//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: Within and Without // by Cloudy Skies //------------------------------// Twilight saw the approaching shadow grow larger, though she was only half aware. She tried to open her eyes fully, but it was strangely difficult. She saw the world through half-lidded eyes, and something in her urged her to sleep. Rest. Applejack was insistently poking her in the side, yelling at her in an ever more fearful voice. Mere seconds later, impossibly fast, the shadow landed with a muffled thud outside of the multi-hued globe that surrounded the ponies. Something reached out and touched the light-crafted sphere, and it instantly dispersed without so much as a sound. "Lunie!" Pinkie yelled. Her voice was almost completely drowned out by the rain that returned with a roar of vengeance, as if determined to make up for lost time. Twilight’s head began to clear; the visions that had crept up on her slowly dissipated, and instead of seeing odd shapes and a starry sky, she looked up to see her concerned friends and a rain-soaked Luna, dark mane listlessly hanging down over Twilight’s face. A terrified, wide-eyed Luna. As Twilight slowly tried to get up on all fours, the princess collected herself a little, but there was still a trace of fear in her eyes. It had jolted Twilight awake more effectively than anything and everything else going on right now. "Twi'-, no, actually, hang on a pony-pickin' minute, Luna, what the hay just happened?" Applejack asked as she helped Twilight get up. Luna glanced at Applejack but did not answer right away. "Twilight. Are you okay? How are you feeling?" The princess brought a hoof to Twilight's cheek, eyes locked with hers. Twilight stared back, her mouth hanging open. The rain still splashed down around them, and it must have isolated them a little from everypony else around, because Twilight could only really see the princess. Her mind was completely blank. When she felt a tendril of drool escape her mouth, she took it as her cue to start thinking and speak up before the princess thought her crazy. "Uh. I- um. I think I'm fine. A little tired, but. Uh, and I'm glad to see you," she stammered. They had all been so busy she had almost managed to forget how raw she'd felt when Luna had left them without a word to her. She tentatively picked the scabs of that wound and winced. Luna looked relieved, and to Twilight's great surprise, drew her into a hug while she looked around at all the others. The princess was as warm as a furnace in contrast to the cold and the rain. Everypony else was still in shock over the princess' sudden appearance. Pinkie Pie hopped over and joined in the hug immediately. Almost everypony was still shocked, rather, though they were quick to recover. Not about to let Pinkie be alone, Rainbow Dash headed over to lean on Pinkie, which made the pink pony go from happy to positively glowing. "I feared I had made a grave mistake," Luna said, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. "I cannot decide whether I am annoyed at myself for letting you go alone, or angry with myself for thinking you could not handle yourselves. All the same, I am glad I was already heading in your direction." "Why do you have you choose between being annoyed and angry with yourself when you can be happy to see us?" Pinkie Pie asked, looking up at the taller alicorn. "Because I can be stupid like that when I do not have you to remind me that there is a third option, Pinkie," the princess said without hesitation. She still had not let go of Twilight or Pinkie, and when she said nothing more, Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack all came over to hug or lean on them. "Then why did you leave?" Twilight said. Her voice was thin, and she could not see the princess' face. As they stood, she was looking straight at Applejack, who gave her a sympathetic smile as she asked the question. "Among other things, I had to make sure that Celly did not do something stupid about the Hollows," Luna began even as she disentangled herself from the ponies. With a glimmer of her horn, a translucent disc formed above their heads to keep the rain out again. It did nothing for the wind, but if anypony minded, they kept it to themselves. The princess only now appeared to notice the sliced boulder, one of her eyebrows quirking curiously. "But first, can I ask what you have been up to? I am not going anywhere, this time." Those last words brought Twilight immeasurable relief, and she happily began the tale of what they had experienced since they left the keep. When she got to the part where they arrived at Clawford, the other ponies added to the tale of how they had deposed the chief when he had gotten too clever for his own good. Rainbow Dash was quick to seize the opportunity to tell Luna about her race, expertly narrating the competition, sometimes even taking to the air as she told of her stunts and tricks in the tunnels. When they had reached the end of their tale, coming so far as to talk about the gifts