As the pain in his muscles slowly reaffirmed itself, Macintosh felt some uncertainty in him grow as well. They had been walking for longer than he would like to consider, and he wasn't entirely sure how much longer it would be. Much as he wanted to take a drink of the numbing medicine, he had finished that off already, and was simply hoping what he had would hold out until he could get back home. Braeburn walked ahead, occasionally looking back at Big Mac, and to his embarrassment even slowing his pace a bit when he realized he was walking faster. However, all of this was rather low on Macintosh's list of concerns at the moment. No, what had his greatest deal of worry was the growing storm above them.
'Please just be a coincidence...'
The clouds had grown thicker and darker, and a familiar sense of foreboding tempered by past experience gnawed at Big Mac in their presence. 'Only a matter of time before things get ugly.' Desperate to take his mind off of something that only served to increase his anxiety, Macintosh turned to look over the ledge; as long as he did not come too close to it, he wouldn't be afraid. He looked out over Ponyville, over all the buildings and houses. If he focused, he could even see his farm in the great distance. 'Certainly humbles a pony' he thought, nodding to himself, before bumping into Braeburn's rear. He turned around to see that the trail had diverged into a fork, with one path climbing higher, and the other seeming to continue around the mountain.
"Sorry," said Braeburn, scratching his head under his hat, "Tryin' to get my bearings..."
Macintosh nodded, taking a moment to examine their surroundings; a whole lot of mountain on one end, and an abundant supply of falling in another. "Where is this place we're lookin' for anyway?"
"Oh it's... it's here..." Braeburn said without looking back. "Jus' up ahead, ya know? Kind of a walk..."
At this point, Big Mac paused. He stared at Braeburn a moment. "Braeburn?" Braeburn visibly stiffened. "... Where are we heading?" He did not respond. Macintosh groaned and hung his head back. "Tell me you know where the castle is..."
"It's on the mountain, north of Ponyville!" Braeburn spun around, eyes fearful and anxious. "That's what he said! I figured if nothing else we'd be able to see it!"
Macintosh stared at his cousin, his expression trained, indifferent. "So... we came all this way... with no idea just where we were going?"
"No, we have an idea..." Braeburn said quietly, looking away. "Just... just not a 'specific' idea..."
"Son of a bitch, Braeburn!" Big Mac threw a hoof in the air and turned away from his cousin. "All this walking and-- huh?"
Something moved behind a nearby bush.
He stared at the bush a moment. ".... Braeburn, I'm so disappointed, I can knock you upside your head!" He crept towards the bush slowly.
"Mac, what are you-" Braeburn stopped as Macintosh looked back and swiped his hoof across his throat. He gave a silent 'oh' and nodded. "... Look, I'm sorry, I thought I knew what I was doin'. No need to be so mad." Mac did not respond, getting closer and closer to the bush, seeing it move ever so slightly, and hearing the sound of heavy breathing. He readied himself, and then jumped.
"GOTCHA!"
He landed on somepony, who squealed as they rolled across the floor, something falling from their pursuer and bouncing across the floor. Mac pinned them down, held a hoof up in the air, ready to strike.
And stopped.
Beneath him lay a familiar yellow pegasus, holding her forelegs in front of her face, whimpering and trembling. Macintosh looked behind himself to see a first aid bag laying in the dirt, before turning back to Fluttershy, who never stopped holding her hooves up.
"Oh..." he said silently. "H-hi there, Miss Fluttershy..." She slowly turned to look at him, holding her hooves down, if only a little, eyes filled with tears, sniffling a bit. That sad, pitiful face filled his heart with regret. 'I scared her good...' "I-I'm sorry, Miss Fluttershy," he said, stepping from her and offering his hoof, "Though you might... be an attacker..."
She looked at his hoof warily, then to him, before scooting from beneath him and backing up a bit, climbing back to her hooves. "I-i-it's ok-k-k-kay..." she said, still shaking and sniffling. "I-I-I was... I was b-being ssssuspicous..." She hiccuped a bit. Macintosh looked to Braeburn, who simply shrugged, and then back to her.
"Why you sneakin' around followin' us, Miss Fluttershy?"
