My Little Pony: The Pyres of Friendship

Chapters

Welcome to the Downside
The Rites of the Eight Scribes
The First Step of a Long Journey
The Rite of Accusations
A Moon-Touched Meeting
The Rite of the Faithful
Howling Under the Stars
The Missing Minstrel
The Rite of Dissenting Attitudes
Trials from the Beyond
Suffer Alongside Them
The Rite of the Withdrawn Mystics
Much Needed Improvements
The Deserter
Comforts on the Sea
The Rite of the Heartful Pyres
Calming the Tempest
Feathers and Renegades
The Rite of the Treacherous Essence
Trust is Key
Of Nomads and Secrets

Welcome to the Downside

Author's Note

Here is the start of a little project I had in mind when I was thinking about the stellar game, Pyre. I highly recommend you list to the musical cues while reading to get a better sense of the environment.

Enjoy!

Any constructive criticism is welcomed as long as it is help for me to improve as a writer.

Welcome to the Downside

The first thing that Twilight Sparkle noticed when she woke up was the sun. It was not the presence of the sun that confused her, rather it was the sheer intensity of it. Sure, Ponyville had the occasional heatwave, but never to the point where she felt like she was inside an oven. Twilight opened her eyes more, only to realize that she wasn’t in the small village that she grew to love. The alicorn was in fact in the middle of a giant desert. Sand stretched far into the vast horizon without a single spec of life, with the closest thing being the occasional dead shrub or tumbleweed dotted across the wasteland.

Twilight’s mind went to full-on panic mode when she finally realized the unfamiliar environment. She was about to stand up to further analyze her surroundings when she noticed the second thing since she woke up. Pain shot through her entire body the moment she tried to move a muscle. The mare looked down to see that her forelegs were covered in light cuts and bruises. Though the cuts didn’t appear serious, small amounts of blood still trickled from her wounds. The mare’s stomach began to grumble loudly, and she winced at the incoming stomach pangs. She moved her jaw to discover that her tongue was near dry as a bone and she barely had no sweat on her body despite the outstanding heat. By her own diagnosis, Twilight was suffering from extreme starvation and dehydration. The alicorn was injured, starving, dehydrated and alone in an environment that was completely alien to her. That’s when the questions started to race in her mind.

Where was she? What happened to her? How did she end up here? Was she alone? Were her friends okay?

Twilight was desperate to find the answers to these questions, but there was little she could do. In her weaken state, she had no energy to cast any magic or even move five inches in front of her. What was worse was that she was starting to lose consciousness again, and with nopony around and her atrocious condition, she probably wouldn’t wake up again. However, Twilight Sparkle wasn’t the pony to just give up and perish. She had a duty to her friends and the other princesses to find a way out of this predicament and find out what the hay was going on. Alas, all of the determination in Equestria her slowly-failing body. The alicorn collapsed onto the ground again and slowly shut her eyes. It would take something less than a miracle to see her friends again.

Musical Cue

And a miracle, she received.

No soon did she close her eyes, Twilight’s ears twitched as she heard something rumble in the distance. She tried to turn her head to the origin of the noise, but her head was too weak to even move. Luckily, it was long before the source of the sound pulled up right in front of her. Upon first glance, it appeared to be a wagon of some sort, similar to Trixie’s show wagon. The only thing that puzzled her was there didn’t appear to be any harnesses in the front of it for any pony to pull it. So how exactly did it even move? The purple mare didn’t have time to figure that out before she noticed the door to the wagon open.

Three figures of varying sizes exited the wagon and began to approach her. Twilight was rather startled by the figures, not knowing if they were intending to help or hurt her. When the trio was finally before her, she could only stare up at them helplessly. The were all wearing strange robes and had masks covering their faces. Thankfully, the figures didn’t attack her right away and began to speak. Only problem was that they were conversing in a language that was completely unknown to her. Realizing that a language barrier would immense problems in any future negotiations, the alicorn had to work fast. Using every last bit of the energy she had left, Twilight cast a translation spell that she had recently mastered. She only had to hear a few sentences of the language, and she would be able to hear and speak it fluently.

“You told us we would finding someone alive. Not some…creature.” Twilight heard the largest of the figures with the horned-mask say, confirming that the spell was successful.

The smallest figure with the narrow mask then responded. “Hey, I said we might find someone alive here, just not today! And never said that we wouldn’t find a purple, winged-horse…thing. Don’t give me that look! I know you’re giving me a look under that mask!”

Twilight was still confused about what exactly they were arguing about, but they were then interrupted by the third of the trio, wearing a tall, vertical mask. “What exactly should we do? It looks like it’s barely alive.” he said in a calm tone.

The was a pause between the three of them before the large figure approached her. “Stand aside,” she spoke in a firm voice. “I will send her to a better place.” The implications of that scared the daylights out of the alicorn and suddenly found the urge to speak up.

“N-No! Please don’t hurt me!” Twilight managed to speak up, albeit in a rough, dry voices. Thankfully, it was enough to stop the horned figure from her impending attack. All of them did a double-take to confirm what they just heard.

“It…She spoke. And she seems to totally understand us.” the middle figure said. He stepped a bit closer and stared at the injured mare for a minute. It appeared that he was in deep thought. Finally, he turned to his compatriots and asked them a question. “Do you…think she could be the one?”

The horned masked woman let out tired grunt. “Hmph, highly doubtful. Even still, look at her condition. She’s beyond our help and we beyond her.” She then turned around and made her way back to the wagon. The small figure then gave the alicorn a final look over.

“Broken, shaking, starving, and probably diseased…yeah, good luck there, chum! Have fun playing vet!” The small figure then scampered past the large figure and into the wagon.

The masked woman then looked back to the remaining figure. “The day grows dim. You have best an hour.” She then made her way into the wagon.

The figure nodded and turned back to Twilight. He crouched down to her level and held up his hands. Twilight flinched away from this action, only to look back to see that he was removing the straps behind his mask. When he removed his mask, Twilight was meet with a rather familiar sight. The figure appeared to a human, similar to the humans from the dimension of Canterlot High. The human was dark-skinned and had red, scruffy hair. Along with the blue and orange robes that his compatriots also wore, he had a blue headband wrapped around his head. “Calm down, my friend. I know you must be frightened, but please allow me to help you.”

After listening to his sincere voice and seeing his smiling face, Twilight finally let her guard down. The man reached into his robes and pulled out a water flask. When he unscrewed the cap and offered it to her, the mare guzzled the water down like it was the last on the planet. While she was quenching her thirst, the man brought out some bandages and began to tend to the mare’s wounds. While she winced at the pain, Twilight knew that he needed to stop the bleeding on her forelegs. When he finished the bandaging, the man finally pulled out some berries and offered them to the alicorn. After giving them a few experimental sniffs, she ate the berries and the hunger pangs so went away. Over the course of half an hour, the man nursed the alicorn back to moderate health. Twilight shakily got back on her hooves and looked to the robbed man.

“Thank you,” she told him with a small smile. “I appreciate the help.”

The man returned the smile fully. “Glad I could be of help.” He then held out his hand towards her that reminded her how humans greeted each in their dimension. “The name’s Hedwyn.” He introduced himself.

While she was still a bit weak, the mare still was able to raise a hoof to shake his hand. “I’m Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. You’ll have to forgive me, but I’m kinda not from around here.” It was obvious that she wasn’t in Equestria anymore, given how there were humans walking around and speaking a completely different language.

Hedwyn gave a light chuckle to her response. “I’ve gathered that.” He then stood up and gestured towards the wagon. “I know you must be confused about a lot of thinks right now, but it would probably be a good idea to come back to our wagon for the night. I would be glad to explain some things in there.”

Twilight looked around to confirm that night was slowly descending across the land. The alicorn saw no sign of ill intent from the human and gave him a solid nod. Thus, Twilight entered the strange wagon with her savior. The inside of the wagon was in a rather disheveled state, though it was nothing a good hour of cleaning couldn’t fix. She also noticed that there was a sigil in the middle of the room, with the same colors as the robes Hedwyn wore. The alicorn saw the masked woman and masked creature tending to some ancient-looking books in the back of the room, which immediately peaked her interest. Hedwyn stepped forward to greet his compatriots. “I’m back.”

“And with a guest.” The large one stated, obviously referring to the purple mare. She then began to loosen her mask. When she removed it, Twilight was almost taken aback at what she saw. It turns out that the horns on her mask were not just ornamental, as long, curvy horns were actually protruding from the sides of her head, adding to the woman’s already imposing stature. Other than the strange horns, the woman was no different from any other human. She had a pale complexion with long, flowing blonde hair with a side braid added to it. “You may call me Jodariel.” she introduced herself. The woman was studying the alicorn with her ice-blue eyes, almost if she was determining a threat.

Twilight’s attention was taken away from Jodariel when the small figure moved right in front of her. “And as for myself!” the creature said as he began to remove his own mask, though he was having a more difficult time doing so. Jodariel let out a annoyed sigh and assisted the creature by yanking the mask off his face, revealing that the creature was in fact a gray dog. “YEOOOUCH,” the canine howled. “I told you to quit doing that!” The woman was rather indifferent to the dog’s protest, so he simply huffed and turned back to Twilight and donning a charming demeanor. “Ahem. As I was saying, you may regard me as Rukey Greentail!”

Twilight tilted her head at Rukey, rather fascinated by the creature’s ability to talk. “Wow, I’ve never met a dog that could talk! Especially one with such…interesting facial hair.” she said, referring to the curvy mustache located on Rukey’s upper lip.

Rukey seemed to have taken offense at what the alicorn just said. “DOG?! Who are you calling a dog?! I happen to a Cur, for your information! Ever seen a dog grow such a fantastic mustache?!” he asked, twirling his mustache for emphasis. When Twilight shook her head, the Cur huffed in satisfaction. “That’s what I thought! Anyway, where you from, sister? Last I checked, I don’t see purple horses with horns and wings trotting around here in the Downside.”

Twilight almost forgot that she had yet to introduce herself to Hedwyn’s compatriots. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. I come from a land called Equestria.” Jodariel and Rukey had dubious looks at the mention of her home, but Twilight was determined to convince them. “Look, I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s true! This wouldn’t be the first time I found myself in a different world than my own!”

“No one is doubting you here,” Hedwyn reassured her. “just tell us how exactly you ended up here.”

Twilight let out a brief sigh. “I…I…” she stuttered. When she tried to retrace the steps of how she ended up in this foreign land, it felt like her mind hit a brick wall. Try as she might, she couldn’t remember a single thing before she initially woke up in the desert outside save for one tiny detail. “I can’t remember. The last thing that comes up is waking up a bit before you guys showed up to save me. Although, I think I also remember a bright flash? I don’t know.” The mare bowed her head, somewhat ashamed of her brief amnesia.

Rukey then put in some of his own insight. “Well, I suppose that rules out the possibility that she was tossed down here from the Commonwealth. I certain don’t remember a bright flash when they threw me down here.”

Twilight perked up when she heard the unfamiliar nomenclature. “The Commonwealth? Is that the name of the land that we’re in right now? And what do you mean when you said they ‘threw you down here’?”

The trio looked among each other before Jodariel decided to speak up. “The land that which we speak of is called the Commonwealth. A country risen from the ashes of a fallen empire, founded on the principles of mercy and kinship, whose exact meaning has…changed throughout the centuries.” Rukey let out a small snicker at that last part, but immediately quieted down when Jodariel shot him an annoyed look. “However,” she continued. “This is not the Commonwealth. This land is known as the Downside. A virtually inhospitable wasteland where the Commonwealth exiles all of their criminal and enemies for the rest of their lives with no hope of return.”

The alicorn was slowly taking in what the woman had told her. “So, all three of you are…criminals?” Twilight slowly took a few steps back in newfound cautious.

However, Hedwyn was quick to reassure her of any fears that she was developing. “What we did before being exiled here matters little now. We are all equal nothings here. Just know that we have no intension of harming you or harming anybody else, unless provoked.” The purple mare began to lowered guard, seeing no ill-intent or deceit in the man’s voice.

Jodariel then pulled Hedwyn aside while still keeping a sideways glace on the mare. “Can she do it?” she asked in a hushed tone.

“Hope so,” he answered. “haven’t had the chance to ask her yet.”

“What? Then what are were waiting for?!” Rukey exclaimed and quickly went back over in front of Twilight. “Heya sister! Nice meeting you and all, but me and my pals have important question for you, you know how to read or what?”

If there was one question Twilight Sparkle never expected to hear, it would be her ability to read. The mare was almost famous for her love of books and knowledge and had even wrote a book herself along with the help of her friend, albeit with a few complications afterwards. Nevertheless, Twilight had a hard time remembering a time where books weren’t apart of her life. “Of…of course I know how to read! I’ve been reading books all my life. Why, don’t you three know how to read?”

The Cur gave an awkward scratch behind his head while Jodariel looked away from her. “This may come to a shock to you,” Hedwyn began. “but when the Commonwealth was established, literacy was completely banned. All books were burned, and anyone found were any newly printed books were sentences to exile. The ability to read has been lost, save for the select few that defy the law of the land.”

Twilight was in absolute shock at what she had just been told. It was almost like she was having a hard time believing what she’d heard with her own ears. “W-W-WHAT?!” she exclaimed. “How could they just do that?! Didn’t they realize the importance of writing down knowledge?! How does a society even function like that?! And how could they just…burn books? That’s just-“

“Easy, sister!” Rukey calmed the mare down before they were all overwhelmed by her unending questions. “I know that all of this is a bit to take in, but luckily me and my associates have some nice material just for the likes of you!”

“Reader.” Twilight then looked over to Jodariel. “You still live thanks to us. We only ask for something modest in exchange. Open one of those books back there and tell us what it says.”

“Sorry to put you on the spot like this, my friend. But we have a good feeling that the contents of those books might help with both of our problems.” Hedwyn explained.

While Twilight failed to see how a book would even begin to help her in getting back to Equestria, she also found no other reason not to comply. The purple mare made her way to the other side of the room where a single book laid upon a pedestal. The tome was covered in worn, tanned leather. In the middle was a symbol that could best be described as a misshapen star. Twilight used her magic to pick up the tome and open it to its first page. The pages were ink black with the text in shiny, gold coloring. The page on the right displayed a masked figure pointing to the same symbol on the front of the book, only this time it was outlined with eight different stars. Twilight began reading the text on the left page.

FOREWORD

A Formal Welcome Undersigned by the Eight Scribes

You, dear Reader, are an exile of the Downside, such as we, the eight who wrote this Book of Rites. That you possess it, and have capacity to glean its words, is testament enough to your potential.

Thus we reveal a path from this forsaken place, to freedom! A homecoming in glory.

The stars themselves shall be your guide. Ere the turning of the year's first solstice, seek the nearest longitude beneath the brightest of eight as they align as shown.

Arrive as a triumvirate, clad in the raiments of the Rites, bearing this Book.

Oblige the voice that tells you more.

When Twilight finished reading the page, one word stood out to her: freedom. The mare didn’t know whether it meant freedom from the Downside or freedom from this world to her own, but a spark of hope did start in her heart. If what this book said was true, then it meant that she could return to Equestria and reunite with her friends again. However, it looked like the path to this freedom would be a long and complicated one.

Twilight’s attention was taken away from the book when Hedwyn walked up to her. “Well, friend? What does it say…?”

The alicorn was about to answer him when she suddenly felt faint. Her vision became blurry and her legs were getting weak. Before she could ask for assistance, Twilight passed out.

The Rites of the Eight Scribes

Chapter 2: The Rites of the Eight Scribes

Twilight slowly opened her eyes again after passing out for the second time that day. She expected to be back inside the wagon with the three new allies she had made but was treated to something different. The alicorn was floating in an incorporeal space, darkness threatening to consume her entirely. However, light quickly illuminated the area above her, and Twilight was greeted by a breath-taking sight. In front of her was what appeared to be an enormous stained-glass window, similar to the ones that decorated Princess Celestia’s throne room. The window depicted a man donned in judge-like robes and wig. His face was covered up by a mask, although this mask had a colorful, elongated star on it, shining brightly in plethora of colors. Both of his hands were pointing downward at an enlarged version of the misshapen star symbol that was on the cover of that mysterious book. Twilight was so awe-struck by the depiction of art in front of her, she nearly jumped when she suddenly heard it talk to her.

“READER!”

A booming voice called out from the image, the star flashing with its words.

“DARE YOU TAMPER WITH FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE? SO SOON AFTER ARRIVING HERE IN THIS REALM AND LEARNING OF ITS TABOOS?”

Twilight was rather unsure how to respond to such an unseen force, but at least attempted to apologize. “I’m…I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to offend you or anyone else! I just wanted to-“

“SAVE YOUR EXCUSES WITH ME, READER. YOU ARE ALREADY FORSAKEN TO THE DOWNSIDE, ERGO YOU ALREADY MEET THE REQIREMENTS FOR EXILE STATUS IN THE EYES OF THE COMMONWEALTH. BUT THAT’S HARDLY THE REASON WE’RE HERE.”

The alicorn tilted her head what the Voice meant by such a statement.

Musical Cue - Forbidden Knowledge

“TIS TRUE WHAT THE BOOK SAYS! YOU CAN BE FREED FROM THE DOWNSIDE. PERHAP NOT YOU YOURSELF, BUT SOMEONE WORTHY OF THE PRIVILAGE.”

A light glow illuminated below Twilight, and she gazed down to the sources. She saw a giant book, opened to reveal nothing but two blank, black pages. There was a sigil on each side of the book, the right sigil being a simple white star, and the left sigil being an exact copy of the one she saw on the floor of the wagon.

“YOU WITNESS THE PATH TOWARD SALVATION. YOU WITNESS…THE RITES! THE ONE WAY TO RETURN TO GLORY! THOUGH IN YOUR CASE, I HARDLY THINK IT POSSIBLE.”

The sigils then suddenly burst into flames. The right sigil produced a light green flame, while the left one produced a blue flame.

“YET BY THE GRACE OF THE SCRIBES, IT IS MY DUTY TO INFORM YOU ANYHOW. BEHOLD YOUR TRIUMVERATE!”

As soon as the Voice finished, Twilight saw Hedwyn, Jodariel and Rukey suddenly appear by the left sigil. Each of them was donned in their robes with their respective masks on. They were also holding a copy of the book that had sent Twilight to this place. “It worked.” Hedwyn stated calmly.

“So it is true.” Jodariel muttered, sounding like she was having a hard time believing what she was seeing.

Rukey was frantically looking around, taking in his new environment. “Yeah, but, what now? Where did the Reader go?”

The mare tried to wave and call out to them, but it appeared that they couldn’t see her above them. “She should be out there still.” Hedwyn reassured his allies. “For now, we have to put our faith in her.”

“Can we? She is from another world. She could abandon us at any notice, for all we know.” Jodariel state matter-of-factly. Twilight was rather hurt with the very little faith the woman had in her, but it was quickly diminished when Hedwyn answered her.

“She won’t. I have a good feeling she’s not that type.” Hedwyn then took a few steps further and called out to the alicorn floating in the space above them. “READER…TWILIGHT! We aim to free ourselves! We will not grow old and die in the Downside! And now, I swear to you! When we get out of here, you’re coming with us and we will do everything we can to make sure you return to your home! But first, we need your help! Show us the way!”

At first, Twilight was totally lost on how she would even begin to learn how to exactly guide them all, especially when they couldn’t even see her right now. However, Twilight was not a quitter, and took a deep breath and closed her eyes to focus. She focused onto one thing: freedom. It was the goal that the four of them wanted right now, whether it be the freedom from the Downside or the freedom to return back to Equestria. Then Twilight felt it, a link that was between her and Hedwyn. The desire for freedom created a connection between the alicorn and the human, synching their minds to resonate with each other perfectly. Once the connection was secure, Twilight opened her eyes again. Though she couldn’t see it, she knew that Hedwyn had a small smirk under his mask, confirming their new connection. The mare then gave a smirk of her own.

The mare’s attention was then focused towards the middle of the field when she noticed a beam of light focusing down to a single point. An orb then came crashing down from the beam and then gently floated above the ground.

“A CELESTIAL ORB FALLS FROM THE HEAVENS WHEN THE TIME IS NIGH.”

Twilight looked at the orb for a second before realizing that the Voice probably meant for them to pick it up. Hedwyn then began to walk towards the orb, sharing the exact same thought with her. When the man got to the orb, it floated from its place on the ground and above his head.

“EXILES CONDUCT THE RITES AS A TRIUMVIRATE, FOR THEY MUST PROVE THEIR TRUST IN ONE ANOTHER, NOT JUST IN THEMSELVES.”

“THE THREE MUST ACT AS ONE!”

Twilight listen to the Voice’s instruction carefully and looked towards Rukey and Jodariel. Hedwyn gave a nod and motionless passed the orb over to Rukey. When the orb reached the Cur, the same connection to the alicorn was made once again, only this time to Rukey. “Woah,” the Cur exclaimed. “this feels weird. But kinda like in a good way! I read ya loud and clear, sister!” He then began moving around with the orb, matching Twilight’s mental mapping of his movements. The alicorn noticed that the Cur’s small stature made him very quick on his four paws.

Rukey then looked over to Jodariel and passed the orb over to her, creating the connection once again. “Hmmm,” she muttered, taking in this new feeling. “Alright then, let us make our way to victory together.” Twilight then ordered Jodariel to move around. Given her size, it was no surprise to the mare that the woman moved rather slow, though she could jolt forward occasionally. Twilight then instructed them to pass the orb among themselves to get a feel of how things worked. It looked as though only one member of the triumvirate could move with the orb at a time, while the other two stayed firmly in place. She was now starting to understand how these Rites were conducted. The Voice then gave them more instructions.

“NOW PLUNGE INTO THE PYRE WITH THE ORB, AND BE PURIFIED!”

At first, Twilight was somewhat confused at what the Voice had meant, but luckily Hedwyn had an idea of what to do. With the orb in his possession, he dashed towards the green flame on the other side of the field. When he reached the pyre, the Celestial Orb seemingly exploded as Hedwyn himself plunged into the fire, disappearing completely.

“YES! THE EXILE HEDWYN HAS THE WAY OF IT.”

After the orb exploded, Twilight looked back to the other side of the field to see that Jodariel and Rukey had returned to their original positions by the blue flame. However, the alicorn became alarmed when she saw that Hedwyn had not returned after he went into the flame. “Hedwyn!” she called. “Where are you?! Can you still hear me?! I-I still feel you but-“ The Voice then interrupted the mare’s panicking.

“PEACE TO YOU, READER! WHOEVER STEPS INTO THE FLAME IS BANISHED…FOR A TIME. HIS OR HER COHORTS MUST MAKE DO ON THEIR OWN.”

Twilight let out a sigh of relief. It appeared that Hedwyn was only temporary out of the Rites until one of the other two stepped into the flames themselves.

“O BUT IT IS NOT SO SIMPLE, DEAR READER.”

Twilight turned to see that three white figures suddenly emerged on the other side of the field. Upon closer inspection, it looked as though there all ghostly silhouettes of Hedwyn, Rukey and Jodariel. What was more interesting was that a circular area of green light manifested on the floor around each of the figures, each circle a different size. She then looked back over to see that both Jodariel and Rukey had a circle of light surround each of them as well, albeit it was blue rather than green.

“IN THE RITES YOU SHALL FACE ADVERSARIES WHOSE OWN FREEDOM IS AT STAKE. BEWARE THE AURA THAT SURROUNDS THEM, AS THEY SHALL BEWARE YOURS.”

The white shadow of Hedwyn then slowly walked forward towards the Celestial Orb that had reappeared in the center of the field. When it picked up the orb, the “aura” surrounding it retracted from itself and disappeared. After seeing this, the alicorn had an idea of what she was supposed to do. After connecting to Jodariel, Twilight guided her to walk towards the shadow holding the orb. When the edge of the aura around the woman made contact with the shadow, it completely dissolved away, causing the orb to drop to the ground. Twilight could only assume that the shadow was now banished. The shadow of Jodariel then slowly moved towards the orb to pick it up.

“THE AURA IS YOUR WRONGDOING, ACCEPT IT AS A PART OF YOU! CAST YOUR AURA LIKE A STONE AND BANISH THE ADVERSARY!”

Twilight thought for a second, and then instructed Jodariel to focus her energy towards her doppelganger. As the large woman focused her energy, the aura around her retracted towards her, meaning that her aura was completely at her center. When she finally released her cast, the aura then jetted forward in a single direction and hit the shadow, banishing it. The mare smiled at the successful attack and noticed that Jodariel’s aura returned back around her. The shadow of Rukey then ran towards the fallen orb to pick it up. Twilight and Jodariel followed the same motions again and casted the aura at the shadow to banish it, leaving the right side of the field completely empty.

“WELL DONE. A GLORIOUS PERFORMANCE, I MUST ADMIT. MORE THAN I EXPECTED FROM THE LIKES OF YOU.”

The alicorn didn’t have time to respond to the Voice’s passing insult before she saw that all three of the shadows had returned to the field. Jodariel was quick to react and quickly picked up the orb before any of them could claim it. However, the shadows instead decided congregate around their own pyre. Once they had gathered around it, their auras seemingly glopped together to form one, big area of aura completely covering the area around the pyre. It didn’t take a genius to realize that there was no way Jodariel or Rukey could simply walk to the pyre without being banished.

“ADVERSARIES BANISHED BY THE AURA WILL RETURN AFTER A SHORT PERIOD. THE ORB ABSORBS THE AURA, THEN THE ORB QUENCHES THE FLAME.”

“NOW JUMP! JUMP INTO THE ADVERSARIES PYRE WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH!”

The instructions were clear. Jodariel took a few steps back, rushed forward and jumped towards her target. Twilight had to admit, the woman could jump a far distance for someone of her great stature. Jodariel easily reached her target and disappeared right into the pyre, causing the flames to shrink down from its original size. Back to the other side of the field, Hedwyn had returned from his temporary banishment and took Jodariel’s place.

“NOW, USE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED AND SNUFF OUT THE ENEMY’S PYRE WHILE YOURS YET BURNS. DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU ARE INDEED WORTHY OF FREEDOM!”

With the adversary’s pyre half gone, Twilight know it was time for her to finish this trial. Rukey dashed forward a breakneck speed and picked up the orb. One of the shadows advanced towards the Cur in an attempt to banish him, but Rukey simply maneuvered around it and made a leap into the pyre. The alicorn noticed that Rukey only made a small amount of damage to the flames compared to his allies, most likely due to his small stature.

When the orb returned to the center, the shadows went on the offense and rushed to grab the orb. However, Jodariel was able to cast her large aura at the shadow and banish it before it could reach the prize. The woman then lunged towards to the orb to claim it, and the casted her aura again. Due to the massive area of her aura, she was able to banish both of the remaining two shadows at the same time. Thus, there was no stopping Jodariel from making a bee-line straight for the pyre and jumping right into it.

The green flame was barely flickering now, and Twilight knew it would only take one more hit for the pyre to finally be doused. Rukey attempted to go for the orb once again, but one of the shadows had already casted its aura and banished the Cur. The alicorn reacted fast and switched over to Hedwyn. After banishing one of the shadows, Hedwyn grabbed the orb and quickly dodged one of the slowly-encroaching shadows. All that stood in the way of winning this was the massive shadow of Jodariel. After some quick thinking, the alicorn figured out a plan. With a smile under his mask, Hedwyn began to circle around the massive shadow. Right before the shadow casted its aura to intercept him, the man made a quick heel turn and jumped around behind it. The shadow was too slow to react as Hedwyn made one last dash to the pyre and jumped again. As Hedwyn dived into the flames, it dissipated into nothing, leaving behind the empty white sigil.

“AND IT IS DONE! THE RITE IS NOW COMPLETE!”

Twilight couldn’t help but pump her hoof in the air as she savored her first of hopefully many victories in these Rites. Both the shadows and her allies disappeared from the field and said field was covered up again in the encroaching darkness. With nothing else to grab her attention, the alicorn pulled her gaze back to the stained-glass window, where the Voice was quick to respond.

“THERE, DEAR READER, NOW YOU UNDERSTAND. OR DO YOU? THIS WAS JUST A GLIMPSE AT WHAT IS AHEAD FOR YOU. AFTER WITNESSING ALL THAT, DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU ARE UP TO THE TASK? DO YOU HONESTLY THINK YOU CAN SAVE THOSE EXILES, LETALONE YOURSELF?”

The purple mare was admittedly taken aback by the Voice’s claims. Could she really to this? The alicorn was in a world that was completely alien to her, and it wasn’t exactly the most hospitable environment at that. It also wouldn’t be the first time the mare’s own self-doubt caused her to make easy mistakes. However, before her mind delved deeper into the realm of “what ifs”, she thought back to what Hedwyn had said before the Rite. He made a promise that him, Jodariel and Rukey what help her get home if she helped them leave the Downside. She wasn’t exactly should how that would exactly happen, but the alicorn could sense determination in Hedwyn’s resolve. He had saved her life, and now it was time to return the favor.

“Listen,” the alicorn started. “I don’t exactly who you are, and I may not completely understand this world and its customs, but I’m not going to give up just because it might be difficult! Back in the world I’m from, there were a lot of times where it seemed like I was going to lose everything and everypony I loved. But I had friends that would help and support me, and I was able to save my home and defeat those that would try to destroy it! I know it may seem like I may never get back to my world, but Hedwyn thinks that it’s possible. And I have no reason to doubt him! So whatever these Rites throw at me, I’m ready for it! You hear me?!” At first, the was a complete silence in the air until it was broken by a dark chuckle.

“OH READER, YOUR DETERMINATION IS ALMOST CHARMING. ALMOST MAKES ME WANT TO BELIEVE YOU ARE INDEED RIGHT…ALMOST.”

Twilight’s vision then began to feel hazy and then completely black out, but not before hearing some final word from the Voice.

“I WOULD TELL YOU TO TURN BACK. CAST DOWN YOUR HOPE OF SEEING YOUR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES EVER AGAIN. BUT ALL THOSE SUCH AS YOU?...”

“YOU NEVER LISTEN.”

Musical Cue - Surviving Exile

Twilight slowly open her eyes again and shook her head to get rid of the remaining dizziness. Gazing around, she sees that she’s back in the wagon again. She also notices that the other three are also picking themselves off the ground as well. Rukey lets out a small groan and rubs the back of his head. “Well…that was something.” he plainly stated.

“That was our way out.” said Hedwyn as he got back on his feet again. He looked down at his mask in his hands, clearly in deep thought. “If we compete in these Rites and win, we could finally leave this place and start our lives again.” He then looked over to the alicorn. “And with Twilight’s help, I think we have shot at this.”

“So, what now? Do we look to the stars now?” Rukey asked Hedwyn, though it looked like the man wasn’t entirely sure himself.

“Supposedly.” Jodariel said as she finally got back her bearings. “Reader! Come, let us regard the night sky.”

Not wanting to keep her waiting, Twilight followed Jodariel out of the wagon and back out into the desert. Night had covered the landscape, making it much more bearable for the alicorn to be outside. She looked up to the sky to see hundreds of small, twinkling lights peppered across it. “So, what are we looking for?” the mare asked the horned woman. “There must be hundreds of stars up there. How do we know which one is the one we’re looking for?”

“Look closely,” the woman advised. “If you really are as special as they say you are, then they should reveal themselves to you. Now show us, before the howlers catch our scent. Where shall the Rites commence?”

Twilight took her advise to heart and began to deeply scan the night sky. After scanning for about a minute, she noticed something that stood out. Once of the stars in the sky was a bright, gold color, making it stand out among its mates. The alicorn then began to focus on the golden star and noticed that it began to twinkle. After fully focusing on that single star, it blinked, and a new location projected itself into Twilight’s mind. Some hidden instinct in her mind told her that this was where they had to go next. “There, that star.” the mare said as she pointed out the star to Jodariel.

“Gol, the South Star.” the woman confirmed. “Hm, two hundred leagues east. That should bring us to the Ridge of Gol. If wait make haste, then we should be able to make it in time.”

“Then what are we waiting for?!” Twilight looked over to see that Rukey and Hedwyn had joined them outside. The Cur then walked over to Jodariel’s side. “Well! This ought to be good for a few good laughs at least! What do you say, Jodi?”

The horned woman didn’t answer him and turned to face Twilight again. After a moment of intensely studying the alicorn, she let out a huff. “Reader. It would be wise not to deceive us. Pray that we make good use of our remaining time.” She then made her way back inside the wagon.

Rukey was quick to make up for Jodariel’s directness. “What she means is, glad to have you aboard, sister! I have a good feeling that this will be the start of a beautiful partnership!” The Cur then followed Jodariel into the wagon, leaving only Hedwyn and Twilight outside.

“We’re counting on you, my friend. But I have faith in you, and I know that we’ll all leave this place together. I’ll see you inside.” The man then followed his compatriots inside, leaving Twilight along to contemplate her situation.

It was certainly a lot to take. She had only been in this strange world for a few hours and already she would be responsible for the liberation of beings that she just met. All because reading, the greatest passion in her life, just so happened to a crime with extreme punishments. The alicorn was admittedly still a little intimidated by all this, but then she remembered what this was all for. Freedom…freedom for Hedwyn and his allies to leave this wasteland and freedom for her to return to Equestria. These Rites were the key, and so Twilight would have to master them if she ever wished to see her friends and her home again. With one final sigh, Twilight walked back to the wagon to join her new allies on this brand, new adventure.

When she got inside, she saw that the trio were preparing for the wagon to get moving once again. The mare figured that this was a good time to ask a question that had been on her mind. “So, how exactly does this wagon even move without anypony up front to pull it?”

Rukey gave the alicorn a small grin at her question. “Oh, well let’s just say that the Drive Imps are more than happy to let off a bit of energy for us.” Twilight was confused at what the Cur was referring to before she looked up to see what he was gesturing towards. In the upper corner of the room, there were a bunch of small, fluffy creatures grouped together. Upon closer inspection, the creatures looked like red, fuzzy balls, with pointed ears and sharp teeth. The creatures then retreated from their corner and scurried into a small opening in the floor. As the mare walked over and looked down into the opening, she saw that the creatures were running on various treadmills and wheels that were all connected to a singular source of power. The wagon then rumbled to life and began to move forward.

Twilight looked out the window to see that the wagon was well on its way out of the unforgiving desert. There was a small part inside of the mare that was a small bit excited to see what new environments awaited her on this journey. Sure, it would be dangerous, but it wouldn’t be the first time she visited some less-than-safe places back in Equestria. Twilight’s train of thought was interrupted as she noticed Hedwyn walking up behind her.

“Hey, I just wanted to say thanks again for all of this. I know I kinda put you on the spot and everything but looks like I was right about you. And I meant what I said back there. I swear to you that once we all get out of this place together, we’ll make sure to get you back to your home, no matter what it takes. Does that sound good to you?”

The alicorn gave a soft smile at the man’s determination toward the final goal of the journey. She felt a lot better about her situation if she was going to be traveling with someone with his spirit. “Hey, if there’s one think that you should know about me, it’s that Twilight Sparkle is always there for her friends. So, let’s all win these Rites together!”

Hedwyn’s face lit up in a bright grin at the mare’s implication she had made. It looked like the alicorn had just made her first friend in this new world.

“Welcome to the Nightwings, Twilight.”

The First Step of a Long Journey

Chapter 3: The First Step of a Long Journey

Musical Cue - Downside Ballad

If there was at least one thing about the Downside that genuinely impressed Twilight, it was how drastically its landscape could change over only a single day of travel. After departing in the automated wagon (which was apparently dubbed the blackwagon), it only took half of day for Twilight and the trio to leave the inhospitable desert. After Twilight woke up from a long rest that she had desperately needed, she looked out the wagon window to see an entirely different environment. Instead of miles of lifeless wasteland, the alicorn was greeted with a vast plain that was completely green, with a few hills peaking over the horizon. The temperature was much more moderate and more pleasant than the desert, making life much more viable here. When the mare asked her new compatriots about this place, they told it was called the Downside Prairie.

“Yeah, it’s pretty, but don’t get too used to it.” Rukey explained to her. “The further north you go in the Downside, the less cozy it gets. This is where most of the exiles go live, if you can really call it living.”

Twilight was having a hard time telling if Rukey was being sarcastic about that last remark, but a the very least she wasn’t dying of dehydration in this new area, so it was fine by her.

Speaking of Rukey and the others, Twilight was beginning to learn a little more about the trio she was travelling with. They had all changed out of their raiments for the Rites and traversed inside the wagon in what appeared to be their normal attire.

Along with the blue headband around his forehead, Hedwyn had on a plain, grey shirt and pants that would make Rarity gag. But thankfully, he also donned a red cloak on top that seem to pull the outfit all together quite nicely. The man seemed to be the cook of the blackwagon, as he was able to turn some normally foul ingredients into a (somewhat) edible breakfast that morning. Hedwyn was definitely the heart of the group, always making sure was motivated to keep on going.

Jodariel was obviously the muscle for the wagon, and she certainly dressed for the part. Instead of traditional clothing, the horned-woman was donned in a sturdy set of armor, complete with a metal chest plate, armored leggings and bracers. The armor was complemented with a red scarf around her neck and a blue cape that was connected by an official-looking broach. It was obvious that she had a career in the military before her exile. The horned woman didn’t talk very much, though didn’t appear that she had any distain for anyone in the wagon.

Then there was Rukey, who actually lived up to his last name as the tip of his tail was in fact green. He wore a purple tunic that hugged the Cur’s front legs and waist, complete with a tattered, purple cape. He had an arrangement of medallions around his neck, with the center metal having a pawprint on it. The most prominent feature was the golden, doggy-bone necklace that dangled across his chest, which he explained was an old family heirloom. Twilight couldn’t exactly pinpoint what Rukey’s role of the wagon was, aside from maybe comic relief. However, there was something about his charisma and approachability that reminded the mare of the merchants back in Equestria. Nevertheless, the Cur provided good company, so she didn’t find it hard to believe that Hedwyn and Jodariel would keep him around.

However, the one thing that Twilight couldn’t wrap her hoof around was the “guest” they had travelling with them. In the corner of the wagon, there was a man draped in a black cloak that appeared to be resting. When Twilight tried to talk or interact with him, the mysterious gave no response and continued resting. When Twilight asked about the man, Hedwyn told her that the trio found him collapsed on the ground during their travels and took him in out of good will. Ever since then, the man didn’t speak to any of them or even moved from the corner he was resting in. Hedwyn said that based on his attire, the man was a minstrel of some sort. The alicorn just nodded and made a mental note to keep an eye on him, jut to be safe.

Overall, Twilight was rather impressed with the trio as a whole. Despite having different personalities and quirks, they seemed rather content with traveling together in this harsh environment. Sure, the alicorn was stuck in this strange, harsh world, but at the very least she was with those who understood the concept of companionship and understanding. It almost felt like that they were all going the same direction on the path towards their freedom. That is, until the blackwagon came to a halt at a fork in the road. Twilight looked over to see that Rukey and Jodariel were arguing about which way they should proceed.

“I’m telling you we ought to take the northern pass! Got an associate holed up in Hollowroot that I got to pay a visit to, anyway!” Rukey demanded.

“Fie on your associate.” Jodariel dismissed him. “Best we head to Bloomingpool and avoid attention.”

“Yeah and get stuck in a bog while we’re at it!” the Cur countered.

Originally, Twilight planned to just stay on the sideline and let them work it out among themselves. Afterall, she was the newcomer here, and she didn’t want to impose. However, it looked like Hedwyn had different ideas. “What if Twilight settles this? She marks the way, we get us there.”

Both Rukey and Jodariel gave a confused look at the man’s proposition. Even Twilight was surprised by this. “Wait, what?” the alicorn questioned. “Why would you want me to tell you which way we should go? It seems like you guys know the landscape a lot better than me. I’d hate for me to accidently…get us lost.” It was that self-doubt again that was bugging Twilight in the back of mind again, even though she did everything she could to ignore it.

“Listen,” Hedwyn began explaining to his compatriots. “If these Rites are meant to test our faith, then we’d best learn to trust our Reader’s instinct along the path.” He then turned back to Twilight. “And you won’t get us lost. We’ll just give you different directions with different opportunities that will still lead us to where we need to go, and you’ll just weigh your options and make a decision.” The man then referred to everyone in the wagon. “No second guessing ourselves along the way. Can we all live with that for now?”

Both of them were silent for a moment, which did not help with the mare’s growing anxiety. Could they really trust and outsider such as herself with something like this? She got her answers in the form of two simple replies.

“…Yeah, sure.” said Rukey.

“If necessary.” replied Jodariel.

“Then it’s settled!” Hedwyn announced with a grin. He looked over the purple mare. “Just point the way, my friend. The stars guide us through you. Do you want to go north and have Rukey meet with his associate in the nearby settlement, or would you prefer taking Jodariel’s way and keep our heads low?”

Twilight took a deep breath and looked out the window at the forked path. While the trio was willing to let her choose their next course, she doubted that they would give her hours to decide. Therefore, she had to make a decision based on the little information she was given. Rukey sounded confident that his associate would be at Hollowroot, and there was a highly likelihood that said associate could assist them on their travels. The only problem was that it would mean Twilight would probably have to reveal herself to other exiles as well. The alicorn would probably gain a lot of attention in this land with her being out of place in this world, and attention in a land full of criminal would probably lead to complications. She knew that they would be facing other exiles in the Rites, so revealing herself would be inevitable. However, she at least wanted to be at low profile as much as possible until then.

“Look, I think it would probably be best if we go to Bloomingpool. I’m still new to this world, and my presence would gather a lot of attention on us. So, I think it’s best if we just avoid others at the time. Sorry Rukey.” Twilight looked to Rukey and Jodariel to gauge their reaction to her choice.

Rukey let out small sigh, though it didn’t sound like he was that disappointed. “Alright, Bloomingpool it then, sister. Don’t worry about it, okay? No hard feelings!”

Jodariel gave a nod and proceeded to get the blackwagon started again. Once everything was running, the wagon then went south towards the woman’s choice of destination. As the wagon travelled forward, the landscape started to lose some its lush greenery and transitioned into a more bog-like state. Amongst the dwindling vegetation, there were multiple steaming pools of a bubbling liquid that almost looked like water. The path that the wagon was on was also starting to become bumpier, causing the vehicle to slow down its pace. Twilight was a bit surprised when the wagon made a sudden stop in the middle of the bog. Did they get stuck just like Rukey predicted?

“Reader,” Jodariel said approaching the alicorn. “come with me outside for a while. There are some things I would like to show you.” The woman then motioned to the wagon exit. The purple mare was a bit confused about what Jodariel wanted to show her, but her curiosity about this new world got the better of her and she agreed to follow the horned woman outside the wagon.

The two headed outward, making sure to avoid any of the bubbling pools. When they arrived at a small patch of vegetation, the woman crouched down and began rummaging through the patch, seemingly looking for something specific. As the alicorn watched the horned woman work, she realized that this may be a good time for her some of the questions she had about the inhabitants of this world.

“Um, Jodariel? Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” The woman didn’t turn around to look at the alicorn but did give a nod for confirmation. “It’s just that…like I said yesterday, I’ve been to other world before. So I do know that Hedwyn is a human, but I don’t-“

“Nomad.” Jodariel interrupted her.

“What?” Twilight question what she had said.

“The men and women who are casted down from the Commonwealth and end up here are known as Nomads. That is what Hedwyn is.”

The mare started to understand, but still had another question. “So…does that make you a Nomad too?”

Jodariel stopped what she was doing and looked over her shoulder at the nervous looking mare. “Once, I was.” she answered. “But after many years living in the Downside, the exiles become transformed by it. Horns begin to protrude from their heads, becoming longer as the years go by. We are known as Demons, and I have been here fore a very long time, Reader.”

Twilight couldn’t help but give a look of pity towards the woman. Exile from home and loved ones seemed bad enough, but it looked like there were more consequences to the sentencing that she imagined. “I’m…I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to bring up a sensitive topic.” the mare apologized.

“Do not be. It bothers me very little nowadays. Now, allow me to ask you a question.” The Demon stood back up and looked down at the mare with her arms folded. “What exactly is your opinion about me, Reader. Are you afraid of me?”

Twilight folded her wings tightly against her at the question. Of course, she was rather intimidating, what with her size and horns, but Twilight still wasn’t exactly sure whether or not she was afraid of the Demon. From looking at her awaiting gaze, the purple mare also couldn’t tell if Jodariel was looking for a specific answer. Therefore, Twilight decided to just tell her the truth about her feelings.

“Well, you definitely are intimidating,” she began. “I would be lying if I said that I was somewhat taken aback by your appearance when we first met. But I wouldn’t say that I’m…afraid of you. You three saved me from dying out in that desert, and I truly appreciate that. And I also thought that we had good synergy when we worked together in that ‘practice’ Rite. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is, you look frightening, but I feel like I don’t have to be frighten of you.”

The Demon just stood there, processing the alicorn’s answer, before giving a response. “Hmm, very well. I suppose that is an adequate answer. This appearance of intimidation is no accident, Reader. I find it that striking fear into others makes living easier here in the Downside. However, seeing how we will be working together in the foreseeable future, I will not take offense at your lack of fear. Now then…” Jodariel pulled out a black flower that she must have picked while searching in the patch. “This is known as blackbloom. It is a rather rare and valuable flower in the Downside, therefore selling it to the right buyer could potentially pay for over half our trip. Let us return back.”

Jodariel stowed the flower in her pouch and made her way back to the blackwagon, with Twilight following close behind her. The alicorn was glad that she accepted the horned woman’s offer to venture out with her. Not just because they found something of great value, but also because the mare now had a better understanding of her new ally. Something that would definitely be useful during this adventure. When the two made it back to the wagon, the group started back up towards the location of the next Rite.

As the wagon was getting closer to its next destination, the members of the group were occupied with their own tasks. Hedwyn was polishing the pans that he used for his cooking, Jodariel was adjusting the braid she had on the side of her hair, Rukey was performing some self-grooming for his mustache, and the mysterious minstrel was still resting in the corner. All of which left Twilight alone on the other side of the room with no one to converse with. The alicorn was about wonder what she could do to pass the time, before she remembered that there was a book in her general vicinity that she had not read cover to cover yet. She trotted over to the collection of old books and picked up the one that she read earlier with her magic. Although the Book of Rites was thick with many pages, the mare couldn’t gain access to all its content. It was almost if the pages were magically sealed for the time being. The only two sections that she could access at the moment was the Foreword that she had read previously and the first part of Chapter One. Frustrating as it was, the purple decided to just read the parts of the book that was available to her now.

Musical Cue - Life Sentence

Twilight then opened the book to the cover page of the first chapter.

Chapter One: The Emperor’s Fall

In the Words of Gol Golathanian, the Master-General

On every second page of the chapter was an illustration of a man wearing a garment of brown and gold while also donning a silver, vertical helmet that was identical in shape with Hedwyn’s mask. Twilight could only assume that the man was the author of the chapter, Gol Golathanian. The alicorn then went over the introduction to the chapter.

You know perhaps the thrice-cursed name of Soliam Murr, the Emperor of Sahr, the first exile, and my Liege.

This chapter concerns him and those who found him in the Downside. Each of us was sent to take his life, such was the hatred for him in and around his country.

Yet, we found in Soliam Murr a man transformed, in body, mind, and spirit. A man deserving of much more than mercy.

In time he named us all his Scribes, and he became the eighth. It is my greatest honor now to share with you his deeds.

To know his story is to know the Rites…

Twilight read that Golathanian was the chief general to the emperor’s grand army, and an efficient one at that. The Master-General had led his army to conquer many nations and countries beyond the Sahr Empire in the name of Emperor Murr. Although Murr himself hardly cared for this, as he was only concerned with the personal matters before him. He was a greedy and selfish ruler and had no concern over the people that were suffering over his rule. Golathanian noted that Murr’s Empire was on the verge of crumbling under him, but there was one final push that made it happen.

Murr’s eldest and most trusted aide, known as Khaylmer Rope-Caller, told the emperor of a treasure that was worthy of his status. The artifact was known as the Celestial Orb, which was hiding somewhere deep in the Downside. Twilight recognized the Celestial Orb as the same orb that was used during the practice Rite. Murr soon became obsessed with acquiring the Orb for himself and began a personal crusade to retrieve it. the emperor was so captivated by acquiring this treasure, he was completely blind to the Rope-Caller’s machinations.

When the emperor left his throne for the Downside to acquire the Orb, Golathanian could only watch on as his beloved country fell apart at the seams. With the emperor’s disappearance, came chaos and destruction that left the country in an even worst state than during Murr’s reign. It wasn’t until Khaylmer “coincidently” stepped in and filled the empty throne, appearing as a savior to the people. The Rope-Caller’s first order was to assemble a search for the former emperor, made up of warriors, fortune-seekers and scholars, to ensure that he would never return to power again.

Twilight desperately wanted to read the rest of the chapter, but it was unfortunately sealed away from her. It looked like she would have to be patient if she wanted to read the rest. From what she did read, it sounded like the country was under a less-than-desirable leader before it was established as the Commonwealth. It honestly wasn’t anything new for Twilight; she had seen evil and selfish rulers before in the forms of King Sombra and Queen Chrysalis. The strange thing was the way Golathanian wrote about the former emperor. Rather than sounding spiteful and angry towards the one who lead his country to ruin, Murr was portrayed in a sympathetic and sorrowful tone. Did Golathanian still feel some sense of respect for his liege, even with all of his transgressions? She also found it rather curious on how the book said to know the story of the emperor was to know the Rite. How did the story of a greed emperor correlate to something that gave freedom to the exiled?

What exactly happened to Soliam Murr during his journey in the Downside?

Twilight was so caught up in thought, she didn’t hear the footsteps that approached her.

“Getting lost in your studies?”

Twilight looked backed up in surprise and turned her head to see that it was Hedwyn who asked her the question. She also noticed that the Nomad was also wearing his blue and orange raiments and had his mask in his hands. “Sorry,” Twilight said. “sometimes I get caught up in reading that I don’t really notice the passage of time. Why are you wearing the raiments again?”

Hedwyn gave a small chuckle. “We arrived at our destination about five minutes ago. Everyone else is outside waiting for you. If we read the stars right, then the next Rite should be starting very soon. I’ll see you outside.” He then walked out of the wagon to join the others.

Twilight closed the Book of Rites and looked over the symbol on the front. The would be the first official Rite she would be participating in. She wouldn’t be facing shadows this time. Other exiles would arrive tonight to try and gain their freedom as well. The thought did intimidate the mare a little, but this quickly dissipated as she put on a determined look. The others were counting on her and she wasn’t going to let them down. With the Book in her possession, Twilight exited the blackwagon, ready to take the first step towards freedom.

The Rite of Accusations

Chapter 4: The Rite of Accusations

Musical Cue - The Eight Scribes

Twilight walked out of the wagon and was met with the refreshing breeze of the night air. It appeared that while the alicorn was busy reading the Book, the group had set up the blackwagon as a makeshift campsite for the night. She then looked up to see that they had reached their destination: The Ridge of Gol.

The Ridge was made up of an orange mineral, giving off the allusion of golden glow emanating from the tall landmark. While it definitely looked like any typical ridge she could find back in Equestria, but there were a few details that were rather odd. On one side of the Ridge, it looked like there were long, sharp teeth similar to that of a dragon carved out of the rock and there was a trail of smoke coming out of the one of the openings. On the other side, it looked as though the Ridge had a long, curvy horn coming out of the side. If the alicorn really stretched her imagination, the Ridge of Gol kind of looked like the head of a giant serpent. Nevertheless, the Ridge was rather impressive, and the mare could see why the Rites would be held in a place like this.

Now that she was finished admiring the scenery, Twilight went off to find where Hedwyn, Jodariel and Rukey went off to. Thankfully, she didn’t have to look long as she found them not too far from the camp. The three of them were group together under the Ridge, donned in their raiments and masks in hand. They also all had the copies of the Book that they needed to perform in the Rites.

“Keep telling you there’s nothing here!” Rukey exclaimed. “What a bunch of idiots we are.”

“If we traveled all this way for nothing…” Jodariel grumbled, clearly impatient about what was to come.

“Hey,” Twilight greeted them. “Are you guys okay? What are frustrated about?”

The Cur answered her, with no lack cynicism in his voice. “Well sister, we followed the stars’ direction to a tee, arrived at the time that we were supposed to show up, and lo and behold, there’s nothing here! I swear, if this turned out to be some kind of ancient elaborate joke, I’m going to be both upset and impressed, BUT MOSTLY UPSET!”

Jodariel then looked over to Hedwyn. “We should go now before the howlers arrive. There is clearly nothing here for us.”

Hedwyn looked up to night sky and smiled. “I wouldn’t say that,” he said. “Look up.”

The other three joined Hedwyn’s gaze and saw something breathtaking. High above the night sky, there was a group of eight stars of varying colors, surrounded by a blue halo. At first, it looked like the stars were arranged in no particular order, until a line of light began to connect the stars to form the familiar star-symbol that was on the cover of the Book of Rites. The symbol then shined brightly in the night sky, covering the field nearby in a fantastic light.

This was more than enough evidence for Twilight to know that the Rites had begun.

As the group made there way to the lite up field, Twilight began to hear a familiar voice.

“READER! THE STARS ALIGN AT LAST!”

Twilight frantically looked up to the sky to find where the Voice was coming from this time.

“YOU REACHED THE RIDGE OF GOL, AT THE APPOINTED TIME, AND YOUR TRIUMVERATE IS READY. MAKE HASTE TO THE FIELD!”

The alicorn stopped looking up when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over to see it was Hedwyn giving her a comforting look. “Don’t worry about him, my friend. Just focus at what’s in front of you.”

Twilight still looked a bit anxious, but she eventually nodded her head and followed Hedwyn to catch up with the others. When they all reached the field, Twilight noticed the same sigil located at the blackwagon at their feet. She then scanned the field to see that there were small mounds scattered throughout, giving the impression that they were meant to be obstacles. On the other side, there was another sigil, however the mare couldn’t see what it was from her angle.

YOUR ADVERSARIES IN THE RITES THIS EVE SHALL BE: THE ACCUSERS!

At the Voice’s announcement, three figures emerged from the darkness on the other side and took their positions near their sigil. Each of them wore the same thing: raiments colored in brown and gold and wearing the same vertical mask that Hedwyn was wearing. Judging by the fact that they were wearing the same mask as Hedwyn, Twilight hypothesized that all three of her opponents were Nomads.

“WHOSEVER PYRE YET BURNS ONCE THE OTHER IS EXSTIGUISHED SHALL STEP CLOSER TO FREEDOM.”

“NOW LET THE RITES COMMENCE!”

Suddenly, two fireballs plummeted from the sky and towards both of the sigils on the field. The one that hit on Twilight’s side cause the sigil to light with a blue flame, while the sigil on the other side lit up with a golden one. The stars were aligned, and both the pyres burned brightly. The Rite was ready to begin.

“Get ready everyone.” Said Hedwyn, putting on his mask.

“Alright, I guess we’re really doing this.” Rukey stated somewhat shakily as he too put on his mask. The mare looked to see that Jodariel had followed suit. “Hopefully when we step into that fire, we’ll come back like we did when we got sucked into that book. Hehe.” The gave nervous laugh.

Twilight was about to tell Rukey about how it should be fine, but then Jodariel silenced them all. “Be still, we have a visitor.”

The mare looked to see that one of the Nomads (the tallest of the three) had crossed the field to their side. At first, they were silent for a few moments before finally deciding to speak up.

“At last, the Nightwings graces us with their presence.” came an old, grizzled voice. “I see that the reports of your demise have been exaggerated after all. Even I was beginning to think you were gone for good.”

The man then removed his mask to reveal that he was a Nomad, just like Twilight predicted. He looked to be an aging man, with his light blue hair looking like it was in the transition of turning white. His had a fair share of wrinkles and cuts, while a permanent scowl was plastered on his face. “Surprised to see old Lendal again?” he unintentionally introduced himself. “I trust you remember my face, though you must have assumed never to see it again after last time. Never had I come so close to freedom, only for you to dash my hopes.”

Based on the confused looks that the trio were giving each other, Twilight could tell that they were unfamiliar with Lendal, or even the Accusers for that matter. Perhaps Lendal wasn’t referring to Hedwyn, Jodariel and Rukey specifically, but instead was referring to the triumvirate of the Nightwings instead. When Hedwyn welcomed her into the Nightwings, the purple mare just assumed that the Nomad coined the name himself. But it appeared that the Nightwings were around long before Hedwyn had taken the mantle.

“Eh, listen chum,” Rukey tried explaining. “we not really-“

The Cur was interrupted when Jodariel raised her hand to silence him. The Demon clearly didn’t want to give the adversary too much information on them.

It was then Lendal finally took notice of Twilight, who was by this pint trying to somewhat hide away behind the trio. “You.” he pointed towards the alicorn. “I’ve been in this accursed land for longer than I care to admit, but I’ve yet to see something of the likes of you. What are you supposed to be?”

Twilight was a bit hesitant about whether or not she should answer his question, but after considering her options, maybe it was time to show a bit more determination in her new role. “I’m…I’m Twilight. I’m the Reader for the Nightwings.”

The scowl on Lendal’s face became deeper. “So, the Nightwings are at the point of desperation where they are recruiting such…abominations.” He then took a few steps towards the alicorn in a threatening manner. “These Rites are only meant for men deserving of freedom from this hellhole. Lowly creatures like yourself don’t deserve to breathe the same air as me, let alone be allowed to participate in these Rites.”

The purple was beginning to feel uncomfortable around the man and the pseudo-threats against her. Thankfully, Jodariel stepped in front of the Nomad to block him from Twilight. “I would suggest you return to your side if we wish to begin anytime soon.” The Demon’s imposing size and menacing tone was more than enough to convince Lendal to take a few steps back, though he still gave the alicorn a death glare.

“Hmm, very well. The Accusers and I will just have to prove your inferiority. Prepare to be vanquished, Nightwings!” Lendal then shoved his mask back onto his face and rushed back to the other side of the field.

After the Nomad retreated, the mare let out a sigh of relief. The man was far too intense for her liking. Would all of the adversaries be this hostile towards her and her triumvirate?

“Reader,” Jodariel said to Twilight. “Go to that hill overlooking the field over there. That should give you a decent enough vantage point for you to guide us during the Rite.”

“You got this, my friend.” Hedwyn gave the mare some final words of encouragement.

Twilight looked over to the hill Jodariel was pointing towards and began to head there herself. When she reached the top, the alicorn had a perfect view from one side of the field to the other. From this angle, Twilight was able to see the sigil of their pyre; a broken scale. While looking at the pyre, she saw a field of aura surround each member of the Accusers. The alicorn looked over to the other side to see that aura had surrounded the members of the Nightwings. Suddenly, the Book of Rites floated from under the mare’s wing and hovered before her. The Book then open to reveal a set of glowing pages. Twilight then felt the same connection to Hedwyn as the one back in the tutorial Rite.

Musical Cue - Path to Glory

She was now properly set to guide the Nightwings to victory. At last, a beam of light shot down to the middle of the field and the Celestial Orb fell to the ground.

BEGIN!

Lendal wasted no time in rushing towards the orb to pick it up. However, he had used all his stamina just to reach the orb, leaving him defenseless as Hedwyn casted his aura and banished him. Twilight then switched over to Rukey and watched as the Cur dashed to pick up the orb and make his way over to the Accuser’s pyre. Unfortunately, one of the other Accusers blocked the Cur and cast his aura right at him. Luckily, Rukey passed the orb back to Hedwyn before he was banished. Hedwyn used this opportunity quick circle around the Accusers and plunged into the fire.

HAVE THE ACCUSERS UNDERESTIMATED YOU, OR WAS IT PERHAPS DUMB LUCK YOU DIVED INTO THE PYRE FIRST?

Both triumvirates returned to their sides to the field, save for Hedwyn who was banished for this round. When the orb returned to the center, Twilight switched to Jodariel and slowly made her way to it. When one of the Accusers tried to get to the orb, the Demon casted her wide aura to banish him. Twilight then ordered Jodariel to seek shelter behind one of the mounds to avoid incoming aura casts and switched to Rukey. While Lendal and his teammate closed in on Jodariel with their auras, the Cur circled behind them and banished them both with two quick aura casts. With the field cleared, there was nothing to stop Jodariel from rushing to the pyre and stepping inside.

“THE ORB, ENGULFED IN FIRE.”

As the triumvirates returned, Hedwyn had returned and had taken Rukey’s place. The alicorn was feeling a strong wave of confidence in the man as he returned. “Hmph, looks that Lendal was all talk and no bite, huh?”

“Hold your tongue, boy!” Lendal shouted out at Hedwyn’s comment. “I shall not accept defeat from you Nightwings again! Hear me, Accusers! Stand your ground! Let your aura boil and rage!” The triumvirate then retreated back to their pyre and surrounded it. Their auras linked together, creating a large area of aura that guarded their pyre.

“IT WOULD APPEAR THAT YOU’VE FLUSTERED THE ACCUSERS. OF COURSE, THAT ISN’T EXACTLY DIFFICULT, GIVEN LENDAL’S CHECKERED HISTORY.

Rukey was getting frustrated. “Gah, they’ve hunkered down! Looks like I’m gonna have to jump in their now!”

Twilight was about to follow through with that plan until Hedwyn spoke up. “Wait, let me try something. I have an idea.”

The purple mare thought about just going with Rukey’s plan just to be safe. But after feeling the large amount of confidence he had in his plan, Twilight decided to give control over to Hedwyn. The Nomad sprinted over to the other side of the field, right outside of the Accusers’ connected aura. Then, using all of his might, Hedwyn tossed the orb into the pyre, causing the flame to shrink down again.

“A DARING DISPLAY, FLINGING THE ORB INTO THE FLAMES LIKE THAT. YOU ELUDE BANISHMENT USING SUCH TRICKS.”

True to the Voice’s word, Twilight saw that all three members of the Nightwings were back on their side of the field. The alicorn made should to note such a tactic if she ever wanted to avoid losing someone during a round.

Unfortunately, she didn’t have much more time to think about that, as she noticed Lendal had moved to the offensive and casted his aura at both Hedwyn and Rukey. With two of her team members out of commission, Twilight had to Jodariel guard the pyre until they return. However, one of the Accusers grabbed the orb and jumped over Jodariel’s aura field and into the Nightwings’ pyre, causing it to shrink a small bit.

“DO TRY TO KEEP FOCUS, READER. ELSE YOU MIGHT END UP THROWING YOUR CHANCE AT FREEDOM AWAY.”

Twilight shook her head and focused back onto the Rite. The Accusers’ pyre was over halfway gone now, and she estimated that two more hit to the pyre would win the match for the Nightwings. It was time to get serious.

Hedwyn went over to the orb and then threw it over to Jodariel. The Demon walked halfway up the field before throwing the orb back to the Nomad. Lendal and his Accusers cornered Hedwyn and were ready to banish him, but that was all part of the plan. Before he was blasted away, Hedwyn passed the orb back to Jodariel, who then threw it right into the Accusers’ pyre once again.

The pyre just flickering now, one more hit from the orb would do the trick. However, it looked like Lendal wasn’t taking this very well. “YOU BLASTED NIGHTWINGS!” he roared out at them. “You think you’re better than me because you have a Reader?! One that is some chattering animal at that?! I will claim what is rightfully mine!”

The purple mare couldn’t help but roll her eyes at this outburst. She was getting rather tired of Lendal’s constant mockery and decided to finally end this night. With her determination restoked, Twilight lead Rukey to the far side of the field away from the adversaries to lay her trap. She then switched to Hedwyn who grabbed the orb and began to maneuver around the mounds. Lendal and the two Accusers rushed Hedwyn claim the orb, but Hedwyn had already passed it to Jodariel, who passed it to Rukey at the side. The Cur had a clear path to make one final leap into the Accusers’ pyre. With that, the last flickers of the golden flame faded into nothing.

“AND IT IS DONE!”

The field reset once again, with all of the Nightwings triumvirate returned to their side. The blue flame on the Nightwings’ pyre rumbled a bit before shoot off into the night sky and exploded into a dazzling, blue replica of the triumvirate’s sigil before dissipating away.

“THE NIGHTWINGS HAVE PREVAILED.”

“LOXALAS!” Hedwyn, Jodariel and Rukey cheered out into the night sky. Twilight didn’t understand the word that they yelled out, but that didn’t stop her from feeling great about the victory as she made her way back down from the hill to rejoin them. Although, the Voice was rather quick to add his opinion on the victory.

“REJOICE THEN IN YOUR SINGLE FLEETING VICTORY, FOR I DOUBT FOR THE SAME CONCLUSION NEXT TIME.”

The alicorn tried her best to shrug off the Voice’s snide comments by walking over to the trio and joining them in their celebration. It was short-lived, however, when Lendal walked over with hatred burning in his eyes. “Your cheap tactics may have won you a hollow victory tonight, Nightwings, but know this,” the aged man warned. “You will rue the day you face the Accuser’s again! Mark my words…Twilight.” Lendal then retreated back into the darkness along with his subordinates. The alicorn did begin to worry about the Accusers’ oath for vengeance, but now wasn’t the time for that. Now was for the time for congratulations.

“You guys were amazing back there! I had no idea we could work together so well like-“ She cut herself off when she turned around to her companions and witnessed something unexpected.

Musical Cue - A Step Closer

Hedwyn, Jodariel and Rukey were all bathed in a beam of soft light that originated from seemingly nowhere. The were as shocked by the light as the mare was, but it didn’t look like they were in any pain of sorts. Twilight was nonetheless baffled at what exactly was happening. Luckily, the Voice soon explained the phenomenon that was occurring.

“READER, WHAT YOU WITNESS NOW IS THE OBTAINING OF ENLIGHTENMENT.”

“FOR EVERY RITE AN EXILE PARTICIPATES IN, THEY WILL GAIN KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE THAT WILL ASSIST THEM IN THEIR PATH TOWARDS FREEDOM.”

“AS THEY GAIN ENLIGHTENMENT, EXILE CAN LEARN MASTERIES GRANTED BY THE EIGHT SCRIBES THEMSELVES THAT THEY CAN USE IN RITES TO OBTAIN MORE VICTORIES.”

Twilight then noticed a bright, golden light emanating from the center of Hedwyn’s body. The nomad began to hover over the ground as the light spread to the rest of his body. When it was done, Hedwyn lowered back onto the ground and examined himself just to be sure.

“IT APPEARS THAT THE MASTER-GENERAL GOLATHANIAN HAS REVEALED HIS STRATEGEM TO THE EXILE HEDWYN. MAY IT NOT GO TO HIS HEAD.”

