//------------------------------//
// Unenlightened 
// Story: The Immortal Dream 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

I was still on the roof when Corsica got back to our hotel. It was a position that afforded me an ample view of my friend's approach... as well as her new companion.

Tall and heavily dressed, the creature glistened everywhere it wasn't covered by fabric, prismatic purple dancing from its scales. It had a sharper, more pronounced jaw than any pony, and no visible ears, a hefty tail swinging behind it to balance its two-legged gait. It walked patiently, with its claws clasped behind its back, a tall, rimless hat sitting above its slitted eyes.

Dragon, Faye said in my mind.

"Yeah," I whispered back. "What do you suppose Corsica's doing with it? They don't look like they're talking..."

Want to go find out?

I nodded, parkouring down from the roof.





"So these are your friends," the dragon said, standing before me in the hotel lobby, Corsica standing awkwardly at its - her? - side. Mother, Leif, Braen and Papyrus stood at mine. Our hired guide from Sires Hollow was nowhere to be seen.

"Yup." Corsica pointed at us one at a time. "Halcyon. Leif. Papyrus. Braen. Halcyon's mom. You wanna give them your big title yourself?"

"Nehaley," Mother corrected.

"And Leitmotif," Leif added with a nod.

"I see." The dragon bowed. "I am Special Inquisitor Seigetsu of the Holy Cernial Convocation. And you, I have heard, are most new to these lands."

"We are," Leif said, stepping forward. "From the lands north of the Aldenfold. I assume you're here to check our Writs of Harmonic Sanction?"

Seigetsu snapped her claws, and a brief, strange tingle ran down my special talent. She nodded. "You do appear to be in order. You, however..." She turned to face Braen. "What manner of creature are you? Unless my eyes are mistaken, you are wholly mechanical."

"Indeed!" Braen proudly held a hoof to her chest. "If airships don't need writs, then neither do I!"

Seigetsu looked amused. "That is for the magic to decide, not you or I." She looked to Corsica, and then to Leif. "This is quite a group you have, here. Would you mind if I asked some questions? My office will be most curious to know about a border crossing in such unprecedented numbers."

"I've already answered plenty," Corsica said, waving a hoof and marching over to a bench where she plonked herself down, still holding my bracelet. "This one's on you."

"Of course," Leif said, giving me a look that said serious time, leave this to me. I swallowed and nodded.

"You are the leader, I take it?" Seigetsu said, looking us all over but settling on Leif. "First, I would like to know a little of what you all know of these lands. This question goes for anyone: to the best of your knowledge, what percentage of the world's area is located south of the Aldenfold? Including both land and sea."

I blinked. What kind of question was that? Fishy had mentioned the map in the town hall and its relative scale to the rest of Equestria, but how did that stack up to-

"At least half," Leif answered. "It can't be narrower than the Aldenfold, and the north is relatively long and thin."

"Probably about seventy percent," Papyrus added. "Though I doubt even you know the exact number. Airships are too new down here for you to have even seen every corner of your turf, let alone surveyed it."

Seigetsu nodded. "Does this match with the rest of your expectations?"

Seventy percent, huh? I nodded. "All I know is, it's probably big."

Mother just shrugged.

"So you've been here before, or at least done your research." Seigetsu focused on Papyrus. "Well, that simplifies things. I imagine you have a destination already in mind."

"Are you offering to help us get there?" Leif asked.

Seigetsu gave her a look. "Perhaps. Mostly, I am curious why, having a rough idea of the scale of these lands, you chose to cross the Aldenfold so far from any established pass, and are now proceeding through the middle of nowhere on hoof. Surely a team with the resources to obtain so many writs also has the resources to secure themselves a capable airship."

"Out of fuel," Leif apologized. "We planned to fly straight to our destination, but underestimated quite how high the ascent would be, and had to leave our ship a day north of Sires Hollow."

"I see." Seigetsu nodded. "Such a story is plausible. It also makes you conveniently difficult to track. From what I've seen, I very much doubt you to be smugglers, but I am curious: if you were, what kind of contraband would you attempt to traffic?"

I blinked. "What kind of question is that?"

