The Stars, the Seal, and the Kraken

by CLAVDIVS CAESAR

Chapter 3: Boldly They Rode and Well

The occupants of the Ponyville library had no more words of comfort, and so tried to give it in silence.

The beating of the kraken's wings grew ever stronger, shaking not only the windows but the boughs of the tree. The sound of the rushing wind became almost deafening, and before long the very walls seemed to tremble with each stroke. Even the unnatural chill it left in the air seemed to penetrate the library like a draft. Each moment they thought it could not possibly get any worse, the very next proved them wrong.

The timbers groaned from the stress, and ten frightened friends drew closer, each wondering silently how much longer they had to wait.

After countless minutes, the wait was over.

The walls shook. Teacups rattled free of their hooks and crashed to the counter. Framed pictures tumbled and fell flat. A bust fell from its pedestal and rumbled across the floor. And no one heard any it over the howl of apocalyptic fury crashing down upon them from above, driving all thoughts from their minds save those of hopelessness and the end of all things.

And then it ended, replaced by the frantic beating of colossal wings desperate to distance themselves from the site. After a few moments, the rushing wind and evil chill returned to their former bough-shaking rhythm, but with a subtle difference. They were receding.

The nine ponies and one young dragon stayed rigidly in place for a while, as their frozen blood began to thaw. Soon they began to let themselves believe it wasn't coming back.

Twilight scanned the faces of her companions. Eight sets of eyes met hers, filled with cautious yet growing hope. The ninth, the only ones to have seen the kraken itself, were buried in a pillow. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and panted like she'd just run a sprint. "I think... that means... it worked." She held Spike close and smiled wearily, while the other ponies hugged, high-hoofed and gave quiet, weak cheers.

All but Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie, her mane slowly regaining its curl, tried to rouse her pegasus friend. "C'mon, Dashie. It's alright. The symbol worked, it's gone." Pinkie brushed the stark white mane from her brow, but Rainbow only buried her face deeper into the pillow. Pinkie looked up towards Twilight, her face filled with worry.

Twilight let go of Spike and took a few tentative steps towards Rainbow... towards Dash. "Hey," she said softly. "What's wrong?"

Dash lifted her head slightly, giving her mouth just enough room to speak but keeping her eyes shut tight. "I already told you. We're screwed."

Twilight was baffled. "What do you mean? We know for sure now that our defenses work. That means wherever the princess found that symbol, it's at least a partially reliable source. She's probably got more things to try already. Rainbow..." The pegasus flinched at the use of her now-inaccurate first name. "We can beat this thing."

"No we can't. You didn't see it, Twilight. You don't understand. You can't. Sure we can hold it off for now, but how long can that last? How long can we hole up under these symbols, hoping we never have to step outside their protection? How long before it's able to find a way past them?" She finally opened her eyes and turned them towards Twilight. "All we've done is delay the inevitable, and piss it off in the process."

When Twilight saw her eyes, she began to suspect what was wrong. They were haunted, unfocused, and overflowing with grief. She'd thought that what they'd felt when the kraken bellowed with rage was akin to what Rainbow had felt when she saw it, but if it was, what it had done to the pegasus was orders of magnitude worse.

Twilight reached out and brushed her friend's cheek. "Rainbow Dash..." Her horn glowed sloftly. "Sleep."

Her eyelids grew heavy, and she set her head upon the pillow. "M'kay," she mumbled, as her tense eyes relaxed and closed, and her mouth curled into a childlike smile.

Twilight straightened Rainbow's blanket and tucked her in. "She'll be fine in the morning," she said softly. "A few hours of happy dreams will sort her out." Looking around, she saw the others' weariness written on their faces. No one else would need magic to help them sleep. Abandoning their separate corner of the room, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle bedded down with their sisters, and Scootaloo between each pair. Spike curled up next to Twilight, while Fluttershy and Pinkie rearranged themselves so they were on each side of Rainbow Dash. Winona, Opal, Tank and Owloysius all found comfortable places within reach of their respective ponies.

Twilight barely had the presence of mind to grab a quill and paper to scribe a quick note to her mentor, and prodded Spike into sending it before he passed out completely.

It worked. We're safe.

Thank you.

Twilight

---

Twilight awoke to the sound of the emergency siren sounding the all-clear. Pulling her blanket up over her head to block out the intruding sunlight for a few more moments, a rich, heavenly aroma slinked up her nose and injected warm fuzzy feelings directly into her brain. She moaned softly, her snout lifting involuntarily to seek out the source.

"Mornin', sugarcube," a quiet drawl greeted her. "Coffee?"

"Mmmyeah..." Twilight slowly cracked her eyes open and saw Applejack carrying a saucer in her teeth, a steaming mug perched on top. She took a gentle hold of it with her magic and lowered it in front of her, taking a small sip. It was like drinking the morning. "What're you doing up already?" she whispered.

"Ah'm always up jus' before dawn. Comes with bein' a farmer, couldn't sleep in if Ah tried." She went back to the kitchen for her own cup and sat back down on her blanket next to Twilight. "An' I wanted to get a pot started before Spike got his claws on it, boy always brews it too hot." The baby dragon's ears twitched at his name, but he just wrapped his blanket tighter around himself in the way he does when he doesn't want to admit he's awake.

