The Crimson Crusade

by PonyThunder

Rating: everyone
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Comedy, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Rarity, Adventure
Length: 19109

Summoned by the Cutie Map, the CMC find themselves on a journey to the Highlands, a land of Equestria home to a mysterious race of transforming creatures with a dark secret and a sinister past.

Summoned by the Cutie Map, the CMC find themselves on a journey to the Highlands, a land of Equestria home to a mysterious race of transforming creatures with a dark secret and a sinister past.

Artwork by Viwrastupr

Published 2019-01-16 01:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-02-13 04:17:38 UTC

Chapter 1 ~ Cutie Calls

The early morning sun rose slowly, peering out from above rolling green hills, casting long shadows that cascaded across the landscape surrounding Ponyville. A soft, pleasant breeze meandered through waves of swaying grass and treetops, bringing with it the crisp feeling of an entirely new day.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo trotted alongside the dirt pathway they always took on the way to Ms. Cheerilee's schoolhouse early in the morning. Part of them wished they would be allowed to sleep in, but in truth they all enjoyed their early morning trot together. It reminded them of the times before they knew each other, before they were friends, and how much they'd grown together.

The school bell rang from a distance, signaling their tardiness, and their trots quickly turned to gallops. A few minutes later, they bursting through the door of the schoolhouse, tumbling into class, and were met with giggles from their classmates. And a glare from Ms. Cheerilee.

"Arriving late again?" Ms. Cheerilee said with a slight hint of seriousness.

"Sorry Ms. Cheerilee," they said in monotone unison, as if they were used to this song and dance, and quickly sat down at their desks.

"Right then," she continued, "today's lesson will be about the geography of the lands that surround Ponyville. As many of you surely know, there are lands all around Ponyville filled with different creatures, cultures, and customs. Can anypony name some place outside of Ponyville?"

A brief silence filled the air, until a random student gave an answer. "Uh, Canterlot?"

"Yes..." Cheerilee replied, "can anyone name some place a little further outside Ponyville?"

"Mount Aris?" replied Sweetie Belle. Ever since they had the opportunity to see it, she couldn't stop thinking about going back.

"Good answer. Anypony else?"

Another student answered. "Seaquestria?"

"Also good. Any more?"

"The Dragonlands?"

"Thank you," Cheerilee continued. "But can anyone name something even further?"

The class was silent.

"Alright," she said with a smile. "Then that's where we'll begin learning." She pulled down a chart that was rolled up above the blackboard, clicking it into place. In its center were all the locations that were familiar to most the students, but surrounding it was a vast display of all the lands that surrounded them, many of which seemed exotic and unfamiliar.

The class awed in unison.

"Let's begin with the west." Cheerilee pointed to an area none of the students were familiar with. In fact, it was unlikely that anyone in Equestria was knowledgeable of it unless they were of a considerably studious nature. "This land is known as The Highlands, due to its high altitude and steep cliff sides. Does anyone know what kind of creatures live there?"

"Griffons?" Scootaloo replied.

"Good guess, but Griffons mainly live in Griffonstone, which is far east from here. But the creatures that live here do posses the power of flight."

"Pegasi?" Another student replied, feeling embarrassed a moment after realizing that probably wasn't the case, being that several were seated next to her.

"No pegasi," said Cheerilee. "But they are similar."

The class was silent for a while longer.

"So...what are they?" A student from the back asked.

"A little-known pony race called the Lirin."

"Aren't those called Kirins?" asked Apple Bloom. "My sis was tellin' me about 'em just the other day."

Cheerilee seemed surprised one of her students knew about the Kirins. "No, but they do share a similar name. In fact, Lirins are somewhat of an opposite to Kirins."

Apple Bloom raised a hoof in confusion. "But...Kirins already have opposites. When they get mad, they transform into Niriks."

"That is true," said Cheerilee. "And to make the matter even more confusing, the Lirin can also transform. When they do, they take upon the name of Niril. All in all, there are Kirins, Niriks, Lirins, and Nirils."

The class giggled, and a student in back asked another question. "What makes Lirins turn into Nirils?"

"Like the Kirin, Lirin transform when their emotions are altered. But unlike the Kirin who transform when angered, Lirins transform when they are overcome with great sadness." The class was silent, and Cheerilee paused before continuing. "When a Lirin transforms, the transformation is almost always irreversible, since it is much more difficult to overcome sadness than say, a brief bout of anger."

The air remained silent for several more moments. Their school lessons weren't usually so somber.

Cheerilee continued. "As far as looks go, the Lirin are proud and elegant, much like the Kirin. They have deep blue horns, with stripes that wind all the way to their tops. They have manes like lions, long twisting tails, and hardened thin shells that go along their backs to the tips of their noses."

"What about the Niril?"

"The Niril are seldom seen, actually," Cheerilee replied flatly. "Most of what I know about the Lirin comes from textbook descriptions, and from knowledge of their sister species, the Kirin. No one truly knows what the Niril look like." Cheerilee was silent for a few moments. "Moving onward, let's learn more about the homelands of another group of transforming creatures -- the Hippogriffs..."

Suddenly, the cutie marks of Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle began glowing in the middle of class.

“Excuse me, Ms. Cheerilee?” inquired Apple Bloom. “May we be excused?”

Cheerilee turned around from the blackboard. “And for what reason have you interrupted the class?”

Apple Bloom shifted her flank out from underneath the desk, proudly displaying her pulsating cutie mark.

Cheerilee smiled. “Yes, you may go.”

“And us?” said Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo pointed at her's as well.

“Yes, you too,” Cheerilee sighed.

The three of them scurried out of class, thankful for the opportunity to leave early and excited for what the map had in store for them.

“Does anypony else have sudden important friendship duties to attend to?” asked Cheerilee.

Nopony answered.

Excited hoofsteps echoed off crystalline walls as Twilight trotted around the cutie map and the crusaders. "The map summoned you to go there?" She exclaimed.

Applejack seemed un-amused. "Now don't you go thinkin' that just 'cause the map summoned you to travel outside of Equestria means you just get to get up and go there."

"But sis!" Apple Bloom blurted out. "Look at my cutie mark! Are you sayin' the cutie map doesn't know what it's doin'?"

"No," she replied stubbornly, realizing her sister had a valid point. "I'm just sayin' that...well...somepony has to go with y'all. For Celestia's sake, it's dangerous outside our borders." She looked to Twilight for validation. "Right, Twilight?"

Twilight was across the room reading through an old book.

Applejack raised her voice. "Twilight!"

"Oh! Yes. Very dangerous. Hey, did you know that the Lirin and Kirin once used to live together, long before even the time of the Pillars of Equestria?"

"Whoa, really?" said Sweetie Belle.

"That's like, forever," Scootaloo added.

Applejack gave Twilight an angry look, then sighed. "Look, I know this is exciting and all, but...Rarity, Rainbow Dash, back me up on this. We can't just let these three go alone...can we?"

Rainbow dash was lounging on her chair, hooves up on the map. "They'll be fine."

"Normally I'd be against such a thing," replied Rarity, "but I'm confident my Sweetie Belle can handle herself."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Really now? You, of all ponies, think this ain't a big deal?"

"It's the cutie map, darling," she replied while messing with her mane. "When has it ever wronged us? Something tells me they'll end up fine eventually."

"Eventually? Twilight...can't we just go along with them?"

Twilight sighed. "Yes, but only so far. I think I know part of the reason the map selected them, specifically." She turned to a page in the book she'd been flipping through. On it was a drawing depicting a stone barrier of sorts. "It says here that the path to the Highlands is blocked by a narrow passage through a tunnel high up in the mountains. So high, in fact, that not even a pegasus could fly above their peaks."

"Pfft, I'd like to give that a shot," said Rainbow Dash.

"It says here," Twilight continued, "that many have tried and all have failed. Only few returned."

Rainbow Dash was silent for a moment. "Maybe that means...most of them made it?"

"Or maybe not," Twilight replied flatly.

"What is it about this barrier that means we can't go along?" asked Applejack, asking the important questions.

"The writings aren't, well, entirely clear," said Twilight, "but the gist of what it says is that only a creature of youth can withstand the test required for entrance."

"Youth?" said Rarity, offended.

"Test?" said Rainbow Dash, perturbed.

"Withstand?" said Applejack, worried.

"Yes," said Twilight. "But the details aren't clear. What intrigues me is why the map called them all the way out to a place nopony has set hoof in ages, for something as simple as a friendship problem."

"Simple friendship problem? You mean like that time the cutie map called us to overthrow Starlight's village and free dozens of ponies from her equality regime?" said Rainbow Dash.

Twilight sighed. "Good point. Well, in that case, I suppose we should get prepared for travel. I still have lots of reading to do on the Lirin before we embark, as well. In the mean time, you three should get packed for the journey ahead. It's going to be a long one."

The crusaders trotted off hastily with anxious and excited thoughts running through their minds, knowing that this was going to be bigger than anything they'd ever experienced before.

Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were about to do the same until Twilight stopped them. "Wait, there's one more page in this book you should see."

"What is it, darling?" said Rarity.

"It's about the Lirin," she replied. "I wasn't sure if the timing was right to show them this." She pointed towards a tattered page with a diagram showing the transformation of Lirin to Nirils. Next to it was another depiction that showed a young pony on the left, an old one on the right, and a smudge between the two.

"What's on the other page?" said Applejack.

"That's the thing," Twilight replied. "It's missing. You can see it has been torn out. It looks like the final depiction is missing."

"I don't get it," said Rainbow Dash.

"Neither do I", Twilight said with a sigh, "and I'm worried about when I do."

The stars of the night twinkled in the sky as Apple Bloom lay awake in her bed, thinking about what tomorrow's beginning of adventure may hold. She knew a good night's rest would be necessary (Applejack told her at least four times), but she still tossed and turned, shifting sleeping positions until even the crickets stopped chirping. Despite having courage, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread for the unknown. Her whole life had been spent in and around Ponyville, aside from a few moments of excitement here or there, of course. She opened her eyes and sprawled out, staring at the ceiling and ruminating about the days when all that mattered was finding her cutie mark. They already seemed so distant, and she almost found herself wishing she was still in them.

Life was going by so fast.

Chapter 3 ~ Sister Separation

Birds soared high above, chirping and flying amidst the trees as they hiked up the mountain trail. The path was well-worn at first, flattened by countless hoofsteps of hikers that had climbed through the terrain before. But as they ascended higher and higher into the mountainous terrain, the trail became less worn and more difficult to traverse, which some took well more than others.

"Oh, for Celestia's sake!" Rarity whined after hitting her hoof on a tree root. "Surely we must be getting close by now? My hooves are starting to bruise."

"Not quite," said Twilight, who was leading at the front, followed by Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. "You'll know we're close when the trees start disappearing. That's when we're getting high enough in elevation."

Rainbow Dash slipped her saddlebag off for a moment and hovered a few feet above the ground. "You know, all this could be remedied if I just took a quick flight over--"

"Rainbow Dash," interrupted Twilight, "You can't fly at these altitudes."

"Sure I can," she replied indignantly.

"Not what I meant. If you try flying much higher than this and exert yourself, you might pass out and plummet back to the ground due to lack of oxygen."

"But...it would just be a...fine." Rainbow Dash lowered herself to the ground and reluctantly slipped her saddlebag back on. "What's in this thing anyway? It feels like a sack of rocks."

"That there is Rarity's 'essentials'," said Applejack, stopping so she could make air quotes with her hooves.

"I'll have you know I severely cut back what to bring on this trip," said Rarity, "and what's in that bag really is just the essentials."

