//------------------------------//
// Of Nomads and Secrets 
// Story: My Little Pony: The Pyres of Friendship 
// by Scribe of the Nightwings 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 21: Of Nomads and Secrets 


The Nightwings and ponies had spent the rest of the afternoon travelling west after the slight hiccup on the road.  Thankfully, the wagon experienced no further accidents on the path as they went on.  Along the way, the group passed by a series of black crags that Pamitha had shown great interest in.  The Harp had even persuaded Applejack to briefly stop the wagon so that she could swooped up to a nearby peak.  Her reason for doing so was quickly made apparent when she then returned with something in her claws.  It turned out to be a talisman known as a Titan Tooth.  As its name implied, the item resembled a large, decaying fang that undoubtedly belonged to a large creature of sorts.  Pamitha then explained that the Highwing Remnants stashed many such items around and figured that she would “borrow” one of the coveted items.  The boon was greatly appreciated by Twilight, although Jodariel continued to keep a cold attitude towards the Harp.  With a new talisman in tow, the blackwagon continued west.

Eventually, the wagon halted in its tracks just as the sun was about to dip below the horizon. Twilight Sparkle stepped outside to see what had caused Applejack to stop, only for her to be completely flabbergasted at what she saw.  At a sheer contrast of the molten, craggy environment that she had spent the last two days travelling through, in front of the alicorn was a huge, suffocating forest. An extensive variety of alien flora made up the dark forest, although Twilight noted that there were quite a number of them that sported sharp, deadly thorns.  There was no doubt in the alicorn’s mind that this was Wakingwood, the location where they were to meet Sandalwood.  Although, there was something bothering her about the strange location.  Something about the close proximity between the heavy forest and the free-flowing magma that just seemed…off.  Almost as if it was unnatural, even for the Downside.  

Regardless of the reason, Twilight still knew that they would have to traverse the heavy forest if they were to both make it to the next Rite and to also find Sandalwood and get some much-needed answers from the mysterious benefactor. 

“Woo-nelly!” Applejack commented as she and the rest of the group exited the wagon.  “That is some thick brush right there!”

“It’s…really uncanny.” said Fluttershy.  “It really does remind me of the Everfree Forest.  Dark, mysterious and…rather foreboding.” 

“We really gotta cut our way through that?  I’m not even sure if there are any paths for the wagon!” Rukey said as he scanned for some sort of dirt path.  

“If there is no path for us to take, we will have to forge our own.” Jodariel said plainly.  “We’ve travelled this far.  I refuse to have a simple forest stop us now.” 

Pamitha flapped down from the roof and added her own thoughts.  “Hmm, this doesn’t seem to present a problem to those of us blessed with the gift of flight.  Although, I suppose the rest of the ground dwellers will have to trudge through the hard way.”  The Harp shot Jodariel a smirk in hopes that her teasing remarks had struck a chord with her.  It had apparently worked too well, as the Demon was now giving her a deathly glare. “However, I think I’ll decide to trudge along with you lot.  Share the misery and what not.”  The last-ditch attempt from Pamitha did little to subdue the Demon’s subtle rage.  

As the group each gazed at the imposing forest, Twilight noticed something from the corner of her eye.  She saw Tariq, only that now he had a look of concern as opposed to his usually neutral one. Curious as to what was troubling the usually calm minstrel, Twilight trotted up to him.  “Is there something wrong, Tariq?”

The Lone Minstrel said nothing for a minute before he let out a hum of concern.  “Most puzzling…He ought have met us here.”

At first, Twilight was confused as to who Tariq was referring to, until it finally came to her. “Sandalwood?  He was supposed to meet us here just outside the forest?”  

As the minstrel nodded to her in confirmation, the alicorn began to worry.  She was so sure that they would meet Sandalwood by now that she hadn’t even thought about the possibility that he would be a no show.  

Overhearing the conversation along with the rest of the group, Hedwyn made his way to the minstrel and joined the conversation.  “You said yesterday that he would find us himself?” he asked recalling an earlier conversation.  

“Aye, he said that he would find us on the edge of these woods.”  Tariq looked down in thought.  “Most strange.  He is usually quite punctual.”

“So then, what’s our next move?” Twilight asked the minstrel.  “Do we just…wait around for him until her arrives?”

Tariq shook his head and then looked to the darkening sky.  “He would desire for the stars to be your guide as always.  The Rites beckon, and the Rites take precedence above all else.  Surely, he will find us yet.”

With the plan set in motion, the Nomad turned to the forest.  “Alright then, what’s the best way to get through these woods?”

“Hold it, Hedwyn.” Jodariel interrupted the young man.  “Navigating through these deep woods in the dark would be most ill-advised. I cannot even begin to fathom the nocturnal beasts the reside within.”

Twilight then heard Ti’zo give a small series of chirps as he nestled deeper into Fluttershy’s mane.  “Oh dear,” the shy pegasus said.  “Ti’zo says that Jodariel’s right.  He senses a lot of scary creatures in those woods.”

Sir Gilman straightened his posture and gazed intently at the forest.  “This knight will glad confront any creature foolish enough to cross our path!”

While the alicorn had no doubt in the Wyrm knight’s abilities, she couldn’t help but agree with Jodariel.  While she had explored the Everfree Forest in the dead of night before, she also knew that Wakingwood could be vastly different.  Especially with creatures and dangerous plants that she nor the other ponies knew how to deal with.

