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// I found the means to seize what I desired most... 
// Story: It Sleeps Beneath Foal Mountain 
// by the7Saviors 
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I had chosen to retreat further into the cavern to ensure my privacy and peace of mind as I read through the Book of Iod. I'd traveled deep enough that no light from the world outside could reach me, and with my ever waning need or desire to sleep—recent events notwithstanding—time had been reduced to little more than a stranger to whom I paid no heed.

For what may have been several hours, I devour the blasphemous text in full without rest, only pausing every so often to document my musings or add new theories to my journal. A contentedness had settled over me that I hadn't felt since before that ill-fated trip into the Everfree with my friends—a different time that felt like it had happened an age ago. The deeper I delved into my research, the easier it became to push all other worldly woes aside, for what I'd discovered within the Book of Iod was far too fascinating to tear my attention away from for even a moment.

All manner of arcane truths made themselves known to me through this book, and I absorbed every bit of its ancient lore, concepts, precepts, and even the lessons it had to teach. Like the nameless tome, the Book of Iod too imparted knowledge of horrendous rituals and terrifying creatures of cosmic descent, and with the two together, I began to understand just how little I knew—how little any of us knew. There was so much more to be discovered outside this world than within it, and I realized such knowledge would be impossible to obtain through normal means. In that way, I'd come to feel a sort of gratitude for the events that had led me to where I was now.

Without them, I would have remained blind in a much more mundane sense—ignorant of the horrors and wonders that existed just outside our collective periphery. Of course, this was to say nothing of Sound Mind. For all the knowledge that spilled forth from the book and for as much as I understood that he was not at all as equine as his outward appearance suggested, I could find nothing about the kind of creature he really was, nor could I discern his motives or true nature. He remained an anomaly that couldn't be properly uncovered—a mystery to be unraveled in his own right. 

As I began my studies the stallion had made it clear that he had no intention of feeding me the answers I sought, but his words were unnecessary, as I had no intention of asking for his help on such matters. We both agreed that he was there not as a teacher, but a guide only—something to help keep my eyes forward and focused towards my ultimate goal. And so it was that Sound Mind had left me in that cavern to continue my research alone, promising to return to my side when he was needed again. I wasn't sure when that would be, but I didn't concern myself with his words or absence and in fact, was glad he'd taken his leave. His overwhelming presence had proven to be a distraction, and that was not something I needed now when I was so deeply entrenched in my work. 

As wary as I was, I also felt that Sound Mind was a mystery that was best left unsolved, at least for the moment. There were other revelations to be uncovered, and through my extensive research, I had finally managed to put a name to the as-of-yet unnamed creature sleeping deep beneath the earth's surface. The Cult of the Hidden Ones worshipped and revered the ancient monstrosity as the Old Night, the Dark Silent One, and, in some circles, a god of death. Zushakon was the name given to their god, a towering abomination of unfathomable darkness spawned countless eons ago from the Unbegotten Source. Neither book gave any insight as to what this 'Unbegotten Source' was or where it originated from, but it was clear by the text that neither Zushakon nor its mysterious 'source' was native to this planet.

It wasn't all that much of a stretch given what I'd seen, but there was no explanation of how Zushakon had arrived here from beyond the stars to begin with. In fact, a worrying amount of what I'd read remained unexplained or unverified or outright incomplete. While I could link much of the text to my own experiences in order to gain some plausibility, the lack of truly verifiable information left a sour taste in my mouth. Not to mention the fact that neither book had a penned author attached to them. When exactly were these books written? Where had the writers of these tomes gotten their information and how? As much as I was learning, there were still many questions that remained unanswered, and just as I'd expected, additional steps would need to be taken outside of my isolated studies. 

I still needed more pieces than what I'd been given thus far if I was to form a full picture of what was going on. Thankfully the Book of Iod had provided some solutions that would make my investigation much easier. Ignoring the many rituals used to summon creatures from another domain, there were several smaller rites one could use to cloak one's true appearance, remain unseen in plain sight, move great distances such as Sound Mind had done, and many more besides. Some rites required sacrifices both great and small, but others merely required a certain set of sigils be drawn, a strong mental focus, and that the right words be uttered aloud.

