Journey to the center of Equestria

by Rarity Belle


Chapter LXXVIII

How they all had fallen asleep after such a rough night, was a question that needed no answer on. None of the mares in the company wanted to even know how it had happened. They were just glad that they at least had managed to get some form of sleep that night. Inside of the tent did Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow and Fluttershy wake up calmly.

The rays of the morning shone inside of the canvas tent. They all knew that dawn had broken upon them once again. The new day was there and that day was one that hopefully would have been a whole lot better than any of the other days they have had so far. For that day was rather special to all of them. Or at least to three out of the four in fact.

The bones of Applejack were all snapped back in their rightful places before she smacked her lips a few of times. It felt unusually good to see the sun again. To her it felt as if the terrors of the night before had just been vanquished away. Which perhaps was the thing that had happened.

The rays of the morning sun indeed vanquished the darkness and possibly all of the troubles that were done in it. The mare removed herself out of her bed and the daily struggle of her getting dressed played out once more.

It was a routine through which all of them had to go through. Pinkie Pie was actually done the fastest as she only had to change her shirt. Applejack had the most difficulty as she had to get her suit right. Or at least the pieces that she still wore of it. Not to mention that she had her steam powered leg to power up again.

The green rimmed eyes of the mare made their turn around the tent after a yawn had escaped her mouth. A small scratch on the bum gently followed up as her eyebrows rose up. “Any of you seen either Twilight or Rarity?” she asked in a worried tone. Applejack had seen that the beds of both of the unicorns were still empty, not to forget that she didn’t remember seeing either of them walking back to the tent during her watch.

The matter turned a little bit strange for her. It almost seemed as if the two unicorns were in fact a beacon of trouble to come. The thought wasn’t one that she could have been truly blamed for though, as both Twilight and Rarity did have a little nose for trouble. Especially during the journey that had been going through.

Rainbow looked around as she finally seemed to have noticed that the beds were empty. “Maybe they have gotten out early?” the pegasus said before she shrugged with her shoulders. Fluttershy nor Pinkie had any other words that could have been brought against the matter.

None of them knew just where the two unicorns could possibly have gone to. Well, they knew one in fact. It was the other that worried them a lot more. Applejack released a deep exhale through her nostrils before she gave a single nod. “‘Kay then, we’re gonna be like that. Unicorns, always been strangers with their customs,” she muttered. Applejack readied herself to leave the tent and everypony in it for what it was.

The admiral left and was then met with the warm rays of the sun and she used her hand to calmly block the rays from hitting her eyes directly. It was a beautiful sunrise, she had to admit that little fact. The earth anthrony just stood still to take in the scenery and the scents of the grass as well as the dew. For the moment it all seemed to be forgotten that right behind her, the deadliest forest of Equestria could be found.

In the moment did it all just looked so peaceful and calm. She took another deep inhale of fresh air and just realized why she loved the open seas again. She wasn’t the kind of mare that was able to sit down and settle in, no, Applejack was a rugged outdoorsmare who wanted nothing else. Except, perhaps, that one little thing.

A gentle tear managed to form itself within her eye before it ran down her cheek. The time had come to her, the time to finally return to where she always had belonged. Plans were quickly shooting through her head as then a smile followed up across her lips. One gentle nod was given off to herself before the eyes opened up again.

Without a word spoken by her mouth, did her eyes told everything that needed to be told. She would return, return to the place where she thought that she always should have been going. Though her attention was then captured again by the tent. For the rest of the mares finally managed to haul themselves out of it.