“Tariq,” she then asked the minstrel.  “do you know exactly when the next Rite will be?”

He scratched his chin in thought and then nodded.  “Judging on the stars, I would say the next evening from today.”

That was all Twilight needed to know to make her choice.  “Then we should camp here for tonight.  I’m sure Sandalwood wouldn’t mind if we’re a bit late in our meeting if it meant that we didn’t put ourselves in immediate danger.  Is everyone okay with that?”

There were hums and murmurs of agreement from the Nightwings and the other ponies was all the confirmation Twilight needed.  Thus, the campsite was set just as night began and the sky was once again peppered with the stars.  The group unanimously agreed to move a few feet away from Wakingwood, seeing how the nightly darkness made the forest even more ominous.  The bonfire was then lit and the Nightwings and ponies settled down for some dinner before they would head to bed.  Rations were admittedly scarce as only a small percent was made up of stored food while the rest was scavenged from the immediate area.  

However, Hedwyn’s amazing cooking skills was able to make the dinner edible, if not borderline tasty.  Even though the food was subpar, Twilight was still smiling.  The reason behind this bout of joy came from how all of her friends were interacting with the Nightwings.  There was a strong sense of comradery within the group, even though the ponies had been in the Downside for only a few weeks.  In a wasteland full of outlaws casted out by a high-strung civilization, the alicorn was thankful that she and her friends were able to come across such friendly beings.  Hedwyn, Jodariel and Rukey had been essential in both her survival and the beginning of quest for freedom.  It was thanks to the trio’s initial kindness that led Twilight to finding not only her missing friends, but others such as Mae and Sir Gilman that were more than deserving for freedom.

Speaking of her friends, the alicorn was also satisfied with how well they were adjusting to the sudden predicament that they now all found themselves in.  While Starlight, being the most recent arrival, was still in the process of settling in with the Nightwings, her other friends had already began making bonds with the denizens of the Downside.  Applejack with Mae, Fluttershy with Rukey and Ti’zo, Rarity with Sir Gilman and even that short time with Pinkie and Big Bertrude back in the Flagging Hands.  Of course, there were some bumps in the road, such as with Rainbow Dash’s initial suspicions with pamitha, but overall, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

In summary, Twilight was content that the ponies and the Nightwings were joint in their quest to find freedom and return home.  

As Twilight put down her plate, she felt something in the back of her head.  She instinctively swiveled around until she was facing the slightly ajar entrance of the blackwagon.  The tingling in the back of her head was now gone, only to then be replaced by something in front of her perception.  It was almost as if there was something emanating from inside the wagon that was mentally drawing her to its source.  Being the ever so curious mare that she was, the alicorn politely excused herself from the group and headed inside.  She entered the main room and scanned around until she felt that mental pull coming from her private room.  The purple mare cracked the door open and her eyes widen as she discovered the source of what was calling her.  The Beyonder Crystal was glowing and sparkling vividly as it radiated an invisible energy that she could only sense.  Thinking logically, Twilight figured that there was only one cause for this; Sandra was calling out to her.  The alicorn looked behind her to make sure everybody was still outside and then went to touch the crystal.  The second her hoof touched the glassy surface, the atmosphere shifted around her. Not a second later, Sandra appeared in front of the pony wearing a snide grin.  

Musical Cue - Forbidden Knowledge

“My, my, took you long enough to answer my call.” she replied teasingly.  “And here I thought you were trying to forget little ol’ me. You wouldn’t be the first one, of course.”  The spirit let out a laugh, although it was more like she was laughing at herself.

I…wasn’t aware that you were able to summon me like that.” Twilight replied unsurely.  

“A power given to me when I was entrapped in this blasted Crystal.  I suppose the Scribes thought it well to give me such to better serve the Nightwings and their beloved Reader.”  The phantom then gave the alicorn a mock bow.  “And thus, here I am to serve my masters until you grow bored of me.”

Though Sandra may have found some humor in her self-deprecation, Twilight didn’t exactly feel comfortable to treat her as a lowly servant.  “If it’s any consolation, I do appreciate the help that you’re giving us.  I honestly don’t think of you as just a mere tool.”

At first, the phantom said nothing at the pony’s compliment.  Her face was just a neutral expression that was difficult to read considering that her eyes were still closed.  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, Sandra cracked a smirk.  

“You are quite the amusing one, dear Reader.  Lying through your teeth just to appease little ol’ me.  While you are not the first to do so, you certainly are the most adorable.”  Twilight flattened her ears after Sandra clearly misinterpreted her words.  Before she had a chance to correct her, the phantom stopped the pony before she could.  “Enough of your empty flattery.  There was a reason that I called you here.”  She gestured to the door leading outside.  “It seems that another one of your group is ready for a Scribe Trial. Simply look and see who it is, and we can get started.”

Twilight perked up again when Sandra mentioned a Scribe Trial.  It had been a while since she was first introduced to the strange ritual and remembered how Rukey was the first to participate.  The alicorn then figured that it would no doubt be beneficial for another one of the Nightwings to perform in the Trial, gaining much needed training and a special talisman for succeeding.  So, the purple mare gently closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Just as before, she saw a small ball of light that slowly began to morph.  Eventually, the light eventually stretched out into a bipedal figure, one of medium build and had what appeared to be short scruffy hair.  Twilight then opened her eyes for she now knew who was ready for the Trial.  “Hedwyn is ready, Sandra.” she simply stated.  

