owner laughed in their faces as their hunt for Applejack kept them trudging through the list. Not even hints of bribery could persuade the owners to give them even a clue of the text's possible location. Twilight didn't dare showcase the book from the forest to anyone else. The only text Twilight could get her hooves on was a simple spell book before they were kicked out of the small shop. Before the two unicorns knew it, night had fallen upon them, leaving only cold winds and stars to keep them company.
With no other leads, they continued north down the road in disappointment. The amount of ponies outside had grown considerably, dashing their hopes of perhaps spotting a familiar stetson or blonde mane in the crowd. The amount of noise rose as well; not mechanical sounds, but yelling and laughing instead.
They had entered the Dragon's Claw district, a sign at the side of the road said, in the district just north of where they had slept the night before. Ponies roamed the streets openly under the moonlight while vivacious music resonated around them. The buildings were illuminated in the soft yellow glow of the oil lamps that lined the street, revealing the seeming lack of guards posted near the alleys.
Maybe they don't know of the hanging yet, Twilight thought, watching the citizens party carefree.
A disoriented stallion stumbled through the crowd, slurring obscenities at anyone and anything he bumped into before running back inside a stark wooden building. Twilight watched for ponies’ reactions, but nopony did anything. They all simply brushed it off and kept moving. In Canterlot, let alone Ponyville, nights were never this loud or lively; they tended to be calm and serene, allowing Twilight time to study quietly. She had no idea what she would have done if this were the norm back home.
“This place would look so much more exquisite were it only cleaned up a bit,” Rarity said, looking around at the brightly lit buildings. A lively air filled the streets as several of the folk were dancing to the music while still others laughed loudly with each other. The contrast to Balan's district was a welcome change, but the sheer number of ponies made it hard just to navigate. “Maybe we should take a little break tonight. Have a little fun; I know I could certainly use it.”
“We don't have time for fun! Applejack is still out on her own, remember? Partying isn't going to help us find her,” Twilight argued, watching Rarity's face twist in disappointment.
“What do we do then?” Rarity asked as they swerved about the masses. “Didn't you say that there was a black market somewhere where we could go?”
“There is, but innkeeper was cryptic about it,” Twilight explained. “‘Past the twin spires and inside the belly of the wind’ was what she said. I haven’t found anything close to that around here.”
Rarity sighed. “There may be one around here; security is certainly low enough.” She glanced around and took a whiff of the air. Twilight followed suit, taking in the aroma of hops and berries mixed with just a hint of vomit. The sharp wind carried it well enough, making her gag. “Perhaps somepony here knows about it. They seem quite a bit more relaxed than those stuffy librarians.”
“It would be nice, but most of these ponies look drunk. What could they possibly tell us?”
“Oh, Twilight. You haven't partaken much, have you?” Rarity laughed.
“Why would I?” Twilight quipped.
“To unwind, of course. I've had enough drinks with Applejack after her work days and with some of the elites back in Canterlot enough to know a few things. First of all, a fine merlot of chardonnay can be quite relaxing after a long day’s work. And second of all, never attempt to drink an apple farmer under the table when apple cider is on the menu.”
“But apple cider isn’t alcoholic. Right?”
“I see that Applejack hasn’t shown you around their new apple cellar.”
Twilight suddenly felt a bit unsteady at the revelation of Applejack’s apparent bootlegging operation.
“Anyways, darling, both Applejack and I have noticed some rather amusing things regarding the behavior of our fellow Equestrians in the company of the more hearty drinks. There is always a certain point at which the alcohol has loosened the jaw and thickened the tongue that one is more... willing to part with certain truths. I believe Applejack coined it the ‘stammering’ point. Find somepony close to that point and perhaps we will have our information sooner than you might think.”
“If you say so,” Twilight replied with uncertainty.
Alcohol was a rare substance in Equestria, or at least Twilight had thought so under her teacher’s strict supervision. Celestia had certainly kept what lay beyond Equestria’s borders a secret from her well enough.
“Let's see what they know,” she exclaimed with more conviction.
“Great!” Rarity said before breaking away and turning into one of the taverns. Twilight followed close behind, weaving through the crowd until she reached the open door.
As she crossed the threshold from street to establishment, Twilight found herself swept into the crowd of patrons: earth ponies, pegasi and several unicorns, as well as a griffon or two, mingled inside the tavern. It was dark inside with only a few lamps burning on the tables, a stark contrast to the bright streets outside. A small string quartet had set up their instruments in the corner, playing a light and peppy tune. Rarity walked up to the counter and signaled to the black-maned stallion in a tan doublet behind it. He set down a wine glass and towel, and approached just before Twilight found an empty stool to sit on.
Twilight sat next to Rarity and looked down the counter, seeing ponies and griffons hunched over their drinks and cupping them with both of their hooves or talons. Others across from her were chatting and pointing at something happening out on the road, but before Twilight could turn to see it, it was already over. She sighed, and turned to see Rarity already talking with the bartender with a drink already in front of her.
“—festival with lights. I'm shocked that you didn't know about it,” the barkeep said, leaning in closer to Rarity as she smiled.