"A roundabout one," Papyrus proclaimed from his corner. "Our friend here is asking how much you know about what's actually banned in this place. They probably also know that Equestria uses the same currency as the Griffon Empire, which is practically worthless up in the north. I myself haven't the foggiest what's actually illegal to take across the border. But if I were a devious blackheart, I'd come here empty-hoofed, scoop up a load of things I know will sell well in Varsidel, then head home and make all my profits up there, where I know the market."

Seigetsu looked intrigued. "Well, aren't you perceptive. Everything you've said is correct. Fortunately for you, I care little what you attempt to leave Equestria with. That is your own nations' problem to deal with. There is exactly one thing Equestria does not allow across its border, and that is creatures without possession of a writ. Do you know why that is?"

I shook my head. Nobody else had an answer, either.

"It is to limit the spread of information," Seigetsu told us. "This land owes much of its stability to restricting each region's problems to itself. In the north, you have territory wars, shifting borders, political machinations and the rise and fall of nations, along with all of the volatility enabled by such a precarious status quo. For most Equestrians, lives come and go confined to the same bubble of community, all lived out within the same village, farms and pastures. The next village over might be home to distant relatives, and the lands beyond swiftly fade into legend. By slowing the entry of northerners to a trickle, we ensure that the stories they leave behind quickly fade to local legend as well."

I stared. It was like... an entire nation of Icereaches, all stubbornly hiding from each other while living side by side? It couldn't be. That wasn't right. "Why would you even do something like that?" I protested.

"I told you," Seigetsu said to me. "To hold the land in blissful stasis. Surely you have at least heard of the condition of many lands up north. Twenty years ago, a great empire fell to ruin, as did another forty years prior to that. The lands they leave behind devolve into chaos and turmoil. No price is too great to spare these lands that same fate... which brings us to you."

She surveyed all of us once again. "A crossing in such numbers is unheard of. I think it probable that a group of your numbers could have a much greater impact than a single wanderer. At the same time, you are all here legally. You have your writs. The magic attests to it. By the laws of my station I can neither stop you nor turn you away. And so instead, I ask you: why have you come here? Tell me, that I might speed your journey along and keep your impact to a bare minimum."

"This is a tourist town," Corsica pointed out. "You're telling me ponies never leave their own villages, yet they still manage to come all the way out here to slack off and chill out. And the town just south of here is a major port town. Nothing you just said makes sense with any of that."

Seigetsu studied her. "...No. I suppose it wouldn't."

There was, I noticed, a clerk at the hotel desk, sitting and reading a newspaper. Their ears were perked, ostensibly listening to everything we were saying. But if anything, I got the impression they were more interested in us than what the dragon was talking about.

Corsica stared. "That's it? You're not gonna say anything more?"

"Perhaps trade functions differently where you are from," Seigetsu said. "The routes are longer than any one creature will usually ever see. Ships, trains and caravans walk back and forth between trading towns where goods are handed off or sold from one carrier to another. To most locals of this area, the world as they know it extends from Snowport in the southwest, perhaps up to Sires Hollow in the north, and to a town known as Fort Redsand on the eastern edge of this sea." She pointed out a window, to where the water could be seen glittering in the distance. "But what lies beyond that? This is something few here have ever seen."

"Yourself excluded, of course," Corsica pointed out.

"Naturally." Seigetsu nodded. "Though even my own travels have their limits, as my duty more often than not dictates where I am needed. However, were you to travel to Fort Redsand, you would find the horizon of creatures' awareness expands to the east, and shrinks to the west. And should you reach Snowport, those who know of the southern or western lands would become more common, and those who have been to Sires Hollow would grow ever sparser. This is our societal order. And strange though it may seem to you, it has underpinned one thousand years of prosperity and peace."

"No it hasn't," Papyrus interrupted, pointing a wing. "You dragons are having a holy war out on your plateau. Or was that all hearsay?"

Seigetsu looked bemused. "You heard correctly. But this only serves to further my point. My people are embroiled in conflict, yes. But that conflict does not touch these shores."

Papyrus folded his forelegs. "Noble of you to have everywhere else as your top priority."