“Hedwyn, are you okay? How do you feel?” the purple mare asked the Nomad, curious in the effects of this “enlightenment”.

After thoroughly checking himself over, Hedwyn looked over to the alicorn with a bright smile on his face. “It feels like I understand these proceedings a little bit better now. Participating in these Rites gives me some sense of improvement, both physically and mentally. I’m eager to see these changes in the next one!”

The light shining on all three of the Nightwings then slowly faded off. Twilight looked up to see that the stars in the night sky started to dim down back to their original luminosity. The field was no longer covered in the mysterious glow and returned to its previous state. This was enough evidence for the alicorn to know that the Rite for this night had finally concluded. They were now one step closer to freedom.

“THUS, CONCLUDES TONIGHT’S PROCEEDINGS. UNTIL THE STARS ALIGN AGAIN.”

Musical Cue - Downside Ballad

With their job done for the night, the Nightwings made their way back to the campsite they had set up at the base of the ridge. The group was in relatively high spirits thanks to their victory over the Accusers. Twilight let a smile spread across her lips at how she was able to guide the Nightwings to victory. It was a good start to what would be the first of many Rites that they would have to participate in. It would no doubt get harder along the way, but this was certainly a good start.

“Woo! Did you all see that?!” Rukey exclaimed. “How I just rushed around those guys and jumped in at the end there?! Old Lendal didn’t see it coming a mile away! Those Accusers didn’t stand a chance!” The Cur then let out a howl to the night sky to emphasize their victory over their adversaries. “I practically taste freedom now!”

Hedwyn couldn’t help but chuckle at Rukey’s antics. “Yeah, we did a pretty good job, but let’s not forget that we owe a lot of our victory to Twilight here. She was the one who expertly guided us through the Rite.” Twilight couldn’t help but blush a little at the praise given to her.

“Aw, don’t think I was leaving you out, sister! It was team effort after all. Your brains with my quick four paws!” Rukey credited Twilight.

“Thanks guys, that means a lot.” the bashful mare said. With congratulations sufficiently passed, the mare began planning on what to do next. “So, I guess when we get back to the campsite, we should for the star in the sky that will let us know where the next Rite will be held at and head there in the morning. Does that sound right, Jodariel?” Twilight looked behind her to confirm with the Demon, but it looked as though her attention was directed somewhere else at the moment.

“Something is happening up there.” She stated. Twilight and the other Nightwings looked up to see what Jodariel was looking at. In the sky not too far ahead of them, there was a blue spark that was flickering in-and-out of existence. The anomaly continued to do this for a few seconds before it expanded into a portal-like opening. The group then saw something fall out from the opening and plummet straight to the ground. While none of the Nightwings had any clue at what the falling object was, sparks began to explode in Twilight’s mind. As she saw the thing that was falling was orange, wearing a worn brown Stetson on her head and was letting out a scream of panic in a southern twang, Twilight’s mind finally clicked. She was watching one her friends fall from the sky.

“APPLEJACK!” the alicorn cried out as she began to rush forward to catch her falling friend. The Nightwings looked to each other at first, but eventually began to quickly follow Twilight. As the alicorn sprinted towards the farmer, she realized that she wouldn’t make it in time to catch her friend at the rate she was falling. So, she decided to do the next best option and used a large portion of her magic to slow down Applejack’s fall. The plan worked, as the magical field around the orange mare made her hit the ground at a non-lethal speed. Twilight then went over to where she landed to check on her friend. “Applejack are you okay?!”

The purple mare quickly examined her friend to see if there was any excessive damage. Thankfully, it looked as though the farmer only had a few scratches and small bruises from her front hooves to the cutiemark on her flank. She had her eyes closed, but that was probably due to the disorientation from the landing. Soon, Applejack’s eyes began to flutter open and looked to Twilight’s worried face. “Ugh, Tw-Twilight, is that you?” she muttered.

A huge wave of relief washed over the purple mare as it looked as though her friend was all in one piece. “Oh Applejack!” she yelled out as she pulled her longtime friend in a tight embrace. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you!” Though she did try her best not to think about it, Twilight began having the notion that it was possible that she would be permanently trapped in the world and would never be able to see her friends and family again. The thought terrified her, hence her methods of thinking about something different if the idea ever manifested itself in her head. Now, all those fears were null-and-void as she was now holding on to her farmer friend.

“Woah sugarcube,” Applejack interrupted. “I’m alright now, you don’t have to squeeze me so dang tight!” After realizing that she might have been hugging her friend too tightly, the alicorn released her friend and gave her a sheepish grin as a form of apology. It was then Applejack’s turn to gasp in shock as she looked over the purple mare. “Land sake Twilight, are you okay? You look like you’ve been through the wringer of some sorts.”

Twilight looked down and realized that the farmer must have been referring to the bandages that Hedwyn had applied to her front hooves when they first met. “Oh yeah, my forelegs were kinda in bad shape before I got patched up.” Before Applejack could ask who exactly tended to the alicorn’s wounds, the Nightwings had finally caught up to where the two ponies were.

“Hey, sister! What was that all about? You could have just-“ Rukey stopped himself as he took notice of Applejack. The Cur then looked to his compatriots. “Uhhh, you guys see an orange pony wearing a hat too, right?”

“Indeed.” Jodariel stated plainly.

“It looks like she from Twilight’s world.” Hedwyn added.

Applejack only stared blankly at the trio before she leaned in closer to her alicorn friend. “Uh, Twilight,” she said in a hushed tone. “Who are those creatures over there and why are they speaking in some fancy gibberish?”

Twilight’s eyes widen when she realized the farmer didn’t have the translation on her like she did. “Oh, wait! Hold on for a second, Applejack!” The alicorn then charged her horn towards the earth-pony and released the spell onto her. The magical field wrapped itself around Applejack’s and then disappeared, confirming that the spell was successful. With that inconvenience taken care of, the purple mare turned to the Nightwings and began the introductions. “Guys, this is Applejack. She’s one of my friends from the world I come from.” She then looked to the farmer. “Applejack, this is Hedwyn, Jodariel and Rukey. They were the ones that saved me and patched me up when I almost…didn’t make it when coming here.”

Hedwyn was the first one of the trio to step and greet the orange mare. “Nice to meet you.” the Nomad said in a friendly tone.

Applejack was small bit hesitant at first, but she eventually walked up to them and tipped her hat. “Uhh…Howdy there, y’all. Can’t say I’ve ever been quite familiar with a lot like you, especially a talking dog with a mustache. But anycreature that saves one my friends is alright in my book!”

Hedwyn was about return the kind gesture, but then Rukey made a commotion. “DOG?!?! I am a Cur, for crying out loud!” he yelled. “Name one time you’ve run into a dog with such a fine mustache. Just one!”

Jodariel then gave a light tap against the back of Rukey’s head to cease his rant. “Be respectful to our new guest.” she chastised him. The Cur was about to retort to this but decided to grumble something under his breath.

Applejack gave a small laugh at this and then looked back to her alicorn friend. “I’m glad to see you’re okay, Twilight. That explosion must’ve did a mighty number on ya. So, do you know where exactly we are now?” she asked her, looking around the area.

“Oh, well right now we’re in a place known as the Downside and it looks like-“ Twilight cut herself when she realized something the farmer had said to her. “Wait, what do you mean “explosion”? Did something happen back in Equestria?”

Applejack gave her a confused look before it morphed into one of worry. “Wait, you don’t remember, Twi?”

A small jolt of panic ran through the alicorn. She knew that her slight amnesia was bad, but now it was starting to sound a lot worse than it seemed. What explosion was Applejack talking about? How big and how much damage did it cause? Were the rest of her friends around when the explosion hit? Were the princesses okay? Twilight’s never-ending streaming of questions that she was going to ask Applejack were interrupted by the Demon.

“Reader, the night grows long. I’m sure your companion wouldn’t telling you want happened in your world in the morning. Let us return to the wagon.” The horned woman then looked to the orange mare. “Applejack, there is plenty of room for you in the wagon. Please come with us so that can receive so rest. The exhausted do not last very long in this land.”

The apple farmer let out a yawn to confirm her new-found fatigue. “Yeah, I reckon you might be right about that. Much obliged to you, Miss…Jodariel, right?”

The Demon nodded and lead the way back to the Nightwings’ camp. Applejack followed along with the group, but she made sure to stay close to Twilight’s side. Despite hearing the news of some sort of “explosion” that lead both her and her friend being transported to this land, Twilight was feeling pretty good all things all things considered. Seeing her friend walk by her again gave the alicorn hope that she would one day be reunited with all of her friends again, be it in one world or another. She would no doubt have to explain multiple things about this new world, from the Rites to the Commonweath. However, there would be time for that in the morning. Right now, it was time to earn some rest. When the group made it back to the blackwagon, Jodariel began giving out instructions.

“Rukey, go feed the Drive Imps and oil the wheels so that we’re ready at dawn.” The Cur gave a salute and went to perform his tasks. “Hedwyn, help the Reader look to the stars to find out where we are to head next.” After Hedwyn gave a nod, she turned to Applejack. “I will get Applejack settled and run down the rules of the wagon with her. Come along then.” The imposing woman made her way inside the wagon.

Applejack went up to the entrance and turned back to Twilight. “See ya in a bit, Twi. It’s really nice to be seeing ya again.” She then went into the wagon.

“Shall we consult the stars, my friend?” Hedwyn asked the alicorn. Twilight nodded, and they made there way to a clearing to look upon the clear night sky. The purple mare did as before and carefully studied the sky for anything out of place. Sure enough, she an orange star shining brighter than the rest. After peering into the star to get an idea of the next location, Twilight pointed out the star for Hedwyn.

“Joumer, the Dusk Star,” Hedwyn identified it. “That should bring us to an ancient spring deep in Joumer Valley. We’ll make our way there at dawn.” He was about to head back to the wagon, but the Nomad then noticed Twilight had a small bit of worry hidden under her neutral face. The man made a wild guess at what was bothering the mare and went to reassure her. “She is coming with us, Twilight. No question about that. Our freedom is her freedom as well. I promise you.” He then made his way back to camp.

The last of Twilight’s (immediate) worries were washed away at Hedwyn’s promise for Applejack. The last thing she would want was to be reunited with her friend again only to her left behind. There were still a lot of questions in the air, but right now, she was too tired to get answers to them all. So, the alicorn left the clear and went to get some sleep for the journey to Joumer Valley.

Hopefully, there won’t be any surprises along the way.

A Moon-Touched Meeting

Chapter 5: A Moon-Touched Meeting

As the sun rose over the Downside Prairie, the blackwagon was already making its way to its next destination. The Nightwings would soon put the rolling green hills of the Prairie behind them as they made their way to Jomuer Valley. Soon, the weather gradually transitioned from cool and pleasant to hot and uncomfortable. Opposed to the Prairie, Jomuer Valley was more attuned to a dry desert plain, with significantly less greenery in the forms of small patches and the occasional shrub. It was unpleasant for sure, but when compared to the wasteland where Twilight was found be the Nightwings, it was just an unusually hot summer day. However, the alicorn’s attention wasn’t really on the new climate. She was too concerned with what Applejack was telling her.

“Wait, I did what?” Twilight asked her farmer friend to confirm what he had just told her.

Applejack let out a sigh. “I said that you were fiddlin’ around with that magic mirror that takes you to that place where Sunset Shimmer is at. You started to charge up a spell at it and then when you hit it, it just caused some big old explosion out of nowhere! When I opened mah eyes again, I was falling through some funny-lookin’ gateway for about ten minutes, I would reckon. Next thing I know, I’m landing on the ground and looking up to see your face.”

In a way, Twilight now felt a bit better now that Applejack had filled in some spaces in her blank memories. However, the alicorn still had many questions that made her nervous not knowing the answers to. “Alright, I guess that would explain how we got transported to an entirely different world. But that still doesn’t explain why you and I were separated when we arrived here. And what was I even trying to do with the mirror in the first place? Applejack, was Starlight there with me, or anypony else besides you?”

The orange mare closed her eyes in thought and then let out a disappointed sigh. “Aw, consarn it, Twilight! I can’t rightly remember that much of what happened or who was there. I guess I got some of that memory loss stuff when I went through that portal like you did. I think Starlight was there, and Dash, and…Fluttershy? I’m real sorry, Twi?

The purple mare lowered her head in disappointment. “Alright. Thanks anyway, Applejack.” She then walked to the window and watched the barren land of the Valley pass by. It didn’t exactly sit right with the alicorn that this may have been entirely her fault. Sure, she didn’t remember why she was messing with the mirror in the first place, but that still didn’t change the fact that she messed with it in the first place. And now because of that, her and Applejack and possibly more of her friends were stuck in this world and had very little options to get back home. It wouldn’t be the first time she had accidently messed up a spell, but this she had not only potentially doomed herself, but may have potentially doomed her friends as well.

“If you would excuse me for interrupting,” Twilight turned back to see that Hedwyn had now joined in on the ponies’ conversation. “but I believe you shouldn’t worry too much about your friends.” Both of the mares looked to the Nomad in confusion at what he had meant by this. “It’s like this,” he continued. “if we were able to find Applejack so soon, then I don’t think it would be beyond reason that your other friends should turn up eventually as well. Try to think of it as another reason to take this journey. The further we go, the more of your friends will turn up. Sure, the Downside is harsh, but it sounds to me like this isn’t the first time you and your friends have been through tough times.”

Applejack nodded her head at this logic and looked to the alicorn. “Hedwyn’s right, sugarcube! The others should be okay if’in they get dropped into this place before we get to ‘em.” The country mare then looked over to the stacks of books in the corner. “And after what you told me about these Rites this morning, I think we should be fine as long as we stick to a plan. I’m not too sure how I’ll be able to help with these Rites, but ya’ll know I’ll be on your side til we all get on back to Equestria!”

The words of encouragement from the both of them did help in making Twilight feel a bit better about their situation. She supposed that right now, it mattered little if it was entirely her fault that she and her friends were stranded here. Right now, she needed to focus on finding her friends and getting back home. She needed to have a hundred percent focus for the Rites, and she couldn’t do that if she was still moping about her mistakes. “Thanks, you two. I really needed to hear that. I’m sure if we all work together, we can find the rest our friends and then all of us will get home. We just have to-“

The purple mare’s sentence was cut short as the blackwagon made a sudden stop all of the sudden. Twilight knew that they couldn’t over reached their destination so quickly, so she looked over to see that it was Jodariel that stopped the wagon. The Demon had a look of intense focus and concentration, almost as if she was searching for something out of place.

“Hey, Jodi! Wanna explain why we stopped in the middle of nowhere?!” Rukey asked Jodariel, who was just waking up from a nap. The horned woman didn’t answer him as she made her way to the door to go outside. Rukey let out a sigh. “I swear, that woman is way too paranoid for her own good!” The Cur then went outside to see what the matter was.

Twilight, Hedwyn and Applejack also went outside to see what had drawn the Demon’s attention. It was mid-day and the sun was giving off an unforgivable heat wave to the Valley. The group looked on as Jodariel examined the blackwagon at all angles. She got on her knees to check beneath the wagon’s under carriage and paused. She got up and took a few steps back. “We have a stowaway.” She finally said.

Musical Cue - Moon Touched

Seeing that there was no use hiding anymore, the stowaway got out from under the wagon to reveal herself. Twilight was surprised when it was revealed that the stowaway was actually just a young girl that didn’t look very much older than eighteen. She was dressed in black rags and a cape, though it looked like there was gold trimming around the sides. Her skin was extremely pale, which made her red eyes stand out more. Finally, her grey hair was poofed out and completely disheveled and there were bits of sticks and leaves poking out of it. “Home…? We can go home?” the girl shakily said. Twilight guessed that she must have crawled under the undercarriage at some point we they were leaving the Ridge and overheard her, Applejack and Hedwyn talking about home.

“You need but say the word, Hedwyn.” Jodariel said after studying the girl.

“Oh, come on,” Rukey spoke up. “you can’t be serious, Jodi. She’s just some kid! Who managed to climb aboard our wagon undetected, but still.” Twilight was still confused at what was going on, but she didn’t like the implications of what the Cur was saying. Were they really going to leave such a young and weak girl behind in such a harsh environment?

“Do it, Jodi.” Hedwyn told his companion.

The horned woman nodded and walked up to the strange girl. She was beginning to look more nervous, but then she calmed down when Jodariel got on one knee to look at her at eye-level. “Listen to me, girl.” the Demon began. “We cannot guarantee that we shall get you home, or any one of us. But, at present, we have room for you, and adequate provisions. You may accompany us for a time.” Jodariel then got back up and went back inside the wagon, presumably to make space for the girl. Twilight let out an inward sigh of relief knowing that the Nightwings were not cruel enough to leave behind such a defenseless girl and were even generous enough to provide a temporary home for her.

The girl seemed overjoyed at hearing this news. “Really?” she asked, ensuring that there was no misunderstanding. When Hedwyn nodded his head, she clapped her hands together. “You are all too kind! May the Eight Scribes smile upon you all! It will so nice to be travelling with other exiles. Especially you two,” she gestured to both Twilight and Applejack. “you both look so interesting and rather cute!”

As the girl was bursting into laughter and started dancing around, Applejack leaned in close to Rukey. “Eh, Rukey, I don’t mean to be rude here, but why is she…all gray like that?”

“Hmm, odds are that the kid is probably moon-touched.” The Cur answered the apple farmer.

Now it was Twilight’s turn to ask a question. “Moon-touched? What does that mean?”

Rukey looked a bit uncomfortable as he explained the girl’s affliction. “Well, sometimes people are born looking like…that and they also tend to act a little nutty as well. The Commonwealth isn’t really keen on having folks with those traits, so they normally just toss ‘em down here in the Downside. Real shame, actually.”

Twilight wasn’t actually sure how to respond to that. Sure, she knew that the Commonwealth wasn’t the most tolerant place she had heard of, what with there ban on literacy and tossing their criminals into an inhospitable landscape. However, she never would have guess that they would throw people down here for just not fitting in with their society. How could someone just toss a young girl down here just she had gray hair and pale skin?

Applejack had plenty to say about the girl’s terrible predicament. “What?! How could they do that to such a sweet, little thing?! I’ve only heard about this Commonwealth place just recently, but now I certainly don’t want to visit there anytime soon if that’s how they treat good folks like her!” The orange mare then walked up to the girl who had just finished her dance. “Don’t you worry none, sugarcube! You’ll be staying with us as long as you need to. Now, what should we call ya?”

The girl stared blankly at Applejack for a small bit before looking away and scratched at her arm. “Well, this might be embarrassing, I think, but I don’t really know for sure? Back home, they used to call me lots of different names. Like, for the color of my hair.”

“They made fun of you just ‘cause you had gray hair?” Rukey asked her.

The girl’s face lit up all the sudden. “That’s it! My name rhymes with gray! My name is….my name…., oh, it’s just that there were so many names.” She was starting to sulk over not remembering her name, however Applejack was quick to come up with a solution on the spot.

“Her name rhymes with gray,” Twilight heard the farmer mutter under her breath. “and they say that she’s moon-touched…” Applejack’s eyes then widen and then she smiled at the girl. “How about we call ya Mae, at least for the meantime. Does that work for ya, darlin’?”

The girl was silent for a few seconds before her eyes lit up for the second time. “Why, that’s it! My name is Mae! My name is Mae! Back from where I’m from, they called me Mae the Moon-Touched! Although, I guess you don’t have to say that last part, since I really didn’t like it.”

“Mae it is then! Glad to have aboard, sugarcube!” Applejack happily welcomed the girl. Mae gave a few jumps of joy before she suddenly appeared tired and weak. “Um, are you alright there? You don’t look so dandy.” The orange mare asked with concern.

I’m…I’m fine. It’s just hot, and I’m a bit thirsty…and a bit tired, and…” Mae managed to say before she started to collapse. Thankfully, Applejack was nearby and caught the poor girl before she hit the dusty ground.

“Applejack,” Hedwyn said. “Go take Mae inside the wagon. Jodi should already have a place set up for her. You should go with them, Twilight, just in case.” Both of the mares gave a nod at Hedwyn’s orders before they headed to the wagon entrance. Applejack carried Mae inside, but Twilight back a bit when she heard Rukey and Hedwyn talking amongst themselves.

“First the Reader, then her friend, and now we’re taking her along? What, we gonna take in every little thing that we come across in this barren wasteland?” the Cur complain to Hedwyn.

“Easy, Rukey.” he reassured. “I’m sure he would want us to take her along with us.”

Rukey gave the Nomad a look of confusion. “Who, Sandalwood? I thought you said he asked us to find someone to fit in each type of mask. Pretty sure she would be able to fit your mask just fine!”

“He asked us to use our best judgement.” Hedwyn corrected him. “Besides, if we send her away, she’ll tell anyone she finds about us. We can’t risk that, especially with Twilight with us.”

The purple mare quickly went inside the wagon before she could be caught for eavesdropping on the pair. Although their conversation seemed mundane, it was the name Sandalwood that caught the alicorn’s attention. It appeared that this Sandalwood was the one who instructed Hedwyn to find a Reader in the first place, along with finding others to fill out the other masks (whatever that meant). It did raise the question of why their mysterious informant would want such a thing, but Twilight would have to wait to get an answer. Right now, she had to go and make sure Mae was settling in comfortably. She would try to talk to Hedwyn later about who Sandalwood was, in a way that didn’t make it sound like she was spying on his and Rukey’s conversation. When the Cur and Nomad made it back onboard, the wagon started up again and made it’s way across the Valley.

Musical Cue - Through the Valley

A few hours had passed since the group had picked up Mae. Since then, the strange girl took a quick rest for her previous exhaustion and was back on her feet a mere hour later. After brief introductions between her and everyone in the wagon, she made her way towards the far corner of the room and began fiddling with a pile of sticks she had on her.

Back in the present, Twilight had just finished stacking the books in a neat pile and looked over to check on Mae. She saw that she was talking and laughing with Applejack in her corner, so the purple mare decided to see what they were talking about. “Hey Mae, are you settling in alright?”

Mae gave the alicorn a bright smile. “Oh, hello to you, Miss Twilight! I am doing much better than I was a few hours ago. Me and Miss Applejack have just been talking about how I’ve been getting along with the drive imps and the wagon!”

“Um…the wagon?” Twilight asked, making sure that she didn’t mishear her.

Mae eagerly nodded her head as she patted the wall. “This wagon, he and I are the same age! Almost to the very day. But I am older, by three weeks. So I am giving him a hard time.” She turned to the wall. “Little Brother, I call him. He is a good wagon, isn’t he? He will take us very, very far!”

“Now Mae, you shouldn’t be goin’ and giving him a hard time now. It’s real nice of him to bring us all this way.” Applejack scolded the girl.

“I know, Miss Applejack. I really do appreciate him. Sure, my little brother pulls at my hair at times, and I really don’t like that very much. But he is family. I am happy to be with my family!” She then gave a little giggle.

Twilight was still giving Mae a confused look as she was having a hard time accepting that the girl saw the wagon as a living thing. Applejack seemed to have noticed her expression and took action. “Um, Mae? I gotta go talk to Twilight about something real quick. I’ll be right back, okay?” Mae gave a nod and went back to playing with her sticks.

Once they were out of Mae’s range of hearing, Twilight was finally able to ask some questions. “Applejack, I’m not usually one to question the customs of other worlds, but why is she-“

“I know, sugarcube,” Applejack interrupted her. “but hear me out. When she started talkin’ about her ‘little brother’, I asked about her other family and she just gave me this sad look. I don’t think she has any other family left, or at least any family that cares for her. I didn’t want to take that away from her. Just try yer best to play along for now. Besides, I can kinda relate to the feelin’ of having to deal with a little siblin’.”

Twilight’s look then turned sympathetic. Not just because of Mae’s lack of real family, but also the implications the farmer made regarding her little sister. “Oh Applejack, I know you must really miss Applebloom, and the rest of your family for that matter. If I didn’t mess with that mirror for some reason that I just can’t remember, you still be with them now.” The guilt over her actions was starting to eat at the purple mare once again, but it was quickly stopped by her friend.

“Now don’t you give me any of that now, hon. We already talked about this. I know you didn’t mean for any of us to be here. Applebloom will be okay, she’s got Big Mac and Granny to look over her. This wouldn’t be the first time I’d be gone for a spell.” Applejack used her hoof to put it under Twilight’s chin and lift her head back up. “We just gotta focus on getting back home to Equestria. Sound good?”

The alicorn let her friend’s words sink in for a moment. Once again, she was right. Twilight couldn’t let this guilt keep eating at her. She had to let go of the past for now and look towards the future. A future that hopefully involved them all getting back home. “Alright Applejack,” the purple mare confidently stated. “I would let it bother me anymore.”

Both of the mares were surprised when the blackwagon made a sudden halt. Twilight turned to the other Nightwings, only to see that Hedwyn and Jodariel had already went outside and only Rukey was standing at the doorframe. “Hey Twilight, AJ! We’re stopping here for the night. Mind coming outside with us?” the Cur asked before he went outside himself. Applejack gave a shrug and went outside. The purple mare was also on her way out, but then looked back to Mae.

“Come on, Mae. Let’s go outside and give your little brother a rest.” she called out, keeping up the façade about the wagon like Applejack said. The moon-touched girl gave a nod and followed the alicorn outside. The sun was already starting to set when Twilight gazed around her surroundings. This area of the Valley appeared somewhat peaceful to the alicorn, with what appeared to be white, mushroom-shaped rocks surrounding the general vicinity. Everyone was doing various tasks outside. Hedwyn was collecting various pieces of wood for a fire, Applejack was helping Jodariel turn the wagon into a campsite, and Mae was simply dancing out in the clearing.

“Hey, sister,” Twilight looked over to Rukey. “Wanna go head out and see if was can forage anything useful? Nowhere too far, I promise.” Wanting to be somewhat helpful for tonight, Twilight agreed and the two of them headed off to forage. When they reached a good spot, the duo scrounged over the area to find anything useful. While the purple mare didn’t find anything useful, Rukey found something that appeared to be animal droppings. Though it was rather gross, he believed that they would be useful for the group at one point, so the Cur put them in the bag he was carrying.

When the pair returned to the wagon, everyone was gathered around the campfire Hedwyn had made. The Nomad had apparently finished preparing and meal and the two had made it just in time for the for the food to be passed out. While everyone was eating, Hedwyn raised a question to the two mares. “So, Twilight, Applejack, why don’t you two tell us about your home? Equestria, was it?”

Both of the mares looked at each other before Twilight decided to lead with the explanation. “Well, both of us come from the land of Equestria. It’s a country made up of the union of three types of ponies. There are earth ponies, like Applejack here; pegasi, ponies with wings to fly; and unicorns, ponies with horns to use magic. Equestria is ruled under two princesses: Celestia, Princess of the Sun and Luna, Princess of the Moon.”

It was then Applejack’s turn to provide some explanation. “There are some other races besides us ponies outside of Equestria. Dragons, griffons, kirin, yaks, just to name a few. Overall, we got a nice relationship with all of those races, so living’s real nice.”

Everyone was listening intently as the mares talked about their home. By the various looks on their faces, they were quite fascinated by what they were told. It was Rukey who decided to raise the first question. “So, what exactly does that make you, Twilight? Are you some kinda love-child between a pegasus and a unicorn?”

Jodariel immediately slapped the Cur upside the head. “There is a child present!” the Demon scolded him. Thankfully, it appeared that the inuendo went over Mae’s head, as she was still enthralled with the tale. “But I too am curious, Reader. What are you if you are neither earth pony, unicorn or pegasus?” Jodariel asked more seriously.

Twilight’s cheeks flushed a bit at the Demon’s question. “W-Well…originally, I was born a unicorn. But then…” The purple mare’s words were getting caught in her mouth. Ever since she ascended, Twilight always got a little uncomfortable whenever she was asked on how she became an alicorn. It always gave her the feeling that she was more important than others around her; a feeling that she wasn’t very fond of. However, this was a new world, so perhaps she wouldn’t feel so self-conscious about her title. “But then Princess Celestia thought I was ready for something greater. So, she used her magic to give me wings, turning me into an alicorn just like her and Luna.”

It only took a few seconds for Hedwyn to put the pieces together. “So, if your princess turned you into an alicorn, and she’s an alicorn herself…does that make you a princess too?”

Applejack was more than happy to confirm the Nomad’s inquiry. “That’s right! Y’all are looking at Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship!”

Mae looked to Twilight in both awe and wonderment. “Wow, you are princess, Miss Twilight?” she asked excitedly. “I thought princesses only existed in stories that parents told their children. It must be so wonderful to be a princess!”

Rukey was twirling his mustache in thought. “Wait, Princess of Friendship?” the Cur asked. “Seems like a weird thing to be a princess of. I mean, the Sun and the Moon I can get, but isn’t friendship more a concept?”

“Well Rukey,” Twilight began explaining. “friendship has played an import part in the history of Equestria. Me and my friends have even used friendship to save it a couple times from those who would want to take over or even destroy it. I started a School of Friendship not too long ago so that future generations could understand how friendship is created and its importance.”

“You saved an entire land using friendship?” Rukey asked unbelievably. “You’ll have to explain that in more details for me, sister.”

Twilight was about to start with an example on how she used friendship to defeat Nightmare Moon, but Hedwyn suddenly spoke up. “While I’m sure Twilight would be happy to tell you a few stories, it’s getting late. The Rite should be occurring tomorrow night, so we should all get some rest.”

As the group was about to head inside the wagon, Twilight wanted to say one last thing to them. “Wait, before all of you go,” she said as everyone turned to her. “I know I just told you all that I was a princess, but could you all do me a favor and…not treat me any differently? I don’t be treated anymore special than everyone else here.”

“I agree.” Jodariel responded. “I mean no disrespect to you or your title, but you are no longer in Equestria. Your title will have no weight here in this world. As far as I’m concerned, you are our Reader, nothing else.” The horned woman then made her way inside the wagon.

“Eh, don’t mind Jodi there, sister.” Rukey apologized for the Demon. “She’s just all business, that’s just the way she is.” The Cur then said goodnight and headed inside.

Finally, Hedwyn said his two-fold before heading inside himself. “Don’t worry about it, my friend. We call you by whatever makes you feel most comfortable. We’re all in this for the long-haul, after all.”

Twilight gave a small sigh of relief as all the Nightwings entered the wagon. She was relieved that any future awkward interactions could be avoided now that she made her stance pretty clear about her title. It wasn’t like she hated her title as Princess, she just never felt comfortable using just her title to gain any respect from her peers automatically. The alicorn was more than okay with jut being the Reader for the Nightwings. Twilight was about to head back inside herself, but she looked over to see that Applejack was talking to Mae.

“Uh, Mae? What are ya looking at? See anything out there that’s catchin’ yer eye?” the farmer asked. The moon-touched girl was indeed just staring out into the wide stretches of nothing of the Valley. She had a wide smile on her face.

“Can you feel it, Miss Applejack?” Mae asked. “This was the path that Jomuer Many-Mane ran across so many times! You can almost feel his presence here, running across the sand with of his friends!”

The orange mare gave her a confused look. “Jomuer? Who the hay is that?”

Mae then looked to her with that bright smile. “Jomuer the Brave, the Alpha-Chief! He was the Cur that became the sixth of the Eight Scribes! He arrived here in the Downside to become stronger and eventually joined with the other Scribe to spread their words. It feels so inspiring to just stand where he once stood!” The girl took a deep breath before making her way back to the wagon. “Well, I must be getting my rest! Good night you, Miss Applejack! You too, Miss Twilight!”

When the girl made it inside, Applejack walked back over to the alicorn. “So Twilight, do y’all know anything about these Scribes that Mae and the others have been talkin’ about?” she asked her.

“I’m not too sure myself, Applejack.” Twilight answered. “The Book inside the wagon has made passing mention of them, but I’m only able to read a small portion of it right now. Although, it appears that these Scribes hold some major importance to this world. They almost remind me of the Pillars or even the Elements of Harmony back in Equestria. Although, I think I do know for sure is that they were the ones who created these Rites so that exiles of the Downside could return to the Commonwealth. At least, that’s what I think the Book says at the beginning.” Twilight really wished that the other portions to the first chapter would open up soon, so that she could read more of what Golathanian had written about the Emperor.

Applejack nodded her head and let out a yawn. “Yeah well, I’m sure that we’ll be learnin’ more about them as time goes on. I’ll be seein’ ya inside, Twilight.”

As the apple farmer returned to the wagon, Twilight just looked out to the Valley. Tomorrow would be the next Rite, the next step towards freedom. The alicorn had no idea who her next adversaries would be or what they would be like. However, she reasoned that she would meet them soon enough. Right now, she needed sleep so that she could be in peak condition when the Nightwings would need her. With a final sigh, Twilight turned around and went back inside the wagon.

Tomorrow was sure to bring new opportunities, and perhaps a few surprises as well.

The Rite of the Faithful

Author's Note

Apologies for the delay. Life tends to take up much of one's time.
Now, onto the story!

The Rite of the Faithful

Chapter 6: The Rite of the Faithful

The following morning, the blackwagon was well on its way to the destination of the next Rite. According to Jodariel, it would take the rest of the day for the wagon to pass through a stretch of the Valley known as Fallflat before they would reach the location of the next Rite, the Spring of Jomuer. When Twilight tried to ask her more about the Spring, Jodariel simply stated that the alicorn would know it when she saw it. Though it was very cryptic, the purple mare took her word for it and went back to the window. As she watched the landscape pass by, the purple mare’s eyelids felt heavier and heavier until she finally decided to rest her eyes before she and the rest of the group arrived at the Spring.

“READER…”

“IT’S TIME WAKE UP, READER. YOU HAVE A RITE TO PARTICIPATE IN AND ULTIMATELY FAIL…”

“WAKE UP, TWILIGHT!”

Twilight’s head shot up from its resting spot on the window as she opened her eyes. The alicorn looked around the wagon to find it was strangely empty. Her frantic eyes finally landed on Applejack looking right at her. “Wh-What?” the alicorn mumbled as she was trying to make sense of what was happening.

“I said to wake up, Twi.” Applejack told her. “While y’all was snoozin’, we arrived at the Spring. Rukey asked me to go get ya, he has something he wants to show you.” The apple farmer then made her way to the exit. “Just come on out when yer ready, Twi. Don’t forget to bring that Book of yours.” With that, she went outside, leaving Twilight alone in the wagon once again.

The alicorn took a deep breath and began to collect herself. She could’ve sworn that she heard the Voice again, and that she was looking at that stain-glass window she saw back during the practice Rite. Was the Voice communicating with her through her dreams? The purple mare was honestly having a difficult time remembering, due to the details of her dream being rather hazy. It was plausible that she was just imagining things, but it was equally plausible as well. Nevertheless, Twilight shook her head clear and went to get the Book of Rites. With the Book tucked under her wing, she made her way out of the blackwagon to examine the Spring of Jomuer.

As Twilight exited the wagon, she was met with an incredible sight. It wasn’t the actual Spring that captured the alicorn’s attention, though it was a rather gorgeous with crystal clear water. The thing that caught her attention was the skeleton of what looked to be the remains of a gigantic scorpion. The creature’s tail and claws were outstretched across the Spring and its maw was open, revealing its razor, sharp teeth. On top of the giant’s remains was what looked to be a giant boulder that must have crushed the creature in the first place, leaving behind its remains. Twilight was so captivated by the sight before her that she didn’t even notice a certain walk up behind her.

“Hey sister!” the purple mare jumped a bit when she suddenly heard Rukey’s voice. “Admiring the view, I see. Well anyway, I need you to follow me. It’s time I introduce you to the Slug Market!”

Musical Cue - Dirty Deal

Twilight was about to ask the Cur what exactly the Slug Market was, he insisted that she follow him right away. The mare decided to humor the Cur and followed him to where she was taking her. The two had walked a bit from the Spring before they arrived at the Slug Market. Twilight was greeted to a large, red creature with a beard growing down to his chest. On top of the red creature was a smaller, green creature wearing a blue salesman hat. The red creature was holding an awning over both of there heads while also wearing a ginormous backpack containing various odds and ends. Both of the creatures also had eyestalks protruding from their heads, although they seemed to be just decorative as they had tradition eyes as well. Finally, true to the store’s name, there were many slugs of various size and color surrounding both of the creatures. “Welcome to the Slug Market!” the green creature greeted them. “Ehh, how’s it going, Mister Greentail, been awhile and all that!”

“Hey, Ron. It’s going.” Rukey greeted back.

The creature, who apparently was named Ron, then took notice of the alicorn standing next to the Cur. “Say, who’s your friend there? Never seen something like her before.”

“Oh, this is Twilight, she’s just from out of town.” Rukey jokingly told him. “Anyway, how come you’ve set up shop all the way out here? Isn’t this a little out of the way?”

Ron was more than happy to answer the Cur’s question. “Oh, well let’s just say you guys ain’t my only customers! You see, Dad and I, we know this business pretty good, we’ve been around the block, and so…”

While the salesman continued with his story, Rukey pulled Twilight aside while Ron wasn’t paying attention. “Here’s the deal, sister. Got an informant says that there are a few knick-knacks here that are connected to these Rites. See if you can spot them.” Rukey then pulled out the blackroot that Jodariel had found and the droppings that they had foraged yesterday from his pouch. “Should be able to pawn off some of this stuff to make the trade. Don’t worry too much about Falcon Ron, okay?”

Twilight gave a nod and looked back to Falcon Ron, who was apparently finishing his tale.

“…so anyways, you guys got anything for me? I’d be willing to part ways with a few of my wares in return.” The red creature swung his backpack up front and opened it up to reveal a plethora of odds and ends. The purple mare was a little intimidated by the selection at first, but she decided to start off simple. She started by selling the blackroot and the droppings, receiving a hefty amount of gold pieces in return. After receiving some spending money, Twilight looked over the items to find anything that would be useful for the upcoming Rite. After a quick onceover, she spotted a light, glowing blue rock. Falcon Ron explained that particular item was called an Ashen Coal. The salesman explained that it was especially useful for keeping campfires going longer than usual. After some consideration, Twilight decided to purchase the Ashen Coal, believing that it would make the Nightwings’ pyre stronger. She then decided it was time to return to the wagon for preparations for the next Rite.

“See you, Mister Greentail! And to you to, Miss Twilight, you seem really nice, you know?” After some (somewhat awkward) farewells, Rukey and Twilight left the Slug Market and made their way back to the wagon in about five minutes.

Musical Cue - The Eight Scribes

Evening quickly fell on the land as the Nightwings donned their raiments and collected their masks for preparation. While Twilight was already familiar with the pre-Rite rituals, Applejack had no context of what was going on. “So, y’all have to wear those fancy robes and those freaky-lookin’ masks to participate in these Rites? And then Twilight guides you around the field with some kinda…link, you said?” Applejack asked Hedwyn.

The Nomad gave her a nod. “That’s pretty much it. It sounds strange out loud, I know.”

“Hey Applejack, mind if I tell you something really quick?” Twilight asked her friend.

Applejack nodded and walked over to her friend. “What is it, sugarcube?” she asked. “If yer wonderin’ what I’ll be doin’ during this shindig, I’ll just be on the side watchin’ with Mae.”

Twilight did think that was probably the best course of action, but it wasn’t the reason she wanted to talk to the farmer. Twilight wanted to explain a certain other aspect of the Rites. “Listen Applejack, during the Rite, you might hear a voice coming from the sky and spectating it. Just try to ignore him if he talks about you. He’s not exactly the most…polite.”

Applejack tilted her head in confusion. “Voice in the sky? You sure yer not just hearin’ things Twi?”

Twilight was tempted to debate whether or not she really was just hearing things, but she decided to let the orange mare hear him for herself. “I…you’ll know it when you hear it, Applejack.”

The apple farmer looked to her friend with slight concern but ended up just shrugging. ‘Alrighty then, guess it’s almost time to get this show on the-What in tarnation?!”

Twilight quickly turned around to see what suddenly surprised her friend to see Mae walking out of the wagon. Twilight also noticed that the moon-touched girl was also donned in the blue and orange raiments of the Nightwings and was also holding a somewhat smaller version of Hedwyn’s mask. The alicorn was both surprised and puzzled as to why she was wearing the raiments. Could it be possible that Mae wanted to participate in the Rites? Was that even allowed? “We can go home?” the girl innocently responded.

“Mae!” Jodariel quickly scolded her. “I thought I made myself quite clear that you were to not touch those robes.”

Mae put on an apologetic look. “Oh! I’m sorry Miss Jodariel, I just thought that maybe you were being funny at the time?”

The Demon appeared to be somewhat baffled at her response and ended up just letting out an aggravated sigh. “…Unbelievable.” she muttered under her breath.

It was then Applejack’s turn to walk up to the girl and question her. “Sugarcube, you can’t just be walking around in those robes like that, the others need ‘em for something important.”

“But, they feel really nice, Miss Applejack.” Mae countered. “You told me earlier that I should always feel comfortable with how I look and what I wear. Isn’t that why you wear your hat all the time?”

The girl’s admittedly sweet sentiment caused the words to get caught in the farmer’s mouth. “Yeah well,…that’s for a completely different reason and…uh…” Applejack was struggling to come up with a way to explain what was wrong while also trying not to trip over her previous words of encouragement.

“Uh, hey chums?” Rukey suddenly interrupted. “Something’s happening in the sky. It looks like we’re up.”

True to the Rukey’s word, the group looked up to see that the eight, multi-colored stars were surrounded by the blue halo. Just like in the previous Rite, a line connected all of the stars to for the constellation that the alicorn had become quite familiar with. The stars burned bright as a light covered the Spring, resulting in a faint glow emanating from the water. This was the signal for Twilight, Applejack and the Nightwings to make their way to the shore of the Spring to commence the Rite for this eve. Hedwyn, Jodariel and Rukey put on their masks to complete their wardrobe for the night’s ceremony.

“READER! WHAT BRINGS YOU TO THE SPRING OF JOMUER? WHY IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE STARS!"

“What in tarnations…” Applejack whispered to herself as she heard the Voice emanating from the night sky.

“ALTHOUGH, IT SEEMS THAT YOUR TRIUMVIRATE NOW NUMBERS FOUR EXILES DONNING THE SACRED RAIMENTS, NOT THE EXPECTED!”

“THE RULES OF THE RITES WERE NOT CREATED FOR THE LIKES OF YOU TO BISMIRCH!”

The Voice’s disapproving tone confirm to Twilight that she would only be allowed to have three of the exiles perform in the Rite, and not four. The question remained if Mae truly wanted to participate, who would have to sit out for the night?

“IT ALSO APPEARS THAT ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR KIND HAS JOINED YOUR BAND OF MISFITS. SHE CERTAIN DOES FIT IN, WHAT WITH HER…’RUSTIC’ LOOK AND BEHAVIOR.”

Twilight could hear her friend grumble a bit at the Voice’s commentary. “Ya weren’t kiddin’ when you said he was rude, Twi.” she managed to say.

“PREPARE NOW TO CONFRONT THE FATE!”

At the grand announcement, three figures emerged from the other side of the Spring. Twilight looked across to see that the adversaries composed of a Cur, a Nomad and a Savage (the slang for young Nomads ostracized for their deficiencies or differences, even prior to their sentencing, according to Hedwyn). All three of them were donned in their raiments and masks, with purple and yellow being their colors.

“THEY STILL HONOR THE TRADITIONS OF THE SCRIBES, AND SURELY HAVE BEEN LONGING FOR THIS CHANCE.”

Twilight looked over to see that the sigils on both sides of the field had lite up to form both of the triumvirates’ pyres, with the Fate’s pyre producing dark, purple flames. What confused the alicorn was that it appeared the pyres on both sides were on the surface of the Spring. Was the water shallow enough to stand in, or would the exiles have to swim the Celestial Orb to the adversary’s pyre? Before the mare could think more on the subject, she turned back to see that two of the figures were walking to the Nightwings’ side of the field.

The Cur and Savage walked up before the Nightwings and removed their masks. The Cur appeared to be quite old, much older that Rukey. A white beard and eyebrows decorated his face of brown fur. He was wearing bone-shaped jewelry on his ears and around his collar with a plume of blue hair on top of his head to complete his look. Judging by his age and calm demeanor, Twilight guessed that he was the leader of the Fate. The Savage was a young man that looked to be close to Mae’s age. His face was tan, with a bit of blue paint on his nose and bone jewelry on his ears. His hair was black and tied up in a bun. Unlike the Cur, however, he had a look of intensity and suspicion that made Twilight somewhat uncomfortable.

The old Cur then bowed to the alicorn and the Nightwings and properly introduced himself. “I hail to you, exiles of the Nightwings, and am grateful that you chose to grace us with your presence once again. I am called Dalbert Oldheart and this is my son, Almer. Before you ask, yes, he is adopted.”

Twilight was honestly quite bewildered with the Cur’s politeness and formality. She certainly wasn’t expecting this after her interaction with Lendal and the Accusers. “You’re not…surprised or appalled by my appearance?” the alicorn asked cautiously.

The old Cur chuckled a little and answered her question. “A Cur my age witnesses a lot of things over the years, my dear. While you are certainly unique, you are not the most strange or hideous creature I have encountered.”

Almer let out a groan of frustration and finally spoke up. “We need not greet them, Father! They are our adversaries!”

Dalbert held up a paw to silence his son. “We shall face you in the field this night and may the victor’s Pyre burn eternal. But first we offer you a token of good faith, in show of appreciation that the Nightwings have returned.” He then approached Twilight with an item in his paw. Sensing that the Cur’s motives were sincere, she used her magic to lift up the item to inspect it. It appeared to be a small, metal brooch depicting a symbol that she was not familiar with. “That talisman is known as a Tailwind Crest.” Dalbert explained. “Anyone in your triumvirate who holds it during the Rite will receive an increase in speed. Use it wisely.”

Twilight gazed at the talisman one more time before handing to Jodariel for safe-keeping. “Thank you, Dalbert.” the alicorn thanked him. “Let both of our triumvirates give it our all tonight.”

Dalbert gave one final bow before he made his way back to hi side of the field. Almer gave Twilight one more look of suspicion and proceeded to follow his father. With the introductions out of the way, Twilight turned back to the group to form a plan of what to do next. The Nightwings temporarily removed their masks for easier discussion while Mae continued to look to Dalbert and Almer.

“That Cur was very kind…And his son was so caring, wasn’t he?” Mae commented. While Twilight could agree with Dalbert behavior, she wasn’t too sure that Almer was trying to be as kind as his father.

“Uh, Mae,” Applejack said. “I don’t think that Almer boy was tryin’ to be nice to us. It sounded like he didn’t even want to look at us.”

Mae shook her head at the farmer. “I don’t think so, Miss Applejack. I think he was just protective of his father. He is rather old for a Cur.” The moon-touched girl then changed the subject as she turned to Twilight with an excited look on her face. “Miss Twilight, when may we start the Rite?! I want to help lead the Nightwings to victory!”

Twilight took a minute to collect her thoughts. “Alright,” she began as she looked to the Nightwings. “we need three exiles to conduct a Rite. But, now we have four of us that want to participate, now that we have Mae. So, the question remains: Which one of you wants to stand out for tonight?”

The Nightwings looked amongst themselves at the alicorn’s question. Hedwyn was the first to speak up. “If someone has to stand out tonight, I’ll volunteer.”

“No volunteering, chum!” Rukey chastised Hedwyn. “It’s like you said a few days ago, we have to trust our Reader’s decisions. It ought to be her call.”

Jodariel nodded in agreement with the Cur. “Very well then. Reader, head to that small vantage point near the Spring and cast your decision.” She then pointed Twilight to a small outcropping that overlooked the Spring.

The alicorn started to feel uncomfortable again at the prospect of choosing who would conduct the Rite. She certainly didn’t want to offend any of the Nightwings by refusing to choose one of them. Thankfully, it appeared Applejack recognized the purple mare’s growing anxiety and offered some support. “Don’t you worry none, sugarcube. Nobody’s gonna get upset if’in you don’t choose them tonight. Just go with yer gut!”

All of the Nightwings nodded in agreement as they all put their masks back on. Twilight was still a bit hesitant but decided to make her way to the outcropping anyway. Once she had made it, the alicorn had a full view of the Spring; both pyres burning brightly. She looked to the other side of the field and got a good look at the Fate’s sigil, an awaken eye. She also saw that Dalbert, Almer and the Nomad had suddenly materialized right next to their pyre, their auras surrounding them. The triumvirate looked as though they were standing right on top of the water. Before the mare could be further amazed by this occurrence, the Voice gave her some instructions.

“NOW READER, CHOOSE AMONG YOUR BAND OF EXILES WHO WILL CONDUCT THE RITES TONIGHT.”

The Book of Rites floated from under Twilight’s wing and opened in front of her just like last time, however something was different. In the last Rite, the pages were blank, but now the names of Hedwyn, Jodariel, Rukey and Mae were listed on the left page. On the right page, the Ashen Coal and Tailwind Crest were written. Realizing this was probably how she was to choose who would perform in the Rite, Twilight began to make her decisions. Firstly, she thought Mae deserved to participate tonight, since she was so eager to prove her abilities. She focused on Mae’s name on the page and then the words began to shine.

“MAE”

The moon-touched girl suddenly appeared near the Nightwings pyre, clad in her raiments and mask. Not long after, Twilight formed the link that she had made with all of the other Nightwings before. Once the connection was made, the girl perked up. “Miss Twilight! I…It’s like I can feel you next to me! By the Scribes, so this is what it’s like to be under the guide of a Reader!” Twilight could feel the smile spreading on the girl’s lips.

The alicorn then focused back on the Book to choose two others for the Rite. After weighing her decisions, she decided Jodariel would be a good choice for tonight. Before she chose her, however, Twilight focused on the Tailwind Crest then onto Jodariel’s name to equip her with the talisman. She figured that the Demon could use a boost in speed if she was going up against a Cur like Dalbert.

“JODARIEL”

The Demon was then summoned onto the field. “A wise choice, Reader.” she said in a serious tone.

Finally, Twilight had a choice between Hedwyn and Rukey. While the Nomad had proved himself very well last time, the alicorn ultimately decided to choose Rukey for his speed and maneuverability. She also made sure to give Rukey the Ashen Coal to boost their pyre’s health by a small bit.

“RUKEY”

The Cur appeared on the field and gave a small howl. “Alright, let’s show these guys what we’re made of!”

With all three of them on the field. Twilight looked over to the sideline to confirm that Hedwyn was standing at the shore of the Spring along with Applejack. The purple mare tried to find any form of disappointment on his face, but it appeared that Hedwyn was content with her decisions.

“Well, looks like yer hangin’ back with me tonight, partner.” Applejack told the Nomad.

Hedwyn responded with a nod. “It would appear so. I’m sure Twilight had her justifications. Here’s hoping that we are victorious tonight.”

With both triumvirates at the ready, the Rite was about to commence. However, Dalbert called out to the Nightwings one last time. “Nightwings! I trust you all are well-prepared, for these old eyes yet see that the Rite shall be commencing momentarily.” The old Cur then looked to Almer at his side. Are you quite ready, too, my son?”

“I hope so, Father. Now, let me show you!” the Savage said in determination.

Musical Cue - Glorious Tradition

A beam of light began to shine down in the middle of the Spring. A few seconds later, the Celestial Orb fell down and landed onto the field. The Rite then officially commenced at the Voice’s command.

“BEGIN.”

Mae and Dalbert both ran towards the Orb in hopes of picking up first. The old Cur reached the it first, but he consequentially ran right into Mae’s aura, causing him to be banished. The moon-touched girl picked up the Orb and retreated towards the Nightwings pyre when the Nomad adversary gave chase. Twilight temporarily switched to Jodariel so that she could cast her aura out to banish the Nomad. The alicorn then switched back to Mae and guided her over to the other side of the field. The girl made a mighty leap over Almer and plunged right into the Fate’s pyre.

“THE NIGHTWINGS ARE FIRST TO STRIKE THE ADVERSARY’S FLAME.”

“Woah nelly!” Applejack cried out as the field was reset. “Is Mae okay after jumpin’ into that fire like that?! I don’t see her anymore!”

“Calm down, Applejack.” Hedwyn reassured her. “Mae’s fine. She’s only banished for the time being. She’ll be back.”

After the field reset, Twilight had Jodariel go straight for the Orb. Unfortunately, the Demon didn’t even make it to her goal before Almer banished her with an aura cast. Dalbert then used this opportunity to rush toward the orb and picked it up. Twilight tried her best to have Rukey intercept him, but the old Cur was faster than he appeared and circled around Rukey. The alicorn could only watch on as Dalbert made a successful plunge into the Nightwings’ pyre.

‘AN IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE BY DALBERT. PERHAPS OLD DOGS CAN LEARN NEW TRICKS AFTER ALL.”

Twilight shook off the temporary loss and regained focus on the field. Now that she had all of her triumvirate back on the field, it should be easy get past Almer and the Nomad. Mae grabbed the orb before Almer could and passed it to Rukey. The Cur dashed to the other side; easily avoiding the Savage and the Nomad and causing a small amount of damage to the pyre.

“DELIVERANCE.”

As the field reset again, Twilight noticed something odd was happening. From the waters of the Spring, a small, ball-sized droplet emerged and softly floated above the surface.

“Look forth, my son!” Dalbert called out. “The waters of Jomuer Many-Mane bring blessings unto us this eve! Perhaps our chance has come at last!”

Almer, for his part, shook his head. “We need more than blessings to prevail against them, Father. Please, keep fighting!”

Twilight was still confused on how exactly these small droplets could provide any advantage for the Rite. Thankfully, the Voice gave a brief explanation to the alicorn, albeit in a rather patronizing tone.

“BEST YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MOON DROPS THE STARS HAVE BESHEED ONTO YOU, READER. BUT WILL IT BE ENOUGH TO BEST DALBERT AND HIS FAITHFUL SON?”

The purple mare ignored the Voice’s doubt and focused onto Jodariel. As the Demon picked up the Moon Drop, Twilight felt a sudden surge of energy rush into the horned woman. Her movement was vastly increased, casting an aura cast to banish Almer and picking up the Orb in mere seconds. Once the orb was in her possession, Jodariel rushed for the Fate’s pyre, easily outmaneuvering the adversaries despite her large presence. The Demon’s stamina felt unlimited as she finally plunged into the pyre with a mighty jump.

“JODARIEL DOUSES THE ADVERSARY’S FLAME BY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT!”

The Fate’s pyre was over halfway diminished now. Two more strikes from either Mae or Rukey would end the Rite in their favor. However, it appeared that The Fate was aware of this as well as Dalbert was quick to claim the Orb and made a rush towards the blue flames through the side of the field. Twilight saw this and had Mae intercept the old Cur, banishing him with her aura. The moon-touched girl passed the Orb to Rukey and carefully trotted to the center of the field. The Fate’s Nomad was ready to block him from the center, but Twilight was expecting this. She ordered Rukey to make a heel turn towards the side of the field and attack the pyre from behind. The tactic worked, as the adversaries were ill-prepared for Rukey’s quick paws and could only look behind them as the Cur jumped into the shrinking flame.

“ONLY A LICK OF FLAME REMAINS NOW. FINISH THESE NIGHT’S PROCEEDINGS, READER.”

The Fate’s pyre just needed one more hit from the Orb to completely douse it. Twilight acted quick and had Mae make her way to the Orb. The Nomad adversary tried to banish her, but the Mae dodged the aura cast and casted one of her own to banish him. The moon-touched girl grabbed the Orb and quickly retreated as Almer pursued her. She almost would have been banished by the Savage’s aura field if Twilight hadn’t noticed the Moon Drop nearby. Mae grabbed the Moon Drop and was then able to outrun Almer and make her way to the other side of the field. With her augmented agility and unlimited stamina, the moon-touched girl had no issue circling around old Dalbert and plunged into the dying pyre. With one, final blast from the Celestial Orb, none of the purple flame remained on the adversary’s sigil.

“AND IT IS DONE!”

As the field reset and the triumvirate returned to the shore of the Spring, the Nightwings’ pyre shot up into the sky and exploded into their sigil, just like in the last Rite.

“THE NIGHTWINGS PREVIAL! T’WAS A GLORIOUS PERFORMANCE, I MUST ADMIT.”

“LOXALAS!” Mae, Jodariel and Rukey yelled out in victory.

“YEE HAW! Now that was somethin’ alright! Way to go, you three!” Applejack yelled, waving her hat in the air. Unfortunately, the country mare’s celebration was cut short.

“OH, DO TRY TO CONTAIN YOURSELF. PERHAPS THEY SHAN’T BE QUITE SO FORTUNATE NEXT TIME.”

With the mood now downtrodden a bit, Applejack returned her hat on her head. “Well he sure is a mighty buzzkill.” She muttered under her breath.

Twilight paid know heed to the Voice’s words of discouragement as she made her way back to the shore. Mae was so ecstatic by the victory, she was jumping for joy with a wide smile on her face. “Mae, you were amazing! I’m so proud of you!” the alicorn congratulated the girl.

Mae looked to Twilight with her bright smile. “Thank you, Miss Twilight! Thank you so much for helping us win! Scribes bless you!” The alicorn gave a soft blush at such high praise.

“Nicely done, my friend.” Hedwyn said as he joined the group.

“I’d rightly say so!” Applejack agreed. “I’ve never seen somethin’ like that before. But HOO-WEE, that was mighty impressive!”

The groups merriment was interrupted by a sigh from Rukey. “Kinda feel bad about Dalbert though. He seemed pretty okay for someone whose supposed to be our adversary and such.”

As if on cue, Dalbert and Almer both made their way to the Nightwings. While Almer had on a sour expression, Dalbert still had his calm demeanor he had before. “Exiles of the Nightwings! The dawn is yours, and may you earn your freedom!” the old Cur bowed once again to his adversaries. “Reader, may you honor me with your name?”

The purple mare was rather taken aback by Dalbert’s courtesy and respect. Instead of swearing vengeance like Lendal had done, the Old Cur wanted nothing more than to honor the ones that had bested him fair and square. With that in mind, the alicorn decided to grant his request. “Twilight.” She introduced herself. “I am Twilight Sparkle of Equestria.”

The old Cur gave a nod. “Very well. May the stars guide our paths to cross again, Miss Twilight Sparkle.” He then turned around and made his was back to the rest of his triumvirate, his adoptive son in tow. Twilight had to admit, it felt good to have seen at least some sportsmanship in this Rites. She doubted that many of the other adversaries she would eventually face would be this courteous about losing, but it was nice to know that not all of them would be her enemies. However, it did raise the question as of why the old Cur was here in the first place. The Downside was a place meant for criminals of the Commonwealth, so what exactly did he do that deserved such punishment? Twilight supposed that it didn’t really matter at the moment. It was like Hedwyn said on the day they met, the past mattered little and they were all equal nothings down here. At least Dalbert was a nothing with a sense of honor.

As the pair walked away, Twilight overheard Almer speaking to his father. “I’m sorry, Father. The dawn could have been ours….we’ve failed. And I have failed you!” It was clear that the Savage was taking the loss much harder than his foster father was.

“Nonsense! We are the Fate! We do what is ordained, and nothing less.” Dalbert reassured him. “Now let us go, my son, for I am weary once again.”

Almer just stood there on the shore as the old Cur continued on his way. He looked down at the ground at his feet and appeared to be in deep thought. Twilight was tempted to walk over and give him some words of encouragement, but her attention was driven elsewhere.

Musical Cue - A Step Closer

“Uh, Twi? What’s goin’ on?” Applejack asked.

The alicorn turned around to see what the farmer was referring to. Three beams of light encompassed Mae, Jodariel and Rukey, causing them to slightly hover off the ground. Twilight recognized this from the last Rite. “Enlightenment.” She simply answered her friend. Last time, Hedwyn was the only one to receive a Mastery from enlightenment, so she was curious to see if Rukey and Jodariel would gain Masteries themselves now they’ve acquired more experience from the Rites.

Twilight’s suspicions proved true when a bright glow flashed over Rukey for a few seconds, indicating that he became stronger.

“IT SEEMS THAT THE EXILE RUKEY HAS GAINED A BLESSING FROM THE ALPHA CHIEF HIMSELF.”

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” the Cur announced excitedly. “Looks like old Rukey Greentail’s got some more bite in him, eh chums?!”

The alicorn looked over to see that the same light had flashed over Jodariel as well.

“DEMON SUCH AS JODARIEL ARE ABLE TO ACQUIRE ENLIGHTMENT, IF THEY ARE WILL TO STRIDE FOR IT. THE DEMON SCRIBE BESTOYS HIS FAVOR!”

“Hmmm,” Jodariel mused as she felt the new power coursing through her body. “Perhaps there is some credibility to these Rites after all. I shall have to see how this experience will assist us in our path forward.”

The beams of light retracted from the triumvirate and returned up to the sky. The stars gave one last burst of light and then returned back to their normal glow. The Spring of Jomuer stopped glowing and the waters went back to sparkling in the moonlight. Thus, concluding the Rites for tonight and a final message from the Voice.

“UNTIL THE STARS ALIGN.”

As the Nightwings returned to the blackwagon, Applejack noticed that something was different. “Hey Twi, where did Mae run of to?”

Twilight also noticed that Mae wasn’t with the group heading back and started to look around for her. After a quick scan of the area, the mares saw the girl walking over to back to the shore. They followed after her only to stop a few feet away when they saw she was approaching Almer, who was still sulking on the shore. They were even more surprised when she began speaking to the boy.

“Um…excuse me?” Mae asked in a nervous voice. “I mean, would you excuse me for a moment, do you think?”

Almer looked up again to see that the moon-touched girl was talking to him. “You…You’re one of them.” he said shakily. He was quick to raise his guard again and resume his cold demeanor. “What do you want? Father needs me, and I have already wasted enough time as it is.”

Mae looked like she was about to say something, but she shut her mouth suddenly and closed her eyes in frustration. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she finally said. “I think that I forgot what I was going to say. I’m so embarrassed, I…”

Almer had on a bewildered, yet annoyed look on his face. “What is the matter with you? It is against the Rites for us to even speak like this!” Twilight wasn’t very convinced by that claim, considering Dalbert’s earlier conversations with her being so courteous and sincere.

Mae was starting to look a bit flustered now. She held her arms behind her back and started to rock back and forth a bit. “Um, I did not know that, I don’t think? No one said anything like that to me. But then, all this, it’s very new to me. So, I thought, maybe…” The girl was trying her best to look the boy in the eyes, but always seem to look to the side.

Almer let out a huff of annoyance. “You cannot be serious.”

Mae then began to perk up again. “Yes! I like to laugh, I like to laugh a lot! What do you like to laugh at…?” She gave a wide smile to the boy, hoping that would finally get him to open up. Unfortunately, Almer wasn’t so impressed.

“…This is a Nightwings trick. Father told me not to speak with any of you.” The Savage then turned away from her and started walking away. “I have to go now.” he stated coldly. With that, the boy went off in the other direction. The alicorn had a feeling deep that that his father gave no such order to not speak with any of them and just used that as an excuse to leave the conversation.

“Wait! Almer, wait, I think that was your name, was that even your name?!” the moon-touched girl called out to him. But it was too late, he had already left the Spring before he could answer Mae’s question. When he was out of view, Mae slumped her shoulders down and looked dejectedly at the ground. The mares couldn’t help but feel bad for the poor girl. It was very apparent that her social skills weren’t up to speed, and all she really wanted was to happily interact with new people. After a few moments of silence, Applejack finally trotted over to the girl to provide some comfort.

“Come on, sugarcube.” she said in a gentle voice. “Let’s get on back to the others. Jodariel’s probably worried sick about ya.”

The girl looked to the country mare giving her a gentle smile and decided to return it. “Oh, alright then, Miss Applejack. I don’t wish to worry anyone.”

As the two started their way back, Twilight stood in place and began thinking. There was something about Mae’s attempt to speak with Almer that seemed so familiar to her. She couldn’t place her hoof on it, but she did have a theory. Perhaps it was possible that Mae was trying to form a friendship with the Savage. At first, the alicorn was in support of the moon-touched girl experiencing friendship and would love to help her along the way. But she then remembered that Almer was part of the Fate, their adversaries. Would such a friendship hinder either of the triumvirates’ abilities in the Rites?

Twilight shook her head and decided to ponder about this at a later time. Right now, she just wanted to get back to the blackwagon and get some sleep for tomorrow.

Musical Cue - Through the Valley (White Lute)

As Twilight, Applejack and Mae returned to camp, they saw that Hedwyn and Jodariel were having a conversation. When the trio arrived by the campfire, they broke their conversation.

“There you are, Mae.” the Demon told the girl in a somewhat stern voice. May you please not wander off like that again. You should know that it is very dangerous to be by yourself at night.”

Mae looked down a bit at the horned woman’s scolding, but Applejack was quick to come to her defense. “Calm down, Jodariel. Me and Twi were keepin’ an eye on her. She weren’t in no danger.” Jodariel still looked a bit peeved, but she eventually faltered and gave Mae a small nod, much to the girl’s relief.

Twilight looked around the camp and noticed that a certain Cur was out of sight. “Where did Rukey run off to?” the alicorn asked.

“He already went inside the wagon to get some sleep for tomorrow morning.” Hedwyn answered her. “We wanted to want outside for you to come back so that we can look to the stars for our next destination.”

“Alright then,” the alicorn confirmed as she looked towards the night sky. “I suppose I’ll look to were the next star is pointing at, and then we can get some sleep for-“

Twilight paused her train of thought when she saw something strange in the sky. It was the same blue sparkle that she saw the night the Nightwings defeated the Accusers. Hedwyn, Jodariel and Applejack also looked up to see that the sparkle was getting brighter and brighter. No more than a second later, the sparkle opened into a poral-like gate that was all too familiar to the purple mare.

“Wait a tick,” Applejack said, also looking at the portal. “Is that there the thing that I fell out of and landed me here?”

Before Twilight could answer the farmer, the group heard a scream coming from the portal. It was a rather soft scream; a scream that both mares instantly recognized. Their suspicions were later confirmed when something, or rather somepony, fell out from the portal. She had her eyes shut tight with fear and she desperately tried to flag her yellow wing to lessen her fall.

“FLUTTERSHY!” both ponies yelled as they quickly rushed over to catch their friend. Thankfully, the portal opened much closer to where Twilight and the group was, so the mares had time to get under their falling friend in hopes to catch her, though Applejack was a bit faster than Twilight. Applejack got directly under the falling pegasus and held out her hooves to catch her from the sky.