“I‘ve just moved here from Carse, myself. It sounds lovely, though,” Rarity replied, idly curling her mane around a hoof. She slipped her other hoof into her bag and pulled out the bag of gold. “My friend and I are looking for something very important that we heard we could find here in Mistral City.” Rarity hooked a foreleg around Twilight, pulling her close.
“What can I help you find? You know, there are so many things in Mistral that ponies come from all over the world for. I'm sure that I'll be able to help you out.”
Rarity leaned in close, then looked to her sides to make sure no one else was listening. “We’ve received nothing but grief for our inquires. How can I be certain I won’t receive the same from you?”
The barkeep snickered. “What could you possibly need that would cause you trouble around here? It is Dragon’s Claw after all.”
Rarity paused for a moment before speaking just above a whisper, “We are looking for a book by Arcan Grizwald, and—”
“Shh! Don't talk so loud,” he whispered, putting his hoof up to Rarity's lips. “I'm surprised no one’s arrested you for talking about him.”
“What did he do, anyway?” Twilight asked. “All anypony has told us was that he was a traitor of some sort."
“He lived so long ago and his actions weren't recorded, I believe, so most of what he did is a matter of hearsay and propaganda. No one really knows, but everyone has always seen him as a traitor, and most are frightened by anyone or anything that reminds them of him. To be honest, I’m still worried of what might happen if anyone were to find his works.”
“Why would we be told that a copy of his book would be here if he's so reviled?”
“Word is that he did write a spell book, but no one has seen it in ages.”
“So, nopony knows where it is?”
“I wouldn't say that. If anyone knows where it is, it would be Ross. He owns a bar just up town.”
“Where up town?” Twilight asked, hoping for not yet another disappointment.
“Go three blocks north of here and turn right on Canvas. It'll be the seventh building on your left. It has a red bricks on the bottom half of the building. You really can't miss it, especially not with how loud his patrons are.”
“Thank you so much,” Rarity said enthusiastically.
“You don't think that book is dangerous like the rest of the ponies we asked?” Twilight asked. “Won't your friend get in trouble if he tells us?”
“Nah, of course not. He’s been around far too long to get caught because of that. Just make sure you have the money to pay him. He has a lot of inside information, even about things up in King’s Alley, but it ain’t gonna be cheap.” He paused for a moment while several patrons began screaming for him to get them more drinks. “Shaddup down there, you damn drunks!” he screamed, causing the ponies to temporarily fall silent before resuming their drunken banter. “I'm curious, why do you need it in the first place?”
“It's to help a friend,” Twilight explained, watching Rarity slowly sip her wine.
“Is that all I can help you with today?” he asked at a normal volume after a quick nod. “I have other customers, so I can't stay here too much longer.”
“Could I just get a glass of water?”
The barkeep laughed. “You’re not going to last long here if water is all you can handle.” He filled up a small glass with cold water and passed it to her. “Good luck,” he whispered before walking away to deal with the impatient drunkards.
Twilight grabbed the glass and gulped the water down quickly, wiping a dribble of water from her lower lip with her hoof. She kept her eyes on the barkeep. What does he have to gain from this? she asked herself before turning her attention back to Rarity. Slowly, Rarity sipped her wine, her attention focused on the festivities outside.
“Do you think he's telling the truth?” Twilight asked in a hushed voice.
“Hm?” Rarity placed her glass down and turned to Twilight.
“What if this ‘Ross’ is some sort of scam artist? That’s all the money we have. At least until we find someplace to exchange our bits.”
“I think it would be worth a try at least.” Rarity took another sip. “If Grizwald’s book is truly as rare as this stallion says it is, we need every clue that we can get our hooves on.”
“But if he has Calwyn banners inside and outside of the tavern, we find someplace else. We need stay away from Calwyn loyalists as much as possible.”
“Agreed.” Rarity took a last large, yet dignified, gulp of the wine and stood up. “We should find somewhere to sleep as well. I'm getting quite tired.” Twilight nodded and stood as well, walking out with Rarity as the orchestra finished on a final, harmonious chord.
The amount of ponies in the street seemed to swell along with the noise as they made their way north. Multicolored strings of light hung between the lampposts paralleling the road. Dancers in brightly colored garb performed twirls and flips just outside of the main herd, attracting several passersby to stop and toss copper and silver at their hooves and paws in adoration. The stench of booze hung thick in the air, but, with the wind having died down, was far more tolerable for Twilight.
They walked quickly through the crowd, weaving through the festively attired ponies. Bright silver and green along with blues and oranges contrasted the browns and grays that had been so common in Balan’s district, and was a pleasant distraction from the crimson and silver that loomed overhead. The air seemed almost balmy amongst the crowd and under the multicolored lights, giving the bright colors an almost magical feel to them. They broke from the crowd and walked beside them, allowing them so that Twilight could see the signs that had been bolted to the tall, metal poles that stood at every street corner. A guard atop a white dragon with its tongue lolling out rode by, meeting up with another on a blue gray dragon before turning the corner onto Thicket Street.
With their hurried pace, it only took a few minutes to reach Canvas Road. After a quick right turn, they trotted down past a few buildings and kept their eyes open for the brick exterior that the barkeeper had told them about. The street was much more dimly lit than the main road, the pitiful number of light strings struggling to illuminate the buildings. It was much quieter than the main road as well, and only grew quieter still as they moved east. Rarity huddled close to Twilight as each of them watched for anypony and anything moving in the shadows.
