It was an eerie sort of quiet that filled the gryphon ruins. It wasn't just the quiet that one could expect of an abandoned town, or the quiet of an ancient cavern, or even the quiet of some old, musty mausoleum. In those there was always still a sense of something being around you, something that made you feel like you weren't alone. Some ponies considered it creepy, some ponies looked at it sensibly. Surely there were skittering rodents and insects about, or at the very least the echoes of water dripping from some crack in the ceiling that let in the rain, or the barest hints of wind.
There was none of that here. Just an eerie quiet, as if sound itself had abandoned these old halls and left nothing behind but dust.
Applejack found it a bit unnerving, but not so much as to actually make her nervous. She was just confused, really. "How come there ain't no sound in here?" she asked Hourglass, who was busy recording something with that nifty pocket watch. "That ain't normal."
"The cursed plague that killed all the gryphons also killed every living thing in the city way back when," Hourglass explained, keeping her attention on her readings. "All the way down to the bacteria. And since there aren't really any animals or bugs or anything up here in the north apart from the Gargantuans, nothing's come back into the ruins to make it their home."
"Yeah, like I said, 'tain't normal. But 'sides that, ain't there a huge sandstorm ragin' outside?" Applejack removed her hat and stared at the ceiling high above the foyer they were currently in. "Why can't we even hear that?"
Hourglass tapped her chin. "That… I can't explain. Maybe the walls are just that thick, but I'd chalk it up to the curse purposefully trying to make the ruins as creepy as bloody possible, and does it work or what, huh?"
"Shucks, who makes a curse that can do somethin' like that?"
"An evil goddess with a vendetta and the gryphons that helped her enemies, that's who. Nihila created the curse, and Silvertongue unleashed it on them on her orders." Hourglass shook her head, her expression solemn. "Wiping out an entire race like that, it's just… evil. I don't know how Silvertongue could live with himself after something like that."
Applejack shook her head. "I know they're our friends 'n' all, but I really oughta have a word wit' Dawn and her sisters one o' these days. I don't know if they know 'bout all the stuff their dad did, but if they don't, they oughta. He don't sound like no 'hero' ta me."
"You think that's bad, you oughta hear about the Blood Mire out east of the mountains. The whole place is like a swamp made out of fleshy sap, and it's filled with zombified ponies who succumbed to the Red Death." Hourglass shuddered. "At least the plague just outright disintegrated the gryphons. It reanimates ponies and turns them into monsters. The barrier's the only thing keeping them from overrunning the entire Wasteland."
Applejack replaced her hat on her head. She didn't really have a response to that; this Blood Mire place sounded like a nightmare. And all of this was because Silvertongue had to make sure Nihila trusted him enough that he could betray her eventually? It certainly explained why Twilight had been so disgusted that they'd had to rely on him to get home. It sounded like he'd gotten away with all of these horrors scot-free.
"'Tain't right." That was about all she could muster.
"Agreed," Hourglass said, holding out the Timekeeper while it did its work.
"So, gettin' anythin' worthwhile yet? What're these here readings you're gettin' for, anyhow?"
"A couple of weeks ago, there was a big surge of Dark magic that originated from these ruins. It threw the world's balance out of whack, and I'm sure you remember that being a bad thing?"
"That's what happened 'round here when my friends 'n' I showed up last time, weren't it? 'Cept I 'member it bein', uh, 'Light' magic or somethin' that we were causin'. Does that mean y'all got somepony from another world that's, uh… evil? Or somethin' like that?"
"That would make things easier, so I wish that were the case," Hourglass sighed. "It's… well, I don't know how much I'm allowed to talk about it. Winter might get mad at me if I share too much—"
"Sugarcube, you can trust me not ta go spillin' that ya done tol' me anything," Applejack said, setting her hoof on Hourglass's shoulder. "If ya don't wanna tell me, that's fine. But I figure if we're gonna be in these here ruins fer a while waitin' fer Winter ta come back, we're gonna run outta stuff ta talk about sooner or later. Don't hurt none ta have somethin' ta talk about."
Hourglass smiled briefly. "I suppose so. I'll think about it."
"That's all I ask. If it makes ya feel better, I can share some stuff 'bout me or somethin' ta keep us even."
"That sounds fair. Okay, how about this: how did you and Twilight meet? You sure seem dedicated to her, and that's not something I'd expect from just any old friend."
Applejack smiled. "Well shucks, that's an easy one. It was… shoot, had ta be 'bout ten years ago, give or take…"
She explained how Twilight had first come to Ponyville, and how she and their other friends all first met her while she was going on rounds to make sure the Summer Sun Celebration that year would go off without a hitch. She explained about their little adventure in the Everfree Forest, and how Twilight accepted their help and friendship to stop Nightmare Moon. Applejack had told this story a thousand times, it felt like, and it still made her smile every time she told it.
"And that was it?" Hourglass asked, blinking. "I mean, I understand the idea of making friends with somepony after a harrowing experience together, but… you all had just met. Right? This all happened within the same twenty-four hours?"
"Yup, sure did; we were thick as thieves right quick, I tell ya what. An' I get what you're sayin', trust me," Applejack chuckled. "There was just somethin' 'bout Twi that made it hard not ta wanna be her friend even though she said she didn't have no friends. I guess that's why she done became the Princess o' Friendship in the end. Make sense, don't it?"
"Hmm, I suppose that would follow, yeah. Still, it's weird. You don't mind that I think it's weird, do you?"
"Not at all, y'all ain't the only pony I've ever met that thinks it's weird. I mean, I took longer than that ta make friends wit' Flathoof, an' you'd think that would be quick 'n' easy 'cause he reminds me o' my brother Big Mac." Applejack shrugged. "I mean, sure, it only took a couple o' days, but that's just it, ain't it?"
Hourglass glanced at her pocket watch and adjusted the knobs slightly, then turned back to Applejack. "I guess it makes sense though, now that you mention it. Winter made friends with Twilight too, after all, and even though it took some time that's just because Winter was probably trying not to."
Applejack scratched her head. "Why would she be tryin' not ta make a friend?"
"Because that's part of the Chronomancer code… sort of. I mean, it's not written down anywhere and it's not as if you can get in trouble for it, but still, our organization discourages attachments of any kind with ponies from our assigned worlds. Conflict of interest or something like that. We can make friends and stuff with one another, though."