Breakfast was ready to be made.

~~~~

Somewhere over the plain she laid. With a deep groan had she awoken out of her slumber. The unicorn rose herself up from her position and blinked a couple of times with her eyes. The mulberry skinned eyelids hid the wonderfully colored eyes from the world every now and again as they had to get used to the sunlight.

Twilight Sparkle seemed to have awoken once more by the rising sun. She stretched her arms and released a deep yawn of her own. Though the location of where she laid was one that caught her by surprise. Not to mention the fact of the stuff that could be found across her cheeks. “What on earth..?” she mumbled to herself in confusion. A pair of fingers stroked over the cheek with calm.

If she wasn’t mistaken, it almost felt as if she touched upon a pair of dried up tear stains. Could it have been that she had cried through the night once more. “But that can’t be, I was vast asleep, here, somehow,” the mare mumbled aloud before she rose her body up to full height. She had to get an understanding of the area that she was in.

Twilight had to understand just where exactly she happened to be sleeping and where she had been spending the night after Rarity’s duel of fate.

The unicorn glanced around and only found the same thing. Just grass, grass, grass, bush and some trees. “Now this is just getting weird,” she spoke to herself before her body was turned around. And then her eyes went wide. Twilight saw the tent standing there, at a couple dozen hooves distance.

How she managed to miss it, was still a mystery to her. Then again, the night had been one that was strange to begin with. Nothing from that very night made any sense whatsoever. Questions arose to her as of how Chrysalis had managed to find them, and why she changed in Rarity instead of somepony else.

All of those questions were put to rest for the moment though. Answers for them would come through time while she made the little walk back to the tent. With her hands placed behind her back it almost seemed as if she had been vastly thinking. Which perhaps she was in fact doing, but didn’t seem to realize it.

“Morning to you all,” she spoke before she took place on the small table. One that Applejack had taken out of the tent. The mare took place on a small arcane crouch that she conjured up quickly. With a gentle moan she landed upon the seating and glanced over what could have been ready to be eaten.

But Applejack had in fact prevented the mare from doing so. There was a little thing that she had to know from the soothsayer. For not only was she wondering where on earth she had slept, she was also wondering just what the tear strains were. “Twi, yar face’s a little, dirty might not be the right word,” she said as she scratched her own cheek. “And where did ya sleep?” The question was quickly added to probably change the subject.

Twilight herself released a gentle chuckle as she then answered both of the questions in one reply of calmness. “As it turned out, I had fallen asleep a couple hooves away from here. And I know my face looks like a mess, hadn’t had the time to clean it. But I feel fine, honestly. I don’t know how it came there actually. Might be from earlier that night though. Anyway, just, don’t give it too much attention, okay?”

The admiral nodded to the words of Twilight. Though she still wondered in silence just where Rarity happened to be. She never spoke it aloud for rather obvious reasons that were her own.

After breakfast did all the mares wanted to know what the planning was for the day. One that was easily explained with the arcane map Twilight had summoned. Different colored lights represented different places that they had to go to. “We have to make to the port of Manehatten here, which is a good two days walking if we have good weather. Rainbow, I take that you will keep an eye out in the skies?”

“Naturally,” the pegasus replied while she sat in a leisurely manner. “Both for the griffons as well as any storm. Cloudsdale may have planned something, I’m not sure. I haven’t really been able to look at any weather schedules as of late. You know, been too busy exploring underground caverns.”

The mares couldn’t help themselves but to let out a little chuckle before they shook their heads. “Then that’s settled then. I think we are on our way then. All we need is to clear everything here and find Rarity. Knowing her, I might have an idea where she might be,” said Twilight.

“Care to share?” Fluttershy asked quick, she glanced to Twilight with a raised eyebrow. The unicorn released a little giggle to herself. Then she gestured with her hand that they would be seeing it later. The pegasus nodded to the soothsayer before the conversation with Pinkie was resumed.

Pinkie Pie appeared to have been adapting to the new climate a whole lot better than anypony could have anticipated. It almost seemed as if she wasn’t used to any other at first glance. That lamia was a rather special one in their eyes. Full of life, always in for a little joke or two and literally all over the place. But she also showed compassion and kindness when needed to everypony she held dear to her.

Finding a home for her would have been a difficult task though. One that became more and more pressuring on Twilight’s mind. If all else failed, there was one location where the lamia always could have been placed. Though whether or not there was agreed upon by all was another question.

Home was such a simple word, but it carried such a great meaning. A meaning that was different for each of the mares. They were still just so far away from home but yet at the same time they seemed to have been just so close to it.

Some time later was Rainbow looking at the clouds that were drifting by with her binoculars. The position of the glasses were set so that they could watch through the white sky fabrications and looked for any trouble. Her eyes were spotting the skies to see if she could find anything that indicated that there was something.

Mere seconds she peeked through the skies. She had to find them. She had to find the creatures that had been following them ever since they got back to the surface. “Gotcha,” she spoke to herself after her motions ceased to exist. A little grin came to her face as she saw the shadows once more.

They all seemed to be rather dormant up there, which was exactly the way that she liked it. The more silent the griffons were, the more she could relax for a bit. Of course were the troubles of a sudden attack always on her mind. Those worries would never have left her system. They were baked straight in her nerve system ever since the last war.

“What are you all up to?” she asked aloud to herself. The binoculars were removed from her eyes and she blinked only once. A deep exhale was given off by her as she turned around. Perhaps there was a little chance that she could see the actual ship of Sharpbeak hidden among the skies.

The binoculars were placed before her eyes again and she then glanced once more over the skies. The hopes were set that she saw nothing, but she was always prepared on the fact that it could have been right there.

Hidden among the clouds and actually right in plain sight for them all. The last thing that Rainbow wanted the know was if she had the whole ship right on top of her. The company wasn’t ready for such an encounter. Griffons were always tough creatures to be beaten. They had seen it upon the summit of the mountain for themselves. Luck was only on their side that day though. Luck carried them through and they knew that the second time they wouldn’t be that lucky. At least not in the eyes of Rainbow.