Applejack looked across their semicircle around the fireplace towards Rainbow Dash, her unruly white mane at once familiar and alien. "You sure she'll be alright?"

Twilight watched the pegasus sleep for a moment, her body limp as a rag doll. "Not a doubt in my mind." The events of the previous night had raised some peculiar questions, and she'd already begun to form possible answers, but further inquiry would have to wait.

Over the next half hour, the rest of her friends gradually dragged themselves into consciousness. They all tried to keep an eye on Rainbow Dash without looking like they were, with varying degrees of success. She resisted their gentle attempts to rouse her with the determination of a schoolfilly on a Saturday morning until Pinkie nudged a cup of Applejack's coffee and two pieces of cinnamon toast towards her nose. Rainbow reached out her hooves to lift the mug to her lips, and smiled dreamily. Her limp but wavy mane suddenly sproinging back to normal, Pinkie snuck out of Rainbow's field of view and silently pumped a hoof in the air, miming to the others that she'd gotten a smile.

Once Rarity has finished grooming herself, Rainbow Dash asked to borrow her mirror. The unicorn levitated it in front of her as Rainbow fiddled with her mane. "It's not a terrible look," she admitted, running her hooves over it, "I mean, it still feels healthy, and it's got the same body. Kinda makes me look like my Aunt Cirrus." She sighed dejectedly, turning to look at her matching cloud-white tail. "But it is completely un-me. I might need a hoof setting this right, if you don't mind, Rarity."

"Oh, not at all." Rarity stepped forward and examined Rainbow's mane with a critical eye and a glowing horn. "The follicles are unharmed, they'll grow back in their natural color. So if you'd like me to dye it for you, just the once should take care of it." A mischievous gleam appeared in her eye. "In fact, while I'm doing that, it wouldn't be but a trifle to, say, try a few different styles--"

"Yeah, that's not happening." Rainbow smiled up at her disappointed fashion-conscious friend. "No offense, I'm just happy with my usual look. Next fancy dress ball we go to, though, I'll let you do it up like last time."

"Hey Rainbow," Twilight called from the basement door, "can Fluttershy and I borrow you for a moment?"

Rainbow stood and stretched before cantering through the kitchen. "Sure thing." She followed Twilight down the stairs, marvelling at Fluttershy's improvised sleeping arrangements for the countless animals under her care. Many were nested all around and on top of Twilight's scientific instruments which dominated the room. A family of quails had even nested inside one of the electrode helmets. Twilight appeared to be trying very hard not to look at any of it. "So whaddya need?" She assumed that they needed an extra set of hooves to deal with some unruly critters, but they were all still asleep except for Angel, who seemed to have everything under control by himself. Instead, Twilight and Fluttershy just looked at her nervously.

"We wanted to talk to you away from the rest of the gang," Twilight replied. "About last night."

Rainbow looked away, her gut clenching at the memory. "Oh, yeah... I guess you would."

"I know it can't be easy for you," Fluttershy said, "but we both promise you, we won't breathe a word of it to anypony else."

Twilight nodded in agreement. "You can be completely honest with us, Rainbow. And whatever you can tell us might be really helpful in the long run, too."

Rainbow mulled it over for a second. They're trying to help, she told herself, and they're doing everything they can to let me keep my pride while they do it. Looking up at their worried faces, she knew there was more. But they need my help, too.

"Alright. What do you need to know?"

"Well, for starters," Twilight asked, "how do you feel now?"

Rainbow rolled her own feeling around in her mind for a moment. "Worried, but glad my friends are okay. Ticked off about my mane. And, um, a little hungry, still." She chuckled faintly. "Kind of a little embarrassed about losing it last night."

"You don't feel depressed or hopeless like you did before?" Rainbow shook her head. "What about when you try to remember what the kraken looked like?"

Rainbow tensed suddenly. "Do I... have to?"

Fluttershy stepped forward and rested a hoof on her shoulder. "If it's too much, we understand. But please try."

Rainbow took a deep breath and closed her eyes, pulling the image up from her memory. A wide cumulo-nimbus to the South, silvery-white in the moonlight, and the dark outline of a bloated body with clawed feet outlined in front of it. Its wings stretched far to each side, looking as of if they could enclose all of Ponyville. A frightening image... but nothing more.

"No... Nothing. I mean, it's kinda scary, but no, it's not freaking me out like it did when I saw it for real."

"I suspected as much," said Twilight, her tone detached. "It's not the appearance of the kraken, but the act of perceiving it with your own senses. Like the eyes of a cockatrice." She focused on the pegasus again. "One more thing: When you saw it... what did it feel like?"

Rainbow's mouth felt dry. The only words she knew for it, hopeless, worthless, pointless, none of them felt adequate. But the experience had brought an image to her mind, one she couldn't shake until Twilight had put her to sleep.

"You remember my first sonic rainboom?" Her two friends nodded, unsure where she was headed. "It was the most incredible thing in my life. The power I felt flowing through me, the energy. It wasn't just that I won the race, or pulled off an awesome stunt, or even got my cutie mark. I felt alive. Like for the first time in my life, I was seeing in color. And now I know that it wasn't just me; that rainboom led you all to your cutie marks, set all your lives on their course, and eventually brought us all together."

