//------------------------------//
// Chapter XXXIX 
// Story: Journey to the center of Equestria 
// by Rarity Belle 
//------------------------------//

Everypony was staring down at the arcane map while both Twilight and Cadence moved themselves behind the chairs where the rest of them were sitting. The route that they needed to be going was known to them. They finally were having a heading that they could be going and hopefully make a stop to the troubles that were tormenting the lands they lived in. But everything was a whole lot easier said than done during the tip. That much they had all figured out by then.

The eyes and fingers of the mares all were aimed towards the map as they tried to figure out the best way for them to travel through. What would have been the best route to make sure they would actually arrive without cuts and bruises. With the Dark Witch known as Chrysalis still being out there did the danger of course existed that the creature would come to hunt for them.

Not to mention the rest of the icy giants that would be coming to have some revenge for their molten down friend. Choices had to be made as the group remained silent. Only the fingers moved themselves through the air as they hoped to spot the one place where they possibly could be walking safely unto the lonely mountain.

The eyes were focused upon all of the readings that stood on the map and they all watched just where the earthquakes had actually been hitting places. Some of them were fairly old of course, but others were fresh. And there was one of them that managed to scare the living daylight out of the major of the air force. For she thought to see a mark by a place that she knew all too well enough.

“Hey Twilight,” she started before she pointed to the mark, “that place over there, isn’t that were Cloudsdale also drops it’s excess water back into the ground?” The attention of the younger soothsayer turned itself over to the spot as her mind began to dig.

Much to the unicorn her own surprise did the other hands lower themselves before they all waited for a response to come. The mind of the mare rattled and rattled as she tried to figure out whether or not it was actually the place. It certain looked like it, that much had to be given.

“From the looks of it, it looks like it yes. Twi and Ah have seen it just before we got into Cloudsdale to get ya,” said Applejack after she turned her head into the general direction of the major. Who on her own turn looked as if she had seen a ghost.

A gulp was released by the mare as she was actually terrified about the fact of what could have possibly happened with the excess rainwater. “T-The crust, did it, did it rip itself open or something?” she asked with a slight tremble in her voice. She was scared. Scared to death that something horrible would happen because of the massive amounts of water that the city always dropped there.

Twilight then went through the notes she had stored in her mind before the right ones were picked out. “The crust has been ripped open yes, luckily one of the weather factory’s employee’s noticed it and no water has been brought into the crust yet. Who knows what will happen if it does, giant geyser perhaps?” the unicorn replied. Though she could see the relief upon the pegasus her face. The feelings of relief were sent through the whole group as it meant that Cloudsdale was still safe. But the company itself was still on the lookout for a route towards the mountain that could be carrying them down. Down into the deepest depths of their homeland.

The eyes of Twilight were set once more upon the map as her hand moved itself all over the place. “We can of course go straight over the icy plains again, risk walking into a glacier and be there within four days. Or we’re going the way we came, walk at the foot of the mountain ridge and go up the lonely mountain,” she said. In her eyes were it the two only options that they had.

If it indeed were the only two that they had, the lot of them knew exactly which route they would be taking. They had all more than enough of the icy weather and hungered towards seeing the sun actually set again. There was however, one little catch on the whole event.

“If we go over the icy plains, we can just easily walk up on the ice and permafrost as if it is nothing. If we walk around the chain, we have to face near impossible to pass cliffs and steep inclines. Which do you want to take? Cold but easy, or warm but hard?” Twilight simply purposed.

That decision was a thing that fell a little bit uneasy and tough on each of the anthronies. They were given the choice in which they would be traveling for the next leg of their journey. They all had more than enough of the cold weather they had been facing for so long already, they wanted a bit of a warmer climate. Nopony could be truly blaming them as they were used to the warm Equestrian summers and the calm winters.

None of them were used to sitting it out in literal subzero temperatures and it showed. So the decision had fallen upon nothing else but personal preferences. They had the tools, the knowledge and the resources to make it around the mountain ridge before climbing the slopes of the lonely peak. Though it may have eyed easy on the first go, there was a thing which told them that danger was lurking around the corner again.

Something else had gotten them right into their sights. Something they hadn’t seen in a long time. Something that had been brooding its plan for a couple of years, waiting for the right time to actually strike down.

The thoughts were let loose while the options were all considered. Though it was Fluttershy who asked the first question to the soothsayer. “Twilight, if we go over the icy fields, how long will the flames in our hearts still be burning?” she asked with a genuine curiosity to her voice. If the flame would be burning for long enough, they could of course be making it without a problem.

