//------------------------------//
// Of Paper and Pursuit 
// Story: Lines and Webs 
// by Airstream 
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The unicorn ran as hard as she could, Spike loping along beside her. Her destination was the Whitetail Woods, where she could pause to gather her bearings and figure out her next move. As she ran, the bruises and cuts on her body throbbed in pain, the adrenaline and extra magic she had used from earlier fading away. Blood began to run in earnest, speckling the mud and grass behind her. Nausea and headaches plagued her from the magical overuse she had undergone, and her mouth was soon flecked with foam from thirst. She'd be heading into the woods blind, as the sun was dipping behind the horizon. Twilight kept it to her left, knowing that as soon as she made it around the ridges above Ponyville, she could take a short rest.

Spike was faring little better. Dragons are not made for running, and he was loathe to spread his wings and leave Twilight. Not only would it put him farther away, her spell would not cover him. And anypony within ten leagues of them would be able to spot the dragon if their eyes were sharp enough. His talons dug into the wet earth, leaving gouges in the mud and clay as they rounded the side of the ridge. Spike sensed something. "Twilight, we need to hide."

The unicorn looked at him. "Why? What is it?"

"I hear wingbeats and I smell ponies." Spike said simply. Twilight nodded, and the pair scrambled into a low trench, huddling as low as possible. Twilight's veil increased as she focused, and soon there was no sight of them at all, instead of the blurry shape they had been before. Not a moment too soon, either. A Pegasus patrol passed high overhead, the sunset glinting off of their armor as they swept the plains below, before veering off towards the ridge behind them, clearly searching for Twilight and Spike. The unicorn noticed that they too appeared to emanate a flame, deep and golden. Not a sound was made except for Twilight's heavy, tired breathing and Spike's short, chuffing breaths. An eternity seemed to pass as the guards flew overhead. Twilight held her breath. Thankfully, the duo went unnoticed, and the Pegasi soon vanished into the distance.

Without another word, the pair began to run again. The ground flew underneath their feet as they sprinted for the relative safety of the Whitetail Woods. Twice they had to find cover as Pegasus patrols flew overhead, and they found that as the night grew deeper, that they were able to move more effectively. The moon was only a sliver, allowing the duo to run less carefully. Spike acted as a guide for Twilight, his excellent vision picking out obstacles the unicorn might have missed. They ran for hours, Twilight settling into the same lope she used competing in the Running of the Leaves. Spike's muscles, unused to taking his weight in such a manner, began to burn as he struggled to keep up with the unicorn. 

It came as a relief when they reached the outskirts of the woods, and Twilight settled into a simple trot, picking her way through the trees, heading deeper into the undergrowth. Spike maneuvered his sinuous bulk with surprising grace, happy to be moving at a normal pace. They had been running since sunset, and from what Spike had deduced, it was now past midnight. The moon flickered through the overhanging branches, leaves brown but not yet removed. The Running wasn't for two more weeks, and so the dragon and unicorn were concealed from the overhead patrols, diminished though they were. As the pair meandered through the trees, Spike could hear Twilight’s whimpers of pain. She had overextended herself in more ways than one today, and she was finally letting the injuries take their toll. A small pool was revealed in a clearing ahead. Twilight undid her bags, letting them fall to the ground. Shaking with exertion, she dragged herself to the spring and forced herself to take small mouthfuls, knowing that a cramp now could prove debilitating. She spoke.

"Spike..." She said, her voice weak. "Look through my bags, see if you can find any bandages."

Spike opened the saddlebags, gently sifting through the contents. Books, bits, and notes were inside, but little else. "Aside from money and notes, there's nothing in here except for some dried fruit."

Twilight sighed. "Damn. Fine, just give me a moment." She got to her hooves, walking unsteadily to the bags. She moved books and papers around, searching for any books on healing. Nothing was forthcoming. Silently, she withdrew Golden Radiance’s works, letting light spill from her horn. Opening it to the page containing House Radiant, she stared. This was her lineage. Her House was loyal to Celestia, to whatever the great monarch desired. She was breaking what was undoubtedly a thousand years of tradition at least by doing what she was doing. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to think through all the implications. Her cuts stung and ached, and Twilight could feel one of the wounds on her face open, blood flowing in earnest. She opened her eyes as a cut across her muzzle let loose a single drop of blood, which fell onto the yellowed page.