She lowered her eyes to the floor before continuing. "But what if it never happened? Suppose I never do the sonic rainboom, suppose I never set those events in motion, and none of us ever find our true talents or what makes us happy. I never find real joy in flying. Fluttershy never connects with the animals. Rarity never finds those gems. Applejack never comes back home to the farm. Pinkie never throws a party. And you... you blow your entrance exam, Spike stays stuck in an egg forever, you never meet Celestia and can't stop Nightmare Moon." She shuddered. "Imagine all that magic just erased from our lives, and all the joy and meaning it brought never happened... and you'll know what I felt when I saw the kraken." She looked up to see Twilight and Fluttershy holding back tears. "Does that tell you what you needed to know?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes, it does. I think this will help a great deal, actually..." She charged forward and hugged her tight. "Oh Rainbow, I'm so sorry you had to go through that!"

"Hey, It's cool. It's just a memory now. I'm all better."

Twilight stepped back as Fluttershy stood by Rainbow's side and wrapped a comforting wing around her. "What I find really interesting, though, is that the kraken seems to be putting a lot of effort into convincing us that it's unbeatable." The concern in her voice was shifting into confidence. "I'm not saying it isn't dangerous; just from its sheer size it could cause a great deal of damage, and it appears to be quite magically powerful as well. But this aura of despair all around it... It's like it's trying its hardest to rid us of the very idea of opposing it. Last night, even after it fled, you were convinced that we didn't stand a chance. You wouldn't listen to reason, like it was a foregone conclusion."

The wheels in Rainbow's brain ticked along and started to catch up. "Hey. You're right. It's trying to trick us into giving up without a fight!"

"It's like a threat display," Fluttershy added. "Animals only use one when they need to appear stronger than they really are."

"It was your mane that tipped me off," Twilight explained. "Despite being a common trope in horror fiction, it's physically impossible for a pony's mane to instantly turn white from fear alone. Magic had to be involved." She began to smile. "It's all smoke and mirrors, Rainbow. It wouldn't try this hard to convince us that we can't beat it unless it knows we can."

"What are we gonna do about its freaky mind-melting power, though? It'll be hard to fight if we can't even look at it."

"Based on what you've told me, and what I could sense of its magical signature last night, I'm pretty sure I can shield us from it." Twilight's smile spread into a grin. "You said last night that you wanted to kick this thing in the face. We're gonna figure out how to do just that."

---

"Alright! Who wants to give a giant flying monster a black eye?"

Rainbow Dash stood in the kitchen doorway, her eyes hungry for action and her usual devil-may-care smile back where it belonged. Fluttershy stood behind her looking surprisingly hopeful, next to Twilight and her "I have an awesome plan" grin. The others simply gawked at them; Rainbow's crushing despair and Fluttershy's paralyzing fear seemed like a fading dream. Scootaloo's eyes grew wide as her grin threatened to bisect her skull, her shaken faith in her hero instantly restored. "I KNEW you'd shake off the mind-mojo!"

"To be fair, Twi deserves some credit there," said Rainbow. "I think the dreams from her sleep spell helped keep it from really taking root." The unicorn looked slightly embarrassed by the praise, but didn't object.

"So what's the plan?" asked Spike.

"Well, for starters," Twilight said, stepping forward, "I thought we'd make our way to Canterlot, grab the Elements of Harmony, and see what they can do to the kraken."

"Ah do like the sound o' that," added Applejack, "but if even lookin' at the thing chills us to the bone like it did RD, how in the hay are we gonna take th' fight to it?"

"One of my books on ancient equi-draconic conflicts has a spell to resist dragonfear. A grown dragon is legitimately frightening, but some older ones are able to project an aura of magical fear than affects any who see them; even experienced warriors would be rendered helpless without magical protection, which this spell provided. The kraken clearly has a similar aura, except instead of fear, it causes despair. I can modify the dragonfear ward to protect us; it might not be one hundred percent effective, but if we stick together and remind each other that it's using magic against us, that it's a trick to keep us from standing up to it, I'm confident we can push through whatever gets past the spell."

"What did I tell you, ladies?" Spike pointed gun-fingers at his adoptive big sister. "Who's awesome? You're awesome. Urp!" His glowing praise was interrupted by a fiery belch as another scroll arrived. Twilight snatched it from the air and read it aloud.

My Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle,

Twilight found the return of her customary greeting immensely comforting, and her writing was back to its former precision.

Our most recent reports indicate that the kraken has set down somewhere in the Everfree Forest, many miles from Ponyville to my great relief. Storm clouds have appeared all around its last known location, which it seems to have summoned. There are some deep caves in that area where it may be seeking shelter for the day. Unfortunately, it does not appear to be unduly harmed or disadvantaged by the sun, merely displeased with it; I am trying not to take the insult too personally, but of greater importance is that sunlight does not appear to be a weakness we can exploit. So far, our only proven defense against the kraken is the symbol, known as the elder seal, which I asked you to draw yesterday, and we are as mystified by the fact that it works as you undoubtedly were. It almost seems to be afraid of it, as much as you are of snakes. Our research continues, but has yet to produce anything concrete.

As there is nothing to prevent the kraken from moving about by day, I am issuing a recommendation throughout Equestria that everypony remain in whatever city or settlement they are in, if it is protected by the seal, or to make their way as best they can to the closest one that is. I also realize that it would be pointless to expect you and your friends to adhere to this request, so I have instructed the palace guard to prepare for your arrival should you have the impertinence to defy me.

