> Northen Stars > by Flower03 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As it slowly ascended, the great golden disc began to bathe with its warmth the vast lands that made up the nation of Equestria, and far beyond. Shimmering in its entirety thanks to the brilliance that enveloped it, the Crystal Empire dawned with the joy of a new summer day. The crystalline buildings reflected the soft sunlight, and the crystal ponies outside at that time also glistened for their fur. A ray of sunlight slipped through the half-open curtains of one of the castle's rooms, briefly illuminating an empty but organized bed. The occupant of that bedroom trotted calmly, distracted as she was in filling her two backpacks with everything what she would need that day. An aura of pink magic enveloped her pen and her respective scrolls, she left it in her packback and to close it at the end with a slight click. Then she fastened it to her side and went out, closing the door of her room. As she made her way through the halls to where she knew her brother and sister-in-law were, Twilight felt the previous excitement that always grew inside her in anticipation of conducting field research. She had worked, had organized, and had left everything ready in advance during that week, so that the day before she would board the train of the Crystal Empire in the company of her faithful assistant and dragon friend. Although in reality, she was only supposed to be there to take a short break, but the topic that had begun to haunt her head after the last time she came ended up leaving her intrigued in some inevitable way. And now that she was there, she couldn't let that opportunity slip away. "Twilight!" She turned and a greeting smile crept across her face as Spike flapped his wings to reach her. He landed beside her with difficulty. He was still learning how to handle his new wings, so at the time he looked a lot like her when she got her own wings. Twilight suppressed a laugh at the sight. "I suppose that investigation was true," Spike raised an eyebrow as he began to walk beside her. "After all, you get excited when something is interesting to you." She laughed softly at his comment. "You know me very well, Spike. Although you know that most of the time we come we do enjoy our break, only this time I need to do this. Ever since that crystal pony told us that..." "Yes, I understand," He interrupted her after raising a claw. "Your investigative mode kicked in." She looked at him with a raised eyebrow and he shrugged. "I guess it's only fair that you spend your time on what you like, just please be careful, Twilight," He said, finally looking her with a certain concern. "I've been told that the Crystal Mountains can be dangerous even if it's not winter." Twilight smiled with concern as she held out one of her hooves for a brief hug. "I promise I'll be very careful," She finished before opening the great doors with her magic. The room they entered was large enough for a long table to take up a portion of qthat space. And seated in this table were the rulers of the Crystal Empire and their little princess, enjoying the breakfast served. "They were late," Shining Armor said with a smile. "A little longer and breakfast disappears." Twilight narrowed her eyes a little as her voice feigned a certain menacing tone. "Oh, you wouldn't dare, I remind you that you were always the last," She said as she sat down across from him. Spike sat down beside her and quickly dipped his claws into a bowl of diamonds. Shining Armor let out a mocking laugh that could be heard throughout the room. Cadence hid hers under her hoof while Flurry Heart mimicked her mother and make a soft babble of the word 'daddy', as she flew toward her aunt. Twilight stroked her niece with a funny giggle as the three adults ponies and the dragon relaxed on their breakfast break. "Then Twi, I suppose those backpacks are for your research, right?" Cadence pointed to the bags on the floor. "Yes, I really hope that in these two days I can lay the foundations of what I want to find, I know that I probably won't have enough time to demonstrate everything I want to achieve," said the alicorn in a particular nuance. "But at least I'll be able to dig deeper when I get back to Ponyville. Why are those flowers that once grew on the outskirts of the Empire now found even in the frozen north? I mean, it's not supposed to! Even if it possess magic! The weather is too cold to even allow it to germinate, so I think a lot has to do with the return of the Empire..." Twilight was stroking her chin with a hoof when she suddenly heard a laugh from the two ponies and the dragon. "What?" Cadence and Shining Armor relaxed while Spike still had a claw covering his mouth. "It's nothing, it's just that you seem very excited about everything, as you usually are about something like that," her brother said. "But before you go, I want to show you the guard who will accompany you." Twilight rolled her eyes and snorted briefly. "Shining, I don't need a guard to accompany me, the Crystal Mountains aren't too far away, and I know how to defend myself if something happens." "You don't know, other than you're going to be too busy in your study to notice your surroundings." Shining frowned and finished with a stern snort. "No arguments Twily, I'm not going to skimp on your safety. I know you're an adult mare and you're responsible for your actions, but I'm still your big brother." "But..." "Twilight, I think it's good for you to listen to your brother," Cadence spoke softly as she stroked her daughter. "You know he's only worried about you and doesn't want anything bad to happen to you." She gave her sister in law a smile. "You have to understand him." Twilight turned her gaze to Cadence, before softening it and sighing in resignation. "Fine, I just hope I can get along with him," She replied to her brother. "Oh, trust me," Shining Armor replied with a big smile on his face. "I'm sure you will." *** "I have already informed you about your mission, General Sentry. You must take care of and protect Princess Twilight Sparkle from any danger and help her in any way necessary during her investigation. Is that clear?" The three ponies stood at the base of the castle where the Crystal Heart continued to slowly spin into place, as it received all the good feelings that dwelt in the hearts of its inhabitants and then used it to protect the Crystal Empire of the Frozen North. Twilight had been a little surprised when she saw the pony her brother had chosen to accompany her, thinking that he would have chosen a lower ranking soldier instead, but she was satisfied anyway after remembering that she had spoken to him on a few previous occasions. Flash Sentry was his name. "Of course, Captain," The blue-maned pegasus nodded. "Well, then I wish you both good luck on your journey," He gave the Flash a nod and his sister a hug before heading towards one of the stairs that led inside the castle. "Good, General Flash," She turned to the pony in front of her. "My brother has already informed you everything you need to know, so I just want to welcome you." "You don't have to, Princess Twilight, but thank you all the same." Twilight nodded with a smile, so they both braced themselves as they spread their wings. Before the two took off in the direction of their destination, she turned around for a moment. "Oh, and just call me Twilight, please." The weather was good enough for them to fly with relative peace of mind. That's what Twilight had thought the instant what they landed on the side of a great snow covered mountain. She thanked Celestia that they were there at that time of year because she knew very well that in another time it would not have been so easy. Even so, as a precaution, she had wrapped a scarf around her neck to warm herself up a little from the cold air that was blowing in the air. While her companion stood vigilant behind her at all times, Twilight activated her horn and took a handkerchief from one of her backpacks, in which an object was wrapped. She pulled it closer, and the small petal of crystalline pallor shone even brighter in the soft aura of her magic. Using one of her spells, Twilight let that glowing petal fade away. She already knew where what she wanted to find was. With a gesture on her part, she called Flash to follow her, and they both spread their wings again, as she led the way. "So, princess, what exactly are you looking for?" Her companion asked as they flew leisurely through the mountains. "Do you remember some of the bright flowers that can be seen around the Empire?" The pegasus nodded his head, though his expression was still questioning. He was just remembering the crystalline-looking flowering plants he sometimes saw on his patrols, like many of the things that existed in the Empire. Twilight smiled after seeing his gaze. "Well, I'd like to know why now its blooming areas have expanded to even this mountain range. After a crystal pony told me more about this species, its cultivation, its uses, and the proper way to care for it, I interested in knowing the rest. Its specific name is Diphylleia Crystallinum, but it are commonly known as crystal lilies, although it are not true lilies, just look it alike. As for its expansion, I think it has something to do with the return of the Crystal Empire, cause he also informed me that a thousand years ago it only existed in the vicinity of this. I wonder if I could write an article about this for Canterlot's botanical magazine when I'm done..." She touched her chin and looked at the guard who was only watching her with a strange expression. "Uh... General, are you fine?" "Oh, yes, yes... Of course, miss." He cleared the thoughts from his head quickly as his mind processed half of the information that princess had told him. *** After a while of flying, the steep ravine of one of the mountains greeted them as they landed. They both looked up at what was in front of them. Partially obscured by the shadow of the mountain, the mouth of what appeared to be a deep cave stared back at them. Twilight frowned determinedly and stepped forward, only to be stopped for a moment by her guard. "Princess, are you sure of this?" The pegasus asked as he frowned. "Absolutely, General," Twilight nodded. "I know what I'm looking for is here," She replied as she looked back at the entrance. She'd be lying a bit if she said she wasn't a little worried about whatever was waiting for them inside, but the desire to know was stronger. Plus, she had someone by her side to support her if something happened. After all, the mountain range could be unpredictable. With a simple nod on her part, the guard and the princess entered. Twilight lit her horn into a light that allowed her to appreciate the path, as she was guided by the spell that she had performed earlier. After a time of walking through that darkness, a bright light was present and soon the cavern opened up to a much wider space. Both Twilight and Flash were shocked by what greeted them. The place was large enough to hold the entire crowd of the Empire's stadium, or so it seemed. The walls were completely clad in what appeared to be blue crystals that glowed softly and gave it a touch of ambient light. Or maybe it were just crystalline rocks? Twilight didn't know it, but a new desire for knowledge began to form within her as she looked up and saw the roof rise high above them. The crystals that covered it made it look as if it were a night covered with stars. She wondered if she could fly up there with her wings and reach it. But what was undoubtedly the most unexpected was revealed as they looked at the field of flowers that stretched out before them. Flowers with petals like the one she had used. Twilight's smile was something that could be observed very well. She spread her wings and flew to the edge of the field, her guard distracted enough not to notice her departure. She landed carefully on the side of the flowery ground, admiring it in more detail. Twilight had seen it before, its grew in various parts around the kingdom, but never in such numbers. The bright petals moved gently, something that gave the flower a star-like appearance. Because that's what it looked like: a star turned into a beautiful living being. The alicorn shook her head to clear her and began her work. But before she could pull out it, another flash caught her eye out of the corner of her eye. She hadn't noticed, but in one corner, a small opening showed itself before her, as it pulsed strangely in an interval of purple light. Attracted by that light, Twilight hung up her backpack and trotted slowly toward the spot. Luckily, her body was just the right size for her to get through that opening. She entered a chamber surrounded to the brim by crystals of a strange purple color. Although she didn't realize that, her attention was on something else. Twilight marveled as she took slow steps toward the solitary crystalline plant, even if its presence and the purple color of its petals were a little strange to her. These themselves possessed a common brilliance, it was true, but she could not help noticing that it were not quite like the others, as if it were more... off. As he walked towards the flower, she didn't notice it, but the purple crystals in the chamber gradually darkened, as if something was causing its brightness to weaken. Focused on the object in front of her, Twilight used her magic to gently pull the flower away from the ground without damaging its roots. After that, she wrapped it in a special transparent dome that she had prepared earlier with various spells to keep it alive. She intended to take her object of study home. When she finished placing the flower inside it one and then putting it in her backpack, she got up once more and looked around. She flattened her ears and frowned as she realized how dark the place had become. But when she was about to leave without wasting any time, a chilling feeling suddenly stopped her. The fur behind her neck stood on end. "Oh no, this can't be." She knew what it was. She felt it before, quite a long time ago, but that feeling was hard to forget. How could she do it when she herself had felt herself using it? That was magic, and not the good kind. A heavy and ominous aura along with an eerie silence eventually settled in the place. Twilight turned slowly and focused her gaze on something she hadn't seen before, something hidden in the shadows of the place. She walked there, even though her instinct was telling her to get away and get out of the place as quickly as possible. As soon as she arrived, she stopped. Only to end up taking a step back. Surrounded by the shadows of the corner was the last thing Twilight expected to find. Meanwhile, the long dark horn flashed maliciously in front of her. > Chapter 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight's mind had gone blank as she paused to process what was in front of her. Then she finally cleared her mind and reacted with a quick blink. She took a hesitant step in that direction, after shaking her head a little to shake out the stupor that had possessed her for a few seconds. Now her priority was to find out what that object was doing in a place like that. The smooth and curved horn, so different from the spiral grooves and straightness of hers, was unmistakable for what it was, and together with the base's gray hue and the crimson somber glow spread along, was hard not to recognize exactly to whom it belonged. Twilight found her mind working at full speed, as she tried to figure out what was doing that in this place. She stretched out her magic and cautiously grasped the horn, as if she feared that at any moment it would jump on top of her, although in the end she felt a little dizzy after to connect it with her aura. She lifted it up in front of her eyes while keeping it at a safe distance from her body. Then, her thoughts began to reveal. Twilight could remember that when King Sombra had been defeated, his horn had been expulsed to the northeast of the Empire, toward the frozen wasteland that stretched far beyond. In a way, constant missions were sent to retrieve it, but all had failed. However... How could it possibly ended up in one of the mountains of the range, to hundreds of feet high and in a cave that was most likely tens, or hundreds, feet below it? As she tried to find the logic behind these seemingly meaningless questions that began to form in her mind, an almost imperceptible flash suddenly came out of the horn. At one point, the magical connection was interrupted and Twilight could only watch in confusion as the horn seemed to spin slowly before it hit the ground in a vibrating sound. Immediately afterwards a sudden humming sound resounded and caused the dark crystals around her to vibrate, at the same time echoing in the chamber and increasing in amplitude in a squeaky and very unnatural tone. Twilight pulled both hooves to her ears as her face twitched into a wince. She didn't know when her vision finally blurred, but all what she could see before unconsciousness claimed her was the dark and bubbling glow spread across the entire length of that object. Twilight woke up with a start and blinked in confusion as she saw the silhouette of furniture in a darkened room. At first she thought that everything that had happened maybe might have been a simple dream. But she knew it wasn't. "Twilight?" A voice to her left spoke, and she turned her head to see Shining Armor and Spike sitting next to her, both with a worried gaze on their faces. Twilight blinked quickly as she saw them again, but Spike climbed onto the bed and lunged at her. "I'm so glad you're okay!" He hugged her tightly as Shining joined them as well. She extended both hooves to encompass them both for a few seconds. Then they parted slightly, without quite breaking the embrace. "For all the ponies, Twily, what happened?" Shining inquired as she sat back down next to her bed. "General Sentry quickly brought you on his back but didn't give much explanation, due to the exhaustion of flying so fast and so far. He just told us something about a cave, some flowers, and a strange sound. Did something attack them?" Twilight looked at her brother with a slight bewildered expression, before she fully remembered what had happened. "The cave! Shining, you need to go to that cave urgently. There's something in that place that could put us all in danger!" Both Shining and Spike frowned as they heard her, though the latter detected in more detail what the alicorn's gaze was trying to convey. "What's up, Twilight? I don't like the look you're making," Spike said with that worried look that he'd given her earlier. "It's almost like every time..." "Every time that we've been at risk, yes," She finished for him and flattened her ears as she emitted a low growl. "Tell us, Twily, what did you find there?" Her brother urged her to start talking. Twilight set out to tell her story, starting from the moment she and the general had left the castle. She continued until she reached the moment where they found the cave and which they had entered thanks to the guiding spell she had previously performed. While both Shining and Spike were somewhat amazed at the account of the alicorn's discovery, they soon frowned when she reached the second part of her story. "... And when I turned around after I felt that weird aura, I saw it, the last thing I'd expect to see in that place." She looked down as she put her hooves together. "I found Sombra's horn." The silence that followed her confession caused Twilight to raise her head again, somewhat surprised by this. She noticed how her brother had wide eyes while Spike still had an even more fearful expression on his face. "Twily, are you...?" The white unicorn began softly, but was interrupted. "I'm serious, Shining," She gave Spike a brief worried look. "I don't know why it was there, or why I was the only pony who found it there." Twilight grimaced. "But I know he wasn't completely destroyed. I could feel a small part of his power." When she finished speaking, she could see her brother's expression contort into a furious grimace that wasn't directed at her. Twilight wondered if had been a good idea to confess that just now. "How can be possible?!" The unicorn began to walk around the room, or rather to take furious steps that resounded loudly. "My soldiers scanned every portion of the northeastern and their reports were always negative! How could it has fallen into a damn cave in the mountains?!" "I... I don't know." Twilight looked down, self-conscious at her brother's unexpected but understandable outburst. "But we must resolve this." Shining Armor calmed his fury a little and nodded as he turned to her. "We'll take care of that tomorrow. If I can move quickly, then I intend to lead a squad of my soldiers to begin the search as soon as possible," He said, slamming a hoof into the ground. "Then I'm going to go with you, too," Twilight nodded as she slapped her hooves. "You need my help to guide them to the place and show them the way inside the cave. Maybe..." She was interrupted by a quick snort from the white unicorn. "You're going to stay here Twilight, I'm not willing for you to go through the same danger again. I am sure that General Sentry will offer to accompany us." At her brother's statement, Twilight was left with a bewildered expression on her face that she couldn't hide quickly, but then she ended up frowning much more quickly. "W-what... Why?!" She replied in a burst as she put a hoof on her forehead to chase away a headache that began to grow. "Shining, please, I need to go with you. You don't know the level of danger that they face if I don't accompany them. Besides, I've been there before, I know how risky it can be." "And that's exactly why I don't want you to come with us," Shining replied with another snort that irritated his sister. "Understand, Twily, you know me and you know how I am," He concluded, letting out a sigh. "Anyway I need to talk with Cadence to plan everything in more detail, so for now you'd better keep resting." Twilight looked down and didn't answer, still she was annoyed by her brother's refusal, but when she raised her head again to say something new, a gentle tap on her side made her turn her head in that direction. When she saw Spike's worried face, something inside her caused her to look away. She'd already seen it in Shining, but seeing it in Spike... It made her feel a little bad. She turned to her brother again with a grudging nod on her part. After that Shining let out a low sigh as he walked away, walking towards the exit. "Rest for now, sister, I need to let Cadence know about this first and if is possible make the plan to follow," He said after nodding with some heaviness. "Good evening. After that farewell, the unicorn disappeared behind the threshold and closed the door. Twilight's ear turned when she heard the throat clearing of the dragon beside her, so she turned again. "You know it's good for you to listen to your brother, Twilight. He cares about you, as we all do." He put a claw on his chest and he gave her a small smile. "Also, you'll always be able to be with me in the castle for as long as they take care of that." Twilight looked at him for a moment after hearing that, then a small smile appeared on her face. She held out a hoof to hug him again. "I guess you're right, it's been a stressful day anyway..." She said and shook her head as she let go him. Spike got out of bed and walked to the door. "Rest, Twilight, tomorrow will be another day..." He was about to utter a yawn that was covered with his claw. "I'm tired, too," He said as he said goodbye. She did the same after seeing him come out and close the door. As she lay back in bed with the intention of having a good night this time, Twilight couldn't help but do what she always did in her mind: try to analyze that problematic situation. However, just for this time, she discard that option as tiredness took over her body again, inviting her into the world of dreams. Twilight and Spike walked through the halls of the palace to where their brother and sister-in-law were. Shining Armor sent for her urgently after she had just gotten up, and that had alerted her. Therefore, she was sure that they had found a possible solution to the current problem. Twilight opened the great doors of the throne room. A few ponies were already gathered there, all of them were soldiers belonging to the Crystal Guard. Their captain Shining Armor was a little farther away from them, busy as he was in his own duty to distribute the pertinent orders among the other subordinates. Twilight's thoughts went for a moment to the curious fact that there were no other crystal ponies in the room besides these, or that the other royal guards were on their routine patrols around the castle. When Twilight finally entered, she almost didn't have time to react as she was suddenly enveloped in Cadence's tight embrace. "By Celestia, Twilight! I'm so glad you're fine!" She shouted in her ear as she pressed her to her body. "Me too... but, Cadence... Could you please? She waved a hoof as she slapped Cadence's back with a bit of force, in an attempt to take some precious oxygen. Her sister-in-law noticed this and let go her with a somewhat embarrassed look. "I'm sorry... Shining told me everything you said to him and Spike, but I couldn't be with you when you woke up because I was about to put Flurry to bed at that moment." Cadence sighed, then lowered her head a little. "I was so worried about you when I learned the real reason for what happened, and I still am." Her voice took on a low tone. "Our kingdom, the wellfare of our citizens... We do not want to lose everything we have achieved so far." Twilight frowned a little at Cadence's words. She understood them, she understood her very well, so her expression finally became determined as he put a hoof on her sister-in-law's shoulder and another on her own chest. "I'll do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen." Cadence nodded to what she said with a grateful look that lingered on her face for a moment. She didn't take long for to call her husband. He finally sent the rest of the guards to take care of their respective duties. Then they took Twilight and Spike to a separate room. They walked right behind them, then a pink aura enveloped the door and finally closed it. Twilight looked around before a fact became apparent in her head. "Where's Flurry, Cadence?" "She's with Sunburst right now," She said, making an unusual but brief snort. "After updating him on the situation, we decided that would be better for her to stay with him a little longer, at least while we are busy." "But now we must get to the question at hoof," Shining interjected. "Between us we decided what was already obvious. I'll take care of the search and Cadance going to stay here in the castle keeping an eye on the situation. According to what you said, we can't just postpone this whole situation, so we going to start as soon as possible." "Then you're not going to consider the proposal I made to you last night?" Twilight asked and frowned, though she still harbored a modicum of hope that he would change his mind. "I've already explained what I think about that, Twilight," Shining spoke with slight annoyance at his sister's insistence, as he shook his head. "It's going to be risky, I really need you to stay here and help Cadence as much as you can if possible." "I don't think it's any riskier than all the previous times I've put myself in danger," She replied to his excuse, ignoring the other thing that he had said. Shining frowned immediately, annoyed by her retort. "This is different." "Do you really think so?" She questioned in a slightly ironic tone. Cadence intervened before the situation got out of hoof, feeling a little exhausted by it all. "Shining, Twilight, I think you both need to calm down and take a better look at this situation," She suggested as she walked over and put a hoof on the shoulder of her husband. "You must understand your sister and Twilight..." She turned her gaze to her. "You know Shining only wants the best for you." She walked over to her sister-in-law and gave her a gentle touch on her back. "I know you want to help, but going with them isn't the only thing you can do to make it happen." At her sister-in-law's words, Twilight softened her gaze and nodded, even if reluctantly. "But I still think it's my responsibility" After that brief meeting, Twilight and Spike said goodbye of them and went to different parts of the castle. As Spike went in a certain direction, Twilight trotted slowly toward her bedroom. On her way she was alone with her thoughts. Even though she had agreed, and even though her brother was right in some way, she still couldn't help but feel that it was partly her fault that they were now in this predicament. Her mind began to wander into the implications of this, what she had been thinking about until now. And at a certain point, she began to remember. She remembered the moment when Princess Celestia had entrusted her and her friends to protect the Crystal Empire. Like they, along with her brother and her sister-in-law, had helped while they were in charge of the organization or preparing to face the threat that had been found beyond the protective barrier. Everyone, in one way or another, had been there for her. Her friends managed to do a good job with the ponies of the Empire, Spike was by her side when they found the Crystal Heart and finally was he who took it to the others at the crucial moment when she couldn't. Together with Cadence and also thanks to the crystal ponies, they had managed to restore peace and joy to the kingdom once again. In the end, if hadn't been for all of them, she wouldn't be there at that moment to tell the story. And her mind couldn't help but pick one last aspect. Twilight had to hold back a chill when she remembered the alternate future in which none of them had been there to make it. Twilight then knew what she would do, even if they couldn't share her opinion. A determined expression crossed her face as she quickened her pace towards the bedroom, with one last intention in her mind. She wouldn't let anypony else sacrifice themselves for her. A ray of moonlight slipped through one of the windows and revealed the organized state in which the room had been left. The occupier was ready to do her job. Twilight rolled up with her magic the piece of parchment that she had been working with, on which she had recorded all the reasons that led her to do what she was about to do. She just hoped they could understand her. She walked back to the desk and placed the parchment on it in a way that would be visible to anypony who entered the room. She then walked to her bed to take the blue scarf she had worn before, and once again wrapped it around her neck. One last glance was what she needed to make sure everything was really in order. After she directed her hooves towards the open window. She put a hoof on the edge of it and let out a slight sigh. Her room received a final look before she let her thoughts wander. "Spike, brother, Cadence... I'm so sorry..." With a last breath, Twilight turned and spread her wings. She took off with a swift flapping her wings, toward the night sky that stretched beyond her window. > Chapter 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The moon shone steadily, partially hidden as it was behind a few clouds that floated calmly high in the night sky. It lit up the vast frozen wasteland below. And through it, in her flight, a pony was found. The wind that had begun to blow before reaching the mountain range was a greater challenge for Twilight, though fortunately it was not yet strong enough to require much effort. However, what undoubtedly made her more uncomfortable was the biting cold that prevailed in the air, which prevented her from flying in a better way. She tried to ignore that feeling as she carefully adjusted the saddlebag she had brought. Still, she couldn't stop it from moving with the wind, so sometimes she needed to accommodate it so it wouldn't get in her flight. Twilight looked away for a moment at the pale night satellite in the midnight sky. Somehow, she silently wondered what the princess of the night would think. Then she let out a little laugh when she realized that, perhaps, she was supporting her with her clarity without her knowing it. It didn't take long for the mountain range to fully show itself. Twilight let out an exhale when noticed its huge silhouette and flapped her wings a bit more to get into it. She really needed shelter from the annoying icy wind of the arctic behind those steep slopes. Those large formations that rose above the ground gave the feeling that anypony could get lost in its slopes if they did not have previous knowledge and experience. Although for her it was different. Twilight knew very well where to go thanks to the guiding spell she performed on the previous occasion. So her flight had a much shorter route this time. And after a while, the light of her horn finally illuminated the entrance to that cave. The alicorn took a look and held back a shiver as she stared into the deep darkness. Yes, she was well aware of what hidden beyond. What she had to find. Twilight entered slowly as she was supported by the light of her magic, with each step taken she moved a bit farther away from the entrance. From one moment to the next, darkness was the only thing that accompanied her when the slight light that could be seen outside the cave was quickly consumed by the shadows around her. The sound of the outside wind abruptly stopped after her entrance. But contrary to what it seemed, the shadows clustered where her light was strongest. In fact, it seemed very strange that its desire was to consume her completely and extinguish the unnatural glow that was now visible around her. Twilight swallowed hard before resuming her way. She continued on her way with a bit more mental conviction, confident that as long as she went on without deviating for a single second, she would soon see the bluish light of the crystal formations that predominated in the cave of the crystalline lilies. But as the long minutes passed, it became apparent that the path continued straight along its entire length, with no sign of an opening at the end of it. Twilight stopped with a confused look. However, she thought that perhaps on the previous occasion the way had been shorter because she had spent her time conversing with her guard. Yes, maybe it was that. But after a while she realized that there was nothing else in her way except the rock walls around her. Twilight paused again as she let her head turn in various directions, perhaps in an attempt to figure out what was going on. But she couldn't see anything else around her and she frowned with some apprehension about that fact. "This can't be possible" She was sure she hadn't been in the wrong place, unless somehow her spell had failed. Something that wasn't impossible, but it still left her with a slight bewilderment in her face. She had been very careful at the time of launching it. However, the other fact just didn't make sense to her. If she had to prove her thoughts right... Maybe that cave had disappeared. Completely gone. Twilight held back a grimace at the implication of what that might mean. And yet, even though a rational explanation wasn't valid at the time, she realized that she could still feel the thread of magic pull her in its direction, inviting her to go beyond. But the heavy silence that had accompanied her from the moment she put a hoof into the cave left her more anxious than she already was. That silence made her feel as if anything unexpected was going to suddenly come out of the darker depths, wishing to trap her in its darkness... Twilight didn't dare move. Her heartbeat began to pick up. Meanwhile, she could feel the nerves surfacing and spreading across her skin. The chills became inevitable, even though she closed her eyes and began to breathe slowly in an attempt to calm herself down and convince herself that it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. But she came to an abrupt halt when she heard the sound of stones falling from the walls. Ok, now she could feel very well how her heart wanted to leave her chest, while her mind did not stop imagining possible scenes for what she had just heard. Maybe it had just been a simple slip? But she couldn't find the logic behind what happened next. A crack gently scratched at the stone, as if it didn't want to be heard, but ironically it resounded loudly in the silent, cold corridor. Twilight didn't think twice and quickly ran off without looking back. The strength of her heartbeat peaked when the heavy noise of her breathing was the only thing that accompanied her at that moment. That feeling didn't allow her to think in a better way, especially when she began to hear that sound getting closer. At one point, Twilight noticed a new opening in the rock out of the corner of her eye and without thinking too much she swerved in that direction. The light shone brightly through the narrow passageway. And immediately she felt as if her pursuer's steps suddenly stopped, however that was quickly replaced by the faint flapping of wings. She flapped her own wings in an attempt to increase the space between herself and whatever was behind her. But just when she thought she was already a good distance away from it, the intermittent screech of a pair of claws began to be heard much closer. There was no other option for her. Twilight tried to get rid of the threat as she charged her horn in large bursts of energy. She turned and released the power, not caring too much about where it was pointing. She wanted was to get rid of it. Several pink beams pierced through the darkness every few seconds. However, many missed its target or just bounced uselessly off the walls. But eventually, Twilight turned her head and had a chance to see as one caused the bright wake of a sudden explosion that roared loudly, after hitting the bright flame of a green fire that lit up the hallway. A very familiar green fire. "How...?" Before she had a chance to turn off her magic, the energy beam of her next attack separated without her being able to do anything to stop it. Finally hit her target, but after that moment several things happened at once. A familiar scream echoed in the place after Twilight's vision was suddenly blinded by a powerful light. Her flight became disoriented what causing her to fall and crash into the cold, slippery ground of a wide space that she had not noticed before in her frantic race. Twilight got up again with a wince on her face as she sorted out her belongings. With quick steps, she ran back into the darkness of the corridor while keeping her magic on, but she took a step back when she noticed the familiar little silhouette in front of her cradling one of his wings. He looked up when he became aware of her presence. "Uh... Hi, Twilight," Spike murmured with a nervous smile. “'Hi, Twilight'?!” She shouted with an angry look on her face that made the dragon tremble. "That's all you have to say!?" "Of course not," He snorted as he tried to get up, but the pain in his wing stopped him immediately as he grimaced. Twilight snorted in annoyance and frowned, sighing in resignation and opening her purse to look for something. After a few seconds she took out several bandages and without saying another word, she turned to Spike and began to use her magic to analyze his wound. He allowed the alicorn to do her job, but then lowered his head to hide the embarrassed expression on his face. "You... You're not upset, right?" He whispered after looking up just a bit. "What do you think?" She replied without looking at him, concentrating entirely on healing his wing. Luckily, it had just been a scratch. Spike looked down again, this time with a sad look on his face that Twilight couldn't help but notice. She pricked up her ears as she softened her own expression a bit and she turned to him after heaving a sigh. This time spoke in a calmer voice. "I wanna to know how you followed me, but more than anything I'd like to know why you did it." Spike raised his head again and let out a tired sigh. "You were weird all day, Twilight. I thought it was just because your brother had told you and had made you clear what he thought about going with him, but after we went out you didn't bring it up again and I supossed that you had accepted it", He shrugged. "But at dinner time I found your attitude towards Shining's comment about that strange. You were too calm." Twilight stared at him for a few seconds as she blinked rapidly, just a bit amazed that he could have noticed all that. "But how did you know when to do it?" "Your room is practically next door to mine," Spike raised an eyebrow, and if it hadn't been for the wound on his wing, he would have crossed his arms. "I could see the exact moment you came out." "Okay..." She scratched the back of her head nervously. "I'm a bit surprised that you could followed me through the moor and mountains without losing sight of me, considering you still don't handle it properly," She said as she pointed to her wings. Spike touched his chin with a claw as a thoughtful expression crossed his face, then shrugged slightly. "I really don't know how I did it." "Well," She nodded after running a hoof across her forehead. "What I don't understand now is why you did all this. I came alone precisely cause I didn't want anypony else to take a risk for something that was my fault, but now you're here... Why?" Spike frowned slightly and looked down. His mind was busy searching for an answer to it. "Cause I couldn't leave you alone," He looked into her eyes again and Twilight could see the determination inside him. "I couldn't let you face that again, at the risk of you getting hurt." He shook his head and put a claw on the alicorn's hoof. "I wanted to accompany you and be there for you like last time." At those words, Twilight completely softened her gaze and raised the corners of her mouth in a small smile. She lured Spike into a gentle embrace and he soon reciprocated. She really couldn't deny the pride she felt at the time. "What... What will you do now, Twilight?" He asked with a slight embarrassed expression after they parted. She let out a sigh as she finished dressing his wound, then carefully adjusted the wing to its original position. "We can't go back now," She looked into the darkness of the passage, then turned back to him. "We'll move on and maybe we'll find what I came for, but if you want to go with me you're going to have to follow my rules." "And those would be...?" "You must stand by me at all times and obey me in all what I say you," She answered, after standing on her hooves. "If I say to hide, run, or stay with me you must do it. Ok?" Spike nodded, confirming everything she had said, and stood by her side as they walked towards the light of the new cavern. It opened into a chamber quite similar to the previous one Twilight had seen. At least it had the same bright blue crystals scattered all over the walls and ceiling, but it was much smaller. "I have another question," She blurted out suddenly to her companion. "Why didn't you show up a while ago instead of chasing me? