With fear and horror in her eyes, Twilight could only stare at one of the bandits that encircled her and the others. The bandits wore cheap leather tunics and most carried short swords or daggers, all of which were made from simple metals. Many of them had creepy grins while others kept stone cold looks like this was a normal job.
“Hand over the pinions and we’ll give you no harm. Part of Southern Wood’s Trail Tax,” said a bandit.
Jenith gritted her teeth before speaking. “Why attack us? We have nothing to give you!”
The bandit that spoke laughed. “Really? Two Valleyians and a Southern Woodsgal? I can see you having nothing, but the other gals... I’m not buying it. Heck, the one with the curls looks like she’s loaded!”
Rarity slowly edged back to Twilight, close enough to whisper to her friend. “What do we do? We’re surrounded!”
The bandits kept their ground with everyone staying still. Twilight quickly looked around for an opening. “I...I don’t know.” She couldn’t think of anything. Magic was her answer but without it, she was defenseless. Just like with the gigacobra.
“Get them! Find whatever pinions you can get!” yelled the thief,
The bandits charged in with adrenaline filled fury. Jenith quickly concealed her hands before creating thick ice around her fists. The first bandit missed when he tried to attack Jenith and his reward was a powerful fist of ice in the chin, knocking him out instantly and throwing small shards of conjured ice into the air.
With quick but shaking fingers, Rarity drew an arrow and released it. The arrow was a direct hit in a bandit’s leg. Now incapacitated, more bandits took his place and forced Rarity to continue shooting arrows frantically, trying her best to keep them accurate but only getting miss shots and a few grazes. When the bandits began to get too close, Rairty quickly resorted to using her bow as a bludgeon.
Twilight could only watch Jenith and Rarity guard her. A bandit quickly tried to strike Jenith but she was more agile and had already ducked and grabbed onto something strapped to her boot. A large streak of the bandit’s blood was the next thing Twilight saw as Jenith returned the favor with a hidden knife. After pulling the blade out of the bandit’s shoulder, Jenith pushed him back and took on two more bandits, again taking them out without a thought.
“They’re getting too close!” yelled Rarity. Twilight turned around with Spike in hand to see only five more arrows in Rarity’s quiver. The bandits that were left had already pushed forward, giving little room for Rarity to breathe. Suddenly, one of the bandits jumped and pushed Rarity down before raising his hand up, knife ready.
“Don’t!” What Twilight saw in front of her was changing. The andrenaline that was in her body went into overdrive. Her mind, filled with fear, began to move away from what was Twilight and to something else. Her vision became blurred and her arms and legs began to move by their own accord. Only splotches of brown, purple, and red were in Twilight’s vision as she felt herself tumble around. Her mind was stuck in auto-pilot, following instincts and the need to self preserve.
“Twilight!”
Her name quickly pulled her out from the rush of adrenaline. Her vision becoming clear again and her senses returning. She couldn’t remember what she did. She saw Rarity in trouble and reacted. One of the bandits was now below her, dead from a dagger plunged into his chest. The sight made the world around Twilight freeze like a photo. Her arms were covered in red splotches and the crisp iron smell stung her nose.
There were bruises on her arm but the blood wasn’t hers.
Jenith quickly took out another bandit before turning back to her two friends. “Run! Both of you!”
Rarity quickly got up and saw Spike being cornered by a few bandits. With a good eye, she dropped the two bandits before scooping Spike up into her arms. “Keep your head down!”
Jenith took one more bandit before running up to Twilight, still dazed at what she had done. “Twi! Twilight!” She wasn’t responding. Jenith gritted her teeth before grabbing Twilight’s arm and pulling her away.
The three quickly ran away right when the bandits were confused to what had just happened. Their leader was laying dead with his own dagger in his chest, blood slowly pouring from his wound and staining his leather tunic.
“Will they chase us?” asked Rarity.
Jenith shook her head. “No. Twi got their leader. They’ll probably run back with their tail between their legs.”
“But they don’t have tails.”
“Figure of speech!”
The three ran as far as they can through the forest. To them, time was still. None of them could recall how long they had ran and after slowing down and allowing the adrenaline in their veins to dissipate, the three noticed they were now in a field of wheat. The forest was far behind them, only a wall of green leaves.
“Nice one, Twilight,” said Jenith with her blade in hand.
Twilight stared at the ground, thinking of what had just happened “I... I... I killed him.” Her mind could recall in detail what she saw. The blood. The blade. She had broken out of her normal logical self and reverted to an animal.
“Well yeah... Sometimes, the only option is to take the life of the enemy.”
Rarity frowned. “Jenith, I don’t think...”
“I killed him! I’m a murderer!” yelled Twilight. Tears rushed down her cheeks while she grasped her hair.
“Calm down! Why are you so worried? Is was him or you. Don’t you get it?”
“No!”
Jenith scowled and quickly grabbed Twilight by the arms. “This is life down here in the Southern Woods and fields of Sapios! I know you got the nice guards and low crime of the Northern Valleys but here, you fight to survive! Get it?”
The only thing Twilight could answer was a small whimper and a nod. It was an answer and Jenith loosened her grip. “Just... Just don’t worry about it. We’re safe now.”
Rarity stared at her distraught friend before turning away, hoping not to see Twilight break down even more. “Have you... had to take a life before?”
“... Yes. I don’t remember how long ago but two guys tried to have their way with me. I was lucky that the man’s dagger was easy to grab. Didn’t hesitate for a moment. Next thing I knew, he was dead and his friend’s neck was sliced open... I’m not proud of it but it was the only choice I had.”
“Is... Is this what happens in Sapios?” asked Twilight.