A glowing sign stood out up ahead, attached to the window of one of the buildings. Twilight hurried to take a look, reading Ross's in bright yellow letters. Just as the barkeeper had said, bricks made up the bottom half of the building while, as far as she could tell in the low light, the upper half was covered in wood paneling. It wasn't the third building down the road as the barkeeper had told them, but it was close enough. No music could be heard from inside, but a loud, rumbling cacophony of incomprehensible voices bellowed from it.
“Do you think this is it?” Rarity asked, running her hoof along the bricks and inspecting the dark gray residue that came off on her hoof. “Eww...” She shuddered before scraping her hoof against the cobblestone beneath her. “It is a bit... unclean.”
“It fits the bill,” Twilight said. She looked up and down the road, seeing no pony or griffon around them for a few blocks. Perfect. “Lift up your cloak for a second?” she asked, turning to Rarity. The white unicorn nodded, sliding her cloak up with her magic. Twilight’s horn shone as she lowered her head and quickly cast the cutie mark removal spell, watching Rarity’s trio of diamonds vanish once more. “There we go. I think we’re ready.”
“Thanks, Twilight,” Rarity said, her horn ceasing to glow before her cloak billowed back down onto her flank.
Twilight took a deep breath and grasped the warm door handle. “Are you ready?”
“The sooner we get our friends back the better,” Rarity answered, standing straight and diligent.
“Here we go.” She opened the door slowly, feeling a blast of warm air escape through the door. They stepped inside and were almost instantly strangled by the coils of smoke that hung in the air with nowhere to go but out the door.
The bar was dark with only small candles on each table for light. With no natural light, it was difficult if not impossible to tell what the walls were made from or how large the room actually was, but the oaken counter that greeted them as they walked in stood at the end of a straight, dividing path. After closing the door behind them, the two made their way to the counter. Few, if any, of the patrons stopped to take in the presence of the two mares, seeming to simply carry on drinking and talking.
A lone stallion stood behind the counter, pouring a shot of liquor before downing it himself. He was bald, wearing an embroidered leather shirt, a green banner design on his chest with a golden eagle symbol at its center. A long, scraggly beard flowed down his face, speckled with gray and brown. Slamming down the tiny glass, he looked up at Twilight and Rarity just as they reached the counter.
“Here for a drink, or just business?” he asked in a salty tone. A scowl seemed to be plastered onto his face, setting Twilight on edge.
“We were told that we could get some information here,” Twilight explained, inciting a hearty laugh from the old keep. “Are you Ross?”
“Ya' have some nerve comin’ down this road and not runnin’ with yer tails tucked between yer legs.” Several others took notice, chuckling along with the old stallion. “Ya’ heard right. The name’s Ross. What kinda information are ya looking for?”
Rarity leaned onto the counter, and brought her head up next to Ross’s. “We’re looking for a book by Professor Arcan Grizwald,” she whispered. A look of confusion washed over Ross’s face.
“Speak up, darlin'. I can't hear ya.” He put his hoof up to his ear, eliciting some laughs from the patrons’ lips.
“We need Arcan—”
“Louder!” he bellowed. Rarity’s face glowed red in frustration.
“ARCAN GRIZWALD’S SPELL BOOK!” she yelled, huffing in anger before looking around nervously as the bar grew deathly silent. Twilight began to step away from the counter to make an escape lest any of them became violent.
“Wasn't that easier?” Ross asked, clasping Rarity on the shoulder. “Ya’ came to the right—GET BACK TO DRINKING, YA’ BUMS!” he hollered, prompting the patrons to go about their business. “I won't pry into yer reasons fer needin' such a dark piece of our history, but if you can pay the price I'm sure I can help ya’ out.”
“How much?” Twilight asked, watching Rarity take the coin bag out place it on the counter.
“Twenty-five gold pieces. Plus four drinks each.”
“Twenty-five!?” Rarity shrieked, quickly snatching the bag back. “That’s absurd!”
“If ya can’t afford it, I guess ah’ll just keep it all to myself, then,” Ross threatened.
Rarity looked over at Twilight, whom slowly sidled back up to the counter, then back at Ross. “We’ll take eight glasses. Your finest wines and liqueurs! At least four of them. The oldest vintages you have.” She glared at the barkeep. “Perhaps you can live in a place as dirty and dank as this, but we are ladies and we are going to drink in style, darling.”
Ross stood, speechless, before bursting into laughter. “I like the fire in ya.” He stopped and placed his hoof up to his chin in thought. He went through the calculations in head, muttering them aloud just soft enough for Twilight to hear it. “It'll be thirty-seven... no, make it an even thirty-five gold, outsiders.”
“How do we know that you aren't going to just take the gold and not tell us anything?” Twilight demanded. She looked over at Rarity and saw the jewel in the fashionista’s necklace flash for a split second as her eyes unflinchingly locked onto the barkeep. Twilight turned back to face Ross again.
“If ya don't want my help, so be it,” Ross shrugged, pushing himself away from the counter. “I'd strongly suggest you run back to the safety of the festival then, because there ain't nothin' for you out here.”