“I can replenish the flames any time it is needed, Fluttershy,” replied Twilight in a simple tone. Though she looked the doctor into her eyes. “Hypothermia isn’t going to be a problem for us nor is water and food. We have stocked up so much in Appleloosa, we are having more than enough. So it’s really coming down to the choice I have been giving to you.”

A small groan was being released by the pegasus as she didn’t knew what she had to choose for the trip. Both options had so their advantage, but on the other end did they also happen to have their disadvantage. They were all caught between a rock and a hard place at first instance.

“Okay,” the younger soothsayer said after a couple of minutes. “The time has come to make our decision. Which way shall be we going towards the mountain in the east?” Finally had the time of voting come and not everypony was certain the directions that they had to be going. Yet the choices had been made. It was then or never, they had to take a pick.

Each of them said the direction that they wanted to be going and the answer was always the same. They all wanted to walk back to the foot of the mountain chain that separated Equestria with its Frozen North and walk east from there until they came to the mountain.

Twilight nodded calmly towards the decisions that had been made. “Alright then, it seems like we will be walking a bit longer, face a difficult climb but you are at least comfortable. Good to know,” she said aloud before her attention shifted over to the elder soothsayer. Almost as if she was waiting for some kind of approval from her former mentor. A mentor who couldn’t do anything else then to give a gentle smile.

“Twilight,” started Cadence when she placed a hand upon Twilight’s shoulder, “I’m not your mentor anymore. Nor are you my student anymore. I can’t decide for you which is the right way to go or which is the wrong one. You have to discover that fact for yourself. Your company has spoken about the route they want to travel, a good leader uses that information.”

The younger soothsayer gave a simple nod towards the words. The horn of Cadence charged itself up a little bit. Then she drew a line that was leading from the location they were, down to the mountain chain itself. Though the place where they would be ending up wasn’t the dreaded Maw. Instead it was someplace else. Twilight tilted her head a bit to the side with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t understand…”

“Hmhmhm, I expected as much. Many believe that the Maw is the only place where Equestria and the Frozen North meet up and access is granted. But it isn’t. Follow this route and you shall be brought to a safer exit. Through a tunnel that is leading directly into the very mountain that is only a couple miles off from the Maw,” said Cadence just before her lips turned up into a smile.

Twilight nodded once again before she gave a massive hug towards her former mentor. It just felt good to her to finally be holding the mare who had meant so much in her life again. The hug was returned when Cadence actually felt the same way about Twilight. The two of them just held the hug tightly for a couple of seconds.

“Hey, you’re running out of time, remember?” the alicorn then whispered into the ear of Twilight. Whose eyes sprung open as she realized just how long they had been holding together. The hug was broken between the pair of them. Twilight allowed herself a little embarrassed chuckle. “Good luck, to all of you. You shall be needing it if you want to climb the mountain from that side.”

The rest of the group had gotten out of their seating as the arcane map had been rolled up. They all thanked Cadence for her words who in return thanked them all for finally releasing her from the prison. One last and massive hug was given to the whole company. They all knew that there was had yet another travel over the icy plains going to happen.

Everypony made herself ready to make yet another cross over the plains. All of their gear was being packed again before they had to walk back the way they came. Which meant they had to go once again over the mountain, through the valley and then the plains themselves. The trek would be tough and each of them knew that clearly.

Which in return was exactly the thing that terrified Twilight. She knew how hard it would become to return back to the Equestrian soils. Yet the decision had been made. They would be going back to the sun filled lands before attempting to scale the peak. To find the doorway that would be leading them into deep of the land they loved.

“Looking at you, makes me think of my own mentor. An old stallion with a massive beard who almost constantly was actually wandering around and about. Looking for an adventure,” said Cadence with a well-meant chuckle. Their weaponry didn’t scare her one bit as she understood why they carried so many things with them. “And look at you, finally having the void storage mastered, haven’t you, Twilight?”

The unicorn nodded as she closed the storage once again. “Yes, it took me a lot of time, but I finally have mastered it. Hey Cadence, can you do me one little favor?” the mare then said and asked. The unicorn walked back to her former mentor and placed a hand upon the larger mare her shoulder. “Write to my brother from time to time. He’s still madly in love with you.”

Cadence couldn’t help herself but to chuckle softly as the words were caught in her ears. “I shall, Twilight. I shall. He’s still looking as handsome as ever, right?” To that couldn’t anypony be keeping their laughter together and therefore they all released well-meant chuckles towards the duo of mares.