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was for you?" She reproached him as she frowned. "Well... I just didn't mean to scare you any more than you already were," He answered her question with a slight nervous smile. "Although I have to admit that it was a bit fun. You should have seen the look on your face!" He continued this time with a laugh. "Spike..." Twilight muttered with an embarrassed look on her face as she shook her head slightly. She wasn't amused. After ignoring him, she began to walk beside him again. They ended up crossing the path that led beyond that little cave. "Twilight, do you really think we're going to find it? You know... The King Sombra's horn," Spike whispered as he rubbed his claws, apprehensive about mentioning the dark unicorn's name. "I mean, you almost did it by pure chance." "I hope so, though I don't think we'll be so risky," She looked at him with some conviction expressed on her face. "This time I'm going to make sure I handle the situation better. Also, that time I could feel that his power wasn't very strong, so I hope it's not so risky... In any case, we must be careful, as you already know." "Well, I just hope you're right." "Are you sure your spell is leading us in the right direction?" The dragon asked after they had just passed through a cavern suspiciously similar to the first. Actually, it felt like they were just going back to the same place. Twilight looked around, at the crystal formations that had strangely taken on a deeper, duller hue as they went deeper into the mountain. Then she ended up frowning. "I'm not sure..." She shook her head as she looked down at her horn. "My magic... I've felt it strange since we started, like something was affecting it." "Well, I don't think we'll have to walk anymore," Spike pointed his claw toward an opening that Twilight hadn't seen in her distraction. She opened her mouth in surprise, before quickly veering off the path into the dim light within. In the end, what greeted them when they crossed the threshold was a new chamber, however, this one was much larger. But regardless, that wasn't what left them both completely surprised. They watched their own silhouettes from afar as a large mirror was displayed beyond. Twilight and Spike traversed the room of dark blue crystals, focused on the object in front of them. In a rather spectacular view, they were able to observe how the edges seemed to be completely fused with the crystal walls. What gave the glass mirror a certain magical and powerful aura. They were definitely sure that it possessed magic inside. But in their slow way, neither them noticed the wisps of darkness that seemed to emanate from the crystals. "Okay, this is really weird now," Spike said as he looked at the grimace of his own reflection, questioning what he saw. "Why is there a mirror here?" "I agree with you on the first point," Twilight nodded as she put a hoof on the slippery edge of it. "And I don't have the slightest idea about the latter." She ran her hoof over the edge while muttering something to herself. Meanwhile, Spike couldn't help but worry when a sudden chill went up his spine. "Uh... I think we'd better get out here, Twilight," He said, his tone rather concerned as he tugged at his friend's wing. He really couldn't ignore the feeling that bristled his scales. And that wasn't a very pleasant thing. "You're right," She confirmed, after pushing her hoof away. She ended up taking a few steps back as she frowned again. Twilight was about to turn when she suddenly felt Spike tense sharply beside her. She wondered why for a second, before she herself paralyzed when she finally realized what had formed behind them. A huge mass of darkness, like a dense black and hellish haze, rose completely in the center as it dragged the dark ties that bound it to the walls, the same ones that had slowly made it grow in size. Simply, the shadows of the room had been gathering in one place without them noticing. Twilight immediately looked beyond, and a growing fearful pang swept through her as she realized that her only way out was blocked by darkness. Without wasting a second, she quickly put Spike in her back as she spread her wings and rise. But after that, several things happened at the same time. An annoying squeaking sound began to echo throughout the chamber without coming from any specific source. So painful that they just brought their hooves and claws to their ears as they closed their eyes and winced at the vibration that spread so relentlessly in their bodies. That prevented them from realizing what was happening next in their environment. Twilight nearly crashed to the ground as she activated her magic and summoned a wide protective barrier that attempted to separate them from the fickle shadows of the room. However, they couldn't help but tense up at the deep growl that began to completely reverberate in the place. It didn't take long for the silhouette of a head to form from the shifting darkness, and then settle down to reveal its unmistakable crimson horn. A pair of bright green eyes suddenly opened and revealed the reddish pupils, squinting in rage as he finally noticed the alicorn and the dragon. Twilight and Spike visibly shuddered as that evil gaze crept over them. The squeaking from before just didn't allow them to react quickly enough. Everything seemed to stand still for a second, before Sombra let out a furious roar and lunged into the dim light of Twilight's magic shield. She tried to keep the protective spell going anyway. She didn't want to think at all about what might happen if it fell apart, even though it seemed to shrink quickly at the fury of his onslaught. What Spike tried to tell her was lost in the chaos. But despite all her efforts, cracks began to spread rapidly through the bright shield. And in the end it just took a second for the inevitable to happen. She looked in horror as her barrier fell for the dark spell that spread far and wide. She squeezed Spike tighter as they veered out of its way and she tried to activate her magic again, but it quickly went out in a flash. Then Twilight realized that she couldn't feel her magic, and that fact just left her even more disoriented It didn't take long for shadows to surround them again. Twilight thought to see a new trail of darkness gathering all along Sombra's horn, however, her vision was quickly covered by the dark haze. She wrapped her hooves around Spike and he also clung tightly to her as they tried to combat the growing fear that threatened to take hold them. But above all, another feeling also struggled to prevail in her. The feeling to protect him. Suddenly, an inexplicable gust of wind scattered the shadows and knocked them both down. But somehow, the way it blew seemed to insulate them from the threat as if it were some kind of protective barrier. The sounds in the room seemed to increase in pitch. Twilight's eyes widened as a powerful flash lit up a few feet from where they were, but it was more surprising when she realized what it had been. There was her purse lying on the floor, but everything was different when she could see the violet glow shining with renewed force from the side of it. She stretched out a hoof and gave it a hard tug, causing something inside to pop out. The alicorn looked in surprise at the object she had just lifted into her hooves. She saw how the glow emanating from the flower contained within it seemed to enhance as it connected with her aura. Twilight noticed it and brought it closer to her chest. Suddenly, the buzzing seemed to drop in pitch as she could feel a warm sensation that seemed to flow from the object between her hooves into her body. Somehow it seemed to increase her magic even more. Then a powerful and unexpected light burst forth before their eyes, causing the shadows that threatened to consume them to quickly disperse. And finally, from one moment to the next everything seemed to vanish from their ears, disappearing completely as it was quickly replaced by an eerie silence. Twilight and Spike saw nothing more as their surroundings faded into darkness that, again, seemed to claim them. > Chapter 4 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Twilight slowly opened her eyes, she realized that many things felt different. First, she tried to sit up carefully after blinking repeatedly because of the white spots that clung to her vision. She could have blamed her disorientation on the sudden, bright light that had blinded her moments before, but she guessed that it was most likely due to the annoying buzzing that had echoed throughout the cavern and that its remains were still piling up in her ears. Twilight began to analyze her situation as she rubbed her hooves on her forehead to protect herself from an impending headache. Then she adjusted the bag she was carrying to the side slightly and the scarf around her neck, although she actually felt a sudden warmth that encouraged her to take it off and save it for another time. She turned her head to look around and was sincerely surprised when the fine white sands she was sitting on betrayed her presence on a clear beach, along with the sea of bright blue waters that stretched far beyond. She didn't realize that she had been lying right on top of the sand, now the tiny particles covered most of her legs. She looked away, the trees of a dark woods returning it. And that fact caused her a slight sense of uneasiness. Twilight looked straight ahead again with a confused expression on her face, as she thought about her situation. Had she been teleported? What had happened earlier suggested that this was most likely. But if so, what purpose did it serve for her that she had ended up in that place? Twilight shook her head as she got up and started walking along the beach. She had a priority before continuing with that thought. "Spike?" Twilight called out to him as she turned her head in all directions. She had hoped to meet him on her way. He was with her when it all happened and maybe the same thing had happened to him. Although on the other hoof, Twilight definitely didn't want to think about that situation, but her mind kept coming back to that moment. She wanted to know why she had made a mistake. The reason why Sombra had regained his power so quickly, why he was in that place, and why they hadn't noticed his presence. But at one point, as she continued to search, a familiar voice caused her ears to move forward. "Twilight?" The alicorn galloped to her place where she had heard it while being encouraged by the sound of it. It didn't take long for her to notice a small purple shape standing out against the pale sand. Spike looked up to see his friend running in his direction, and he barely had time to react when she pulled him in a crushing embrace. "I'm so glad you're fine!" She said as she wrapped her front paws around his body. "I'm glad too, Twilight... But... Could you?" Spike gently tugged at her wing, feeling suffocated. Twilight realized this and let go him as a slight embarrassed look was seen on her face. "Oh, I'm sorry," she replied with a soft laugh. "It's good to see that you're okay." "Of course I am," He smiled as he shook off his scales. "So any idea why we're on a beach instead of the cave where we were attacked?" "I... I don't know," Twilight replied with a sigh. "I should have imagined this would happen before I dragged you with me." A guilty feeling appeared in her eyes. "I'm sorry." "Don't worry, Twilight," Spike patted his friend encouragingly. "I also didn't think I'd go through that again." He frowned with a worried look. "You had said it would take him a while to regain his power." "Obviously I was wrong," she said after rubbing a hoof on her forehead and looking down. "And now we're in an unknown place... My brother and Cadence are going to be very worried." Finally she lowered her ears sadly as she thought of all the ponies she'd left at home with just a note to indicate where she'd gone. What would they do when they realized she wasn't coming back and Spike wasn't there? And her friends? What would they do when they found out she hadn't returned from her trip? Twilight was snapped out of her musings by the snap of Spike's claws in front of her. "I'm sure they'll do everything they can to find us," He said, intending to cheer her up a bit. "They are our family and our friends after all, but for now you've got me." Spike gave her a confident smile that managed to calm Twilight's worries a bit. She lightly handed it back to him before pulling him back into her embrace. Then they parted. "I guess we should figure out where we are now," Spike suggested as he took a look around. Yes," she nodded as she stood up. "I can see that we end up somewhere on the East Coast or the West Coast, if we're lucky, maybe near a city. "That doesn't tell us much," Spike said. "Not really..." She gave him a slightly nervous smile. "We can fly and look more accurately from the air, perhaps..." She couldn't finish speaking when a sudden explosion deafened their ears and shook the place. They both looked up and watched with wide eyes as thick black smoke rose from the woods a short distance away. But it didn't have the airy consistency of smoke, it seemed rather... the bonds of something dark taking shape. "No..." Before Twilight finished her whisper, a cloud of darkness quickly emerged from the forest and enveloped them both. It hid the bright daylight they had received and eventually turned it into the blackness of a starless night. As much as they wanted to move, Twilight and Spike just paralyzed, flooded with the feeling of something they already knew. But Spike's trembling attitude beside her caused her to adopt a determined expression. "I don't care how or why you got your powers back!" She pulled Spike closer to her body as she summoned a weak protective barrier with her magic. "B-but I won't let you hurt us!" A few seconds of eerie silence was what they heard before a low, deep laugh echoed in their ears. Twilight turned her head in an attempt to locate the source, but couldn't find an exact location. It just seemed to come from everywhere and none at once. "Do you think you can always protect him, princess?" Sombra's voice boomed, exuding a special contempt in this last word. Twilight couldn't help but shudder at his tone as she briefly glanced at the dragon. The darkness grew more ominous as what she felt deepened within her. She couldn't see him, but she sensed that he was somewhere beyond the mist. "Oh, little alicorn, I can feel your fear..." The shield flickered. Twilight felt the pain that began to form quickly in her head, just behind her eyes, as that sensation grew... It took a while for her mind to comprehend what he was trying to do. "No! I won't let you do it!" Twilight flexed her legs as she placed Spike on her back to quickly retreat from there, but before she could spread her wings, she felt a large weight hit her back and knock her to the ground, leaving her breathless. Spike flew off with a startled scream. Twilight didn't know when her barrier had fallen, nor did she notice that the shadows had receded from her vision field. She opened her eyes as she breathed heavily, only to see Spike being held in a crimson magic aura, with his muzzle covered and with an intense expression in his gaze. Twilight turned her head slightly over her shoulder, not too surprised when her captor's furious red eyes stared back at her. His horn lit up in an evil glow, summoning the spell that held the dragon back. She tried to move, but it ended up being a futile effort. The unicorn had her tightly pinned to the ground while holding a hoof on her back. The thin crimson pupils narrowed even tighter as Sombra's great form bent over her. "Answer me, princess. How the hell did you end up here, and why did you have a veolum in your possession?" He ended with a grunt. "What?" "I don't know what you're talking about!" She stirred, seriously having no idea what he meant. A brief frown appeared on the dark unicorn's face, and his grip loosened slightly. Twilight, with renewed spirits, took advantage of that moment. She teleported from underneath him in a bright flash and reappeared behind Spike. She then again executed the same spell to take him out of his control. When she reappeared in the air, she actually had to do a complex trick by maneuvering her wings when a magic bolt passed very close to them. After placing Spike in her back, her new priority now was to dodge and get rid of the lasers that were pointed in their direction. Twilight looked down and watched from her position as Sombra's eyes had turned a familiar bright green as purple smoke seemed to flow from his sides. Even his long, dark mane seemed to move, even though there was no breeze in the air. Twilight renewed her elusive moves as she attempted to charge her horn with pure magic to hurl it at her attacker on the ground. Both beams struck in a thunderous explosion that momentarily knocked her out of her way. She fired one more quickly, only for an energy field to stop her attack. "Not bad, princess! But is that all you've got?" He pointed with an arrogant smile. Twilight gritted her teeth when she heard him utter that title in a mocking tone. She didn't intend to stand there and exhaust her magic, which could already feel quite lacking. But on the other hoof, she questioned the state of Sombra's magic. It couldn't be possible that he had just come back and his magic was so strong. On the other hoof, she let out a relief sigh when she realized that he didn't seem to intend to use his dark powers. Though now that she thought about it, he hadn't adopted her characteristic aura either. His body seemed to be quite solid here, in contrast to the shifting shadows she had seen before. Nor did he wear his armor, nor his characteristic crown or his red cloak. Actually, it was a better change from what she had seen of him some time ago. With a quick look around, Twilight decided the most sensible thing to do at that moment. She charged her horn with one last powerful beam that she hurled at the unicorn and then took advantage the smoke produced by the explosion to hide and flap her wings quickly, heading with Spike towards the immense expanse of blue sea behind them. She was aware that if she went into the woods, the unicorn would only end up chasing them. So she opted for that other option, at least until that she could organize herself and think better. But as they walked away, Twilight thought she heard Sombra's voice in the distance, rumbling in a sinister tone that made her hair stand on end. "It's useless to run away, you won't get where you want to go." When Twilight thought they were far enough away, she slowed down her flight a bit. The open sea was all they saw. "Why? Why does this have to happen?" She whispered. "I wonder too," Her passenger replied as he rubbed his forehead with his claws palm. "What are we going to do now, Twilight?" "I don't know..." She paused in mid-air. "I need a moment to think..." "Fine, then..." Spike fell silent as he narrowed his eyes. "Wait, what's that?" Twilight looked up to see what had caused her intrigue, only for her vision to be quickly covered by a dense mist. Spike's gasp was lost in the confusion as she tried to maneuver blindly, without much time to analyze its strange provenance. "I didn't think this was going to get weirder!" Spike screamed to make himself heard, even though he was on top her. Twilight rolled her eyes and snorted in annoyance. "Me least!" "Twilight, watch out!" Spike's warning came a bit late when the mist cleared and the land suddenly looked too close. Twilight gasped in surprise and reacted quickly enough that she wouldn't end up turned into pony puree. Spike jumped off her back before the crash landing and she got a bit lucky when she ended up with the front half of her body partially buried in the sand. Twilight gave an annoyed look on her face at it all, though she also had a vague awareness that somepony was approaching, somepony who made Spike gasp in fear. She looked up slowly as a shadow fell over her. "I suppose you've figured out what I already know." The dark stallion approached the alicorn, his shadow soon covering her completely. "Try as you might, you won't be able to escape this place." Twilight quickly slipped out of her position and as far away from him as possible, taking Spike with her. However, there was one thing she couldn't let go. "W-what do you mean? Where are we?" She was actually surprised when he responded. "In a place forgotten by the world, a place at odds with time. A place where a few grow stronger, while others perish." The intense expression in his gaze sent a shiver down Twilight's spine as he suddenly smiled, revealing the sharp tips of his fangs. "The privilege is not granted to everyone." She dared to raise her fact after ignoring the sensation his answer had caused her. "That doesn't make sense, there's nowhere place like that in Equestria." This time, the look that Sombra gave her definitely left her with an unpleasant feeling that ran all over her body. "Who says we're in Equestria?" He laughed darkly. With a growing surprise on her face, Twilight spread her wings quickly as she put Spike back in her back. Then she rose. She had to see for herself, most likely Sombra was only deceiving her when it couldn't possibly be true. Although on the other hoof... "Twilight, what's wrong?" Spike asked with a worried look. She didn't answer. Total comprehension suddenly fell into her mind as she saw everything from her vantage point. "An... An island..." she whispered, not quite believing it. "How?" Spike tugged gently at her mane as he craned his neck to check what she had said, and it was then that he could see the huge piece of land stretching out in front of them. His face grimaced just like hers. "What are we doing here?!" Twilight descended slowly, the look on her face dejected as she realized they were no longer in their beloved land. When she looked back at the beach, her face took on a surprised expression when she noticed Sombra still there. She frowned when she noticed something more. "You knew about this, so you must also know some way to get out of here," she pointed out to him after landing again. "And you think I'm going to share that knowledge with you?" He approached slowly, causing Twilight to back off. "I-I know you won't," she answered. "But if you haven't left yet, that's cause you need something from us." Sombra paused and frowned in annoyance. "If you noticed, the mist that prevented you from getting out is the same one that inhibits our magic," He let out a brief snort. "Thanks to your little rebelliousness we both deplete our reserve, until it slowly recovers again." Twilight frowned and looked down. She had noticed before how her power felt... limited. So she raised her head again and asked: "And what do you want from us?" "Precisely both of you." At his words, both the alicorn and the dragon put the same confused, gaping expression on their faces. An expression that was priceless for the unicorn. But Twilight quickly recovered from her stupor and ordered her mind to organize her thoughts. "Why? What do we have to do with our being able to escape from here? If it's to use us and try to conquer the Empire again I won't let you! I don't..." A low, deep growl from the stallion stopped her questioning, causing her to shut up and lowered her ears. Spike clung to her tighter, trembling slightly. "I'm well aware that we don't trust each other, but pay attention to this: unless you want to see that little prince and the pink alicorn again, you'd do well not to question me so much." He approached her again, but this time she didn't move away. "You and the dragon are the key to getting out of this place, so unless you wish to stay trapped for a long time, you will have no choice but to believe what I say." He added just to himself: "Maybe then you can be useful to me." Unaware of the stallion's thoughts, Twilight and Spike frowned as they analyzed the situation. Neither of them liked that, but as much as they hated to admit it, they couldn't deny that he was probably right. Sombra seemed to know where they were, and most likely also knew of a means by which they could escape. That didn't mean they were happy to let him show them, but unfortunately they had no choice. If they went into it on their own, with no idea where to go and no map to guide them, they would inevitably get lost. "Twilight, you're not thinking about it seriously, right?" The dragon whispered in her ear, pursing his lips in a grimace. "He's a villain, our enemy, one of the worst, and he's probably lying." "I don't know, Spike," she murmured back. "We don't know how to get out of here and he's probably the only one who can have any idea. I don't want us to take any chances after everything we've been through, but we don't have any other options, besides, there's the other thing..." She raised her voice again to address the stallion in front of her. "What did you mean when you said we're the key to getting out? We won't follow you until we know what you want us for." Sombra began to walk towards the dark forest as the countenance on his face continued unfazed. "Each pony breed has its own characteristics that set them apart from others." Twilight and Spike looked at him, confused at what he was trying to say. He ignored them. "Right in the center of this place is a portal that connects to the outside world, which must be activated by one of those features." "Are you serious?" Twilight raised an eyebrow as she grimaced. "That seems too simple, besides, you only require me, not Spike." "Are you going to keep questioning me, or are you going to start walking?" The unicorn inquired with a nagged tone in his voice, without even turning around. Twilight frowned but continued with the same questions, this time in her mind. Meanwhile, she wondered if the tenuous truce they had apparently established between them would last long enough to allow them to get out alive. > Chapter 5 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The dense forest that had greeted them behind the beach darkened as they went deeper into it. The evening sun heralded an hour when it would soon become even darker. Twilight and Spike walked side by side after taking one of the day's short breaks, keeping a safe distance from their 'new companion' as they tried to ignore the heavy silence that had settled in the place from the moment they entered the wooded area. "You know I don't like this at all, right?" Spike whispered as he took a brief look at Sombra. If he had heard him by chance, he gave no sign of it. "I know, Spike, you've told me several times," Twilight rolled her eyes as she tried to make sure that her light didn't suddenly go out. "And several times I have explained the situation to you. That's not to say that I like to just trust and let him guide us." "Couldn't you cast a spell to make sure what he says is true?" He asked in a whisper as he looked at the unicorn. "What if it's just a trap to get rid of us and have the clear path to try to conquer the empire again." "But I've got what it takes to get back..." Twilight stopped suddenly as a grimace pursed her lips. What assurances did she have that he simply hadn't lied to them? That he only sought a way to get them to trust him even minimally before leading them into some horrible trap? After all, he was the only one who seemed to know the place, and that was something that caused too much intrigue. Spike waved a claw disdainfully. "You know very well that he could have deceived us." Twilight looked down as her mind kept thinking of anything she could do to get out of that situation. However, she picked it up again when she realized something important. "Then why didn't he leave when we fled to the open sea, or why didn't he attack us the second time?" She asked with a slight frown on her expression. "He could have abandoned us on that beach and left." She touched her chin with a hoof, really surprised by it all. "If I didn't have what he needs to get out, he wouldn't have any reason to have waited." "Hpm, maybe you could have a point there," Spike muttered, though he added in a rather worried tone. "I just hope you're very careful, Twilight." "Always, Spike," She said, flashing a slight smile that was meant to reassure him. "Anyway I can't use my magic much cause of the state it's in, certainly not with that strange barrier inhibiting it... For now, the most I can do is levitation and maybe some teleportation. I have to take care that it doesn't run out completely..." She gave her horn a light tap before letting out a weary sigh. "So maybe you don't trust him, but at least trust me." She finished with an encouraging smile. "I won't let anything bad happen to us." Spike frowned as he climbed onto her back and softened his gaze a bit more. "Luckily I can do that," he said as he clutched Twilight's mane. "But I don't even know why we whispered," The dragon continued in the same low tone of voice. "It's not like I care if he listens to us." Suddenly, the pony in front of them stopped, and it didn't take long for Twilight to imitate him. She raised an eyebrow as she slowly approached him until she was more or less beside him, still confused when he just closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate on something. "What's going on?" Twilight asked in an inevitable attempt to break the silence that had been created... Even in the dark forest. He simply ignored her, opened his eyes again and resumed his way. And in the end this only provoked more indignation in the mare. Twilight slammed a hoof into the ground after letting out a rather angry snort, this time refusing to move from her spot. "We're not going to walk in this darkness any longer," she emphasized her words forcefully. "We have to find a place to spend the night." The stallion stopped and turned his gaze slightly in her direction. Twilight felt an unpleasant sensation run through her as her gaze met those glowing red eyes that seemed to give off a fairly obvious trace of annoyance. However, her stance remained firm in spite of everything. "It's getting dark and if we continue like this we'll soon be left behind, my light can't shine brightly enough," She clarified while frowning in disgust. "Twilight," Spike said with a murmur at his friend's somewhat provocative tone. The unicorn slowly approached, and Twilight had to look up because of the height difference when he stopped in front of her. She made a great effort not to be intimidated, which somehow ended up working. "If you had a modicum of sense, you'd make sure you weren't left behind," Sombra replied in a deep voice. "That is, unless you want to find out whatever is hiding in this place." Twilight frowned suspiciously at his words, not too surprised by his utter lack of empathy. After all, it wasn't for nothing that he was known as one of the most dangerous villains who had ever threatened the peace of her land. Twilight took a step back as she organized her mind's thoughts, then spoke again. "What do you mean by what's hidden here?" She asked with a faint trace of suspicion in her voice. He turned again, though Twilight thought she saw the glint of an arrogant expression on his face as he resumed his path once more. "Nothing compared to what's near you. Oh no, she wasn't going to take that. Twilight frowned again and let out a growl of growing annoyance as she moved quickly. Spike jumping off her back in surprise at this. This time she didn't feel like playing along. In a sudden turn of moment, Sombra stopped and looked down at the mare who suddenly found herself in front of him. His face, once expressionless, now took on a marked frown. Twilight, on the other hoof, wasn't about to be ignored again. She stepped forward, decreasing the distance between them and put a hoof on his chest with only one intention in her mind to reaffirm. "Listen! I also know that we don't trust each other, but you said it yourself: you need me to activate that item and we need you to get us out of here. So for now we'll have to help each other! Whether you like it or not!" Sombra looked away to something beyond her, something that seemed to be on his mind. Twilight was well aware that if it were up to him, he would have left them to fend for themselves long ago. Deep in her mind, she imagined that he was looking for something else from them, and for some reason, that only made her misgivings undiminished. Quite the opposite. "Fine," Sombra conceded with a grunt as he pulled away from her. "If only to reclaim what belongs to me." With a jaded expression on her face, Twilight pulled away from him and moved on with Spike by her side. This time she led the way on her own and set out to find an area clear and covered enough for them to rest. Luckily it didn't take her long to find an area where the trees didn't grow so close together, even though the lush foliage didn't allow them see the night sky beyond their level. Twilight thought she heard Sombra's snort behind as them made they way to the small clearing. "You've got the place you want," His deep voice echoed as she turned to confront him. "I don't care what you do now." Sombra walked away from them to find a place to settle. Twilight followed him with her eyes until he seemed to disappear into the darkness of the nearby trees. She gave a small sigh and turned to the fire that Spike had created with his breath after picking up and arranging some branches in front of him. The night had become too cold for no apparent reason. Although she couldn't see him anymore, Twilight knew that the stallion was somewhere close enough to both of them, but at least long enough away to provide for his own comfort. However, it wasn't as if she was too worried about that fact. All she hoped was that he wouldn't come up with the sudden idea of leaving them at some moment. "Twilight, are you okay?", Spike asked looking in her direction as he wrapped his arms around himself. He had stayed too close to the fire to keep the cold away from his body. "Yes, Spike, just... a bit tired," She let out a sudden sigh after putting the bag down beside her, as she searched for something inside. "It's been an exhausting day, with everything we've been through it's no wonder I'm like this." With her magic she pulled out her scarf and two neatly folded objects, which she then unfolded to reveal a pair of layers that