Music LINK.
A few days prior…
“Celestia,” Twilight said, smiling as she embraced the large white alicorn in a hug. As always, the larger alicorn’s fur was wonderfully warm, and the large wings that draped themselves over Twilight were lovingly soft.
“Hello, Twilight,” Celestia said, her voice soft and happy. “It is good to see you again. I’m glad you were able to make time to come see me. From your recent letters, you appear to have had quite the busy couple of weeks.”
“It’s no problem, Princess,” Twilight said as she broke the hug. “I’ll admit that things have been a little busy, what with the new castle and the magic crystal map and all, but things seemed to have finally calmed down. A bit, at least. Ponyville always seems to have something exciting going on.”
“I can imagine,” Celestia giggled. “Still, I am glad you could still make time to visit me for tea.”
A gentle knock sounded from outside the sitting room. “Ah, perfect timing as always,” Celestia said, lighting her horn. The door swung open and a maid slowly pushed in a serving cart. “Thank you, Feather Duster. That will be all for now.”
“Of course, Princess,” Feather Duster said with a small bow before turning around and leaving the room. Celestia levitated over the fresh teapot and a variety of pastries and silverware, easily setting everything on the small table in the center of the room. Twilight had a suddenly flashback to being in school, enjoying tea with the princess after a long day of work.
It made her smile.
“However, I need to ask,” Celestia said as they sat down, “Are you ok, Twilight?”
Twilight blinked and tilted her head in confusion.
“Of course, Princess. Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked, taking a sip of tea. Jasmine, the one flavor that always served to help calm her right before a big test. Yet something about Princess Celestia’s question made her nervous, though she didn’t know why. Was that why Celestia was serving her jasmine tea? Because something big or crazy was about to happen again?
Celestia didn’t say anything, but continued to look intently at Twilight as she took a sip of her own tea. Her face was strangely uncertain, as if she was searching for something yet was unable to find it.
“Twilight,” she said after about a minute of unusual silence. “In the past month, you have lost your old home, fought to save Equestria from Tirek, been granted a new castle by the Tree of Harmony, been given a magical crystal map by said castle, and fought against a unicorn that nearly stole your cutie mark.” Her tone was calm, as if stating simple facts, but Twilight could hear the undercut of worry in her voice.
“That is a lot to take in over a very short span of time, for anypony. Even I would struggle with so much chaos and uncertainty in such a short span of time, should it have happened to me. And I have noticed that your letters seem to be a little bit…different. They are shorter, more concise, and your wording is a bit more rigid. I just want to be sure that you’re ok. That you aren’t struggling with anything, whether it be nightmares or stress or, well, anything really. I never imagined that all of these things would happen in such a short span of time, and I would hate to think that I wasn’t there to offer you help should you need it.”
Twilight instantly felt the memories of all those events coming rushing back as Celestia spoke, but she quickly worked to push them back down one by one. No good would come from remembering her house exploding or the feeling of her special talent being robbed from her. She had lived both of those memories enough in her dreams. Instead, she put on the most reassuring smile that she could.
“I’m glad to hear that, princess, but there’s no need to worry. I will admit that things have been a little bit…crazy recently, but I’m ok,” Twilight said. “Everything turned out ok, and I appreciate your offer. I promise that if I do need any help, I will come to you.”
“If you are sure,” Celestia said, closing her eyes as thought she were making a mental note. When she opened them, Celestia smiled and grabbed a large slice of cake off the serving cart with her magic. “Just remember that I am always here if you need me, Twilight.”
“I will, Princess,” Twilight said with a nod, taking a moment to enjoy her tea before she noticed something. She had been in Celestia’s room many times before, and of all those times, things had rarely ever changed save for the contents of her desk or the book on her bedside table. However, this time, Twilight noticed what appeared to be a framed postcard sitting on top of her pile of official documents.
“Ah, I see you noticed my old souvenir,” Celestia said, pulling Twilight’s attention back to her mentor. “I found it while looking through my desk a few days back. It brings back quite a few old memories, and in truth it was another reason I wanted to speak with you today. Would you like to see it more closely?” Twilight nodded eagerly, happy for the change in subject.
