Sigil of Souls, Stream of Memories

by Piccolo Sky

Nightwatch: A Kindly Host

Author's Note:

If you've been keeping up with this story, you're probably starting to wonder when the heck Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie are going to show up. Well, wait no longer.

I also apologize for a chronic misspelling until now. It's Mount Aris, not Eris. (Eris would be the IDW Comic villain. )

Hours had passed since the two had plunged into the forest as deep as they dared. They had slowed only briefly before the shots fired into the woods from the pursuing airship caused them both to run as fast as they could through the now-uneven terrain for miles beyond. Even when their respective transformations faded they kept going, and hours after that Applejack and Twilight were both feeling it. Their bodies were sore not only from last night and lack of sleep but now from the actions of that day.

Applejack was used to this trudging when necessary although she didn’t like it, but Twilight was practically collapsing on Spike as she limped along by now. She was tripping over tree roots once every five minutes and she was making a lot of noise each time—a fact that Applejack wasn’t too happy about as the day grew later and the shadows in the forest lengthened.

Finally, she huffed, pulled her hat off, and gestured. “Alright…I guess we better start headin’ out.”

Twilight was so exhausted it took her a moment to pick up on that. “Wait…what? We can’t do that! If the country is still wide and flat, that airship could see us for miles! Especially if it’s still looking for us!”

“I’d rather be out there with an airship than in here much longer…” the farmer muttered back.

Twilight was reluctant, but a glance toward the direction of Equestria and how many black patches were showing up made it clear that was best. The three worked their way back to the forest edge. On hitting the tree line, they looked out but saw no sign of any pursuing airship. Soon after, they stepped into the open fields beyond and kept walking.

Unfortunately, both of them knew this wasn’t much better. It might not have been getting dark that quickly, but the landscape had nothing else but other stands of trees and fields; both natural and farmland. Neither was useful to them.

“We gotta find some shelter somewhere…and fast,” Twilight groaned, looking to the sky. “The sun will set in an hour at the most.”

Applejack frowned while glancing about. “Most of these fields are abandoned and left ta’ fallow. Not only does that mean most folks ‘round here are gone, it means they packed up and left ‘cause the Nighttouched are real bad. Don’t know ‘bout you but I’m exhausted. Don’t think I can fight another one without some sleep… Any ideas where ta’ head?”

Twilight uneasily looked at the forest and the field. “We could start walking away from the forest and hope we come up to something. That’d get us farther away from the Nighttouched at least. But we still have to worry about that airship. Maybe we should walk alongside instead so long as we’re in an area that is…or at least was…settled. We can duck back in the forest if we need to.”

“Ain’t gonna find the forest safe much longer…” Applejack muttered as she looked into the woods; searching for yellow eyes. She kept watching as she began to walk and Twilight soon followed.

The two found the way easier now, but that only made them pick up the pace. They found they were indeed in the rural part of a country but it was long since abandoned. They risked calling out once or twice for people every time they came to a spot that looked more well-traveled, but that soon stopped. There was no one around and, as night continued to near, they knew it would only attract more Nighttouched when the sun fell. Applejack kept looking into the woods as the shadows deepened; her nervousness growing as her stamina continued to lessen.

After a while, she looked behind her to Twilight. Seeing how far back she was, she called out. “Don’t fall behind now. No sense walkin’ next ta’ this critter-infested forest if we both can’t duck inta’ it in a hurry.”

“Sorry…” she said between pants. “Been…a while since…I’ve done this much cross-country…walking…”

Applejack waited a second or two before frowning and continuing to walk. “This don’t make any sense ta’ begin with. Why in the world would some airship from Trottingham want ta’ risk causin’ a war just to hit us?”

“I have no idea… I’ve never seen…”

Applejack walked a few more steps before she realized Twilight had trailed off. “Seen what?”

“Nothing.”

Noticing how hurried that was, Applejack turned her head back to her, crooking an eyebrow. Twilight, still poor at hiding her emotions, was already wincing.

“No, what?”

Twilight hesitated a moment, before realizing it wasn’t going to help to hide anything anymore. She exhaled and slumped. “Remember what I was saying earlier about the one person who could have stopped this?”

“Yeah.”

“She was my instructor. The same night the Lunar Fall happened, we were on a summer break and doing a tour across Greater Everfree. The rest of the students and I were being taken to our respective hometowns to say hi to our parents for a night or two. When we arrived at my home, I got out of our carriage, and moments later…” She stiffened.

“What?”

Her face shook, her eyes staring at the ground with a hollow expression. “Moments later…something blew up the carriage with the princess and the rest of the students in it.”

Applejack was surprised, but also caught one word. “Wait… Did you say ‘princess’?”

Twilight shook her head, pushing away the bad memory. “That…that doesn’t really matter… All that matters is that night, something or someone tried to get rid of both my headmistress and the rest of the students she was teaching about magic, the Promethian Sigils, and what was going to happen to this world. I never found out who and…and…” She began to look fearful and uneasy again.

“And what?”

She grasped one of her arms and rubbed it uncomfortably. “To tell the truth, I’ve been scared to find out.” She looked up, and the farmer could see the fear in her eyes. “Whoever killed my headmistress and my classmates that night would have killed me too if they had been ten seconds faster. And believe me when I say that anyone who could catch the headmistress off guard like that is not someone to underestimate. That’s the reason I don’t stay in one place. I’ve been scared over the past eight years that they’d find out they…they ‘missed one’…”

Applejack frowned. “Ya’ mean ta’ tell me there’s other folks out there after the heads of anybody who’s got one of them symbols on their hands?”

“No! I mean, I don’t think so! Or…or at least never until now! But…based on what happened at Fort Chestnut…” she trailed off before wincing. “This is why-”

“I know, I know…” Applejack sighed, “this is why it was better ya’ didn’t tell me nothin’… Ain’t nothin’ for it now. Just tell me if ya’ think them Trottingham ones are the one who got yer headmistress.”

“I’m sorry,” she sighed, shaking her head. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve never seen anyone actively trying to target me until today, so maybe. Whoever killed my headmistress was secretive, though. No one…” she paused, grimacing a little, “no one in my town saw anything.”