Rainbow Dash opened the bag up. "Sunscreen, aloe vera, bandages...this is actually useful stuff."

"What?" said Applejack. "That there is my pack! Give it here." Applejack looked through the saddlebag and verified its contents.

"Wait," Rarity said nervously, "if that's your pack, where is mine?"

Rarity started scanning the group and Applejack looked at her. "Uhh, Rarity, you're not wearing one."

"What do you mean I'm...not...wearing...one?" Rarity said while patting herself on the back.

Twilight stopped hiking and sighed. "We should go back and retrace our steps to find Rarity's bag. I'm sure it hasn't been missing very long."

"Yes, we should do exactly that," said Rarity. "I think I left it back where we stopped for a rest."

"We can just find it on the way back," said Applejack. "Somethin' tells me we won't need no brushes or fashion supplies up here in these parts."

"I only brought one brush, thank you very much!"

"Girls, please," said Twilight. "We shouldn't waste too much time. It's already starting to get dark. Rainbow Dash, can you fly up in the air, briefly, and get a quick overview to look for Rarity's bag?"

"Absolutely!" she replied, taking off like a rocket.

"Now," said Twilight, "Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, can you go with Applejack and Rarity to look for the bag on hoof?"

There was silence.

Applejack looked down the path behind them. "Apple Bloom? Scootaloo?"

"Sweetie Belle? Darling? Where are you?" called Rarity.

"Oh no..." said Twilight. "Where in Equestria did they go?"

In another part of the mountainous forest, a creature crept alongside the hiking trail, watching them as they continued their ascent. It had been so long since it had seen any creatures aside from birds or squirrels, or even the occasional bear. And as it kept a steady distance between itself and their pack, it felt an increasing desire to lurch out and begin its attack.

Wait. Be patient. Don't ruin this opportunity, it thought to itself every time the desire came back. But it had already been so long, and so lonely, that it had begun to forget how long it had truly been. Then, the moment arrived.

The three smaller ones stopped to climb on some boulders, leaving them less protected by the elders who continued on, seemingly unaware. Another urge resurfaced; an urge to strike. But it waited more, just to ensure everything went just right. It crept along the forest floor, taking silent steps as it moved closer and closer to their group. The orange one was on its own, higher above the rest, but it focused its attention on the two that waited below. Take only what you need, it thought to itself.

As the orange one descended, it readied itself behind a clump of boulders. It waited again, and resisted the urge one final time. When they are together, strike.

"Hey, shouldn't we hurry up?" said Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo was attempting to climb to the top of some boulders. Her voice was faint and distant. "But I'm almost to the top!"

Apple Bloom sighed. A few minutes later, Scootaloo began the slow trek downward, which took just as long as it took for her to climb up.

Sweetie Belle found a rock to lounge on while they waited. "What do you think the Niril are like?"

"You mean the Lirin?" replied Apple Bloom. "These names sure are confusing."

"No, I actually meant the Niril. Ms. Cheerilee didn't seem to have much to say about them."

"Oh. I don't know. She did say the Lirin transformed when they get real sad, though. They're probably kind of boring and depressing."

Sweetie Belle leaned back uncomfortably against the rock, wondering if Nirils were what Lirin turned into when they couldn't decide what to do with their lives.

Suddenly, Scootaloo hopped onto the grassy path with a thud. "I did it!"

"Took you long enough," Apple Bloom said rather curtly. "We got separated from our sisters."

Scootaloo put her saddle bag on. "We'll be fine. They were going so slow. We can just catch up."

They quickly set hoof on the path and began walking at a brisk pace. After a few minutes though, a strange noise emanated from a rocky outcrop as they passed by.

"What was that?" said Sweetie Belle.

Leaves and bushes rustled in what seemed like the wind.

"It's just a breeze," said Scootaloo. "We're pretty high in elevation."

The sound of hooves trotting came rushing towards them. They quickly became louder and louder until suddenly they were gone. A second later, in what seemed like an instant, a creature swept towards them through the air and enclosed them with a bag, enveloping them in darkness. Immediately, the only noises that could be heard were the galloping hoofsteps of whatever had taken them, and the incessant screams of Sweetie Belle. Moments later, however, both sounds gradually faded as they drifted into a deep, deep sleep.

"Sweetie Belle? Where are you, darling?"

"Scootaloo? Come on, we were almost there!"

"Apple Bloom? Where in tarnation are y'all?"

Their voices echoed off steep cliff faces far away in the distance as they called out in hopes of finding them. The sun was beginning to set below the horizon and the birds who had been chirping begun to rest.

"For Celestia's sake," said Rarity, "we've been searching for twenty minutes now. Surely we couldn't have gotten that separated."

"You'd be surprised," replied Twilight. "It's not entirely uncommon for mountain hikers to go missing for days at a time, especially when they become lost and lose their bearings."

"Psst, Twilight," whispered Applejack, "this probably ain't the time to be the voice of reason."

"But um," Twilight continued, "ponies traveling in large numbers are considerably less likely to become lost, if they stick together at least."

"Much better," Applejack replied.

"I'm telling you," said Rainbow Dash, "If I could just fly up for a couple minutes, I'd find them in no time." She hadn't found Rarity's bag and came back from her brief flight feeling winded. Twilight was right about the altitude, but Rainbow Dash didn't care about that at the moment.

"And I'm telling you it's not safe." Twilight replied.

"Come on," Rainbow Dash complained. "I can't just stay grounded knowing they're lost out there and you know it. Let me fly!"

Twilight noticed that Rainbow Dash seemed more concerned than annoyed, and she couldn't help but admire how she didn't just flap her wings and fly away despite her warnings. "Not for more than a little bit...just be careful," she replied.

Rainbow Dash nodded graciously, leaping into the air once more with a single fluid motion of her wings.

The air was cold and damp inside the musty cave they had suddenly found themselves in. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom struggled to move as they on stone cold floors in an attempt to break free from the bags that had been used to snatch them up in.

"I can't break free!" Scootaloo said with desperation.

"Me neither!" replied Apple Bloom, kicking against the fabric with all her might.

Sweetie Belle woke up and started screaming.

Suddenly, steps began to echo from further inside the cave.

"Would you quit making such high pitched noises?" Said a frail, gravely voice. They stopped struggling immediately, surprised by the sudden voice. "Thank you, that's much better. All will be well in time, if you cooperate."

The creature slowly removed the bag that enclosed them, and they stood in silence, taking one or two moments to assess the situation. The creature that stood before them was old and wrinkly with a jagged horn and mangled tail. Its mane was matted and tangled, with tufts of fur that looked like they were falling out in several places. It also had what looked to be like wings, but they looked practically useless. Worst of all, its eyes were dead and tiresome, casting an eerie glaze at the three of them in the dimly lit cave.

"Run!" yelled Apple Bloom as she turned around in the other direction. Almost immediately she found herself stopping, frozen in place by apathy and a lack of will to move. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had as well, feeling tired and weak as their legs buckled beneath them.

The creature didn't seem alarmed. In fact, it lowered its voice so that it could speak more clearly. "Every move, every action, every bit of energy you expel, is multiplied ten-fold and redirected into me," the creature said calmly. "You would be wise not to try to escape, or worse things may happen."

The three of them turned around with tired faces and bags beneath their eyes.

"Good," said the creature as it walked slowly around them in a circle, eyeing them eerily.

"What do you wan't with us?" said Apple Bloom. She immediately felt short of breath.

It ignored her question, walking behind them. "It's a shame that such potential will go to waste. Well, not waste. I'll be very resourceful. I've been waiting for such an opportunity longer than I can remember..."

"Let. Us. Go..." said Scootaloo, her voice waning.

"Take my advice and don't struggle. You're trapped in a very complex spell, and I don't want to go through all this trouble again. I'm only taking what I need."

"Please..." said Sweetie Belle, her voice incredibly weak.

The creature continued to circle them, inching closer and closer with each pass. As it did, they grew weaker and more weary until finally, when its mangled body was practically brushing up against them, it placed its horn in their center and began kneeling beside them. Wispy red tendrils emanated from within their bodies, flowing upward into the air like a fog and toward the creature's horn. As it did, they slumped further downward onto the floor of the cave as the crimson aura continued flowing.

Apple Bloom struggled to keep her eyes open as she watched everything unfold. Her consciousness went in and out in bursts, slowly feeling like her energy was being drained away. An overwhelming feeling of apathy and desire for sleep washed over her as the creature moved towards them, but in the last few moments before it could move closer, she had a small moment of clarity and latched onto it with all the mental effort she could muster.

"No!" Apple Bloom exclaimed, immediately exhausting all of her energy, collapsing to the ground.

But the outburst was enough to momentarily disrupt the creature's spell, which gave Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo just enough energy to get to their hooves and begin running towards the cave entrance.

Apple Bloom could not, however, as she was still recovering. The creature scowled, its eyes flaring with intensity as it watched the other two gallop away. But it quickly turned its attention back toward Apple Bloom.

"You'll pay for this," it said with anger. Its voice seemed less raspy, somehow.

After several more seconds of kneeling next to Apple Bloom, its horn began glowing a crimson color, which then spread like a warmth into the rest of its body. Its fur became more full and its wings transformed into a healthier state.

Apple Bloom lay on the cave floor and the creature returned to its hooves with vigor. Curiously, it was also considerably shorter after the transformation, but Apple Bloom couldn't see it. Its voice was suddenly clear and new, brimming with energy, and the sum of its appearance was now a vibrant, deep blue color.

"Thanks, you've been immensely helpful."

Immediately, it unfurled its wings and swept up the air, lunging over her and further into the cave in the process. It left a cold breeze in its wake that washed over her as she lay shivering, at least until the last bit of her energy faded and she went unconscious.

Several minutes passed as faint echoes of dripping water reverberated off the cave walls.

Apple Bloom awoke, slowly. She felt a frailness in her knees as she rose to her hooves, struggling for a few moments to stay upright as they wobbled in place. Somehow, she felt taller as well. Her vision felt fuzzy in the low light of the cave, so she rubbed her eyes. Nothing seemed to come into focus. Tired and confused, she began slowly walking towards the light of the cave entrance.

Outside, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had stopped in a clearing.

"Where is Apple Bloom?" Sweetie Belle said worriedly.

"I thought for sure she was right behind us," said Scootaloo, panting. "You don't think..."

"No," said Sweetie Belle, not wanting to even entertain the idea.

"We should go back," said Scootaloo, turning toward the cave entrance. "Come on, let's go find--"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stood in silence as they looked at the figure that was standing just outside the cave entrance.

Scootaloo eyed it carefully. "Apple Bloom? Is that you?"

"What do you mean?" said Apple Bloom, her voice frail and scraggly. "Of course it's me."

"Oh no," said Sweetie Belle.

"What? What's wrong?" Apple Bloom continued, hobbling towards them in the clearing.

"I...I don't know what to think," said Sweetie Belle. "You're...well..."

"Spit it out, won't you?"

"Just...look at yourself," said Scootaloo.

Apple Bloom looked at them oddly, and then herself. She couldn't understand what she saw. That is, until she recognized the same wrinkly old skin that Granny Smith had for as long as she could remember, except that it was a pale shade of yellow. Her shade of yellow. "I'm...old?"

Chapter 4 ~ Remorseful Reunion

"You're old? What in Equestria happened back in there?" said Scootaloo.

"I-I don't know," Apple Bloom replied, her voice shaking. It almost felt like she was in a dream.

"Did you get a better glimpse of what that creature looked like?" asked Sweetie Belle. "It looked
so...sad."

"I thought it looked scary. Did you see its messed up wings?" said Scootaloo.

"Its horn was so dark and...twisted. How was it making us feel so tired?" Sweetie Belle continued.

