//------------------------------//
// Over Hill And Vale 
// Story: Terraria Is Magical 
// by Srake 
//------------------------------//

	
Twilight Sparkle had finally found the time to worry about her home. She worried that Spike would wake up only to find an empty library with spell components strewn about. He would probably go to her closest friends and inform them, rather incoherently, about her absence. Celestia, she missed her adoptive brother and her friends for that matter. Twilight wondered if they would be able to figure out what had happened to her. Furthermore, how they could help her from their end.

Srake, however, did not allow Twilight a lot of time to worry. Quickly hurrying her from the sliding wall, "Twilight, we need to hurry so we don't get caught out in the night." Srake stood at the foot of the Bastion's walls. Taking out a compass from his pack, he pointed himself North and then turned left. "Right, so where I wanna take you is off to the West. It's a bit of a hike so were going to need to go quickly and maintain that speed."

Srake began to start off but Twilight interrupted him, "Srake, West is the other way."

Srake stopped cold in his track and slowly turned around to face Twilight. "What" He deadpanned.

Twilight shrank back under his apathetic gaze, "The sun... It rose from that direction." She pointed the way Srake had started to go. "The sun rises in the East. West is the other way."

Srake turned back, "Irrelevant" he said louder than necessary, "Now let's go." Twilight started after the human, only having to maintain a light canter to keep up with him. 

A brisk wind blew across the travelers as they reached the crest of the first hill. It felt noticeably cooler here, not because of the elevation increase but because a thick cover of clouds had moved in and blotted out the sun.

Srake commented that it looked like it was going to rain. He remarked how that was rather unusual and then mentioned something about snowmen. Twilight didn't question that though. She had just recently accepted that many things were off about her new companion. Perhaps it was best just to let him ramble his nonsense. After all, he was the one who lived in this world.

After about an hour of jogging, Srake decided it was time for a break. He didn't seem tired in the least and instead was thinking of Twilight. He sat down against a wall of stone and unshouldered his pack. He began to dig around in it, "How you holding up, Twilight?"

Twilight sat down hard and tried to catch her breath. She made a silent resolution that when she got home she would read less books about running and spend more time actually doing it. "I'll be fine..." she said. Twilight heard Srake rummaging around in his bag and looked up to find a large amount of equipment strewn around him. "What's all that stuff and for that matter where'd it come from?"

"Well Twilight," Srake spoke matter-of-fact, "This stuff, as you so eloquently put, would be the items that have kept me alive here for the past couple years." Twilight scowled at his patronizing tone. Srake picked up a pair of boots, "These would be my rocket boots." He turned them to show the mechanism that allowed the limited flight. "They're bloody uncomfortable    so I don't wear them much." Srake put them on, "Oh, they let me jump higher I guess." Srake took off his jacket and equipped a white chest plate with gold trim. "And this is armor. You can probably guess what it does." he said as he put his jacket back on over the armor. He reached his arm deep into his pack and pulled out a red metal sword that look more decorative than practical. As he started to walk away he sheathed his sword at his belt looking rather sullen.

Twilight followed him. She thought about the way Srake was acting. He had switched moods again not to mention him suddenly arming himself.. She figured that something was happening that he had not told her about. "Srake, where is it we're going?" she asked concernedly.

Srake put on a sad smile, "I wanted it to be a surprise but we're going to a dangerous place. It would be best if you know what we're getting into." Srake explained his reason for him being here fully. He told Twilight about the Corruption. He explained how it affected the land and how it warped the ex-natives and normally peaceful creatures. "I've done a lot of things, Twilight." Srake spoke solemnly. "The zombies were disturbing enough and the slimes were just nuisances. But then I noticed something else here." He picked over his words carefully try to say it just right. "Not only did the Corruption affect the normal creatures here, it had brought new creatures to Terraria."

As Twilight listened, she slowly noticed a change in the environment. Trees were becoming more sparse and were replaced by some sort of thorned scrub brush. The grass had changed too. From it's previous lush green state it had become dried and dead. Twilight's attention snapped from her companion. 'Dead grass isn't colored purple, is it?' Twilight shivered in the drastically changed air. It felt completely void of energy. Cold and dead. 

Srake noticed Twilight start to fall behind and stopped in concern. "What's wrong?"