Celestia’s horn lit up, and the frame was quickly yet gently picked up and brought over. Now that it was closer, Twilight could see that the postcard depicted a large snow-covered mountain at night with the words “Greetings from Celeste Mountain” draped across the top. It looked rather old, with a few noticeable folds and a slight bit of faded color at the top left corner, but it was still in fairly good shape.
“Truth be told, I had nearly forgotten I had this,” Celestia said, turning the frame slightly so both of them could see the card. “It’s hard to be certain, but I think this particular souvenir was given to me before I had even been coroneted as a princess,” Celestia said, causing Twilight’s jaw to drop open.
‘The postcard is that old!?’ Twilight thought to herself in shock. Did they even make postcards back then!?
“But seeing it again reminded me of so much that I had forgotten,” Celestia continued, not appearing to notice Twilight’s shock. “Of all the adventures I had when I was younger, of all the ponies and other creatures that I used to know back then, and of one experience in particular that made me the mare I am today. Tell me, Twilight; have you ever heard of Celeste Mountain?”
Twilight, thankfully having managed to pick her jaw up off the table before Celestia commented on it, thought for a minute, mentally paged through the many books she had read on mountains. No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t ever recall one with such a name. And given how similar it sounded to Celestia’s name, she likely would have remembered it. Could Celestia have actually been named after the mountain? Eventually, she shook her head. “No princess, I don’t think I ever have, and I think I would have remembered it given how similar it sounds to your name. Why? Should I have? Is it related to your name? Was it—”
A small peach scone shoved into her mouth by Celestia’s magic stopped her rambling in its tracks.
“No, Twilight, I do not expect you to have heard of it, and it is perfectly fine that you have not,” Celestia said calmly, a faint twinkle shining in her eye. “It is only mentioned in a select number of books, and usually not in very great detail. Though I do still find that a bit surprising given how our names are linked, in a way. But then again I believe this lack of mention was exacerbated by the fact that reaching the mountain became incredibly difficult when the Crystal Empire disappeared.”
“Why is that?” Twilight asked, putting a hoof to her chin in thought. “Were there no trails that led to the mountain when the Empire disappeared, or was it because it was too far away from any other settlements? And is it easier now that the Empire returned and because the crystal railway was created?”
“A bit of both, actually. The mountain lies to the northeast of the Crystal Empire, and as such the Empire was the primary place where ponies would prepare for the climb. When it disappeared, the entire area became covered not only in horrible snowstorms, but also in…how can I describe them?
“Essentially, the entire area where the Crystal Empire used to be became covered in unusual magical rifts, a remnant of the powerful curse that King Sombra used to banish the Crystal Empire. These rifts were a result of the Empire being displaced in time and space, and would warp the space of the world around them. If you were caught in one, you could end up at the edge of the empire, at the center of the snowstorms, or anywhere in between.
“If you wanted to go to the mountain, you would need to pack enough supplies to circumvent the empty land to avoid this danger, and the only settlement near the mountain where you could resupply was, and still is, a small village a few miles away. But they were having enough problems on their own once the Empire vanished, and so you likely wouldn’t find much to help you.
“Given all of that, it’s safe to say that the disappearance of the Crystal Empire let to the loss of knowledge surrounding Celeste Mountain, though not so much that it eventually passed into legend like the Crystal Empire as it was still very much a physical landmark.”
“Just one that almost no pony could get to,” Twilight said, earning a nod from Celestia.
“Exactly. The only creatures that could reach the mountain reliably during that time were the Yaks. However, despite the mountain being on the border of Equestria, the Yaks do not have any settlements nearby and have never tired to claim that land as their own due to the fact that they consider the mountain to be cursed.”
“Cursed?” Twilight said, her mind now thoroughly interested. “Why would they think that?”
“The mountain, and the land immediately surrounding it, is, for lack of a better term, strange.” Celestia said softly, looking out the window. “The entire area is coated in an strange magical energy the interferes with the natural magic of all living creatures, disrupting their natural abilities. Even alicorns cannot use magic normally within the borders of the mountain, no mater how strong they might be.”