she had brought as a spare. After all, she had never known what could happen, as she finally found out very well. "You won't be cold with this," She walked over to Spike to wrap the scarf around his neck and leave him one of the cloaks. She smiled nervously when she realized something. "I'm sorry if it's too big for you." Spike looked at himself, then waved a claw nonchalantly. "It doesn't matter, this is enough." He curled up closer to the cloth. "So, Twilight... Are we going to stick with what you said?" The alicorn looked back at the spot where the dark stallion had disappeared. Then sighed resignedly. "I wish I had another option, but I guess it's the best thing to do for now." "Maybe so," He replied with a slight shrug. "On the other hoof..." He began once more as he lowered his gaze. "I wonder what this strange island is... It's something that leaves me very intrigued." She frowned and touched her chin with a hoof as the thoughts in her mind swirled on a new occasion. "Well, considering the way we appeared, I suppose the glass mirror we found in the cave had something to do with it," She deduced as she put her hooves together. "It seems like it's a kind of portal and we somehow managed to activate it. Do you remember what happened before that happened?" "If you're referring to the time when we were being attacked by an evil unicorn shrouded in shadows, for more information black magic practitioner, yes, I remember," He replied with an obvious sarcastic expression as he crossed his arms. "It turns out that same unicorn is the one you made an apparent truce with to guide us across the island, and that it's possibly leading us into a trap instead." Twilight gave a few quick blinks at the way he had chosen to respond to her. Then she closed her eyes and sighed infinitely tiredly. Though she could understand him in a certain way. "I wasn't talking about that and please Spike, don't keep reminding me of our situation," She finished in an exhausted voice after making a slight gesture of denial. "I was referring to the moment when we saw that violet glow shining through the side of my backpack. That glitter turned out to be the crystal lily I picked up for my research." "But crystal lilies aren't purple," Spike replied. "That one was, after all we don't know the species completely," Twilight nodded as her face showed a slight convinced expression. "When I picked it up, I could feel my magic getting stronger... As if the aura of the flower was flowing towards me." "So you're saying that flower is magical?" He concluded. "I know it's magical, Spike, after all it's in the Crystal Empire. It has the same magic that allows the crystal ponies to take on a crystalline appearance." "But despite that, crystal ponies can't do magic as such," He retorted. "They can't control magic like other species do, but they have a magical component to their own body," Twilight clarified. "What I mean is that the reason why this flower not only seems to be a living being that possesses its own magic, but is also able to channel it into other creatures to increase its power, is also new to me." Spike took a moment to analyze the information that the alicorn had just shared with him. Then he ended up blinking in surprise when he came to a conclusion. "That means that when you increased yours... Did it cause you to unconsciously activate the mirror portal?" Twilight nodded and cracked a pleased smile when he came to the same conclusion as her. "How is that possible without knowing some kind of spell?" Spike asked again. "It's all related somehow," Twilight said, then shrugged. "I just don't know how yet, but I'll try to figure it out in the meantime." "Maybe he knows," The dragon suggested. Twilight wrinkled the expression on her face, knowing full well who he was referring to. "Maybe..." She glanced briefly in a certain direction. "But it's not a priority at the moment." "I suppose not," Spike said with a yawn as he settled into his cloak. "But now I just want to worry about my dreams..." Twilight also made a place in front of the campfire and settled herself on the ground near it with the intention of following his idea, too exhausted by the events of the day to worry about anything else. But as she curled up in the soft, warm fabric of her cloak against him, her mind turned one last time to the thought of a possible pair of crimson eyes watching over them. The thought made her a little uneasy, before she finally settled in as she allowed herself to be dragged into the world of dreams. > Chapter 6 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was some time later that she woke up due to the heavy feeling of coldness in the air. Twilight opened her eyes slowly and turned her head slightly to look around. In a way she was surprised to find the place still dark, though she had a hunch that dawn would come soon. She stretched slightly and yawned to push away the sleep that still remained. The next thing she noticed was how the chill in the air had increased, apparently the small fire they made ended up going out during the night. She rose from her seat as she hung up her backpack, though she left the cloak in Spike's sleeping form beside her. She left the clearing without much haste and walked without going too far. Because it wouldn't take long for the sun to rise, it no longer made sense for her to stand there waiting. In addition, she needed to find to certain stallion to warn him of her departure. That wouldn't take too long, though. From his place in the darkness, Sombra watched as the alicorn's form drifted away from the clearing. He thought he had really been very lucky when he realized that it had been none other than one of the equestrian princesses who had crossed his path. The same princess who had unconsciously influenced the restoration of his power. His scarlet eyes followed her on her way, meanwhile he wondered if she or the dragon would be lucky enough to follow him across the island and survive the attempt. After all, he didn't think they would be particularly useful when he went out if they didn't, though maybe the princess had enough guts. If she succeeded, maybe her situation wouldn't be so bad when he came back and claimed what belonged to him. Sombra gave a low snort as he got up from his place and walked in the direction of her. It was about time they started moving, before it appeared. Nearby, Twilight scanned her surroundings with her gaze after forcing the light magic of her horn due to the darkness that still reigned in the woods. In the silence that followed, she finally gave a start when she heard the sound of hooves behind her. She turned with a quick turn, only slightly surprised as Sombra's dark form emerged from the trees. "Are you afraid of the dark, princess?" He raised an eyebrow mockingly. Twilight frowned. "You just surprised me, that's all," She replied after taking a few steps back. "You'd better not be left behind," He announced in a deep tone that sent a slight shudder down her spine. "I'll be gone before the sun rises." He turned in a certain direction as the princess's voice suddenly questioned. "Why so early?" She asked suspiciously. "Why can't we wait for dawn?" "It's none of your business to know." He kept pulling away from her, not caring as she snorted angrily behind him. After Sombra left and seemed to live up to his name by disappearing into the darkness, Twilight rubbed a hoof on her forehead to ward off a nascent headache, while taking deep, slow breaths in an attempt to calm herself. It was too early for her to feel upset. Then a sudden squeal roused her from her exercise and Twilight startled again. She looked up and moved her ears to the spot where she had caught it. She narrowed her eyes slightly, only to notice the glow of a pair of yellow eyes that stared back at her from a nearby tree branch. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief as she took a closer look at the owl that had scared her, except... Suddenly she realized that the owls didn't emit squeals. The truth was that the bird in front of her wasn't even an owl, worse, she had no idea what it was. From a distance it looked like a strange cross between an eagle and an owl, and only so far did the resemblance to those feathered animals go, unless her eyesight failed her and what she had just seen moving behind it was a long reptilian tail. Twilight could only take a step back when she noticed that this creature bore some resemblance to a cockatrice. Several squeals from the trees made her turn her head, and Twilight saw more in the branches... more than she first thought. She retreated very slowly as the others came in a silent flight and she tried to hold back a shudder when all those yellow eyes pointed in her direction, but to no avail. The shiver that ran down her spine was not pleasant at all. Her instinct told her that these beings were not there just by chance. Nor what she suddenly felt. Twilight gasped as one of the creatures lunged at her in a loud shriek. Her instinct immediately kicked in as she tried to dodge sharp claws from its strong, scaly legs. Without wasting a second, she flapped her wings and flew frantically out of the place, so lost in her fear by the shrieks behind her that she did not notice the dark figure that stood in her way until she crashed into him. She crashed so hard that she knocked them both to the ground. But it was only when she heard the loud angry growl coming from beneath her that her mind cleared a bit to notice that she had flown back towards Sombra. "What the hell are you doing!?" He roared furiously, trying to shake her off. Twilight didn't answer. The words in her mouth didn't come out when she heard the squeals getting closer and closer. She got up quickly and crossed the small clearing without looking back, where Spike was still asleep and oblivious to everything. "Spike! Wake up! Now!" She hurried him as she shook him hard, there was no time to be subtle. "What...?" He blinked with obvious reverie, however, Twilight's frantic expression and the strange sound he could suddenly hear, put him on alert. She barely heeded his confused question as she grabbed her cloak and fastened it tightly. Then she lifted him up and put him in her back. Spike gripped as tightly as he could, even if he didn't understand what was happening. It was only when she heard the galloping sound of hooves and the eerie shrieks of the unpleasantly nearby creatures that she allowed herself to look back. Twilight flew swiftly as the stallion passed by her without looking away, now her new goal was to follow him no matter where he went... A much better plan than going back. "What did you do!?" Sombra shouted angrily enough to make Twilight shake off the state that had possessed her. "I don't know! You tell me!" She yelled at him as she looked back several times, worried they wouldn't seem to lose them. He only let out a deep growl as he looked straight ahead, with a renewed gallop. Soon she had to flap her wings much more quickly to keep them from being left behind. "Twilight, what's going on?" Spike tugged a bit harder on her mane as he tried to make sense of the situation he had suddenly gotten himself into. "Why do those things haunt us?!" "I don't know!" She glanced over her shoulder briefly to confirm Spike's words, so she finally opened her eyes wide when she realized that the threat was much closer than she would have liked. But she was really the one who lagged behind. Twilight tried to flap her wings faster in an attempt to level off at the same speed that the stallion in front of her was running. Although at that point that was already getting pretty difficult. "Any suggestions for losing them?" Twilight asked nopony in particular. "Do you want a suggestion? Well, I suggest you run!" Sombra rumbled angrily in front of her, still unable to understand how that stupid princess had managed to attract those creatures so easily. Twilight grunted, tempted to gallop on the ground and give her already aching wings a moment's rest. But before she could make that intention a reality, a sudden shriek sounded to her right. Twilight saw movement out of the corner of her eye and managed to react quickly enough not to be grazed by those sharp appendages... once again. However, Spike wasn't so lucky when he almost fell off the mare's back due to the surprise, causing Twilight to slow down for a moment. "Spike, hold on!" She shouted as she grabbed him with a single hoof, then forced her magic and placed him once more on her back. "Those things are everywhere!" He shrieked as he turned his head. Twilight gritted her teeth and began to run swiftly on the ground, refusing to constantly look around. In the end, she soon surpassed the unicorn with her speed, in part due to the earth pony magic that ran through her veins. As she followed, the screams came back louder and magic beams suddenly began to fly everywhere. She had to do the same with her magic when the creatures began to become even bolder in its attack. A couple of it fell to the ground, stunned by her magic and Spike's fire, but most simply dodged it with astonishing ease. Twilight was shocked after turning her head for a moment and seeing a few of those birds on the ground, all stunned. She could already imagine who had caused that. But when she decided to take a quick look at the unicorn behind her, she ended up widening her eyes in surprise as she noticed the large winged figure rising above him, claws open and ready for its attack. The warning came out without a second thought. "Sombra!" He frowned quickly, and Twilight saw the exact moment when he turned his head, ready to face the new threat. But she had the impression that he wouldn't have enough time. However, before she could gather the magic of her horn into a new beam, a bright reddish light blinded her for a moment. Twilight looked away as she slowed down her running a bit, blinking to remove the white spots that stuck to her vision. When she turned again, the large bird was on the ground, knocked out by the spell the unicorn had cast. She resumed her race while, in the past instant of her brief disorientation, the stallion had taken the opportunity to overtake them again. Now he was a few steps ahead of them. "Why didn't we just lose them?!" Twilight shouted as the few remaining birds continued its attack. Unfortunately, she couldn't force her magic anymore. She only had enough left to solve future problems, so she certainly needed to secure it. Although it seemed that she was not the only one suffering from this situation because she did not see Sombra resume his own offensive. He shook his head in annoyance, glancing briefly at his curved horn. He was starting to get tired of the situation of not being able to use his true magic, of not being able to feel the wisps of dark power around him. But he would be patient, after all, when it returned, it would do so stronger than ever. He then frowned after hearing the princess's silly question, though he knew very well that she obviously couldn't know what had triggered the chase. He forced himself to turn his gaze in her direction just so she wouldn't insist any longer. "Because it won't leave us alone until we get out of its territory," He replied in a deep tone before turning again. Twilight blinked several times after he said that. So surprised had she been with the stallion willingly answering her question, that she almost stumbled in her way, something she was able to avoid by spreading her wings quickly to keep her balance. "And how will we know?" She asked, dodging a fallen log she wouldn't have seen had it not been for her light. "Just keep running!" The unicorn shouted. After those words he said nothing more and stepped forward. Twilight still couldn't comprehend how he didn't seem to be too exhausted despite how long they'd been at it, though she could catch the slight, labored breathing that was beginning to appear in him. She guessed that his stamina was also due to all the momentary adrenaline. Fortunately for Twilight and Spike, it didn't take long for the squeals to start getting lower. Or perhaps farther and farther away? The knowledge that those things were being left behind made Twilight emboldened and flapped her wings even faster, despite the faint darkness that still lingered in the forest. She had a hunch that the sun was beyond. But she honestly didn't expect that as she stepped out of the tree line, the bright light of dawn blinded her in her face so suddenly, something that obviously caused the disorientation of her flight. Twilight stopped suddenly, causing Spike to jump off her back as he flapped his own wings in an attempt not to encounter the hard dirt, which was made difficult by the cloak he was still wearing. At least both managed not to crash to the ground. Twilight took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the bright light, after that she began to walk towards where Spike was. And in the end, they both turned their heads towards the place in the forest where the loud sound of hooves hitting the earth could be heard. They turned in time to see Sombra come out in a calm step, completely unperturbed as he stepped out into the sunny morning. Twilight frowned as she saw that he didn't seem to be too affected by what had just happened, not even his body betrayed the accelerated state they had started the morning with, except for the faint layer of sweat that made his dark gray fur stick slightly to him. On the other hoof, she couldn't have been a more obvious disaster of a weary pony, luckily she wasn't too concerned about her appearance. Spike didn't seem to be doing so well either, even if he'd been on her back the whole time. "How is it possible that we just escaped from those things and you're so fine with it?" Twilight whispered after letting out a soft sigh, still from her position on the floor. She looked up again, raising her voice. "What were those creatures?" "Does it matter now if I tell you?" Sombra grumbled. "Of course it matters!" She screamed in a burst that unconsciously opened her wings. "We almost could..." Twilight jumped to the conclusion of something when she closed her wings again. "The truth is that now I think we could have..." Spike glanced at his friend, who had her front paws around her body in a hug as she trembled slightly. He knew what she had on her mind and what she couldn't pronounce. Then he walked over to her and began to caress her as a comfort. On the other hoof, Sombra frowned upon seeing the alicorn's status and thought that maybe she didn't have what it takes to cross the island, even if she had managed to overcome the first challenge. However, the mare's condition seemed to disappear as she separated her front hooves from her body and adopted an expression that he could see as determination. "You'll tell us everything we need to know," Twilight demanded. He didn't like the tone of her voice at all. "What makes you think I'm obligated to do it?" He growled, baring his fangs slightly as he slowly approached her. "Nopony tells me what to do, least of all a mare without importance." "You need me anyway!" Twilight began again in an angry scream. "We deserve to know if there are more things in this place that are a potential danger or wants to see us dead." Despite the obvious and imminent potential danger in front of her, Twilight allowed herself to raise the corners of her mouth into something resembling a smile. "I'm not entirely ignorant of what you're really looking for." Sombra forced himself to adopt an expressionless look on his face, even though inwardly he was doing his best not to show that mare where she belonged for daring to speak to her king like that. Ponies would always be just as impertinent. He had really wished to abandon the alicorn and the dragon on that beach to their fate, so that now he wouldn't have to endure the annoyance of their presence. Although, perhaps, he shouldn't have to. Sombra shook his head slightly with a sigh of disgust, pushing those thoughts out of his mind... for the time being. Obviously, it hadn't been necessary to tell the princess that she wasn't really that indispensable to get out of there, but along with the dragon she was more useful in another way. They would be his bargaining chip when the time came. So for now, he had to force himself to put up with them for as long as he was patient. He emitted a low grunt before speaking again. "To answer your question, those creatures are relatives of what you ponies call cockatrices, without a rooster's head and without a petrifying gaze, but just as lethal, especially before dawn if you're in its territory. Are you happy now?" Ignoring the sarcasm in his voice, Twilight looked down for a moment as she cocked her head. "But why did it attack us?" Sombra's snort was audible to both of them. "Apparently those things are naturally drawn to magic," He gave a smile that made Twilight squint in suspicion. "Which is to say that you have shown me that new feature that it possess, unfortunately I don't think it's comforting for you know it." "Are you saying that I caused it to persecute us?" His insinuation ended up angering her, even if she somehow and unconsciously knew he was right. "You were the only one who had activated her magic," He pointed simply. "My intention was to traverse its territory in complete silence to avoid its attack, something that was obviously did not end up being possible." Twilight didn't continue to argue anything after that, just gritted her teeth and turned to Spike to check on his condition. She didn't like that he was right, but she didn't have to listen to him either. "Twilight, I think you'd better relax for a while," Spike said as he took off his cloak. "Confronting him in this way will not bring anything good." She sighed with infinite weariness as she tried to take his advice. Anyway, she couldn't help but look at the place where the unicorn was, who had already moved away and was clearly satisfied with forgetting about them for a while. Twilight shook her head and looked back at Spike, determined not to worry about the stallion or what he was doing as long as he left them alone. "You're right, Spike, I think it's time for me to rest again." > Chapter 7 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Twilight has taken longer than usual. Don't you think so, Shining?" Cadence said, frowning in a slight worried expression. The rulers of the Crystal Empire were already at their usual breakfast place, still waiting for a certain alicorn and her little dragon companion to arrive at the table. Clearly they were already feeling some confusion about their tardiness. Shining Armor also frowned at his wife's words. "It's weird, Twilight usually gets up as soon as Princess Celestia makes the sun rise and she's the one who sometimes wakes Spike up," He replied after swallowing the portion of breakfast he had in his mouth. "Although maybe she just wants to relax in her room for a day after everything that happened before." "I suppose so," Cadence said with a sympathetic look. "That was quite a lot for a single mare." "I think so," Shining let out a brief snort. "Anyway, I'll send two ponies to their rooms to bring them breakfast." After calling out to two of the staff crystal ponies near them, they both approached and bowed their heads in respectfully to their rulers. After Shining Armor indicated his orders, the two stallions nodded and made their way to the palace kitchens ready to carry it out. It was not long before their paths led to the rooms in one of the wings of the castle, where the Hero of their Kingdom and the Princess of Friendship were now staying. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Prince has ordered me to bring her breakfast," One of them spoke as he tapped softly on her bedroom door with a hoof. "Please, open to me." After a few moments of silence, the crystal pony tilted his head slightly and tried again, this time a little harder. Like the previous occasion, nopony answered, there was not even the slightest sign of noise behind it. The stallion frowned in confusion as he took a few steps back and turned his head to where his companion was, at the door of the other room at the end of the hall. The pony shook his head. "I don't think there's anyone in the room, Silver," He said as he approached with the dragon's breakfast tray neatly placed on his back. "It seems that Spike the Brave got up earlier than usual." "And where would he go?" Silver asked, placing the tray he carried in his hooves on his back. "Nopony among the servants and guards saw him leave." "Well, he's a dragon, so he could just fly," The other justified. "Maybe," He shrugged slightly. "Princess Twilight doesn't answer me either, maybe they're just still sleeping." "Then let's just drop their breakfasts and go out quietly again," Suggested the other crystal pony. The servant nodded to his companion before turning to grab the door handle with a hoof. It put up no resistance and opened quickly. The stallion was a bit surprised that the princess's room was not properly locked, but he soon forgot that when he finally entered it. He observed everything, from the perfectly arranged room to the neatly arranged bed and the open window that let in the sunlight. And more importantly, the room was completely empty. He set the tray aside to keep it from falling out of surprise. "Tide!" He called to his friend as he ran toward him. "There's nopony here! Where's the princess?" The other stallion entered the room and turned his gaze back to the servant, now with a frown on his face. "The other room is empty, too. And nopony saw them come out!" "Then I think the parchment on that desk might give us the answer," He pointed to the rolled-up paper on the princess's desk. "We have to take it immediately to Their Highnesses," He emphasized after slamming a hoof into the ground. His companion nodded and took the paper with his snout. They both left the room, leaving it tightly closed this time, and without wasting a second, they went to the place. *** "I can't believe she did that!" The white unicorn's cry echoed throughout the space of his royal chambers, not at all happy when they informed them of the situation and read the note Twilight had left for them. Cadence closed the door behind her as she entered the room. "I made it specifically clear to her that I didn't want to see her involved in the matter. But she ignored me anyway and did what she thought best!" Shining snorted furiously and with clear anger. Cadence could only frown a little as she approached a few steps, staying by her husband's side before putting a hoof on the stallion's shoulder. He momentarily turned in her direction when he felt her touch. "You have to calm down for now, Shining," She said after letting out a small sigh. "We must keep a cool head to better resolve this situation." "Calm down? How am I going to calm down, Cadence?" Shining said as he turned to her. "What she did by leaving is putting her in too great a danger!" "I know, but Twilight is an adult mare. She's aware of her actions, as she made it clear in the note." "That doesn't take away from the fact that she can get hurt," Shining Armor shook his head. "It happened recently. What guarantees that it can't happen again?" Cadence looked down and walked in a certain direction, toward a large table in one corner of the room. She activated her magic and picked up the paper that was there. "Still, you read what she put in the letter," Cadence turned around with an unusual bright look in her eyes. "What was her true desire." The scroll continued to float in her magic, before she directed it to her hooves. The bright black ink of the letters contrasted nicely with the light background, highlighting the well-kept calligraphy of the younger princess. Cadence turned the paper in his direction, and although Shining didn't pick it up, he could read very well what was written on it. And his mind was able to highlight one phrase in particular. "It's my responsibility to protect those I love." Shining Armor frowned slightly and gave a low snort. Cadence smiled a bit as she noticed that she already had him. "Even if I don't agree with what she did either, I can understand her: She went alone just because she didn't want anypony else to get hurt," The princess finished saying. "But at the risk of her getting hurt," The unicorn argued. "Although she's not entirely alone, Spike's not here either." "Twilight wouldn't have let him go with her, I'm sure of that. Maybe he could have followed her?" Cadence asked intriguingly after tucking a hoof under her chin. "Most likely," Shining nodded. "But I don't know if Twilight told him or if he somehow found out." "The second is the best possibility," Cadence reached over and stroked his shoulder. "Now, if Spike is with her, we just have to wait for them to come back." "What if..." The stallion began, but was quickly interrupted. "If they don't, you can go on with the original plan," The princess determined. "After all, it's already organized by you, and you told me that everypony knows what they have to do." She frowned a little worriedly. "I just hope that we don't have to use it." "I don't expect it either" Shining stood up and let out a brief snort, Cadence followed. "We should give this news to the princesses, though I don't think they'll be too happy when they find out, especially Princess Celestia." "She's definitely not going to like it," Cadence confirmed in dismay, shaking her head and closing her eyes. "And I also think we should tell Twilight's friends in Ponyville, they deserve to know." Shining Armor nodded at her words. "Princess Celestia will surely take care of it." "Then we need to get to that right away, I'll send it to her." Cadence walked over to where what she would need was, right on her desk. Before settling in, she turned with a sympathetic expression in her gaze. "I understand how you feel, Shining, after all they are also my family, I just want to tell you that you are not alone in this." Shining approached her with a small smile that contained sadness, but anyway, his wife's words had managed to reach him, as it always did. "Thank you, Cady," He whispered before gently wrapping his front paws around her. Cadence returned the hug that expressed all the gratitude and affection they felt for each other, as well as that strong emotion that she had always been able to feel in him, which made her heart fill with happiness. "You're welcome, Shiny," She replied as she caressed his back gently, then placed a small kiss on his lips. After the two slowly parted, Shining Armor walked to the door with the intention of leaving her alone at work so that she could focus. He, on the other hoof, had other tasks to perform. But one last worried thought of a certain mare stood out in his mind. "Come back soon, sister." The sound of two pairs of horseshoes echoed through the corridors of the Royal Castle of Canterlot. The princess of the night trotted somewhat hurriedly, intrigued by the call she had received from her sister just before she decided to let herself be carried away into the dream world she dominated. However, she had a hunch that it was all related to the infamous news that had reached them just a day before, the news of the possible return of the King of the Shadows. When she reached the room, she activated her magic. A dark blue aura enveloped one of the doors that then ended up opening. "I've arrived, sister," she announced as she closed the door behind her. "What news do you bring back from the Crystal Empire?" The white alicorn standing in front of her bedroom window turned around, and Luna's alarms went off in her head as she noticed the worried expression in her gaze. "Read it for yourself, sister," she showed him the paper that floated in the golden aura of her magic. The younger princess quickly took it with hers. Luna's expression became more and more frantic as she read and delved deeper into the words written there. When she had finished, there was a clear frown on her face, but when she became more aware of her sister's dejected countenance, her gaze softened a little. "Oh, Tia," Luna stood beside her and wrapped a wing around her. "I can't imagine how you feel now." "I'm worried, Lulu," Celestia leaned back in her sister's wing. "On the hoof, I understand what she did and the reason that led her to that, I can even say that I feel proud." The corners of her mouth tried to rise into a smile, before it quickly lowered. "But on the other hoof I can only think of her, alone, trying to face him. I know that last time she managed to overcome that situation successfully, but she has never directly faced the danger that he poses." Luna looked at her and straightened up a bit before she began to speak. "I understand that you don't want her to be in the same situation that I went through, but you mustn't forget that she is strong and completely capable of dealing with it," Luna gave her a slight smile. "After all, she learned from the best teacher," she said in an attempt to cheer up her sister. Luna gave herself a mental point when she noticed her sister's expression change a little. In the end, Celestia nodded slightly to her words and stood up, her sister following her. "I think you're right." The older alicorn turned her gaze back to whatever lay beyond her window. "I have to trust that she can do it." "Then what shall we do now, sister?" The princess of the night asked, entering into the burning question for which she had been summoned. Celestia turned and walked toward her. "I'll go to the Crystal Empire, Cadence and Shining Armor need support," She put a hoof on the younger princess's shoulder. "I trust you can take care of everything while I'm gone." "You can trust me, sister," Luna adopted a determined expression as she put a hoof on her own chest. "Our subjects won't even notice your absence." Celestia gave a faint laugh at the sound of her younger sister's enthusiasm. "But first, there's something I need to take care of before I go," She said as she walked toward the desk in her room. "And that is...?" Celestia took one last look at Luna. "Reporting this to a certain group of mares." > Chapter 8 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sound of galloping hooves could be heard echoing off the walls and glass floor of the castle of friendship. It was caused by a cowboy hat-wearing earth pony, running towards her destination because of the message she had recently received. Suddenly, a swift gust of air passed by her side, giving her an unexpected boost. She almost tripped due to having to grab her hat tightly and put it in place when it blocked her view. "Rainbow Dash!" She shouted at the pegasus that had caused this. "Oops, I'm sorry, Applejack," Rainbow slowed down a bit to be by her side, "But the message Starlight sent us seems to be an important one. What do you think it is?" "I'm not sure," Applejack shook her head as she jogged a bit more calmly now. "After all, it was just saying that she needed to talk to us and that it was urgent." Applejack opened the great door that led to the hall where the seven thrones and the map of the castle were located. When they entered, their friends were already there and they all had the same confused expression on their faces. "Well, we're all here," Starlight announced with a hint of relief in her voice as Applejack and Rainbow settled into their respective seats. "Why did you call us so urgently, my dear?" Rarity asked in her usual refined tone of voice, but with a slightly worried look on her face. "Did something happen?" "Are there any problems in Ponyville that we need to solve while Twilight is gone?" Rainbow Dash asked expectantly. "Nothing has happened in Ponyville, Rainbow," Applejack interjected. "In any case, a few problems with pests in the family garden." She frowned a bit before muttering to herself. "I honestly have to ask Twilight for some help with that when she get back." "Oh! Maybe she's the one who needs our help!" Pinkie Pie suggested, holding up a hoof. "Why would she need our help, Pinkie?" The other earth pony in the group asked. However, none of the mares noticed when Starlight's expression suddenly changed. Pinkie Pie just shrugged. "Well, it's not the first time we've helped her with one of her projects," She said simply. Applejack stared at her for a moment. "You've got a point there," She conceded. "Truth is, girls... it's that it does have to do with Twilight, and Spike," Starlight spoke again with a marked nervousness in her voice. The others were silent when the unicorn announced this, but what really caused her silence and the worry to spread like wildfire among them was when they heard her speak in that way. "Now I'm worrying," Applejack broke the silence. "Can you tell us what's going on?" Starlight sighed deeply, mentally preparing to let them know the news that was the source of her concern. She just hoped they wouldn't react so badly to it, though she doubted it a bit. She wrapped an object near her in the turquoise aura of her magic and lifted it up as she drew it to her hooves. The object was a letter from Canterlot, on which was stamped the royal seal of Princess Celestia. "Hmm, Starlight... I don't think Princess Celestia usually sends you letters." Rainbow raised an eyebrow with a slight tilt of her head. "Or am I wrong?" "No, and there's a reason for that." Starlight looked up and turned to them. "When Twilight and I talked about the project she wanted to do these days in the Crystal Empire, she told me that she might have to venture near one of the mountain ranges around it. She wanted to investigate a kind of crystal flower that exists there..." "Oh, it must be those beautiful crystal lilies we sometimes see when we visit the empire," said Rarity. "We can understand that," Rainbow Dash interjected after gesturing with her hoof, then turned to the other unicorn. "But let's get to the question. What happened to Twilight and Spike, Starlight?" They were all waiting for Starlight's answer. She stirred a bit uncomfortably at her position. "Well, as Princess Celestia says in her letter, while she was studying it in a cave, she found an object..." "What was that?" Applejack asked as her brow furrowed once more. The other girls were just as intrigued. "The horn of a former enemy," Starlight blurted out at last. "If I remember correctly, the former ruler of the Crystal Empire who made it disappear for a thousand years." A new silence spread among the whole group as soon as she finished telling the news. And what news. The mares' reaction was mixed: while some expressed disbelief, surprise, and even annoyance at the same time, others had a fearful or thoughtful expression on their faces. Applejack again was the one who broke. "I can hardly believe you're talking about the King Sombra." "Yes, that's his name," Starlight nodded. "Twilight found his horn, but it apparently did something that caused her to faint and General Sentry had to fly her back to the castle. When she woke up, she told Spike and her brother, and he told the princesses." When she finished answering, the room this time didn't fall silent, quite the opposite. The mares began to argue with each other, some to a lesser extent than others, but they all had something to say about the situation. "How could that happen!?" The rainbow-maned pegasus complained with a loud cry. "The Crystal Heart was supposed to destroy it!" "Just like Starlight just told us, it looks like it didn't quite do it, Rainbow Dash," Applejack said. "I'm glad Twilight had a gentlecolt get her out of there in time," Rarity said as she put a hoof on her chest. And among all the questions and comments that rained down on the table, the unicorn managed to capture the questioning that was of interest. "When did that happen, Starlight?"  