The phantom raised one of her eyebrows.  “Oh, you must mean that Nomad boy…so innocent, that one.  I should have a lot of work to do with him.  Then let us bring him forth.”

Following the apparition’s instructions, Twilight exited to the main common room and stuck her head outside.  She called out to Hedwyn to come inside for something important.  The Nomad was initially perplexed, but he entered the wagon with the pony, nonetheless.  Once the pair had entered the alicorn’s private dorm, Hedwyn finally spoke up. “Mind telling me what’s going on, my friend?”

Twilight didn’t have time to answer him before she suddenly felt a bit woozy.  Her vision soon began to darken, and the world slowly faded around her.  



Musical Cue Continued - Forbidden Knowledge

When Twilight blinked her eyes open again, she once again found herself within the endless limbo that was contained within the Book of Rites.  She was now floating in empty space looking down on the field that held the Nightwings and Beyonders’ sigil on both sides.  The sigils erupted into their respected pyres, with the Beyonders at little over half its intensity.  The alicorn saw as Hedwyn then appeared on the left side of the field, fully donned in his mask and raiments.  Through their connection, Twilight could sense the initial confusion the Nomad had for the new environment.  However, for one reason or another, he quickly calmed down and looked to the other side of the field.  There both he and Twilight saw Sandra appear by her lonesome.  She unfastened her mask and looked to Hedwyn.  

“Listen well, boy.” she addressed the Nomad.  “You answer to me here.  Your dear Reader insisted that I give you a test of sorts.  So now you face me in this Trial.”

“…Understood.” Hedwyn answered back in a calm, steady tone.

“Do not talk back to me, you fool!” Sandra reprimanded him.  When it was clear that the Nomad would stay silent, the apparition continued her rant.  “Your reliance on your friends during the Rites is such a burden upon them.  Let us see what you can do without their aid…save for your lovely Reader there.”  Before the Trial officially began, however, both Twilight and Sandra heard Hedwyn quietly chuckle to himself.  “And what, may I ask, is so amusing to you right now?!” Sandra demandingly asked.  

“Nothing really,” Hedwyn answered.  “it’s true that I may not be the most adaptive on the field.  But with Twilight on my side, I feel invincible.  And I plan on proving that right now by dominating your test.”

While Twilight couldn’t help but smirk at the Nomad’s confidence, Sandra seemed far from amused. “Your overconfidence will be the death of you one day, boy.  Let us commence.”

With that, Sandra disappeared from the field, only for the shadows of a Nomad, Demon and Cur to appear by the green flames in her place.  Hedwyn took his stance to begin the Trial, his determination to show Sandra what he could really do being strongly felt by the alicorn.  The Celestial Orb felt from the sky right in the middle of the field.  Hedwyn acted fast to rush towards the field and successfully gained the Orb in his possession.  Unfortunately, the Nomad was unaware as the phantom Demon casted its massive aura at him. The blast hit, banishing Hedwyn from the field.  Twilight could only watch as the Demon picked up the Orb and slowly made its way to the Nightwings’ pyre.  Thankfully, Hedwyn’s banishment was short-lived as he once again appeared on the field to quickly cast his own aura to banish the phantom.  Twilight directed Hedwyn to pick up the orb and attempted to flank the remaining two apparitions by rushing to his right.  The plan almost worked, if it wasn’t for the Nomad phantom flanking Hedwyn and banishing him quickly.  The phantom swiped up the Orb and rushed right into the blue flames.  

The field reset and Hedwyn appeared by the slightly damaged pyre along with the Cur and Demon phantoms by their own.  It was then Twilight decided to take a more defensive approach with scoring this round, considering that the more direct approach wasn’t working.  As the fast-paced Cur effortlessly crossed the field and the grabbed the Celestial Orb, Twilight positioned Hedwyn closed by the pyre. The apparition then moved in a zigzag motion to hopefully disorient Hedwyn and dive into the pyre.  However, the alicorn was expecting this and quickly moved Hedwyn a few steps to the right.  A well-casted aura blast hit the Cur front the side, giving the Nomad plenty of opportunity to grab the Orb for himself.  When Hedwyn made it halfway across the field, the Demon shadow moved itself before the approaching adversary.  The purple mare was well aware of the Demon’s slow movements, so maneuvering around the hulking apparition was rather simple.  The round concluded as Hedwyn leaped into the green flames.  

The next round began, only now Hedwyn had to face all three phantoms at once again.  The Nomad and Demon shadows huddled closer to their pyre, using their collected aura fields to create a large obstruction for Hedwyn to cross.  Twilight figured that was a problem that could be dealt with later.  Right now, they had to get the Orb in their possession. The phantom Cur rushed for the middle of the field, while Hedwyn took a more laxed approach towards the center. All according to plan, for as soon as the Cur picked up its prize, it was in perfect range for Hedwyn to cast his own aura to banish it away.  With the offensive clear, Hedwyn was free to swoop up the Orb and rush for the Beyonders’ pyre. However, the remaining two phantoms remained steadfast near their pyre, no doubt waiting for their Cur to return from banishment.  At first, the alicorn was unsure as to what to do to break this defense until she gained an idea.  Hedwyn threw the Orb above the two phantoms and then quickly casted his aura to banish away the Demon.  The Beyonder Nomad was left in dazed state from the bait-and-switch strategy, giving Hedwyn plenty of time to quickly dash behind it to reclaim the Orb and jump into the green flames.