The mare took a breath, trying to calm herself. "I-I... I might have eavesdropped yesterday... a-a-and figured you'd nnneed help..."
Macintosh felt a strange mix of emotions; he was upset that she had eavesdropped on what might have been a very private conversation, but that sad, frightened look on her face robbed him of any outrage he might otherwise feel. Macintosh sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "It's alright, Miss Fluttershy..." This seemed to make her perk up, if only a little. "Still, could be dangerous... you should go home."
Fluttershy shook her head a bit, seeming to gain a little (if only a little) courage. "You're hurt, even if you don't accept it. I can't sit idly by with you potentially endangering yourself..." The mare made her way towards her bag, lifting it and setting it on her back again, turning to look at Big Mac, frowning. Macintosh rubbed the back of his head, sighing.
"Why?"
"Because you were brought to me." She nodded firmly. "Even if you're not my responsibility, I don't think I could just let you wander into potential danger in your condition without being there to help."
Macintosh chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright... alright. You can follow us."
"We can always use an extra travel buddy" said Braeburn with a smile, trotting next to Fluttershy and waggling his eyebrows. "So... tell me a bit about yourself, Miss...?" However, he didn't get quite the response he expected; instead, Fluttershy seemed to move gently away from him, mumbling something he couldn't understand while retreating behind her mane as her face turned a few shades of red.
"Brae." Braeburn looked to Macintosh, who was shaking his head, though he didn't seem angry at least. Braeburn rolled his eyes and stepped away from Fluttershy, who seemed to ease up once he had given her a little space. Macintosh sighed, looking down towards the fork in the road that currently vexed them. "Problem is, we don't well know how to continue ourselves."
"Oh?" Fluttershy blinked a few times, looking in the same direction. "What's the matter?"
Macintosh limped towards Braeburn and pat him on the shoulder, pointing to his throat. "Huh? Oh! Yeah, ahem, we don't have any idea where to go." He trotted towards the fork, patting at a rock. "We're sorta stuck, got no idea where we're headed."
"And you wanted to reach a castle?"
"Eeyup" said Braeburn, smiling.
Fluttershy tapped her chin a few times, looking around. Her wings began to unfurl, stretching out, and started flapping, bringing her from the ground and up into the air. Both cousins watched as she flew from where she was to a higher altitude, and seemed to fly around the mountain. Mac pouted his lips some, Braeburn clucking his tongue. "So," he said, looking to his older cousin, "You think I got a chance with her?"
Macintosh reached into his saddlebag and pulled out his new flask, taking a swig of the mixture therein to soothe his throat. He sighed, smiled a bit, setting the flask back in his bag. "I think she's too timid for you."
"Hey," Braeburn elbowed Big Mac, who winced at the slight pain in his leg, suddenly reminded that despite his injuries he jumped a pony in a bush as well, "Never know! The shy ones can be pretty freaky in the bed!"
Mac grimaced. "I mean you make 'er uncomfortable. You come on too strong."
"Oh." Braeburn looked up to where she had flown off. "Yeah, I suppose you're right." In the distance, they could see her flying back towards them, before gently touching down before them, smiling.
"There's a castle a bit further up the mountain," she said, looking towards Big Mac, "It's on a nice little spot pretty high up, really beautiful. I can get us there if you like."
"Thanks, Miss Fluttershy." Big Mac nodded with a smile.
"Oh, just call me Fluttershy..." She blushed, smiling some. Big Mac nodded, then turned his attention back to the fork. "So, do we go the path that leads uphill?"
"Yes." Fluttershy nodded, and began to move forward at a trot. "We should hurry though, this storm looks like it might be as bad as the last one." Macintosh grimaced at this, turning his attention back to the ominous clouds in the sky. He turned to follow Fluttershy, feeling the aches in his body slowly returning to taunt him.
"I hope not..."
Macintosh winced as the pains in his body began to become more apparent.
They had been walking for nearly thirty minutes since Fluttershy's appearance, and while it had proven to be a boon, it was not the one that was catching his attention most. His body had begun to scream at him, pain burning in his very bones. 'That stuff sure didn't last long, did it?' Braeburn would occasionally turn to his cousin, worry in his eyes as it became more and more evident Macintosh was fighting his own suffering down, occasionally asking if he'd be alright, and even offering to return with him. 'We'd come too far' he kept responding, urging them forward. 'You've been in worse pain than this,' thought Big Mac, trying to keep his focus on his companions who walked ahead of him, 'You can do this, just try to distract yourself from your injuries...'