That made Twilight go wide-eyed. It was one thing to have her magic ripped out by Tirek, but to have it be made unusable by a seemingly normal mountain…
“Wait, you said we can’t use our magic normally. That implies that we could still use it, just not in the way we are used to, right?” Twilight asked.
“As observant as always,” Celestia said with a smile. “Yes, you are correct. The mountain does not take away our magic; instead, it merely changes it, altering its form into something new. Thankfully, this effect is undone when the creature in question leaves the mountain. Which brings me to the main point I wish to get to.”
Twilight noticed Celestia tense for a moment, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before letting it out slowly. She then stared directly into Twilight’s eyes, making it feel as though everything else had fallen away.
“Twilight, Celeste Mountain can be a dangerous place. The magic-altering effect leaves us unable to fly or cast spells, and the path to the top of the mountain is difficult and sometime flat out dangerous. However, both my sister and I can confirm that climbing the mountain is a once-in-a-lifetime-experience, one that has helped both of us grow as ponies and overcome some of our hardest challenges. It is something every ruler should do at least once, which is why I would like you to ask if you would be willing to go to Celeste and ascend to its summit.
“This is not a test, this is not an order or something that you NEED to do, but it is something that I think will help you grow as both a pony and as a ruler. I can offer you the best tools we have available, and an item that will protect you no matter the danger you face. You can have all the time you need to prepare, and you do not need to make a decision now, but trust me when I say you are ready for this challenge. Will you accept it?”
This…was not the way Twilight thought this conversation would go. She thought they might talk about what was going on in Canterlot, maybe a new topic for Twilight to start learning as she continued to grow into her role as a princess, or just jump happily between topics like they did when she was still Celestia’s student. But this…
Twilight furrowed her brow in thought. Did she want to accept this challenge? It had barely been two weeks since she had lost her cutie mark to Starlight Glimmer, and less than a month since her battle with Tirek, both of which had been…stressful obstacles. Going on another quest so soon didn’t sound like such a good idea, especially since she was still grappling with everything that had happened recently.
But on the other hoof, there were also quite a few reasons as to why she did want to go. For one, the magic surrounding the mountain, while unnerving, sounded fascinating to study, and likely something she would need to experience first-hoof to even begin to formulate a hypothesis as to how it came about. And while Twilight wouldn’t have her friends this time, it also wouldn’t be the first time Twilight had climbed a mountain on hoof. And at least there wouldn’t be a sleeping dragon she had to wake up at the top of this one. Hopefully.
Plus, Celestia had something to protect her no matter what, so she would be safe even if the mountain was a bit dangerous. Not only that, but Celestia thought Twilight was ready for this. That she could climb the mountain as she was now. And every time Celestia had given her a challenge in the past, it was because Celestia knew she was ready for it. Whether it be Nightmare Moon or the Crystal Empire, Celestia had never given her a challenge she couldn’t overcome. And, if both Celestia and Luna had climbed the mountain sometime in the past, then there were no better ponies to help her prepare.
Besides, it might make a nice change of pace. A good few days of peace and quiet to gather her thoughts. A place where she could forget about the unfamiliar castle (if somewhat more homely after the girls had redecorated it), Starlight Glimmer, Tirek. It would just be her and the mountain.
Aside from the magic canceling, how bad could it be?
(1:07 to 4:46)
After the bridge had collapsed and her mane and tail had changed, Twilight had decided, after a few minutes to calm her hammering heart, that she should move on and continue the climb. Hopefully Second Sight would be able to contact someone to help fix the bridge so she could get back across when she was done with the climb. But she could worry about getting back once she reached the peak.
And so far, things had been mostly ok. The path had continued to have steep drops and floating platforms, but nothing as dangerous or unstable as the bridge. What’s more, she had discovered something interesting about the change to her mane and her new ability.
As far as she could tell, this new ‘dash’ magic, as she had come to call it, worked very much like her boots. Whenever she used her ‘dash’ ability, the magic that powered it would appear to vanish, only to then return the moment she touched solid, flat ground. This meant that she could only dash once every time she jumped.