“Yes. Behind the smiles and the friendliness of the small towns, we have to fight each day just to survive the next. Many Northern Valleyians don’t understand what we have to do down here. It’s a shame really... Ignorant of what it truly means to survive.” Jenith quickly helped Twilight back up after she calmed down.
“So... Where is Bigwell City?” asked Rarity.
“It’s down this path. We’re in the large fields before the city itself.” Jenith quickly pointed to something in the distance.” You see those tower tops?”
Rarity and Twilight both turned towards the road to see the top of some tan colored towers in the distance. Three towers were sticking out from the rest.
“That’s Bigwell City. Home of King Mortem and home to the largest library of Sapios,” said Jenith.
“Library? How big is ?” asked Rarity.
“Well, I guess it’s bigger than most libraries I’ve been to. It’s the Sapios Archives for a reason. You’ll find whatever you two are looking for there.”
“Keys... Keys...” muttered Twilight.
“What, Twilight? Keys?” asked Rarity.
Twilight looked at Jenith for a moment before turning to Rarity. “The Keys. That’s what we need. The four keys.”
“Keys... Keys... Wait, you don’t mean the Four Time Keys, do you?” asked Jenith.
“I think so...”
“Those artifacts were never discovered. Why are you looking for them?”
“Well... I heard about them.”
Rarity looked at the two in confusion for a moment before replying. “What are these keys the two of you are talking about, darlings?”
Jenith sighed. “It’s an old myth that Aetas hid a powerful artifact away using these four keys. In the early time of Mortem’s rule, small resistance groups tried to look for them with no avail.”
“What artifact?”
“There’s no true name to it so it’s simply called the Power. I don’t know much but legend states the one who wields it could command the world and shape it to their will.”
“Sounds like something very dangerous.”
“I guess it is but it’s just a simple myth. A myth many famous wars were fought over before Mortem’s reign. We should get going before dusk. Timberwolves like to stalk the fields at night.”
Rarity nodded and got Twilight back onto their feet before following Jenith.
---
Luna stared in boredom at the guard in front of her. The journey was long as they had barely cleared the woods yet. Something about a detour and recent bandit attacks had made the journey to Bigwell longer. The Seeker was sitting nearby with a leather bound book in hand. He had his injuries already looked at and would soon heal without a problem. Whatever he was reading, it had him engrossed.
“How long is it until we reach the city?” asked Luna.
The Seeker smiled while still keeping most of his attention to the book. “About a day at most. We’re in no hurry anyway.”
Luna sighed. “So. Why are you bringing me to Bigwell? Shouldn’t you just kill me right here?”
“I’m not a judge, now am I?”
With a huff, Luna understood that he was in no mood to talk. The Seeker returned to his book and for a moment, the silence was the only thing giving Luna any form of entertainment.
The screech of a falcon above caught Luna and the Seeker’s attention. Riding on the currents, the falcon looked down. Something was tied to its leg. Luna’s attention quickly switched to the Seeker who had already pulled out a thick glove from his pocket.
The Seeker held his arm up with glove already on, allowing the falcon to land on his hand like a perch. The reward for the falcon was a piece of meat the Seeker had recently brought with him. There was a small scroll strapped to the falcon’s leg with the emblem of Seeker emblazoned on it.
After rewarding the trained bird, the Seeker took off the scroll and allowed the bird to fly off; probably back to Bigwell City. The Seeker silently read the message inscribed in the scroll before quickly ripping it up. Whatever the scroll said had wiped the grin off of the Seeker’s face. A sour frown was all that replaced it.
“Stop the cart!” he ordered.
The cart took only a second to slow down. Luna watched as some guards got off for a moment, one of them conversing with the Seeker but too low for her to hear clearly. The Seeker turned to Luna after finishing his conversation.
“What does King Mortem want?” asked Luna.
The Seeker frowned. “Follow me. Guards. Stay here and watch the caravan.”
---
Twilight stared at the large tan walls before her. Bigwell City’s walls were menacing to say the least. With thick stone and many guards moving about the top of it, the wall showed no signs of wear and tear.
“Bigwell City. The center of Sapios and its crown jewel. Heck, Manton City fails in comparison to its splendor,” said Jenith in awe.
“Manton City?”
“City in the Southeastern coast. Best seafood I’ve ever had!” said Jenith with a big smile across her face.
“Yeah... So, what can you tell me about Bigwell?”
“I’d like to hear about its history. It’s quite a beautiful city... Almost like Canterlot,” said Rarity.
“Canterlot? Anyway, Bigwell had been the capital of Sapios since before Mortem became king. If I remember correctly, the stories say Aetas herself had created the well to feed a thousand people after the volcano nearby erupted. The well now serves as the water source to Bigwell City and its also used to power it.”
“Power?”
“Some new experimental thing. Bigwell and a few cities are testing electricity. Some say it will change the future. I just wish small towns had it. Would make the night less dangerous.”
Twilight became curious to how Bigwell used water for electricity. Equestria had power everywhere via enchanted gems but there was little to anything suggesting Sapios had enchantments.
“Just be careful. This is the capital and guards are everywhere... Maybe I can find a small shop to find a nice Forgetempo dress.” Jenith wondered.
The three quickly returned to walking and found themselves at the large impressive gates. If the greyish colour and subtle swirls in the gate's material were any indication, it was all humasium. Twilight quickly noticed two guards, in the standard burgundy uniforms.
“How many people live in Bigwell City?” asked Rarity.
“I don’t know. Manton City is the largest by population but Bigwell is known for its appearance,” said Jenith.
One of the guards walked up to the three, ignoring the fact that they were in a conversation. “Bags please?”
“What do you mean? I shall not hand over my bag,” said Rarity.
The guard sighed. “Look, it’s standard procedure.”
“He’s right, you know,” Jenith replied.