Applejack noted the pause, but wasn’t in the mood to press more. “Well, it can wait ‘til we got a place ta’ rest our heads.” She looked forward again. “And we gotta make do pretty soon. We… Hey wait! Over there!”

The farmer stopped and pointed. Twilight and Spike walked up further and looked where she indicated.

Up ahead was a field where the grass had been kept low, either due to cutting or grazing. At the moment, some domesticated and wild animals alike were moving about in it. Their posture and mannerisms indicated they were looking for a spot to relieve themselves. However, presiding over all of it in a long, simple, one-piece dress was a woman with long pink hair. She was too far to hear clearly, but she seemed to be calling out to them as if she was their handler.

“Somebody’s up there!”

Twilight quickly moved to her side. “Oh, what a relief! If there’s someone here, that means they must have a shelter nearby!”

“I better get ta’ her ‘fore she has a chance ta’ run off!”

“Wait, don’t do that! You might scare-”

It was too late. Applejack immediately took off in a rush, seizing her hat off her head and waving it while shouting. “Ma’am! Ma’am!”

The shouting went all up and down the valley, and several of the animals perked up, spotting someone charging at them, and then broke into a run and scattered. In moments, the pink-haired woman looked up as well. However, rather than do as Twilight feared and break for it, she simply stood there and looked a mixture of fearful and nervous. She cringed, folded her hands, and turned her head down to the side; like a mixture of a shy child and a cornered animal.

Applejack ignored that as she finally came up to her and slowed to a halt, as well as the fact that, while the other animals had run off, a single white rabbit still stood there like some sort of sentry. “Howdy, ma’am,” she spoke hurriedly, “the two of us have been in a real peck of trouble and now we’re lost. Can ya’ tell us where the nearest town is?”

The woman merely stood there in her semi-cringed posture. She had let her long hair fall over the side of the face facing Applejack, and used that as a shield for her vision even as she kept looking at the ground.

Applejack was puzzled. “Er…ma’am? ‘Scuse me? Ma’am?”

She glanced up to Applejack, but then away again; even more nervous than before.

This began to annoy the farmer. “Can ya’ at least look at someone when they’re talkin’ to-”

“Sorry! Sorry!” Twilight quickly cut in, only then finally managing to catch up with Applejack and fall in next to her. She let out a short, nervous laugh between fresh pants. “Didn’t mean to startle you, ma’am! We’ve just had a really, really rough day and we’ve been walking for a really long time. We’re not bandits or thieves though; just travelers. We’re not even armed…uh…unless you count a hammer. So there’s no reason to be afraid of us.”

The woman glanced up again once, but then looked back down again.

Applejack frowned. Twilight looked uncomfortable, wondering if the woman had even understood that. “Well, um…as I said, we really don’t mean you any harm or trouble and we’ll be out of your way soon as we’re just passing through. So there’s no reason to be scared of us. Ok?”

She kept looking away. Her lips parted, but spoke so softly that the two only heard a quiet mumble.

“Ex…excuse me?”

She looked up once briefly before mumbling even quieter than before.

Applejack’s teeth began to grit. “Dagnabbit, this is a waste of time… If ya’ ain’t gonna talk ta’ us, can ya’ at least point us to where the nearest town is?”

Her voice was so booming that the woman cringed a little more, letting out a feeble noise that almost sounded like a whine. Twilight gave Applejack an annoyed look. “Could you talk a little quieter? I think you’re intimidating her.”

“Well, at this point I’m startin’ ta’ wonder what in tarnation she’s doing out here in the first place so close ta’ the Equestrian border if two people passin’ through make her clam up tighter than a river muss-”

“Oh…oh my! I’ve never seen a dog like you before!”

The two women stopped and looked back to the lady; both a bit surprised to suddenly hear her speak. They got another surprise to see her previous shy and fearful demeanor had vanished. She was now crouched on the ground and greeting Spike happily.

“What a beautiful shade of fur!” she went on as she pet his belly. “And it’s so soft too! Who’s a good boy? You’re a good boy!”

Spike, naturally, not only accepted all of this praise, but it only took a few seconds before he got down and rolled over to allow the woman greater access to his belly. As for Twilight and Applejack, they were both a tad dumbfounded at the difference in demeanor. They looked to one another, before Twilight decided to risk using it. Forcing a new smile on her face, she crouched down next to Spike as well.

“So, um…you like my dog?”

“Oh, he’s your dog?” the woman spoke up, finally addressing them clearly. “He’s so handsome! I didn’t know dogs came in a shade of purple and green. What’s his name?”

“Spike.”

“Well hello there, Spike! You’re a cute boy! Where was he born?”

“I’m not exactly sure. I got him in Canterlot Castle.”

The moment she said that, Twilight’s own eyes widened and she nearly covered her own mouth. Applejack perked up again on seeing her slip, but the pink-haired woman seemed not to mind so much. “Oh my… I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Canterlot Castle. Are there many animals like him there?”

Twilight sweat a little, but quickly evaded the issue. “I, um…couldn’t say. I was only visiting… But anyway, like my friend was saying, the two, I mean, three of us are really in a whole lot of trouble right now. We, uh…got stranded from the rest of our group and some…bad people chased us into the forest on the Equestrian border.”

The pink-haired woman looked up, cupping a hand to her mouth. For a moment, it seemed as if she would be petrified again, but fortunately the dog had gotten her to open up. “Oh no! Little Spike didn’t get hurt, did he?”

“‘Spike’?!” Applejack retorted. “The dog? What about-”

“We all came out of it ok,” Twilight quickly cut in, “but we’ve been running half the day and we’re exhausted, and the sun is going to be down soon. We really need to find shelter fast. Can you please show us the way to your town?”

“Town?” she echoed back, before looking away again. “Oh…oh dear… You see, um…I don’t live near any towns. I haven’t even been to any towns in about two years now, but the last one I passed through was at least eight miles southwest of here.”

“Eight…eight miles?!” Applejack echoed in shock. “We’ll never make it that far before sundown! Not even if we could run the whole way!”

Twilight hesitated a moment before smiling a little more at the woman. “Well, in that case, I don’t suppose, um…possibly…maybe…you would be willing to let us…”

She trailed off. Her eyes suddenly widened.