As a strange side effect of this new ability, the purple stripe in her mane and tail would also vanish whenever she dashed, and would only returning once she landed back on solid ground. Twilight had only discovered this on accident when a gust of wind had blown her mane into her face while she was climbing after dashing. At first she had thought she just couldn’t see the stripe with her mane all messed up, but once she had reached the top of that ledge, the color had faded back into existence after a second or two.
She had actually stopped on that platform and tested this theory by dashing a few times and by hanging on the ledge after dashing to see if it reappeared on its own. It didn’t, and only came back when her dash ability returned. If Twilight were anywhere else, she might have been able to use this information to keep track of her dash ability, just in case the climb got more hectic later on.
However, given how strong the wind was up here and how much her mane was blown around while dashing, Twilight had a feeling that she wouldn’t be able to rely on seeing the color change when she was on the move.
Honestly, the wind just made her wish she had packed something to tie her mane back so it would stop getting in her eyes.
Regardless, so far the mountain hadn’t been too bad. In fact, most of the climb for the last hour or so had been rather nice. It was good exercise, and it had actually helped Twilight learn how to use her new ability without putting her in much danger. Most of the jumps could be cleared with a jump and a dash, and if not then Twilight was always able to get close enough that she could latch onto the wall after the dash and climb the rest of the way up.
There had been one two close calls where Twilight had just barely managed to jump between platforms, even with her dash, but the rest of it had been fairly straightforward.
As she had climbed, the snow and ice of the mountain had steadily been supplemented by bits of metal. Some small, some large enough that she had been able to use them as makeshift steps of a sort to continue along her way. She had a feeling that she knew where the metal had come from, and she was proven right when she turned a corner and found herself looking up upon an entire city!
The city in question looked to be about the size of Canterlot, yet calling it a ruin was an understatement. Many buildings had long since collapsed, the ones that hadn’t looked dangerously unstable, there were crashed airships scattered around and down the side of the mountain, and a good portion of it looked to be almost completely buried in the snow. It was one thing to hear Celestia mention an abandoned city, and another to see it with her own eyes.
Twilight had so many questions, but she also knew that she likely wouldn’t be able to answer them right now. Thankfully, she had remembered to bring a new blank journal with her for just such an occasion. That way, she could both suppress her curiosity so she didn’t take too long in her climb and so she could keep track of what she wanted to ask Celestia about later.
So she found a flat slab of metal, sat down, and immediately began writing down a few of her questions.
How old is this city? It looks at least a bit modern in design, like Manehattan, so it doesn’t seem like it would be too old.
Why was it abandoned? Was it built before the mountain messed with the magic of living creatures, and if so, was that change what caused it to be abandoned? Or was it something else?
What level of technology did they possess? Did they have more advanced technology than the rest of Equestria to try and cope with the lack of magic, and if so, why was it never brought off this mountain? Was there no need for it when magic worked, or did it just never catch on?
On and on she went, filling page after page with questions, theories, and more questions. It wasn’t until a strong breeze almost shut the book on her hoof that she realized she’d been sitting in the cold for a good twenty minutes, maybe more, and that the day was moving on without her.
It was probably best to stop for now. After all, she still had a long way to go to reach the top, and standing here thinking about the ruins in the cold snow for hours, alone…probably wasn’t a good idea.
She had to keep moving. Had to keep moving to focus on the present, and not the past month with her new home and new responsibilities and Tir—
Twilight took a deep breath, held it, and let it out.
Just keep climbing. You’re here on the mountain, like Celestia wanted you to be. This is supposed to be a break, a time to focus on yourself.
She pushed her notebook back into her bag and headed back up the path to the city. At least, despite its age, the path looked to be relatively safe.
Or at least that is what she THOUGHT until she reached the edge of the city and came face to face with a pit filled with giant metal spikes!
