Journey to the center of Equestria

by Rarity Belle


Chapter XVII

Time became nothing more but a simple measurement. The soothsayer had continued her journey to the once-prison-turned-town with all the strength that she had in both her mind and muscle. Time had lost its significant value while she just wandered over the paths that were laid over the massive cliffs before they turned into the beaches against which the ocean itself splashed.

For nearly a day and a half had she been wandering about like that. She went both around and about to find the quickest way to get to the nameless settlement of scum and villainy. But it didn’t do her any good whatsoever. Even on the night that she left didn’t the mare grant herself any rest and she had been going until the next evening. Almost a day and a half without sleep, awake for just over thirty hours wouldn’t have done any anthrony good.

Though the words of her older brother didn’t go unnoticed. The unicorn was already wearing her disguise of a long coat that was buttoned up while a cloth hood covered most of her head. The only real parts of her body that could be seen were the tips of her boots as she walked, the hands if she waved them around and pieces of her face.

But she looked like a commoner who was down to its luck, therefore having little to no valuable things upon her. It was a faint hope that everypony would be leaving her alone. For a fight on those cliffs was just about one of the last things she wanted to have liked. Yet those same cliffs always managed to get her attention, the sun continued to back down into the waters of the ocean.

The eyes of Twilight had a difficult time actually keeping themselves focused upon the road ahead. Here and there was a lost tree which stood next to the way, acting like some sort of long forgotten shelter. Those trees were just that though. Actual trees with no intelligent mind controlling them. Or perhaps better said, one that gave them a sentient mind.

Beneath her and down the rocky cliffs did the waves crash and break over the banks of sand that was the beach but also those that were hidden deeply under the water. It would have cost manier ship their lives and crews, that treacherous they happened to be.

Speaking about vessels, the eyes of the unicorn managed to see a couple of them sailing near the horizon as nothing was on their mind. It was a rather curious and pretty interesting sight to behold for her. So interesting even that she took off from the beaten path and walked over to the edge of the cliffs.

After a little inspection whether or not the rocks would have been able to hold her, the unicorn lowered down in order to sit in the grass while her legs dangled over the edge. It was a breathtaking view that she got. The sights of the waves breaking, the ships sailing with the setting sun. Truly an image that could be pictured upon a postal card anytime soon.

Inspiration and thoughts surged through the mind of the mare. All while she continued to watch the scene. Her body had leaned itself back as the hands were used for support. Minutes she just sat there while she enjoyed the views. Though calculations never even once dared to be leaving her side. There was something oddly calming inside of her mind as well.

Almost as if the breeze that was blowing gently in her face, also made its way into her skull and managed to become a boss over the hurricane that was released into it. Something just made her watch and wonder. Time seemed to have come to a standstill as the unicorn’s breathing remained always the same. Even though it were actions that lasted seconds, their timing was always the same.

Whether it was in- or exhale or the time between the two of them. For just a moment it appeared that Twilight Sparkle herself was a well-oiled machine that didn’t actually do anything useful. Not that the fact mattered anything actually, as the unicorn did genuinely enjoy the view that was given to her.

The sun continued to lower itself beneath the horizon as the darkness continued to crawl back up on her from behind. Seconds away they were from seeing the final rays of light. Only in mere seconds would the land be delivered on the mercy of the night itself.

Mere seconds in which Twilight continued to watch the final rays fading away as if they were nothing. Until it actually happened. The last rays of the sun fell behind the horizon and the darkness finally could be grasping everything into its hold.

The night had officially begun from that time onwards. The animals that lived into it made it well known within the first fifteen minutes mark.

The unicorn stood back up and moved away from the cliff with some steps. Her eyes had been adjusted to see shapes into the dreaded darkness. She felt tired, burned up and exhausted. Rest was the thing that she needed and was going to be the one thing that she would be getting.

Canterlot laid behind her a day and a half, nopony who had been following her from there would have made it to her location that quick. So the worry could be shrugged off of her shoulders. She continued to walk a bit more up the path before she finally crashed down near a tree that was actually a bit bigger than any of the others she came across on the path.

Though the thought wasn’t something that could be stood still by for long, as she just crashed down and placed her back against the bark of the thing. Once she had made herself as comfortable as she could had the magical aura appeared around both her hands and her horn.