The alicorn noted that one last hit to the pyre and Hedwyn would be victorious in his Trial. However, it seemed that the apparitions were well aware of that fact, as well.  For as soon as the Orb fell to the middle again, the Beyonders took on a heavy offense towards the Nomad.  One after another, the Demon and Nomad continued to cast their aura near the stationary Orb, preventing Hedwyn from picking it up without the risk of being banished.  The phantoms only stopped their assault to allow for the Cur to rush forward to grabbed hold of the Orb.  Well aware of its abundant mobility, Twilight decided to withhold Hedwyn from immediately attack the phantom and decided to see what it’s next move would be.  Her patience was rewarded when the Cur made the unexpected move of jumping right over Hedwyn.  His reflexes were fast enough to quickly turn around and cast his aura to banish the Cur just as it landed on the ground.  With the Orb on their side of the field, Twilight directed Hedwyn to grabbed it and make his way to the other side.

By the time Hedwyn had made it to the middle of the field, the remaining two Beyonders had set up for his arrival with the Demon at a defensive position near their dying pyre and the Nomad going on the defensive.  However, Twilight expected this move and had Hedwyn toss the Orb, intentionally missing the Beyonders’ pyre and having it land right behind the Demon. The defending phantom couldn’t help but abandon its post and slowly make its way to the fallen Orb.  The alicorn couldn’t help but smirk as everything was going according to plan.  After jumping over an aura cast by the Nomad, Hedwyn sprinted forward and casted his own aura to banish away the Demon while it was distracted.  That left the Orb free for Hedwyn to pick up again and went forth to finally end the trial.  The remaining phantom was too late to stop Hedwyn from slamming the Orb into the remaining licks of flames of the Beyonders’ pyre.

As the Beyonder Nomad faded from the field and the flames of the Nightwings’ pyre shot up in the air and exploded, Hedwyn reappeared at the center of the field and removed his mask.  Twilight shared the same smirk he had on from their shared victory.

“LOXALAS!” he shouted in triumph into the empty space.  

“Hmph, I suppose I can’t help but be impressed, boy.” Sandra simply said as she appeared before Hedwyn.  “You passed my test with a sufficient performance.”  

“It was as I said before, I feel invisible with my Reader at my side.” the Nomad said in confidence.

“I admit, you and that lovely Reader of yours make quite the team.” Sandra admitted. “However, I suggest you not make a habit of relying on others too much.  I speak from personal experience.”

Before Hedwyn could inquire further on what exactly Sandra meant by that, she had already turned her back to him.  “Congratulations are in order.  To you and your lovely Reader, now begone from here.”

As the apparition faded away, Twilight’s vision also began to black out until her vision was all but complete darkness. 



When Twilight managed to open her eyes once more, she once again found herself back in the Blackwagon in her personal dorm.  She turned her head and saw Hedwyn slowly picking himself off the ground.  Other than looking a bit groggy, he seemed relatively fine as he shot the alicorn a soft smile.”

“Good to be back after all of that.” he said as he got back on his feet. 

Twilight gave him a sheepish smile.  “Yeah, sorry about springing that on you all the sudden.  The apparition in the Crystal Tariq gave wanted to test you.”

“I certainly felt tested, but I’m happy with how well it turned out.” Hedwyn said.  He then looked to the ground.  “Hey, what’s that there?”

Twilight looked down and saw what he was referring to.  On the ground was what looked to be a finely crafted bracer with a softly glowing orange gem in the center.  Twilight picked it up with her magic to examine it finer details.  The metal looked worn, with multiple nicks and scratches etched into the armor.  However, that did little to mute the luster coming from the gold trimming along its sides. Remembering what had happened in the last Trial, Twilight smiled and levitated the bracer to Hedwyn.  

“Here,” she said as he grabbed it from her magic.  “This is your reward passing the Trial.  No doubt it’ll be useful in the Rites.”

After inspecting it himself, Hedwyn went ahead and adjusted the bracer on his right arm. When he was satisfied that it fit, he extended his forearm and displayed his new Talisman.  “Fits well.” he said.  

“You earned it.” Twilight said.

“I think it’s more appropriate to say that we earned it.” he countered.  “We wouldn’t have made it this far without you, my friend. This right here proves it.”

As the Nomad gestured to his new bracer, Twilight could help but give a small bashful blush.  He then excused himself to go back with the group outside while she promise to join him in a small bit. 

After the Nomad left the wagon, Twilight once again felt her senses dull.  Sure enough, Sandra appeared once again from the corner of the alicorn’s vision.  She turned to see that the phantom had her arms crossed and had an expression that was a mix of snugness and disgust.  

Musical Cue - Forbidden Knowledge

“It seems that fool Gol deemed the boy worthy of wielding one of his tacky bracers.” she said as she looked to where Hedwyn had left.  “I hope for your sake that he doesn’t become tainted with a bloated sense of superiority.”