However, the more they walked, the more they climbed, the harder it became to ignore the pain, and the more his confidence wavered. His body felt massive on his aching legs, various muscles sending signals to his brain, telling him that he was well beyond his limit.
Then he hit the metaphorical wall.
Macintosh stopped, standing still, panting and heaving. His companions soon realized he wasn't following, stopping and making their way back to him. Braeburn stared him in the eyes. "Mac? You alright?" Big Mac couldn't do it anymore, however. He couldn't stand anymore. And so, gravity wrapped it's cruel digits around him and pulled him towards the ground with a hard thud.
The pain shot through him instantly, what little numbness he still had fading as he could no longer ignore the entirety of his injuries. His entire body was on fire, and every movement, every muscular twitch brought him pain. It was at this point he became acutely aware of just how much pain he was in. "Dammit, Big Mac! I knew you weren't up for this!" Braeburn hurried next to his cousin, clearly worried, sitting on his haunches next to Macintosh running his hooves through his mane. "Oh what in the world are we gonna do..."
Fluttershy, however, moved next to his head, sitting down and opening her bag, rummaging through it. She pulled out a small bottle filled with liquid. "Open your mouth and drink this, please?" Macintosh slowly opened up, and she put the bottle to his lips, pouring the fluid inside, and he drank. He almost gagged at the bitter taste as she pulled it back and closed the bottle. "I spoke to the nurse yesterday about this. She said it wasn't smart of you to do and that you'd likely need a drink of this." The butter yellow mare frowned. "She said this is not quite as potent as the other one, but she hasn't had the chance to make more, and it might take a few minutes to work, so don't become dependent on it..."
Big Mac grimaced. "If that's the case, what good will this be?" Fluttershy seemed to shy away a bit, retreating behind her mane. Mac frowned. 'Guess that did come off as a bit too aggressive...' "I'm sorry... jus' kinda... sore all over..." He smiled a bit, even though it was a forced smile. Still, it seemed to work, and Fluttershy smiled back.
"Well," she said with a nod, "The house is pretty close now. We might be able to reach it soon."
"House?" Braeburn grimaced. "I thought we were lookin' for a castle?"
"A house can be a castle," said Mac with a nod, "Jus' means it's fortified. Built to last. Likely really old."
"It's quite lovely," fluttershy added, smiling, "It's got a beautiful garden, and a tower with a balcony..."
"Well," said Breaburn with a shrug, "Let's go then."
Fluttershy stepped in front of Braeburn, giving him a strangely firm look. "Oh no we don't. Big Mac has to let the medicine work before he can even stand up, so we have to wait."
"Oh... right... I knew that." Braeburn chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Actually," said Big Mac, pushing his hooves beneath him, "I think it's already workin'." He slowly pushed himself upward, and while it hadn't hurt as much as it had before, he still felt a great deal of pain as he strained under his own weight. Making it to a standing position again, he winced at the pain in his limbs. 'Gonna have to tough it out. Almost there. Looking to the other ponies, he gave them a reassuring nod. Neither Braeburn or Fluttershy seemed comfortable with it, but both seemed to accept it and step forward, and Big Mac followed.
As they walked, the wind became harder, and the clouds darker. Big Mac nearly jumped at the feeling of the first raindrop striking his hide. "We gotta hurry." he said, looking up at the clouds. They continued to walk for another fifteen minutes, and the rain grew increasingly harder as they did, before their efforts were rewarded.
A great statue stood in the road, the path forking to move around it, then rejoining immediately after. The statue itself depicted a stallion rearing up on hind legs, wearing what looked like a long, flowing cloak and a pointed hat, and a long, wavy beard that seemed to give him a great air of wisdom. Most unusual, however, was the horn jutting from his forehead. 'That a unicorn? Fancy. This Twilight's gotta be a mare with interesting tastes. The trio looked past it, to a great fence that stood from the ground, their path blocked by an arched gate. Looking past it was a grand house, constructed of what seemed to be mostly mortar and stone, a tower in it's center with a balcony, just as Fluttershy had described.