“Please, just tell us if you know about his book,” Twilight pleaded. The old barkeep stepped closer. “We're trying to help out our friends, and the only way we can is with Grizwald's book.”
“Ya' see all those ponies and griffons in here? They all came to me fer information, and have kept comin’ back ever since, exchangin’ money for booze and secrets. I wouldn't be in business too long if I didn't keep my word, or I'd probably be dead.” He bent down, then emerged with eight wine glasses and set them down in front of them. “I know of the book you're lookin' for. What I would be telling ya’ll is information passed down from thousands of years ago, from back when Grizwald was still walkin’ about.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, that's all there is.”
“There aren't any copies left?! B-but wouldn’t such an important document be—”
“People weren't too fond of him after what happened in the Great Northern War. He became a traitor and his works locked away by the king, never to be read again. An’ that’s about all I can tell you for free.”
“What should we do?” Rarity whispered. “If we had Applejack here, this would be so much easier.”
After all of the hassle the bookstore owners and librarians had given them, Twilight didn't know if she was willing to trust anypony in this district anymore. The barkeep that had told them about Ross had certainly seemed nice enough, but she was still wary about this supposed ‘source.’ If what he said was true, and only one copy of the book remained, she had no choice but to put his trust in Ross. If he's wrong... “Give him the gold.”
Rarity nodded and counted out thirty-five gold pieces onto the counter, shrinking the bag's bulk significantly. She slid them across the counter where Ross quickly scooped them up and placed them in a drawer. With a smile, he grabbed four bottles of wine off the shelf behind him and poured each into two of the glasses. They smelled intense: two glasses of a white wine with a hint of peach and vanilla, blood red raspberry liqueur, a pink strawberry and kiwi wine, and finally a creamy coconut wine. Twilight's mouth began to water immediately, watching condensation form on the crystalline glass. “Your drinks, imported from King's Alley itself.”
“These look simply divine!” Rarity exclaimed, grasping one of the drinks and a small sip. “Oh, and it's delicious, too!”
“I'm glad it could be to your liking,” Ross said before stepping aside. “WE HAVE NEW CUSTOMERS! EVERYONE OUT!” he shouted. Everypony and griffon who was sitting rose from their chairs and rushed towards the front door. They all left in a single file, leaving the building empty with the exception of Twilight and Rarity, and Ross who tapped hoof impatiently on the floor. Only a few moments later, the bar was completely silent. “Now, about your book.
“There was a soldier in Grizwald’s time, a soldier in the good king’s army and a decorated hero at that. When the war was good and over, after Arcan had deserted, he and his troop found the ‘traitor’s book lyin’ in the wintry wastes. They took it straight to the king. The king ordered it locked away until Grizwald or his descendants were made to pay for their crimes against the crown. No one ever stepped forward and so it remains locked away.”
“And how do you know this?”
“Friend of mine, a captain in the city watch is one of that soldier’s ancestors. Tis a tale that has passed on from father to son through the generations.”
Twilight thought over the story for a moment, prodding and poking it in her mind. “But what did Arcan do, exactly?”
“Everypony’s convinced that he was a traitor, that he should never be mentioned. Even with all the information that passes through my bar, I honestly couldn’t tell ya. All I know is that they say after the war, he just up and vanished.”
“Where did they hide his book?”
“I was just gettin’ to that part. Accordin’ to my sources, it’s hidden somewhere beneath the city. Supposedly it’s at the end of an underground passage that you can only get to up in King's Alley. As unicorns, you shouldn't have any problem getting in as long as you can find the gold... or someone willing to part with a couple passes.”
“Do you know where we can find any, or is this outside of our deal?”
Ross laughed. “You're smarter than you look, kid. A few more gold and I'll spill a decent spot.”
Twilight turned to Rarity. “Do we have enough gold to pay for this?”
Rarity opened up the bag, pouted, then shook her head. “Not unless we wish to starve for the next few days.”
“I guess we're done here,” Twilight said, grasping one of the wine glasses. She took a sip, and instantly her forehead began to throb. It went away in only a few moments, but it was enough to make her set it down.
“Take a seat anywhere where there aren’t any glasses and enjoy the wine. Ya’ both look like you could use it.” He laughed to himself before throwing down a switch on the back wall. A loud bell chimed outside the building, prompting the patrons to file back into the bar and sit back down as if it were routine. As the volume returned to normal, the two unicorns took their wine and sat down at a wooden table near the middle of the room.
Their table wobbled a little when they sat their drinks down, but Twilight was too intrigued by the barkeep's story to even notice. An underground passage... But why couldn’t you get to it from down here? Maybe it has the same enchantment as King's Alley, Twilight reasoned. She looked up at Rarity who had already finished half of her white wine.
“This is simply exquisite, Twilight. You absolutely must try this,” Rarity exclaimed. A smile slowly crept along her face as she took another sip of the wine. The aroma alone made Twilight’s head swirl, but the fruity liquid went down smooth enough to make her not care. The peach and vanilla flavors lingered on her tongue long after she set the drink down.
“It is pretty good,” Twilight admitted, taking another sip.