Applejack noticed the pause and turned to her. “Twilight, come on. Spit it out. Ya’ were gonna-”

“Excuse me,” Twilight quickly cut off, before she snapped to her feet and went in alongside Applejack. The woman didn’t seem to notice, continuing to pet Spike; now tickling him and making one of his legs kick. At once, Twilight’s tone turned sharp.

“Applejack, we can’t stay with her.”

“Beg yer pardon?” she answered at full volume, making Twilight wince again. “Why in tarnation-”

She reached out for her chin and turned her head. “Look.”

Applejack found herself forced to look at the woman again. She nearly protested, until she realized Twilight was indicating toward her hands.

On taking a closer look, and seeing her now petting Spike, she noticed a six-sided emblem on one.

“She’s got a Promethian Sigil!” Twilight sharply whispered. “She could go crazy during the night and try and kill us!”

Applejack almost rolled her eyes. The pink-haired woman looked about as solidly built as a tower of feathers, and as intimidating as a butterfly. “I don’t think it’ll be a problem. Just look at her.”

“Well, look at her now… But if her mood changes…”

“It’ll be fine,” Applejack waved off. “If anything comes up, it’s two of us on her and we’ve both got our…our…whatever ya’ called ‘em.”

“But-”

“Ma’am,” Applejack spoke up again, far more composed this time. She actually pulled off her hat as the woman look up to her. “We’re stranded out here right now so I don’t suppose ya’ could trouble yerself ta’ let us shack up with ya’ for the night, could ya’? We’re willin’ ta’ do whatever chores ya’d like ta’ earn our keep, but we’re really in a tight spot. If ya’ don’t help us out, the three of us’ll end up sleepin’ under the stars.”

“Oh dear…” the woman softly answered, leaning up and looking down on Spike anxiously. “This is far too close to the forest… I’d hate to think of what might happen to poor Spike during the night… He could be bitten by a Nighttouched rat or bat, or clawed at by a Nighttouched owl, or even run into a wild Nighttouched raccoon or dog…”

“Uh…we wouldn’t care fer any of that stuff ta’ come ta’ us neither.”

She nervously wrung her hands. “I…I don’t normally have guests…but…” She looked back up to them. “If you’re really sure you wouldn’t mind, then…I guess I could let you stay at my home tonight.”

“Heh, right now we’re a couple o’ the least-choosin’ beggars you’ve ever seen,” Applejack half-chuckled.

“We certainly wouldn’t mind. Thank you very much,” Twilight added.

“Well…alright, if you say so…” she timidly answered as she began to rise. “I don’t live far and I was about to get the animals in for the night anyway… We better hurry.”

---

About fifteen minutes later, both Twilight and Applejack were, somewhat hesitantly, “settling in”. It turned out the shelter that their new host was offering them was an old cellar underneath an even older, half-broken down shack. It probably would have been a bit more appealing to them if they didn’t find they were sharing it with almost an entire farm worth of animals jam packed everywhere they could be, leaving them barely any room to stretch out on the floor.

Both women glanced about repeatedly at the walls of chickens, mice, turtles, lizards, squirrels, raccoons, birds, rabbits, and more. Twilight noted that many of them seemed to have a purple or dark-colored splotch on them, while Applejack frequently looked at the woman’s rabbit; who, at this point, was not only down there with them but seemed to be eyeing them cautiously. He wasn’t touching his own food, but Spike, lying nearby, was digging into his own. Their host had made sure to feed them first, and now the ceiling above them creaked as she moved about.

After a time, Twilight somewhat uneasily moistened her lips. “So…” she called up above, “Missus…uh…um…?”

“Oh…I’m Fluttershy,” her voice softly called back.

“Fluttershy. Do you really live out here all by yourself?”

“Well, with all of my friends. I left town a while ago and came out here. I saw this building was abandoned and I moved in. I, um…don’t really care for towns that much. I tend to…get a bit shy around people.”

“I can imagine…” Applejack muttered before looking up again. “Looks like you an’ the critters all cram down here every night?”

“Oh yes. I can’t really barricade the house against any Nighttouched, especially the small ones. So we hide down there every night. Don’t worry. I always make sure everyone does their business before heading down.”

Both Twilight and Applejack winced. A single whiff of the cellar informed them that Fluttershy had clearly gone “nose-blind” to the animals after two years. “I…think there might have been an ‘accident’ or two down here at one point.”

“Oh dear…well, animals will be animals.”

A few moments later, she appeared at the top of the cellar door, holding a small, warped pot and a few bowls. She began to make her way down the stairs. “I apologize in advance for supper. I wasn’t really expecting anyone and I had to put out the fire before it got too late so…it might be a bit undercooked.”

“Well, I’m hungry as a horse so I’ll take whatever yer offerin’, ma’am,” Applejack answered as she reached the bottom. As soon as she was down, she moved over to Spike’s side, pausing to pet him as well as her rabbit again, before setting the bowls down and beginning to use a spoon in her pot to scoop something into them. Twilight soon spotted it was rather gray, lumpy, and paste-like, with numerous dark spots in it.

She tried to suppress her displeasure. “So, um…what are we having?”

“Oh, my own special recipe for oatmeal. I made it up myself when I moved out here.” She smiled a bit at that last part in self-pride.

Soon she had served up the bowls and passed them out along with some old spoons. She immediately went right into her own, offering a little to her rabbit at the same time. Applejack tried to dig into hers, but her spoon seemed to be adhered to it. She frowned and pulled at it a bit, almost needing to shift her grip, before it came up and she began to eat. Twilight noted her expression blanched a moment before she was able to put down a bite. Nervously, she went for a spoonful from her own bowl.

“The best part about it is that it’s made right from the same food I gather for the animals, so they can have whatever is left over.” Fluttershy added happily.

Applejack paused; giving her own food a glance. Reluctantly, she forced herself to keep eating. Twilight was far more nervous as she pulled up a spoonful of her own. “Really now? And…what kind of food is in it?”

“Well, oats of course. But I also coarse ground some kernels and seeds, and I even throw in some mashed up grubs, beetles, and larva. They really give you a lot of energy, you know.”

Twilight flashed a shade green. Applejack herself moved even slower, now seeming to rue each bite, but she also leaned over and elbowed Twilight. “She’s givin’ us a free meal no matter how bad we think it is…and we ain’t gonna get nowhere tomorrow without some food in our stomachs tonight.”