The pegasus had a growing hatred towards the griffon kind ever since the last war and the fact that her once-best-friend had wanted to kill her without remorse. It just didn’t fell in the right mindset either. “Come on, come on, where are you hidden, you nasty bugger?” the mare whispered while she looked through the clouds and as far as she was allowed.

But no matter how far she glanced over the skies, there wasn’t anything that came in her eyes. Many theories began to surround her mind before the binoculars were finally removed from her eyes. The thing was placed back in the pocket as she stretched her wings a little bit.

The bones didn’t crack for a change, which even came as a surprise to the pegasus. Rainbow would have risen an eyebrow to the matter of genuine confusion. “Heh, interesting,” she said to herself before they were tucked back behind her back and she made her way back to the campsite.

The other mares were all still breaking down the tent as the pegasus told them what she had seen. All of them understood the words she said and they nodded gently to the major. The danger of the griffon threat was still there and even though it didn’t felt good with them lurking around, there was another matter that rose up.

“Hey, if them griffons are still ‘round here, how big do ya see the chance that they saw the battle between Rarity and Chrysalis?” Applejack then spoke to them. The question was rightfully asked. And it did create a little wondering by the rest of the mares. They all sunk in their thoughts for a moment to come up with the answer.

But as per usual was it Twilight who actually had the one that made the most sense out of it. Not to mention the little fact that they still had to find Rarity somewhere over the plain. “I think that the chances of them having seen the battle between Rarity and Chrysalis is actually pretty high. Given the fact that it was in the middle of the night, managed to wake us up like that and so on.”

The mares nodded to the explanation given but Applejack had one more thing to comment upon the matter. “Then they know that they mustn’t try to toy with us, or they end up like her. Dead and bleedin’ on the ground,” she said in almost a monotone voice. Applejack didn’t seemed like she had given much emotion to her words. It felt like she was already giving off a warning to the griffons, given the way they were said.

Yet once again had Twilight a counter for the words that the admiral had. “Chrysalis, isn’t exactly dead. I’ll explain along the way. If we get this done, we go and find Rarity.”

With the words of Twilight continued to hammer themselves in the skulls of the mares, the mares also continued to clear their campsite almost like lighting. Twilight had sparked their interest and they wanted to know the finer details about everything there and then. Yet none had the courage to straight up ask her.

No, they all waited in patience until they were done. Done with the folding and storing of the tent and the other things. Only then would they have been able to search for Rarity. Mere minutes had gone by before they were all ready. All eyes were primed upon Twilight as she knew she had to tell them all what she knew.

Only then would have told them the story. While they were heading into the direction of the scene that hosted the battle between Rarity and Chrysalis. “As you all know,” the soothsayer began to tell her story. The mares had gathered themselves around Twilight as best as possible before the story continued. “Chrysalis, is a Dark Witch. A being who made a deal with the devil in Tartarus itself. If she is being killed by anything, actually killed, the spirit of the Witch continues to live on. We didn’t saw it the night before, but I’m pretty certain that the spirit of Chrysalis lived on and went back to its master.”

“Which is, Nightmare Moon,” the doctor added. Twilight then pointed to her with a nod. She silently said that the words were right.

“Exactly,” she then said before the tale was continued further. “The entity, the very essence of the Dark Witch has survived. Which means in return that the creature did too. Rarity didn’t kill anything last night, she just temporarily disabled Chrysalis. Think of it as a reset, the hard way.”

A shudder went down the spine of Pinkie when she thought back about the events of the night before. One that was in fact shared by Fluttershy as well. But Rainbow and Applejack both seemed to have been rather cool under the facts as they were. No more words were spoken as Twilight pointed to the top of the hill whose foot they stood at.

The eyes of the mares just followed the hand and tried to figure out where she was pointing to. She could have pointed to anything randomly but the shape they caught in their eyes was one they all knew. Perhaps a shape known a little bit too well.

It was at the top of the hill that she stood. With the hands in her sides and her body turned back to them. But those curly hairs could be picked out anytime of the day. Not to mention that bright purple color that they carried. Nopony else then Rarity could have stood there. She seemingly watched over the scene that had been her battlefield only a few hours ago.

The group of mares made their gentle way up the hill while the fear had been growing into them. The fear that Chrysalis perhaps was able to somehow come back and haunt them all once more. It was a natural fear that filled them all, but they all remained silent about it.

Once they had reached the top of the hill, the unicorn had finally turned herself around to see with her own eyes just what all the commotion was about. But as soon as she saw that it was the rest of the company, she turned back around to keep watching over the dreaded plain. Whatever had captured her attention from it, whatever she was looking it, it must have been of true sentimental value.

And why wouldn’t it be? She had almost lost her life in that place. Tricks had to be played in order to make certain that she would have been the one that came out as the victor of it all. It wasn’t to say that Chrysalis wasn’t cheating either. For her blast of magic was powerful enough to burn down anything that came in contact.

Yet the question of questions remained unanswered. One that was shortly after the arrival of the mares asked to the open mares. “Why did she changed into me, and why did she accepted the duel with me?” she wondered aloud, to everypony. Of course there were already many answers given by just herself.

But Rarity needed the input of the other mares for once. More specifically, she needed that of Twilight. She needed Twilight’s logical advice for a reason. But perhaps the biggest unasked question was: why was Chrysalis hunting them down to that point and not earlier?

Twilight did a step forward just before she then released a deep exhale through her nostrils. She felt the need to answer the questions that the unicorn had. And answering them she would be doing to the best of her own abilities. Whether Rarity would have liked the answers remained to be seen though. “I think, she became you, because you were the most well-armed of us all. I mean, it’s a little overkill what you carry. No offence.”

