//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: All There in a Book // Story: Under the Northern Skies // by Prolet //------------------------------// I let out a long yawn as Rarity woke me up. No dreams had disturbed me for the rest of my sleep, but nevertheless, I wasn’t well rested. Cursing in my mind that I had no time to linger in bed, I rose up and walked into the central room with Rarity. Hot porridge was already waiting for us on two bowls. Keen was watching out of the window, and gave us a cheery “good morning.” Not wanting to waste any more time, we ate the breakfast with haste. The porridge was hot and didn’t have much taste in it, but it left me feeling full. When we finished our bowls, we strapped our bags on us and headed outside with Keen following. ”Thank you dearly for letting us rest here, Miss Sickle,” Rarity said to the elderly mare, starting to walk away with me. Keen waved her hoof. “Oh, it was nothing. Take care, both of you!” “Will do. See you!” And so our journey continued. A curtain of clouds covered the sky, but I knew the sun had risen ages ago – we had left alarmingly late. Despite two extra hours of rest due to the incident in the middle of the night, I couldn’t avoid yawning every now and then. The walking eventually woke my body up, but our pace was nothing to write home about. Rarity and I didn’t talk for a while, not that I even was awake enough to do that. “So, do you still have any idea what caused your sleepwalking?” Rarity cut the silence between us. “To be honest, I can only think of one thing,” I answered. “The book I found in the train.” Rarity watched me for what seemed like an eternity, even though it was only a few seconds. “Why would it have anything to do with this?” Realizing I hadn’t told her about my unpleasant experiences with it, I frowned. “The book knows things. Also, the contents change every now and then.” “So you randomly found a book aboard a train, and now it’s making you sleepwalk, have weird nightmares, and on top of that, its contents change? Twilight, do you understand how crazy that sounds?” Rarity’s comment stopped me. “Uhh… when you put it like that…” I bit my lip. “You’re right, it does sound quite outlandish. But can you think of any other explanation? Rarity, you know full well that this isn’t just inside my head.” “Well…” Rarity’s eyelids twitched suspiciously, but her voice didn’t betray her inner feelings. “Of course not, Twilight. But…” “But what?” “You can’t deny that you have showed some… let’s just say, worrying, behaviour in the past.” Rarity let out a nervous laugh. She does have a point. However, there’s no way you just imagined everything. Equestria is full of magic and wonders, after all. The book making you see things is actually just as rational an explanation as you simply descending into insanity. Actually, it’s a much more plausible one. You haven’t gone nuts. The world around me faded as I mentally argued with myself. I can’t deny what she says isn’t true, and it’s certainly possible that all these circumstances have triggered some kind of reaction in me. I’m certainly not mad. However, it wouldn’t be very far-fetched to assume that my brain has generated a lot of stuff from nowhere when it has been stre- “Twilight?” Rarity’s concerned voice made me snap back into the real world. “I’m so sorry for saying anything like that. Please forgive me.” I stared at the ground. “No, you’re right. I could be going mad, I really could. Still, that’s not the case this time. You just have to trust me with this. There’s something strange with that book, and I feel it’s important for me to find out what.” “Don’t you mean us?” Twilight, this is not only your journey. “Why not, I guess.” I raised my look to meet Rarity’s now-stoic face. “But further studying the book has to wait, Rarity. We have to go on; we’re already late of our travel schedule. With this pace, we’ll have to use all the time we can to travel. I’m certain that we both want to get this mission over with as soon as possible.” “If you say so, Twilight. Forgive me for inquiring, but what exactly has the book told? And what are your nightmares about?” “Not much, but in the night before the last, it actually told that I was reading the book at the time. That wasn’t a very pleasant experience,” I said. “And my dreams – nightmares – they’ve been pretty random. But I do believe that, just like in those dreams, something or someone is following us. This can’t just be all in my head.” Rarity looked worried. “Following? Why would someone follow us?” I shrugged. “Look, I have no idea. That’s just how it is, Rarity.” We began to walk again, constantly eyeing our surroundings. The pines around us weren’t any different from the ones we’d seen during the last few days, though the terrain was gradually steepening. Because of my magic still being severely hampered, we were going completely by the map. With paths emerging from the ground only to vanish soon after, navigating was no easy task. Thus, taking long pauses to estimate where we were was necessary. Hours passed without incidents, when the sky finally came to life. I heard the rain coming before it hit us – a loud sound of water pouring down was audible from some distance away, and wind started to build up before the inevitable storm caught up with us. We ran under the nearest tree that could provide some cover, a somewhat young spruce, and sat there huddled together as rain swept the ground. It was impossible to see more than a few feet ahead in the rain. Rarity cast a magical bubble around us to keep us and our bags dry. “Twilight, are you sure it’s safe to be under a tree? Remember what happened