“Don’t worry, Flutters! I gotcha! I gotcha! I got-“ the farmer didn’t finish her last sentence as Fluttershy landed right on top of her. Twilight started to get worried that both of her friends got seriously hurt. However, it looked as though the pegasus’s excessive wing flapping did dampen her fall.

“Fluttershy, are you okay?” Twilight asked the yellow mare. Fluttershy moved her soft, pink hair out of her face and began to look around nervously. When her sights landed on her alicorn friend looking on with worry.

“Twilight?” she quietly said as she regained her bearings. She then looked down when she noticed the ground below her felt lumpy and gasped. “Applejack?!” the yellow mare explained as she quickly hovered off the farmer. When Applejack got up and adjusted her hat, a smile spread across her face as she looked to her two friends. “Oh Applejack, Twilight! It’s so nice to see you again!” she softly exclaimed as joined her friends for a quick group nuzzle, which the two mares were happy to return.

When the three separated, Applejack was first to greet her friend. “Good to see ya again, sugarcube! I hope the landing wasn’t too rough for ya.”

The pegasus looked over her body one more time for any cuts and bruises. “No, I think I’m okay.” When she was done inspecting herself, Fluttershy looked around and saw the strange, new surroundings. “But, where in Equestria are we?”

The alicorn’s smile lessened at Fluttershy’s confusion. She realized that she had to be careful with introducing Fluttershy to the Downside and its inhabitants, given the mare’s timid nature. “Well Fluttershy, we’re not in Equestria anymore. In fact, we’re in a different world entirely.” Before Twilight could explain any further, one of the Nightwings decided to make a premature introduction.

“Another one of your friends, I presume?” Jodariel said as she stepped up and looked down at the pegasus. Fluttershy took one gaze at the cold, imposing Demon and let out a small shriek. She then cowered behind her two friends in an attempt to hide herself from the horned woman. Twilight wasn’t exactly surprised by this reaction. Sure, Fluttershy had definitely become braver and bolder over the time the purple mare had known her, but she was ill equipped to handle the shock of a completely alien world.

“It’s alright, sugarcube,” Applejack comforted the pegasus. “Jodariel won’t hurt ya.” The farmer raised her eyebrows in realization and looked to the alicorn. “Twi, you should probably cast that translation spell on Fluttershy here so that she can understand the rest.”

Twilight inwardly chastised herself for entirely forgetting about the language barrier of this world. She made a mental note herself to immediate cast the spell as soon as she ever finds another one of her friends in the Downside. For now, though, she focused all her energy on her horn and casted the spell on the pegasus. Once the spell had done its job, Twilight began to calmly introduce Fluttershy to the Nightwings. “Fluttershy, I want you to meet Hedwyn, Jodariel and Mae. They are the Nightwings, and they’re going to help us get home.”

The timid mare peaked over Applejack’s barrel to get another look of the trio. While Jodariel still looked somewhat intimidating, it looked as though she was trying her best to relax her intense look. Hedwyn was on her right, giving the pegasus a soft smile and friendly demeanor that Twilight had grow to admire. Finally, Mae was peeking from behind Jodariel, almost equally as shy about meeting the yellow mare. While Fluttershy did look less nervous now, she still stayed behind her friends. “It’s a…nice to…meet you.” she murmured. Hedwyn looked like he was about to say something, but he was cut off.

“Heya, chums!” Rukey called out as he exited the blackwagon. “I think we got a problem!” As the Cur walked over to the group, he soon noticed Fluttershy hiding behind Twilight and Applejack. “Hey, who’s over there? Is that another one of the Reader’s friends from Equestria or something?”

As soon as Fluttershy saw Rukey, it was like a switch was flipped inside her head. Gone was the scared, timid mare and in her place was the passionate animal lover that Twilight knew all too well. “Oh my goodness!” she happily cried out. The pegasus dashed past her friends and the Nightwings and made a beeline for Rukey.

“Hey, uh, what’s-“ Rukey couldn’t finish his thought before he was pulled into a tight embrace by Fluttershy. The mare paid little attention to his squirms as she began to pet and hug the Cur. “Hey,” Rukey struggled to say. “What’s the big idea here?! Why is she hugging…me?!” Both Twilight and Applejack couldn’t help but let out a small giggle at his struggle against Fluttershy’s affection.

“Oh my gosh, you talk?!” the animal lover exclaimed. “Oh, that’s so amazing! You have to tell me all about what’s it like being such a handsome dog!”

Rukey growled in frustration. “For the last time, I AM A….wait, handsome?” he asked. It appeared that the flattery seemed to have calmed the Cur down to a point where he calmly addressed Fluttershy. “Eh, listen chum. The name’s Rukey Greentail, and I’m actually not a dog. I’m a Cur, and I would love to tell you more about myself. Would you just…please let go of me!?”

The pegasus then immediately let go of Rukey and began to apologize. “Oh, I’m sorry, Mister Greentail! It’s just that I get really excited to meet new animals. My name is Fluttershy, and I would love to hear all about Curs! I also really like your necklace! Do you like bones?! Do Curs like to chew on them and then buried them?!” Rukey gave a small chuckle of embarrassment from the barrage of questions from the animal lover. Thankfully, Jodariel spoke up and unintentionally saved him.

“Rukey!” she said in a strong tone. “What exactly did you have to tell us?”

When Twilight heard Rukey’s news, her eyes went wide open with shock.

“Oh, yeah. Well, you probably won’t believe this, chums, but it looks like that minstrel that has been tagging along with us is gone!”

Howling Under the Stars

Chapter 7: Howling under the Stars

Musical Cue - The Herald

A quick scan of the blackwagon’s common room revealed not a single soul was inside. Twilight looked over to the corner where she normally saw a slouched over figure covered in a black cloak who was completely still, save for the subtle rising and falling of his chest that resulted from breathing. Now, all that remained in the corner was the cloak that covered him, and there was no sign or indication of here he might have gone. It was just as Rukey said outside, the minstrel had completely vanished.

“He really is gone.” Jodariel grimly stated. Applejack, Fluttershy and the Nightwings all followed Twilight inside the wagon to confirm the minstrel’s disappearance.

“Of course, he’s gone! What, Jodi, did you think that I was just messing with everyone.” Rukey accused her. When the Demon merely crossed her arms and said nothing, her answer was pretty clear. “Oh, come on, you gotta be kidding me! You guys are so critical!” The Cur sat down and continued to pout.

“Oh, it’s alright, Rukey. I’m sure they don’t me it.” Fluttershy comforted him. The pegasus then used her hoof to scratch him behind the ear. While the Cur initially flinched away from her touch, he eventually leaned back at let her continue. “Does that feel good?” the timid mare asked him.

“Eh…., it’s fine…I guess.” Rukey muttered under his breathe. Twilight did hold back a smile when she looked down and saw his tail wagging a little bit.

“Wait, that there was a person in that corner?” Applejack questioned. “I just thought that was just an old pile of blankets over there. Why didn’t he say anythin’ all this time?”

Hedwyn gave the orange mare a shrug. “We’re not too sure. Before we found Twilight, we just found him collapsed on the side of the road one day and took pity on him. We took him in, gave him food and water, and all he said was ‘thank you’ before he went to sleep. Hadn’t heard a thing from him ever since.”

Jodariel let out a sigh and went to the doorway. “Reader,” she addressed the alicorn. “You, me, Hedwyn, Rukey and Applejack will go outside.” The horned woman then looked to the moon-touched girl. “Mae, please stay inside while we are all out. Go get some rest for tomorrow morning.”

While Mae nodded in agreement with Jodariel’s orders, Rukey spoke up with a different plan. “Eh, you go on ahead there, chums. I’ll stay here with Fluttershy and give her a run down on our situation here in the Downside. You know, the Commonwealth, the Rites and all that?” The purple mare inwardly agreed to this plan, seeing how Rukey could explain this world to Fluttershy much better than she ever could.

Jodariel was quiet for a moment, but she eventually nodded. “Very well. Keep an eye on both her and Mae while we’re gone.” The Demon exited the wagon, followed by Hedwyn and Applejack. Before Twilight left to joined them, she turned to Rukey to ask him a question.

“Hey Rukey, are you sure you don’t mind explaining everything to Fluttershy?” she asked him. Instead of receiving a response from the Cur, it appeared that he was lost in the affection he was receiving from the animal lover.

“Don’t worry, Twilight,” the yellow mare said with a giggle. “Me and Rukey will have a nice little chat about this world while you and the rest are out looking for that minstrel.” She then looked over to the moon-touched girl. “Mae, would you like join us?”

The girl’s eyes lit up at the mare’s invitation. “Oh, of course, Miss Fluttershy! I would love to tell you all about the Scribes!” She then scurried over and sat down next to Rukey.

Twilight smiled at the group, happy to know that Fluttershy was setting in with the Nightwings swimmingly. The alicorn then made her leave and walked out into the night air. She noticed that neither Jodariel or Applejack were nowhere to be seen around the camp, however Hedwyn was there as if he was waiting for her. “Should we start checking for clues about where the minstrel may have gone around camp?”

The Nomad shook his head. “Jodi and AJ already left to check around the area. Right now, we need to look to where the stars are going to take us next. Then we'll go help with the search.”

The alicorn had almost forget that she hadn’t checked the stars yet, what with Fluttershy’s arrival and the minstrel’s disappearance. She gave a nod to the Nomad and looked into the night sky to seek out the next star. Almost immediately, she found a purple star twinkling brighter than the rest and began to focus in on it. Once their destination was set in her mind, Twilight pointed out the star to Hedwyn. “There, that purple star over there.”

“Ha’ub, the Midnight Star,” he identified. Following it should take east all the way across the Valley. I believe the next Rite will be taking place at a location called the Cairn of Ha’ub. It should take us about two days to reach it.” Hedwyn looked to Twilight. “Let’s go assist the others in the search now.”

As the two walked into the night, Twilight raised a question that was bothering her. “Wait, what if we don’t find the minstrel tonight? We can’t just leave without him.” While the alicorn had yet to properly get to know the minstrel, she still thought it would be wrong to just abandon him.

However, the purple mare did relax a little when Hedwyn gave her a calm smile. “Worry not, my friend. We will find him, on this night or the other. He is sure not to have gone far.”

Twilight just couldn’t place her hoof on it, but Hedwyn always had a way to quell some of the worries that she had ever since she got transported to the Downside. Whether it was traversing the harsh environments of the Downside or in a tense situation during the Rites, the Nomad stayed strong and always pointed in the right direction for her and the rest of the Nightwings. Hedwyn was the type of companion that Twilight appreciated having on her side, given the alicorn’s (somewhat frequent) tendencies to cast self-doubt on herself.

Thus, the pair ventured out into the night to join Jodariel and Applejack in search of the mysterious minstrel.

Musical Cue - Through the Valley

Despite spending a few hours searching in the night, the group found no trace of the minstrel. It was then Jodariel decided it would be best to go back to camp and get some much-needed rest for the next day. While Twilight didn’t want to give up on the search so soon, her growing fatigue convinced her otherwise. Jodariel did assure her that they would continue in the morning. Thus, the group retired back to the blackwagon in preparation for the next leg of their journey.

The following morning, Twilight woke up to some good news. Jodariel had gone out early in the morning and discovered some tracks heading east, the same direction they were supposed to be headed in. Jodariel theorized that he may have went through Fallflat, the same path they took to the Spring of Jomuer. Twilight figured that was probably the most logical conclusion, it was decided that the blackwagon would go through Fallflat to get to the Cairn of Ha’ub. After everything was packed up and the driven imps (of which Fluttershy took an immediate fondness of) were fed, the wagon set out on its journey east across Jomuer Valley.

It was about mid-afternoon by the time the blackwagon had made it about three-quarters of the way across the dusty plains of Fallflat. The wagon can to a halt as Twilight, Hedwyn and Jodariel stepped out of it. Throughout the entire day, group had yet to find any trace of the minstrel. If they hadn’t had found him by now, chances were that he was not in Fallflat. While this was discouraging to the alicorn, Jodariel was much more affected by this.

“Blast. I felt certain that he would have gone this route.” the Demon grumbled. She then kicked up a bit of dust in frustration. “We save him in his time of need, give him shelter, and this is how repays us?”

“It’s alright, Jodi,” Hedwyn reassured her. “He couldn’t have left the Valley by now. There’s still a good chance that we’ll run into him on our way to the next Rite.”

The horned woman looked at him for a brief moment before giving a huff. “Let us not waste anymore time here then.” She marched back into the wagon, leaving the alicorn and the Nomad alone together.

“Apologies for that, my friend.” Hedwyn told the mare. “Jodi can get a bit aggravated during situations like this. It’s just not in her nature to be wrong about a hunch.” Twilight figured that this was probably a good time to bring up some observations she had made during her travels with the Nightwings.

“You seem rather familiar with Jodariel’s tendencies and behavior, if you don’t mind me saying.” she said, trying not to unintentionally add offense to the Demon or Hedwyn.

“Both of us have been traveling together in the Downside for a few years now. It would make sense to learn about one another during that time, correct?” he answered her. For some reason, Twilight felt as though Hedwyn was still holding back a few details about his relationship with the Demon. And she believed she knew what to call out to get those details.

“Hedwyn, that bronze clasp,” the alicorn said, indicating the piece of metal that was holding his cloak together. “It looks exactly the same as the one that Jodariel wears for her cape.”

Hedwyn said nothing and continued to look down at the clasp. Twilight was worried for a second that she had crossed some sort of line, but she relaxed a little when she saw a small smirk on his face. “You’re quite observant, my friend.” He then looked to the wagon. “Me and Jodariel knew each other a long time before either of us were exiled to this place. Ever since I was a boy, in fact. Back then, she was always watching over me and making sure I did get hurt. Although, now that I think about it, I don’t think that’s changed as much today.” The Nomad gave small chuckle at that.

Twilight was quite touched by the history the two of them shared. It seemed that under the tough exterior that Jodariel had on daily, she had a caring, almost motherly, nature to her. That would explain why the Demon had accepted Mae so quickly after finding her and why she was always concerned with where the girl was all the time. The was about to ask for more details about the horned woman, but Hedwyn shut that down fast.

“Best you don’t bring up the past with her yet, Twilight. Jodi isn’t comfortable discussing it, especially with those she’s just met. She really is warming up to you and your friends, but not to the point where she’ll put her guard down. Just be patient with her.” Hedwyn then walked to the door of the blackwagon. “Come on. If we leave now, we should make it out of Fallflat by nightfall.”

As much as the purple mare wanted to know more about the Demon, she had to listen to Hedwyn’s wishes and hold on to her questions. Once she and Hedwyn made it back inside, the blackwagon started up again and continued on across the Valley.

The alicorn walk back to where she kept the Book of Rites to see if anymore of the pages had opened up. Unfortunately, it seemed that the pages were still sealed to her, meaning she couldn’t pass the time with a good read. Instead, she looked around the common room to see what everybody else was doing. Applejack was keeping Mae company while the girl was playing with her sticks again, Hedwyn was helping Jodariel look over a few maps of what she assumed was Jomuer Valley, and Rukey and Fluttershy were have a small chat. Twilight decided to walk over to the pegasus and Cur to see what they were discussing.

“Oh, hey sister,” Rukey greeted her. “I was just telling Fluttershy here about how we found you out in the desert and patched you up.”

Fluttershy looked to her friend with concern. “I’m so glad Rukey and his friends found you out there before it was…t-too late.” The timid mare looked uncomfortable around the topic of what might have happen to Twilight if the Nightwings were too late. “How are you feeling, by the way?”

“I’m feeling a lot better now, Fluttershy. I still need to where these bandages on my forelegs for the cuts and scrapes, but other than that, I’m fine.” While the alicorn appreciated her friend’s concern for her, she had some questions for the timid mare herself. “So Fluttershy, has Rukey filled you in on the Rites? Do you still have any outstanding questions about them?”

Fluttershy gave a small shrug. “Not particularly. Rukey said that it might be our only way home, so I suppose we should help the Nightwings with them. I don’t feel very good about leaving Angel Bunny for a long time. I know Treehugger usually feeds the animals when I’m gone, but Angel really hates it when I keep him waiting for me.”

The alicorn did feel a pang of guilt when she realized that the yellow mare was taken away from her rather important responsibilities. Said guilt then reminded Twilight of another question she had for her friend. “Um, so just out of curiosity,” she began asking. “You wouldn’t happen to remember how we all got here to this world? Something to do with me messing with that mirror to the human world?”

The pegasus tapped her hoof to her chin in thought before coming to a conclusion. “Well, I don’t know what happened exactly. I remember walking into the room with Applejack where we saw you, Starlight and Rainbow already near the mirror. I think you already casted a spell on it and then it began to glow a whole lot. Next thing I knew, there was a bright light and then I found myself falling through that portal.”

Though there were still major portions missing, Twilight starting to get an idea of had happen on that day. According to Fluttershy, both Starlight and Rainbow Dash were in the room with her during the blast, so it was highly possible that the two of them were sent to this world as well. “Was there anypony else in the room other than us?” she asked her friend.

“Well, I didn’t see anypony else in the room, but I did hear the door behind us slam open. Although the blast happened so quickly that I didn’t get a chance to turn around and see who it was. I’m sorry.” The timid mare apologized. Twilight certainly did like the idea that possibly even more of her friends got dragged into her mess.

“Woof, sounds like you guys got yourselves in quite the sticky situation, huh?” Rukey asked nonchalantly, though he did hesitate when he saw the down troughed looks the mare had on. “W-Well, do fell so down! I’m sure we’ll come across those friends of yours in no time!”

Suddenly, the wagon came to a sudden stop causing the trio to lunch forward a bit. When the wagon was completely still, Twilight saw Mae bolt out of the door, followed by Jodariel and Applejack. Hedwyn look to the trio, also confused at what was going on. Once they all exited to wagon out into the evening air, Twilight asked Jodariel what was going on. The Demon gestured over to Mae for her answer.

“They’re coming! They’re coming for us! We have to be ready, we have to!” the girl began shouting while wildly looking around the area in search of something.

“Mae, calm yerself!” Applejack tried to calm her down. “Whatcha see out there? What’s goin’ on?!” The moon-touched girl gave no response, giving the farmer intense worry.

Hedwyn looked to her horned companion. “Does she mean what I think she means?” he asked seriously.

“I believe so.” Jodariel stated. “Rukey, go secure the drive imps and ensure there don’t go outside.” The Cur gave a salute and scurried back in the wagon. The Demon then looked to the two ponies. “You three help us set up camp for the night, we do not have much time.” Twilight and Fluttershy nodded and got straight to work at setting up camp. As that was going on, Applejack continued to try and calm Mae down with somewhat successful results. The sun had completely set by the time the group completed setting up the campsite. It was then Twilight tried to figure out what exactly was going on.

“Jodariel, what exactly are we preparing for here?” the alicorn asked.

The Demon continued to scan the horizon. “They are coming for us.”

“They fear the Scribes! They fear the Scribes, I know they do!” Mae mumbled as she rocked back and forth.

Twilight looked to see that Applejack was still by the girl’s side. “She’s been goin’ on about “they” for a long while now. What the hay is she talkin’ about?”

“Howlers,” Hedwyn answered her. “Ravenous creatures that are often the end for most exiles in the Downside.”

The alicorn gave a worried look as she looked out to the horizon to see if she could spot any of these Howlers approaching. Dangerous wildlife was nothing new to her in Equestria. If a pony wasn’t careful, they could be the victim of terrifying timberwolves if they were to stray far into the Everfree Forest. Only this time, Twilight was a bit more nervous about these Howlers since she had no idea what they even looked like.

Rukey had re-joined the group as he was also looking rather nervous. “So, what exactly are we going to do here?” he asked.

Twilight looked to see that Fluttershy was shaking like a leaf. “Um…I-I don’t suppose hiding in the wagon is a good strategy…right?”

“They fear the Scribes!” Mae yelled out again, while Applejack continued to try and calm her down. It appeared that everybody was unsure of how exactly they were going to deal with the enclosing Howler attack. Everybody except for one.

“Calm yourself, Mae.” Jodariel stated in a calm and collected voice. The Demon then rushed back into the wagon. Before anybody could ask what exactly she was doing, the horned woman returned carrying the Nightwings’ metal sigil that was originally resting in the common room. Though the sigil looked quite heavy, Jodariel held it with ease and dropped down on the dusty ground. The Demon then pulled out the Ashen Coal and began striking it with her dagger over the sigil. Once sparks started to hit the sigil, it then suddenly burst into the familiar blue flame that Twilight had seen during the Rites. Jodariel then looked to the others. “We shall give them a reason to fear us, as well.”

Musical Cue - Night Howlers

“Uh, Jodariel,” Applejack began to question. “How exactly is the pyre suppose to help us right now? I thought this thing only appeared during those Rites?”

Hedwyn answered the farmer’s question before the Demon could. “We can use the raiments and the Book to defend ourselves.”

“Precisely,” Jodariel continued. “With the pyre going and the Reader under our watch, we can use our aura to banish the Howlers away. It will just like in our Rites.”

Hedwyn then turned to the purple mare. “It seems like we need your help for this one, my friend. You up for it?”

Twilight was slightly taken aback by the sudden request but was quick to shake it off. It looked like it was her time to step up to the plate again, and she was more than ready for it. “Alright, but if we’re doing this, maybe it would be a good idea to just have one of you out here. That way, I don’t have focus on moving three of you one of a time.” The alicorn reasoned that having one exile to guide would allow her focus more on the impending swarm rather than on three exiles.

The Nomad gave a nod. “Alright, so I guess we need a volunteer.”

“I will do it, Miss Twilight!” Mae responded. “Please, you have to let me! I know the Scribes will protect me!”

“Now hold on just a minute there,” Applejack objected. “Mae, this could be real dangerous. These Howlers sound like they mean business. Ya should really just go hide in the wagon.”

The moon-touched girl gave the farmer somewhat of a pout. “But, Miss Applejack, I really want to help! I did a good job in the last Rite, you said so yourself! Do…do you not think I can do this?”

“W-well, it’s just that…uh…” The farmer was struggling to figure out a way to convince the girl with hurting her feelings. She glanced over to Hedwyn and Jodariel in hopes of gaining support for her, but both of them just shrugged, indicating that they were perfectly fine with Mae volunteering. Finally, the farmer looked back to the girl’s pleading face and hung her head in defeat. “Aw alright, fine. Go get yer robes, sugarcube.”

Mae’s face lit up once again as she rushed back into the wagon to put on her rainments. With the decision made, Jodariel looked to Twilight. “Reader, you and Mae will stay out here and defend against the swarm. They will be going for the pyre in hopes of snuffing it out. If the flames die, so will our chances of surviving. The rest of us will hunker down inside the wagon.” The Demon then reached into her robes and pulled out the Book and extended it to Twilight. “Good luck.”

With a look of determination, the alicorn nodded at grabbed the Book with her magic. As this was happening, Mae had returned, now donned in the rainments and mask in hand. The rest of the Nightwings made there way inside the wagon for protection against the impending attack. Applejack continued to stand in place as she looked at Mae with worry. It was only when she felt a wing on her back did she break from her trance. “It will be alright, Applejack,” Fluttershy comforted her friend. “Twilight will watch over Mae. Let’s go inside now.” The farmer looked to her friend and gave a hesitant nod. The two mares then went inside the wagon and shut the door behind them, leaving only Mae and Twilight outside.

Night had now completely fallen over the landscape now, the roaring blue flames providing the only source of light. Twilight turned around to see that everybody was looking through the window from inside the wagon, with Applejack noticeably taking up the center. The purple mare’s attention was drawn away when she suddenly heard howling coming from the horizon.

“That howling sound, it means….they’re here! By the Scribes, they’re here!” Mae said. The moon-touched girl put on her mask and took her stance by the pyre. Twilight followed along and opened the Book in front of her. The pages then gave their familiar glow and the mare established the connection to Mae. Just as expected, the blue aura formed around the girl’s feet.

Twilight then let out a few more words of encouragement before they were both swarmed by the Howlers. “Okay Mae, we can do this! We just have to keep them away from the pyre.”

Mae looked over her shoulder and nodded. “Let us drive off these Howlers together, Miss Twilight. They will know the true power of the Scribes tonight!”

The alicorn peered over and saw one of the Howlers emerge from behind a large rock. The Howler didn’t appear too different from the drive imps from the blackwagon. Similar in small size and stature, albeit its fur was a darker shade of red. Small, black horns protruded from its head and its eyes glowed a sickly yellow. The creature let out another ear-piercing howl, revealing its sharp, black teeth. Unlike its imp cousins, the creature had no wings, so it had to resort to scurrying towards Twilight and Mae. The girl was quick to react and casted her aura at it. Once the blast hit, the Howler dissipated into the air, similar to how the adversaries were banished in the Rites. The victory was short-lived however as the mare saw more of the creatures making their way towards the wagon. While the Howlers were thankfully avoiding any attention towards Mae and advanced to the pyre, Twilight knew she had to protect the flame or else their only defense against the creatures would be lost.

Twilight guided the moon-touched girl to other side of the pyre to banish more Howlers. More and more of the creatures were appearing now; all of them making a beeline towards the flames. As the creatures began to clump together on the left side of the field, Mae made a large jump to the other side and banished all of them. Twilight noticed that while Mae’s aura and speed were very similar to Hedwyn’s, her jumping ability far outclassed the Nomad. The Howlers started to thin out now as the girl continued to banish them away. When Mae blasted the last Howler in the field, Twilight began to believe that the onslaught was over. Unfortunately, the alicorn was proven wrong when she the howling again, this time louder than before.

“There are even more coming, Miss Twilight!” Mae called out to her. “They sound much angrier now!”

The moon-touch girl proved right when they saw dozens of the creatures now racing towards them. Mae tried to cast her aura out to thin out their forces, but she only caused a small dent. She then began to run towards them, banishing some of the creature with her aura field. Unfortunately, some of the Howlers got passed Mae and jumped right into the pyre. The blue flames flickered a bit before settling back down. The alicorn acted fast and had Mae jump right back to in front of the pyre to intercept the Howlers. This back-and-forth went on for about 10 minutes as the moon-touched girl continued to hold back the ravenous creatures. Eventually, their numbers began to thin, and it looked as though they were becoming less aggressive.

“Miss Twilight! I believe we are close to victory! Let us keep going!” Mae called to the alicorn. She then made another aura as the incoming Howler. Normally after an exile made a cast, the aura field around them disappeared for about a second before it returned around their feet. This happened when Mae casted that aura blast, leaving her defenseless against an incoming attack behind her. Apparently, one of the Howlers decided to avoid going towards the pyre and go after the girl herself. Twilight had no time to warn Mae and could only watch on in horror as the creature made a leap at the unaware girl. Before the Howler could sink its teeth into the girl, Twilight saw an orange blur rush out of the wagon and headed straight to Mae. It turned out it was Applejack as she stopped and quickly turned around to buck the Howler in the air. The farmer’s hooves hit their mark and the creature was sent back towards the ground. The girl noticed the creature on the ground and quickly banished it once her aura had returned. Mae then looked to the farmer. “Miss Applejack?! What are you-“

“No time, sugarcube!” Applejack interrupted her. “we gotta finish ‘em off!” She then took a defensive stand towards the remaining Howlers. “Alright, ya varmints, come any closer and y’all will be in for a world of pain!”

The alicorn regained her focus and continued the effort to hold of the remaining Howlers. While Twilight technically didn’t have a link to Applejack like she did with Mae, the farmer had no trouble holding her own as she continue to buck and Howler that got close to the pyre. Mae was then quick to banish the creatures that the mare had kicked in front of her. With the combined effort of the alicorn, the earth pony and the moon-touched girl, the swarm of creatures was shrunk down to only a single Howler. The creature made one last vain attempt to attack the pyre, but it was instantly banished by Mae’s aura blast. The night air was now quiet, save for the soft crackling coming from the blue flames. Twilight gave one, final scan of the area to confirmed that all of the Howlers were either banished or had retreated.

“Are…Are they gone?” Applejack said, slightly out of breath.

“I believe so, I no long here that dreaded howling.” Mae said with a sigh of relief. The girl’s aura disappeared as she removed her mask and turned back to Applejack. The moon-touched girl then suddenly knelt down to the orange mare’s level and pulled her into a tight embrace. “Thank you, Miss Applejack. No one…has ever risked their own life to save me like that.”

The farmer was a bit taken aback, at first, but she then smiled and patted the girl’s back. “Aw, it weren’t nothin’, sugarcube. Ya did a mighty fine job at keepin’ those Howlers at bay.”

The pair separated from the hug when everybody began to exit the blackwagon. “Well done, my friend.” Hedwyn congratulated Twilight.

“Indeed. Although we were not expecting Applejack to intervene in the end.” Jodariel ended, glancing over at the orange mare from the side. Amongst the group’s conversation, none of them had noticed that Mae had begun to wander away from the pyre.

“Yeah, we tried to stop AJ from bolting out the door, but she was way too quick for us.” Rukey said as he scratched the back of his head.

“Thank goodness she didn’t get hurt by one of those unruly beasts. They didn’t seem very friendly.” said Fluttershy.

The yellow mare’s comment seemed to have caused Applejack to realize how reckless she just was. She began to kick some dirt with her hoof and looked to the Demon. “Um, Jodariel?” she began to apologize. “I’m sorry about goin’ out there like that. I just wanted to-“

“It is fine.” Jodariel interrupted her. “You were looking out for Mae. I would have done the same for her or anyone else here.”

Before Twilight could also reassure her friend, everything froze when they all heard a scream coming from Mae. They all quickly turned to the source of the scream to witness something that made the alicorn’s blood turn cold. On the edge of the campsite, the moon-touch girl looked petrified as she was staring at something from the shadows. It was too dark to tell, but it looked like it was another Howler. The concealed creature growled at the girl and looked as though it was ready to pounce. Before either Jodariel or Applejack could do anything to protect Mae, the creature pounced and went straight for the girl’s face. Twilight flinched away in horror, expecting the worse to happen to the poor girl.

Only to look back with confusion as she began to hear laughter.

Musical Cue - Flutter Fly

Mae was holding the creature in her arm while she continued to laugh. When the girl stepped back into the light of the pyre, Twilight was finally able to get a good look at the creature. At first, it looked to be just an ordinary drive imp from the blackwagon, but there was something different about it. It was small, no larger than a beachball, and covered in bright red fur. It possessed tiny, blue wings in place of arms, and tiny, blue feet that could barely be seen. It had a brown face with a small, blue nose between its large, expressive eyes. Finally, there were blue horns sticking out from his forehead, although there was a red cloth tied around one of them. Nevertheless, the creature appeared to be docile, as it was still nuzzling against Mae face.

“Isn’t he the best?!” the girl said with a big smile. “He’s so soft!”

The alicorn was alarmed again when she heard a loud gasp from behind her. Twilight turned around to see that it was Fluttershy who gasped. The pegasus was staring at Mae and the creature with wide eyes as she was floating off the ground and hooves covering her mouth. “Oh, sweet Celestia…” the mare managed to whisper. She then dashed forward until she was right up in the creature’s face. “He is the most PRECIOUS little thing I’ve ever seen!”

The little creature tilted its head and sniffed the excited pegasus before it jumped from Mae’s arms and began to nuzzle her face. The animal lover happily returned the nuzzle and became completely enamored with the new animal. “Scree, hee!” it chirped. While Fluttershy continued to fawn over the creature, Mae walked back to the group.

“Hmm,” Hedwyn began to ponder. “It looks like a common drive imp, but there’s something different about it. it seems more…aware.”

“Can we keep him, Miss Twilight?! He’s so cute, and it looks like he really likes Miss Fluttershy! Can he come along with us?!” Mae excitedly asked Twilight.

“Um…” the alicorn began to say. It was a little uneasy for the purple mare to be put on the spot like this. She was a little unsure of whether or not it was a good idea to take in a wild animal just like that. However, the moon-touched girl was also giving her such a pleading look that it wasn’t like she could just say no to her. “W-Well, Mae. Taking care of a pet is a very large responsibility. And…uh…we don’t really know a whole lot about him. He could be much wilder and more dangerous than the other drive imps we have, and…”

“Actually, he says that his name is Ti’zo.”

The group looked over to see it was Fluttershy that had interrupted Twilight. The pegasus was wearing a happy grin while the Imp was perched on top of her head. “Scree-kiriri-ki-kiri!” he said with glee. Twilight had no clue what the Imp was saying until Fluttershy translated.

“Ti’zo says that he was able to find us thanks to the Howler swarm. He’s not very fond of them, though.” Ti’zo let out a small growl at the end of Fluttershy’s translation.

The Nightwings still looked puzzled that the pegasus was able to understand the Imp. “Uhh, you can…understand him, Flutters?” Rukey asked the yellow mare.

“Well, back in Equestria, Fluttershy always had this connection with animals. Guess it ain’t no different for this world either.” Applejack explained to the Cur.

The pegasus gave another small smile when the Nightwings seemed impress with her natural abilities with animals. Ti’zo then left Fluttershy’s head used his wings to flutter right in front of Twilight. The purple mare stood there as the Imp continued to look and circle around her, almost as if he was studying the pony. After a full minute of this, the creature gave a nod and return to his perch on Fluttershy’s head. “Kri-kiri. Kraa-hirriik-ii!” he chirped to the pegasus.

“What did he say, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked her friend.

“He said that he actually has a history with the blackwagon and would love to make it his home again. He also said that it’s a pleasure to see that the Nightwings have returned and are being led by a competent Reader.” The yellow mare explained.

While Twilight was certainly flattered by the Imp’s compliment, she still wanted to make sure everybody else was okay with him coming along. The looks on the Nightwings showed no objection against letting Ti’zo join them, the alicorn made up her mind. “Alright then, Ti’zo, your more than welcome to join us!”

Ti’zo let out a few happy chirps and put on a smile that reveal two, sharp fangs. Fluttershy was equally as ecstatic about the news as well. “Oh, thank you, Twilight! This is so exciting! Come on Ti’zo, let’s go set up a nice little nest for you inside!” The gave a nod and moved to rest on the yellow mare’s back. As she made her way inside, Fluttershy looked to the moon-touched girl. “Mae, would you like to help us?”

The girl gave an eager nod and followed the pair inside the wagon. Jodariel then looked to the rest of the group. “We should all go inside and get some rest as well. We have to make it to the Cairn of Ha’ub by tomorrow night. We also still need to find that minstrel as well.”

Everybody seemed to be in silent agreement with the Demon as Hedwyn, Rukey and Applejack followed her inside. Twilight made it to the doorway before she remembered to close the Book. As soon as she did, the flames of the pyre instantly disappeared, leaving behind just the Nightwings’ sigil. The alicorn gave one final look before heading inside as well.

While they had yet to find the lone minstrel, the Nightwings had gained another member for their journey. With that and along with finding some of her friends, Twilight was beginning to feel less alone.

The Missing Minstrel

Chapter 8: The Missing Minstrel

Across the vast, empty space of Jomuer Valley, the low rumble of the blackwagon could be heard traveling across the wastes. The sun was long gone from its place high in the sky and was making its way towards the western horizon, indicating the approach of dusk. The wagon in question had begun traveling that very morning, as the Nightwings packed up the campsite and began their journey to the Cairn of Ha’ub. From there, they began crossing through a section of the Valley known as Licksand, an area of sand surrounded by tall, red cliffs. Hedwyn had determine that if they continued a steady pace towards their destination, they would make it to the Cairn by dusk with plenty of time before the next scheduled Rite. This providing comfort to Twilight, knowing that they weren’t on a tight time schedule. She had considered taking a small snooze during the trip so that she would be well rested for the Rite, but idea was thrown out we she remembered the strange dream she received the last time she took a pre-Rite nap. Therefore, while the rest of the group were busy with their own various activities to pass the time, the alicorn began to start tidying up the common room of the wagon. She began around the bunk she had been sleeping in since she arrived in the Downside and slowly made her way across the room.

By the time the purple mare had finished, the wagon looked a lot less cluttered than the first time she had stepped inside it. The books had been stacked, random debris was swept up from the floor and she even tidied up some of the bunks. After giving a satisfying nod at her work, Twilight looked back to see what her fellow travel companions were up to. Applejack was talking to Mae, seemingly telling the girl about her family and life in Equestria. Jodariel was polishing her armor and checking it for any major wear-and-tear. Hedwyn was doing something similar, although he was polishing his cookware instead. Rukey was looking at himself in the mirror and appeared to be somewhat conflicted about something. Twilight was about to go check on the Cur, but she was distracted by a loud series of chirps coming from the blackwagon’s new member.

Ever since this morning, Fluttershy had spent her time getting to know the little Imp. Above them both in the rafters was the nest that both Mae and Fluttershy had made for Ti’zo. The nest was nothing complicated, just some hay and sticks bound together with bits of ribbon and string. Though the alicorn did noticed that there was a small fish plushie for Ti’zo to assumingly cuddle with, though Twilight wasn’t sure where they had got the doll in the first place. Regardless, the Imp adored his new home and was quick to make himself at home. Seeing how she didn’t know too much about the creature, Twilight decided to walk over to the pegasus and Imp to see what they were up to.

Musical Cue - Flutter Fly

“Kroohoooohoom.” He chirped at the yellow mare, as if he was finishing a thought.

“Oh gosh, that does sound dangerous. You really must be more careful next time.” Fluttershy warned him. Ti’zo was quick to perk up and gave a few resounding chirps, at which Fluttershy gave a small giggle. “Well, you certainly do look tough.”

“Hey Fluttershy,” Twilight greeted her friend. “How’s Ti’zo settling in? What were you guys talking about?”

The yellow mare looked to her friend with a smile. “Oh, he’s doing absolutely wonderful! Ti’zo was just telling me about all his adventures in the Downside. Although, it seems like he frequently gets in trouble with some of the Howlers.”

“Kraaahhaaa!” the Imp snarled at the mention of the dreaded creatures. Fluttershy was quick to translate.

“He has no love for them, but they know not to mess with him, either.” The pegasus then began to pet the Imp on the head, much to his enjoyment. “He plans on sticking around to make sure we don’t get any more trouble from those mean, old Howlers. Isn’t that right, my little friend?” The Imp didn’t give a direct response, as he was too busy basking in the pegasus’s affection.

Twilight couldn’t help but giggle at such an adorable sight. “Well, we’re happy to have you along, Ti’zo. The more the merrier, I always say!”

Ti’zo then tore his attention away from Fluttershy and looked to the alicorn. “Krahiri-kii. Scra-HAAH-ha!” he said to her. Twilight still kept on a small smile but looked to her friend for translation.

“He said that he is very happy to be back in this wagon again and is very appreciative for letting him come along for our journey.” At the end of Fluttershy’s translation, the Imp fluttered up to his nest and began to settle in. After Ti’zo returned to his nest, the pegasus looked to her alicorn friend with a bright smile. “Oh, isn’t he the best, Twilight?! He’s just so small and fluffy, he kind of reminds me of Angel Bunny!”

Twilight gave a light giggle the yellow mare’s excitement. “He certainly quite adorable.” She complimented the Imp. “Hey Fluttershy, you sure you don’t mind translating for him all the time. I could imagine that it could get rather…tedious after a while.”

The animal lover quickly shook her head. “No, of course I don’t mind it, Twilight. Ti’zo is such an interesting little creature, and I would love it if you and the rest got to know him better! If it means that I have to be his translator, then I don’t mind.” Both of the ponies looked up and smiled as they say the Imp of interested snuggled up with his fish plush in his nest.

Seeing how the little creature was completely settled in, Twilight decided to leave the pegasus to her own thoughts. As she made her was back to her bunk, the alicorn heard a hushed whisper directed at her.

“Psst! Hey, sister, over here!” Twilight turned to see it was Rukey who was quietly calling to her. Curiosity got the best of the purple mare as she walked over to the Cur.

“Is there something the matter, Rukey?” she asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

The Cur still looked rather reluctant to speak, but he did so anyway. “Well, um, there’s something I wanted to get your take on. Normally would just ask Flutters over there, but I feel like she’d give me a biased opinion. So…” The alicorn listened intently at what Rukey was about to ask. “What I mean is, um…” The Cur hesitated again, seemingly trying to find the words. “Argh! What I’m trying to say is, um!” The Cur fell silent once again.

Even though Rukey appeared to be struggling with something, Twilight still gave him a kind smile. “It’s okay, Rukey, whatever you say will stay between us. If something’s on your mind, you have my full attention. I’m always happy to listen to a friend’s problem and help them work through it.”

The alicorn’s indirect declaration of friendship seemed to have calmed Rukey down a bit. He looked around the wagon once more to make sure nobody was eavesdropping on their conversation. He moved up close to the alicorn. “…Its about my mustache.” he murmured quietly. “I’ve been getting some conflicting reports about it. Would you say that my mustache makes me look a bit,…you know,…unscrupulous?”

Twilight had to quickly cover her mouth with a hoof to prevent the ensuing giggle had alert everybody in the wagon. She just couldn’t help but fine it rather amusing that the Cur would consider something as trivial as facial hair to be something of grand importance. Rukey, however, was clearly not amused that the alicorn was making light of something that was a large part of his self-image. After suppressing the giggles and collecting herself, Twilight gave her honest opinion on the Cur’s mustache. “I think it looks fine on you, Rukey. In fact, I would say that it gives you a rather distinguished look to you!”

Rukey seemed to instantly relax at the purple mare’s glowing compliment towards his grooming. “Ha ha, thanks for that, sister! I knew straightaway that you were a good judge of character. I’ll just be taking my leave now!” Before the Cur could walk away from the conversation, Twilight stopped him with a question of her own.

“Wait, Rukey, why are you so worried about what others think about your mustache in the first place?” The alicorn was certain curious as to what exactly would cause such self-doubt in the Cur. It was especially unusual since Rukey had been rather prideful of his facial hair before today.

Rukey turned back to Twilight, though he did not answer her question right away. “What? Oh, y-you know,” he stuttered out. “It’s…just important to keep up a good public appearance, is all!” It was clear to the alicorn that he was fishing for a good explanation for his behavior. Rukey continued to explain himself. “So, every once and awhile, I just ask others about my looks to make sure I’m still savvy! No harm in making yourself look presentable in front of other people…and other…ponies.”

While Twilight catch that last part that Rukey muttered to himself, she did notice that he quickly glanced away from the conversation. When she followed the direction the Cur looked to, she saw Fluttershy. The pegasus was still in the same spot as she was before, although it looked like Ti’zo had returned from his nest and the two were having another conversation with each other. A small smirk grew across Twilight’s face as the pieces were slowly coming together in her mind. All she had to do was press the Cur for further details to confirm her suspicious. “Rukey,” she asked. “you wouldn’t happen to be worried about your appearance now because Fluttershy is paying more attention to Ti’zo now instead of you, right?”

Rukey looked completely baffled at the mare’s accusation. However, instead of instantly disproving her claim, he paused and looked to the pegasus and then back to the alicorn questioning him. “W-What?! Come on, sister, it’s not like that at all! It’s no fur of my tail if Flutters wants to fawn over the little guy all day. In fact, it’s kinda nice to not have her attention all the time now.” The Cur tried to put on a convincing grin to help sell his claims, but that grin soon faltered with time. “Although, she did always hit a good spot when she scratched behind my ears. And I suppose it is downright pleasant to talk with her. And…,errr,…” Rukey looked down in slight embarrassment as he began to counter his own excuses. Seeing how he had suffered enough, Twilight decide to reassure her travelling companion.

“Rukey,” she said as she placed a hoof on his shoulder. “You don’t need to worry about Fluttershy. Believe me when I say that she is still enamored by you. It’s just that she loves to be with all types of animals. Sure, she’s paying more attention to Ti’zo now, but he’s not replacing you. I’m sure that if you walk up to her yourself, she’d more than happy to be in your company. And besides, Fluttershy said it herself on the night she arrived her; she thinks you’re handsome.”

Twilight removed her hoof and saw a much more relaxed Cur. It appeared that the alicorn’s words of encouragement had quelled any future doubts he had about the pegasus. However, he still kept on the cocky appearance that he wasn’t bothered by the lack of attention from the yellow mare. “Well, I still think you got the wrong idea about me, sister…..But, I’ll make sure to keep that in mind. Thanks for the advice on…my mustache, sister!”

The conversation was then interrupted when the blackwagon suddenly stopped in its path. Twilight looked over to see that it was Hedwyn that had ordered the wagon to a halt. When the alicorn went up to the Nomad to question the reason for this sudden stop, he gave her a serious expression. “There’s someone on the road.” He answered.

This came as an alarm for everybody in the room, and they were all quick to exit the wagon to find out who this mysterious figure was. As Twilight stepped outside, she noticed that the red cliffs surrounding the sides of the wagon were casting shadows on parts of the path in front of her. The purple mare peered at the path in front of her, she discovered the figure that Hedwyn had noticed. It was a good distance away and covered in the shadows, so it was difficult to make out any significant details. What she could make out was that the figure appeared to have on a hat and cloak, and it was slowing approaching the group with arms spread wide. “Be careful, everybody.” Hedwyn warned one last time as the figure got closer. Jodariel and Applejack both got in front of the group and put on a defensive stand.

The air of anticipation was suddenly broken was Ti’zo rushed towards the figure. Fluttershy immediately rushed forward in an attempt to stop the Imp. “Ti’zo wait! We don’t know if he’s dangerous or not!”

Unfortunately, the Imp payed her no mind as he rushed towards the shadowed figure. Ti’zo only halted when he was right in front of the figure. The air was silent as the Imp continued to study what was before him. Twilight was unsure whether he was perplexed at what he saw, or that he was assessing something as a threat. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of suspense, Ti’zo fluttered up to the figures level and himself on his shoulder. “Hree-hee-heek!” he happily cooed. The figure responded with a soft chuckle.

Musical Cue - The Herald

“Ti’zo! It is good to see you again.” the figure said in a soft voice. And you found the others. Faster than I expected.” After he was finished greeting the Imp, the figure stepped out of the shadows to reveal his identity. Based on his apparel, it looked as though Twilight and the rest had finally found the minstrel that had eluded them these past few days. Upon closer inspection, he looked to be a Nomad of some sort. Only that his skin was extremely pale, which matched rather well with his pure white hair. The minstrel was dressed in a white cloak held together with a small, metal chain, with black feathers lined over his shoulders. He was also wearing a rather large hat that was decorated with a single large, black feather. To complete the look, the minstrel was carrying a white lute, which was shaped to resemble a downward crescent moon. Once he had completely revealed himself, he began a proper introduction. “Hello to you. We have not met, but I know who you all are, or who you must be. I returned as promptly as I could.”

Seeing how courteous he was being, Twilight decided to be the first to accept him back. “We’re just…happy to see you’re okay. I hope it wasn’t too hard for you out there in the Valley these past few days.” she told him. From her own experience, she knew that it was very harsh surviving out in the Downside.

The minstrel gave the alicorn a small nod. “I assure you, I am quite versed in the dangers and hazards of this land. Although, I still appreciate your concern, Princess Twilight.” As he said the purple mare formal title, the minstrel removed his hat and gave her a small bow of respect. Twilight was rather taken aback by this action. Her mind began to wonder how exactly the minstrel had known about her princesshood despite them never formally meeting before this.

“Now hold on just a minute!” The apple farmer confronted the minstrel. “Now how exactly do ya know about Twilight bein’ a princess and all that?!”

The minstrel put his hat back on and looked to the orange mare. “I apologize if I have alarmed you, Miss Applejack. On the night young Mae had joined our travels, I overheard you discussing your home and origins with the rest. I am rather quite familiar with both of you ponies.” He then looked over to Fluttershy. “Although, it appears another one of your kind had arrived while I was absent. May I enquire you for your name, madam?”

The pegasus was hiding behind her pink mane and averting eye contact with the minstrel, but she still granted his request. “I’m…Fluttershy.” she quietly said.

“Kree-hee-hee!” Ti’zo chirped was he was still perched on the minstrel’s shoulder.

“Ti’zo seems to think very highly of you, Miss Fluttershy, despite only meeting last night. I have to say, I’m rather impressed.” The minstrel complimented the pegasus. The praise did seem to help relax Fluttershy, as she now looked to the minstrel with a small smile.

“Well, you certainly had us worried there when you took off.” Hedwyn said.

Jodariel gave a small huff of aggravation. “I should knock him back into his slumber for all of the distress he has caused by wandering off.” The Demon was clearly not amused with spending valuable time searching for the minstrel, only to find out that he was perfectly fine. However, the minstrel was quick to explain himself before Jodariel could act upon her threat.

“Forgive me,” he began in a calm tone. “I did not aim to cause you such concern. As soon as I awakened, I had to notify my client that the Nightwings have return, with a Reader in tow.”

“Yer client?” Applejack asked, confused to who the minstrel was referring to.

“Aye, my client, Sandalwood.” he answered.

This caused Twilight to perk up at the mention of the name. She briefly remembered Hedwyn and Rukey bringing up the name Sandalwood when they picked up Mae a few days ago. Now was probably a good time to start asking questions. “Wait,” she said, looking to both Rukey and Hedwyn. “I overheard you guys mentioning that name when picked up Mae. Do you guys know who that is?”

The Nomad and the Cur looked to each other for a brief second before looking back to the alicorn. Twilight eagerly waited for answer, but it appeared that both of them were having trouble finding the words to explain themselves. Finally, with a bump to the shoulder from Jodariel, Rukey spoke up. “Well…” the Cur began. “We don’t really know him personally, per say.” Twilight was still confused with this explanation, but the minstrel interrupted with a much clearer one.

“Sandalwood is your point of contact, as I understand. Hedwyn was the one who sought out way out of the Downside, and my client answered his call with a request.” He then gestured towards the blackwagon. “I assure you, you did not find this wagon by mistake.”

As the minstrel finished, Twilight’s attention went towards Hedwyn, eager for an explanation on why such an important detail was kept from her for this long. The alicorn didn’t necessarily felt betrayed by this revelation, at least not yet. She understood that some information was either unimportant or not meant for her to know immediately. However, Sandalwood did sound important, and this sounded like it was something the purple mare would need to know if she and her friends were going to be traveling with the Nightwings on this journey. While the Nomad still had on his calm expression, Twilight could see signs of slight guilt appearing across his face. The Nomad let a soft sigh and began to explain himself.

“Forgive me, my friend. I didn’t mean to keep any secrets. While searching for an escape, I heard rumors of someone named Sandalwood with an offer. I made indirect contact with him, and he told me about the Nightwings and the Book of Rites in the first place. He pointed me to the wagon, I recruited Jodi and Rukey, and then we found you in the desert.” Hedwyn paused for a moment when he felt Jodariel put her hand on his shoulder. When he saw the blank look The Demon was giving him, he looked back to Twilight. “I’m sorry I didn’t inform you sooner about this. When you accepted to be our Reader, I thought you were only concerned with getting home.”

The alicorn had to admit, Hedwyn was right about that. Once the opportunity of freedom presented itself in the form of the Rites, she was rather quick to jump aboard and didn’t really think too hard about the specifics. She could also tell from the Nomad’s genuine tone and willingness to explain himself that he did not mean to keep anything from her, it was merely a slip in judgement. However, there was a small part of her that was still hurt that Hedwyn and the rest of the Nightwings for that matter decided to keep secrets from her. They all had to trust her if they were to succeed in the Rites, so it made sense that she would have to trust them as well. Twilight decided to put all that aside for now and that she would discuss this with Hedwyn at a later date. Now, she turned back to the minstrel and asked an important question. “So, what now?”

“You continue down your path. That is why I am here. As we make our way across the Downside, we will eventually meet with my client. He shall explain the finer detail far better than I ever could. For now, you have a job to do. Look to where the stars point you to and follow their path. I assure you, I will not interfere. With that said, I would very much appreciate it if you would allow me to accompany you once again.” The minstrel ended with another formal bow in hopes that it would convince the group to grant his request. Twilight looked to the Nightwings for their opinion of allowing the minstrel back to the wagon. Based on the nods and looks of approval she received, it appeared that none of them had no objections to the request. The alicorn then looked to Applejack and Fluttershy for their opinions, to which they both gave her a smile and a nod. Finally, Twilight gave a nod herself to fully seal the unanimous decision to let the minstrel join them once again.

“Welcome back, minstrel.” Hedwyn said to him with his usual smile. “You got a name.”

The minstrel nodded and gave a small smile. “Across this land, many have come to know me as the Lone Minstrel. However, I am also sometimes called Tariq. It is a great pleasure to meet you, Nightwings.”

“Welp, now that the welcome party is all wrapped up, I’m gonna go tend to the drive imps.” Rukey announced to the group. Before he left however, the Cur looked back to Fluttershy, as if he was remembering some advice a certain alicorn had given him. “Uh, hey Flutters? You mind helping me with the little guys? They get a little uppity when they haven’t eaten in a while.”

The yellow mare’s expression brightened up at the Cur’s request. “Oh, I loved to help you, Rukey! Those little imps are just so adorable!” The animal lover flew over next to Rukey and gave him a few pats on the head. She little a few giggles as she saw the Cur trying to repress a smile from her affection. Before the pair left for the wagon, Ti’zo let out a few chirps and fluttered over on to the pegasus’s back. Twilight couldn’t help but smile at how adorable the trio looked together.

“Alright everybody,” Jodariel announced to the group. “time to head out now. Dusk is approaching quickly, and we have to make it to the Cairn of Ha’ub before nightfall. Into the wagon!” The group was about to follow the Demon’s orders, but they were interrupted by Tariq.

“If I may,” he politely stated. “I would like to have a few words with Princess Twilight out here. I believe I have information that would be beneficial to her on the journey ahead. It will only take a few moments, I promise.”

Jodariel narrowed her eyes at the minstrel and then looked to Twilight. “Do not spend too much time dawdling, Reader. Make it fast.” The horned woman then made her way to the blackwagon, with Hedwyn close behind her. As Twilight was beginning to walk over to the Lone Minstrel to see what he wanted from her, she was stopped by Applejack who leaned in close to whisper in his ear.

“Now listen, Twi. I know this Tariq feller seem on the up and up, but just keep yer guard up. I’m not sayin’ right way that he’s trouble, but ya never know with this here land.” The farmer retracted from her friend’s ear when she finished her warning and looked over to the moon-touched girl. Come along now, Mae! Let’s get on into the wagon!”

The girl nodded eagerly and went inside with the orange mare, leaving the alicorn and the minstrel alone in the afternoon air. Twilight kept Applejack’s advice in mind and slowly approached him. As the purple mare got closer, she could see some of the finer details of Tariq’s face. There were a few wrinkles across his face, though they made him look refined instead of unsightly, if the alicorn was being honest. While his dull, yellow eyes appeared sunken and ragged, they still carried both a sense of serenity and alertness. After a minute, Twilight turned her gaze away from his face in hopes of not to be accused of staring.

“I thank you for this private audience, princess.” he said to her. “I am not asking you to keep any secrets from you friends, I merely assumed that what I have to say would interest you the most.” Twilight was willing to hear the minstrel out, but first she had to address something else.

“You don’t have to use any formalities with me, Tariq. I don’t like using my title with my friends or acquaintances. Just Twilight is perfectly fine.” The alicorn hoped that she hadn’t unintentionally offended him by rejecting his courtesy, but the minstrel seemed perfectly fine with it.

“Very well then, Madam Twilight. The reason I requested to speak with you involves your other compatriots that were caught in that magical explosion Miss Applejack and Miss Fluttershy were mentioning to you.” The alicorn’s interest immediately peaked when Tariq mentioned her other friends. She was curious as to what insight the minstrel could have very little familiarity with. “As of now, two of your friends have found themselves in the Downside due to that incident. However, what intrigues me most is that they did not all arrive here at once.”

Now that he mentioned it, Twilight realized that Tariq was right. Both Fluttershy and Applejack were caught in the same magical explosion, yet Applejack arrived here a few days before Fluttershy did. Now that she really thought about it, she had been transported the Downside long before either of them did. Why hadn’t they all arrived at the same time, along with any of her other friends unfortunate enough to get caught in the explosion? The purple mare decided to ask the minstrel if he had anymore insight on this situation. “So, are my friends just randomly falling out of the sky all around the Downside at different times?”

The Lone Minstrel shook his head. “Actually, I believe there is a pattern to this. So far, as the Nightwings have claimed a victory in the Rites, one of your friends have fallen from the sky. You found Miss Applejack after your victory against the Accusers, and then Miss Fluttershy appeared after you defeated the Fate. I do not believe this to be mere coincidence. Do you understand where I am going with this train of thought?”

The pieces were starting to come together in the alicorn’s mind. The scientist in her knew that when multiple observations resulted in the same outcome, it was no longer a random occurrence. “So, if I’m understanding you correctly, we’ll find more of my friends if we continue winning in the Rites?”

Tariq briefly scratched his chin. “It is only a theory, but I believe that is the key to finding the remainder of your friends. I cannot promise you that we will indeed find them, but I suppose will we eventually find out.”

Twilight gave the minstrel a relieved smile. “Well, that’s a good as guess as any I suppose! Just gives me another reason to keep going with these Rites.” The alicorn then looked to the black wagon. “We should probably go inside now before Jodariel comes back to fetch us herself.” Before she could make her way to the wagon, Tariq spoke up.

“Actually, there is one more matter that I would like to discuss with you, Madam Twilight.” The purple mare turned back around to hear what the minstrel had to say. “You read something in the Book of Rites. Which means that you may know something of my nature, correct?”

Twilight looked puzzled at this. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Most of the pages to the Book are sealed, and I don’t remember reading anything about a minstrel from the few pages that I could read.”

Though it was only for a second, Twilight could have sworn that she saw the minstrel’s eyes widen in surprise, only for them to revert back to their original calm state. He then cleared he throat. “Forgive me, for it seems I have spoken too soon. In time, the knowledge will make itself known to you. Conduct the Rites with glory, and all will become clear, for not just you, but your friends as well.” He then began to walk to the wagon. “Let us now make haste to the next Rite.”

Twilight wanted to question Tariq further about what he was referring to with knowledge and the Book, but he had already gone inside. She was tempted to fish more information out of the Lone Minstrel, however she was sure he would be just as cryptic as he was just a moment ago. Regardless, it was comforting to the mare that the group had found the minstrel and that he had returned to the group. While he was admittedly strange and somewhat cryptic with his words, she sensed no ill will from Tariq.

The alicorn then noticed that the sun was closing approaching the horizon, indicating that it was time to return to the wagon. Was she was aboard, the wagon started up again and made its way to the Cairn of Ha’ub, where there next adversaries for the Rites would be waiting for them.

The Rite of Dissenting Attitudes

Chapter 9: The Rite of Dissenting Attitudes

The wooden wheels of the blackwagon grinded to a halt as the vehicle finally made it to its destination. One by one, the occupants of the wagon exited out into the evening air, where the moon had just begun its journey across the sky. Before she left, Twilight made sure to grab the Book of Rites and tuck it under her wing so that she would be ready right away for tonight’s proceedings. While all of the others were busy setting up camp for the evening, Twilight decided to get a bearing of the area. The first thing that the purple mare noticed about the location was its temperature. While it was true that Jomuer Valley went down a couple degrees during the evening, it didn’t even compare to the chill she was feeling right now. The alicorn looked around to see that there were blocks of blue ice scattered around the surrounding area. This only served to confuse Twilight even more. Twilight was familiar with this type of ice from her readings, and she knew that no desert environment, even at night, could even be cold enough to create this type of frigid ice. She was about to wonder how exactly this was happening when she noticed that her answer was towering right in front of her.

Just as with the Spring of Jomuer, there were the remains of some giant creature loomed over the landscape. Only this time, the giant didn’t resemble any creature that Twilight was familiar with. One of the more notable features was its giant, narrow skull opened wide to reveal its sharp, jagged teeth. Thin, black wisps protruded from the top of the skull, assumingly the creature’s hair. Below the skull was the chest, no skin whatsoever to cover the exposed ribcage. However, the strangest aspect was that some portions of the remains, include the skull itself, was indefinitely suspended in midair. Twilight looked closer to see that the bones were colored the same blue as the ice that surrounded the area. She could also see the bones twinkle a bit in the bright moonlight. Based on the color alone, Twilight guesstimated that the giant remains were the reason for the anomalous ice in the area.

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said as she walked up to the side of her friend. “That’s quite the sight, isn’t it? I can’t imagine what that creature must have been like when it was…well, alive.” Twilight could only nod at the pegasus’s comment, unsure of how to properly address such a sight.

“Aye, Miss Fluttershy.” Tariq spoke as he walked to where the two ponies were standing and looked to the giant remains. “Even in death, the Greater Titans still possess great stature and influence all across the Downside.”

“Greater Titans?” Twilight asked the minstrel in confusion. Before she could get any answers, however, Rukey suddenly ran over to the trio.

“Hey, sister!” the Cur said to Twilight. “You gotta go check this out. You won’t believe it!”

While the alicorn wanted to stay with Tariq to hear more about what exactly he meant when he mentioned the Greater Titans, it was clear that Rukey would keep pestering her until she complied. Therefore, Twilight bid Fluttershy and Tariq a brief farewell and went off with Rukey, making a mental note to fine time later to discussion what the minstrel was alluding to.

Twilight then followed Rukey a good five minutes away from the campsite to see what exactly the Cur wanted to show her. As they came to a stop, Twilight’s eyes widen in surprise as she saw two familiar creatures that she had just met a few days prior. It appeared that the Slug Market had set up shop right outside of the Cairn of Ha’ub this night. Falcon Ron was still perched on top of his father, just as he did when she met him, and their enormous backpack was already open to reveal their wares. And just like last time, a number of various slugs surrounded them. The purple mare was quite puzzled as to how the two manage to beat the Nightwings to the Cairn, since it appeared that they had no other method of traveling other than walking.

Musical Cue - Dirty Deal

“Oh, hey guys,” Ron greeted the alicorn and Cur. Fancy running into you here this side of the sand! Might I interest you in some of my wares?”

“Uh, Ron?” Rukey question the green merchant. “How’d you make it all this way ahead of us? We literally got her by wagon.” It appeared that the Cur was just as curious about Ron’s method of transportation as Twilight was.

Ron responded with a chuckle. “Eh, come on now, Mister Greentail, I can’t just give up all my business secrets, am I right?” Neither Twilight or Rukey decided to answer, seeing how it was rather pointless to try to fish more information from the merchant. “What I CAN do though, is provide you a sample of a little something-something that I think you might like! Think of it as a small gift for being such good customers and all.”

Ron’s father then began to rummage through the backpack to find the item they were looking for. Eventually, the red creature shoved his fist up before Twilight and slowly opened his hand to reveal the item. She looked down to see that it appeared to be a tiny amount of sparkling, blue powder held in a tiny scrap of paper. The alicorn lifted it with her magic, careful not to spill the powder, and gave it took Rukey to put inside his satchel. “That right there is call Stardust.” Ron explained. “You sprinkle it any of those talismans you use in those Rites and it’ll boost in power. You might want to try and use it on that Ashen Coal thinger I sold you last time. I only gave you a pinch, though, so don’t expect the power to skyrocket.”

The alicorn was curious about the merchant’s claims, so she asked Rukey to bring out the Ashen Coal. She then took that talisman and then began to sprinkle the Stardust onto it. The talisman then began to faintly glow for about a few seconds. While the purple mare couldn’t exactly place her hoof on it, but she somehow felt that the Coal had a tiny bit more power to it now. Twilight gave a friendly smile to the merchant. “Thanks, Ron. Do you mind if I look at your other wares?”

Ron was more than happy to oblige the alicorn as he and his father moved out of the way for her to look. Twilight then began to browse through the items to look for anything that might be useful. After a while, she spotted a shiny trinket that bared a resemblance to the sigil of the Nightwings. Ron identified it as a Moon Crest, further stating that it gave the holder a small chance to return from banishment in the Rites. The alicorn seemed satisfied by this and purchased the talisman with some of the remaining money that Rukey carried on his person. With the Moon Crest and Stardust in tow, Twilight decided that she had seen enough and bided Ron and his father farewell.

“So long, you guys!” Ron called out to the pair as they left. “Remember, we’re always getting new merchandise. So don’t forget to stop on by again!”

Twilight and Rukey eventually made it back to the campsite as the stars were beginning to twinkle in the night sky. It wouldn’t be long before they would be shining much brighter to indicate the beginning of the Rites, so Twilight was not surprised to see that the Nightwings were already in the process of donning their raiments and retrieving their masks. Rukey went off to gather his own gear, Twilight looked around to to find out that someone (or rather somepony) was missing.

“Where did Fluttershy run off too?” the purple mare asked herself aloud.

“She trotted on back inside the wagon with Ti’zo.” Twilight turned around to find out it was Applejack who had answered her question. “The little critter started to chirp about one thing or another and the both of ‘em went back inside all the sudden. I reckon they’ll be back before the Rite starts.”

“We best be prepared for anything,” Jodariel chimed into the conversation. “our adversaries should arrive any moment now.”

“Wonder what these ones will be like?” Hedwyn asked himself, although it was a thought that Twilight had in mind as well.

“Now come on now, y’all,” Applejack attempted to lighten the mood. “Old Dalbert seemed decent enough the last time around. Maybe these next folks will be the same!”

Musical Cue - Thrash Pack

Twilight was about to share in the orange mare’s assurance, but she immediately froze up when she heard a howl in the distance. The first thought that ran through the alicorn’s mind was that the Howlers had returned for another attack, but this was proven wrong when wicked laughter followed the howls. Twilight and the rest of the group began looking around the campsite to find the source. They did not have to look long as three Curs appeared out of nowhere and began circling around the campsite. At first the alicorn was confused as to why these Curs would provoke them for no reason, but then she noticed what they were wearing. Each of the canines were donned in black and orange raiments; masks identical to Rukey’s were covering their identities. These were the adversaries that the Nightwings would face this night, and they didn’t particularly look friendly.

One of the Curs stopped in its track right in front of Twilight, causing the mare to take a step back. He then reached up its paws and began to unfasten the mask. Once the mask was removed, Twilight was taken aback at what she saw. Compared to other Curs like Rukey and Dalbert, this one looked wild and fierce. His fur was jet black and had a crimson red mohawk on the top of his head. He had on metal piercing on multiple parts of his face, ranging from his long ears to even one on his tan nose. There was also a collar around his neck, which was adorned with what looked to be two, miniature, chromed dog skull with red eyes. Finally, there were his burning orange eyes that gave off a sense of ferocity and wildness from the Cur. After staring at the alicorn for a few minutes, the wild Cur let out another wicked laugh.