“None taken,” the pirate replied. There was some truth to the words through. For Rarity’s armaments were indeed a bit of case of ‘better take what can be carried’-mentality.

“As for why she accepted the duel, underestimation. Dark Witches are cocky, think that they can handle anything thrown in their path. The only problem was, that you had so much to live for. Usually one tends to tremble at their sight. But you, you value your freedom, friends and family, I think. At least one of those three, or something else entirely. I shall not ask what it is you hold so dear to you, but that just saved your life.”

Rarity actually understood the words of Twilight and saw the direction that she came from. The words did make a whole lot more sense than from the ideas that she originally came up with. Perhaps it was just a little trait of the unicorn, that she made from a mosquito an manticore. She was quite the little drama queen from time to time, according to her crew.

“Thanks Twilight, for your input on the matter. I, I needed that, matter of fact. I had to make some sense out of it all and that was the only way I knew how,” replied Rarity before a small smile formed itself below her nose. The soothsayer nodded in a gentle manner as if she silently said that the mare was always welcome.

Yet with their conversation over, there was yet another one that opened up. One that continued to worry about the fact that Chrysalis could be attacking them again. Fluttershy spoke up the words that were on her mind. And she was just utterly terrified to say them. “But what if Chrysalis is released again? If she makes another deal with Moon, who knows. She can be plotting one right behind us.”

“Hmhmhm, oh believe me, Fluttershy, Chrysalis is already plotting another attack on us,” said Twilight to her in return. That alone caused the eyes of the mares to go just straight up wide. Naturally were they all getting terrified of the words that were spoken as they never had anticipated them to come.

But Twilight knew how the Witches worked while the rest of the mares could only speculate. So perhaps Twilight had to tell them a little bit more about them. A history lesson was required for them all.

The mares didn’t came in a riot to Twilight because she gestured with her hands to remain calm. “Chrysalis is planning an attack on us, yes. But that doesn’t mean she can do it right now. No, after a Dark Witch has returned to the devil, it usually remains there for a good amount of time. Months, or even years depending on the deal that had been made with Moon. Yet in that time, she has to create a new body for herself. A new body to possess and use as a puppet.”

“But that means, Sunset Shimmer, the demoness of Everfree, is actually…” Rarity began while she tried her best to tie everything together.

“The spirit is hers, the body is also still hers too. But if the body comes to shatters, she would have to regenerate. Although you have to remember that Sunset is a special case among the Dark Witches. Chrysalis would take years to reform her body in the way she likes it. Meaning she has years the time to plan an attack on us. But we are having years to prepare.”

“But, you said something about possession,” the doctor said while she already felt herself uncomfortable. “Does that mean, a Dark Witch can, for example, enter your body like that and take control over it?”

The response that Twilight gave to her was a sad nod. Which in return confirmed the fear that the doctor had. It was about one of the last things that she actually wanted to know about it all. “Yes, a Dark Witch is able possess a body after its ‘host’ has been shattered. But it needs to find one almost directly next to it, and none of us were next to Chrysalis when the extraction happened.”

“And what ‘bout ya?” Applejack asked.

“Beg your pardon?” Twilight replied with a confused gaze.

“Can ya possess any being that ya like and make ‘em yar puppet?”

That question almost felt as if it was an insult to the soothsayer. But the question was one that was a rightful concern to begin with. For Twilight was a unicorn with incredible powers and abilities. There was only one answer that could have been given on the question. “I can if I want to, possess a being, yes,” she said in just her normal tone. All of the mares did a step back straight away. Almost as if Twilight had some kind of horrible disease.

“However, you scardy cats, I am not going to do such a thing. Sunset also taught me a couple of things of the darker arts, or the gray parts actually. Magic isn’t just light and dark as you are taught, there’s a whole part that’s gray in it as well. I do know a possession spell yes, but if I shall ever use it, I’m afraid I will end up down the same path as her. Which is the last thing that I want.”

The mares could understand the direction from which Twilight was coming and none of them wanted it either. So the only thing that could be done in that moment was that they would nod to her words. “Now then,” the soothsayer said, “how about we make it to the port of Manehatten? We have to go through the forest of White Tails to get there, but that one isn’t possessed by anything. Just covered in a lot of fog.”

None of the mares made a complaint about it. They then travelled back from the hill again. Even Rarity removed herself from the top because of the fact that she had her answers. But Twilight remained standing there for just a bit longer.

She kept on staring to the empty husk that was the body of Chrysalis. Questions naturally arose in her as the answers were given in silence. The cogs were set turning as she tried to make sense about everything. But that, remained far out. Nothing had made sense about the whole battle to begin with. Perhaps she knew less about the Dark Witches then she originally had thought she did? Who could tell? Who could know?

The unicorn shook her head a little bit before she turned back around. The carcass of the Dark Witch just laid there. Already was it rotting and being eaten by nature itself. But next to her could the boney blades be found. The boney blades that possibly were used as the substitute for Rarity’s blades during the duel.

So many questions just went unanswered for the unicorn. So many questions still had to be even asked. So many things she had to research in the library of Canterlot itself. A deep exhale was released through her mouth as she placed her hands behind her back. So many things yet so little time, was a thought to herself.

With the woods of White Tails lying in their crossing, they could only have hoped that Twilight was right about it. They all hoped that it wasn’t as dangerous as they thought it was going to be. Rumors had of course spread over the forest and its beauty. But each beauty always carried a deadly bite with it. That was the thing that most of the mares were afraid of.

Perhaps afraid wasn’t the right word for the matter. Worried, would have been a better word to describe the matter. Time would once again be the judge of everything and all. Just that one thing that they couldn’t outrun as long as they tried.

But so were the troubles. For not only had they the griffons that were probably still lurking right above their heads as vultures, but they had one more anger to worry about. The devil herself, had set her sights firmly on Twilight and the time was there.