"An' that's why y'all're friends wit' Winter?"
"I am, yeah. We're best mates," Hourglass said with a smile. She gestured towards what looked like it had been an old bench in the foyer. "Come on, let's sit down for a bit. This next set of readings is gonna take a while."
Applejack followed the younger mare over to the bench, then removed her hat and set it down beside her as she sat down. "Consderin' how I've seen her treatin' somepony who's s'posed ta be her friend, ya mind if I ask if she's like that wit' you?"
"You mean… does she talk to me the way she talked to Twilight the other day?"
"Yeah."
Hourglass shook her head. "No, she doesn't do that. I mean, I know that she can get a bit… snippy—"
Applejack let out an incredulous snort. "'Snippy'? Ya call that 'snippy'?"
"Okay, fair enough, that was a little much even for her. She does get snippy a bit at times, but it's just been getting worse over the past few years. She'll be fine and normal and friendly enough most of the time, but sometimes something sets her off and she gets a bit cold. I know she doesn't mean anything by it though. She has a good heart, Applejack."
Applejack crossed her hooves over her chest. "Ya sound pretty sure o' that. I thought I knew 'er, too, but I've been second-guessin' myself ever since we came back on account o' how she talked ta Twilight. That ain't how ya treat yer friends."
"That's just how she is sometimes… with others, I mean, not with me. She's not a bad pony, honest. I've known her long enough to know that she's just… she's upset right now, and she's stressed out like you wouldn't believe or understand."
Applejack shook her head; she didn't buy it, but she'd drop it for now. "Ya said before that ya knew her before we did. I still don't get that, if I'm bein' honest here. Ya sure ya can't tell me what that's all about? It sure would help me understand how in the hay you can talk 'bout 'er like you're some sort of authority on it."
Hourglass scratched her chin. "Well… I'm not really supposed to, but… you did tell me all about how you met Twilight, so I guess it's only fair. And I guess you do know enough about our line of work that I can spill a little bit of information without hurting anypony…"
"I'm not forcin' ya ta break any rules here, sugarcube. If ya can't tell me, ya can't tell me."
"No, it's okay. I think Winter wouldn't mind if I talked about it a little bit. I'm pretty sure she's told somepony about me before, probably Twilight, actually. So, I think it's fair to tell you."
"Go on then, I'm listenin'."
"Okay, so… Chronomaners have their own HQ located in the Void. It's not really it's own 'world', not exactly, but it's similar to one. That's where Chronomancers train themselves for field work, and where the agents that aren't on field duty live and serve our organization, as well as all of the staff members that work for us.
"There's a section of HQ that doesn't progress through time normally, like what we're experiencing right now where a minute's a minute and a second's a second. That's where young ponies live, the Chronomancers-in-training, and that's where they learn about their new lives until an official agent picks them up to serve as an apprentice."
Applejack scratched her head. "A bunch o' young colts 'n' fillies just waitin' ta get picked up ta start trainin' fer work? That don't sound pleasant. Ya mean ta tell me that's how yer lil' group is run? Takin' lil' ponies 'n' trainin' 'em from a young age like that? Where do these young'uns come from?"
"From… from worlds that have been destroyed by the Void," Hourglass said, her expression faltering.
Applejack blinked; she was pretty sure she understood, but she had to be sure. "Does that mean that… y'all came from some place that ain't there no more?"
"Yes. Myself, Winter, and all of the other Chronomancer agents that currently serve the organization originally came from a world that was destroyed by the Void, a world that didn't have a Chronomancer or whose Chronomancer failed in their duty. The Chronomancers can't save everypony, so they usually pick out younger ponies that have potential talent for this line of work, or sometimes older ponies that might be of use elsewhere in the organization."
"That's… that's awful. Ya mean they just pick 'n' choose who lives an' who dies?"
Hourglass nodded slowly. "If you want to think of it in those terms, then yes, that's exactly what happens."
Applejack fanned herself with her hat briefly. "Shoot, that ain't right, no sir, that ain't right at all."
"It's necessary. There aren't enough Chronomancers out there for all the worlds there are, and, um… w-well, there are measures in place that prevent us from having foals of our own until retirement, be we stallion or mare. It's so that we can stay focused on the job, you understand."
"No, sugarcube, I don't understand. But I ain't here ta judge the folks in charge of yer lil' group, I'm here ta hear 'bout how you 'n' Winter met 'n' got along."
Hourglass smiled briefly. "Ah, well, we met while we were still waiting for somepony to pick us up for training. It wasn't a long friendship from our perspective, only about three days or so, but that means we were technically friends for three years. It's an odd concept when you think about it, and requires a bit of mental gymnastics, but that's how it works. Like, uh… dog years."
"I think I'm gonna hurt my head tryin' ta wrap it 'round all o' that." Applejack shook her head to clear out the confusing thoughts. "Let's just say y'all were friends wit' her for three years. Makes sense ta me that way, an' ya acted like ya knew her for a while 'fore she met us, and three days ain't no 'while'."
"That's fair. Well, after you and your friends left this world last time, HQ determined that Winter was ready to take on an apprentice of her own, a lot earlier than most Chronomancers do. She handled your situation so well that they figured she should pass on her skills as soon as possible; I think that they want her to return to HQ after I take over so that she can serve as a regular instructor.
"Well, when she was picking out somepony to come with her, she noticed that I was still there, so she picked me. She was older than me by that point, of course; like I said, time works differently at HQ. When I first met Winter, she was five, maybe six? When I met her again, she was in her twenties."
Applejack let out a breath. "That's all mighty confusin' if ya ask me."
Hourglass chuckled and patted Applejack's side. "Oh no, I get it. And trust me, that's not even the most complicated thing about how HQ works. I bet even a smart pony like Twilight would take some time figuring out all the things that make the place function the way it does."
"And ya say that she used ta be a sweet lil' thing or somethin' fore she met us and we left?"
"Well, yeah, she was just a little filly when I knew her before that. I know that her training probably hardened her a bit, but it shouldn't be making her bitter and angry about everything. At least not like she is now, especially towards Twilight."
"No, it shouldn't." Applejack sighed and shook her head. "Ya sure there ain't more ta this story?"
"Nothing that I can tell you, no. Winter's the only one who could tell you more, and I doubt she would." Hourglass shrugged and leaned back against the bench. "Sorry. I wish I could help you understand it better."