they had gotten, Rainbow Dash dash interrupted again to comment on what had turned the race around, admitting she hadn't told the ‘best’ part. Conspicuously, she did so just as Twilight was talking about her map. Twilight couldn't stay annoyed though. It was nice to see Rainbow Dash talk about this without hesitation. The ears of the usually-cocky pegasus were tipped with red, but she was still talking excitedly without pause. Luna listened intently, as did all the other ponies who had yet to hear her Rainbow Dash say much on the subject directly. "I knew it was hurting Pinkie," Dash said. "I knew nopony would mind us being together but, uh, I guess it just felt too big for me." She looked down at Pinkie Pie, who was lying on her back looking up at the pegasus. Dash smiled brightly. "I even caught myself thinking I didn't deserve her. And that's just crazy talk, right?" Pinkie responded by reaching up and pulling Rainbow Dash down into a kiss, which elicited a round of giggles. Instead of pulling back, however, Dash leaned into it, and it was Pinkie Pie who broke off after a few seconds, gasping. The party pony was grinning even as she blushed a deeper shade of pink. Rainbow Dash's tongue was hanging out, and she was smirking in triumph. Fluttershy had turned away very quickly, obviously embarrassed, and Rarity shook her head at the pair. Applejack muttered something about marriage first. "Right!" Twilight said, her cheeks burning. "Uh, how about that, ah, anything else? Like how you found us, princess? You were flying?" "Ah, that, yes," Luna said, tearing her eyes off the spectacle. "That would be because of what you did, as I am sure you could have guessed. I came back to the fort earlier today, and when you predictably enough were not there, I took off over the mountain. Then, you reached out to me." "I did?" Twilight asked, blinking. "I just tried to cast a spell I saw you do, just to keep the rain off us. Something nearly went wrong. Well, something did go wrong, I guess. It felt different. It wasn't regular magic, was it?" Princess Luna shook her head slowly. "I should have known you would try. And I knew you would be able to do it, too. No, that was not your magic, that was mine." Twilight stared, uncomprehending. There were a million ways in which what Luna had said was impossible. Unicorn magic was something very personal and unique. Was it different for alicorns, then? “What you did, Twilight, was pull power forth from the Moon itself. As the Moon and I are related, it affected me, too. You shone like a beacon to me. It was simple enough to find you then." Luna dipped her head. "And it is good that I did." "How is that even possible?" Rarity objected, obviously having come to the same conclusion. "I mean, respectfully, Princess, you cannot simply use somepony else's magic." "Never mind that!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed while trying to hold Pinkie down. They had both frozen mid-tussle. "What would have happened if you hadn't gotten here? Twilight said she couldn't turn it off!" "She could do it because of who she is, and who you are," Luna said. "I will explain, and I should have told you sooner. It is a bit of a touchy subject for me, but that is an incredibly inappropriate excuse for withholding information. Understand that I only felt I could do so because I did not think any of you were in danger." As she spoke, Luna erected a familiar sphere around them while quickly and quietly heating up the ground until it was dry. In a matter of minutes, she had a ghostly flame burning companionably in the centre of the group, and it was positively cozy as she went on. "You are the living embodiments of the Elements of Harmony. You know this, though my sister tries to keep quiet about it and downplay it. You stopped the Nightmare, and you've helped Ponyville and Equestria time and again with matters great and small. We owe you greatly." Twilight looked away, a little uncomfortable with the admission. Luna did not seem to pay her any heed, fully engaged with telling the story. "Among the many things you have not been told, some are things you will realize on your own, and some things we may have forgotten. The one thing we should have told you first of all, though, is the effect that the Elements have on ponies." "Effect?" Applejack repeated. "You are all tremendously strong ponies, Applejack, but being an Element is not something that is easy to get accustomed to. The Elements would not have chosen you if they did not think you could do it, but it can drive a lesser pony mad." Luna looked at the ponies who sat around the campfire, noting their reactions, and Twilight did the same. Confusion and determination was abundant. "We are all shaped by the sum of our experiences. Some you are who you are because it's in your blood," Luna looked at Applejack, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle. "Others are molded by events," her gaze passed over Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, coming to rest on Fluttershy