To Go Beyond

'Where's the friggin bathroom anyway?'

Pacing through the corridor, I looked left and right to find the door which contained the word 'bathroom' or any sign that indicated it in front of it, but it was a futile attempt.

So I went to the library instead.

Peeking through the library's door, I then knocked it to get a clarification from the whereabouts of that particular alicorn princess.

"Oh, what's it Ra?" Answered the alicorn after she quickly turned her head on towards me. In front of her, on top of the table were lying a numerous amount of books and a scroll, and a large map. The same table where we three had a breakfast before, an improvised one to be exact. How weird indeed.

"Uh, what are you doing exactly?" I forced my voice to get in the desired level of tone. Well, it was hard when your voice was sounded like a fourty or fifty years old stallion, although my body was technically still in around of twenties. My sense of warning also spiked a bit, if one could measure it of course.

"What am I doing? I'm just trying to pinpoint the location of a particular item according to this scroll that I got from a seemingly ominous pony a few days ago."

'Phew... wait, what item? Better gonna do this quickly.'

"I, uh, just want to know where the bathroom is."

"It's at the end of the corridor, then turn left." Said her without looking at me.

"You should give it a label so it won't confuse pe- the others, you know."

"We've just never been getting too much guests since the first day this castle has been standing, aside from our closest friends and the princesses of course, so that consideration just easily went in the bucket long ago." Remarked Spike while was holding a particulary large, but seemingly old book. "But don't worry, I'm going to make a sign or something to make it clear, if Twilight is also agree with that."

"Nah, it doesn't really matter now. Gotta go fast." I then hastened myself towards the said room.

—||—

The sounds of water dropping from the shower head filled the room where I was currently being in. And I was soaking wet beneath that shower, with eyes closed.

Contemplating.

'Working in this land also seems to be a good idea to blend in with the locals. But what would it gonna be exactly? With this kind of power, manipulating anyone would be just a piece of cake, even the princesses aren't really immune of this. I suppose. And there's also Discord. He's going to be a nasty thorn if I don't know how to beat him aside from using the Elements, which I can't even wield it, maybe. Damn, already showing villainous thoughts huh? Heh...'

I smirked under the bombardment of water molecules that came out from the shower.

'Shit, gotta follow her this time if she'll really going on an adventure.'

With haste and telekinesis I quickly turned off the shower.

"... And I forgot the goddamn towel."

—||—

I peeked my head again through the door of the library and knocked the door again.

"Oh, hey." Her eyes were still focusing at a particular scroll which I couldn't read from that distance.

I cleared my throat. "Ehem, can I... come in?"

"Yeah, yeah, just get inside." Answered her, still not losing her focus.

I shrugged off any embarrassing feeling due to my nakedness and just walked in.

'Come on, really? I'm a friggin pony now.'

"Oh hey Ra." Spike called me from behind a pile of book.

"Spike." I greeted him.

"So, how's with your... progress?" I focused on Twilight's work and was walking slowly towards her.

"I'm just having this nagging feeling about an event that apparently will happen, in short time. A big event. Three days ago ominous traveler just knocked my house and gave me this scroll, and last night I felt a magical disturbance that apparently nopony other than me could feel it."

"Mhm..." I stroked my chin with my left hoof.

Actually I couldn't think of anything at that moment.

"Did you feel something weird last night Ra?" She finally looked at me.

I just shrugged.

"Alright, this will never be going anywhere. So, is anyone thirsty of an adventure?"

"You really want to follow it? It could be just a prank or maybe much worse than just a harmless prank, you know." Questioned the baby dragon

"Spike, you've already known that dangerous adventures aren't really a new thing for us."

"Well, there's nothing wrong by worrying..." Spike just rubbed his back neck. "Would you also call the girls too?"

"They all are probably busy. Besides that, it's apparently not really that big, I mean this one. It's just something that you can find alone, if you understand it and if you know the art of teleportation too of course." Explained the alicorn with a smile.

"Ehem, uh, can you give some enlightenment about that scroll?" I asked her.

"Oh yeah, sorry. It's technically just a poem. A poem about a hidden treasure, or an item with a high value, I suppose."

"Can I see it?"

"Just look at it."