“So, do you think he was telling the truth?” Rarity asked, finishing her white wine and sliding the glass to the center of the table.
“It makes sense that they would hide it where most ponies can't even begin to look. But an underground passageway is a little hard to believe.”
“The royal archives in Canterlot were dug into the mountain. It's no different really.”
“It's completely different, Rarity,” Twilight exclaimed, drinking down half of the peach wine. “That upper level is essentially floating on top of the buildings down here; how is it even possible for a path like that to exist?”
“We're in a country that is trapped in an eternal winter. They have different magic than we do, and can't get rid of the winter like we can.”
“They can't change anything at all!” Twilight took another gulp of the wine, feeling her cheeks flush with warmth as a light haze began to cloud her judgment. “Did you see any pegasi in the sky when those storms came in? I sure didn't.” She paused to finish the remainder of the drink, head swimming as she did so. “We saw the moon out with the sun at the same time!”
“Slow down, Twilight. These are strong wines. You haven't had any drinks before, so you're a bit of a light weight.”
Twilight ignored Rarity’s comment as her attention traveled across the room, noticing several of the patrons watching their increasingly intense conversation. She grabbed the raspberry wine and took a gulp, letting the peach and vanilla that still lingered on his tongue mix with the red raspberry. She smiled as she did so, and drank a quarter of the glass as quickly as Rarity could tell her to stop.
Not long after, her cheeks felt as if they could catch on fire at any moment, tingling maddeningly. Every time she moved her head, her vision would sway back and forth as she tried to make out ponies or objects in the thickening haze. Rarity took another sip of her second wine glass, looking as composed as she had back at the inn.
“Are you okay?” Rarity asked, placing her hoof on the table. “You look a little off color.”
“I...I'm fine,” Twilight said with a drawn out breath, her body swaying back and forth slightly. The room around her seemed to be spinning as her thoughts collapsed into an incoherent mess. Sounds of the liquored up patrons began to merge into a cacophony of unintelligible noise. She took the last gulp of the second glass of wine, placing her hoof on the table for her head to rest on. “What... What do we do... now?”
“We keep our profiles low this evening, and find someplace to rest. Celestia knows you need it.” Rarity took another sip.
“Low profile, gotcha,” Twilight exclaimed. It seemed like such a simple thing to keep aware of, but in her drunken haze it was hard for her to keep on task for anything. She yawned before looking into her backpack to make sure she still had everything as other patrons walked by. She scrounged around until her hoof brushed up against something metallic. With a quick jolt, she lifted the Element of Magic out from her bag and placed it on the table. “I don't remember the last time I put this on. Have you ever wondered why it’s a crown and not a necklace? It's strange...”
“This really isn't the place for this, Twilight,” Rarity scolded her before Twilight placed the crown on her head. A giddy smile rose on her face as it rested on her head.
“What if we run into griffons? Should... shouldn't I be prepared?” she asked, rubbing the purple star that topped the golden tiara. “You have your necklace on all the time.”
“Yes, because I can hide it under my cloak,” Rarity explained sternly, noticing some of the patrons glancing at Twilight. “Put it away, ponies are staring.”
“It’s fine, Rarity. Hold on, I'm going to go get some water.” Twilight stood. Her head instantly swam as she stumbled back into her chair, nearly falling over. She steadied herself and rose once more, squinting her eyes to get a better view in the dark. Carefully, she began to stagger over to the counter, stepping one hoof in front of the other as she wobbled back and forth. Her peripheral vision was a blur as she bumped by several of the tables, keeping her mind focused on the counter ahead. Just as she was about to reach the counter, her right foreleg crossed in front of her left, causing her to trip over herself and land face first on the floor. She groaned, adjusting the Element before attempting to stand.
“Let me help you with that,” a gruff, leather-clad stallion said, reaching a hoof out and grasping Twilight's. The drunken mare felt herself being pulled up before the helping hoof suddenly halted. Twilight realized her cloak had flipped up and away from her flanks, where her cutie mark would be. “What's that?”
“W-what's what?” Twilight asked, seeing the stallion's puzzled face.
“That star... on your flank...” Twilight's pupils rapidly shrank as she felt some, panicked lucidity returning to her. I-it wore off already? In a panic, she wrenched her hoof away from the stallion, struggling to stand and straighten her cloak at the same time.
“What's happening!?” a griffon shouted from the other side of the bar as the stallion slowly started to step away from Twilight.
“I-It's...” the stallion stammered. “She’s got the demons’ brand!”
The bar instantly erupted into loud cries of fear and anger as they all rose from their chairs, Rarity included. She pushed through the now forming sea of creatures, running up to Twilight and standing in front of her as she tried to stand. From under the tables, came a multitude of weapons, most Twilight was unable to identify.
“It's j-just a birthmark!” Twilight stammered out as the crowd advanced undeterred. “Please, just listen to me—”
“Get them! They're out to curse us again!” one of them cried, running forward with her weapon raised in their mouth. Twilight scrambled to her hooves, getting out of the way just before the assailant swung down and her blade into the floor. Twilight pushed through the angry crowd, trying to find a way out as Rarity backed into the back wall. “Hold still!”