The sheer disrespect the apparition had for one of the Eight Scribes from the Book of Rites was not lost on Twilight.  However, given from what she read in the tome and from their last discussion, the pony wasn’t too surprised by this.  That didn’t stop her from being curious though. 

“Was Gol the one who trapped you in the Orb?” Twilight asked as she sat down on the floor.

“Him and that blasted Imp that accompanied him.” Sandra confirmed.  “Me and eight others of the Beyonders, or the Sisters of the Arch as we were once known, knowingly tossed ourselves into the river to hunt down the Emperor in this damned place.  When we eventually found him, he was…different.  A man transformed both in body and character.  He kneeled to us, begging for to spare his pathetic life.”

Twilight felt a pit deep in her stomach that was becoming larger and larger.  “But…you’re in the Crystal.  Meaning that…you still tried to…”

For the first time since the alicorn had met her, Sandra took a more defensive tone.  “You knew not of what it was like to live under his rule!  I was certain that it was another blasted trick of his.  So I struck!  The anger I felt made me drop my weapon so that I could take his life with my bare hands! My other sisters could only stand by as I struck him again and again.  A fine time to develop a conscious.”

Sandra then took a few non-existent breaths and calmed down, her mood much more dower.  “It was then that blasted Master General sprung from his hiding place along with the Imp.  Despite all of my skills and training, I was no match for someone who’s soul was forged in war.  He badly injured me…and also did this.” 

Whenever the spirit had appeared to Twilight, Sandra had always lidded her eyes closed.  It was the one feature that the alicorn had yet to get a good glance at.  Of course, Twilight had assumed that Sandra had them open a tiny crack, as she was able to comment on her appearance the new environment around her whenever the blackwagon travelled to a new location.  

However, all of those assumptions flew out the window as soon as Sandra opened her eyelids. Twilight couldn’t stop herself from letting out a shocked gasp at what she saw…or rather, what she didn’t see. Instead of whites and pupils like Twilight expected to see, there were only two black voids on the apparition’s face. The lack of the ocular organs gave Sandra an even more eerie feel than she already had.  Eventually, Sandra shut her eyes again and resumed her tranquil appearance.

“He…” Twilight tried to say, as if her brain was still catching to what she just saw. “Golathanian blinded you in his attack.”

“No mercy for the one who attacks his precious Emperor.” said Sandra in a venomous tone. “My sisters and I made a hasty retreat after that.  I used that time to mend my wounds and heal.  Sometime later, we encountered Murr again, only this time he was accompanied by the rest of those Scribes.  One of them possessed the very Crystal that lies in that corner.  For our crimes, Murr banished us to that Crystal, and I was forced to serve as guidance for participants of those blasted Rites.”

Sandra then let out a bitter laugh.  “I suppose it was not all bad.  As this form did grant me back my vision again.  Well, a substitution for my vision would be a more appropriate term.”

“I…” Twilight stuttered out, only to find that she was at a complete loss for words. Simply put, she had no idea what to say to the phantom without coming off as either condescending or hypocritical.  She was a foreigner to this world, meaning that she had no context as to what the Emperor was like before and after his experience in the Downside aside from what was written in the Book.  Part of her wanted to believe that Sandra deserved what had happened to her for talking so casually about taking another life.  However, Sandra seemed far from prideful about it, acting as though it was inherited instinct instead of something she willingly pursued.  Conflicted by the moral dilemma, the alicorn decided to fall back on her usual tactic and acquire more information.  “How long have you been imprisoned in there?”

“837 years,” she answered bluntly.  “according to my count, at least.  It is possible that I have lost track.  Although, given my state I can assure you that I’ve had ample time to verify my arithmetic.”

Sandra stood silent for a time.  More likely to let the reality of what she had just said to sink in for the pony. Something that had not gone unnoticed to her as Twilight’s ears went flat against her head.  Over three-quarters of millennia trapped in the Crystal no doubt explained the phantom’s cynical behavior. 

“I grow tired of this.” Sandra eventually huffed out.  “Before I leave you this night, I shall grant you some advice I learned the hard way.  If you decide to kill the Emperor, make sure you achieve what you set out to do.  I expected my own death, regardless of the outcome of my task.  I was not expecting this…certainly not to be telling a small pony about it 837 years later.  Or however long it has been.”

With that, Sandra vanished without as much as saying goodnight and Twilight’s senses returned to normal.  Leaving her alone to think on what the phantom had told her.  The alicorn had to admit that aside from the need for survival, this world was truly testing her moral compass.  Sandra used to be a killer and moral logic dictated that she did indeed got what was coming to her.  Then again, according to the Book the Emperor had changed from the hungry tyrant that he once was from his time in the Downside.  Did he really deserve death so soon after turning a new leaf?

Twilight then thought about what Sandra had said about the time of her entrapment.  Nearly a thousand years trapped in that Crystal. The thought of the number couldn’t help but remind Twilight of somepony she did know that was also trapped for such a long period of time.  Somepony who had also gone through a great change from that entrapment.  That pony had also appeared lost to the darkness, although that didn’t stop the then unicorn to try and save her.  Though far less experienced in such matters, Twilight remembered how she was able to get through to her despite of that.  Would she be able to do the same for Sandra and her cynical outlook on her existence? 