The cowboy pony asked. "Two days ago, yesterday was the princesses informed," she answered. "Then you haven't finished telling us everything yet, cause otherwise it would have been Twilight who would have told us about it." Starlight straightened up in place. It was time to tell them the real reason why she had called them. "In the letter she says that Twilight decided to go back to find the horn on her own," she finally announced. "And Spike probably followed her without her noticing." New silence. This time he was broken by the other unicorn of the group. "Are you serious, my dear?" Rarity asked, blinking rapidly. Starlight nodded. "Oh, poor things," Fluttershy looked down and put a hoof on her chest. "Of course she's serious, I just can't understand why Twilight did that," Applejack shook her head. "I know she's capable of doing it, but we're still talking about the King Sombra. He's not a pony to be taken lightly." "As Princess Celestia says in her letter, she did it for us, so that no one else would risk her position," Starlight began again, and the others widened their eyes when they received this new information. "And I think now I can understand that." They all lowered their gazes, meanwhile a thoughtful countenance formed on their faces. "I know you girls know a lot more about him when you faced him and all that in the Empire," Starlight began again, looking at them all closely. "But I'm willing to go and be there for Twilight and Spike when they come back." The next comment came from a certain pink pony. "Starlight's right, girls," Pinkie Pie said. "Twilight is our friend just like Spike and we should support them in any situation. So who's signed up to go with me too? And with Starlight!" Pinkie had now climbed onto the table, moved quickly to Starlight's side, and made her lift a hoof along with her. Starlight laughed nervously at her enthusiasm. "Obviously I'm in!" Rainbow Dash jumped into the air. "You can count on me," Fluttershy whispered softly. "With me, too," Rarity announced. "You should always support a friend and make sure they are fine, especially after their adventures." "Oh, of course I'm going, too," Applejack said, adjusting her hat. "After all, Big Mac and granny Smith can take care of the farm stuff while I'm gone." "Well, I suppose we can meet in a few hours to leave the station," Starlight said at the end as she shifted her gaze around the group, she saw how they nodded. She noticed each and every one of their expressions: Applejack and Rainbow Dash's determined gaze, Pinkie Pie's enthusiastic gaze, Rarity's worried but resolute gaze, and even Fluttershy's shy gaze, but which still denoted inner strength, willing to do anything for their loved ones. But they all had a common goal inside them and that was to be there for their friends in whatever was needed. Night was already beginning to fall in the Crystal Empire... and there was still no sign that Twilight or Spike would appear anytime soon. To say that Shining Armor was frustrated was actually saying very bit, but he wasn't the only one who was upset. Cadence held a tired Flurry Heart in her hooves, tears threatening to come out of her eyes. "I think Flurry misses her aunt." "And I think she senses what's going on, Sunburst, too," Cadence added to his comment, as she gently rocked her daughter in an attempt to calm her down. "We need to solve this quickly." "We'll stick with the plan that was determined before, but now this has turned into something much bigger," Shining said. The three older ponies in the room turned their heads as the large doors of the throne room opened. Then Princess Celestia entered in all her majestic appearance and they smiled when they noticed the group of ponies following behind her. "Ah, I'll never tire of admiring the beauty of the Crystal Empire every time we come." "Are you serious, Rarity?" I forgot how many times we've done it," Rainbow Dash said boredly. "Though the truth is, I have to agree with Rarity, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy spoke softly. "Yes, it's very pretty and all that," Applejack snapped. "But now we have to concentrate on the issue at hoof." "Of course, Applejack, I was just saying..." A sudden clearing of their throats in front of them made them slightly startled, realize where they had finally arrived. They received a quick greeting from the three ponies. "It's good to see them all again," Cadence smiled slightly. "Even if it's under these circumstances." "Don't worry, princess, we're always ready to help our friends," Applejack said with a nod. "Could you put us fully in the context of the situation?" Starlight stepped forward with her question. "The letter that Princess Celestia sent me made us a bit aware of what is going on, but we would appreciate knowing everything." Cadence nodded, and both she and Shining Armor set out to tell everything that had happened since Twilight had returned to the castle. The others listened intently as they spoke. From time to time they made comments and asked questions, but most of the time they remained silent. Finally, Shining Armor showed them the scroll that Twilight had left behind. After the mares had read the words written there, the whole room fell silent. Then one mare in particular broke it. "Well, it's obvious now that we must find them," Starlight emphasized after folding the paper in her magic. The other mares nodded in a show of agreement to the unicorn, each with a frown of determination reflected on their faces. "I'm willing to go on any mission you have planned," Rainbow Dash offered. Applejack slammed a hoof into the ground, expressing her own opinion and intentions regarding the idea of the pegasus, after all she didn't want it to be her alone. Shining Armor, Cadence, and Celestia smiled at the attitude of the group. "I suppose then we can divide the tasks between all of us to cover more," Celestia said as she stepped forward. "Do you agree with that, Cadence, Shining Armor?" They both nodded in a clear sign of what they thought, before Shining spoke again. "Applejack and Rainbow Dash can join me when we have to cover the terrain of the Crystal Range, we know Twilight and Spike went there." The two nodded excitedly, a little more on Rainbow Dash's part. Then Cadence took the floor again. "In the meantime, the others will stay with Celestia and me in the castle." She took her daughter in her hooves before pointing to two of the mares. "Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, you'll help Sunburst take care of Flurry Heart." Fluttershy nodded at her request with a small smile on her face, while Pinkie jumped quickly up to where she was with a big smile on hers. The baby stretched out her little hooves and flew over to Pinkie as she babbled happily and settled in her mane. "Aunt Pinkie will take care of everything!" Cadence laughed lightly as Celestia took the floor again and looked at the next mentioned. "Sunburst and Starlight, you'll help Cadence and me stay connected with the group for the duration of the expedition." "It will be an honor for us, Princess," Starlight said with a smile as she pulled her friend closer with one hoof. Sunburst smiled too, though a bit more nervously. "And what shall I do in the meantime, Princess?" Rarity asked, wanting to help as well. "You will do one of the most important tasks," Cadence said this time. "You'll have to take care of certain aspects of the castle regarding personnel and other things, basically you have to make sure that everything is kept in as much order as possible while we're busy. Although of course you won't do it all alone, you will have our help in that." "Oh," Rarity had a hoof on her chest with a marveled expression. "Absolutely count on me." "Then if everything is ready," Celestia said with a small smile on her face. "I guess soon it will be time to start." > Chapter 9 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two days had passed since they left the forest. Two days that had not been easy for Twilight and Spike. In the first place, because the situation with the other member of their strange group had not improved a bit since that day. The truth is that it had never done so and they only tried to convince themselves that the tension between them could simply be ignored. At least and for the time being, it hadn't resulted in any further confrontation between the princess and the dark stallion. The dragon was content to mind only his own business. In general, heavy silences predominated, and she only exchanged the necessary words with the unicorn. And it's not that she hadn't tried to do otherwise. Secondly, because even though they didn't go back into the forest, the fact that they were following a path that was right next to it was enough for them to not be able to relax completely. What had happened recently would not be so easily erased from their minds. In those two days, Twilight tried to get some other information out of the unicorn about where they were now, but she could have done the same with a rock and gotten the same results. In the end she had given up for the moment with a frustrated snort, deciding to keep quiet until she could find a way to find out. Because as long as she and Spike were in that situation, she wouldn't give up on looking for an answer. But in the meantime, her mind couldn't help but revert to the thought of what exactly that place was. How was the existence of such an island possible? What did all this mean? What else was in it, and how was it connected to the outside world? And more importantly, how exactly did they get there? While it was obvious that there were many pieces of land scattered in the seas around Equestria and even beyond, the fact that some sort of barrier surrounded the island completely and supposedly isolated it from the rest of the world was something she had never seen before. Or at least that's what she assumed, by not letting anything out beyond a certain limit. Twilight tried to remember if any of the many books she'd read talked about such places, but the only thing she could remember at the moment was the theme devoted to the mysteries of islands appearing or disappearing. Strange situations in which the seafaring ponies that sailed the oceans swore that they were sometimes involved. As interesting as those kinds of mysteries were, she never bothered too much to do enough research on those subjects. All her life she had decided to focus more on studying the complex paths of magic, especially pony magic. Now she was a bit sorry that she hadn't been more curious about it. However, that didn't matter too much anymore now. At the time, Twilight and Spike were on a short break in the woods, but they hadn't strayed too far from the main path. She realized it was a bit odd that an unhabited place like that had a fairly defined path, but she thought that maybe the geography of the landscape was conducive to that. "I'm so bored!" Spike yawned tiredly, not bothering to cover his mouth. "How much longer are we supposed to wait here?" "I wonder that too, Spike," Twilight said as she looked in a certain direction. "We're supposed to wait for him to come back." The fact that Sombra had suddenly told them to wait there, then disappeared into the trees had caused Twilight to frown. And though she tried afterwards to extract some information from him about his intentions, all she got was an answer too vague to satisfy her. Then she had tried in vain to persuade him to go with them to make sure that what he had said was true. On the other hoof, there was the fact that she just didn't want her and Spike to be left waiting there alone. Maybe he hadn't proven to be a reliable pony, but at least he knew and was a better option than facing the unknown. "I think he just waited to leave for good, you know?" Spike gestured with his claw. "Maybe he left us at last." "It's a possibility, but I don't think so." She yawned too, but she did cover her muzzle with a hoof. "I don't think he can get rid of us so easily, remember he just said to wait here." "Is it necessarily obligatory to listen to him?" Twilight rolled her eyes, not wanting to hold back another yawn, but suddenly her ears moved in a certain direction when she felt a noise behind her. She and Spike turned around in time to see the stallion in question come out from behind some trees, but they quickly noticed that he looked different. Different in the sense that a dark layer covered his body. "Move if you don't want to spend the night in this place," was all he said as he passed by. Twilight was shocked enough that Spike had to nudge her slightly, but she reacted and finally came to. She grabbed her saddlebag quickly and stepped forward to position herself beside the stallion. "How did you get that?" She asked as she looked curiously at the piece of cloth that covered it. He only glanced for a brief moment in her direction. "That doesn't interest you at the moment," He replied in a deep tone, his gaze once more drawn straight ahead as they followed the forest path. Twilight snorted in annoyance after falling behind in her wake. It wasn't new that he decided to keep her in ignorance, but that didn't stop bothering her every time. And she had a feeling that it only pleased him. "Yes, I'm interested," she whispered as she walked back to Spike's side. The rest of the way they were silent, at least for a certain pair of ponies. The alicorn and the dragon, on the other hoof, went on with their own whispered conversation, mostly with Spike asking her questions. "Where do you think we're going next, Twilight?" "I don't know, Spike, but I have a feeling something's not right," she spoke softly, looking down and muttering to herself. "Where did he get that cloak?" "I don't think it's that important to know that," he said without worrying too much about that aspect. "It's more important than it seems," she said as she straightened up completely. "Normally that would mean..." Twilight interrupted herself as a low sound began to reach her ears, Spike frowned when he noticed that he picked it up too. "This is weird," he said, rubbing one of his fins. "I seem to hear murmurs." Indeed, it was not something they had imagined as they soon began to hear the sound of voices and the hubbub brought by the rattle of what seemed to be wheels on the road, as if they were arriving at some kind of populated place. And that was exactly what awaited them beyond the tree line, when a village opened up before the incredulous gaze of Spike and Twilight. It was a small village that should not have had more than twenty huts built of wood and stones, which were irregularly distributed without any apparent order between them. And in a quiet walk or just standing on the thresholds of each home were ponies. Mares and stallions covered in what appeared to be gnawed, dull-looking clothes who spent their afternoon as they worked moving wagons or simply preparing for the night that would soon fall. A group of foals ran quite happily around the village, distracted by their own games. Meanwhile, some groups of young mares were in what appeared to be a small market. The ponies in that village were just going about their day, not caring about anything more. However, Twilight's mind was in a frenzy as she tried to find the logic for the new situation that lay before her. She still had a surprised expression on her face as she moved her gaze all over the place. She later recognized how one of the trails leading into the village was the same one they had traveled on their two-day journey. "This is unbelievable," she whispered. "A whole village of ponies existing in a place that shouldn't exist. How are they supposed to have gotten here?" She asked herself. "I've seen a lot of weird things," Spike confirmed, nodding slowly. "But that's definitely a very strange thing." They both stepped forward with the intention of stepping out of the shadow of the forest, but before Twilight could get ahead and go any further, the unicorn's front hoof stopped her in her tracks. She looked up with an obvious frown that spread across her face at his action. "Are you really going to go out that way?" He said with a serious expression in his eyes. "Take a good look at those ponies, princess. Do you really think they've ever seen a fire-breathing lizard or a creature of your race? Be careful how you proceed, we are not in the seemingly peaceful land that you think Equestria is." He finished his warning as he lowered his limb. "I suggest you cover up and your lizard too." He ignored the dragon's frown and walked out of the tree line. Twilight had opened her mouth with the intention of saying something, but once again she was met with the fact that he was right. And that wasn't something she liked at all. "What did he mean by that?" Spike asked with a slight grimace. "I don't know how these ponies got here, but they may have been trapped for a long time, so they've probably never seen a dragon," she replied ruefully, turning her head in his direction. "Or a pony that has wings and horn at the same time." "That... It makes sense," he said after putting a claw on his chin, then looked back at the village. "Somehow I feel like they live in another age." "Hmp, I think you might be right," Twilight conceded as her gaze drifted in the same direction. "According to the way they dress and how the houses are built, they remind me of the past time described in the history books of Equestria, the period of more than a thousand years ago." Spike could only give an incredulous whistle as Twilight fumbled for something in her saddlebag. Soon she took out the familiar pair of cloaks and divided it between them. At least the dragon now had no more big piece of cloth, due to a fraction of magic that the alicorn used to adjust it to his size. She just put hers on tightly to hide her wings in a good way and adjusted her clasp. Spike pulled up his hood, and when they were both sure they could go relatively unnoticed, they stepped out of the shade of the trees. They managed to quickly integrate themselves into the flow of ponies that circulated along the road, and the two relaxed when they noticed that none of them seemed to have paid attention to them. They both walked in a certain direction when they located the stallion, who had apparently waited for them all that time they had spent with unsuspected patience. However, the look on his face reflected his obvious irritation. But as she watched him, Twilight ended up widening her eyes in surprise when she realized something much more important. "You say Spike and I should be careful. But don't you think they'd be more surprised by you than by us?" "Why should they?" He pretended to be surprised at her question. Twilight rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "Cause it's obviously not common to see a pony of your size and appearance," She pointed to his body, emphasizing his horn and eyes. However, she snorted in annoyance when she realized something else. "You know what? Forget it, you're not even going to tell me what I want." "Then you shouldn't ask," Sombra replied, resuming his walk. He clearly had no intention of answering the question and bringing the princess out of her ignorance. Twilight snorted again and went to where Spike was, a few feet behind them. She wasn't going to follow through with her insistence for that moment, but that didn't mean she'd forgotten it. However, Twilight couldn't help but notice something strange as she avoided the habitants of that place. They did not seem to be as well as he had at first hoped. And in the end, she couldn't help but notice the somewhat jaded look she could see on the adults' faces. However, for obvious reasons she couldn't deduce what was causing this, because nothing she saw so far gave away a much bigger situation. At one point, Sombra left them practically abandoned in front of what appeared to be a resting place, before disappearing in a certain direction. Twilight had just stood there, with strange directions and a rather annoyed and confused look on her face. But before she walked past Spike, she let out a sigh and took on a serious expression again, at least so as not to make a possible bad impression. "Hello?" She hesitantly called out to whoever lived there. A few seconds later an earth mare appeared, partially covered in a dull garb, as most villagers wore. However, the pale color of her mane made her blue eyes pop. She quickly walked over to where they were while responding with her own greeting. "You were lucky today," The mare replied after Twilight had told her what the stallion had told her. "Some travelers usually pass through here at this time, but lately we don't get too many ponies, so we're mostly unoccupied." "And you have... any idea why that happens?" Twilight inquired, perhaps in a subtle attempt to find out as much information as possible by another means, since her main source was not very cooperative. The mare looked at her in a somewhat strange way that made her slightly embarrassed, though she quickly regained her composure. "Everypony knows that the roads between villages can be very dangerous." "You're right about that," said Spike suddenly, who had been silent up to that point, as he nodded firmly to her words. Twilight looked down with a thoughtful expression as the blue-eyed mare gave her friend a curious look. Her mind was still trying to analyze the situation as much as possible. At least it was clear to her that these were not the only ponies on the island, nor the only settlement. She knew that the question of why they existed there would have to be left for later, so she decided to concentrate on another aspect. But after digging a bit deeper with their hostess, Twilight noticed something strange. The ponies here seemed to be unaware of certain aspects that were normal in her own world, though that didn't really surprise her too much when she discovered it. After that, Twilight and Spike decided to go to rest. "So what do you think of all this, Twilight?" She frowned slightly as she disposed of her saddlebag and cloak in the safety of the room. It didn't take long for Spike to do the same. "It's obvious that these ponies didn't have the same thing that happened to us. They weren't ponies from Equestria that somehow made it here, no, these ponies are native to this place, strange as that sounds," She replied. "What I find most strange is that they seem to live as if we have gone back a thousand years in the past and if we are to go by what we now know, a thousand years ago this probably already existed." "Why is that? If this place has supposedly existed for so long. Aren't they supposed to have had the time to develop?" After Spike posed those questions, Twilight lowered her head and touched her chin with a hoof as she took a short walk around the room. After a few moments, she looked up as she came up with a possible answer. "Just as mist diminishes our magic, it makes sense that it does the same with these ponies," She confirmed as she clashed her hooves. "Since the development of our own magic has always been linked to the very growth of our species, it makes sense that by failing to reach or surpass their level they have not been able to change their conditions. However, this factor is still insufficient, so perhaps there are more issues that we do not know about", She ended up saying at the same time that she was running a hoof over her chin. "Hmp, that's interesting, actually," Spike conceded with a thoughtful look, directing it somewhere on the wall, before returning it to Twilight. As they both set out to relax in their respective places for the night, the sudden sound of hooves began to echo in the surroundings. Before they knew it, the door of the place opened completely with a bang and let a certain stallion in as he passed through the threshold. It didn't take long for Twilight's face to furrow with suspicion as her mind highlighted something else important. It was obvious that Sombra knew of the existence of these ponies beforehoof, he just hadn't had the slightest intention of sharing that information with them. A piece of information, apparently from Twilight, very important. "You didn't tell us there were more," She reproached him as she watched him throw off his cloak, then hang it on a rusty hook near hers. "It wasn't important for you to know at the time," He grumbled without turning. "That wouldn't have changed anything at all." Twilight snorted in disgust as soon as the stallion let it out. She crossed her front legs as her face reflected the expression that she had several things to say. On the other hoof, at the hint that Twilight and Sombra would start exchanging words on another occasion, Spike decided to settle down and lie down on his side of the bed with the aim of his good night's sleep. All this with the attempt to forget about both ponies for a moment. He only hoped that they wouldn't suddenly start arguing and interrupt his well-deserved rest. He really needed it. "How can you know that?" She asked with a sigh as she moved her hooves to lightly rub her forehead, right under her horn. "Neither Spike nor I know what's in this place, and even if we don't like it, we must take your word for it to try to get out alive and unharmed..." "Tell me what you're trying to say at the end," Sombra interrupted as he held up a hoof to stop her words. "I'm just trying to say one thing," She replied with obvious annoyance in her tone. "Don't you think it's best for both of us to know all the information that is vital so that nothing else takes us by surprise? That's what I think would be the best." Sombra frowned at her for a few moments, then softened his gaze a bit, looking away. A hopeful little flame ignited in Twilight as she noticed that he might be considering it. "The next route we'll take is about a day's journey from here, and it's the one we'll cross the mountain, to avoid making so many detours," He replied in a grave tone. "Of all the others, it is the least dangerous." Although it wasn't exactly what she had asked, Twilight allowed herself to close her eyes with some relief. "I'm a little glad you understood," Twilight murmured. "I just hope we don't have as much work as long as it lasts." "All I can tell you is to prepare for that." After Sombra said those last words, he simply turned and climbed onto his respective bed, in an attempt to take his own break from the whole situation. Twilight did the same too, but unlike the two of them it took a bit longer to fall asleep, and it wasn't for lack of tiredness. The questions about it all occupied the thoughts of her mind for a while longer. The next morning they all woke up and went out in silence without saying too much. Twilight was the only one who took it upon herself to thank the mare who had taken them in for their stay. As Sombra had mentioned the night before, now Twilight, and by extension Spike, needed to walk a bit faster if they wanted to get to the road before dark that they would apparently take through the mountains with as bit risk as possible. They only hoped that nothing else would bother them on their journey. After adjusting their cloaks once more, the three of them quickly left the other end of the village, just before the villagers began to leave their homes. Eventually, they took a new path in the direction of their next destination. None of them imagined what would be waiting for them beyond. > Chapter 10 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Where have we gone?" That was all Twilight thought as soon as they left the forest and took a detour along a parallel path to it, just a day after they resumed their journey. Yes, they had to spend the night in the open after all. But now nothing had prepared them for what they had to face, or rather, go through. Twilight and Spike were aware, as far as they had known so far, that on their way it was necessary to cross a narrow mountain pass that rose in that place, unless they wished it to be longer if they chose to skirt it. Unfortunately, they knew they couldn't afford to waste so much time. But that didn't convince them. "I still don't think I like this," Spike whispered to Twilight after crossing his arms and frowning, still looking at the formation in front of him, as if that path between mountain rock walls was the source of all their bad luck. "I think it's wiser to go through the woods," He said as he pointed in front of them, a clear reference to the unfortunate path. "Anything can happen there." "Actually, you're not that wrong..." Twilight cleared her throat before addressing the stallion in front of her, with several doubts populating her mind. He turned slightly in her direction when he heard her. "What do you want?" Sombra murmured with a frown on his face, which Twilight noticed. She knew she'd managed to get him over annoying, but since she didn't care much what he thought anyway, she went on with what was on her mind. "Wouldn't it be better if we went through the woods?" She asked in a suggestive tone, coming just a bit closer. "The roads between mountains can be treacherous and the truth is that I would prefer not to risk it." "Not after everything we've been through these last few days" Sombra turned again, turning his back on her and leaving the alicorn with the thought that, most likely, she was once again being ignored. However, neither Twilight nor Spike expected his next move. With one of his hooves he picked up a simple stone from the path and quickly threw it against one of the cliff's rock faces. It hit the wall and bounced to the floor, but not before leaving a strange echo that resonated subtly in their ears. Twilight and Spike had the same confused expression on their faces and the same question mark over their heads at the meaning of such an act. "The road you want to follow is not very different from this one, if anything it is even more extensive, and it is obligatory to take a long path around the mountains", His voice took on a somber tone. "And it's even more dangerous." "B-but maybe not... "Twilight chastised herself in her mind for her sudden stutter as her thoughts turned to another issue she hadn't considered before. She wondered why she hadn't. And what if those creatures also existed on the path they wanted to travel? Nothing guaranteed them otherwise after all. Sombra interrupted her before she could continue with her train of thought. "Then tell me, princess. What do you think is the most sensible thing to do? To traverse the forest, with all kinds of dangers lurking among its branches? Or take a shortcut despite the risks? I suggest you respond quickly, time waits for nopony." Twilight frowned in annoyance at the mocking intent with which he pronounced her title, not to mention the sarcasm that permeated each of his questions, something that she was beginning to notice characteristic of him. "What kind of dangers do you mean?" She asked after rubbing a hoof on her forehead. "We need to assess the options at least." Twilight could see how he seemed to snort in annoyance, after rolling his eyes slightly before the words came out of his mouth. "The least you could find would be herds of wild animals looking for its next meal, waiting for its prey to fall into its own trap as it traverse its hunting grounds, and that's just one," Sombra shrugged. "Why do you think there are such well-defined paths that don't go into it? The ponies here know very well why they shouldn't." Twilight looked down with a thought in her head. "Then it's almost like it's the Everfree Forest, only more extensive." She had no idea how she could know, only the feeling that this similar forest occupied most of the island. "And why can't we just take one of those paths?" Twilight asked as she raised her head again, her expression furrowing slightly. If that was so, she did not understand then the need to deviate. Sombra shook his head at her question. "I've never been aware that the center of the island is habited. Each section connects with different settlements, but as far as I know there are too few to take the time to jump through each one until we find the one closest to our destination." He raised an eyebrow as his voice took on a tone that made her squint slightly. "Are you willing to take all that time?" Twilight lowered her head and glanced briefly at Spike. He returned it with a countenance that denoted what he really wanted at that moment. He trusted that she would know what to do to get them home safely. "So you mean that road would take us faster?" Twilight pointed with a hoof to the path in front of her. " "It's the only really," He replied simply. "And how risky can it be?" She asked again cautiously. He shrugged. "You won't find anything that wants to turn them into its next dinner, at least." A neutral expression formed on Twilight's face. "Very comforting." "I don't trust you completely, and I know you know that. "That's not my problem anyway," He turned around simply, leaving the alicorn with the word in her mouth. Twilight rolled her eyes in a lot of annoyance. She was aware that it wasn't the safest option, as she thought about everything that could happen. All that was needed was one misstep. She held back a slight chill at the thoughts that existed in her mind, at the same time wondering if she would ever stop having it. But through it all, Twilight couldn't deny that the stallion was right, just as she couldn't deny the fact that she didn't want her and Spike to be in that place for too long. Thoughts of home used to occupy her mind. She missed them, both her friends and her family. After making her decision, Twilight closed her eyes and gave a slight sigh. "Spike and I will go for the least risky option." Her face took on a serious, determined expression. "Just guide us." Her annoyance had not gone unnoticed in the stallion's eyes, nor had the fact that her attitude changed almost suddenly. Sombra felt her emotions again isolated underneath all that determination. Who would hace imagined that one of them would show different? "I suppose you do have some intelligence in there after all," He said mockingly before resuming his way. Twilight let out one last snort as she positioned herself at Spike's side, letting the unicorn lead the way another time. "Then I should assume we'll continue this road?" Spike raised an eyebrow as Twilight sighed, followed by some despondency. "Yes, Spike, maybe it's not the best, but the truth is, the other probably wasn't a very good choice either," She said with a tired tone in her voice. "We'll keep on here and see where it takes us, although there's probably just rocks and everything else that's usually on mountain trails," She said, trying to cheer him up, though more than for him, Twilight felt it was for herself. "What's the worst thing that could happen?" Spike only gave her a brief glance. "Do you really want me to answer that?" "I think it's best that you don't" she said with a nervous smile before her expression suddenly changed, concern in her eyes. "Still, I can't help but have a bad feeling about all this..." "You're not alone, Twi," Spike sighed. She shook her head, perhaps in an attempt to push away certain questions that would only bring more doubt the deeper she went. "But the truth is, everything about this place gives me a bad feeling." And along with that thought, she still wondered how ponies could possibly exist there. Still, though she wanted to find the answers, she knew that her priority was quite different at that moment, nonetheless... Was it possible that the means by which they had arrived played an important role? Deep down, Twilight was certain that she wasn't wrong about it, considering what she knew so far. And as they continued on their walk, Twilight turned her gaze to the stallion in front of them. She couldn't help but analyze the details she had known about him up to that point, while adding other things she had noticed in the last few days, and all to find out if he was more than what she had actually been told. According to what Princess Celestia had told her, the King Sombra was a pony whose heart was as dark as night, the tyrant of the Crystal Empire. He was the one who had enslaved its habitants, a whole race of innocent ponies. Besides, according to what she had heard, he was the one who had gotten rid of its previous ruler. He was definitely a pony to be very careful with. So why was she overthinking it? She didn't know it yet. Twilight remembered once again how she had come to know the story written up to that point, as part of the challenge she had to face in the Crystal Empire. Find the heart and free the crystal ponies from what bound them to the past. That time when she showed her mentor what she had really seen in her, and what she later ended up becoming. But now she didn't quite know what to think about the circumstances they were experiencing. In the end, she ended up wondering what would have really happened if his powers had fully returned and his magic wasn't as limited as hers. She knew that her current situation would most likely be very different. However, now she only hoped that she had done well to listen to the voice of her reason. With a slight snort, Twilight decided it was best to put all her doubts away again, for the time being. What she didn't realize afterwards, however, was that her visual scrutiny would be long enough for him to notice. "Can I know why you're looking at me so much?" The sudden sound of Sombra's deep voice made Twilight almost jump in shock and surprise. She only wondered for a moment how he had realized she was watching him, without even turning around. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," she replied with a slight look of embarrassment on her face. "I'm just... making sure we're going in the right direction." She ended up shrugging her shoulders as he turned his gaze to her. Sombra just looked at her with a blank expression, but Twilight could almost feel the weight of his gaze. She ended up frowning because of this, but before she could open her mouth, the unicorn turned once to turn his back on her. She heard him muttering something under his breath as he resumed his walk. Twilight knew he hadn't believed her, but since he didn't insist on it, she allowed herself to relax again with a small sigh. "Is he right?" Twilight asked in a whisper to the purple dragon next to her, as she kept the previous countenance on her face. Spike gave her a smile meant to reassure her, but Twilight could detect in it the nerves that inevitably betrayed him. She raised an eyebrow at this fact. "I don't want to agree with him, but you were... Looking at him a bit fixed, the truth," he replied in a whispered tone, scratching the back of his head with a claw. "Really?" Twilight shook her head as she bumped the palm of her hoof against her forehead, then let out an exhausted sigh. "I think I'm just... Starting to get tired of it all." "I don't want you to worry too much, Twi," Spike said with a sympathetic smile as he gently put a claw on her back. She relaxed a bit at his touch. "I don't know why we are the ones who almost always have to deal with these situations, but I've already learned that anything that is not in our plans and that can happen is best taken slowly even if you don't forget those concerns," He finished saying while shrugging his shoulders. "Still, it's hard to relax when the uneasiness doesn't subside," Twilight murmured, her voice trailing as she pricked up her ears. "But you can always try," Spike finished saying as he nodded slightly. "You know it doesn't hurt to do it." Twilight smiled a bit sideways at Spike's words, thankful that he was the one who always found a way to cheer her up. The truth is that she had no idea how she would have been able to face that situation without him, completely alone. It was definitely comforting to have the help of her faithful little assistant. "We'll get through this together, Twilight, you'll see," Spike adopted a determined expression, still looking at her at all times as he whispered, "And when we're home it will be even easier to finish resolving this whole situation." "You're right, Spike," Twilight smiled as she lightly stroked his head. "I don't think I still know what I'd do without you." She finished with a small laugh. Spike raised an eyebrow, smiling in amusement. "I don't know either," He laughed along with her before his gaze softened again. "But you know you can always count on me." Twilight smiled once more and put a hoof on his shoulder while giving a slight nod, grateful that at that moment he was giving her enough strength to keep going. *** The hours of daylight they had in their path passed relatively quickly as they went about their own business. Now the reddish hue of the sunset was beginning to be present in the distance, as they walked along that mountain path that did nothing but become more and more steep. At least Twilight and Spike had to admit that the views were incredible, as long as they made sure they didn't get too close to the cliff. They could fly, but it still wasn't a soul-soothing sight. From a perspective few had experienced, Twilight marveled somewhat at what her eye could see until it was lost on the horizon. Tall formations in the distance, long enough for white, misty, cloudy crowns to settle on its summits; along with meadows and spaces that looked like seas of green. A typical region of any temperate zone. A bit thanks to her previous decision, she could now see even better the strange new place they had come to end up in. Yet the place inevitably reminded her a bit of home, only it was, in her opinion, much wilder. Twilight let out a small sigh, thinking that it might all be a bit more enjoyable if the atmosphere wasn't so tense. Silence was predominant, and it wasn't a very comfortable one. However, she still didn't know what to do to improve that situation. She occasionally gave brief glimpses of the stallion in front of her, who kept his distance, but still all the while she made the attempt to concentrate on the dragon next to her, or just a fleeting deviation from her gaze as she surveyed the landscape. Twilight knew that, on the other hoof, he, too, preferred to ignore them. "What's the matter, Twilight?" Spike asked as he saw his friend frown and look down, clearly with one or more thoughts floating around her mind. "I'm just wondering why all this is," she said in a low voice that reflected a trace of guilt that Spike wasn't sure he had grasped. "I only intended to dismiss that threat, I didn't want anypony to sacrifice themselves for a mistake of mine, but as always, sometimes things don't go as plan," She muttered in a slight sigh. "Why are you thinking that now?" Spike closed his eyes and crossed his arms, then shook his head as he noticed the direction of thought she was taking. "You know it wasn't your fault, you couldn't know what would end up happening." "But I could have foreseen it," She rebutted, then flattened her ears with a sad expression. "I feel like I'm failing, not only my friends and family, but the ponies of the empire as well." "Well, they've really had to go through a lot," Spike whispered as he looked down. "They were the ones who had to suffer the curse that doomed them to disappear for so long," Twilight frowned after realizing something. "And all because of the darkness, that magic has only been limited to spreading misfortunes, the only thing it has been." "Dark magic is much more than that, actually," Twilight was sincerely surprised by Sombra's sudden remark, when he hadn't even turned around. "It needs to feed on emotions like any other magic, especially negative emotions. But like everything, it comes at a cost that not everypony is willing to pay." "That's not a good thing anyway," The alicorn replied in a low tone, then raised her voice. "After all, some crystal ponies are still afraid, afraid of what you might do to them if you came back." "Maybe they should then." Twilight didn't notice the dark smile on his face for a moment, but his words didn't stop her from grimacing. "I suppose you don't care then what happened so long ago, or the consequences it brought," Twilight said as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion, still looking at him. Sombra just shrugged. "That's already happened anyway." "Did it have to be this way? It's always cause of dark magic." Twilight gestured with her hoof as she frowned. "It's because of a spell that some ponies haven't been able to overcome it yet." "Ponies are such fragile creatures. Their minds can be subdued with astonishing ease," Sombra remarked as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "No wonder those remains were left." Twilight frowned as a growing anger settled inside her after he said those words, instinctively placing Spike behind her. It was already beginning to become clear to her who she was really dealing with. And why did he say that? He was also a pony. "That wouldn't have been like that if it weren't for what you did." Sombra paused at the tone of voice in which she had addressed him. He turned in her direction with the intention of facing her. "Do you have a problem with that?" "Oh, of course not. What problem could I have with the fact that you used that spell on innocent ponies?" She replied in a grunt as she walked slowly away from him. Instead, Sombra only got closer. "So you think they're as innocent as they seem. Let me tell you something, princess," He growled. "You shouldn't talk if you don't know the whole story." "That doesn't matter! Nopony deserved to go through everything they went through!" "You wouldn't think that if those you defend hadn't omitted reality from you. You're just a naive young princess." Twilight gritted her teeth furiously as he just seemed to give a sideways smile. "The reality is that it was you who enslaved an entire race and took over their home, taking away everything that made them happy. Only for a vain desire for power!" It was her last words that finally made Sombra completely drop the look of seriousness he had adopted on his face. "You know absolutely nothing! You have no right to have an opinion!" "Yes, I do!" Twilight moved farther away from him. "All that the few books that talk about you is about the period when you subdued them! All those horrible things you did to them!" While they were still at it, they didn't notice how Spike had been slowly moving away from them until his back hit the rock wall behind him. The two ponies in front of him simply continued their discussion, but Spike frowned as he began to feel something strange. It was almost as if a vibration began to spread everywhere. He wasn't sure, but it could feel as if it suddenly came from the depths of the earth. Suddenly, without warning, it stopped, and a constant buzzing began to make itself present in the dragon's ears. It seemed to be as if something bumped into each other. However, only he realized it. "Don't ask me to just ignore it!" Twilight continued. "Honestly you shouldn't even care about that!" "I do care! Why I want to know why!" "Ahh! Do you want to know why!? Because they dared to take away EVERYTHING that belonged to me!!" Twilight walked away in surprise as she stumbled backwards, blinking rapidly. After he said that, everything else at that moment seemed to stand still for one second, one just second in which various things happened. "Twilight!" It was Spike's sudden scream that really ended the fight. However, that wasn't the only thing that happened. As if everything was slowly passing by, Twilight turned her head to where Spike was, the sense of alarm on his face was almost palpable. As well as the infernal noise that she could suddenly hear. Twilight followed the direction of Spike's claw, and raised her head. Then the sound of his voice was suddenly silenced, replaced by the rumbling noise of her throbbing heartbeat. What she saw made her blood run cold. "Oh... no" > Chapter 11 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why did they always seem unlucky enough to have such things happen to them? Twilight didn't know, the only thing on her mind at the moment was to get out of that place as quickly as possible. "Spike! Get out of there right now!" Twilight tried to shout a warning at the dragon, but the sound of her voice was drowned out by the constant noise of rocks crashing against each other and hitting the walls of the hillside, while the earth seemed to shake from the force of the slide. Spike stared completely petrified in the direction of the uphill mountain, where the disaster that was brewing at that moment covered every portion that the detached terrain touched, in a clear threat to take everything in its path. Without wasting another second, Twilight galloped toward where the paralyzed dragon stood. Spike only reacted a bit when he heard the faint clatter of her hooves even above all that noise. He turned in her direction and stared at her wide-eyed, as he let out a cry of surprise as a magical aura completely enveloped his small body, covered by the cloak that almost hid him. It only took an instant for the alicorn to lift him up in her levitation, moving him from that place and then placing him on her back. Moments later a mass of rocks fell very close to where he had been standing. She quickly ran away, following the unicorn that had moved away from them as soon as he noticed the situation. Twilight couldn't help but curse in her mind as her eyes drifted upwards. From her position she saw the stretch that was still missing for them to be completely safe. She just had to be faster... Small rocks spun with alarming speed as it slammed against each other's hard mountain wall and then tumbled off the cliff, but not before being a nuisance that the two fleeing ponies had to overcome. Twilight managed to make the attempt to flap her wings to soar in flight, even though the layer that kept the cold away from the environment and still covered her body was a challenge of her own. That meant, after all, a much greater effort. And as they continued on their escape, in an attempt to outwit the forces of nature so strange that they had been appeared, Twilight's thoughts went for a moment to the fact that this need not be happening. That surely didn't happen every day of being a normal place. But her mind could not be silenced by that fact, emphasizing it once more. "You're not in a normal place." "Almost, Spike!" Twilight shouted as she felt him tremble and hold tightly to her mane. "We're almost out of this." Twilight was right to try to reassure him, though she still needed to get rid of the tricky stuff. The large boulders hurtling down the mountain seemed to slow down a bit when only the remnants of the hillside earth began to remain, but further down it was a different story when those same rocks threatened to pounce on the group. Both ponies dodged them quickly enough and Twilight was emboldened when she realized that there was only a small stretch left before the slope completely collapsed. But that was why she couldn't pay proper attention during her flight when a shadow rose from the left of her vision field. "Watch out, Twilight!" Spike's eyes widened and he shouted a warning when one of the boulders brushed against them as it passed too close. Twilight could almost feel the rough edge of its surface that had scraped against her wings feathers. Even though it all happened on a minimal timescale, to them it had felt as if they had made their own time stand still. A second later was that their minds were able to react. Twilight's heart beat even faster in surprise, sending adrenaline through her body as her wings made an unconscious spin that took them away from the crevices, reaching a relatively safe area where they weren't at risk of being swept off the cliff. However, everything happened so quickly that Twilight didn't have the time to slow her fall, sending them both to the ground. She gasped as her body rolled to the ground and only had enough time to protect her head and the weak areas with her front legs. Spike did the same when the force of the crash threw him off Twilight's back, after holding back a gasp of pain as the rocks on the wall hit his back. The layers covering them both cushioned the blow a bit. Her ears were ringing with an annoying noise and her head was starting to ache, but she forced herself to dispel it when she noticed Spike's lying down way that seemed to rub a painful spot on his head. The alicorn tried to get up while breathing with some difficulty and coughing from the dust that had been kicked up by the accident. At that moment, Twilight's mind highlighted the fact that they were the only ones who had managed to escape. Then she turned her head and focused her gaze in a certain direction. The few remaining rocks continued on its way to the depths of the cliff, but it hadn't happened yet when Twilight noticed the dark form of the stallion galloping straight towards them, stopping some with his magic and dodging the rest. But a sudden scream echoed above the recent chaos as she rose. She immediately turned her head to where she had last seen Sombra. Twilight took a quick breath and opened her eyes in surprise when she saw how one of the falling leftover boulders seemed to hit the stallion on one of his hind legs, after an ill-intentioned movement slowed him down on his way. It all happened too fast. Twilight's heart raced with adrenaline as conflicting emotions swept over her, but a twinge of fear began to strike above all others at the precise moment the force of the impact caused him to slip straight to the edge of the cliff, threatening to fall into the abyss. It was just then that her mind cleared enough to allow her to react quickly. "Oh no! Sombra!" A frightened expression formed on Twilight's face as she quickly discarded her cloak and the saddlebag at her side, leaving it lying and galloping without wasting time in his direction while Spike closed his eyes and covered his face so as not to see that potential disaster. Even if they had previously argued, Twilight couldn't just get carried away with those issues and condemn him to a possible downfall. Despite having most of his body practically facing danger, Sombra somehow managed to hold on to his front hooves, though for every second he continued like this, the slippery dirt left over from the debris of the avalanche gained ground in its attempts to carry him further. With a loud snort and some effort, he tried to turn on his magic again with the intention of helping himself to give himself an impulse to climb up and escape from that damn inopportune situation. To his confusion, however, it only managed to envelop his body in a crimson aura for a second before it sputtered and died in a burst. Refusing to give up, he began to press down on the rock face with his hind legs, but suddenly a purple blob filled the right side of his vision field. He looked up and narrowed his eyes slightly when he noticed the alicorn running in his direction. There was bit doubt about her intentions. Twilight dodged several rocks and debris to get to him. Although the cloud of dust that had risen managed to clear enough for her to see without squinting, she couldn't help coughing on her way as the fine particles slid into her nose. And it was in one of those moments that one of her front legs accidentally brushed against the sharp surface of a rock. Twilight slowed down a little and hissed at the moment of feeling him, although the adrenaline of the moment quickly washed away the pain that the blow had caused her, but even so she wasted no time in renewing her gallop to reach him. Even if she didn't care too much about his well-being and even if he was a pony who had done bad and very questionable things in the past, she didn't want to just leave him to his fate while his life was in danger. The alicorn spread her wings as soon as she reached in front of him, rose above his head and approached one of the legs with which the stallion was holding. Sombra looked at her with a suspicious expression at whatever she planned to do, but Twilight ignored him as she grabbed the limb with her own hooves. After she wrapped it up, Twilight began to flap her wings a bit more vigorously, trying to lift him high enough so that he would finish sliding more easily and so that his own weight would no longer push him over the cliff. However, despite all her efforts, trying to elevate him began to become a rather difficult task. Had she lost strength or was it something else? "Try pressing down with the other hoof to help you climb up!" Twilight suggested with a grumble, annoyed by the fact that she seemed to be the only one doing anything to keep him from falling into the abyss. "I can't unless you want the earth to make me slide more than it already does!" He replied with an equal degree of annoyance when he noticed that she hadn't noticed something as simple as that. He was still trying to press down on the rocks on the wall with his hind legs to move his body to safety. But every time he seemed to gain even a modicum of ground, the sharp vertical slope below him caused his hooves to slip off without any other choice, making his effort in vain. "Can't you think of another way?" Sombra growled when he saw that she didn't seem to be making any progress. Twilight frowned once more at his words, shaking her head to push away the sweat that beaded her forehead and threatened to sneak into her eyes. She gritted her teeth tighter as she tried to put all her strength into the wings of her back. Why did he have to be so heavy? "Do you want to shut up for a moment? I'm trying to help!" After a grudging murmur from him, Twilight forced herself to adopt a determined expression and this time used the magic for the purpose of achieving her goal. Just a second later, the glow of her aura began to spread throughout the stallion's body, enveloping him in her levitation. From that moment on, their efforts became much easier and it only took a few seconds for Sombra to begin to gain ground and slowly move away from the edge. Twilight only let go of him when his hooves finally touched solid ground. With tiredness seeping into her features, she slipped very slowly to the ground and lay on the spot, breathing with some difficulty. She ran a hoof across her forehead to wipe away the sweat that had clung to her coat, then took a brief look at the unicorn just a few feet away. He didn't seem to feel any better than she was, and he certainly wasn't. His chest rose and fell equally wearily as his breath came out in faint exhausted gasps. She noticed that his eyes were closed, even though a few strands of mane partially covered his face, preventing him from seeing completely. From what she had been able to notice, he didn't seem to have any intention of opening them anytime soon. But before Twilight opened her mouth and could say a single word, a familiar voice made her ears turn animatedly. "Twilight!" At the sound of Spike's voice, Twilight turned around and although she was tired, she found a way to give him a small smile when she saw him fly towards her with a worried look on his face. Wasting no time, she greeted him with a hug when he landed in front of her. Despite his effusiveness, Spike was careful not to brush her too far with his claws. The two parted ways as he sought to externalize the question on his mind. "Are you fine, Twi?" Twilight didn't answer with words, instead shook her head in clear assent to his question. She gave a slight sigh as she cocked, just a second later she noticed that he was carrying her saddlebag with him. She closed her eyes, relieved to know that she didn't need to get up from her place to go get what she really needed at that moment. "I'm fine, but could you give me some water? It's what I need most now," She asked, pointing a hoof to her bag. She couldn't stand her dry throat for long because of the dust. "Oh, wait a second," Spike replied and slid the saddlebag in front of him. He clicked open it and searched for what she needed inside. A few seconds later he showed the waterskin in his claws when he pulled it out, so he handed it to Twilight. It didn't take her a second to grab it with her hooves. She used her magic only to open the lid with a snap. Twilight bent it over herself, and when she was completely satisfied, she put it back down. She ended up wiping her muzzle with a hoof while sighing with pleasure. "Thanks very much, Spike," She replied in infinite gratitude to the little dragon. "You're welcome, Twilight," He said with a small smile, but then his face took on a serious expression. "Why didn't you use your teleportation?" He asked, giving her a look of slight reproach. "It would have been easier." Twilight lowered her gaze, but then let out a small sigh as she slowly shook her head. "I couldn't, Spike, remember how I told you that my magic felt limited?" He nodded at her question. "Well, since we had to escape from those creatures, it's taken me a bit longer to get it back. If I use it more than I intend on spells that require more energy, it might be possible that in another situation where we need those, I will run out of it. That's why I have to be very careful." "Are you saying you're just going to limit yourself to levitating things?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. Twilight nodded, in a sign of her thoughts. "For now, my levitation is strong enough. "Then I'll trust you, Twilight," Spike finished saying as he put a claw on her shoulder, this made his support clear. "The truth is that you're still very good, even if you don't use your magic completely." Twilight covered her mouth with a hoof as she let out a small laugh. But suddenly, a snort behind her paused her moment, reminding her that they weren't alone. She turned around just in time to see the stallion move from the spot, though he was still sitting in place. Twilight noticed that he looked more recovered now. "Now I remember why I hated this place," Sombra muttered under his breath in an annoyed tone as he ran a hoof over one of his front legs, trying to get rid of the dirt that had stuck to his coat during his escape. But he didn't realize that somepony else had come to hear his comment. "Did you know this could happen?" Twilight asked, looking at him with some suspicion. Sombra glanced at her briefly without changing the expression on his face, frowning as he noted that he still had to deal with the alicorn's questions. "Of course I didn't. Divination magic was never in my range of interests." Twilight snorted as she noticed the biting tone of his comment, even though she had realized that he was telling the truth with it. Too bad she didn't have Applejack by her side at that moment to be safer. But in spite of everything, her face took on a look that betrayed in part the ruminations that now existed in her mind. She had to make sure that her efforts had not been in vain. "I guess you don't like me asking, but uhm... At least... Are you fine?..." She asked doubtfully and with a certain hesitation in her voice, as if she didn't know how to act in front of him. The truth is, she didn't know it yet. Sombra wrinkled his muzzle as he snorted hard. "Do you think I am fine?" He grumbled angrily, pointing to himself. However, his tone wasn't suggestive enough for her to leave him alone. Twilight rubbed a hoof on her head as she tried her best not to lose patience with him again. "Could you stop that attitude for a second?" She replied, tired of dealing with his bad mood. "I literally just saved your life." "Just because you and the dragon need me to get out of here," Sombra exclaimed in a complaint and gave her a suspicious look. "Admit it princess, we are enemies. If we were in another situation, the outcome would probably have been different." That ended up being the straw that broke the camel's back. Despite the tiredness that had been spreading throughout her body, Twilight could feel a kind of renewed wave spreading through her, as if her own body was helping her prepare herself again for a stressful situation. She ended up frowning, angered by his last words. "Do you think so badly of me? Do you really think I'm the kind of pony who would have left someone to fend for themselves just because I don't like them?" The alicorn gritted her teeth, annoyed that he thought that way of herself. "I saved you not because you are necessary, but because it was the right thing to do. How could I have imagined this would happen?" She replied decisively, only adding a comment to herself in her mind: "Nopony deserves to end their days like that, not even a pony like you." Sombra wrinkled the expression on his face slightly as he took a brief glance past her, as if he had something on his mind at that moment. "Of course nopony could have imagined it," He replied as he finished fixing the look he had ended up with after his unfortunate and near encounter with his ancestors. "However, we don't know each other at all, I don't have to show credulity to you just because of what you decided to do." Twilight lowered her gaze and gave a slight sigh, trying to calm herself. "I'm not talking about that, I don't care much what you think of me or what you plan to do when we manage to escape from this place, just... Let's try to get on with this as peacefully as possible," She said, looking at him again, convinced that she had to be the one to take the first step in trying to secure a possible truce between the two. "Can we agree on that?" She cocked her head slightly, as she waited for his answer. Sombra looked at her for a brief second with a serious expression on his face, before rising from his place. "We'll see," He replied in a deep tone as he slowly resumed his walk, passing by them. Twilight gave another small sigh, as she nodded slowly and leaned her body toward the support Spike was giving her beside her. She knew that from somepony like him, that was the closest thing to getting a good resolution. Her mind consoled herself with the thought that it was at least some progress. However, her mind still highlighted a more pressing fact at that moment. She turned in place, calling out to him again as she slightly extended a hoof toward him. "Uhm... Sombra..." The unicorn stopped and turned in her direction at the mention of his name. A raised eyebrow was reflected on his face, indicating the clear sign of wanting to know what she needed him for now. She concentrated for a moment to say what was on her mind. "I mean, even though I know you didn't give it to me..." Twilight shrugged. "You're welcome. Anyway, for helping you get out of that problem." He looked away, giving a brief snort as he made a slight gesture of denial. That princess had more surprises than he really imagined. He looked up in her direction again, this time with his snout slightly puckered. "I suppose... that now you'll want me to make it up to you somehow." Sombra cleared his throat slightly, making it clear that his comment was in the affirmative. Twilight looked at him with a raised eyebrow, though she then slowly shook her head. "Don't worry, I don't expect anything in return," She replied with a sigh, glanced at Spike, and then looked at the stallion again. "What will we do now?" "First of all, we must get out of this area," Sombra replied as his gaze turned to the slope destroyed in the recent disaster, as he muttered in a low tone that the mare and the dragon managed to catch. "It is dangerous to stay for a long time, the earth here is more fragile than it seems. "And that, in the end, is not a good thing," Spike whispered to Twilight, and she nodded at his words. "We have to start walking then," Twilight determined as Spike handed her back the bag and cape, she buttoned it and made sure it was properly positioned. "It's almost nightfall." Twilight made a move with the goal of getting up while stretching her legs. However, when she intended to rest her hooves on the ground, a slight current of pain rose from one of her front legs to her spine, causing her to shiver slightly. She frowned at the situation in her body that she had ignored until that moment, probably because of all the adrenaline that had been going through her before. When she turned the paw in front of her, she was actually surprised to see a short trail of dried blood tangled a bit in her coat, partially concealing the wound below. Trying to use her front hooves for support had caused the pain to resurface again. "Ah! Twilight! That doesn't look good!" The dragon exclaimed, opening his eyes wide. "I don't think it's that serious, Spike, you don't need to worry too much," She tried to reassure him in a calm tone of voice, managing to achieve some success. He just nodded as he looked at her with a stiff expression. "I just need to heal it." She searched for what she needed in her bag and what she had brought just for situations like this, the same thing she used to heal the scratch caused by one of her spells on Spike's wing. She was tending to her wound, which did not turn out to be as deep as she had said, when the dragon opened his mouth again with a question. "But doesn't it hurt?" "Of course, but I can bear it," She replied with a sigh. "Only..." "What's the reason for such a delay?" Sombra interrupted her sentence, approaching them both. "I've got to fix this," Twilight said as she did her work, and finally put a small bandage over the wound after she cleaned it. "I'm almost done." He only frowned slightly before going back the way he had come. Twilight finally finished, put it all away again, and got ready once more. She was careful to put her hoof back down, but relief swept through her as she realized the pain had subsided. She just had to be cautious. Both ponies and the dragon continued on their way, with the evening sun in front of them to illuminate them in the search for a place to spend the night. It took only an hour for the three of them to notice the entrance to a not very large cave that was carved into the surface of the rock, though it seemed to be just an opening large enough for them to fit. After entering, each one settled into their respective places, except for Twilight who stayed next to Spike's sleepy form after he made use of his fire by lighting a small fire for the three of them. "I hope that's enough for now..." "It will as long as there isn't another vibration again," Spike said casually. Twilight quickly turned to him. "What do you mean?" She asked with a slight arched eyebrow. "I'm talking about the shaking I felt before that happened. You couldn't feel it because you were arguing, but I could," he clarified with a shrug. "It's a very strange thing, I know." "I don't think it was an earthquake, but whatever it was caused the slide," Twilight said, running a hoof over her chin. "How did you feel it?" Spike lowered his head for a moment, thinking about a possible answer. "It felt like something was moving, and I don't mean the earth." After that, Twilight simply heaved a sigh. "This is all so strange," She finished saying as she looked in the unicorn's direction. Sombra had positioned himself, as usual, at one end far away from them and close to the entrance. However, at one point when Twilight had turned her gaze away from Spike, she noticed out of the corner of her eye when the stallion grimaced slightly as he looked at one of his hind legs. "You're not completely fine either," Twilight pointed out when she noticed his behavior, frowning slightly. "When did that rock hit you?" She had already risen from her place and was making a point of going to him as she picked up her bag. "You should let..." "It's just a scratch," Sombra interrupted her without turning around in a tone that left no doubt as to what he really wanted, causing the alicorn to lower her ears. "I just wanted to help," Twilight whispered with a slight frown. However, she opened her saddlebag and pulled out another bag on which a small red cross was printed. With one movement she put it between them. "But I'll leave this here anyway, just in case." She returned to her place when Sombra closed his eyes. Twilight adjusted the nearly sleeping Spike's cloak to her as she stood there, then glanced back at the stallion that had his gaze on the entrance, seemingly looking something beyond it. "We've been traversing these mountains for almost a day," She said in a tired voice. "How much longer will it take to do so?" "Mid day," Sombra replied quickly. Twilight raised both eyebrows in an expression that betrayed mild astonishment, though she quickly remembered why he said it with such certainty. In spite of everything, she smiled with some sarcasm at his attitude. "You seem very sure of that." "It's because I am," he replied in a deep tone, and gave her only a brief glance. "If you say so," She replied in a somewhat amused tone as she rolled her eyes. She returned to her normal demeanor as she fixed her gaze on him again. "Tomorrow will be another day after all." After saying those last words, Twilight settled down and closed her eyes, ready to rest from the day. It didn't take long for her to fall completely asleep. But while they slept, Sombra stayed awake much longer. After all, somepony had to watch and somepony was simply deep in thought. Thoughts of a certain mare who had recently saved his life, even if he had a hard time admitting it. Right now, however, he had to turn his priority to something else. Sombra turned to the bag the alicorn had left between them. He glanced over at it and then took a brief look at the mare, wondering inwardly what she really wanted to accomplish. He thought about it for a long time until finally, after giving a low growl, he wrapped the small bag in his magic to attract it to him. Maybe he needed it. Just maybe. > Chapter 12 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The beauty of the mountainous landscapes. Without a doubt, it was a fact that any of those magnificent views had the power to attract and captivate even the most skeptical of convincing. It was a fact that nature used to possess that kind of capacity, that kind of power for which it was the privilege of most spectators to be caught on their own plane. To be the one who enjoyed it. Watching the mountains rise imposingly, some with white garlands of misty snow crowning its tips; And seeing how the green mantle of the forest extended at its bases as well, all while the warm sun bathed in its light from the horizon, was something to make you feel completely free. It was to be assumed, then, that this was a simple thing, in spite of everything. Very beautiful, but simple. However, no one could ever imagine the real risk involved in following a mountain road or going deeper and deeper into those trails. And it wasn't just because of nature's own dangers. From within the woods and even far beyond, there were so many things that could happen, or that could go wrong. Many of the ponies that habited that place were ignorant of what might happen even on their most frequent routes, but it was on the higher ground that they really did not fully know. Unfortunately, this lack of knowledge caused them to continue entering those paths, while tracing their own paths to different places they needed to reach. However, it wasn't the usual travelers who really needed to worry at this point. As the sun slowly sank into the distance, raining down on the earth the light left over from the sunset, the shadows of the night were slowly beginning to spread in every corner of that strange place. Every creature there had an innate knowledge that it was not advisable to stay too long outside when the night dropped its mantle and covered everything in its path. None of them knew what it was that gave them that instinct, that it was that made a simple, clear night suddenly awaken in them a cold, unpleasant feeling. The most likely option was that it was the natural fear of whatever might be hiding in the dark. Although anypony would say that this was not true and should not be so, that a quiet evening should not provoke such feelings, others could somehow sense what the reality was. After all, they couldn't deny that even in that place isolated from the known world, the most peaceful night could turn that tranquility into an unsettling uneasiness. But that could happen, at least, in certain specific places. Places that, for obvious reasons, nopony ventured to enter. While they may have thought it might be easier if they just didn't, the truth is that didn't always happen. And as the darkness of the night sky continued to spread, the shadows of the night only grew deeper, every little corner or corner being covered by them. Soon there wasn't just one place. On the other hoof, the darkness of the night, so immersed in its own stillness, was not always accompanied by silence. Somewhere it could hear the sound of nocturnal creatures beginning its own night, an owl hooting for one, the slight flapping of a bat's