last time,” said Rarity. “Yes, I’m sure.” I took a look up. “This spruce is shorter than the pines. We should be safe. Also, I don’t think this is a thunderstorm.” The rain lasted for what seemed like forever, sporadically increasing and decreasing in intensity. The world became just a blur as the storm raged on. Rarity’s coat against me felt warm as always. We didn’t exchange many words, and eventually, I fell asleep. My nap was dreamless, though apparently peaceful as I felt rested when waking up – Rarity had draped a blanket over me, and smiled as I opened my eyes. “Look who’s finally woken up,” Rarity said with a cheery voice. “The rain’s not a problem anymore. Just a light drizzle.” I nodded, rising up. “Alright, Rarity. Thanks for letting me sleep, I guess… but we’ll have to move out right now, so that we can make at least some progress.” Rarity took a look at our surroundings and frowned. “There’s mud. Lots of it.” “It’s not that bad, Rarity. Surely we can find some pond or stream to wash ourselves in? The map’s full of those.” “Sure…” my friend sighed. “I know there isn’t much of a choice, Twi.” For the remainder of the day we travelled as fast as we could – which wasn’t very fast on the wet ground. Even where there was no dirt that had turned into mud, the rocks were slippery and we had to watch our steps. Keeping track of where we were on the map wasn’t easy, either, as we constantly had to walk around cliffs and other obstacles. The only helpful thing was that the forest was now even sparser than before, though the map told we still weren’t near its edge. However, it was now easy for us to see our destination: the blasted side of Ironveil Mountain, a tall, snow-topped peak named after a famous cartographer. With the mountainside in our view, it was a bit easier to carry on, knowing where our destination was. My mind wandered off as we carried onwards. The book, my sudden affection towards Rarity, the strange dreams I had, and the supposed-somepony following us were quite a mishmash even for my brain. When the forest started to darken, I was relieved; my body was already aching for a rest, not to even talk about my overtaxed mind. It didn’t take long for us to stop and set up camp once again, this time on a large, elevated clearance. A shelter from the possible rain would’ve been better, of course, but we couldn’t see one in the immediate vicinity, and didn’t want to take the chances of finding one with only Rarity’s magic and the flame of a battered oil lamp borrowed from Keen for a light. “Should we set up a fire?” asked Rarity. I searched my mind for the answer, certain that I had read about situations like this. Yes, that’s it. Survival 101: Making a campfire is pointless if the risk of rain is high. “No, I don’t think so. If rain came, it’d put it out and make all of our efforts a waste. We still have some dry rations left, as well, so making a fire isn’t necessary for us to eat.” Our evening continued with a short meal. Unsurprisingly, the rations tasted as bland and colorless as they looked. I could see from Rarity’s face that she didn’t enjoy eating food like that, but she didn’t complain. “So, what are we going to do with your sleepwalking?” Rarity gave me a question. “If you get lost during the night here, in the middle of nowhere, you’d be in some big trouble.” There isn’t anything you could really do. Rarity can’t cast any spells that would alarm her of me wandering off. “I guess we just have to hope. Even I didn’t prepare for a situation like this.” Rarity raised her eyebrow. “Are you sure there’s nothing we can do?” “Well…” You do have the rope to tie yourself up. Or, alternatively, you could just secure a rope onto both Rarity’s and your hooves, so that she’d notice immediately if you went somewhere. “We could secure a rope between us, yes, but that’d be too risky. If the wildlife harassed us in the night, we’d be in trouble.” “Then we’ll just have to hope that the same doesn’t happen again.” “I don’t think it will, Rarity,” I said, failing miserably at trying to give my friend a reassuring smile. “Besides, if I don’t fall asleep on my watch, there’s no risk of me wandering anywhere. You’ll certainly notice if I’m suddenly gone on your watch.” “Right… the watch,” grumbled Rarity. “I wonder if we’ll sleep comfortably for the next few weeks.” “Probably not, I’m afraid.” -- I was on the second watch. Rarity’s sleeping form and the eerie light of the oil lamp were the only comforts I had in the darkness. The moon and stars were still hidden behind the cloud curtain, but for my relief, the rain hadn’t made a return. A flicker from the mountains caught my attention. I watched the barely recognizable silhouettes of the peaks for a while, until another one finally appeared. For a brief moment, several spots of light danced around a mountainside, only to vanish again. Think, Twilight, think. What is causing that phenomenon? Is somepony trying to send a message in Morse code, or could this be something else? As I pondered the situation, the lightshow escalated, now spanning a large area on the mountainside. I couldn’t see what was going on there, but I knew for sure that it wasn’t Morse code. Something else was going on. The damp air of the night suddenly felt a lot cooler than before, sending chills down my spine. Twilight, you know what to do. I do? …Yes, I do. Just get onto it. Naturally. The logical yet completely illogical course of action. I took the book out once again, closed my eyes, and shuffled a random page. As I opened my eyes again, the pages were filled with mouth-written, barely readable text. I sighed, took a look at the sleeping Rarity to calm myself