Chapter 3 : Night in Unknown Land

Starlight put down her sleeping bag on a cold wooden floor of an old human couple's cottage. She felt guilty for messed Mrs. Emma's housework. The pupil had accidentally broken an old bowl while she rearranged a shelf, misunderstood some of old human couple's belongings as a junk and thrown them in a fire, broken Emma's broom by accident, and spilled Emma's soup. Starlight had realized her magic didn't work very well in a very small place. She didn't has much room to operate there.

However, the old couple hadn't minded Starlight's mistakes. They saw her mistake as cute and forgave her. Starlight had felt a bit shy when the old couple adored and treated her like a foal. The former villain looked at the cottage owners. They were sleeping on the floor without any pillow nor mattress. Starlight had brought spare pillows back from Twilight's castle to give them, but the old couple had refused and insisted her to keep the pillows. Starlight smiled warmly. She picked up her letters and lit them on fire. Letters' ashes flowed up and vanished. Starlight hoped her information will aid Twilight and princesses in the future when the centaur's army invaded Equestria.

Starlight focused her mind. She tidied her sleeping bag and went back to sleep. The former villain looked at a campfire at in the cottage. She remembered when the Cutie map had called her to the Unknown Land for the first time.

"What?" Starlight said. "The Unknown Land?"

Starlight looked at the cutie map. She quite disbelieved the map called her to a snowy unexplored area. Her six friends looked to the pupil, felt uncertain to let Starlight go on her quest. Princess Twilight looked at the destination, couldn't decide how to tell Starlight. The six friends wished they can help Starlight in some ways or another.

"I'm afraid so." Twilight said. "The map has chosen you in the mission. I know it's a duty call, but still..."

"Well, sugarcube." Applejack said. "To be honest, we don't want you to be alone in such freezing place."

"Yeah, Applejack's right." Rainbow Dash said. "Beside, going on an adventure without inviting me is so unfair!" Rainbow Dash groaned.

"But, Rainbow Dash, we shouldn't see this matter as fun, you know..." Fluttershy said.

"Yes, daring. The Unknown Land is known to be the worst!" Rarity said.

"Beside, that land is soo coldddd." Pinkie Pie said and shivered. "I know because I was there."

"Well, everypony." Starlight said. "I'm glad you're caring me, but," everypony nodded. Starlight continued. "I should be fine by myself. A good preparation will do tricks, right?" Starlight laughed worriedly.

Princess Twilight beamed and clopped her hooves. "Yeah, I have an idea!" Twilight said. "Everyone, let's do our best to help Starlight in her quest. We will do everything we can to support her in the Unknown Land."

"Yeah!" everypony cheered. Starlight filled with happiness to see the overwhelmed support. She thanked her friend and smiled broadly.

"Will everythin' gonna be alright?" Applejack said.

"Yes." Twilight said. "We have everything ready for her."

The mane six and Starlight stood on a border of Equestria. Starlight had everything she needed in her saddlebags and backpack. Applejack and Pinkie Pie had provided her with food supplies. She had many sweets and apple based foods for a week. Rarity had given her winter clothes. The outfit was too stylish to be an adventure outfit. The elegant pony had also given Starlight a scarf with the pupil's cutie mark. Fluttershy had given her some advice about snow creatures. At last, Twilight had given her a magical miniature statue of herself, so Starlight could communicate with the forth princess, and Rainbow Dash could find and rescue her if she was lost.

"Thank you girls for all this wonderful supports." Starlight said. Joys was filling her.

Twilight chuckled "No need to thank us, Starlight." Twilight said. "Good journey to you."

Starlight's friends had talked to the unicorn mare for the last time before she went on her journey. The pupil waved to her friends until they went off her sight. Starlight turned back to the snowy land, showed no sign of fear. She bravely headed toward the destination with her map at her side.

Another hour passed, Starlight had been walking alone in a snowy region. Snowstorm hindered the unicorn every steps and everywhere she went to. Starlight held her map tight. Her saddlebags and backpack started to cause a trouble on her back. Starlight was tired. She wanted to rest or drank some warm tea. Luckily, Rarity had given her a snow goggles to protect her eyes. Starlight looked back in her map again, feared to be lost. Without any warning, a gust blew her off balance. Starlight fell on the white snow and her map was blew away.

"Wait!" Starlight yelled. She swiftly got up.

Starlight followed her blowing map, feared it will disappear within a snowy mist. She ran after the map with all strength she had. Starlight focused and managed to catch her map with her magic. She felt relief to see her map is safe, until an avalanche proved it wrong. Starlight screamed out loud, couldn't and lost control of herself. Thank goodness, she wasn't falling too high. She landed hard on a snowy ground, but mostly unharmed. Starlight was dazing while she was tring to get up.

Within the snowstorm, Starlight shook her head and peered into the mist of harsh snowy land. She thought her eyes was deceiving her, but she jumped up with happiness when she found she has arrived at her destination. She looked in her map to make sure she didn't mistake it, then approached.

