//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: Fallout // Story: Hoennshy // by Fenix //------------------------------// With a flash, a white, slender alicorn appeared in front of the royal archive’s doors. She looked at the walls with disdain; the unpainted and unlit stone crumbled in disrepair. They showed their age quite visibly. The floor was still the dull grey stone she remembered from a thousand years ago. “I can’t believe she hasn’t finished this yet,” she muttered to herself. She channeled energy through her horn, and swung open the two doors with ease. The inside was nearly black with only a light glow emanating from the center of the room. With a yawn, she entered the room and lit every torch simultaneously, illuminating every inch of the library. She spread her wings and flew above the expansive maze of bookshelves. After scanning the room, she spotted a figure in the center, slumped over in slumber. “I knew she’d be here.” With a flutter, the alicorn landed in front of the desk, looking straight at the drooling princess. “Luna,” she called, springing the princess out of her sleep. “—wha? Who?” Luna stammered as her mind adjusted to the waking world. She looked up at the smaller alicorn as she shuffled all the books off the desk, “Oh, hey Celess.” “Down here again, huh?” Celestia started, glancing at the dusty rows of texts, “I thought you were going to start sitting on the throne and listening to your subjects. Not everypony is asleep during the night you know.” Luna huffed. “Did you come down here just to scold me?” “Of course not, I’m just looking out what’s best for you. It’s already been a year since you’ve come back, and you act as if nothing has changed.” Celestia put her hoof on her sister’s shoulder. “There are those who need your guidance at night.” “...just give me some time, alright? I still have a millennia of history to catch up on.” “I understand that. Now, I did come down here for a reason. My pupil gave me a letter three days ago requesting access to the archives. The walk from Ponyville to Canterlot is less than a day, and I haven’t heard from her since,” she took her hoof off and stood back on all fours. “Do you know if she came by?” Luna shuffled in her seat and slid her gaze from her interrogator. “Uh, yeah. She came down the day before looking for some book. Didn’t stay for long.” Celestia glared at her. Luna had never been good at playing large matters off, and it seemed that her banishment hadn’t helped that. “What did she get? Why was I not informed of this?” Luna looked down at her pile of books. Her sister watched as the young alicorn struggled to hide her guilt. Celestia’s curiosity was peaked, but a cloud of anxiety hung in the air. “She was trying to find a spell from Arcan... but there was a problem.” “A problem?” Celestia paced back and forth, glancing at Luna’s scattered texts. “Yes,” Luna took a deep breath. “Do you remember the book we received from him after the old castle was built?” “Of course. Why, what happened to it?” “Well, the preface and counter-spells were torn out of the book.” Her teal eyes burned through Celestia as she spoke. “Maybe the pages fell out. That is an old book after all.” Celestia suggested, staring back at her sister. “You’re smarter than that, sis,” Luna argued. “There are tear marks and remnants of the pages still in the spine. Even if the epoxy did fail, they would have been in the book. This happened while you were in charge; you didn’t touch this place while I was imprisoned, did you?” “Do not talk to your big sister like that,” Celestia scolded. “I just want to know what happened. Where is Twilight Sparkle?” “She...” Luna’s eyes darted to the side. “She’s on her way to Mistral City.” Celestia froze. “Why is she going there? Where did she get that idea?” She started pacing as the solar wind in her hair subsided. “Twilight told me that she performed a deviation that sent one of her friends to another realm of space-time. The only book we have that had the counter-spell had the pages ripped out, and I know that one complete version lies in Mistral.” Celestia closed her eyes and sharply inhaled. “You told her to go? Luna, you of all ponies should know what Mistral City is like. Now the Element of Magic is missing from Equestria, and my student is running head first into the dragons’ den.” Her pacing hastened. The clopping of her hooves echoed through the library, making the room feel hollow and lifeless. “She’s only a young mare! She’s completely unprepared for this kind of excursion!” A small pool of tears rested in the goddess’ eyes as her mind buzzed with fear. “Things could kill her out there! Why didn’t she come talk to me first!?” “I didn’t know what else to tell her! She was pulling her mane out because of this. I brought her and her friends their element necklaces, so they should be fine.” Her body shook as she spoke. “If they could defeat me when I was Nightmare Moon, then they should be able to wipe the floor with any of the low-life scum there.” “You misunderstand—” she stopped and looked inquisitively at her sister. “Her friends? You mean more than one element left Equestria without my knowledge?” She buried her face into her hoof. “Why was I not told this?” “You’ve been busy over the past few days, and I didn’t want to disturb you,” Luna said, her face flushing with shame. “That’s probably why Twilight didn’t talk to you the day they left.” “When did they leave?” Celestia placed her hooves on the desk and stared at her sister. She never liked pressing answers out of ponies, but Luna was stalling. “Twilight is more important to me than any business I could possibly have. When did she leave?” “T-two mornings ago.” Luna squeaked. “I’m so sorry, Celess. I haven’t had much practice dealing with other ponies in the last millennia... so... I must have misjudged the weight of this.” Celestia turned away from