Twilight stared at the new barren landscape before her. She heard the concern in Srake's voice. "Is this the corruption?" The look in Srake's eyes answered her from him. Even through the red glow she could see the tired sadness. "Why did you want to take me here." She said as she started to feel emotion drain from herself, similar to Discord's magic. She held onto memories of her friends and family back in Equestria. She felt a little better.

Srake silently motioned for the unicorn to follow him. Twilight obliged without having much of a choice. They began a steady climb up a hill. As they reached the top Srake sat down with his back to the crest of the hill so he was looking over the  purple hued landscape. He simply stared. Twilight sat down next to him and tried to look him in the eyes. 

Srake closed his eyes and sighed lightly, "Because, you're here for a reason."

Confusion spread across Twilight's face as she tried to make sense of that vague statement. "I don't..."

Srake looked Twilight straight in the eyes. "You're like me, I mean. You're here because there is something you can do to help this world. I personally don't know, but there is one thing I know." Srake jumped up suddenly and readied his sword. "When something new comes here. It can't be the only thing."

Twilight recoiled at Srake's sudden burst of movement. She started to tell him to settle down but was interrupted.

Srake held out his free hand with a very worried look on his face. Twilight immediately stopped talking and began to look around. Nothing was coming towards them... She look to the sky. The only thing there was the sun still hanging obscured by dark clouds. "What's going on?" Twilight whispered.

Srake looked around nervously as he concentrated on something. "Nothing." He said hesitantly.

"So what's the problem?"

"That nothing is the problem." Srake scowled as he continued to survey his surroundings. "We've been in the Corruption for nearly an half hour and nothing has tried to attack us yet. Not a single Eater. No Devourers... Not even a slime."

Confusion rose in Twilight again. Surely no monsters would be a good thing. She could hardly imagine being worried or upset about the lack of creatures as she walked through the Everfree Forest. "And why is that a bad thing?"

Twilight could hear distress in Srake's voice. "Twilight, I need you be ready to fight and if it comes to it run back to the fortress. With or without me." Srake punctuated those final words with a sense of urgency that gave Twilight chills. "No monsters could mean that something big is about to go down. But I don't see anything." Srake stopped abruptly and nearly dropped his sword. Twilight saw Srake's skin turn to a light gray as blood drained from his face. He turned on his heels and quickly ran to the crest of the hill. He stood there in shock at what he saw.

Twilight let out an exclamation and chased after Srake. As she crested the hill she also saw it.

Srake fumbled with his words. His mouth not allowing him to say whatever came to mind. He finally settled with, "That's new..."

The valley that laid out below them had strange qualities. The ground was no long the dead purple of the Corruption but a strange dark absence of light. it couldn't even be described as black. I was as if light didn't even exist within the area's confines. Dark sprites flew above the landscape that somehow drew the eye to a large square structure. It looked similar to the pyramids that frequently showed up in the Daring Do books. The whole area seemed to rebel against natural law.

The new environment drove fear and uncertainty into both the heroes. Twilight looked up to Srake with a mix of fear and apprehension, "We're not going in there, are we?" 

Srake swallowed his newly found fear. "I once thought the Corruption would hold the way back home for me. Maybe this place has the way." Srake reached into his coat pocket and took out a small golden cross necklace. He stared down at it for a couple seconds before tossing it towards Twilight. Twilight caught it in her magic and inspected it curiously. "It'll keep you safe. I won't lie. This is going to be dangerous Twilight." Srake tuned to face her. "If you don't want to go, I wouldn't blame you. You have nothing invested in this world." Srake paused for a second as if to say more but turned back towards the pyramid. He paused once again then started to walk down the slope.

Twilight watched him walk down the hill. Thoughts and feelings swirled inside of her. She chased after him, "Wait!"

Srake turned back with a surprised look on his face.

Twilight looked at Srake with a kind smile, "I have one investment. And that's a friend." A light glow came from the cross that was now around Twilight's neck.

A small smile played on Srake's lips that broke into a large grin. "Then let's go."




A/N: Finally free of the accursed Writer's Block. I apologize to you all that this chapter took so long to push out. Combined with all kinds of school stuff and the aforementioned writing block I've been kind of busy. I know that you all don't have much invested in this project, but I hope that you at least have one investment. Friendship.
Also, with a history project that will equal about half of my semester grade coming up, I won't be doing much writing. So I hope this chapter was to your liking because it could be awhile...
Thanks
-Srake