Your Mentor,

Princess Celestia

There wasn't a great deal to go on, but clearly the princess still held hope for victory. Seeing her sense of humor return was more reassuring to Twilight than any of the information provided. She looked up from the letter to see the others watching her expectantly.

"Okay, here's the plan. Everypony head home, take care of anything you'd need to do before going out of town for a while, and pack any supplies you think you'll need. We'd be too vulnerable and too easy to find on a train or in the balloon, so we'll make our way to Canterlot on foot. If we leave by noon and keep up a steady pace, we can make it there by nightfall. We'll meet up with the princess, compare notes, and failing any better ideas, find the kraken and hit it with the Elements. Bring something for cold weather just in case we have to go cross-country looking for it. Applejack, would you mind handling our provisions?"

"As if ya even had t' ask."

"Excellent. And... Check on your farm, too. I don't know if apple trees can be affected by magical despair, but I'd like to know if they're okay."

"Ah been worryin' 'bout that mahself, Twi. But Ah'm sure it's nothin' we can't spring back from."

"I hope so. Fluttershy, do you need to make any arrangements for your animals? You can keep using my basement until this is over."

"It's fine. Angel knows what to do, he's taken care of things when I've been away before. And if he has any trouble he knows to find the vet."

"Can he really do all that?" Rainbow Dash asked, and Fluttershy nodded proudly. "That is one capable rabbit, 'Shy."

"Rarity, I expect you'll want to check on your shop," Twilight continued. "I'm sure it's fine, but take your time if you need to. It's your livelihood, after all; no less important than AJ's farm." Rarity smiled and nodded graciously.

"Rainbow, do you know who to put in charge of the weather while we're away?"

"Cloud Kicker's sorta my unofficial second in command already, she can hold down the fort."

"Good. Pinkie, will the Cakes be able to manage for a few days without you?"

"They'll be okay, but I should see if there's anything they need me to do before I go anywhere."

"Alright. Spike, do you mind pet-sitting? I'm sure Angel can lend a paw if they get unruly."

"I'd rather be going with you guys, but yeah."

"Sorry, Spike, but you're our fastest line of communication with the princess. We'll be seeing her personally; you need to stay here so she can stay in touch with the town." Not to mention the fact that you're my baby brother and I'm trying to protect you, not carry you into danger. "I'll write as soon as we meet with her."

Twilight looked around the room, rechecking her mental checklist. "Okay, I think that covers everything. Everypony, try to be back by noon, but if something important is holding you up, just let us know. If you need help, just ask; the better we coordinate, the faster we can get on the road."

"Wait!" shouted Sweetie Belle. "You didn't tell us what we can do!"

"What you can do," Rarity told her sternly, "is go back home and stay safe."

"But we wanna help!" Apple Bloom wailed.

Applejack turned a steely gaze at her sister. "You can help by listenin' to yer elders an' not makin' us worry 'bout ya while we're out savin' the dang world."

"Oh, come on!" yelled Scootaloo. "We're not asking to go with you, we'll stay right here in town, where we're protected. We just wanna do something to contribute! We could do..." Her eyes searched the room for anything to give her an idea, but all she saw were books. "Research!"

"Research?" Sweetie Belle deadpanned. "That's the best you could do?"

"I didn't hear you coming up with anything better."

"Actually," Spike interjected, "that's not a completely terrible idea."

"How do you mean?" Twilight asked him.

"Well, you remember what I said about Clopcraft's writing? The fiction section actually has a good number of his collected works. We could try to sift through his stories and look for details that jump out, I could try to cross-reference anything that sounds promising, and send anything we come up with to the princess." He leaned close and whispered. "Odds aren't great that they'll find anything, but it'll keep them in one place and out of trouble, and they'll feel like they're contributing. 'Sides, I could use the help cleaning up after Winona."

"I'm not sure about this," said Rarity. "I don't like the idea of Sweetie Belle reading those ghastly stories at her age."

"I'm not as delicate as you think, Rare," the younger unicorn objected, "and how could a story be any scarier than what happened last night?"

Twilight was skeptical, but the pleading eyes of the three fillies broke her. "Alright, fine." They started to inhale for a great cheer. "If you get permission from your families and I can find a suitable adult to supervise you." They deflated and put the cheer on hold until they had confirmation.

Rarity left to escort Sweetie Belle home and ask their parents if they were okay with the plan, and Rainbow Dash did the same for Scootaloo. Apple Bloom wore down the last of her sister's resistance with an angelic smile as they left to check on the farm, and Pinkie bounced out to see what she could do for the Cakes. That left Twilight and Fluttershy as the only adults in the library.

"So who do you think would be willing to watch the girls while we're gone?" Twilight asked, starting to run down a mental list of adults she knew got along with them. "We could ask-- EEP!" She suddenly went rigid.

Fluttershy stepped cautiously towards her. "What's wrong?"

"Z-z-z-z-ZECORA! I completely forgot about Zecora! She was out there in the forest the whole night, way outside the protection of the seal!" She started to prance nervously as if the floor was burning hot. "Oh jeez oh jeez oh jeez, I'm the worst friend ever!"