wings, or the faint chirping sound of crickets in the trees. Perhaps it could even hear the constant, faint noise of running water in some small stream. That was only a slight consolation for anypony who wasn't so lucky enough to find a sheltered place to spend it quietly, or the bad luck of not reaching their destination sooner than expected, having to endure the dangers that might lurk. After all, the quieter it became, the more the feeling of alertness would grow. It was a fact that every creature in the depths of the forest, or anypony passing by, knew. But what would be the reason for urging them to go beyond the relative safety of their own shelters? Sometimes there just weren't any. Many didn't want to risk entering those pieces of abandoned green spaces of the will of whoever ran their world. But the need used to be stronger. Their very existences often depended on their ability to find the resources needed for their lives, which were only found in places far from their settlements. After all, searching for what they needed at the edge of the forest only guaranteed them a minimal existence that was rarely enough. On countless occasions they had to travel far, but that clearly did not detract from the risk of the journey. Although from a young age they were instilled with the knowledge that deep in these places was where magic used to be strongest, it was also for obvious reasons, where the danger could be greatest. Because after all, nopony knew how to control the wildest forms of that supernatural power. Or at least nopony had ever tried. All this was due to several things, and chiefly to the fact that, among the habitants of that island, the belief and knowledge implicit in the legends was still strongly rooted. Passing that knowledge between each of them was the only thing they could do to explain in a certain way how their world really worked. The only one they were aware of. But legends always have some truth to them. Shadowy creatures that were supposed to be just like them, creatures with the powerful strength of an icy desert reflected in its eyes, creatures that crawl in the darkness, and that lurk from the darkness. Maybe nopony ever got to see them, and maybe they wouldn't anymore. However, from the wreckage of that unexpected landslide, as the night continued to spread, no being near it could notice the strange events that were beginning to occur from the dark rocky corners that had formed earlier. But perhaps a small pair of faintly glowing eyes had witnessed what was happening in the surroundings. A tiny being stripped of the tree that constituted its shelter, the latter a victim of the recent accident of nature. As it moved among the rocks, looking for a new place to settle, its eyes began to pick up a slight movement around the corners of its field of vision. It stopped immediately, intrigued or perhaps with some fear that it was a dangerous predator. Something not far from the truth. The night shadows had begun to grow darker and darker, dulling the light even more, but it wasn't just because the night sky was gathering more firmly over the landscape. It was a kind of darkness that seemed to grow blacker with each passing second, as if a strange black hole were emerging from the surface of the earth. And as such, it threatened to take everything in its path. What was most disturbing, however, was how tangible it seemed to be, almost as if it had a life of its own. But suddenly, without warning, the brewing began to creep slowly over the rugged terrain, covering anything in the blackness in its path and spreading all the way across a certain area, though it didn't take long for it to stop its own advance. Any living thing that was within a few meters quickly left the place as soon as they became aware of the new threat. After all, its instincts didn't usually fail it. The shadows began to condense at a specific point, slowly forming into some sort of vortex, but still constant. Soon a whole mass was visible above the rocks, but to look in its direction was like seeing a mere void of darkness. And yet, if it weren't careful, anypony could easily get lost inside it. There was nothing else about it to indicate that it was a living thing. No eyes, face, or mouth were formed from the shadows, limbs, or anything else that every living thing possessed. It only gave the impression of being the discarded remnants of some kind of forbidden power. But that didn't mean it wasn't a creature. It also didn't want to say that it wasn't there for something. Although its intentions were not yet entirely clear, it knew very well the reason why it had been sent. Perhaps if it had had a mouth it would have let out a grimace of annoyance, but as it stood, it simply wasn't too advisable to complain. That was there for a purpose, obviously. One that the others who were just like it felt moments after it reappeared in that place. After all, even though they had been missing for many years, it never imagined meeting such a specimen again. They were so similar, and at the same time too different. The shadows that made it up dissolved just as it formed, quickly dispersing around it. It had only taken it a moment to ascertain the truth and decide what they would do next. They were going to be patient once again. They had waited a long time for it, and after all, nopony could imagine what the truth was in the legends about shadow creatures. Nopony could know what lurked in the darkness. "Let go!" "That's what I'm trying!" Twilight grunted as the grip that holding one of her front paws wrapped around her tighter. She tugged more firmly, in an attempt to get the tendril of plant she'd been unlucky enough to find to let go of her once and for all. She was quite aware that this was happening only because she hadn't been able to stay away again, but that only gave her poor comfort. When she saw that her effort was practically in vain, she activated her horn and launched a small bolt of lightning that quickly cut through the offensive vine. Twilight moved a bit further away as she dropped her hooves on this and others that had managed to sneak up on her, but she quickly left when she saw Spike engaged in his own fight with several of the vines that had raged against the group. "A little help, Twi?" Spike said when he saw her running in his direction. He gave her a pleading look as he tried to keep the plants far enough away with the small flames he had summoned from the fire in his belly. Because they were still in a relatively wooded area, he couldn't use it completly because of the risk of spreading a fire. Twilight began to push away the plants that were around the dragon as soon as she had reached his side, while using the same spell as before. Both she and Spike stayed off the ground when one dared to get close enough without them noticing. It didn't take long for the three of them to completely get rid of the sudden and annoying invasion of twisted green vines that Twilight and Spike apparently liked to attack any kind of creatures that passed its way. The remnants of it slowly retreated when it realized its failure. After taking care of the last one, Twilight turned her head in a certain direction for a moment and watched as Sombra finally got rid of the tendrils that had wrapped around his front leg, using his fangs to finish cutting them off. He set the remains aside as he looked at his leg again. A loud wail beside her made Twilight turn her head again. "I definitely didn't expect plants to attack us," Spike muttered from his place on the floor as he heaved a loud sigh of exhaustion. Twilight also gave a weary exhale as she slumped down on her hind legs. She carefully rubbed a hoof on her forehead, in an attempt to relieve a headache that threatened to grow. And yet, thanks to the breathing techniques she had learned from Cadence, she was able to calm down in a better way. Just then she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Twilight turned and watched as Sombra resumed his walk with the goal of getting out of that place. She arranged her belongings without wasting time and they both got up from the place where they were to follow him once more on his route. "Is it normal here for ivies to catch poor ponies and dragons off guard on the road?" Twilight lamented as she shook her head. "Although I've already figured it out on my own." "It wouldn't have done it if you'd kept your hooves still and away for much longer," The stallion reproached her as she and Spike left their lag and positioned themselves next to him. "How could I even imagine it? Besides, you shouted that warning too late." Twilight returned her recrimination as she let out a slight snort of disgust, but her face eventually took on a thoughtful, somewhat guilty expression when she remembered something else. "And that little flower looked so harmless..." She had only approached in a moment of sheer curiosity when the color of its petals had caught her attention, so she moved away from them for just a moment to get a better look at it. On that occasion, nothing had indicated to her that anything was wrong with the object or with performing that action. Nor had any alarm gone off in her head as she slowly approached, walking in its direction. She only realized what she had actually done when she almost reached out a hoof to touch her, and Sombra's sudden warning cry made her jump slightly in fright and then caused her to stop at the spot. She was quick in her direction as a confused expression crossed her face, which had quickly turned into one of alertness when the plant's nasty vines suddenly emerged and wrapped themselves around her forelimbs, taking her by surprise. After that, it quickly threw itself at the rest of the group, and that's how they got into that situation. After Twilight said those last words, Sombra frowned in disgust, glancing over his shoulder. "You have to start learning that not everything here is what it appears to be." At his words, Twilight looked down as a slight wrinkle formed in her muzzle when she noticed this. Again it was a fact that she was right in that regard, and she now admitted that she had not put in the sufficient and due concern that she really required. However, from that moment on, that was going to change. "It's starting to get clear to me," She muttered under her breath. After a slight snort, she retraced her steps to where Spike was while they both lagged behind him, but without keeping too great a distance. With the thought that she would never risk it again, she tried to keep her eyes on the road the whole time. Although they had finally managed to get out of the mountains, they still had to cross a narrow strip of forest until they could reach the meadows that Sombra had told them lay beyond. Twilight and Spike at least had the consolation that they were slowly moving away from the periphery of the island and getting closer with each step to their destination. They were much closer to home each time. But they still had a long way to go on that island. An island surrounded by so many mysteries, waiting for somepony to find the answers. Twilight approached slowly to the stallion. "Sombra?" She called out to him in an almost whispered tone. "What do you want?" He questioned, looking in her direction with a slight arched eyebrow on his face. Twilight quickly gave a mental sigh as she noticed that he was at least willing to listen to her. It was a slight advance. "I'd just like to ask you a question," she clarified with a determined expression. "This place... Has it been around for a long time?" At her questioning, Sombra only looked straight ahead again, but he made Twilight feel a bit satisfied when he finally answered. "More than you can imagine," he said, and then gave her a brief look. "Even before your kingdom arose." After that answer, Twilight fell silent again, lost in thought. That explained several things, but it still wasn't enough. For now, though, she'd put her curiosity aside. She didn't really feel like pushing him too hard and spoiling what bit progress she had gained. "Maybe I didn't tell you before, but it was good that you shouted that warning to me before that happened," Twilight said in a grateful tone after coming out of her earlier musings. "Even if it didn't help much in the end, I can say that I thank you anyway." Sombra briefly looked away as he realized her genuine gratitude, thinking that maybe it would be a good thing for her to know the truth just so she wouldn't make the same mistake again. "It really wasn't entirely your fault," he said, and at this she gave an inquisitive look. He gestured with his hoof as he said, "That plant usually attracts other creatures when it gives off a fragrance that you are not fully aware of, but which can still be detected by receptors in the brain, but it tends to affect ponies more." At Sombra's explanation, Twilight lowered her head and nodded, in a sign of understanding, though she quickly raised it again when she realized something else. "If you're too, why didn't it affect you then?" She asked, intrigued by that fact. He just shrugged, though Twilight could tell something wasn't right. She left a mental note for later, but for now she just nodded. "Well, anyway I thank you for telling me, I'll be much more careful now." After he nodded affirmatively to her words, Twilight returned to Spike's side again. Eventually, she told him everything they had talked about when he wanted to know too. Time passed fairly quickly as the group continued on their way, but at a certain point they stopped after the stallion suddenly decided to go somewhere else. Twilight frowned when he had told them to stay there, despite communicating that he wouldn't be too long. She wondered what he would do now. However, Twilight could see something that had left her thinking deep down, even if she would have preferred not to pay much attention to it anyway. But she still couldn't ignore a certain fact, the fact that he was somehow acting a bit stranger than usual. After sitting on the floor, Twilight lowered her head slightly as her mind focused for a few moments on these questions. That was the only thing she could do for now... Unless it didn't necessarily have to be that way. Twilight frowned thoughtfully as an idea flashed through her mind, an idea that slowly wanted to take hold inside her. Although at first she was a bit surprised by the direction her mind had taken, in the end she thought that maybe it wasn't really that bad. But could that really be possible? "Twilight, what's wrong?" Spike walked over to her when he noticed her prolonged silence, then snapped his claws in front of her face to get her attention back. "Is there anything that worries you?" Twilight shuddered slightly after that, at the same time she jumped up and down as she shook her head to clear her head. "I was thinking of something, Spike," Twilight said, blinking quickly at his gesture, then coming to herself instantly. "I had noticed that before, what I wonder now is what kept you so focused," He sat down next to her. "Can you tell me?" Twilight looked at him and only let out a sigh as she wondered if it would be any good to explain the reason for her thoughtful silence. In the end, she made her decision faster than she would have believed. "It's just that as I realized the situation we're living in, my mind started to highlight an idea, one that I don't know if it's entirely correct." She furrowed her brow a little, beginning to fiddle with her hooves. "Maybe if we weren't like this I don't think I'd think about it, but now I don't really know what to think...", She turned her gaze back to Spike, a worried look on her face. "What if maybe I'm wrong?" "But what's that idea?" Spike asked as he rested a claw on her shoulder, frowning a bit when he noticed her gaze. He really didn't like it when she worried too much about something that might be outside of her hooves, but he knew he'd try his best not to see her like that. "I'm not entirely sure it's the right choice, though I'm aware that it would be the best way to improve this situation, but..." Twilight cocked her head slightly in a thoughtful new expression. "What if maybe Sombra could be more than just an enemy?" Spike's face reflected for a moment the feeling of confusion that had formed within him, though he quickly pulled himself together. Anyway, he ended up puckering his nose after that. "You mean to make him an ally?" He inquired, arching an eyebrow. Twilight rolled her eyes slightly. "Something like that," she replied with a slight snort. "I don't know much about how good that idea is since I still have my doubts, I mean, I really don't think it's likely that he'll decide to forget everything and move on so soon, though..." She gave a slight hesitation with the words that wanted to come out of her mouth. "Do you think it's a good decision?" Spike looked down and touched his chin with a claw as a thoughtful look formed on his face. "I really don't know, Twilight," he said as he looked up again, his face a slight frown thoughtful. "Maybe it's possible if you try, but I still wanted to remind you of something." He cocked his head slightly. "On the one hoof we both know who he is and what he did, and for that alone I would tell you to stay away from him as much as possible." "But on the other hoof?" She continued with a small eyebrow arched with curiosity, though she had a faint idea of what he was going to say. Spike ended up shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe it doesn't have to be such a bad idea, after all it's not the first time you'd do something like that," Spike frowned after highlighting another fact in question. "However, the only thing I would ask of you is that you tread as carefully as possible." "I understand your point, obviously we don't quite know him," Twilight let her face reflect the same countenance as Spike when she turned her gaze in a certain direction. "But at this point we should deal with something else." Spike suddenly jumped up and surprised Twilight, which in turn caused her to look at him with a raised eyebrow in his direction. "Now I remember that I really had to do something!" He said suddenly, scratching his head with a claw. "Although I had forgotten..." Recovered from her surprise, Twilight ended up covering her muzzle with her hoof while holding back a giggle. "Then you should go," She replied with a smile. Spike smiled back at her as he pulled something out of his bag, then quickly ran in a certain direction when he got what he was looking for. *** It was a while later when Sombra returned to the agreed rendezvous point, however a confused expression passed only for an instant on his face when he realized that only the alicorn was in the place. The dragon was not there at the time. "Where's your friend supposed to be?" The stallion asked after reappearing from the trees. "It seems that you continue to ignore my warnings." "Of course we don't," she denied as her expression changed slightly. "He just told me that he needed to do something and that he would be here in a while, and he asked me not to go with him." He just looked at her again with that neutral expression that always took over his face. "Are you aware that a while is more than enough to get lost in this place." Twilight lowered her gaze and frowned even more as she realized the truth in his words, but Spike had told her not to go with him and although she had insisted, he managed to convince her to trust that he was going to be fine. But now she definitely needed to make sure of it. However, before she could execute what she had in mind, a familiar voice began to come to her in a rather faint way. Twilight guessed it was because of the distance. "Spike?" That call between the two was repeated several more times as she moved in search of him, but she still couldn't locate exactly where his voice was coming from. "Spike, where are you?" The alicorn asked with a loud call to the dragon, in an attempt to locate the characteristic sound of his voice among so many trees and bushes. Honestly, she was beginning to get tired of those dense forests. "I can hear you, but I don't know where you are yet?" Sombra rolled his eyes, annoyed by the mare's continuous calls, as various thoughts crossed his mind. "Is she really that loud? She's going to end up attracting some unwanted thing as long as she keeps it up, and that's not going to be a good thing." When he began to tire of the alicorn revealing their location to everyone in the forest, Sombra left the position he held behind her and walked in her direction to get on her level. "Concentrate better for a few moments to know where he stands," Sombra said as he approached her. Twilight was a bit startled by this. "If you keep calling him that, you won't be able to tell where the sound of his voice is coming from, no matter how hard you try. You should allow a margin of time for the light breeze from the surroundings to guide it to you." "You..." Twilight muttered. "... Are you giving me an advice?" She cocked her head slightly and looked at him curiously. Sombra only gave a stern snort, frowning at her words. "It's obvious, princess. Besides, I know very well what I am talking about." Twilight glanced at him for another moment before nodding and turning her head once more, this time paying greater attention to her surroundings. The sounds of the forest continued to echo but she ignored them, focused as she was on her true goal. At the new call of his fellow dragon, her ears quickly drifted in a specific direction. Now she knew exactly where to go. "Twilight! Come quickly! I found something!" She hurried out to that spot as soon as she got her bearings, with Sombra following behind. Through it all, he was also intrigued by whatever the dragon had found. And yet, they both hoped it wasn't any other of the possible dangers they might encounter. They had already had enough in the last few days. At one point while they were crossing some bushes, Twilight decided to go ahead on her way to get to Spike. She spread her wings as she sped up, and then began to flap her wings firmly to get closer, not realizing that she had left the stallion behind. Sombra frowned again as soon as the alicorn performed that action. He knew that she was aware that even if they both disliked it, it was necessary for them to stay close for safety. That way, at least, if something were to happen, they would be able to deal with the threat in a better way. He had the thought that something of which he had no knowledge made her act in such an unwise way. And because of that, even if the safety of the alicorn wasn't his priority, he knew that it wasn't advisable to simply neglect her either. Sombra shook his head and let out a snort as a fleeting, unexpected thought flashed through his mind. "You're certainly an interesting mare, princess." Elsewhere, Twilight soon landed again when she heard Spike's voice closer. After crossing some bushes, she went out to a small clearing among the trees through which a river of slightly opaque waters passed, due to all the elements that came down from the mountains. And very close to that river was Spike. "Spike, what's wrong?" Twilight asked when she saw him with his back to her, crouched on the edge of a hole as he seemed to be watching something. "I managed to come as soon as I could, but I wish you wouldn't leave like that again, I was worried about you." She gave him a slight reprimand as she approached. "But what is the...?" Twilight interrupted herself when she finished getting completely close and saw Spike stand up from his spot, while still looking at what was in front of him. On her way to the dragon, she had wondered what he was doing to keep quiet and not answer her question. However, when she arrived and saw the same thing he did, she decided to put those issues aside and drag them into the back of her mind. "I definitely didn't expect this." That was all Twilight could mumble when she saw the sample of flattened dirt in the shape of some huge creature's four-toed leg. > Chapter 13 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Neither of them said a single word for more than a minute after Twilight said those last words, busy as they were with what was in front of them. It was almost automatic that the two would find themselves in a new analysis in the face of the possible implications of their recent discovery. Or what it really meant to them now. It was a few feet from the river's edge, but it was well enough embedded in the earth that Twilight wondered what kind of creature could have left such a footprint. And more importantly, that she questioned herself about its possible (enormous) size. The four claw marks were not quite aligned, only three of them were printed at the front end. The fourth was a single claw impression formed from the back end, opposite to the others. And that really was something quite surprising, and weird. After a slight clearing of his throat clearing, Spike spoke again. "Even if it's not entirely clear, I can still tell that's a bit of a big footprint. Don't you think?" he said as he scratched his head with one of his claws, and turned his gaze for the first time since she had arrived. "I think so, Spike..." Twilight nodded to his comment as she jogged around the recent find, then touched her chin with a hoof and ended up lowering it to touch an area of the earth around her. "And as far as I can tell, it seems that this has been in this place for a long time, or perhaps it is of a recent date, but I doubt that very much. Look here." She then pointed to a specific part at the front end of the footprint, near the edge of one of the claw marks. "The terrain in this place makes it difficult to determine when it was made, but the passage of time could not completely erase it, precisely because of its characteristics." "Aren't there supposed to be more footprints, too?" asked the dragon, crossing his arms and raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "Why is there only one?" Twilight put a hoof on her chin, another as she glanced around. There was a hint of concentration in her eyes, which caused a small wrinkled frown to appear on her face; then she ended up cracking a small smile as her eyes drifted beyond the river. Now she just needed to confirm what was on her mind. Twilight opened the clasp of her cloak and got rid of it, leaving it with Spike, who only gave her a look of understanding at what she planned to do. She spread her wings and soared over the narrow river, her eyes narrowing just a bit to detect what she was looking for more accurately. Although she knew that the stream of water flowing down the river was a major source of erosion, she could still notice the slight mark in the same shape as the footprint of the bank, lightly impregnated in the earthy bottom. That made Twilight actually surprised by that fact, as she analyzed various options of possible answers in her mind. She knew it was pretty unlikely that something like that would happen... Unless those marks had been made a long time ago, even before that river came up. After checking this she took a brief look at the other bank, where the dense forest with those great trees growing almost together, was still in the distance. Twilight went down one more time and landed next to Spike. "It seem to be still after the river, on the other bank; but time, vegetation, or perhaps both, made it disappear," she answered Spike's question as she adjusted her cloak again. "I must confess that I am a bit surprised that this one has managed to preserve itself so well. "Now we need to find out who or what did this thing," Spike finally said, before he could hear anything. They both turned their heads at the same time towards the trees just as the noise of the moving bushes alerted them to Sombra's arrival. Even from that distance, Twilight and Spike could see very well the frown on his face as he walked towards them. She wondered what had bothered him now. "Just when I thought you couldn't be more reckless, you came," he growled as he assumed his serious countenance again. Twilight knew full well that he was addressing her, and rolled her eyes slightly when she understood what he meant. What she didn't understand was why it had bothered him. "I'm sorry, okay?" she replied with a snort. "I won't leave again without a guide, but Spike needed me and I couldn't help but rush to him," she shrugged, but finally looked away a bit more. "Anyway, I apologize for leaving you behind." Sombra didn't answer and just continued to stare at her with that expression, which made Twilight squirm a bit uncomfortably in place. In the end, he only gave her a slight nod as he reached them. "Now I want to know what the hell is going on," he spoke again, his face reflecting a bit of that questioning expression that, in spite of everything, Twilight could see underneath all that seriousness. "It'll be dark soon, so the most reasonable thing to do would be to start walking again as soon as possible." She shrugged, as she turned to the object at hoof. "Well, you have the option to check it out for yourself," she pointed with a hoof at that large footprint-shaped hole. He followed her direction and began to approach slowly, in a detour from the back end of that thing. Slowly, he ran a hoof over the edge of the earth as he frowned in an expression Twilight couldn't identify. She wondered for a moment what the meaning of his attitude was, before she spoke to him again. "It's obviously the engraved footprint of some kind of creature," she clarified as the stallion continued his walk along the edge, then pointed a hoof at the dragon. "Which my companion found here unexpectedly." "That I had actually come for some water and in the end that trip ended up resulting in this discovery," Spike interjected as he closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders broadly with a sigh. "And it was just me who did it." Twilight nodded and cleared her throat slightly. She had to finish informing him of the rest of the situation. "Even if we don't know what kind of creature it might be, we did realize that these marks were actually left here a long time ago." "And yet they were made for something almost beyond my comprehension," Sombra replied in a low tone, without taking his eyes off his current target. "A creature that possesses four claws..." It didn't take long for Twilight's ears to move in his direction as she caught the unusual surprising tone reflected in his voice, even if at that moment his face showed practically nothing to denote that fact, as if it were something normal. The truth is that he was even more serious than usual. "Sombra?" Twilight turned to get a better look at him, giving him a look that reflected the question at hoof. "Why do you look so... surprised by that fact?" Sombra hardly paid attention to his question, concentrating entirely on what was in front of him as he muttered to himself. "Never, in all the long years that I have been in existence, did I imagine that on some other occasion I would see one of these again," he said as he moved a bit further away, and then dropped into a sitting position. "This is incredible, who knew that one day that being passed through here? Luckily it was a long time ago." "I see this is really important," Twilight said as she moved to stay close to him. Again she wondered, "What kind of creature is it now?" "Besides being a very big one," Spike commented as he positioned himself next to the alicorn. Sombra looked away from it to the mare and the dragon, then noticed that they were both waiting for a possible answer from him. He narrowed his eyes slightly before a low growl escaped his throat. "You must know what it is, for after all it is also in Equestria, here it simply possesses... certain differences," he replied as he got up from the spot to approach both of them. Twilight took a step back with a suspicious expression when she noticed the look of suspicious mockery that was faintly visible on his face. "The easiest clue I can give you is the extra heads it has." That was all he said and boy did the information have an impact on them. To say that Twilight and Spike's jaw almost dropped in surprise was saying very bit really, or at least until they were able to recover from their initial stupor. They both slowly stepped back and lowered their gazes, while their brains processed the new and recent information provided. It didn't take her a second to find the being that matched those characteristics, and her eyes widened even wider as she realized it. Twilight gave Spike a brief glance and he returned it to her, realizing that they had both come to the same conclusion. After swallowing very slowly, Twilight let out the words she had inside her. After all, that information had yet to be confirmed. "Do you mean... that footprint was left long ago by a hydra?" she questioned in a seemingly calm tone, in an attempt to make her voice try to reflect a tranquility she didn't feel anyway. "Is there, then, the clear insinuation that there was one living in the depths of the woods some distant day? Which wouldn't mean that it can still be found in this place!?" Twilight couldn't stop her voice from rising several octaves at the dangerous significance of the new find, but she quickly came to herself and tried to calm herself, breathing deeply and closing her eyes on the spot. It was good to know that at least it worked. "I almost can't believe there are more Equestria creatures here," Spike muttered as he patted her on the back. Instead, Sombra raised only a slight eyebrow, briefly questioning what he had just seen and heard. Not that he cared too much to want to find out, either, but it was still intriguing. "I see it was almost unnecessary to answer your question." Twilight stopped what she was doing and immediately opened her eyes to give him a look in which she didn't try hard to hide the sheer annoyance he had caused her to begin to feel, yet she refrained from saying anything she might regret. The alicorn snorted loudly and let a new thought pass. "Like I can still forget when one almost swallowed me and my friends." "You see I don't," she replied after getting up from the spot. "Now, could you please explain to us what else this means?" "It doesn't really mean anything else other than the fact that we're here," he replied, shrugging his shoulders and carefully running his hoof over the uneven ground again. "Maybe one of those will have passed through here someday, but that doesn't mean it's still in this territory. Twilight breathed only a bit more relief after he mentioned that, and somehow managed to gradually diminish the worry inside her. Spike stepped back slightly to give her a bit more space, and she gave him a grateful smile for that. In the end, her gaze returned to the mark on the earth beside her. "You also mentioned that the hydras here have other differences from those of Equestria," Twilight emphasized in a clear reference to the unicorn's previous comment, as she gave him a slight glance from her position. "What are those?" "Besides the four claws on each leg, the most important difference lies in the four heads, though it is not even that much distinction as such," Sombra replied without turning, but soon his tone took on a deeper hue, almost muttering under his breath. "The magic here managed to affect it in some strange way, causing its body to develop a deadly weapon that would give them a chance to survive in its environment..." He turned his head slightly toward them, and both Twilight and Spike had to hold back a shiver at the darkness they could suddenly feel inside his eyes, even though it wasn't directed at them. "Its fangs have a venom that can corrode anything that is unlucky enough to fall into its jaws." The heavy silence that had hung in the air for a few moments after his explanation was soon broken by a faint whistle from the dragon. "Luckily it's unlikely we'll meet one of those," he said with a sigh as he adjusted his cloak. Twilight soon followed suit as she slowly shook her head. "Birds that resemble cockatrices, hydras. Is there anything else I need to name that is in this place?" she wanted to know as she gestured with her hooves and pursed her lips a bit more. "Manticores, perhaps? Insect bears or perhaps lesser and greater bears? I don't think anything else would surprise me." Sombra only gave her a brief irritated look, but Twilight ignored him, unwilling to deal with him in those moments while snorting. "I honestly don't know what to think anymore." She lowered her head, but when her mind lit up with the arrival of another question she raised it again quickly. "Are there dragons too?" she asked with genuine curiosity. "Besides Spike, of course." "Oh, that would be really interesting," he said with a wave of his claw as he nodded to that option. The stallion rolled his eyes once more at the attitude of both of them, so he ended up passing by to continue on his way. "This island is too big for me to possess all the knowledge of what else inhabits it," he answered, glancing over his shoulder at them. "Maybe they will meet and maybe they won't, but there are definitely no dragons." Spike let out a snort after hearing that, but Twilight let out a slight sigh as they resumed their journey. The three of them followed their way down the river, hoping that somehow they would be able to find a shelter nearby so that they would not have to spend the night in the open again. But they quickly realized that it wasn't necessary to go all the way down the river when a marked path opened up just outside the forest. Even though there was nopony around at the time, Twilight and Spike were now quite aware of what that meant. "If this trail is here, maybe there's a village nearby where we can spend the night," Twilight suggested as she looked both sides of the road. "I wonder now what direction we should take..." "I really think it wouldn't be bad to spend even one night under a solid roof and not with the stars in the background above your head," said the dragon after crossing his arms. "Maybe we should continue to follow the path downstream," Twilight suggested, emphasizing with the hoof the fact that it was still very parallel to the newly found trail. "It's very likely that there is a town that is close to it. Truth is something that makes sense." Spike gave a quick nod to her words, Sombra on the other hoof, just continued with his gaze fixed beyond the path, as if he was observing something that only he could notice. She only wondered for a moment what he was thinking. Both ponies took to the road as they took the direction they had mapped out with their plan, Spike had to adjust his hood properly as a precaution before getting out and catching up with them. At least he had the valid excuse that those nights always started to get colder than it felt in the daytime hours. In addition