"That's alright, sugarcube, 'tain't your fault. I'm still tryin' ta get my head 'round the rest o' yer story, though. Them Chronomancers saved ya from yer world gettin' destroyed, an' they do that wit' all them colts 'n' fillies, even Winter?"
Hourglass nodded. "That's right…"
"An' y'all know 'bout this? Like, Winter knows that 'bout herself?"
"Oh, yeah, everypony knows about it. Most of them are lucky, though, and were young enough when it happened that they don't remember much about where they were originally from. Winter doesn't remember anything about her world at all, apart from some vague, hazy things. And I don't think she bothers trying to remember, either. Most don't."
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Ya said you were older than Winter when ya first met 'er. Does that mean that you remember?"
Hourglass took a breath and looked up at the ceiling. "Yeah… I do. I was a little older than nine when it happened." She then shook her head. "But I'm not supposed to dwell on it like that. It's just a distraction. It happened a long time ago, and nothing can change it. The Void doesn't just destroy things, it erases them from all of time and space. Forever. It's like my world never existed; I'm all that's left."
"I'm sorry ta hear that," Applejack said softly. "Not just that it happened, but that you've been told not ta think about it. That ain't right neither. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it sounds like them Chronomancers are a cold-hearted bunch. I get that the work's important 'n' all that, but it ain't right doin' what they're doin' the way they're doin' it."
"It is what it is. Stiff upper lip and all that, that's our motto."
"Ya don't have ta pretend wit' me, sugarcube. Ta hide it, I mean." Applejack set her hoof on Hourglass's shoulder tenderly. "It sounds ta me like y'all ain't never talked about it wit' nopony before."
"Like I said, we're not supposed to. Winter doesn't, so I shouldn't either." Hourglass shook her head. "It's just a distraction—"
"It's a distraction only if ya let it be, an' keepin' it buried like that sure as hay ain't healthy. If ya don't wanna talk about it, that's alright, I ain't gonna force ya. But if ya do, I'm willin' ta lend an ear."
Hourglass looked at Applejack for a moment, then shook her head and sighed. "I wouldn't even know where to start…"
"Well, start by tellin' me what yer world looked like. I know my world and this one here look awful different, so I figure yours ain't exactly the same."
Hourglass paused for a moment, then closed her eyes and let out a breath. "I remember steam. Steam and gears. Our technology wasn't quite the same as it is in this world, but it was more advanced than yours is, I think. Clockwork and steam-powered technology everywhere, incorporated into every part of our lives.
"I remember… a train. There was a train station not far from where I lived. I remember the whistle that blew every time it came into the station to load cargo and unload passengers, the yelling of the conductors. I lived near a copper mine, so lots of folks came there to find work. The foreman was… an earth pony stallion, I think." She smiled and shook her head. "I remember him mostly because he had the new propulsion backpack model and a lot of folks were jealous.
"I remember some of my friends from school. Names and faces are a little fuzzy, but I know that I had a few. I remember one of my teachers, a pegasus mare. She taught engineering; we learn the basics from a young age. It encourages progress." She smiled, tapping her hooves together. "She taught me how to make my first wind-up clock. I… lost it when everything was destroyed. It was silver. Had a little engraving of a heart on it.
"And… I remember my parents. I never knew their real names, I only ever knew them as Mom and Dad. Both unicorns like me…" She sniffed. "My mom was really pretty. She had a pink mane. Always wore it long, but kept it tucked under her work cap most of the time. Dad had a big mustache. It always used to…" She sniffed again. "It used to tickle me when he'd kiss me goodnight.
"Most of all I remember the day it all went wrong. You'd think a world being destroyed would be this major disaster, that we'd have had some advance warning. There isn't any. If the Void is allowed to devour a world, it happens quickly. There's no earthquakes, no tornadoes or hurricanes. The sky just went… dark, darker than any night I'd ever seen before, with stars I didn't recognize.
"I was at school when it happened. At recess, actually. The sky went dark, and most of the other kids were scared and went running to find the teachers. Not me. The sky looked so… beautiful." She started shaking, her hooves fumbling together in her lap. "Then I watched as everything around me started to just… fall apart. Like watching salt dissolve in water. Everything turned to ash before my eyes.
"I ran. I had to get home, to get to safety. Then, a portal opened on the side of the street. There was a stallion standing there, a pegasus, dressed in a black jacket and sunglasses despite how dark it was, holding a little pocket watch. He saw me. He told me to come with him if I wanted to live. As the world was dying around me, I realized that I had a choice: keep running on that street and try to make it home, maybe die in the process… or go with the stranger and live. I… chose to live."
Hourglass sniffed and wiped her nose. "After that, he brought me to Chronomancer HQ, told me what happened, and told me what was to become of me. If I chose to stay there, to stay at HQ, I'd eventually be a Chronomancer like he was, and someday I'd have the power to stop what had happened to my world from happening to others. If I didn't, he'd find a safe world to take me to, to make a new life for myself.
"But… I couldn't do that. I couldn't stomach the thought of going someplace new and trying to forget what had happened. That's why they try not to take older kids and only take adults in specific circumstances: we remember too much. It… affects us; it affects me."
She shook her head, still fighting back tears. "I understood as a filly what most Chronomancers don't realize until they're older: this job takes a toll on you. It does make you cold and distant, because if you become attached… you might have to watch it all melt away someday."
After a long pause, Applejack leaned in and gave the young mare something that she knew she desperately needed: a hug. "It's alright, sugarcube, let it all out…"
Hourglass did just that, clinging to Applejack and letting her tears flow. "I don't want to remember it, Applejack…"
"It's alright. I understand. Believe me, I understand," Applejack said, rubbing Hourglass's back. "I know what it's like ta lose somethin' that means the world to ya, an' not ta have nopony to talk to about it 'cause ya know nopony understands. Oh, they can sympathize an' empathize an' all them fancy words that try to mean they understand, but they don't. An' ya love 'em fer tryin', but it ain't the same. But I understand."
"How? How could you know—"
"It ain't quite the same, I know, but… I know what loss feels like. I do. I was in yer horseshoes once, a long time ago. I 'member it was a bright sunny day, just like any other day out on the farm. I was doin' my chores like a good lil' filly should. I had ta get everythin' done 'fore Ma 'n' Pa got home from their big trip to the city, or Pa would be sore at me fer slackin'.