"It said we were under some kind of spell," said Scootaloo. "Do you think Twilight knows anything like that?"

"I know unicorns can do temporary age transformation spells, but I've never heard of anything like this."

Apple Bloom sat idly and listened to their conversation. It went back and forth so fast that she had trouble keeping up. All she could think about was how her joints felt, how much she just wanted to lay down and take a nap, and how confused she felt at the sudden turn of events. One moment she was on an adventure in the mountains, and in the next she was laying unconscious in a cold, damp cave.

After a few more seconds of listening to their conversation, however, she realized exactly what they had encountered. "It was a Niril," she said flatly.

"Oh. That makes sense," said Sweetie Belle. "But didn't Ms. Cheerilee say nopony has ever seen what a Niril looks like?"

"Maybe they have and just didn't come back to tell anypony..." Scootaloo said ominously.

The implication floated in the air for a few seconds until Sweetie Belle looked toward Apple Bloom, sympathy filling her eyes. "If that's what Nirils do to ponies, I think you might be right. It almost did that to all three of us."

"Yeah, thanks Apple Bloom," said Scootaloo, realizing the sudden gravity of her situation. "If it weren't for you, who knows what could have happened."

Apple Bloom's wrinkled lips formed a slight smile, knowing Scootaloo's words were sincere. The reality was that she was the one who took the brunt of the creature's attack, and there was no telling whether or not she would return to normal.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of cracking tree branches followed by a loud thud in a nearby clearing.

"What was that?" exclaimed Sweetie Belle.

They instinctively rushed off in that direction, followed slowly by Apple Bloom as she carefully made her way down the uneven path in front of her. On the grassy ground in a nearby clearing was a mess of leaves and tree branches. A few trees at the edge of the clearing appeared to have been blasted by something that fell from the sky, evidenced by an elongated crater dug into the dirt. Dust was just beginning to settle as they arrived at the scene, and at the end of the mounds of dirt was a familiar-looking pegasus.

"Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo yelled, her eyes welling with tears.

Scootaloo galloped toward her. Rainbow Dash lay in the dirt, her body bruised and wings tattered. As Scootaloo came close to her, she slowly opened her eyes to meet her gaze.

"I found you," Rainbow Dash said. She tried to get up but felt a sharp pain in her left wing, which she had apparently landed on top of.

"Don't move," said Sweetie Belle, catching up behind her. "It may be broken."

"Wouldn't...be the first time..." Rainbow Dash replied, trying to return to a more comfortable position.

"What were you doing?" asked Scootaloo.

"Trying to find you," she repeated, wincing. "But I flew for too long and ran out of breath." She sighed. "Twilight was right..."

"Will you be alright?" Scootaloo replied worriedly.

Rainbow Dash assessed her bodily state. Everything dully ached from her head to her hooves, but sharp pangs kept surging near her wings. Based on how severe the pain felt, that this was one of the worst crashes she'd ever had.

"I should be fine," she replied halfheartedly while swallowing the pain. "I've been in dozens of crashes worse than this one."

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom eyed her physical state uneasily, but Scootaloo appeared to believe her. Or at least, she was who wanted to believe her the most.

Apple Bloom came closer so she could see better.

"...who is that?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"It's me," Apple Bloom replied, her voice still shaking. "It's Apple Bloom."

Rainbow Dash rubbed her eyes. "Did I mess up my eyesight or something? Because...you don't look like Apple Bloom. Or sound like her, for that matter."

Just that moment, they heard faint calls coming from far away. The voices became closer and closer until finally, Rarity, Applejack, and Twilight appeared on the opposite end of the clearing. They quickly came together, exchanging hugs and greetings, while Apple Bloom approached slowly from behind.

"Who is that?" said Twilight, echoing the words Rainbow Dash said moments prior.

"Where's Apple Bloom?" said Applejack, too focused to see who Twilight was referring to until a couple seconds later. "What in tarnation...is that you, Apple Bloom? What happened?"

Sweetie Belle replied for her. "A strange creature filly-napped us and brought us into some cave!"

"What?" Rarity exclaimed. "Filly-napped? This far from civilization?"

Twilight seemed even more perturbed. "What did this...creature look like?"

Scootaloo replied, almost nervously so. "It had a tattered mane, a gnarly looking horn, wings that were--"

"It was a Niril," said Apple Bloom. "I got a good look when it did...this to me."

The rest were stunned.

"...Apple Bloom?" said Applejack. "Is that really you?"

She took a moment to ponder if she really was Apple Bloom anymore, but nodded that she was. "The Niril turned me this way," she said.

"Are you sure it was a Niril?" asked Twilight. "Even in all my texts on the Lirin and Nirils, there aren't any visual depictions of the latter. Only a few passages that describe them as somber and apathetic."

"That sounds about right," said Scootaloo. "That thing was a major downer."

Twilight thought for a moment, surprised they had witnessed a Niril so soon. And when she finally realized Rainbow Dash was lying in a crater, she became even more so.

"Rainbow Dash!" she exclaimed. "What happened?"

She winced, then sighed. "You were right. I think I have a broken wing."

"Darling," said Rarity, "are you sure that's all? You look as if you well, um..."

"Fell to the ground like a rock?" Applejack bluntly interjected.

"Yeah, that," Rainbow Dash said, giving her a sneer.

"We need to get you fixed up right away," said Applejack as she began rummaging through her saddlebag. "I told y'all it don't hurt to be prepared."

Twilight turned back to the others. "Did the creature you saw in the cave say anything else?"

"Only that it had been waiting a long time, or something. It had some sort of plan," said Sweetie Belle.

Applejack began wrapping some bandages around Rainbow Dash's wing.

"What plan?" said Rainbow Dash, suddenly angry. "What did it get out of this?"

"Quit movin'!" exclaimed Applejack. "Do you want to make this worse than it already is?"

She sat back down. Apple Bloom cleared her throat, speaking slowly. "I saw the creature for a few moments after it finished the spell. It turned a dark blue color and had a younger, more vibrant voice."

They all looked at her with a mixture of awe and pity. To Applejack, it was quite the shock to see Apple Bloom in the state she was in, let alone hear her voice in the same almost sage-like quality that Granny Smith spoke with.

"I think it drained the life from me and...took it for itself. And it would have taken it from Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo too," she said, glancing in their direction. "But I think it took more from me because they got away."

"That's awful," said Twilight.

"Can't you reverse the spell?" asked Scootaloo.

"I wish I could," said Twilight, remorsefully, "but this kind of magic is well beyond my capabilities. Temporary age transformations are one thing, but it only affects outward appearances." She took a few moments to collect her thoughts as she looked at Apple Bloom. Based on her uncertain demeanor and the way she stood with shaky joints, it was clear that wasn't the case for her. "But I have a plan. If we can find where the Lirin are, perhaps they might have a way to bring things back to normal."

"And how do we know these Lirins won't just make things worse?" said Rainbow Dash, still laying on the ground as Applejack wrapped bandages around her.

"The Lirin are a peaceful and harmonious race of ponies," said Twilight. "At least, according to the texts."

Somehow, that didn't alleviate anyone's doubts.

"Well, that's all fine and dandy," said Applejack as she ripped off the end of the bandage with her teeth, "but we still haven't found that special barrier of sorts. And apparently only younger creatures are capable of gettin' past it, if'n we do find it."

She spit out the end into a nearby bush.

"I guess we'll have to figure things out as we go," said Twilight. "For now, lets keep hiking and find that barrier."

A few minutes later when they were ready to go, they began to reassemble and head back up the trail. Apple Bloom was in the back, thinking about her interaction with the Niril, until she realized exactly where it must have been going.

She cleared her throat and spoke. "The creature left further into that cave. That's where I think the barrier will be."

"You want to go back to where that thing did that to you?" said Applejack.

"Are you sure that's where it will be?" asked Twilight.

"I'm sure," Apple Bloom replied, turning around slowly and hiking in the opposite direction without saying another word.

They watched in awe for a few moments as she trooped onward, completely certain of herself, but quickly reassembled into hiking formation and began to follow. For a brief moment, Rarity rose a hoof in protest to keep searching for her bag, but quickly put it down when she saw Applejack begin to trot up next to her elder sister. Something told her now wasn't the time to be concerned about missing beauty supplies.

Chapter 5 ~ Barrier Bonding

They made camp near the cave and rested for the night, in hopes of building up strength for whatever lay ahead. While the rest set up the tents and other supplies, Applejack came over to Apple Bloom, who was sitting on a log that had fallen long ago.

"Y'all ok?" she asked.

She thought for a few moments. The reality was that she wasn't okay, physically and mentally, but something told her that venting her problems now wouldn't be constructive. "I'm fine," she replied, voice wavering.

"You sure? I can...go get you some water, or, some food...or somethin'? I know you must be goin' through so much right now, and I just wanna do the best I can do t' make things easier for you."

A smile grew on her face. Nothing in Equestria could keep her sister from caring too much, whether it was big or small, or in this case, completely out of anyone's control. "Sure," Apple Bloom replied. "I'll have some of that water, please."

Applejack left immediately, trotting away to fetch her request. She watched her move so effortlessly, jealous but appreciative of her willingness to provide her services to someone who needed them. As the light slowly faded, they retired to their tents, of which they'd only packed two: one for the adults, and one for the fillies. Apple Bloom wasn't sure which one to pick, standing outside in the cold for a few moments until Scootaloo called her over.

"Come on, Apple Bloom!" she yelled from inside the tent. "It's getting cold out here!"

She smiled, and made her way over to their tent. It was nice to feel appreciated, she thought to herself. That was something she'd never really given thought to before.

They arose early in the morning the next day, but the sunlight didn't last long. Instead of being out in the warm sun all day long, they immediately entered into the cold, dark cave. The light gradually diminished behind them as they ventured into the depths of the cave, until at certain depth, the pinpoint of white from the entrance could no longer be seen. As the cave became darker, the air became cold and damp, with water condensing onto the cave walls and dripping from stalactites amidst constellations of strange, luminescent creatures that dotted the ceiling above them.

Rarity eyed the drips woefully, worried they would fall onto her mane. "Are we sure this is going to lead somewhere?" She said while maneuvering around an area where droplets were falling.

"Yep," said the elder Apple Bloom, still leading the way through the caves. Already, she appeared to be getting used to her fragile body, as if things had always felt that way.

Twilight lit her horn with a purple glow to illuminate the path forward. "Are we at least past the area where you saw the creature?"

"I don't know," replied Apple Bloom. She was having enough trouble keeping her hooves on steady ground, let alone observing the cave around her.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had no answer either. It had been too easy to lose their bearing in such a dimly lit cave while being threatened by a frightening creature.

Applejack eyed her sister warily, worrying she would misstep and twist an ankle. It's amazing, she thought to herself. It don't matter whether my sis is young or old. I still feel like I've gotta protect her. She watched as Apple Bloom pressed onward in the cave, toward the creature that did this to her, amazed at her bravery. As they ventured further and further into the dark abyss of the cave, Applejack began to wonder if she was who actually needed support.

Scootaloo walked alongside Rainbow Dash, occasionally glancing at her broken wing. It was wrapped tightly against her body with the bandage continuing around her waist. In a weird sort of way, Rainbow Dash breaking her wing made Scootaloo feel closer to her; like they shared a common issue. But when that thought arose in her mind, she almost felt disgusted with herself. Not being able to fly was her burden, and certainly not something she would ever want any other pegasus to live with. Even if it did make her feel closer to them.

Rainbow Dash seemed to notice Scootaloo's periodic glances. "Everything alright there, Scoot?"

