Unmarked

by Croswynd

Chapter 6: Frostbitten

Chapter 6: Frostbitten

“So we’re following somepony you just met last night?” Whisper asked in a flat tone, snow falling around them as Pensive lead their small group up a trail on the mountainside. The four ponies had been travelling the ridges and escarpments for the last few hours of the morning, the sun hidden behind the dark clouds looming over their heads. Yet, despite the rumbling curtain of snow above them, Novell felt free for the first time since he had hurt his wing.

He glanced to the side, where Whisper was flapping gently next to him above the cliff face they were striding upon. Past her, through the evergreen pines and conifers, the golden leaves of oak and elms painted a picture of absolute beauty, autumn showing itself off before the clutches of winter could clean the slate. His breath caught at the sight of the endless landscape laid out beneath him, the groves of forest near the mountains giving way to the flat plainlands of the valley. From this height, he felt he would be able to see Hoofington sprawled out in the middle, were it not for the trees blocking his sight.

A familiar euphoria filled the alabaster pegasus, the feeling of seeing the world below him causing his wings to stretch out momentarily. Despite his injury, only a twinge of pain ran through his wing as he opened it to its full extent, letting the cooling winds ruffle his feathers. It had been too long since he had been allowed to fly, the urge to jump off the cliff and soar through the sky hard to resist.

Shaking his mane to distract himself from the compulsion, Novell returned his attention to the ground in front of him, thinking on how to reply to the mare’s question as he tucked his wings back in. The hooves of the two unicorns in front of him left tracks in the snow - the pegasus had been making a game of stepping in Professor Search’s hoofprints as a result of having nothing better to do.

Novell nodded with exuberance as he followed the unicorns, both of whom were deep in discussion regarding life in the mountains and the species that resided there. He had tried to join in earlier, but they seemed like they didn’t even hear him.

Adding to his non-verbal confirmation, the pegasus added, “Yep.”

“A pony that snuck into your room...” the mare replied slowly, staring at him with narrowed eyes, the mollusk on her mane gazing with her in an unblinking expression, as if disinterested in everything.

“That’s correct, yes.”

“...can teleport and reappear without any noise...”

“Seems like it.”

“...and can talk to Yeti.”

“Well, I don’t know if talk is the right word. More like command,” Novell replied cheerfully, knowing the distinction would irritate the other pegasus. Her eyebrows drew down as she glared at him, butting her shoulder against his. The alabaster pegasus grinned cheekily in return, still high on euphoria from surviving his near-death encounter earlier.

“You’re annoying when you’re happy, Blankie.”

“Blankie?” he replied in askance, raising an eyebrow.

“Calling you blank flank is getting old. So, Blankie.”

He snorted at her logic. “You could just call me Novell, you know, my name. I call you by yours.”

Growling in her throat, the cream-soda coated pegasus performed a quick flip. Unfortunately, in her frustration, the mare managed to clip her wing against the side of the mountain, sending her body careening into a tree. Novell glanced at her unsympathetically as she shook her head and regained her wings, quickly catching up to their group. The mare alighted next to him, tucking her wings in close to her side with a bruise already appearing on her forehead.

“Don’t say a thing,” she hissed at him, rubbing her face with one hoof. Swirley’s shell went through a colorful transformation that seemed to be filled with disapproval at the pegasus’ actions, but Whisper couldn’t see it. Not for the first time, he wished he understood what the snail was saying. There was a slight niggling in his brain, as if he almost had it figured out, but it was ultimately lost on him.

Complying with her wishes, Novell turned back to examine the mountainous landscape around them. The rocks around them were covered in a thin sheen of snow, revealing their true color where the powder didn’t stick and contrasting nicely with the paleness. Green showed here and there on the rocky surfaces, the lichen and moss clinging resolutely to the granite despite the conditions. As he hopped lightly into another of the Professor’s hoofprints, he noticed the green of grass beneath the snow.

His stomach grumbled at the sight, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten anything since the eggs and asparagus that morning. Just thinking back to the aroma of the warm meal was enough to set his mouth to watering, regret filling his mind as he realized he wouldn’t be getting anything like that for lunch or dinner.