"I saw somepony comin' up the road to the farm. I thought it was them at first so I ran up ta greet 'em, but nope, it was just a mailpony. He saw me an' he took off his hat, an' he asked me if there were any adults at home. I said there was, an' I went and fetched Granny for 'im. Big Mac, my brother, he came over too, wanted ta find out what all the fuss was about.
"The mailpony looked real sad as he looked at us, an' then he told us the news." Applejack took a deep breath. "Ma 'n' Pa weren't comin' home. I didn't get it at first, I figured he meant they were just runnin' late or somethin', but I could tell that somethin' was wrong when I saw how sad Granny looked as he left. She hugged me 'n' Mac, an' she tol' us… she tol' us what the mailpony meant."
"I felt… well, I felt like my whole world had been torn apart. Everythin' I thought I knew was just… gone. It took me some time ta really come to terms wit' what happened, but I did. Me 'n' Mac both did, an' so did Granny. We knew we had ta step up. The farm needed us ta step up an' take over ta keep 'er afloat; our lil' sister Apple Bloom needed us ta step up an' fill that parent role. An' by golly, we did. We stepped up.
"But there're times when I 'member what things were like before the accident. What they were like when Ma 'n' Pa were around. I can talk ta Granny 'bout it, an' I can talk ta Big Mac 'bout it, sure… but it's not the same as bein' able ta talk ta somepony else about what happened. Somepony who gets it. I know what it's like ta have ta bury them feelings deep down so that ya can move on and not bother nopony.
"I know what happened ta me can't compare ta what happened ta you. I didn't lose so much. But I just want ya ta know that I understand, as much as I possibly can. I understand what ya had ta go through ta get to where ya are now, ta be the mare ya are now." Applejack patted Hourglass's back once, twice, three times. "I'm here for ya if ya ever need ta talk about it."
Hourglass sniffed and pulled away from the hug, then gave a few nods. "Thanks, Applejack. I'm… I'm sorry to hear about what happened to you—"
"Don't worry 'bout it, sugarcube. We're gonna start up a pity party if'n we start feelin' sorry fer one another," Applejack said with a small smile. "I just wanted ya ta know I'm happy ta lend an ear if ya ever need one. Ta tell ya ta treasure the memories ya have, not let 'em get ya down. That's the best way ta honor what ya lost, ta move forward 'n' do whatever it is ya need ta do."
"Thank you. That… well, you probably know exactly how much that means to me." Hourglass's Timekeeper let out a little beep. She wiped her eyes and looked at the display on it, then gave a firm nod. "The readings here are done. I have to take some more from further inside," she said as she got up off the bench.
Applejack followed suit, replacing her hat on her head. "Right behind ya, lead the way."
*****
Twilight had never seen a sandstorm before. A blizzard, sure; a thunderstorm, absolutely. But a sandstorm? That was new. The winds were practically hurricane-strength, which even with tiny dust and sand particles like this was practically lethal; a grain of sand at that speed could crack glass, and there were millions of those grains swirling about outside. Worse, there was lightning. Yes, lightning in a sandstorm. That shouldn't have been possible, but there it was, clear as day.
She waited behind Winter as they watched the storm raging outside the cave entrance they were currently sheltered in. Winter had her hoof held up to make sure Twilight knew not to go forward yet, but Twilight knew better than to try anything like that anyway, not without her magic. She hadn't been sure earlier if Winter could handle this, but she—
"Now!" Winter shouted, thrusting her hoof down and rushing forward.
Twilight followed behind without a second thought, easily able to keep up with Winter's pace because of her own gait alone. They ventured outside the cave and into the storm itself, with Winter immediately raising a protective barrier the instant they were in danger. Sand particles barraged the shield rapidly and without stopping, but it was the lightning that concerned Twilight the most.
Luckily, Winter seemed to know what she was doing, because her timing had been such that no lightning bolts struck her shield, just hurricane-strength winds and sand. And so Twilight followed her until they reached another cavern further down the trail that stretched along the side of the mountains, both of them rushing inside as soon as they reached it. Once safely inside, Winter dropped her barrier and backed herself against the cavern wall to take a breather; she looked dizzy.
"Are you okay?" Twilight asked, a little out of breath herself; normally running that far that fast would've been nothing, but she wasn't in peak condition yet.
"I'm fine, same as last time ya asked, same as the time before that," Winter grunted, running a hoof over her face. "Ya don't need ta ask every single time."
"I just want to make sure—"
"I know, but ya don't need to. I'm fine." Winter groaned as she rose back upright, firmly planting her hooves into the stone floor before walking back over to her vantage point near the cave entrance. "We're almost there, anyway. Next stop is the Checkpoint, then we can both take a proper breather, eh?"
"We can take a moment before we go if you need one," Twilight suggested.
"We need to keep movin'. We're lucky the storm's been movin' the way it has today; we wouldn't want to deal with the worst of it."
Twilight blinked. "This isn't the worst of it?"
"Oh, hell no. The mountains usually keep the worst parts of the storm away from us and the Checkpoint, but further west where there's no mountains?" Winter smirked and shook her head. "Ever seen a tornado before, Twilight?"
"I have."
"Imagine a tornado filled with lightning and sand. Hourglass and I have seen a few of 'em these last few years, foal's play compared to what this storm is probably creatin'. They'd be huge. My shield sure as hell won't keep us safe from one of those. Doubt even you could do it."
"Well, then I guess it's a good thing we're not coming from that direction," Twilight muttered. "And you're sure nopony's out there in this?"
"Shouldn't be, and if there are folks out there, there's nothin' we can do for 'em." Winter raised her hoof and gestured for Twilight to take her spot behind her. "Come on, the lightning's clearin' up. Watch your step this time, eh? We're headin' down a slope; don't want you to trip."
"Okay."
Winter waited, and waited, and waited, then as before, signaled with her hoof. "Go!"
And Twilight followed behind her again under the protection of the shield, careful to watch where she was running so that she didn't trip over the uneven ground. It was difficult to see much further ahead than the edge of Winter's barrier, so she had to do her best not to go too fast and misstep, but she had to still go slow enough not to outpace Winter.
She couldn't imagine trying to do this a few weeks ago before her growth spurt; she owed the success of her pacing entirely to her larger size.
But, as promised, eventually she could see the outlines of a building through the sand, though it was impossible to make out any details, even the colors; the sandstorm gave everything a brownish-red tint anyway, and the building was likely caked in sand already.