So tired was she that when it sank into the pages, spreading itself farther than it had any right to, she merely stared. It was only when the book itself rose into the air, rippling with emerald light and shot through with a bloody red luminescence, that she forced herself out of the way. Spike leapt in front of her as the book rose higher and higher, its pages ripping themselves from the binding, which was in turn consumed by magic. Fearfully, the two watched as the pages rapidly began to assemble themselves into the form of a unicorn. Twilight was uncomfortably reminded of her encounter with the ghostly captain, as the shape began to shimmer, the transformation gaining strength. The paper itself toughened and became thick, reminding Twilight more of the old parchment scrolls in Canterlot's library. The binding spread itself thin, layering on top like skin, soaking up as much of the magic as it could. 

The head of the pony began to writhe, changing shape and gaining in definition. The paper molded itself expertly, forming features that Twilight found familiar. Slowly, it began its descent to the ground, the face of the pony complete as it touched the ground gently. Its eyes focused on Twilight, burning with a faint green flame. Facing her, it bowed low. "Hail, kin of my blood. My name is Golden Radiance. How may I serve thee?"


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There was a beat of silence as Twilight and Spike struggled to process what had happened. The construct before them straightened, coming to rest on its papery hooves. It looked at them with a frown. "Who are you? Why have I been unbound?"

It was Twilight who spoke first. "You are Golden Radiance? The author of Documentation of Talent Marks?"

It nodded. "As close as I can be, yes. I am a magical construct, a copy of the memories of that pony. Myself actually. It is extremely odd, not being me. But who are you?"

The purple mare swallowed. "My name is Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. I'm a...descendant of yours. You died about three hundred years ago, and I found your book."

Golden Radiance frowned. "Three hundred years...pray tell, do you know how I died? I made me the day we were to flee Canterlot. I have no knowledge of anything after the event, save for waking just now. Did we make it out?"

Twilight found herself unable to speak. Spike addressed the construct. "No. You were killed by Royal Guards upon leaving your home. None of you survived, and the evidence was burned."

Its, or rather her, face fell. "I see. That is truly unfortunate. How did you come across such knowledge?"

"A vision in the Everfree. I asked the Keepers of the Grove of Truth about your death, and they showed me." Twilight said. "I take it you are Golden Radiance’s notes on what was happening in Canterlot?"

She nodded. "Yes, I am. And I must warn you. If you are a descendant of mine, you are surely in grave peril. I know not to what ends Celestia is using our House, but you must not trust her."

Twilight laughed bitterly. "Yes, I found that out earlier today, when the pony I loved tried to kill me, my friends tried to capture me, and I was forced to flee from her myself. And to answer your question, she's breeding us to be better spellcasters. She's working towards something, and Spike and I are headed to Fillydelphia to find a contact who might be able to shed some light on the matter."

Golden Radiance took a step back. "You have struck against Celestia?"

Twilight Sparkle realized she was talking to a pony who had no concept of Celestia's betrayal. She wasn't sure what the construct could do, but she was sure it could create trouble if she was caught by surprise. "Yes. And I intend to strike again, if she continues to pursue me." Her horn spat with light, an unconscious emotional response to the anger she felt.

The papery unicorn nodded. "Then you shall have my help. I am bound to you, Twilight Sparkle. Your blood flows in my veins now, and so I am yours to do with as you will. I know not of this Fillydelphia, but judging from the stars I can tell that we are north of Canterlot by a bit. Are we continuing that way?"

Spike nodded. "We're heading through these woods until we hit the railroad that runs to Filly. After that, we'll find Twilight's contact and go from there."

Twilight was surprised that he had thought it out so far ahead. She thought about it for a moment, and realized that the plan made perfect sense. The trees would shelter them from the flying patrols, and there were not nearly as many dangers in these woods as the Everfree. "Apparently he lives near the outskirts of town, on the campus where he teaches. Fillydelphia doesn't have nearly as strong of a military presence around the campus or in town proper, so we should be safe. Spike can hide in the mountains to the north of the city, and meet us once we've made our way out."

Golden Radiance seemed impressed. "Very well, I see your reasoning is sound. If my calculations are correct, we are near the lands my family once occupied. If we are lucky enough, I suspect that we can search for supplies of some description in the buildings left behind."

It was Twilight's turn to be impressed. "How can you remember all of that? Astronomy, geography, and history together?"

Golden Radiance smiled. "It was my special talent in life, as it is now. I remember everything I have read, in perfect detail. It is what aided me in taking my position as Archivist, and part of the reason for my discoveries." She bowed once more. "Now, if you wish to follow me, I can escort you to the nearest supply cache."