Through a great deal of painful trial and error, I had found, much to my delight, that a natural magic user such as myself could twist their thaumic energy in such a way as to make certain rites work without the need for sigils. With additional practice, the required words needed only to be thought rather than spoken aloud, but as convenient as this solution was, there were drawbacks to be considered. What was cast wasn't strictly 'magic' but a force far more alien and esoteric. As an apparent result, while much easier to cast than normal magic, the rites put a certain amount of strain on the natural thaumic field—some more than others. 

I wasn't sure what effect it would have if the rites were used in excess, but I didn't want to find out. I'd also discovered, through means I take absolutely no pride in and dare not speak about aloud, that this method couldn't be used to complete the rites that required sacrifices. Still, what I could use was enough to aid me in my endeavors and with my research finally having hit a wall, I felt it was time to use these newfound abilities to enact my next plan. It was risky, but there were certain ponies I needed to consult with. After reading the Book of Iod I had more questions that needed answering and hypotheses that I needed to verify, and there were only a select few ponies I knew of that could help me.

With my mind set and my hesitation cast aside, I packed my books and journal away in my saddlebags, then cast three rites in quick succession—one rite to hide my hideous new form beneath the veil of the pony I'd once been, another to hide my presence from the naked eye, and a third to take me directly to my castle to speak with my number one assistant. My actions had a noticeable effect on the thaumic field, but no lasting harm seemed to come of it so far, so I bore it and pushed through the discomfort. I arrived within the study of my castle only realizing moments before that I cast no protection against the light outside the cavern I'd come from, but to my surprise, I hadn't needed it. 

Where I expected the burning and itching of my eyes to have worsened significantly, there was no pain as I took in the afternoon sunlight cast through one of the many windows and reflecting off the various crystalline pillars in the study. The development puzzled me for a moment before I eventually came to the conclusion that Sound Mind must've somehow done his part to aid me as he said he would. I couldn't be sure that was the case, but there were other matters to concern myself with at the moment so I chose not to dwell on it. For now, I cast my searching gaze around the study and saw that I was alone in the room. With this in mind, I took a few precious seconds to ruminate on everything that had happened to me and how long it had actually been since I last set hoof in this castle. 

It really had felt like ages, but there was a surprising lack of nostalgia or sentimentality for my home; the crystalline walls, the blackened hearth, my desk, the many bookshelves that lined the walls, and the various gifts and other trinkets I'd collected over the course of my adventures with the other girls all conveyed a hollow feeling inside me—an emptiness and discomfort that made me feel as if I was no longer welcome here after what I'd done. More than a little put off by the sensation, I grimaced and hurried out of the study, suddenly eager to be done with my task and gone from this place. Having gained a much greater understanding of the world around me, I let the arcane senses I'd learned guide me to Spike's location, and was relieved to find the baby dragon alone in my room.

With one last check to make sure there was no presence other than mine and my assistant's, I released the glamour that kept me hidden from view and flashed into my room through a normal teleportation spell. My sudden appearance startled the baby dragon, but such a reaction was to be expected and I paid it no mind. The sight of his small, slightly pudgy form and his innocent face gave me momentary pause. I looked, quite mistakenly, into his draconic jade eyes and guilt for my ill deeds and obsessive behavior reared its ugly head. As quickly as the emotion had come, I shoved it away, cast it aside where it wouldn't hinder me from doing what had to be done. 

A mental reminder to myself that it was far too late for regret was sufficient to regain my senses and, ignoring the dull and distant ache in my heart, I wrapped Spike in a hug and assured him that I was okay. Any fears I had of the rite failing to keep my true visage hidden were quashed thoroughly as Spike unreservedly returned my affection. The drake, of course, had many questions, but I begged him to hold off as I inquired about Starlight Glimmer and the other girls whereabouts. He informed me that, as I suspected, they had all set out to search for me. With a slight bitterness in his voice, he mentioned how he'd been told to wait here back in the castle in case I returned.

Luna had indeed informed Spike and the others of my hideous transformation, but again I assuaged his fears with my presence and words of comfort. I also learned to my relief, that Luna had not yet discovered what I'd truly been up to during my time away, or if she had, she hadn't told the others, but it was clear Spike at least had guessed that something was horribly wrong. Unwilling to let the opportunity pass, I—revealing some of, but not the entire truth of the matter—told the baby dragon that in my research I discovered that there were malevolent forces at work that sought to destroy Equestria, and in my folly I'd fallen victim to a curse and had cloaked my true appearance through the use of magic. Again the questions came and again I urged my assistant not to worry overmuch or pry too deeply for his own safety.