At long last, wincing one more time, Twilight took up a spoonful and put it in her mouth. She looked slightly more nauseated each time her tongue touched one of the more “gritty” parts, not knowing if they were seed kernels or insect exoskeleton, and trying not to think about what each unusual blob of material her tongue touched was. At last, she managed to force it to her throat, and soon after winced as she tried three separate times to swallow.

After a time, Applejack leaned in again. “It’s a bit easier if ya’ chew it first.”

She winced again as she forced it back up to chew a little, seeming almost ready to heave each time, before she finally swallowed a bite. At that point, looking as if the sick feelings in her stomach were worse than hunger, she set the bowl down. “Ms. Fluttershy…” she went on again, trying to get her mind off of it, “you’ve really been living out here for two years? This close to the border to Equestria? By yourself?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say all by myself. I do have all my little friends here.”

“But as dangerous as it is you’ve still managed to stay out here?”

She folded her hands in her lap momentarily. “It does get a bit dangerous from time to time…but I’m used to it by now. I’ve worked out a good system for being able to avoid any Nighttouched or Light Eaters. I even have a special hood I used to make sure none are hiding in the house in the morning before I get up. And I’d still rather be out here than in a town.”

Applejack frowned. “Ya’ might wanna rethink that. We just got away from a whole hoard o’ Nighttouched comin’ cross the border. Not more than half a day’s walk from here.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened, before she cringed a little again. “Oh…oh my… Really?”

“Worse’n that. They got some special ones that eat right through wooden walls.” She nodded to the ceiling. “That cellar door ain’t gonna mean squat to them if they decide ta’ break in.”

“Oh dear…” she winced a bit more. “That does sound bad…but…” She looked up and around herself, at all the rows of animals currently in the cellar. “Oh…I can’t just up and leave all of them behind. They still need me. I’m the only one who can help them.”

“I’m sure that if you could corral all of them, you could relocate them to a forest or abandoned lot in a safer town south of here,” Twilight offered. “It’d be safer than living here.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No, it’s not that. Here…” She turned to the side as she put her bowl down and patted her lap. “Angel, could you come here a moment?”

The rabbit looked up and then, a bit to the bewilderment of the two ladies, did exactly as she said and hopped over to her. He soon lay out on her lap, and she began to pet his head, but also gently manipulated him through her petting to get him to roll over. Once he did, she moved out and held one of his rear legs. She stretched it out while still stroking him and exposed the other side.

The light from the single lantern in the cellar was faint, but the two could make out a tiny purple splotch on his inner thigh.

Twilight looked curious. “What is that? It almost looks like the same color as…”

She trailed off; her eyes widening in realization.

“You…you don’t mean…?”

Fluttershy bowed her head a little sadly. “Angel showed me that he was out trying to dig up a tuber in the woods about two miles from the border when it suddenly got dark out, and soon after he saw a long, prickly Light Eater come out like a cobra and try to strike him. He tried to jump, but he got poked on the inside of his thigh by one of its spines. He ran and ran until he went out of the forest and right up to me, and he was so scared and panicked he jumped right into my arms. That was about six years ago now…”

“Six…six years?!” Twilight cried; loud enough to make Angel and Spike lean up and Fluttershy cringe.

Applejack shrugged. “What ya’ yellin’ about?”

She snapped to her. “Didn’t you just hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Her rabbit got injured by a Light Eater six years ago!”

Her own bowl of oatmeal dropped to the ground. “Wh-what?! And…and ya’ mean…” she spun to the rabbit, who had calmed now but seemed to almost stare at the two of them angrily at upsetting him. “Ya’ mean…he ain’t…ain’t tried to bite yer throat out or nothin’? He’s still actin’ like a rabbit and not like some little pit demon?”

“I might have phrased that a bit more gently…” Twilight moaned.

“Oh…oh no, it’s alright,” Fluttershy answered as she began to lean up again. “I know what you’re saying. And you’re right. He should have turned into a Nighttouched in less than a day.” She looked up and around, gesturing around her. “They all should have.”

“All?” Twilight echoed back, before looking up and around. She gave another start. “You mean…those little splotches on them…?”

“They’re all gonna turn into Nighttouched?!” Applejack cried; almost getting up.

“Oh no, it’s fine,” Fluttershy reassured. “You see, that’s why I need to be here. Their spots aren’t getting any bigger. I’ll admit they do act a bit unusual… They seem to know everything I say to them and they walk around and act a lot more ‘person-like’ than normal animals would, and none of them seem to get any older. They’re not in danger, though. You see…every time their splotches start getting bigger, I found out all I have to do is look them straight in the eye and stare while I hold onto them. When I do that, the splotches shrink again.”

Both Twilight and Applejack were still rather tensed up, especially realizing they were basically surrounded by future monsters. Yet they paid attention to this, and when Fluttershy was finished they turned back to her incredulously.

“Seriously?”

She smiled and nodded back, but lowered her eyes again and frowned soon after. “But I can’t make the splotches go away all together… I’ve tried as hard as I could, but it’s no good. I can only shrink them, and after a while they always start to grow again. That’s why I have to stay with them.”

The two were quiet, rather surprised to hear this news. Even Twilight had never heard of anything like that before. However, she shrugged after a moment. “Well, even if you can’t find out a way to make the corruption go away completely, you can still relocate them somewhere safer.”

She shook her head. “No…I need to stay here in case I can pick up any more animals that end up getting attacked by Nighttouched. And if I’m not right next to the border, I’ll never see them…”

“Well, that’s just plain nuts,” Applejack snorted. “All ya’ need is a Light Eater ta’ walk right cross this border and there goes yer animals and yer homestead. And after that big surge we saw last night, I think that’s gonna be sooner rather than later.”

That made her turn a shade white, even in the dim light. “Oh…oh no, I couldn’t…” she meekly answered, shrinking in a bit further.

“What’s there ta’ be scared of?” Applejack frowned. “Twilight an’ I spent all day walkin’ right in the edge of the forest and didn’t run into a scrap o’ trouble. Everywhere else has gotta be safer.”

Fluttershy actually winced and looked at both of them in sudden terror. It was enough to make them both start.