"I'm fine," she replied, letting out a small laugh. "I mean, you're the one with a broken wing."

She felt guilty after saying that.

"Hey, if you're alright, I'm alright," Dash replied, wrapping her good wing around her as they walked together.

Caught off guard, Scootaloo felt a wave of wholesomeness fill her spirits that made her smile. It had been awhile since they'd interacted that way, and it was always a surprise she welcomed and relished when they did. She walked closer to her adopted big sister, feeling content in the moment.

Suddenly, Twilight's horn stopped glowing, and they were immediately enveloped in darkness.

"Twilight!" exclaimed Rarity. "What are you doing? I can't see anything!"

Confused, Twilight tried to relight her horn, but it was to no avail. Her voice was all that penetrated through the absolute darkness. "Something's wrong. I can't use my magic!"

Rarity held in the urge to scream. "Everything is fine," she said to calm herself down. "We're just in a cold, wet cave. It's stuffy, and dank, and we can't see a thing...surrounded by who knows what..."

"There must be some sort of magic cancelling out my spells," said Twilight, frustrated and still trying to relight her horn.

"Hold on, everypony," said Applejack, calmly. "I've got just the thing -- an old-fashioned, reliable light source."

She rummaged through her saddlebag, while Twilight gave her a look of annoyance, and felt around for the lantern she'd packed, then pulled it out. It took a fair amount of time to find the matches, but eventually she lit the lantern and illuminated the cave around them.

"Oh, thank Celestia," said Rarity.

"Thank me," replied Applejack, her voice muffled as she held the lantern in her mouth.

As they continued to walk forward, the cave gradually opened up and the air became warmer. The sounds of dripping water seemed to cease as well, and the floors had become more smooth and polished. After rounding a corner, the cave in front of them expanded outward considerably in all directions.

"Whoa..." said Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, awestruck.

The light from Applejack's lantern bounced off chiseled walls, illuminating the large room considerably well. In front of them was a large, vertical barrier with ornate depictions surrounding its perimeter. Pictures of creatures with swirling horns, majestic wings, and long tails had been chiseled along its border. In the center at floor level was a small opening, and high above them toward the ceiling was a larger opening with a small platform extending out from it.

A young but authoritative voice reverberated off the walls from the opening above. "Who presents themselves at the entrance to The Highlands?"

Apple Bloom stepped forward carefully, squinting upward toward where the voice was coming from. "We were brought here to fix a problem."

"There is no problem here," the voice responded. "Our only problem was solved long ago. In any sense, you are not permitted to enter."

Applejack spoke up. "Who ain't permitted, exactly?"

"You aren't," the voice replied promptly. "Only the young ones behind you are permitted to enter, should they pass the test of youth."

"What about Apple Bloom?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"The elder? She is the least qualified to enter."

Rage began to build up in Applejack's eyes. "She was transformed that way just hours ago by one of you!"

The air was silent for a few seconds. The voice returned, with a hint of curiosity. "What say you about her being transformed?"

Apple Bloom decided enough was enough. "A Niril did this to me."

The voice paused again. "A Niril, you say? And where did this Niril go?"

"Here," she replied.

"...I see."

Small hoofsteps echoed off the walls as the creature high above them presumably left without saying another word.

"...Now what?" said Scootaloo.

Moments later, a bright blue creature flew out from the opening near the ceiling, spreading its wings as it descended toward them gently. It fell gracefully, like a feather, and they stepped backward as it landed in front of them.

"I am a Lirin," said the creature. All in all, it was barely larger than Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo, but with its wings unfurled it seemed much larger. It was just like the depictions had shone, but even more grandiose with its vibrant blue fur contrasting the surrounding rock and stone. "And I am sorry for what happened."

"Can you undo it?" asked Twilight, beyond excited to be discovering an entirely new type of creature and to learn about its magic.

"Yes I can," it replied.

They waited.

"Well?" said Applejack. "Can't you do it now?"

The creature sighed. "Have the ways of our kind been this lost to the outside world? Apparently so, judging by your lack of basic Lirin knowledge. I can transform your elder to their original state, but only at a cost. When a Lirin performs an age transformation, it must draw that energy from somewhere. Every interaction must have balance. Otherwise, things descend into chaos. So if I transform her, I must either transform myself or draw the energy from something else. And I do not so willingly give up my youth force to strangers whom I have hardly met."

Applejack stepped forward. "Then draw that energy from me," she replied. After seeing her younger sister transformed, she'd never felt more sure of something before in her life.

"Applejack," said Twilight. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," she replied.

"I'm afraid that won't be enough," said the creature, somewhat surprised at her willingness to give herself up so freely. "I simply cannot risk drawing so much energy that the source is drained completely."

Sweetie Belle had been silent for quite a while, lost in contemplation. After having their altercation with the Niril and feeling an odd connection with them, she felt a sense of bravery overcome her.

"Then use me too," she replied.

"Sweetie Belle!" exclaimed Rarity. "But you're so young! What if you become...older than me? Your big sister? Let me take your place."

Scootaloo walked forward. "Use me instead." She looked back toward Rainbow Dash, knowing that's what she would have done.

Rainbow Dash nodded in response, holding back the pride welling in her eyes.

The Lirin creature seemed genuinely amazed. "That would be more than enough. With two young sources, I will have no need for the older mares who volunteered."

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle walked forward and stood next to Apple Bloom, in front of the Lirin. It began to kneel before them, but Apple Bloom spoke. "Wait. How much will this change them? And me?"

"The young ones will only become slightly older and mature. The spectrum of life is not equal. The side of old holds little life, and the side of young is overflowing with it. The middle has some, but it pales in comparison to the life of youth. As for you, elder one, it will bring you to around the same age as your friends. All three of you will never be who you were before, but it will be close."

The air was silent for a few moments. Apple Bloom considered refusing their offer, but knew deep down they would never let her. "Continue."

The Lirin resumed kneeling before them, its swirling horn of blue pointed toward their center. It leaned to the left and touched Sweetie Belle with its horn, and fog of wispy tendrils began to come from out of her and into the creature's horn. It then leaned to the right toward Scootaloo and did the same. They both slumped toward the floor slightly, all too familiar with the feeling from the creature that had did the same to them before, but it only left them feeling slightly tired and woozy this time.

The Lirin was now holding the aura within its horn, glowing a bright blue. It seemed to pause for a moment, as if considering something and wavering between what it wanted to do. But it quickly dismissed its thoughts, and knelt its horn toward Apple Bloom. The wispy tendrils emanated out from its horn and into Apple Bloom's forehead. As it did so, the Lirin stood taller, and ever-so-gradually, returned to its hooves as Apple Bloom transformed before their eyes. Her wrinkles smoothed, her joints softened, and her eyes became wider and more vibrant as her entire body shrunk downward, her perspective returning to normal.

The creature breathed a sigh as the last remaining wisp of life swirled into Apple Bloom's body, revealing a somewhat older mare than she'd been before beginning this journey. The same was true for Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.

"It is finished," said the Lirin.

"...Thank you," said Apple Bloom, surprised at how easily the words formed in her mouth. "Can we thank you somehow?"

"No thanks is necessary," it replied, "I transformed you because the creature that aged you is not welcome in our land, and I believe you may be necessary in finding it so we can banish it again."

"The Niril?" replied Apple Bloom.

"Yes, of course, the Niril." The creature seemed somewhat annoyed.

"But didn't y'all live together in peace and harmony, or somethin'?" asked Applejack.

"For a time, yes. But those times are gone and the newer times have proven to be better."

Applejack eyed the Lirin suspiciously, but didn't proceed any further.

"Well, can we at least know your name?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Yes. My name is Sigil, and if you three could please follow me into this passage, I would greatly appreciate it."

"Can't we bring our sisters?" asked Scootaloo, her eyes locking with Rainbow Dash. "She has a broken wing, and--"

"The rules are clear," said Sigil, "I cannot permit any creature that cannot withstand the tests of youth, and I can tell by looking that they cannot."

Apple Bloom rose her voice. "But--"

"It's okay, sis," said Applejack. "We all knew this would happen eventually. Y'all just be careful, okay? We'll be waitin' right here for your return."

Something about Applejack had changed, Apple Bloom realized. But her thoughts were interrupted as Sigil wrapped its wing around them to guide them into the narrow opening at the barrier's center. They entered one by one, with Sweetie Belle entering last.

"Bye," she said with the purest voice they'd ever heard.

As she turned around and went into the entrance, Rarity's eyes welled up with tears and she returned her response.

"Bye."

Chapter 6 ~ Highland Heights

The way forward was cramped and narrow as they crept through one after another, Sigil leading the way and followed closely by Apple Bloom. While they traversed through this claustrophobic passage, she couldn't help but feel amazed at the contrast between being young and old. Physically, she was able to maneuver and contort herself through the tight openings, bending herself easily to get through and doing things would have never been capable merely minutes prior.

But with the transformation back into a younger pony, she also felt a mental difference. Thoughts rushed through her mind like a river of consciousness, racing at a pace her older self would have struggled to keep up with. It was almost nauseating, feeling like there weren't any moments to rest and collect her thoughts. But the memory of being old was still completely clear, and some of the changes stayed with her. In a way she still felt it; like a deeper understanding of sorts, or the ability to see things as they really were. She felt physically younger, but the wisdom that came with being older seemed to have stuck with her. As she continued maneuvering through the passage, she began to wonder if these transformations were as one-dimensional as they appeared to be.

"Are we almost there yet?" asked Sweetie Belle. "This is like, really uncomfortable."

"I hope so," replied Sigil, pressing onward without a moment's hesitation, "because this is part of the test of youth. In any sense, we are almost there."

"Part?" asked Scootaloo. "What else do we have to do?"

Sigil slowed for a moment, pondering how to answer. "Normally the test of youth would be exhaustive, but due to the importance of finding the intruder, I will expedite the process."

"Awesome!" Scootaloo replied.

"Yeah, that's great!" added Sweetie Belle.

Sigil continued through the narrow passage, but Apple Bloom wondered why he was moving so fast. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle seemed unperturbed by anything, so why was she? A part of her wondered if her age transformation made her more paranoid and un-trusting. But in any sense, the barrier was supposed to keep out intruders, wasn't it? After thinking about it for a few seconds, she pushed herself to inquire further. "Why are you in such a hurry?"

Sigil stopped, causing a cascade of heads crashing into flanks. "Because that Niril used you to gain entry into our land, where it does not belong," he said, annoyed.

"Well yeah," replied Apple Bloom, "but...isn't this here barrier supposed to keep creatures out?"

He sighed, pondering a few moments how to respond. "Yes, of course, but the Niril transformed into a Lirin. Only Lirin magic can be used in and around the Highlands, making it able to get through."

Apple Bloom thought for a moment. "That would explain why Twilight's horn stopped workin'..."

"Yes, that is exactly why," he responded.

"Okay, but--"

"Save your questions for later," Sigil interrupted curtly. "We're almost there."

The narrow passage gradually expanded, giving them greatly appreciated legroom as the cave floor slowly began to ascend. The stone beneath them became chiseled, and stairs had been etched away into the stone alongside the edge of the steadily ascending cave. It quickly spiraled as the tunnel became steeper and formed an almost vertical tube structure. They began climbing the stairs, and as they got higher, the air became less moist and more crisp. Looking downward, the view was dizzying, and it was hard to believe that they had come from so far down below.

"The Highlands are just up there," said Sigil.

The stairway up seemed to go on forever, endlessly following the contours of the cave wall with thousands of individual steps to ascend.

"It's...times...like these," panted Scootalo, "that I wish...I could fly..."