She followed Winter around the structure until they arrived at the front door, whereupon they ducked into the small alcove that was there and Winter started knocking loudly and with a particular rhythm.
Though it took a tense few moments—Winter's barrier was barely holding against the barrage of sand and wind—they were given a reprieve when a little slot opened on the door, just below Twilight's eye level. She could see another pony's eyes on the other side, and said eyes glanced up slightly at her own.
"What in the—" a stallion's voice on the other side started.
"Pewter! Let us in!" Winter called out.
A second later, the door swung open and Twilight felt another barrier spell fill the space around her, allowing for Winter to relax hers and to run inside, Twilight right behind her; Winter, though, just collapsed to the floor and immediately rolled onto her back, breathing heavily. Pewter closed the door behind them and locked it up again before turning to the two mares, looking awfully confused.
"Winter?" the stallion, Pewter, said, eyes wide.
Pewter was a tall stallion, a unicorn obviously since he'd used magic of his own, with a coat the color of light dirt and a mane the color of stone. He was dressed quite casually in just a robe; he clearly hadn't been expecting guests and had thrown it on in a hurry. He had a muscular build to him; Twilight was reminded of Shining Armor, who always kept himself in good shape.
"Winter, what in the world are you doing here?" Pewter asked, stepping over to check on her; she was breathing hard from the sheer effort of maintaining that barrier spell for as long as she had. "Where's Hourglass? Where's the other kid, Sunspire?"
Winter allowed him to help her up by hoof, shaking her head as she did so. "Long story. Hourglass is at the gryphon ruins takin' some readings, Sunspire's down in Hope's Point. It's complicated."
"Hope's Point? How did he get there all on his own?"
"He didn't, we were teleported, and it's a long, complicated story. Not important right now. He's fine, Hourglass is fine, we're all fine. Except Twilight here, she's not," Winter said, gesturing at Twilight.
"If you say so." Pewter then turned to Twilight and took a second to realize that she was a hair taller than he was. "Then you must be Twilight. Hello there, I'm Pewter," he said, offering his hoof. "Pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure's all mine," Twilight said, taking his hoof and giving it a little shake. "I've heard a lot about you."
"Good things I hope. You said something's wrong with her?" Pewter asked Winter.
"Ley line fracture," Winter replied. "I brought her here to get food and rest since Hourglass and I don't have enough supplies."
Pewter raised an eyebrow and eyed Twilight up and down. "A ley line fracture? That can't be right. She should barely be able to walk around, let alone get through that sandstorm with you if she was in that condition. Are you sure?"
"Yeah, pretty sure. Diagnosed it myself."
"Well, you're one tough mare if you're able to move around like this in that condition," Pewter said to Twilight with a small grin. "Not many unicorns can handle that kind of stress as it is, but you seem to be doing alright."
Oh, that was worth noting, wasn't it? Twilight's wings were carefully hidden underneath her sweater so that they wouldn't be visible to Pewter, because as Winter said, alicorns like her just didn't exist in this world, or at least weren't supposed to. They were supposed to reside in a metaphysical realm called the "Dreaming", so having one of them walking around in plain sight would just draw all sorts of questions that Winter wasn't allowed to answer.
Besides, it wasn't a big deal to hide her wings, so she didn't complain.
"You two have some good timing, actually, but then that's normal for you, isn't it?" Pewter quipped as he shifted his grin to Winter. "I was in the middle of cooking lunch. I think I've got enough to split three ways. Hope you two don't mind lots of potatoes, 'cause I'm making a big batch of potatoes au gratin."
"Still tryin' to get through your excess supply, eh?" Winter asked.
"Yup. Potatoes keep better in these kinds of conditions so I ordered extra before the storm hit, just in case. Figured I'd use them up a bit before I start focusing on the other things. I'm looking forward to getting to the cauliflower."
"Potatoes sound lovely, Mister Pewter," Twilight said with a smile. "Winter says you're an excellent cook."
"She does, does she? I mean, that's definitely true, but don't believe everything she says about me," Pewter chuckled. He nodded briefly at Winter. "Why don't you get her set up in one of the first floor rooms? I'll whip up a bowl and bring it to her shortly. If she's really got a ley line fracture, she needs some rest, no matter how healthy she seems to be at the moment."
"Thanks, Pewter." Winter gestured for Twilight to follow her. "C'mon, let's get you situated."
Twilight tilted her head. "Okay, if you insist. I think I'm well enough to join you at the table, but—"
"I don't care what you think, you're gettin' some bed rest and takin' it easy until your magic starts workin' again," Winter said firmly. "So don't complain, just follow me."
Twilight bit her tongue and nodded, then followed after Winter as they headed from the entrance foyer down a hallway to the very first door that was available. Winter opened it and showed Twilight inside, and Twilight was rather impressed at the sight.
The room was small and cozy, but had everything a pony could need to be comfortable: a good-sized bed, a dresser with a mirror, a chair, a wardrobe, and a footlocker. There was plenty of room to move and plenty of space and places to store belongings.
It was sort of like a cheap hotel, but it had this wholesome, down-home atmosphere that put her mind at ease. A better comparison was to a guest room at somepony's house; in fact, Twilight was reminded of a bed-and-breakfast she'd stayed at a couple of years ago while on a mission to solve a Friendship Problem. Applejack had been with her at the time and found the place to be, quote, "doggone delightful".
"Go on, get comfortable," Winter said tersely. "I'll go check on your food."
"Oh, okay—" Twilight started, but Winter was already gone.
With a sigh, she looked about the room just to get a feel for things, and even checked out the drawers of the dresser and inside the wardrobe. To her surprise, there was a bathrobe hanging on the inside of the wardrobe, a few of them in fact, all of different sizes likely to fit different sizes of ponies.
One of them was definitely sized for a larger stallion like Pewter himself, which meant that it would fit just fine on Twilight, so she stripped off her sweater and pleated skirt, folded them with care, and set them on the edge of the bed before donning the robe.
Once that was done, she took a seat on the bed itself, sighed, then leaned back and got comfortable. The bed was just the perfect size for her, but then it was probably meant to fit a large stallion anyway. It still felt so odd to her to be this size, especially now that she was in unfamiliar territory. She hadn't left the palace in Canterlot since her growth spurt and had been just getting used to her new form before all this happened, and now she was in an unfamiliar place trying to get acquainted with the new size all over again.