With a reluctant sigh, Rarity handed the bag over to the guard who quickly searched it before handing it back. “You’re clean. Now the girl with the two tone hair.”
Twilight wasn’t paying attention when the guard pointed at her. “What? Me?”
“Bag please.”
The searching was short and the guard allowed the three in after giving Twilight a small chat about Spike.
“What did the guard say to you?” asked Rarity.
“He just told me to watch Spike. Apparently, Spike isn’t a citizen and I’m his legal guardian or something,” said Twilight.
Jenith nodded. “Well, yeah. The only dragons that get full citizenship are those that work in the military.”
“Why?”
Jenith shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t heard of a single dragon being bothered about it. It’s just how the system works. For two Valleyians, you sure are both living under a rock.”
Rarity frowned at the slight jab and continued to follow Jenith and Twilight into the city walls. What they saw made the two gasp. The buildings around them were large. Made from tan bricks, they were draped in burgundy and gold tapestry and many trees and flowers lined the roads. Numerous people walked about wearing colorful clothing. To Twilight and Rarity’s surprise, the humans of Bigwell had a full spectrum of eye and hair colors. It actually made the two feel not as obvious as before.
The three were standing near a large well, the namesake of the city. The well had a large clock over it with a very intricate clock face. Half of it was dark grey while the other was light silver. For a second, Rarity was having a déjà vu.
Behind the big well stood a large building of the same tan blocks the other buildings were made from. This one was the largest with large burgundy flags hanging from its walls with the Sapios emblem on them. The large opening allowed many men and women, most either guards or wearing business clothing, to enter and leave the place. The building was topped by three spires, the middle and tallest one holding another clock with a large “M” in the clockface.
“Why didn't we see anyone wearing all this before?” asked Twilight.
“This is Bigwell City, duh. Most people here are well off. They can afford dyes and lenses.”
“Lenses?”
“It’s mostly used for looks. Some transparent plant that grows in the Northern Valleys. Twilight? Are you even listening?”
Twilight stared at the carts that were moving by. Each one was pulled by manticores. What caught Twilight’s interest was that the manticores looked nothing like the ones back in Equestria. For one, they were smaller. Only big enough for maybe two people to ride on their backs without an issue. Their manes were thinner and they all wore metal greaves around their legs and paws. Their fangs were also smaller and their wings were somewhat larger.
“Manticores?”
“Why are you looking at manticores, Twilight? You want to ride one?”
“No. It’s just.... nothing. So, where is the Sapios Archives?” asked Twilight.
Jenith sighed. “Well... They’re located in Tri-Spire palace.” The girl pointed to the large tan building behind the big well.
“So that’s... the home of King Mortem himself?” asked Rarity.
“Yeah and it’s getting late. The library’s probably closed. If anything, we should find a lodge to stay at. Rarity, didn’t you say you had family here?”
“No, I did not.”
“Really? I thought you did.” Jenith scratched her head for a moment before shrugging it off. “I know a cheap place that’s actually nice!”
Rarity nodded with a smile. “How did you find it?”
“A small job. I’ll show you.”
---
“Stop,” ordered the Seeker.
Luna frowned before looking around. The guards had stayed back with the caravan while the Seeker escorted her to some part of the woods. Behind her, only trees were visible and not a single guard. The canopy above was thick and little to no light penetrated through. The loud sound of birds filled the air.
“Who are you?” demanded the Seeker with anger in his voice.
“I already told you. I am simply Luna.”
With a heavy sigh, the Seeker stepped back, looking around. Luna frowned as he stepped behind her, craning her neck to keep him in her line of sight. “What are you–”
The rasping hiss of a sword leaving its scabbard cut her off. A moment later, she felt a hideous crunch midway up her chest, and a feeling on unbearable cold. Shaking, she looked down, at the blade sticking out of her chest. With a quick pull, the Seeker yanked the blade free. Then the pain struck her.
A low moan escaped her mouth as the strength left her legs and she slumped to the ground, celestial blood pooling around her. Why... she thought, struggling to breathe. With every breath, blood bubbled up in her throat.
“Who are you?” she heard the Seeker yelling, as if from a great distance. “You should be dead, dammit!”
Luna summoned up the last of her strength and spat a stream of blood in the man’s face. “Bite me,” she rasped.
The rage that appeared on the Seeker’s face was terrifying. For a moment, he looked like he was about to strike Luna’s head from her shoulders – but he quickly reined himself in. Instead, he settled for a violent kick to the chest that cracked a rib. “Whoever you are,” he spat, “King Mortem will find out. And so will I.”
Luna ignored him and focused on breathing. Already, she could feel the stream of warmth from her chest beginning to slow.
The Seeker forcefully pulled Luna back up onto her feet. Dragging her by the scruff of her shirt, Luna was pulled through the woods while the Seeker looked around for something. The search ended upon the discovery of a small stream nearby.
Luna stared at the stream for a moment before she felt the Seeker’s hand push her down. The next thing Luna knew, she was gasping for air, only to receive more water down her throat. I don’t believe it, she thought. He’s trying to drown me.
An eternity later, the hand on the back of her neck pulled her back out. Luna coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of turgid riverwater. The portion of her mind not concerned with expelling water from her lungs filled with grudging admiration. Smart. Easier to explain why I’m soaking wet than to explain why I’m covered with blood.
She stiffened as she felt cold steel against her neck again. “Move,” the Seeker said coldly. “Hopefully a bit of a beating will dissuade you from trying to escape through the river.”
Luna gritted her teeth. She saw what he was doing. “Understood. It won’t happen again.”