Seriously? WHY was there a pit filled with metal spikes each as big as her freaking HEAD!? How did those things even get here? It might make some sense if it was a bunch of sharp scrap metal that had been knocked into the pit from wind or avalanches, but it wasn’t. They were perfectly symmetrical, metal cones sticking up out of the snow, and were sharpened to a fine point! And there was another batch of them stuck to the side of a stone wall up ahead too!
Why the heck didn’t Celestia mention that this mountain was covered in spikes?! It doesn’t make any sense but it still would have been nice to know! It’s important information!
It was so insane Twilight actually took a minute to pull out her journal again and write down ‘WHY IS THIS MOUNTAIN COVERED IN SPIKES!?’ in all capital letters.
Realizing she was losing her cool, Twilight slowly took another deep breath, then let it out, gently placing the journal back in her bag and standing up. Celestia’s gift would keep her safe, so spikes or no spikes, she was still going to climb this mountain. Getting upset and emotional wouldn’t help, especially if it let other memories slip through.
Taking a few steps back, Twilight ran forward and leapt, clearing the first pit of spikes and landing on the next safe platform easily. Ignoring the sign indicating that this was a construction zone, because clearly THAT wasn’t the case anymore, she leapt again towards a wall made of metal girders. She hit the wall with a ‘clang,’ and quickly climbed to the top.
Thankfully, the wall covered in spikes was actually below where she needed to go, so she jumped off the metal platform and performed a dash mid-air, giving her the boost she needed to land on the next snowy outcropping. Jumping up on a small ledge of ice, Twilight jumped again and quickly climbed up the stone foundation before jumping up to a wooden platform near the next section of trail.
Only to pause.
For some reason she could not identify, when she jumped up that last time and landed on a wooden platform, it felt as though she was…passing through something. Some unseen barrier separating this part of the trail from the last.
But why?
She didn’t SEE anything, and she felt no physical or magical resistance as she jumped. Maybe she was just imagining things?
Focus on the climb, Twilight. Focus on the—STRAWBERRY!
There, floating magically above her, was a giant strawberry about the size of her hoof, positioned perfectly between two sets of metal girders hanging downwards. Just the sight of it made Twilight’s mouth water as she remembered what Celestia said…
A few days prior…
“These are Celeste Strawberries,” Celestia said, gesturing to the massive strawberry sitting between them. “They are a magically grown fruit that only appear to climbers of Mount Celeste. No on knows how or why they appear, but many ponies believe that they are meant to act as an extra challenge to climbers brave enough to try and collect them.”
“Are they…edible?” Twilight asked, looking up at her mentor before back to the fruit in front of them. The strawberry looked like any ordinary strawberry, save for its massive size, yet hearing that it was magically grown without the supervision of a sentient creature made her a little bit wary. She really didn’t want to have another poison joke incident just because she didn’t read the right book beforehoof.
“Yes, they most certainly are, and quite delicious,” Celestia said with a smile, her magic grabbing a knife and slicing the strawberry in half. “See for yourself,” she added, floating a half over to Twilight, who gently took it in her own magic.
Twilight looked down at it, then back up to see that Celestia had already started to eat the other half. Mentally shrugging, Twilight took a bite…
And less than ten seconds later, her entire piece was gone, obliterated by her ravaging bites.
“Mmmmmmmm…” was the only coherent thought Twilight could vocalize as her cheeks bulged from the mass of fruit within. It was so perfectly sweet and juicy and just…it was everything a strawberry should be multiplied by eleven.
“That was my reaction the first time as well,” Celestia giggled, causing Twilight to blush as she realized just how silly she must have looked. She swallowed and gave a nervous giggle before reaching for a napkin.
“So, are there a lot of these strawberries on the mountain?” Twilight asked, trying to get back on topic.
“Yes, there are. However, you will only run into one-hundred and fifty of them during any one climb,” Celestia said, nodding.
Twilight couldn’t help but think that was an oddly specific number. And also highly improbable. How could one only ever find exactly that many strawberries? And how would Celestia know that? Had she climbed the mountain multiple times and never managed to find more that one hundred and fifty strawberries? Or had she surveyed other climbers and never found anypony who had gotten more than that in a single climb? What other secrets did she know about the mountain?