Twilight didn’t really understand the joke that had been made. Instead she just shrugged it off and nodded towards Cadence. “He still is yes. Just don’t forget it, okay?” she said to her mentor as she gave her one last hug and a small peck on the cheek. The rest of them thanked the elder soothsayer once again before they would be leaving the igloo.

To walk into the wide, wide world that was stretching itself in front of them. To travel the icy plains one last time before they would scale the mountain. Time and time again did they thought about which way would actually have been better. It didn’t really matter to them anymore actually. They were finally on their way once again. They were ready to walk the way they needed to be going.

All of the anthronies were already stepping through the snow as Twilight was the last one to leave the chapel She almost constantly waved towards Cadence who then waved in return. For minutes did the situation kept on playing out like that before the group of mares was finally out of her sight.

The elder soothsayer released a deep sigh through her nostrils as she leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed over each other. The thoughts that ran through her head were everything but pleasant ones. Horrors of long ago came back to her as if they had only happened the day before. Time was running out for all of them if they wouldn’t be succeeding, but the questions remained. “Are they strong enough to set their differences aside and actually work as a team?” the mare wondered to herself. Only moments later did she shook her head again.

Her eyes were aimed towards the snowy landscape again as the calm before the storm had set in. An unusual calm was traveling its way over the plains where the castle once stood. The eyes of the mare looked over the crystalline remains of the outer walls before she shuddered in terror.

So many bad memories were returning towards her at once. Her wings even spread themselves out as she turned back inside. The door was being closed behind her and the body was dropped in one of the many chairs. “First Sunset Shimmer, then Chrysalis… Who is next on the list of foes that they shall be facing? Which trouble is the next thing they will be getting across? What is the next obstacle that will put their trust to the test?”

Cadence just sat in the chair while she stroked her chin a little bit. Certain bits and pieces weren’t really working out for her mind. She needed to have some form of comfort. A certainty of comfort that would allow her to sleep well for the first time in a time long forgotten.

The mare all of the sudden left the chair. She wiped the hair out of her face and walked to the middle of the room. There she would be doing something that hadn’t been done in a long time. She would try to communicate with the goddesses themselves. To hear what they actually had to say about the quest of madness on which Twilight had been sent.