Luna and headed into the maze of bookshelves. “I have to raise the sun in less than an hour. When I do, you are to join me in the conference hall.” She turned to the distraught alicorn. “I need you to write a letter to Twilight’s assistant in Ponyville. If anyone knows the whole story, it will be him.” Celestia’s horn glowed with a brilliant white light. “If anything happens to Twilight or any of her friends, I will not hesitate to raise the banners.” With that, she left in a burst of light, leaving Luna alone in the dusty archive. Eww, what was I doing in somepony else’s bed!?” Rarity yelled, the noise knocking Twilight from her trance. The white unicorn jumped from the bed and backed away with panic in her face. She then lowered her head in embarrassment as Applejack turned over and grumbled in her sleep. “Oh, sorry about that. I didn’t know where I was for a moment.” “It’s alright, I’m just glad you’re awake,” Twilight yawned as she got to her hooves. Night had long since fallen as she kept an eye on Rarity. Applejack and Zipporah had gone to sleep hours ago as Twilight kept watch. She was exhausted, but she was too excited about Rarity’s waking to care. “Twilight, I’m so sorry about what happened today. I wish I was better at defending myself, but I just made things worse by passing out at such a pivotal moment.” Rarity checked her body for injuries and tried managing her ruffled coat. “You don’t remember what happened in the battle?” Twilight asked as she wiped her bloodshot eyes, forcing herself to keep them open. “Of course I do, I just told you. Really Twilight, you must listen more,” Rarity scoffed. “Tell me everything you remember,” Twilight said as she approached Rarity. She glanced at her friend’s body, circling her to check on her wounds. “Fine, if I must. I swung my weapon around gracefully as I left the store and backed into the phalanx of ponies. I thought I was fine, but after fending a few off one flew right into the group and struck me in the side, tossing me on the ground. My sword lay right in front of me, just out of reach, and a brutish griffon landed on top of it. Before I could react, I passed out, then woke up just a minute ago.” Rarity looked out the window at the coming dawn. “I wish I could have been a better help.” After making her round, Twilight looked up at Rarity’s eyes. “I know you don’t remember this, but you were the one who took down all the griffons.” Rarity looked dumbfounded, then began snickering. “Twilight, you don’t have to try making me feel better. I think I would remember such a powerful display if it happened.” Twilight lifted Rarity’s necklace from the floor and showed it to her. “When you were about to be struck by a griffon, your necklace activated. You took needles from your bag, thrust them into the base of their wings and immobilized them.” Rarity stared at Twilight with her mouth hung open.  “Maybe you forgot because of stress.” Rarity paced, her legs hobbling lightly as she walked. “I really did that?” She stumbled  into Twilight, wrapping her hooves around the purple unicorn. “I’m sorry, I was so frightened.” Twilight lay in Rarity’s embrace, baffled. She lightly pushed her away and held onto her shoulders. “It’s alright, you’re fine now.” She took her hooves off her friend and watched as Rarity folded the sheets on the bed with her magic. “I know. I’m sorry for that outburst,” Rarity said as she let go of Twilight. “I’m just not thinking straight at the moment.” A quiet lull filled the air as Rarity’s horn ceased to glow. The two unicorns glanced around, trying to come up with words after Rarity’s scene. Twilight’s eye-lids grew heavy again as the bed beckoned her. As she slowly approached the warm, soft, feather filled mattress, she heard murmurs from outside. Wanting to ignore them, she inched closer to the inviting bed, but the whispers only grew louder, prompting Twilight to turn her head towards the window. The sun still had not yet risen as she looked down at the ground in front of the store. Amidst the blue-gray haze, ponies stood in a crowd. Forty, no, fifty of them at minimum were huddled together. “Twilight? What are you looking at?” Twilight turned to Rarity with her eyes half-closed as Rarity placed the choker around her neck. “There are some ponies gathered outside. I’m going down to see what they want.” She broke eye-contact with Rarity and trotted silently down the stairs, hoping not to wake Zipporah who lay behind the store counter. With a flick of unicorn magic, she slowly opened the doors. Noise of the rabble filled the room as Twilight poked her head out the door; her eyes meeting with several ponies. “Um, hello? Could I help you with something?” The group fell dead silent as the last stragglers looked over at Twilight. She gulped and opened the door fully. “What are all of you doing in front of the store? Does Zipporah really open this early?” “Zipporah?” A grey-blue pegasus asked. “Never heard of her.” “Then why are you standing in front of her shop? Are you new in town?” For as small a town as Wheatown was, she never guessed that it garnered this much attention. She didn’t like what she saw. As she waited, several ponies hollered to her and continued their rambling. “No ma’am, we just heard a rumor that there are Equestrians here,” a dull yellow colored earth pony explained. Twilight huffed out a nervous laugh and stared at the crowd. They grew louder and more distracted as Twilight laughed, making them unaware of her creeping back inside the store. Once the door closed, she rushed up the spiral staircase. When she reached the top, she stomped on the floor, causing Rarity to glance over at full attention. Out of breath, Twilight began, “We have a problem. A huge problem.” “What is it, Twilight?” Rarity asked. “There’s a large group of ponies outside saying they heard rumors of Equestrians here! How did they find out about us so quickly?” Rarity stopped pacing. “So a couple ponies know about us, what’s the problem? Did you even ask them how they heard of us.” “Well... no, but don’t you remember what Zipporah said? She talked about two ‘unkillable demons’ and how ponies from Mistral City talk badly about Equestria. Ventia isn’t far from here, they might find us before we even reach the city.