//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 // Story: Northen Stars // by Flower03 //------------------------------// 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."