Braeburn approached the gate, giving it a good push. It offered little resistance, screeching open. "Oh, hey, look at that." Braeburn turned to Fluttershy and Big Mac, nodding. "Well, ladies first." Fluttershy smiled and nodded, trotting forward and into the yard, Mac slowly following behind, though he was stopped by his cousin. "How ya holdin' up?"
"Medicine ain't as strong as what I got b'fore, but I'll make it." Macintosh nodded, smiling. Braeburn nodded again, letting his cousin take the lead as they made their way forward. Along the path there was a stone staircase leading up the hill, not quite insurmountable without said stairs. As they got closer, they could see an old, broken fountain in the courtyard that looked as though it hadn't been used in years. The castle itself was relatively small; probably as big as Rich's mansion, though the vines and decay hinted at years of neglect and poor maintenance.
Reaching the door, Braeburn clucked his tongue and turned to Big Mac and Fluttershy. "Well, now what?" Big Macintosh's hope-filled eyes slowly shifted into confusion.
'Well... crap. Didn't think this far ahead.'
"Do we... do we just knock?" Braeburn pushed his hat back, scratching his head with his hoof. "Or... break in?"
"Who's there?"
A voice yelled down to them from above, through the pitter patter of rain. Everypony looked up to see a mare standing on the balcony on the tower above, wearing a familiar, wide-brimmed hat. "Who are you ponies? What are you doing here?" She did not sound pleased.
"A lil' birdy told us that you mighta borrowed a book from my cousin here..." Braeburn tilted his head towards Big Mac, before putting on his most stunning smile and a wink that the mare likely could not see from where she was. "We was hopin' we might get it back?"
Twilight stared down at them, her expression unreadable. "No."
Braeburn blinked a few times, staring up at the balcony. "What do you mean 'no?'"
"No. Negative. Denied. Your request will not be allowed. Do I need to throw a thesaurus down to you?"
Braeburn, however, simply smiled. "Oh come now, ma'am. A fine young mare such as yourself surely can stand to part with a lil' ol' book. I'm sure we can work somethin' out... maybe over a nice dinner for two?"
"No."
Braeburn frowned, eliciting an eye roll from Big Mac, who stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Ma'am, I'm mighty grateful for ya savin' my life an' all, but I need that book. It's very important to me."
"Once again, no." Macintosh frowned at that, not quite sure what he was expecting. "Don't take this personally, but you have no idea what this book is. You have no idea the stories it tells or the knowledge it contains. Quite frankly, I've no idea how you managed to get your hooves on it. I can deduce from your accent you're likely a member of a farming family, a tiller of the earth. Tell me, did you get any proper schooling?"
"Well," Mac frowned, "I went to school up until-"
"Stop right there," she said, holding a hoof up, "That's all I needed to hear. I'm going to assume you can't even read that book, correct?"
Macintosh paused, trying to figure out the point of these questions. "Well... no, but I--"
"And I'm willing to bet," the mare interrupted once more, "you simply got the bare bones of an education, and likely spend your days toiling away in a farm, right?"
His throat was getting sore. "Well, sometimes out of necessity we--"
"And, you expect me to give you, a pony who I can only assume at least knows how to read modern Equestrian, a book that is not only written in a language you have no way of reading, but also houses long lost knowledge that you can likely not only never appreciate, but also might potentially lose because of some careless farm accident or something?"
He grimaced. "That 'readin' thing was a bit personal-"
"Listen," said the mare, shaking her head, "I've been looking for a text like this for a year now. I've personally visited the ancient castle of the sisters and dug through it's library for answers, finding only hints and ideas, all fascinating things but none of it quite what I needed. This book has just what I've been looking for, and I've already learned a great deal more than I knew then, and have so much yet to gain."
"This book is as good as good as useless in the hooves of soil-pushing ponies who cannot hope to even begin to comprehend the knowledge contained within."
Big Mac's eye twitched.
"Now please, go away" she said, waving a hoof, "We're done here."
"Get back here!" Big Mac shouted, though he immediately regretted it as an ache in his throat rose up.