"Only a Lirin could fly at these altitudes," said Sigil. "The air is much too thin for most pegasi or other flying creatures to even hover off the ground. You would need quite an impressive wingspan."

As if to gloat, Sigil unfurled his wings and took to the air inside the center of the cave, effortlessly ascending toward the pinprick of light above them. "I'll be waiting for you at the top!" He yelled toward them as he flapped his wings and continued upward. His voice echoed off the walls.

"...Show-off..." Scootaloo muttered under her breath.

As they made their way up the seemingly endless staircase, Apple Bloom couldn't help but keep wondering about Sigil. "Don't y'all wonder why Sigil seemed so willing to help us?"

"Well...he did say he was...sorry for what the...Niril did to you," replied Scootaloo, panting heavily.

"Yeah, but...aren't we supposed to help the Lirin and the Nirils?"

Scootaloo took a few seconds to catch her breath. "Maybe that was just a bad Niril?"

Apple Bloom thought for a moment. That seemed plausible, but Sigil hadn't exactly been descriptive of the 'problem' he spoke of. Was it just that particular Niril, or was it all of them? In any sense, she decided now wasn't the best time to continue the discussion, because they were nearly at the top of the staircase. And when they reached it, tired and panting from the arduous climb, they couldn't help but have their breaths taken away once more.

Upon reaching the top and gazing out into the open air, a flash of blue and orange light filled their vision from not seeing sunlight for so long. As it faded though, their eyes gazed over the impossibly beautiful landscape spread out before them. In the far-off distance, so far that a slight blue haze fogged the view, colossal cliffs towered high above them, forming a domed shape that surrounded the valley upon which they now entered. The cliffs were stained with orange from the setting sun despite it only being mid-afternoon, because the mountains towered from so high above. Among them, thin and vaporous clouds drifted aimlessly near their tops, with the peaks peeking out above them. The mists collectively formed small streamlets along the cliffs, cascading down into the area below and even combining together in some places, forming waterfalls.

At the edge of the valley were seas of long, wavy grass that swayed with the winds coming down from high above. Wildflowers dotted the vibrant green hillsides, swaying along with them. The streams that formed cut through in several places, joining together to form a river that flowed into the center of the valley, passing by several small huts and structures that populated the outskirts. But as it flowed toward the center, a sprawling village surrounded it on both sides filled with houses and windmills and other buildings formed from the same rocks as the surrounding cliff sides.

The river eventually meandered off into a corner of the valley, dipping below into what was presumably another cave. All in all, the view laid out before them was breath-taking; truly a sight to behold and a place worth protecting.

"Wow," they said in unison.

A swiftly-moving rush of blue quickly filled their vision. "Took you long enough," said Sigil as dust from his landing was still settling.

"This is amazing," said Sweetie Belle. "And I thought Harmonizing Heights was beautiful."

"The Hippogriff kingdom?" Sigil scoffed, laughing. "The Hippogriffs have nothing on us."

"They can transform too, you know," said Scootaloo.

"Into what? Fish?" He laughed again. "Tell me more about how great living underwater is."

It's pretty great for anypony who can't fly, Scootaloo thought to herself. Sigil was already starting to rub her the wrong way.

"Anyway," Sigil continued, his voice clear and authoritative. "It's time we find that intruder. Please, come with me to the town square. I can give you a tour while we begin our search."

Sigil led them along a grassy path that eventually turned into a cobblestone street. Being in the center of the valley, there were a considerable number of buildings that were alongside it, but very few numbers of other Lirins that were walking outside as well. Apple Bloom caught gazes with one of them as Sigil led the way forward without looking back. The face on the Lirin's face was a mixture of worry and confusion, at least until it trotted into a nearby alleyway.

"This is the town center," said Sigil, "where things are at their busiest."

A gust of wind picked up and briefly howled over the near silent atmosphere that surrounded them.

"...Doesn't seem that busy to me," said Scootaloo.

"Better to be under-filled than overly crowded," he retorted just before leaping up onto the statue that adorned the center of the square. It was made from marble with a Lirin standing on its hind legs, wings outstretched and horn pointed toward the sky. The details were exquisite, but it was obvious that it wasn't being maintained. Cracks were showing in several places, and curiously, it was off-center, like something was missing from the other side.

"In any sense, we should continue onward," he continued. "Up this road is the manor, my residence and the place where town meetings are held."

"You're the mayor of this town?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Sigil stood proud on the base of the statue. "I suppose you could call me that. Yes, I am," he replied, pridefully.

"What does the mayor do?"

The tone of his voice began to sound more childish and less mature. "As mayor," he replied as he began slowly strutting around the base of the statue, "my roles are to protect, and to preserve. Protect our land from the outside, and to preserve it from within. I serve as the guardian of our kind, in hopes that our ways will continue to propagate as history presses onward. As such, I take utmost pride in retaining the security of our land, be it keeping it safe from outsiders, or in this case, any threat that arises within. And in order to retain that security, I uphold a strict set of rules and policies that everyone, including me, are to adhere to."

His strutting became laughably more pronounced as he continued his speech, his hoofs lifting high with every step. "Rule number one: Usage of age or mood transformation magic are forbidden to those who are not trained and qualified. Rule number two--"

"Wait, what? Mood transformation magic?" interrupted Apple Bloom. She'd almost forgotten everything Ms. Cheerilee taught them before embarking on this journey.

Sigil stopped, visibly annoyed from having his speech cut off. "Yes, mood transformation magic." He sighed and then muttered something to himself for a moment before continuing. "Lirins can also perform mood transformations, but the reality is that no one ever needs to, because I ensure that each and every resident of my village is kept happy and content."

Apple Bloom fought back the urge to roll her eyes. Every minute that went by made this creature seem more like a propaganda machine.

"And because I know you're wondering," he continued, "mood transformations are similar to age transformations, but not entirely. They require a balance, but the sources of joy and sadness are infinite. One can share joy as much as they want without worry of losing their own supply, but the same is also true for their misery."

"Huh?" replied Scootaloo.

Sigil sighed. "It's really quite simple. I can draw from my sources of joy, and transfer some of it to others. Likewise, and I would never do this," he emphasized the word considerably, "I can draw from my sources of sadness and force them upon you."

"Oh," said Sweetie Belle. She wondered if that was what the Niril did to them too.

"Can you show us?" asked Apple Bloom.

Sigil eyed her suspiciously. "Show you what?"

"Performing a mood transformation?" she asked carefully, but was met with a cold gaze. "...it would be an honor to be able to see such a thing," she added, noticing that he seemed to have a bit of an ego.

He looked at her for a few more moments, but apparently gave in to the opportunity to show off once more. "Alright," he said, "which one of you wants it?"

"Ooh, me! Me!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, raising a hoof out of reflex.

"It seems as though you're in no need," Sigil replied. Sweetie Belle deflated slightly.

"What about me?" asked Scootaloo. "I could use a pick-me-up, I guess..."

Sigil looked at her and then Apple Bloom. "I think this one, the one who went through so much, could certainly use it more."

"Who, me?" asked Apple Bloom. Truthfully, she had a feeling he would end up picking her.

"Yes, you," Sigil replied. "Are you willing?"

"Sure am," she replied.

Sigil leaned to his knees, pointing his horn toward her. A white fog enveloped them both for a few seconds, emanating from his horn, and it dissipated shortly thereafter. The overall process was much shorted than the age transformation prior, but the effects felt just as pronounced.

Apple Bloom felt a surge of power and pride fill her. She felt like she could do anything, accomplish anything her heart desired, and that everyone would love her for it. She felt almost giddy, but without any real reason to feel as such. The happiness filled her heart, but somewhere in the back of her mind, like an itch she could not scratch, there was a nagging worry of dissent; a paranoia of the unknown, waiting to take the joy away from her. It felt empty. Hollow. Fleeting.

"So? What do you think?" Sigil asked, almost playfully so. He seemed eager to please.

What she thought, she dared not say. "I feel great! Better than ever!"

A half truth, of course. She felt a lingering sense of content, but the mood transformation nearly blinded her sense of reason and skepticism, and it was times like these she was glad she didn't share Applejack's boundless honesty.

After a few moments of silence, something appeared to have caught Sigil's eye. His mood shifted and eyes squinted, peering off into the distance, intently focused on something they couldn't see.

"Everything alright?" asked Apple Bloom.

Sigil silently peered into the distance for a few more moments before answering. "Yes. We've spent enough time here. Let's go and see the manor."

He leaped from the base of the statue and glided effortlessly downward, leaving no time before trotting further up the cobblestone road. Apple Bloom watched him curiously as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo followed, waiting a few brief moments before coming with them. She wondered what Applejack would think about him, what with the hunches and feelings she'd practically made a name for herself out of. Her sister always trusted her gut, so to speak, and now she was beginning to understand why. She was having feelings of her own, but couldn't pin any of them down to anything meaningful or specific. She decided that from now on, she was going to watch carefully. After all, her sister always said it never hurt to be prepared.

Author's Note

Six chapters in, I finally get to the point where the cover art becomes inspiration for setting description. I really wish I were better at doing that so I could give it more justice, because the art was essentially what inspired me to start writing this story in the first place.

Chapter 7 ~ Reality Revealed

Sollus, still getting used to his younger form, watched from afar as Sigil led the three strangers throughout the town. For what reason, he didn't know, but it at least bought him time to reengage with his bearings. It had been so many years, after all. He'd almost forgotten what it was like to live in the center of the valley, where the grass was lush and the moods of others weren't so dreadful. He wondered what became of the others who had been relegated along with him so long ago, but quickly dismissed the thought. With his newfound capability for caring, the emotions tied to their remembrance were almost too much to bear.

So instead, he focused his younger, more capable eyes at the town center, still getting used to how different it felt to be youthful again. But the memories of his times as a Niril remained sharp in his mind, despite how dull and miserable they were. After so much time feeling so little, and yet aching for so much more, the memories bled over into his emotions in the present. But along with them came the emotions he hadn't felt for ages, good and bad. Hope, joy, peace. But also sadness, and especially guilt.

What was it he'd said to them? You'll pay for this. Pay for what, exactly? Trying to escape? He couldn't blame them for doing so, but at the time, the anger and frustration was his first taste of feeling emotions in what seemed like an eternity. But the freshness of anger quickly dissipated and guilt took its place. Looking back, he tried to ignore the pangs of guilt that pestered him mercilessly, but they only returned minutes later, demanding to be heard and acted upon. In a way, things had been easier when he was a Niril. That kind of life required little to no energy or effort, but yielded just as little reward. There was no joy, but at least there was also no shame, or duty, or guilt. Only apathy.

But he reasoned the guilt away, albeit temporarily, hoping that perhaps his actions would be forgiven in retrospect when his self-imposed mission was complete. At least that's what he told himself as he took a closer look at the town, considering how he would go about undoing the mistakes of the past. And it was enough to keep his mind focused on the task at hand, which was currently to wait until the time was right.

He continued to watch as Sigil pranced around on top of his statue, likely going off about how important his duties were to their kind. The three strange visitors stood around him, gazing upward as he spouted off nonsense. He worried what purpose their presence meant, and what he wanted out of them. Or even worse, what he might use them for. Truthfully though, he knew that the most likely reason was simply to feed his pride and ego, as it so often ended up being the case.

Sollus stood still and watched carefully, in awe that Sigil looked almost exactly the same as so long ago, when they separated and this whole mess first began. A few new emotions made a resurgence when he thought about that, but he pushed them away like the others. There would be a time for that, and it wasn't now. But there was one more emotion that had come back; one that he couldn't decide was good or bad. As flawed and misguided as he was, and despite what he'd done to him, Sollus missed his brother more than he ever thought he would even after all these years.