As the Seeker roughly pulled her back toward the caravan, several of the guards stood, concern etched into their faces. “What happened? We heard something, and–”
“The prisoner tried to escape,” the Seeker snapped. “Thought she could get herself swept away by a river.” He glared at her. “Get moving. King Mortem wants to see the prisoner immediately. You know where his encampment is.”
Luna fought to keep her face neutral as they dragged her back to the carriage. Mortem’s here?
---
With a smile, Jenith allowed herself to call into the nice couch of the room. The sun had already set and thanks to a few pinions and a few string pulling, she had, her and the others had a place to stay for the night. Jenith looked around to see Rarity examining the decor of red and gold, a common theme even in the lower costing inns.
“How did you get us a room, anyway?” asked Rarity.
Jenith quickly gave a cocky smirk before stretching for a moment. “I did a job a few months earlier and the manager never had a chance to pay me back. So I made a deal with him.”
“What deal?”
“Something I’ll tell you...”
The thumping sound of knocking quickly caught the two girls’ attention. Rarity quickly got up and answered the door. Standing there was a tall lithe man wearing a dull grey tunic. His caramel colored skin matched the the wallpaper of the hallway and his curly hair was slightly unkempt but still attractive. His muscled arms were crisscrossed with numerous scars.
“Hey, Jenith. I need ya for a second.”
“Yeah, Davin?”
The man gestured Jenith to come outside and the two left the room, leaving Twilight and Rarity alone.
“What do you think they’re talking about?” asked Twilight.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s having Spike in the building? He could be seen as a potential fire hazard.”
“I hope not... I rather not wake up Spike and have a cranky dragon on our hooves.” Twilight remembered that he had fallen asleep since they reached the hotel, apparently the day’s ordeal had gotten the best of the little guy.
“Say, Twilight, darling. What did you mean by keys?”
Twilight stared at Rarity for a moment, her logical mind scrambling to find what she meant. The keys Twilight had mentioned, a moment after she had... done the deed to someone.
“I... It’s hard to explain.”
“Trust me Twilight. I doubt it’s harder than what we’ve been through,” Rarity deadpanned.
“Well... I had a dream... I think. I saw Aetas and... she was hurt. But worse, I think whomever had hurt Aetas knows who we are. I tried my best to keep him away from knowing where we are at least... but now he knows that I’m the Element of Magic.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well... when he searched through my memories, I could feel something. Like something bad. Well, after that experience. Aetas told me to go look for keys in Bigwell.”
“So you talked to Aetas herself? I’ve heard of Princess Luna appearing in the dream of foals but how is that possible? Did Aetas say where she was?”
Twilight shook her head. “No. And I couldn’t tell when she allowed me to see what she saw. All I know is that she’s hurt and she’s in some dark dungeon or something.”
“Twilight... I think this more than we originally imagined. If Aetas, a goddess no less, is in serious trouble, then we need to help.”
“But what do we do? We don’t know anything about Sapios.”
“Yeah... And we can’t just bring Jenith along with us.”
Twilight paused for a moment before something clicked in her mind. “Wait, Aetas told me that Jenith is a part of all this. She has to come along!”
“Twilight? We can’t. She’s an innocent girl who barely gets by. What if she gets hurt or worse... dies?”
“I... I don’t know. I can’t have another life in my hands...”
Rarity sighed. “I understand it must be hard for you but you had no choice. Like Jenith said, it was you or him.”
“But Rarity. You should know it’s wrong to take another life. What if he had children and he has parents!”
“I understand that, Twilight, but sometimes... You have to take drastic measures in these circumstances.”
With a sigh, Twilight ended the conversation. “Maybe some other time.”
Rarity nodded and began taking some fruit they still had and began cutting them apart before giving Twilight some. “Eat.”
The slices of apples were very inviting to Twilight’s tongue and reminded her of back home. A tear dropped from her face. “I miss Equestria.”
“I do too.” Rarity sympathized with Twilight. They had been away far too long from Equestria. The innocent face of her sister, Sweetie Belle, produced a few tears on her face before she ate another slice of Sweet Apple Acre apple.
After dinner and a minute of waiting Jenith returned. She looked at the two, confused to what made the air feel so heavy. “I’ll be gone for an hour or so.”
“Why?” asked Rarity.
“Davin asked me to do something and it wouldn’t hurt to get a few extra pinions. Besides, I haven’t seen either of you with any so I guess you lost yours or something. May help you for the road.”
“Thanks but...”
“No buts. Consider it my generosity to you two!” said Jenith with a smile.
With a small thump, the door closed, leaving Rarity a bit curious to what Davin wanted Jenith to do.
---
A few minutes passed with Twilight sitting at a table nearby. She was staring outside at the illuminated streets of Bigwell. Men and Women walked about still, even during the night. It was different from the small towns, which had little to no people outside during this time.
“Humans are very... unique,” Twilight thought out loud.
“Yes and yet they’re so like us.”
“What do you mean Rarity?”
“Think about it? There are good and bad humans. Just like ponies. They live, they love. The differences between them and us are only superficial. I don’t think they should be sealed away from the rest of the world.”
“I don’t know... We were attacked by bandits and considering what we’ve learned, humans can be very selfish at times.”
“Aren’t there selfish ponies? I may be taking this from AJ but ‘Don’t let a few bad apples ruin the whole bushel,’” said Rarity sternly. “That reminds me. When do you think Celestia will contact us? We haven’t heard from her for a while.”
It was then that the sound of a certain dragon hacking away caught both of their attention. In a small flash of green fire, a familiar scroll materialized, leaving a very grouchy dragon who was shaken awake. “Can’t I get some sleep?”
Rarity stifled a laugh. “Sorry Spike, but that was cute.”
“You really think so?”
“Yes, but let’s get to the letter.”