“Well, well, well,” he chimed out with a hint of an accent. “look at what we have here, boys! I’ve seen a LOT of crazy things, but you look like something straight out of those namby-pamby fairytales me mum use to tell me as a pup!” The Cur then let out another laugh that was shared with his other two compatriots. During that moment, Twilight could see how sharp and jagged his teeth were.

“Psst, sister!” Twilight looked over to see it was Rukey who was whispering at her side. Although when the alicorn saw her Cur companion, she noticed that he looked timider and more reserved; quite the contrast to his usual expressive self. “That over there is Barker Ashpaw. Real piece of work. Whatever you do, try not to make direct eye contact with him.” Twilight was about to ask more about how exactly he knew about Barker, but it seemed as though the wild Cur had taken notice of Rukey.

“Oy, well would you look at that! If it isn’t our good old friend, Mister Rukey Greentail! Not only are consorting with these other two-leggers, but now you’re hanging with these girly horses too! You’re a disgrace there, mate, you realize?”

Rukey only responded with an uncomfortable laugh. “Uh, good to see you too, Barker,” he timidly greeted. “Didn’t know you knew about the Rites. Small world.”

Barker snickered a bit. “Oy, I know ‘bout a lot of things, my friend! For instance, I know that you’re going to be very, very sad when we wipe the floor with you here.” The wild Cur dropped his smile and gave them a dark look. “Don’t know whose back you scratched to earn yourself a spot on the high-and-mighty Nightwings, there, but I am gonna make sure you, your horse friends and the two-leggers regret it. Because, why not?!” Barker then put his smile back on and laughed away as his pack scampered behind him.

As the pack began howling and cackling, Rukey forced on a pitiable grin. “Sounds good, Barker! Sounds…good.” He let out a small groan.

Twilight looked to the Cur with concern as to why Barker was causing Rukey so much distress. Before the alicorn could probe further on this matter, the stars above them shined brightly and the familiar constellation of the Rites formed. The light shined down onto the area where the Rite would take place this night. It was a circular field of even ground surrounded by a short wall od ridged ice on all sides. Amongst the field, there were a few circular disks of smooth ice that were decorated with small candles on top of them. See their objective, the Nightwings and the ponies made there way to the field and were greeted with a familiar voice.

Musical Cue Continue - Thrash Pack

“WELCOME, DEAR READER, TO THE SPLENDORS OF THE ACCUSED CAIRN OF HA’UB. YOU SHALL FIND THAT THE DOWNSIDE GROWS LESS PLEASANT FROM THIS POINT, ESPECIALLY NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUR KIND.”

“BUT FIRST, THERE IS A TRADITION TO UPHOLD! THIS TIME YOU STAND AGAINST THE DISSIDENTS!”

Once the Nightwings had reached their sigil on the side of the field, Twilight looked over to see that Barker and his pack, who she now knew were called the Dissidents, were on the other side.

“EVEN NOW THEY HUNGER TO DEFEAT YOU. PERHAPS NOT SIMPLY TO REGAIN THEIR FREEDOM, BUT TO DENY YOU YOURS.”

The sigils on both sides suddenly ignited to form each triumvirate’s pyre. As the alicorn looked to orange flames on the other side, she laid eyes on the Dissidents once again. The ominous warning from the Voice concerned her just a bit. After meeting with Barker, herself, the purple mare could confirm that it appeared the end goals of the Dissidents were more about being malicious towards their adversaries rather than their own salvation. Barker noticed that Twilight was staring at them and decided to give the alicorn a dark smile and a wink, causing the purple mare to shutter a bit. Satisfied with the results of the gesture, Barker turned back to his triumvirate.

“Oy come on you lot, let’s boil some blood!” he yelled out to the pack. The other two Cur gladly joined Barker as he began to howl and hoot towards the sky, as if they were psyching themselves up for the upcoming Rite. Twilight shook her head clear and looked to her own triumvirate. She knew that the Dissidents were going to be a tough opponent, so she knew that everybody had to be at their best. As she was beginning to decide who she would have to participate in the Rite, Rukey stepped up to her, looking even more unsure than before.

“Um…look, sister, I really don’t know how to say this, but,” Rukey hesitated a bit and started to dig at the ground with one of his paws. “…I just can’t go up against these guys, I really can’t. I know you what an explanation now, but just trust me on this one. Okay, please?”

Twilight gave the Cur a sympathetic look. While she was immensely curious about how the apparent history between him and Barker would cause Rukey such distress, the alicorn knew that now wasn’t the time for that. Right now, the purple had to support her friend and respect his wishes. “Of course, Rukey. If you’re not comfortable, you don’t have to perform tonight.” she told him with a kind smile while bring a hoof to his shoulder.

“It’s alright, Rukey,” Hedwyn chipped in to the conversation. “We can take care of them.”

Rukey looked over to see that Mae was giving him a kind smile and even Jodariel was giving even a nod of support. The Cur put on a small smile, even though he still looked down trotted. “Thanks, guys. This…really means a lot. I’ll make it up to you, I swear.”

As the Cur moved to the side, Twilight regained focus on her original thoughts. With Rukey out for the night, it looked as those she would have no choice to go with Hedwyn, Jodariel and Mae for the Rite. Just as she was about to announce this decision, the alicorn was interrupted once again.

“Begging your pardon, Madam Twilight,” Tariq announced to the purple mare. “but if you need another to stand at your side tonight, I have somebody here whom I would recommend.” Twilight gave a confused look to the minstrel. Due to process of elimination out of the group, Twilight assumed that he was referring to himself. However, Tariq was not donned in the traditional raiments, neither did he have a mask to put on.

“Do not be coy with us, minstrel.” Jodariel stated towards him. "Don the robes if you intend to stand with us.”

The Lone Minstrel gave small chuckle and held up his hand. “Oh, I did not mean myself. The Rites are not in my destiny. I was instead referring to this one here.” Everybody turned to see where the minstrel was gesturing towards and found out that Fluttershy had returned from the blackwagon, a bright smile on her face. At first, Twilight assumed that Tariq was referring to the pegasus, but that notion was quickly rejected since she wasn’t wearing either the raiments or a mask. The alicorn was about to ask Tariq what exactly he was referring to, but she stopped when she noticed something peeking out from behind Fluttershy’s pink mane.

Musical Cue - Flutter Fly

A small creature wearing a miniature version of the Nightwings’ raiments hovered from Fluttershy’s back and perched itself on top of her head. The creature was also wearing a small white mask that had two long, pointed horns protruding from the top. The creature then used the wings on its sides to remove the mask from its face and finally reveal its identity. Of course, Twilight was hardly surprised when she saw it was the familiar Imp that they had picked up last night. “Skree-hee-hee!” Ti’zo chirped in a happy tone.

“Absurd. The Imp knows of the Rites?” Jodariel stated with disbelief. It was a sentiment that was admittedly shared with a small part of Twilight. While she knew that Ti’zo was indeed smarter when compared to the other drive imps, she was also sort of skeptical that even he would understand the complex proceedings of the Rites. However, Fluttershy was quick to stand for the Imp’s credibility.

“Ti’zo told me that he already knows how the Rites work and he’s very eager to participate. So long as the Nightwings stand together, he’s willing to help.” the yellow mare explained while looking up and giving a smile to the creature on top of her head. While Fluttershy seemed confident on Ti’zo’s abilities, there was still some doubt among the group.

“Uh, sugarcube,” Applejack said to Fluttershy. “Are ya sure that it’s alright for him to participate? Ti’zo is, uh,…awfully small.” This, of course, caused Ti’zo to scrunch his face at the farmer and gave a low growl.

“You need not take our word for it.” Tariq interrupted, then turned to the alicorn. “Madame Twilight? Our adversaries seem to be preoccupied at the moment. Perhaps you would like to guide Ti’zo for a moment to see what he can do?”

Twilight took in what Tariq had suggested and looked over to the other side of the field. Barker and his gang were still busy hyping themselves up for the Rite, so it did appear that they had some time. The alicorn then looked back to the Imp to see that he had put his mask back on. At that moment, something peculiar occurred with the purple mare. Even with the mask concealing his face, Twilight could almost sense the eagerness from Ti’zo and she could almost confirm that he in fact was familiar with the Rites. After looking at the Imp then at Fluttershy, who was giving the alicorn a pleading look, Twilight made her decision. “Alright,” she finally said. “let’s see what you’re made of, Ti’zo!”

The Imp gave a few excited chirps before he began to flutter over to the field. Once the little creature landed on the ground, Twilight felt the Book vibrate a bit under her wing. When the purple mare levitated it in front of her, it opened up to the glowing set of pages she was familiar with. Though it took a minute, Twilight realized that this probably meant that she had to make that connection with Ti’zo like she did with the other Nightwings. The alicorn concentrated on the Imp and began to form the link. Once the connection was made, Ti’zo gave a small shudder. “Scraa-heeeee!” he cried out. Normally, Twilight wouldn’t have any idea what Ti’zo had said with those chirps without help from Fluttershy. Now, however, the alicorn could now get a general idea of what the creature was saying, though it still wasn’t a direct translation. She could only assume that this was only possibly due to the link she had just made. She now knew that the Imp was eager to demonstrate some of his tricks to Twilight.

“Madam Twilight,” Tariq spoke to the mare. “influencing Ti’zo may take some getting use to. He is inviting you to try.”

Twilight gave the minstrel a nod and began to have Ti’zo move around the field. While the Imp wasn’t particularly fast on his two feet, he was able to use his wings to flutter in the air for a brief period of time. Back on the ground, however, the Imp could still zip a short distance quite a few times before he got tired. While Twilight was busy practicing with Ti’zo, she heard the Voice giving his own commentary once again.

“ANOTHER JOINS YOUR RANKS? AND A MERE IMP, AT THAT? OH, PLEASE DON’T TELL ME THAT THIS WAS THE IDEA OF THAT MEEK COMPATRIOT OF YOURS THAT YOU RECEIVED BACK AT THE SPRING.”

“Um, meek?” Fluttershy asked while looking up. “Who’s saying that? And why does he sound so…rude?”

Applejack let out a sigh. “Just ignore him, sugarcube. He ain’t worth the attention.”

“ALTHOUGH…THIS PARTICULAR IMP. HRM,…NO, IT CANNOT BE.”

Twilight was slightly caught off guard by the Voice’s hesitance over his familiarity with Ti’zo, but she doubted that he would offer any more information even if she asked. For now, she continued to focus on how the Imp could cast his aura. When she instructed him to do so, the Imp suddenly stopped in his tracks. The alicorn was surprised when she saw that a silhouette of the Imp’s aura formed and quickly expanded in circumference that covered a large portion of the field. Ti’zo then released and the entire circular area of the silhouette was the blasted with aura. After this “aura implosion”, Ti’zo immediately disappeared from the field, much to Fluttershy’s shock.

“Oh my goodness!” the yellow mare cried out. “Is little Ti’zo okay? It looked like he…exploded, all the sudden!”

“Don’t not fret, dear Fluttershy,” Tariq calmed the animal lover. “Banishment from the Rites is completely painless to the participants. Ti’zo will return to the field in a matter of time.”

True to the minstrel’s word, the Imp returned next to the Nightwings’ pyre, no worse for wear. Twilight had now gained a better understanding of how Ti’zo operated in the Rites. While he was small, his wings and light stature gave him the ability to both flutter and zip around the field in order to outmaneuver any impeding adversaries. His implosion skill would be useful in banishing said adversaries in a large area, it would consequentially banish him, leaving the Nightwings’ one participant short for a short period. With a wordless command, Twilight had Ti’zo come back from the field and return to the group.

“WELL, NOW THAT YOU HAVE FINISHED YOUR LITTLE BONDING EXPERINCE, WE CAN ACTUALLY COMMENCE WITH TONIGHT’S PROCEEDINGS.”

“LET US SEE WHAT COMES OF THIS NEW PARTNERSHIP OF YOURS, DEAR READER.”

“Well done as ever, Ti’zo.” the minstrel congratulated him as the creature returned to the group.

“Skraak!” the Imp chirped as he fluttered back on top of Fluttershy’s side. The pegasus gave a small giggle and gave the Imp a few pats on the head.

When Twilight looked over to the other side of the field, she saw that the Dissidents had finally stopped with their howling and congregated next to their burning pyre. This indicated to the alicorn that the Rite was ready to begin. “Alright, guys,” she addressed the group. “I’m going to go find an overlook and I’ll choose who’ll go out there. There’s not going be any hard feelings if I don’t choose somebody, right?” Twilight was quite relieved when all of the Nightwings shook their heads. With that, Twilight fluffed up her wings and tried to take flight. Unfortunately, they were far too tender from still healing, which still left her grounded. So instead, she decided to quickly walk over to some nearby outcrops.

Musical Cue - The Eight Scribes

“Best of luck to you, Madam Twilight.” Tariq called out to her before she left. A quick scan of the area revealed that there was a small outcrop of ice that would give her a perfect vantage point of the field. After hiking up the steep slope to the outlook, she looked over the right side of the field to get a good look at the Dissidents’ sigil; a black, searing maw with two red eyes. The mare didn’t have much time to dwell on the threatening sigil as the Book began to float before her and opened to the pages with the names of the Nightwings and the talismans.

“WHO SHALL CONDUCT THE RITES?”

Twilight began to look through the list of names. She decided earlier that Ti’zo should probably perform tonight to see what she could do with the Imp in a real match. She also decided to give the Imp the Moon Crest, giving him the small chance to immediately reappear after one of his implosions. Just like before, Twilight focused on the words on the pages and they began to shine.

“TI’ZO”

“Skree-haa!” the Imp chirped as he appeared on the field and donned his mask, apparently very excited to have been chosen.

With Ti’zo on the field and Rukey unwilling to perform tonight, that only left the alicorn with three other choices. Based on her experience with Rukey and Dalbert, Twilight knew that Curs were quick on their paws and could easily make there way across the field to the adversary’s pyre in less than a minute, so dealing with three of them at once would prove challenging to somebody like Jodariel. Therefore, the purple mare decided that she would go with the other two options as to not lose the speed advantage to the Dissidents. Twilight chose Mae from the Book and attached her with the Tailwind Crest to give her a slight boost in speed.

“MAE”

As the moon-touched girl appeared on the field, she gave a small bow. “I shall win this night for the Scribes.” she spoke with determination as she put on her own mask.

All that was left for Twilight was to summon Hedwyn to the field. The alicorn had to internally admit, she was curious as to see how the enlightenment the Nomad received from their Rite with the Accusers would affect his performance in this Rite. Twilight also decided to give him the Ashen Coal as well to give the Nightwings’ pyre a bit of a boost.

“HEDWYN”

The Nomad appeared onto the field and looked up to where Twilight was overlooking the Rite. With a small smirk, he gave a nod and looked over to the Dissidents. “Let’s show these guys that we’re not intimidated by all their talk.” he told the others and put on his mask.

With all of the Nightwings’ triumvirate was in place by the pyre, aura surrounded each of the respective members. All that was left was to wait for the Celestial Orb to fall to begin the Rite. Twilight looked over to confirm that Jodariel and Rukey were on the side along with Applejack, Fluttershy and Tariq to spectate tonight’s proceedings. Her attention was taken away from them when she heard Barker and his pack give a few final howls.

“Alright, you swill,” the wild Cur shouted to the Nightwings. “time to show you who’s really one top around here!” Barker then looked to the side and gave Rukey a dark grin. “Get ready to see your friends get whipped, Greentail!” He then gave another cackle at the indirect threat he had made.

Twilight couldn’t help but feel pity when she saw that Rukey was looking even more uncomfortable with the situation. He let out a mirthless chuckle in an attempt to hide his uneasiness, but it clearly wasn’t working. Some relief did come to the alicorn, however, when she saw her pegasus friend come to the Cur’s aid.

“Um, Rukey,” Fluttershy asked with worried. “Are you okay? You look a bit nervous, if you don’t mind me saying.”

“Hm?” Rukey perked up and looked the yellow mare. “Oh, uh, I’m good, Flutters. It’s just…Barker and his gang kinda…put me on edge. Don’t worry yourself over little old me!” The Cur tried again to put on a brave face, but it was already faltering. The animal lover still had on a look of concern, but she then smiled as if an idea just came to her.

“Would somebody maybe feel better if I gave them some scratches behind the ear that they happen to like so much?” she asked in an enticing tone. The Cur gave another fidget, though it seemed that this time it was out of slight embarrassment rather than worry.

“Errr…that would be nice.” he murmured. The pegasus then went ahead and began to scratch behind the Cur’s ears. The effects were immediate as I dopey grin spread across Rukey’s face and his tail began to wag vigorously.

Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the tender scene. It always warmed her heart whenever she saw Fluttershy use her trademark kindness to lift the spirits of others. It was one of the many reasons why she cherished the friendship that she had made with the yellow mare all that time ago. With Fluttershy taking care of Rukey on the side, Twilight could now focus on the Rite that was about to commence. And not a moment too soon as the beam of light shot down from the sky and dispensed the Celestial Orb in the middle of the field.

Musical Cue - Thrash Pack

“NOW, BEGIN!”

Twilight was almost caught off guard with how quickly Barker sprinted for the orb to pick it up. However, this didn’t stop Mae from casting her aura and banishing the wild Cur from the field. The alicorn then had the girl pick up the orb and make her way to the Dissidents’ pyre. While moving across the field, Twilight noticed that the disks of ice in the middle of the field could be moved around if somebody happen to push them. Twilight realized that these disks could be used as movable cover from any incoming aura cast and mentally noted it down for future reference. Just as Mae was about to jump for the pyre, she was suddenly banished by the aura field of one of the Cur adversaries that had closed in on her. Twilight reacted immediately and had Hedwyn rush over to pick up the dropped orb. The Nomad grabbed the orb before any of the other Dissidents could get to it first, then he tossed the orb into the orange flames. The orb exploded and caused to pyre to shrink by a small amount.

“YOUR ADVERSARY’S PYRE IS THE FIRST TO FALTER!”

The field reset itself and the two triumvirates returned to their side of the field. As she looked at how the Dissidents were arranged on the field, Twilight suddenly got an idea. The purple mare had Ti’zo advance first, while Barker once again made a beeline for the orb. However, the Imp skipped getting the orb for himself and instead made his way to the middle of where each of the three Curs were positioned. Before any of them could react, Ti’zo charged up his aura to encompass all three of them and released his implosion, banishing him and all three of the Dissidents. Twilight was quick to take advantage of the open and field and had Hedwyn make a run for the orb. As the Nomad ran across the field, the alicorn noticed that he appeared to have more stamina that he had in the previous Rite he was in. This boost in stamina was incredibly helpful in allowing Hedwyn to grab the orb and plunge into the pyre before any of the Dissidents could return.

“HOW UNFORTUNATE FOR THE DISSIDENTS.”

After the field reset, Twilight moved Ti’zo ahead in hopes that she could banish all of the adversaries at once just as before. However, it appeared that Barker was expecting this and maneuvered around the Imp and banished him with an aura cast. With Ti’zo banished and Hedwyn out for the round, Mae was the only Nightwing out to stand against the three Dissidents. Twilight panicked for a moment and tried to come with a strategy for the moon-touched girl until Ti’zo returned from the temporary banishment. In this moment of hesitation, one of the Cur adversaries had picked up the orb and now was rushing the Nightwings’ pyre. Twilight tried to have Mae cast her aura in defense, but the Cur quickly passed the orb to Barker, who then rushed around the girl and jumped into the blue flames. Twilight stamped her hoof in frustration for falling for such a simple trick.

“ALAS, THE NIGHTWINGS’ PYRE DIMISHISHES DUE TO THEIR READER’S HESITATION. ALLOW ME TO APPLUDE YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS.”

As she heard the echoes of a slow, mocking clap, Twilight just grumbled in annoyance and focused back on the reset field. This time, the Nightwings had the upper hand now that Barker was banished for the round. However, the alicorn thought it best to arrange the Nightwings in a defensive position around the pyre, just to see how the adversaries would react. The Dissidents took the bait as one of the Curs rushed up to grab the orb. The Cur attempted to jump for the pyre, but he fell short of his target and was banished away from the Nightwings’ collective aura field. Twilight smirked at this opportunity and had Mae pick up the dropped orb. Although the one remaining Cur was fast, the girl was easily able to easily out maneuver him and made a long jump for the pyre. She struck her target and plunged right into the orange flames, shrinking them to less than half of its original size.

“AS PER THE SACRED LAW!”

When all three of the Curs returned to their side of the field, Barker let out a loud, angry growl. “GRAHHH! Alright, you lot, that does it! No more fussing around, right?! Me and my boys are proper angry now!” The wild Cur let out an ear-piercing howl and the other two began to cast their aura in all different directions around them. Twilight wasn’t sure, but she could have sworn the all of the Dissidents were now engulfed in a faint, dark orange glow. Barker then made a mad dash to the middle of the field and began to charge his aura. Unfortunately, the way the wild Cur was positioned on the field made it so that when he finally casted his aura, the resulting blast banished Ti’zo and the Hedwyn. With no Nightwings on the field, Barker had no problem picking up the orb and jumping into the pyre with it.

“CAREFUL, NOW! YOUR ADVERSARY BARKER THERE SEEMS RATHER FIRED UP NOW.”

The field reset with only two Dissidents on the other end. The alicorn hoped that this advantage would win them this round. Unfortunately, the Dissidents were not as vulnerable as they appeared as one the them made his way of the side of the field and banished Hedwyn with an aura cast. Twilight tried to have Mae pick up the orb, but the other Cur adversary banished her when she got close. The Cur then picked up the orb and leaped over Ti’zo and right into the blue flames.

“YOU’RE SLIPPING, READER. JUST THOUGHT I WOULD REMIND YOU.”

Twilight was now starting to become nervous as the Nightwings pyre was now half of its original size. She looked over to the other end of the field to see that Barker and his other companion were still fired up as ever. If the purple mare wanted to win this Rite for the Nightwings, she would have to think outside the box. When she looked over to Ti’zo, she got an idea. With Twilight in control, Ti’zo zipped forward and picked up the orb, while dodging incoming aura casts from Barker and his crew. Once the orb was in his possession, the Imp tossed it over the Dissidents’ heads. However, the orb did not go straight for the pyre, as expected, but instead landed a small distance away from it. All according to the alicorn’s plan. For while the adversaries were still in trying to figure out the strange strategy, Ti’zo fluttered over them and reclaimed the orb. The Curs were then too late to stop the Imp from zipping himself into the pyre.

“THE IMP ACTUALLY MANAGED TO MAKE IT.”

When the field reset itself once again, Twilight saw that the Dissidents’ pyre was just about out. One final plunge from either Hedwyn or Mae would all it would take for the orange flames to finally dissipate. However, the Nightwings still needed to get by the three, angry Curs that were in the way. The alicorn decided that the best course of action for this would be a bait and switch. Using that extra stamina of his, Hedwyn ran forward and grabbed the orb. The Nomad then took shelter behind one of the ice disks on the field to defend against any aura casts from the Dissidents. One by one, however, the Curs were slowing making there way to Hedwyn until Barker finally flanked him and casted his aura. Right before he was banished of the field, the Nomad tossed the orb over to Mae. Since all of the adversaries were busy closing in on Hedwyn, they failed to notice that the moon-touched girl had a clear path to the other side by the outer edge of the field. Twilight had Mae make a dash for it, although Barker was quick to return by his pyre to stop her. Time almost stood still as when Mae reached the halfway point of the field, her incredible jumping abilities propelled her to the other end. Her aim was true, and the girl managed to land right into the pyre, reducing it to nothing more than just an empty sigil.

“AND IT IS DONE!”

All the members of each triumvirate returned to the field. The blue flames of the Nightwings’ pyre shot up into the night sky and exploded. Twilight gave a small sigh of relief as the Rite finally ended in the Nightwings’ favor.

“THE NIGHTWINGS PREVAIL, YET AGAIN.”

“LOXALAS!” Hedwyn, Mae and Ti’zo cheered (although Ti’zo chirped it in his native tongue). As the three of them made their way back to the rest of the group at the sidelines, Twilight flew from her perch to join them.

“Hrah-HAAHAAAH!” Ti’zo chirped out loudly. Twilight guesstimated that the Imp must have been excited to have prevailed in his first Rite with the Nightwings.

“Oh Ti’zo, you were so marvelous out there!” Fluttershy congratulated the little Imp. The pegasus then gave him a few pats on the head, at which he happily accepted.

“Mighty fine work y’all did out there, Mae! And you too, Hedwyn!” Applejack said to the pair, who both graciously accepted the compliment.

The alicorn then decided to offer her congratulations to the triumvirate, and a few apologies as well. “Great work, you guys,” she began. “They almost had us there in the end, but we showed them what for!” Twilight’s cheery mood then began to dower a little. “I’m sorry if I sort of…hesitated a bit during the middle. Sometimes I have a bit of an issue when working under tense circumstances. I promise to work on that for next time.”

“On the contrary, Madam Twilight,” Tariq intervened in her melancholy. “I believe your guidance of the Nightwings was quite splendid. Your fellows are quite fortunate to have found one such as you. And I am quite sure that they would agree with me.”

Twilight looked to the rest of the Nightwings and saw that they were either smiling or nodding in agreement with the minstrel. The unanimous agreement on the quality of Twilight’s leadership made her feel much better about her standing with the group. Sure, there would undoubtedly be even more moments in the future where she might mess up again, but that hardly matter when it was clear that the Nightwings had no regrets with choosing the alicorn to be their Reader. “T-Thank you, everybody,” she managed to say. “That really means a lot.” The tender moment was then cut off by an all-too familiar cackle.

“Aw, you lot are gunna make me weep me eyes out if you keep it up!” Twilight turned around to see that it was Barker who had made that sarcastic remark. Apparently, Barker and his crew had decided to walk over to their side of the field unannounced while the Nightwings were busy talking amongst themselves. Everyone went up on their guard as the wild Cur continued to taunt them. “But enough of that! Just thought me and the boys would come over here and give credit where credit’s due. I didn’t really expect much from such a flimsy lot such as yourselves! Guess that means we’ll have to take you a tad more seriously next time!”

Twilight, for her part, was rather getting tired of dealing with Barker’s attitude. “Alright, Barker,” she told him in a polite but firm tone. “you’ve had your fun, but I think it’s time we went our separate ways for the night.”

“Oy, big talk coming from you there, eh purple? Well, too bad! We’re not here for just you.” Barker’s pack then began to encroach onto Rukey, who had stay silent during the encounter. “Just thought we’d give Mister Greentail a reminder. A reminder that yours truly remembers everything! And it gonna be trouble for him or anybody else he holds near and dear when I remember things.” Barker ended with a dark chuckle that was shared with his other two comrades.

Rukey didn’t respond to the wild Cur’s threats, either because he was physically unable to speak, or he simply didn’t know how to counter. Twilight was about to come to his defense, but a certain somepony beat her to it.

“Um…excuse me?” Fluttershy said as she stepped between Rukey and Barker. Twilight noticed that the pegasus had a determined look on her face in contrast to her usual passive features. “I don’t really know what you have against Mister Greentail, but what I do know is that you shouldn’t be treating him that way. He happens to be a very stand-up Cur, and I don’t…particular like it when bullies such as yourselves talk down to him like that. So, I’m going to have to ask you to leave now…please.” The yellow mare then gave a soft stamp of her hoof and continued to gaze at the Dissidents. After she was done speaking, Barker just gave another one of his insulting laughs.

“Seriously? Listen here, Buttercup, why don’t mind your own damn business and….um…uh..” The wild Cur suddenly found himself short of words after he got a good look at the mare. Fluttershy didn’t say anything or moved a muscle and just continued to simply look at the Curs. Twilight noticed that Barker’s gang also appeared somewhat astonished when they looked at her as well. Barker then tried to speak again. “I…I mean,…what are…you…?” Words continued to fail the wild Cur as Twilight even noticed that he was starting to take a few steps away from them now. After a while of watching this, the alicorn realized what was going on and gave a small smirk. If there was one thing Fluttershy excelled at, it was standing up to creatures that refused to behave.

After another minute of this, Barker finally broke out of his trance. “Graah! Forget this!” he yelled out in annoyance and turned back around to his crew. “Let’s blow this dunghole, boys. They’ll get theirs next time!” The three Curs then gave one last threating growl and then ran off in the other direction. The group watched on as the Dissidents eventually disappeared into the darkness and heard them give off one last howl for the evening. Twilight looked over to see that Fluttershy had that angelic smile of hers back on and was patting Rukey on the head.

“T-Thanks, Flutters.” the Cur softly said to her. The pegasus responded with a small giggle.

“Fluttershy, how did you scare off Barker and his gang like that?” Hedwyn asked her. “I didn’t see you move an inch.”

“Oh, well let’s just say that I have a stare that has an effect on unruly animals.” the yellow mare answered him.

Musical Cue - A Step Closer

Before anybody could ask more questions about Fluttershy’s ability, three pillars of light shone down on Hedwyn, Mae and Ti’zo. The alicorn almost forgot that they were due for some enlightenment now that the Rite was over.

“THE RITES DO TEND TO TEACH SOMETHING OF TRUST.”

Everybody watched on as a bright glow then encompassed Mae for a moment.

“SOMETHING’S AWAKENED IN THE MOON TOUCHED GIRL. NO DOUBT A DEVIOUS TRICK FROM THE ROPE-CALLER.”

“The Scribes,” she muttered with a peaceful look on her face. “they whisper to me, they do, from time to time.”

The alicorn then looked on in surprise as little Ti’zo was engulfed in the same glow.

“ENLIGHTENMENT SELDOM AVAILS ITSELF TO MERE IMPS. TIS THE INFLUENCE OF THE IMP SCRIBE, HA’UB HIMSELF.”

“Hrooo-hryooom!” the Imp chirped, undoubtedly excited about obtaining his first Mastery for the Rites.

The lights eventually faded from the trio and returned up to the night sky. Twilight then looked up to see that the stars were no longer shining brilliantly and had returned to their original brightness. The proceedings were then capped off with the Voice’s word.

“UNTIL THE NEXT RITE.”

Musical Cue - Through the Valley (White Lute)

The short trek back to the blackwagon was rather uneventful for the group. Although, Twilight did keep a close eye on the sky for a certain something that the Lone Minstrel predicted would happen after the Rite. Unfortunately, the alicorn saw nothing yet by the time they all made it back to the campsite. Everybody was already splitting up to do various tasks and maintenance for tomorrow morning before they would eventually retire to their bunks for much needed sleep. As the purple mare looked around, she saw that Rukey was still quite his usual peppy self, despite the fact that Barker had left them moments ago. Twilight wasn’t the only one that noticed this as she saw both Hedwyn and Fluttershy walk up to the Cur.

“…You alright, Rukey?” the Nomad asked his companion. Rukey turned around to look at him and then gave a small sigh.

“Think so, chum,” he said with a small smile. “I just need a little time. I didn’t really expect Barker to be caught up in all this.”

“Would you…like to talk about it, Rukey? With me?” Fluttershy cautiously asked. The Cur stopped smiling again and gave yet another sigh.

“Eh,…later, Flutters. I promise to talk about it later with you. I gotta…go make sure the wheels are all oiled up for tomorrow.” Before the Cur could leave, Hedwyn knelt down and put his hand on the Rukey’s shoulder.

“Don’t dwell too much on it, my friend. You don’t owe him your conscious.” Hedwyn then gave a comforting smile to the Cur. “You’ll sort things out with him, you always do.”

Rukey was speechless after hearing such confidence from his companion. He looked over to see that Fluttershy was also giving a look of hope and reassurance. Eventually, the Cur couldn’t hold back and gave another smile of his own. “Thanks, you two. Really means a lot to me. Hey, Flutters, mind helping me out with this wheel situation?” The pegasus nodded eagerly and the pair then made their way to the wagon’s wheels. While Twilight was definitely relieved to see that Rukey was starting to perk up, she still wanted to hear why Barker was making him so nervous in the first place. She made a mental note to see if he would be willing to let her join Fluttershy in the discussion at a later date. Afterall, Twilight always wanted to make sure that her friends were feeling good about themselves.

The topic of her friends then reminded the alicorn about her earlier anxiety about finding another one of them tonight. Applejack and Fluttershy had already made their arrival by this point after the Rites, so she was starting to really worry. Sure, it had only been a hypothesis by this point and there were no guarantees, but that still didn’t stop herself from really hoping. She wanted to make sure that all of her friends were safe and unharmed from the mistake that she had apparently made back in Equestria. Twilight’s hoof then began to dig into the ground.

“Is something troubling you, Madam Twilight?” The alicorn turned around and saw that Tariq had taken notice of her behavior. “I would have assumed that you would be in high spirits, given your victory over the Dissidents. What seems to be the source of this melancholy?”

While Twilight greatly appreciated the minstrel’s concern, that didn’t stop her from giving a heavy sigh. “I’m fine, Tariq. I was just thinking about your theory; about how one of my friends would appear if we won the Rite. But, it’s been a while now, and there’s no sign of that portal in the sky that brought Applejack and Fluttershy here. I don’t mean any offence, but I’m starting to believe that your theory is wrong.” The purple mare then lowered her head to the ground in disappointment. “I just…want to make sure my friends are okay.” As she was still looking at her own hooves, Twilight was caught off guard by what the Lone Minstrel said next.

“I wouldn't be too concerned, Madam Twilight. You should take a look up to the stars.”

When she looked up just as Tariq suggested, Twilight’s eyes widen in surprise. The familiar blue twinkle was shining in the night sky. It wasn’t long before the spark opened up into the blue portal that both Applejack and Fluttershy had fallen out of. The phenomenon captured everybody’s attention, especially the ponies. Twilight’s mind was racing as to which of her friends would fall out of the portal this time. Her question was immediately answered when she saw something fall out of the opening. It only took the alicorn a second to recognize the sky-blue pony leaving behind a rainbow trail as she fell.

“RAINBOW DASH!” Twilight shouted out in alarmed. By the looks of it, it appeared Rainbow was conscious, leaving to plummet to the fast approaching ground. The alicorn wasted any more time in spreading her wings and taking flight towards her falling friend. Her wings began burning in pain, but the safety of her friend concerned her much more. Although the blue pegasus was quite a distance away, the purple mare had no trouble reaching her in mid-air. Unfortunately, as Twilight finally grabbed the unconscious mare, she was pulled down by the sudden downward momentum. As the two mares continued to fall to the ground, Twilight tried to open her wings again in hopes of reducing their speed. When she realized that her wings wouldn’t be enough to slow their decent, the alicorn knew that she had to wake Rainbow up now or else their journey would come to an abrupt end. “Rainbow, please, you have to wake up now!” Twilight begged as she vigorously shook her friends. “Rainbow?! Rainbow Dash?! DASHIE, WAKE UP!”

Finally, the blue pegasus’s magenta eyes began to flutter open. “Mmm, Twilight? she managed to mumble out. As Rainbow began to wake up, she began to notice the winds blowing against her face. “Twilight, what’s going-“

“RAINBOW, OPEN YOUR WINGS!” Twilight cried out. The daredevil followed the alicorn’s orders and spread out her wingspan. With both of the mares’ wings open, their decent finally slowed down right before they both hit the ground. While the landing was rough, it was nowhere near fatal. Twilight let out a soft groan and stood up to check for any outstanding injuries. When she confirmed that she was fine other than a bit of soreness, her attention immediately went to Rainbow. The alicorn let out a sigh of relief when she saw that the blue mare was unharmed and was even beginning to open her eyes again.

“Ugghh,” she groaned out. “Tw-Twilight?!”

“Oh, Rainbow, I’m so glad that you’re-“ Twilight didn’t get a chance to finish her thought as she was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Twilight, I’m so glad you’re okay!” Rainbow cried out as she hugged the alicorn more. During this sudden act of affection, Twilight remembered to cast the translation spell on the pegasus so that she would be able to understand the Nightwings. However, Rainbow was too caught up to notice the spell taking effect on her. “When the mirror went all haywire and that explosion happened, I tried to push you away from it, but I-I wasn’t fast enough. I’m sorry, Twi. I’m really sorry!”

Twilight calmed the pegasus down back slowly rubbing her back with her hoof. “It’s okay, Rainbow.” she spoke in a gentle tone. “I’m okay. You’re okay. We’re both okay.” Neither of them spoke for a few minutes and just took comfort in each other’s presence. It probably would have lasted longer if they weren’t then interrupted.

“Ya know, me and Fluttershy are okay too, Dash.” Applejack said to the pair. Rainbow looked over Twilight’s shoulder and gasped when she saw the other two ponies.

“Oh, Applejack! Fluttershy!” the blue pegasus flew over to the pair. “It’s good to see you guys too! I was kinda worried when I saw you guys walk through the door. Glad to see you guys are okay when you landed…here?” The daredevil began to look around the area. “Uh, are we still in Equestria? None of this looks familiar.” Before any of the ponies could answer her, Jodariel made herself known.

“Another one? The blackwagon is going to begin to feel cramped at this rate.” the Demon said in a neutral tone. While Rainbow was initially taken aback by the horned woman’s imposing figure, she quickly began to inquisitively look her over.

“Woah! You look…actually kinda awesome! Are those horns real?” the pegasus both asked and complimented the Demon.

Jodariel looked a bit taken aback by this, obviously used to being complimented on her condition. Thankfully, Applejack was there to ease the growing tension. “Uh, Dash,” she said to the Wonderbolt. “Why don’tcha come along with me? I’ll introduce ya to the rest of the folks here and tell ya about where we are now.”

“Sounds good, AJ.” the blue pegasus agreed. Before she left with the apple farmer to go inside the wagon, Rainbow looked over to the purple mare. “Uh, it’s…good to see you’re okay, Twi.”

Twilight waved back to the pegasus and then turned to the Demon and the minstrel. “She is quite the active one, isn’t she?” Tariq commented on Rainbow’s behavior. The alicorn gave a small giggle, but she was cut off by Jodariel.

“Reader,” she said to Twilight. “Where do the stars take us next?”

Twilight nodded at the Demon’s question and gazed up at the night sky. Among the stars, one of them was giving off a greenish glow. When the alicorn focused in on the star, she got a lock on the next location for the Rites. She then pointed out the star to her other two compatriots.

“Milithe, the Bog Star.” Tariq identified the star. “If we follow it, then it should lead us to the Pit of Milithe.”

Jodariel gave a tired sigh. “Then it is as I feared. This is going to be very difficult.”

Twilight gave a confused look. “Wait, what’s the problem with that, Jodariel?” The Demon gave a grim look to the alicorn.

“It means that we will have to press through the Flagging Hand.”

Trials from the Beyond

Chapter 10: Trials from the Beyond

The sun rose across the Cairn of Ha’ub and on upon the Nightwings’ campsite. Hedwyn had cooked up breakfast that morning, at which everybody was most grateful for, giving the Nomad’s impressive culinary skills. While they were all eating, it was a good chance for the group to help Rainbow Dash catch up on the situation. Twilight did her best to explain everything from the Downside, the Commonwealth, the Rites and the Nightwings. Although it was a lot of information to take in, Rainbow was quick to get used to her new environment. The blue pegasus was known for her quick adjustment to most new situations, so interdimensional travel to a whole new world wasn’t that much of a stretch for her. Once breakfast was done and everything was packed up, the Nightwings and the ponies piled inside the blackwagon and began their journey to their next destination. However, in order to arrive there in time for the next Rite, they would have to pass through the Flagging Hands.

Twilight didn’t really understand Jodariel’s slight melancholy when she realized that their journey would be taking them to the Flagging Hands. When the alicorn attempted to ask about the area, the horned woman was cryptic as always and simply told her that she would understand when they arrived there. Regardless, the purple mare was still determined to continue on, especially if it meant that she would find more of her friends. Rainbow Dash’s appearance after the Rite with the Dissidents was all the confirmation Twilight needed to realize that she would be able to find the rest of her friends that were caught in the magical explosion if the Nightwings continued to be victorious in the Rites. She still wasn’t sure as to why or how the arrival of her friends to the Downside connected with the Nightwings’ victory, but she supposed that it ultimately didn’t matter. The only thing that was important was that now the alicorn could sleep at night without worrying about never seeing her friends ever again. Now if only she could say the same with ever seeing her home ever again.

After she finished cleaning her bunk, Twilight looked around the blackwagon common room to see what everybody else was preoccupied with there own vocations, whether it was looking over equipment or gear, examining charts, or simply talking to one another. Rainbow had decided to fly outside to the wagon’s roof in an attempt to “get a good feel of the air of this place” as she put it. The alicorn was about to head out to the roof to check on the blue pegasus when something caught her eye. In the back corner, she had noticed that both Rukey and Fluttershy were huddled up and in a low conversation. It was then Twilight remembered that Rukey had promised the yellow pegasus that he would explain his nervousness in the presence of Barker. While she didn’t want to intrude on the conversation, the alicorn’s curiosity and concern for the Cur drove her towards the pair.

“But Rukey, you promised me. We have to talk about this!” Fluttershy pleaded with the Cur.

“I know, I know what I said, Flutters.” he began to explain himself. “It’s just…just give me a bit more time okay?”

“Rukey,” Twilight said, catching the attention of the both of them. As much as the alicorn wanted to be gentle about this issue, it was now time for her to be firmer. “I know that this…situation with Barker might be uncomfortable to talk about, but you should really talk about it with us. We’re a team now, and as the Reader, I need to make sure that everybody is feeling their best for the Rites. I promise, Fluttershy and I won’t think any differently of you.”

Rukey let out another sigh as he then looked over to Fluttershy, who was giving him a pleading look. “Alright, it’s just that, Barker, well…” It was fairly obvious that the Cur was struggling with his words, but he did eventually finish what he started. “Barker’s got me by the scruff, okay? I’ve been down here for a little while, as you can see by now. But Barker’s been here much longer.” The Cur then turned his head to the window. “He’s made quite a name for himself down here. As for me, I needed help. I didn’t want to look like some chump dragging his tail around the wastes. I had a certain standard to uphold, you know? I needed a good word for myself. So…I figured he would be the one to ask. After that…well, let’s just say that stuff like that doesn’t come cheap.”

Rukey lowered his head as he ended his explanation. Both Twilight and Fluttershy were silent out of condolence for his situation. It was now clear that Rukey was currently in some sort of debt to Barker in return for some credibility in the Downside. And judging from the few, agonizing encounters Twilight had with the wild Cur, she concurred that having someone like Barker constantly harass you about a debt was most definitely not a good time. After a few minutes of silence, Fluttershy took action and began to rub Rukey on the head. “Rukey,” she said in a gentle, sweet voice. “I know you must be scare of Barker because of this, but you don’t have to be. We’ll all be here for you in case that mean, old Barker ever tries to give you any trouble.”

Rukey then perked up and looked to the two ponies, his familiar grin spread across his face. “Hey, hey, you don’t need to worry about me, Flutters! So what if I owe Barker a little bit, right?! I got people back on the other side in the Commonwealth, and, just between us…we’re LOADED. RICH, I tell you! More than enough to pay back my debt with Barker.” The Cur then began to trot his way out of the corner and pass the two mares. “My little problem with Barker, soon it’s gonna take care of itself, just as soon as my people send the money through.” Twilight was about to ask for further details on Rukey’s alleged connections, but he quickly cut her off. “It’s all fine, sister, really! I’m telling you right now, don’t you guys worry about it. I’m sure everything on that front is going to end up real tidy, real soon! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think Jodi needs some help with…whatever she’s up to!” He then scampered off before either of the mares could respond.

“Twilight,” Fluttershy said to her friend. “I’m not sure Rukey is telling us the whole story.”

“I have to agree, Fluttershy.” The alicorn responded. “He didn’t really explain what exactly was on the line if he failed to pay off his debt.” The alicorn looked over to the Cur, worry plastered on her face. “Fluttershy, try to see if you can get anymore information about this debt of his. Though, you should wait a little bit before you bombard him on such a sensitive issue.”

“That sounds like a good idea, Twilight.” the animal lover agreed. “I’m going to go check up on Ti’zo in his nest. Maybe you should go see Rainbow on the roof and see if she needs anything.”

As she saw her friend walk off, Twilight decided that it would be a good idea to follow her friend’s advice and go to check on the blue pegasus on the roof. The alicorn headed over to the door and slowly opened it. Seeing how the blackwagon was already in motion, she quickly exited the vehicle and shut the door behind her while flying in the air. The purple mare then quickly flew up onto the roof and found her friend. The Wonderbolt had her eyes closed as she spread out her wings to let the incoming wind run through her mame and feathers. Twilight had to subtlety clear throat in order to snap Rainbow out from her basking.

“Oh, hey egghead,” she said. Twilight couldn’t help but smile a bit at the teasing nickname she had for the alicorn, seeing how Daring Do had made her a bit of an ‘egghead’ herself. “whatcha doing up here?”

“Just thought I check on you.” Twilight answered. “Why were you spreading out your wings like that?”

The rainbow mare chuckled a bit. “I just wanted to let my wings get use to this air. What, with us being in a new world and all that, though it would be a good idea to get a feel of the air and wind so that I’m not caught off guard.” To emphasize her point, Rainbow opened her wings again and let a pleasant sigh as the wind ruffled her feathers again. “Gotta say, the air feels pretty nice. Maybe not Equestria nice, but still nice.”

Twilight giggled a little at the pegasus’s levity, and then decided to move the topic to another matter. Even though Rainbow seemed to brush off most of the ponies’ current situation, so the alicorn just wanted to make sure she was absolutely fine. “Rainbow, are you sure that you understand our current situation? You know, with the whole ‘being stuck in a new world with no promise of returning back’ thing?”

Rainbow folded up her wings again and answered her friend. “Well, I guess I am. I mean, sure we’re in a crazy new world, and these Rites sound kinda weird, but if you really think about it, weird is kinda normal for us, right? So yeah, I’m cool with just going through the motions until we find a way to get home.” The Wonderbolt’s expression suddenly turned a bit serious. “But Twi, are you sure you’re okay? Hedwyn told me that when he found you out in that desert, you looked beat up and could’ve actually…died if he hadn’t showed up.”

Twilight took in the concern that her friend was expressing for her sake, especially how her voice got shaky at the mention of the purple mare’s potential untimely end. “Well, yes I was bit…roughed up when the Nightwings found me,” Twilight said she looked down to her front forelegs. The bandages that covered up the alicorn’s wounds were removed a few days ago, but it was still a bit tender. “I really don’t know how I ended up like that. Maybe it was from the…” she cut herself off when the explosion came up in her mind. She still hadn’t asked Rainbow Dash yet about her side of he story. “Rainbow, the explosion from the mirror, what do you remember from it?”

The pegasus’s expression grew a bit somber at the alicorn’s question. She let out a sigh and scratched the back of her head. I…I’m kinda having a hard time remembering myself, Twi. Some of it is a bit…fuzzy.” The pegasus shook her head clear so that she could try to remember. “Alright, so the last thing I remember was that I just finished checking on things at the School, so I went to find you. When I couldn’t find you in your office, I went to the castle to try and find you there. Eventually, I found you in the library with Starlight and Spike and you were-“

“Wait, Spike was there too?!” Twilight interrupted, her voice full of worry for her scaly assistant.

“Yeah,” Rainbow continued. “him and Starlight were messing around with the mirror-portal thing that Sunset Shimmer uses from time to time. Spike went behind the mirror while you were explaining what you guys were doing.” The pegasus then used her wingtips to lightly massage her temples. “I…can’t really remember what you were doing though. I mean, you’re my friend, Twi, but sometimes you have a tendency to overexplain things to a point where it sorta sounds like jibberish. No offence, though!”

Twilight narrowed her eyes in annoyance. “Point taken.” She plainly said, deciding to let the sly comment pass for now. “What happened next?”

“That part’s a little bit clearer to me. After you were done your lecture, you went up to the mirror and began to cast a spell. It must’ve been super powerful, cause your horn was sparking and lighting up in a weird way. Just as you were about to cast the spell, AJ and Fluttershy walked in the room looking for you too. After that…” Rainbow took a big gulp of air. “After that, you cast the spell and it hit the mirror. It then started freaking out and shaking like crazy. That’s when I heard the door slam open and then I heard a party popper went off, so I guess it’s a safe bet that was from Pinkie. But, I didn’t get a chance to look though, I was focusing on something else.” Twilight waited eagerly as Rainbow paused to lower her head. “I could tell that the mirror was going to explode, and you were right next to it. I tried, I really, really tried to push you out of the way! But…it was too late. The mirror exploded and the whole room went all bright and then dark. When I woke up, you were shaking me awake while we were falling towards then ground.”

When the pegasus finished her recollection of the prior events, Twilight let out a long, dreaded sigh. “This…this is just too much for me.” She muttered under her breath. She then turned away from the blue pegasus and looked out to the road where the wagon had just travelled. It wasn’t long before Rainbow attempted to make the alicorn feel better.

“Hey, it’s really okay, Twi. I got out pretty okay, and Fluttershy and AJ said that-“

“It’s NOT okay, Rainbow!” Twilight cried out, silencing that pegasus. “It doesn’t matter what you or Fluttershy or Applejack try to tell me, the fact of the matter is that this is all not okay. For some reason, for some idiotic reason that I still can’t remember, I thought it would be a good idea to experiment with trans dimensional magic that I barely had any knowledge on. I look what happen! I got myself and the rest of you stuck not only in some different world, but in a land reserved for criminals.” The alicorn hung her head down in shame. The guilt weighing down on her shoulders was becoming too much for her to handle. Every side from her friends’ side of the story lead to the conclusion that she was all to blame for this. “If I never had messed around with that mirror, we’d all still be home with our friends and family. I messed up, and now everypony is paying for the consequences. I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash.” Twilight said nothing after that, seeing how she had nothing left to get off her chest. She fully expected Rainbow to head back inside the wagon and think about what the alicorn had just said. Which is was she was surprised when she was suddenly turned around and was now looking into Rainbow’s bright, magenta eyes.

“Listen, Twilight,” the pegasus began in a calm, reassuring voice. “I know you must feel really sucky right now, but you really need to let it go already. And before you go on another tangent again, hear me out. What’s done is done, and the past is in the past. Sure, you made a mistake, but you didn’t mean to do it. Me and the rest of the girls won’t think any less of you, even if we’ve been teleported to some crazy world. We just have to…uh…what’s it called when you have to think about how you’re supposed to do something about a thing you have to do?”

“Reassess the situation?” Twilight guessed based on the Wonderbolt’s shaky definition.

“Yeah! We just have to reassess our situation here. And right now, we need to focus on finding the rest of our friends and then we can get back to Equestria. You said that the Rites would be our ticket out of here, right? So, let’s just keep doing that.” Rainbow continued to give the purple mare a supportive smile, but Twilight still felt unhappy with the situation.

“Rainbow, you know that’s not one hundred percent guaranteed. It really more of a theory that the Rites will get us back home.” Twilight pessimistically explained.

“Well, it’s not like we have anything to lose by not doing them.” Rainbow countered her. “Besides, I think you’re really helping these guys out, Twi. Hedwyn told me that it was sort of a small blessing that him and his crew found you. The guy can’t help himself from going on about all the awesome stuff you’re doing as a Reader! Looks like being such a big egghead does have its advantages here!” The blue pegasus then patted the alicorn on the shoulder. “We’re all here now, Twilight, there’s nothing we can do about the past. Right now, just do what I like to do: Focus on what’s in front of you. Let’s just think about finding our friends, kicking flank at these Rites, and get the heck out of this cruddy place. Do you think you can at least promise me you’ll stop worrying about this?”

Twilight looked rather dumbfounded at the Wonderbolt’s sudden burst of wisdom. She had to admit, Rainbow did have a good point. Twilight couldn’t change the past (not without causing terrible consequences, that is) and the best thing she could do is to just look forward. The Nightwings needed her as their Reader, and she had yet to disappoint them with leading them in the Rites. It felt good to be helpful to their cause of freedom and she was eager to find the rest of her friends with every victory the Nightwings attained. However, just like always, there was that tiny part in the back of her mind that couldn’t help but make her think about the darker of things. What if the Rites wouldn’t get them back to Equestria? What if Twilight really did doom her and her friends to this desolate wasteland? Such questions were making the alicorn waver from answering Rainbow’s promise. “Rainbow, I…I’m not sure if I can keep that promise.”

Rainbow then gave the purple mare a kind, patient smile. “Well, then at least promise me you’ll let me snap you out of it if you fall into another rut?”

Twilight felt her heart warm up at the pegasus’s request to be there for her. That was definitely a promise that the alicorn that she would never mind keeping. The endless support of her friends were what got her through some of her darkest time and this time was no different. She then quickly pulled Raindow Dash into a tight embrace to show her gratitude. The purple mare let out a content sigh as she felt the soft feathers of the pegasus against her. Somehow, it reminded her of the comforts from back home. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash. I really needed to hear that right now. I don’t know what our future holds, but I know I’ll be fine as long as you guys are there for me.”

“Heh, n-no problem, Twi,” Rainbow said, sounding a bit flustered from the sudden contact. “just glad to be there for a friend. The, uh…hug is also nice too. Maybe we should-“ The blue pegasus cut herself off and took a few sniffs. “Um, Twi, what’s that smell?”

“Rainbow,” Twilight huffed out with an annoyed expression as she released her from the hug. “It’s not like I can bathe everyday under these conditions. Besides, I don’t smell that bad!”

“What?! No, not you! It kinda smells like…sulfur?” The pegasus then began to look around. “Um, Twi? I think the atmosphere changed up a little while we were talking.”

Twilight also began to look around and slowly began to realize that the wagon had finally left Jomuer Valley and crossed into the Flagging Hands.

Musical Cue - Sinking Feeling

In contrast to the bright, earthy tones of the Valley, the Flagging Hands was a dark, dank place colored in a dark green and light purple palette. Mushrooms the size of bushes were scattered through the land, often next to pools of viscous, green liquid that the alicorn preferred not to investigate further. The odor that Rainbow had previously mention seemed to have originated from one of the many tall puffs of green smoke rising up from underneath the ground. Finally, Twilight noticed that the sun above them was barely able to punch through the endless cover of smog and cloud cover that floated high above the marshlands. Overall, The Flagging Hands seemed to be a rather desolate place where life seemed to stagnate and then ultimately decay into a shadow of its former self. Twilight was now beginning to understand why Jodariel was dreading to come here in the first place.

It was long until the wagon soon made a stop in a nearby clearing away from some of the swampier areas of the marshland. Twilight and Rainbow Dash flew down to the ground to greet the group exiting out of the wagon to assess the change in environment. Needless to say, nobody was impressed with the atmosphere.

“Woo nelly, this here place has a right terrible smell here!” Applejack said as she was attempting to fan off the smell with her hat. “I mean, I may live on a farm, but…land sake!”

Mae followed behind the orange mare and held her hands together in an almost prayer-like fashion. “This place is…rather dreary. But I know the Scribes are watching over us. They will protect us, wherever we go!”

“Something tells me that the Scribes have already turned their backs on this horrid place.” Jodariel muttered while she looked out to the horizon. “We should set up camp for the night here. It’s hard enough to see where we’re going during the day, we’re bound to crash into a swamp at night.”

The Nightwings and the ponies nodded in agreement and began the process of setting camp. While the others were busy with that, Hedwyn and Twilight walked over to the Demon to discuss what to do next. “How far to the Pit of Milithe?” the Nomad asked.

Jodariel gave a huff of annoyance. “All the way across the marshlands, on the coast. The journey will not be pleasant.”

This seemed like dire news to the alicorn, so she decided to try to lighten the mood a bit. However, before she could say anything, the trio was interrupted by Tariq.

“Pardon me,” the minstrel politely said. “but may I borrow Madam Twilight from a brief moment? I have important matters to discuss with her in the wagon.”

Twilight was a little caught off guard from the Lone Minstrel’s request, seeing how she couldn’t think of any reason what he would want to discuss off the top of her head. The purple mare looked over to Hedwyn and Jodariel, wordlessly asking if it was fine if she left. The pair looked to each other and then back to the alicorn.

“Go see what he wants.” Jodariel instructed her, followed by a nod of agreement from Hedwyn.

With their approval in mind, Twilight then followed Tariq as they both made there way into the wagon while everybody else was busy with setting up camp. Once they were inside, Twilight was greeted with the familiar interior of the black wagon, however there was something different about it that the mare could not put her hoof on it. It wasn’t until she saw a green glint from the corner of her eye when Twilight realized what had changed. Beside the podium where Twilight kept the Book of Rites was a glowing, green crystal orb that was resting on a soft cushion. The orb was sparkling and shimmering to a point where Twilight was almost completely captivated by it. The alicorn shook herself out of the semi-trance and turned to the minstrel for questioning. “What’s that…orb over there?”

Tariq then gestured over to the new addition to the wagon. “This is an artifact that I give to you on behalf of my client, Sandalwood. It is known as the Beyonder Crystal.” The purple mare then looked back to the shimmering crystal while continuing to listen to the minstrel’s explanation. “As you have surmised, the triumvirates that you are to confront during the Rites shall stop at nothing to prevail against you. They have prepared for this for quite some time. The Beyonder Crystal may help ensure that you are well prepared, in turn. It is a resource now at your disposal, to be used at your discretion.”

Twilight continued to look at the crystal in awe and wonderment. The Nightwings confrontation with the Dissidents reminded Twilight that their adversaries would be fierce in their pursuit for their own freedom from the Downside. Even the slight hesitation from her could mean the difference between a victory and a loss. Having something like the Beyonder Crystal would be an invaluable asset for the alicorn in her journey to get back to Equestria. “How does it work?” she asked.

“Simply gaze upon it and give it a light touch. The rest should become clear to you from thereafter.” Tariq explained. “I shall now take my leave and let you familiarize yourself with the artifact.” With a final tip of his hat, the Lone Minstrel went outside, leaving Twilight alone with the mysterious crystal orb.

Now that she had some privacy, Twilight cautiously walked up to the crystal to inspect it further. As she got a closer look, she noticed there were shining glyphs engraved on the glassy surface that were beyond the alicorn’s understanding. There was something else about the crystal orb that intrigued her further. While there wasn’t a sound inside the wagon, save for the soft chirps from the drive imps among the rafters, Twilight could have sworn that she was hearing something, though not in the traditional sense. The Beyonder Crystal was calling to her. Not in the physical sense, but rather there was something in the deepest parts of her mind that compelled her to follow the minstrel’s instructions and touch it. Slowly, the purple mare reached her hoof out to touch the glassy surface. When she finally made contact, the effects were immediate.

Musical Cue - Forbidden Knowledge

Twilight stumbled back from the crystal as she was startled by what had happened. As soon as she touched it, an energy rippled throughout her whole body. From her perspective, it seemed like the alicorn had lost some of her senses, yet she still retained a hold over her consciousness. She looked around the room and noticed that it seemed significantly brighter than before. However, the most alarming thing to the purple mare was the figure that was now standing in front of her. It was a Nomad, female by the looks of it, wearing the traditional rainments and narrow mask of the Rites. However, there was something different but oddly familiar about the figure. Her rainments were a mixture of bright yellow and pale green, yet they were also incorporeal as well. Twilight’s eyes trailed down to the floor and was surprised when she couldn’t find any feet. Based on such evidence, the alicorn quickly came to the conclusion that the figure appeared to be, in fact, an apparition.

“Hmm,” the spirit hummed in an echoed tone. “…I sense that you are not a total idiot. Maybe it has something to do with you not being of this world.” The spirit reached to undo the clasps on the back of her mask. Once it was removed, Twilight was finally able to view the apparition’s awe-inspiring features. She was indeed a woman, with long, black hair tied behind her in a ponytail. Her skin was a dark pale, with no sight of a wrinkle or blemish on her face. However, the most interesting aspect of her was the glowing, seafoam mist that seemingly originated from under her neck and swirled upward around her head. This mist also seemed to cause the woman’s hair to gently flow upward as well. “So, the Nightwings have returned. And they appear to have an…interesting Reader, as well.”

Twilight was still awe-struck by the spirit’s appearance. She then quickly shook herself out of her staring and attempted to at least introduce herself. “I’m…My name is Twilight Sparkle. I’m a princess from a land known as Equestria. It’s…nice to meet you.” The alicorn felt nervous in front of the spirit, hoping that her greeting was adequate enough. She relaxed a little bit when she saw the woman smirk and chuckle.

“So polite, as well. That is certainly unique. Oh, but where are my manners? Please, call me Sandra.” She gave a small, mock bow to the alicorn, who was still somewhat lost for words. “We met briefly before,” she continued. “when you first held the Book and gazed upon its words.”

The pieces finally clicked together in the alicorn’s mind as she remembered back on the first day she arrived at the Downside. During that “practice” Rite she had with the Nightwings, Twilight remember being faced with ghostly adversaries that were donned in the same colored rainments as Sandra was wearing right now. “Wait,” she said, verbally confirming her suspicions. “you were one of those spirits that me, Hedwyn, Jodariel and Rukey faced in the Book?”

“Personally, I prefer the term ‘phantom’, but yes,” Sandra confirmed. “I was one of the phantoms your companions banished there, while you all were stuck in the Book. No doubt stroking their egos…and maybe yours too.” The grin on Sandra’s face lowered down back to a neutral expression. “You listen well enough to that damn Voice. Now, I suggest you listen well to me now. I am bound in servitudeto you. Along with any idiots whose freedoms happen to be intertwined with yours.”

The alicorn furrowed her eyes a bit as the phantom smirked at the passing insult she indirectly made towards the Nightwings and her friends. However, she decided to let it pass for now in hopes of asking the spirit more questions about her servitude. “Tariq said that you would be able to help us with the Rites. How exactly do you plan to do that with your…current condition?”

“I know the Rites better than anyone.” Sandra explained. “I can soon whip you and your compatriots into shape, if you but take advantage of my services. I assure you that my Beyonders and I are more that capable of training the likes of you.”

“Beyonders?” Twilight asked with a tilt of her head.

“Yes,” Sandra answered. “Souls that were ‘fortunate’ enough to be trapped within this crystal along with me, though they are not as expressive as I am with you. You would think that they would make good company in this imprisonment. There is just one problem with that, however.” The spirit quickly frowned. “We are all sick of each other!”

Twilight’s ears flatten out the phantom’s outburst, feeling a small amount of pity growing within her at her low opinion of her fellow prisoners. The mare was then caught off guard by Sandra then suddenly chuckling. “Relax yourself, I do exaggerate to some extent. But there is a certain truth to this. We have been stuck here long enough that we have grown more distant rather than more close. You’re bound to run out of conversation topics after the first few years.” Sandra gave another laugh, but there was something off about it by the alicorn’s standards. Though she couldn’t say that she was a connoisseur of smiles and laugh like Pinkie Pie, Twilight still felt that Sandra wasn’t laughing at her half-hearted joke, but rather at herself instead. “But I digress,” she continued. “I offer Scribe Trials to you and those friends of yours. If they can pass, it will be very much worth your while.” The phantom paused for a moment and closed her eyes. “I sense that one of those failures are worthy for a lesson in pain. Simply close your eyes, and you will see who is ready for their Trial.”

The purple mare was a bit confused at how closing her eyes would do anything but decided to follow the phantom’s instructions anyway. When she closed her eyes, all she could see was darkness in the first few seconds until a small ball of light began to glow. The ball became larger and brighter and then began to slowly morph into something else. Twilight witnesses as the ball began to elongate and sprout multiple appendages until the final results showed a four-legged creature that the alicorn that was very much familiar with. “Rukey,” Twilight announced. “I think Rukey Greentail is ready for a Scribe Trial.”

“What, the loud-mouthed Cur?” Sandra asked. “Well, I suppose he is ready…technically. Though, I do have a litany of reservations about him. But, go ahead and summon him hear if you are sure.”

Twilight nodded and when up to the doorframe to find Rukey. After looking for a bit, she found the Cur tending to the wagon wheels with Fluttershy helping him. When the alicorn called for him, Rukey nodded and entered the blackwagon with the purple mare. “What’s going on, sister?” the Cur asked her. “Why are you…looking at me like that?”

Before the alicorn could answer him, both of them felt faint all the sudden. Twilight could hardly say anything else as everything went dark.

Musical Cue Continued - Forbidden Knowledge

When she opened her eyes once again, Twilight found herself floating in the same space that she found herself in when she opened the Book on that faithful first day. She looked down below to once again find the Book open with the Nightwings and the Beyonders sigils on both sides. Two figures appeared on both sides of the field and both pyres erupted into flames, though Twilight noticed that the Beyonders’ pyre seemed at half intensity than the Nightwings’ pyre. On the left near the Nightwings’ pyre, Rukey appeared fully dressed in his rainments and mask. On the right, a single Nomad phantom was standing by itself by the green flames.

“Alright, what’s the big idea here, sister?!” Rukey called out. “Is this some kind of ‘magic prank’ that you ponies do or something? How the heck did I get back into these robes and mask?!”

Sandra then unfastened her mask and glared over at him. “Shut your snout and listen well, Cur! You answer to me here.”

“W-wha?” Rukey said in confusion.

“Your mouth runs quicker than those stubby little paws of yours. You have much to learn if you ever want to prevail in the Rites. Let’s see how you fare without the benefits of your comrades.” When she saw that the Cur was still speechless, Sandra grins and folded her arms. “What’s the matter, not confident that your lovely Reader can lead you to victory? You should just give up now if that is the case.”

Rukey remained silent for a few moments, but he eventually spoke up with an edge of resolve in his voice. “No…No, I trust her. Twilight’s been pretty good at all this ‘Rites’ business. Show me what you got, ghosty.”

“Hmph, be careful of what you wish for.” Sandra said cryptically said before she faded away from the field. A few seconds later, three Demon apparitions appeared on the right side of the field; their combined aura covering a large area of the ground. Twilight assumed that these were some of the fellow prisoners that Sandra was talking about earlier. The Cur’s aura then surrounded himself around him and the alicorn felt the familiar link with him just as in the Rite. Rukey took one final gaze of his surroundings and then got into a running stance. “Alright, sister, I said that I would make it up to you and it looks like now’s the time. Let’s show these ghosts what for!” Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the Cur’s determination, as it was a sentiment that she shared as well.

The Celestial Orb fell down onto the middle of the field, signaling the start of the Trial. Rukey had no problem rushing over and grabbing the orb first. However, the real challenge was getting pass the hulking Demons to jump into the opposing pyre. One of the phantoms attempted to rush forward to banish Rukey, but the he rushed backwards before he could be banished. Twilight quickly examined the field and found a small opening that the Cur could jump through. As t\one of the phantoms advanced again, the alicorn guided Rukey around them and had him leap for the pyre. The maneuver was successful and Rukey made it right into the flames. Twilight noticed that Rukey caused more damage to the pyre than she last remembered, inferring that he gained this extra power from his least Enlightenment. With this in mind, along with the fact that the Beyonders’ pyre was at half intensity, Twilight figured that she and Rukey only needed to hit the pyre two more times in order to obtain victory.