But then he stopped, feeling his gaze upon him from coming from the town center. Sollus moved out of view in hopes that his presence would remain unknown, but he knew that wasn't the case. He'd have to move quickly.

"Ouch! You're bending my wing!"

"Quit yer' belly-achin' and sit still!"

"Well, my belly wouldn't be aching if you stopped poking it so hard."

"You said you wanted my help, and I'm givin' it to ya. Now hush!"

"Girls, girls. Please stop. We need to make sure we're prepared for when they come back -- not about to get into a fight. Right, Rarity?"

"Hm? Oh yes, right..."

Rarity sat alone on a rock, watching the water ripple across the lake they'd found near the mountain their sisters were currently atop. Trees dotted its shoreline, although they were fairly sparse due to the altitude. The mountains loomed high above them on most sides, casting long, cold shadows along the valley below. The lake itself was almost still, aside from the ripples made from the gusts of wind that blew across it from high above. The breezes mostly seemed to come from a river inlet on the opposite side of the lake, which came from a source further above that they could not make out.

"...Rarity?" asked Twilight. "Is everything alright?"

Twilight left Applejack and Rainbow Dash to continue their bickering and carefully made her way to the water's edge with Rarity.

"Oh, I suppose so," she replied, not instilling much confidence in her reply. She sighed. "To tell the truth, darling, I'm feeling a bit glum."

Twilight sat down next to her. "We all are. But I don't know what else we can do but wait."

"Waiting almost makes it worse," she replied.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash stopped bickering and joined them. It was odd to see Rarity in a dreary mood that wasn't laced with melodrama.

"Maybe we can keep explorin'," said Applejack, her eyes on the opposite end of the lake. "If anythin', it'll help keep our minds off worryin' so much." Applejack laughed at herself. "Well, look at me not goin' out of my mind worryin' about my little sister. A'int that somethin'." She paced around a couple hoofsteps. "...maybe I should be. Should I? What if they're not okay right this moment? What if they get trapped up there, and there ain't nothin' we can do?"

"That was short-lived," said Rainbow Dash.

"You mean to tell us you're not worried? Not even a little bit?"

Rainbow Dash thought for a moment about delivering her typical response of playing it cool, but after realizing how much losing her wings affected her, she decided against it. "Well, yeah. I'm worried. A little."

She received a raised eyebrow in response.

"Okay, a lot. I'm worried a lot."

"Then we should go with Applejack's suggestion," said Twilight. "Let's check out the perimeter of this lake and see if we can find anything. And if it starts getting dark, we can set up camp."

"You think it'll take them that long?" said Rarity.

"I don't know," said Twilight. "All I do know is that we just need to stay put and wait. We can't wander off much farther than this valley."

"Stayin' put and waitin' is what I tell Apple Bloom to do if she ever gets lost," said Applejack. "I didn't ever think I'd be the one takin' my own advice..."

As they walked along the shoreline of the lake, the sun gradually drifted lower into the sky and the long shadows cast by the peaks above stretched toward the horizon, symbolizing the beginning of what would be a long, cold night.

It wasn't very long until they found themselves standing in a large foyer, with intricately carved stone staircases on both sides of the room leading to a balcony above. The room was adorned with decoration of all sorts, including a large round rug that served as a centerpiece. Sigil's hooves clacked on the polished floors as he walked up to it and turned around to speak to them.

"This is the town manor," he said regally. "As you can see, it is quite nice and roomy. Plenty of space for holding town meetings and hosting dinner parties."

"Speakin' of parties," said Apple Bloom, "where are all the other Lirins?"

"They come and go as they please," he replied, his focus obviously elsewhere as he peered out a nearby window.

Apple Bloom thought momentarily to ask where they might find some Nirils who hadn't committed any heinous acts, but decided that question would be better suited for a later time. The effects of her mood transformation had started to wear off, but she still felt lingering traces of doubt and insecurity that had come veiled along with it, which she was beginning to have troubles separating between which were her's and which were not.

Sigil began walking further and they followed, gazing left and right at all the decoration to take in. It was odd to see regal portraits of what looked to be young colts and fillies, but the reality was that Nirils just happened to look that way on the outside more than anything. Even at this point, seeing a creature with comparable appearance to her own being in charge of an entire town was slightly hard to wrap her mind around. But as they walked by several portraits hung up in a long hallway, the expression on the portraits' faces seemed to change in a way none of them could quite understand.

"What's with these portraits?" asked Scootaloo. "Everyone seems like they're getting...sadder."

"These are portraits of past leaders," replied Sigil. "You'll see mine coming up next!"

At the end of the long hallway was a portrait of Sigil, looking just as smug and prideful as himself, standing right next to it. It was in stark contrast to the last few, which were more stoic in nature.

"Yep, that's you alright," said Sweetie Belle.

Sigil led Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle into another room, but Apple Bloom stood behind for a few moments. Throughout the hallway, every portrait had been equally spaced to meticulous standards. But at the end of the long lineage of leaders, Sigil's hung slightly further away than the others. She wondered for a moment if her doubts were running amok as she stared at the wall for no reason other than an odd feeling in her gut, but it almost seemed like something was missing.

Her stomach gurgled, however, and she realized she was starving. Trotting off to catch up, she hoped Sigil had something for them to eat.

~

After what seemed like an eternity of looking at rooms and decorations, that was indeed the case. It was almost like he wanted to spend as much time within the walls of the manor as possible, because at nearly every opportunity, he had been intently gazing out of windows.

"Please, feel free to sit down and wait here while I attend to some other manners," said Sigil, his eyes once more peering out a nearby window. This time, he seemed anxious to leave. "Some servers will be bringing you some food while you wait for my return."

"Free food? Awesome," said Scootaloo. "I'm starving!"

Sigil left in a hurry, leaving the three of them alone in the dining hall of the manor. But not long afterward, several Lirins wearing fancy clothing entered with plates of food to place on the table. These were the first Lirins beside Sigil that they'd even seen up close, and Apple Bloom saw it as an opportunity to gather more information.

"Excuse me, can I ask you a question or two?"

The server eyed her nervously, placing her entree on the table quickly before scurrying into the kitchen.

"Hello?" Apple Bloom continued, addressing a different server. "Do you speak Pony?"

That one, too, gave her a concerned look and trotted away conspicuously.

"Rude," said Sweetie Belle, before diving into the plate of appetizers.

There was one Lirin remaining that seemed conflicted between addressing the strangers and running away.

Apple Bloom did away with being polite. "What is wrong with this place?"

The Lirin looked around nervously for several moments, but came closer to the table and provided a chilling response.

"You're not safe here," it whispered before joining the others in the kitchen.

"...What do you mean?" she asked carefully.

The server appeared nervous. "You might be fine, I don't know. Nobody knows. It's better to just go along."

It left in a hurry, forgetting to put down the dish it was carrying when it came in. But before any of them could say anything, Sigil opened the door at the opposite end of the room, returning with a semi-familiar Lirin next to him.

He pushed him further ahead and gestured towards him. "Is this the one who stole your youth?"

Apple Bloom knew immediately that it was, despite only seeing him in young form for only a few brief moments. "Y-yeah, that's the one..."

"Good," Sigil replied. "I found him sneaking around the town and this manor, trying to find and harm you again. But here the criminal is, detained and neutralized."

The Lirin spoke. "That's not what I was trying to do. I was trying to save the others--"

"Remain silent," Sigil interrupted him sharply. "Or face worse punishment than you already deserve."

"No punishment could be more worse than I have already endured," he replied, earning a kick to his side and falling to the floor below.

Apple Bloom felt conflicted, despite seeing justice playing out in front of her eyes. While the creature had truly done something wrong, she couldn't help but feel a sense that there was more at play than previously thought. When the Niril had transformed her, it had felt like the life had been pulled from her body. But at the same time, it had felt like there was an exchange both ways, not just in one direction. Sigil's words from before about balance and equity echoed in her mind. Something didn't sit right with those words and the way he acted and treated others.

"As punishment for his crimes," Sigil continued, "I will transfer the youth he stole back to you. Do you accept this?"

Apple Bloom thought for a moment. Sigil had told them they were slightly older than previous, due to the unbalanced nature of youth, but for all intents and purposes, she felt no different than before. And her friends seemed the same.

"Well," her voice trailed, unsure of her thoughts in the moment, "I think I'm alright. I'm just about the same as before. What would happen to him if I did?"

The Lirin spoke out. "I would be relegated with the rest of the Nirils--"

Sigil snapped. "Speak out of turn once more, Sollus, and I'll ensure you don't see the light of day anymore!"

"I won't be silent of what you've done, brother" he replied coldly.

"What did he mean, the rest of the Nirils?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Sollus?" added Scootaloo. "Is that his name?"

"That's a complicated matter," said Sigil. "Please, let me allow justice to run its course." He began kneeling his horn against the Lirin.

"Now wait just a minute," said Apple Bloom. "I didn't agree to no transfer!"

Sigil ignored her and began anyway, performing the same act that had originally been done to them in the caves before. Tendrils of energy began to emanate from out of him and into Sigil's horn as Sollus began to slump down toward the floor. His eyes drooped downward, tired and lifeless, his guilt causing him to be accepting of this fate.

"Stop!" said Apple Bloom, galloping over toward them. She crashed into Sigil, interrupting the transfer of youth and allowing Sollus to scramble to his hooves and make an exit.

"You fool!" Sigil yelled, trying to get to his hooves. "There's no telling the damage he could do, performing transformations upon all the Lirins in this town!"

Apple Bloom, in shock, looked at him blankly. But he ignored her and quickly took off after his brother, leaving them alone in the dining hall.

"Shouldn't we go after them?" said Sweetie Belle.

"Come on, let's go!" said Scootaloo, heading out the door, followed shortly by the others.

They found themselves galloping along the cobblestone streets of the town as the sun was setting behind the mountains that loomed high above. The air quickly became cold and crisp, but the movement kept them warm as the attempted to keep up with Sigil and Sollus, who had taken to the skies and headed toward where the river emptied at the lowest point of the valley. It was a sight to behold, seeing their vibrant blue outlines below the skies of orange above, their wingspans considerably larger than their bodies. Sollus swept downward as Sigil attempted to knock him out of the air, sending them both tumbling onto a few rooftops. But they quickly took to the air once more as they headed toward the outskirts of town, where the river that flowed through it continued onward to the lowest point of the valley.

The three of them followed as closely as they could, and managed to catch up with Sigil as he stood outside a cave that had been eroded into the base of a cliff. The water streamed into it from the valley behind them.

"Stop!" Sigil cried out, as entering the cave that Sollus had fled into.

"I don't...understand," said Scootaloo, catching up on her breath. "Where's he going?"

"Not right now," Sigil replied curtly, stepping into the cave below.

"Wait," said Apple Bloom, growing annoyed at the lack of answers. "Is this where the rest of the Nirils are, like he said earlier?"

"Yeah, and I thought you said he was going to go after the Lirins!" added Scootaloo.

Sigil sighed angrily. "If you want to truly know, you'll know soon enough if you follow me into this cave."

They silently agreed, and made sure to keep their distance as they descended into the depths below. The cave was dark and damp, but easy to follow since the river was always nearby. But the rocks were slippery and wet, and it was considerably difficult to navigate in the downward direction. The sounds of running water echoing off the cave walls overpowered their ears as the light slowly faded and they descended further.

But eventually, they came upon an opening.

Inside were several Nirils, hugging the walls and laying nearly motionless, their eyes appearing like bright dots in the darkness. But Sollus appeared from the shadows, still in Lirin form.