Twilight nodded and quickly scooped the scroll into her hands before reading it out loud. “Dear Twilight Sparkle,
I hope everything is fine in Sapios. AJ and Fluttershy are worried and AJ tells me that it’s getting increasingly hard to keep your current adventure a secret. So is Fluttershy as well. The two both miss you and hope for the best. I want to hear about how Luna is doing. I bet she’s having a good time. We hope to see you soon.”
Your loving teacher,
Princess Celestia.”
Twilight frowned at the letter at the thought of Princess Luna. How would she tell Princess Celestia that her sister was not with them? She could have been captured or stuck in another city for all Twilight knew.
“You’re thinking about Princess Luna, aren’t you?” asked Rarity.
Twilight nodded.
“At least we know she’s safe somewhere. otherwise there wouldn’t be a moon outside.”
Twilight slowly turned and looked outside through the room’s window. Indeed Luna’s moon was hanging in the sky with its white glow but Twilight still wished the princess was still with them. She gave off an air of confidence and when Luna was around, Twilight knew she was safe.
The sudden muffled sound of something downstairs caught Rarity’s attention. It sounded like cheering with other things but Rarity couldn’t make it out.
“I’ll be back.”
Rarity slowly walked outside to the hallway, trying her best to locate where the noise was coming from. It felt a bit harder considering human ears were unmovable. After the noise got a bit louder, Rarity walked towards the large stairs leading to the front desk. Nearby was the entrance to the Waterwood Cafe, a small restaurant that was also managed by Davin, the hotel manager.
Rarity’s curiosity got the better of her and she slowly poked her head into the dining room. Sitting around the tables were many men and women, most of them wearing more bland colors and thus, what Rarity assumed, were the lower class of Sapios. Men and women who did the more simple and physical jobs.
The tables were simple with clean white clothes and simple silverware and each one had a small candle in the center covered with some glass. The tables were situated in front of a stage where three men in tan tunics were. Two of them had guitars while another sat on a wooden box. The guitars were somewhat different to what Rarity had seen back in Equestria. For one, the strings were all closer and one man was playing chords that only a unicorn could play if they trained their magic well enough.
Rarity’s attention quickly turned to three women who were standing there. Their dresses were beautiful with intricate designs and many frills at the bottom in three layers. One woman with curly red hair was grabbing onto the upper set of frills. Upon pulling at them, Rarity realized that the skirt was made of three layers, each one longer than the one on top and ending in frills. The women all wore thick black heeled shoes.
Among them was Jenith but she looked different. For one, she wore makeup and the strands of hair that partially covered her face was pulled back with a simple metal hair clip. Her dress was a light blue with black swirling patterns starting from the frills. To Rarity, it reminded her of simple snowfall, albeit the black was something Rarity would have changed.
The lead guitarist began to pluck at some strings and a soothing melody started. At this point the crowd had stopped and stayed silent. Suddenly, the man slapped his guitar, silencing the strings and began again.
The red haired woman walked up stage before stopping. She simply stood there, eyes closed as the song went on.
Suddenly, the next guitarist joined in and with the percussionist, the three switched the tune with energy and vigor. The woman on stage started to pull on the front of her dress, revealing more of her feet. She took a step in tempo with the song and slapped her heel on the stage. She did this a few more times before going into a quick successive stomping spree. Its sound reverberating through the wooden stage.
The song went on, filling the room with energy. The woman twirled her arms around and slapped her hands together, creating a sound similar to slapping two cups together. The guitar was slapped again and returned to a lower note before climbing up. The woman, with the song, stopped and started slowing before rising to a faster pace of tempo as well.
The man continued to slap his guitar at every beat and the woman slapped the floor hard with it. In between, she would tap her feet with the music, creating more energy in the song. It continued to rise until the man crescendoed with quick riffs as the woman did the same with her shoes.
The song returned to a soothing low melody like how it started while the woman quickly moved back with Jenith and the other one. This time, Jenith came on, eyes closed and in focus to the song.
Now in the spotlight, Rarity could see how pretty Jenith was in the dress. Her eye shadow was ice blue, like her dress and her eyelashes were thick with mascara. Her lips were a ruby red with sparkles of white on them. Her blonde hair shined in the spotlight as did her dress.
The song quickly got back into its energy filled piece and Jenith did the same, dancing around the stage while stomping on the ground in tempo. Each time a fourth beat was reached, Jenith would give the stage a rage filled stomp as did the guitarist did with a riff. Suddenly, the two other women came on with the one with red hair taking center stage.
The three moved around, twirling and shifting around with finesses and grace. The song continued and just when Rarity thought it would go back in its cool low point, the song repeated its upbeat part and switched to a beautiful finale. Its sound curvy yet still with energy. The red haired woman was the main dancer but Rarity could say that Jenith had the most spirit. Each stomp on the stage was filled with delight and power yet she looked relaxed and happy, like if in a trance.
The song repeated its energy filled point the fourth time and the red haired woman had moved back, allowing Jenith and the other one to be in the spotlight. The guitarist began to wane out the pace between his notes in a quick pace. Jenith and the other women did the same with their feet stomps before going into big stomps with the final riffs. The final notes flew by with beauty and the final pints of energy left before the guitarist did three more riffs at the second beats and a final pull of each string from high to low. Jenith joined in the final part with a final twirl, two stomps, two claps, repeating three times before sliding her feet at the final riff.
The audience began to clap and cheer wildly while the three women curtsied. Each woman had a large smile on their faces. Jenith’s smile was the widest and Rarity couldn’t help but join in the cheering. She didn’t even notice that Jenith had a slight rip, barely noticeable at all, in her dress.
“Thank you and we welcome our three lovely ladies for their performance as well as the band. We hope you have a great night! May your times be eternal!” exclaimed Davis while walking up on stage. “Now then, dinner shall be served!”