The field reset and Rukey returned to his side of the field. The Cur attempted to grab the orb like he did previously, however this proved to be a mistake as a Demon casted its aura to banish him from the field. Twilight could only watch helplessly as the Demon picked up the orb and slowly made its way to the Nightwings’ pyre. The Demon phantom would have made as well, if Rukey had not reappeared on the field after the allotted time and banished the Demon with his aura. One of the other Demon slowly advanced to the other side of the field, but Twilight saw this as an opportunity. The alicorn had Rukey pick up the orb and quickly advance to the other side of the field. With the two Demons spaced throughout the field, the Cur had no problem maneuvering around their aura fields. Rukey jumped and dived straight into the pyre. The flames were much smaller now, meaning it would take much more for them to finally go out.

After the field reset again, Rukey was able to rush forward and grab the orb this time without being banished. However, that didn’t stop the Demons from simultaneously going on the defensive and standing their ground. While one Demon casted his aura to deter the Cur, the other two stood by the pyre and surrounded it with their collective aura. Twilight had to consider her options fast as she saw that one of the phantoms was slowly advancing forward. This advancement, however, gave the alicorn an idea. She instructed Rukey to zigzag left to right, feinting the action of trying to circle around the phantoms. This strategy worked as one-by-one, each of the Demons moved up a bit in response to the Cur’s movement. Soon, Twilight saw an opening and had the Cur rush to the far left. While there was a small opening in the aura to the pyre, it still wasn’t big enough and was too far away for Rukey to make it safely. But this proved little problem to the alicorn, as she simply used a trick that she had picked up from Hedwyn back in the Nightwings first Rite. With all of his might, Rukey tossed the Celestial Orb into the pyre.

The orb let off a spectacular explosion, causing the small, green flames to quickly diminish. Once the pyre was reduced to a smoldering sigil, the three Demon phantoms slowly faded from the field. Twilight smiled triumphantly as the blue flames from the Nightwings’ pyre shot up into the air and exploded.

“Ha ha! LOXALAS!” Rukey howled out into the air. “That’s how we do it! Nothing’s impossible when Rukey Greentail and Twilight Sparkle is on the scene! Way to go, sister!”

“Congratulations,” Sandra said as she appeared back onto the field, her mask off her face. “you finally acknowledged that you did not win on your own. Despite having to face my Demon friends all by yourself.”

Rukey didn’t respond immediately to the apparition’s taunt, but he then said something that seemed to catch her off guard. “There’s no ‘I’ in team, lady. I’m gonna get back home, I need to, and I know that Twilight is gonna help me get there. Just like how we’re gonna help her and her friends get back to their world when it’s all said and done.”

Sandra appeared hesitant by the Cur’s response, but eventually huffed and continued on. “You have passed my test, Cur. Congratulations are in order. Both to you, and to your lovely Reader. Now, farewell.”

As suddenly as they arrived, both Twilight and Rukey felt faint and slowly sipped out of consciousness.

When they both awoke, Twilight and Rukey found themselves back inside the blackwagon. The alicorn looked around to confirm that they were in fact out of the realm inside the Book. When she was satisfied, Twilight looked to Rukey to make sure he was fine. “Are you okay, Rukey?”

“The Cur had finished looking himself over and answer the purple mare. “Yeah, I’m good, sister. But I gotta ask, who was that lady?”

“Her is name is Sandra. And apparently she’s some sort of phantom trapped in that crystal over there.” Twilight answered, gesturing over to the Beyonder Crystal.

“Well, whoever she is, she kind of gives me the shakes. Know what I mean, sister?” He then looked to the ground. “Hey, what’s that on the floor?”

The alicorn followed the Cur’s gaze downward to find what he was referring to. She then picked up the object with her magic to examine it further. It was a fang, a sharp one by the looks of it. If she had to guess, it appeared to be the right size for it to be a Cur fang. “I…think it’s supposed to be a talisman for the Rites.” she guessed out loud to the Cur. It then began to make more sense to her. This must have been what Sandra meant when she said it would be worth their while to complete these Scribe Trials. With this realization, Twilight smiled and offered the fang to Rukey. “I think it’s for you, Rukey. It’s your reward for passing the Trial.”

Rukey grasped the talisman in his paws and then placed it in his tunic pocket. “Thanks, sister. And what I said back there, I meant it. We’re gonna get you guys home. Don’t exactly know how, but we’re gonna do it. As sure as my tail is green!” The Cur then made his way to the door. “Anyways, I gotta get back with Flutters and show her how to tend to the wheels. Be seeing ya!”

Twilight smiled as the Cur left for outside, still feeling rather touched by his vow. It gave the alicorn relative comfort that she knew that a majority of the Nightwings were determined to help her and her friends find their way back to Equestria. Her ears perked up when she suddenly her chuckling behind her. She turned around to find Sandra had returned, still incorporeal as before. “Jomuer’s Fang should help him last in the Rites for a bit longer. You must be very proud.”

“So, what now?” Twilight asked the apparition, unsure as to what to do now that the Scribe Trial was complete.

Sandra laughed softly at this, though it was hard to determine if she was laughing at the alicorn’s question or at herself. “Now, I will return to the dark void that I call my home until I am needed again. It won’t be long until one of those other failures will be ready for there Trials. However, if you feel like you need some practice in the Rites, me and my Beyonders would be happy to spar with you. Or I would be happy if you wanted to make small-talk with me, anything to break from the monotony of staring into the endless void. Not that I could see it if I tried.” She laughed at this, or perhaps she was laugh at herself again. The purple mare wanted to say something to comfort the phantom, but she was already wrapping this up. “Until we meet again, lovely Reader.” Sandra then faded away from the room and the alicorn slowly began to feel her normal sensing returning to her.

Twilight was admittedly unsure what to feel right now. Sure, she did appreciate Sandra’s assistance in the form of her Scribe Trials. However, there’s was something about the uncanny way the spirit seemed to laugh at herself and her rather terrible predicament. She honestly expected somebody who had been trapped for so long to be a bit more malicious or depressed. It was certainly something that the alicorn would have to discuss with her at a later time. For now though, Twilight decided it was good idea to go outside and discuss with Hedwyn and Jodariel about how they would proceed through the Flagging Hands.

Little did the alicorn know how arduous crossing the marshland would actually be for not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

Suffer Alongside Them

Chapter 11: Suffer Alongside Them

Musical Cue - Sinking Feeling

Twilight Sparkle was planning to try and keep a positive outlook for the group while traveling through the Flagging Hands. She understood that the stench and the temperature were far from optimal for traveling, but she was determined to keep spirits high. She was a princess after all, and it was one of her duties to lead a group of any kind to prosperity and morale. The alicorn was determined help her traveling companions get through the marshlands with their heads held high and their eyes focused on the next destination for the Rites.

That was the idea she had when she went to sleep that night. But all of that hope came crumbling down when the next morning came.

When Twilight awoke, the effects of the Flagging Hands were made immediate to her. Almost everybody in the group were just about miserable from the time spent in the gloomy environment. Jodariel was even more distant than usual, preferring to perform task in the solitude. Hedwyn no longer had that glowing smile and spark of determination in his eyes, which was rather unsettling to the alicorn. Rukey lost his wise-crack attitude and was blunter and more serious with his statements. Even Mae wasn’t immune to the effects and spent more her time lowly whispering to the Scribes while poking around with her sticks. Tariq seem mostly neutral to the oppressing atmosphere, though her was more silent than usual. What made the purple mare especially worried was condition of her friends. Applejack held her hat down over her head in a meager attempt to hide her melancholy from the others. Rainbow Dash did her best to put on a brave face for everybody, but Twilight looked into the blue pegasus’s eyes and could clearly see the suffering she was going through.

However, there were two members of the group that seemed unaffected by the environment of the marshlands. Ti’zo continued to be in high spirits when he emerged from his nest; ready to tackle the day head on. Twilight was unsure how or why the Imp was immune to the effects of the Flagging Hands, but she guesstimated that it had something to do with the fact that the Downside was his native habitat and was therefore used to such condition. Twilight was especially surprised to find that Fluttershy of all ponies still held on to her spirits. The yellow mare’s sweet and angelic voice was comforting to the ears and greeted everybody a good morning despite their down-trotted moods. Even Rukey perked up a bit when Fluttershy offered to help him pack up.

Nevertheless, the heavy mood of the group didn’t stop them from completely packing up the campsite and starting the wagon westward towards the Pit of Milithe. Twilight had hoped that getting on the move would lightened everyone’s spirits, but she was quickly proven wrong when the wagon wheels got caught in a large patch of muddy ground ten minutes after they had first left. After a series of sighs and groans from the group, Jodariel, Applejack, and Twilight went outside to see what they could do to get the blackwagon unstuck. With the combined strength of the apple farmer and the Demon, along with the telekinesis from the alicorn, the vehicle was eventually freed from the earthy snare in five minutes. While the blackwagon was no longer stuck, Rukey and Fluttershy still had to clean out the wheels of mud and grime to avoid anymore future incidents. As Twilight was hanging back waiting on the pair to finish, she noticed something approaching from behind her. She quickly turned around and sighed in relief when she was that it was just Tariq.

“Pardon my intrusion, Madam Twilight. I merely wished to discuss something with you while are waiting to depart again.” Twilight tilted her head a bit in curiosity as to what the minstrel wanted to discuss with her. “As you are quite well aware, the looming atmosphere of the Flagging Hands tend to have…sorrowful effects on those who travel through it. Of all the harsh biomes of the Downside, the Flagging Hands drain the most Hope from the exiles who wander through it.”

“Hope?” the alicorn asked. She was rather confused as to why the minstrel put such an emphasis on such an abstract concept of hope.

“Though you may not have realized yet, performance in the Rites is determined by much more than just physical attributes. An exile’s mental state can also affect how they interact in the ceremony. Hope is an example of such mental attributes. When an exile is banished from the Rites, Hope can determine how long until they can return back to the field. The more Hope one has, the quicker they can return.” The Lone Minstrel glanced over to Jodariel, who was glaring out into the distance. “Demon exiles such as Jodariel tend to have the least amount of Hope. Years spent down here in the Downside tend to make them more jaded and pessimistic.” Tariq looked back to Twilight. “With that said, I should warn you that the longer we spend here, the more your companions will lose Hope.”

This was troubling news to the alicorn. She hadn’t realized that she now had to worry about the Nightwings’ mental health to determine how well they would perform in the Rites. Not only was the Flagging Hands an emotional hinderance for the group, but now it was literally reducing their chance at freedom. She then knew that she had to do something about this.

“Then, I guess the best thing we can do for now is to find the fastest route to the next Rite location. Right?” she asked the Lone Minstrel.

“Well,” he said. “That is a valid option. However, I should mention that due to the Flagging Hands…harsh condition, very few individuals dare venture into it. This in turn creates a high demand for any resources that can be found in the marshlands. If we dare to go off the beaten path, we may find something that would help fund our journey.”

“But, if we do that, we’ll spend more time here.” Twilight said, starting to put it all together.

“And your compatriots would suffer more, in turn.” Tariq finished.

The alicorn was starting to see the dilemma in front of her. “Is…Is there anything I can do about this loss of Hope? I don’t watch everyone suffer when there’s something I can do about it.” she pleaded with the minstrel.

The mare’s hopes were then dashed when she saw the bleak look on Tariq face. “While I do admire your determination, there is honestly not much you can do. Very few can resist the effects of the Flagging Hands, and fewer more can influence others. My best advice, though bleak, is to simply suffer along side them for the time being. The Flagging Hands is arguably the harshest area of the Downside, as you will soon see. The best you can honestly do is to stand among your friends in hopes to ward off some of the misery.” The Lone Minstrel then tipped his hat to the alicorn. “However, do not fret over this for long. I promise that things will brighten as soon as we leave this place. Endure it, and I know you will prosper.” He then left to let the purple mare reflect on what he had told her.

Twilight was left speechless at what the minstrel had told her. Even though the obvious course of action was to get through the Flagging Hands as soon as possible, the prospect of finding valuable resources to aid them on their journey was enticing. She knew that their funds were running short and it would be rather bad if they ended up running out of money when they desperately needed something from the Slug Market. The only thing was could she really prolong the group’s misery just for the sake of attaining resources? Twilight was interrupted from these thoughts when Jodariel called out to her. Rukey and Fluttershy had finished tending to the wheels and the black wagon was ready to go once again.

As the purple mare when inside, she saw that the delay seemed to have only worsen the mood of the group. Everybody was avoiding eye contact with one another and looked more down-trotted than ever before. While Fluttershy and Ti’zo still appeared in good spirits, they remained silent in what was most likely fear of annoying or angering somebody by mistake. The scene was really breaking the alicorn’s heart. What she could do or say that could even begin to lighten the mood. She thought about approaching them all with a warm smile and give a rousing speech to wave away the overhanging tension, but she just couldn’t find the words or even the ability to give such a smile. Even if she could say something, she highly doubted that anybody would care to listen to her in their current state of despair. The effects of the Flagging Hands were weighing down on the alicorn as well, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to continue on. She thought she had experienced the worst that the Downside had to offer in the desert, but she began to realize that she was very much mistaken. In the end, the purple mare let out a heavy sigh and went over to the window. Nobody responded to her as she took a seat and looked the window as the wagon began the move again. With a gloomy expression, Twilight sat back and followed the minstrel’s advice.

Suffer alongside them.

It was only a couple hours later until the blackwagon had to stop again, only this time it wasn’t because it got stuck. In front of the journeying party were multiple different paths, all leading west towards their next destination. Thankfully, most of the group had shaken themselves out of their earlier sadness to discuss what the next course of action should be. According to the maps, Hedwyn suggested that the quickest route the Pit of Milithe would be through an area known as Plaguemont. This was immediately enticing to the alicorn, seeing how it would mean less time spent in the marshlands and her companions could potentially be freed of the constant loss of Hope. However, before Twilight could decide their course, Tariq politely interrupted with another decision. The Lone Minstrel pointed out on the maps that there was another path called Coldmoat. He further explained that while the route was longer, he was confident that there would be certain resources that would no doubt be useful in their travels.

Once again, Twilight was given the choice of how to proceed. Everybody in the wagon looked to her in anticipation for her decision. Feeling a little self-conscious, the alicorn decided to shut her eyes for a bit in hopes of focusing her thoughts. While it was true that the immediate prospect of leaving the Flagging Hands as soon as possible was quite enticing, her thoughts lingered back to what Tariq had told her earlier. The Flagging Hand may be a miserable marshland, but there was no doubt flora and minerals out there that would fetch a good price at the Slug Market. So the big question was that would it be worth it to have her friends and traveling companions suffer more just for the random possibility of finding something valuable? Twilight then looked over to the coin purse that Rukey kept the Nightwings’ funds. They were running dangerously low on money and she doubted they would have enough to purchase anything at the Slug Market. Given how much Twilight was struggling in the last Rite, she knew that the Nightwings would need all the talismans and stardust available for them to keep up with their next adversaries. Therefore, with a heavy heart, Twilight casted her choice. She ordered that the blackwagon would take the path through Coldmoat. The purple mare didn’t feel any better when most of the group gave her a look of disappointment or annoyance. Nevertheless, the Nightwings still honored their commitment to trust the alicorn’s decisions and set course to Coldmoat.

After a few hours of the wagon traveling on bumpy trails and muddy terrain, Twilight went over to the window to check on how far they had come. While making her way across the room, the alicorn could easily tell that the morale of the group had gone down even further than earlier. Everybody except for Fluttershy and Ti’zo either looked depressed, moody or just quiet. Twilight couldn’t help but feel some guilt over this, seeing how it was her decision that lead them to remaining in the Flagging Hands longer than they could have been. However, there was ultimately little that see could do about it now and could only hope that they would find something of value. When she reached the window, the purple mare looked outside to discover something rather unsightly. The blackwagon passed by what appeared to be giant skulls of beasts that were the size of a small hut. She no idea whether these skulls were the actual remains of titanic monsters or were instead just macabre architecture created by some of the locals brave enough to dwell here in the marshlands.

The wagon came to a halt as Tariq stated that they had arrived in Coldmoat. Before Twilight could leave to go outside, Tariq stopped her and asked if she was truly okay with stopping here. When she asked why, the minstrel avoided her gaze for a moment and explained that it was possible that she would some rather unsettling sights. He also suggested that everybody else should remain indoors and that they should go out alone. Twilight was confused by this reasoning, but it then started to make sense as she looked back the group’s down-trotted condition. Whatever was out there, Tariq seemed sure that it would only worsen their Hope and make things much more difficult in the next Rite. With a slow nod, Twilight agreed to the Lone Minstrel’s conditions and announced their plan with everybody in the room. Nobody seemed to have bothered or even frankly cared, as they were all still preoccupied with their own accords in an attempt to ward off the misery.

Twilight stepped outside into the marshlands with the minstrel slowly following after her. The strong, unpleasant scent of sulfur hit her nostrils hard which caused her to immediately scrunch up her face. She looked up to the sky to find that the heavy smog above was mostly blotting out the sun’s rays. The ground under her hooves was soft and muddy, making it a chore to even walk a few meters. However, the alicorn saw something in the corner of her eye and she turned her head to get a better view. To the left side of her was a pit, a trench to be more specific. Soft trails of steam or smoke rose up from the bottom and stretched out into the gloomy sky. While it didn’t appear to be much, there was something about the that was unnerving to the purple mare. She looked back to the minstrel to see that he was giving her a dark look. A slow, careful nod confirmed to the alicorn that whatever was at the bottom of that pit was the source of the minstrel’s earlier warnings. The alicorn gave a heavy gulp and considered her options. While she could easily just ignore the ominous-looking ditch, there was something in the back of her mind that compelled her to look. Taking one slow step at a time, Twilight might her way to the edge of the trench, she peered down at the bottom. Her eyes widen in shock at what she saw.

There at the bottom of the trench was best described as a river of bones. Twilight was at a complete loss as her eyes darted over the pile of skeletal remains of many different creatures. Nomads, Demons, Curs and a few other species that the alicorn couldn’t identify. There was something else that caught her eye, but she immediately regretted looking at it. Near the middle of the pit was the body of an expired Cur that she didn’t recognize. Based on the light rot and decay of the skin and fur, it was clear that the body had been tossed down her somewhat recently. The purple mare was actually for once grateful for the overpowering sulfur in the air, as it most likely covered up the stench of death and decay. Once she had seen enough for one lifetime, Twilight began to slowly back away from the pit of death. She tripped backward on a patch of mud and fell right onto her haunches, but she hardly cared as her mind was still racing. Deep down, Twilight knew that most of the exiles sent down here into the Downside probably didn’t last long before they would eventually perished. It wasn’t a concept that she liked thinking about, but it was a hard truth that she had to accept. However, she only assumed that any exile that died were at least given a proper burial and at least have some dignity. But now she knew the truth; whenever somebody would die, they were most like tossed down here in the marshlands where they would rot out in the open along with their fellow deceased. The alicorn was now starting to figure out where the Flagging Hands got its dismal atmosphere from.

“Madam Twilight,” the alicorn thoughts were interrupted when she turned her head to see that Tariq had knelt down to her level. Though the minstrel’s eyes were not as expressive as others like Hedwyn, she still found them rather calming. “are you okay?” he asked her. For a minute, Twilight couldn’t exactly answer right away, as she was still in shock over what she just saw. The Lone Minstrel asked her another question. “I am guessing by your reaction that you are not familiar with this amount of death?”

Twilight slowed nodded her head slowly. Recently back in Equestria, death was a rather rare occurrence, save for when a pony died of old age or when there was an occasional severe illness. Of course, many of the books in her library did cover the topic of death. She had read many accounts of the casualties of past wars and plagues. However, the alicorn had yet to experience this amount of death right in front of her face. Tariq gave a heavy sigh at the purple mare’s answer. “I see,” he said solemnly. “I apologize in advance for suggesting this path. I merely assumed that the other had already mentioned this to you.” He then looked to the pit for a minute and then back to the concerned mare. “There is nothing that you can do for these poor souls now. I understand that this must be difficult for you to process but know that this is not your fate. Nor is it the fate of the Nightwings and your fellow companions. Let their demise serve as both a warning and a motivation for the journey.”

The alicorn breathing began to slow down as she took in more of what the minstrel was telling her. Whether she wanted to believe it or not, it’s either survival or death in the Downside. The river of bones right below her was proof enough of that. However, deep down Twilight still knew that this wasn’t her fate. Not as long as she continued pushing forward and leading the Nightwings and her friends to freedom. With a deep breath, Twilight got back onto her hooves and began to walk away. While she did wish that she could erase the haunting image of death and dismay from her memory, it would prove to be a somber reminder to her in the future. She looked to Tariq and gave him a stern nod to show that she had gotten the point.

As the minstrel stood back up, Twilight then noticed a shift in the air. She looked around to find what was causing this phenomenon and she eventually saw something begin to shimmer in front of her. However, before she could get a better look, Twilight suddenly felt Tariq’s hand on the back of her head and forced her to look down at the ground. The alicorn was about to ask why for this sudden contact, but the Lone Minstrel was quick to explain himself. “Do not look.” Tariq said in absolute seriousness. “Speak not directly to the living shades. They are the remnants of some of the unlucky souls that perished here in the Flagging Hands.” The alicorn gulped and continued to look to the ground. “Be true to your heart when responding to its inquiries. And…make no attempts to look at it in the eyes.”

The minstrel removed his hand from the pony’s head, allowing her to slowly move her head up. She saw that the green mist from earlier had now solidified into a semi-transparent form of a Nomad. However, Twilight dared not to take the chance of accidently looking into the shade’s gaze. She was beginning to wonder exact how she was to communicate with the dead, but then she felt it. Though the shade spoke not a word, Twilight felt its thoughts and feelings pierce her mind and heart. Wordlessly, the shade asked the alicorn her purpose; why she decided to cross the desolation of the Flagging Hands. She was slightly taken aback by the question; however, her heart already revealed the answer to it: To lead her friends to freedom. The shade paused for a few minutes before asking another inquiry. It then asked the pure mare if she was willing to follow through with that goal even if it meant the risk of ending up like the fallen surrounding them. Once again, her heart was quick to answer the question: Yes, she would risk anything if it meant saving the friends that she dearly loved.

The shade seemed satisfied with the mare’s answers and urged her to follow. Twilight complied and followed along as the shade drifted into the other direction. While the alicorn was following the shade, she noticed that they passed by multiple other pits exactly like the one that she saw earlier. Twilight had no desire to looking into them and relive the horrid imagery that she witnessed moments ago. The shade finally halted in front of a rotted, hollowed stump. The shade gave her a final farewell and then faded away. Twilight then looked up from the ground again and approached the stump. Looking inside, she found something of interest and pulled it out using her magic. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a blue mushroom speckled with white spots.

“Ah yes, it appears you have found a Noxshoom.” Twilight turned out to find that Tariq had followed her and was now looking at her findings. She then levitated it over to the minstrel for him to get a better look at the fungus. “These only grow one month out of the years, and even then, very few grow to this size. To the right people, this should refurbish our funds quite well.” After he stashed the Noxshroom in his robes for safe-keeping, the minstrel looked back to the alicorn. “Madam Twilight, you have been awfully quite since we’ve arrived here. I imagine that you must still be taking in the…things that you had just witnessed. Would you like to talk about it?”

The purple mare was slightly surprised that she had not spoken a single word since arriving to Coldmoat. She wasn’t exactly conscious about it up until now, and the minstrel was correct when he guessed that she was still thinking about the pit. The sight of all those bones not only gave the mare an uneasy feeling in her stomach but provided her with a grim reminder of what was at stake. She still remembered the words of encouragement that Tariq had told her after witnessing such a sight, however that didn’t stop the small speck of self-doubt in the back of her head from imagining the worst-case scenario for her and her friends. Twilight wanted to tell Tariq that she was fine and there was nothing to worry about, but she just couldn’t bring herself to lie to him. The alicorn let out a heavy sigh and finally answered the Lone Minstrel. “Let’s…Let’s just get back to the wagon and leave this place.”

The minstrel bowed his head in agreement and then followed Twilight as she made her way back to the wagon. Along the way, she still continued to avoid looking at the many other pits that surrounded her. She had witnessed enough death for that day, even maybe enough for her entire lifetime. When they finally made it back to the wagon door, Twilight put on the bravest face she could muster and headed inside.

The rest of the day had gone rather smoothly all things considering. The further the blackwagon got away from Coldmoat, the better the alicorn felt. Although, the “burial mounds”, as Twilight generously dubbed them, still bothered her as she was having a hard time suppressing those morbid images from her mind. Twilight had considered at least telling her friends about what she saw out there, but she ultimately decided to omit them and simply showed them the Noxshroom that she found out there. Everybody was miserable enough and Twilight didn’t think telling her friends about the literal river of bones would improve any morale. She did think about telling the Nightwings about what she saw, but she then realized that they were probably already aware of pits given how long they’ve spent in the Downside.

As evening fell, the group stopped the blackwagon to said up camp for the night. What followed was nearly two hours of awkward interaction and banter between everybody as they desperately tried to pass the time until they could finally go to sleep and gain a temporary respite from the dismal atmosphere of the Flagging Hands. After a silent dinner that Hedwyn had prepared. Most of the Nightwings decided to head back inside the wagon to get an early night sleep. That only left Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash out in the open night air, staring at the roaring fire. Ti’zo had decided to stay outside with the ponies, and Fluttershy was more than happy to cuddle with the Imp. Tariq had also decided to stay as well and was strumming a few tuneless chords on the white lute that he cared around with him. While Twilight was glad for the company, there was still the awkward silence that was hanging over them. While trying to think of something to break this silence, the alicorn remembered a small detail that Tariq had mentioned a few days ago. “Um, Tariq?” she asked.

“Yes, Madam Twilight?” he said looking up from his lute.

“Back at the Cairn of Ha’ub, you mentioned something about “Greater Titans”. What exactly did you mean by that?” The other ponies looked to the minstrel, eager to hear his answer to the purple mare’s question. Tariq was silent for a moment, as if he was internally thinking of how to structure his explanation.

Musical Cue - The Herald

“Ah, yes,” he finally said. “I suppose it was only a matter of time before you would ask that.” As he continued to speak, he did not stop gently strumming his lute. “Though the Downside may be harsh today, this is nothing compared to what it once was. Centuries ago, giant, unimaginable creatures roamed these lands. Some were so grand that if they were to reach up, they could touch the heavens themselves. No one knew what these creatures were or where they originated from. In time, the local inhabitants dubbed these creatures “The Greater Titans”. It was believed that no means of magic or technology could slay these Titans, so the only thing the populous could do was to cower away from their paths and pray for another day of safety from them.”

Twilight listened on in awe at the Lone Minstrel tale and was somewhat soothed by the lute’s gently melody. Sure, she was quite familiar with fantastical beasts and creatures back in Equestria, but these Greater Titan felt as though they were in a completely different league in terms of grandness and awestruck. Her thoughts were then interrupted when one of her friends asked the minstrel a question. “Hold on,” Applejack said. “I know that I haven’t been here as long as Twilight has, but I don’t rightly recall seein’ any giant creatures that yer talkin’ about. Shouldn’t we’ve run into one of ‘em Titans back in the Valley?”

“Tis an excellent observation, Miss Applejack,” Tariq commended her. “We have had the good fortune of not crossing paths with any of them. The Greater Titans, with their incredible size and stature, were almost invincible to any force…almost.” The minstrel then gave a noticeable strong cord on his lute. “Everyone believed that the Greater Titans would roam the Downside and continue to terrorize its denizens till the end of time. That is, until eight individuals proved them all wrong.”

The dots connected themselves inside the alicorn’s head when heard the minstrel mentioned the number eight. “The Eight Scribes.” She said out loud. Tariq nodded to confirm her suspicions.

“Wait a minute,” Rainbow interjected. “You make these Titans out to be so big and scary, how exactly were they defeated by such a small group? What did they have magic powers or something?” The minstrel then answered the blue pony’s question.

“Well, Miss Rain-“

“Just call me Rainbow Dash.” She suddenly interrupted. “I’m not a big fan of those proper titles.” Twilight slightly rolled her eyes at Rainbow’s crassness, but then immediately put it out of mind.

“Um…Well, Rainbow Dash,” Tariq continued. “The Eight Scribes had no magical powers to call their own, nor did they require any. All they needed was a combination of skill, wisdom and ingenuity to outsmart the Titans and ultimately slay them. One by one, the Greater Titan fell to the Scribes, making the Downside only tad less inhospitable. However, due to their massive scale, their bodies still remained with no conceivable way of disposing of them. After a Titan were slain, the stars above burned brighter, and the surrounding land gain unique power based on the particular characteristics of that Titan. This was a clear message to the Scribes, every area around a slain Titan would become the site of the traditional ceremony of their creation. They dubbed these sites Celestial Landmarks, and they have been an integral part of the Rites ever since.”

As Twilight took in the flood of information, she began to remember some of the earlier locations that they had already visited. Specifically, she remembered how the Ridge of Gol had a rather a particular shape to it. “Wait,” she said out loud. “back when Hedwyn, Jodariel, Rukey and I went to the Ridge of Gol for our first Rite, I noticed something peculiar about it. You don’t mean…” Twilight trailed off from her thought, but the minstrel answered her anyway.

“Aye” he said, still unconsciously strumming his lute. “What you saw was the petrified remains of the great serpent, Lord Gandroth. The serpent was slain by the Master-General Golathanian himself.”

“And the skeleton of that big ole scorpion critter back at the Spring?” Applejack asked.

“The hive-titan Bialanthius was once a scourge on the Valley, until Jomuer Many-Mane managed to crush the beast. The moonlight shining off its carapace is what gives the Spring its resplendent glory.” Tariq explained.

“And that scary looking monster that was at the Cairn of Ha’ub?” Fluttershy quietly asked.

“Shax Six Shoulders proved to be a tremendous foe, but the Imp Scribe Ha’ub used his small size to his advantage to defeat the bone-titan from the inside. The glacial blood that oozed out from the carcass is what gave the Cairn its frigid atmosphere.” All of the ponies listened on in great interest as the Lone Minstrel continued on about this world’s history. “As our journey continued, you shall see more Celestial Landmarks and more fallen Titans. A physical reminder of the glory that the Eight Scribes have left here in the Downside. Glory that can hopefully send you and the Nightwings home.” The minstrel went silent for a moment, leaving the air silent and empty expect for the lute’s gentle tones. The lute abruptly stopped, and the minstrel cleared his throat. “My apologies, I tend lose myself in my melodies when I go into tangents such as that.”

Now that it was clear the Tariq was finished, Rainbow Dash stretched out her wings and gave out what seemed to be a faux yawn. “Welp, as interesting as all that was, I think I’m gonna turn in now.” The blue pony then flew over to the wagon door and looked back to the group. “Good night, everybody!”

As Rainbow went inside, Tariq then stood up. “I believe Rainbow Dash is correct. We should all get some rest if we wish to make it to the Pit of Milithe by tomorrow evening. I wish you all a good night.”

The minstrel was then followed by Applejack. “Alrighty. I’m gonna go check on Mae before I hit the hay. G’night, everybody.”

As Twilight watched the pair head inside the wagon, she was about to do the same. Until she looked over to see that both Fluttershy and Ti’zo were still outside with her. The alicorn then decided that now was a perfect opportunity to talk to them about a subject that had been plaguing her mind as of late. “Um, Fluttershy? Ti’zo?” she asked as she approached them. “May I talk to you about something?”

“Oh, of course, Twilight!” Fluttershy said sweetly as she looked up at the Imp nuzzled up in her pink mane. “Though, could we please make it quick? Ti’zo gets a bit cranky if he doesn’t get enough sleep.”

“Skraaa…” Ti’zo groaned at the timid mare’s remark.

“Oh hush, you!” she gently chastised him. “What’s on her mind, Twilight?”

The alicorn averted the yellow mare’s gaze and started digging into the ground with one of her hooves. She was a bit unsure how to poise her question without sound rude, but she eventually spat it out. “I was…just wondering? Well, I’m sure you’ve probably noticed that everybody has been miserable ever since we arrived here in the Flagging Hands. The thing is…I’ve noticed that the dreary atmosphere hasn’t really had an effect on you, or Ti’zo for that matter. I was just curious as to why. Don’t you find this place revolting?”

“Oh, well,” Fluttershy said, almost as if she was thinking for an answer herself. “I suppose that it is true that the Flagging Hands isn’t the prettiest or even the best smelling place I ever been to. The temperature is slightly uncomfortable, and it does seem darker than the Valley even during the day. But I don’t really let it bother me that much.”

“Really?” Twilight asked incredulously?

“I guess spending time and going on all those adventures with you girls not only taught me how to be braver, but it also taught me how to look on the brighter side of things. Back when Starlight took our cutie marks and locked us in that room, I was the first one to give up and I almost completely joined her. Even though I eventually found out her secret and helped the town get their marks back, I still felt really bad that I gave up so quickly. So I decided that when things started to look bad, I would still try to smile in hopes that it might brighten everybody else’s day. I guess Pinkie Pie’s endless cheeriness might be rubbing off on me. I talk to Ti’zo about this, and he seems to be in complete agreement with me!”

“Skree-HAA!” Ti’zo chirped out enthusiastically.

Fluttershy gave an even warmer smile. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that even when everything looks gloomy, I want to be the one to make the day a bit brighter. There’s nothing wrong with being a bit more hopeful!”

When Fluttershy finished that last sentence, Twilight could have sworn she saw something strange. For a brief moment, the alicorn noticed that there was a flash of pink light in the yellow mare’s eyes for a quick second. She blinked a few times to make sure that she wasn’t seeing things, but she couldn’t find any other way to explain what she just saw.

“Um, Twilight?” The alicorn snapped out of her trance and returned her attention back to Fluttershy. “Is there anything else you would like to talk about?”

The purple mare thought about asking the timid mare about what she saw, but then decided against it. She said goodnight to both Fluttershy and Ti’zo and watched the pair head inside the wagon for bed. Before she went inside herself, Twilight took one last look over to the gloomy, night landscape of the marshland. After everything she had witnessed that day, she was more than ready to leave this place and move on with her journey towards freedom. Her only concern though was that would the Nightwings be ready for the next Rite with all of their recent melancholy? The alicorn wasn’t sure, but she knew that it was still her duty as Reader to lead them on anyway. With that last thought, Twilight went inside the wagon to get some much-needed sleep.

Celestia only knew that she would need it if she wanted to get out of the Flagging Hands.

Author's Note

Apologies for the long wait. I will try get chapters out soon than as of late. Thank you all for the views and follows! :twilightsmile:

The Rite of the Withdrawn Mystics

Chapter 12: The Rite of the Withdrawn Mystics

Musical Cue - Sinking Feeling
The following day felt like a complete slog for Twilight and her companions. Once back on the road, the blackwagon got stuck multiple times in sticky mud, forcing Twilight, Applejack and Jodariel to push it out of the earthy trap. Beside those inconveniences, the atmosphere had gotten no better as they made their way to the Pit of Milithe. The air was heavy and humid, and the smell of stinking sulfur still permeated the air. It also didn’t help that the sun still couldn’t shine through the heavy smog above. As dusk arrived, the blackwagon finally made it to its destination and came to a full stop. Everybody wordlessly left the wagon, leaving Twilight alone in the common room. Part of the alicorn really didn’t want to go outside and have to deal with more of what the Flagging Hands had to offer, especially after what she saw in Coldmoat. However, she shook her head clear and grabbed the Book of Rites. If she wanted to get back to Equestria, she had to toughen up and hold her head high.

Twilight carefully got out of the wagon to get a good look at their destination. Around the surrounding area were more of the giant monster skulls she saw yesterday. She also noticed that there were pools of a bright green liquid scattered all about with hissing steam pouring out from them. Based on those context clues alone, Twilight made the safe bet that it would be best if she and the rest of the group to avoid the pools. However, the crowning spectacle of the area was towering just a few meters away from where she was standing. At first glance, it appeared to be a giant, tan cocoon of some sort, speckled with dark red and grey splotches. However, as the alicorn began to scan it more and more, she noticed more oddities about it. Giant, jagged spikes surround the cocoon in all different types of directions. She then saw that the cocoon was anchored down to the ground by giant, heavy chains. The purple mare was confused about the purpose of these chains, and then she remembered what Tariq had said last night. Was this cocoon supposed to be the remains of the legendary Greater Titans that where used to mark the Celestial Landmarks? This was definitely a stand out from the other Titans she had witnessed so far. Twilight figured the best thing to do now was to ask Tariq about it later. Right now, she had more pressing matters to attend to.

Everybody had already left out of the blackwagon and began to set up camp for the night. Twilight was about to help as well, until Rukey caught her attention. Though the Cur was not as enthusiastic as he usually was, the wordless gesture for her to follow him was enough for Twilight to understand what he meant. The alicorn and Cur walked along an adjacent path for five minutes until they came upon what they were searching for. There before them was Falcon Ron, perched on his father’s back as usual. Surprisingly, the merchant was still in a perky mood and greeted them both with a cheesy smile. Twilight was curious as to how he was in such a good mood in such dismal conditions, but Ron simply answered that he was happy to find commerce in the Flagging Hands in the first place. Regardless, the purple mare decided to move on and show the merchant what she had found yesterday. Ron’s eyes lit up a bit when he saw the alicorn bring out the Noxshroom. She then offered to sell it to him, to which the merchant was more than happy to buy for a generous amount of coin. Once the exchange was complete, Ron then offered up his wares from the bag his father was carrying.

As Twilight perused the objects, none of them really caught her eye. Sure, some of the items could be useful in the present, but there was something in the back of her mind that told Twilight that there might be something better in the shop in the future. The prospect of saving her money for something more useful was causing the purple mare to not purchase anything at all. Although, Ron was selling a bit of stardust, which would help in improving the talismans the Nightwings already had. Twilight finally decided to spend a bit of her funds to purchase the stardust for later. With their business concluded, Twilight and Rukey bid Ron a polite farewell and made their way back to the campsite.

Twilight made it back just in time to see the Nightwings had already donned on their rainments. Rukey went back inside the wagon to get his rainments as well.

“Hey Twilight, how you doing?” Twilight looked over to see that it was Rainbow Dash that had greeted her.

“Oh, hi Rainbow,” the alicorn greeted back. As she looked over the blue mare’s features, she noticed something a bit peculiar. It appeared that the pegasus’s mood had slightly improved since she had left for the Slug Market. “you look like you’re in a better mood from before I left. Did something good happen while I was gone?”

Rainbow was a bit surprised by the question but answered anyway. “Oh, um, not exactly.” Her hoof shuffled a little at the ground while averting the alicorn’s gaze. “It’s just…it’s just that I’m actually kinda excited about seeing the Rite.”

“You are?” Twilight asked, surprised in her friend’s sudden interest in the ceremony.

“Yeah!” Rainbow replied. “From the small bits that Hedwyn and the others told me, they sound pretty exciting. I don’t know, I guess maybe after all this traveling, I’ve been kinda bored.”

Twilight couldn’t help but giggle a bit. “Well, the Rites are certainly interesting, a lot different from anything we’ve seen back in Equestria. Although, it can get a bit intense at times.” The alicorn slightly lowered her head as she remembered the difficult time she had with the Dissidents a few days ago. Her doubt began to surface again until she suddenly felt a hoof on her shoulder.

“Twi, we talked about this. Remember?” Rainbow lightly scolded her. “Don’t give me that gloomy look again. You got this, okay? You got me, AJ and Fluttershy behind you as well.”

Twilight looked back up to see the confident look Rainbow was giving her. She had to admit, the pegasus’s sure-of-herself attitude could become contagious among her friends, and now was no different. The alicorn then looked over the cyan pony’s shoulder and glanced at Fluttershy cheerfully talking with Ti’zo. Seeing the animal lover continue to smile and lightly cheer everyone during their dismal trek through the Flagging Hands lit up a spark in Twilight’s heart that made her feel like everything would be fine in the end. “I think you might be right, Rainbow.” she said as she looked back to the Wonderbolt. “As long as I have you guys behind me, we can take on anything.” It looked as though the pegasus was about to say something in response, but a sudden chirping interrupted them both.

“Hraah-nahh-nahh-naaahh!” Ti’zo screeched out into the evening air. The Imp then swiftly flew off from Fluttershy and fluttered behind some rocks and immediately quiet down.

“Oh! Is Ti’zo alright? He was so frightened!” Mae said in worry for the little creature. The group instinctually looked to Fluttershy since they all knew that she could translate for Ti’zo.

“He’s not scared,” the timid mare explained. “he’s trying to warn us. Something’s coming; something really…really bad.”

“Everybody, take cover.” Jodariel calmly instructed. No one hesitated in following the Demon’s orders. Within ten seconds, the Nightwings and ponies were all hidden away from sight using nearby crags, boulders, and rotting logs. Twilight followed Tariq in hiding behind a large rock. The next few minutes were silent, as no one wanted to speak or move in the risk that they would alert the approaching danger. The alicorn was especially tense in this moment of intensity. It felt as though all of her senses were dampen and all she could feel was a creeping sense of dread. Finally, Twilight couldn’t take it anymore and slowly peaked out from her hiding spot. At first, she couldn’t find anything in the small clearing that they were just in. However, that soon wasn’t the case as something suddenly emerged from the shadows.

Musical Cue - Dread Design

The figure had a wide, hulking frame that appeared to be hunched over. Its arms were thin and scrawny leading up to sharp, wrinkle claws on each had. Overall, the shape had to be near the same size as Luna, if the purple mare had to estimate. Her eyes widen a bit when she looked down to not find legs, but instead the long tail of a large snake. However, the most peculiar aspect of this new creature was that it was donned in raiments for the Rites. Its colors were a mix of dark green and seafoam green with brown for the trimming, giving it a swampy and overall ugly pallet. The final piece the complete the set was the mask that the shape was wearing on its face. The mask looked rather wide and curved down at the bottom, where the eye and nose holes were located. Judging by the attire, it looked to the alicorn that this new creature would be one of the adversaries that the Nightwings would face tonight. Twilight attempted to peak out more to get a better look but then quickly retreated back when she saw the figure looked in her direction. The mare’s heart was thumping against her chest at a rushed pace as she began to wonder if it saw her. Thankfully, she didn’t hear it approach her location and it then gave out a loud hiss.

“…Wise of ye to hide yourselves from usss, little Nightwings.” A hushed, strained female voice hissed out in the open. “Ye trespass on the resting-place of the Astral-Born. We shall see ye when the starsss muster the courage to illuminate this place.” The creature then slithered back into the darkness. Once it was confirmed to be safe, everybody emerged from their hiding places and reconvened.

“What in tarnation was that big ol’ thing?!” Applejack said in alarm at what they all just saw. “And why the hay did it have that snake tail…thingy?”

“That was a Bog-Crone.” Hedwyn began to explain. “They’re a serpentine race that are native to the Commonwealth’s Southern Bogs. They’re widely feared, so I’m not too surprised that some of them were exiled here in the Downside.”

“Indeed.” Tariq concurred with the Nomad. “And that Crone was none other than Witch Udmildhe of the Withdrawn triumvirate.”

“W-W-Witch?” Fluttershy stuttered out in slight fear.

“Harrummm.” Ti’zo hummed while he was perched on the timid mare’s back. Even without translation, it was clear that the Imp had no love for wicked Crone.

“Um, I don’t want to be the downer here,” Rainbow began to add. “but should we be concerned by the fact that old snake lady non-directly threatened us just now?” Twilight did think that she brought up a good point. What would that do if Udmildhe decided to preemptively attack them before the Rites could begin?

“Do not fret too much, Rainbow Dash,” Tariq answered. “The laws of the Rites dictate that adversaries are to not cause bodily harm before, during or after the Rites. However, given that we are dealing with her, it would be best not to take any unnecessary chances.”

“We’ll take what chances we can get in all of this.” Hedwyn said in an attempt raise some morale. He then looked up to the night sky. “Everybody? It’s time.”

Twilight looked up along with the others to see what the Nomad was talking about. Up in the sky above, it looked as though a large majority of the smog from before had finally cleared up. From this clearing, the group was able to spy the familiar star constellation that had graced the night of every Rite so far. The stars began to shine brilliantly, leading to a soft glow to the ground below. The alicorn then looked back down to see the area right before the giant, chained cocoon illuminated by the stars. It was a circular field with a few sizable mounds of dirt on the surface. The most notable feature, however, was that the field’s circumference was surrounded by a moat of that mysterious green liquid that she had seen earlier. It looked as though that the field for tonight’s Rite would be slightly more hazardous than the previous ones.

The group decided to not waste anymore time and made their way to the field.

Musical Cue Continue - Dread Design

“WHY, YOU MADE IT, READER!”

“MADE ALL THE WAY HERE TO THE DETESTABLE PIT OF MILITHE! I SURELY HOPE THAT THE JOURNEY DID NOT WEAR YOU DOWN…TO THE BONE.”

Twilight winced at the Voice’s belittling chuckles, no doubt that he was referring to all of the bones she had found yesterday in Coldmoat. Nevertheless, the alicorn thought it best to try and ignore the Voice and continue to walk with the group.

“AND LOOK AT THAT! ANOTHER ONE FROM YOUR WORLD HAS BEEN DUMPED HERE IN THESE FORSAKEN LANDS. QUITE THE “UNIQUE” LOOK SHE HAS THERE.”

“Hey, what’s that suppose to mean?” Rainbow angrily yelled at the sky. “I’m probably look twenty percent cooler than you’ll ever look like, you weird…invisible, voice in the sky!”

“HMPH. ONLY TWENTY PERCENT? HOW QUAINT.”

Rainbow was about counter the Voice’s condescending remark, but Twilight stopped her and told her friend that it wasn’t worth it. The pegasus grumbled and looked down to the ground.

“EITHER WAY, BY STEPPING FOOT ONTO THESE CURSED GROUNDS, YOU HAVE DESTURBED YOUR ANCIENT ADVERSARIES: THE WITHDRAWN.”

When the group made it to the edge of the river of green liquid, Twilight looked over to find that Ulmilde was already on the field along with two Savages donned in their masks and raiments.

“THE DERANGED WITCH WHO LEADS THEM HAS BIG PLANS IN STORE, SHOULD SHE PREVAIL IN ALL OF THIS.”

“NOW AS YOU KNOW, I WOULD NORMALLY WISH YOU A SHAMEFUL DEFEAT. BUT IN THIS CASE….I WISH YOU A BIT OF LUCK.”

Twilight then looked to see that the sigils of the two triumvirates both suddenly burst into flames. The dark green flames rising up from the Withdrawn’s pyre made the purple mare feel a bit uneasy. She began to feel even more anxious when she saw Udmildhe slither up to the middle of the field.

“A little flame as that ssshall never warm ye here, much less sssurvive the night.” she hissed out, referring to the Nightwings’ pyre. The wicked Crone then turned to the sky raised out her arms. “Hear usss, Yslach! Make the Nightwings sssuffer!” she proclaimed out into the night sky. Aside from the toxic remarks, there was one thing that Udmildhe said that confused the alicorn. Who or what was this ‘Yslach’ that the Crone was calling out to. Twilight was tempted to try and ask her what exactly she was referring to, but she never got the chance. Rukey trotted forward and confronted the Witch.

“Listen up, you old bag!” he yelled out to her. “You don’t scare any of us one bit! You, or your buddy Yslach!”

Stirred on by the Cur’s sudden act of courage, Rainbow Dash also moved ahead to provide her own retort. “Yeah, what Rukey said! You got no idea who you’re messing with. We’re totally awesome at this Rite…stuff! So why don’t take that scaly hide of yours and buck off!”

An awkward silence filled the air as Udmildhe didn’t respond to their insults. Instead, she simple looked at the pair for a few minutes. Ever though the Bog-Crone was wearing her mask, Twilight could still practically feel the glare she was giving Rainbow and Rukey. The pegasus and Cur began to squirm a little at the uncomfortable atmosphere they had unintentionally made. Finally, the wicked Crone moved her slender fingers behind her mask to unclasp it. The alicorn was a bit shocked at what was behind the mask. Even though she was quite a distance away, the purple mare could still make out quite a few of the wrinkles that graced Udmilde’s face. Her complexion was pale white, and she had pale-purplish hair that was thick, shaggy and even almost looked like her hair was made of snakes. Her eyes were pitch black with two, piercing yellow pupils. Lastly, it appeared the Bog-Crone was also wearing a crown that had bright-brown, jagged branches pointed upward. Overall, the Witch looked even more menacing without her mask.

“Foolishhh.” she hissed out. “Yslach will grow. Yslach will grow. Yslach will grow.” The wicked Crone returned her mask back onto her head. “He shall consume ye…ere your little flame has died. That, we shall ensure.” Udmildhe then slithered back to her pyre and joined back with her two Savage followers.

Rukey and Rainbow were still motionless for a moment before they slowly looked to one another with shocked expressions on their faces. “Uhhhh…whoops?” the Cur eventually said.

“I think we may have pissed her off a little bit.” Rainbow then said, stating the obvious.

When the two of them return to the group, Applejack was quick to let out her remarks. “Rainbow, would ya please do us all a favor and not go and provoke the competition like that next time?”

“Agreed, you should know better by now, Rukey,” Jodariel added in. “the last thing we need right now is a hex or curse casted on us because of your big mouth.”

While the pair was busy being scolded, Tariq pulled Twilight aside to get her attention. “A moment, Madame Twilight?” he politely asked her. The alicorn tuned out the conversation behind her and listen to the minstrel. “I feel as those a should remind you of our situation before the Rite begins. As we discussed yesterday, the trek through the Flagging Hands has caused a massive blow to our companions’ sense of Hope.” Twilight then looked over to the group to notice that they all still appeared rather tired and miserable from travelling through the marshlands. “As such, you should be cautious to try not to have your companions banished, as it will take them much longer for them to appear back on the field.”

The alicorn nodded at the minstrel’s advise and began scanning the area for a suitable vantage point for the Rite. Eventually, she found a tall dirt mound nearby that would give her a clear view of the field. The mound was too steep to climb, meaning she would have to fly up there. “Alright everybody,” she announced to the group. “I’m going to fly up to that mound over there so that we can get started for the night.” She then fluffed up her wings and began to take off. She winced out the dull pain that came from her wings, a clear sign that she was still recovering from her earlier wounds. However, before she attempted to work through the pain and fly, she suddenly felt two forelegs wrap around her body.

“I gotcha, Twi” she heard Rainbow say behind her. Once Twilight was held tightly against the cyan pony’s chest, Rainbow flapped her wings and took flight. As they left, the alicorn heard her friends wishing her luck. It only took half a minute for the Wonderbolt to fly Twilight to the top of the mound. Rainbow then let the alicorn go and let her look down to make sure she had a good view of things. She confirmed that she had a complete view of the field, including a look at the Withdrawns’ sigil: a faraway mountain.

“Thank you, Rainbow.” Twilight thank her friend for the ride.

A small blush appeared on the blue pony’s cheeks. “No prob, Twi. Good luck with the whole…leading thing.”

The pegasus then flew back with the rest of the group on the side, leaving the alicorn by her lonesome. Just then, the Book of Rites floated out from under her wing and opened itself in front of her. On the pages were the usual lists of Nightwings and talismans at her disposal.

Musical Cue - The Eight Scribes

“NOW LET US GET STARTED.”

Twilight thought carefully about who would participate in the ritual tonight. Tariq’s advice about Hope ringed through her head as she considered her options. Her first instinct was to go with Ti’zo, the only Nightwings who seemed unaffected by the journey through the Flagging Hands. The alicorn selected the Imp, as well as equipping him with the Ashen Coal to strengthen the Nightwings’ pyre.

“TI’ZO”

“Skrrrrraa!” the creature chirped out in determination as he appeared on the field with his mask equipped.

As the purple mare looked through the rest of the Nightwings, she suddenly began to feel a sense of some of their more abstract qualities, Hope included. She wasn’t sure it was because the Rite was beginning or that it was because the Book was in front of her, but she decided to contemplate that later. For now, she noticed that Jodariel was the one with the lowest Hope amongst the group, which made sense given her recent behavior. Twilight decided it would be best if the Demon sat out for this night. Moving on, she noticed that Hedwyn’s Hope was only a bit lower than normal, meaning he would be a viable choice. Giving him the Moon Crest would also help him in the Rite as well.

“HEDWYN”

The Nomad appeared onto the field and let out a small huff. “Alright, let’s do this.” he said half-heartedly.

Twilight did feel a little bit bad about dragging the Nomad into this when he wasn’t feeling his best, but she knew that it had to be done. Finally, the alicorn decided that she would have Rukey on the field tonight, as it would give her the opportunity to try out Jomuer’s Fang that she and the Cur had won from that Scribe Trial.

“RUKEY”

“Oi, this going to be a tough one.” the Cur said as he appeared on the field.

With everybody present on the field, the Nightwings’s collective aura began to appear around them on the ground. Twilight looked over to the Withdrawn to see that their aura appeared, but there was something different about it. While the Savages’ auras were perfect circles on the ground like she was used to, Udmildhe’s aura was less circular, appeared wavier and was more centered in front of her. Everything was set, and the Rite was about to begin, but not before the wicked Crone yelled out one more threat.

“No matter where ye go….Yslach will find the ye…and devour ye.” The Witch hissed out. A pillar of light beamed down from the heavens and smashed the Celestial Orb down in the middle of the field.

Musical Cue - Dread Design

“COMMENCE!”

On both sides, Ti’zo and Udmildhe rushed towards the orb. At first, Twilight was quite certain that the Imp zipping across the field would reach the orb first. However, the alicorn was caught off guard when she saw that Udmildhe was not going for the prize. Instead, the wicked Crone suddenly leaped in the air and landed right onto Ti’zo, banishing him from the field. While Twilight was still overwhelmed by what had just happened, the Crone slithered forward a bit and began to charge up her aura cast. When she released her cast, her aura shot out in a wide, fan-shaped area and simultaneously banished both Hedwyn and Rukey. Just like that, there were no remaining Nightwings on the field. Twilight was left speechless.

“TEN SECONDS IN AND ALL OF YOUR TRIUMVIRATE HAS BEEN BANISHED. NEVER BEFORE HAVE SEEN SUCH A SPECTECALE OF FAILURE!”

Before the alicorn could even hope to have one of the banished Nightwings return, Udmildhe had already circled back to grab the orb and then jump right into the blue flames.

“THE NIGHTWINGS’ PYRE IS THE FIRST TO FAULTER. A NICE CHANGE OF PACE, IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF! HA HA!”

Twilight did her best to shrug off the Voice’s cruel remarks and regained focus as the field reset. There were now only the two Savages on the Withdrawns’ side of the field, giving the Nightwings the advantage. The Celestial Orb landed in the middle of the field again and one of the Savages rushed for it. Thankfully, Rukey was quicker on the draw and ran towards the middle and banished the Savage with an aura cast. The Cur then picked up the orb and easily maneuvered around the only remaining adversary. Rukey jumped into the pyre, causing it to slightly shrink.

“IN HONOR OF THE SCRIBES!”

Though the Nightwings had finally chipped some damage at the Withdrawns’ pyre, Twilight still continued to remain cautious now that Udmildhe had returned. The alicorn had Ti’zo zip across the field in a zig-zag fashion until he grabbed the orb. The Imp then took shelter behind one of the dirt mounds when the wicked Crone cased out her large aura. Twilight then had an idea and ordered Ti’zo to pass the orb over to Hedwyn. The Nomad tried to run for the pyre through the left side of the field but was soon cut off by one of the Savages. However, this was all part of the purple mare’s plan. For right before Hedwyn was banished away, he tossed the orb back over to Ti’zo and fluttered right over Udmildhe while she was still distracted by Hedwyn’s movement. The Imp then fell right into the green flames.

“THE IMP MADE IT!”

The field reset and there was no hesitation on either side for going for the orb. Rukey ran up first and began to cast his aura at an approaching Savage but the Savage casted their aura at the same time, leading to both of them to be banished. Hedwyn was quick to react and quickly snatched up the orb. The Nomad then outmaneuvered the other Savage and made a jump for the pyre. However, Udmildhe jumped into the air as well and intercepted Hedwyn, causing him to drop the orb onto the ground. The Savage then grabbed the orb and made their way to the other side of the field. Twilight looked over to the Nightwings’ pyre in hopes that Rukey had returned for his banishment but was met with disappointment when she couldn’t find the Cur. There was nothing stopping the Savage from plunging into the blue flames with the orb.

“IT APPEARS THAT YOUR COMPANIONS ARE NOT SO EAGER TO RETURN FROM BANISHMENT. WHATEVER COULD THAT REASON BE?”

Twilight gritted her teeth at witnessing how much the Nightwings’ decrease in Hope was affecting their performance in the Rites. She dearly wished that there was something she could do to mitigate this, but her mind kept drawing a blank for a solution. The best she could do for now was to try and work through it and win for this night. The field was reset and this time the Nightwings would go on the offensive. Twilight took control over Ti’zo and lead the small creature to the other side. He dodged the incoming aura casts from the Withdrawn and eventually made it to where he was in between two of them. With one focused implosion, Ti’zo banished away Udmildhe and one of the Savages. Even though the Imp was also banished, it still left the field open for Rukey to rush for the orb and make his way towards the pyre. The remaining Savage attempted to block the Cur’s advancement, but Rukey easily ran circles around the lone figure and dove into the pyre. Twilight looked on in relieve as she saw that the green flames were at half its intensity.

“THEIR PYRE SPUTTERS!”

The Rite was half-over now, it would only take a few more hits to the Withdrawns’ pyre and the Nightwings would earn victory for the night. That was the plan that Twilight had in her head, but she was immediately caught off guard when she suddenly felt the ground start to shake. After everything had reset itself, parts of the field began to crack open. From these new openings, the green liquid that surrounded the field began to emerge. As a result, the field was now covered with small puddles of the green ooze. While Twilight was still confused about what was happening, Udmildhe let out a menacing chuckle.

“The life-blood of Yslach!” the wicked Crone hissed out. It flowsss within this lair, and beneath this world. His life-blood…it shall engulf ye, in such blackness and despair!”

“THE WITCH INVOKES A PROFANE NAME I SHAN’T REPEAT. BEST BEWARE HER FOUL SORCERIES.”

The alicorn had no time to formulate a plan as to how to avoid these new hazards as Udmildhe began to slither to the orb. The Crone’s serpentine body structure allowed her to move around the puddles with relative ease. She grabbed the orb and passed it over to one of the Savage’s who then made their way over to the Nightwings’ pyre. Twilight tried her best to position Hedwyn and Ti’zo to provide the pyre defense, but it was significantly harder to do so without touching the green liquid. Hedwyn managed to block off the Savage, but they simply passed the orb back over to Udmildhe. This allowed her to leap over to the right side of the field and then quickly slither around the two Nightwings and dive into their pyre.

“ANOTHER BLOW FROM THE DREADED WITCH.”

Twilight was starting to sweat a little when she saw that the pyre was almost half out, but she still tried to stay focused. She now had three Nightwings compared with the Withdrawns’ two, so she figured that she had the advantage here. She started by have Rukey advance to the orb, but the Cur was banished by an aura cast from a Savage. The alicorn was starting to get nervous as the Savage picked up the orb and went for the opening between the two remaining Nightwings. The alicorn quickly had Ti’zo try and block their way. However, in her panicked state, she failed to realize that she was directing the Imp right into a puddle. When Ti’zo stepped into the green liquid, the aura around his feet receded back into him and he began to move extremely slow. The Savage easily sprinted around the immobile Imp and jumped into the Nightwings’ pyre.

“ONE MORE LIKE THAT, AND THE PYRE WILL BE NO MORE. COULD THIS BE IT FOR THE NIGHTWINGS THIS EVE? HAS THE READER FINALLY MET HER LIMIT?”

Twilight was honestly at a loss at the moment. The blue flames were barely crackling on the Nightwings’ sigil, meaning that it could only take one final hit before it would go out. She was dangerously close to losing the Rite, an outcome that was hoping to avoid. While she didn’t know exactly what the consequences would be if the Nightwings lost, the purple mare’s mind was quick to think of some worst-case scenarios. If she did lose, it would be very well possible that another one of her lost friends wouldn’t appear from the sky this night. That did push her to continue on with the Rite, as she didn’t want to have any of her friends trapped in whatever limbo they were located in-between this world and Equestria. However, as the field reset, her hopes of pulling through and winning were sinking as she saw the conditions the Nightwings were in. Twilight could see that both Hedwyn and Rukey were tired and frustrated even with their masked donned on. Ti’zo still looked determined as before, but Twilight doubted that she could pull through with only one member of the triumvirate at the top of their game. She had no idea how she was supposed to rally them all to victory.

“Foolishhh Nightwings,” Udmildhe began to gloat. “ye have barely enough Hope to stand, let alone keep your flamesss alive. Thisss eve will be a glorious victory in the name of Yslach!”

Back on the sidelines of the field, everybody watched on as the Nightwings were on the edge of losing. “This is mighty bad,” Applejack stated. “Twilight and the rest gotta pull of somthin’ if they wanna keep those flames alive and kickin’.”

Rainbow groaned and hovered in the air in frustration. “Ugh, isn’t there something we could do the help?! I can’t just stand here and do nothing when they’re out there getting creamed!”

Before the cyan mare could do anything reckless, Tariq stopped her. “We cannot directly interfere, lest we risk disqualification from the Rites. The laws dictate that only the triumvirate and their Reader can earn victory.”

Rainbow still didn’t look satisfied with the minstrel’s warming, but Jodariel eventually coaxed her down to the ground. “There is nothing we can do at the moment,” the Demon said grimly. “All we can hope for is that the Reader will find some way to-“

Jodariel didn’t finish her thought as she was interrupted by Fluttershy stomping her hoof and took flight. The group thought that the timid pegasus was going for the field against the minstrel’s wishes but were surprised when they saw that she was heading to Twilight instead. The alicorn looked over in confusion as the yellow mare landed right next to her. She also had a frustrated look as well, but this appeared to be a frustrated expression turning into one of determination. Twilight was about to ask why she had decided to fly up here with her, but was shocked when Fluttershy did something that she hardly ever did: she shouted.

“EVERYBODY LISTEN!”

The air went silent as the Nightwings’ collective attention was turned upward towards the yellow mare. Even the Withdrawn couldn’t help but look up at the sudden outburst as well. Once it was clear that she had all of the attention, Fluttershy spoke again, albeit in a more collected and quiet tone. “Listen, you three, you all can’t give up now. Not when you’ve gotten this far! I know that this place is horrible and absolutely miserable, but you can’t let it get to you now. We…we have to show bullies like that snake lady over there that we’re not going to just lay down and give up! What do they know about us?!”

“Blasphemoussss fool!” Udmildhe called out to Fluttershy. “Dare ye question the divine guidance gifted to us by the Astral-Born?! Ye will live to regret-“

“You be quiet, you…meanie!” the timid pegasus cried out to the wicked Crone. Udmildhe said nothing in return and gave off a low hiss. Once she was done with the Crone, Fluttershy looked back to the Nightwings. “The three of you can accomplish great things when you all work together, I just know it!”

Twilight looked down and saw that Fluttershy’s words seemed to be having a small effect on both Hedwyn and Rukey. The Nomad and the Cur perked up at the pegasus’s encouraging voice and the alicorn could sense that they were less down trotted than before. Ti’zo actually looked even more pumped up than he was at the beginning of the Rite. Just as Fluttershy was about to continue with her motivational speech, Twilight noticed that a faint, pink glow began to cover her yellow body. Although, it appeared that the animal lover took any notice to this phenomenon. “Things look bad right now, I know. A long time ago, I would’ve probably have given up at this point as well. But overtime, I realized that I’m capable of doing anything as long as I believe in myself and that I have my friends at my side. Every time I had to confront one of my fears, they were always beside me. Now it’s my turn to help! So please, DON’T GIVE UP!”

As Fluttershy shouted out those last words, the glowing light around her gave off a giant flash of light. Twilight shielded her eyes from the flash and looked back in shock at her friend. The pegasus was now completely covered in a bright pink glow. The animal lover seemed to have noticed the light this time and was checking herself over for its source. When the alicorn glanced away from her glowing friend and down at the field, her shock grew even more when she noticed that the three Nightwings were slightly glowing with the same pink light as well. As the three of them were checking themselves as well, Twilight noticed something peculiar. The link that she used to influence the Nightwings during the Rites allowed her to obtain a faint sense of the emotions of whoever she was connected to. At the beginning of the Rite, Twilight could only feel dull emotions coming from Hedwyn. Now though, she could actually feel a sudden rush of positivity and determination from the Nomad.

“Woah, this is…something!” Rukey said in awe as he looked at his glowing paws. He then looked over to Hedwyn. “Hey chum, you feeling this too?”

“I do.” He answered the Cur. “I feel like my mind’s been cleared up now. It feels good! Ti’zo, how about you?”

“Skrrrri-he-HEEE!” the Imp screeched out, clearly fired up from whatever was causing that glow.

“What heresssy is this?!” Udmildhe cried out in disgust. It was clear that she was not fond of the unnatural light that was shining from the Nightwings. “Grrr, enough of thisss. We shall banish ye from Yslach’s glory!” The wicked Crone then quickly slithered over to the middle of the field. Once she was in range, Udmildhe casted her wide aura and managed to banish Ti’zo and Hedwyn away at once. However, something then unexpected happened. Instead of having to wait a couple seconds for the Nomad and Imp to return back to the field, the pair then instantly appeared back next to the Nightwings’ pyre. Twilight was completely flabbergasted at the immediate return of the banished Nightwings, along with everybody else as well.

“What the hay?” Applejack asked in confusion.

“By the Scribes!” said Mae.

“…Interesting.” Tariq simply muttered at the phenomenon.

As Twilight was still taking in what was going on, her thoughts were interrupted by the booming Voice above.

“READER! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?! IT WOULD APPEAR THAT YOUR NIGHTWINGS HAVE RETURNED FROM THEIR BANISHMENT INSTANTANEOUSLY! IS THIS PART OF SOME FOREIGN MAGIC TRICKERY ON YOUR PART?”