"I'm sure she's okay," the pegasus said, trying to reassure her. "The kraken never landed anywhere near here. And she had to realize something was going on, if she thought she needed help she would've come to us. And you're not the worst friend ever, you just had a lot to worry about already."

"What if she didn't think we could help her?"

"I'll go check on her. I'm the one who has the least to do before we leave. You focus on finding someone to watch the girls. Twilight, she's fine, I'm sure of it."

The unicorn took a deep breath and smiled cautiously. "Okay." I can't believe she's the one reassuring me for once. "Spike, keep an eye on the place, I've got a mayor to brief and a crusader-sitter to find."

---

Cheerilee would have been perfectly willing to continue normal classes today, but after the previous night's harrowing experience the parents of Ponyville had collectively decided to keep their children home and start the weekend a day early. She couldn't really blame them, had she foals of her own, she wouldn't want to let them out of her sight right now, either. Taking advantage of her unexpected day off, she decided to curl up on the couch with some hot cocoa and a gripping mystery novel. The dastardly deed had just been discovered when someone knocked on her door. Marking her place, she got up to answer it.

"Hi, Cheerilee. Got a minute?"

"Sure, Twilight. Come on in." She stepped to the side to let the unicorn into her home. "I want to thank you for setting up the defense for the town."

"It was Celestia's idea, really. I just implemented it. But I wanted to ask you about something else. You see, my friends and I are going out of town, probably not for long, but we can't really say for sure. And Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are dead-set on finding a way to help us." She briefly explained Spike's idea, framing it primarily as a way to keep them out of trouble.

"Well, I don't really have any other plans, and they do tend to listen to me. Well, slightly more than half the time, anyway... Oh, what the heck. I'll do it. It actually sounds kinda fun."

"Oh, thank you! They'll be so relieved to hear that I found someone."

---

Twilight returned to the library to find the three fillies had already returned, with Rainbow Dash and Spike keeping them company. "Good news, girls! I found someone to supervise you while we're out of town."

The crusaders leapt to their feet and sprinted for the door, eager to greet--

"Miss Cheerilee?" they said in baffled unison.

"Now girls, be nice. You like Miss Cheerilee, don't you?"

"Well, yeah, she's really nice, and a great teacher..." Sweetie Belle started.

Scootaloo finished her thought. "...But she's a teacher. Is she gonna make us do school work and stuff instead of helping you guys?"

Cheerilee laughed brightly. "Now now, we're not in school. I'm just here to supervise, not teach. Think of me as more of a sitter. If you need any assistance with your research, I'll be more than happy to help, but I won't make you do any school work. And since I'm not acting as your teacher right now, you can just call me Cheerilee."

Apple Bloom looked hopefully towards Twilight. "Does that take care of everythin', then? We all got permission, an' you found someone to watch us... So we can help?"

Twilight nodded. "That's right. Everything's good to go."

The three fillies rushed together to release the cheer they'd been holding in reserve.

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER SCHOLARS OF FORBIDDEN LORE!"

Cheerilee seemed to age five years as the reality of what she'd agreed to began to sink in.

---

"So Zecora's fine?"

"Um, as far as I could tell, yes. She had her own ways of defending herself, I guess. There was some weird powder spread out around her hut, and a sign on her door saying she was sleeping, not dead." Fluttershy shuddered, remembering the sight through the window of the eerily still zebra on her cot. "Without that, I would have thought she was." In her forehooves, she held out a pouch with a small scroll tied to its drawstring. "She left this for you."

Twilight untied the scroll and raised it to her eyes. On the outside, it said simply "For Twilight".

Take this powder of Ibn-Gazelle
With my hope that it will serve you well
But the hope I hold as greater still
Is rather that it never will

Twilight smiled and placed the pouch in her saddlebag. She had no idea what "powder of Ibn-Gazelle" was, but she could look it up later; clearly the zebra shaman thought it was important, perhaps even what she'd used to protect her hut. Thank you, Zecora. You're a better friend than I was.

Her reverie was broken by Spike handing her a book, a thick paperback titled A Clopcraftian Concordance. "I thought you might find this handy. Taking all of Clopcraft's stories with you would be too much weight, but this is kind of a condensed reference guide, you know, for the obsessive fan. Nearly everything he ever wrote about, along with some stuff by his friends and imitators, all alphabetized and cross-referenced, with complete citations for all sources. The kraken's in there, too, but Clopcraft called it 'the star-spawn' in his story. Obviously a lot of it is pure fiction, but who knows, maybe it'll... help... a little..." He gave up on his brave front and threw his arms around her, sniffling. "Take care of yourself, will you, Twi? I know this isn't the first ancient evil you've faced, heck, you're two for two on those, but... Just be careful, okay?"

Twilight floated the book into her bag and returned his embrace. "I will, Spike. I promise."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle hugged their sisters tightly, nearly having to be peeled off of them by Cheerilee. Scootaloo gave her hero a sharp salute, and Rainbow Dash returned it with military precision. Big Macintosh had come to see them off as well, Ditzy and Dinky in tow, as well as Rarity's parents, Cloud Kicker, and the Cakes. Everyone said their worried goodbyes, but no one argued that they shouldn't go.

"I know telling you all not to worry would be pointless," Twilight said to the small group of family, friends and well-wishers assembled outside the library, "but you can count on us. I'll bring them all back in one piece, you'll see." With a final wave from everyone, the six mares started down the road towards Canterlot.