to the fact that he had to hide his appearance as much as possible, and although the fire that dwelt inside him was a constant source of warm and pleasant temperatures, he knew that it was always good to have a bit extra warmth. Now that night was threatening to fall soon, Twilight and Spike began to wonder how bit life was present in the vicinity, especially pony life. The trail was more desolate than usual, compared to the fact that they occasionally met one or more travelers, though not of their same type. Most of them were just ponies who wanted to get home after their day in different locations. "I'd like to know why these roads are so deserted compared to others we've taken." Spike touched his chin with a claw and looked back at Twilight. "Maybe this section isn't very habited," she said, making the same gesture as Spike. "After all, we're practically surrounded by forest, even if it's not too big. Isn't it, Sombra?" The unicorn turned his head slightly in her direction at the mention of his name, the frown on his face soon puckered again. Pressed for his opinion, he replied only with a slight nod as he returned his gaze to the path in front of them. Twilight also wrinkled the expression on her face a bit when she couldn't help but notice the fact that he had been quieter than usual since they had hit the road, seemingly completely focused on whatever he was thinking. Twilight could only concretize thoughts of slight suspicion about it, also from the fact that it wasn't the first time she'd noticed that. Not that she knew that stallion too well to get a better idea, though. "Looks like that's why, Spike," Twilight replied when she turned her attention back to him. Spike nodded to her reason as he adjusted one end of his cloak better, Twilight returned her gaze to the road. It wasn't long into their journey that the silhouette of something tall began to stand out in the distance. Twilight and Spike narrowed their eyes a bit, noticing the figure of some kind of wooden wagon rattling slowly along the way as it was led by somepony they couldn't see. They both quickly took the lead because of this, though Spike remained behind Twilight at all times. It didn't take long for them to notice an earth mare with gray fur and blue mane pulling at her transport, covered in a worn-out cloak to face the cold, just like them. The mare was a bit startled when she heard the sound of hooves approaching her, but she soon calmed down somewhat when she turned her head and saw that they were only travelers on the road. "Excuse me, we didn't mean to scare you," Twilight clarified when she saw the way the mare had tensed up. "We'd just like to ask a question." The mare visibly relaxed after that, as she cracked a gentle little smile. "Don't worry, I'm sure you can ask me anything you want." Twilight gave a mental sigh as she realized that they had at least managed to find a pony willing to help them. "Thank you," she said, and then asked, "Is there a village nearby where we can spend the night?" The mare's face wore a thoughtful expression as she lowered her gaze, but it didn't take long for her to raise it when a feeling of compassion for them settled within her. She knew very well how dangerous the nights could be if you didn't find a place to take refuge. "My village isn't far away, I suppose you can spend the night there," the pony suggested after giving them a friendly smile, though she then gave a look that denoted an implicit warning. "But you'd better be careful, they don't like outsiders very much." "We'll be very careful," Twilight confirmed as she gave a brief glance at Spike and Sombra, who was standing behind them. "I'm sure..." She interrupted her words when one of the wagon's wheels hit an obstacle in the road and caused the mare to stop when she felt the slight wobble that her transport suffered. She quickly pulled it out of there. But that slight accident had caused one of the ropes holding the boxes in place to loosen more than it already was. The difference in level it caused between all the other wheels ended up doing the inevitable. Twilight moved quickly as soon as several of the boxes made a feint of falling, and that was what would have happened if she hadn't activated her magic in time. The mare who had been carrying the wagon saw it all first with a look of fear of the possible disaster, which then turned into one of genuine surprise as the pink aura enveloped each object in a floating field and gradually returned it to its original position. In the end, she made a stronger knot this time. After Twilight had completely put it back in place, she turned her head again as the voice of the mare beside her announced herself in a tone of gratitude. "Oh dear, I want to thank you, I don't know how I would have managed if I lost all those boxes," the pony said as she gave Twilight a surprised look. "I'm really surprised that you were able to move all that on your own, and without being so exhausted." "It's really not too much effort for me," Twilight explained with a smile, but then raised an eyebrow slightly as she asked a question, perhaps in an attempt to confirm what she had already suspected as she pointed to the boxes with her hoof. "But is it really strange that I can do that?" "Given the fact that sometimes it takes several more unicorns to be able to climb them, I could say yes," replied the mare, after resuming her journey. "I think you're a unique pony, I haven't seen many unicorns who can do the same thing you did on their own." "Maybe it's for something else," Twilight said with a slight shrug. After that, she followed the mare by her side with Spike. Sombra simply preferred to stay behind them. The journey to their current destination wasn't as long as Twilight first thought, though that may have been due to the fact that she was spending her time on something else. Specifically, to get conversation with the mare named Sapphire next to her. It was almost dusk when the road before them finally opened to a new village partially hidden by the forest that surrounded it, but their destination was not to be found within. The gray mare led them to her little home, located at some distance from the others. Most likely, from the fact that night would soon fall, none of the three saw too many ponies in the vicinity. Twilight let Spike rest inside the house just because the other mare had allowed it. Sombra ended up going somewhere else. Twilight wondered for a moment what his goal was this time, but it wasn't entirely her business wherever he went as long as he didn't decide to do anything possible harmful anyway. She continued to help her new hostess with the things she brought in her small means of transportation. And while they were slowly stirring up everything in the wagon, they also went on with their conversation. "It's really a good thing we were able to find it," Twilight said as she took a look around. "We thought that with so many trees it would be difficult to find a pony location, but in the end the river was a great help." "Well, maybe it's because there's more to this place than meets the eye." The earth pony sighed slightly. "And yet I'm the only one who can somehow see beyond what's being told." "Maybe it's because of what you have to do, having the option to see places other than this one," Twilight hinted in reference to what she had told her, the life she had to lead away from her original place. "But I wonder, why does he say that?" The mare beside her looked away as she cocked her head, as she went on with her work. "Maybe I never really had a choice," she said after shrugging her shoulders. "But in spite of everything, I can still see that you are a peculiar pony, who likes to acquire knowledge," the mare insinuated (quite rightly) as she looked at her carefully. Twilight could only crack a nervous smile at that. They both continued to lower the items from the wagon, then left them on the ground next to the pony's hearth, though Twilight managed to finish more quickly thanks to her magic advantage. "I hope you don't think I'm bothering you or something," Twilight clarified as she finished arranging the boxes. "If you don't want to answer me, it doesn't matter." The mare gave her a slight glance while emitting a small laugh, then slowly shook her head. "Don't worry about that, I was like that too... when I was a little younger," replied the mare, her gentle gaze soon turned to one in which a trace of melancholy was visible. "But there has always been no other pony in the village besides me who was interested in knowing the things beyond what is told in the stories to frighten the foals at night, or to put them to sleep, as the case may be." "Legends?" Twilight focused better after hearing those words. "Oh, yes of course," she nodded and an unusual glow appeared in her eyes as Twilight began to pay attention to her. "Surely the village you and your traveling companions come from believes in these, the truth is that many do." Although the mare had affirmed her comment with a calm smile, Twilight couldn't help but express the slight nerves that were running through her at that moment in one of her own that she ended up sketching. Then she put a hoof over the back of her neck and looked away. "Let's say what, where we come from... we're a bit more open-minded. And we didn't really live in a village." The earth mare showed a confused expression for a moment, but when she understood what she meant, she opened her eyes a bit wider from the slight surprise she was at learning this new information. "Don't you know it then?" She knew what she was asking, but she still had to make sure it was the truth. "Not really," Twilight shrugged. The mare beside her wrinkled the expression on her face a bit more. "Maybe it's the fact that sometimes we've never been able to see anything beyond our place of origin," The pony began, once more. Twilight frowned slightly, imagining what she meant. "But the truth is that many are also afraid of what they might find." "And afraid to go through the woods?" Twilight added. "It's not just that," she replied. "Not only are the roads dangerous, sometimes we prefer to avoid other villages as well. But because we can't avoid exchanging between different places anyway, we try to maintain a good relationship as best we can." "Is there anything to stop them?" Despite the fact that she didn't like to lie and even less so to a pony who had been so nice to them despite not knowing them, Twilight forced herself to rectify her comment so as not to create unwanted suspicion. "The truth is, we've never seen anything beyond our home, and I don't really know what you mean." After she said that, the mare smiled again sympathetically. She could see more things because she used to travel, but she knew that some of those who stayed all their lives in their hometowns, it was difficult for them to get more information, unless somepony took them away. "I can tell you that the interactions between us... sometimes they're not as good as they are. Sometimes arguments break out between the different races, which forces those who are in charge in some way in each place to try to calm them down. After all, we can't allow something like this to happen often, given the fact that each needs the other." "Maybe that's why I noticed that other ponies we met on our trip just ignore us." "Apparently these ponies still have deep-seated prejudices inside them, but that doesn't really surprise me much" "I know it's not ideal, but sometimes they'd rather do that," The mare replied with a sigh. "But even if I have my reservations, too, I'd be willing to give a helmet to anypony who needed it, after all that's how my parents brought me up." She shrugged before continuing with her task. "But there are also other reasons that motivate us to try to maintain a better relationship with each other." "Because of the consequences that would come otherwise?" Twilight asked out of curiosity. The mare nodded. "Everypony knows what would happen if it was affected. It may be that it will lead to a bigger conflict, and you know what confrontations bring." She lowered her head, though the alicorn still noticed the strange expression she had shown for a moment. "Plus other things it's best not to think about." Twilight gave an inquisitive look as she raised an eyebrow. The earth pony looked up again, this time her voice taking on a different hue. "They say that if the peace remains as stable as possible, we will avoid being punished." "Punished? By whom?" "Nopony knows, and nopony has really seen them," She shrugged as she picked up a random branch from the ground and began to draw any kind of meaningless strokes on the ground, distracted. "The only thing the accounts of that say is what they are: creatures of ghostly, icy essence, waiting for its chance to bring the cold winter to the ponies." The mare gave her a brief glance before continuing. "But that's not the only danger." Twilight looked in her direction again with an implicit question on her face, though it didn't need to be put into words. "It's always good to stay sheltered when the shadows of night fall, I can assure you that nopony would like otherwise." Suddenly, she stopped what she was doing after she finished her work. She rose from her seat and turned her head one last time to her. "If you wish, you can spend it here," she said in a quick sign to her home, while a slightly worried look on her face. "You're not likely to have much luck looking in the rest of the village." She headed inward after those words, as she left the alicorn alone with her thoughts. Twilight frowned a bit and walked over to the spot where the mare had been sitting. It may have been just out of curiosity, but that feeling was replaced with a thoughtful expression as she carefully touched the dark earth around the mark. The mark of wavy strokes of some kind of form without volume. *** While everypony else had already let the fatigue of their journey wash over them, Twilight was still trying to settle into a good position to make the attempt to sleep another sleepless night. It was a real pity that this place seemed to block any kind of contact with the outside world, even through the dreamscape. Inevitably, it prevented her from accessing a certain princess of the night. Because of everything her hostess had told her, Twilight knew that this was going to be a difficult night to reconcile. Again and again her mind returned to the thoughts of all these strange tales. She had quickly deduced the fact that the mare implied that by 'creatures of icy essence' she had been referring to the legends itselves about certain ghostly horses, also when she meant that they were only stalking them. Twilight well knew that according to the legends of her homeland they used to appear when chaos, mistrust, and disharmony spread among the three races. That was why she had understood when the mare explained to her why most ponies preferred to try to find themselves on good terms. What Twilight later couldn't explain was the fact that even if bad situations happened between them, those creatures would still have the ability to spawn in that place to feed off all that possible chaos. She didn't really know how the strange power around the island influenced that. She also couldn't explain the fact that they knew the legends about such creatures when they weren't supposed to. Is it possible that the habitants of that place were descendants of equestrian ponies that existed more than a thousand years ago? For now, she sensed that was the most likely option, even if she didn't yet know how they got there. Twilight didn't hold back a last yawn as she made the new attempt to find her ideal sleeping position. With one last review of her thoughts, she finally decided to leave it all for the next morning. But as Twilight tried to fall asleep, something else was waking up. Deep in a damp lair, one eye opened, and others soon followed, trying to get used to the darkness inside the cavern. Soon, that wich slept found itself awake from its slumber, attracted by the characteristic scent of a particular magical aura. All it knew at that moment was that it needed to get it. Its instinct drove what it wanted to do, and its instinct didn't fail it, after all it was the only thing it could follow. However, as at other times, something in dark whispers dictated once again what it should do. And it had no idea what it was. > Chapter 14 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The dark, star-filled night sky that stretched over the entire village made the night seem more peaceful than usual. The full moon in the sky reinforced that appearance of ethereal tranquility. And so it would be for a while longer. However, although many of the ponies that dwelt in their homes were already on the verge of falling into their own dream world, for one pony in particular that had proved to be especially difficult. Twilight stirred for the umpteenth time in place, as she tried by all means possible not to wake Spike with one of her moves, although with how tired the dragon was she didn't think it would be that easy to do. After all, he was still a growing child, he needed a lot more rest than she did. But Twilight had been more distracted than usual. Her mind was still going back to the memory of everything the mare had told her before, and that made it difficult for her to fall asleep. Inevitably, this had left her with more questions than answers, and she knew that now she must find a way to find them. After emitting a low snort, Twilight carefully slipped out of her small space until her hooves touched the ground beneath her. After picking up her cloak from where she had left it hanging, she slipped away in a stealthy attempt not to wake any of the other sleeping ponies oblivious to her intentions. Then she closed the front door to the home very carefully behind her. The following was quite easy to accomplish due to the fact that there was absolutely nopony else on the streets of the small town. Twilight intended to clear her thoughts better, and to do this she needed to get to the outskirts of it, to the edge of the forest to the west. Twilight spread her wings and rose unhurriedly, letting the light night breeze help clear her mind better. She made an attempt to always stay in the same direction with regard to the village. She knew she could use the river to get her bearings at the time she decided to return, although after a few minutes of flight she calculated that she was close enough distance to walk back if she wanted to. Twilight descended again very carefully due to the pointed branches of the trees, given the lack of any clearings in which to land in a better way. She shook her feathers a bit before folding her wings again, then turned on the light on her horn to illuminate her. She walked to the base of a tree, gave a small sigh and slumped down, then leaned her back to the trunk behind her. Her eyes closed only slightly, but she still remained alert to her surroundings despite there being nothing to indicate a possible threat. Her ears moved in reaction to the different noises that harmonized the place. In a way, that prevented that area from adopting an eerie silence, somehow making her calm down. The sounds of the night came softly to her ears, and that ended up helping her in her task. "So such things exist here, or so she has implied," she began to say to herself, keeping a very low tone of voice and wondering with some doubts: "But is it really true? I don't doubt the dangers that can be found in the forest, but sometimes the ponys' minds can be given to exaggerating about that sort of thing. Although they usually don't believe it or simply ignore it, as happened long ago with that prophecy about the return of Nightmare Moon." To be sure, ponies could be very skeptical of such things at times, but now she was aware of the fact that it was obvious that these ponies were not the same. Those stories were part of their lives, and sometimes the legends had a bit truth to it. "The best thing we can do is to tread more carefully," she said decisively as she put a hoof on her chin. "I just wonder if there will be more things we haven't seen yet." "I think I'll leave that for later for now." Twilight didn't know how long she was there as she tried to organize her thoughts in her head, but she soon figured it was time to go back. She spread her wings again and soared above the trees, then stayed that way as she followed the river that guided her with ease. And it was because she was at such a level in relation to the ground that she ended up noticing something strange. Twilight paused for a moment and glanced as she narrowed her eyes slightly, trying to see past the leaves and branches of the treetops. A thought crossed her mind as the point of light beneath her stopped and went out, the scarlet light belonging to a magical signature that she already recognized. "I guess it's who I'm thinking." Twilight carefully lowered herself again. When she finally landed she wasn't too surprised that Sombra was there, after all she had already become aware of his presence. It did, however, make Twilight interested in the fact that he was leaning against the trunk of a tree while keeping his eyes closed. Somehow strangely, she seemed to feel as if he was... Exhausted. He opened his eyes again when he became aware of her presence. "What are you doing here?" Sombra furrowed on his face as he saw her walk toward him. He really didn't expect to find her there, even though he had noticed earlier that the place where she had been lying was empty. "I'd like to know that, too," Twilight replied after stopping some distance away. "I couldn't sleep and I went flying for a while to clear my head a bit," she ended up clearing her throat. "What's your reason?" "Does there have to be one?" he asked, and resumed his characteristic seriousness. Twilight looked down a bit and frowned as she shrugged. She just wanted to know, but that wasn't what she ended up saying when she raised her head again. "I guess not," she conceded as she agreed with him, and then gestured with her hoof. "I'm just asking because it's weird that somepony decides to go into a forest in the middle of the night where obviously everything is dark and anything can happen," Twilight narrowed her eyes a bit more. "And that's not to mention that it's also weird that you took the same direction as me. Sombra took a brief look at her, before simply closing his eyes again. "The darkness doesn't worry me, and as for the other, I too think it's strange and unfortunate that you've crossed my path." Twilight rolled her eyes, not caring much about the fact that he would choose to ignore her again. Maybe he didn't want to hear her, but he was going to hear her anyway. "Well, you'll have to get used to that, though," Twilight said with a resigned expression. "At least until we get out of here." He didn't bother to open his eyes again, and only expressed his displeasure in a loud snort. Twilight let out a sigh of exhaustion, noticing once again his uncooperative attitude. She really believed that they had gained some progress, although she wasn't going to give up so easily anyway. Letting out another sigh, Twilight spoke again. "What's wrong with you?" Sombra opened his eyes and looked at her with a suspicious expression this time, wondering what that princess wanted to accomplish with her questions. Honestly, he just wanted her to leave him alone with his thoughts. "I don't know what you mean." Seeing that he wasn't willing to say anything to her, Twilight moved just a bit closer as her voice tried to take on a more disinterested tone. "I'm only asking because I've noticed that you've been acting... a bit strange lately." She frowned a little. "As if something is troubling you." A slightly awkward silence formed in the place, causing Twilight to turn her head away a bit and avoid looking at him in his direction. A surprised expression briefly formed on Sombra's face before he again hid his emotions behind a mask of coldness. He got up from his place and turned, turning his back to the alicorn. "Nothing of importance is happening," he replied in a curt tone. However, Twilight wasn't going to give up so easily. She needed to check if anything on his mind had anything to do with their current situation. She really didn't want them to experience so many surprises every time. "I know that's not true," she reaffirmed her words as she slammed a hoof into the ground, however that ended up not liking it the stallion very much. Sombra turned in her direction, and she took a step back when she noticed the look on his face. The shadows of the night made his gesture even deeper. "Why are you trying to know, huh?" he growled slowly closer. "I'm nothing to you. I definitely don't need your worry." Twilight frowned at his sudden attitude, but didn't back down again. "It's not worry, it's..." She interrupted her train of thought when she realized something. Was that really what she thought? That she was interested in whatever was on his mind just because it might be relevant information in the future? But if she was honest with herself, the truth is that she also wanted to get both of them to have even a minimal relationship, if after all she wanted to continue with her idea. And for that, she needed to show him that she could be more than just an apparent nuisance. But that wouldn't be possible for now. "I thought so," Sombra murmured, turned and resumed his way towards the village. Twilight lowered her head as she let out a sigh. However, it was her next words that somehow made him listen. Or so she wanted to believe at the time. "I'm trying because... somehow, I wish I could understand you," Twilight murmured with a slight shrug, knowing he couldn't see her. Sombra stopped in place, and Twilight felt a little spark of hope that he was really willing to listen to what she had to say. However, the moment Sombra turned to face her, a strange expression suddenly crossed his face and caused him to turn his head in a certain direction again, as if he had caught something unusual that she could not yet notice. Twilight cocked her head a bit and wondered for a moment what had caused that unexpected change in him, but she forced herself to push her questions away to a corner of her mind when he spoke again. "We must go back to the village, now." Twilight didn't like the tone in which he said it. Several times ago she had heard him the same way and it had not been a good thing. But before she could ask him to explain his words, Sombra turned quickly, turned on his horn once more, and began to gallop in that direction. Twilight wasted no time in following him, spreading her wings and quickly positioning herself beside him. The sound of his hooves was all they could hear as they both followed the entire parallel path upstream. "Can I at least know what...?" Twilight didn't have a chance to express all of her question when she suddenly began to feel a strange vibration that slowly spread everywhere. "I don't know what's going on, I just hope it's not what I'm imagining," Sombra muttered regardless. They were already entering the boundaries of the village when something made them stop suddenly. It was just as Twilight landed and hid her wings again that a tremor began to shake the earth, spreading throughout the village. All the ponies who had not yet woken up ended up leaving their homes when they felt that last shudder. Twilight swept her gaze over the habitants without stopping at anypony in particular, but she detected in each of them the expression of alarm and confusion that reigned within them. But she also managed to notice something else that she couldn't identify at the time. Twilight's mind shifted her thoughts to a more important issue at that moment, when she wasted no time galloping towards the small shack where her things were and where Spike was. She eventually left Sombra behind when she lost him in the crowd of villagers. But she didn't need to go too far as she soon saw the dragon running towards her, with his cloak on and her saddlebag in his arms. Spike narrowed his eyes slightly for a moment when he finally realized who the pony was coming in his direction. "Twilight, I'm glad you're okay!" He dropped her bag in front of her and took her in a tighter than usual hug. Twilight raised her head, but soon returned it to him when he, too, looked up again. "I couldn't help but get scared when I didn't see you next to me after the sound of the ponies woke me up, all of a sudden they started coming out and shouting things and then that shaking happened." "I'm so sorry, Spike, I shouldn't have left like this." She gently stroked his head to comfort him, but there was still nothing at that moment that could erase the guilty expression on her face. "Yes, yes, I forgive you Twilight, but..." Spike couldn't finish saying his sentence when a new shudder shook the whole earth, the ponies' cries of surprise rang out again. Twilight pulled away from him slightly and shook her head, trying to look above all the others to find a particular crimson horn. It didn't take long for her to locate Sombra, though she was surprised by the fact that he had his eyes fixed on the river. "May I know what's going on now? Why I don't think this is normal!" Twilight paid almost no attention to the comment Spike had made next to her. Everything about her was focused on the situation that was brewing too quickly beyond. And at last, she realized something very strange. The water on the surface of the river had begun to churn, as it bubbled in waves that seemed to rise from the depths. Meanwhile, the jolts became more powerful at the same time that it reverberated everywhere. And yet, nothing could have prepared them for what happened next. The current of the river stood still for an instant, but only for that brief second. After that, a sudden, immense stream of water opened rapidly as a large, dark body emerged in a burst from the depths of the river. But in the midst of all this confusion and in spite of the darkness, everypony and the dragon present could see perfectly the four long necks on which sat a head with large, sharp fangs. The hydra swept its gaze across the small town, its piercing green eyes gleaming in the darkness. Everything suddenly stood still, in a silence that was too eerie. The noises of the night died down considerably, and the shouting of the villagers finally faded away, as they all stared completely paralyzed in the direction of the recent threat looming over them. But that stillness was quickly broken when the deafening shriek of the creature resounded thunderously in the ears of everypony present, causing a general shudder... That was soon replaced by screams of terror. Twilight wasted no time in putting Spike on her back and running through the crowd as the creature began to approach the village, encouraged by the screams of the little ponies below it. Each tried to escape the threat by sheltering in their homes and that was just what Twilight planned to do with Spike when she left him in front of the gray mare's home. "I don't know why this had to happen now, but you'd better follow me!" exclaimed the pony when she saw them appear as she quickly removed several things from inside the house. Spike climbed off Twilight's back, however he kept her bag when she quickly unbuttoned it and handed it to him in the process. Both visibly shuddered as a terrible roar and resounding screams rose behind them. "What are you going to do, Twilight?" Spike suddenly looked ahead, in the direction of the four headed being that had just destroyed one of the houses with a wave of its long tail. "Are you going to face that thing!?" Twilight made a quick shake of her head. It wasn't really necessary for her to do that, though she just hoped she wouldn't be in need. "Of course not, Spike, but there's no time and you must listen to me." Twilight looked into the home, where the mare was unblocking the way to what she thought was some kind of basement. "Hide with her and I'll try to somehow get it away from these ponies." Before Spike opened his mouth, she stepped ahead of him. "I'll be careful." "I hope so, Twilight," Spike said with a slight frown. She nodded and turned once more, as she began to gallop past the crowd seeking refuge in their homes. He turned to where the other mare was. Spike had the knowledge that when it came to the safety of other beings, he couldn't make her change her mind so easily, even if she put her life in danger and he didn't agree. But he knew that was her, his Twilight, a pony willing to do anything for the good of others. And he admired her for that. *** After leaving Spike, Twilight moved with great effort through some ponies that were still running outside their homes. Regardless, the creature's shrieks couldn't mask its panicked screams. For this reason, Twilight had in mind to find Sombra if she wanted to solve the current problem in a better way. It took her longer than usual to find him due to the fact that his coat blended too well with the shadows of the night. However, she was able to locate him near one of the homes furthest from the dangerous threat, simply by observing with a critical eye from a distance. Meanwhile, the hydra continued to destroy any buildings in its path, while its four heads tried to find its smalls preys in the rubble. Though it was a relief, Twilight was surprised that each of its attempts resulted in failure, as if the ponies that had hidden in there had vanished. That only infuriated the creature even more. Twilight moved quickly to Sombra's side, he only looked at her with a frown as she looked past his direction. She looked at him again with a determined expression. "If we don't get it out of here, it's going to end up destroying the whole town," Twilight said, watching as the hydra stopped and the quartet of heads seemed to sniff something in the air. Sombra looked at her with the same neutral expression as always. "And what have I to do with that?" he replied with a grunt. Twilight let out a slight sigh. "I may have a hard time saying this, but I need your help," she replied. "I know you're the only one who knows how to stop this, or at least you must have some idea. I'm also aware that this is none of your business, nor am I asking you to do it for me or others," she gave another sigh as she looked him straight in the eye this time. "But could you please help me?" Sombra looked away and turned it once more to the creature, thinking for a few seconds about her words. Without turning, he finally answered: "I'll only do it because this threat also threatens my safety." After those last words, Twilight let out another brief sigh and nodded. At least it was a relief to her to know that she wouldn't have to do it alone. With a swift movement, she got rid of her cloak as she kept that place in her mind for when she decided to return for it. The two of them scurried away quickly as they inched closer to the hydra. After ending up behind the remains of one of the nearby houses, Twilight took a brief look over it. She was surprised by the fact that the hydra was still sniffing the air, as if it couldn't locate its true target. "We must distract it somehow," Twilight said as she turned her head back to Sombra. "The point here is to avoid its heads in the attempt," he replied. "You must still remember what I mentioned earlier." She nodded to his words as her mind caught the memory of that conversation for a moment. "We have to plan a better course of action to follow," she conceded as she gathered her hooves together. "If we can get its attention, we can slowly get it to the edge of the river, and then scare it away somehow." Twilight gave a confused look as he just seemed to shake his head. "We must use this darkness as a potential advantage." She turned when she caught his tone, though she couldn't quite notice his expression. Anyway, she knew that she wouldn't be happy with what he was going to say next. "If we want to get out of this alive, we have to strike first." Twilight ended up opening her eyes even wider in a frightened gesture after hearing his words, even though he didn't seem to show an ounce of fear at his recent idea. "We'll end up worse off if we confront it directly, I don't think... Watch out!" Neither Twilight nor Sombra noticed the moment when the creature had crept up to where they were hiding. Twilight only had enough time to shout the warning to the stallion when one of the heads attacked them with suppressed fury. The force of the impact drove them some distance away from it, but it wasn't pleasant for Twilight to have her breath cut off when Sombra fell on top of her. "I really need... that you come out of above me." Twilight coughed as she tried to crawl in search of her release. He shook his head as he pulled away in confusion, but they only had a second to clear their heads a bit before the creature's screams reminded them of where they were. In the blink of an eye, they both made a detour and parted in opposite directions as the creature's paw stepped very close to them. They dodged its long tail with difficulty when they found themselves behind it again. Sombra snorted loudly for no apparent reason as he galloped, or maybe he did. The terribly annoying situation in front of him was more than enough. He was already tired of everything and everyone, but despite that, the sudden spark of an idea crossed his mind. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the alicorn, while that same thought developed further. He was well aware that it was probably one of the riskiest ideas he had ever had, after his confrontation with the Two Sisters, and yet he knew that in a way it was the only way. Weaken it before finishing it off, that's all they could do. And for that he needed her help. "Listen to me! I'll go ahead and distract it from the ground!" cried the stallion. "You must fly stealthily until you land on top of it without it noticing!" Twilight's eyes widened more than they already were. "Did you go crazy!? Too many things can go wrong!" she replied with a cry. "I know what I'm telling you!" he replied in exasperation and turned his head to see how the creature was still focused on them. "You must trust me for this time if you really want us to get rid of it!" Twilight snorted again, she didn't really have any more options. Only on that occasion did she light her horn and in a burst disappeared from the place. She reappeared a few feet above the hydra as she spread her wings. The darkness didn't let her see enough, but she could still see without all her vision how the creature's heads were trying to catch the stallion underneath it. Twilight had to admit that he was still doing a good job. With great care she managed to get closer, however it was not an easy task because her target did not stop moving, while destroying part of the forest in its path. After getting her bearings, it didn't take long for her to yell at Sombra again. "You've got to think of something!" Twilight's voice echoed urgently. "There must be something that affects it, some kind of weakness!" "I'm just on it! Wait a minute!" Time dragged on for Twilight as Sombra dodged the hydra's new lashes and thought of a possible response, though it was only a few seconds before he spoke again. "The area where the four heads meet is its weak point!" shouted Sombra as he dodged one of the falling trees. Twilight snorted loudly as she tried her best to grab onto the creature's hard skin, and screamed again for him to hear above the noise. "And what am I supposed to do with that? Pass it through?!" Through it all, Twilight charged her horn into a small sphere of power that grew larger and larger. She quickly deflected it in the direction of the spot Sombra had indicated. She intended to release it right on that spot, but she didn't get a chance to fully execute her plan when something happened that wasn't quite planned. One of the heads had become aware of her little maneuver when it turned around at the aura of her presence. Twilight was only able to get out in one swift flight from there when it almost touched her in its lethal touch. Her heart pounded as she saw that sharp fanged mouth pass by too closely. One minute... She walked away, but the others had already caught her and were now ready to capture the small threat. And it was in the midst of one of her elusive movements that Twilight remembered Sombra's words. "Its fangs possess a venom capable of destroying anything unlucky enough to fall into its jaws." The light of a new idea lit in her head as she smiled to herself. Twilight clicked her tongue and veered off the path in a quick aerial turn to the left of the nearest head. She flapped her wings upwards, so fast that she thought that if Rainbow Dash had seen her at that moment, she would have been as amazed as she was at that very moment. After that brief acceleration, her speed slowed down and Twilight stopped in mid-air. She looked down and let her smile widen a bit more when she saw that the creature had completely focused its attention on her, its four heads growling at her in anger and annoyance. It was time to implement her plan. Even though she didn't realize it, Sombra was looking at her the whole time with a look of interest in knowing what she was planning to do now when performing her little maneuver, but it changed quickly when she did something that he definitely hadn't expect. Twilight fell. She folded her wings to her sides and let the force of gravity do its work in hastening her fall. With her eyes narrowed by the strong gust of wind and her front hooves pointed towards her target, Twilight began to once again charge the magic of her horn. The creature's heads grunted louder and let out a resounding screech in her direction. However, it was quickly silenced when Twilight's offensive beam struck the side of one of its necks. Instead, it was replaced by the cry of pain from the attacked head. But she wasn't done when she took advantage of the distraction. Swift and accurate, her hooves hit that same target hard and caused the creature to take a step back. Because the acceleration of her fall had increased the force of the impact, Twilight fully unfolded her wings and quickly slowed down in the process. The shrieks behind her made her turn around, only to realize the great wound her magic had left it. Both ponies covered their ears when the noise echoed too loudly in their ears. Twilight seized the distracting opportunity and lunged at the hydra's heads. She dodged its onslaughts as she flew around, between, and over it; pretty much in every direction. She wasn't discouraged that she missed some of her punches, she knew that just needed to confuse it and keep it busy. The next part depended on that. Twilight's efforts ended up paying off at the right time. As if everything had happened so slowly, Twilight veered out of the way of the head chasing behind her, only to send it straight into crashing into one of its sisters. "What the hell are you doing!?" Twilight didn't respond when she heard the stallion's scream as she flew over him. She just looked past and snorted as the two heads that had bumped into each other shook off in its confusion. All hissed in her direction after that, letting her see the length of its forked tongues. It was angry. Very angry. And she knew it. Sombra grunted at being ignored, but he didn't wait for her to respond. He quickly dodged the wobbly tail coming in his direction, with dexterity and agility even for a stallion of his size. He turned away from the creature, but his ears moved in a certain direction and he turned his head again when he heard the alicorn's voice. "Your information about it helped me!" she shouted as she held up a hoof. "Now I know what to do!" At that, Sombra again took on a serious expression in which he nodded when he understood her reference. He strayed even further from the creature's path, leaving it free for the alicorn. In a convoluted way, yet possessing a strange sense, Twilight dodged, lunged, and strayed from the path of the creature's heads. If the force of her lunges were anything that further provoked the hydra's fury, it was her elusive movements that ultimately caused what she truly wanted to achieve. Fleetingly realizing the confusion she had left it, Twilight executed the last part of her plan. She caught the attention of one in particular, until she guided her right where she wanted. With its jaws wide open, the head that chased her set out to finally catch its little prey, after all only a short distance separated them... However, Twilight was faster. She swerved swiftly as she encircled the neck of another head, directing the path of her flight past it all. And at last, there was a great shudder that ran through her as the powerful reverberation of the shriek reached beyond her ears. Twilight didn't need to turn around to know that her idea hadn't turned out to be such a bad thing in the end. The creature let out a shriek of rage, fury and pain as the venomous fangs struck the neck of one of its sister heads. She closed her eyes tightly and covered her ears as she flapped her wings with effort. A few seconds later she realized that the shrieks had become more and more distant, so she deduced that the hydra was already leaving the same place it had come. And that's what she actually saw when she opened her eyes again. Twilight could only see for a moment the immense body disappearing into the dark waters of the river. These bubbled a bit before leaving the atmosphere in a strange stillness, again. All had fallen silent as Twilight flapped weakly toward the ground. She gasped wearily from the physical exertion she had subjected her body to. She raised her head as she began to hear the rumbling sound of hooves in her direction, only to see the stallion walking towards her. Twilight sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "I really don't know what these creatures have to do with going for a walk right when we're there," Sombra grumbled. "Don't they have anything better to do?" Twilight opened her eyes again and looked in his direction as she blinked rapidly, but now she really couldn't take it anymore as the corners of her shoulders began to shake. The situation they had just experienced was so absurd and unexpected that she couldn't help but let out a suppressed laugh from the back of her throat, however she quickly released it completely, bursting into a fit as she wrapped her front paws around her chest. Sombra could only stare at her in confusion as that sound burst into his ears, thinking that he had seen it all now. Not that he cared much about it, either, or so he wanted to believe. "I thought I couldn't experience any more surprises," he said as he moved closer, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Is what I said funny to you?" "No, no, it's just... I didn't expect you to say that." Twilight tried to calm herself down as she covered a giggle with her hoof. "And in that tone." Regardless, Sombra allowed himself for a moment to change the expression on his face as the corners of his mouth raised slightly. "I'm more than I really look, princess. Twilight looked at him for a second. "I can already feel it," she replied in a whisper, looking away as she smiled slightly. After that, they simply resumed their way to the village side by side, knowing that for that moment, at least, they had been spared the threat. > Chapter 15 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was truly shocking to see the havoc that a creature of such size could cause. That's what Twilight thought when she picked up her cloak from where she'd left it and moved to get a better look at the remains of several of the small town's huts. She didn't know when Sombra had left her side, but she decided it was best to leave him alone for a while, or at least until she was done with her current priority. A few villagers pushed away the debris, either with their hooves or with the magic provided by the several unicorn horns there. And that's what Twilight did, bringing her magic to help clear it after she asked another of the ponies about it. After all, more help was always welcome. Twilight noticed something a bit strange after she had finished pushing some debris out of place, or rather when the other ponies let out a sigh as they looked in that direction. A large square of wood was visible on the floor, although when she approached the others she could see that it was actually the front door to what appeared to be some kind of basement. Just as she had seen in the house of the mare who had taken them in. Twilight stepped back a bit to let the other ponies do their job to open it. It was a relief to everypony when the ponies that had hidden there emerged unscathed, apparently. After that she cracked a small smile and turned to continue on her way, but it was the comment of one of them that made her stop for a moment in place. "Luckily I had reinforced the hinges after the previous time, I don't know what would have happened if it had come off during the attack..." As she walked towards the mare's home, Twilight thought deeply about those last words. Did that mean what I was thinking? She shook her head as she wondered how that could be possible. "It took you a while, Twilight." She blinked quickly as she reacted to the sound of Spike's voice, raising her head to notice the worried look he gave her. Twilight moved closer and stroked his head. She decided to put her thoughts aside for the time being. "I was helping to lift the remains of a house, Spike," she said after sitting down across from him. "It's good to know that the ponies inside were safely taken to safety and are fine." "They must have taken refuge in their own shelter," Spike said as he pointed to the pony who had accompanied him. "She told me that every home has its own." "Oh, that's interesting..." Twilight's hooves moved instinctively as she stepped through the doorway as Spike followed behind him. Her mind was completely focused on the question at hoof, and she didn't even notice that Sombra was already there. It was only when he cleared his throat that Twilight returned to her current reality. "You were very absent-minded, my dear," said the mare. "We were telling you that after everything that's happened, the best thing would be for us to go back to rest." The other ponies will take care of what's missing." "Yeah, it would be best..." Twilight lowered her head a bit. "But first I'd like to ask you something, and I'm sorry in advance if this makes you uncomfortable..." A small sympathetic smile flashed on the earth pony's face as she shook her head, urging her to continue. Still, Twilight looked up again to look her in the eye, then expressed the question on her mind. "It's not the first time this kind of thing has happened, is it?" The mare's reaction was not long in coming, and Twilight was actually not too surprised when she lowered her head and looked away, as if embarrassed for omitting that detail. The truth is, she could understand it. "I suppose it's not worth while not yo telling them after this," murmured the earth pony with a sigh. Twilight and Spike shared a look, Sombra just lowered his. The fact that these ponies had already known what they had to do, the same emergency hiding places they had in their homes, and the fact that they had noticed a feeling of resignation in almost everypony's eyes, almost as if it were something normal, said a lot about what was really happening. Twilight moved a bit closer to the mare and sat down beside her, meanwhile she clasped her hooves on top of each other in an attempt to appear calmer. "Sapphire, what's really going on here?" she asked in a low, calm voice, in an attempt to convey that same feeling to her hostess. There was a faint thoughtful frown on the gray mare's face as she lowered her head. After a few seconds she spoke again. "I didn't want to say anything before because I figured you wouldn't want to stay in this place if you knew, which would have forced you to spend the night in the woods." Her features took on a confused expression as she wrinkled her muzzle and made a gesture with her hooves. "But I never thought this would happen right now, so recently that it didn't happen..." "Then it's true," Twilight whispered as she opened her eyes wider. "How is that possible? And how can it be that they seem to be... so fine with that?" The earth pony shrugged. "We've all had to live with it for as long as we can remember," she said in a neutral voice. "That's why the old ponies have told us the story, to make sure we prepare from an early age." "What's that story?" asked Twilight. The mare's gaze slipped and she looked something beyond them, or maybe she was just focused on her thoughts. Then all she did was close her eyes. "They say that for more than a hundred winters we have been living in this odyssey, year after year, since the attacks began." She let out a loud sigh. "Nopony knows why it happens, and nopony is willing to find out. Everypony thinks that maybe we deserve it, that maybe it's a punishment from some higher being for some offense done long ago." The two ponies and the dragon who were listening to his words began to reflect rather quickly on what had been said in it, all without being able to help feeling the general surprise that had just generated in them. "Wow..." On Twilight's face was an expression that denoted the varied emotions that were within her, but the main one and the one she could feel much more strongly was compassion for all those ponies. "I can't even imagine what you've had to go through, but I still wonder why you've been forced into that. Couldn't they leave this place entirely?" "We'd like to, but..." We just can't." The mare's dejected face deepened as she dropped her ears. "It's too difficult to move a large group of ponies through the entire forest, running the risk that any other creature will just spot us and decide to finish us off," Twilight couldn't stop a faint lump from forming in her throat as her gaze met the pony's. "Our magic can hardly defend us, and our strength is no match for the dangers that lurk within it. That is why most choose this option, despite knowing that sooner or later we will not be able to continue resisting." She raised her head once more and looked at them all, but quickly lowered it again as she let out a sigh. "With each passing year it become more frequent, and it's not just that creature's," she said, nodding her head to what was outside the window, beyond the tree line. "There are more things in there that are better left unnamed. Sometimes ponies even disappear during the night, and nopony knows who takes them," she said as she shrugged. At the time, Twilight didn't know how to sort out the thoughts in her head. But everything the pony had just told them made her think that something very strange and not good was happening in that place. Something that unfortunately was out of her hooves. She organized herself quickly when she wanted to ask her next question. "And they have no idea what causes these attacks?" Twilight asked. "It's impossible to know," shook the mare. "We don't even know if we're the only ponies that happen to them, since very few of us venture beyond our home..." "And what did you say before, with why hasn't this happened recently?" Everyone was shocked when Sombra's deep voice joined the conversation, interrupting the next thing the pony was going to say. Twilight frowned at that as she glanced briefly at him out of the corner of her eye. However, the other mare lowered her head slightly, suddenly feeling intimidated by the look the stallion was giving her. Twilight noticed this and quickly turned in his direction. The look she gave him made Sombra snort low and roll his eyes, softening his own a bit more. A look of slight bewilderment formed over the face of the earth pony before she resumed speaking. But one more feeling floated to the surface, and sadness soon reflected on her face. "I meant that because these assaults usually had a more or less long window of time before happened and... It's only been a few weeks since the last one happened." The whole room fell silent after that, but it was not the silence of someone deep in thought, but the silence that followed after an awkward surprise. None of them knew what to say. "I... I really don't know what I can say about that," Twilight spoke and shook her head a bit. "We've never been through anything like this, and well..." The earth pony finally sighed as she stood up again. "Don't worry, you have to continue your journey tomorrow anyway and I don't think it's good to fill your head with something you shouldn't care about," she said in a friendly tone. "But I really wish them luck on their way." Twilight didn't know what else to do for her, so she just nodded and let the mare retreat along with Spike as he passed by her. "Twilight, aren't you coming?" Spike stopped when he realized she wasn't following him. When he turned, he saw how she seemed to look beyond the small square of window. Twilight turned and nodded. "Stay with her, Spike." The dragon frowned slightly, but soon nodded at her request. He followed the other pony as she watched him from her seat. As Spike disappeared behind the door to another room, Twilight let out a small sigh and turned her gaze to the stallion. Sombra had already closed his eyes and was more than willing to get on with his restful night, unfortunately interrupted by the previous event. But he did not count on the presence of a certain princess. Twilight only gave him a light glance out of the corner of her eye, but she still realized what she already suspected. She gestured with her hoof as she turned in his direction. "You know, I don't think I have thanked you for the help yet." Sombra didn't bother to open his eyes and simply replied from a contained grunt in the back of his throat. "Now you've done it, I didn't give it to you either, so we're on hoof anyway." Twilight's face formed a small frown as she looked down. Maybe he wasn't literally telling her to leave, but the atmosphere in the room practically felt like he was kicking her out. However, his current position was not aggressive enough to expose that kind of order. The King Sombra had always been a figure who could strike fear into those who feared what he could do, who preferred to stay away. But after everything they had been through and had had to face, it was obvious that at that moment he was just as exhausted as she was. And it was just at the sight of that countenance and the drooping position of his body that a new idea came into her mind. She knew that an opportunity was before her eyes and she was not going to let it pass her by. Slowly, Twilight walked towards him and managed to make a place for herself on the piece of cloth where he was lying, doing the same action when she dropped down next to him. Sombra opened his eyes and soon sent her a suspicious look, clearly annoyed by her recent action. "What do you think you're doing?" he grumbled in a growl. "I guess rest," Twilight shrugged. "And after all the recent emotions, it's what I need most right now." "I need it too, but I prefer it alone," he replied with a suspicious look. "Why don't you go with that dragon of yours?" Twilight frowned when she heard him speak in that way of Spike. She was honestly beginning to reconsider the possibility of having a friendly conversation with him. "Spike is safe with her, she doesn't need me right now," she replied in a dry tone although her voice soon returned to normal, while letting out a sigh. "You know? You should try to put that attitude aside, even if it's just on certain occasions." "And why should I do that? It's not of interest to me, nor do I care about the way others portray themselves about me." "But right now it's just us," she gestured with her hoof all around. "These ponies don't know history beyond what this place shows them, so it doesn't hurt to at least make an effort." After that they both remained silent for a few more moments, which was only harmonized by the noises of the night outside. "What do you think of everything that mare just told us?" Twilight turned her head as she blinked slightly quickly when she heard Sombra's question. He just looked at her with a slight frown, but there was also a hint of what she could tell was curiosity. Twilight shook her head quickly as a thoughtful frown formed on her face. "I can't tell you, but whatever the reason for this to happen, it seems to have been going on for quite some time... Probably long before those attacks started." Twilight looked at him as she cocked her head. "I thought maybe you might have some idea why this is happening." Sombra snorted after her words, frowning in marked annoyance. "Obviously I can't know, a thousand years locked in the ice of the Frozen North is no small thing," he replied dryly. Twilight lowered her ears slightly when she noticed his tone, she also looked away in the process. "I didn't mean to imply that, it's just that..." She paused her words for a moment and wondered if it would be good to continue trying to find out what was going on with him. But after a sigh, she finally decided she wasn't going to miss the opportunity. "I just wanted to know about it a while ago. I had told you that I realized that there is something that has been troubling you these last few days... And well, I also think that in part we have a common goal." After those words, Twilight lowered her head a bit more. She knew that he would most likely decide to ignore her again and pass on her comment, so it actually ended up being a surprise to her when Sombra spoke again. Although he still wondered what she really wanted to accomplish, he knew that even then he couldn't keep her in ignorance much longer. But something inside him told him that anyway. Twilight glanced at him again briefly, but he just kept his eyes fixed on the front, not turning in her direction. "In a way, I've felt my magic in a very strange way these past few days," Sombra began again. "And somehow I feel like it's related to whatever is going on in this place..." He shook his head after letting out a sigh, and then looked back at her while frowning in slight confusion. "This kind of thing didn't happen when I was last here, so I want to find the answers, too." Most likely, it was because her surprise passed quickly, but in the end Twilight ended up nodding after asking her question. "And how can we do that?" Sombra looked away again, but this time he looked beyond the window square, toward the line of dark trees. A pensive countenance formed for a few moments. "I can still remember that right in this area, almost deep in the forest, there is a place where you can find the answers to the questions that lie within you." Still, he was reluctant to say anything further. "It's kind of... cavern imbued with powerful magic, if I remember correctly, it is one of the few places on the entire island where it naturally becomes stronger." Hope ignited within Twilight right after the stallion said that and then she began to make quick gestures with her hooves. "Then we can go to that cave and..." She paused as he gestured with his. "We could, if I knew its exact location," Sombra interrupted, and the alicorn's hope almost vanished along with his words. But before Twilight could protest, Sombra again stopped her with a flick of his hoof. "However, I know of a method that can get us there," he confessed after letting out a snort. "But that'll be tomorrow." A new silence formed between them after that last piece of information, and all Twilight did was nod with a resolute frown reflected on her face. Neither of them said anything more after that and only ended up waking up in the comfort of the faint sounds outside. Twilight leaned back in place. He hadn't told her to leave and she was fine with that. Maybe it was because he was too exhausted to bother, but it may have been some kind of breakthrough. It didn't take long for her eyelids to become heavier and heavier, but her mind lingered for a few more moments on the reason she had been creating for days. Maybe Spike had sensed the truth, and maybe she wasn't so wrong. Perhaps she just had to give him a chance and Sombra could become more than just an enemy, a simple mutual ally or supporter. Maybe she just had to find a way to show him the paths that friendship could take. With that last thought floating like a soft jellyfish in her mind, Twilight dropped completely into the mists of rest. An annoying ringing in her ears was the main cause of her awakening, followed by the continuous murmur of what she believed to be arguing voices. Twilight adjusted the hood that covered her head and pricked her ears so as not to hear it anymore, she didn't even need to open her eyes to know that it was still too early. But soon there came a time when she could no longer sleep in peace. Twilight let out a slight grunt and began to wake up, stretching into place and yawning to ward off sleep, as she pulled her hoof over her muzzle. She really wasn't too surprised when she noticed that Sombra had already left her side to... anywhere. She wasn't sure where he'd gone, but right now it was more important to open her eyes if she wanted to find out what had interrupted her sleep. The only thing that confused her a bit afterwards was the fact that it was so early that the sun was just beginning to rise, slowly peeking out from behind the clouds in the distance. Twilight gave a slight shrug and moved a bit farther away from the noise outside. Before investigating in more detail what it was, she needed to make sure of something. Twilight walked into the small room where she knew Spike was, probably still asleep. She only needed to slide the piece of cloth that separated the two spaces a bit to get a better look at the small covered bulge that was lying in the position he always used to take. She gave a small smile at that sight. "He's still sleeping, and he'd better stay that way." She returned to her place again, though no sooner had she stepped out of the doorway than she jumped in fright when the door of the hearth burst open and let Sombra in. Twilight didn't like the look on his face at all. "What's going...?" Her words were quickly interrupted. "You'd better see for yourself." That was all he said before disappearing back behind the door. Twilight's countenance had changed from one slightly annoyed to one that expressed the growing concern she was beginning to feel within her. Without wasting much time, he readjusted his coat in a better way and followed the same path the stallion had gone from. She wondered what was going on this occasion. But of all things, what she hadn't really expected was that in front of the place where they had spent the night there were ponies that were not part of them, but they were not a small group. As she glanced briefly over all this, Twilight could almost swear that half of the town's habitants were now there. And the most disturbing thing was that they didn't seem to be too happy. The mare that had provided them with lodging was standing in front of one of the small groups while talking to some of the ponies, though rather than talking to Twilight it seemed that they were arguing. "Can you tell me what's going on here?" Twilight asked in a whisper after positioning herself next to Sombra. "These ponies don't look happy at all. "It's because they're not," he replied simply. Twilight frowned as she caught the remnants of the murmurs in the crowd. The next thing she heard, she didn't like it too much. —... That's none of your business, Sapphire, but we'll tell you only one thing," replied one of them in a contemptuous tone, an older-looking unicorn stallion. "Don't you think it's weird that hydra attacked just when they were supposed to stay here for the night?" "Save your tone, old stallion." She narrowed her eyes slightly. "So many years and you still haven't learned to stop judging, or rather I should say all of you." The unicorn snorted and lowered his ears as the rest of the crowd louder their murmurs, which made it pretty clear what they were thinking. It was obvious that because of everything that had happened, they didn't want them there. Having seen and heard enough, Twilight stepped forward and walked towards them, deciding that she wouldn't let that kind mare stand up to her own acquaintances just to defend them. She could really understand what those ponies thought about them just because they didn't belong in the same place as them. "Sorry to interrupt, but you shouldn't bother with her" She positioned herself next to the other pony, she could only look at her with a surprised expression. "If your problem is with me and my companions don't worry, it won't be too long before we leave." The murmurs in the crowd increased again, but Twilight ignored them at all when her attention focused on the grim expression of the stallion in front of her. At her interruption, he simply raised an eyebrow and spoke again in a tone of false regret. "I'm sorry, miss, but I'm afraid that won't happen." Twilight frowned again and glanced at Shadow out of the corner of her eye. She realized that he only saw them with an overly serious countenance. She returned her gaze to the pony that had left her confused. "What are you trying to tell me?" she asked in a neutral and simple tone, not letting any emotion betray itself. The unicorn took a step forward, getting closer, but Twilight stood as steadfast as she could as she looked him straight in the eye. "Even from the darkness, some of us watched as you and the other unicorn took care of keeping that monster away from this place, and we knew it could only be you," the stallion spoke again as he frowned. "No other pony here would have dared to do so." Twilight did take a step back this time and almost inadvertently backed away to Sombra's side. How was it possible that they had realized that so quickly? She could already imagine it, though she was also aware of the fact that it hadn't been too subtle. Not when she'd had a multi-headed monster in the spotlight. After giving each other another sideways glance, Twilight and Sombra could tell in a way how aware they both were of the situation. They knew that these ponies were looking for something else, something that they, it seemed, could give them. This time it was Sombra who stepped forward. The only thing he said was in a more imperious tone than usual. "After all you said, you've only made one thing clear," he replied, and then affirmed. "You want something from us." Both stallions just looked at each other with the same grim expression, until the pony in front of them just nodded. "You're smart ponies," said the other unicorn stallion as he took a step back. Then he turned, but not before glancing over his shoulder at the earth pony beside them. "You explain it them, Sapphire." Twilight frowned at that as she turned to the pony in question. Her face reflected the question on her mind. The mare simply lowered her head and let out a loud tired sigh. "Just come with me," she said as she turned toward her home, turning her back on the mob of habitants that was slowly beginning to disperse. Twilight and Sombra shared one last glance before following the mare home. All they had to do was figure out what they really wanted. "I'll be direct with you." The pony turned to them as soon as she closed the door. "We would like to ask for your help in an important matter." "Exactly what?" As both ponies frowned in an inquisitive countenance, the gray mare just lowered her head, closed her eyes, and sighed wearily. "This village is not the only target of everything that hits us from the forest. We realized that what it is really looking for is the most defenseless among us, it's looking to take our foals." Her eyes widened again, slowly. "They are the ones we want back, from their capture in the last attack." Twilight rubbed a hoof on her forehead after her words, thinking for a fleeting moment about all that meant. "That means it leave them even weaker... By taking away those who could take care of their entire village in the future?" she raised her head and walked over to the mare, putting her hooves on both shoulders. "This is more important than I imagined, but how are you sure you can be rescued?" You've said that almost nopony ventures beyond that." "It's because we need your help to get to them," she replied. "And because there's only one pony who's made it back from wherever they've been." Twilight removed her hooves from the mare's shoulders and took several steps back. She glanced again at the stallion beside her, but all she found was his typical serious countenance. That said enough for her. On the other hoof, there was also the fact that it was not yet too late for her to do what was forming in her mind at that moment. She wished wasn't too late for them. "If that pony really has done it, maybe we might be able to help," replied the alicorn, certainly intrigued by that pony. "Who did it?" Twilight successfully tried to ignore the annoyed and surprised look that Shadow was currently giving her. She knew she would have to deal with him later about her sudden decision. "His name doesn't matter now, all I know is that at the time his return was unexpected, and yet he couldn't save those who also left with him." A brief dejected expression formed on her face, before her voice took on another hue. "But when you ask me that, do you mean you'll help us? Are you willing to do what we couldn't?" Twilight closed her eyes for a moment and gave a slight nod. "We'll do what we can," she walked over and put a supportive hoof on her shoulder for support. "If that pony is able to help us and those foals can be returned to their families, we'll do it." Now that they were there, she wasn't about to abandon those little ponies to their fate. She just hoped she still had time. *** "I don't think you need to worry, I'll take good care of your little one." "My little one?" Twilight's face had a slightly confused expression on her face as she expressed her desire for the well-being of her sleeping companion. The earth mare nodded. "I can understand what it's like for a mother to worry about her foal's safety." At her words, Twilight's eyes widened in surprise at what she had insinuated. And once again she let out a nervous laugh. "Spike isn't really my son," she said with a sigh. "Anyway, I know he's going to be safer here." Twilight turned and walked out of the hearth in the direction of where the dark stallion was. Although the pony who would be her next guide was already waiting at the edge of the forest, Twilight had not yet forgotten her conversation with the other stallion. She sighed, with the goal in her mind that he could accompany them, and not just because of the fact that she was occupying herself at that moment. Twilight approached him slowly, only a bit worried by the strange nervousness she had suddenly begun to feel. "Sombra? I think it would be good if..." "Don't go on, princess," he interrupted her with apparent calmness, though his gaze reflected the annoyance he really felt. "You've made it clear without even counting on me." Twilight looked down for a moment and sighed. "I know I should have asked you first, but I still think we could take this opportunity to look for the answers we need, you know this puts a new spin on the whole situation." Sombra frowned as he looked in her direction. He couldn't deny that she was right, but he wasn't going to admit it in front of her. "That's why I'll go with you." After that, they both turned their heads toward the door that opened behind them. Their hostess got out and trotted towards them, but not before giving a faint glance to the pony waiting beyond. "Your route is safe. He really is someone competent and despite everything he went through he is willing to take you to the same place where he escaped a long time ago, just don't ask him how he did it," she said while she seemed to contain a shiver. "Besides, he knows the forest almost like the back of his hoof," she nodded, but at the arched eyebrow of the other mare and the skeptical look of the stallion next to her, she forced to rectify herself while she smiled nervously. "But obviously it's a saying." Twilight said goodbye to her, and then they both headed in his direction. They each made sure they had their belongings, Twilight with her cloak and saddlebag, and Sombra only with his cloak. She made sure they had what they needed to reach their new goal. "I don't think they're capable of that, I know what I really saw when I talked to her. What they really feel..." She shook her head and let out another sigh. "They looked desperate..." Twilight had denied Sombra's earlier words as she made her way, when he had hinted that it was all just a trap, one in which all the ponies were involved. To her, however, it didn't make sense. And the facts corroborated this. "Nopony really knows what another is thinking, so what makes you believe that couldn't happen?" said Sombra, somewhat surprised by what she meant. He could hardly believe that she was so naive. Twilight gave a slight snort after he said those words, but ended up turning her head over her shoulder as she gave him a slight look of mockery. Then she took advantage of the situation to speak her mind, after shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Maybe that's why trust between two ponies or creatures must to be earned, don't you think?" Sombra raised an eyebrow as he caught what she really meant. Then his voice took on that same mocking tone as he let the corners of his mouth rise slightly. "I don't think so, because that's just what you think, princess."