The dragon and unicorn followed the papery mare into the woods, shedding exhaustion as they realized that, accidentally or no, they had gained a new ally.


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The ground thundered under the steady beat of five sets of hooves. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were leading the Elements in the charge, with Rarity close behind and Fluttershy bringing up the rear behind Pinkie Pie. For once, Rarity was not complaining about the mud speckling her pristine coat, as the group galloped at full speed near the direction Rainbow had spotted Twilight traveling. Applejack had picked up Spike's recognizable prints straight away, and before long they had followed the duo north around the ridge near Ponyville.

The ground was soft and muddy, and in some places they had to slow, so thick was the earth. But onward they soldiered, taking strength from one another and the Elements they wore. It was a curious thing, the way they interacted with them. They moved as one, seemingly connected on a deep emotional level. No instructions were needed, but each of them knew that in the event of attack by Twilight or Spike that Fluttershy's Stare would be their most effective weapon against the unicorn, while the others would focus on herding Spike along. Applejack and Rainbow Dash knew when the others were struggling to keep up, and slowed accordingly. Perhaps it was partly because of the deep friendship they shared, how well they knew each other. Perhaps it was the Elements, working their powerful magic. Perhaps it was both.

Each of them noticed something different about themselves, as well. As Rainbow Dash had pointed out, she felt lighter and faster, and she was able to perceive changes in the weather around her much easier. Applejack felt strong and energized, as if she could run from one end of Equestria to the other and then kick open the side of a mountain. Pinkie Pie was both hyperenergetic and hypersensitive, her Pinkie Sense running wild. Much to her dismay, she was still unable to locate Twilight. It was possible that their friend was too far away. Fluttershy had possibly the greatest change. She felt strong and alive, her admittedly weak flying skills improving by the minute. Her Stare buzzed at the corners of her vision, and she felt that she could reach for it at any time. Her ability to communicate with animals was as yet untested, but she was aware of each life that she passed, from mice to bats to insects. Rarity felt nothing more than an extra reserve of magic, deep inside of her. This, of course, was in addition to the mental clarity and increased stamina she felt now.

As they ran, the group of friends realized that Twilight had not only covered a lot of ground, she had done it wounded and exhausted. Applejack and Rainbow looked at one another. The small herd ground to a halt.

"Right. So it's pretty clear that Twilight didn't head up the ridge. There are patrols up that way, and no place for her to rest." Rainbow said, addressing the group.

"Yep! And I can tell you that there are only a few places up in this direction where she'd be able to hide!" Pinkie said, hardly able to keep still. 

"So we're in agreement then. She probably headed for the Whitetail Woods. She knows it fairly well, she used to run there." Rarity said. She had accompanied the mare a few times, even though running wasn't really an area she had excelled in.

"Well, I can't track worth a hill o' beans in them woods. Too dense for me." Applejack chimed in. "Fluttershy, think y'all could use your talent to help find her?"

"I'm not sure." she replied. "The animals there don't know me as well as the ones around Ponyville. It might be more difficult for them to trust me. But I'll certainly try."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Pinkie asked. "Let's go get her!" She shot to her hooves, ready to charge off again. Applejack was just able to catch the tip of her tail, speaking around a mouthful of curly pink hair.

"Easy, there. We may be able to run, but that doesn't mean we should be pushing ourselves so hard. I don't know 'bout y'all, but my hooves ache somethin' fierce. Besides, one of us is pregnant and shouldn't be exertin' herself so much." Applejack said, glaring at Pinkie. "Y'all don't want t' lose that foal, do you?"

Pinkie slumped. "No, I don't. But we gotta go get Twilight! Who knows how far away she could be by now?"

Rainbow placed a hoof around her shoulders. "Don't worry. If I know our egghead she probably stopped to think about what she'd be doing next, and to patch herself up. She's still in those woods, I'd stake my wings on it. And if they had tried to fly away or teleport, somepony would have saw it."

Rarity nodded. "I'd imagine a notice is being sent out right now. If Twilight chooses to enter a town, the Regulars will be waiting for her. And if they can catch her, we'll take her back to the Princess. Right now we rest. We'll start again in a little while."

"We can camp by the edge of the woods, if that's alright with everypony." Fluttershy said, staring at the smudge on the horizon that marked the outermost fringes of the forest.

Applejack shook her head, scraping at the ground. "No can do, Fluttershy. Twilight's smart. She'll move at night, and hide during the day. We're going to do the same. Tonight we push into th' Whitetail Woods. If we hurry, we can catch up by sunrise."