Pinkie stepped up besides Twilight and the two fell slightly behind. "You could've Pinkie Pie Sworn," she said softly. "You didn't."

Twilight sighed. "I know. I felt bad just making that promise to Spike. But I'm not going to make a Pinkie Pie Swear I don't know for sure I can keep."

Pinkie nodded somberly. "You also said that you'd bring us back in one piece. You didn't say anything about yourself."

"No. I guess I didn't." Twilight looked down the road ahead of them. "Pinkie, if you could know for certain who your combo was about, who was going to get hurt... would you want to?"

Pinkie thought for a while. "No... I don't think I would. It's bad enough knowing what I already do."

"Well, if your Pinkie Sense does tell you anything more, let me know, okay? I don't want to worry the rest of the gang, but even if we can't keep it from happening at all, maybe we can at least be better prepared when it does. Forewarned is forearmed, you know."

Pinkie grinned. "But Twilight, we don't have forearms."

Twilight failed to contain her laughter, instead turning into a nerdy gigglesnort. "How long have you been holding onto that one, Pinkie?"

"About a week."

"What're you two dweebs snickering about back here?" Rainbow Dash asked as she buzzed overhead.

The two earthbound ponies shared a look. "Oh, Pinkie's just trying to pun me to death."

"Glad I missed it, then. Anyway, weren't you the one telling us to keep up the pace so we can make Canterlot by nightfall? Hop to it, soldier!"

Pinkie bounced her way up to the pack. "But if we hopped the whole way, wouldn't that be hard on our knees?"

The other ponies groaned, and retorts built on top of each other until the banter reached full swing. The six friends stepped up their trot to a canter, a fact that inspired Pinkie to start an extemperaneous composition she called "Cantering to Canterlot". Twilight admired her ability to switch back to jokes and songs after discussing such a somber topic only a minute or two earlier.

That's our pink little morale officer, she thought to herself as Pinkie started to improvise dance moves for the song. The kraken doesn't stand a chance.

---

Zecora's Interlude - A side vignette by Lurks-no-More

Comments

[Draco Dei]

SPOILER ALERT!!!
In case you hadn't figured it out yet, part of the reason I review the way I do is to give the writer insight into the mind of at least one of his readers.

And no one heard any it over the howl of apocalyptic fury crashing down upon them from above,
-Definitely a dust issue here I am thinking... or larger objects. Unless the sign protects itself even from such indirect efforts against it, or is spelled against being covered, or such coverings don't negate it, I am think this might be the strategy, or part of it.

And then it ended, replaced by the frantic beating of colossal wings desperate to distance themselves from the site.
-Well, unless it is resting up for a second pass, then it seems that something negates my guess (or maybe it is just following its own logic, which would be nice).

Pinkie, her mane slowly regaining its curl,
-Temporary negation of Element then, if that.

she mumbled, as her tense eyes relaxed and closed, and her mouth curled into a childlike smile.
-Well, it seems that the spell includes a "good dreams only" clause.

"Ah'm always up jus' before dawn.
-It occurs to me that the real world effects (so leaving out any metaphysical problems) of non-stop solar energy for 72 hours or so might actually be less than the problems the night is causing (although being able to see it better actually might cause MORE problems), Especially if they stop the sun about 10 to 20 degrees above the horizon, rather than high noon, the heating shouldn't be TOO bad, nor the shadows cast by mountains TOO long. Of course, that does have its own morale problems associated with it, and there would have to be some public announcements so that the people didn't start to think that the sisters weren't in harmony with eachother, or that it was the Kraken doing it, in a variation of Discord randomizing the cycle... Dash's conspiracy theories might actually come in handy (not that she would believe those particular rumors, but it lets her understand how Ponies might think about such things).

but he just wrapped his blanket tighter around himself in the way he does when he doesn't want to admit he's awake.
-Tense problem I think. Should probably be "but he just wrapped his blanket tighter around himself in the way he did when he didn't want to admit he was awake.",

She resisted their gentle attempts to rouse her with the determination of a schoolfilly on a Saturday morning until Pinkie nudged a cup of Applejack's coffee and two pieces of cinnamon toast towards her nose.
-That sleep spell is looking better and better in its qualities. Certainly beat most or all real-world medications, unless it doesn't allow waking for the first few hours, even if your bed catches fire, and even then a hypothetical medication that did that would find use in mental wards, and in emergency prescriptions for those who survived horrible things, but are now in a safe place. The only other flaw I can think of is that it might prevent the mind from coming to grips with trauma via dreams etc, merely staving off the problem.

Her limp but wavy mane suddenly sproinging back to normal, Pinkie snuck out of Rainbow's field of view and silently pumped a hoof in the air, miming to the others that she'd gotten a smile.
-Ah, two-stage recovery... Laughter Element a concern, but not in critical condition.

I might need a hoof setting this right, if you don't mind, Rarity."
-At first I thought "wait... RD isn't girly, why is she even worrying about it?" then I realized that RD IS very much about her image, it is just that being mussed up, or temporarily dirty goes along fine with her self-image.