Before they had left the inn, Miss Hops had filled his saddlebags with a wide range of foodstuffs from her stores, as thanks for helping Chipper against the Yeti. Novell had, at first, refused her gifts, objecting that he hadn’t done anything but stand there and almost get eaten by the beast. The unicorn, however, was adamant, backed up by her husband and Professor Search’s logical advice that they were short on supplies. Running through the mountains, the research pony had said, was dangerous enough without adding starvation to the list of potential troubles.

So he had reluctantly accepted the gift, still feeling as if he hadn’t deserved it. The weight of his saddlebags was reassuringly heavy, both with the food and his mother’s thoughts. With a twinge, the pegasus realized he hadn’t thought about his parents in quite awhile. He once again looked out over the plainland, trying to spy Hoofington through the trees and wondered what they were doing right now.

The light touch of Whisper’s wing against his brought his attention back to where they were walking. The mare glared at him with slitted eyes at the contact, moving in front of him on the narrowing trail and snapping her nappy tail at his face. With a roll of his eyes, Novell brought up the rear of the small convoy, careful where he was putting his hooves on the icy rock ledge, Pensive in the lead and looking back every now and then to answer another of the Professor’s questions.

Not for the first time that day, the pegasus wondered why exactly the strange unicorn was helping them. He hadn’t questioned Pensive when he had the chance, as the others had distracted him before he could organize his thoughts, and now, with Professor Search plying him with questions, there was no way for Novell to ask.

Obviously, the teal pony knew his way around the mountainside. What little information the unicorn had revealed to him last night meshing with what he had said. Pensive was sure footed and seemed to be kind enough, if somewhat detached, but volunteering to be their guide was strange. Even with Celestia’s teachings, helping a pony you’ve only just met is unusual, especially to this degree, he ruminated as he picked up his hoof and placed it down carefully to avoid slipping.

There are always ulterior motives.

The random thought broke through the rest with a sharp clarity, his right ear twitching as he digested the words. Novell glanced up at the puffy tail in front of him, half white and half orange, furrowing his brows as he wondered what the mare was doing here. She could have flown off and left us to go to Cloudsdale at any time today, he thought suspiciously. Unless she’s just here to annoy me, which would be just like her.

The good mood he had built up that day fell into a brooding melancholy as they trotted up the mountain. The wind grew stiffer as they rose in elevation, the softly falling snow beginning to swirl around in harsh eddies. More than once, Novell was buffeted to the side, almost falling off of the cliff before catching himself. The other three seemed unaffected by the streams of air, Professor Search’s horn glowing with the same spell he had cast so long ago on another mountain. Whisper was trotting easily, her wings half open as she directed the wind around her unconsciously. Pensive, on the other hoof, seemed not to even notice the problem, walking steadily forward with nary a hint of magic to ward off the chilling breeze.

Grumbling under his breath at their disregard for his well being, the pegasus trudged on and tried to avoid being thrown off the mountainside. His mind wandered into the dark wellspring of frustration and simmering bitterness from the night before. No pony ever willingly interacted with him, aside from his parents and even then they looked at him with pity in their eyes. The kind words of his father were growing fuzzier in his mind while the disapproval and weary resignation grew stronger.

Suddenly, he stepped down on bare earth, devoid of all but a few flakes of snow - the sudden change in scenery broke him from his reverie. Novell shook his mane and looked around as they passed beneath a massive ledge of rock jutting out from the mountain’s side. When he glanced upward, his jaw dropped in awe, all his dreary thoughts washed away by the brilliant sight above. The rock above him was cratered in many places, as if a giant had smashed its fist into it from the bottom, but that wasn’t what drew his attention.

Glittering as if from some inner light, pale white crystals of varying sizes and shapes hung from the holes in the rock face, forming natural chandeliers. He heard Whisper and the Professor gasp as they realized what they were seeing.

Blinded by the sheer beauty of the beaming stones that almost outshone his own radiance, the hugely handsome unicorn sat down to take in the sight. The image of a dozen craters filled with jewels reminded the marvelously mustachioed pony of a certain adventure in the depths of Equestria’s cave system as he explored the spawning grounds of the giant eels looking to gather more knowledge in his already incredible base of...

“Field experience,” Novell muttered distractedly and not even bothering to admonish the unicorn for the run-on. His eyes were still riveted by the crystals above, which were almost as brilliant as the moon. With a start, he realized that was exactly what the craters were, some only halfway filled with crystals. They were designs of the moon as it waxed and waned!