“You…you actually went…through the forest…?”

Applejack blinked back, then shrugged. “Well, yeah. Ain’t like it’s right on the border where things get dark. You gotta know that livin’ this close, right?”

Fluttershy didn’t answer. She curled in on herself, placing her hands around Angel, and began to tremble. “Oh dear… Oh dear… Oh dear…”

“Um,” Twilight spoke up again, “is there something wrong?”

The woman didn’t answer. She was quiet for a long time, seeming to rock on herself and only saying “oh dear” like an attempt to self-soothe. Eventually, however, she looked up to them again. “You two don’t know how lucky you are. You can never set foot in that forest again.”

“Well, why not?”

Fluttershy again had to pause to compose herself, holding Angel up higher to her chest like a teddy bear. She looked again to the floor, letting her hair dangle over her face. Applejack was getting rather impatient when she finally spoke.

“A few days ago…Olivia ran into the forest. I tried to run after her and…and I ended up going…pretty deep… Where the sun stopped shining and…and I saw yellow eyes starting to come out… Only it wasn’t just a few of them like at night. It was hundreds…thousands of them…all moving through an old creek bed…”

She swallowed. After about a minute, Applejack and Twilight thought that was it, until she spoke up again.

“And then…then I saw…” Another swallow as her voice shrank to a near whisper. “Then I saw…it.”

Twilight, looking the more intrigued of the two, leaned in. “Saw what?”

Fluttershy’s eyes went lower as she muttered in a near whimper.

Applejack frowned. “Landsakes, we’ll never get it out of her now…”

Twilight didn’t give up. “A Nighttouched?”

She shook her head.

“A Light Eater?”

She nodded.

“A big one?”

She nodded again.

“Like…the size of a wagon?”

She shook her head.

“The size of a house?”

She shook her head.

Twilight began to look uneasy. “A…building?”

Another head shake.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Uh…is Twilight gettin’ farther away or closer ta’ how big it was?”

The lavender-haired woman swallowed a little herself now. “A…hillside?”

A long pause, before she nodded. Twilight actually let out a small gasp as she leaned back. Applejack blinked twice, her jaw beginning to hang.

“No way…that ain’t possible. No Light Eater gets that big…” She paused, then glanced at Twilight. “…Does it?”

“Not one I’ve ever seen…” she uneasily answered.

“Well, if one was that big, there ain’t no way it would have let Fluttershy go…” Seeing the pink-haired woman cringe, she quickly held up her hands. “Er, no offense.”

“I don’t know. If it was that big and she wasn’t too far from the border, it might not have been able to get closer without seeing some sunlight. The only thing the Light Eaters fear is the sun. Of course…” she winced. “Light Eaters tend to bring darkness with them wherever they go… If it was really that big, maybe she was too small to notice…”

She trailed off on seeing Fluttershy was looking more and more petrified. “Er, sorry,” she quickly apologized. “Do you remember anything else about it? Was it a corporeal form?”

Applejack quirked her brow. “Was it a what-now?”

Twilight sighed. “Did it have a form other than a cloud or a blob? Like it was taking the shape of a creature?”

“I’m…I’m not sure…” Fluttershy meekly answered. “All I remember was seeing four legs bigger than the trees around me walking by. They looked almost like a horse’s legs… Oh dear.” She set Angel down and began to rise. “I’m afraid I’m scaring myself a bit too much. I’m going to shut up the cellar now and then I’ll have to put out the light for the night.”

Quickly, she turned around and began to head up the stairs to close the cellar. Applejack continued to wince at the news, but also kept her eyes on Twilight.

She too was looking at the floor now, although her expression was far more thoughtful.

---

In spite of the cramped accommodations, smell, the wealth of new concerns and fears on her mind, and the food turning her stomach a little, Applejack was nevertheless so tired that it didn’t take her long to get to sleep. She wasn’t sure how many hours went by, but it was still pitch black and silent when she felt a hand set on her shoulder with a light shake.

“Applejack. Applejack.”

The voice was in such a faint whisper that she never would have awakened from it alone. However, the feeling of a hand on her as well as the light shake got her alert fairly quickly. After a few calls, she suddenly snapped up and nearly seized the hand, causing a tiny yipe from Twilight as well as several animals rustling. Only then did she recognize the voice.

“Wh…wha…Twilight?”

“Ssh!” was the sound that came back. A few moments of silence passed, as the animals eased again. Applejack felt her leaning in closer to her. “Keep your voice as low as you can. I wanted to wait until Fluttershy was asleep to talk again, but I’m sure a lot of these animals can hear us.”

“Animals ain’t what ya’ got ta’ worry about…” Applejack somewhat grumpily whispered back. “It’s some Nighttouched wanderin’ inta’ her house and hearin’ us down here.”

“So you don’t want to talk about what we’re going to do next when she’s not listening?”

The farmer paused, and then sighed. “No…I do. And right now, the first thing I’d like ta’ do is head back to my kinfolk.”

“Wh…what?!”

“Relax…keep yer voice down…” Applejack sighed back. “I said that’s what I’d like ta’ do. Not what I can do. I’ve been thinkin’ most of the day and…well…” She groaned. “Dagnabbit…I don’t know what them Trottingham types want, but if they’d blow a whole fort just ta’ get the two of us, then I’m a bigger danger ta’ them now than I ever was with this damn Promethian Sigil thing…”

“Well…we definitely can’t go back East,” Twilight groaned. “That just gets us closer to Trottingham and wherever that airship came from. And we can’t go any further North, either. That’s leaves South or West.”

“Ain’t no Apples that live in either of those parts…not anymore. Ta’ be honest, I’m outta my element out here. Ain’t never gone far from home. But no matter where we go, those Trottinghamites could show up. Any ideas?”

“Yes. West, toward Fillydelphia and Manehattan.”

Applejack nearly leaned up. “Ya’ outta yer magic-slingin’ mind? Not only is that on the other side o’ the Hyperborean Mountains, but it’s a third of the distance across Greater Everfree! ‘Sides, what’s so great ‘bout bein’ with all them stuck-up folk from Manehattan and them sneaky SOBs from Fillydelphia?”

“The fact that neither of them will let a Trottingham airship fly into their interior without shooting it down is a good start.”

