Quete

by Comrade Bagel Muffin

Marque de Beauté

After a few hours of stargazing, Escutcheon started moving the bones of the dead unicorns to the next floor down. Once he was done he used the last bit of his magic to move a large boulder over the stairs. "Rest in peace." His small smile waned. He grabbed his saddlebag that had caught itself by its strap on a rock, and tossed it on his back.

The setting moon's light shown brightly as it approached the western horizon. Throwing the world into soft shades. The shards of the sapphire talisman began to evaporate, in the light. Escutcheon watched entranced as the stones turned to smoke blew away. All but one faded into nothingness. He tapped the crystal. Nothing happened. He shrugged and put the sapphire shard into his saddlebag. He jumped down to a ledge beneath him, as he slowly started decent down toward the entrance to the cave that he had originally entered. Hopefully stairs led down to an underground tunnel that would lead him to land on the other side of the lake. It was unlikely but he could hope for it.

He slid down the slope of the mountain. Most of it was simple, involving nothing more than walking or skidding down the side of the mountain. The first golden rays of dawn slowly casting the mountain into contrast of light and shadow. He arrived at the entrance to the cave as the sun's golden rays poured over the eastern horizon. He watched the sun light before he headed back into the cave. Something on his flank caught his attention. Were once his flank had been blank and the same white that the rest of his coat, now there was a cutie mark. He smile as he gazed at it. A purple Shield with seven, golden, seven pointed stars, two light blue swirls of magic wrapped around the bottom outside of the shield. "Well I guess I'd better get home, I don't want to miss my cute-ceañera. Mother and Father are going to be really happy to see this." He whooped and rushed into the cave hoping he was right about there being a tunnel under the lake.