Starlight was caution. The cutie map appeared to send her to a hamlet. It looked like a small fishing village. She looked at an ill-maintained harbor. Starlight seldom heard a wooden creaking from cottages. She felt an evil presence, feared to be attacked by unknowns. Starlight approached the harbor, stared into the mist and tried to find a riverbank or a coast across the land. She peered around and noticed a light in the middle of a freezing water surface. The pupil noticed somepony is rowing a boat toward the harbor. Starlight watched the boat is getting closer, felt unsure to greet the rower.

The boat docked. Rower stood up and revealed a tally figure under a ragged hood and robe. The rower turned around, flinched upon noticed Starlight. The rower stared at Starlight. The unicorn stepped back, couldn't decide what should she do in the situation.

At least this thing is breathing. Maybe it's not hostile... I hope. Starlight thought.

The rower continued to stare at Starlight. Icy breath continually flowed out from a hidden face underneath a ragged hood. The rower's robe was somewhat elegant, but lacked of care and heavily damaged. Starlight stepped further away when the rower got on the harbor.

"Fear non, young unicorn." The rower said at last. She crouched down and put her hand toward Starlight. The former villain felt a chill down her spine after she had noticed the rower knows what she is. "I, the pearl one, offer you my humble soul. Your presence here show me I sill have a hope..."

Starlight was a bit confused. She had never expected meeting Falcon in the day is the start of everything.

Princess Twilight grinned. Her approaching toward Falcon had proven to be success this day. Twilight planned to continue her royal duty in Ponyville hospital with Falcon tomorrow, so she could watch over the sultana and followed her schedule at the same time. In order to prevent Spike from overwork, Twilight had asked Falcon to be her temporary assistant. Falcon had accepted and brought Twilight a joy.

The forth princess entered Falcon's bedroom after Twilight had taken a bath. She got in a short flight to the bed. Twilight glanced at the sultana on the next bed. She was reading one of Twilight's book quietly. Twilight smiled and was slightly satisfied. She tidied her pillow and turned to Falcon.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Falcon, but we should go to sleep now." Twilight said. "We have many thing to do together tomorrow. I think it's going to be great."

"Oh, sure." Falcon said, closed her book. "By the way, this book is really good. I've learned many thing today."

"Really? This book is my favorite, too!" Twilight said. She clopped her hooves and smiled. "Oh, adding to that. I'm so happy to have you by my side tomorrow. My number one assistant sure will have a helping hoof."

"I'm glad to be by your side, my princess." Falcon said. She slightly bowed to the princess.

"We need to fix your clothes in the next day, too." Twilight said, took a note on her what-to-do list. "I'm pretty sure Rarity and her assistant can help us... but too bad, we didn't have much time to visit Rarity's boutique today, but we still have your clothes washed and made you a makeshift clothes. However, Rarity will sure can do more about it."

Falcon nodded. She had been wearing a turmeric Toga, roughly made out off a cloth, since this evening.

"Here, and here..." Twilight said, checked her list. "Now, it's perfect!"

"You highness, you sure are very lively." Falcon said. "I've rarely seen a liege having an energetic character like you."

"Oh, really?" Twilight said. She blushed. "I, em, just do what I have to do as a princess. There is nothing special about it. Well, but, you appear to be a very strong and wise sultana, too, you know. I would like to have a pony like you around, if I can. You will surely be a good model Equestrian to follow!"

Falcon chuckled. Twilight dropped her smile when she saw Falcon looks away from her, and feels down.

"I mean, yeah, you're probably a good sultana before a mean Calradia empress took it from you." Twilight said. "But, don't worry. She will learn in a hard way when she's stepping in Equestria and returns your realm no matter what!"

Falcon slightly smiled, tidied her bed and went to sleep. Twilight looked at a clock and realized it's really late now. She turned of the light and slept. She hoped everything is going to be good tomorrow.

The exploration had been progressing at steady paces. A caravan of colonists and a fleet had had some trouble ventures in a harsh environment of the northern land. Lacking of warmth air and fertilized land was the main problem. They couldn't resupply by any mean more than trading and fishing. Good thing the fleet had enough fishermen and merchants to resupply the colonists.

However, something had distracted the empress Ariel from the colonizing.

She had heard a rumor from natives about a way to a spirit world. They had been talking about a rumor behind the recently phenomenon. Somebody told about an army of death. Somebody told about a sign of heaven. Not many people dared to find out the truth. However, Ariel had a different idea.

The empress had commanded to set a colony near a freezing coastal line. She put the colony on the northernmost point and the most suitable spot for colonists as much as possible. They needed to be close to fishing spots and other natives city, while conquered a title of great navigator for Calradia.

Ariel was quite disappointed. She hadn't expected her quest to be ended fairly quick, but agreed not to settle a city too far from resources. She had appointed one of her man to be an administrator of the colony, then called it a day after she had dealt with her miscellaneous duty. She planed for her 'personal' exploration with her companions and Swadian royal guards tomorrow within the freezing land, prompted to push her adventure a bit last long.

She will bring some of her treasures as well. Ariel will need them to hire some 'explorers'.