"And please shut the gate on your way out." Twilight turned away, leaving their view of the balcony. Big Mac stared up, jaw moving wordlessly. It was far from the first time somepony had treated him like he was stupid just because of his accent, and normally he could just ignore it. Maybe it was just the anxiety, the pain, or the past few days, but it upset him. He grimaced, looking up at the balcony, wishing he had a little alcohol or something to allow him to forget the pain in his throat and shout at the mare, calling her every name in the book.
Movement averted his attention as he noticed Fluttershy flying above them towards the balcony. He wasn't sure, but she seemed like she might have been... angry?
As Fluttershy landed on the risen platform, she noticed that the balcony door was closed, and made her way towards it, giving it a light knock. Inside, she saw the other mare approach, pulling it open, giving her an irritated stare. "Look, I know you just want to help the friendly dirt pony down there, but--"
"Look here, Missy," said the mare, pushing the door open, visibly scaring Twilight who stepped back as she marched forward, "That poor stallion down there has been through a lot! It was bad enough that you stole his book, but to insult him? That was pushing it. Too. Far." She prodded Twilight's chest to punctuate the last three words, the lavender mare staring at her, baffled. "I won't claim to understand what that book has that's so valuable, but it doesn't belong to you! We have laws for a reason, and what you did is theft!"
"B-but, I saved his life..." The mare said, seeming to become a bit nervous, backing away more.
"And that justifies stealing from him?" Fluttershy stepped forward once more. "Look at what he's gone through to get that book back! He fell over just twenty minutes ago from the pain he's in, because he isn't any better than he was when you found him, and it's only thanks to strong medicine that he's able to walk! He's probably complicating his recovery just to be here!" Twilight backed into a wall, and Fluttershy pressed her nose against hers, staring her directly in the eyes. "He's going through a lot right now. You know what the right thing to do here is, so please, do the right thing."
Twilight stared into her eyes, biting her lip. Fluttershy pulled back, glaring down at the mare as she stood up and fixed her hat. "B-but... he doesn't know-"
"I don't care," said Fluttershy with a shake of her head, "It's still his, and it's his right to have it."
The two mares stared silently at one another for a few minutes, before Twilight lowered her head, grimacing. "... F.... Fine... I'm sure we can work something out...."
Big Mac and Braeburn were surprised when the door slowly creaked open for them, Fluttershy smiling, and next to her a familiar lavender mare, though she was dressed slightly differently, wearing a purple coat with a flared collar, a button-up blouse with a magenta bow-tie - the hat, for the most part, remained the same - and a gold pendant hanging from a necklace around her neck. Her expression countered Fluttershy's, clearly none-too-happy. 'What did she do up there?'
"Your friend has proven quite persuasive," said Twilight, though there was little sincerity in her statement, "Please, come out of the rain. Follow me." Big Mac and Braeburn stepped into the castle, both very happy to be out of the growing storm, although Macintosh still felt anxious at what it might portend. The main hall was quite nice; it looked old and poorly maintained, with cracks and worn stonework, but it looked relatively clean. As they walked up the stairs to the second floor, his attention was turned to a painting on the wall of a mare; she had a yellow coat and red eyes, with a red mane on her head, pulled back into a ponytail, wearing a strange, green coat with a risen collar and strange symbols on the lapels, but what stood out most on her was a horn protruding from her head, with a stone hanging from the base.
"Who's that..?" said Braeburn, staring at the painting.
"Her name was Starburst Shine," said Twilight, sounding a little less irritated than she looked like she was earlier, "She commissioned the creation of this castle about two hundred years ago." Twilight looked up at the painting, a smile on her face. "It is said that where this house was built was to be the starting point for an entire city. The solar princess had plans to build a city called 'Canterlot' on these hills. Starburst figured that being the case, there would likely be remnants about to that extent, though if she ever found anything she didn't leave any clues." She waved her hoof around. "All she ever found is a tomb hidden beneath the house, though I've always suspected that she intentionally built her house over that tomb."
"So wait..." said Braeburn, staring at the painting, "Unicorns are real?"
