înapoia

by Sue Flay

2: The Cutie Map

I jolted up in bed, close to having a need to gasp for breath. I felt a cold chill wash through my body, and a sense of dread in my heart. I look down at myself to see that a bit of sweat covered my forelegs. I could also feel it on my back, so I knew my frock would stick to me for the rest of the day, or what could be considered day. The sun was locked behind a thick layer of brown, unforgiving, clouds. To me, it was always dark in some capacity. It made me grateful for all my years spent inside caverns, and other areas of geological significance, because I’ve grown accustomed to such a lack of light.

Light, my mind goes back to the images that plagued me in my nightmare. I was in some sort of void of grey, surrounded by the sounds of ponies talking with each other. Some about me, others about mundane things. It was unnerving, to say the least. Off in the distance, under some lonesome tree on a desolate hill I saw my sisters, mother and father. I couldn’t just stand there, I had to run towards them, my emotions on overdrive. When I got there, I was greeted with something so unsightly, so terrifying I could barely look.

They were all consumed in some great fire in front of me, and there was nothing I could do. My body refused to move, and I could only stare on as they burned to nothing but ash like the world around me. The smiles on their face hauntingly surreal. For once in my life, my stonelike face, my inability to express emotions was dashed away. I shed a single tear in thought over such a gruesome image.

When I was a filly, I always wanted to get away from the farm. I always wanted to become my own mare without the need of family to support me. For the most part, I was successful, but in doing so… I made this life I live all the more difficult. I miss them more then ever, and I regret not visiting them more. I want to hold them, squeeze them, and never let go. All those years studying geology could go to Tartarus if it meant I could just see them one last time, one final moment to show them just how much they mean to me. If I can reverse this all, if I could turn back time and reset this all to the way it used to be, I will never let them go again. I will always be there for my family.

I jump down from the bed, stretching my aching muscles, and popping a few out of place vertebrae. It felt good to loosen up after such a poor night's rest. I was downstairs and out the door in no time, the storm from before seeming to calm down just a bit. It was still bad, but not by the standards I’ve come to know.

I knew where I had to go next: The Friendship Castle. Pinkie told me about her adventures each time we hung out with one another, and she spared no details. If I’m to find this Ancient Crystal, then I’m going to have to use The Cutie Map. It’s the only way I’ll find out where to go. If it can’t give me answers, then I have no idea what will.

Making my way through town was sure to be a simple task; the castle was not hard to spot. It towered over all the other buildings, what was left of them, and shined like a colorful beacon in this otherwise bleak world.

As I took a couple more steps forward, I noticed a technicolor haze cast over the castle, obscuring its visage for just a moment. After it started to disappoint, I noticed the damage the castle had suffered over the years. Chunks fallen off, and there was huge holes that lead inside that weren’t there before. Even the tallest of the spires seemed to disappear out of thin air, making the place seem almost like a jagged, overgrown, crystal.

I was having another one of those visions of the past, and it bothered me greatly. I pressed onward, blocking out any and all thoughts that tried to invade my mind. It helped greatly, and in no time I stood at the foot of the castle, its image casting down upon me. I walked up the stairs, but when I got to the final step, the haze came over it again. Looking up, I could almost swear I saw Twilight standing on one of the many balconies of the place. Why am I having these visions? Perhaps it has something to do with latent magic leftover from the catastrophe, like a ghost from the past? That was my best guest, anyway.

I stepped inside, and in the center of the main room was the table I’ve sought after. It was darker, more sinister looking than before. It glowed red, and had an ominous sort of cloud hanging over it. It must have been affected deeply by the end of the world. Walking up next to it, I tried to lay a hoof on it, but there was some sort of barrier stopping me from doing so.

“What?” I asked aloud to no one but myself.

“Check the Library, I’d personally check the section under C~” came the same bubbly voice I’ve grown to love.

I turned around quickly, “Pinkie?” There was nopony there, making me realize how foolish it was for me to fall for the hallucinations trick again. Though, it did have a point, the library might have some answers as to why The Cutie Map has befallen such a fate, even tell me how to fix it and use the thing for my benefit.

I left the room, searching up and down the halls for any sign of the Library. Even though the place was covered in dust, and giant, gaping holes were abundant, I still couldn’t quite find my way around the place. It was like being a mouse in a maze, the library the cheese. I needed to find it soon, or else I feared going without answers for another day. I could maybe hold out in the castle for a week at most, but if it brought me nowhere closer to my goal, then what was the point of it all?

I almost gave up in my search for the day when all proved useless, but when I turned the corner of what I thought was the same place I was at just a few minutes ago, I was greeted with a sight that made me gasp in joy on the inside. It was the library, and it seemed to not have been affected too much by the raging world outside. I thank all of my lucky stars, and Celestia’s sun. Even though it can’t cast its rays upon me, I know it’s still up there watching me, and waiting for me to bring the world back to proper order.

I’d personally check the section under C~ Pinkie’s voice rings though my mind, telling me exactly what I needed to know. Walking through the library, it took a moment to find the section, but when I finally did I looked through the area up and down, hoping for something that could lead me to the right answers. I grabbed books both on ancient magic and anything relating to geology. Something, anything that can tell me about that magical table made of precious crystal.

I must have spent hours reading, looking over the same pages over and over again, pleading for something to come of it. Nothing, there was nothing on The Cutie Map, not a single word had been written down. It was hard to believe that Twilight didn't write anything down, or perhaps she did, but kept it in her personal study. My thoughts went back to the missing spire at the top of the castle, letting me know that the study had long since been destroyed.

My head slammed against the table, and I just rest my head. It hurt, not just emotionally but physically. My head throbbed with a terrible migraine, and my heart ached from knowing there was nothing I could do to get the The Cutie Map to work again. I’m no unicorn, I can’t summon magic at will. I passed out, not knowing what to do, and I was sure it would reflect with my dreams to come.

A tingling sensation came over me just before I passed out, making me slowly raise my head in confusion. It seemed to be coming from my lower end, so I looked down towards my flanks only to see them glow with some sort of magic. I quickly lifted my frock to see my cutie mark resonate mysteriously, letting me know exactly what was going on.

I could jump in joy, and kiss somepony right now. I rushed out of the library, grabbing paper, and a inkwell along the way. I needed to write down all The Cutie Map was going to tell me. When I got to the main room of the castle, I was shocked to see the same sinister glow lingering over the map, but I tried to pay it no mind. As I walked up to the place, four different areas had my cutie mark hovering over them. One was in the Badlands, another in Griffonstone, a third in the Crystal Kingdom, and one last one at Canterlot Castle. I wrote it all down, each one being a likely candidate to the Ancient Crystal’s location.

I needed to give the thing a name, so I settled on calling the Ancient Crystal ‘Meridian.’ It would have to do for now.

After I finished scribbling down the coordinates, I put the map in my Frock’s pocket, keeping it safe and as close to me as possible. I counted on the piece of parchment with my life, and if I lost it I might as well be dead.

As I took a step towards the door, I heard my sister’s voice once again. “I wish you luck, Maud. I’m rooting for you, and I’ll be sure to throw a party when you save everyone. A hero needs a party, after all.”

It made me happy to hear those words, but I didn’t turn around. I knew I would be greeted with nothing, so I just exited the castle to continue on with my quest.