"Now then." Seigetsu straightened up, ignoring him. "I have been told you mean to travel to the Catantan Peninsula. As such, I would like to offer you a deal. Return with me to Snowport. Do your best to keep a modest profile, try not to be overly flamboyant about your experiences in the north, and in return I shall do my utmost to secure passage for you on a speedy vessel. As this may prove difficult to enforce, I will be trusting you to act in good faith for the duration of your stay here. Have we an accord?"

Leif sized her up. "I assume that means you'll be coming with us?"

Seigetsu gave her a look. "Presumably, it would be you accompanying me. Unless you intended to walk the rest of the way to Snowport?"

"You've got an alternative?" I asked, my backwards ears perking.

"Naturally." Seigetsu looked amused. "I could hardly fulfill my duties were I to spend all of my time traveling on foot."

"I think," Leif cut in, "we could use a moment alone to discuss your proposal. That alright with you?"

"Of course." Seigetsu bowed, then turned to leave. "I shall be waiting outside. Take all the time you need."





Once the dragon was gone, we congregated back upstairs, huddling up in one of our rooms. "Well?" Corsica said.

"I'm sure you can appreciate the irony of this coming from me," Leif began. "But we know nothing at all about that dragon beyond what they've said. Despite that, they made a convincing enough case for us to follow them on their private transport that at least some of you are thinking about it. You realize how this could very easily end."

I shuddered.

"The idea that Equestria would have some sort of border police is a sensible one," Leif went on. "But I don't know enough about this land or its customs to tell whether our new friend here is the real thing. You?" She glanced at Papyrus.

Papyrus shrugged. "I've never heard much about security dragons, but admittedly my old stomping grounds were considerably to the east of here."

I gave Papyrus a look. "Have you seriously been here before? When, and what for?"

Papyrus winked at me. "That's for me to know and you to pickle your brain guessing at, butterfly. Now how about you? Got any insights of your own to share?"

"I do," Corsica cut in. "When we were walking around, the way the townsfolk treated him, I was pretty sure he's a known face around these parts. Probably who he says he is, for better or worse. But, he was real interested in Hallie's you-know-what." She inconspicuously flashed my bracelet. "Wanted to know who 'owned' it. And then didn't say a thing about it while he was here. So I can guarantee he's got an agenda he wasn't saying."

I should have been focused on this news about my bracelet, but... "Wait a minute, he? That dragon isn't a girl?"

Corsica groaned. "Do I look like I know? Ask them yourself..."

Okay...

"Anyway, he or she or whatever is also really strong," Corsica warned. "My vote is, we go with them. They're apparently connected to the higher-ups in Snowport, so if we stiff them, we can kiss our odds of seeing Catantan any time soon goodbye. If we take the gamble, maybe we get skunked, or maybe it pays off. But if we don't, we lose for sure."

"Sounds fine enough." Papyrus yawned. "Personally, I'm ever so slightly averse to spending time around the immigration authorities - personal reasons, wouldn't apply to any of you - but after staring at my mug for that long without starting anything, either they're exceedingly patient or not actually looking for trouble."

I tilted my head. "What do you mean?"

Leif groaned. "He's talking about how similar he looks - and acts, by the way - to a certain-"

"-heinous despot who's wanted across all of Equestria for causing a major international incident or two, yes, I'm aware," Papyrus interrupted. "High Prince Gazelle? Perhaps you noticed I've stopped making that joke since we made our crossing? Now, he was a sphinx, and I'm clearly a pegasus, and he also met an explosive demise well before I was born, so any police dragon with a sensible head on their shoulders should be able to tell that there's no actual relation. But anyone familiar with religious inquisitors, law enforcement, or, Garsheeva forbid, border security should know that looking like a famous criminal on its own is plenty reason to start a brawl."

"Yes," Leif grunted. "That."

Papyrus winked.

"Okay," I sighed. "So we could potentially be in trouble if anyone stops us because you look like a criminal, despite your innocent demeanor that would never suggest you're up to no good." I turned to Corsica. "What was that about my you-know-what?"