Eventually, Twilight shook her head clear of those deep thoughts.  It was far too late to be thinking about such moral quandaries right now. She figured that it would be better if she sat on that thought for a while and bring it up to Sandra the next time they speak.  She hoped that sharing the identity of a pony that experienced something similar to her would ease the spirit into trusting her more.  For now, Twilight let out a deep breath and went to head back outside. She was glad that at least her friends were here to help soothe her soul from dealing with everything here in the Downside.  And she was certainly glad that she could add the new friends she had made here in this world to that sentiment.  



A set of purple ears flicked up in the air for a bit as Twilight opened her eyes.  The initial grogginess made it difficult for the mare to take in her surroundings.  However, she eventually gained enough coherence to realize what was happening. She was in the bed located in her quarters wrapped up snuggly in the blanket.  The room was dark, save for the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the shutters of the small window in the room.  

It didn’t take long for Twilight to remember that after having gone outside to have dinner with the rest of the group, she decided to turn in a bit early and go to bed.  She must have been more exhausted since she didn’t remember lying down in bed before she must conked out.  As she continued to retrace her steps, Twilight couldn’t recall experiencing a vivid nightmare, so that wasn’t the source of her sudden wake up.  She then reasoned that it simply must have been those moments where ponies would wake in the middle of the night for some unknown reason.

As Twilight squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to gain a few more precious hours of sleep, her ears gave another twitch.  This time, however, it was caused by a creaking sound.  The pony was well aware that the blackwagon tended to give off the usual creaks as the vehicle settled on the ground it was on.  But this time, Twilight could have sworn that this noise was from the door to the outside opening.  Her mind lit up with activity as she heard the same creak again not two seconds later.  

Finally, Twilight’s mind was active enough to allow her to crawl out of bed.  After the creaks that she had heard, she had a hunch that someone or something had opened the door of the blackwagon and quickly closed it.  Indicating that either someone was exiting, or more worryingly, someone had entered uninvited in the dead of night.  Fearing for the latter, Twilight cautiously approached her door and carefully began to open it.  If there really was an intruder, she wanted to at least maintain the element of surprise.

Twilight peeked through the crack in the door and carefully scanned the main room.  She then eased the door further open when she saw nothing out of the ordinary.  As the alicorn stepped out, she saw that everything was as it was the last she remembered.  The only sound being the series of soft snores that can from the bunks on the other side of the room.  Twilight relaxed a bit at the realization that there was no sign of an intruder.  

The alicorn then noted that if no one had entered the wagon, then the sound she heard earlier must have meant that someone had left instead.  She confirmed as much when she looked over and saw that one of the bunks was empty.  Save Pamitha, who was soundly sleeping on the roof, Twilight counted the ponies and Nightwings to see who was missing.  Eventually, she counted that everyone was here, with the exception of Hedwyn.  It seemed that the Nomad had woken up in the middle of the night and had decided to wander outside.  Twilight could have spent more time wondering why he would do such a thing, but then ultimately decided it would be easier to ask Hedwyn directly. 

Twilight stealthily made her way to the main door and slowly opened it to make as little noise as possible.  She then slid through then opening she made and slowly closed the door again.  The night air was pleasantly cool for the alicorn, a much need respite from the heated climate of the Black Basin.  However, such pleasant thoughts were cut short as Twilight saw what was before her.  If Wakingwood was intimidating during the day, then the dense forest was downright nightmarish in the dead of night.  In the back of her head, Twilight couldn’t help but feel a sense of twisted nostalgia when she had to confront the Everfree Forest to find the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon all that time ago.

The alicorn was broken from her reminiscing when she heard a branch snap nearby.  She immediately readied a spell and faced where the sound originated from.  Nothing appeared to be there as she looked to the dense forest.  Twilight then ceased her magic and took a few steps forward towards the trees.  While it was plausible that it was some wild creature, she noted that she still hadn’t found Hedwyn yet.  As she reached the very edge of the woods, she pondered if this was the best idea.  She then heard another twig snap, only this time she felt a little less alarmed.  She figured that she would follow her gut and stepped through into the forest.

Twilight casted a light spell through her horn to help illuminate the area.  The trees above were so dense that only a few beams of moonlight were able to pierce through and provide limited illumination.  The alicorn’s worry only grew as she made her way deeper and deeper into the woods.  If the Nomad really did decide to venture in Wakingwood alone in the middle of the night, Twilight could only wonder how he would ever find is was back. For now, the alicorn continued to carefully move forward. 

It was after moving a few meters forward that Twilight heard another noise nearby.  Her first reflex was to call out to Hedwyn, but she immediately considered how bad of an idea that would be if it turned out to be some vicious creature instead.  She was caught off guard after she heard what sounded like another branch snapping, this time closer.  Whatever was out here with the alicorn, it was closing in on her position.  Twilight reacted first and increased the power of her light spell and illuminated the whole area around her.

Twilight immediately looked to where her potential transgressor was and then felt an immediate wave of relief wash over her when she saw that it was indeed Hedwyn.  The Nomad was still shielding his eyes from the sudden flash from Twilight’s horn, so she decided to dim the light now that she wasn’t in any immediate danger.

“What are you doing out here?” Twilight asked him in a hushed tone, just in case there were any creatures nearby that might hear them.  