I could tell that Spike was uneasy and couldn't help but wonder suspiciously if it came from just my words alone or a subconscious cognizance of the changes that lay hidden just beneath the rite. Whatever the case, I reassured him with the promise of a solution to rid myself of this nameless curse. Pulling a piece of parchment, some ink and a quill from my saddlebags, I began to pen a letter as I explained the similarities between my affliction and the darkness that had overtaken Stygian so long ago, and that Star Swirl would know of a way to lift the curse. Fortunately, after ridding Stygian of his dark influence, I had the foresight to inform Star Swirl of communication by dragonfire, a spell I was surprised to find was one of his own creation. 

And so, having written out a formal yet heartfelt request to Star Swirl for his aid, I gave my number one assistant the letter to deliver, instructing him not to read its contents and pleading him not to tell any of the Princesses or my other friends that I had come here or what I was planning, not until I talked to Star Swirl and lifted my curse. I had hoped to rely on his implicit trust to keep him silent on the matter, but he instead insisted that I talk to the other girls and fix the problem together. In hindsight I supposed I should've expected such an answer and it was clear he did not want me to leave again, but the sentiment only served to irk and delay me further. Still, I suppressed my irritation and promised to speak with everypony else once I'd discussed my situation with Star Swirl.

That seemed to be enough to convince him for the most part and he did as he was told, sending the letter off to the wizened stallion, wherever he may have been. It was clear from his expression that Spike was still against my wishes, and as we waited for a response he continued in his attempts to convince me to bring the others with me, but I would not relent. Speaking to Star Swirl alone was enough of a risk as things stood, and should things take a turn for the worst, I still would've preferred the others not get caught in the middle of it all. Thankfully it wasn't long before Star Swirl's reply came in a brilliant burst of bright green flame, and as I'd hoped, he had agreed to a discreet meeting to discuss my rather harrowing dilemma.

Having also been told of the whereabouts of Stygian through the letter, I had obtained everything I needed and could finally depart this place, my home that felt more and more unfamiliar with each passing moment. I bid a solemn farewell to Spike who tried one last time to convince me to stay and merely nodded sadly in response when I gave my inevitable answer. Without further preamble, I stowed away Star Swirl's letter and excused myself from the room, after which I quickly used another rite to shift to a location far removed from Equestrian lands. Apparently Star Swirl's travels had taken him to east-central Zebrica far to the southwest of the Equestrian continent. My next destination would be a remote village situated in Tambarare za Kaskazini, the Northern Plains.

After the misunderstanding that had arisen around Zecora, back when I was still relatively new to Ponyville, I made an earnest effort to learn more about Zebras and their customs, so I was not completely ignorant of what I might find, but there was still much I had yet to learn about Zebrica. I would have liked to make additional preparations, as I'd never been to Zebrica before now, but I couldn't afford the luxury, not when my friends and the Princesses were searching for me. I had begged Spike not to tell the others of me, but I knew the drake; I knew how much he cared for me, and I knew that if it was for my sake, he would tell the others despite my wishes to the contrary. I could see the intent in his eyes even as we said goodbye.

It was for that reason that I'd carefully plucked a loose scale from his hide as we embraced and used it as a catalyst in a certain rite moments before I left the castle behind. It was a relatively harmless thing that suppressed the memories of the target for a set period of time depending on the catalyst used. For a simple scale, I could expect the effect to last three or four days at the very least—plenty of time to accomplish my next couple of tasks. I hadn't wanted to resort to more occult means when it came to Spike, but if needs must, then I wouldn't hesitate, not anymore. There were more powerful rituals to complete wipe the memory of an individual, and some spells that could also function the same way. Unfortunately, those rituals required much greater sacrifice, and the casting of normal unicorn magic—unlike the rites I'd been using—was a clearly visible and audible action that needed close contact to work.

No, this was enough for now, and with that done, I could now turn my full attention towards my inevitably troubling discussion with Star Swirl regarding the true nature of the Tree of Harmony.