Jenith quickly left stage while the other two started to prepare for the next song. It was then Rarity began to look around for a way backstage. It didn’t take long for her to swiftly move around the tables before going through a door normally reserved for employees.
The back area was a simple with black painted walls. A few other band members were there with instruments Rarity didn’t recognize. Some were similar to instruments back in Equestria but most would not be possible to play with hooves. There even was a brass kind of instrument with three push button valves in the middle of it.
“Rarity?” Jenith called out.
Right around the corner was Jenith inspecting the small tear in the dress. With a detailed eye, Rarity began to scrutinize the dress, checking every detail and fiber.
“Do you need help with that?” asked Rarity.
Jenith nodded. “I kinda got a little rough with it. Heh.”
With a smile Rarity pointed to a small spool of blue thread and a needle at a desk nearby. Jenith quickly handed them over before allowing the designer to do her work. With her fingers, Rarity fixed the tear, making sure it would be invisible to the eye and make it look like the tear never occurred.
Jenith smiled. “You’re really good. Do you make dresses or something?”
“You could say that... I saw you on stage.”
“You did? I bet you saw how bad I was.”
“Nonsense, darling! You were wonderful! I’ve never seen a dance such as that nor have I heard such a style of music!”
“I guess you’re a fan of Forgetempo as well?”
“Forgetempo?”
“Yeah. It’s a genre of music well known in the Southern Woods and fields. If I remember correctly, it was mostly influenced by the Western Deserts.”
“How long have you been doing this?”
“Well... I did this since I was little. I loved dancing and it’s really fun. Davin had a spot open, something about the original dancer being sick and he had this dress available.”
“Well, I think you did great! I wish Twilight came down with me to see it.”
“That reminds me. Is she going to be ok about what happened earlier?”
Rarity nodded. “I think so but she’s more thinking about Luna.”
“Oh... Well, let’s just give her some time to think. I understand losing a friend can be hard. Maybe I can show you around Bigwell? I know some beautiful sights!”
Rarity nodded. “That sounds lovely.”
With a smile, Jenith quickly went into a room nearby before coming back out wearing her normal attire, complete with boots, dress, and jacket. The only thing she still had from the performance was most of the make up but it would be fine for now. “Now let’s have a girl’s night out!”
Rarity followed Jenith outside. Now that the sun was down, the temperature had dropped and the cool air was jarring for a moment. It didn’t take long for Rarity to get used to the air and the cool sensation of the air against her skin quickly became a lost thought.
The two, with smiles on their faces, walked into the market. Around them, many Bigwell Citizens were still about. Chatting about the day’s events in their lives and things that would be of the norm. Many shops were still open, eager to make many sales in the dinner rush of everything. Beautiful jewelry hung from all the world to see while other stalls had small trinkets to catch the wandering eye.
Rarity looked around in awe until the sound of a hammer against hot metal filled her ears. She quickly pulled on Jenith’s sleeve and the two quickly found the source of the sound.
A large man wearing only a simple white shirt behind a thick apron and gloves was grueling away at a piece of metal. Each smack of his hammer warped the metal, turning it into the desired shape. While he did, a young man, barely out of his teens, was watching the blacksmith do his trade.
“What is he making?” asked Rarity.
Jenith paused for a moment until the man quenched the hot metal. Among the steam was a silver axe head, still dull with a flat edge, waiting to be ground at the wheel. The man quickly called for his assistant who examined the axe with a detailed eye. The master blacksmith took the axe head back and began looking at it himself.
Rarity was curious in how he looked at it. She could see how the master blacksmith looked at the axe head with the same detail she would when it came to dresses. Checking how thick it was. How fine each edge was.
“Hey, Rarity. I think I found something!” said Jenith.
Rarity turned to her friend and nodded before following her towards another part of the market. Standing in front of her was a man with that familiar brass instrument in his hands. The man was old with dark brown skin and a simple smile on his face. His eyes were hidden behind opaque sunglesses that he wore for whatever reason someone would need to wear sunglasses at night.
With a smile, the man began to blow into the instrument. The sound that came out was high pitched but not too high. It was similar to the trombone Pinkie Pie had played once but lower. The man began playing different notes through the work of the three push button valves that sat in the middle.
To Rarity’s surprise, the combination of notes was rather clean and enjoyable, not harsh sounding like Pinkie Pie did. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Jenith taking out a few pinions before throwing the coins into an upside down hat sitting on the ground. The song was soothing and to Rarity’s mind, she could add on a double bass and a piano as well. She could picture the orchestra from the Grand Galloping Gala playing a more energetic tune with the old man. Each instrument flowing together to create wonderful music.
The man continued his song. Rarity at one point almost wanted to dance. A few people had already stopped to listen, throwing their own pinions into the hat as well.
Eventually the song ended and the man pulled the brass instrument away from his face before giving Jenith and Rarity a warm smile. “It’s a pleasure to play for you, girls.”
Jenith nodded. “It was beautiful.”
“I’m here every night. Come again if you want to hear another tune,” said the old man.
Rarity smiled and followed Jenith to view more attractions around Sapios. After a minute of walking, the two reached the beginning of the business district where storefronts were located down both sides of the road. Nearby, a carridge still connected to a manticore was sitting. The driver was feeding some uncooked steak to his giant feline. The flesh made Rarity flinch a bit but she quickly calmed down, knowing that a manticore was a complete carnivore and could never survive on plantstuff. She could picture of loving cat, Opalescence, eating her cat food.
“Can I pet him?” Jenith asked.
The manticore’s caretaker, a middle aged man with hair dyed a deep midnight blue, nodded with a smile. With confidence, Jenith walked up to the manticore before bringing her fingers to a spot behind its ears. She scratched the small spot before the beginnings of its mane and the manticore smiled, enjoying the nice scratch.