What followed was that two little flames in each hand were awoken and would be acting as her source of heat through the night. And sadly enough a beacon for any and all to be witnessed if they so desired. For the purple aura could be seen from pretty much every direction there possibly was. Yet little did Twilight knew, that she had left the relative comforts of the frying pan…and could be found right into the fires of Tartarus itself.

~~~~

                     
The following morning was there something unusual about the way Twilight woke up. She had expected to see a much less wider shadow from her position. She was wide awake, the sun was rising brightly but her eyelids remained closed. But with everything still combined, she could know that something was wrong.

Perhaps the anthrony had just a sense for trouble? Perhaps the underlying calculations of her unconscious mind did it all before she realized it. It didn’t actually matter, there was trouble and she needed to open her eyes in order to inspect it.

Whatever it was that looking at her, staring at her or even standing right next to her, Twilight wanted to know before heading out again. If she was allowed to, that was. So with little to no effort was the head turned towards the mysterious shape behind her eyelids. And then they were opened. In the second that they went open, the violet rimmed eyes met the handle of a flintlock that went against the side of her head.

Before Twilight could even look who did it or what was going on, did she felt her body falling down to a side before he mind went unconscious once more. Nothing else but the deepest and blackest darkness was there that managed to engulf her again.

She didn’t knew what had happened and didn’t even wanted to know for her own sake. Her only thoughts were that she would be getting out of there alive and unscratched. Even though the latter seemed to have been impossible already, the first on the other end still seemed to have been a possibility.

Hours seemed to have gone by just like that before the muscles inside of Twilight’s body managed to work again. The brain calmly but surely kicked back in before a groan was being released by the mare. A mare who then felt that she was tied up against a tree.

All of the sudden were there thousands of thoughts that raced through her. Thoughts about being captured by one of the witches of Everfree, or that she was dragged off to the town already and thrown in an overgrown jail cell. She didn’t knew it for certain, but the answers weren’t exactly looked for either.

The eyelids struggled to open up as she felt something wet running from the side of her head. Something that wasn’t sweat and immediately there was another realization that went through her. It must have been her blood that made the trip. A quiet gulp was being released while the eyes tried to open themselves with all the power they had.

What happened next was that they were blinded by the light of the sun. It burned right into them even though it was standing high in the skies. A yelp came from Twilight as she shook her head a couple of times. Not even her arcane power could be called upon as that connection still wasn’t reopened. It made the situation only worse as she was then delivered to the mercy of anypony who did it.

Thousands, if not millions of thoughts raced through the mare as the levels of curiosity and ignorance continued to grow as if they were nothing. Twilight wanted to know so much what happened but she could fill in the blanks like that already. Yet she thought that she needed to have a visual sight to actually confirm it all.

Once her eyes had grown accustomed to the light of the sun –and therefore the day– had the unicorn a look around as much as she was allowed. It was then that she came to the realization that something strange had happened. Something that she hadn’t expected in her entire life and as her hearing even came back, the shock only became greater.

Though the thing that she saw was the fact that she hadn’t moved even a single inch from the tree she was knocked out again. It actually was the same tree, surprising enough. Twilight couldn’t explain the matter to herself in any way or form. Though she noticed a black figure standing in front of her, one that she saw from the top of her eyes.

In front of her and looking out towards the ocean near the cliffs did it stood. It must have been that figure that did everything to her. Twilight wanted to speak her words just so desperately but she couldn’t. Simply because of the fact that her ability to speak still hadn’t returned to her. So all that came out of her mouth were yelped of utter gibberish.

They did managed to capture the attention of her captor who took a couple of steps back. And what happened next did so in a split second. For before Twilight even knew there was a sword that was being placed against her throat. Its cold steel sent shivers down the entire body of the soothsayer.

She really had managed to somehow get herself deep into trouble. Weren’t it for the fact that she began to recognize the figure that held her ransom. Something about the mysterious figure caused her eyebrows to go up as the name of one anthrony came to her mind. A thought which was only made stronger by the fact that a puff of steam came from under the coat.

“Ah want to know, everything,” was all of the sudden spoken against her in a deeply threatening voice. One that Twilight also recognized in a mere instant. There wasn’t any doubt anymore in the mind of Twilight. She had been knocked out, captured and was questioned even, by nopony else but Applejack herself. Nothing made sense anymore for the soothsayer as it almost seemed that the world had been turned upside down, literally.