“Professor!” the pegasus began excitedly, but Pensive beat him to it.

“Yes, those are the phases of the moon,” the unicorn said emotionlessly, seemingly unenamoured by the beauty above him and quickly changing the subject. “We shall rest here, so you things can gather your strength. There is still far to go before we reach the safety of the caves.”

“Phases of the moon, you say?” The Professor whispered with awe. “I wonder if this was done in homage to the Princess or if it is just a naturally occurring formation. There are stranger coincidences in the world, so I simply cannot rule the possibility out. Perhaps it is the work of some sentient being that roams the mountains, or the long forgotten relic of an ancient race of two legged monsters! Or perhaps it was just a prank by party ponies. Hmm, either way, this is a rare find!”

Novell ignored the rambling pony, instead stepping forward until he was directly under the crater that was completely full of the crystals. He stared up at it, entranced as the gentle swirl of pale, inner light becoming brighter. A flash whipped through his mind as he saw himself touch one of the crystals, the false moonlight dimming in response. A second later, one of the the stones lay in his hoof, still glowing brightly despite its siblings’ fate.

There was an anticipation stirring in the crystal, one Novell could feel deep in his chest as he stared at it. The light inside seemed to yawn open into endless space despite the small shape before resuming its steady glow. A name came to him, then, whispered on the breeze quite unlike the one that had assaulted him throughout the day.

“Oh, my. A moonstone,” Professor Search whispered in Novell’s ear.

The young pegasus jerked away in surprise, dropping the crystal to the ground. His heart hammered in his chest as he glared at the unicorn, his suspicions and dark mood returning with a vengeance. A whispering chill threaded its way through his mind, clouding his thoughts. Novell’s mouth moved, words spilling from his darkened imagination filled with bitterness tinging their tone.

“What do you want?”

The Professor furrowed his eyes at the reaction of the young pegasus, picking up the stone for himself. “I was simply describing the object you held. This is a moonstone, young Novell, a rare crystal I’ve only read about in the tomes in the Royal Library. Some ponies say it is a piece of Princess Luna’s tears, fallen to earth during her imprisonment on the moon. Others say it is simply a token of her favor upon a pony, a gift of clear thought and sweet dreams - a relic of her original purpose. Simply amazing, really. These other stones littering the ceiling seem to be similar, but they’re nothing more than a clever imitation from what I can see. I must say, I’m surprised you were able to find this among the copies. Here, it is yours.”

“I don’t want it,” Novell replied sharply, glaring at the Professor, who cocked his head in confusion.

“But you found it, la-.”

“I said I don’t want it!” he replied, grabbing the stone with one hoof. He reared back his foreleg, intending to cast the stone into the abyss when a calmness suffused him. The crystal quivered in his grip, his body becoming rigid and his mind flowing like a melting stream. Novell blinked in surprise, staring out at the snow swirling around above the emptiness. “I- what? What was I doing?”

“You were just about to chunk that piece of rock over the edge,” Whisper supplied from where she was feeding her snail bits of grass seeds. “Kind of being rude about it, too.”

Pensive said nothing, instead gazing across the wintry wastes from the edge of the cliff nearby. Even so, Novell felt a cold, querying thought wriggle through his mind from the unicorn. The pegasus shook his head and fell to his haunches away from the edge, staring at the crystal in his hooves.

“Is it the same as before?” Professor Search asked quietly, causing Novell to look up at him. He wondered what his friend was talking about before remembering their conversation in the clearing yesterday. The sensation of an icy claw digging through his memories and...something. After a few seconds of trying to pinpoint the feeling, he shrugged inwardly. The thought of not knowing didn’t bother him as much as it should have.

“Yes...” Novell began hesitatingly, “...and no, too. I felt cold, but this time it was stronger and...more shaded than before.”

The Professor lifted a hoof to his mustache and stroked it, gazing at him in contemplation. “Here, let me have the moonstone.”

Reluctantly, the pegasus handed the crystal to the unicorn. Suspicion clouded his mind as he looked at the pony staring back at him with a gleam of interest. The only thing he’s interested in me for is because I don’t have a cutie mark, he thought savagely as his eyes narrowed. Why else would he be bringing me to Canterlot? He’s probably going to experiment on me! How stupid can I be?