Twilight appeared to be trying very hard not to look at any of it.
-I can see how she would be worried, but since MOST of the animals obey her better than Angel Bunny, i don't think there should be TOO much damage, and I suspect that EVENTUALLY she will be able to expense account any damages. Then again, innocent little Twilight never really seems to have grasped just how much privilege actually goes with being "My Most Faithful Student" and "Leader of the Personal S.M.A.T.* of Celestia Invicta".
*Special Magics And Tactics

"You don't feel depressed or hopeless like you did before?"
-One wonders how much of this is natural recovery, how much is "Good Dreams Only", and how much is a fading of the supernatural aspects of the fear.

Rainbow tensed suddenly. "Do I... have to?"
-Mild Repression(dunno if I am using that psychological term correctly...). In any case it is very natural seeming.

"No... Nothing. I mean, it's kinda scary, but no, it's not freaking me out like it did when I saw it for real."
-Ok, a definite supernatural angle I am thinking. MIGHT just be her mind still shutting out the worst, but I doubt it.

It's not the appearance of the kraken, but the act of perceiving it with your own senses. Like the eyes of a cockatrice."
-This jives with what I was thinking.

"Yes, it does. I think this will help a great deal, actually..."
-So it radiates anti-magic? Anti-friendship not in the sense of animosity, but simply isolation and despair. Yeah, that seems useful.

is that the kraken seems to be putting a lot of effort into convincing us that it's unbeatable.
-This isn't very... alien. Does this fall under "they understand us, but we can never truly understand them"?

"Hey. You're right. It's trying to trick us into giving up without a fight!"
-Looks like what you said about the importance of morale is going to be important (but I may be slightly biased by the comment above me.

"Animals only use one when they need to appear stronger than they really are."
-Well, yes, but that can be almost all the time, since even if you are certain of WINNING a given fight, doing so without any chance of injury is another degree of difficulty beyond that, and injuries can add up, especially over a lifetime.

"it's physically impossible for a pony's mane to instantly turn white from fear alone. Magic had to be involved.
-I knew this was true IRL, but given that the line between magic and mundane gets blurry in Equestria I figured you were stretching a point. I mean we are talking about semi prehensile hair-structures.

It'll be hard to fight if we can't even look at it.
-A very cogent question. RD may have studied military tactics to be thinking this straight (the Wonderbolts are a military organization in all probability, so it makes sense, plus she DOES have a black-belt).

and what I could sense of its magical signature last night, I'm pretty sure I can shield us from it.
-I was going to say that she seems awfully sure she has the necessary raw power... then I remembered that she is probably the third most powerful caster in that regard in all of Equestria, and the other two... well,, in your version Celestia probably can't throw around orbital lazor (sic) strikes, but still.

I think the dreams from her sleep spell helped keep it from really taking root.
-Yeah, that spell is very very useful. Wonder if Luna invented it (or at least laid the groundwork).

I thought we'd make our way to Canterlot, grab the Elements of Harmony, and see what they can do to the kraken.
-I hope she messages ahead... if the Alicorns aren't too tricked (the scientific method may not have been INVENTED when they first established their opinions of this thing, so I could see them having a case of "the oldest fears are the hardest to overcome"), then they might have a welcoming comity, if not a teleport or flying escort in Royal Guard chariots (well except for Dash).

The kraken clearly has a similar aura, except instead of fear, it causes despair.
-Ah! An important clarification.

I can modify the dragonfear ward to protect us; it might not be one hundred percent effective, but if we stick together and remind each other that it's using magic against us, that it's a trick to keep us from standing up to it, I'm confident we can push through whatever gets past the spell.
-Ok, that makes more sense than her being sure she can nullify it.

Unfortunately, it does not appear to be unduly harmed or disadvantaged by the sun, merely displeased with it; I am trying not to take the insult too personally, but of greater importance is that sunlight does not appear to be a weakness we can exploit.
-Ah, I see... that explains why she isn't pulling out the "Sunset happens when WE say it does." card, at least not yet. If they need to put all of Equestria into a "Spirit Bomb", then she might go that far, or if they want to mess with its head to put it off its game.

also realize that it would be pointless to expect you and your friends to adhere to this request, so I have instructed the palace guard to prepare for your arrival should you have the impertinence to defy me.
-Erf? I would think that both Rainbow and Twilight would be very reluctant to "defy" her. I also think that they would discuss it with her via letters a bit in any case. This is regardless of if she had included that part in the letter, or even sent no letter, especially since the latter might imply that Canterlot might be a smoking ruin, which would alter tactics for retrieving the jewelry.

Seeing her sense of humor return was more reassuring to Twilight than any of the information provided.
-Ah, so she was making a joke about "defy me". I wouldn't have expected Twilight to get that necessarily, given "Lesson Zero".

"That is one capable rabbit, 'Shy."
-Indeed... I wonder if he was born that way outside of her influence, or if her having him as her PERSONAL pet has boosted his intelligence (Thinking D&D druid animal companions here...).

It's your livelihood, after all; no less important than AJ's farm.
-Bolts of cloth and sewing machines are more portable, and thus more quickly replaceable, than whole apple trees, but other than that, yes.

"I'll write as soon as we meet with her."
-One wonders if she will need Celestia to handle the transmission, or if she can do it herself in a pinch. Also, do they still call her "the Princess" on the show, or have the main characters gotten through their heads that they now live in a duoarchy? Or has Luna still not gotten around to resuming her full duties as far as running the country in your head-canon?