Rainbow stretched, feeling her legs cramping a bit. She wished she had spent less time exercising her wings and more on her legs. "Now, if anypony here thinks they can't make it with the energy they have, let us know. It ain't gonna do any good if we burn out trying to find her and she gets away."

The group was silent. Rainbow Dash smiled. "That's what I like to hear. Take twenty, we'll move out then."

Normally this display of leadership would have ground against Applejack, she being the type to take matters into her own hooves. However, for reasons she couldn't explain, she felt that Rainbow taking charge was...right, somehow. Like that was the way it should be. She shook her head. Either way, it didn't matter. She was more than happy to let Rainbow take the lead in the absence of Twilight. The orange mare frowned. Twilight had gone crazy, that much was certain. What else could have driven her to kill the colt she loved? And what had she done to Spike? The dragon was loyal to a fault when it came to Twilight Sparkle, no two ways about it. But would he really have agreed to follow her if she was a murderer? 

Rarity's thoughts ran similarly. If Spike was following Twilight, that suggested one of two things. One, the dragon she had once adored was calm and accepting of the fact that his caretaker was possessed by dark magic and had killed her coltfriend. Two, he was also possessed of dark magic, or not in his right mind. She fervently hoped it was the second. There was no way her Spike was that cold hearted, was there? But what kind of magic could take on a dragon?

Fluttershy stared at the horizon, huddling next to Pinkie Pie, who was panting slightly. She didn't know much about magic, but she did know that dragons were immune to most spells. It was a fact of their biology that they could handle magical assault very well, to the point that if a dragon needed slaying physical weapons were sometimes preferred to calling forth fire and lightning. So what could have caused Spike to act the way he had? For that matter, how deeply affected was their friend? Could Celestia really purge her of the dark influence that bound her? What if that was not enough? What if they failed? She whimpered a bit, and Pinkie Pie shifted, pulling her in close.

The pink mare did her best to comfort Fluttershy. It was what she was good at, making ponies feel better. She was able to read emotions and react accordingly. She was always able to make ponies smile, and as she looked over at her Pegasus friend, she was rewarded with a shaky half-smile that filled her heart with joy. At least, it would have. Pinkie certainly didn't feel happy. Somewhere in those woods ahead, their friend was lying alone, friendless and frightened. She was hurt, Pinkie could tell. Nopony knew, but Pinkie had been one of the first ones out of their homes when the mages fought in the middle of town. She had seen Twilight's face, dark with rage and fear. She had seen the desperation on Morning Star's face as he tried to catch her. Most ponies had run away from the conflict, but that was her friend fighting, so she had followed them as best she could, until they stood on the cliffs over Ponyville. There she had seen Morning Star fight Twilight to a standstill. 

She had noticed Celestia arriving. She had seen Morning Star speak to Twilight. Pinkie had held her breath, hoping against hope that Twilight would stop, that she would calm down. And then seeing the expression on her face, and that black bolt of magic...and Morning Star burned and bloody on the ground. Celestia had seemed so close, and then Twilight did something Pinkie Pie had thought she would never, ever do in a million and a half years. She had tried to do the same to her teacher. Even worse, she had nearly succeeded. Everypony in Ponyville saw Twilight Sparkle, one of her best friends, a hero, strike down Celestia... A tear ran down her face. She turned her head so nopony could see, and wiped it away under the pretext of scratching her nose.

Rainbow Dash looked out over her ponies. The Element around her neck filled her with strength and clarity. She gazed down at the red bolt, uncomfortably reminded of Morning Star's magic. She shook her head, shoving the thoughts away. She had to be strong, to lead them, as was her place. She was strong, and she would share that strength with them. And they'd bring back Twilight for the Princess, or die trying. Rainbow would make sure of that.


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And you're sure she was headed north?

Yes. I was barely able to see her under the veil, but she was bleeding, and the wounds had your magic inside of them, spilling out. It was a relatively simple matter for me to track her for a short distance. 

Very well. Alert any agents we have in the area, and prepare the Order. She is to be sheltered and asked to remain there until I arrive. Do not force her to stay, but above all contact me.

It shall be done, my Princess. Any further orders?

Yes. Alert Silent Shield. Tell him that he may begin his preparations. We must be ready to move at the first sign of opportunity.

Yes, my Princess. Anything else?

No. You may leave us.

Ego Servire Nocte, Highness.