“Stay away from me,” Novell said, his eyes widening as he imagined the tortures he would experience. Tortures? he thought dimly before it was swept away in a tide of black dread. “I won’t let you hurt me!”

“Hurt you?” Professor Search replied, a frown appearing on his face. The pegasus felt a fierce glee at predicting the unicorn’s designs, his wings spreading with fright all the same. “Why would I hurt you?”

“Go away!”

“Novell, calm down,” The Professor said sharply, suddenly intense. His horn glowed and Novell felt his body immobilize. Panic gripped him, his mind howling as he tried to escape the unicorn’s magic, tears streaming down his muzzle as he fought futilely to escape.

Suddenly, a pale light appeared in his mind, breaking through the despair. His chest heaved as he looked around, suddenly feeling tired. Whisper looked at him with concern in her normally competitive face, her hair still disheveled and the bruise from earlier a small lump on her forehead. Pensive looked at him with furrowed brows, while Professor Search stood in front of him and held the moonstone against Novell’s chest.

“Keep this with you, my boy,” the grey unicorn said worriedly. “Something is interfering with your thoughts and the moonstone is the only thing that can keep you calm.”

Novell glanced down at the stone in his hoof and clutched it closer. “My thoughts? Is it some kind of spell?”

“Hmm. I do not know of any spells that could cause such fear and distrust in a pony - no pony would want to come up with such things,” The Professor replied slowly. The unicorn glanced over at the teal pony staring at them with an impassionate gaze. “Tell me, Pensive, have you encountered anything in these mountains with the ability to deceive a pony into seeing things that are not there? Perhaps a siren or other spirit?”

“There are many dangers in these mountains,” Pensive replied carefully. “But I have never had trouble before with such things. However, once we reach the caves, we will be safe. They are protected from the beasts that roam the-.”

The unicorn stopped with a pained expression on his face and raised a hoof to his horn, which was glowing slightly. Novell rushed forward without thinking, the crystal held out in front of him. Pensive drew in a sharp breath as the moonstone came in contact with his coat, eyes widening in surprise. Jerking back away from the stone, the unicorn started breathing heavily, confusion apparent in his expression - it was the first hint of genuine emotion that Novell had seen from the other pony.

“Are you okay?” the pale pegasus asked, reaching forward to press the crystal back against his friend’s body.

“I’m fine, Novell,” Pensive replied, shooing him away with one hoof and wincing as Novell pressed on despite his objections. A second later, the pegasus found himself unable to move for the second time that day. A field of pale gray surrounded him, the familiar color of the Professor’s magic evident.

“Enough, my boy. We don’t know how the moonstone will effect everypony and it doesn’t seem to be making our guide here very comfortable,” Professor Search admonished, setting him down.

“But you held it!” Novell objected, wondering why it would be hurting Pensive.

“As I said, everypony reacts to things differently,” the grey unicorn replied and sighed. “Well, I believe we should be going. It will be the dark soon, especially this far up in the mountains.”

“‘Bout time we get moving. I was getting bored, even if it was kinda funny to watch you go all loco in the coco,” Whisper put in, placing Swirley back on her mane and adjusting him until he was directly in the middle.

*****

With the crystal in his possession, Novell no longer suffered the dark thoughts he had been victim to the entire day. Unfortunately, the wind had still not abated - the constant danger of being thrown to the depths below was at the forefront of his mind. When he’d asked Whisper to do something about it, she’d looked at him like he was crazy.

“What in the hay d’ya think I’ve been doin’? There’s a whole bubble around us right now. I should know, since it’s kind of tiring moving entire breezes around a pocket of space.”

Novell looked around, widening his stance so he didn’t get caught off guard by another breeze. “Then why have I been getting blown around the whole time we’ve been moving up the mountain?”

“What do you mean?” Whisper asked suspiciously, just as another gust of wind hit Novell. His wings ruffled in the stream as he gritted his teeth and held onto the ground as much as his hooves would let him.

“That,” he replied with a grimace as it passed.

The orange mare looked absolutely bewildered. “That doesn’t make sense. There shouldn’t be a single stream of air anywhere near us.”

“Well, there is.”

“Get in front of me,” she ordered, pointing ahead. Professor Search and Pensive were still moving along the trail and disappearing around a corner. Novell complied, careful to keep close to the mountain wall. He looked over the side and then instantly regretted it, wishing intently that his wings were fully functional.