“ Twilight explained as she grabbed and unfurled her map. “How many could there be? We’re in a small town in the middle of nowhere.” “Forty, or fifty; I lost count.” Rarity stepped back, then looked out the window at the mass of ponies. “Well, that is more of a problem than I thought,” Rarity exclaimed. She rushed over to Applejack, shaking her to get her up, “Applejack, get up. We have a situation, and we need to leave.” With a grunt and several thrown expletives, Applejack got off from her blanket and rubbed her eyes. “What’s goin’ on?” She looked out the window with a puzzled look. “It’s only the crack of dawn, what’s the rush?” “What are we going to do? We can’t just waltz out the front door with our cutie marks showing.” Rarity asked as she looked out the window to the north. “Is there a back door?” “Will somepony please explain what’s happenin’?” Applejack demanded as she packed up her blanket. “There’s a huge crowd of ponies outside talking about rumors of Equestirans. We need to leave before they cause any problems,” Twilight explained before turning to Rarity. “We’ll have to ask Zipporah about the door. Applejack, did you pick up those supplies I asked for?” “Yep! I got some food, and blankets, and cloaks like you asked for. I figured anything else like fire starters would be better set up with magic. Lightens the load a bit.” She patted her saddle bags which bulged from the massive amount of supplies. “Good, take out the cloaks. I thought we could save them for the mountains, but we need them to stay hidden.” Twilight said as she grabbed her saddlebags. “Wait, mountains? Who told you about mountains?” Rarity asked. “The Drakiris Mountains. They appear on the map on the border of the outlands and Ventia. Those griffons we fought live there according to Zipporah, so we have to be careful.” “Anything else you want to tell us before we rush out there?” Applejack quipped. “I think she mentioned something about extended seasons as well. It’s been locked in winter for ages apparently.” Twilight placed her bags on her back and took a cloak that Applejack tossed on the floor. “It might have something to do with how time and space works there, but I’m not sure.” She paused and motioned to the stairs “We should probably get going before the crowd gets any bigger.” As the first rays of the sun cast through the windows, the crowd became louder and rambunctious. The three donned their russet, woven cloaks and swiftly made their way down the stairs. Along the back wall were crates covered in blankets and flasks of unknown liquids. Rarity and Applejack shuffled around the mess, reaching the back wall. “You two search for an exit, I’ll talk to Zipporah.” Twilight commanded, leaving the two ponies to their work as Twilight strode over to the still sleeping shopkeeper. “Zipporah, wake up. We need a way out of here through the back.” Twilight asked, pushing against Zipporah, attempting to wake her. The earth pony stirred in her sleep, then violently sat up with her eyes wide open. “What is it?” she asked, looking at Twilight, then over to the source of aggravating noises that pierced the shop walls. “There are ponies outside looking for us. Somehow they found out there were Equestrians here. We need a way out without being seen.” Twilight explained, looking over to her friends who continued their assault on the back wall. “Is that what that noise is? You ponies are nothin’ but trouble,” Zipporah complained as she hauled several crates away, clearing a path between two red, gold stitched banners. There was a black, iron door knob sticking out from the wall. “There’s a back door, but it’s been years since it’s been used. May need a bit of work get through.” When she reached the wall, she slammed her shoulder into the wall, causing a part to bow out. She held onto the doorknob and shook it, trying to force the door open. “Open you infernal door!” Zipporah cursed as she shook the door harder. “How could we have missed that?” Rarity quipped as Zipporah began slamming her shoulder into the door. With one final hit, the door cracked and swung open. Twilight looked outside, seeing only empty grassland. “The back of the store is clear, we have to go.” She stepped aside, allowing Rarity and Applejack through as she turned to Zipporah. “How did those ponies find out about us? Did you tell anyone?” “I didn’t say a word, but perhaps your ‘cutie marks’ gave you away. All you can do now is stay hidden and avoid Ventian eyes at all costs.” She shoved Twilight out the door and grabbed the knob. “Go, there’s nothing left here for you.” “Thank you for everything!” Twilight yelled as the door closed swiftly behind her. Her heart raced as she entered the grasslands, escaping the feverish horde. Rarity and Applejack lay ahead, waiting for her to catch up. While she ran, Twilight could still hear the distant cries of the crowd as she turned towards the Drakiris. The path ahead was shrouded in a deep fog, making it hard to see the main road.  