Twilight glanced to the front door, finding a pair of unicorns placing a seal that made it glow in a bright red light. She then took a quick look up to the counter, noticing that Ross had disappeared. Her attention was quickly brought back to the situation as a griffon rushed her with an iron bar, swinging it wildly. Twilight sprinted and stumbled between tables, narrowly avoiding the griffon's assault as another thrust down at her with a long sword. It scraped against her hide, leaving a long cut on her side as she shoved the griffon out of the way, knocking him over a table.
Rarity leapt behind the counters, magically tossing full bottles at the coming swarm, knocking them back into each other. Spirits drenched the mob, holding them off as some fell to the ground, stunned. Without thinking Twilight rushed into the crowd, keeping low to weave through as a rain of alcohol sprayed him.
“Don't let them through!” one of them shouted.
“Send ‘em back to their graves!” another roared.
Before Twilight could break out of the crowd, she was hit on the side of the head with a club, sending her crashing into the other members of the mob and down to the ground. Straining to keep her eyes open, she turned her head to Rarity, the mob closing in around her.
“Rarity!” Twilight cried out, watching her wildly fling bottles and glasses at the oncoming attackers. Twilight’s vision dimmed as she could only watch as the patrons surrounded her, their eyes gleaming with malicious intents. I have to... get us out... she thought before closing her eyes and concentrating all her magical energies into her horn. With the last bits of her strength she expelled the built up energy, but something was amiss. A sudden surge of power coursed through her body as the spell was cast forth, snapping her eyes open. Energy seemed to spill from her body and the world around her turned a brilliant white as she released the massive magic influx from her body. A loud ringing filled her ears, drowning out everything else, and suddenly her body felt weightless.
When the ringing stopped, everything was silent as Twilight sank down to the floor. The whiteness slowly faded, bringing the dingy bar back into focus. A soft purple light shone off those around her, giving them a strange, ethereal glow. Only the sounds of her beating heart and her heavy breaths filled the room. Confused, she slowly looked up from the floor, her mind strangely clear and her vision as sharp as ever. In a panic, she scooted back on the floor away from one of the patrons, seeing his body suspended, unmoving in the air as a mace was frozen mid-swing down towards her head.
What's happening? Twilight asked herself, slowly standing up. Her headache had disappeared, along with the swimming sensation and tunnel vision that plagued her just a few moments ago. She blinked a few times, trying to process whether or not what she saw was even possible.
Everyone and everything around her had completely stopped. The raging stallions, their varied weapons drawn and ready to strike, appeared as if statues to Twilight as she walked around them. Curious, she touched one with a hoof, unable to press into their skin as if they were made out of stone. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself as she noticed something moving on her back.
But before she could investigate, a sharp pain began to rise in her chest as she started to pant. Her horn was still glowing with magical energy, her body trembling from the surge that was flowing through it. She stumbled forward, straining to push the many people in her way to the side in order) to reach the bar and Rarity. With a quick swipe of her magic, she easily parted the group and cleared the path through the mob and sent them flying towards the walls, but she grew lightheaded from the strain.
Rarity was falling backwards off of the counter brandishing a bottle within a blue aura, ready to strike a stallion who was about to grab her. Twilight climbed up onto the counter, the pain in her chest becoming more intense as her energy began to wane. She grasped onto Rarity’s foreleg and pulled, but fell onto the ground as her body refused to move a single inch. She grabbed again, heaving and pulling until she collapsed once more. With no other option, she grit her teeth and enveloped Rarity in a bright purple light, carrying her frozen body over the counter and towards the left side of the bar. Twilight followed, her vision wavering as she held her friend, trying to think of a way out.
As she jumped down from the bar, she landed face first on the floor. Her body sprawled out as she struggled to stand, feeling something soft and warm drape along her sides. She turned her head up and noticed a small door on the side wall behind the bar. She concentrated on the door, forcing the door open with ease before her breathing grew labored and her legs wobbled as she moved. With one final push, she grabbed Rarity and bolted out through the door, skidding across the ground on her side as the cool night air caressed her tired body. She quickly closed the door behind her, then let go of everything as horn dimmed to a soft glow before extinguishing completely.
Rarity yelped as she suddenly found herself suspended in the air, hooves flailing as she crashed down into the snow, a bottle of wine crashing down beside her with a heavy thud. She scrambled around, investigating her surroundings then came to a sudden stop. After catching her breath, she sat down and put a hoof to her head. “W-what happened?” she asked, turning to Twilight. She let out a scream as she stumbled back, her eyes staring back at Twilight with a look of confusion and fear.
“What's wrong?” Twilight asked, taking the crown off from her head. The purple star on the top still pulsated with light, though dimly as it slowly faded. “I can't even begin to describe—”
“W-w-wings!” she hollered, pointing at Twilight. “Y-you have wings, Twilight!”
“I do?” Twilight asked, looking behind her. Attached to her back were two large ethereal wings, glowing purple with a shroud of mist coming off of them as if it were made from vapor. The glow bounced off the brick and limestone buildings, enveloping the alley in their haunting light. Her breath quickened as she ran her hoof through them, feeling the soft feathers before they dissolved at the touch. “H-how is that even possible?”
“Where'd they go?” the two heard from inside the bar.
