//------------------------------// // Journey Through the Dark - Part 11 // Story: Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot // by Equimorto //------------------------------// Just as she remembered, the bedroom she'd first seen when she'd entered that world from within the castle was still there. Possibly even emptier than the previous time. Given the two unicorns were probably sleeping in the other rooms she'd found, when they did sleep there, that one was probably reserved for the test subjects. After having checked the room, the door to which had been left wide open, she headed for the other end of the corridor, the one she hadn't explored. Soon after passing the door she'd entered from, and another on the same side that logically was one of the ones she'd seen in the laboratory and that looked as reinforced and locked as the other door in the room with the table, she ran into a fork in her path. One way continued forward, the other, larger, to the side and upwards, given the stairs at its end. One deeper into the castle, the other probably outside if her mental map was correct. She took the turn first, reasoning it would be faster to explore that direction fully and come back afterwards. Past the staircase was another corridor, featureless and barely lit, then another ramp of stairs, then another short corridor section ending in a closed double door. Twilight did something she had largely not been able to since getting there, and lowered her head slightly to spy out through the keyhole. It was definitely outside, given the moonlight illuminating the stone pavement of large squares polished by use, and it looked distinctly empty too. Cautiously she used a spell like the one she previously had to hide the sight of the doors opening, then unlocked them and stepped outside. The open sky looked down at her, and she thought it made for a convenient escape path at least. She was not fully outside of the castle however, walls still surrounded the area on all four sides. Another door was opposite of her position, a proper gate that she was almost certain led fully outside given the treetops poking out past the wall. No pony or other creature was in sight, but the Moon high above still made her feel like she was being watched. No other entrances were visible. Out of curiosity she cast a spell to detect what magic could be there, and indeed some wards were present to prevent ponies simply flying in and out. Nothing serious though, no more than a weak forcefield that mostly served to remind ponies of its presence and send a warning if it was crossed. Orders were what truly kept ponies out, she guessed, along with the enchantments on the door she'd walked out of. And, likely, the guards keeping their eyes on the outside of that gate. Nothing to find there, though. She walked back in and locked the door behind herself again, letting all its enchantments come to life again once she was sufficiently far away. Reached again the corridor she'd previously left, she continued on in the yet unexplored direction, towards deeper reaches of the castle. After a few turns, that path too moved upwards, and Twilight wondered where it would lead exactly.