“I suppose I could ask you the same question.” Hedwyn answered with a sheepish grin as he scratched the back of his head. 

Twilight cocked up one of her eyebrows at such an obvious deflection.  “I woke up in the middle of the night and I heard what sounded like someone opening the door.  I went out of my room and noticed that you were the only one not in bed. So, I went outside and heard something coming from the woods.  That’s why I’m here, now why are you here?”

Realizing he was caught in the act, Hedwyn relented and let out a soft sigh.  “I couldn’t seem to get to sleep, so I’d thought I’d scout ahead for tomorrow, that way we might be able to find Sandalwood sooner. Old habit I picked up back in the war, I suppose.”

While it did explain a lot, Twilight wasn’t very satisfied with the Nomad’s answer.  She turned around from where she was walking and couldn’t even see the edge of the forest through all the thick trees. “Hedwyn, not that I don’t appreciate you trying to help, but I don’t think that this was the best idea.” she told him.  “You can barely even see anything at night.”

“Relax, the moonlight’s plenty for someone like me.” Hedwyn replied in a confident tone as he turned around and moved deeper into the forest.  Twilight quickly kept pace with him to keep him within range of her light. “I’ve been in the Downside for a long time now, so I’ve grown accustomed to thriving in environments where I’m not supposed to.”

The Nomad’s confidence did little to quell Twilight’s worry.  “Still, I wished that you would have waited until morning.  I know you’ve been in the Downside a lot long than me, but I still think it’s risky.” 

“Twilight, it’s fine.” Hedwyn again reassured.  He looked back to her as he was stepping over a particularly large vine on the ground. “So long as we keep our wits about us, we’ll take a quick look around and see if we find any clues to-“

The alicorn was immediately caught off guard as the Nomad suddenly tripped and seemingly fell into the ground. 

“Hedwyn!” she cried out as she rushed to where she had fallen.  Thanks to her personal light, Twilight saw that over the large vine was a steep slope that ran further down into Wakingwood.  She heard a few more crashes and grunts of pain, indicating that Hedwyn was still tumbling down.  Her first thought was to use her wings to fly down there safely, but a few movements of the appendages confirmed that they were a bit too tender for use. So, with deep breath, Twilight took a few careful steps forward and tried to control her descent down the slope. 

The alicorn kept her hooves planted to the ground as she slid down the slope.  She was careful to keep her balance as to not suddenly lurch forward and tumble down just as Hedwyn did.  Along the way, she also had to avoid any overhanging branches that would potentially hit her in the face.  On one of those branches, however, was something Twilight recognized.  She stopped her descent and saw Hedwyn’s blue bandana that he normally wore wrapped around his forehead.  It must have been removed from his person during his tumble down. She grabbed the cloth with her magic and continued downward to find the Nomad.  

Eventually, the slope ended, and Twilight was back on even ground.  She ended up in a small clearing with the forest that allowed the full moonlight to illuminate the area.  She only had to look a few meters ahead of her to see that Hedwyn was in the process of picking himself off the ground.  Despite a few small tears in his clothing here and there, he seemed to be fine. 

“Hedwyn!  Thank Celestia you’re okay!” Twilight exclaimed in relief. 

Instinctively, the Nomad turned around to face the pony after calling his name.  He was frozen for a few seconds before his face shifted into panic as he quickly brought his forearm up to cover his forehead. But it was too late.  Twilight had already saw what had caused her to let out a sharp gasp and freeze in place.  The bandana in her magic dropped to the ground as her focus was suddenly shifted.

“H-Hedwyn. You…Are those…?” the alicorn tried to say. 

The alicorn witnessed a plethora of emotions shift through Hedwyn’s face in a short amount of time as he glanced away from her gaze.  The initial shock shifted into panic, which then slowly morphed to burning shame at the situation he had gotten himself in.  Finally, the Nomad experienced resignation and lowered his arm in defeat.  Twilight now could fully confirm what she had saw. 

Two tiny horns protruding from Hedwyn’s forehead. 

Twilight thought back to what Jodariel had once told her during her first days in the Downside. How years of exile turned Nomads would begin to grow horns and begin transforming into Demons.  Back then, she only thought of that tidbit as a rather interesting phenomenon of this world.  But now that she was seeing the beginnings of the process before her, with one of her new friends at that, it felt rather eerie.  She took a few steps towards the Nomad, only for him to step back in response. 

“Twilight,” he said, fear laced within his tone.  “Please…”

The alicorn hesitated at first and then tried a more delicate approach.  “Let me see, please.  I promise I won’t do anything.  I just want…a better look.”

Though he was still resilient for a minute, Hedwyn eventually complied and knelt down to her level.  Twilight continued to gently approach until she was right before him.  She didn’t call attention to how he continued to not look at her and investigated his horns.  They were quite small, maybe about half the length of her singular horn and nowhere near as large as Jodariel’s.  But there were clears signs that they were continued to grow at a slow, yet steady pace. 

“How…long have they been there?” she asked, being a bit probative.

“…They started growing in sometime last year.” he answered.  “About four years after I was exiled.” 

“Does…Does Jodariel know?” Twilight asked cautiously.

“NO!” Hedwyn said suddenly and grabbed her by the shoulder.  “Twilight, you have to promise me that you won’t tell anyone about this, especially Jodariel!  Please promise me that!”