“Come on. He won’t bite.”
Rarity looked at Jenith for a moment before looking at the manticore. The last one she remembered tried to ruin her hair and eat her. When she looked at the manticore, she noticed how different this one was. It was obviously smaller but this one seemed very docile, almost like a cat who only wanted a nice petting.
With a weary hand, Rarity slowly began petting the manticore. For a moment, she was afraid it might revert to the ferocious beast she a manticore was but instead, the feline began to purr loudly. Now with confidence that the manticore would bring her no harm, Rarity moved to scratching its chin. The feline enjoyed every pull of her fingers and purred even louder, even fluttering its wings in joy.
The caretaker nodded with a smile on his face. “You must be good with cats and manticores. Big Whiskers here really likes you.”
“Thank you,” said Rarity. “I think he’s a wonderful manticore.”
With a hearty laugh the caretaker patted Rarity on the back. “He sure is. If you need to travel to the north, I bet Big Whiskers here would be more than splendid.”
“Thanks but we’ll be here for awhile,” Jenith replied.
“That’s ok. Same goes for me. His original greaves broke and we’re waiting for a local blacksmith to forge new ones. Won’t be long now, though.”
“Hey, Rarity. Want to get a bite to eat?” asked Jenith.
Rarity smiled. “Sure, darling!”
The two went off and after a bit of searching,Rarity found one restaurant that seemed quite appropriate. After checking the menu, Jenith agreed, finding it decently priced. It didn’t take long for a waitress to arrive and take their orders.
“So, Rarity. What do you do back home?” asked Jenith.
“Well... I make dresses.”
“Really? What kind of dresses?”
“I make special dresses. I want to make a new fashion trend, get my name out there. It must sound like a silly thing but I want to see even the high class wear my dresses with awe and beauty.”
“Nah. It doesn’t sound silly at all! I bet with a little hard work, you could get your name around!”
“Really?” Rarity wondered. Sure, back in Equestria, she could make good dresses and after the recent antics her and the girls and gone through, she had a small name for herself mentioned in a few magazines. Nothing big yet but maybe Jenith was right. With just hard work and dedication, she could get her name out there and make dresses for the most well known mares and stallions of Equestria.
“Maybe you should make dancing dresses. You know, like Forgetempo ones.”
“Forgetempo?”
“Yeah. I was wearing one back at the hotel. They’re traditional but I love the flare they give out and they're always fun to dance in!”
Suddenly, a rush of ideas ran through her head. Each one more magnificent than the last. She saw one where the frills were orange and upon twirling them, they mixed with the dress’ red to look like fire. Another one was green with brown swirls in it to appear like branches. No, gold. Golden branch swirls.
“Jenith. How about one like the one you were wearing? But with a few gems embroidered into the frills. Not too many but baby blue sapphires. No, too blue. How about white opals cut into hexagons? It’d be like snowflakes, darling!”
Jenith thought for a moment and tried to picture the dress in her head. She could only get a simple rough idea but it seemed fairly simple. “You’d have to draw it for me. I’m not really good in thinking up of designs.”
With a keen eye, Rarity looked around for a moment before noticing the paper napkin that sat at the side of the table. In the salt and pepper holder was a pencil. With her mind going away, Rarity began to draw preliminary sketches into the napkin, careful enough not to puncture it.
The first few lines were imperfect, a testament to her bad penmanship but they quickly formed to smooth curves. Jenith watched as curves and lines crossed each other. Each line adding more to the bigger picture. Slowly, the rough sketch formed into a detailed humanoid figure wearing a wonderful dress that flared at the hemming. Perfectly square gems sat at the bottom and yet, a few sat around the neck and a ruffle of fabric sat on one shoulder.
“It’s just a sketch so changes are expected.”
“No... This is perfect! How do you make something so beautiful?” asked Jenith.
“Well... You make a basic sketch. This one may have had a tad bit too much detail. Maybe not as many gems at the hemmings. I just do what comes to my head but it;s not just the dress.”
“What do you mean?”
“There is also who wears it. The dress must match the characteristics and personality of the wearer. A brash personality calls for a dress with free range of movement and must give them an air of confidence. A person with a soft and caring personality must have a dress that shows their natural beauty. It must show how if you were hurt, that person would run to your aid even if it was a simple scratch.”
“Wow... That is deep. I could never think of that.”
“It takes a special eye to see what a dress truly shows. I guess, like a blacksmith. They must made the metal into the perfect shape. Not too big, not too small. It must be functional yet not look like a simple block of iron or something.”
Jenith nodded. “I think i get it now. A dress is an extension of the body. Not something that simply covered it up.”
“Now you’re getting it, darling! Your jacket shows how tough you can be in a situation yet your dress shows that behind that rough exterior, you have a beautiful radiant personality like a geode.”
“That’s pretty observant of you, Rarity. When I first saw you in Riventevile, I thought you were the boring bratty Northern Valleyians that I usually see. But when you first talked to me, you were kind and generous. You are a good person and a really good friend.”
“Thank you, Jenith. Those words mean a lot to me.”
“Order’s ready,” said the waitress.
Rarity turned to see the young woman holding a platter of different foods. After settling them down, Rarity became curious to what Jenith had. Sitting on her plate were slices of a pinkish thing while next to it were olives. In a bowl sat an orange soup with herbs on top.
After looking at Jenith’s dish, Rarity turned to hers. She had ordered a simple salad complete with tomatoes, mint, and hard boiled eggs. She eyed her salad for a moment before returning to Jenith’s dish. What caught her curiosity was the pink slices. They were arranged in a neat pattern around the bowl and a piece of mint sat on top of the top most slice.