Papyrus gave me a look. "If you're talking about that sketchy bracelet you were burning for the last two weeks, I'm reasonably sure everyone's already familiar..."

I sighed harder. "Yes, the sketchy bracelet I was burning for the last two weeks, which is now broken because I know too little about how it works, thank you very much. That you-know-what. Anything else that's apparently obvious we should put on the table just so everyone knows how obvious it is?"

Leif studied me in a way that made it painfully obvious she had something else on her mind. "...I'm good."

Corsica cleared her throat. "Seigetsu was mostly curious where the you-know-what came from and who it belonged to. I think that might be on you to deal with, whenever he asks again?" She tilted her head pointedly at Mother.

"Okay." Mother was chewing a wad of gum again. "As long as he doesn't expect a long response."

Braen waved a hoof. "Seigetsu was more interested in me than let on. Seems like a very patient dragon."

"They were interested in a lot of things," Leif sighed. "And half of them were probably decoys. They've been doing what they do for far too long."

Mother snorted.

"So what are we at, then?" Papyrus cut in. "Five votes to go with the dragon, and two undecided?"

I glanced at him, Braen, Corsica, Leif, Mother and myself. "There are only six of us here."

Papyrus gave me a look I couldn't parse.

"I'm inclined to agree with Corsica," Leif said. "I don't trust Seigetsu, but I've seen our finances, and we need to gamble if we're going to make it where we're going in time. And this is a gamble that at least has a chance of paying off."

Corsica glanced at her. "Of all the ponies here, I'd expect more caution from the one who literally just spent half a year in changeling jail."

Leif grimaced. "Don't remind me. But I think you've overestimated how we have to operate. We don't have the resources to meticulously plan out every move in a zero-risk environment. That's not how the game works. You take risks to get pieces on the board, and you make good enough use of what you get that it's worth whatever you gave. If this dragon is the real deal, I think we have to get what we can from working with them."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you aren't at all afraid of the same thing happening that you did to us back in Icereach?"

Leif shook her head. "Actually, I think that's a near certainty. We are talking about accepting a ride to a location that we could only leave under our own power on hoof."

I frowned at her.

"Are ponies always this paranoid?" Braen asked. "Mother never seemed to trust anyone either. It sounds like a very sad way to live."

"Err..." I lost my train of thought. "Yeah. Sorry, but that's actually the way it goes a lot of the time, at least for me."

Mother shrugged.

"Ugh," Papyrus groaned, "we're not getting anywhere with this. All explicitly opposed to trusting the shiny, androgynous dragon, raise their appendages?"

Nobody raised a hoof.

Papyrus raised an eyebrow at Leif. "See how easy that was?"

"Fine," Leif sighed. "Someone make sure this dragon is for real, figure out how our ride will work, and I'll go sell the wagon and anything we no longer need to recoup some funds..."





Unfortunately, we weren't lucky enough to learn that Seigetsu possessed an airship. What the dragon did have, however, was a motorized wagon.

"That looks nifty," I said, admiring the cart, which was about the same size as our own. "Are we all gonna fit?"

"The roads are as even as could be expected for so far out in the country," Seigetsu explained. "We should make it to Snowport with only a single night spent on the road. Pack accordingly. Any possessions or supplies you no longer need, I am sure the townsfolk would be more than happy to convert into gold. Upon arrival in the city, you may avail yourselves of our hospitality, though I understand if you desire some spare provisions as a failsafe. But extra weight will slow down the cart, so please do not overpack."

"Noted." Leif looked through the space in the back, then nodded to herself. "Right. See you soon. I have some bartering to do."

"Might as well see if our tag team is as sharp as it used to be," Mother said, stretching and following her.

"Hmm. I see someone knows better than to barter without an accomplice," Seigetsu said when it was just us, Corsica, and Braen left. "Well, we leave at first light of dawn on the morrow. In the meantime, I would hardly be surprised if you harbor reservations about traveling with someone you just met. But, seeing as we have plenty of time before we begin, perhaps we might spend some getting to know each other?"

I nodded. "Sure." Trustworthy or not, if Seigetsu was interested in my bracelet, she might have something important about it to share...