Yet she also –somewhere– felt that she had failed. Obviously had the admiral managed to catch scent of the location she was heading and wouldn’t let her go under any given circumstances. It was both an annoyance and a relief for the unicorn, as it meant that the other anthrony didn’t wanted to break her promise.

Seconds had gone by without an answer as Applejack finally rose her head up and set the blade even further against Twilight’s throat. Almost as if she was willing to cut right through it. “Ah said: Ah want to know, everything,” repeated Applejack in that same enraged tone and Twilight knew it was serious.

There was no more hiding it from the admiral, all that she could be doing was to just spill it out if she wanted to live. For the sword was about to pierce through her skin and make her bleed to death. A little something that was about the last thing she wanted to have happen to her. There wasn’t much else that she could be doing outside of telling the actual truth to the admiral. “Alright, I’ll tell you.” Twilight then spoke up before she finally saw the tension fading in the green rimmed eyes of the admiral.

“’Bout time.” Those were the only words that were spoken by the admiral before she perked up her hears. She really wanted to know what in the names of heaven high had been possessing Twilight so much to embark on it alone.

“You, probably know to where I am heading right? Well, the only reason of why I didn’t call you in was of one, simple, fact.” Twilight’s ability to speak had returned luckily in its full on glory. She could say the desired words against the admiral again. But whether or not they would have been liked, still remained a fact to be seen.

The unicorn could only hope for the best as she was going to say the reason against the admiral. “You, plus that town, doesn’t really stand equal to a good visit. I won’t bring you in unnecessary danger, Applejack. You might have sworn to protect me, but I can do the same for you in my own way. There, that’s the reason of why I left without a notice.”

To Applejack it was indeed the truth. Herself and that town indeed didn’t equal a pleasant time. Yet Twilight seemed to have been oblivious to the fact which ship she had seen. A fact that worried the admiral a lot more than that it angered her. The unicorn honestly didn’t have a single clue of whom she was about to ask to go on their journey.

If the whole matter could be placed in the admiral’s hands, she would be doing pretty much everything in order to prevent it from happening. Even despite all of that, there was still a shock that went through the earth anthrony. Something that wasn’t expected at all. The little fact that Twilight actually had the guts to go in alone.

It was the thing that caused the mare to lower her blade before she turned herself around. Before Twilight could even speak another word, the sword was stuck into the ground and the admiral just left it alone. Both of her hands were placed behind her back while she stared once more to the near endless ocean.

Respect had to be given to the soothsayer in a way, the admiral had to admit that. But she also had to admit the little fact that it was complete and utter insanity that couldn’t be competed again. “Ya know, Ah reckoned ya were a smart filly, but hearing that, only makes me wonder whether or not yar actually that smart. Ah mean, ya wanna go in there?! Like that?!”

Concern was the tone that filled the voice of the admiral as she didn’t even have a clue whether or not the plan would have even worked. She could only hope that it would have been, but there wasn’t much hope to it actually. Not from her side in any case.

“Yes Applejack, I do still want to go in there, like this,” replied Twilight then in a calm voice. She didn’t even made an attempt at getting out of the hold. “I never asked you to come this way and yet you were stubborn enough to do it. All the strain you have right now in your mind, you could thank yourself for it.”

The words came on hard by the earth anthrony as she knew where they would be going up against, or at least thought to be knowing it. For even though the arcane picture was burned in her mind, she could still have seen a thing or two a little bit different in the night. Perhaps it wasn’t the vessel that she knew all too well that she had seen.

Perhaps it was a ship that looked just like it? Applejack could only hope from that point on, a hope that would either fly away or secure her to the ground in a figural manner. “Yar insane, Sparkle, absolutely insane. Ah mean, nopony is going into that place just for a pleasure trip. Well, outside of the obvious ones actually. Mah point is, ya don’t know how that place works, ya really expect to just barge up to somepony and tell ‘em to join your quest? They are pirates, unreasonable with and ya know it,” spewed the admiral forth in grumbles.

There was a moment of silence from the admiral as she took a couple of deep breaths. Twilight wanted to speak a pair of words of her own but made the decision it was probably a lot wiser to not say anything for the time being.

“Ah reckon ya have witnessed a couple of pirate trails back in the day? Last one ended ‘bout five years ago. Ya must have had something known of it,” Applejack then spoke again. Which resulted in the eyes of the unicorn growing wide. She did knew about them, she even witnessed the last trail because she had to. The things she saw, the stories she heard going across the courtroom, were unbelievable to say the least.

Twilight released another gulp before she found the guts to charge up her horn. With two little poofs in and out of reality she managed to get out of the ropes that held her against the tree and continued to just lean against it with her arms crossed.