for a little longer than most. The princess suddenly looked sad, lowering her eyes to gaze into the fire. "Be that by choice or against your will. "Nopony can be anypony but themselves. It hurts us. It hurts us all to deny who we are," the princess muttered. "This is twice as true for those as strong as you, and twice as true again when you are an Element. When honesty, kindness, laughter, loyalty, generosity and magic isn't just something you feel strongly about. When it is something you are. “Equally real is the threat of becoming a slave to who you feel you must be. When you suffer because you think you have no option. When you do not understand how you can break out of the narrow confines of your Element,” Luna said. The wind and rain was cut off by the globe, and the magical fire made no noise at all; the following quiet felt decidedly unnatural. Twilight drew a shuddering breath. "I could not simply have come into Ponyville and said 'be true to yourselves'. I know a little more about you than you think, though by no means everything. I listen to the night." The moon princess' eyes grew distant with memory. "I listen, and I dream of everypony in Equestria. I know you struggle with who you are, and there is no shame in that. You carry a terrible burden and a wonderful gift both." "You, uh, can see what we dream?" Rarity asked, looking a little uncomfortable. "Not always," Luna sighed wearily. The princess noticed Applejack’s sceptical stare, and turned to her. "I am not going to try to defend what is part of my being, but at the same time I will not belittle you for your concerns. I am not some bogeypony peeking in on your dreams and thinking less of you for them." Applejack nodded, though she didn't look happy about it. "Fair enough." "You are all unique," Luna said, putting on the beginnings of a smile. "But to answer your question on what could have happened, Rainbow Dash; Twilight's situation is special, even for what you are. The Element of Magic is tied to both the Sun and the Moon." Twilight shook her head slowly from side to side in disbelief more than anything. She had always known she was special in some regards. It would be ridiculous to be the protegé of Princess Celestia and not feel different, but she'd also made it a point in her life to refuse to let that change her. She was not better than anypony else, she didn't just believe that, she knew it, but she didn't know how much more 'special' she could handle being before she exploded. "It is all a bit much, I know," Luna said, almost regretful. "Thus, I am trying to say it with this journey instead of words. What you were doing was as simple as trying to pull on part of who you are meant to be. Have you ever believed in prophetic names, Twilight?" Twilight shook her head. It was probably a pretty dumb thing to do, but she was blunted by shock, and it was the truth. She didn't. She shook her head, telling the Goddess of Dreams, Prophecy and Foresight among other things, that she did not believe. The implications of her question were nevertheless disturbing. Luna nodded, unsurprised, as if it made no difference. "Then suffice it to say that when you tried to reach out to the Moon, what you found was not just my magic, but also, ah, something else. Something I would rather you did not find. It is unlikely you were in any danger, it is just a matter of... privacy." "The dream," Twilight said, rubbing her forehead with a hoof as she finally understood. "It's not my dream. It's yours." The others’ eyes rested on Twilight. They all remembered her earlier problems, how she could barely sleep at all, but they didn’t know what Twilight knew. Luna looked reluctant. The princess said nothing, playing the very same old game. "Okay, enough, then," Applejack snarled. "Ah appreciate much of what you're trying to do, but if you're saying you're giving us answers, then give us answers already! Ah can't stand for no more of this; what did you do to Twi', and what the hay is the deal with Blueblood?" The orange mare was staring hard at the princess. Twilight closed her eyes, unble to watch. She’d always hated watching her friends fight, but it was twice as bad when she couldn't break it up. Her first instinct was to try to defuse the situation, but she wanted those answers, too. It didn't turn out to be much of a fight. Luna nodded gravely at Applejack. "Thank you. You are right." Applejack looked as surprised as the rest of them, readjusting her hat and glancing about. "Ah am?" "It is not a dream, Twilight. It is a memory," Luna said. "And you threaten to enter that memory because it is tied to the Moon, something we have in common, though you've only now begun touching upon it yourself. I would really rather that you did not see it. It is private. I ask that you respect that. It is not more unfair than to keep quiet about what we hide under our beds, or what we secretly desire, is it?" Luna let her eyes roam over the assembled ponies. Her words were reasonable enough, and most of them seemed to agree with the notion, even