With the mare behind him, Novell felt a little bit better, which wasn’t a thought the pegasus had ever thought would cross his mind. However, since he’d been travelling with her, his opinion had changed to include more of her quirks. Despite her constant showboating, Whisper was dedicated once she started something.

The first step of friendship is trust.

His ears twitched in surprise as the words sprung up in his mind. Oh, great, not only am I in danger of falling off a cliff at any moment, but I’m also hearing voices. Even so, Novell had to admit that this new one was a better alternative to the one he’d heard throughout the day. Suddenly, he was blown over to the side, caught unprepared with his thoughts. He tripped over his hooves, falling down to the edge.

Before he could fall, another gust, stronger than the one that had hit him before, slammed into him from the right. The force of the breeze propped him back to his feet, but he fell to his knees from the shock still coursing through his system.

“Ha! Got it. Sneaky little breezes were getting through from the top. Didn’t expect that to happen, but nothing can get past me for long!” Whisper crowed cockily, coming up from behind him and offering a hoof. “You okay, Blankie?”

Novell stared at the hoof for a few seconds before grinning widely and accepting it. “Thanks to you, I am.”

As she pulled him up, a joy-filled smile appeared on her face as she closed her eyes. Then, as if realizing she was being too nice, she pushed him back down. Novell fell, surprised by her sudden reversal of moods.

“Heh, no wonder those little streams were pushing you over. Don’t worry ‘bout them anymore. I’ll keep them off of ya!”

With that, Whisper continued up the path, turning the corner and sticking her tongue out at him. Swirley swiftly went through a variety of colors and patterns, staring at Novell until he was no longer in sight almost disapprovingly. Frowning, the pegasus lifted himself up and followed, shaking his mane with a sigh.

Mares.

*****

As the Professor had said, darkness came quickly on the mountainside. Novell knew that had something to do with the fact that they were on the side not facing the sun. The clouds that gathered around the summit didn’t help, either. The pegasus looked up at the wispy clouds, their grumbling barely audible as they released the ever present snow. Though Whisper was able to keep the worst of the breezes away, the snow was still able to fall around them and coat the ground, making the rocky paths slick and dangerous to traverse.

Sighing with boredom, Novell quickened his pace. He passed by the mare and the grey unicorn, both of whom stared after him curiously. A few seconds later, he reached the pony he had been meaning to talk to all day. He trotted up beside him and gave Pensive a friendly smile.

“Seems like you’ve been avoiding me today,” Novell joked as they travelled up another set of stones that were arranged suspiciously like steps. They had to hop in order to travel up the large slabs of rock, which was difficult enough without the thin layer of ice on them.

Pensive looked at him from one step above Novell and cocked his head. “I have simply been busy speaking to the elder. Things here do not often ask questions of me as much as he. Admittedly, I may have been unintentionally avoiding you due to that.”

“It’s fine, I was just joking with you,” the pegasus replied as he stuck out his tongue in preparation for another hop. He landed on the next step beside the unicorn with ease, his stance wide enough to keep him from slipping. “He does talk a lot, but he’s the first pony to ever really talk to me outside my family and enjoy my company. Most ponies try to get away from me as fast as possible.”

“Because of our affliction?”

Hopping to the next step, Novell nodded. “I haven’t met anypony else with the same curse before you. You know how ponies act around us, I’m sure.”

“I confess that I have only just realized that things are wary of our blank flank,” Pensive replied with a thoughtful tone. “But chaos is never welcomed with open hooves, as I have noticed. Things enjoy their structured lives and preconceptions.”

“Mmm,” Novell said noncommittally. “You know, I never asked why you were helping us. Not that I’m ungrateful, by why are you guiding us through these mountains?”

Pensive hopped to the next stone before answering, making the action seem dignified rather than awkward like the leaps Novell was making. “There is no other way to the middle of Equestria, of course. No other thing knows these mountains as I do - were I not to guide you, you would no doubt try to scale them yourself, a dangerous feat even for a pegasus. Things such as you have that quality.”

“Quality?” the other pony blinked.

“The ability to envision a goal and not be deterred by obstacles,” he answered simply, sounding vaguely wistful as he offered a hoof to the pegasus. Novell took it, climbing up the shallow stone stair. “If I may, I have a question for you, as well, Novell.”