Twilight lowered the hood of her cloak, letting the open air muss her hair about. The rising sun dully lit the trail as they made their way through the dense fog. They walked alongside the trail, trying to keep away from prying eyes so close to town. Rarity retrieved a few apples from her bag and handed them to Twilight and Applejack. “Here, eat up. I have a feeling we won’t be going into towns any time soon,” Rarity said before biting into an apple herself. Twilight took a bite, trying to calm herself. She relished the apple’s sweet taste after her long night. As the three made their way through the tall grass, Twilight’s fatigue began creeping back up on her. Her eye-lids drooped, and her trot wobbled as she forced her attention ahead. Her body ached as she moved; the lack of sleep and energy made it hard for her to think straight. She looked over to Applejack who looked as if she was talking, but no words came from her mouth. Quickly, she glanced to Rarity who nodded and responded to Applejack in kind with silence. She couldn’t tell what was happening, but made a mental note of the loud buzzing sound that danced between her ears. After only a few more steps, she fell face first into the grass, digging up a chunk with her mouth. Applejack bent down to pick Twilight up, but her body resisted. The ground felt like a puffy cloud that called for her to lie on. Applejack hoisted Twilight up and looked at her with a concerned look. “Are ya’ alright?” Applejack asked. Twilight was happy that the earth pony’s voice was able to pierce the constant noise, and she had to answer in earnest. “Well, I didn’t get any sleep last night. I was up watching Rarity’s condition.” She blinked furiously, trying desperately to keep her eyes open. “I think I need some rest. The stress must be getting to me.” “If you don’t mind sleeping in the grass, we could always stop off the road.” Rarity swept her hoof, showcasing the lack of ponies and visible path. “It’s not ideal, but you need your rest. You look just awful right now.” “Thanks, I know.” Twilight responded as her two friends lifted her by her forelegs and carried her to a small patch of tall grass. The thicket was just tall enough for them to not be seen as Twilight dozed. They let her down easy and stood beside her. “We’ll stay here and watch for anypony, or anything coming. We won’t let anyone know we’re here,” Rarity said as she set down her saddlebags and took out a small blanket. “You might need this. This fog will make the air chilly if we stay here too long.” “Thanks...” Twilight yawned as the warm, fleece blanket draped over her. The grass was still wet with dew, but was soft and comfortable; perfect enough for her. With a tired smile, Twilight closed her eyes and let the smell of the dewy grass lull her to sleep. A warm breeze gently brushed passed Twilight as she lay upon the observatory. She surrounded herself with books for the evening, everything from The Egghead’s Guide to Astronomy to The Advanced, Illuminating Guide to Theoretical Space-Time Anomalies. After a long day of spending the day at Rarity’s, she was ready to snuggle into her blanket and absorb herself in books for the rest of the day. As words flew by, she heard some banter from below the balcony. She shook her head and continued her assault, but it grew louder and more grating. Although the sounds came from happy, exuberant ponies, Twilight preferred the sound of silence as she read. With one last yell boring through her ears, she slammed her book closed and leaned over the balcony. All five of her friends were standing below surrounding Rainbow Dash. They stopped talking and looked up at her.          “Hey Twilight, come down here for a minute! I have something I want to show you girls,” Rainbow called out.          “I’ll be right down,” Twilight yelled back. She stepped away from the balcony ledge and teleported down to the base of the tree. Rainbow stood there with her head held high, making Pinkie giggle. “So, what do you want to show us?”          “I’d like to know as well. I was just in the middle of doing measurements for a client when you ripped me away from my work.” Rarity complained.          “Now, there’s a good reason. I’ve just mastered an insanely tricky maneuver that I’m going to use for the Equestrian Flying Nationals in two weeks. I need to get you girls excited for when I perform.” Rainbow boasted as she lifted herself off from the ground.          “Let’s see it! If it’s as spectacular as the Sonic Rainboom, you’re sure to win the competition! Ooo, ooo, I want to see it.” Pinkie exclaimed.          Rainbow nodded. “Alright, here I go!” With that, Rainbow launched into the air with blinding speed. Twilight watched as Rainbow banked around a large, puffy cloud, ripping through the outside, turning it to a veil of mist. As she made another turn, she flew through the droplets of water that in turn followed the pewter blue pegasus through the open sky. Twilight was in awe of her friend’s flying ability, but something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. A brown mass tore through the sky, headed in Rainbow’s direction. She looked down at her friends, but none of them seemed to be reacting. With a pained look, she glanced back up just in time to see the brown object to strike Rainbow with terrible force, sending the pegasus plummeting. Twilight brought her hoof to her mouth in horror, “Rainbow Dash!” Twilight yelled. Rainbow fell to the earth as Twilight heard horrible screeching coming from the east.          