"I'm going to undo what you did," he said, looking at Sigil and then the Nirils who watched emotionlessly.

"And how is that?" said Sigil.

"By sharing my fortune with them," he replied.

"Share? Sharing is what got us into this mess!" Sigil exclaimed in response, laughing. His voice echoed off the walls.

They looked confused. "What mess, exactly?" asked Apple Bloom.

"I'll tell you. Many years ago, the Lirin and Nirils leaved together, right here in this valley. They went on with their pathetic lives, clinging to us, demanding we share our youth and energy with them. But for what reason? They had gotten themselves into their own predicaments, not us, so it should have been them who were to get themselves out."

Sigil began walking though the cave, in and around several stalagmites.

"All was well for awhile, as our resources were plentiful and times were good. But when the rains stopped falling and the drought fell upon us, that was when things became scarce. Without water, there was no food. And without food, there was no energy. In those tough times, our kind gradually fell victim to the dreaded transformation of Lirin to Niril. One by one, our numbers dwindled, and with every one that became lost, another dead mouth to feed replaced it."

He leaped onto an elevated area, kicking off a few rocks in the process.

"So I decided," he said loudly, "that enough was enough. In order to save our kind, I needed to divide it. Through the culling of the weak, the strong could remain strong in those tough times, instead of dragged into oblivion with those who could not. But it was not so easy," his voice trailed as he looked toward Sollus below, "for there were few of us who disagreed on the necessity of our actions. And so in their idealistic endeavor to save even those who could not be saved," Sigil continued, "they relegated themselves to be among them."

"That's not what happened," said Sollus, barely able to get to his feet. His voice had become soft and weak. "You banished us to the caves..."

Sigil jumped down onto the stone in front of him and faced him directly. "I banished you, because you were the only one standing in my way. I couldn't gather the numbers required to save us if our own leader disagreed with my methods. You were an obstacle."

"I wasn't just our leader," Sollus replied, " I was your brother."

Sigil didn't have an immediate response, but eventually found one. "It was the only way," he replied, somewhat unsure.

"We could have helped them," said Sollus. "It's the way our kind has always gotten through these hardships. It's in our balance that we find our strength. Why wouldn't you listen to their pleas for help?"

Sigil's eyes searched for meaning, staring at the floor below. "Because no one was there to listen to me when I needed them to!" Sigil yelled, his emotions growing stronger. "Why should I have to care about their problems? Why should I let them pull me down to their level? I got here on my own," he said, the pride still clearly evident in his anger. "By myself -- alone! And I've never been happier or stronger!"

His sheer frustration contrasted those words as they echoed in the air, and over again in his own mind. He was silent for a few moments, gauging their reactions and seeing only pity on their faces. It enraged him to see them perceiving him as weak.

Sigil let his emotions get to him. "I had to be strong in order to keep us all strong!"

His voiced echoed off the walls.

"You didn't have to be strong alone," Sollus replied in hopes of talking sense into his brother. But it only rubbed salt in his wounds.

"I don't need anyone's help!" Sigil screamed in response, his voice piercing their ears.

His mood shifted from anger to filled with distraught. With the youthful energy still filling his body, he was shaking fervently as he tried to force himself to calm down. But the emotions overpowered him. Washing over him like waves against a rocky shore, they steadily broke down mental barriers, relentless with their raw, destructive power. His thoughts spiraled rapidly throughout his mind like a tumultuous storm, ripping up the mental framework that had been laid so long ago, eating away at him as he wondered what would happen if he allowed himself to truly open up despite refusing to do so after all this time. It seemed foolish. Pointless. Maybe not so much at the beginning before shutting everyone out for so long, but it certainly felt pointless now. After all this time, and all the suffering he'd caused, the subconscious guilt wracked his mind. His face contorted in misguided anger and confusion as he argued with his own thoughts and feelings.

Still shaking, his eyes moved rapidly as he stared at the ground below. An ugly scowl had taken hold over his face, dark shadows around his eyes emphasizing the pain and sorrow that continued to pour out. His eyes were red with angst and fury, but growing weary as the storm within him continued. They watched in awe as the shaking suddenly began to stop, and his anger gradually subsided into fear. Fear of what, he didn't know, but he seemed to be at the edge of a precipice, fraught with terror about what lay ahead, having no option to run away or return things back to the way they were. In an instant, the fear had subsided into hopelessness as the wave of misery crashed over him. He continued to ignore their gazes and fell to the ground below, covering himself with a wing to hide in his own self-comfort, even with as little comfort it did bring.

Seconds after falling to the ground, his shaking turned into cries and convulsions. He pulled his wing further up, burying his face to try and hide the obvious emotional breakdown he was undergoing, but knew that there was nothing he could do at this point to avoid their pity. Their sorrow. Their empathy. Stunned, none of them knew what to do except continue to watch the breakdown unfold. His cries had begun softly but quickly turned into sobs, with tears streaming down his face. The waves continued crashing over him with every passing moment, without any sign of ceasing. They could only imagine how much catharsis he was going through, slowly and arduously. But as seconds turned to minutes, his sobs lessened with intensity, and the last remaining tears slowly began to drip from his face onto the ground below.

Suddenly, the color of his horn began gradually shifting from blue to red, twisting inward onto itself like a tangle of weeds. Hair from his body began falling to the cave floor in tufts as the redness spread through him like an illness. His wings shriveled up quickly, becoming mere husks of what they used to be. His eyes became dead and tiresome, casting an eerie, uncaring glaze at them from the ground below.

His crimson body lay motionless beside the other Nirils, as he had become one himself.

They walked slowly toward him, in awe at the sheer intensity of the event that had taken place before them. In just a few passing moments, he had transformed from an angry tyrant to the very being he'd spoken so harshly against.

Sollus walked up. "This is what we could have done then, and what I was about to do now," he said as he knelt before him, laying a horn against his brother's still body. Energy emanated from his horn and swirled into the air above him, falling down like a blanket of fog and absorbing into this body. Ever so gradually, his color turned back to a shade of blue as his appearance changed back to one of a Lirin. But with it, Sollus fell to the floor, his source of youthful energy nearly exhausted.

Sigil stood up, confused and bewildered. In the storm of emotions that overcame him, he wasn't sure what to feel in the moment. It wasn't guilt or misery, but something he'd forgotten in his desperation to help others so long ago. Seeing his brother lay motionless below him, he felt empathy. Empathy for all the time he'd forced him to live out his life as a Niril, and empathy for all the Nirils he'd banished to live elsewhere and fend for themselves, instead of lifting them up and providing for them in the time they needed help the most. And with the empathy came desire to act. In a moment of hope, his horn glowed white as that hope came to fruition, giving him an extra source of energy that appeared to come from nowhere. So he shared that hope, and the energy enveloped them both for several moments until it dissipated into Sollus.

And so he rose. "Thank you, brother," he said as he got back to his hooves.

"I don't deserve thanks" Sigil said in response. "But I will do all I can to undo my mistakes." His horn still glowing, he began his way toward the Nirils who had so emotionlessly watched the entire ordeal unfold. "My only hope is that they might return the favor."

Chapter 8 ~ Heading Home

In the darkness of the caves, the hope of returning things to the way they once were illuminated the hearts of the Nirils who became transformed, one by one. With every transformation, Sigil became a Niril. But every transformed Lirin thanked him with a little bit of energy in return, allowing the cycle to continue.

They watched alongside Sollus as he did so, painfully, dozens of times over and over again, never knowing for certain that the next Niril in line would be gracious enough to thank the one who had betrayed them so long ago. But they did, perhaps because they thought it was right, but perhaps also because they knew firsthand that their suffering was something that no creature should ever have to experience.

But eventually, Sigil had transformed every last Niril into a Lirin. Exhausted, he lay on the floor of the cave, despite having the favor returned to him by the one who'd been last in line.

"I don't deserve any of this," he said, defeated. "But I'm grateful for it."

"I should be saying the same," said Sollus, glancing at Apple Bloom. "I risked this young one's life for my own benefit, even if my intentions were altruistic."

"But if you hadn't come back and reminded me of my wrongdoings, it's possible this never would have been fixed," replied Sollus. "We can't sustain this way. You came at just the right time."

"They came at just the right time," he replied. "Even if it was only to provide the means."

"Okay, okay, we get it," said Scootaloo. "Both of you did bad things."

They laughed. "Agreed," said Sollus. "My only hope is that you can forgive me. If you'd like, I can return a bit of my youth to you, to bring you back to the way you were."

Apple Bloom thought for a moment. While she thought she didn't feel much different than before, perhaps the change had been more than she'd thought. "Well, to be honest," she replied, "I think I'm happy with the change. What about you, Scootaloo? Sweetie Belle?"

They'd already changed a lot, transformation or not. "No need," said Sweetie Belle.

"Then I suppose I'll have to help you another way," said Sollus. "I assume you must be anxious to return to the rest of your group. I can lead you through these caves toward the exit. After all, I'd already done so once before."

"Is that how you got into the valley?" asked Scootaloo.

"No," Sigil replied for him. "These caves are only able to be traversed in one direction, due to several spots being entirely flooded with streaming water."

"Indeed," Sollus continued. "I hope you aren't afraid of getting a little wet."

"I'll go through anything to get back to civilization," said Sweetie Belle.

"Marvelous," said Sollus. "But before I go, please allow me to speak with my brother."

They stood off to the side, giving them some privacy to speak alone. After several minutes, Sollus returned to them, indicating he was ready to guide them through the caves. Sigil had left with the rest of the newly transformed Lirins to begin renewing their town.

"If you don't mind me askin'," said Apple Bloom, "what did you two talk about?"

Sollus looked at her contemplatively. "We had some catching up to do."

Crickets chirped as a modest breeze meandered through the trees along the shoreline of the lake. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity had set up camp near the mouth of the river that emptied into it, and were sitting around a campfire they'd made because they couldn't sleep.

Rainbow Dash laid on her good side, her wing still bandaged on the other. "Can I ask you guys a question?"

"Absolutely," replied Applejack.

She shifted nervously, trying to get comfortable. "Do you think Scootaloo will still look up to me if my wing never heals right?"

Applejack almost bust out laughing, but quickly realized the seriousness on her face after posing the question. She sighed. "Of course she will. That pony wouldn't drop you for a thing in the world. If anythin', she's more loyal than you, R.D." Applejack replied with a smug look on her face.

"You're probably right," said Rainbow Dash, surprising all of them. "And come to think of it, Apple Bloom really took what happened well, didn't she?"

"Sure did," Applejack replied. "To be honest, I'm still amazed at how much my little sis' has grown up. Er, literally, I suppose."

Rarity sighed, sitting lazily on top of a log. "It doesn't matter if they don't come back..."

Her words shocked them for a moment, but the worry was in all of them.

"They'll make it out eventually," said Twilight. "They have to."

The air was silent for a while. Of all of them, Rarity seemed the most distraught. "Rarity," said Twilight, "do you have anything you want to say about Sweetie Belle?"

She shifted up on the log. "Yes. I want to say how sorry I am to her for all the times I feigned interest in her activities, and for all the times I got upset at her for disorganizing my closet searching for clothing props, and for all the times we've ever argued." She slumped into her hooves. "That's what I want to say."

A twig snapped in the bushes next to the river.

"So say it," said Sweetie Belle.

"Sweetie Belle? You're here?" Rarity perked up immediately.

"Sure am!" she replied gleefully.

"Me too!" said Scootaloo.

"Me three!" added Apple Bloom.

The three of them rushed through the trees toward the campsite and were met with open hooves and tears of joy.

"I was so worried about you," said Rarity, nuzzling her little sister by the fire.