Twilight merely chuckled. "If only you knew..." The group continued up the stairs to the third floor, where they saw a hallway with various doors. Twilight led them to one such door and pressed it open, leading them into a small lounging room. Inside was a single, old couch, various old books stacked around, and a couple of chairs. "Seeing as you're injured, feel free to take the couch, Mister..." Twilight stared at Big Mac, who simple stared back, pointing to his throat. "... Can't you talk?"
"Eh, he has a sore throat..." Braeburn stepped in, chuckling nervously. "His name's Macintosh Apple, or Big Mac as most call 'em. He'd be more'n happy to introduce himself otherwise, especially to a fine filly as yourself."
"Macintosh Apple..." Twilight looked at him a moment, raising a brow. "... Yes, I thought you looked familiar. You're one of Rich's business partners. I presume the owner, or at least an affiliate, of Sweet Apple Acres?"
"Eeyup," Big Mac replied, though there was a slight rasp in his voice. 'Never shoulda yelled...'
"I see..." Twilight stared at him a moment, as if inspecting him. "... Filthy Rich speaks positively of you. Says you're devoted to your family and farm, and quite the shrewd business stallion... which brings me to wonder both the why and how of you getting this book?" Twilight looked at Big Mac, though if she was more suspicious or curious was uncertain.
Macintosh looked to Braeburn with pleading eyes. The other stallion sighed a bit. "Well, long story short, we ran into this crazy mare in the town square shouting about the apocalypse an' Big Mac, bein' the fool he is--" Macintosh glared daggers at Braeburn, "said he'd help 'er find some mystical artifacts that were supposed to stop it."
Twilight sparkle stared at him with a quirked brow. "Go on?"
Braeburn shrugged. "We went into the Everfree Forest, found some old castle that supposedly played home to some long dead princesses, an' found that book in some sort of secret room."
Twilight Sparkle stared at them for a few minutes, scrutinizing them. "Impossible."
Big Mac grimaced. "Why?" His throat still hurt, but he had to ask.
"Because," said Twilight, holding up a hoof, "I've been all over that castle. I read a bunch of books, did research for months, and never once did I come across a book like the one you had, or a secret room."
"You wrote those notes?" Big Mac said, eyes wide. "'Bout the Tree of Harmony, Discord, an' the mutated princesses?"
That seemed to gain her interest. Twilight stepped closer to him. "You read my notes? You were actually in the castle?" Macintosh nodded slowly. Twilight stared at him a moment, as if considering him. "Why do you even care?"
"'Cause," said Big Mac, though his voice was still quite weak, "I nearly died for that book, an' you stole it, so somethin' must be goin' on here."
Twilight Sparkle shook her head, turning away and walking to the other side of the room, and sat herself on a cushion on the floor. "This book is a diary written by the eldest of the two regal sisters after she banished the younger one to the moon." She sighed, looking out the window, seeing rain pattering against it. "It details her attempt to cope with the loss of her sister and to rule over Equestria alone, a task she was not ready for, especially with the turmoil that rose up as a result."
"Turmoil?" Fluttershy blinked. "What turmoil?"
"Well," Twilight sighed, pulling the book in front of her, looking over its cover, "She had used the Elements of Magic to banish her sister to the moon. To top it off with the emotional damage she suffered as a result, it spread a nation-wide fear of the Princess and the Elements. In time, that fear became one of magic in general. Eventually, the Princess vanished without a trace, and shortly after, the Pegasi and the Earth Ponies joined together to wage war against the Unicorns." Twilight grimaced a bit at that, rubbing one hoof over her foreleg. "... Eventually, any unicorns who weren't hunted and killed were forced into hiding or fled Equestria entirely, and when that happened, Earth Ponies looked at Pegasi with contempt, because though it was passive, they had magic themselves that let them manipulate the weather, resulting in yet another war that ended with Earth Ponies winning due to greater numbers and more resources than the Pegasi had, resulting in a truce that demanded the Pegasi stay above the land and in their cloud cities."
"But wait," said Big Mac, holding up a hoof, "We have pegasi in Ponyville, an' all over..."
"Yes, but we're second class citizens..." Everypony turned to Fluttershy, who blinked a few times and blushed. "Sorry..."