The memories of the last trail were horrible, especially since she was still considered young in the eyes of everypony else. It was madness in and of itself to actually make her watch it. As she still heard the hammer falling as the final judgment was being spoken. A stone cold shiver travelled down her spine before the admiral looked Twilight back into the eyes. Something about the look inside of them warned her for the troubles that would be coming.

“Ah am going to warn ya, one last time, Sparkle. Stay away from that place. We don’t need any being from that place, trust me. The only thing they are going to give us, is a bigger load of trouble than them tremors,” huffed Applejack to Twilight before she also crossed her arms.

“Well, one pirate among an admiral, major, doctor and soothsayer, sounds like quite the challenge to beat in my eyes, Applejack,” returned Twilight in a sly manner. Then she removed herself from the bark of the tree. Her arms were placed just on the sides of her body. She began to pace a little bit up and down on the spot. “Well, don’t you have anything to say against that?”

It almost seemed as if Twilight was actually trying to lure the admiral out of her comfort zone and get her to become violent. Which wasn’t something that would really happen that easily with the admiral and in Twilight’s case was it perhaps her saving grace.

“You know,” the unicorn then continued while she walked closer to the admiral and allowed herself to chuckle softly. Once the chuckle had faded off of her face by a skewering glare of the admiral, the unicorn then continued her words in a dead serious tone herself. “I was given this task by the goddesses of the sun and moon. They tasked me with finding five beings and stop the trouble that is causing it all.”

“And yet they only gave you four locations,” commented Applejack with a sober tone. Twilight wanted to argue against it before she realized something. She had never told the admiral anything about the locations of the anthronies they could find. Which could only have come down to one point in the mare’s mind. She wasn’t happy about it at all.

 Her eyes narrowed themselves to near splits to that. Twilight released a deep huff through her nostrils. “So, you have been into my room then? You broke into my place, my sanctuary and defiled it?! I thought you were an honest mare, Applejack, but it seems like that at sea, everypony turns into the villain. What do you have to say for yourself?”

If there was one thing that shouldn’t be done against Twilight, it was to break into her room and look through her stuff. She was a mare that was rather fond of her privacy and didn’t wanted to have it disturbed at all. Yet the admiral had a good enough reason of why she did that. Something that Twilight herself had completely forgotten about.

“Well it ain’t mah fault if ya forgot to lock yar door!” Applejack returned to her. Which resulted in Twilight’s wall of defensive words being just shattered. She was almost one hundred percent certain that she had locked her door for the departure. Then it turned out to be that she hadn’t. Though the one thing that she did knew for certain was that the arcane drawings were placed inside of their drawer.

Which in her mind still placed Applejack in the prime spot of a thief. “You didn’t have the right to go through my stuff like that and you know it!” she exclaimed as the anger became more apparent inside of her. Twilight was becoming furious at the admiral, never in their time together had she even remotely expected that the orange skinned mare would have been capable of doing such a thing. It sickened her to no end.

“Well excuse me for being curious, princess Twilight,” growled Applejack in return. She could see how the horn and the hands of the mare that became charged with her magic. Though only it remained that way. The amounts of power that were charging up just remained charging. “But Ah also wanted to know what we’re going to be up against.”

It probably was about the worst excuse that she could have ever given to the soothsayer but it at least did happen to be some sort of an excuse. The unicorn released a couple of deep growls from the bottom of her soul as she continued to skewer her own eyes into those of Applejack. The tables were turned out of her favor and the admiral knew that fact.

She only saw one way to calm the mare down and that was to give into the situation as it was. The admiral threw both of her hands into the air before the words of defeat were spoken out of her mouth. “Fine, ya wanna go down there? Be mah guest. Just never said ya weren’t warned ‘bout it. Ya wanna go in that rat hole and try and convince one of ‘em? Best of luck.”

The magical charges of Twilight then disappeared as quick as they came. The eyes turned into a bit more friendly set. They still irradiated the anger but also something new. When Applejack looked into the violet rims, she noticed how there was a strange determination to be found within them. A determination that was soon enough backed up by the spoken words of the mare. “Oh trust me, Applejack, I shall go in there and find the one anthrony I’m supposed to be looking for. It’s how I found you, Dash and Fluttershy. Luck be on my side one more time before the troubles begin.”

It were powerful words, the admiral had to admit that little fact to the unicorn. Though it never took away from the fact that Twilight was called utterly foolish and stupid inside of the mind of the admiral. It was a plan of utter madness and she knew that. Nopony in that place would just willingly to barge off their ship and go with them.

Not once the other members of the team were known to them. “So ya really think, ya can persuade a pirate into joining a quest to save the land eh? Just how thick are ya?”