down a bit, and started reading. She had escaped her prison, but the fight… …a swift course of action was needed, and she knew what to do. The summoning would have to work, or else everything would be lost. Nothing could… …watched from afar, trying to determine what was going on. Her friend was fast asleep. Twilight knew that if something happened, there was nothing she could do; without magic, she was but a shadow of herself. The mare’s brain might keep her alive if… I took a deep breath. My heart was racing. The next few sentences were covered by a dark stain, and the script in the next paragraphs was so difficult to decipher that I had no idea what it told. You have to get this now, Twilight. There might not be another chance next night. What does this all mean? …never retreated. She fought well, but was overwhelmed by her enemies… …next day, a meeting was called, upon which it was decided by… Why must this be so hard to read? Then I realized something that shouldn’t have evaded my mind for that long. Rarity had a taste for classical novels and plays, some of which were doubtlessly printed with stylized and difficult-to-read script. I scurried to my friend, and nudged her gently. “Mmm…” Rarity let out as I awoke her. “My watch already?” “Get up, Rarity! You’ve got to see this!” I exclaimed. She immediately stood up, glancing wildly around, still half-asleep. “See what?” It didn’t take long for Rarity to activate. I pointed at the mountains, where the lights still danced around. “Look!” Rarity rubbed her eyes. “What is that? How long has this is been going on, Twi?” “I don’t know about either. But I do need you right now. Could you try deciphering the writing in this book, Rares? It might be important,” I explained. “At this hour? Why?” asked Rarity with a confused voice. “Just do it. Please.” Rarity shrugged, and levitated the book onto the level of her head. She looked at the text intensively, putting on her reading glasses. Rarity’s face was unreadable at first, but I could soon see fear growing in her eyes. “I… I didn’t expect this…” she commented. With every moment that passed, her expression turned more uneasy. “What does it say, Rarity?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm. My friend looked at me in horror. “Well, what does it say, Twi? What does it say? You did read this, didn’t you?” Though I had expected a shocked reaction, this was just plain weird. “I did, but I couldn’t really tell what-“ “It tells everything!” Rarity shouted, making me gasp. “This… book. It tells everything about me. And you, too. Our names are there, and so much more… I…” I could feel sweat dripping down my forehead, despite the chilly weather, as Rarity levitated the lamp from my hooves. “What are you doing?” I could only mutter. Rarity didn’t answer. Her hooves visibly shook, barely keeping her standing. The book, engulfed in the blue light of her magic, was now being floated under the lamp, which began to turn. “Rarity! Don’t!” “Why not? This the right decision. This book is dangerous.” I held out my hoof, trying to get my friend to give the book back before it was too late.“Dangerous? Dangerous to what?” “Our mental health, darling.” With that, the lamp was upside down, some of the flaming oil dripping off. The book immediately caught fire, blinding me for a little while as it flashed ablaze. “You shouldn’t have done that!” I exclaimed, coughing off the smoke from the book. Rarity sat down and stared at me. Her look was one of terror. “Yes, yes I should have. And I’m glad I did,” she said, her voice trembling. “But it could have contained important information!” I objected. “Perhaps. But this is for the better, trust me. We’ve had enough hardships for this trip already. I, for one, have no intention of getting my mind screwed by a strange book.” Rarity sounded defeated. I felt curious. “What did it say, then?” “It said a lot of things. That we were here, what I was going to do, what you were thinking at the moment…” “Did you read past that?” If something was going to happen, the book might have informed us. And what was I thinking? “I, well- no, I didn’t.” Rarity now awkwardly kept her eyes at the ground. Out of nowhere, a heavy breeze blasted me. My whole body shivered; it was now incredibly cold. This doesn’t make any sense. Cloudy nights like this should be damp, yes, but not cold. Just to be sure, I watched the mountains for some time – the lights had gone out. There was no way of knowing whether that had anything to do with Rarity burning the book. “Perhaps we should try to get some sleep,” I offered to Rarity. She kept her silence for a moment before answering. “Yes, darling. I’m sure that’s for the best. Get some sleep. I’ll take the rest of the night. The sunrise probably isn’t that far away, anyway.” “Alright,” I said, lying down. It was certain that sleep wouldn’t come easily. My eyes were closed, but images of the burning book kept flashing in my vision, making my stomach twist. Remember this is just a test. Just a test. You’ll make it. “Twilight?” I turned towards Rarity, opening my eyes. My friend was now keeping an eye at the mountains eastwards of us, where the lights had been. Her mane flailed in the wind. She looked extremely stressed. “Yes? What is it?” “Could you hold my hoof? That’d make me feel a bit easier.” I said nothing, taking her hoof in mine. We didn’t exchange any words. Rarity’s proximity made me feel easier, enabling my sleep deprivation to kick in despite all the adrenaline that had pumped into my body. It took some time, but eventually, all worry left in my mind evaporated into the night. Soon, numbness crept into my body, and I drifted into sleep.