Twilight gasped as the creature swooped down in pursuit of the fallen pegasus. Reluctantly, she tore her eyes from the scene to see a mass of griffons flying through Ponyville. Fluttershy screamed and flew away while Applejack and Pinkie stood their ground. A griffon whizzed past Twilight and grabbed Fluttershy, attempting to lift her from the ground as she kicked and screamed. Without hesitation, she ran at a full gallop, charging a spell to save her friend, but she heard a terrible scream behind her. She froze, and turned around, seeing both Applejack and Pinkie on the ground with two griffons standing on their bodies. Shaking, she brought her hoof to her mouth, shrieking audible sobs as the griffons tore into their bodies. Before she could run, she caught the sight Rainbow crashing into the earth as a tawny griffon swooped in, dragging the pegasus away. She tore her eyes away as Rainbow’s lifeless body was left hanging in the griffon’s talons. Twilight slowly backed away, unsure of what to do. Rarity was gone, and as she turned back to Fluttershy who was nowhere to be found. Her lower lip quivered and her sobbing grew louder as she looked for a place to hide. Her mind went blank in blinding fear as she looked. Her ears drooped as she turned back, the sight of crimson blood pooling around her earth pony friends burned into her weeping eyes. She forced her eyes shut and ran, tears streaming down her face. She had to run. Keep herself safe. She opened her eyes and saw an open wooden shed. Frantically, she stormed through Ponyville, but before she could reach the shed, a loud screech pursued her. She turned her head in panic, and encompassing her vision was a pair terrible ink black wings and the piercing, ice-blue eyes of a large griffon. It screamed straight for her with its sharp claws about to seize her neck. Twilight screamed as she woke. Her breathing was heavy, labored and stuttered as her mind adjusted to consciousness. Her body flopped down from a short jump as she felt her body sway back and forth. She was arched belly down on something small and round. Her gaze drifted to the ground, and she noticed rocks and debris moving to her left as she swayed; she was moving. She quickly looked around, noticing the brown, stitched cloaks of her friends and a unicorn with long, purple locks of hair looking at her. “R-Rarity? Why are we moving?” “Twilight, you’re awake!” Applejack exclaimed as she turned off the road. “What was the scream all about? Had a bad dream?” “You could say that,” Twilight confirmed as she rolled off of Applejack’s back and stretched. “So, why did you start moving?” “Well, you were taking so long with your nap that Applejack just lifted you up and carried you on her back. I don’t know how you slept for so long with all that dreadful rocking,” Rarity said as she brushed off Twilight’s cloak. “How long would that be?” Twilight looked at the sun’s position, trying to figure it out before one of them had the chance to respond. The sun was still quite low in the sky, just reaching a low-lying line of clouds. “A day,” Applejack stated as Twilight’s steps stuttered in shock. “You must’ve been exhausted to have slept so soundly for that long. I didn’t see you move around at all. I just decided to carry you so we could get to Ventia quicker. We don’t have time to muck around.”          “I see,” Twilight said as she fluffed her cloak. “Anything notice us while I was asleep?” “Well, somepony did ask us about our cloaks. I simply told them we were merely travelers,” Rarity said. “I want to keep our stories consistent for when we get into Mistral City. Other than that, nothing bothered us. I’m not sure how with these cloaks on and you on Applejack’s back, but we seem to be traveling at a good pace.” She lifted a few apples out from her bag and handed them to Twilight. “There are mountains just up ahead. We think it may be the Drakiris.” “Looks like it.” Twilight turned and looked over to the horizon, taking notice of the dagger shaped mountains shrouded in a blue veil. Snow smothered over half the mountains, almost confirming Zipporah’s claim of an extended winter. The outlands were baked in the heat of the summer sun while the mountains were chilled with a snap of cold winds. “I think we could reach the base before nightfall if we move quick enough.” Twilight yawned again, and motioned her friends forward. “Let’s get moving.”          Twilight watched several motorized carts drive by. The three stayed silent as they went down the road, minding their words as they walked. Twilight’s thoughts drifted towards her short, but visceral nightmare. Everything in the dream felt real; normally her dreams felt abstract and fake. She went over it several times, trying to piece together every scene and detail. As she mulled it over, she let her eyes wander. The silence between the three was overbearing, and the sound of wind rustling grass acted simply as white noise. With no notice, the conversation she had with Pinkie and Fluttershy flashed through her mind. She never did tell Applejack nor Rarity about how their missing friends were. “Listen, I forgot to mention that I was contacted by Pinkie and Fluttershy the night before,” she said with glee. “Oh? Well, what did they say?” Rarity asked. “It would’ve been nice to know about this conversation sooner.” “I know, but it slipped my mind as things got hectic,” Twilight explained. “Pinkie said that she found Fluttershy within the day that they landed. Apparently they weren’t too far off from each other.” “Well that’s good. They aren’t in any danger, right?” Applejack asked. “I don’t believe so, but Pinkie mentioned something akin to animal fighting being a large event there. Fluttershy didn’t seem too worried about it, and that worries me.” “It’s not anythin’ too dangerous it sounds like,” Applejack said before she took a bite of an apple that she got out from her bag. “Yeah, I thought Fluttershy would be a little bit more—” Twilight stopped speaking as she looked up at the sky near the mountains’ peak. There, peaking out from the back of a grey cloud, was the moon in broad daylight, something never seen on Equestrian soil. She glanced over at the still rising sun and judged the angle of the sunlight, making sure what she was seeing wasn’t an illusion. “Uh, Twi? What’re you lookin’ at?” Applejack prodded, knocking Twilight’s train of thought off-track. “Look up at the mountains. Does anything look off to you?” Twilight pointed at the low hanging moon. Only the bottom half fully showed as the top obscured and faded into the morning sky. “Well, the peaks are a little uneven. They could use a little maintenance as well, maybe get rid of some of that snow,” Rarity suggested. “I don’t see anythin’ out of the ordinary, Twi. What