As well as to try to get in touch with a very special certain somepony out of her life. Life was once again kind to her, but would it also have been for her former student and her company? Questions rose up but the answers weren’t easily found. The fun in life was finding those very answers.


~~~~

 
It didn’t matter to the company of mares that they had to walk back over the icy fields to get back into the warmth of the land that they knew and loved. Even if it would be taking a couple more days of travel for them all. They would be able to walk around without a flame in their heart to keep themselves warm.

That alone was actually the biggest bonus they would be getting out of everything. The steepness of the mountain that they had to be climbing within a couple of days could be leaving them literally cold.

If they had to cross the icy plains of Tartarus for the last time, they would be doing it with love. Each of them knew that something better laid on the other side of it all. Something that could actually be of aid for them all. Something that kept their hopes and thus the morale high.

For a few more days had the company been traveling the route that Cadence suggested when they finally arrived at the spot where they needed to be. Finally were they at the one mountain that would be having the mysterious tunnel through which they could be wandering. Though finding the tunnel was something a little bit easier said than done.

All of the mares began to do their job after the tent had been set up. They had all agreed upon one more night of sleeping out there. Only after that they would be wandering through the tunnel and set up camp again at the foot of the lonely mountain. Why it was actually called the ‘lonely mountain’, was something that Twilight and the rest were still wondering.

But they didn’t really care why a place was called a way that it was. That pretty much would have come down to the fact of why a chair was called a chair. It wouldn’t help to be questioning the matters as they had been set up so many years ago already.

“Rarity, Rainbow, if you can be checking along the west side, then Applejack and Fluttershy are going over the east side. I take the south side for myself,” said Twilight while she faced the company of mares. Of course could she have placed Applejack with Rarity, but that would escalate into an all-out and downright war. It wasn’t a risk she was willing to take at all.

“All fine and such, but what is the searching area?” Rarity asked out of curiosity. A good question to be asked indeed. They knew they mountain that had the tunnel, then they only had to find it. Twilight turned herself around to face the rocks of the mountain chain and made a couple gestures with her hands. Almost as if she was dividing the place into three separate and equal slices.

Rarity rolled her eyes to the back of her head before she finally got an answer right out of the mare. “If you and Rainbow take from there to there, then Applejack and Fluttershy will be taking it from there to there. I do what is in the middle of it. Any questions?”

There luckily weren’t any questions that could be asked to the unicorn as the mare had literally showed them the directions of where they all would be needing to look. So the only thing they could be doing was to team up and just go. Go to their side of the mountain and pray on the fact of finding the entrance.

“Before I forget, don’t start to scream. I will be on my side of the mountain so come to me if you have found it. Then we come in and pick up the last group. If you don’t find anything, just come back to me. That last thing I want in this place, on our last day, is an avalanche to just delve us all under. We’re this close girls, it’s time to give everything that last little push,” said Twilight as both instructions and a little pep talk.

With the sun already setting itself, they only had a limited amount of time to discover just where the opening of the tunnel had been located. Easy it wouldn’t have been to find it but that was something they all knew. The teams were made and they all just went to their side of the mountain. Yet Twilight stood back a little while longer.

Her eyes glanced up into the atmosphere with a questioning or wondering gaze clearly visible upon her face. Something else was also troubling the unicorn or she was just looking at the visible stars. Real tiny dots of light could actually be seen in the cloudless skies above them. Her attention was then focused back upon the sun itself.

A sun that was setting itself faster than expected. Sooner or later would they had been engulfed within the reddish light that it carried at night. Haste was of the essence. Even the unicorn then finally managed to kick herself into gear. They had to find the tunnel towards the other side, no matter the cost.

Rainbow Dash and Rarity were inspecting literally every inch of the rocky side. Rarity knocked every two hooves to hear whether or not there was any deviation within the sounds as Rainbow did the same but a bit higher. The two of them had been discussing the best tactic of approach and that was the thing that came out.

They weren’t really in the mood to just wander the place twice or three times in a row. They wanted to find the tunnel and that was it. Nothing more and nothing less. But their method was slow, painstakingly slow. Not to mention that it also was a near death wish for their hands. Or better said: their knuckles. With all of the tapping on the rocky side it wore out the skin around the knuckles faster than anything ever could have done.

As painful as it was, they had to bite on their teeth and just go with it. There wasn’t any other way that either of them knew in order to deal with the situation that was given to them. “I hope that the others are having a bit more luck. Not hearing anything and ending up with broken knuckles after this, I guarantee you that,” said Rarity towards her partner before she continued to listen.

"Yeah, you aren’t the only one who is having that trouble actually. My fingers are just killing me here, if they are still attached,” said Rainbow to the pirate. She then continued doing her ‘job’.

Time and time again couldn’t the mare find anything. No secret entrance way, no nothing. Twilight was using her magic in order to help herself a little bit with all of the problems that they would be facing to get in the mountain. She knew the passageway had to be there somewhere, the question was where it happened to be.

She was standing at the verge of going mad when Fluttershy rushed her way over to her. The yellow darting dot was also caught by the other two members who then rushed themselves over as well. Could it have been possible that both Applejack and Fluttershy had found the entrance to the tunnel? From the looks of it, it seemed to have been that way.

Not much later had the entire group gathered itself to perhaps the most obviously hidden doorway in the history they had ever come across. For they were looking at the insides of a tunnel that were literally just covered up with a couple shards of ice. It was the only place on the whole mountain that wasn’t riddled with rocks or anything else. No, it was just icy spikes that prevented anything from entering it.

Not that it mattered too much though, for they had finally found the entrance of the mythical tunnel. Finally they could return to their base camp and get some much needed sleep before they would be passing through it. Finally could they have been going to bed and not having to think about anything at all for just a couple of hours.

No watches were set up, no fire was made, all that protected the tent was the shield of Twilight Sparkle. Which for some of them actually was more than enough protection. They just wanted to get the hell out of the place if they had to be honest. And who could be truly blaming them for the fact? Given the fact that they were still neck down in the snow.


~~~~

                     
The following day had the tent been cleared again and the group was ready to hit the tunnel. One by one they disappeared into the gaping hole of molten ice. The unicorn had used her staff to evaporate everything that was in the way. From the looks of it did everything still seem to be sturdy, albeit a bit on the small side. The first one who dared to be going in was Applejack, who was followed by Rainbow. Then came Fluttershy as Rarity and Twilight formed the rear guard.

They were on their way, they were on their way out of the frozen hell. Finally could they be breathing again normally and Twilight remove the flames coating their very hearts. None of them were happier to see the magic finally being removed from their bodies. The only problem was that Twilight did it inside of the tunnel.