It wasn't more than a few moments before there was a knock at the door. "Come on in," Twilight called, knowing the knock was just to make sure that she was "decent", as Rarity would probably put it.
This world's nudity taboo had taken getting used to years ago, but she didn't question it now and in fact was already expecting it and was ready to accommodate their customs. It had been fortuitous that she and her friends had happened to be wearing clothes this time; she couldn't imagine what the situation would be like otherwise. It would most certainly be awkward for, say, Fluttershy to have arrived "naked" wherever it was she'd ended up.
Twilight hoped she and the others were okay.
Pewter opened the door and entered with a tray that could be set on the bed for Twilight to eat from, with a bowl on top filled to the brim with creamy potatoes au gratin, which were in turn topped with little hints of herbs and seasonings and a sprig of parsley. There was also a glass of ice water, tall enough to easily quench any thirst.
"Bon appetit," Pewter said as he set the tray down and fastened it so that it wouldn't jostle and spill. "Let me know what you think." He also picks up Twilight's clothes. "And I'll take these and give 'em a good wash so that they're ready for when you leave. Feel free to keep the bathrobe too, if you'd like."
Twilight licked her lips as the scent of the meal wafted up to her nose; if it tasted as good as it smelled, it would be easily better than what she was used to back home, and that was with a royal chef and everything.
Without her magic she knew she needed to use her hooves to handle the utensils, and she was glad that she'd had some practice with it just as a matter of diplomatic practice; not all cultures in her world had magic available to them, and it would be considered an insult to use magic to eat when she had perfectly good hooves. Yaks in particular could get a little… rambunctious about that sort of thing.
A single mouthful was all Twilight needed to shudder in delight. "Mmmm… that's delicious," she said as soon as she'd finished one mouthful; it didn't taste as good as it smelled, notably. It tasted better. "These are the best potatoes au gratin I've ever had."
Pewter smirked. "Aw, you're just trying to butter me up for something. It won't work on me, Miss Twilight."
"No, I'm serious, this is amazing. I didn't think you had these kinds of ingredients out here in the Wastelands. Do you grow them yourself?"
"No, I get them shipped in from Hope's Point, who in turn get them shipped from the southern continent," Pewter explained. "But I have a storage pantry in the basement equipped with both electrical and magical means of preservation so that I only have to worry about supplies running out, not going rotten."
Twilight nodded in understanding; the royal kitchens back home used an enchanted pantry for the same purpose. "Well, my compliments to the chef. Where did you learn to cook like this?"
"Self-taught, mostly. Years and years of having to cook for myself and for others made sure that I had plenty of practice to find just the right blend of ingredients to make the perfect meal every single time. Not to brag or anything, just repeating some of the opinions I've heard whispered about."
"Well, count me amongst your fans."
Pewter then clapped his hooves together. "While you're finishing that up, I can get you something to help pass the time. We don't get television signals out here, and the sandstorm's disrupting radio signals, but I do have reading material if that's your speed. Otherwise it's just board games and coloring books. Oh, and already-solved crossword puzzles."
Twilight's eyes widened. "Oh, I'd love some reading material, yes."
"Does anything in particular tickle your fancy?"
"I will literally take anything that you have. In fact, bring a lot." Twilight paused. "Um, please. And thank you."
"Heh, you got it," Pewter said.
As he left the room, Winter walked in behind him and eyed Twilight's little setup. "Well, looks like we've got things all settled in here for ya. Comfortable?"
"It's better than a cave floor, that's for certain," Twilight said with a small smile.
"Yeah, that it is. With how little time it took ya to get to walkin' about, I'm not expectin' ya to take too long to get back in full form. So don't get too comfortable here, eh? As soon as your magic is workin' again, we're headin' back into the mountain and makin' our way to the ruins."
"That sounds like a plan to me."
Pewter returned just then, a pleasant grin on his face. "Well, you said you wanted a lot, so I figured that I might as well go ham with it," he said. "I hope these will suffice."
He set down a small row of books on the nearby dresser, in reach for Twilight to grab any one of them without having to stretch or use her non-functional magic. Twilight's eyes widened as he did so, because they were books. Books. Real books with pages and ink and hardcover spines and everything, just like the ones they had back at home.
"Those are… those are real books!" Twilight muttered in awe.
"Indeed they are," Pewter replied, his grin widening. "My father hated reading off of those datapads like they have up north, and in Hope's Point for that matter. He'd heard that the southern ponies read books made of paper, so he ordered some of those a long, long time ago. Loved 'em. More 'real' than electronics, he said, real like everything else out here."
"I think ya made her day, Pewter," Winter quipped, nudging his side.
"You like to read, Miss Twilight?"
"It's my passion," Twilight replied, breathlessly running her hoof along the spines of the collection. "I'm a, uh… a librarian by trade. I love to read, no matter the topic. I love books. I love to organize them, read them, maintain them, restore them, everything. They're my favorite thing in the whole world."
"See?" Winter said.
"Well, I'm glad that I could put a little bright spot into your day, then. I'll leave you to your meal and to your books. If you need anything, my room's at the end of the hall, or you can find me in the common area or the kitchen. Without any other guests at the moment I don't have much else to do."
Twilight smiled. "Thank you, Mister Pewter. I appreciate it."
With that, he gave a little nod and took his leave, giving Winter a look as he went.
Once he was gone, Winter shook her head and let out a little chuckle. "Don't forget to finish eatin' before ya get to devourin' those books, eh? And try not to drool all over the pages, either."
"I won't," Twilight said with a grin. "This is amazing, though. Real books! I thought for sure that I'd have to deal with those little electronic devices again, so this is pretty amazing for me. You have no idea."
"Oh, I have a pretty good idea. You made sure to remind me pretty often way back when about how much ya missed real books." Winter stuck her nose in the air and put on her best Twilight impression: "The smell of the ink, the sound of the turning pages, the feeling of a hardcover spine in your hooves." She shook her head, smirking. "You're such a nerd."
"There's nothing wrong with having an appreciation for the genuine article, Winter," Twilight said, also sticking her nose in the air.
"Careful, ya sound like Dawn usin' those ten-bit words."
Twilight giggled. "I suppose so. How is she, by the way? You said she was in a leadership position in New Pandemonium now, but what was she called again? The 'Shadow Associate'? Besides that you didn't really mention anything."
