Into the Twilight

The next week and a half were grueling at best, if Twilight were to describe it. She was constantly at work, whether it was delivering a public speech and explaining the circumstances to the Ponyville populace, or gathering enough supplies to visit the Castle of the Two Sisters.

The former event was much more emotional than Twilight had anticipated. After everything that had happened, she really hadn't had the time to fully acknowledge everything she knew. She delivered the speech with confidence and stoicism for the first few minutes, but then began to break down once she recalled what had happened to her mentor.

She'd been strong for this long, she'd anesthetized herself from the true amount of anguish she was feeling. Everything had went wrong so fast, and Twilight couldn't do anything to prevent it. She only knew that she was one of the few that could prevent it from becoming any worse. It was the only thing holding her together at this point.

Arranging provisions for this expedition that she'd been planning out was as difficult as it was cumbersome. Ponyville was already limited in the supplies it had, and making this journey into the Everfree wasn't going to help out their circumstances unless it yielded the knowledge that Twilight so desperately yearned for.

Everything else ran rather smoothly, the border that surrounded Ponyville was finally complete, and the lighting situation had finally been resolved with the help of a stubborn Trixie and Starlight. She decided that it would be best if Starlight stayed behind this time around to maintain the doppelganger sun, much to Starlight's chagrin.

Twilight made sure the rest of her friends were preparing as well. Applejack was finally able to start harvesting apples now that the conditions were suitable again, but she would leave some of the work to her brother and younger sister while she was gone. Rarity was able to to produce some pretty sturdy wool coats for Ponyville, albeit not very attractive on the eyes, even Twilight had admitted. Twilight admired how fast Rarity worked, but was not surprised in the slightest.

Pinkie Pie worked alongside Applejack and the Pie family, sorting out the meal situation, as well as keeping everypony's morale up. Twilight had meant what she said, she couldn't have picked a better pony for the job, and she hoped that Pinkie Pie had taken her words to heart.

Fluttershy was still timid after what Twilight had suggested, and she knew she wouldn't be able to assist them in the event that something attacked them in the forest or in the castle, but Fluttershy was well practiced when it came to medicine. Twilight actually hoped, for once, that Fluttershy's skills would not be necessary in this event. Rainbow Dash had really taken a liking to her newfound weapon, and had been practicing aiming with it all week. Twilight had no doubt that Dash would be able to put it to use.

Twilight sighed, she still had no idea what would be out there. They had scouted the entrance to the Everfree, but it was always eerily silent, like all the monsters that once occupied the Everfree had gone into hiding. Zecora had fled the Everfree once Princess Celestia had died, and hadn't gone back into the forest since. They'd be trudging through the forest completely blind. Granted, they still had a map that led to the castle that Twilight had made when they first started visiting the place, but there was no telling how the geography had changed.

Spike was sitting next to her in the library. He had been so busy helping Starlight set up a makeshift refugee camp in the middle of the castle that he hadn't been able to talk to her at all since they had a picnic with all their friends. Twilight's guilt continued to pile when she left again prematurely to find Princess Luna without having a chance to talk to him. She was surprised by how much he had done without her, and glad that the two of them were talking again.

"I don't understand why I can't come with you, I can handle myself you know," Spike said, kicking his feet in front of him as he sat on one of the wooden desks.

"It's the same reason Starlight is staying in Ponyville too," Twilight explained, "We need all the help we can get, and even though I'm bringing my friends with me, you're needed here."

Of course that was only half the truth, it was true that he had done marvelously so far in making sure that everypony in town had a place to sleep, particularly those that had lost their homes during the initial incursion. However, Twilight knew that Spike wouldn't be safe in the Everfree. She'd seen firsthoof what kind of things crawled out of the dark, and she could only shudder imagining what would be waiting for them in that wretched forest.

Spike grumbled a bit in disapproval as Twilight levitated her travel pack towards her, double-checking everything she had packed.

Twilight and her five friends were gathered at the edge of the Everfree forest, Twilight had already said her farewells to Starlight and Spike, promising that they'd be back shortly. She knew she probably shouldn't make promises she couldn't guarantee that she'd keep, but she didn't want to worry the two of them.

As soon as the six were to step in the forest, darkness would reign down upon them, and they would relive Tartarus once again.

"Alright girls," Twilight said in an even voice, masking her fear, "We all know how to find the castle in case we get lost, but stay together and follow the trail, it should be a straight shot there."

Rainbow Dash grumbled as she shifted the crossbow on her shoulder, she hadn't dropped it since it was given to her in New Canterlot, "You know, I'd hate to be that one pony, but when you say it's going be a straight shot there, you know we're going to run into trouble."

Applejack shot her a look, "Well, let's jus' hope otherwise then, you can't say things like that, Rainbow. We'll be fine Twilight, we've done this before after all."

Twilight gulped as she looked into the ominous black, "I hope you're right, AJ."