Given the urgency in his voice and the panic flooding his face, Twilight was more than convinced that this was a dead serious matter for the Nomad.  “Okay, Hedwyn.  I promise that this will stay between us.”

“Good!  Good…” Hedwyn said, relief returning to his voice as his shoulders relaxed.  He removed his hands from the alicorn’s shoulders and looked away again.  “I’m…sorry if I was a bit intense there for a moment.”

Twilight simply nodded her head and kept on her sympathetic look.  While she was more than fine with keeping this secret for Hedwyn, that didn’t mean that she didn’t have quandaries of her own.  “Hedwyn, can I ask why you don’t want Jodariel to know about this?”

The Nomad didn’t answer immediately; he continued to remain silent as he looked away.  “When I eventually found Jodariel here after I was exiled, she looked…upset.  I thought she was upset at me for being sentenced here.  But as the years went on, I realized that she was upset at herself. I never talked to her about it, but I think she blames herself for me being here.”

Twilight gave him a confused look.  “Why would she blame herself?  No offense, but it was clearly something that you did yourself that got you exiled here.”

“I’ve known Jodariel for a long time, Twilight.  She may always appear stoic, but I can read her expressions easily.  And for those first few years, she was experiencing nothing but guilt.”  The Nomad let out another sigh.  “I mentioned that she tried to stop me when I went to war for the Commonwealth when I was finally old enough.  I believe that she blames herself for how I ended up in the Downside.  What scares me is that if she sees these horns on me….I don’t want to see how that would affect her.”

“Hedwyn,” Twilight said.  “You know that those horns would eventually grow large enough to the point where you wouldn’t be able to hide them, right?”

“I know.” Hedwyn admitted shamefully.  “I just wanted to buy some time so that I would know how to break it to her. Although, I still have no idea how to tell her without breaking her heart.”

Twilight was silent for a moment as she processed the Nomad’s conundrum.  She honestly had no immediate solution as to how she could help Hedwyn bring up this sensitive subject to Jodariel.  What she could do now, however, is try her best to soothe her friend’s melancholy.

“Hedwyn,” she said, gaining his attention.  “I…can imagine that telling Jodariel about this would be easier said than done.  I don’t think that keeping this from her is a good idea, but it’s ultimately your choice.  That being said, I still think that everything will be okay.”

The alicorn then used her magic to levitate the bandana from where she dropped it and tied it back around Hedwyn’s head, concealing his horns.

“Once we complete the last of the Rites and we all gain our freedom, hopefully those horns should start go away.  We just have to keep working together with everyone else and we’ll finally be free of this place.  I would still recommend that you one day tell Jodariel about this once we’re free, but for now I think we can just focus on the problem right in front of us.  Okay?”

Twilight’s heart lit up when she saw the sullen expression on the Nomad’s face shift into the hopeful one that was common for him.  “You always seem to know what to say, Twilight Sparkle.  How ever do you do it?”

The alicorn gave a sheepish smile.  “I can’t that I always know the right thing to say.  But I do know that I have to at least try for my friends.”

Twilight was then caught off guard as Hedwyn suddenly pulled her into a hug.  She gave no resistance and simply wrapped her hooves around him to return the embrace.  For just a moment, she tuned out the potential danger of Wakingwood and focused on this very moment that was now sharing with Hedwyn.  It was quite comforting to feel this level of safety with someone who she come to learn to trust and respect.  It made her feel quite hopeful for the journey ahead.

Eventually, the embrace ended and Hedwyn stood back up and looked to the slope where they both slid down.  “Well, hopefully it’ll be a little less dangerous getting back to the wagon, if not difficult.”

Twilight thought for a moment and an idea popped into her head.  “Stay close to me.  Let me see if I can teleport us back.”

Hedwyn nodded and stood by the alicorn.  She then closed her eyes and channeled her magic into her horn.  She then focused on where the blackwagon was in relation to Wakingwood and how she and Hedwyn ended up in their current position.  Once she had everything cleared up in her mind, she activated the spell and the pair instantly disappeared.  

When she opened her eyes again, Twilight saw that she and Hedwyn were out of the woods and about a meter away from the wagon.  She let out a sigh of relief as she was glad that the teleportation worked as she intended. 

“Impressive.” Hedwyn noted in a hushed tone, as to not to disturb Pamitha on the roof.  “You ponies sure are full of surprises.  You sure you can’t just teleport all of us out of the Downside?”

Though she guessed by the inflection of his voice that Hedwyn was only half kidding with that last question, Twilight still felt a sheepish grim spread upon her face.  “It’s…a little bit more complicated than that.  I have to be able to picture where I need to go to, meaning I usually have to have been there before.  Plus, I can’t exactly teleport anywhere super far without it taking up a lot of my magic.”

Hedwyn chuckled. “Still a lot more than I can do.” He then knelt down to give the pony a few pats on the head before getting back up.  “I think we should try to get some rest before morning comes. What do you say, my friend?”

Twilight looked up to the Nomad and smiled.  Whether he had the bandana around his head or not, he was still the same kind soul that had saved her life all that time ago.  The pair then quietly entered the wagon to get some much-needed sleep.  No doubt they would need it for tomorrow when they would finally meet the mysterious benefactor of the Nightwings.

The one who had started them on this journey to freedom.