“I’ll answer it to the best of my ability,” he replied warmly, sticking his tongue out in concentration as he hopped to the next step. Thankfully, that was the last one for their current path, from what Novell could see. He glanced around at the swirling snow outside their small ‘bubble’ Whisper had created, the flakes softly falling inside it in a strange juxtaposition.

“Why is it that you do not have a cutie mark? You seem to be focused on your goal and at ease with yourself, even if you wish you were otherwise. I do not understand why you lack one.”

“That’s something I’ve asked myself a lot,” Novell answered honestly as he returned offered his own hoof to the teal unicorn. “I don’t know why I never got one in the first place, but now...now. I’m just so filled with the possibilities, I guess, it’s just hard to choose what I really want to do. And is it really a choice, or is it something we’re born with? I mean, what if I get stuck with something I don’t like? Everypony says they love what they do, but they’ve always found their talents when they were fillies or colts. I’m just...scared. Of everything.”

Pensive looked at him with an unreadable expression as they trotted alongside one another. “May I see the moonstone?”

“What?” Novell returned, confused by the sudden change of subject. “But didn’t it hurt you before?”

“Not as you would think. It would be more accurate to say that the effect was surprising and...different. I...wish to experience again. May I?”

“Okay.” He pulled the moonstone out from under his damaged wing where he’d stored it earlier and held it out to the other pony. The crystal trembled in his hoof as Pensive drew nearer. At first, the unicorn just stared at it, studying it with an unblinking gaze that Novell had come to associate with deep thought. Then, hesitantly, the unicorn lifted his hoof and pressed it against the moonstone. The pegasus twitched as the moonstone moved in between their hooves.

Pensive drew in a sharp, quiet breath at the contact. Novell made to draw his hoof back, but the unicorn shook his mane and stared at their hooves. A few seconds passed, the heat from his guide’s hoof surprising given the teal unicorn’s icy appearance. Suddenly a whisper without a tone swept through his mind.

Understanding another is the next step.

And then Novell fell into an expansive mind, his surroundings featureless except for the pale water rushing toward him. Instinctively, the pegasus opened his wings before he could tumble into the vast pool of water, already bracing himself against the pain he knew would come. With a great rush of air, Novell rose into the air without a single mote of agony assaulting him. He glanced back, his jaw dropping when he saw the massive feathers and gigantic wings more fit for an alicorn than himself.

His wings flapped of their own accord toward an unknown destination, despite his best efforts to alter his course. For lack of anything better to do, Novell examined his bare surroundings, seeing nothing but the perfectly smooth, white ocean beneath him. He looked up and his eyes widened for the second time since reaching this place.

Overhead, close enough that he could touch it if he flew twenty hooves higher, was the pitted surface of the moon. The massive celestial object took up the entire sky, deep shadows from the mountains on its surface at odds with the directionless light that suffused the entire area. Words not unlike Professor Search’s purple prose flew through his mind, not enough descriptions to explain the majesty he sailed under.

What seemed like both hours and seconds at once passed as he flew through empty space, his pace unwavering and his wings untiring. And then, almost as suddenly as he appeared hurtling through the air, he was standing on the water’s surface. Novell blinked as his wings folded into his body, their size seemingly at home on his body. The pegasus wondered at his perception before a sound caught his attention.

It was the scuff of a small hoof against the surface of the water, the owner of which was a small, teal unicorn. Novell couldn’t tell whether it was male or female, as the long, blue mane would look at home on either gender. But what drew his attention the most was a small, ethereal chain attached to one of the pony’s hind legs. Suddenly, as if appearing from nowhere, he noticed a gigantic pillar of ice connected to the chain, its peak almost but not quite touching the moon in the shape of a huge claw.

“I’m alone,” the small pony said, looking up at him from behind the solid-looking mane.

“I’m here with you,” Novell replied, his voice warmer and filled with more emotion than he had ever heard before. It reminded him of the Professor’s telepathic voice. “Why are you chained?”

The unicorn lowered its head and hid its face with the mane. “I can’t tell you. Things hurts when I tell things I’m not supposed to.”

“Then I won’t ask. I trust you.”

“You do? Why? Things are always suspicious.”