The flames went extinct in all of their hearts, therefore they lost the only source through which their blood would have been kept warm meant one other little thing. They were once again exposed to the elements that were raging outside. The winds that usually blasted themselves against the mountains before returning were then blowing straight into the hole. Sending their coldness right down the spine of every other mare.

Luckily wasn’t the tunnel as long as they had anticipated it to be. After a couple of minutes could Applejack see the light at the end of it. Feelings of relief came to each of the mares as they were just downright happy. Happy because they could just close of the frozen chapter of their story.

In the end were they all standing on a small platform at the end of the tunnel. Those who dared, took a peek into the abyss beneath and the slope upwards. The threatening looking peaks were still a danger as ever but the bottom of the mountain didn’t seem to be that far. With one well-placed side could they all have been down in seconds.

The risk seemed to have been well worth the rewards before both Rainbow and Fluttershy took off into the skies. They would be both flying down to the ground in order to catch the rest of them. It was actually the first time in a long, long time that the doctor was in the air again. But it wasn’t a thing she had forgotten. A pegasi would never forget how to fly through the air with the greatest amount of ease.

Something for which the doctor was actually happy about. With the two pegasi down already, the rest of the company just made the gamble before they all made the slide down. One by one they came all back on the ground that really belonged to Equestria and they were all just genuinely happy to have left the area behind them. Though the new troubles were already arising. They had to make their way over to the other mountain.

They had to make their way to the lonely mountain and set up their camp there while also being on the lookout. Twilight knew it wouldn’t have been the last that they had seen from Chrysalis. Even though it seemed like the Dark Witch was literally thrown out of the picture, the soothsayer knew that she could be back at any given moment.

Naturally she didn’t lay the matter before the others as they were already walking into the direction they needed to be going. So far did everything seem to be going well. Well enough compared to the first to legs of the journey that was. Yet trouble was always something that was lurking right around the corner and coming at times when it wasn’t needed.


~~~~

 
The sun got up again after a night of actual darkness. From the company was Twilight Sparkle the first one to have gotten out of bed and done with her morning ritual. She sat down upon the fallen tree trunk with the maps before her eyes as the others slowly managed to get out as well.

All of them were surprised to see the unicorn already up and planning out the possible route ahead. But as they turned their heads over to the mountain they knew exactly why the concerned look stood upon the face. For the lonely mountain did honor its name.

It’s peak was higher than any of the others and almost seemed to have been like a guard’s house to some of them. Or perhaps even a lighthouse in the case of Applejack and Rarity. Yet the incline was just steep. Almost vertically did the massive rock come up. Climbing it would have become a massive problem for all of them except the pegasi.

When they first saw the mountain the other day, the courage to scale it just sank down right into their hooves. Gulps were released as they saw just what was in store for the next day.

Though Rainbow Dash was the only one who was either stupid or brave enough to disturb the unicorn with a couple of questions that were bubbling into her mind. She calmly sat down upon the tree trunk as well before her mouth opened.

At first there was a massive yawn which was then followed up nicely by the words of questioning. “Hey Twilight. Have you gotten a course already that can help us up there?” she asked bluntly towards the concentrated mare.

A concentrated mare who then turned her attention over to the major with a glance of thunder. “No Rainbow, I haven’t been able to do that yet. And if you please would just leave me alone for a moment, I can concentrate myself further.”

“Fine, if you want that,” said Rainbow when she stood back up. The pegasus stood back up and Twilight did notice the wings of the mare. Then there was a shock of realization that went through her. A realization that had hit her like sledgehammer. How could she have been so thick?

“Rainbow! Wait up!” Twilight said after her. Moments later she hurried herself towards the pegasus. The major was of course surprised by the facts as they were and gave the soothsayer a look with a raised eyebrow. “Rainbow, Rainbow, Rainbow, I, I have a favor I need to ask of you.”

“Uhm, okay. Go, right ahead,” the pegasus said in return as she had not even the slightest of clues about what Twilight was thinking about.

“Can you fly ahead of us now or when we’re going up the mountain to plot out a course? Having your wings gives you of course a visual on it, which works ten times better than a map.”

Without a word could Twilight feel the index finger of the pegasus poking against her chest, while the two of them continued to exchange looks. “Actually missy… That’s, that’s not the worst idea I have heard, actually. Yeah, yeah I can do that. Why shouldn’t I? Just tell me when you want me to be going off.”

“How about whenever you feel like you’re ready to tackle the situation?” Twilight returned before she had a small smirk going across her lips.