though Twilight was a little reluctant. It wasn't just curiosity. She had a suspicion that she knew what the memory was about. "Now that I am sure this is what is happening, I can protect you from that memory, Twilight. It is the real reason I stayed at the keep. To get distance, and to think. If you will let me, I would, ah, sheathe your mind with a spell of mine before you go to sleep. It is relatively simple and completely painless. Just to keep you out." The princess smiled, looking rather hopeful, and Twilight nodded, unable to form a rational protest. "As for Blueblood-," Luna began, but Rarity interrupted her. "Actually, I do not think I want to know, after all," Rarity said, waving a hoof dismissively. "Is that so?" Luna asked, tilting her head a little. Twilight could see that the night princess was smiling ever so faintly as she listened to Rarity’s response. "By all means, Princess. If you have some gossip, feel free to share it, but do not feel obliged simply because Applejack is-" she paused to look over at the orange earth pony. "Well, she is being an absolute darling and the best friend anypony could possibly have," Rarity said. The fashionista glanced down at the ground while Applejack blushed and tipped her hat forwards so it hid her face. "But no. I do not think I need to know, simply because I don't have time to be chasing dreams and silly notions when I have very real goals ahead of me," Rarity finished with a huff. Luna wiped the smile off her face before Rarity could see it and nodded. "So if I told you he might be in Clopenhagen this time of year, and that we might bump into him, what would be your response?" Rarity fixed Luna with her gaze. "You may as well end your charade here, princess, but thank you. You never truly had anything of import to say on the subject of Blueblood himself, did you?" Her tone was almost accusatory. "You simply planned to make me look a fool, and you've succeeded." Luna actually looked a little hurt by Rarity's claim, and Twilight felt the barb as if it had been meant for her. She didn't say anything, but Twilight frowned at Rarity. "You tell me now that ain't true," Applejack growled at Luna. "What I meant to do, Rarity, was to show you how unhealthy an obsession can be. Yes, I knew it would probably hurt, but I also know that you have good friends and a sharp mind." The princess sighed softly. "It was a gamble and an underhooved method. Perhaps it could have backfired, but given what I have read, heard and... seen, it was all I could think to do. I hope you do not think any less of me for taking a calculated risk." Rarity looked away, seeing Luna's distress. "Ah, I did not mean... That is to say, I am thankful." "It did kinda, uh, work out, I guess," Rainbow Dash said, smiling at Applejack. The farmpony huffed and nodded, calmer now that Rarity herself seemed more at ease. "Let us speak no more of it then," Luna suggested, dipping her head. "Wait, come on, now you got me curious!" Dash protested. "What is Blueblood up to now anyways?" Luna chuckled. "You did not hear this from me, but I have it on good authority that he recently concluded a visit to some relatives in the far north to learn some manners, by, ah, request of his very rich aunt. I believe a course in etiquette was involved, one usually attended by younger ponies."     Much later in the evening, after having shared gossip and discussed the events of the past few days, the ponies had reluctantly tucked in for the night. The rain continued unhindered, but they all huddled in relative comfort under the dome that Luna had erected. The princess had begun explaining what she had been doing in the days they had spent apart, from spending the entire supply of dragonfire available at the fort in communication with Celestia, to visiting most of the villages East and West along the border. As Rarity had quickly fallen asleep, she'd told them she'd report her findings on the last matter tomorrow when they were all awake. One by one the ponies had gotten tired and gone to sleep, but Twilight remained awake even though she too would like nothing more than to close her eyes. For once, she didn't really have any question in particular to ask Luna; she just found that she enjoyed sitting with her at the ghostly campfire. It was a comfortable sort of quiet, but she still scrabbled for something to say when Fluttershy finally went to huddle up with the others under the blanket. "So, you don't have to touch it, huh?" Twilight asked. At Luna's questioning glance, she indicated with a hoof the globe that warded them from the elements outside. "You usually stood inside it, before. I thought you had to touch it." "I just like the wind on my face, frankly," Luna said with a shrug. "Well, and, ah. It's about as close to the Moon I can get without feeling sick to my stomach these days, so I make the most of it." Twilight nodded dumbly. She was about to make a noncommittal noise and drop the subject, but she hesitated. It was the easy thing to do. It was too easy. The princess