Twilight had no real answer to give the Voice, so she remained silent. She soon began to worry that she and the Nightwings would be disqualified from the Rites and quickly looked over to Fluttershy to find an explanation. “Fluttershy, how are you doing that? Did you make the Nightwings come back so soon?”

“I-I don’t know!” the pegasus quickly answered. “One second, I was just telling them not to give up, and then this happen.”

“HMMM. I DETECT NO DECEIT IN YOUR TIMID COMPANION’S WORDS. IF I HAD TO WAGER A GUESS, IT APPEARS THAT HER PASSIONATE SPEECH HAS LED TO AN INCREASE IN THE HOPE OF YOUR TRIUMVIRATE.”

Now it was beginning to make sense to the purple mare. For some inexplainable reason, Fluttershy had somehow raised the levels of Hope of the Nightwings to the point where they would instantly return if they were banished. She supposed she’d have to investigate how the timid mare had done it, but right now she had other things on her mind. Such as wondering what exactly the Voice would think of this newfound power. Would this be grounds for disqualification from the Rites. Twilight soon got her answer from above.

“WHILE THIS IS MOST UNORTHODOX FOR THE RITES, THE FACT THAT YOUR ENTIRE TRIUMVIRATE WASN’T BANISHED AWAY FROM THE FIELD MEANS THAT THE SCRIBES HAVE ALLOWED YOU TO CONTINUE.”

The Voice began to sound more disgruntled.

“FAR BE IT OF ME TO QUESTION THEIR INFINITE WISDOM. CONTINUE ON WITH THE PROCEEDINGS, READERS! PERHAPS THIS BOON WILL HELP YOU WIN THIS EVE.”

With the passive blessing from the Voice, Twilight let go of her worries about disqualification and looked over to her glowing friend. “Fluttershy. Whatever you’re doing, don’t stop! It could help us win tonight!”

“Umm, I’ll try.” the animal lover answered unsurely.

The two mares focused back onto the field to see that everybody was still in position. Although, it looked like Udmildhe was tired of waiting around. “Enough!” she hissed out in anger. “These powersss will not help ye thisss night! Yslach shall consume this pitiful light!” The wicked Crone made a beeline for the orb in the middle of the field, but Hedwyn was quick to banish her away with his aura cast. Twilight then switched over to Rukey and had the Cur rush over to grab the orb. The last remaining Savage tried to block Rukey from getting to their pyre, but the alicorn saw this coming and simply had the Cur throw the orb into the green flames. The orb exploded, and the flames wilted a little.

“AN ADMITTEDLY IMPRESSIVE FEAT.”

This was starting to look good to the purple mare. If the Nightwings could get two more hits on the Withdrawns’ pyre, they would be victorious for the night. And with this new-found power from Fluttershy, it should be quite easy. However, this plan hit a kink when the field reset, and Twilight noticed that the Nightwings were no longer covered in the pink glow. She looked next to her and saw that the timid pegasus was no longer glowing as well. “Um, Fluttershy,” she asked her friend. “why aren’t you glowing anymore? Did you turn it off somehow?” Twilight tried her best not to sound panicked, but she wasn’t exactly doing a great job at it.

“I…I honestly don’t know, Twilight!” Fluttershy answered. “I’m still trying to figure out how I even do it in the first place.”

The alicorn didn’t have time to talk with Fluttershy on how to activate the power again as she noticed that one of the Savages rushed for the orb and grabbed it. The Savage then passed it over to Udmildhe who then quickly slithered for the Nightwings’ pyre. Twilight panicked and tried to have Rukey cast his aura to stop her. It was then Twilight noticed that his aura cast seemed to have remained longer than she remembered, indicating that this must have been from his new talisman. The Cur did banish the Crone away, but not before she passed the orb back to the Savage. They then tried to outflank the Nightwings form the right, but Hedwyn was able to banish the Savage way using his surrounding aura. The Nomad picked up the orb and passed it to Ti’zo. The Imp began to zip over across the field, minding the green puddles, and fluttered up into the air. Ti’zo was about to land right into the flames, but Udmildhe returned from her temporary banishment and jumped into the air to intercept him. The Imp dropped the orb onto the ground and the wicked Crone quickly went over to collect it. Twilight reacted fast and had Ti’zo charge up his aura until the resulting implosion managed to banish away all of the Withdrawn triumvirate. Knowing that she had a limited time before they would return, the alicorn had Rukey rush over to the other side of the field to grab the orb and dive into the pyre.

“ONE MORE LIKE THAT, AND THEIR PYRE WILL BE NO MORE.”

As the field reset itself, Twilight used this time to talk to Fluttershy again. “Fluttershy,” she pleaded with her. “please, think about what you did before you started glowing and try doing that again.”

“But Twilight, all I thought about was encouraging Rukey and the others that they could win tonight.” said Fluttershy.

“Then focus on doing that!” Twilight said with urgency. The yellow mare looked down for a second and then gave her friend a determined nod. The purple mare looked to the reset field and ordered Ti’zo to go for the orb. However, she noticed that one of the Savages were going for the orb as well and casted their aura right at the Imp. It was far too late for the small creature to dodge the cast, but then Twilight’s eyes widen in surprise when she saw Ti’zo start to glow pink again before he was banished. The Imp instantly returned back to the pyre where she also noticed that Rukey and Hedwyn were also glowing. Twilight then looked back over to Fluttershy and saw that she was also glowing again.

“I think I got it working again!” the timid pegasus said triumphantly.

Twilight gave a nod to her friend and focused back onto the field, it was time to finally end this. After the Savage picked up the orb, they tried to outflank the Nightwings to the left, but this tactic proved fruitless as Rukey used his aura to banish them. The Cur then picked the orb and dashed to the center of the field to get to the other side. Unfortunately, Udmildhe saw this move coming and banished the Cur away with a wide aura cast. The wicked Crone once again quickly slithered towards the blue flames and leapt into the air aiming right for the pyre. Right before the Crone landed into the flames, Hedwyn also jumped into the air to intercept her. The Crone dropped the orb onto the ground. Rukey quickly swept up the orb and dashed over to the other side of the field one more time. With Udmildhe out of the way, the Cur only had to deal with the other two members of the Withdrawn. The two Savages tried their best to block Rukey from the pyre, but they were no match for the Cur’s small stature and agility. Rukey weaved to the right and jumped in the air and dived into the green flames, extinguishing them from the sigil.

“AND IT IS DONE!”

All the participates returned to the field and the flames from the Nightwings’ pyre shot up into the air.

“THE NIGHTWINGS HAVE PREVAILED…JUST BARELY THOUGH.”

“LOXALAS!” the triumvirate on the field shouted out in victory.

“Fluttershy, we did it! We really did it!” Twilight cheered out and then swiftly embraced her friend. It took the alicorn about three seconds before she realized the sudden contact she was giving and removed herself from the pegasus. “Uh…sorry.” She apologized.

Fluttershy giggled at the small blush of embarrassment on the purple mare’s face. “Oh, it fine, Twilight. I’m glad that we were able to win.” She then looked down over to the group on the sidelines. “Would you like me to fly you back down to the rest? I know your wings might still be tender.” Twilight accepted her offer and allowed her friend to wrap her hooves around her. Though Fluttershy wasn’t as strong as Rainbow Dash, she was still able to lift the alicorn and fly her down from the tall dirt mound. The pair returned back down to the ground and then reunited with the rest. Rukey, Hedwyn, and Ti’zo were able to jump over the river of green liquid to rejoin the group.

“Oh my gosh,” Rainbow said to Twilight, Fluttershy and the triumvirate. “you guys were SO AWESOME back there! I never realized how action-packed these Rites were!”

“See?! Those bog-dwellers, they’re just a bunch of hissy talk. We totally rocked them!” Rukey cheered. He then looked over in Fluttershy’s direction. “Although, I think it’s safe to say that we did have a bit of help.”

Hedwyn then walked over to the timid pegasus. “Fluttershy, whatever you did back there, thank you. You gave us the spark to keep going.” The yellow mare gave a small smile at the Nomad’s compliment and bashfully looked away. She was about to say something in response, but the group was interrupted with a disgruntled cry across the field.

“YSLACH! We failed Thee,” Udmildhe cried out in anger. “and the deed shall be re-paid in blood! As for ye, foolsss…” The Crone then removed her mask from her face and looked right at the Nightwings with scorn and malice burning in her eyes. “Ye shall be consssumed! And everything around thee, from the sssoil to the starsss. Ye shall see! None shall be sssaved from Yslach’s glory! Be it thisss world…” Udmildhe then pointed right at Twilight. “or yoursss.”

The wicked Crone then slithered off into the darkness, followed by her two underlings. Though she was finally gone, the Crone still left an uneasy feeling in the alicorn’s stomach. Especially after what she had just said about how this Yslach would devour not only this world but Equestria as well. Questions began to swirl around in Twilight’s head, such as how Udmildhe even knew that she wasn’t even from this world. And also, how much weight did her threats of absolute destruction really have? Twilight knew that she wasn’t going to find the answers to these questions right now, so she filed them away for future investigation. For now though, the alicorn’s attention was driven to the sky where the three beams of light descended on Hedwyn, Rukey and Ti’zo.

Musical Cue - A Step Closer

“BOUNDLESS ARE THE TEACHINGS OF THE SCRIBES. WITNESS THE RITES FIRSTHAND, AND BE INSPIRED.”

A familiar glow enveloped Hedwyn for a moment and then dissipated as quickly as it came.

“THE YOUNG MAN HEDWYN SEEMS TO BECOME LESS NIAVE AS TIME GOES ON.”

The Nomad took a deep breath and exhaled. “It’s kinda funny. I used to think that the Scribes were just the stuff of stories. But all of this…it really does make me think otherwise.

After Hedwyn stopped glowing, the beams of light then faded away as well. It appeared that the Nomad was the only one to receive a mastery this night. The constellation in the sky then stopped glowing and the field returned to what it once was.

“UNTIL THE STARS ALIGN.”

Musical Cue - Sinking Feeling

Once the group had returned to camp and settled in for the night, Twilight couldn’t help but notice that there was a small up-tick in morale. Sure, the surrounding atmosphere of the marshlands was as dismal as ever, but it seemed that the recent victory of the Rite had helped improved everybody’s mood. The alicorn was certainly grateful for this and was glad that she didn’t have to worry about her companions’ emotional health, at least for the time being. Which allowed her to focus her thinking on something that had been perplexing her for awhile now. The purple mare was still confused about that power Fluttershy had bestowed on the Nightwings during the ceremony. Her mind kept churning out multiple theories has to how it happened, but none of them really held any weight when carefully examined. She did have at least one theory that that could be valid, but she decided that she wanted to tell everybody else first before coming to any conclusions. Twilight called the group together and told them that she wanted to talk about what happened with Fluttershy and the Rite.

“So, you have any explanation as to what that pink glow was?” Jodariel asked.

“Well, I have a theory, but I’m still not entirely sold on it.” Twilight answered with slight uncertainty. “Unless Fluttershy has any idea what happened?”

The timid pegasus shook her head. “No, I still don’t have a clue. I just really wanted Hedwyn, Rukey and Ti’zo to win, so I just flew up with Twilight and tried to encourage them…and then that happened.”

“A blessing from the Scribes, perhaps?” Mae guessed.

“Hmm,” Tariq mused. “I am almost certain that there is connection between this power and the fact that Fluttershy is not of this world. What is your theory, Madame Twilight?”

Twilight took in a deep breath and collected herself. “Well, I think it may have something to do with something back in Equestria, The Elements of Harmony.”

While there were only confused looks among the Nightwings, all of the other ponies looked rather surprised. “Now hold on a minute there, Twilight,” Applejack said. “now I know that what happen back there reeked of magical nonsense, but do ya really think that it had something to do with the Elements?”

“Yeah, Twi,” Rainbow added. “That seems a little far-fetch to me.”

The alicorn shrugged. “I know it sounds unlikely, but it’s really the only plausible explanation I could think of.”

“Hey, I don’t mean to interrupt your little pow-wow here,” Rukey intervened. “but mind explaining what the heck you guys are talking about? Elements of…Harmony?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I suppose I should explain.” Twilight apologized and then addressed the rest of the group. “Back in Equestria, there exist six magical items with the sole purpose of restoring balance and righting wrongs. These magical items are known as the Elements of Harmony and they the ability to transform the six virtues of friendship into immense power. However, they can only react with the chosen bearers whom embodied the ideal each Element represent.” Twilight then began to gesture to each of her friends respectively. “Applejack is the bearer of Honesty. Rainbow Dash is the bearer of Loyalty. Fluttershy is the bearer of Kindness. And I represent the Element of Magic. Our other two friends, Rarity and Pinkie Pie, are the bearers of Generosity and Laughter, respectively.”

There was a moment of silence after the alicorn’s tangent, as if all of the Nightwings were taking in this sudden information. After a while, Hedwyn was the first to speak. “So, that’s how you and your friends were about to save your world with friendship, with these Elements?”

Twilight scratched at the back of her head. “For the most part, yes.”

Then Rukey spoke up next. “And since you can use these Elements, you got promoted to Princess of Friendship?”

“Yep,” Rainbow answered with pride for her friend. “whenever evil came a knocking, Twilight was there to lead the charge and save the day! Princess Celestia was so impressed by Twi’s awesomeness, she ascended her to an alicorn and made her a princess. Pretty cool, right?!”

“…Fascinating.” Tariq said in a quiet tone. It was rather subtle, but Twilight could’ve sworn that the minstrel was in deep thought of something in particular.

“As much as this is all interesting to learn,” Jodariel said. “I still don’t see how this connects with that power that Fluttershy summoned back at the Rite.”

Twilight sighed in frustration. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out. The Elements are the only explanation I could think of, but there are still some holes in that theory. For starters, the Elements are back in Equestria with the Tree of Harmony, and I doubt that their influence can reach this far. Also, Fluttershy’s power apparently led to an increase in Hope, but I really don’t know how that relates to Kindness. Do you have any thoughts on this, Fluttershy?”

The yellow mare was rather quiet throughout all of this. “Well,” she began. “I still don’t really know for sure. The thing I felt during the Rite felt different from when I use my Element, but it also felt…kind of the same? It’s really weird and hard to explain.”

“It’s alright, Flutters,” Rukey consoled the pegasus. “we don’t have to figure it out right away. What’s important is that you helped us out a lot back there. And me, Hed and Ti’zo really appreciate it. Right, guys?”

“Scree-hii.” Ti’zo cooed and snuggled up closer to the animal lover.

“Indeed,” Hedwyn answered. “We owe tonight’s victory to both Twilight and you, Fluttershy.”

As the yellow mare gave a soft, bashful smile at all of the praise she was receiving, Tariq said something else. “I concur with Rukey. We need not have to find the answer to this riddle this night. Let us all take this moment to be thankful for this blessing Miss Fluttershy has given us.”

“Blessing…” Rukey contemplated out loud. “A Blessing of Hope…I kinda like the sound of that!”

“Yer right, Rukey,” Applejack commented. “That has a nice ring to it. You like that name, Fluttershy?”

The pegasus nodded and continued to snuggle up with Ti’zo. Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the scene in front of her. Sure, there was still no solid explanation as to what happen in the Rite and whether or not it was connected to the Elements, but she could worry about it later. Right now, she was just happy to see that the group was no longer in the miserable mood that they had when they arrived at the Pit. This was no doubt due to this “Blessing” ability that Fluttershy had discovered. As long as they kept going like this, the alicorn was confident that they would all make their way out of the Flagging Hands and off to where the next Rite would be held. Then they would all be one step closer to freedom. The purple mare glanced up to the night air, reminiscing on how good it would feel to eventually make it back to Equestria with her friends. She knew that Shining Armor, Cadance, her parents, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia must be worried sick ever since her sudden disappearance. She would especially have a lot to tell Celestia about all the things she had seen in the Downside. However, as she was looking up into the night sky, she saw something familiar. Just above the horizon, Twilight saw the blue twinkle that indicated that another portal would be opening. With everything that happened with Fluttershy, Twilight had almost forgotten about looking for one of the portals that would bring another one of her friends to the Downside.

“Guys,” she notified the group. “another one of those portals is about to open again!” By the time everybody had their eyes on the sky, the twinkle had already opened up into a blue, swirling portal. Unlike the previous portals, this one was marginally farther away from where the group was. They all watched on as something fell through the opening before it closed up for good.

“Weeeeeeeeee!” the mass yelled as it plummeted to the ground. Though it was quite a distance away, the pink coat and curly mane along with the cry of amusement and joy was all Twilight and friends needed to know who had arrived here in the Downside.

“PINKIE!” the ponies cried out and then immediately made their way over to try and catch the pink pony. As they quickly made their way to the falling pony, Twilight saw that Pinkie was going to fall right into one of the steaming pools of the mysterious liquid. The alicorn didn’t even want to think about what would happen if her friend fell into that pool, which drove her and her friends to try and reach her in time.

“Rainbow, go try and catch her!” Twilight pleaded with the notoriously fast pegasus.

“It’s too late, look!” Applejack cried out.

Twilight’s eyes widen in horror as she saw that the party pony was already about to land into the bubbling pool. She could only cry to her friend in desperation in the miniscule hopes that it would do something. “PINKIE, WATCH OUT!”

The pink mare then suddenly screeched to halt in the middle of the air, just her poofy tail was about to touch the surface of the pool. She then scooted over to the edge of the pool and landed gracefully on the ground on all four of her hooves. “Well that was a close on, wasn’t it?” she stated the obvious with a sweet smile.

All of the ponies let out a big sigh of relief. Twilight had absolutely no explanation as to how the pink mare was scientifically able to do that, but she just chalked it up as one of Pinkie’s unexplainable feats. Nevertheless, the alicorn was glad her friend was safe now and went up to check on her more thoroughly. “Pinkie, are you okay? Are you hurting anywhere?”

The purple mare received her answer in the form of one of Pinkie’s bone-crushing hugs. “TWILIGHT! Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay! In the thirty minutes that I was falling in that blue, swirling void, I’ve missed you soooo much!” Pinkie yelled out in joy. While Twilight was struggling in the party pony’s grip, she did manage to cast the translation spell on her so that she wouldn’t forget later. Finally, Pinkie released the purple mare and gave her a bright smile.

“Land’s sake, Pinkie Pie!” Applejack said she arrived with Fluttershy and Rainbow. “Don’t scare us like that.”

The pink mare then turned to her other friends. “Oh, hey guys! Glad to see some of you guys are okay too! When we find the rest of our friends, I sense a Reunion Party in the near future!”

Rainbow Dash could help but chuckle a bit. “Glad to have you back, Pinks.”

“Ugh, finally!” The ponies looked over to see that Rukey had caught up with them while being slightly out of breath. “Geez, you ponies can really hoof it when you want to! So, were you able to get your friend okay? What’s this one like?”

Pinkie then walked up to Rukey, examined him and then let out a giggle. “Ha ha! A dog with a mustache! That’s hilarious!”

Rukey looked like he was about to correct the pony about calling him a dog, but then let out a frustrated sigh. “Ehh, I won’t even bother this time.”

“So, it’s good to see another one of your friends made it here safely.” Hedwyn said as he also arrived with the ponies.

“Twilight,” Pinkie said with a knowing smirk after she saw the Nomad. “you’ve only been here in wherever-the-heck-we-are-now, and you’ve already made friends? Typical for the Princess of Friendship!”

“Um, Pinkie,” Fluttershy politely interrupted. “we’ve actually been here longer than thirty minutes, especially Twilight.”

Come on, sugarcube. Let’s get on back to the wagon and we’ll fill you in on what’s been goin’ on.” Applejack told Pinkie.

“Oooo, is it story time?! I love story time. I especially love it when we’re all sitting in a circle and you’re telling the story and I’m there listening as you go on and on and…” The party pony trailed on as Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow led her back to the wagon. Meanwhile, Twilight, Hedwyn and Rukey decided to go at a slightly slower pace, which allowed them to talk about the new addition to the party.

“Well, she’s certainly….something.” Hedwyn stated in a polite manner.

“It’s like she’s on some sort of never-ending supply of high-powered energy? Is that normal for her?” Rukey bluntly asked the alicorn.

“Yeah, Pinkie just always operates on her own wavelength,” Twilight said. “I know she can be a bit crazy to deal with a times, but she means well. No matter what, Pinkie Pie will always try to leave you with a smile on your face.”

As the trio arrived back at camp, Pinkie had already introduced herself with the rest of the group, with each of them reacting differently to her bombastic attitude. As the ponies entered the wagon, Jodariel also decided that now would be a good time to head inside as well for some much-deserved sleep. Soon, the entire group piled inside the blackwagon with the exception of Tariq, Mae and Twilight. The former two were in the midst of a conversation as the purple mare walked up to them.

“Can you not read the stars yourself, Mister Minstrel?” Mae asked him.

“I fear it is not as simple as matters of can or cannot when it comes to me, Mae. True, we can gaze the stars and determine where they can lead us, but only Madame Twilight can determine what star will call to the next Rite.” Tariq explained to the moon touched girl. He then turned around and saw that the alicorn had joined their chat. “And here she is now. Madame Twilight, it appears that the sky has cleared to an extent to where we see the stars clearly. Please, gaze up and see where they lead us for the next Rite.”

Twilight then turned her gaze upward and did find that the smog hanging in the sky had moved away, granting her a perfect view of the night sky. She then went on to search for any stars that stood out amongst the countless others. Eventually, she focused on an aqua-marine colored star that was shining brighter than the others. Twilight then pointed out the star to the Lone Minstrel.

“Ores, the Azure Star.” he mumbled. “This is…troublesome.”

Twilight gave him a confused look. “Why is that exactly troublesome?”

“Hmmm,” he mused to himself. “I will need time to thing on this. For though, please head inside, Madame Twilight. If you’ll excuse me for saying, but you look rather exhausted. Please try to get some rest. We will talk about our next move in the morning.”

While Twilight still had questions, she had to admit that all of the excitement of the evening was starting to catch up with her. So, it was with no argument that the alicorn followed Tariq and Mae into the blackwagon so that she could finally get some rest. She ignored whatever conversation the group was having with Pinkie and went straight for her bunk. As soon as she landed on the sheets, it only took ten minutes for the purple mare to drift off.

While she was hoping that she would receive a good-night’s rest, she was in store for something else entirely different.

Much Needed Improvements

Chapter 13: Much Needed Improvements

Twilight groaned out in frustration and shifted slightly. No matter how much she tossed and turned, she just couldn’t find a comfortable position in her bed. As she turned over one more time, she noticed something odd about her bed. The sheets felt rough and course instead of being soft. The surface felt bumpy and she could have sworn that there was something poking at her ribs. The alicorn opened her heavy eyelids to discover what was the cause of this. When she opened her eyes, she was face-to-face with a human skull.

The purple mare immediately yelped in surprise and instantly backed away from skull. Now fully awake, she now realized that she was sleeping on top of a pile of bones this whole time. She inwardly cringed at what she was just laying on and frantically looked around to find out how and why this was happening. She gasped in shock when saw that she was now in the same pit of bones that she saw back in Coldmoat, only this time she was now inside it. She immediately tried to fly out of the pit, but her wings felt unusually heavy. Even heavier than usual from her recovery. The alicorn then realized the stench that hit her nose. While the smell of sulfur overpowered her senses before, she was now at the mercy of the rotting stench of death and decay. Twilight couldn’t hold it in anymore and let out a scream of absolute terror. Her mind raced with questions as to how and why she ended up here.

“Wha-What?! How did I…? Guys, anybody, help! W-Where is everybody?!” she cried out in desperation, hoping that one of her companions were nearby and could help her out of this dreaded pit. She did get an answer, although it came from a source that she hardly expected.

“PAY CLOSE ATTENTION, READER! YOUR DEPLORABLE PERFORMANCE BACK IN THE LAST RITE INSPIRED ME TO GIVE YOU A REMINDER OF WHAT IS AT STAKE.”

Twilight recognized the patronizing tone of the Voice and looked to the sky desperately trying to find its source.

“THE LAW OF THIS LAND IS VERY SIMPLE: FREEDOM IS A PRIVILEGE! A PRIVILEGE LOST WHEN ONE IS CASTED DOWN INTO THE DOWNSIDE, AND CAN ONLY BE EARNED AGAIN THROUGH VICTORY IN THE RITES.”

“THOSE WHO DO NOT FULLY REALIZE THIS ARE DOOM TO SPEND THEIR PITIFUL LIVES HERE, WHERE THEIR BONES WILL ONE DAY MAKE UP THE GROUND ON WHICH NEW EXILES WILL STAND ON.”

“IF YOU CAN’T GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEAD, THEN THIS WILL BE THE FATE OF YOU AND YOUR COMPANIONS. WHY DON’T YOU LET THAT SINK IN.”

Twilight then began to notice that she was starting to slowly sink deeper into the river of bones. She desperately tried to struggle and flap her wings, but it was ultimately all for naught. The alicorn started to hyperventilate as the bones crept past her body and up to her neck. The purple mare held her head as high as she could. She looked up in horror as she saw that the twinkling stars in the night sky were fading away, leaving only endless, black abyss. Twilight felt the bones reached her chin and let out a terrified scream. Her vision slowly faded to black as the last bit of her head submerged beneath the bones.

“Twilight? Twiiiilight?!”

The alicorn opened her eyes and let out a startled cry. She tried flailing once again, but she still felt restrained. She struggled even further in attempt to escape, but suddenly stopped when she heard a familiar voice.

“Twilight! It’s okay, it’s me!”

Once she stopped panicking, Twilight looked around and saw that she was back in the safe confines of the blackwagon and back on her bunk. She leveled her breathing and looked over to see that it was Pinkie Pie who was trying to calm her down. The party pony had the alicorn in a tight embrace, which would explain her previous restricted movement. Pinkie looked worried but was still giving her friend a soft smile when she saw that the purple mare had calmed down. “Pinkie,” Twilight asked her friend. “what are you doing in my bunk?”

“Well, everybody got up and going half an hour ago, and Hedwyn noticed that you still weren’t up. So, he sent little old me to give you a super-duper good morning! But then I saw that you were tossing and turning like you were having a really bad dream. I acted fast and gave you one of my Pinkie hugs to wake you up. And it worked…kinda.” The pink mare scratched the back of her head in slight embarrassment. “Anyway, are you okay, Twilight?”

The baker’s explanation helped Twilight piece together what happen in her head. It seemed like the burial mound she saw back in Coldmoat had more a of a drastic effect on her psyche than she thought. It was even more clear that the dream was obviously fabricated by the Voice either to intimidate or discourage her from continuing with the journey. She still had no idea as to how he was able to accomplish this, but she supposed that it hardly mattered at the moment. What was important was that she needed to put on a brave face for her friends. She couldn’t tell them about her dream or what she had found in Coldmoat, lest she risk causing them to lose hope of ever see Equestria again. “I’m fine, Pinkie. It’s just been a little rough for me here. I’m still recovering from my injuries.” She said softly as she looked at the bandages on her front hooves.

“Oh yeah, Hedwyn told me you were in really bad shape when he found you. But hey, at least he patched you up lickity split…more or less.” Pinkie said trying to brighten up the mood.

“So, Pinkie,” Twilight said trying to shift the conversation away from her wounds. “have the girls caught you up on what’s happening with the Downside and the Rites?” The energetic mare nodded vigorously with a confident smile. With that question answered, the alicorn figured that now would be a convenient time to ask about what happen back in Equestria. “Alright. Back in Equestria, I apparently did something with the magic mirror which caused an explosion that transported us to this world. However, I’m having a really hard time remembering the chain of events that lead to that moment. Would mind telling me your side of the story?”

“Oh, I remember that!” the baker began to explain. “I went to the castle so that I could show you my new patent-pending Pinkie Pie Pop-tastic Party Poppers! While I was looking for you, I ran into to Rarity who was also looking for you! When I tried to show her one of my Party Poppers, she stopped me because she didn’t want to get any confetti into her hair…again. Eventually, we heard you and the rest of our friends in the library. As soon as Rarity opened the doors, I popped one of my Party Poppers to give us an extra silly entrance! That’s when I saw the mirror explode and there was a super bright light. After thirty minutes of falling in the weird, blue, swirling portal, I ended up here with you! Does that clear anything up?”

In all honesty, Twilight didn’t exactly find the information very helpful. Pinkie had just arrived when the explosion happened, so she had no idea as to why the alicorn was fiddling with the mirror in the first place. However, she didn’t to sound rude to her friend who was just trying to help. And it at least confirmed that Rarity was in the room as well. “It does, Pinkie,” Twilight answered. “Why don’t you go outside and tell the others that I’ll be out soon, okay?

The pink mare smiled and saluted. “Okie dokie lokie!” She then merrily hopped over to the door and exited outside to join the others.

Twilight sighed again and scanned over the room. She was still kind of shaken by the sheer intensity of her nightmare and still needed to talk with others in a normal fashion. Her eyes then landed on the Beyonder Crystal sparkling in the corner of the room. As she watched the orb glimmer, she remembered how Sandra had offered her presence if the purple mare if she ever wanted to chat. Thinking that talking with the phantom might calm her nerves, Twilight got out her bunk and walked over to the Crystal. She reached out her hoof to touch the glassy surface and her senses felt the same strange sensation she had felt before. The alicorn blinked a few times and saw that Sandra was now right in front of her. The spirit looked down to the pony and smirked.

Musical Cue - Forbidden Knowledge

“Hmm, miss me already, dear Reader?” she asked. “It seems like there’s something on your troubled mind. Have you taken me from my eternal boredom to talk?” The spirit chuckled but sounded like she was laughing at herself.

Twilight was caught a bit off guard at how the phantom had accurately guess the alicorn’s actions, but she shook it aside and spoke with her anyway. “Um, yeah. I just needed to talk to somebody, and I don’t really feel like talking to the others yet. I had a…a nightmare about something I saw in the Flagging Hands.”

“Ah, you’re sloshing your way across that dreaded marshland right now?” Sandra mused. “A hideous place, as I understand. Although, I’d imagine that you’ve already grown accustom to its wonderous aroma. I suppose my loss of smell might be one of the very few benefits of my eternal prison!” The phantom laughed again, although it sounded as though she was laughing at her own conditions.

“There was something else,” Twilight continued. “the Voice was there too. He was taunting me. He gave me a warning abut what would happen to me and my friends if I failed. Do you have any idea why he would do this? What have I done to upset like this?”

“Most likely nothing.” Sandra answered. “The damned Voiced oversees the Rites and the participates involved in them. For the most part, nothing escapes his gaze. He watches the exiles and their struggles as a sick form of entertainment. And now for some reason, you’ve gained his center of attention. Quite the unfortunate situation you have found yourself…” As Twilight gave a look of dread and worry, the spirit gave her a smirk. “I suppose you could look on the bright side. You and I share a common misery! That is usually the best you can find in this dreaded wasteland.” Sandra then turned away from the alicorn. “I have no Trials for you at this time, so this is where we bid farewell for now. If you have need of me, well, you know where I am.”

Musical Cue - Sinking Feeling

Just as suddenly she appeared, Sandra vanished from the purple mare’s sight and her senses returned to normal. She wanted to ask as to what the phantom meant by sharing a common misery, but that was far from her greatest concern. While she hoped talking to the spirit would put her more at ease, Twilight only felt more anxious after their conversation. It was hard enough that she had to survive the Downside, so she especially didn’t want the attention of some omnipresent force that found twisted pleasure in seeing her and her companions struggle. Already she could tell that she would not be looking foreword to sleeping tonight. Nevertheless, the alicorn turned to the door and let out a heavy sigh. Even though she still didn’t feel a hundred percent at the moment, she knew that the others were waiting for her. Twilight stepped into the heavy morning air and saw that everybody was already grouped together near the smothered-out fire pit. As she got closer it seemed like they were all in mid-conversation.

“You gotta be joking here.” Rukey said in disbelief.

“Does the Reader seem like the joking type to you, Greentail?” Jodariel responded back.

“Well,” Rainbow began. “the jokes that Twi tells involve math or other nerd stuff that usually go over everypony’s heads.”

“But I always laugh at them!” Pinkie cheerfully intervened. “Everybody deserves to get laughs from their jokes.”

Twilight finally decided to join the conversation. “Why are you guys talking about my jokes?”

“We’re not,” Hedwyn answered. “We’re talking about the star that you saw last night. It’s leading us to a location right in the middle of a body of water known as the Sea of Solis.”

“We do not argue with the stars.” The Demon said to Rukey.

“You talk like we can just go ride out right into the water! Is that your plan, Jodi?!” the Cur snapped back.

“I have’ta agree with Rukey here,” Applejack said. “I don’t rightly feel like doggy-paddlin’ all the way to the next Rite.”

Before Twilight could input her thoughts, Tariq suddenly stepped up. “Pardon my interruption, but I believe there is a way for the blackwagon to cross the Sea.”

All attention went towards the Lone Minstrel. “What do you mean, Tariq?” Twilight asked him.

“My client, Sandalwood. He has a way of anticipating such eventualities.” Twilight’s perked up at the mention of Sandalwood, but she continued to listen on. “West of here lies a place called Big Bertrude’s. The proprietor is an old companion of his. She may be able to assist us with our nautical impasse, as well as perhaps assisting with the spacing situation in the wagon as well.”

“I would have to agree on that.” Fluttershy quietly said, followed by a soft yawn. “It would be nice if I could have a bunk to myself again. I didn’t really get the best sleep last night. No offence, Pinkie.”

“None taken!” the pink mare said cheerfully. “I am quite the cuddle-bug!”

Twilight looked around the group to see what everybody else thought of the minstrel’s suggestion. It appeared that no one had any objections to the new course and even Hedwyn’s smile return. “Sounds like our best shot right now. Are you with us, my friend?” the Nomad asked Twilight.

Seeing how there was no reason not to go with the minstrel’s plan, the alicorn gave her own smile. “Alright then, let’s get everything packed up and make our way to Big Bertrude’s.”

Everybody nodded in agreement and went of to get ready to get back on the trail once. Half an hour later, the campsite was all packed up and the blackwagon was all set to get going. Everybody piled into the vehicle and the wagon started up and made its way west. Twilight looked out the window and watched as they were now driving away from the Pit of Milithe. As she saw the giant cocoon shrink into the distance, she had to admit that she was already feeling better knowing that they were getting some distance from it.

Musical Cue Continued - Sinking Feeling

By the time the day reached mid-afternoon, the blackwagon was still making steady progress on the road. They had thankfully avoided any mud pits or pot-holes like when they first started traveling in the Flagging Hands. As such, everybody was free to do whatever they desired during the trip. Jodariel was busy braiding her hair again. Pinkie was telling jokes to Hedwyn, who while didn’t really get most of them, still gave a polite smile to the baker. Mae was facing the wall talking to her “little brother” while Applejack joined in with the conversation as well. Fluttershy was telling Rukey and Ti’zo about some of her animal friends back in Equestria. Rainbow Dash was in her bunk taking a nap, which was rather typical for the time of day. Finally, Tariq was in his usual corner, lightly strumming his white lute. Seeing how everybody else was either occupied in their own conversations or looked as if they rather not be disturbed, Twilight decided to talk with the Lone Minstrel. As she walked up to the minstrel, he stopped his strumming and looked to the alicorn.

Greetings, Madam Twilight. I am actually glad that you are here, for there is something I’d like to discuss with you privately.” he said in a hushed tone. “Do you have a moment of spare time?”

Seeing how the minstrel always had something interesting to say, Twilight nodded and sat down. However, before he could speak again, the pair was interrupted by a sudden snort. It appeared that Rainbow had woken up from her siesta and groggily looked over. “Oh, hey guys,” she said as she yawned. “what are ya talking about?”

“Oh, apologies if we woke you from your nap.” Tariq said to the pegasus. “I was merely discussing with Twilight about a matter regarding the Rites. I suppose I’ll just wait for another moment when she is alone to tell her.”

“Hey,” the Wonderbolt said, sounded slightly offended. “anything you can say to Twi, you can say to me too! Right Twilight?”

The purple mare was bit hesitant to answer the cyan mare’s question at first. While what her friend said was true, she also didn’t want to disrespect Tariq’s wishes for privacy. Therefore, Twilight thought out a reasonable compromise. “It’s alright, Tariq. You can tell me what you want to say and I’ll sure Rainbow will keep it between the three of us.” She then looked to to the Wonderbolt. “Okay, Rainbow?”

While the pegasus initially rolled her eyes, she did comply. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” She said while miming the iconic Pinkie Promise.

“Hm, very well.” Tariq said. “apologies for the alleged secrecy. All matters directly regarding the Rites are normally meant for the Reader alone, however I can tell that you know when and when not to speak such matters. When you confronted the Withdrawn, the Witch Udmildhe repeatedly invoked a certain name.”

Wile Twilight was trying to remember what the minstrel was referring to, Rainbow beat her to it. “Yeah, she kept on mentioning something called ‘Yslach’, right?”

Tariq gravely nodded his head. “Aye, Yslach, the Astral-Born. I hesitate to speak it even now. As I’ve mentioned before, the Downside was ridden with the Greater Titans when the Eight Scribes walked this land. Yslach was…different. Not only was he the eldest but he carried an air of him that spoke of foreign intrusion to this land. To put it simply, he seemed not of this world.”

Twilight’s interested peaked when Tariq made mention of not being of this world. “Wait, do you think that this has anything to do with-“

“I severely doubt it, Madame Twilight,” the minstrel prematurely answered her question. “Based on how you’ve described your world, I believe you arrived here on much different circumstances. The few proposed origins of Yslach speak of a plane that is near incomprehensible due to vast intensity and horror.”

The alicorn could gain a small understanding of what the Lone Minstrel was talking about. There were a few pieces of literature that she had read that had made reference to hypothetical beings and locations that were described as something far beyond logical understanding. Sights not meant to be seen and knowledge best left forgot. The mare had small bits of curiosity on the subject, but she never thought she would ever gain more insight on it from further studies. Until now, that is.

“So, if this thing was so big and bad, how did the Scribes even take it down in the first place?” Rainbow asked.

“The credit for that feat would go to the Crone Scribe, Milithe. After casting countless bounding hexes and charms, she was finally able to subdue the creature into what you witnessed back at the Pit.” He then gestured over to the bookshelf and the many copies of the Book of Rites. “As a symbol of victory against the Titan, the Scribe took parts of his hide and ichor to bind the Book of Rites, along with its numerous copies.”

The pair of ponies were then caught off guard by the sudden morbid fact. “Wait,” Rainbow asked in disbelief. “You’re say those books over there are made out of some monster’s flesh and is written with it’s blood?!” When the minstrel nodded his head, the cyan mare looked even more flabbergasted. “Okay, why would the Scribes do something crazy like that?! What’s wrong with regular paper and ink?”

“Aside from the lack of those resources in the Downside, it was symbolic.” Tariq calmly answered. “Since Yslach came from the stars and possibly even beyond, creating the Book from his essence would further bind the Scribes to the stars that they obediently followed. A strange custom, I admit, but it served their purposes.”

“Well,” Twilight said, trying to change the subject. “I guess it’s a good thing that monster is gone for good.”

“I wouldn’t exactly say that, Madame Twilight.” Tariq corrected her. The pair of ponies looked on in confusion as to what the minstrel was referring to. “While Milithe was able to bind his physical form, Yslach did not die. A being such as that is incapable of that, according to some accounts. The creature is now regenerating very, very slowly in the giant cocoon you saw. Thus, it can complete it’s vow to devour everything and everyone, so that it may return to the realm it was banished from. In a sense, it is in exile. Just like yourselves.” Silence hung between the two mares as they were still trying to fully grasp what the minstrel had told them. He clearly took notice of their faces of awe and worry, so he was quick to reassure them. “However, it would take ages for the creature to be reborn. Long far before this and the coming generations have to worry about. Thus, Udmildhe’s ravings are more or less inconsequential, for the while. Yet, the history of Yslach is inarguably connected to the Rites, so it must be known to you. I trust that you shall put in more time on research of the subject once the Book opens more to you.”

Twilight definitely felt less anxious once the minstrel said that they wouldn’t have to worry about Yslach’s awakening. She initially thought as to why Tariq would even give the warning if it had no immediate consequences, but she knew that every bit of information regarding the Rites and the Scribes would help her and her friends get home to Equestria. “Thank you for telling us, Tariq.” she politely said to the Lone Minstrel. “Is there anything you’d like to tell us?”

The minstrel scratched his chin in thought and then answered. “As a matter of fact, this is something I’d like to ask of you, Madame Twilight. I was wondering if I could ask for one of your feathers?”

“Wait, what?!” Rainbow nearly shouted. “Why do you want one of Twi’s feathers?” Twilight was surprised by her friend’s sudden inquiry of the request and even almost detected a small bit of outrage in her voice.

“I apologize if I have accidently stumbled on a sensitive subject,” Tariq began. “I merely thought that having ones of those purple feathers would aid us in the immediate future when we reach Big Bertrude’s. If the request is too demanding, I will not pry. However, I would only require one of her secondary feathers for later.”

Twilight opened up her right wing and inspected it closely. Though she was still tender from her wounds, the feathers cascading the appendage in question were still in good condition. The primaries looked smooth and the secondaries and secondary coverts were only slightly ruffled. The alicorn figured that sacrificing one of the coverts wouldn’t be so detrimental to her recovery and could easily grow back. She was about to reach for one of them with her muzzle before Rainbow stopped her. “Hold on, Twi,” she said in a serious tone. “you don’t have to do this. You need to let your wings recover properly or else it could mess up your flying in the long term. Tariq will just have to deal with-“

“It’s fine, Rainbow.” Twilight interrupted her friend. “I’ll just give him one of my secondaries. My wings will heal just fine if I only lose one tiny feather.” The cyan mare still didn’t look convinced, so Twilight pushed harder. “Please, Rainbow? I’m sure it’ll help us get back to Equestria. I trust Tariq that he wouldn’t ask for something like this for no good reason.” A quiet minute passed before the Wonderbolt finally relented and gave a nod of approval. With the pegasus’s consent confirmed, Twilight opened her right wing again and pulled her face close to it. She looked over and found a secondary covert that appeared in good condition and grabbed it between her teeth. The alicorn then gently twisted the feather and yanked it off in a swift motion. The stinging pain only lasted for a second and another glance at her wing revealed that there was no bleeding. Twilight grabbed the feather from her teeth with her magic and levitated it over to Tariq. The minstrel took the feather and inspected its quality.

“This will do nicely.” he complimented and put the feather away in his robe. “I thank you again, Madame Twilight. I am confident that this will us in the immediate future. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to see how everybody else is faring at the moment.” The Lone Minstrel then stood up and made his way pass the two ponies. Once he left, Twilight looked to her friend.

“Rainbow, you seemed kind of upset when Tariq asked for one of my feathers.” Twilight said with concern.

The pegasus let out a huff in response. “Look, Twi, feathers are just…really important, okay? It’s a pegasus thing. You know how I’m always pestering you about keeping your wings neat and clean?” Twilight nodded her head at the memories. It was one of the few things that the usually laid-back pony took seriously and she often chastised the purple mare whenever she got lost in her studies and forgot to preen and clean her wings. “In Cloudsdale, they taught us that offering a feather is only for like, super important situations. You can’t just give your feathers away to, well…anybody!”

While Twilight did understand where Rainbow was coming from and respected her customs, Twilight knew that she had to reassure her friend on another matter. “Rainbow,” she began. “I understand what you’re saying, but I trust Tariq and the rest of the Nightwings as well. They saved my life and they want to help us get home. Considering that we’re visitors from another world in a land full of exiled criminals, the amount of trust they’re putting in us say a lot. So, I think I’m comfortable trusting them with one of my feathers in return. Don’t you agree?”

Rainbow mulled over what the alicorn had said for a minute and then sighed. “I guess you got a point there. I’ll try to keep that in mind. Sorry about that, Twilight.”

“It’s okay, Rainbow,” Twilight said with sympathy. “I know you’re just trying to look out for me.”

The blackwagon came to a sudden halt and the two ponies looked over to see what was going on. Pinkie Pie was jumping up and down all excitedly. “Ooo, we’re here! We’re here!” She then stopped bouncing and looked to Jodariel. “Are we?” she asked tilting her head.

“It would appear so.” The Demon answered as she made her way to the door. She opened the door and made her way outside, at which everybody else followed through. As Twilight stepped outside, she was forced to shield her eyes from the sudden brightness for a few seconds. When she looked back, she saw that the low afternoon sun was actually visible in this certain portion of the Flagging Hands. They had spent so much time in the dark marshlands that it seemed her eyesight needed to adjust back to actual sunlight. The alicorn then looked around the area and saw that there were about a dozen or so mud huts. They were small structures, but they appeared to be suitable structures from the elements. Before she could wonder who could live in these huts, Twilight jumped a little when she saw movement in the shadows inside one of them. Closer inspection revealed two green eyes gazing right at her. Soon, other sets of eyes began to appear in the other huts, all of the them staring at the Nightwings.

“I got a real bad feelin’ about this place, y’all.” Applejack carefully said as she gestured Mae to get behind her. Fluttershy and Ti’zo also subtlety cowered back to the wagon just in case they had to make a quick retreat inside. Twilight, for her part, stood steadfast and kept her ground.

“Stay together and don’t move.” Jodariel commanded the rest of the group. “Best not to invoke any defensive reactions from them.”

“That will not be necessary, Miss Jodariel.” Tariq politely rejected the command. The minstrel then stepped forward from the group. All of the eyes then centered on him as he spoke allowed to them. “Sandalwood sent us.” He spoke calmly.

This garnered a reaction amidst the hidden figures and soon enough, they began to emerge from their huts. It was then Twilight saw that all of the inhabitants were Bog-Crones, just like Udmildhe. The serpentine creatures were still slightly taller than the ponies, although they were mostly hunched over and appeared rather sickly. Most of their features were covered in ragged cloaks or shawls and some of them were even carrying items such as wooden staffs and crude tools with them. The bog-dwellers slithered up to the blackwagon and began examining its exterior. The Nightwings and ponies were still on their guard, though it appeared that the Crones took no interest in them. The alicorn’s attention was diverted again when one last Crone emerged and slithered up to Tariq.

Musical Cue - Snake Soul

She was obviously the leader of the group of Crones based on her size, which was around Luna’s height. Dull, gray draping covered her long tail while a teal coverlet immersed her hunched upper body, creating what looked like a giant hood. Her skin was a pale gray but was nearly as wrinkled and cracked as Udmildhe’s skin and was touched up with turquoise on her nails and lips. She also had two turquoise horns protruding upward from her forehead and branched out at varying lengths. At first, Twilight thought that she had brown locks of thick, curly hair, but was shock when noticed that it was actually a small conglomerate of snakes, complete with their own sets of yellow eyes. However, closer inspection revealed that the serpents didn’t seem like independent conscious creatures and acted more like appendages reacting to external stimuli.

“Thou speakest the name Sandalwood.” the Crone spoke in a crackly voice. “We would know his whereabouts. Reveal them to us.”

Tariq showed no signs of intimidation and responded in his usual polite manner. “Good day to you, Big Bertrude. It is a pleasure to meet you at last.” Twilight tilted her head a bit when Tariq had unintentionally revealed the Crone to be Big Bertrude, the one that the minstrel had said would help the Nightwings on their journey. Given her sour impression with Udmildhe, the alicorn hardly expected that they would find from the other Crone of the Downside. However, she quickly dismissed the thought, remembering that it was exactly her place to judge a creature based on the sole actions of another of the same species. The Lone Minstrel then continued his friendly conversation with the Crone. “Sandalwood always spoke highly of you and your handiwork.”

“Nrrrgghh, he did, did he?” she mused. It appeared that the compliment had taken a positive effect on the bog-dweller, but she quickly returned back to her thoughts. “In turn, we know who thou must be.”

Bertrude looked behind the minstrel and looked as though something had caught her immediate interest. It was a moment before Twilight realized that is was her that Bertrude was staring at. The Crone then began to approach her. Twilight flinched at this action, but she continued to stand her ground. The serpentine creature reached the purple mare and meticulously circled around her. She stopped in front of the alicorn, leaving her surrounded on al sides by the Crone’s snake-like tail. Rainbow Dash and Applejack tensed up more in anticipation for action in case the Crone decided to coil her tail and straggle the alicorn. However, Bertrude did no such thing and instead straighten her back to give herself a more imposing height. Twilight then looked up to find that the Crone was once again staring at her with those small, glowing blue eyes. Although, the alicorn saw that she wasn’t staring at her out of disgust or morbid shock. Instead, Bertrude looked as though she was intensely examining something; almost as if she was trying to identify what exactly was in front of her. Twilight remained speechless as the Crone continued her analysis. Being so close now, she was able to notice her sharp chin and the bronze circlet with an aquamarine jewel she wore on her head.

After what seemed like many minutes of awkward silence, Bertrude spoke with the pony. “Thou are not of here, nor from anywhere near here. Thou are otherworldly.” She then blinked a few times. “Where doth thou come from and why art thou here?”

The alicorn gulped a little and then answered the Crone’s inquiry. “M-My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I come from Equestria. I’m the Reader for the Nightwings.”

Bertrude took in Twilight’s answer and then looked over to the rest of the ponies. Her expression did not change as she stared at the multicolored mare. He looked back to the purple mare and muttered to herself. “Hmmm, curious.” The bog-dweller removed herself from the alicorn’s space and returned back to the Lone Minstrel. “Doth Sandalwood yet live? Speak plain and quickly.”

Tariq lightly shook his head. “To be frank with you, madam, I do not know for certain. For I have been apart from him for some time in order to carry out his will.” He was quick to switch over to a more positive outlook. Although, I have every faith that, aye, Sandalwood lives. As for his current whereabouts, I understand that he awaits us somewhere near Wakingwood, beyond the waters.” The Lone Minstrel then gestured to the wagon. “We wish to seek him there, but as you can see, our wagon is ill-suited for the task. It is hardly seaworthy, and it needs to be expanded in order to accommodate more members to our party we expect to gain on our journey.”

Brutrude maintained her neutral expression all while studying the minstrel. “Doth Sandalwood know about their arrival?” she asked as she pointed over to the ponies.

“Not very likely, no.” Tariq answered. The bog-dweller frowned at this and murmured something under her breath. She seemed more reluctant to help now because of the ponies’ presence, which caused Twilight to become worried again. “However,” the minstrel continued. “I believe I have something her that may offer some additional enticement.”

He then reached into his robe and pulled out the purple feather that Twilight gave him earlier. Bertrude eyes lit up again when she spotted the feather. Swiftly, but carefully, she swiped the feather from the minstrel and examined it closely. She looked to the alicorn and then back to the feather, as if to confirm that the feather did in fact come from her. She held it up to the afternoon light and hummed in thought. Finally, the Bog-Crone stashed the feather away in on of her pockets and faced the group. “Very well,” she said. “we shall see what we can do. However, we will require assistance from one of ye if we wish to complete the task by dawn. Who shall assist us?”

The group remained silent for a second at the Crone’s request. While Twilight would normal be glad to help in any way she could, she still couldn’t help but still feel a bit uncomfortable around her and the rest of the bog-dwellers. She looked over and saw that everybody else also seemed to share the same sentiment. All except for one, that is.

“Oh! Me me me me me! Pick me!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she waved her hoof.

“Wait, you want to help them, Pinkie?” Twilight asked her in surprise. It wasn’t that she wasn’t aware of how notorious the pink mare was for helping strangers out of the kindness of her heart. It was just that it seemed like her cheery personality didn’t match well with the dreary Crone.

“Sure!” the party pony replied. “It’s sounds super fun and I get to help you guys out. It’s a win-win!”

“Uh, Pinkie,” Applejack said to the baker. “what exactly do ya know about construction and capetry?”

“Oh psh-shaw!” Pinkie responded to her friend’s lack of confidence. “As one of Equestria’s best party planner, I’ve prided myself in mastering various skills and tasks to prepare for any possible celebration situation. Besides, how hard can it be?!” The pink mare bent her neck down and used the curl of her hair to pick up a wooden mallet that just so happened to be on the ground. “Oh look, a fun hammer!”

Bertrude gave the pony a blank stare and then addressed the rest of the group. “Are ye sure there are no others among ye that would like to aid us?” The group of Nightwings and ponies still remained silent, with the exception of Rukey letting out an awkward, fake cough. Pinkie Pie still looked excited to help and jumped up and down in anticipation. The Crone let out a groan of defeat. “Nrrrggggh…fine. She may assist us this night.” she said reluctantly. “As for the rest of ye, there are huts to the west nearby. Rest for the night and return to us at dawn. That is all.” The bog-dweller then slithered off to make preparation for renovating the wagon.

“By your grace, Big Bertrude.” Tariq said with a bow.

“Wait,” Hedwyn said to the minstrel. “Are you about this? Leaving the wagon in their care? I would to have something happen to our only means of transportation.”

“Don’t worry, Hedwyn.” Pinkie reassured the Nomad. “You just let your Auntie Pinkie handle it and that wagon will be all new and improved! Alrighty, see you guys tomorrow!” The pink mare then zoomed off in the direction Bertrude went, obviously eager to get started.

“Wait, is she older than me?” Hedwyn asked the other ponies in confusion. The mares slightly chuckled amongst themselves as they were by this time used to Pinkie’s craziness. The Nomad just simply shrugged at this and moved on with the conversation. “Well, I suppose we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Let’s go to the campsite Bertrude mentioned and I can get some dinner cooking.”

“Mind if I help ya with that, Hed?” Applejack asked. The Nomad nodded and seemed appreciated for the extra help.

As the group began to leave, Twilight stopped for a minute and went inside the blackwagon before it was hauled away by the Crones. Once inside, she grabbed the Book of Rites and left the vehicle so that the bog-dweller could get to work. The alicorn rejoined the group just as they made to the outer huts that they would be stay for the night. Hedwyn and Applejack began cooking up a meal using nearby ingredients by the evening. Dinner was still rather quiet as everyone ate around the fire, but there were a few bouts of friendly conversation between the Nightwings and the ponies. A much-welcome respite of the miserable atmosphere that they had as they traveled across the Flagging Hands. As the stars began to glimmer in the night sky, Twilight decided to retire to one of the huts for an early sleep. She bid goodnight to the group and headed inside.

The hut was extremely sparse, with the only a medium-sized hay mattress in the middle as the only piece of furniture. The purple mare casted a minor illumination spell to brighten the darken room and laid down on the mattress. While the hay was a bit scratchy, it seemed comfortable enough for her. Once she was all settled, Twilight took the Book from under her wing and placed it front of her. For some inexplainable reason, she had the urge to grab from the wagon before she left with the rest. She was about contemplate the reason for this when the symbol on the cover began to shimmer. The alicorn then cautiously opened the Book to investigate what exactly was causing this. To her surprise, she saw that some of the pages began to flash a few times before going inert again. Twilight flipped through the Book and saw that some of the pages previously locked to her were now available. The purple mare was pleasantly surprised by this as the last time she had read anything from the Book was all the way back in the Prairie. It appeared that now she could continue further into first chapter. Before she could get started on reading the new material, the alicorn was interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Hey there, egghead.” Twilight looked and saw Rainbow Dash giving her a relaxed smile. “You doin’ alright?” she asked as she welcomed herself inside.

“Oh, Rainbow,” Twilight responded. “I’m fine, thanks. What are you doing here?”

“Eh, everybody began to head off to bed and Hed asked me to check up on ya. Hey, what’cha reading there?” The pegasus circled around the prone pony and looked down at the black pages. “Wait, is that the flesh book Tariq told us about earlier?”

Twilight preferred not to think of the Book in such a macabre manner, so she answered the pegasus while also correcting her. “Yes, Rainbow. Though, I think it would be best not to think about that certain aspect of it. This is the Book of Rites, it supposedly tells the history of the Eight Scribes and the Rites. It has some type of enchantment on it that prevents me from seeing all of the pages, so I’ve only been able to read a small part of the first chapter. But it looks like some more pages just opened just now.”

The Wonderbolt smiled and shook her head a bit at the alicorn’s excitement at that last sentence. “We fall into a brad new world and the first thing you do is find a book to read. Classic egghead move, Twi.” The alicorn rolled her eyes at her friend’s light teasing, well aware that she meant no insult to her. She was about to read the first new page when she felt something brush against her side. She looked over and saw that Rainbow laid down on the mattress right next her. While the close contact was surprising, the purple mare didn’t find it particularly unpleasant either. “That being said,” the cyan mare continued. “You mind if a join your little reading sesh?”

Twilight was caught off guard by this question, even more so than when the Book reveal more pages to her. “You want to read with me? A book?” she asked to confirm that she wasn’t hearing things. Her friend nodded, but the alicorn was still finding it hard to believe. “What’s with this sudden interest in literature, Rainbow?”

“Hey,” the daredevil responded defensively. “I read books sometimes! And if I remember correctly, it was a certain egghead that got me hooked on it in the first place.”

This was true as it was Twilight who had introduced the pegasus to the adventures of Daring Doo when she out of commission in the hospital. But even then, the alicorn knew that she was still picky at what she would read. “It’s just that this isn’t exactly an action-packed Daring Doo novel.” the purple mare explained. “It’s more akin to a history book relating to the Commonwealth and the Downside. I’m just not sure you’ll find it too interesting.”

“Yeah well, if it’s made out of the skin of some ancient monster from space, it has to be somewhat interesting. Besides, I’m sure you’ll spin so that I don’t fall asleep out of boredom.” Rainbow gave the mare a smile before she bashfully asked something else. “Though, since you said you didn’t get that far yet, you mind starting from the beginning for me?”

Twilight was rather touched that she showed interest in the Book. While she was perfectly fine knowing that two mares had different interest from each other and could still hold their friendship nonetheless, the purple mare absolutely cherished those rare instances when their interests aligned and that they could enjoy whatever subject or activity they were doing in tantum. And she loved it even more when Rainbow would figuratively slow down from her fast and spontaneous lifestyle so that she could be on the same wavelength as the alicorn. It was a sign of the deep friendship that Twilight had formed with her, and the rest of her friend for that manner, from countless instances of interaction, comradery, temporary disagreements and compromises. So, it was for that reason why Twilight had no problem accepting the cyan mare as a reading buddy for the night, even if she had to go back to the beginning for her.

“Of course, Rainbow.” The alicorn said. “Just get comfy and we’ll start from the beginning.” The pegasus responded by snuggling a bit closer to the purple mare as she turned the page. Twilight then began to read out loud from the start of the first chapter.

Musical Cue - Life Sentence

The alicorn recounted the first few pages of the chapter to Rainbow to catch her up to speed. The Master-General of the Sahr Empire, Gol Golathanian, recorded how the self-centered Emperor Soliam Murr lead his empire to ruin which eventually lead to a takeover from his most trusted advisor, the Rope-Caller. Golathanian now served under a new ruler and his former liege was now an enemy of the state. Once the pegasus was caught up, Twilight could now look over the new pages revealed.

Murr was unaware of the tryst occurring at his throne as he was too busy looking for the coveted Celestial Orb. He followed the River Sclorian in search of the treasure, only he found something else entirely. Instead of treasure, he found his people and the deplorable state he was in. He continued to see the misery in their faces and kept hearing the venomous words they spat at his character. For the first time in many, many years, Murr felt the growing pain of shame in his heart. In time, the looks and words proved more than he could bear. Tragedy struck, and the former emperor was claimed by the River. As the raging rapids took him, he remembered hearing cries of joy from the subjects that were nearby to see his end.

That should have been the end for disgraced emperor, Soliam Murr, but it appeared that destiny had other plans for him. He had eventually washed upon the shore of the River, deep within the wastes of the Downside. Bleeding and alone, Murr had time to reminisce on the folly of his greedy quest and the folly of his rule over his poor country. His consciousness began to fade, and he found peace in knowing that he received the fate he deserved. It was then to his surprise that his received aid from a native Imp that went by the moniker of Ha’ub. The Imp cared not for his previous actions as emperor and slowly nursed him back to health. Throughout the next two decades, the pair travel the wasteland with Ha’ub guiding Murr away from dangers.

Throughout those twenty years, enemies of the former emperor would venture to the Downside to hunt him down, some under the employment of the Rope-Caller to bring him his head, others to enact cold, cruel revenge from years of suffering. Golathanian was one of the former, under orders of the new emperor to hunt down his former liege. He plunged into the River willing and made his way to the Downside. Eventually, the Master-General found his target, although his was shocked at what he had found. Soliam Murr was a mere shadow of his former self. Half-starved and disheveled, he had two, large horns that sprouted from the sides of his head that curved inward and down towards his chin. There were also other small, pointed horns that protruded from the top of his head. Golathanian, a man who had conquered countries, felt initial fear of this bestial reflection of the former emperor. When Golathanian found his liege, he discovered that him and the Imp Ha’ub were already fighting against another group of foes that had also wanted to claim the former emperor’s life simply named the Beyonders.

Twilight paused for a few seconds as she recognized that name. It was the same name of the phantoms that were trapped in the Beyonder Crystal. Could their attack on Murr have the reason for their imprisonment? The alicorn shook that question aside when she realized that she was in Rainbow’s company at the moment. She would just have to find time later to ask Sandra about her connection with the Eight Scribes. She then looked back to the Book and continued reading.

Golathanian remained out of sight as Murr and Ha’ub tried desperately to fight off their attackers. It was in that moment that the Master-General felt something stirring in his heart. It was an aching feeling that originated from either the pity for the deformed man or from the love he felt when he had served him. It was then he made his decision. What he would do next would mean betraying the country that he had loved and fought countless years for. But in that small moment, it hardly mattered. Golathanian jumped from his hiding spot and sprang to his liege’s defense.

With his superior might and the aid of the Imp Ha’ub, the Master-General was able to drive off the Beyonders from their assault. When the danger subsided, he turned to the former emperor – his Emperor – to ensure he was unharmed. What he said next shook Golathanian to his very being.

“You gave your freedom, Master Golathanian, so that I yet have mine.” he said.

“You, too, now are an exile of the Downside. In all the days which I have left, I never could repay the mercy you have shown me. So, if I cannot do so in this life, then I shall do it in the next.”

And thus, it was in that moment that the honorable Master-General, the fallen Emperor and the humble Imp would cross the wretched lands of the Downside. Eventually, the trio would come across those who then see Soliam Murr as Gol Golathanian did.

Twilight attempted to flip to the next page of the Book but discovered that the page refused to budge. “It looks like that’s all there is for now.” she said in slight disappointment. Nevertheless, Rainbow seemed rather impressed.

“Wow,” the pegasus said, as if she was still gathering her thoughts on what she had just learned. “that’s…really something, Twi. Who’da thought that this world would have such a crazy history.”

“Are you saying that Equestia had a dull history compared to this?” Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, no,” Rainbow replied. “Equestria is pretty crazy too, if you think about it. I guess it’s just about…perspective or something. I don’t know, there’s probably some eggheady way of explain what I’m trying to say.” She then took another glance at the pages. “But you know? This might be just crazy talk here, but this Gol guy kinda reminds me of you.”

“Wait, what makes you say that?” Twilight asked, not really seeing the connection.

“It’s like this,” Rainbow explained. “Aside from being honorable and being dedicated to a cause, it seems like both of you like to see the good in those that others gave up on. Even though this Emperor was supposedly a really bad dude, Gol didn’t listen to all of that and helped him. He followed his gut and he decided that he would help Murr. I’ve seen you do the same thing with ponies like Princess Luna, Starlight and Stygian. You could’ve easily defeat them by using the Elements, your awesome alicorn powers or even just banish them to another dimension. But you went the extra mile and found a way to help them instead of defeating them. It’s actually a trait that I really admire about you, Twi. You always try to see the best in everycreature. Do you get it now?”

Twilight gave her friend a nod. The purple mare supposed that Rainbow did have a point. At the risk of stroking her own ego, Twilight did have a history of looking to redeem villains instead of just defeating them. True, there were some villains that refused to compromise and see reason, Tirek and Sombra being notable examples. However, that didn’t stop her from at least trying her best to bring all creatures to the side of friendship. In that sense, she could definitely see some parallels with the Master-General and his redemption of Murr. As much as Twilight wanted to contemplate this further, she unintentionally let out a yawn.

“Oh, uh, I guess you’re kinda tired now.” Rainbow said as she started to get up. “Guess I’ll go hit the hay too now. Night, Twilight!”

As the alicorn watch her friend about to leave the hut, she suddenly remembered something unpleasant. The nightmare she had last night had still left her a bit shaken, so throughout the day she tried to distract her mind from sleep. Now that it was now closely upon her, Twilight was starting to get nervous in fear that she would receive another nightmare tonight as well. With that in mind, Twilight decided to take a gambit. “Rainbow wait!” she said to the pegasus. When she got her friend’s attention, she unconsciously started to circle her hoof on the ground. “I-I had a nightmare last night, and…I guess I’m a bit scared that I’ll have another one tonight. W-Would it be okay if you could…sleep with me tonight.”

The cyan mare didn’t respond immediately, and a small, subtle blush lit up her cheeks. “Uhh,” she stumbled with her words. “Would that make you feel better? I mean, are you sure you would be okay with that?” Twilight gave her a look, silently pleading for her to stay. Eventually, the pegasus relented and smiled. “Alright, egghead. I’ll give you some company tonight.” She then walked back over and returned to her original position next to Twilight. The alicorn flinched a bit when she suddenly felt the pegasus’s wing wrap across her back. While the act was unexpected, Twilight had to admit that it felt rather pleasant. The cyan mare then laid her head down on the mattress. “Goodnight Twilight.” she said before sleep quickly embraced the pony.

Twilight smiled and then decided to follow her friend’s example. “Goodnight…Dashie.” she whispered as she closed her eyes. Relieved of her fears of any incoming nightmares, it wasn’t long before sleep embraced her as well.

The next morning, Twilight was feeling more refreshed than ever. She was spared from any nightmare during the night, most likely thanks to Rainbow Dash’s presence. Thankfully there was no air of awkwardness between the two friends when they awoke. Rainbow asked if she slept well, then the alicorn respond yes and thanked the pegasus for spending the night with her. The pair exited the hut and saw that everybody else was alright having breakfast, save for Tariq who had apparently left to check on the wagon. After finishing their meal, the group headed back to Bertrude’s camp where they found the minstrel before them.

“Everybody,” he addressed them all. “it appears that the wagon is ready.”

Musical Cue - Snake Soul

When Twilight looked to where the minstrel was gesturing to, her eyes widen in disbelief. It looked as though the blackwagon was slightly elongated and had a fresh coat of redwood paint. The wheels looked brand new and the great, white horn that curved upward from the front of the roof looked like it had been both polished and sharpened at the tip. Gone was the dinky lantern that hung from the horn and was instead replaced with a much newer one that contained a yellow-glowing crystal. The alicorn also noticed that sides of the wagon looked more reinforced than they did the day before. As everybody was admiring the exterior of the wagon, Pinkie Pie burst through the door and jumped outside.

