Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot

by Equimorto

Journey Through the Dark - Part 21

The blizzard started on the second day of walking, though Twilight couldn't tell if it had actually started or if she'd merely walked into it. It didn't seem to show any signs of stopping, and from previous experiences she could safely assume it would simply continue to exist until she made it through.

She'd walked through worse worlds. Not for as long, and it still wasn't pleasant to do it, but unless the winds picked up massively she'd make it through safely. If things really did get particularly bad, she'd still be able to survive, though it might have become harder to remain hidden as she had.

The thing she worried about most was finding the right way. Even though she couldn't recognise the stars, the sky still spun on the same axis as it did in her world, so using it to orient herself hadn't been hard. Without visibility though, that wasn't a possibility. She could figure out some other way, but she had to hope the blizzard wasn't magical in nature, which it almost definitely was, and designed to mess with the kind of spells she could have used to find her way.

For a while though, the right way would be obvious even while she couldn't see much. She'd spent the first day walking to the other side of the mountain, and by the second she'd started to head down its flank. As long as she was still going downwards, she was still getting closer to her destination. And while the stronger winds and snow were annoying, at least she wasn't walking over narrow passages with almost vertical walls on a side and deep drops on the other, and the looming threat of falling rocks and boulders.

Sleeping would be more of a problem. She could keep up spells to protect herself from the cold and wind and snow, but falling asleep like that still would have meant waking up covered in ice. Either she found a cave or some other natural formation to offer some shelter, or she'd have to forego some of her stealthiness for a more comfortable solution. She didn't have too much of a problem with the second option, she didn't expect anyone to come looking for her while she slept in the middle of a blizzard. If any security was there to stop someone from getting through, it would be after that.

She was curious, somewhat, to see what that version of Sombra would be like. She wouldn't outright seek him out, and in fact she'd probably try to avoid being near him if she happened to come close to him, but her curiosity was there nonetheless. Was he willingly collaborating with Nightmare Moon? Had he been defeated by her instead, and subdued? Twilight could logically assume he'd come back the same time the one in her world had, how had things played out then?

All questions she probably wouldn't have an answer to. Not soon anyway. But she had more important things to do there. Maybe one day, if things got better. Maybe she'd ask Discord to look in that library of his, if he ever did come back. The door was still there, surprisingly holding up against rain and snow without really looking worn out, but it didn't lead anywhere. She wondered why he was taking so long, at times, or why he'd left at all. Had he lied about his involvement?

What about that world's Discord, for that matter? If she had a guess, Nightmare Moon had shattered his statue at the first occasion she'd had. Maybe at the first sign he might be coming back, since she surely wasn't attuned with the Elements herself. Though, again, she was making assumptions there. If there was no Discord and there were no Elements, that might as well have explained how Nightmare Moon had won. On a similar note, Twilight would one day have to ask Celestia why she'd kept Discord as a statue in the gardens. She knew the answers, she just wanted to see how honest Celestia would be with them.

It was easy getting distracted when everything looked the same around her. It wasn't a bad thing either, it meant it was easier to pass the time while all she had to do was walk forward. She'd set camp once she felt tired, write to Celestia and the unicorns about her situation, and severely downplay the severity of the blizzard around her to make sure they didn't worry too much. She'd have her sleep, then hopefully finish her trip in the next half cycle and make it to the Crystal Empire.

Getting past security didn't concern her too much, at least in terms of entering the Empire itself. A city state's border couldn't possibly be more heavily guarded than the castle in the capital, even just on a purely logistical level. Though it would, of course, be more heavily guarded than the version she was used to, and probably more so than just about any place in her Equestria aside from Canterlot's own castle. But reminding herself of the clear discrepancies between the two realities in those aspects was not a particularly happy thought to have, given the circumstances.

She had ideas, however. Ideas that could work. First, though, she needed to know as much as she could about the enemy's plans. Then, whether she liked it or not, she'd have to find a proper solution to dealing with Nightmare Moon. Even if they dealt with all her forces, and they could, she'd step in herself. After being near her before, Twilight knew nothing else would matter if she didn't figure out a way to stop her. Hopefully the Elements could be enough.

Comments

[Speckle]

Hopefully...

[Saix]

It'd be incredibly difficult to resist the temptation to look for differences and similarities if you visited an alternate universe, especially relating to people you know personally. Twilight's showing a lot of self control considering her curious nature, the responsibility she has now has tempered her a lot.