had spent the whole evening talking about Twilight and her friends down to the very stuff that made them who they are, but now she dismissed what obviously tore at her? She did not so much as fight it. There was obvious resignation in her voice. "When did you stop trying?" Twilight quietly asked. Luna tilted her head. "I am not sure I know what you mean. Stop trying what?" "It all comes back to that dream, doesn't it," Twilight said, and Luna's immediate, bitter expression told her she was right. She had broached something terrible, but she couldn't stop now. "I don't have to try very hard to guess what that memory is. Why do you cling to it still?" The princess snorted derisively. "I have had a thousand years on the moon during which to contemplate my actions. No one else knows the horrors of that night like I do, and I will not let myself forget." "You were awake for the whole time?" Twilight asked, her mouth suddenly dry. "I- I had assumed-" "Awake, and aware," Luna confirmed, swallowing. "Stewing in the memories of what I had done for generations. I could of course forget. Wipe out the dream I sustain, erase that memory forever. Scrape it off like so much dirt under my hooves." She smiled at the thought, shaking her head all the while. "If you let yourself forget a mistake, how can you stop yourself from making it again? It is a slippery slope. I have seen others fail. Others who were not given a second chance." "There's a difference between remembering and- and whatever it is you are doing!" Twilight protested. "It does not matter, I do not think I can get rid of it any more," Luna chuckled darkly. “I have played it out so many times, I doubt I can ever forget.” "Maybe Princess Celestia can fix it? Maybe we, the Elements, can? I mean, we defeated Nightmare Moon, maybe-" Twilight tried, but Luna cut her off, her voice savage and cold. "I will kill you, Twilight Sparkle. Those memories are mine! It is the wage of my failure." Luna's tone brooked no argument, and Twilight gaped. The warning hung in the air while Twilight just stared at the princess. Luna turned her back, and a full minute passed before any of them said anything. Twilight was shaking, but no tears came. "I did not mean to say that. I do not even know what I am saying. Please, forgive me," Luna said. Her voice was quiet, and her head hung low. Her shoulders trembled ever so slightly and her wings were clenched against her back. "I need you more than I admit," Luna said. "Each and every one of you has already helped me. Without Pinkie, I would have lost myself to my moods long ago, forgetting that everything has a brighter side, even the Moon. Without Applejack, I would be scheming and lying to everypony including myself, even when there are no enemies." "Without Fluttershy, I would forget that everypony matters. Every single pony. She and Rarity keeps me from getting detached, and Rainbow Dash tells me to take pride in who I am." She chuckled, a low and strangled laugh. "I still struggle with that last part." "And you," she trailed off, slowly turning back to face Twilight again, looking so very lost. "You and your friends are all I have that is not my sister. If you turn on me, if you fear me, I have nothing." The purple unicorn was still staring in disbelief, violet eyes trained on Luna's blue. She tried to keep the anger from her voice, tried to stay steady, but it was a lost cause. A sneer crept up on Twilight's face. "I don't fear you, Luna. I fear for you, you... you idiot!" Luna did not appear to know what to say to this, which was just as well, because Twilight was not about to stop. She tried very hard to keep from waking the other ponies, but what her voice lacked in volume, it made up for in intensity. "It's tearing you apart, and you are too stupid to let it go. You pretend you're fine and all, that you have something to teach us, but you are the one hurting the most!" Twilight ground a hoof into the dirt, wanting nothing more than to physically buck some sense into Luna. "You put on this mask of yours and tell yourself you're fine. You try to tell me you are fine, when I know you're not. Well guess what, you're lying to all of us, to yourself, if you think this is going to go away!" Luna frowned and drew herself up to her full height. "Do not presume to lecture-" "I will presume to lecture whatever the hay I please if you're going to hurt yourself like this! I am not going to stand by and watch you kill yourself over the past just because you can't forgive yourself!" Twilight hissed. "Silence, foal! I will not be spoken to like this!" Luna commanded, spreading her wings. She radiated an almost palpable wave of menace, but Twilight saw the bluff for what it was. She stepped closer a shoved her snout right into Luna's face. It was at an angle because of the height difference, but it would have to do. "You are right, you will not be spoken to like this, because you are not listening!" Twilight spat, her voice rising. She could feel tears finally form at the edges of her eyes. "I don't care