“How do you know it’s only one hundred and fifty?” Twilight asked. “Has no pony ever found more? And are there any other things about the mountain I should know? And secrets or things to watch out for?”
“You will never find more than that in a single trip to the mountain,” Celestia said with certainty. “No pony has ever found more in a single trip to the mountain, and there have been ponies that have reported that upon collecting their final strawberry, others that they could see before hoof simply vanished into thin air. Even ponies who make a habit of climbing the mountain for their strawberries only ever find that many on a single trip. As far as anyone can tell, you need to leave and come back should you want to find more.
“As for other secrets, well, we wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise, now would we?” Celestia added with a wink. “After all, climbing the mountain is supposed to be an adventure. And how fun would an adventure be if you knew what was going to happen? All I can warn you about is that the path up the mountain will change each time, and the Celeste Strawberries are located in a different place as well. As such, should you turn back or fall down, your way back up will likely be a new journey all over again.”
“How can the path change?” Twilight asked, highly confused. “Are there avalanches or…”
“No, nothing like that as far as anypony can tell,” Celestia said, shaking her head. “It just…does. You will always travel through the same locations on the way to the summit, but the way to and through each area will vary greatly each time you visit, no mater how closely you try to follow your original path. I personally believe that the magic of the mountain changes the path somehow, but the exact mechanisms behind such changes are beyond my knowledge.”
“That…makes some sense, I suppose. So the path will change, and so will the strawberries’ locations,” Twilight said, licking her lips at the thought of them. “I’ll be sure to collect as many as I can my first time up.”
“Just be careful,” Celestia warned. “These strawberries are usually located in hard to reach or even dangerous places. Don’t put yourself at risk just to try and collect them. Though I will say, if you do collect them, be sure to save them. While they are good on their own, baking them into a pie or cake all at once…nothing can compare,” she finished, her smile widening.
Oh my Luna, is she drooling? The princess is drooling? Twilight thought in surprise. That must have been one good cake.
“I’ll be careful princess. I promise,” Twilight said…
Back in the present…
“Oh great. The strawberries are defying physics too,” Twilight groaned once she got her drool under control. She knew Celestia had said that the strawberries were magical, but she didn’t think that meant they would be floating high above the trail for no discernable reason. What’s worse, even with her new dash ability, she wouldn’t be able to reach it.
“But if it’s an extra challenge, then there must be a way to get it,” Twilight muttered, looking around. She could try to continue climbing the stone wall behind her, but the girders above it would likely block her path. Looking ahead, she saw that there was another deep pit, followed immediately by a rise covered in more spikes, one that she wouldn't be able to clear even with her dash, at least not from her current height. There was also a large overhang of ice directly about the spikes, creating a tunnel only about three times her height.
Hmmm…If I can find a way to climb up higher, maybe I can dash through that spike tunnel safely. But I don’t see any way to get higher up, or at least high enough that I would be able to get through the tunnel.
Other than that, the only thing she could see was a rectangular wooden platform sitting on top of a small neatly stacked pile of metal girders. Seeing no way up to the strawberry and no way forward, Twilight moved forward to examine the stack of girders. It was only a few feet high, and the wooden plank on top had a large nail in each corner of the wood. The wood itself was only a few inches thick and looked finished somehow, as thought someone had just recently polished it. It was also remarkably well preserved, showing no signs of wear or tear.
Wanting to get a better look, Twilight jumped up—
BOING!!!!
“EEEEEEEE!” Twilight shrieked as the entire platform bucked underneath her, sending her flying into the air and directly towards the spikes! “GOBACKGOBACKGOBACK!” she screamed as her hooves and wings flailed in terror.
And so she did. Deep within her, Twilight felt her magic respond, instantly spreading out from her wings and into her entire body. Her momentum was instantly halted before she swiftly reversed course to the safety of the previous platform, all without using her dash. Upon hitting the wood again, Twilight was flung back into the air, away from the spikes this time, getting just enough time to see the giant spring underneath the wood.
A giant spring!? What is this, a comic strip!? WHY IS THERE A GIANT SPRING THAT SENDS PONIES FLYING!?