Scootaloo came up to Rainbow Dash, still eyeing her broken wing. "I'd hug you," said Rainbow Dash, "but, you know...the wing..."

Disregarding Rainbow Dash, she hugged her anyway.

"Oh, sugar cube," said Applejack as Apple Bloom rushed into her hooves. "I didn't ever know I could miss somepony this much..."

"Me neither," Apple Bloom replied, her eyes welling up with tears.

Twilight watched as the three of them exchanged hugs and greetings, almost feeling jealous that she wasn't having a reunion of her own. But Sollus entered the campsite slowly, unsure of how to react.

"Who's that?" said Rarity.

"That's, well..." Apple Bloom's voice trailed. "That's the Lirin that transformed me at first."

"And you brought it back?" said Applejack, rearing up to charge.

"No no no! Wait! He's good now, I promise," said Apple Bloom.

Applejack returned to her hooves, reluctantly. "You mean to tell me in the span of a day, the creature that did that to you went from bein' the bad to the good guy?"

"I can't say it's unheard of," interjected Twilight, rolling her eyes. "We tend to have that kind of a reputation."

"If you don't mind," said Sollus, "I'd like to offer you a token of my thanks, before I return to my kind."

"...What kind of thanks?" asked Rainbow Dash, still suspicious.

"It's something of a Lirin tradition," Sollus replied. "Whenever one parts ways, they exchange feelings of joy and gratitude, to remind the other of what they mean to them."

"We'd love that," said Twilight.

"Okay," he replied. He knelt before them and leaned his horn toward their center. Tendrils of white began to emanate from his horn and were lifted into the air above all of them, illuminating the dark forest around them with bright light. And as it descended downward, they felt an immense sense of peace and happiness, and a feeling of gratitude that came along with it. The feelings that had been bestowed upon them became their own, inextricably tangled between them in the best way possible. In the exchange, they felt the remorse of his past alongside the tranquility of his present, all the emotions wrapped up into one. And by the end of the exchange, they felt more understanding of his character as a whole, flaws and virtues included side by side.

He lifted his horn up and allowed the energy to dissipate. Then nodded, and left into the forest. They slept soundly that night, feeling rested for the long journey the next morning. Despite being separated for only so long, they had lots of catching up to do.

Author's Note

It's finally completed, at long last. It didn't quite come together the way I wanted it to, but I'm mostly happy with the result. Overall, I want to thank those who read along as I released these chapters. As of date, this is the longest story I've written, and it was definitely a bit of a different trip than my usual style of one-shots. So, I hope you enjoyed the story as a whole, if not at least a few parts here and there :twilightblush:

Thanks so much for reading! If you want to do an official review of sorts, please PM me first. Regular comments and criticisms are otherwise welcome.

And if you haven't already, check out the artist who made the cover art that inspired this story!

Chapter 2 ~ Train Travel

Rhythmic, mechanical sounds of the train filled the cabin as it swept through Ponyville's rolling hills and scenic vistas. Plumes of light smoke billowed out from the front, drifting lazily into the empty skies above, which were clear and dark, shaded with blue and a hint of orange warmth from the rising sun. They'd left early at just the crack of dawn, in order to save as much daylight as possible for the remainder of the day, as the Highlands were considerably far west of Ponyville.

And it wasn't often that ponies traveled westward from Ponyville either. That is, unless they were vacationing to a small fishing village on the coast for some reason. Other than the somewhat memorable landmark here or there, there wasn't much of interest to visit besides Vanhoover, which was far to the north, or Los Pegasus, which was far to the south. The route they would be taking was to head south at the westernmost junction, ending up in Los Pegasus. As such, it was unsurprising that many of the train's passengers were a combination of shady characters and thrill-seekers. Spread out in one of the cabins together, they stuck out with their hiking gear.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle sat opposite each other, gazing at the scenery that passed by as the train rolled onward, trying to point out the Highlands as the horizon inched ever-so-slowly toward them.

"Is that it?" Sweetie Belle asked, pointing to a few lone mountain peaks to the north.

"No," Scootaloo replied. "Those are just the Smokey Mountains."

"Oh...What about those?" She continued, pointing through the window on the other end of the cabin. A mare who happened to be in their line of sight looked up from her newspaper and gave them a confused look.

"White Tail Mountains", Scootaloo replied. "Don't you pay attention during geography?"

"Ugh," Sweetie Belle pouted melodramatically, "are we ever going to get there?"

Scootaloo pulled out a map. "The tracks don't even go that far west. We're going to have to walk once we get far enough."

"Walk?" Sweetie Belle's hooves exploded outward. The mare on the other side of the cabin scowled and angrily covered her face with the newspaper. "You mean there isn't even a station or some place to eat once we're there?"

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. Sweetie Belle was different than her older sister in plenty of ways, but very similar in others. "No. Didn't you hear what they said? Twilight and everypony else are only going with us until we get to the barrier at the mountains. Then we're on our own."

"I know," she replied, sitting back down in her seat. Truthfully, she only had an outburst to alleviate her boredom. "I guess I'm just so excited to finally go on a real adventure."

"Yeah," Scootaloo sighed, smiling. "Me too."

Scootaloo put a hoof to her chin and stared out the window, her forehead pressing lightly against the cold glass. The sky seemed so big with such an expansive landscape beneath it to gaze over. The way the scenery closer to the train sped by and the scenery far off barely moved was mesmerizing. Looking far off into the distance, she found herself daydreaming, lost amidst the clouds that drifted idly by as her mind began to wander. She imagined what it would be like to fly among them, soaring above the ground with wind rushing to fill the spaces between her feathers. The freedom to move anywhere she pleased, to fly where she wanted to fly. As usual though, the daydream ended abruptly upon remembering her disability. She looked away from the window and brought her attention back to reality, deciding to daydream about something else instead.

Sweetie Belle sat back in her seat, staring blankly upward for several minutes until she blurted out a question to ease her boredom again. "Scootaloo, what am I supposed to do?"

Caught in a daze, she was slow to respond. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Apple Bloom has her family's farm, you have your...scootering...what do I have?"

Scootaloo wasn't sure whether to take offense to having her identity tied to a single activity, but decided now wasn't the time. "Well, um...that's kind of a hard question," said Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle wasn't usually one to initiate such thought-provoking conversation topics. "What about singing? Performing? Fashion?"

"Yeah, I guess. If I wanted to sell clothes forever like Rarity."

"What about those other ones?"

Sweetie Belle sighed. "I don't know...there's too many options."

Scootaloo didn't understand. She had felt like the options were always so limited. "Well...what about our cutie marks?" She replied, surprised she hadn't thought of that immediately. "Isn't that kind of what our purpose is?"

Sweetie Belle sighed. "I suppose. But that doesn't mean it's clear what it really means."

"I'm not sure what you mean. We help other ponies find their cutie marks...right? That's what we do."

"Right." Sweetie Belle sat back in her chair again. "That's all we do. I guess that's what I have then." A few seconds of silence passed until she decided to stand up. "I'm going to stretch my legs. It's getting stuffy in here." Sweetie Belle walked down the aisle, weaving her way through luggage towards the door that gave access to the outside.

Along the way, she passed by Apple Bloom and Applejack.

"Now, I want you to know -- we're all goin' to be waitin' for you outside that barrier until you get back," said Applejack.

"Yes, I know." Apple Bloom replied flatly. She was also looking forward to being left alone for awhile, but wasn't going to tell her sister that.

"And if somethin' bad happens then--"

"Then we come gallopin' without even lookin' back, I know."

"Okay, good. I just want to make sure y'all stay safe. To tell the truth, I've got a funny feelin' about this friendship mission."

"You get funny feelins' for lots of things," Apple Bloom replied, playfully.

"I 'spose," she shrugged. "But it don't never hurt to be prepared."

Realizing her sister was more worried than she was, Apple Bloom gave her a more reassuring response. "We will be. I promise, sis."

"What's this about the friendship mission?" asked Twilight, who'd just returned from a different cabin.

"Oh, it's probably nothin'," said Applejack. "I just had a funny feelin' about it. You know me."

Twilight pondered for a moment. "Perhaps it doesn't make sense for the map to call three fillies out to such a remote destination. But then again, it also makes sense, what with the barrier and all."

"Ugh," Rainbow Dash groaned. "Does it or doesn't it?"

Twilight ignored her.

"That's what worries me," said Applejack. "There is such a thing as makin' too much sense, you know."

Twilight gave her a funny look. "I'm...not sure I follow. The books I have on the Lirin aren't very extensive, but the barrier is something that is for certain."

"Maybe so. But sometimes you just gotta go with your gut," said Applejack. "These fillies are goin' somewhere we've ain't never seen ourselves. There ain't no tellin' what could happen."

Apple Bloom stood on her hooves. "We're not just fillies anymore," she tried to say as maturely as possible. "I mean...everypony has to grow older sometime. Maybe the cutie map knows that too."

Applejack briefly saw her in a different light. She suddenly seemed taller, more mature, and capable. It caught her by surprise. "You're right," she replied genuinely. "It's probably just some indigestion is all. Granny's cookin' has been gettin'...improvised."

Outside, temperate winds breezed by as the train continued chugging onward. Sweetie Belle stood on her hind legs, leaning against the railing at the back of the train as she watched the tracks disappear behind them. There was something about being on a train to somewhere she didn't know that made her contemplative. All her life up to attaining her cutie mark seemed so simple in comparison to what it became afterward.

Rarity walked up and stood beside her. "Everything alright, darling? You seem rather...somber."

"What?" She replied, somewhat shocked. "Yeah I'm fine. Just...getting some fresh air, is all."

"Same here," Rarity smiled. "I can only manage being stuck inside those cramped little boxes for so long. The air gets awfully stuffy."

Sweetie Belle sighed. Just another similarity between herself and her sister.

"Remind me again, Sweetie Belle, what was the upcoming school play you were going to audition for?"

"Macbeth."

"Oh? And what's that about?"

"It's a tragedy where a powerful pony receives a prophesy from three spell-casters that they'll be a great ruler, but is eventually consumed with paranoia and ends up as a tyrant and dies."

"Oh my," Rarity said, taking a slight step backward. "Ponies write plays like that?"

Sweetie Belle sighed internally. "It's an old classic. I was going to be one of the three spell-casters."

"Was? Didn't you audition?"

"They said my voice was too nice."

"Well, if that isn't a compliment, then I don't know what it is," Rarity replied.

A small smile grew on Sweetie Bell's face. "It's okay. They let me be in charge of props and lighting instead."

Two chimes echoed throughout the cabin, indicating that the train would be stopping soon. "Attention everypony, we will be taking a brief stop along the tracks in a few minutes to allow a few of our passengers to step off. Please remain seated while they disembark."

"I suppose we ought to get back inside," said Rarity.

The two of them headed back and regrouped with Twilight and the others. As the train gradually slowed down to a halt until finally letting go with a burst of steam, passengers around them gave them odd looks as they disembarked the train in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. Once they were all on the ground, the train slowly chugged back to speed, leaving them behind in a plume of dust.

The air was silent aside from the sounds of howling wind.

"Well?" said Rainbow Dash as she hovered in the air beside the group. "Let's get going, shall we? It's a long walk up those mountains. In fact, I could almost fly there myself right now--"

"Hold yourself there, Rainbow Dash," said Applejack with an outstretched hoof. "Here's your saddlebag."

Rainbow Dash took it and immediately found herself weighed down to the ground. She sighed and threw it over her back. Applejack smirked as they formed a single-file line and began hiking up the trail. The mountains ahead loomed over them, as if watching and waiting from high above.