Everypony seemed to fall silent, not knowing what to say, before Twilight caught their attention by clearing her throat. "Anyway," the lavender mare continued, "the tensions decreased when both sides realized they couldn't thrive without one another, but never faded completely." Twilight stepped towards a nearby wall where another painting hung, this one of another unicorn, although this one was a green stallion. "Pegasi are second class citizens down here, and unicorns are treated as either a myth or something of terror."
"Aren't they though?" Everypony looked at Braeburn. "I mean, lots of stories you hear of unicorns, they steal babies an' kill ponies for laughs. Dark magic rituals an' whatnot."
Big Mac simply rolled his eyes, and he looked to Twilight, who seemed to be frowning hard, but she closed her eyes and cleared her throat. "Well, without meeting an actual unicorn, it would be hard to say."
Braeburn pouted. "Well, it's just that I've never heard stories about no unicorn heroes or anything."
Twilight turned away from the group, making her way towards the door. "You wouldn't have," she said in a bitter tone, "and I doubt you ever will." Twilight stuck her head out the door. "Spike? Come in here for a second?"
Everypony waited a few seconds before a new face appeared. All three ponies' eyes became wide when they were joined by a small, bipedal shape, a white dress shirt and earth brown vest covering purple scales.
"A dragon..." Macintosh said, mouthing the words silently.
"Holy cow a dragon!" said Braeburn, stepping back some.
"A baby dragon!" Fluttershy hurried forward, eyes big and starry as she stared at the little drake. "Oh my, what kind of dragon are you? What do you eat? How old are you?"
"Oh..." Spike blushed a bit, rubbing the back of his head. "Heh, I like your new friends Twilight."
"They're not friends," said Twilight, waving a hoof, "They're house guests and potential assets to our mission."
"Assets?" Macintosh raised a brow. "What are you saying?"
Twilight sighed, turning her attention back to the others. "You want this book back because you think it's important, right?" Big Mac and Braeburn exchanged glances, before nodding to her. "Well, the way I see it, we might be able to help one another." She pulled the book from on-top her back, then put it between her hooves, holding it up. "We both want this book translated. By the sounds of it, you want answers, correct?" Macintosh hummed, tapping a hoof to his chin. Twilight sighed, putting a hoof on her nose. "You really had no idea what you intended to do with this book?"
"Well," said Big Mac, rubbing the back of his neck, "Not really, no... I jus' figured it was important an' that if it was I should do somethin'..."
Twilight stared at Big Mac silently, moving her mouth wordlessly. "You.... you're an idiot. You realize this right?"
"Well now-"
"No, you're an idiot." Twilight grimaced, throwing her hooves in the air. "You nearly died to find this book, tortured yourself to get here, and wasted my time, and you really have no idea what you intend to do once you have what you want!?" Macintosh frowned, but looked away, unsure of how to answer that question. "Why do you even want it translated!?"
"Well," said Big Mac, looking at his hooves, "Zecora wanted it translated, an' said it might be able to save the world. I suppose I jus'... sorta kept goin' on that without really thinkin' of it..."
The lavender mare sighed once more, turning away from the others and putting a hoof on her forehead. ".... Alright, you know what? Whatever. I'll translate this book for both of us. After that, we can sort the details out, you can do whatever it is that you intended to do, use the translations to stop a door for all I care." She sighed, waving a hoof. "Spike, could you show them to some guest rooms? I need to go sleep off this migraine..."
"Wait, what do you mean?" Braeburn stepped forward. "Why do we have to stay here?"
"Well, it's raining pretty hard outside," said Twilight, gesturing towards a window, where rain was beating down sideways, "though if you really want to leave, please, be my guest."
Braeburn chuckled nervously. "Oh, no, that's fine..." He stepped close to Twilight, giving her his most charming smile. "Of course, I wouldn't mind keeping you company."
Twilight raised a brow, looking towards the stallion, clearly a bit surprised. "Yeah, thanks but no thanks. Spike, if you'd please?"
"Sure thing, Twilight." Spike turned to the others, smiling. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to rooms." The small dragon started walking, and everypony followed. Macintosh turned back to see Twilight walk through a door at the end of the hallway, shutting it behind her, and then turned his gaze back to the others.
'What exactly do I intend to do once I get these translations...?'
TO BE CONTINUED...