“May I ask, what did you order?”
Jenith stared at her plate for a second before remembered the names. “Well, I have serrano ham, manzanilla olives and the soup is gazpacho.”
“Ham? Is that? Meat?”
“Yeah... It’s very good. Salted and cured for a while. It’s actually my favorite.”
It was then that Rarity remembered Twilight’s experience with meat. She had seen it uncooked, hanging from a stall but Rarity could only see was beautifully prepared food. The slices of ham were shaped almost like petals and the mint only added to it. Then it hit her.
Though humans did eat meat, they made it into something to enjoy. It wasn’t a animalist and barbaric thing but a part of their culture. They treated it with respect, trying to make it appetizing and fit with the rest of the food. They had to kill to survive but they made sure nothing was wasted. Each petal of ham served to add to the soup while the olives were something to eat in between.
The waitress quickly brought Rarity back into her senses. A large orange bottle sat in her hands while two wine glasses sat in the other.
“This a gift from the gentleman. He wishes to remain anonymous,” said the waitress.
Jenith smiled and watched as she poured the amber colored liquid into the wine glasses. “I guess we’re popular.”
“Have a good evening and enjoy the food,” said the waitress with a smile.
Rarity picked up the wine glass by the neck and examined it for a moment before taking a sip. The taste was dry yet very sweet to the tongue. “What is this?”
“Sherry. It’s probably from a town in the southern fields,” said Jenith.
Rarity took another sip before returning to her salad. To say her salad was delicious would have been an understatement. It was a wonder burst of flavors that made Rarity want more and she had to fight herself from engorging on it.
“Want to try some of my soup?” asked Jenith.
Rarity stopped for a moment and looked at it. “Does it have any meat in it?”
“No. It’s a tomato based soup. Just a few peppers, onions, and olive oil."
With a nod as an answer, Jenith took her soup spoon and dipped it into the soup. Rarity frowned a bit, seeing the spoon ruin the nice lines of oil that sat on top of the soup around the piece of herb. After lifting the spoon, Rarity took it into her hands and took a bite.
The soup was cold but it was tangy yet a bit spicy. “It’s very good.”
“I guess my compliments to the chef!” said Jenith with a smile.
The two finished their meals with a smile and the sherry was the perfect add on. After that the waitress came back with the receipt to which Jenith paid, happy about the reasonable price of everything.
“I wish Twilight was here to enjoy it with us,” Jenith said. A bit sad about it only being her and Rarity. Twilight might have liked to see the nightlife.
“Yeah but she has more important things on her mind,” said Rarity.
With a small chuckle. “She seems like a girl who would spend time in a library.”
“You have no idea, Jenith.”
“Anyways, let’s get back to the hotel. I’m tired and it’s pretty late.”
Rarity nodded. “Yeah. I guess it is time to get some rest.”
The two left the restaurant with the hotel in their sights. They laughed and conversed as two close friends on the way back. Yet this was only the beginning of a long journey.
---
The night was a short one. Twilight’s mind was fixated on where Luna could possibly be. She hoped that Luna had gotten away and was hiding in a nearby town somewhere but a small portion of her mind told her that she was captured. The numerous scenarios that played in Twilight’s mind was like torture. Self torture. She didn’t want to lose a friend.
Eventually, Twilight had retired to bed, knowing that Rarity was probably with Jenith somewhere. Spike had already sent back a reply letter to Princess Celestia. She had on purposely kept Luna’s current whereabouts absent from it, hoping that if Celestia could still sense Luna’s presence to the moon, then Luna was safe.
After sending the letter, Twilight conversed with Spike on things he mostly had little understanding in. Magical theories were one but eventually the conversation had switched to comparing and contrasting Sapiosian culture to Equestrian.
For one, Sapios was technologically inferior by a few good decades. Twilight had surmised that they just started their industrial revolution and that some things were still waiting to be invented. Mortem was a major factor in this. Maybe he manipulated the path of technological evolution? That and more questions went through her head but a few questions were ones Twilight wish she could answer completely.
Why does Mortem attack magic users? How does he keep the Plague of Mora in check? Why is Sapios so disharmonious?
The questions eventually took a toll on Twilight’s mind and she found sleep rather easily. At first her dreams were simply the numerous adventures she and her friends had gone through. Each one had brought them closer and truely, theri friendship was magic.
But soon, the dreams became faded, hard to see. Eventually, they all evaporated into an obtrusive fog in Twilight’s mind.
“Where... where am I?” Twilight asked herself.
The ever blocking fog slowly coiled around the area. The only light was from a larger version of Luna’s moon hanging above against a starless sky. The ground itself felt wet and upon looking down, Twilight could see she had hooves. The dream felt too real and too lucid to be a simple fabrication of her mind.
“Hello?” Twilight asked.
Her voice echoed in the fog and for a moment, Twilight felt alone. Why did her mind create such a pointless dreamscape?
It was then a shadow appeared in the fog. Twilight reeled back for a moment and almost forgot to breathe. The shadow got bigger and Twilight quickly swallowed her throat before the fog departed.
Standing there was the Princess Luna. Fully alicorn self and wearing her obsidian and blue silver regalia. Her mane was, just like Celestia’s, bellowing in a non existent wind. The only difference was that the same sword Luna had conjured before reaching the river town was strapped to her side yet it completed the regalia.
“Oh, thank Celestia. You scared me for a moment,” said Twilight with joy. She quickly went into a gallop before forcefully hugging her teacher’s little sister.
Luna chuckled playfully. “That’s ok. I was just teasing you. It’s nice to see you Twilight.” The two embraced each other for a moment before calming down.
“So it is to see you,” said Twilight.
“Good. Now Twilight, there is much we need to discuss about.”