Twilight quickly rose to her hooves and ran towards Rarity, watching as the wings behind her turned to smoke and faded away, leaving only the lights of the stars and moon to light their way. Without a word, they began to gallop. They galloped until the sounds of the mob’s yells and hollers had faded away and they found themselves on a small, lantern-lit road.
The sounds of the festival were distant as they stopped to catch their breaths. Twilight patted her back, finding no trace of the ephemeral wings left. She closed her eyes and slumped onto the ground, placing her hooves on her forehead. Her chest ceased throbbing as her body began to normalize, letting the snow on the ground and wall cool her body.
“What happened back there?” Rarity asked, pacing. “One second I was being overwhelmed by those brutes, the next I was outside in the snow. Did...” Her eyes lit up before she ran in front of Twilight, kneeling down to meet face to face. “Did the Element of Magic activate?”
“I think so,” Twilight answered, taking the crown out from her bag. The metal was warm as the barest pinpoint of light remained in the crystal star. “I don't remember being able to do that before.”
“But you’ve done that plenty of times, haven't you?” Rarity stepped away. “You just teleported us out, right?”
Twilight opened her eyes and explained everything that had happened in the bar, starting from when she had been struck by a club. Rarity listened intently, gasping at some of the things Twilight said. When Twilight was finished, Rarity slumped to the floor and grasped the Element of Generosity. “You stopped time? That's amazing!” Rarity exclaimed. “Imagine the possibilities!”
Suddenly, a lone mare opened the door to a building next to the two Equestrians, taking out a few hoof-painted signs that stood on the street near the door before lighting the small wrought-iron lanterns beside her.
“I almost collapsed from having to do it for only a few minutes. What could I possibly do if I can't stop it for long?” Twilight explained in a hushed tone.
“Hey! You still got another hour before the festival moves down here!” the middle-aged mare yelled. “You two drunk or something?”
“No, just lost,” Rarity replied. “Would you happen to know where an inn is located around here? We're new around these parts, and—”
“Yeah, I could tell. There's one just up the road, but the prices are going to be steep. You'd best watch yourselves,” the brunette mare answered, pointing north before heading back inside.
Rarity stood and helped Twilight to her hooves, dusting them both off. The sound of drunken revelry rose over the serene quiet as the lights that were strung between the light poles started to glow as if on cue.
“Let's find that inn first,” Rarity suggested, starting to walk down the road. “I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted.”
“Wait up,” Twilight exclaimed, catching up to her friend. “Did you hear what some of those ponies were saying in the bar?”
“Like what? I heard a lot of yelling and screaming, but that's about it.”
“One of them said to ‘put them back in their graves’...” Twilight mulled. “Do they mean the dead land?”
“The what land?” Rarity asked, turning to Twilight.
“When I talked to that blacksmith when we arrived, he said something about how the eternal winter started. He said it was a ‘punishment for the dead land.’ At first I thought it was just some strange myth, but I think that perhaps there’s something to it. After all, everypony thought Nightmare Moon was just a bunch of strange ramblings, right? Do you think he said that because he was close to that ‘stammering’ point?”
“I don’t think so... It sounds like it was just as bad as something a sober stallion would say if they saw us. That, or he passed that point and became an incoherent mess. What do you think that has to do with us?” Rarity asked as the sign for the inn swung in front of them on a metal pole above the door.
“I don't know yet. It must have to do with these ‘demons’ that they keep talking about out here.” Twilight pushed open the door and went inside; the atmosphere of the inn bore a striking resemblance to the one they had stayed in the night before. “We'll talk about it later.”
Rarity nodded before paying the three gold for the room. She grabbed the key then they went up the stairs to the upper floor and entered the dark, chilly room. They dropped their bags to the floor before Twilight lit the hearth, filling the room with much needed light and warmth.
“The Element of Magic could be a great help to us here,” Rarity said, fluffing the pillows. “Could you imagine? Maybe you could even turn back time! We would be able to find where Applejack went without missing a single minute!”
Twilight sighed. “Unless I can find a way to reroute the excess energy back into the Element, I’m basically a magical time bomb, Rarity.”
“Oh... well, I'm sure you'll figure out a way, darling." Rarity stripped herself of her cloak before climbing into bed, carefully inching her way into the sheets. "We need to get some rest.”
“I was going to take a look at that book before we did anything else. If I can rearrange the words, I could—”
“Tomorrow, Twilight. We still have to look for Applejack, remember?” Rarity said before closing her eyes. “Just try to get some sleep.”
“Don't worry about me,” Twilight said in an assuring tone, watching as Rarity nodded off. She grabbed the old text out from her backpack and set it carefully on the wooden floor. Magically, she turned the pages one at a time with cautious as to not rip the already aged book. The words were arranged in an unusual order, with outdated words and phrases littered throughout. Twilight grabbed a quill and ink from the nightstand and pulled out a parchment scroll. She began transcribing the words on the back of the scroll, hunting for what appeared at a quick glance to be important passages.
She worked until the crowd of drunken festival goers had descended like locust upon the quiet street, yelling and stammering as they did so. She worked until the quiet once more, burying her nose into the book, transcribing each sentence as well as she could. As the flames died down to but a bare flicker of light, Twilight held up the full parchment and began to piece them into something intelligible.