“Welcome, ponies and Nightwings,” she announced with flare. “to the new-and-improved blackwagon! Come insde and take a looksy!”

The pink mare hopped back inside, with the rest of the group following her inside. Twilight was once again taken aback at the changes that were made to the interior. For some inexplainable reason, it felt as though the inside of the blackwagon looked a bit bigger than it did on the outside. The common room was completely cleaned of debris and the Nightwings’ sigil was clearly visible at the center of the room. There was a large, wooden table near the center, a long rack for all the rainments and masks in one of the corners, a chandelier-type lamp full of lighting crystals firmly attached to the ceiling, and a multitude of bunks were lined up across the left wall. Along with these improvements, Twilight also noticed a variety of nautical additions as well. The hull was fully sealed and reinforced, and there were even a few porthole windows in the back wall. To garnish it all off, there was a big, shiny nautical bell that would be fit for a dingy.

“I…wow.” Hedwyn said in amazement.

“You guys seeing this? Flutters, help me look around!” Rukey said the timid pegasus. The yellow mare followed the Cur over to the front of the wagon, where there was an improved steering system in place. Fluttershy opened a hatch nearby and saw that the Drive Imps now had a much nicer area to operate the machinery of the wagon’s motor.

“Pinkie, how in the hay were ya able to do all this? And overnight, no less!” Applejack asked in disbelief. The pink mare giggled in response.

‘Sorry, Applejack,” she said with a wink. “That’s a trade secret!” The party pony then happily bounced over to the right side of the room, where there was a door that Twilight did not remember being there. “Oh, Twilight! I got a little surprise for you!”

Pinkie opened the door and reveal a cozy-looking little room. There was a bed pushed up against the wall along with a small desk and chair that were perfect for the purple pony’s height. There were also shelves that lined the walls and a small window to let in natural light. Finally, the Book of Rites was tucked away in the corner on its pedestal with its multiple copies on a bookshelf nearby. It was obvious that this room was built for Twilight to reside in, and the alicorn was rather touched by this addition. “Pinkie, you didn’t have to give me my own room.” she said to her friend.

“Oh, it’s no biggie, Twilight!” Pinkie said nonchalantly. “I just thought that you deserved something nice for working so hard to get us home. Do you like it?” Twilight was partly speechless at the kind gesture. She looked to her friend with an appreciative smile and nodded her head.

“The wagon should be fit for sea voyage.” Tariq noted. “Let us depart at your earliest convenience, Madame Twilight.”

“What about Big Bertrude?” Hedwyn asked. “I would like to thank her for her hard work as well.”

“Well, why don’t you tell her, silly? She’s right behind you!” Pinkie said to the Nomad.

Hedwyn turned around and jumped back a bit when he saw that the Bog Crone was in-fact behind him, despite nobody realizing her arrival to the wagon. Bertrude paid them no mind and slithered up to the Lone Minstrel. “Tell Sandalwood that he owes us twice over.” she simply said to him.

“Uh, Bertrude?” Applejack asked, grabbing the Crone’s attention. “I hope Pinkie weren’t too…much for you last night.”

The bog-dweller closed her eyes and hummed. “Mmmnrrrg…the Pink One was surprisingly useful last night. Work went much faster with her assistance than we expected.”

“Aw, Bertie,” Pinkie gushed at the indirect compliment. “I’m just glad I was able to help. Working with you and the rest of the Crones was super fun!”

Bertrude chose not to respond to the pink mare’s comment and began to take her leave. Before she made it to the door, however, Hedwyn stopped her. “If I may, Big Bertrude? You could discuss your debt with Sandalwood yourself, if you wish to accompany us on our voyage north. Our group would welcome someone of your vast experience.”

The Crone’s response to the Nomad’s offer was swift. “Dare thee make flirtations upon us?!”

“No! I…um” Hedwyn struggled to clear up the misunderstanding. There were a few stifled chuckles coming from Rukey and Rainbow at the Nomad’s expanse, something even Twilight admitted was a little bit funny.

“Enough.” Bertrude said, ending that awkward line of conversation. “We take our leave now. But, should ye see that Sandalwood, tell him also to come visit us again. Now, begone from here and tell no one that we were paid in favors.” The Crone then slithered out the front door. As she left, Pinkie rushed over to the open doorway.

“Bye, Bertie! I hope we can see each other again really soon! Remember what I said about smiling!” the pink mare shouted. Bertrude paused for a second and huffed before she slithered back to her kin at the camp. Pinkie then closed the door looking satisfied. “She gets it.” she said without worry.

With the Bog-Crone dismissed and the wagon improved, Twilight saw no other reason to dawdle. And apparently, Tariq was thinking the same. “We were fortunate that she assisted us, but I believe we must go now. I know the navigation controls and shall gladly explain as we go. Let us make our way to the Sea of Solis.” he said as he made his way to the front of the wagon. As it began to start up, multiple members of the group stated their thoughts of the upcoming leg of the journey.

“Yaaay, boat trip!” Pinkie cheered “Oh my gosh, I forgot my floaties!”

“This is so exciting!” said Mae. “I don’t even know how to swim!”

This caused some concern with Applejack. “Alright, sugarcube, let’s not have you lean off the side then. Y’hear?” the farmer instructed the girl, who then reluctantly agreed.

“Screeee!” Ti’zo chirped out.

“Yes, Ti’zo, I’m sure there will be plenty of tasty fish out there for you.” Fluttershy sweetly replied to the Imp.

“Aw yeah! Time for some swashbuckling adventures out at sea. Let’s get sailing!” Rainbow eager shouted

Jodariel let out a sigh. “I’m beginning to feel ill already.”

Soon enough, the blackwagon began moving again and headed north toward the Sea. Twilight smiled as she looked out the window and confirmed that they were finally about to leave the Flagging Hands. The marshland was by far the greatest obstacle Twilight and her companions had to overcome, but they had prevailed in the end. The sun was shining, and hopes were once again high among both the Nightwings and the ponies. Now, they were heading to the shining Sea and begin the next step of their adventure.

And unlike the Flagging Hands, Twilight was actually sort of eager to see what they would find.

The Deserter

Author's Note

Originally, this was going to be longer, but I decided to split this chapter into two because the vast amount of story we get here. Either way, i hope you enjoy! :twilightsmile:

The Deserter

Chapter 14: The Deserter

As it turned out, the Sea of Solis wasn’t very far from Big Bertrude’s camp. It was only about half an hour before the improved blackwagon arrived at a very shore cliff that overlooked a vast area of choppy-looking water. At first, Twilight was a bit confused as to how they were going to get the wagon into the water safely without taking in any water from the drop. It was then to her and to most of the rest of the group surprise when Tariq drove the wagon straightforward and right off the cliff. The alicorn’s shock and panic from the minstrel’s action was short lived though, as she noticed something peculiar happen with the wagon during the short fall. Along the sides of the wagon, a multitude of curved wooden planks emerged from hidden compartments and quickly assembled themselves over the wheels on the bottom. The end result was a solid, curved hull that could be found on any normal boat at a pier or harbor. The amphibious wagon then landed into the water safely, minus the small bump from the landing. Twilight also discovered that along with the new underbelly, the front and partial sides of the wagon had also expanded to create some sort of makeshift deck. To finally top everything off, a pole arose from a compartment on top of the roof that was dressed with a large, white sail. Everybody was astounded by the sudden transformation of the vehicle, save for Pinkie and Tariq who were happy that everything was holding up. While Twilight had many questions about the mechanics of the transformation, she decided to drop them, seeing how she doubted she would get anything detailed answers from the party pony. Instead, she was just thankful that the wagon could float and that the Nightwings could make it to the next Rite location. And so, with the aid of both the motor and the sail, the blackwagon sailed off into the vast waters.

Musical Cue - Strange Voyage

It wasn’t long before Twilight began to notice the surrounding environment began to change. The sun had once again hidden itself away behind cloud cover, but this was still a far cry from the oppressive atmosphere of the Flagging Hands. Due to the lack of sunlight, the water had taken a murky, greenish color and was almost completely opaque. She also noticed that there were many large rocks poking above the surface, creating a series of winding passageways that the wagon was forced to maneuver through. Twilight was initially surprised that the Sea of Solis was so dark and claustrophobic, but it turned out that they weren’t at the Sea of Solis just yet. Instead, the group was making its way through a small section known as the Wyrm Gulf that would eventually open up into the Sea. Before heading further into the Gulf, the wagon stopped so that everybody could get their bearings in the new environment. Pinkie had tossed over an anchor overboard so that the wagon wouldn’t drift off into one of the rocks.

“Is everybody acclimating well with the waters?” Tariq asked the group.

They all more or less nodded in agreement, except for Jodariel who let out a huff. “There is no acclimating with all of these jagged rocks in our path. We risk everything to sail here.”

“I have to agree with Jodariel,” Fluttershy added. “I’m getting really nervous whenever the wagon gets near to rocks.” At the timid pegasus’s announcement of worry, Ti’zo was quick to nuzzle up to her in an attempt to comfort her. An act that the yellow mare greatly appreciated.

Tariq continued to keep a calm, collected tone. “As long as we continue to follow the cold current that Bertrude indicated to me, we shall be safe.”

“Wait,” Hedwyn spoke up. “if the next Rite is in the middle of the sea, how will our next adversaries meet us there/”

“They shall find their way, as we find ours.” Tariq answered. “It is all part of the Scribes’ design.”

As the Lone Minstrel answered the various questions, Twilight couldn’t help but notice that he seemed absolutely confident with the plan ahead of them. “Um, Tariq,” she politely asked him. “I don’t mean to insinuate anything, but you seem very sure about this path. Are you sure you’re okay with following it based off of just blind faith?” Twilight honestly didn’t want to insult the minstrel’s judgement, it was just that the alicorn was the most comfortable when she was working with more solid guarantees about future events. Afterall, she was a mare of science when it came down to it.

The minstrel didn’t seem offended by the alicorn’s inquiry and gave her an answer. “I understand your hesitance, Madame Twilight. However, you need not worry, for our path is clear. My client, Sandalwood, has had plentiful time to plan for both known and unknown variable we may come across on our journey. So long as we follow the guidance he gave and trust in the Scribes, all will proceed accordingly.” While it still sounded like a judgement based off faith, Twilight did admit that the minstrel explanation gave her a bit more comfort.

“So, this Sandalwood guy is your client, huh?” Rainbow asked Tariq. “Huh, the pay must be super good if you’re willing to follow his directions to a tee.”

“Ay, in a manner of speaking.” he said to the pegasus. “Though not through any monetary value, he helped me find a sense of purpose I thought lost to me.” Before the purple mare could ask further as to what he had meant by that, Tariq was already addressing her on a different subject. “Madame Twilight, if you would please help in confirming the next point on our sea-journey? The next destination we seek is known as the Hulk of Ores.”

Twilight decided that it would be best to follow the minstrel’s request and followed him up to the front of the wagon. The vehicle started up once again and began to make its way through the rocky maze of the Wyrm Gulf.

Musical Cue Continued - Strange Voyage

Throughout the entire day, Twilight’s attention was focused on sailing the wagon through the Gulf while trying to avoid the multiple rocks and tiny islands in the way. This meant that the alicorn had to constantly maneuver the vehicle away from the obstacles to avoid any major damage. Thankfully, Tariq was there to help her along the way and even Applejack came over a few times to get a handle of the controls herself. Thus, the alicorn spent all of that day on the edge of anxiety in hopes that the wagon would make it out of the Gulf in one piece. Finally, they reached a small clearing of sea by the time evening rolled around. When Tariq informed her that they were only a short distance away from the Sea, Twilight let out a huge sigh of relief. Come morning, they would finally be rid of the rocky buffs and be out in much more open waters and wide shores. With that in mind, the wagon was anchored down for the night out on the water.

The wagon gently rolled over the waves as Twilight and the others sat down for a modest dinner. It was during that time where she was able to catch up with the rest of group, who had continued to do their mundane activities while Twilight was steering the wagon. The alicorn then noticed that Hedwyn was noticeably quiet during dinner, but honestly didn’t think much of it at that moment. A few hours after dinner, everybody was winding down in preparation for bed. All except for Jodariel, who was constantly pacing back and forth in the common room, concern spread over her face. Eventually, she caught Rukey before he went off to bed and began questioning him.

“Greentail, how is he doing?” the Demon asked him in a serious tone.

“Who, Hedwyn? Oh, he pretty much the same.” the Cur answered. “He’s out on deck, probably hurling his dinner off of the side of the deck. This his first time out at sea?”

“His first.” Jodariel simply replied.

“What, Hedwyn is sick?” Twilight asked them. Sea sickness certainly would have explained the Nomad’s unresponsiveness during dinner. She then started to feel a bit of guilt for not noticing the warning signs throughout the day, as she was too focused on steering.

“Indeed, and it appears that he is getting worse.” The Demon grimly confirmed. “Reader, please check on Hedwyn when you have the time. He requires our support,…and we require his swift recovery.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Rukey interrupted the two. “I saw Pinkie go out there earlier to check on him. I’m sure that crazy mare is cheering him up right now!”

This provide little comfort to both Twilight and Jodariel. The purple mare knew that while Pinkie had the best of intentions whenever she attempted to cheer up anybody in a downtrodden state, she doubted that the party pony’s hyper attitude would be best for Hedwyn right now. “Please, check on him now.” Jodariel asked the alicorn. Twilight had no objection to this and made her way outside onto the deck.

The alicorn felt the cool, night air hit her face and found it quite refreshing. The clouds had parted a bit, allowing the deck to be lit in soft moonlight. It was thanks to this light that Twilight was able to easily spot the Nomad and the pink mare at the front of the wagon. Hedwyn was slumped over the side of the ship, obscuring his condition front the purple mare, while Pinkie still looked as chipper as ever. As Twilight walked over, she noticed that Pinkie was in the middle of a one-sided conversation with the party pony.

“-and that’s how I get my mane all poofy like this! Pretty neat, huh?! Hey, did I tell you how this boat trip reminds me of another boat trip I had with Applejack and Rarity? Oh wait, you haven’t met Rarity yet! Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find her soon. You’ll be able to recognize her from her pretty hair and funny accent. So anyway, Rarity brought these cucumber sandwiches on the boat which caused a whole bunch of misunderstandings and I also think Applejack was dressed like a pirate. Have you ever had cucumber sandwiches? I’ve never had them because I think they would taste all slimy and sour in your mouth. I prefer that have nice, sugary treats in my tummy! That’s why I brought a whole bunch of ‘em on the boat with me for that trip! Could you imagine tasting so many savory flavors and having a nice full belly of sweets as the boat rocks on the waves going back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and ba-“

The baker’s ramblings were interrupted when Hedwyn suddenly began throwing up again over the side. “Oh, whoopsie,” Pinkie apologized. “Was it something I said?

Twilight decided that now was a good time to intervene. “Pinkie,” she said as she approached her friend. “Why don’t you head on to bed now. I’ll stay out here and keep Hedwyn company, okay?”

At the mention of bed, the pink mare let a rather adorable yawn and nodded her head. “That’s sounds like a good idea. Nighty-night, Twilight! Keep a good eye on Hedwyn…and maybe not mention cucumber sandwiches to him.” The mare then bounced off inside the wagon.

The alicorn then took her place next to Hedwyn and lean against the side with him, looking out at the watery horizon. “I’m sorry about Pinkie there,” she began to apologize for her friend. “she really does mean the best and she does a good job for the most part. It’s just that she sometimes gets lost in her own little world.”

“No worries, my friend.” He weakly said as he finally looked to the mare. Twilight felt a few pangs of worry when she saw how his was a bit paler than before and how sulked his eyes looked. However, that still didn’t stop the Nomad from trying to give her that trademark smile of his. “Sounds like to me that she’s always there for you and the rest of your friends.” Hedwyn then looked back down at the water. “Speaking of which, you have quite the interesting group of friends there. I don’t mean any offense by that. How exactly did you all meet?”

Twilight was slightly taken aback by the sudden question. If she was being honest, she mostly didn’t even think about the time when she met all of her dear friends many moons ago, unless she was in a particular reminiscing mood or was feeling rather nostalgic. Also, Twilight felt as though was a bit embarrassing, although it was nothing out of shame of her friends. It was more of the shame she felt of her solitary thoughts and behaviors that she felt before meeting. “That’s…a long story.” She finally said to the Nomad, hoping to dissuade him from probing further.

“I like long stories.” Hedwyn relied with just as much interest as before. “Might help keep my mind off of throwing up my insides. Of course, if it’ll make you uncomfortable...”

“No, it’s okay!” Twilight quickly reassured the Nomad. If telling her tale would in any way help the man, then she supposed that she wouldn’t mind taking the time to do so. Hedwyn was in all ways sincere, and she was confident that he wouldn’t judge her early thoughts or actions. With that in mind, Twilight looked down to the water and saw the reflection of the moon, which in turn reminded her of the very first threat that she and her friends had taken on together.

“A long time ago, you could say that I was a very different pony.” Twilight said as she began her story. “And not just because I didn’t have any wings at the time. Back in my home city of Canterlot, I was, to put it in the best of terms, lonely. A was the personal student to Princess Celestia and all I ever wanted to do was read and study to my heart’s content. Unfortunately, that lead me to have rather isolated lifestyle. I technically did have ‘friends’, but I never really put any priority in them. I even missed out on a party for one of them and didn’t think twice about it until much, much later.” Twilight out a shameful sigh. “Definitely not one of my greatest moments. While I was completely blind to this problem, Princess Celestia was far more aware of it. So, one day, she sent me to a town called Ponyville to overlook preparation for a celebration known as the Summer Sun Celebration that she would attend herself. I think she just wanted me to get out of the library and try to socialize.”

“I can understand that.” Hedwyn said. “There were few times where Jodariel had to push me to do something I didn’t like so that I could knock off a bad habit. She may look intimidating, but she a real softie to those she really likes. It can be kind of annoying, but I know she’s just interested in my best interest.”

Twilight giggled at this and then thought back to Princess Celestia. The more she thought about it, the alicorn realized the maternal instinct that the Sun Princess had provided to her as a filly. She then decided to resume her story. “Anyway, the Princess sent me and my dragon assistance, Spike,” Twilight paused a minute at the thought of her pseudo-little brother. “oh Celestia, I hope he’s okay wherever he is. I’m sorry, me and Spike reached Ponyville before the celebration began in the evening. That’s when I met all of my friends with…interesting results. Applejack was friendly, but she and her family were a bit overwhelming. Rainbow Dash was extremely cocky and arrogant, but I was still highly impressed by her flying skills. Rarity, who’s a fashionista by the way, was completely enamored by the high-society lifestyle I lived around. Fluttershy barely even talked to me but was more than happy to talk with Spike. And for Pinkie…well, she did her thing and threw me a big party welcoming me to Ponyville. At that time, I really didn’t think that these would be the ponies I would form a lifetime bond with. I was just focused on getting the celebration over with and return to my books.” The alicorn began feel remorseful as she remembered just how selfish she was back then.

“So, what changed your mind?” Hedwyn asked.

Twilight paused for a moment and looked back to the wavy reflection of the moon. “Before I left for Ponyville, I was researching an evil alicorn known as Nightmare Moon, a threat that Celestia had vanquished over a millennium ago. She was once Celestia’s sister, but her jealousy of her sister’s attention and admiration created a darkness inside of her that eventually took over her mind and body. The Princess had no other choice but to send her corrupted sister away to the moon. I found signs that point to her return and went to warn the her, but that was when she sent me on my mission. Imagine my surprise when on the very night I went to Ponyville, Nightmare Moon made her appearance and announced that she had captured Celestia. She then vowed that there would be an ever-lasting night over all of Equestria, never to see the sun again. When she then disappeared to somewhere else, I had a feeling that she retreated to Celestia’s old Castle in the Everfree Forest. When I decided to go confront Nightmare Moon alone, I was surprised when the five mares that I barely knew wanted to help me.” The purple mare then looked back up to the horizon and put on a small smile.

“As we when through the forest and got past Nightmare Moon’s traps and obstacles,” she continued. “I realized just how…amazing they were. They showed me the five key aspects of friendship: Honesty, Laughter, Kindness, Generosity and Loyalty. When we made it to the castle and confronted Nightmare Moon, they were able to unlock five of the six Elements of Harmony. Thanks to this realization, I was able to unlock my Element of Magic and we were all able to save Princess Celestia and with that, all of Equestria. However, we didn’t just defeat Nightmare Moon, we saved her. The Elements banished the darkness from her soul, and she became Princess Luna once again. Celestia got her sister back and we became heroes that day. It was then Celestia assigned me to stay in Ponyville with my new friends and study the magic of friendship.” Twilight gave a sigh as she reached the conclusion of her tale. “We’ve been together ever since. In that time, we made new friends, faced world-ending threats and learned even more about friendship. Meeting those five mares all that time ago, it was probably one of the important events in my life.”

The pair fell silent as the sound of the small waves rolling under the wagon filled the air. Eventually, Hedwyn spoke up. “Well, that’s certainly one was to make friends for life.” he said jokingly. Twilight smiled at this, finding it admittedly funny that it was a rather bizarre situation when she really thought about. However, the alicorn knew that the Nomad wasn’t mocking her, rather he was just pointing out the absurdity of it.

“It certainly is,” Twilight agreed. “but I’ve never regretted it. We all maybe different, but our friendship is real and stronger than ever. It’s honestly quite hard to imagine life without them now.”

“You’re definitely lucky,” he continued. “A lot of people would be envious of having the friendships that you have. This is something comforting about not having to worry about constantly looking behind your back, knowing that you have a friend looking for you. It’s especially the case for here in the Downside. I find that comradery makes surviving a lot easier. It certainly makes me appreciate that I had Jodariel and Rukey with me for a while. Probably wouldn’t be around without them.”

As Hedwyn inadvertently began talking about a time before they met, a certain question began to pop up in Twilight’s head. It was something that the alicorn was always faintly thinking about, but there never was an appropriate moment to bring it up. Until now, that is. Though, Twilight only hoped that the Nomad would take no offense to it. “Um, Hedwyn?” the alicorn carefully asked. “Since we’re sharing stories, I was wondering if I could ask you something as well.” She paused and nervously gulped as she prepared her question. “How…How did you end up here in the Downside?”

Hedwyn was eerily silent after she mentioned the inquiry and continued to stare down at the waves. Twilight began to really worry if she had offended the Nomad for asking that sort of question and was preparing to immensely apologize for it. She then felt partially relieve when she saw a small smile spread across his lips. “Hm,” he half-chuckled. “I’m honestly quite surprised that it took you this long to ask me that. You are just full of surprises, Twilight Sparkle.” He then looked back up and gazed at the purple alicorn with a much more serious expression. “Keep in mind though that I am here for a reason. I am technically a criminal, after all. Are you…sure you want to know why I’m here, with that in mind?”

Twilight thought carefully at what Hedwyn had told her, knowing that he had a good point. It was hard to remember that the Nightwings were basically criminals casted away from the Commonwealth. However, it was hard to remember only because that they all seemed genuine with the alicorn and her friend and she never really detected any nefarious intensions from them. It was for that reason Twilight made her decision. “Applejack always tells me that you have to be honest with your friends and trust them. You saved my life when I first arrived here even though it looked like I didn’t have much of a chance. I don’t think any harden criminal would do something like that. So yes, I would like to know why you are here in the Downside. Because I trust you…as a friend.”

Musical Cue - Life Sentence

At the mention of the word ‘friend’, Twilight noticed that the Nomad’s eyes lit up a bit despite his sickly condition. Despite the joy that she saw he had, however, she also noticed that there was a bit of melancholy on his face as well. Before the alicorn could study his face further, Hedwyn looked away from her again and back down at the waves. “Before I can tell you my story,” he began. “I think it would be best if I give you some context. We…the Commonwealth is at war with an organization known as the Highwing Remnants, a militaristic group of Harps hellbent on tearing the country to the ground.”

“Harps?” Twilight asked, unfamiliar with what the man was referring to.

“They are like us Nomads, only they have wings instead of arms. They’re bird-like people, meaning they have the ability to fly. It’s because of this difference that the Harps hate the Commonwealth and its people. They think themselves superior, and they wish to prove it…through bloodshed. And my people feel just the same.” Hedwyn paused for a moment before he continued. “I mentioned to you before that I had already knew Jodariel when I was a young boy before I was exiled.” Twilight nodded at the memory. “Well, the reason I ever even met her was because she was running an orphanage at the time. When I was little, my parents were sent to the front lines to fight the Highwing Revenant. However,…they never came back.”

Twilight felt her heart ache at the Nomad’s terrible loss. Even though she was at a loss for words, she still felt like that she had to comfort him somehow. “Hedwyn, I’m…I’m sorry for your loss.” she said with sympathy. She knew that such a generic condolence would hardly help him cope with the terrible memory, but thankfully Hedwyn appeared appreciative for the thought.

“The thing is, I hardly have any solid memories with them. I was so young. “I’m not sure if that makes it easier, or just sadder.” Hedwyn sighed heavily. “Needless to say, I had a vendetta against the Highwing Revenants and the Harps. As soon as I was of age, I readily joined the military to fight them. Jodariel wasn’t as enthusiastic as I was. She also had a hatred for the Harps, she still does to this day, but I guess she didn’t like the idea of me on the battlefield for some reason. We lost touch after I left her, definitely not one of my shining moments.”

Twilight listened on with great interest. It was then something rather morbid crossed the purple mare’s mind. She was rather hesitant to ask it, but her curiosity got the better of her. “So, you joined military. Does that mean you eventually…killed one of the Harps?”

“Would it surprise you if I said I didn’t?” Hedwyn asked in a slightly joking manner. When he saw that the joke didn’t connect well with the alicorn, he became a bit more serious again. “After a couple of years, I completed the training at one of the military camps. I was then stationed at an outpost located out in the front lines known as the Bloodborder. I was expecting battle on the first day I arrived there, but it turns out the outpost was located in a less than active area, really only there to provide support for one of the major ones. I was there to act as both a scout and lookout for my company. Some would think that I was lucky to avoid all of carnage of the war, but I was really just bored. A few years spent of just staring out into a barren landscape finding absolutely nothing. It was honestly dreadful…until I met her.”

Twilight’s ears perked up when Hedwyn mentioned an unnamed third party. “One day, I was on a reconnaissance mission farther from the outpost than usual. The area was a narrow canyon where our surveillance was highly limited. They told me to stay vigilant, but I knew that this mission was just going to be like the rest them, uneventful. Imagine my surprise when all the sudden something from above tackled me to the ground. I already knew it was a Harp and I knew what she was there to kill me. When I looked up to see what I thought would be my last sight, I was simply amazed. Her hair matched the deep blue hue of the midnight sky, and her eyes were just so…striking. I hardly even noticed the knife she had pressed against my throat. She then asked me if I had any last words, and I said the first thing that popped into my head.”

“What was it?” Twilight asked as the Nomad paused for a second.

“I said, ‘You are absolutely beautiful.’” Hedwyn recited what he had said to the Harp. Despite her best efforts, Twilight couldn’t help but let out a small giggle at the cheesy, inappropriate, yet endearing line he had said to her. “She actually had the same reaction,” he continued. “After I said that, she rolled off me and just burst out laughing. She went on like that for a few minutes before she finally composed herself. She told me that I was either an heartful fool or brave idiot, and I told her that I might have been both. After a few lines of banter, I was able to get her name: Fikani. I knew that it was a Harp name, but it still sounded gorgeous to my ears. After that, we just started talking. I told her a bit about myself and she told me about herself, although she didn’t really go into great detail about her past. She said she was the type who wanted to live in the moment. We probably spent hours talking about ourselves and our dreams, but we hardly noticed the time pass by. All that time, just sitting and talking to her, it was just magical. It really is funny. I’ve spent most of my life hating the Harps, but the first one I meet, I just felt a…true connection with her.”

A faint blush started to show on the alicorn’s cheeks. She could tell the tell-tale signs of a budding romance, thanks to what she had caught on from Princess Cadance back when she was her foalsitter. And even though the Princess of Love was not here, she’d be no doubt swooning over Hedwyn’s story of love. Especially considering that the romance was considered taboo based on their respective cultures. However, Twilight warm feeling slowly faded away when she remembered what this story was about. She highly doubted that Hedwyn’s tale of his exile would have a happy ending. “What happened to her?” Twilight asked carefully.

Hedwyn let out a long sigh. “Eventually, we had to return to our posts, lest we be discovered together. When I asked her if I would ever see her again, she gave me a kiss on the cheek and made it a promise. She then flew off into the air while I looked on in awe. Days passed ever since that meeting, and my superiors wanted me to stay on look out at the outpost. It was honestly quite maddening. Try as I might, I just couldn’t get Fikani out of my head. It felt as though my heart was literally yearning for her presence. I know that sounds silly for a girl that I only met once, but I hardly cared about that. I didn’t care about the war or the Commonwealth, I just wanted to see her again, no matter the cost.” The Nomad tightened his grip on the railing. “One night, I slipped away during my watch while my comrades were asleep. I spent the next few hours searching the canyon around the spot where we met, hoping to find her again. I almost gave up, but then I saw her land a good distance from me. We both looked into each other’s eyes and I noticed that she looked a bit out of breath, almost as if she was searching for me as well. We ran towards each other and immediately embraced. She kissed me, and that’s when I knew that I wanted to spend my life with the one who was supposed to be my enemy. I was prepared to abandon my country and spend the rest of my days with Fikani. And when I told her that, she then made a promise that she would be at my side until the end of our days.”

“Hedwyn…” Twilight said sympathetically, knowing that tragedy was about to happen.

The Nomad paid her no mind and continued. “Fikani then looked to the sky and saw a squadron of Highwings approaching her. She quickly shoved me into a nearby crevice in the wall to the left of us and told me to be completely silent. I obeyed and watched on at a distance as she met with the squadron. I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, but it sounded like they were in a heated discussion. After a while, they all left, but I saw Fikani look back one more time and just gave this sad look before she flew off. There was just something about that one, final look she gave me that really tore my heart apart.” Hedwyn paused for a moment, as if he was trying his best to collect the painful memories. “When everything was clear, I emerged from the crevice and made my way back to the outpost, only that it wasn’t like how I left it. The entire complex was on fire, the flames reaching up and grazing the stars. I could only look on in complete astonishment before I was tackled to the ground. I was apprehended by other Coomonwealth soldiers, lead by a commander from another nearby post. He told me….He told me that all of my comrades were slaughtered in their sleep by the Highwings. They stood no just as the Harps swooped in and killed everyone, and then set the outpost on fire for good measure. The commander recognized my uniform and knew that I was supposed to be the lookout for my comrades. He laid their blood on my hands, and I think that, in a sense, he was right. I was arrested right on the spot, for the crime of desertion.”

The severity of Hedwyn’s situation was finally starting to sink in for the alicorn. She wasn’t entirely familiar with how a military was run and organized, although she probably should have, considering her status as a princess. However, growing up with her brother, Shining Armor, who had spent a good portion of his career in the Royal Guard allowed her to pick up a few points about the army. One of which was some of the corporal crimes involved, including that of desertion. Shining had once told her that desertion was almost at the same level as treason, in terms of severity of the crime. To abandon from your post and leaving at your own volition meant putting your entire squad, and potentially even the entire country, in jeopardy. That was the lesson that was drilled into her brother’s head ever since boot camp, and she had to admit that there was some logic to that. Thankfully, there were little to no cases of desertion in the Royal Army in the most recent year, at least to the alicorn’s knowledge. Still though, the punishment for desertion still stood, and she heard that it was extremely harsh. While Twilight was contemplating, her mind wandered to a certain possibility of events. There was something about the Fikani’s placement along with the Highwing attack. “Hedwyn,” Twilight began to say carefully, realizing that he might not like the assumption she was about to make. “do you think that Fikani might have-“

“NO!” Hedwyn immediately interrupted the alicorn. Twilight was rather taking aback by this, considering that was the largest amount of aggression and anger she had heard in the Nomad’s normally calm voice. “Fikani had NOTHING to do with that, I know it! I may have only known her for a day, but in the few hours we talked and from that look she gave me, she was completely genuine. I’m certain of it!”

Twilight lowered her head in shame for even entertaining the idea in the first place. Hedwyn’s passionate belief in the Harp dissipated most of the doubts she had on the situation. It looked as the Nomad calmed down bit and looked to the waves. “I’m sorry about that. I know you meant no ill intent. But I have a lot of…strong feelings for Fikani.” Twilight nodded her head in understanding, knowing how love like that could invoke such passion. “Anyway,” he continued. “I was immediately taken to trial and received my sentence. The same punishment for every crime in the Commonwealth: exile to the Downside. Before they tossed me into the River, the commander told me one more thing. He said for my negligence and for the indirect murders of my comrades, I would be given the ever-lasting name, ‘Hedwyn the Deserter’. He then personally threw me into the River and in a matter of hours, a washed up in this wasteland.” Another pause passed through the air as the pair just listen to the waves. “I struggled those first few days, trying my hardest to survive. I had almost given up hope, until I found a familiar face. I came across Jodariel in the Prairie and was almost shocked at how different she looked with those horns sprouting from her head. Jodi was also taken aback from seeing me in the Downside. When I told her why I was here, she slapped me across my face for my foolishness and then immediately hugged me and said she missed me terribly. I had to admit, finding familiar company made surviving a little bit easier. We traveled together for the next five years after that, where we eventually met Rukey and he joined our merry band. Eventually, I began to hear rumors of the Eight Scribes, the Rites and our mysterious benefactor, Sandalwood. I was able to get into contact with one of his agents, where I was then led to finding the blackwagon. That was when a discovered what the Nightwings were and how we could all one day regain our freedom. It wasn’t long after that before we found you in the desert.”

And with that final connecting point, it seemed as though Hedwyn was finally finish with his tale. A tale of loss, love, heartbreak and defeat that still left Twilight for a loss of exact words. It was clear that the Nomad was waiting for Twilight to decide whether or not she would think any differently of him based on what she knew now. And while Twilight wanted to immediately say that his crimes hardly matter, but her inner doubts stopped her. What Hedwyn did was wrong and highly selfish when it came right down to it. People did die from the consequences of his choices and exile did seem like an appropriate punishment. However, Twilight also knew that Hedwyn had no purposeful ill-intend towards his comrades and he clearly felt bad over their fate. Nothing of the Nomad’s attitude and personality matched with one who would purposely hurt others for his own benefit. To top it all off, it was an act entirely based on love. And remembering something Cadance had once told her, love sometimes made creatures do illogical things. “Listen, Hedwyn,” the alicorn said to him. “I really can’t say that what you did was right. Your actions on that night did have irreversible consequences. But with that said, I know that you had no intentions of getting anyone killed. If you knew then what would happen, I’m sure you would’ve acted differently. I’m still forever grateful to you for saving my life and for at least giving me a bit of hope that me and my friends can return to Equestria. And I honestly don’t think anything is going to change that.”

The Nomad was silent for a moment, taking in the alicorn’s kind words. It really looked as though he wasn’t expecting acceptance like that so soon. “Hmm, you really are a shining star, Twilight Sparkle. Thank you.” he finally said with his usual smile. “Once we all get out of the Downside together, I’ve got two tasks to complete. One of them is to find Fikani. It may have been a couple of years, but my gut is telling me that she’s still out there. And when I finally find her, we’ll finally be able to live that promise we made that night. If she’ll take me back, that is.”

Twilight grinned at the Nomad’s devotion to find his beloved again. “And the other thing you plan on doing?” she asked him.

Hedwyn didn’t hesitate to answer her. “I’m going to find a way to get you and your friends back home. You guys got her some way or another, and there’s bound to be something in this world that will tell us how. From there, we can probably just retrace the steps backwards to find a solution.”

The purple mare was a little surprised by this proclamation. “Hedwyn, are you sure you don’t want to dedicate your time to finding Fikani? I’m sure that I’ll find us way back to Equestria just fine by myself.”

Hedwyn then shook his head. “On the day we met, during our first Rite together in the Book, I made a promise to you. If you lead us to our freedom, I would do everything in my power to get you home as well. And I am determined to follow through on that vow. I won’t break another promise to somebody important to me; a good friend like you deserves as much.”

Small tears began to form in the corners of the alicorn’s eyes, clearly touched at the Nomad’s heartfelt words. Even in a brand-new world, where there wasn’t single trace of familiarity to her aside from her treasured friends, Twilight could still find a way to make a new friend. She had indeed come a long way since her first day in Ponyville when barely even considered friendship as anything important compared to her studies. But it only took dozens, if not hundreds, of experiences with her friends to learn how much friendship could enhance life into something much more beautiful. And even in the exiled wasteland of the Downside, she could still find that spark of friendship in its inhabitants. Princess Celestia would no doubt feel a sense of pride and accomplishment for her former student fulfilling her role as the Princess of Friendship.

Hedwyn then let out a yawn. “Alright, I think I’m going to try and get some rest for the night.”

“Are you feeling any better?” Twilight asked him, remembering his prior seasickness.

“I still feel uneasy, but I think I’m at a point where I can try to get some sleep now. All that talking really helped.” He stopped leaning onto the railing and began to head inside, but he stopped to look to Twilight one more time. “I hope it’s not too much trouble, but I would appreciate it if you kept this conversation just between us. My past is…still a sore subject for me. But it did feel good to talk about it. Helped me get a better idea about what I’m doing and why I’m doing it.”

“My lips are sealed, Hedwyn,” Twilight said with a smile. “I’m glad I was able to be of some help.”

The Nomad returned the smile and then gave the pony a few pets to the top of her head. “Try not to stay up to late yourself. We need our Reader in top condition if we want to get our freedom. You sleep well, my friend.”

With that, the Nomad headed inside the wagon, leaving the alicorn alone on the moonlit deck. She looked out to the water one more time and reflected on the conversation she and Hedwyn had just shared. She certainly appreciated getting a better understanding of her Nomad friend, but she also felt a small bit of pity for him as well. Again, he wasn’t innocent of some non-existent crime, but his circumstances spoke more of tragedy rather than solid retribution. Deep down, she hoped that Fikani was still alive and remembered the time she shared with Hedwyn. The passion and intense interest he had when speaking about her gave Twilight the impression that they might be destined to be together. She supposed that she would just add that to the growing lists of reasons to find freedom from the Downside. Afterall, Hedwyn was her friend now, and alicorn would do just about anything if it meant helping a friend during a time of need.

Twilight then let out a yawn, signaling that it was probably time for her to get to bed. She moved away from the railing and made her way back inside the wagon. She would have to be ready for tomorrow when they would all finally reach the Sea of Solis. From there, they would sail on for the next Rite.

One step closer to freedom.

Comforts on the Sea

Chapter 15: Comforts on the Sea

Musical Cue - Strange Voyage

Morning came and went for the passengers of the blackwagon as it continued to make its watery voyage. The waters were a bit rougher today than it was yesterday, but it was at least manageable to navigate so long as Twilight kept her focus on the steering. Eventually, the wagon approached a narrow passageway made by two large, rocky bluffs on both sides. After confirming with Tariq that this was the path that they needed to take, Twilight carefully steered into the rocky hallway. The wagon only barely managed to fit in between the two bluff and even then, it was still a close call. One could easily reach out their hand or hoof from the side of the deck and feel the wet and slimy texture of the cliffs. The alicorn played it smart and moved the wagon slowly and avoided any sudden movements. Applejack and Jodariel were on both the left and right sides of the wagon to make sure that it didn’t get too close to either side. One wrong move and they could risk crashing into one of the walls and cause a breach in the hull. The situation was quite tense, Twilight was determined to keep her collective calm and sail onward. After half an hour of slowly creeping forward, the wagon finally reached the end of the rocky corridor and was freed from the tight confines. What Twilight saw next almost took her breath away.

After the miserable slog through the Flagging Hands, the alicorn hardly expected the Downside to be any better further along in the journey. So, it was to her great surprise when the sun finally revealed itself in the sky in an intensity that she hadn’t witnessed since back in Jomuer Valley. Although, when her eyes finally adjusted, Twilight saw a landscape that was far different from the dry environ of the Valley. All around in front of her, far as the eye could see, was a vast expanse of blue, crystal-clear water. The alicorn could see countless shimmers and sparkles in the calm waters, no doubt caused by the bright sunlight. The purple pony began to look around and saw there were multiple islets scattered around, only unlike the cramp, claustrophobic feeling of the Wyrm Gulf, they were all evenly spaced out across the expansive area. The islets were made up of burnt-orange sand along with tall, periwinkle trees that looked like furry puffballs on sticks. All-in-all, the landscape was beautiful, and Twilight was certain that they had reached the Sea of Solis.

The Nightwings and other ponies had similar reactions to the Sea as Twilight had. The alicorn then decide to try and make landfall to one of the islets in the hopes of gaining a better sense of direction in such a large body of water. As the blackwagon approached the shore, Twilight was once again surprised when she felt the vehicle jump a bit. It appeared that the outer deck and under hull of the wagon had folded inward into the hidden compartments from which they came from, with the mast and sail also detracted inside the roof. In the span of a few seconds, the blackwagon had converted back into its original land-based form. Twilight was still confused as to how Pinkie and Bertrude managed to accomplish this but again decided that it was best to leave well alone. The wagon made a full stop on the sandy beach of the islet and all of its passengers exited outside. Despite the intense sunlight, the air was at a comfortably warm temperature thanks to a refreshing sea breeze.

“By the Scribes! The sea, I didn’t know it was so beautiful!” Mae said excitedly as she looked at the blue water. She then turned her attention to the sand and grabbed a handful of it to let it run through her sand. “And, this sand? It feels so warm and nice on my hands and feet!” The sheltered girl then knelt and began to play more in the orange sand.

“Come on now, sugarcube,” Applejack slightly scolded her. “I know that this place is real nice, but let’s not let get all sandy like that. Now come on, why don’t we have ya have yer feet wade in the water.”

Mae’s eyes lit up once again and immediately got up to follow the orange mare to the water. When she put her feet in the water, the girl couldn’t help but giggle at how cold and weird it felt. The alicorn smiled at the moon-touched girl’s merriment and was also glad to see that everybody was enjoying the pleasant atmosphere that the Sea provided…well, almost everybody. Twilight looked back to the blackwagon with immense worry, as she knew that there was still one Nightwing still inside confined to his bunk. Despite the purple mare’s best wishes, Hedwyn’s condition had only gotten worse after their little chat last night. His seasickness had worsened to a point where he was unable to get out his bed. As much as she wanted to stay beside him, Tariq insisted that he would look after him while she focused on steering the wagon out of the Gulf. But now that they had made it safely to the Sea, Twilight’s focus shifted entirely back onto her sick friend.

“Hraaah-hoooom?” Ti’zo cooed as he landed on top of Twilight’s head and looked over to where she was looking. Though she couldn’t understand him like Tariq or Fluttershy, Twilight knew that the little creature was also worried for the Nomad.

“He requires further rest, Ti’zo.” Tariq answered his worried coos. “All we can do is wish him a swift recovery.”

“When will Mister Hedwyn get better?” Mae asked with worried as she returned from the water. “I have never seen someone that sick before without…well…”

The atmosphere became tense with the morbid implications that the moon-touched girl had made. Thankfully, Rainbow Dash was quick to try and lighten the mood. “Aw, don’t worry about it, Mae. Hed’s tough as nails! It’s gonna take a lot more than some namby-pamby seasickness to take him out!”

The pegasus’s bravado seemed to have worked as Mae and the rest of the group didn’t look as down trotted as before. And while Twilight did look hopeful on the outside, she still felt some worry for the Nomad on the inside. She would have to make sure to check on Hedwyn one they were back on the water heading towards the right direction. Speaking of which, Tariq went to the alicorn to talk about their next course of action. “Madame Twilight, may I trouble you to take a look towards the east?”

Twilight looked to where the minstrel was pointing and saw what he was referring to. The not-so fare off distance to the west, Twilight could make out the shape of something very large. If she squinted hard enough, she could tell that is was some sort of large shipwreck with the front of the boat pointing upward towards the sky. She also saw that there was something wrapped around the wreckage, but she couldn’t make out the finer details as to what it was. “Is that…the Hulk of Ores?” Twilight guessed as to what she was seeing.

“Very good, Madame Twilight,” Tariq answered. “Judging by the distance from where we are now, we should be able to reach the Celestial Landmark by the evening if we make haste immediately. Just in time for the next Rite. However, from here we will have to diverge from Bertrude’s instructions. Consult with your companions about which course to take and we can be off.”

Twilight then looked back to the distance and noticed that there was a long strip of land in between them and the Hulk of Ores. She saw that the middle was far too rocky for the wagon to traverse through safely, which left the choice of either going left or right. When the purple mare decided to ask the group about an opinion of which direction to take, Ti’zo suddenly got excited and gestured over to the right. According to Fluttershy’s translation, the Imp was very familiar with that spot which was locally known as the Fathomless Trench. Despite its somewhat ominous namesake, the area was well known for teeming with fish and other sea life. Ti’zo suggested that they could catch some of those fish not only for a tasty treat for himself, but perhaps also to sell at the Slug Market. Seeing no flaw in the Imp’s logic, Twilight decided that the wagon take the route south towards the Trench on their way to the Hulk of Ores. After no objections were stated from the group, everybody got back on the wagon to begin the next leg of the journey.

When they all got back on, Twilight politely asked if Applejack wouldn’t mind steering for a little while. The country pony had no problem with the request and went over to the controls. Just like that, the wagon started up once again and its nautical equipment appeared once again once it hit the water. As everybody went about with their individual tasks, Twilight only had one thing in mind. The alicorn went over to Hedwyn’s bunk to check his condition. However, her worry only grew when she saw the state the Nomad was in. He was much paler than was last night and she could see that he was slightly shivering in his bunk, clear indication that he was in the midst of a fever. He was still asleep with a wet towel draped across his forehead, but she really wondered how well it was helping. After taking a closer look, Twilight noticed that he was still wearing the blue, cloth bandana that he always wore. While she wasn’t the most medically inclined, Twilight doubted that the tied-up piece of cloth would feel pleasant in his current condition. She slowly lifted up her hoof to remove the cloth in hopes of making the Nomad more comfortable.

“You need not worry, Madame Twilight.” Twilight jumped a bit and quickly turned around to see that it was Tariq who had interrupted her.

“I’m sorry!” she immediately apologized. “I just wanted to check on him and make sure he was comfortable, and…” Twilight trailed off in her rambling and sighed. “I’m really worry, Tariq. He looks really sick now and he’s not showing any signs of improvement. I was in really bad condition when I arrived in this world, and Hedwyn was the first one to help me and nurse my wounds and hunger.” Twilight rubbed at the bandages on her front hooves reminiscing on how she and the Nomad first met. “Now he needs help and all I can do is just sit back helplessly and do nothing for him. Even if I did remember any healing spells off the top of my head, I would still be somewhat hesitant to use them because I don’t know how they would affect a human. I just…I just feel useless right now.”

The minstrel said nothing and had let the alicorn vent out her worries. Once it appeared that she was done, he was quick to offer her comfort. “I believe you are just seeing the situation as more severe than it actual is, Madame Twilight. The fever that Hedwyn has now is quite small compared to some of the other cases I have witnessed. The only thing really afflicting him is severe fatigue combined with his seasickness. All he really requires is rest and he will back on his feet. Quite possibly by tonight, if I am correct.” He then knelt down and placed his hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “I understand your worry for him, Twilight. If I am to be honest, seeing such concern puts me more at peace with your status as Reader for the Nightwings. Such a compassionate heart with dedication to move forward is exactly what a triumvirate needs to achieve victory in the Rites. With that said, Hedwyn will be fine. I have very high confidence in it.”

The minstrel’s hopeful words did help calm her down a bit. In the short time she had known him, Tariq was always deadest on his convictions and rarely ever faltered in them in times of duress. Therefore, the alicorn had no reason doubt his belief in Hedwyn’s recovery. She supposed that it would probably be better to be hopeful about the situation rather than to be bleak about it. Twilight gave a small smile and nodded to the Lone Minstrel as he stood back up. She was about to thank him when suddenly a ringing noise began to emanate followed by Pinkie Pie’s laughter. “You might want to go what that is about.” Tariq suggested. “Do not worry, I will keep an eye on Hedwyn until then.”

Though she was still hesitant to leave the Nomad’s side, Twilight agreed and headed over to the ringing. The purple mare crossed the room and saw what exactly Pinkie was doing over near the door. The party pony was excitedly ringing the big, brass nautical bell that was hanging beside the doorway. “Pinkie,” Twilight spoke over the ringing. “what are you doing?”

Pinkie stopped the ringing and looked to her friend. “Um, ringing the bell? Duh.”

That didn’t really give Twilight anything to go on. “Well, why are you ringing the bell?” she asked, trying to be more specific.

“Well, I’m kinda super, duper bored right now. So, I thought that I would ring this super fun bell for awhile to see if that takes away my boredom!” She then began another short round of ringing before she stopped again. “Eh, still nothing yet, but I’ll keep trying! Besides, pointlessly ringing a bell is super fun!” The pink mare then went back to ringing the bell at a constant rate yet again. After a few more seconds of Pinkie ringing the bell, both of the ponies were caught by surprise when Rukey suddenly appeared before them.

“Oh, you just keep right on ringing that bell, Pinks! Keep at it!” he shouted at them. Despite the encouraging claim, Twilight knew that the Cur was quite annoyed by the party pony’s shenanigans based on the irritated features on his face and the sarcasm dripping from his voice.

“Hi, Rukey!” Pinkie greeted cheerfully. “Did you happen to hear my ringing? Isn’t it just so fun to constantly ring it?!”

Seeing how the pink mare wasn’t taking the hint, Rukey continued on. “Oh yeah, suuuper fun there, Pinks. I really can imagine a better pastime than to ring the bell that we use for nautical emergencies and signaling meal time. And I know for a fact that it’s not even meal time. But hey, I’m really starting to enjoy the constant ring sound. Even though now it doesn’t mean ANYTHING to me or ANYBODY anymore!” The outraged sarcasm in Rukey’s voice was clear as day now and would be nearly impossible for anybody to miss. Unfortunately, Rukey was speaking to Pinkie Pie.

“Well that’s great!” Pinkie obliviously said to the Cur. She kept on her smile until her expression suddenly switched to one of realization. “Wait a minute. I think I know what you’re getting at now!” The growing relief on Rukey’s face instantly vanished at the pink mare’s next sentence. “Do you want a go at ringing the bell, Rukey?”

Twilight saw Rukey’s left eye twitch a little and then he took a long sigh. “You know what, Pinks? Maybe I will get a crack at that bell. Ringing that thing all day and night must be pretty good exercise for ya, right?! And hey, it’s pretty good training for my ears too! Did you two happen to know Did you happen to know that we Curs have super sensitive hearing compared to other species?” Both of the mare shook their heads at having prior knowledge of the fact, but then recoiled back when the Cur shouted again. “WELL NOT ANYMORE, I DON’T! I’m practically deaf now thanks to all that ringing. So, thank you, Pinks! Thanks for taking away one of my precious senses that probably need to survive in the Downside! Are you two happy now?!”

Both of the ponies were speechless to the Cur. It appeared that Pinkie had finally caught on and had on a look of guilt on her face. Before either of them could begin to apologize for potentially crippling the Cur, his sour expression instantly switched to jovialness one. “He he he! I’m just kiddin’ ya, you two!” he chuckled. “Takes a lot more than a flimsy old bell to take out my hearing! Just wanted to play a little trick on you guys. Gotta learn to laugh sometimes, right?” The Cur then trotted out onto the deck while humming a happy little tune.

While Twilight was still perplexed at what had just happened, Pinkie started to giggle again. “Oh, I see now! Rukey was just pulling a little prank on us. That was so silly of him!” The pink mare giggled some more at the trick the Cur pulled on them and then let out a satisfied sigh. “Welp,” she said after a long pause. “Back to business! This old bell isn’t going to ring itself!”

Pinkie only managed to ring the bell again for a few more seconds before Rukey popped in the doorway again. “Okay, stop it, Pinks.” he said with complete seriousness. “It’s really bugging me. Please?” And just like that, the Cur disappeared again.

“Pinkie,” Twilight advised her friend. “I think it’d be best if you stop ringing the bell now. Rukey asked you politely this time.”

“Awwww.” the baker said as she looked down in defeat. She then looked back at the bell. “Maybe just one more tiny ding?”

“Pinkie.” The alicorn chastised her friend before she could get the idea. The pink mare only stared directly at her as she slowly lifted her hoof towards the bell. “Pinkie.” Twilight repeated again. The pink hoof was half way to the bell now, ever so close to ringing it again. The purple mare gave her friend one final warning. “Don’t do it, Pinkie. You heard wha-“

Twilight couldn’t finish her thought as Pinkie’s hoof swiftly reached for the bell and gave it a few more dings. The alicorn was about to reprimand her but was interrupted when Rukey appeared once again. However, he didn’t even speak to the ponies as he wordless trotted to the bell and reached up to yank the metal clapper inside. The Cur then took the small piece of metal and threw it overboard where it landed and sunk into the Sea. Rukey looked to the ponies one more time and huffed before he went back outside. Pinkie tried to tap against the bell, only for it to let out near-silent clank. “Oh, phooey,” she sighed. “There go the days upon days I would’ve spent ringing the bell non-stop.” Her downtrodden state didn’t last long, however, as she quickly perked up and put on her usual smile. “Oh well! Guess I’ll just find some other menial, no purpose activity to keep myself occupied with! La la la!”

The party pony then merrily bounced off to somewhere else in the wagon. Twilight simply rolled her eyes and chuckled to herself at the shenanigans with the bell. Though she did have to admit, it was probably for the best that Rukey silenced the bell. She could only imagine how the constant ringing would drive the rest of the group crazy. As much as she loved the pink mare, sometimes Pinkie’s craziness could be a little too much. Even still, the party pony’s pros outweighed her cons, as she couldn’t really that anybody would stay mad at her forever. Twilight then decided to head out onto the deck to get some fresh air as the blackwagon sailed on.

Musical Cue Continued - Strange Voyage

It was about mid afternoon by the time the wagon had made it to the Fathomless Trench. The vehicle made landfall on a long strip of beach and stopped so that Rukey and Hedwyn could tend to the drive imps. Jodariel and Applejack were double checking the wheels for any damage, while Pinkie had dragged Rainbow Dash with her to build sandcastles with Mae. That left Twilight, Tariq, Fluttershy and Ti’zo to wander over to the shore to get a better look at the trench. Unlike the mucky waters of the Wyrm Gulf, the waters here at the Sea were quite clear and gave a rather pretty shimmer thanks to the sunlight. It was transparent to the point where Twilight could almost make out the seafloor. Of course, this stopped being the case when she looked over to the large, dark crevice under the water, which she assumed must have been the Trench. While Twilight was looking over the water, Ti’zo was letting out an excited series of chirps.

“Um, if you two don’t mind,” Fluttershy politely said to Twilight and Tariq. “I’m going to just fly over the water to keep an eye on Ti’zo while he’s fishing.” When the pair nodded at the yellow mare, she turned her attention to the Imp. “Are you ready now, Ti’zo?”

“Scraah-HAAAA!” Ti’zo yelled as he dove into the water and began swimming towards deeper waters.

“Oh dear. Ti’zo, please be careful down there!” Fluttershy warned the Imp and then flew up just a meter from the surface of the water.

The alicorn watched as the shy pegasus hovered over the water in an attempt to keep track of Ti’zo swimming deep in the water. She then followed the pegasus’s gaze down to the water to see if she could find the Imp herself. However, while she could see him swimming in the water, she also saw something else in the corner of her eye. She tried to focus in on whatever it was, but it was both too deep in the water and moving at an quicken pace. As she looked closer, she did see that there were more of those wriggling shapes along with the first one she found. She first thought that they were just fish, but there was just something off about them that the purple mare couldn’t place her hoof on.

“You see them too, yes?” Twilight looked back to see that the minstrel was talking to her. It would appear that he had also saw what she had seen deep in the Sea. “Those shapes in the water down there. Some of them have to be Wyrms.”

“Wyrms?” Twilight asked in confusion.

“They are an amphibious species that reign from an undersea regime known as the Sea-Dominion.” Tariq explained. “Despite their small stature, they are a warrior race that are natural born masters of tactics and warfare. I understand that once they had completely conquered their own waters, they went on land to seek new wars to fight in. That was when the Commonwealth reached out to them allowed them to fight for some of their wars.”

“Wait,” the alicorn said, not completely understanding. “Why would they decided to fight in wars for the Commonwealth? Doesn’t really seem logical to risk their lives like that for another country’s outside conflict. Did the Commonwealth pay them with money or land in return?”

“No,” Tariq said, shaking her head. “they received no such compensation from the Commonwealth. The Wyrms fight for only two things: honor and glory. Despite their lust for war, they do not wage it for the sole purpose of conflict. I cannot say that I completely understand myself, but I believe that it may be due to a sense of purpose. To defeat their foes in fair and honorable combat must give them meaning in life. Otherwise, their entire species would continue on to hide under the waves while the world moved on without them. The Commonwealth simply capitalized on this need to be noticed, giving them a disposable army for their wars. Unfortunately, that also means they were put under the Commonwealth’s jurisdiction, making them eligible for exile to the Downside for any crimes they would commit.” The two of them looked downward again see that the mysterious shapes were no longer there. “For whatever the reason, the fact remains that the Wyrms are much more capable than they appear. They must make worthy adversaries.”

Twilight had to agree with the minstrel there. Though she hadn’t met one of these Wyrms as of yet, but she made a mental note not to underestimate them. She couldn’t help but wonder what exactly a Wyrm would bring to the Rites. Her thoughts wandered off again as looked up to see that Fluttershy was still hovering above the water looking out for Ti’zo. It was then the alicorn realized that had once again found herself alone with the minstrel. Not only that, she also realized that he had again taught her an important detail about this world that would most definitely assist her in the future. From his theory to finding her friends, the history of the Greater Titans and now information of another native species of this world, Twilight had to admit that the Lone Minstrel was a well of helpful knowledge ever since he had joined the traveling group. As she thought more about it, she then realized that maybe it was finally time to speak up her appreciation. “Um, Tariq?” the alicorn asked. “Mind if I say something?”

“By all means, Madame Twilight.” he politely responded.

Twilight shuffled one of her hooves in the sand, trying to structure her words. “I just want to say…thank you, for everything so far. You’ve really been a big help. Ever since you joined us back in the Valley, you’ve been really informative about how everything works here.”

“There is no need to thank me for that.” The minstrel answered. “It is expected that a stranger of another world wouldn’t have any knowledge of this. My role in this could easily be filled by one of the other Nightwings.”

“Oh, it’s not that I don’t appreciate the others!” Twilight quickly corrected herself. “Hedwyn, Jodariel and Rukey were really helpful the first day I arrived here. It’s just that…maybe it’s your calm demeanor that helps me take in all of this new information.” She sighed as another thought popped into her head. “Besides, that’s not the only thing that I appreciate. I…well, I’m also thankful for the emotional support that you’ve been providing me. Back in the Flagging Hands with the…that burial mound and now just recently with Hedwyn, I guess I almost lost my nerves. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m not really sure where I would be right now without your help.”

The Lone Minstrel looked down to the alicorn again with those calm, focused eyes. “Doubt is a natural obstacle that we all must overcome eventually, and I believe that it will hardly be the last time you face it either. Yet, I find that seeking the solace of others helps greatly in overcoming that doubt. That is simply just one of my duties as your guide on this journey. My destiny is tied with the Nightwings, which means that it is now tied to you until you return to your world. It is my pleasure to help you whenever you might need my guidance and support. The journey is still long, but I still have belief that you can continue it in stride. So long as you continue to stand by with your friends.”

Twilight shared the small smile that grew on the minstrel’s face. Once again, Tariq had made her feel more at ease with the bizarre situation she was in, only this time it was slightly different. Coming across more and more of her friends had definitely help her in coping with the harshness of the Downside. While it was true that Rarity, Spike and Starlight were still missing, it only provided the purple mare more motivation to keep going. Not to mention the new companions she was making in the Downside helping her along the way as well. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that maybe some things never changed no matter what world Twilight was in. Like how having friends at her side always seemed to make her stronger.

The alicorn and minstrel were then caught by surprise when Ti’zo suddenly resurfaced from the water. The small creature excitedly fluttered over to the pair while holding something with his feet. Fluttershy then followed behind to see the prize that Ti’zo caught. “Skrrrriiii!” he chirped to Twilight.

Fluttershy then translated for the Imp. “It looks like Ti’zo caught a fish called a Frothsea Flounder”

Twilight gave an uncomfortable look at the fish, seeing how it was slowly dying of suffocation from lack of water. Being a natural-born herbivore, Twilight cringed at the thought of using the fish for food. She briefly remembered how Gallus and Sliverstream had once asked to add fish to the cafeteria menu to the school. She politely denied them the request, seeing how they were the only meat-eaters attending the school and didn’t want to make the rest of the student body uncomfortable. Still though, she had to wonder if the timid pegasus was okay with all this. “Um, Fluttershy?” she asked her friend. “Are you sure you’re…okay with Ti’zo fishing?”

“Oh, well,” Fluttershy began. “normally I’m against using fish for such things. I’ve been working on getting the predators over at the animal sanctuary on a vegetarian diet for a while now. But I understand that Ti’zo and the other drive imps need to have meat for their diet. Though I’m sure that they would absolutely love one of my vegan cookies! I just hope that the fish don’t suffer too much”

“Skree-hee.” Ti’zo chirped out to the alicorn.

“Oh, um, now he’s saying that the fish is a gift to you.” the yellow mare translated.

Twilight winced at the fish again. As much as she appreciated the Imp’s kind gesture, she hardly wanted to hold on to the still-wriggling fish. “Oh, thank you, Ti’zo. Why don’t you do me a favor and go give it to Rukey. He’ll know where to keep it so that it stays fresh.” The small creature chirped in agreement and fluttered his way back to the wagon. Twilight let out a sigh of relief, thankful that she avoided the problem without hurting the Imp’s feelings. While she had no appetite for the fish, perhaps it would fetch a decent price at the Slug Market. The alicorn then looked to the sky and saw that it was becoming late in the afternoon. “We should get going now if we want to make it to the Rite by tonight.”

“I agree.” Said the minstrel. “Best we gather the others and make our way onto the waters again.”

The minstrel, alicorn and pegasus made their way back to the wagon. Applejack informed them that the vehicle was checked, and all set to go once again. After the farmer gathered Rainbow, Pinkie and Mae from their sandcastle-building, everybody began to pile into the blackwagon and settle in. All expect for Jodariel, who stood tall and stoic near the entrance. Before the minstrel and alicorn could climb aboard, the Demon halted them first. “Reader,” she said. “I would wish to speak to you in private. It will not take long, I assure you.”

Twilight was a bit perplexed by this sudden summons, but a reassuring look from Tariq gave her no reason to disobey. She nodded and then asked the minstrel to tell Applejack to get the wagon started. The alicorn and Demon then walked a short distance from the wagon for the requested privacy. For a moment, both of them just looked out to the Sea and saw the red and orange shimmers from the afternoon sun dance across the surface. Deciding to cut to the chase, Twilight spoke first. “So, what to do want to talk about?”

Still standing tall and arms folded, Jodariel glanced over to the pony. “Hedwyn,” she states plainly. “he is beginning to recover from his illness. However, its sudden onset serves as a reminder, I believe.”

“A reminder?” Twilight asked as to what she was referring to. “Has something like this happen before with him?”

The Demon remained silent and let out a long sigh. “You have noticed my clasp.” She said plainly. Twilight tilted her head until Jodariel gestured to the bronze clasp that held together her cape. The identical clasp that was on Hedwyn’s person as well. The purple mare was a bit surprised by her fast deduction of that particular knowledge. “I am not blind, Reader. I already knew that you made the connection a while back. I simply felt no need to speak it until now.” The large woman paused and then gave a huff. “During my career in the military, I took a brief hiatus from my service where I dedicated my time to somewhere else. An orphanage for children who lost their parents to war.”

Twilight was then reminded of the story she heard from last night. “The war with the Harps.” she thought out loud.

The Demon gave her a questioning look. “You already know about those feathered monstrosities?”

Twilight flinched for a second as she remembered that Hedwyn had made her promise not to discuss their conversation last night with the others, as well as him mentioning Jodariel’s unapologetic distain towards the Harps. She thought quick to make up a harmless white lie to cover her tracks. “Um…Tariq told me about it earlier. I just wanted to learn more about this world to prepare myself in the future.” she said as convincingly as possible.

The Demon still gave the alicorn a suspicious look, but she eventually brushed it aside. “Those winged scum killed his parents when he was still very young, and he came into my care. I have known Hedwyn ever since that day. Even now, I hesitate to say that he’s grown. He acquired the most of my attention in those days. Though he didn’t gain it from a desire to cause mischief, but rather from a drive and spirit that I was once all too familiar with.” Twilight could have sworn that she saw a ghost of a small spread on Jodariel’s lips, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. “Nevertheless, there are such things that even I would never say to him directly. For instance, I struggle with his confidence at times. Whether he leads us to our freedom or to our doom, I am ambivalent.”

While Twilight wanted to spring to the defense of the Nomad’s character immediately, she slowly realized that there were at least tiny bits of truth to Jodariel’s claim. Hedwyn was certainly the type that always looks straight ahead when reaching for a goal. The only problem with those types is that they sometimes tend to notice the outside variables that attack them from the sides in pursuit of that goal. Still though, Twilight still believed that Hedwyn wasn’t that narrow-minded. “Try to give him a bit more credit.” she advised. “He just trying to think for the best for all of us.”

“I know he wants the best for us.” the Demon countered. “But I also know that he can sometimes be in over his head. When times remind me of his mortal weakness, I end up having to consider what should happen should we become separate…permanently.” Jodariel trailed off of for a while. “What I mean is…Nrgh.” She grunted in frustration, clearly having a difficult time speaking her feelings.