should I be looking for?” “No, don’t look at the mountains, look above them. Look to the west; there’s something very wrong going on here.” Almost instantly, both Rarity and Applejack saw the issue. They looked at each other, then Applejack scratched her head. “What’s the moon still doin’ up at this time a day?” “I don’t know. Luna should’ve lowered it by now, but the sun is over taking it by itself. If Celestia can do that, how was Luna able to stop the sun from rising a thousand years ago?” Twilight lowered her head in thought. “Maybe it doesn’t work like that out here. We certainly don’t have griffons attacking us back home.” “This land is so confusing! Why was I able to find nothing about outside of Equestria in any of my books? You would think that there is something on the subject!” Twilight ranted as she whipped out the map. “Maybe if there’s a town large enough they may have a library. I want to do some research about the world; there’s so much I need to know.” Twilight scanned the map, noticing a cluster of small towns near the base of the Drakiris. She lowered the map and saw faint silhouettes of buildings in the distance. “We should stop at this section of towns over here.” The map flew in front of Rarity and Applejack, allowing Twilight to point out the towns. “If we get there by nightfall, we can spend the night and head into the mountains in the morning.” “Sounds good to me,” Applejack stated. Twilight rolled the map back up and put it away, continuing their hike. The further they traveled north, the more dense the road had become. Ponies in traveling gear, supply wagons, and possession-less wanderers roamed the new busy road. Twilight huddled closer to Applejack and Rarity, making sure she didn’t get separated from the group. As time went on, grasslands turned into fields, deciduous tree filled forests made way for a plethora of evergreens, the looming Drakiris reared itself higher into the heavens, and the amount of ponies thinned as they approached. Details of the mountains began to appear as they approached. The sun now pushed towards the horizon as the road ahead split four ways: three headed to towns on the outskirts of the road, one continued its path north. The largest city lay to the north; with buildings taller than three stories and a large gate showcasing the entrance. “So, which town should we head into?” Applejack asked as they approached the crossroad. “I’m thinking the one closest to the mountain base. Maybe we can get a feel for the weather in Ventia since it’s so close,” Twilight said. She looked around at the other towns, and saw no one outside. None. No pegasi in the sky, no earth ponies or unicorns in the field or streets. Nothing. “Why isn’t anypony outside? It’s still light out.” “We can only see a small part, don’t worry about it,” Rarity explained. “Besides, if there is no one out, there’s less of a chance for us to get caught.” “And that works how?” Applejack argued. As Rarity and Applejack argued about stealth tactics, Twilight saw a glimpse of ponies in the distance. A group ran across the road, yelling and hollering. Their silhouettes were faint, but they looked as if they ran with purpose, but scrambled. They were afraid. Twilight slowed her pace, stopping her friends in their tracks. “Hold on,” Twilight said and pointed at the stream of ponies. “What’s going on over there?” More ponies spilled in from the west, rushing through the arched gates. “Why are they running?” “It’s no use standing here, let’s find out,” Applejack stated, bolting towards the swarm. “Wait for us!” Twilight yelled, running beside Rarity. The air near the town stayed as warm as before with no hint of chill off the mountains. Beyond the gate was a city of iron; buildings of beige brick and iron towered above the roads, eclipsing the three as they approached. One pegasus looked over to them and banked away from the crowd, touching down in front them. “What are you doing out here, are you mad? They’re going to find you, now hurry!” He grabbed Applejack and tried bringing her towards the crowd. Without hesitation, Applejack stripped off the pegasus’s hoof and stomped the ground. “Now hold on, what’s goin’ on here. Who are you?” “There’s no time, just hurry.” He looked over Applejack and the two unicorns as they approached. “You definitely don’t look Ventian.” He paced further, examining the Equetrians’ cloaks. “Travelers, huh? Come now before they find you.” “Wait, hold on. Who are ‘they’?” Twilight demanded. “Ventian search parties are headed through the Drakiris as we speak. There are rumors of Equestrians in the outlands, and they’re trying to snuff them out.” Twilight’s eyes widened at the prospect. “I heard that rumor two days ago, how could they already know?” she asked. “News travels fast around here. Last I heard the parties are already almost through the mountains.” He turned and faced the frightened herd. “I don’t have time to explain things, grab your friends and let’s go!” He commanded, trying to shove them into the crowd. Twilight stumbled into the herd and was hit from behind, moving her with the frightened ponies through the city gates. She pushed her way through to Applejack and Rarity, huddling close as they funneled into the streets. The high-rise buildings were magnificent but life-less. No lights shone through the windows, and only the setting sun’s light illuminated the empty, paved roads. The group flowed into several buildings and stowed away. Twilight looked over to the mountains and saw small flickers of flames traveling down the pass. Without further hesitation, she ran down the road with the split crowd and ran into a building, letting Applejack and Rarity pass through before the pegasus closed and locked the door. A multitude of ponies sat on the floor, whispering and shaking: families huddled together, lone ponies and drifters, sharply dressed business