Corsica never quite left my sight as we relocated to the roof of the hotel, and Braen tagged along, too, but I could tell now that Seigetsu's primary attention was focused on me. "Those are impressive garments you wear," she said. "Might I inquire as to where you got them?"

"These?" I looked down at my old, tryhard-cool coat and boots, brought out of retirement after I ruined Corsica's new coat in the Flame District. "Made them myself a long while ago. They're not my main clothes. I just use them as a backup, since my good stuff got damaged."

Seigetsu nodded appreciatively. "You regularly dress this way, then?"

I nodded. "Never go without them. Is that unusual in Equestria?"

"No." Seigetsu shook her head. "Particularly not where I am from, on account of the weather."

I took a breath. "Speaking of clothes, I hear you're interested in my bracelet."

Seigetsu's attention focused. "So it does belong to you, then."

"What do you know about it?" I asked, aware that we had just been discussing whether or not to trust this dragon. But as long as I only asked questions, and didn't give away anything a religious order would find potentially dangerous...

"You suspect I know more than you do?" Seigetsu looked intrigued. "Know that I have no desire to press you for information you do not wish to divulge. However, as inquisitor, yes. It is my duty to know about relics such as these. What is it you would like to know?"

I bit my lip. Now I couldn't ask any questions without telling her something about what I didn't know...

Being this paranoid was awful. I could easily trust the ponies of Sires Hollow, but why not now? I didn't even remember how our group chat had arrived at the conclusion of dragon not trustworthy. I just wanted... ugh...

"Actually, I might be good," I lied.

Seigetsu looked even more intrigued.

"If you're answering questions now," Corsica said, wandering over, holding the bracelet, "what is this and where have you seen them before?"

I blinked. If Seigetsu had seen changeling queen crowns before, that would mean Coda, Chrysalis and I weren't the only-

"I cannot tell you," Seigetsu calmly replied. "To say as much would be a grave affront to your friend's privacy." Her eyes met mine. "Am I correct in assuming that you, at least, have some idea of what it is?"

A changeling queen crown. I swallowed and nodded.

Corsica gave me a look that said if you expect me to foalsit this thing, I reserve the right to try to find out what it is.

I sighed, focusing on Corsica. "I didn't give it to you. Mother did, and only because I can't hold it right now, remember?" I turned to Seigetsu. "Yes, it's mine, I know sort of what it is but not how it works, and may or may not have recently broken it. If you want us to trust you, helping me fix it would go a long way."

Corsica grumbled and walked away, dragging a confused Braen along with her. "Should have let Nehaley field the questions on this one... Don't dig yourself in too deep, okay? You can't trust luck to bail you out of bad situations every time."

Seigetsu looked amused. But, as soon as Corsica was gone, she turned back to me. "Broken, you say? In what way?"

I fixed her with a look. "Before I elaborate, can you fix it, and why should I trust you?"

"I could ask the same thing," Seigetsu said. "You clearly have some idea what this weapon - and by extent, you - are capable of. Why should I, an agent tasked with maintaining the stability of this land, trust a foreigner with so much unbridled destructive potential?"

I swallowed. "Because I'm a decent pony who would never do something like that?"

"The equinity of those who accept such a power is actually a matter of fierce debate," Seigetsu told me. "A debate I have no stake in, but a fierce one nonetheless."

"Accept such a power?" I bristled ever so slightly. "Best I can tell, I was born like this."

Seigetsu's eyes widened in suppressed shock. "Can that be true?"

Oops. Had I said something I wasn't supposed to...?

"If so, I pity you," Seigetsu said, folding her arms behind her back. "I had wondered why you appeared so young."

So young? "I knew someone like me who was half my age," I said. "At least I'm old enough to live my life with this burden and try to make decisions about who I want to be, without letting it define me."

"Half your age?" Seigetsu whispered. "Despicable..."

I was getting more and more sure we were really talking about the same thing, and Seigetsu wasn't just bluffing to get me to reveal something I assumed she already knew. "I didn't like it either," I emphasized. "Anyway, you sound like your top priority is making sure I don't use these powers to get up to no good."