Applejack found herself tongue-tied at that.

“If we head South, all we have is open country and sparse towns. All of the Appleloosan military is trying to guard the border from the Nighttouched surge according to Burnt Oak. Since Trottingham can hop over the border to Equestria whenever it likes, there’s no way they’ll be able to cover for us if they catch us out in the open.”

“Well, that’s assumin’ they can find us ta’ begin with. And walkin’ ‘longside the Equestrian border doesn’t really keep us safe from a surprise attack neither.”

“Except they can’t see through the trees, and while they may fly over it they’re not going to risk landing to look for us. I’ve taken this route before. We only need a couple days to travel West then we’ll be able to hit one of the major roads to the Shell River, then we just ride it down to the Seaquestria Port and cross right over. So many people travel down that river that they’ll never pick us out.”

Applejack frowned. “We still ain’t sure how they found us at Fort Chestnut…”

“They had to have gotten lucky. Passed by just as they saw us using our Anima Viris.”

The farmer wasn’t so sure, but she had to admit West was slightly better than South. She sighed. “Fine, fine… West and stuck-up cityfolk it is. Just so long as it means I can get a letter back to my folks and a newsstand to find out what happened ta’ Fort Chestnut. ‘Course, we got another reason ta’ not be so eager ta’ head West…assumin’ Fluttershy didn’t jus’ get spooked by some trees.”

Twilight paused. “I’ve…actually been thinking about what she said a lot.”

She snorted a bit as she leaned back down. “Tall tale, if ya’ ask me. If there were Light Eaters out there that big, Greater Everfree wouldn’t last a month…” Her face softened soon after. “Although, I gotta admit, the thought of one of them near here… I mean, they ain’t never figured out what caused the Light Eaters ta’ show up ta’ begin with…”

In spite of herself, she found herself cringing a little more and looking up at the darkness more uneasily.

“Don’t suppose…it might’ve been a big one…” Pause. “Ya’ think?”

“I…actually wonder if I’ve heard of it before.”

“Beg yer pardon?”

She heard Twilight shift as she leaned back on the cloth Fluttershy had lain out for them to use as a makeshift mattress. “There were a lot of things I learned in that academy, but there were a lot more things that I never got the chance to learn. And there were even more things than that which the headmistress didn’t want us to learn… There was one book, though, that I looked in that was in Celestia’s office. I was trying to ask her a question about a new spell and I was waiting for her, just sitting in that chair being bored, and it was lying on a stand that was already open and I knew it was a book I had never read, and so…I walked over to it and took a look. And I saw it was full of creatures I’d never seen before.”

“What kinda creatures?”

“Not…good ones. Most of them didn’t look like any animals I had ever seen. And a lot of them…” Her voice lowered. “Seemed to be monsters. I barely had a chance to flip through more than a couple dozen pages, and I read even less, but in that book I saw a Light Eater for the first time.”

Applejack sat up even more. “Say what now?”

“It was a long time ago now and I wondered if I imagined it… A lot of my memories in that school early on are unreliable. I think I was too overwhelmed by everything I saw. The more I thought about it, though, I’m almost positive that’s what I saw in that book. I think I didn’t believe it for so long because the book called it something different…”

“Ya’ mean ta’ tell me yer old schoolteacher knew ‘bout the Nighttouched long ‘fore they showed up?” She paused soon after saying this. “Uh…just outta curiosity, what did the book call them?”

She could hear Twilight swallow in the darkness. “Nightmares.”

“Uh…nightmares? Like bad dreams or…?”

“The whole name ‘nightmare’ comes from mythology to begin with…the idea of an unwholesome spirit tormenting people while they sleep. Calling them Nightmares is about as fitting as calling them Light Eaters.”

“Well, alright…but what made ya’ think of that?”

Another swallow. This time, Twilight paused before her voice grew quieter yet.

“When I turned the page, there was a picture of a much larger Nightmare. As big as a mountain. Spreading pitch blackness and death with every step it took. This one looked like some sort of giant, starry, black horse with a spire-like horn. I didn’t get a chance to read much, but this one wasn’t called a Nightmare. The book called it…a Tantabus.”

The ghastly reverence with which Twilight spoke the monstrosity’s name was as if whispering it would cause it to appear. The description of its picture only made her more uncomfortable. As a result, Applejack found herself involuntarily cringing a little. “How’s it different from the other Light Eaters? I mean…aside from bein’…so damn big…”

“I didn’t have a chance to read any more than its name,” she spoke a bit louder. “But ever since Fluttershy talked about what she saw and I remembered it, I got to thinking again. Everyone knows that Light Eaters themselves spread permanent night and darkness. But every record I could find indicates it normally takes a lot of them gathering to pull it off. Some researchers think that’s why they slowed down in their frequency of attacks as the years passed. They’re spreading themselves thin and they can’t muster up enough numbers in one spot to take over large tracts of territory anymore.”

She half-laughed in her faint whisper. “I actually hoped that was true, because it would mean they’re finite. But it also made me remember that the bigger they are, the more darkness they can spread. And it grows geometrically. And it made me start thinking about what a Light Eater that big could do if it was real… It would be enough to take the remainder of Mount Aris overnig-”

“Let’s…let’s talk ‘bout somethin’ else besides silly picture books,” Applejack cut in. There was no way Twilight could see in the darkness that her expression showed she had heard enough. “Like what we’re gonna do ‘bout Fluttershy here.”

“Huh?” Twilight asked; snapped out of her own train of gloomy thought.

“We both think that the reason they were after us was ‘cause of the Promethian Sigil, right?”

“Well…yeah, right…”

“So don’t that mean if they come by lookin’ fer us they’re gonna spot her too? Not ta’ mention…I don’t know if ya’ noticed, but I think she’d crack under an interrogation before they even asked the first question.”

“Oh…” Twilight remarked with a half-groan. “I didn’t think about that… Any ideas?”

“Just one. We take her with us.”

“What?!” This time, it was Twilight who upset the animals, and more than Applejack. She quickly clamped her hands over her mouth and leaned back down for several minutes until they all relaxed again. “Take her with us?”

“Well, what else we gonna do? We can’t leave her behind ta’ tell ‘em we were here if they come lookin’, assumin’ they don’t jus’ blow her up too.”