I stepped forward a bit to get a clear look of the said scroll, then I innerly read the poem:

If you read this, herald of the Horned One, gratulations
Blessed is the mind of the ambitious
Pursue your way with passion
And don't let anything stand in your way

Now, begin it where sweet waters start
And take it to the canyon down
Not far, but too far and too step for walk
Right beneath the golden crag

Finally go through the blue curtain
Then you'll see a hidden pass
Lit your way, but be quick
Or else be swallowed by the inferno

If you passed it, you'll see a door and a lock
Place the gem in it, and don't forget to take it back
Inside the room, a prize is waiting
For you'll need it when the time comes

"At first I thought it was for me, but herald of the Horned One? I believe it wasn't actually about me and Celestia since we both don't really fit with the description."

'Yup, apparently I'm really becoming a lackey of the motherfucking Nicol Bolas. If this whole show is real, why also not with the others? Just fucking kill me again now.' I inhaled another large portion of air again, and sighed.

"Did you already tell Ce- Princess Celestia about this?" My mind was also filled with concern this time.

"No, I didn't really want to bother her about every little detail just like in the past. For Faust's sake, look at me then, what am I?" Said her with a hint of annoyance.

"An... alicorn princess?"

"Correct. Now you know why I should take my own matter in my own hand, with the help of the Elements of course, if everyting should go awry." Explained her with a smile.

I just nodded because I didn't know what to say about it.

"Oh, hey, that's a pretty cool cutie mark by the way." Said the baby dragon towards me from behind a pile of book.

"Oh this, thanks..."

'Welp, here goes the whole secrecy and stuff. Should I mindfuck- I mean, change their memories again or, hmph, let's just see where this will actually go.

"What's with your cutie mark... hmm, that's interesting. A pair of golden horns with a floating gem on top of between those curves..." Her eyes went wide. "By Faust! could it possibly that you're the herald of this Horned One?" She asked suspiciously, again.

"Uh, possibly..."

'Why the heck I'm becoming a herald of that homicidal, power-hungry dragon is fucking beyond me... yeah yeah, anything is beyond me. Na, technically uh, nah. Welp, sucks for I being me, again.'

"Wow, I know it that this all somehow intertwined each other. And can I ask about the identity of this 'Horned One'?" Asked Twilight that also somehow filled to the brim with joy.

"I.. don't know how to say it... or if he even in this universe..."

"What do you mean by that? Is he also a visitor from another world?"

"He's a planeswalker, and yes, he's a visitor from another realm, okay." I pointed my hoof towards her.

'And an insanely, evil one. I don't know what would her reaction to me be if she knows that I become a herald of the emperor McEvil D., of the multiverse, aside from Yawgmoth of course. The Eldrazi don't count because those things are just like hungry animals, massively hungry animals.'

"A planeswalker?"

"It's a term for a person who has the ability to travel between worlds, universes, multiverse."

"Wow, that's... enlightening. By the way, why did he choose you as his herald?"

"I didn't know about that, okay."

'Just tell some lies and she would shut herself up.'

"It was probably because of my... incapability to be a proper unicorn. You know, being a normal unicorn and such. And by coincidence, we met each other and... walla, he offered me the power so that I could become a normal unicorn again, in exchange, I shall give my loyalty to him."

'Two lies and still counting. Crap, I totally forgot that the gem is still in the bedroom...'

"Hmm, why would he look for ponies to become his herald? What is his intention anyway... do you know another pony that got such offer from him?"

"No, and I think it would be special just for me..."

'I think people can call me Ra the Truthbender from now on.

"This matter has to to be investigated more deeper, if this 'Horned One' can appear anywhere and bestow anyone with unknown power, he could be a threat to Equestria." Twilight locked her eyes at me again. "And what's with this 'gem'? Do you also already have it?"

"So, you want to see it? Let me take it from the bedroom first. Wait here."

"No, I'll follow you personally." She insisted.

"Fine." I sighed.

"I come with you too." Added the purple baby dragon.

"Well, the more the merrier." I retorted back.

—||—

"So you really want to see what this piece of jewelry capable of?" I looked at the both of their eyes.

They both locked their eyes.

"We shall go back to library again so Spike can take some notes of it." Spoke the purple alicorn with cautious tone.

'So much for not using the memory manipulation part.'

"Alright then." I shrugged.

—||—

In front of the table, Spike was holding a quill and preparing to write on a stack of paper that were neatly lying on the table while Twilight was just observing me in just approximately three foot away from me.

"So here it is then, are you both ready?"

They both saw each other again and nodded.

"Well," I tilted my head slightly to the left. "Ehem, here goes nothing."