Novell thought about that for a few moments. “Because you are a friend.”

The small pony looked back up at him and stared, its mouth twitching at the edges. Suddenly it’s eyes opened wide, the blossoming smile falling to the wayside as a pained frown appeared. To his horror, the chain materialized into solidity and pulled the little unicorn into the pillar with a squeak of fright.

“Thank you, Novell,” Pensive’s voice said sadly, from everywhere at once. Novell looked around as the scene faded away, the whiteness transforming into snowflakes that fluttered around his eyes. He blinked and found himself back at the ledge, the moonstone in his hoof and the unicorn across from him staring out at the mountains. “We’re here.”

“Uhm,” Novell replied, almost asking what had just happened before he remembered his promise. He put the crystal back in his wings and joined the pony at the edge, glad the journey up the mountain was finally over. His legs had been killing him for the last hour. “You’re...welcome.”

“I felt like I could think clearly for the first time, like my thoughts were my own,” Pensive rambled on, suddenly frowning and a tear appearing in his eye, as if trying to explain something in a hurry. “I was my own self with my own decisions. I’m- I-.”

The pegasus’s eyes widened as the unicorn’s horn glowed blue, Novell’s muscles no longer under his control. Pensive’s eyes widened in surprise at the magic, seemingly in pain. Novell’s body turned around stiffly, where Whisper and Professor Search were just beginning to crest the stone stairway. He wanted to call out, but he felt his face lift into a smile instead, the Professor grinning back.

“Bracing walk, eh? I can’t remember the last time I climbed a mountain like this. It must have been when I was exploring the Eyries of the Gryphons. Such a fascinating race of creatures, but their homes were quite difficult to reach. I lost quite a bit of weight on that trip. Did you know that gryphons eat meat as well as nuts and berries? It was quite shocking to see it for myself, but- say, what’s-.”

Suddenly, the Professor stood stock still as he was surrounded by a field of blue magic, frozen with a shocked expression on his face. The horn on his head glowed faintly against the ethereal outline, as if the unicorn were trying to fight against the trap. A second later, a thin film of ice rose from the Professor’s legs up, reaching and covering the unicorn’s head almost immediately after. Novell’s mind shouted out in horror as his friend’s fate, frantically railing against the magic holding his body in place.

Whisper, after watching the Professor turn into an ice cube, fell into an attacking stance and snorted, with Swirley running through an alarmed variation of his normal relaxed color changes. Her eyes were livid with anger, the mare flapped, causing the bubble around their party to instantly dispel. Wind screamed into the space with a whirlwind of vengeance at being kept at bay for so long. Icy shards pelted the ponies in the immediate area, but Pensive seemed unaffected by the maelstrom of snow, for the field around Novell’s body remained in place.

Screaming, the orange mare rocketed toward Novell, catching him in the chest and rolling together with him over the edge of the cliff. Her wings spread open as they fell, rising quickly despite the cargo she was carrying. He looked into Whisper’s panicked eyes as their descent halted completely, the mare torn away from him by an invisible thread. Slowly, a blue line coalesced around her, trapping her wings to her side. She closed her eyes and wiggled, but try as she did, she couldn’t free herself from the clinging magic. She can’t fly!

“Novell,” she said in shock, staring at him as she realized she was helpless with no hope of rescue. Atop her head, Swirley’s shell bleached of all color, his eyes open wide for the first time Novell had ever seen. Then the field around him pulled him away from her, back to the ledge. He watched, unable to move or speak, as the mare fell into the snowy fog that surrounded the mountain, the storm grumbling with triumph as she disappeared. Novell’s breath came in quick gasps as he struggled mightily against his bonds. I have to save her, she can’t be- she’s not!

“Whisper!” he yelled in agony, breaking free from the magic momentarily with a surge of heat from beneath his wing. Pain filled him, both of the loss and from the burning sensation of the moonstone as the magic returned, stronger than before. It coursed through him, eating up his thoughts as they descended into regret and self recriminations. I have to save her!

We can’t have that, my little pony, a chilling voice whispered in glee.

And then the world turned white.

Comments

[Elmoz]

Wow, what an interesting turn of events. I still have no idea whats going on. But way to go and kill the mare. OR DID YOU?

[gbbrony]

wow, didn't see that coming.
loving the story so far, I think I have something in my eyes