“But we can’t just take her with us! What is she goes crazy like the photographer did? We barely stopped her!”

“Have ya’ taken a good look ‘round here at all these animals? Somethin’ tells me if she can keep ‘em from turnin’ inta’ Nighttouched, then she’s the last person we got to worry ‘bout losin’ it. Besides, a person like that might be handy ta’ have around. Maybe she can make people stop bein’ crazy like too.”

“Oh…” Twilight groaned back. A few moments of silence passed before she sighed. “I don’t like it, but…she did help us. And you’re right about her own power. Plus I’m kind of interested to know if she knows anything else about whatever she saw…especially if it’s a Tantabus… Do you think she’ll even want to come though?”

“We’ll just have to explain things bright an’ early when she wakes up. Then I think we best get out of here and on the road ourselves. Between them Trottinghamites and the Nighttouched, even stayin’ the night in a cellar is startin’ ta’ look unsafe…”

---

Applejack had intended to tell Fluttershy the situation with Twilight the night before, but bright and early, as soon as the sun was up and they finally left the cellar, the street magician headed outside saying she’d be back. Figuring it was to avoid eating any more of Fluttershy’s homemade oatmeal, which she immediately started cooking, Applejack got tired of waiting and finally spilled the whole story.

Needless to say, by the end of it Fluttershy had forgotten the now-burning oatmeal and looked as if she wanted to go hide in the cellar again. “Oh…oh my…oh my…”

Applejack winced uncomfortably. “Yeah…it ain’t the best news in the world, but the bottom line is ya’ ain’t safe here. It’s better if ya’ tag along with us as we head out west.”

“Oh…oh, I don’t know…” she half-whined, fretfully putting her hands on her cheeks and staring at a spot on the floor. “It’s been so long since I’ve been around towns…I get so nervous…” She looked up. “I’m not sure you and your friend would really want me along. I don’t tend to get along too well with other people, and I’m sure I’m not worth any trouble you’d run into on account of me. Maybe I should just stay here and hide if things get too bad…”

The farmer frowned. “That might work, but then again it might not. These fellas we ran into didn’t care nothin’ ‘bout blowin’ up a whole fort and everyone in it just ta’ get ta’ us. They have a reason ta’ shoot at you, they ain’t gonna care ‘bout sparin’ no critters.”

“Oh dear…”

“An’ ya’ may have gotten lucky tonight, but if any more of them Parasprites come out with the next gang o’ Nighttouched, yer gonna be in deep trouble. There ain’t no way outta yer cellar once somethin’ finds its way in.”

Fluttershy paled a little and cupped a hand to her mouth. “Oh dear. I never thought of that…”

She actually began to shift in the direction of the cellar at that, causing Applejack to sigh and quickly get in her way. “Now look…you’ll be much safer with the two of us. Not only can we stay on the move, but these here Promethian Sigil things…well, we just about got the hang of ‘em. We can beat up most anythin’ that tries ta’ tangle with ya’.”

“Oh, but I really don’t want you to go to all that trouble. I’m really not worth it.”

Applejack winced at her latest self-depreciation before cutting in. “Really. It ain’t no bother. So what d’ya say?”

The pink-haired woman hesitated. She put a finger to her chin and thought. “Well…I’ll admit it’s getting harder to find food around here. And I know one day the shadow over Equestria will come out this far. And…and…” She swallowed. “I really don’t like the idea of airships with big guns or Nighttouched that eat wood coming here with all the animals at risk. I guess I could…”

She looked up.

“But…on one condition.”

Applejack wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that. “What is it?”

---

Applejack’s teeth were nearly gnashed. “So much fer keepin’ a low profile…”

She was outside again. The sun was higher than she wanted, and illuminating what almost looked like a caravan worth of animals. Every single last one under Fluttershy’s care had come out and arranged themselves in a troupe. The bigger ones seemed normal enough, but when it got to the level of squirrels, turtles, songbirds, and even mice standing in neat rows, it not only seemed excessive but was also highly noticeable. Even Spike seemed to be displeased with the entire display. Nevertheless, Fluttershy continued to fuss over them and speak with them. The only good side seemed to be that she was in a better mood now that she was arranging them.

The farmer crossed her arms. “Ya’ really sure we need ta’ bring all yer animals?”

She looked up just long enough to turn to her. “Oh, yes! Of course! I have to make sure to stay close to them in case any of them start to turn so I can treat it.”

She frowned. “I’m just not sure they’ll all keep up…”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m already arranging for Smoky and Cynthia’s families to take turns with Sheldon and Royce’s group. They’ll work in shifts to make sure that no one falls behind and we can stay at a good pace.”

Applejack repressed the urge to throw her hat to the ground in frustration.

“We’re almost ready to go, but where’s your friend?”

“Her name’s Twilight Sparkle…and that’s a good question,” Applejack answered as she spun around. “Just finish up and I’ll go look for her.”

Fluttershy didn’t dispute as the farmer began to walk away from the clear space in front of the slumped building and glance around, looking for the nearest outhouse. She assumed that she would be there trying to rid herself of last night’s oatmeal. However, she saw nothing of the sort, and as she moved on from that to start looking around behind the shack she still didn’t see any sign of her. She soon walked a good distance from Fluttershy and looked out to the surrounding land, but still saw nothing.

As she began to near the remains of an overgrown trail that led into the forest, she rubbed her hand against her forehead. “Now where did she get off to? Maybe she can talk her inta’ leavin’ behind most of those critters…”

“I’m here! I’m here!”

She suddenly raised her head, hearing Twilight’s voice at last, but soon more surprised to find herself looking at the old trail. Moments later, the woman came rushing out of the forest onto it, and, panting yet again, quickly ran up to Applejack. “I’m all set!” she exhaled as she slowed to a stop. “Let’s go!”

Applejack didn’t move, staring dumbfounded. “What…you were…what…” Her brow creased. “Ya’ don’t mean ta’ tell me that you were in that forest the whole time, do ya’?”

Twilight immediately began to look uncomfortable. Her eyes went to one side. “Uh, well…not exactly. I found a place to ease nature first…”

“That’s what you were lookin’ at?” Applejack nearly shouted. “Runnin’ off into the forest right next ta’ Equestria? Even my strongest kinfolk were never that dumb!”