"You have the right of it," Seigetsu told me. "I assume your friends know much less about your current state than you do. Corsica, in particular, is quite suspicious of your weapon, though I suspect she knows naught of its true relation to you. I trust that keeping your secret should serve as a gesture of goodwill?"

"That would be pretty basic decency," I said with a small bow. "Which is more than I could ask from some of the honchos I've met. But what I'd really like is to learn more about my powers. I've only ever been able to test them through trial and error, and somehow, no one else has ever gotten hurt, but just recently I broke the bracelet somehow, and now I can't touch it without completely losing my ability to focus. Can you help fix it?"

Seigetsu considered this. "No," she eventually said. "I am afraid that is beyond my expertise. However, there is a sect within the church that most certainly holds the knowledge you are after. Once we are in Snowport, I could arrange a meeting between you and their representative there."

Forbidden religious knowledge? Count me in! "That would be great," I responded, eager.

"Then it sounds like we have an accord." Seigetsu nodded. "If you would permit me a question in return... You said you were born this way. Were either of your parents like you?"

"You mean..." I tapped my leg where my bracelet would sit. "Yeah. My mother."

"Your mother?" Seigetsu looked thoughtful. "Now that is interesting. Corsica mentioned your mother to be among your traveling companions?"

I shook my head. "Nehaley is my adoptive mother. She, err... won custody of me at birth. I've never met my real mother." Possibly excluding an encounter in Icereach during my ill-fated rescue mission...

"I see." Seigetsu nodded. "Well, I think I have learned enough of your private matters. For now, I shall choose to trust you, Halcyon. And I hope you will understand when I keep a close eye on you regardless."





Morning arrived, and we set out. The stallion who had guided us from Sires Hollow - I couldn't even remember his name, so heavy was my brain fog surrounding the last two weeks - had departed to go on his own way, our wagon and much of our food was sold, and Leif's saddlebags were once again flush with cash. I wasn't sure how I felt about her being our official treasurer, but she was less likely to get ripped off than I was and I trusted her far more than Papyrus.

The motorized wagon was fast, rolling along the bumpy road a little slower than I could go at a dead sprint, but much faster than when me and Braen were at the helm. Seigetsu sat at the controls, which were clearly designed for claws and not hooves, saying little that was relevant about Equestria but happily accepting any news we had to share of the north. Ironic how hungry for knowledge she could be when her stated purpose was propping up a world order based around ponies having limited knowledge of the world they lived in...

I hadn't recalled it while talking with her on the roof, but that was the real reason not to trust the dragon: she was the south's equivalent of Icereach's censors, except instead of censoring anything at all related to the divine in the name of science, she was a representative of the church. Of course, it was possible that she had good reasons to keep her silence, but possible and probable were two different things, entirely.

Rather than stew about it, I focused on the scenery as it rolled by, much more able to appreciate it now that I wasn't running for sixteen hours a day. The land was definitely getting flatter as the foothills of the Aldenfold petered out, and the biggest mountains were now to our west rather than behind us. Though near the end of the first day, we crested a final ridge, and I could see where they, too, ended: ahead of us stretched a vast, endless basin, with more mountains so distant on the horizon that they formed a hair-width blue strip atop the land. The snowy peaks to the east stayed tall for a while, but after several peaks they, too, descended and curved away to the west, until I lost sight of them behind their own shadow. And there in the basin, right about where the Crystal Mountains vanished from sight, I could see a large, sprawling town next to a wide harbor, the water opening out to the east.

Snowport.

We set up camp there for the night, as the weather looked good and someone had clearly used this spot as a base camp before. I was still recovering from my ordeal pulling the cart, so I took a stiff walk before bed to allay my cramps, and was treated to a view of lights shining from the city in the dark - not enough to blot out the stars, but enough to make it obvious where the city limits really were.

There was a castle, I could tell. A good, old-fashioned stone fortress, the kind you could read about in children's books. Most of the town was clumped around it, and I could even see a raised wall, though it seemed slightly pointless when the lights and dwelling spilled out into the fields beyond.

Civilization. And, hopefully, much more civilized than Ironridge.

I crossed my wings, said a brief prayer, and headed back to the camp to get some sleep.