Winter's smile faltered a little, and she gave a little shrug. "Eh. She's fine, I guess. Wears glasses now."
"Oh? When did that happen?"
"I don't know, I didn't ask. We don't really keep in touch all that much these days."
Twilight tilted her head. "You don't? Why not? Did something happen?"
"No, we just really keep in touch."
"But… why not? I mean, I understand if you two are busy and it's hard to get together often. That's how it is with me and the others these days, actually. But we do still try and keep in contact once a month for our Friendship Council meetings, at the very least. If I could've kept in contact with you two, I would have. I try to do that with all my friends, even if it's just a letter."
"Yeah, with your 'friends'." Winter shook her head. "Dawn and I are really just acquaintances, nothin' more."
Twilight couldn't believe her ears. "Huh? But… but I thought the three of us were all friends?"
"Well, ya thought wrong, Twilight. Dawn and I aren't friends, we don't have time for that bullshit. Hourglass is the only friend I've got, and that's fine by me." Winter grunted and made for the door. "Finish your food, and get some rest. The longer it takes for ya to get better, the longer it takes to get back to Hourglass and Applejack."
"Winter, wait—"
But Winter was already gone, closing the door behind her and leaving Twilight confused and sad.
"But… what about me?" she muttered, too quiet and too late for anypony but her to hear it.
*****
Pewter saw Winter coming right at him almost as soon as he'd left; she sure hadn't stayed long to converse with Twilight, apparently. Maybe the other mare wanted to eat in peace?
"Hey there," he said with a little grin. "Good, I wanted to—"
Winter held up a hoof so that he'd stop talking; he did. "Whatever it is, Pewter, it can wait for tomorrow. Right now, I need you to get me a bottle of the strongest, hardest liquor you've got."
Pewter scratched his cheek and started off for the kitchen. "Sure, let me see—"
"Hang on," Winter interrupted, grabbing his hoof so that he wouldn't leave just yet. "I want to make sure ya understood what I said. I want a bottle—the whole fuckin' thing, not some half-finished shit—of the strongest, hardest liquor you've got. Do you understand me?"
Pewter paused a moment, then nodded tersely; she was in one of those moods again, and he knew better not to question her. "Yeah. Alright. I've got just the thing: Gargantuan Venom, a Hope's Point speciality. Tastes like garbage water; fair warning."
"Good, sounds right up my alley. Take it to my room when ya get it. I'll be on the third floor," she said as she headed off towards the stairs.
"The third floor? You don't want to be near—"
She likely didn't hear anything else he said, because she'd already ascended the stairs by the time he'd gotten halfway through his sentence. He had no idea what was going on, but he didn't like it, not one bit. But it wasn't his place to question Winter's behavior, so with a shrug and a sigh to himself and only himself, he left to get her requested liquor. She sounded like she needed it.
*****
It was late at night out in the middle of the western Wastelands, not that anypony could really tell. Besides the sickening orange glow of the northern Beacon shrouding the entire sky and blocking out the sun, moons, and stars at all hours of the day or night, the raging sandstorm would have made it virtually impossible to see those sorts of things even if they were visible.
Blue Belle, a cobalt-coated pegasus mare with a long pink mane kept in a tight bun, trudged her way through the storm at a pace that could best be described as sluggish. There was really nothing that could be done about it, but that didn't make it any less aggravating to move so slowly.
At her sides were four other ponies, all a part of her individual squad on this mission—as the leader of the mission, her squad was aptly named Alpha—and all just as dedicated to the cause as she was. Otherwise they wouldn't be here, risking life and limb to push through the lethally dangerous sandstorm to accomplish a goal that they didn't understand apart from how important it was to the Leaders.
Her squad was composed of herself, two earth pony stallions named Blitz Fire and Rust Razor, and two unicorns named Meteor Shower and Viridian Star. Each was a loyal servant of the Dark Lady; each knew their duty and would do it without fear.
The earth ponies were armed and armored with some of the best equipment money could buy, or in this case, that could be stolen from military supplies. Their armor was resilient against most small arms fire and even protected against weaker bursts of magical energy, and their weapons were potent, accurate, and most importantly, deadly.
The unicorns were not nearly as well-equipped, but they were more important regardless of that. Meteor's horn was glowing a brilliant gold as he maintained the barrier that allowed Alpha Squad to make their way safely through the sandstorm, but even he paled in comparison to the importance of Viridian, whose horn was covered in a disgusting, black, crystalline substance, a gift from Leader Grime to aid them in their task. It was worthless at present, but its usefulness would soon be seen, or so Belle had been told
Belle herself was armed as well, mostly with close-combat weapons, but her armor was more important, crafted from an obsidian-like material that would protect her from even the most powerful magic known to ponykind and render the opposition helpless in the process. As the leader of the mission, her ability to command and control her troops was crucial, and so her protection was considered paramount compared to all but perhaps Viridian. She would protect him in the case of an emergency.
Trailing behind her, under their own protective shields raised by their own unicorn squadmates, were Beta and Delta Squad. They'd lost Charlie Squad yesterday afternoon when their unicorn could no longer maintain her barrier; the entire squad was ripped to pieces by grains of sand carried by hurricane-grade winds. The other squads didn't bother looking back; there was no time to waste on the weak.
"Sister Belle, we should be approaching Goldridge within the next mile," said Rust, who was at the front of the group. "There is an entrance on the northwestern side that can take us further into the caverns."
"Excellent, then we are moving faster than we originally expected," Belle replied with a wicked grin. "The Leaders would be pleased if they could hear the news. This is surely a sign from our Mistress; our mission will succeed with Her blessings."
"How can you tell that we're close?" asked Blitz.
"I recognize the terrain," Rust replied, gesturing at a rock formation that was a few dozen feet away, barely visible. "The storm hasn't been kind to the markers, but anypony who makes regular trips out here could point out that formation. It's called Skittering Rock; it used to be that there was a Gargantuan nest out here years ago, right under that rock."
"Brother Meteor, you can make it the remaining mile without stopping, yes?" Belle asked. "I wish to reach our destination as quickly as possible.'
Meteor nodded confidently, though he was straining his magic at the moment. "Of course I can, Sister Belle. Leader Grit would not assign me to your squad if I was not the best at what I do."