ponies, and even ones dressed as guards. “You’ll be safe here as long as they don’t bother us,” the stallion stated as he trotted to and sat on the stairs. The three found a small place on the floor and sat there, wondering what to do next. “Why are they all hiding? Why aren’t the guards outside protecting the city” Twilight asked as she took another look around the room. “Maybe the Ventians are too strong for them. Ventia sure is a lot bigger on that map than the outlands, more potential troops,” Applejack suggested. “It wouldn’t hurt to ask.” Before Twilight could stand up, a small filly ran up to the three and looked at them inquisitively. She was a white filly with light blue hair, staring at them with her mouth hung open. “What are the capes for? They look so cool,” she asked with enthusiasm. “Well, we’re adventurers, dear.” Rarity started, shooing Twilight off to gather information. “We travel all over the world, hunting for vast treasures and riches...” Twilight stood up and weaved her way around the huddled ponies, approaching a stallion in makeshift armor. He simply stared the floor, with a defeated gaze. “Excuse me, why aren’t there any ponies outside defending this town? I-I’m new here, and I’m just curious,” Twilight asked, waiting for the stallion to respond. “We don’t have a protective force. Anypony that tries to protect us gets taken by the griffons during patrols. We haven’t had any real protection in years,” the stallion stated, his head and body unmoving. “All we can do is let things happen they way they happen. No pony is willing to fight anymore.” “But you’re wearing the armor of a guard! Why aren’t you fighting?” Twilight pleaded. “I’m wearing this for my own protection. I was in the guard before they disbanded it, but...” the stallion stood and unbuckled his chest plate, revealing a twisted blackened scar across his side. “I was attacked by a griffon and barely survived. I’m of no use now.” He sat back down in defeat, closing the chest piece. “I-I’m so sorry,” was all Twilight could muster at the stallion’s explanation. She trotted back to the group, noticing that Rarity was still speaking with the filly. “...then she kicked the dragon right in the snout, and it flew off, breathing flumes of smoke and fire all around us!” Rarity continued her tale. Before she could finish, the filly stood up and ran back to her mother, jumping up and down with glee. The mother closed the fillies mouth and shushed her. The clopping of hooves made themselves heard beyond the walls, choking Twilight with tension. No pony spoke a word as they marched. Twilight pressed her face against the window to see the coming battalion. Near the gate, a double file line of armored ponies in cloaks began their march down the street, opening doors and smashing windows to get inside the buildings. “Search everywhere, those Equestrians are to be found!” A pewter stallion in silver armor yelled. “I want them found, now!” Twilight sunk back from the window and hid herself. Applejack and Rarity crept close to her and huddled together. “What do we do? I haven’t even been able to find any information about this place. No pony is even willing to defend the town.” Twilight shook as the sound of broken glass came closer. “We can’t do much. If they find us with the townsfolk, we risk their safety. They might get tried for harborin’ us,” Applejack stated, grabbing Twilight’s shoulder to stop her shaking. “Can’t we do anything? They have no way to fight for themselves, but we do,” Twilight said, rearing her head back to look out the window again. Several ponies screamed and ran out the doors of several buildings, prompting the Ventians to seize them and throw them to the pavement, screaming. With another window smashed, Twilight turned back to Applejack who stared straight at her. “I’m going to be honest with you Twilight, there’s nothin’ we can do. We can’t risk being caught for Fluttershy’s sake. This is the outlanders’ war, not ours. If we don’t leave now, it’ll only get worse.” “So, what’s the plan?” Rarity asked, peaking her head between the two. “I’m sure we can’t use another back door.” Twilight tried to swallow the lump that formed in her throat. “I’m going to teleport us out of here. I’ve only transported two before, but I’m sure I can move three.” Twilight said as her horn began to shine with a purple light. Several ponies murmured as she charged the spell. One colt approached, but after a few moments, the three disappeared from the room in a flash of white light. They landed right near the city gates, just behind the battalion. Twilight shook her head and peered up, noticing the gaze of several Ventian ponies. She took a step back, preparing herself to gallop away. “RUN!” she yelled as several guards with bladed weapons in their mouths charged at the three. “Take them out! Don’t let them escape!” the commander yelled as the three exited through the gates. Twilight was still exhausted from the long hike and oversleeping, but she had to move quickly. Four of the armored ponies gave chase. One bolted into the sky and flew over head, landing in-front of the three. Rarity whipped out five needles and hurled them at the pegasus, who swiftly dodged two, but took three in his side. He fell and clutched his side as Twilight leaped over his body. As they ran down the road, the soldiers closed their distance, yelling at them to stop. Twilight turned around, her horn flaring with energy as a sudden wall of flame erupted before the hoard, cutting off their pursuit. They stopped and moved to avoid the fire while Twilight, Rarity and Applejack disappeared into the forest of evergreens that nestled at the bottom of the Drakiris. Twilight slowed her pace and leaned against a tree, panting and shaking. A large shock wave shook the ground, knocking snow off the trees. Twilight wiped the snow off her face and looked back, watching