"How do you mean?" Twilight asked him.
-I wouldn't think they could do much with the books. Not that the library isn't up to the task, but Celestia probably has the entirety of Twilight's Alma Mater on the case, to the exclusion of every other research project, and maybe the classes too. Resourceful the CMC are, but they just don't have the chops to contribute on that front. I am thinking she is going to have them gathering reports from the Ponyvillians on their mental states and otherwise have them in "data collection mode". That is something that can't be duplicated in Canterlot (since the Kraken didn't approach it I don't think, plus more data-points are always good).

Odds aren't great that they'll find anything, but it'll keep them in one place and out of trouble, and they'll feel like they're contributing.
-Ah... I see.

Z-z-z-z-ZECORA! I completely forgot about Zecora!
-To her credit, so did I, and I was specifically wondering about individuals who lived alone, outside towns. Still I think she will be OK. Mare lives in the Ever-free Forest... she knows a thing or two. Might even have bolted for town to warn everyone, then recognized the paint and knocked on a door. I wouldn't put it past her to know how to make her own Elder Seal.

Twilight, she's fine, I'm sure of it.
-Fretful Fluttershy is sure? Then again, I guess reassuring panicky patients is part of her job.

I can't believe she's the one reassuring me for once.
-Twilight shares at least some of my sentiments.

Taking advantage of her unexpected day off, she decided to curl up on the couch with some hot cocoa and a gripping mystery novel.
-CMC wrangler found... "Book reports, to Save All of Equestria"... this may well be her finest hour.

If you need any assistance with your research, I'll be more than happy to help, but I won't make you do any school work.
-Or maybe not...

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER SCHOLARS OF FORBIDDEN LORE!"
-Well, at least they don't have GOOD research material, although with their ability for finding trouble I wouldn't put it past them to dig up something nasty if they find a lead in one of the novels.

I know this isn't the first ancient evil you've faced, heck, you're two for two on those, but...
-That is the sort of thing that one only gets the chance to screw up once I think... then again, both NMM and Discord had a preference for less-than-fully-lethal tactics. NMM walked the line (I still say she was so confident that she was going for a fore-leg cripple when Twi and her were charging eachother), but half her attacks in the forest weren't even likely to cause injury directly.

Big Macintosh had come to see them off as well, Ditzy and Dinky in tow,
-What is this a sequal to that Big Macintosh is dating/married to Ditzy?

I know. I felt bad just making that promise to Spike. But I'm not going to make a Pinkie Pie Swear I don't know for sure I can keep.
-Indeed...

Pinkie, if you could know for certain who your combo was about, who was going to get hurt... would you want to?
-Combined with the exchange just before, this makes me think that Twilight thinks that it is going to be her, and that it is fated, and she is wondering if she should tell Pinkie that.

That's our pink little morale officer, she thought to herself as Pinkie started to improvise dance moves for the song. The kraken doesn't stand a chance.
-One suspects she will be highly effective, yes. Wonder if it is going to be her taking the hit, and joking them forward rather than admitting that she has fallen and is bleeding (or whatever). You probably wouldn't have her die (Twilight... MAYBE) but I could see her coming out of this with... say her hindquarters in a cart because the EoH only managed to save her from quadriplegia (and thus suffocation) but couldn't quite repair the nerves far enough down to keep paraplegia from happening. Maybe down an eye and/or an ear.

[CLAVDIVS CAESAR]

Take a look at the very bottom of Chapter 3. I just added a link to a side vignette about what Zecora's been up to, written by fellow RPGnetter Ithaeur.

EDIT: Known as Lurks-no-More elseweb, including here. Added profile link, too.

[Khym Chanur]

and a sign on her door saying she was sleeping, not dead.

Is that a reference to Granny Weatherwax?

[sarahpenguin]

Yay Pinkie, my favorite pony :)

[Borg]

"I'm not as delicate as you think, Rare," the younger unicorn objected, "and how could a story be any scarier than what happened last night?"

Certainly a fair point. What additional harm can a horror story do to a filly who has already found herself in the shadow of an unearthly terror?

Cheerilee seemed to age five years as the reality of what she'd agreed to began to sink in.

Don't be such a drama queen. 'Shy survived them, and you don't even have to worry about them running off outside town. They may be frequently rash, but they're not brain-damaged.

407814 If not, it really ought to be.

[SIGAWESOME]

That certainly was a tense and nightmarish two chapters!
Is it safe to come out now?

(Boring personal anecdote ahead!)
When I said nightmarish, I meant that in the most literal possible way; I have had nightmares similar to these chapters after having a large tornado destroy the house (and neighbourhood, and town, and county) my family and I were living in. This was the first time I have read a story that has elicited a physical reaction. Nothing dramatic mind you, but I felt my breath hitch in the back of my throat a few times as the memories came back. The eerie yellow-green bruise colours of the sky. The black, boiling clouds. The dozens of tasks you rush to complete before it is too late. The rising and falling wail of the tornado siren. The sinking feeling that you forgot to bring Annebelle Jr, your calico cat, into the shelter with you and now it is far too late to do anything about it. The continuous, rumbling roar of the tornado as it approaches. *shudder* I think I will go find Significant Other and hug him tightly now...