“Among the wooded groves and flower-laden fields, the ponies of the caste trotted down the silent road. The Ventian lord, draped in crimson silk, followed by a trolley of sharpened steel and magical parchment.
“To his side, a cloaked figure walked, standing upright and towering the rest. In his right, bore an ivory staff with his voice low and grave. His skin, peach, and long hair, gray. He walked beside the king.
“And they spoke of war.”
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I was looking through my mail box when suddenly a wild Hoennshy update email appeared! *insert record scratch sound here* WHAT?! It's updated! YAY! I need to get into the story again though. I remember something with Lady Gummy 2, a griffin empire, some very well secured city, a gyarados burning stuff down and steven as a pony. I'll see...
Dropped a "to"
I think you mean "couldn't"
Missed a quote
I think part of the sentence is missing
1887070
Fixed. Thanks for the catches.
Wow.. an update. Yet another great update to start the new year. It was another great chapter and I am loving where this story is going.
Also, I can't seem to copy and paste it for some reason (damn touchphone) but in the conversation with Ross he says the book is locked up until Grizzwald or his ancestors pay for their crimes against the crowd. I think you mean decendants and crown. The ancestor/decendant mixup is also in Ross' next paragraph.
Lovin the story. Keep it up.
1887183
Fixed! I guess I must've had a lapse in concentration when I was editing this.
1887220
By reading that comment, I'm assuming you don't have any editors... respect. I have barely seend any mistakes, big or small, in any of the chapters. it must be annoying to read over your own shit multiple times to edit it. You, my friend have a good eye. Just... respect.
1887273
I do have a main editor, Lam. Trust me, there are a ton of mistakes that have to be sifted through that he finds, and I'm sure those just sifted through the cracks during the final read. I wish I could find all or most of my mistakes, but I'm still quite new at writing.
1887289
well you should give him a shout at the end of the chapter or something. ya know just a lbig thanks to my editor, Lam" or something like that. Still, just having one editor (at least main), you guys have my props. Keep it up.
Glad to see this's story's back. I was wondering how long it'd take them to start trouble, and that was quite an epic scene!
Oh dear. Poor Applejack.
Dear sweet Luna...An update...
*Faints*
Still a great story and I'm happy to see it rollin' along!
Silver out!
Drunk twilight, check. Alicorn twilight, check. Time-bomb twilight, check. This fic has everything and begone! Keep it up!
Woah.anactualupdate. Onone of my first faanfics of a brony, what feels like years ago.. Props on keepung this great story going.
... Cancelled? WAI?!
1980804 I literally just noticed as well while trying to find another canceled fic in my favorites list. What madness is this?
1980837
It looks like it had a good run...
>Finds awesome fic
>Sees it's cancelled.
>Tries not to cry
1980846
N-no... NO! NO NO NO!!! W-why...
Everything i've come to expect from the fic, new chapter was absolutely marvelous
Wait... cancelled?! Why?!
Dude,WTF?
man I was enjoying this and now it will stop here forever we will never know the ending
...I am half tempted to ask permission to continue this myself...if I had any courage or skill of course.
2666052 why not i'm only 12 and i'm doing a portal 2 crossover
Cancelled? w-wat... why? T_T
It was fun while it lasted...
DAMMIT! Guess that's why I hadn't received any updates... I would appreciate if you could give some answers as to why this was cancelled. It was rolling so well!
3083418
I posted a blog about why the story was cancelled back in January. Unfortunately with continued responsibilities, other projects, and severely waning interest in the source material, the story's continuation is unlikely.
http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/113029/hoennshy-at-an-end
It's sad that this story was cancelled. While it probably won't be completed, I do hope that the author is doing well.
4953920
5012272 Yea I figured that out a while ago.
So I found this of E.D. years ago, read as much of it as could, loved it, then forgot about it. Then I remembered it, and decided to look for it here.
And I found that it was canceled.
Son of a-
*sighs*
Hoennenshy, you were one of my first loves when it comes to pony fics. I read you, cherished you, and now you are gone. I miss your uniue spin on Pokemon. Your writing and adventure. I miss it.
Sometimes, an author will come back to write it, other times it becomes abandonded. I am sorry this story was one of the latter. I will miss it. Heck, who knows...maybe I'll have a new feature on my show where I read unfinished fanfics and make up endings.
Bye Honnenshy
Everything I said in the above comment, I meant it and still do. I started reading this story when I had just got back into the whole fanfiction game, and when my old rules were being slowly discarded like trash. Nowadays, it is nothing for me to read something like this and come away feeling a little sad about the lost but excited at the same time. I may miss this story, but the things it gave me will last a lifetime. It was a part of this that helped to inspire the style of "Friendship is Eternal."
Everything about this fic was great, with the exception that I feel like Twilight is being too cowardly and Applejack felt like a hanger on at times. Everypony is wonderfully in character, the story moved at a great pace, and the revelations kept me coming back for more. There is no doubt in my mind that this story would've been one for the ages, had it finished.
Here is the video of the first chapter and let it serve as a fitting Eulogy for this awesome story.
Will anyone take this fic up