Twilight landed back on the ground under the strawberry with a solid clang, her boots glowing as they softened the fall. She could still feel her heart beating against her ribs so hard it almost hurt.
“Ok, that was close. And weird. And who the heck put that spring there!?” Twilight yelled. Her only response was the gentle wind. She shook her head. “Fine, it’s fine. Not really, but I’m still ok.” She looked at her wings. They looked completely normal, and despite what just happened, Twilight couldn’t feel any magic coursing through them. Had she imagined her magic responding?
No, no there was no way she could have changed course so quickly without dashing if she hadn’t used her magic. Maybe…hmmm…maybe she needed to be in the air?
Walking forward again, Twilight took a deep breath before leaping back onto the annoying spring platform. She was immediately launched into the air again, and sure enough, the magic immediately began flowing from her wings into the rest of her body again. It didn’t FEEL like pegasus magic though, or at least not the pegasus magic she was used to. Was this some altered form of her pegasus magic?
Bouncing a few times, Twilight started to experiment. First she flapped her wings, but just like before, nothing happened and she was left falling. No flight, no hovering, and no gliding. Whatever magic was flowing from her wings, it didn’t allow her to fly.
Next, she tried to make herself move in the air without using her wings at all, even going so far as to fold them back to her sides so she wouldn’t flap them on instinct. Almost immediately, the magic responded, and she found herself moving backwards towards safe ground. After landing and getting back on the spring again, she focused on moving backwards and then moving forwards, allowing her to zigzag under the strawberry as she fell.
A few more tries later, Twilight concluded that she was able to greatly alter her course and speed when she was airborne, as long as she wasn’t going up. She could even speed up her descent back towards the ground if she wanted, but no matter how hard she pushed her magic to go ‘UP,’ she always ended up falling.
Not perfect, but she had a feeling she could work with this rather well.
As a final test, Twilight extended her wings again to see if they would alter her new control over momentum. They did not. No matter how she angled or positioned her wings, Twilight still fell and moved through the air the same way. Even trying to hold them out for as much drag as possible did nothing to interfere with her movement as she practiced a small spiral through the air back down to the spring.
Ok, so I can now dash through the air once, and I also have better control over where I land, even if I don't use my wings. That could be handy for getting through tight spaces where my wings would otherwise be too big. But I still wonder…am I using my pegasus magic? It doesn’t FEEL like pegasus magic, but could it just be that it feels different because the mountain changed it? Either way, I best get use to it.
Bouncing one last time, Twilight launched herself back towards the strawberry, then dashed directly upwards one she was underneath it, colliding with the large fruit. The strawberry almost seemed to let out a small musical hum as Twilight hit it, before gently following her through the air as she fell back to the ground. The moment her boots touched the ground, the berry vanished with a small ‘pop’ and Twilight immediately felt a small weight drop into her left saddlebag. Opening it quickly, sure enough, the strawberry was now sitting inside as thought it had always been there.
“One down, one hundred and forty-nine to go,” Twilight said with a determined nod. But since she had it open, Twilight took a quick moment to grab her journal and write down what she discovered about her magic. She also added ‘Do all pegasus experience this change, or is it only alicorns?’ and “WHY ARE THERE GIANT SPRINGS ON THIS MOUNTAIN!?’
Closing her bag, she ran back to the spring, jumped, and launched herself towards the spike-filled tunnel. When she was just below the ridge, she dashed forward through the opening, and landed safely on the other side. The only thing left in her way was a large vertical shaft created by an icy wall and a metal girder.
Hmmmm…I wonder…
Twilight leapt at the ice wall, her boots activating just like before. However, rather than climb, Twilight instead pushed off the wall and jumped upwards without dashing, now grabbing the metal girder. She repeated this process a few times, allowing her to jump between the walls while barely using any of her stamina and preserving her dash.
Neat. If I wall-jump like this, I can avoid wasting energy by climbing. Twilight thought as she felt herself pass through another invisible barrier. Spikes or not, insane random spring platforms or not, this climb is off to a good start.