as a plume of smoke rose above the skyline and heard ponies screaming in anguish. Rarity and Applejack scoured the area for soldiers, laying low to avoid being seen. “D-Did we lose them?” Rarity asked. “We should keep moving. If we stay here, we’re sitting ducks,” Twilight suggested as she took her body weight off of the tree. She planted her hooves and began heading through the forest, trying to drown out the outlanders’ pleas for help. The three weaved their way through the thicket as the sun set on the ruined city. Crystalline snow gently floated down on the mountains’ peak, settling on a large pair of obsidian wings. With a ruffle of his wings, a creature watched as armored ponies with the red, Ventian flag marched through Kirsiks Pass. A sneer formed on his face as he stood silently above the marching sellswords. He looked up and turned away, peering over at the pack of griffons that made their home on the mountain’s surface. He stepped down from the rock and landed with his claws sinking into the snow. “Sigil! Sigil Blackwing!” a griffon yelled out as she approached. She was a ivory griffon with a scar running down from her ear. After bowing, she began, “I’m sorry to disturb you, but the Wheatown team returned from their hunt.” “Great. Inform the team from Northern Pass, make sure they’re aware,” Blackwing stated as he walked past the young griffon. “I’ll make sure there is food left for your service.” “I’m sorry Sigil, but they didn’t come back with any food,” she said worried. “They were attacked.” He snapped his head towards the girl. “They fled? It was a meager hunt of villein ponies, it should have been easy. I didn’t train cowards!” His face twisted in fury. “They were gravely injured by several ponies, but were released. They came back here for medical supplies.” Blackwing looked at her puzzled. “They were shown mercy? By outlander ponies? They would have beaten them to death!” He paced for a few steps, letting the falling snow cool his temper. “Where are they now?” “They are resting at the Apex, sir. The medical teams are patching them up as we speak.” “Thank you, Arya,” he said as he unfolded his wings. “Head back to the medical wing and await instruction. I don’t like what ensued.” With that he flew up and over the steep cliff face, arriving at the Apex. It was a large, flattened section of the mountain, surrounded by iron crossed gates and frozen thicket beds. Flames scattered through the Apex, warming the chilled griffons through the eternal winter. A group of griffons surrounded the injured team, mending their wings and extracting the needles from their tendons. Two of them winced, and one yelled as trickles of blood poured from their wounds. “What happened? I heard a rumor about mercy from ponies,” Blackwing asked as he landed beside the team. “Everything was transpiring as normal, Sigil, but there were three strange ponies who fought with them.” The griffon cringed as the last needle was pulled. “We almost took out one of them, but as I went in for the kill, she glowed with an intense light and took the five of us down with a shield of needles—” “‘Five of you’?” Blackwing interrupted. He looked over the rank, soon realizing the who missing hunter was. “What happened to Tawn?” “She was killed by a mace to the head, Sigil. One of the locals killed her before she had the chance to strike.” Blackwing lowered his head. “She had much potential.” After a moment of silence, he lifted his head back up. “What else happened?” He pointed to his back. “After she pierced the team’s wings, she used some strange cloth or something to slash my back open.” “Tell me what you know about the others.” He paced back and forth, watching the silent pack. The griffon sighed and stretched his wings. “All I can remember is that there were three of them. An orange mare with yellow hair and a strange hat, a purple mare with a dark blue mane, and the white and purple pony. They looked like outlanders, but they had strange marks on their flanks—” “Wait, marks? On both sides of their body?” Blackwing interrupted. “Yes, Sigil. The white one had a gold choker with her mark design as well,” he continued. “When we were being freed, I overheard that they were heading north. Maybe that’s why the Ventians hired the mercenaries?” Blackwing looked at the group, spread his wings and smiled. “Listen well, griffons of Drakiris. Those three ponies that Sarin described are of Equestrian blood. The mark they carry is the ‘demons’ brand’, and their appearance is a detriment to Ventia and Mistral City. I want patrol teams set up and scouring the mountains for any sign of these three. Any news of their appearance is to be reported straight to me.” The surrounding griffons roared with purpose, readying themselves for the hunt. “They are not to be killed, only captured. We’ll use them to take back our territory from Ventia’s grip!” He clenched his right claw tightly. “Now go!” The griffons roared and flew off as a group before splitting into smaller patrols. Blackwing watched as they flew off in all directions in search for the illusive herd. A young, tan griffon with medical supplies approached the sigil and looked at him with concern. “Are you sure we should be messing with the demons? You don’t know what they’re capable of.” Blackwing stared at the young medic with his icy blue eyes. “All we need to do is show them to that bastard in Mistral and we’ll have a bargaining chip into reclaiming our territory. After we get what we want, then we can have our fun with them.” “As you wish, Sigil Blackwing,” the griffon bowed as he stepped away to tend to the injured team. Blackwing turned his head away and looked over the mountains to the south, exhilarated by the news. He closed his eyes and smiled, voraciously licking his beak. “I’ve always wanted to taste Equestrian flesh,” he said to himself as he opened his eyes toward the horizon.