about the past. I don't care about anything else. Nothing matters half as much to me now as seeing a wonderful pony, princess-goddess or no, hurt!" Luna glared at her and turned around, stalking out through the dome and off into the night without another word. Only after she had lost sight of the princess did Twilight notice that Pinkie Pie was sitting at her side. The pink pony put a hoof on her withers and gently guided her to bed. Twilight made no effort to resist, still shaking with frustration or sorrow - it was hard to tell which. "It'll be okay, Twilight," Pinkie said with a muted smile and uncharacteristic gentleness. She pulled the blanket up to the purple unicorn's neck and whispered. "You'll see." The first thought to enter Twilight’s mind when she woke up was that the hard ground was just as unpleasant to sleep on as ever. The nights they'd spent in Clawford had somehow made her forget this fact, and she dearly wished she didn’t have to be reminded right now. The second thought, and one that caused significantly more distress, was that she couldn't use her magic to lift the blanket away. When she tried to lift it, her head felt like it was filled with straw. It was decidedly unpleasant. Twilight nearly panicked, but before she could properly get into a flailing-and-screaming routine as planned, she heard Rainbow Dash's voice. "Hey, Luna, she's awake!" "Ah. Hold on, Twilight," she heard Luna's voice. The princess was walking over to her even as Twilight scrambled to stand. "It is the spell I spoke of. I will have to, ah, touch your horn." "Oh," Twilight said, blushing, suddenly a little nervous. "Uh, well, if you have to you have to, right?" "Right," Luna agreed with a cough. The alicorn leaned forward ever so slowly and gently touched the tip of Twilight's horn with hers. A tiny spark ignited between them in an almost pleasant little shock. Less pleasurable was the "aftertaste" as her magic rushed back into her horn. Twilight pinched her eyes shut and groaned. It felt like a particularly bad case of horn-freeze, but it passed quickly. Only then did Twilight realize this probably meant Luna had touched her horn while she was asleep. The purple unicorn turned an even brighter shade of red and hoped nopony noticed. "It's still raining," Rainbow Dash commented from the edge of the dome. "This is just getting stupid." "I'm sure it'll be okay. We just need to be very careful," Fluttershy offered. "Actually, I was thinking of presenting an alternative," Princess Luna said with a little smirk. If her mood was any indication, she pretended that their spat last night had never happened at all. Twilight resolved to play along for the moment. "Alternative to rain?" Applejack asked, poking at her still-damp cloak. "Ah'll take it, but with a side order of explanation, if that's fine by you." "I do not know how much an explanation is of use to you, Applejack. I did not always travel alone, in the past, and not everypony's talents are related to flight. I plan on travelling by moonlight," Luna said. "By moonlight," Twilight repeated, waving a hoof at the sky. While it was grey and dark, it was most assuredly not night. She'd put it at late morning. "Moonlight during the day." "Usually that makes it a little harder, but in this case, that is precisely why it works. The Moon is not busy at the moment," Luna said, as if it explained everything. "Is it safe?" Fluttershy asked, looking up from her task of making sure everything was in order in her saddlebags before she put them on. "I realize I do not have the best track record with 'safe' where you are concerned, but yes, it is both completely safe and far faster. I will navigate by memory, though, and the only places I have trod on ground level are where we have gone together, so it will not take us all the way to Clopenhagen." The princess waited until Fluttershy had closed her bags and everypony had their cloaks on, hoods drawn up, before she dismissed the globe around them without apparent effort. Twilight had a lot of questions she wanted to ask about the spell, but try as though she might to ignore it, last night’s quarrel weighed her down. Perhaps worst of all, Twilight realized she didn’t regret a single word. Luna's horn ignited and flared with a subdued light, the corona glowing a pale silver. Layer by layer, the world around them fell away, distance, color and objects winked out in rapid fashion leaving them in near total darkness. They only had the glow of Luna's horn, and it was not the brightest of lights nor the most cheery of colors. "Uh," Rainbow Dash began. "So, this is not at all creepy." Rarity lit up her horn, and a welcoming blue-white light illuminated the ponies as they took a moment to make sure everypony was present. The ground under them was a flat black, just like everything else around them. The only thing that actually seemed to reflect light was the ponies themselves. Twilight’s head hurt a little just thinking about it. "Moonlight, you said. It's not very, uh, bright," Applejack remarked. "Um, are we alone here?" Fluttershy asked. "Quite alone, I should think," Luna chuckled. "And yes, it is not the cheeriest of places if you happen to believe that darkness is scary. This way." Luna set off in at a slow walk in a direction like any other, and the other ponies followed. Twilight could see all around them indistinct shapes in the darkness that flew past. While her eyes didn't grow accustomed to the dark in this place as they normally would, she eventually recognized that they were hills and mountains vaguely reminiscent of those bordering on the tundra they'd been in moments ago.     "So, how does this work?" Twilight eventually asked, curiosity overpowering any other concerns. "And how do you know where we're going?" "I am following the memory of where I have gone before. I lay down a trail as I flew over the tundra, and when we pass by the fort, I have my hoof-steps to go by. You would not be able to see something as faint as a memory of where I have walked, though," the princess said, turning back and smiling at Twilight. "And what I have done is strip away everything that is not the moonlight. As the moon is not up, this leaves very little, of course, but simplicity begets alacrity. Less to worry about." Twilight blinked. "That's just ridiculous." "And it works great!" Pinkie chirped. All around them, the shadows of the gentle hills and distant mountains still surrounded them, but there was a wrongness to it all. For every step they took, the scenery shifted at a disproportional rate. It was enough to make Twilight queasy. She tried to focus straight ahead to keep from throwing up. "Don't you think Twilight is great, Luna?" Pinkie Pie asked. Twilight died a little inside. She prayed to Celestia, which felt very weird all of a sudden, that it was just Pinkie Pie being her usual random self. She had no idea how much the pink earth pony had heard yesterday. "Twilight is very great indeed, Pinkie," Luna replied, very carefully and very obviously measuring every word. "She's strong and wise, and I'm sure she respects her limits. She knows what she can and cannot change. It takes a very clever pony to truly know that she does not know everything." The comment, poorly disguised as generic wisdom, fanned the anger of yesterday’s flame inside of Twilight, but she held back. She'd like nothing more than to make a scathing comment and get it out into the open. Instead, she smiled sweetly. "And said pony is also walking right back here, though you are being very nice, both of you." Even in the darkness, it was easy to see that nopony was fooled by the exchange. Rainbow Dash moved closer to Pinkie Pie and began whispering to her in hushed but urgent tones. The silence held up for a while until Twilight noticed that Applejack, walking at Twilight's side, was looking a little nervous. It was very subtle, the farmpony glancing about once in a while, but her eyes were restless and she was swallowing excessively. "You okay there, Applejack?" Twilight finally asked. "Yeah, Ah just, land sakes, it feels like Ah've never been further from home than this. It's a bit silly, Ah know." Applejack shook her head. "Don't you worry none, Ah'll manage." "It is still the world as you know it, Applejack, and we should reach Equestria soon enough. Simply think of it as me having closed our eyes as we walk. It is safe," Luna said from ahead of the pack, trying to comfort Applejack. "Ah s'pose," Applejack said, though she still seemed out of sorts. Twilight wanted to say something else to try to calm her friend down, but she did not know what. Pinkie Pie, the first stop on the cheer-up express, was still whispering with Rainbow Dash. At length, though, Applejack took matters into her own hooves. The farmpony took a deep breath and closed her eyes before raising her voice in song. She began quietly, her voice a wavering whisper. However far you travel, Just 'round the bend's your home, Always just behind you, So long as you aren't alone, Down the roads of Equestria, Sun over moon over sun, Through the plains of Equestria, Night after day after night, As she went on, her voice grew in strength, and a serene smile spread across her face. Don't you dare forget now, That so long as the sky's above, A traveller's simple truth is this, Your home's with those you love, Over the hills of Equestria, Moon over sun over moon, Passing the woods of Equestria, Day after night after day. When she finished, Applejack was still smiling contently, and Twilight found she shared that smile, leaning on her even as they walked. "I... did not know ponies still knew that song," Luna said. "It is beautiful. Thank you, Applejack." Her voice was a little unsteady, and Twilight thought she sounded sad, almost melancholy. "Aw, well, thank you kindly. Was Granny Smith who taught me and Big Mac. Said we'd do well to remember it 'cause she wasn't about to sing it twice, and if we forgot, she'd clout us on the ear." Applejack chuckled at the memory of it. "I would like to meet your grandmother some day," Luna said. "If