“In case you hadn’t noticed, admiral. I, am, bonkers!” Twilight exclaimed to the other mare. With her arms she made a couple of waving motions that always started at her head. “I don’t usually think too much about my actions as they are in I have something you have lost a long time ago. I still have faith in everything getting to a good end.”

“Ah learned that lesson the hard way and in a manner ya can’t even imagine!” Applejack hissed through her teeth as the angered looks were exchanged between each other. “Fine, you wanna get yourself killed? Go right ahead, ain’t none of mah business anyway,” she then huffed out. It would be fractions later that she realized just what she had said.

Immediately there was a form of regret that went through the mare as she really didn’t wanted to speak those words yet they just came like that. There was just one more excuse that she could be using to get Twilight stupid enough or herself. She had to come alone. She had to come along for the ride and see what would happen. Applejack was actually willing to join the madness that was about to happen.

Though the admiral also realized that she stood powerless against the decisions of Twilight. She had to admit that little fact to her, determination was aplenty in her body. The mare wouldn’t back down at anything in order to complete a quest, not even with a sword set at the gullet. At least that time. Who knew how she would react if it happened a second time.

Despite Twilight being so determined, it was difficult for the admiral to figure out just where it came from. Whether it came forth out of utter stupidity or her sense of duty. It was tough to decide which was the actual cause. Applejack wanted to say the latter but was more leaning against the first one.

There was no more way around it or about it. Whatever was going to happen to Twilight Sparkle, Applejack would be feeling responsible for it. For the promise that she made when they started, was one she didn’t intend to break. So with a deep exhale that came from her nostrils did the admiral walk back to her sword.

Once she had reached it in silence, that same silence had been going on for nearly two whole minutes already. Neither Twilight nor Applejack knew any of the words that they wanted to speak in order to either soften or toughen the situation they were in. Which actually was a good thing, for the last thing the unicorn wanted then was yet another quarrel on her mind.

The admiral took her sword out of the ground and finally sheathed it while glaring over to Twilight from the corner of her eyes. There was no dominated emotion to be found in either one of their eyes. The pair of them were conflicted by which emotion they should be feeling. Anger, sadness, comfort, happiness and every other emotion there was known to them came and went just like that. It was a difficult situation to begin with, only made harder with the coming in of Applejack.

Once the admiral had sheathed her sword again had the mare turned fully back to Twilight. She rose her head up a little bit so that she could look her truly in the eyes. “Ah take mah words back, it is some of mah business. For Ah made a promise to you when we left, and Ah don’t intend on breaking it because of this argument. Ah may have been foolish to follow ya out here. But it’s better than hearing any alternative. Ah’m sorry Twilight, Ah have done things Ah perhaps shouldn’t have done and Ah regret them.”

The honest words of the mare managed to get their impact on the unicorn. Twilight hadn’t expected them to come out of her mouth either that quickly or that honest sounding. Which resulted in the unicorn simply softening up for the admiral before she spread both of her arms.

Before the two even knew it was Twilight hugging the admiral tightly as the other pair of arms coiled up around her own back. The two of them had emerged into a tight hug that couldn’t be broken that easily.

“I, I forgive you, Applejack. You did what you had to do and to get mad at each other for something this, stupid, isn’t really working out either. You know, with the world at stake,” spoke Twilight almost in a whisper. There was something that she felt rolling down her cheeks, it were tears. They silently traveled over her skin, before they fell down on the shoulder of the admiral.

“Thanks, ya have no idea how much those words mean to me,” the other mare replied in a calm and quiet tone. With her lips had she managed to crack a gentle smile.

Twilight wiped her tears away before the hug was being broken by the pair of them before they turned to the ocean. It was calming for the both of them which was something rather fortunate, as it meant that both of their minds could be given some calm and peace before the unaskable question was being asked.

An unaskable question that came from Applejack as she placed all of the facts on a row and allowed herself to release a deep sigh through her nostrils. “Hey Twilight, ya happen to be having one of ‘em coats and hats? Ah’m going in as well.”

Filled with surprise had the other mare turn her head over to the admiral as she didn’t have a true clue on how to react to it. For it was the mare who said she wouldn’t be going to that town that was actually asking to go with her. Something didn’t really make sense to the other mare, but if it was going to be that way, it was going to be that way.

Not that the unicorn actually minded it all too much, yet little did she knew just the reason as of why Applejack wanted to get along for the trip. The earth anthrony always seemed so flat, but few knew what really laid beneath her orange skin. Fewer wanted to know which demons she housed.