"Excellent." Belle pressed her hoof to her ear, to the short-band communication device she wore. "Beta Squad, Delta Squad, we are nearing our destination. Continue forward at your current pace; the destination is in roughly one mile. Over."
"Roger that. Over," came the voice of Beta Squad's leader, Rocket Glare.
"Affirmative. O—" came Delta's leader, Loose Cannon. There was a brief pause at the end of his transmission, followed by: "Sister Belle, I'm seeing something approaching from the north. Over."
Belle clenched her teeth. This was no time for jittery delays brought on by paranoia; there was nothing out here but them and sandstorm. "What is it? Over."
"I can't tell, but it's big. Over."
"I see it now too. It's moving towards us pretty fast. Over," said Rocket, sounding just a tad nervous.
Belle glanced off to the north, just past the two glowing bubbles that represented the other two squads, to see what they were talking about. At first there was nothing, and she was ready to chastise the pair of them for wasting time and getting jumpy over nothing. But a bolt of lightning illuminated something off in the distance, and that's when she realized the danger they were all in.
The tornado was unlike any of the pathetic dust devils and whirlwinds that dotted the Wasteland landscape these days. Even the largest of those were at best a dozen feet across, and they typically didn't last very long and were little more than a nuisance to a pegasus like herself. But she could feel this tornado's power from here as it drew ever closer, and it was… gigantic. A hundred feet across, maybe more. How had she not noticed it earlier?
"Run," she said to her own squad first. Then, into her headset, she yelled, "Run!"
She didn't hear any response; the tornado was drawing close enough that the strength of the winds were completely overpowering all other sounds around them. She was able to run and look behind her long enough to see the tornado tear through the flat expanse of ground separating it and Delta Squad first, almost as if moving with a purpose. She watched the bubble of protective magic remain on the ground for all of a few seconds before flickering out; lightning bolts highlighted the flailing forms of ponies being swept into the funnel.
She stopped focusing on the tornado and pushed her squad forward; as squad leader, they would either follow her pace or be left behind, so they kept even with her. She could just barely hear a static-rich voice coming through her communicator.
"—pha Sq— We're— Hel—"
And then there was just static.
"Faster!" Belle snapped at her squad, especially Meteor. "Faster, damn you!"
And so they moved faster. There was no time to focus on what was behind them anymore; they focused only on what was ahead. Belle could feel the sheer force of wind picking up behind her; was the tornado following them? She could even swear she was hearing the damned thing laughing, like it was enjoying the chase and relishing the thought of swallowing her and her squad whole.
The sight of the mountainside ahead was the most welcome thing Belle had ever seen in her life. She pushed forward even faster than before, and her squad followed suit. Then she saw the cavern entrance, just wide enough to fit two ponies at a time, and so she moved even faster, and her squad, again, followed suit.
She was the first through the threshold, followed by Blitz and Rust, then Viridian. Meteor was last, but just as he was about to cross through into the safety of the cave, he was swept off his hooves and into the air; the sheer strength of the wind was enough to cut through his barrier and overpower him without him even dropping it.
He shouted in a panic and reached towards the safety of the cavern; Belle moved just quickly enough to grab his hoof. As soon as she did, she felt herself be drawn up into the winds as well, and it was only the quick-thinking of Rust and Blitz that kept her from being yanked right out of the cave.
She held on as hard as she could, but she could still feel the powerful winds threatening to tear her out of the grip of her earth pony squadmates. Meteor shouted something; she couldn't hear it over the storm. But after feeling yet another tug of the wind against her, feeling even Rust and Blitz be shifted by the wind's power, she decided to cut her losses. She let go.
Meteor disappeared into the tornado, his face marred with absolute terror and despair as he realized that he was already dead. And he was gone, just like that, screaming and flailing in an effort to stop it. But he couldn't stop it. Nopony could.
Without the wind pulling on her and Meteor, it was easy for Blitz and Rust to yank Belle back into the safety of the cave, to where Viridian was waiting wordlessly and staring off into the raging storm outside. Only a few seconds later, the tornado seemed to pass, its hunger satiated and having lost interest in those who had escaped; the predator would not waste its time on prey it could not reach.
Blitz helped Belle to her hooves. "You did all you could, Sister Belle."
Belle snorted and gave Blitz a look, just so that he would know how stupid his statement was before she had to use her words. "Meteor was weak. His loss is insignificant, and we are stronger without him. Were his dedication to the cause as strong as ours, he would have lived, guided by our Dark Lady's hooves. In death he will serve our Mistress more than he could in life; his soul is now food to bolster Her power."
"Agreed, Sister," said Rust with a firm nod. "Shall we make camp here for the night, or press onward?"
"Is our equipment still in working order?"
Rust and Blitz each did a brief inspection of their gear—a long armor-piercing rifle for Rust, and a rocket launcher for Blitz—then gave her a firm nod; everything was in order.
"Good, then we press onward for now, only stopping when we have no more strength to give," Belle said. She stepped up to Viridian and pressed her hoof firmly against his gruesome horn. "Which way do we proceed from here?"
Viridian did not react to Belle's touch, he just merely closed his eyes for a brief moment. When he opened them, they—and his horn—glowed with a sickening green color. "The Vessel is south from here," he said in an eerie monotone. "The journey is not far, four days at most."
"The Checkpoint," said Rust with a nod. "That's where the Vessel is."
"Excellent, then we can make our move while the Vessel believes that she is safe," Belle said with a sinister smile. "Our Mistress will be most pleased."
Rust shook his head. "We would need to head back out into the storm to attack her there. Without Meteor, we don't have the means to move through it, even for a short distance."
Belle's eye twitched. "Damn." She took a moment to breathe, then pointed firmly at Rust. "You know these caverns better than anypony, Rust. What would you suggest we do?"
"Get as close to the Checkpoint as we can, then make our move as soon as the sandstorm gives us an opening," he said with a nod. "I know a few entrances that would be of use to us and should give us a vantage point."
"Good, good. Then you shall take point and lead the way through the caves." She then pointed at Viridian. "Inform us if there is any change in her location. If she moves so much as an inch, I want to know about it immediately."
"Yes, Sister Belle," Viridian said in that same cold monotone.
Belle smiled and gestured for Rust to move. "Our moment of triumph is upon us, Brothers. Soon, the Vessel will be ours, and our Dark Lady's return will be assured. Long may She reign!
"Long may She reign!" cheered the others.