you do not mind." Applejack, however, laughed. "Ah think the real question is if she minds." It was hard to track time without anything to go by except their own hoof-falls. The more Twilight listened, it seemed as if their hooves left an echo that reverberated endlessly in this place, however faint. She was trying very hard to investigate this phenomenon when she noticed something in the distance. In addition to what was unmistakably the shadow of Orion’s Breath, the mountains that made up the border between Scandineighvia and Equestria, there was a sharp and colorful glow ahead. "I suppose you would be able to see that, yes," Luna muttered with a glance at Twilight. "That... is a mistake, and not mine. It left quite an impression." "What is it?" Rarity asked, but even as she did, their leisurely walk sped them past it and into a shadowy mockery of the tunnel-pass called the Scar. The memory of the sight was still bright in Twilight's mind. Burned into her memory was an ever-burning pyre of blue, green and pink flames. The odd pastel hued corona stretched from the bottom of the depression and clean into the sky, and Twilight was sure that their location corresponded to the crater in the outside world. "Nothing," Twilight said, shaking her head. She gave Applejack a pleading look as she spoke, desperately wanting to avoid re-igniting the debate on secrets. It was unfair to expect Luna to sit them down and tell them everything relevant and irrelevant both. Unfair and impractical. She had to believe that. Even before she had finished the thought, the shadowy tunnel cleared, and another huge blotch of darkness zoomed past them. They had just passed Mossy Rock Keep, she presumed, and indeed, the shapes around them looked vaguely reminiscent of the highlands they'd travelled earlier in their journey. Very soon after, Princess Luna halted in the darkness on a spot that at first glance looked like any other. When she looked closely, Twilight could see that there was a drop behind them. How had they gotten to the top? If distance was a complicated subject here, height was utterly nonsensical. When she thought about it, she couldn’t say how had they all fit inside the Scar in the first place, either. They had to squeeze by one by one to get through the first time. "Here," Luna announced to a large amount of curious pony eyes. Her horn glowed again, but rather than simply reverse the process, everything from color to shape returned at once with a horrendously anticlimactic lack of sound. The shock of sunlight and vibrant colors both stung Twilight's eyes and she reflexively closed them with a groan. Judging by the yelps and cries around her, she wasn't the only one. "I had forgotten how much I love green!" Pinkie Pie cheered. Twilight opened her eyes again slowly, clutching her head with a hoof. "Right. Okay, so where are we?" "At the crossroads," Luna said, and so they were. They stood in the exact spot where they had left Winter Sun, on top of a small cliff at the edge of the Oakwall forest. To their south lay the highlands, bordered by mountains at the edge of vision. The sun stood high in the sky with not a single cloud in sight. "If you are not too tired," Luna went on, "we go west from here. We may as well get started early. Miller’s Haven is not even a day’s march away, and while walking through the darkness can be taxing, it would be a huge boon to reach the town tonight." "About that," Twilight said as they began moving along the road. It was good to have something solid by which to pick a direction again. "You visited some of these villages? You have a lead on Trixie?" "I did, though it was a bit of a chore given how the roads split ahead. There is quite a confusing mass of villages and hamlets here now. Fertile farmland is popular, I suppose. But yes, I know where Trixie is heading," Luna said. "She visited Miller's Haven, then Belltown and Clayvale by the shores of Lake Joy." "Uh-huh, and for those of us who don't have maps in our head?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Unless she intends to double back, go on an off-road trek of epic proportions, or leave Equestria," Luna hummed. "Trixie is heading for the city of Clopenhagen." "What's in Clopenhagen for Trixie, anyway?" Rarity asked, fishing through her saddlebags with her magic, muttering something about sunglasses. "It's the biggest city in this region," Twilight said, thinking as she spoke. "And she's telling a story. Perhaps she's going to have it published? Clopenhagen has a printing press, I'm sure. Perhaps she’s just passing through going north again?" "She sounds like she's very different now," Fluttershy commented. "And we still don't know why she's dyed her coat. I don't think it was a fashion statement." "Well, she was vain, and red is terribly in this year," Rarity hummed. "Yeah, but cutting her mane? And starving herself? Who the hay likes skinny mares?" Rainbow Dash said, sticking her tongue out in disgust. Pinkie Pie beamed and nosed the pegasus, who returned the affection twofold.