“I just wanted to see if there were any signs of what Fluttershy was talking about!”

“What the-” Applejack flummoxed, before looking twice as upset. “You were tryin’ ta’ find that thing?!”

“M-Maybe…” she offered with a sheepish grin, before turning to her and looking insistent. “It was my only chance to see the effects of one!”

“I don’t believe you! Here I let you talk me inta’ leavin’ my family behind and followin’ you on everything, and now you do this!”

Twilight groaned. “Look, I know it was risky, but if Fluttershy really saw a Tantabus, that means there’s one out here right on the border and it could do a lot more damage than any other swarm of Nighttouched every did! Something like that could destroy an entire major city by itself! I wanted to at least make sure we weren’t going to walk right into its path!”

Applejack scowled, finally leveling a glare at her. “Now answer me this and give it to me straight… You ain’t leadin’ us West just so you can try and follow in that thing’s footsteps, are ya’?”

“No! No, of course not!” Twilight instantly insisted, before wincing a little. “I’ll admit it’s kind of a ‘fringe benefit’ because I really don’t think it’s a good idea not to know where it’s going…but I still think going West is best.”

“Well that better be the only reason,” Applejack finally huffed as she turned about. “’Cause we don’t just got Fluttershy along fer the ride but a whole mess o’-”

She cut herself off and suddenly turned her head to the sky. She wasn’t alone. Twilight did at the same time.

Until then, the morning had been rather clear and quiet. They weren’t around where any birds or insects dared to tread, after all, and the only noise all morning other than their own movements or Fluttershy’s tending was a breeze.

At that moment, however, they heard something just over the hills. Something that sounded like the breeze carrying the sound of an airship turbine.

The two looked to one another; their uneasy expressions immediately showing that neither had imagined the noise.

“Let’s…let’s just get on the road. We’ll argue there.”

“Good idea.”

Both quickly moved to get back to Fluttershy.

---

The end of the curved blade went out and shifted the old rug aside, revealing the cellar door of the slumped shack. A moment later, the blade retracted and its owner quickly squatted down and felt for a handle. It took him a moment, but he grasped it and pried it open to reveal what was beneath. He looked over the edge, but quickly scowled.

“Aw man! Nothing but a hiding place?” He leaned in closer, getting on all fours and looking inside. “No salted pork? Preserves? Apple cider?”

“Hey Snips!” the armored man’s taller comrade shouted from outside the shack. “What’d you find?”

He winced for a moment on hearing that, actually put on the spot. “I’m, uh…still lookin’!”

“Ok. For a moment, I thought you hadn’t found nothin’ like I said you wouldn’t if we stopped here, and that we’d only be wasting time and fuel, and that Lady Sunset would be really mad at us if we really did let anyone else get away because you wanted to stop and see if whoever lived here had abandoned their home and left any jewelry or food behind…”

“Ugh, I get it, Snails!” he shouted back as he angrily began to look for a lamp to light up the cellar.

Outside, Snails didn’t seem to recognize the anger in his voice as he went back to idly looking at the nearby forest. Nearby, the Prodigy had come in for a “hovering dock” on the nearest wide open field to the shack, although aside from a pair of sentries standing by below it the rest of the crew was inside. Snips and Snails alone had gone forward, the former of the two saying they had officially stopped to look for signs of the escapees.

Now as Snipes moved into the abandoned shack to rummage for anything of value left behind, his companion looked around the area. He noticed the more recent patches of dirt, and the signs of three separate sets of footprints in them as well as numerous animal tracks.

“Say Snips?” he called in again. “If you’re still thinking that they may have passed through here, I think you’re-”

An angry yell cut him off. “Don’t bother me now, Snails! Can’t ya’ see I’m searching? I mean…looking for signs of ‘em?”

“Yeah, I know. That’s why-”

The sound of a head hitting a board rang out. “Ow! Dangit, stop bothering me!”

He shrugged. “Ok, suit yourself.” He resumed idly looking down, staring at the tracks again. Having nothing better to do, he started to look around and try and trace them. When they got too far for him to see, he started to follow them.

He didn’t have to look too far. He was able to watch as they went around the shack and toward the side, where they moved onto an old, mostly overgrown trail. He walked right up to the side of it and then looked down, toward the country, tracing it as it went along and out of sight.

“Hey Snips. Maybe we should follow…”

He trailed off, turning his head.

By the side of the road there was a tall clump of grass, seemingly growing around an old tree root or a hollow. For a moment he thought he had seen something in it, and now turned fully toward it. His eyes rested on a dark patch right underneath the grass, like a small hole, but saw nothing else.

Curious, he walked up to the small dark spot, and once he was close enough he knelt next to it. From there, he could see something unusual. The dark patch wasn’t due to the position of the old tree root or a hollow at all. Rather, it seemed to just be a dark, black spot. Like it was in total shade, only nothing was covering up. Just a patch of night right there in the open.

Beneath his helmet, he looked puzzled. Slowly he stretched his armored hand out and extended two fingers. He poked them into the dark spot until he felt something, and then pulled them back. A touch of the dark seemed to come with his fingers as it came back, and on turning it over he saw his fingertips were dipped with a black, oil-like substance; only glittering very faintly. Almost like…

Stars?

“Snails!”

“Huh?” he snapped out of his focus on the substance, looking back to the shack. A dirty, sore-looking, and upset Snips was standing there.

“Quit wasting time poking around here! We need to get back to the Prodigy and get on the road before they go any farther!”

“But you’re the one who-”

“I said move it!”

“Ok then,” he answered as he started to rise. As he did, he started to put his hand down, but noticed the substance still on it. “You might want to look at this for a second th-”

“Ugh, I don’t care about whatever junk you found ‘round here!” he snapped back as he turned around. “Just get back to the ship so we can find their trail!”

“Alright, but actually I got something on that too. I think these tracks-”

“Gah! Stop talking and move it!”

“Alright, Snips,” he answered, shaking the black material off his fingers and taking off after him.

Comments

[dvdspires]

Now as Snipes moved into the abandoned shack to rummage for anything of value left behind, his companion looked around the area. He noticed the more recent patches of dirt, and the signs of three separate sets of footprints in them as well as numerous animal tracks.

Snips.