~~~~

Deep within the realm of Tartarus, she wandered up and down. While her body was still completely covered in the deep purple fog, she did move around with grace. All that could be seen from the devil were her eyes, hands and hooves. The rest of the body was just completely covered up. But behind her she hovered, the spirit of Chrysalis was shackled in chains and attached to the walls.

“You failed me again, Chrysalis. I thought that you would have been able to take her place without causing too much of a commotion. Give me a reason, why I should keep that petty spirit of yours alive, and why I shouldn’t just devour it right now?” The devil turned herself back around to face the changeling with her deep, green eyes.

Chrysalis could only gulp when the words were shooting short. She had tried to remain out of the clutches of Moon for just so long, but finally the clutches had caught up with her. “What’s the matter? Too scared to speak to your master?!” Nightmare Moon exclaimed before she released a deep chuckle.

Her body then turned back around as the hands were placed on the back. “It doesn’t matter what you would be saying anyway. None of it would have worked. Fade away, out of my chamber and don’t let me see you here again anytime soon. I have bigger prey to fry.”

A deep huff was then released through the nostrils of the devil. One that actually caused Chrysalis to fade out of existence by brute force, or at least their realm. What followed was that the Nightmare summoned the orb again and watched in it. Her long fingernails scratched the surface and the scars could have been seen along the sides of it.

“Yes, little Sparkle. You shall help me, to get back what is rightfully mine. Your quest is of no concern, but that friend of yours on the other end. Imagine the damage I can do, with her. Hmhmha, oh I’m going to enjoy this,” said Nightmare Moon just before she allowed the orb to disappear again. “The time has come…”

Mere seconds later had the devil vanished from her throne room and entered the physical realm. The realm where the mares were wandering towards White Tails. Nightmare Moon had entered the physical realm in the form of a thick and purple mist. One that would be racing to get to Twilight before the next night.