Thankfully, Twilight already had an idea of what the Demon was talking about. Jodariel clearly had a maternal fondness for the Nomad, evident by their long history and her deep concern for his well-being. And while the alicorn was also concerned for him, she could only imagine how taxing it was for the woman. Twilight began to think as to what she could say to reassure her when she remembered her talk with Tariq. Perhaps it would be beneficial to spread some of the minstrel’s wisdom with a small touch of her own mixed in. “I’m worried about him too, Jodariel,” she began. “he saved my life and I’ll never forget that kindness. So of course, I want to make sure he stays safe, just like you. But remember he’s not alone. We have Rukey, Mae, Tariq, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to help us look out for him. We’re a team now, and that means that we help each other when we need it. I know if we work together, we’ll all get back to our respective homes. And I can also imagine the smile on Hedwyn’s face when you two step out of the Downside together.”

The Demon was silent for a moment, but Twilight could see the frustration fading from her face. What remain was a much calmer expression, akin to somebody who was surer of their situation. “Perhaps you are correct, Reader.” Jodariel finally said. “There are strengths in numbers, this much is clear.” She then turned to fully face the alicorn now. “Be eased in knowing that I am fully pledged now to this quest of ours. And your dedication our collective freedom is quite visible as well. If you are willing to fight for me, I will fight for you. That is my code.”

Twilight gave a warm smile to the Demon. Behind her stoic and rough exterior, it was clear that she was somebody who care for those who stood by her. The pony gave her a nod, wordlessly agreeing to the promise to look out for Hedwyn, the others and each other on their path to freedom. “Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?” she asked, seeing if there was anything else she could help with.

“No,” she replied. “I only required to lighten the burden of my thoughts. I thank you for listening, Reader. Best not dawdle any longer before the sun lowers more. I will return to the wagon and check Hedwyn’s condition. I will see you there.” Jodariel then left, leave the pony alone on the beach.

Twilight looked to the horizon one more time to admire the beauty of the afternoon sun reflecting on the Sea. The sight combined with the warm feeling of helping Jodariel with her doubts made her feel a bit more confident for the immediate future. As much as she wanted to dwell more on this feeling, she knew that she had to leave if the Nightwings wanted to make it to the Rite. With her head held high, Twilight Sparkle trotted to the blackwagon and stepped inside. With everybody safely aboard, the wagon started up once again and left the small beach. The Nightwings and ponies made their way east to the slowly-approaching Hulk of Ores.

Author's Note

Stick around for the next chapter for when the Nightwings face their next adversaries in the next Rite. And the introduction of a character on his quest for honor. :raritywink:

And don't fret. The finale may have come and gone, but I'll still be hear to continue my story. It's going to be a long one and we're only just getting started. :twilightsmile:

The Rite of the Heartful Pyres

Author's Note

Greetings, everypony!

Before we begin, I'd like to apologize for the massive delay for this chapter. Between school, the holidays and good old procrastination, it was tough to get this out as soon as possible. Thankfully, I believe I'll be able to have the chapters out on a monthly schedule again.

In any case, i hope you all enjoy this fairly long chapter as a late Christmas gift and one last chapter for the year. Thank you all for the support! :twilightsmile:

LOXALAS!

The Rite of the Heartful Pyres

Chapter 16: The Rite of the Heartful Pyres

Two hours had passed before the blackwagon finally made landfall again onto many of the islets. And not a moment too soon, as the sun finally finished its daily journey across the sky and set down for the eve. Twilight took a moment to look out the window to get a better look at the Hulk of Ores. Though the sun had set, the bathing moonlight was plenty enough for the alicorn to see the mighty spectacle before her. Just as she saw from a distance, the Celestial Landmark was made up of the front half of a giant shipwreck with its bow pointing upward to the shimmering stars. However, Twilight could no see that there was a giant, singular tentacle coiled around the entirety of the hull. Two, pale arms of similar size were sprouted from the tip of the appendage and arranged in a way that suggested that the creature reached upward in agony. There were also numerous smaller and thinner tentacles that stuck out from the water surrounding the shipwreck. Each one of these tentacles were tipped with large, white orbs that had a singular black spot floating in the middle of them. Twilight could hardly comprehend the creature she was looking at, but it was clear that this was a Titan that came from the Sea. And that it had expired for a very long time now.

As usual, everybody began to pile out of the wagon to set up camp for the evening. Twilight stopped for a moment before leaving out the door and looked back to Hedwyn. The Nomad was still passed out on his bunk, sleeping off his small fever. It appeared that Tariq had at some point replaced the headband that he wore around his forehead and replaced it with a cool towelette. The purple mare trotted over to the Nomad with a look of concern. He had been asleep the entire day now, and he still didn’t look any better than before. She did remember how Tariq told her that he condition was improving, but she was starting to have her doubts. Her pessimistic thoughts were interrupted when she heard somebody clear their throats. She turned around to find that it was the minstrel, standing patiently and quietly as usual.

“Go prepare for the Rite, Madame Twilight. I will watch over him while you participate in the ceremony.” he said to her.

Though Twilight did want to protest, she remembered the small heart-to-heart she had with the Lone Minstrel and did what she asked. The alicorn grabbed the Book of Rites before leaving and made her way out into the evening air. As she stepped outside, Twilight looked around at where the wagon had landed. While somewhat larger than the others, the islet wasn’t particularly different from the many others they had past, decorated with the usual rocks and puffy trees. However, it was what was right next to the islet that caught her attention. Beached upon the western shore of the islet was the back half of the shipwreck that made up the Hulk of Ores. Though the bottom hull was still submerged under the water, it looked like that the spacious deck of the ship had survived and was still open to the sea air. What resulted was a large, flat surface of aged wood sprinkled with the occasional crack and holes in the floor. Twilight was about to wander over to investigate further, until she was called over by Rukey.

The alicorn followed the Cur’s summons and back following him to the eastern part of the islet. Right near the tip where the sand met the water, Twilight saw a very familiar green creature atop a red one. It seemed that the vast openness of the Sea of Solis couldn’t stop Falcon Ron from finding potential customers for his various wares. As much as Twilight wanted to question how the merchant was able to traverse the Sea without any sort of watery vessel in his vicinity, but she didn’t bother asking, assuming that Ron would just say something along the likes “savvy business secrets”. Nevertheless, the purple mare pushed that thought aside and looked to the bag of merchandise that Ron’s father opened up. Twilight started by asking Rukey to give Ron the Frothsea Flounder that Ti’zo had caught earlier. Ron happily accepted the fish and paid a decent some for it. With their bag full of new and old coins, Twilight was able to purchase some more Stardust with still a hefty sum to spare. She looked over some of the Talismans until one of them caught her eye. It was a ball of tangled vines and thorns about the size of a fist. Ron identified that Talisman was knowns as a Thorned Knot. Seeing how it caught her fancy, Twilight decided to purchase the item from the merchant. With their transactions finished the pony and Cur bid Ron a farewell. Ron returned the goodbye and wished them luck until their next meeting.

Back at camp, the Nightwings were all dressed in their raiments, save for a certain Nomad. As they all walked to the western shore where the shipwreck was, Mae and Applejack went over to Twilight. “Um, Miss Twilight?” Mae asked shyly. “May ask you for something?”

The alicorn was a bit confused, but also curiously as to what she wanted. “Of course, Mae. What is it?”

The moon-touched girl hesitated for a bit; looking down and dragging her foot along the sand. Applejack then tapped her on the side of her other leg with her hoof. “Go on now, sugarcube. Twilight won’t bite.” the farmer said with a supportive smile.

This seemed to be the push Mae needed as she then looked to the purple mare again. “I was wondering if I could participate in this Rite…for Mr. Hedwyn that is. I just want to do my part so that he doesn’t have to feel guilty about missing this one when he gets better.”

While Twilight was initially perplexed at the girl’s reasoning, she slowly began to get the idea. Both Mae and Hedwyn were both human and even the masks the wore in the Rites were exactly the same. The only difference between them other than age was the fact that Mae was classified as a Savage rather than a Nomad, and even that was just some overall negligible categorization brought on by the Commonwealth. Therefore, she guessed that Mae wanted to participate in the Rite as a subtle way of having Hedwyn there with them while he was still recovering. Seeing no fault in that logic, along with the pleading smile Applejack was giving her, Twilight saw no real reason to deny her request. “Sure, Mae. I’m positive that Hedwyn will rest well knowing that you stood in his place.”

The moon-touched girl’s eyes lit up and the alicorn’s approval and she quickly knelt down to bring her to a tight embrace. “Oh, thank you, Miss Twilight!” she cheered. Mae stood up again and gave Twilight a determined look. “I will not let you down tonight. The Scribes be my witness to it!”

Twilight smiled at Mae’s optimism and then looked to the orange mare.

“Thank ya kindly, Twilight. I’m sure as a snake is slippery that Mae will do a fine job in the Rite!” Applejack happily stated. The alicorn couldn’t help but nod her head in agreement.

“Sooo, how do we know when this Rite thingy starts?” Pinkie asked the group, who had still yet to experience the ritual. “Is there going to be a super loud air horn or something else exciting?”

“Well, usually the stars start to light up and then some weird constellation forms in the sky.” Rukey explained to the party pony. “Although, the other adversaries that we’re suppose the face normally show up before us. Wait, did we actually beat them this time?”

The Cur’s question was immediately answered when the group heard some splashing in the water. Not a second later, three creatures emerged from the waves and landed on the shore before the Nightwings. The creatures were small in size, just a hint smaller than Rukey was. Their bodies were serpentine, lacking any sort of limbs or appendages saved for their tails. What was most unique, however, was that they were all donned in raiments of their own. Their color scheme was somewhat similar to the Nightwings’, only instead it was an aquamarine blue accented with bright orange. The masks that they wore were more akin to helmets that were over their heads instead. Given how the creatures arrived from the water and seemingly possessed amphibious qualities, Twilight assumed that these must have been the Wyrms that she and Tariq had saw earlier.

Musical Cue - Quest for Honor

Before anybody could say anything about their arrival, one of the Wyrms slithered up in front of the other two before the group. They then used their tail to remove the mask covering their face. Once the mask was removed, the Wyrm’s yellow, scaled skin was revealed in the moonlight. The creature had one large eye that took up most of his face and a wide mouth below it. When Twilight looked closely, she could seem multiple small scars decorating the Wyrm’s face, as well as one large one going diagonally across his eye. Finally, the Wyrm was wearing yet another helmet on his head that was quite similar to a helmet Twilight would see on a suit of knight armor that would grace some of the hallways at Canterlot castle. The helmet the Wyrm wore was composed of a worn, navy-blue metal with the grated visor moved upward to reveal his face, along with a red plume on top.

“Good sirs and good ladies,” he began speaking in a very excited, chivalrous tone. “so it is you that heed the summons to glorious competition against this knight and his brigade!” The Wyrm then straightened his posture to give himself a more confident display of himself.

“Umm, is he where a helmet under his helmet?” Rainbow Dash asked out loud. That was when the Wyrm took notice of the ponies.

“By the great Underking! Such strange and fascinating creatures the Nightwings have recruited.” He then began to address Twilight directly. “Pray tell, where might your kind dwell in this great world beyond the Sea-Dominion? This knight is quite curious as to your origins!”

While Twilight didn’t want to be rude to the rather polite adversary, she also still wasn’t comfortable with outright saying that she and her friends were from a different world to complete strangers. Therefore, she decided to compromise by partial answering the question and then try to change the subject. “Well, my name is Twilight Sparkle, and I’m the Reader for the Nigthwings. Me and my friends are ponies and we’re…not really from around here or the Commonwealth. A very faraway land, to be more exact. I hope that answers your question, Mr….? I’m sorry, what is your name?”

“Oh, great apologies!” the Wyrm quickly corrected himself. “Lest this knight forget his introductions. He is called Sir Gilman! He salutes to you all on behalf of the great Pyrehearts!” Sir Gilman then placed his mask back on his head. “Well then, your origins seem to matter little at the moment. Be you walk either on two legs or four, this knight will still greatly accept your invitation to battle. Let us commence without delay! More than our freedom is at stake here, but our very honor. And this knight fully intends on reclaiming his! Until the contest!” The Wyrm and his two companions then jumped back into the water and disappeared from view.

The group was still at a loss at what they had just saw, until Applejack found the words. “Well, he was certainly…eccentric. Kinda reminds me of that old fancy speak Princess Luna used to talk in. But at least he was courteous and all that.”

Twilight nodded in agreement with the orange mare and looked to the waters again. Though she had to admit, there was something that he said that stuck her as a little odd. She understood what Sir Gilman meant when he said that their freedom was on the line, but she was confused as to what he meant when he referenced honor as well. Twilight decided to put that thought aside and looked to the night sky. The stars began to shine, and the star constellation formed above. A mystical light shown down on the rotting deck of the shipwreck on the shore, indicating where the Rite would be held. With no reason to hesitate, the Nightwings and ponies made they’re onto the deck for the next Rite.

Musical Cue Continued - Quest for Glory

“RELENTLESS, AREN’T WE, READER?”

“EVEN THE VASTNESS OF THE SEA WAS NOT ENOUGH TO THWART YOUR COMING HERE, UNTO THE HULK OF ORES.”

“Oh my gosh, Twilight, do you hear the big voice in the sky?!” Pinkie asked excitedly. He sounds so sophisticated! Hey, how come his dialogue is in bold and centered? Does that mean he’s an important character?” Twilight hadn’t had an inkling as to what the party pony was referring to and thus was at a loss for words. The Voice, however, responded to the pink mare’s outburst.

“…YOUR NEW COMPANION IRRITATES ME, READER. MIGHT I SUGGEST YOU SEW HER MOUTH SHUT FOR THE SAKE OF ALL OUR SANITY.”

“Irritate?!” Pinkie said sounding rather offended. “Hmph, well I guess I’m not much of a fan of you, Voice-in-the-sky!” The baker then finished by turning her nose from the night sky.

“HRGG…REGARDLESS, YOU WOULD BE WISE NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE YOUR ADVERSARIES HERE, DESPITE THEIR PITIABLE LOOK. I AM, OF COURSE, REFERING TO THE PYREHEARTS!”

“THESE RITES ARE BUT ANOTHER WAR TO THEM, AND THAT MAKES YOU THEIR MORTAL ENEMY.”

“I EXPECT A GLORIOUS BATTLE TO BE GLORIOUS HERE, READER. ELSE I MIGHT HAVE TO GIVE YOU ANOTHER REMINDER IN YOUR SLEEP.”

“Wait, what’s he talkin’ about, sugarcube?” Applejack asked Twilight after hearing that last statement from the Voice.

The alicorn hesitated for a moment as she quickly remembered the horrible dream she received after their less than stellar performance in the last Rite. As much as she didn’t want to hide anything from her friends, she also didn’t want them to worry about her problems when they should be focusing on the Rite. “It’s nothing, Applejack.” she said as convincingly as possible. The apple farmer gave her a look, but she eventually brushed it off. Twilight inwardly sighed in relief from dodging the subject. She then figured that as long as the Nightwings did well tonight, she wouldn’t have to worry experiencing another night terror. At least that was her hope.

Focusing back onto the task at hand, Twilight took a look at the state of the field. The state of the deck was…less than ideal for something that was supposed to hold six creatures. Holes and small fissures were scattered throughout the water-rotted deck. Traversal across the field would be difficult, lest someone risk fall into the water below. However, the most intriguing part made itself known when both of the sigils erupted into flames. Normally, the two opposing pyres were directly across the field from each other. This time, the Nightwings pyre appeared to be tucked in the upper corner of the field, while the light blue flames of the Pyrehearts’ pyre were located in the lower corner across.

As the alicorn was peering over to the other side of the field, she saw three figures jump out from the water and land on the deck. It turned out to be Sir Gilman, along with the other two Wyrms that were behind him. The amphibious knights were no doubt prepping themselves for the upcoming Rites just as the Nightwings were doing. Apparently, Twilight wasn’t the only one to notice their adversaries’ arrival as she noticed Rukey was next to her looking in the same direction.

“You know what? I’m curious.” he mumbled to himself as he began to walk over to the group of Wyrms.

“Hey, Rukey! Wait up!” Rainbow Dash said as she caught up to the Cur and flew along side him. The alicorn was perplexed as to what the pair wanted from the Pyrehearts, but her thoughts were interrupted when Jodariel caught her attention.

“Best you make sure they do not taunt our adversaries too hard.” the Demon warned. “Lest we invoke some hidden wrath like with the Withdrawn.”

Twilight remembered how it was Rainbow’s and Rukey’s confident boosting that had led to an increased ire in Udmildhe, so she had no problem agreeing with the Demon. The purple mare then quickly trotted over to the pair just as they had crossed the field and had met with the Wyrms. Sir Gilman was the first to notice their intrusion and removed his mask to address them.

“Aha, you lot return so soon!” Gilman said with subtle excitement. “What may bring you here to the Pyrehearts? Care to partake in playful repertoire to stoke the fires of competition for tonight’s ceremony?”

“Err, no. Just wanted to ask you a quick question that’s been bugging me about you Wyrms.” Rukey said as he scratched the back of his head. “You guys were tossed down the River when they exiled you here, yeah? So, can’t you just swim your way back to the Commonwealth, or the Sea Dominion, or whereever it is you’re from?” The more Twilight thought about it, the more she realized that Rukey brought up a good point. From what she had gather so far, sounded as though that the main method that the Commonwealth used to exile its citizens to the Downside was through a River that she had yet to see in detail. With that in mind, what was there to stop an amphibious species such as the Wyrms from using said water channel to return from their banishment.

The Wyrm knight let out a hearty laugh at the Cur’s question. “Hah, HAH! An excellent point! It seems that these adversaries are quite clever.” He then looked over behind him to one of the other Wyrms. “What say you, Sire?”

In contrast to Gilman’s boisterous tone, this Wyrm spoke in a more shaky and meek voice. “J-j-just get rid of them already, Gilman! As your commanding officer, this knight hereby c-c-commands it!”

“Wait, hold on,” Rainbow interrupted and gestured to the cowering Wyrm. “that’s who in charge of your group? The one literally cowering behind you?”

“HARK! Hold your reservations, prismatic one!” Gilman exclaimed as he slithered next to the Wyrm. Allow this knight to properly introduce his commander properly. No Wyrm-knight in history has withstood as many front-line battles!” He then turned to his commander. “Doff you helm, Sire, as is our custom! May our adversaries tremble at the sight of thee!”

Musical Cue - Knights of the Sea (White Lute)

Without hesitation, Gilman quickly removed the mask from his commander’s head, much to his protest. With the ceremonial mask removed, Twilight was finally able to get a better look at the Wyrm’s features. Aside from a large, singular eye on his face, the Wyrm looked entirely different from his comrade. His skin was light green, and he had flowing locks of seafoam-colored hair cascading down from the top of his head. The Wyrm was wearing a knight’s helmet, only his was colored brown from rampant rust and seemed far too big for his head. So much so that the grated visor was hung around his neck rather than up to his eye. With his identity revealed, the commander gave a dramatic fit to Gilman. “AHH! G-Give this knight his mask back at once!”

Gilman paid him no mind and returned to introducing his commander to the Nightwings. “This knight hereby presents to you the great Sir Deluge! A noble visage, is he not?!”

Despite Gilman’s proud presentation of his sire, Deluge could do nothing more than continue to squirm and tremble to the Cur and ponies. Out of pure courtesy, Twilight did her best to keep a polite, neutral expression. However, she inwardly admitted to herself that Deluge hardly had the look of a leader of fearless knights. And based on both Rukey and Rainbow’s deadpan expressions, it was clear that they felt the same.

“Uh-huh, really noble.” Rainbow said sarcastically. “So can you guys swim or not?”

“HAH! Of course we knights can swim! All knights of the Sea-Dominion can!” Sir Gilman said with pride. He then switched to a sullener tone. “Alas, we are exiles of this land, the same as ye. We can swim, ‘tis true. However, not even the mightiest of our kind could brave the ever-strong currents of the River. We can not return through the channel that flushed us here in the first place. Nay, these ceremonies are the sole way to return.”

“Silence, Gilman!” Sir Deluge shouted. N-nobody cares! Return to your post at once!”

Sir Gilman hesitated at first, but then let out a defeat sigh. “Fare thee luck, Nightwings.” he said to the group, still sounding rather dejected. “May the most skilled triumvirate achieve victory this night.” The Wyrm then slithered over to his other comrade near the Pyrehearts’ pyre.

That only left Sir Deluge to confront the trio. “T-this knight is not afraid of you, Nightwings. It matters not if your ranks are bolstered by…unsightly c-creatures such as yourselves! W-we will be superior this night!”

“Unsightly?” Rainbow said sounding offended. “And what the heck is that supposed to mean?!”

As the blue pegasus went over to get in his face, Deluge prematurely panicked and scuttled back in fear from her. When the Wyrm commander peeked back and saw that Rainbow had stopped her advance, he tried to resume a straight posture again. He then slithered back into his mask again and looked to the group on last time. “Y-y-you best keep your distance, lest you invoke my wrath. Now, ENGARDE!!”

With that, the cowardly Wyrm returned to his triumvirate to take their places for the Rite. Meanwhile, Twilight and Rukey were still in place trying to fully comprehend what had just happened. Rainbow just scoffed at the Wyrms and turned back to the other two. “Yeesh, the nerve on that guy! ‘Unsightly.’, where does he get off calling us something like that?!”

Twilight did have to agree with Rainbow on Sir Deluge’s rude behavior. However, there was something different about his prejustice toward the ponies. Back when she met with the Accuser, Lendal also had a sour reaction to Twilight’s presence. Although, the old Nomad gave off a tone that suggested that she was below him in terms of recognition and respect. It was slightly different with Deluge. “I don’t know, Rainbow,” she said to her friend. “I think he doesn’t like us because…he might be scare of us.”

The Wonderbolt tilted her head for a second, but she then nodded her head to the alicorn’s logic. “Yeah, I think you might have a point there. I mean, did you see him back there? I think he was even worse than Fluttershy was back in the old days. And she was literally scared of her own shadow, for Celestia’s sake!” She then shook her head. “Well, whatever. Looks like you won’t have a tough time kicking his butt tonight, Twilight.”

The purple mare smiled a little at her friend’s confidence in her abilities. “Thanks Rainbow, we’ll give it our all tonight!”

“Hey guys,” both of the ponies looked over to see that Rukey was addressing them both. “Jodi’s giving me that look that saying that we need to get in gear.” They all looked over to see that the Demon was indeed giving then a serious expression. “Yep, that’s the one. I know it well.” The Cur confirmed.

Musical Cue - The Eight Scribes

With that, the group made their way back to their side of the field to regroup with the rest of the Nightwings and ponies. When they returned, Jodariel walked to Twilight and knelt down so that they were nearly at eye level. “Reader,” she said calmly to the pony. “Hedwyn is counting on us to win tonight. I would hate for him to feel guilt for not being there if we were to lose. Do you understand?” Twilight glanced back over at the wagon, knowing that the Nomad was still recovering. She took a guess that he would no doubt blame his untimely absence if they were to fail tonight. It was an added layer of pressure to succeed, but Twilight took a deep breath. She couldn’t let the pressure get to her like it did in the last Rite. She had to be in peak mental condition if she wanted to properly lead the Nightwings. With that thought, she looked back to the Demon and gave her a determined nod. “Good then.” she said to the alicorn. “Rainbow Dash,” she said to the pegasus. “Carry her to a suitable vantage point of the field. That crow’s nest should work finely.”

Twilight and Rainbow followed the Demon’s gaze upward to where she was looking. Amongst the ship wreckage was a particularly large crow’s nest on top of the ship’s center mast. It seemed as though at some point during the wreck, the mast had broken off from the center of the ship and landed a good distance away while still in its upward position. “Alright, sounds good.” Rainbow confirmed the location and went over to pick up Twilight. “You ready, Twi?” she asked the alicorn. When she nodded, Twilight was lifted up into the air by the pegasus. It only took a few seconds of flight before they reached the nest, which was surprisingly roomy enough to fit two ponies easily. Jodariel was correct in that the nest did give the alicorn a good view of the field, along with a look at the Pyrehearts’ sigil, a burning heart. “Alright then. Good luck, Twi!” Rainbow said before she began to take off.

“Wait, can you do me a favor, Rainbow?” Twilight asked Rainbow before she could leave. Here gaze went downward back to the group and focused one member in particular: Fluttershy. Memories of her actions and contributions flooded into her mind, as well as the discussion they had afterward. Even though she was entirely sure how she did it, Twilight couldn’t deny that the newfound powers she had were detrimental in the success the Nightwings had in the ceremony. The alicorn thought about bring the shy pegasus up here to assist her again, but then she had another thought. She remembered the rough hypothesis she made that this Blessing ability Fluttershy had may be connected to the Elements of Harmony. If this theory was in fact true, then it made sense that her other friends might have this power as well. Seeing the opportunity presenting itself, Twilight thought that she would do some experimentation. “Can you bring Applejack up here with me?” she finally asked.

“Um, what do you need AJ for exactly?” Rainbow asked.

“I just…want to talk to her about something. I think that she might be able to help like Fluttershy did in the last Rite.” the purple mare explained.

Rainbow still looked a bit perplexed at her reasoning, but the blue mare eventually shrugged. “Alright, I’ll bring her up.”

Thus, the Wonderbolt flew from the crow’s nest and landed back with the group. When Rainbow went up to Applejack and explained that Twilight wanted to see her, she agreed. A moment later, Rainbow grabbed hold of the apple farmer and flew back to the crow’s nest. Once Applejack safely landed onto the nest, Rainbow gave one final salute and flew back to the group. “So, ya wanted to see me, sugarcube?” the orange mare asked.

“Yes,” Twilight replied. “Do you remember in the last Rite when Fluttershy helped me out and made the Nightwings stronger?”

“You mean when she started glowing pink? Yeah, I think Rukey called it a Blessing or somethin’ like that.” the farmer mused. “Why ya bringin’ it up with me?”

Twilight gave her friend a small but encouraging smile. “If that power really is related to the Elements, then maybe you might be able to use the same power.”

“Wait, what?” Applejack said with confusion. “Twilight, you know I’d love to help ya out in any way I can, but are ya sure about this? Even if I had these powers, how the hay would I even know how to activate ‘em? Fluttershy didn’t seem sure herself.”

Twilight had to admit that her friend did make good points, but she did her best to keep a positive attitude. If this was indeed a potential advantage that she could use to help her in the Rites, she had to seize it. “I understand that, Applejack, but there’s still no harm in trying. The worst that can happen is that nothing will happen, and the Rite will continue on as normal. “Can we at least try, please?”

The orange mare still looked unsure about the proposition, but she eventually let out a sigh. “Alright, sugarcube,” she agreed. “I won’t make any promises, but yer right, there’s no shame in tryin’.” The two mares were then interrupted from above.

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, READER? TRYING TO REPEAT THE FARCE THAT OCCURRED IN THE LAST RITE, ARE WE? HRM, AND WITH THE RUSTIC ONE, NO LESS.”

“FEEL FREE TO TRY TO REATTEMPT YOUR LITTLE MIRACLE, READER. THOUGH I HARDLY EXPECT ANYTHING FROM HER.”

Applejack looked rather offended by the Voice’s passive demeaning of her and let out a huff. “Come on, Twilight.” she said as she turned to the field below. “Let’s get this rodeo started!”

“YOUR COMPANION IS CORRECT. BEST WE FINISH THIS CERAMONY BEFORE THE SUN RISES. CHOOSE AMONG YOUR PARTY NOW.”

The Book or Rites then floated from under Twilight’s wing and opened itself before her. She then looked over the page to make her choice from the Nightwings. Her first choice was obvious as she focused in on Mae’s name on the page. She also decided to give the moon-touched girl the Ashen Coal to help bolster the Nightwing’s pyre by just a bit.

“MAE”

The girl appeared on the field donned in her ceremonial mask. “For Mr. Hedwyn, for the Scribes!”

Twilight’s next choices required a bit more thinking. Given their size and what she had seen so far, she no doubt guessed that the Wyrms would have a fast pace during the Rite. Therefore, the alicorn figured that having a quick participant of their own would help in evening the playing field. Twilight focused on Rukey and paired him with Jomuer’s Fang.

“RUKEY”

“No way those Wyrm-knight bozos are faster than me!” Rukey confidently said after he appeared.

For her last choice, Twilight looked to Jodariel. While it was true that her size left her wanting in the speed department, she also realized that the demon’s aura would be extremely difficult to maneuver around. As for the talisman, Twilight looked that the new one that she had just purchased from the Slug Market: the Thorned Knot. For some reason that was escaping her, it was as though the Book was able help her figure out how the talisman would work in the Rites. In this case, the Thorned Knot would be able to increase the aura cast of whomever was holding it. The alicorn figured that the talisman would be perfect for the Demon’s strengths and thus selected it along with her.

“JODARIEL”

The hulking Demon appeared on the field, combining her aura with the others, thus covering a large area surrounding their pyre. “Let us show these so-called knights why our skills should be recognized.” She said sternly.

Back on the other side of the field, the Pyrehearts took notice of the Nightwings on the field. “Gilman!” Sir Deluge yelled out. “S-S-Status report! What is the enemy’s position?!”

“Hmm,” Gilman mused as he peered over to the other side. “They now stand ready to confront us, Sire. A very brave triumvirate they seem to this knight’s eye!”

“B-B-Brave?! Air-sucking monsters, one and all!” the Wyrm said in disgust. He then gestured up to where Twilight and Applejack were positioned. “All of them leaded by those…a-a-abominations!” He looked back to the Nightwings again. “Pyrehearts! BE READY!”

Twilight’s attention was then driven to the center of the field. The familiar beam of light rained down from the night sky, slamming the Celestial Orb down onto the field.

“COMMENCE!”

Musical Cue - Knights of the Sea

At the Voice’s command, the Rite began. Twilight had Mae make a run for the Orb, and Sir Gilman had already sped forward to grab the prize for himself. During this, Twilight noticed something particularly odd about the Wyrm’s movement. The aura around him was incredibly small, befitting for his size. Although it looked wavy and based on his movement, it almost looked like he was swimming in the aura to move forward. The aura also left of trail behind him, giving it even further similar properties to water. Nevertheless, Twilight focused back on Mae to see that she had successfully grabbed the Orb.

However, before the girl could make her way to the other side of the field, Sir Gilman made his move. The Wyrm circled around the moon-touched girl, perplexing the alicorn. When he was completely behind her, Gilman flicked his tailed and he seemingly teleported back to the end of his aura trail. Unfortunately, Mae was right in between those two locations, so she was banished from the field once the Wyrm had shifted through her. It was almost if the Wyrm had banished the girl by slashing her with his aura. The Orb fell to the ground, leaving it open for the Wyrm-knight to pick it up for himself. Twilight quickly scrambled to try and position Jodariel and Rukey in a position to block him from the pyre. As Gilman approached, Rukey shot an aura cast at him, only for the Wyrm to jump out of the way. To finish it off, Sir Gilman then maneuvered his way around Jodariel and jumped right into the blue flames. After the small explosion, the pyre appeared a tad bit smaller.

“ALREADY YOUR ADVERSARY SMOTHERS YOUR PRECIOUS FLAME.”

“WOOHOO! Go team, go!” Pinkie cheered from the sideline.

“Pinkie! That’s a bad thing. The Nightwings are losing now!” Rainbow explained to the pink mare.

“Oohhh.” she said, realizing her mistake. “Woopsie, sorry about that!”

As the field reset, tried to refocus her thoughts as the all the Nightwings return by their pyre. The Pyrehearts were down to only two Wyrm, which provided them with a small respite. Before the Orb appeared on the field again, Twilight’s internal planning were interrupted. “Uh, Twilight,” Applejack asked her friend. “What exactly should I be tryin’ to do here?”

Though she didn’t have an exact answer for the farmer, she tried to think about what Fluttershy did back in the last Rite. “Trying to be encouraging. Say some inspirational stuff to them.”

Applejack still looked unsure about the alicorn’s admittedly shaky answer but attempted so anyway. “Alright, y’all!” she awkwardly yelled out to the Nightwings. “They got a lucky shot in, but just keep yer head in the game!”

An awkward silence passed as both ponies waited for something to happen with the orange mare. However, no such anomaly occurred, only the Nightwings looking up with brief confusion. Twilight couldn’t dwell on the disappointing results as the Celestial Orb landed on the field again. Sir Deluge attempted to grab it first, but he was quickly banished away by an aura cast by Mae. With only one Wyrm on the field, Twilight saw her chance. After moving Jodariel in a defensive position just in case, she directed Rukey to grab the Orb. Once the Cur got a hold of it, the remaining Wyrm-knight began to circle around him. However, Twilight was prepared this time and had Rukey jump out of the way before the Wyrm could slash through him with his aura. With the path clear, Rukey made a dash straight for the pyre. The Cur leapt and landed in the flames. Just in time, as Deluge had just reappeared from his brief banishment.

“THEIR FLAMES BEGIN TO FLICKER!”

The field reset and the Nightwings were down one Cur. Both pyres had taken damage but were still burning strong. As the Orb reappeared, Twilight was determined to acquire the advantage this round. The alicorn started by having Jodariel slowly advance forward towards the center. The Demon wasn’t fast enough to get the Orb before Gilman, she was in range to cast her aura at him. The Wyrm-knight couldn’t get away from the large blast in time and was banished from the field. Mae dashed forward and scooped up the Orb from the ground and dashed from the pyre. When Twilight saw the third Wyrm circle around Mae, she expected him to slash his way through the girl. However, she was surprised when he ended continuing move down towards the right toward the Nightwings’ side of the field. As that was happening, Mae was just in range of the pyre and made a jump for the flame. Before she could reach the flames though, Sir Deluge jumped in the air to intercept the girl, causing the Orb to fall to the ground. Twilight tried to get Jodariel to collect the Orb again but was too late as Sir Gilman had returned and quickly snatched it up. Gilman then passed the Orb over to the Wyrm that was positioned at the other end of the field. Twilight could only look on as the Wyrm-knight dashed right into the Nightwings’ pyre.

“UNFORTUNATE.”

The field had reset itself again, but Twilight was still caught off guard by the admittedly impressive maneuver that the Pyrehearts pulled off. Thankfully, it appeared that the Wyrms didn’t do much damage to the Pyre, so the flames were still over halfway strong.

“Ha ha! A stunning maneuver against our opponents!” Gilman boasted out loud. “Let it be known that the Pyrehearts are indeed worthy adversaries for the mighty Nightwings! Wouldn’t you agree, Sire?”

“Enough Gilman,” Deluge grumbled. “Save your incessant gloating for after we are successful this night.” The Orb landed on the field once again and the Wyrm commander sped right for it.

Twilight looked back to her friend. “Applejack?” said muttered with a pleading look. She knew that it was a bit low to ask of something of her friend that even she had no idea how it worked. But still, the alicorn was getting a bit desperate. She hoped that giving the orange mare a bit of a harder push would help her figure out what to do.

As for Applejack, she looked to her hooves after seeing the desperation in the purple pony’s face. A second later, she looked back up wearing an expression of determination. She then took a few steps forward and looked to the Nightwings. “Mae,” she addressed the moon-touched girl. “just focus on me right now. The varmint’s coming in fast. Flank’em on his right and blast him!”

Spurred on by the country mare’s much more confident voice, Mae followed her orders to a tee. Deluge was so focused on the Orb that he never saw the aura blast coming from his right. The Orb fell to ground and Mae quickly picked it up.

“Alright sugarcube, listen up closely,” Applejack further instructed. For a second, Twilight swore that she saw something shimmer in the country mare’s eyes. “You still got one more Wyrm out there that ya gotta get by. Just look closely at his movements and slip by him. Once you get right near the flames, I want ya to put everything you got into it!”

Mae gave a solid nod at the command and turned her attention back to Gilman. Said Wyrm was trying to offset the girl by performing a sort of zig-zag movement towards her. Instead of trying to go around him, Mae took advantage of the Wyrm’s small size by leaping over him while avoiding his aura trail behind him. Once she successful dodged the Wyrm-knight, Mae dashed for the pyre. “Give it all you have, Mae!” Applejack yelled out again. “Snuff out that fire and win this one for me, Hedwyn and the rest of us!”

Twilight almost did a double take at what happened next. The moon-touched girl began to have an orange glow around her just as she leapt for the pyre. Once she successfully hit her mark, the resulting explosion seemed much more intense than it normally was. As for the pyre, there something off about it. The light-blue flames seemed to be halfway gone now. The only thing was that Mae’s aura shouldn’t have done that much damage to the pyre. How could that have possibly happened? The alicorn received her answers when she turned to the pony next to her. Applejack was covered in the same orange glow that Mae was right before she went into the pyre. After she was done examining herself, she looked back to Twilight.

“Woo-wee! I guess ya were right, Twilight. I had it in me this whole time!” the orange mare shouted excitedly. “Guess it only worked once I focused in on one of ‘em.”

“SO, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE RUSTIC ONE GRACED YOU WITH ANOTHER BLESSING AFTER ALL. OH JOYOUS NEWS FOR YOU.”

“PERHAPS THE SUDDEN SURGE OF GLORY CAUSED BY HER MAY ASSIST YOU IN QUENCHING THE REMAINS OF YOUR ADVERSARY’S PYRE.”

The field reset for the next round and all of the Wyrm-knights back on their side of the field. Although it appeared that one of the was far from happy. “Grah, what in the Underking’s name was that supposed to be?!” Sir Deluge cried out.

“T’would appear that that the enemy’s fires of passion assisted in countering ours, Sire” Gilman calmly rationalized. “Quite fascinating, at least to this knight.”

“SHUT IT, GILMAN!” Deluge chastised him. “These Nightwings will not best us with their cheating ways! Full frontal assault, NOW!”

At the Wyrm-commander’s orders, Gilman charged forward towards the Orb whilst avoiding the cracks in the deck. When the Wyrm grabbed the Orb, Twilight immediately switched to Jodariel to go defense. Sir Gilman tried his best to jump over the Demon’s surrounding aura, but seemingly jumped far too early and landed just short of the pyre. He was then easily banished by Jodariel, leaving the Orb on the Nightwings’ side of the field. The Demon picked it up and began moving slowly to the center of the field. Deluge had begun advancing towards her, so Jodariel quickly passed the Celestial orb to Rukey. With a few agile jumps, Rukey was able to avoid being circled by Gilman and even jumped right over the other Wyrm. The Cur leapt into the light-blue flames with ease.

“SUCH WHEREWITHAL!”

The field reset and the participants returned to their respective pyres. The Celestial Orb landed in the center and Twilight expected the Pyrehearts to rush for it yet again. However, she was surprised when something entirely different happen.

“GILMAN!!! Your form is sloppy! Fight them as if your miserable life is on the line!” Sir Deluge shouted at the top of his lungs.

The Wyrm-knight cowered slightly at his commander’s harsh words, but still responded. “Your words do wound me, Sire. This knight gives every Rite his very, very best!” He then slightly glanced over to Twilight and Applejack up in the crow’s nest above. “Though, perhaps we do have much to learn from such a brave triumvirate as the one whom we now face. It is quite clear that their leadership is suburb!”

Deluge hit the Wyrm-knight on the top of his helmet with his tail. “Idiot! Wh-Whose side are you on?! Get over here, immediately!” With that, the trio of Wyrms moved away from their pyre and gathered in a small circle. What resulted was a constant borras of complaints, bickering and whining with Deluge being the loudest. Twilight could only look on in confusion as the Pyrehearts continued to argue amongst themselves as if they weren’t in the middle of the Rite.

“Are…Are they serious?” Applejack said, obviously just as confused about what was going on as the alicorn was.

“THERE SEEMS TO BE DISSENTION IN YOUR ADVERSARY’S RANKS!”

“TIS LITTLE WONDER THESE FOOL WYRM KNIGHTS ARE NO LONGER FIT TO SERVE THE COMMONWEALTH.”

As the Wyrms continued to argue, Twilight began to think. She looked to the Pyreheart’s small pyre, then to Applejack and then finally over to the other side of the field to Jodariel. A plan began to form, and if it worked, then they might be able to end the Rite. “Applejack,” she said to the country mare. “do you think you could use your power on Jodariel when I say so?”

“Well, I reckon I could.” the farmer replied. “I think I have this Blessing business down. Why?”

Twilight turned back to the field. “I have a plan. While the Pyrehearts are busy, we can have Jodariel go straight for their pyre for a direct hit. With her strength combined with your Blessing, then I think we should be able to completely extinguish it. Does that sound good for you?”

It seemed as though that Applejack understood, but she still seemed unsure. “I don’t know, Twi. Doesn’t seem very sporting to do that when their obviously distracted like that. Shouldn’t we give ‘em a fair shot.”

Twilight had to admit that it did seem like low blow. However, she knew that she had to go through with it. Both the Nightwings’ freedom and her chances of seeing Equestria again was on the line. “I know, Applejack,” she explained. “But they shouldn’t be doing something like that during the Rite. So whatever happens next, it’s on them. Okay?”

After hearing a fairly decent explanation, Applejack nodded in agreement. With her friend’s support, Twilight looked to the field and focused on Jodariel. Thanks to their link, the Demon was able to learn of the plan and nodded in confirmation. Thus, the Demon began to slowly make her way to the center to pick up the Celestial Orb. It was admittedly tense, as expected for the occasional dash, the Demon continued moving slowly towards the Orb. Twilight was a bit afraid that the Pyrehearts would finally notice the encroaching Demon, but it seemed as though they were still preoccupied with their internal skirmish.

“Sire, your distain for the ponies seem very unreasonable. They clearly have no ulterior motives with the Rites, especially against our noble company.” Gilman tried to reason with his commander.

“NO ULTERIOR MOTIVES?!” Sir Deluge yelled in disbelief. “Just look at them, Gilman! Are you honestly fooled by their innocent-looking exterior? They are obviously plotting something!”

Sir Gilman sighed at his paranoia. “Sire, must we have to distrust these ponies? This knight senses a high stake of honor within them.”

“This knight is quite tired of your constant praising of the adversary, Gilman.” Deluge said in annoyance. “As commander of this company, you are hereby ordered to NOT trust those abominable creatures! They deserve not our praise or our pity!”

“Ya know, I suddenly don’t feel so bad about doin’ this now.” Applejack deadpanned at hearing Deluge downplay the ponies.

Twilight did inwardly agree that the Wyrm-commander’s bigotry was starting to irritate her, but they had more pressing matters at hoof. “Alright Applejack, get ready for the signal.” Jodariel picked up the Orb and began to make her way to the pyre. The Pyrehearts had foolishly moved away to have their squabble, leaving an open path to the light-blue flames. Finally, the Demon was in place on the other side of the field. One last dash was all that was needed for her to plunge into the pyre. “Now!” Twilight yelled.

At the command, Applejack closed her eyes and took a deep breath. No sooner than that, she was once again bathed in the orange glow. Jodariel then also began to emit an orange hue, indicating that the Blessing was taking effect. With no other reason to dawdle, Jodariel dashed forward right into the pyre. A mighty explosion followed that then snuffed out the remains of the flames.

“AND IT IS DONE!”

“WHAAAT?!” Sir Deluge cried out as he removed his mask in disbelief. Before him and the rest of the Wyrms, their pyre was nothing more than a smoldering sigil. The remaining flames on the Nightwings’ sigil then shot up into the air and exploded.

“THE NIGHTWINGS PREVAIL! TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEIR ADVERSARY’S IDIOCY, MIGHT I ADD.”

‘THUS CONCLUDES THE RITE!”

“LOXALAS!” Jodariel, Mae and Rukey cheered out to the stars.

“YEE-HAW!” Applejack cried out. “That’s how we get it done! Nice work leading, sugarcube!”

Thanks, Applejack.” Twilight happily said. “And thank you for your help as well.”

Soon after that, Rainbow flew to give quick congratulations and then worked to flying both Twilight and Applejack back to the ground. Once the pair had been returned to the group, Pinkie Pie ran up to Twilight. “Wowie, Twilight! That was the most super-duper Rite I’ve ever seen! Oh wait, it’s the only Rite I’ve ever seen. Ah, who cares! I’m just so proud of you, Twily!”

“Skrriii-haaa!” Ti’zo chirped at Twilight, no doubt congratulating her on the victory.

The alicorn tried to hide the small blush that was forming from her friend’s praise. Meanwhile, Jodariel spoke up her thoughts. “Hm, I expected more from the Wyrm-knights from the Sea Dominion.” She then turned over to the orange mare. “Nevertheless, your contribution was well-noted, Applejack. I wasn’t exactly sure of this Blessing phenomenon but feeling it for myself did quell my doubts.”

“That’s right!” Mae excitedly said all the sudden. “Thank the Scribes that you did have a Blessing after all! Thank you so much for helping me, Miss Applejack!”

“Ah shucks, sugarcube,” Applejack said bashfully. “ya did most of the work out there. I only just chipped in a little.”

Amidst their congratulations, the Nightwings and ponies were suddenly interrupted. “Noble Nightwings!” They all turned to see that it was none other than Sir Gilman, mask removed and looking at them with his singular eye. “This knight came here to commend you all for your performance in the Rite. Especially to thee, Twilight Sparkle. Leadership is a heavy helm to wear, however you seem to wear it stupendously. Gloriously fought, indeed, and this knight shall wistfully remember this defeat until the end of his days!”

Twilight had to admit, she was rather taken aback by Gilman’s words. His praise didn’t seem hollow at all and he seemed to really be taking his defeat with grace. It was a little bit touching to the alicorn, and she was more than ready to return the compliments to the Wyrm for his performance in the Rite as well. However, she never got the chance as the Wyrm-commander slithered up to Gilman.

“S-S-Silence, Gilman!” Sir Deluge yelled to his underling. “First you botch up the Rite and now you’re here cavorting with the enemies?! This knight told you to no longer trust these land abominations!”

“This knight was but attempting honorary compliments, Sire. Is it not in accordance with the Rites to praise one’s adversary on a worthy outcome?” Gilman tried to explain to his superior.

“W-W-WORTHY?!” Deluge exclaimed. “Th-This knight will show you worthy, you miserable minnow!” Sir Deluge then raised up the end of his tail and smacked Gilman upside the head with it. “You are a failure, Gilman! A disgrace to the good name of the Pyrehearts and the Sea Dominion!”

“Hey, take it easy, will ya?!” Rainbow shouted at Deluge. “He did just fine out there. In fact, from what I saw out there, he did most of the work out there while you just kept getting banished!”

Both Wyrm just looked to the Wonderbolt in astonishment, mostly likely for different reasons. For Deluge, it was out of surprised outrage. “Y-You dare question my strategy, foul creature?! I’ll have you know that this knight has led countless battles for the good of the Commonwealth and led the Sea-Dominion to glorious honor!”

Rainbow raised her eyebrow at that. “Oh yeah? Then how come they dumped your sorry behind down here in the first place?”

Sir Deluge was once again at a loss for words. “That…That is not of your concern!” he finally yelled out at the mare. “This is…this knight will no longer subject himself to this drabble. Gilman! Bring your sorry hide back to the company!”

With that, the Wyrm-commander swiftly turned and slithered off to dive back into the waters below. Sir Gilman looked to the waters to follow his superior, but he turned one more time to the Nightwings. Judging by the look on his face, it appeared that Rainbow’s defense of his credibility still stuck with him. “This knight bids you a farewell, Nightwings.” He dully stated before he leapt into the Sea as well.

The Nigthwings and ponies were silent after that exchange. That is until Rukey spoke up his own thoughts. “Jeez. That was kind of sad.”

“I hope that Sir Gilman isn’t punished too much.” Fluttershy admitted. “I think he really did his best.”

Their attention was driven away when three pillars of light shined under Mae, Rukey and Jodariel, followed by another proclamation from the Voice.

Musical Cue - A Step Closer

“WHAT STIRS NOW IN THE HEARTS OF THESE EXILES?”

While Jodariel and Mae remained the same, began to glow for only a brief moment.

“IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE EXILE RUKEY HAS GAIN A FEW MORE TRICKS.”

“Faster, stronger, and perhaps a little better looking too? I mean, is there anything I can’t handle?!” Rukey boasted. This was met with a few eye rolls from some of the group, but also a small giggle from Fluttershy. Eventually, the pillars of light retracted back into the night sky and the stars above stopped glowing and returned to their normal state.

“UNTIL THE STARS ALIGN AGAIN.”

The walk off the rotting deck of the Hulk of Ores was rather uneventfully as the group eventually made it back to the blackwagon parked on one of the islets. When they arrived, they found Tariq sitting by the fire while strumming a few tuneless chords on his lute. He looked up from his concentration and smiled at the group. “Salutations all. Given the bright expressions, I imagine that you were successful in the Rite?”

“Sure as sugar we were, Tariq!” Applejack cheerfully said. “Not only that, but it looks as though I also got some type of Blessing power myself.”

“Miss Applejack assisted you in the Rite just as Miss Fluttershy had?” the minstrel asked Twilight. When the alicorn nodded, he began to subtlety scratch his chin in thought. “Most interesting. You will have to tell me more.”

“She may tell you later.” Jodariel interrupted as she stepped forward. “How is Hedwyn?”

Twilight realized that the Demon raised a good question. She looked around the camp but found no sign of her Nomad friend. When she looked to the minstrel, she saw that he moved his mouth, but words had formed. Almost as if something was troubling him. “He…” he finally said. “I urged him to remain bed-ridden…”

Fluttershy let out a gulp. “And?” she said cautiously.

“And…he simply would not listen. I am very sorry but…” Tariq trailed off again.

“Wait, what?!” Twilight finally exclaimed. “But I though you told me he was recovering?! What happen to Hedwyn?! Did he…did he…?!” The alicorn couldn’t bare to finish her sentence. Her mind began to run rampant with worse case scenarios of the Nomad’s fate. Everyone else stared at the Lone Minstrel in a stunned silence. The only thing he do was let out a heavy sigh and look to the ground. All signs that led to the conclusion that they young man had met his end at the hands of his illness. A conclusion that had Twilight desperately holding back tears.

However, the pony’s emotion did a complete turn around when she heard the door open.

Musical Cue - Surviving Exile

“Hey, what’s with all the long faces, everyone?” Hedwyn asked as he stepped outside.

Twilight could only look on in awe for a few seconds before her brain caught up with her. “H-HEDWYN!” she cried out and immediately rushed to the Nomad. She then jumped into his arms, which almost caused him to tumble down to the ground. The alicorn cared little for that and proceeded to wrap her forehooves around his neck. “I’m so glad your okay!” she said as a few reserved tears graced her cheeks.

The Nomad was certainly surprised by the sudden affection, but he didn’t reject it either. “I’m…glad to see you missed me, my friend.” He said with a smile.

“MINSTREL!” Jodariel yelled at Tariq. “I should wring that neck of yours!”

“Yeah, what the buck?!” Rainbow joined in. “Why’d you put us on edge like that?!”

Tariq cleared his throat in an attempt to ease the tension. “As I was attempting to explain…Hedwyn is already up and about. Despite my having strongly recommended further rest.” Seeing how nobody seemed satisfied with the explanation, Tariq continued. Those that are unaccustomed to sea voyage and take ill as a result are very likely to experience further symptoms. I knew that he was on the verge of full recovery, but not remaining bed-ridden could have compromise that.”

“What are you, a doctor?” Rukey asked sarcastically.

“Nay. Although I traveled once with one, extensively.” Tariq answered.

“Look, I appreciate all of your concern,” Hedwyn began as he put Twilight back on the ground. “but I’m pretty well accustomed to discomfort here in the Downside. Besides, I haven’t had to stay out of a Rite like that.”

“So, you are back among the living, Hedwyn?” Jodariel asked cautiously.

“I was just sea-sick!” the Nomad tried to downplay his previous condition. “In any case, I’m sorry if I caused any concern or worry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry, Hedwyn.” Twilight explained. “We’re all just glad that you’re okay now.” Hedwyn looked down at the smiling alicorn and petted her mane in appreciation.

Tariq then interrupted with a clearing of his throat. “Nevertheless, I still firmly believe that Hedwyn’s full recovery will require a good night’s rest.”

This time the Nomad had no trouble agree with the minstrel. “I think we could all use some rest after tonight. But before that, I think it would be a good idea to figure out where we’re going next.” He then looked to Twilight. “Well, my friend, where are the stars guiding us tonight?”

The purple pony nodded and looked up to the night sky. There were many twinkling stars out this night, but there was only in particular that caught her eye. Upward a bit north, there was a lone star that was shining purple. The star shined brighter as she focused in more onto it. That’s when she knew that it was the star she was looking for and pointed it out for the rest.

“That would be Triesta, the Silver Star.” Tariq identified the star. “So, still further north then…This will prove difficult.”

“How so?” Rainbow asked. “The wagon can still float. What’s the problem with a little more water?”

“The issue is that our next destination is beyond what is known as the Deathless Tempest.” he explained. “A raging storm of high winds and heavy rainfall that permeates the northern region of the Sea of Solis. A vessel such as ours has little hope of traversing it intact.”

For a moment, everybody stayed silent after hearing the bleak news from the minstrel. Even Twilight herself was quiet as she tried think of solutions to bypass the Tempest. “Come on, people!” Rukey suddenly broke the silence. “It’ll just be another day in the Downside! Let’s get as far as we can in the morning, and we’ll deal with it when we have to.”

Twilight had to admit that was probably the best solution for now. And everybody else seem to agree. “Your optimism is infectious.” Jodariel dryly answered.

Rukey put on a sly grin in response. “Isn’t it?”

Speaking of optimism, Twilight noticed that Pinkie Pie was unusually quiet throughout all of this. She looked around the group and saw that the pink mare was staring out to the Sea. “Pinkie, is everything okay?” she asked her friend.

The party pony looked back to the alicorn. “Oh, everything’s fine, Twilight!” she responded cheerfully. “I was just looking at the weird, swirling, blue portal thingy just over there! It’s pretty!”

When the mare then pointed out what she was looking at, Twilight’s eyes went wide. Just off from the shore and right over the water, there was a portal that she recognized. The same portal that had brought her friends to this world. The only difference was that this portal was much lower from the sky than the other, this one only being just a meter or two above the water. She was so focused on Applejack’s Blessing and Hedwyn’s recovery that she completely forgot that one of her missing friends were supposed to appear after winning the Rite. “Pinkie, why didn’t you say anything?!” she asked the pink mare.

Pinkie shrugged her shoulders. “Well, you guys were busy with making sure Hedwyn was okay and looking at the stars. I didn’t wanna be rude and interrupt you.”

Twilight decided to shake off Pinkie’s flawed, if not considerate, logic and focused on the portal. Any minute one of her friends would fall out of the portal and into the Sea. While thankfully she didn’t have to worry about any serious injuries since the portal was so low, she still didn’t want them to get wet. “Okay, guys,” she turned around and addressed the ponies. “here’s the plan. Rainbow will fly over to the portal opening to catch anypony that fall out. And just in case, Fluttershy will carry me over as well so that I can use my magic to catch them. If we work fast enough, I think we can-“

Twilight was interrupted she heard sudden screaming and then a splash afterward. The alicorn cringed a bit at the realization that they were too late and somepony had already fell into the water. She turned around to see who it was, but it seemed as though they hadn’t resurfaced yet. “Did uh…did anypony happen to see you fell into the water?” she sheepishly asked the others.

“I think that was Rarity!” Fluttershy said with a bit of surprise and worry.

“How could you tell?” asked Twilight.

A second later, the form of a pony resurfaced from the water and let out another cry.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! MY HAAAAAIIIIIIIRRRRR!”

“Yup. That’s Rarity alright.” Applejack confirmed.

“I got her!” Rainbow Dash then quickly flew out over to the water and swiftly picked up the unicorn. It only took another second before both ponies returned. The poor mare was soaked to the bone with her normally beautiful, curly purple hair now drenched and pressed against her fur. “Uh, could somebody get her a towel or something?” asked Rainbow.

While Jodariel went inside, Twilight walked over to the fashionista to make sure she was okay. “Rarity, is everything okay?” she asked her fashion-forward friend. Before she forgot, the alicorn then casted the translation spell on her so that she would have no trouble understanding the Nightwings.

Musical Cue - The Herald

“T-T-Twilight?” the white unicorn said amidst her shivering. When she looked up and got a good look at her purple friend, she quick wrapped her forehooves around her neck. “Oh, Twilight! Thank goodness you’re okay, darling!” She then looked around and noticed her other friends. “Oh, and it’s lovely to see the rest of you are fine as well. Wait, where’s Starlight? And Spikey-Wikey?”

Twilight grimaced at her concern for the last two members of the group still missing. “We haven’t found them yet. But, don’t worry, it took me awhile to found everypony else here. So, I’m sure we’ll find them eventually.” She said trying to reassure her. Thankfully, it to have worked, though Rarity looked as though she was still hiding some worry in her expression.

“Excuse me.” Jodariel said as she approached the pair of ponies. The fashionista initially was shocked by the woman’s tall and intimidating presence and partially hid behind Twilight. Jodariel did her best to seem less threatening, although her stern expression only softened a little. “You are wet. You may use this towel to dry yourself.”

Rarity eventually step out from behind Twilight and grabbed the towel. When she was done drying her body and wrapped the towel around her soaking hair, she looked up to the horned woman. “Thank you. Miss…um…”

“Jodariel.” The Demon introduced herself.

“Right. Thank you, Miss Jodariel.” Rarity then looked over the rest of the Nightwings. “I suppose that I’ll just have to also get acquainted with the rest of your…entourage. However, it does me well to know that you’re fine, Twilight. Well, aside from those ghastly bandaging that you’re wearing.”

It was then Twilight realized something. She realized that she was finally reunited with Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Rarity again. Her five best friends that she met all that time ago in Ponyville and had changed the course of her life forever. She then remembered back when she first arrived at the Downside. When she was lying there on the desert ground, broken on the verge of death. Even though it had seemed as though she was at her end, all she could think was the hope to see her beloved friends one more time. Flashforward a couple of days and here she was. Her friend back at her sides and ready to support her as they always had in the past. It was this line of thought that guided her to use her telekinesis to pull all five of the ponies to her. She then did her best to bring them into a big group hug.

“Guys,” she said softly. “I’m…I’m so…” She was having trouble speaking from being so choked up in the moment. The tears that she had held back from the misunderstanding with Hedwyn were now being shed for a different reason.

“Ugh Twilight,” Rainbow began. “If this is about blaming yourself with the mirror thing, we already had a talk about-“

“No, Dashie, it’s not that.” Twilight said through her tears. “When I got to the Downside, I really missed you guys. You’re always there for me, and guess being here in this world all alone…I was really scared. I know that we still need to find Starlight and Spike, but I’m just so happy to see you all again. I promise you all that we’ll get home to Equestria again.”

A small moment of silence pasted before Rarity spoke up. “It will be alright, darling.”

“Ya know that we got yer back, sugarcube.” Applejack then said.

“We’ll all get back home safe-and-sound in no time!” Rainbow Dash added.

“It’ll be easy-peasie!” Pinkie Pie said.

“Afterall, there isn’t a problem we can’t handle when we’re all together.” Said Fluttershy.

All the Nightwings watched the tender moment continue between the ponies. As for Twilight, she felt her heart swell with happiness. Now that she had more of her friends at her side and with hearing their encouraging words, she felt like her confidence was now soaring. In that moment, she knew that she would find Spike and Starlight, lead the Nightwings as their leader and finally giving everybody their freedom. The only thing in between her and that final goal was the other dangers that the Downside had.

But those things seemed a little less scary now that the Elements of Harmony were back together.

Calming the Tempest

Chapter 17: Calming the Tempest

Musical Cue - Strange Voyage

The following morning, everybody packed up the campsite and the blackwagon made its way back on the Sea. Due to the Sea having much less choppier waters than the Wyrm Gulf, it seemed as though Hedwyn was having a much easier time with the water travel. Thus, it brought Twilight great relief to see the Nomad contently polishing his cookware as they were traveling. The rest of the group were also taking well to the waters. Rainbow Dash was up on the roof getting some fresh air while Pinkie was looking outside the window. Fluttershy was making quiet conversation with both Rukey and Ti’zo. There was also Applejack was in the far corner with Mae helping her with one of her twig creations, with Tariq nearby strumming on his lute. Jodariel was checking the interior of the wagon to make sure that it hadn’t taken on any water. Finally, Rarity was over on the side of the room where the Nightwings stored their raiments for the Rites. Seeing the fashionista got Twilight’s mind working. While it was true that Rarity was caught up with the whole situation last night, the alicorn was still concerned about her comfort. She was a refined mare, after all, and the harsh conditions of the Downside were hardly accommodating to her type. It was that train of thought that urged the purple pony to trot over to check on her friend.

“Oh, how ghastly!” the fashionista muttered to herself. “How in the world did they let it devolve to this!”

“Um, Rarity?” Twilight interrupted the unicorn.

Rarity broke her concentration and swiftly turned around. “Oh, Twilight! Right on time. I was just wondering if there happens to be any sewing equipment aboard this wagon?”

Twilight was perplexed by the request. “I…think Jodariel might know if we have any. Can I ask why you need it?”

“Why?! Well, just look here, darling!” Rarity gestured to the raiments. “Just look at the state of these raiments! Now, do not misunderstand, the color combinations are quite suitable for one another. And the masks do have an ornamental charm to them. But look here! Holes!” She used her hoof to lift up the fabric to reveal small rips and tears. “Some of these are just littered these unsightly holes. Not to mention the others.”

Twilight cocked her head. “Others?”

Rarity then moved a bit over and looked to the floor. Using her magic, she found a small hidden lever and lifted it to reveal a hidden trap door. Inside the compartment were even more raiments folded up and a few more ceremonial masks with shapes that Twilight didn’t recognize. She did, however, recognized one of the masks was the same one that the Pyrehearts wore during the Rite. “Tariq informed me of these ones after I asked him if we had any more fabric.” Rarity continued her tangent. “But even these ones weren’t spared from these holes. I simply must find a way to fix this disaster! While am not entire familiar with these Rites the others informed me about, I do know that presentation still matters!”

As much as Twilight appreciated Rarity’s insistence on fixing this “fashion disaster’, she still needed to make sure she was okay. It was also a good time to hear her side of the story of what happened back in Equestria. “So Rarity, to switch to another topic, I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me? Do you remember what happened back in Equestria with the mirror I was messing with?”

“Oh, well,” the white mare said as she began thinking. “I remember going to the castle to meet with about the possibility of perhaps implementing school uniforms for the school. I ran into Pinkie who had decided to demonstrate another one of her messy party contraptions to me. Before my hair became the victim of another confetti attack, I convince her that we should find you. We eventually made it to the library when we then heard a commotion. Pinkie burst opened the door and let off one of her poppers, but I was in shock at what I saw. I noticed everypony was in the room as the mirror began to give off this brilliant shine. I even knew Spike was there because I saw his cute little tail sticking out from behind the mirror. The next thing I knew, the mirror exploded in a flash and I was falling in a vortex for 45 minutes or so. And then I landed here…and got my beautiful mane all wet.”

Twilight nodded at the unicorn’s description. So far, everything matched with the other ponies in the room at the time of the incident. “Okay. As for my second question, I just wanted to see if you were alight?”

“Whatever do you mean by that, darling?” Rarity asked.

Twilight began awkwardly scratching the back of her neck. “Well, you know…It’s just that…the Downside doesn’t exactly have the best conditions for your…standards.” The alicorn was struggling to not sound offensive to her eccentric friend. “I just want to make sure that you’re coping with it well.”

“Oh Twilight,” Rarity said while suppressing a giggle. “I know what you’re referring to. You may find it hard to believe, but I am not the same indoor-pansy fashionista that you met all that time ago. I’ve gradually learned the ways of ‘roughing it’ thanks to those sister camping trips me, Applejack and Rainbow Dash have with the Crusaders. Sure, I may not have my Aloe Vera sleeping mask, or my makeup kit, or my personalized comfort chair, or my linen bedsheets, or my…hmm.” The fashionista became a bit more destressed as she listed off her usual creature-comforts that she was missing. However, she quickly shook it away. “Nonono! That’s not important right now! So long as I have a hairbrush and a mirror to keep my mane presentable, I will be just fine. The point is that I’m confident that we’ll find Starlight and Spike and make our way back to Equestria! In which I will then immediately book an appointment at the spa!”

Twilight had to admit, hearing Rarity’s optimism had greatly assured her worries for her friend. Rarity was right, she was tougher than she looked. “Excuse me, Miss Rarity?” The two ponies turned to see that Tariq had approached them both. “Would it be okay with you if I borrow Madam Twilight from you for a moment?”

The white mare nodded. “Oh, of course, darling. I have another situation to attend to anyhow. Oh Jodariel!” she sang as she trotted to the Demon.

“It is good to see that she is accommodating well.” the minstrel noted before he focused back on the alicorn. “Madam Twilight, might I discuss with you about Miss Applejack?”

Twilight’s curiosity was peaked at the mention of her farmer friend. “Does it happen to involve something about the last Rite?” she guessed.

“Aye,” he confirmed. “I spoke with her and she recounted her role in your battle with the Pyrehearts. It seems as though when she unleased her Blessing, the Nightwings were able to increase their damage to the adversary’s pyre?” When the pony nodded, the Lone Minstrel let out a hum of thought. “I see. Then it would appear that Miss Applejack’s Blessing seems to raise Glory in the participants.”

“Glory?” Twilight asked, vaguely remembering that the Voice had mentioned the same thing.

“During the Rites, the amount an exile diminishes the flames of a pyre is depended on their Glory. It varies depending on the exile, but usually motivate and vigor are the leading cause for high Glory.” As the minstrel continued his explanation, the gears in Twilight’s head began to turn.

“Now that you mention it, Applejack was persuading Mae to ‘put everything she had into it’ when she first activated her Blessing.” She mused out loud. “I also suppose that this further supports the theory that these Blessing might somehow be connected to the Elements.

“My thoughts exactly, Madam Twilight.” Tariq concurred. “It’s my suggestion that you continue to test this quandary in future Rites as well. It would no doubt give you an advantage against your Adversaries.”

Before they could continue this conversation, the pair felt the wagon make a sudden stop. “Hey, uh, chums?” Rukey announced to everybody in the wagon. “Looks like we hit a road block. You might wanna check this out!”

Soon after the announcement, the Nightwings and ponies began to exit outside. “It would be probably wise to follow and assess the situation.” Tariq noted to the alicorn. She agreed and followed the Lone Minstrel outside.

As Twilight stepped out, she saw that the wagon had parked on a small islet. Though what really caught her attention was what was in front of her. Before the small wagon was another stretch of the Sea that was completely engulfed in gigantic tidal waves. The wagon was far enough not to be in their path, thankfully, but the alicorn knew that the small vehicle wouldn’t last a second in those waves. The situation looked even more dire as she looked to the sky. In contrast to the clear blue sky that she saw when the group first arrived at the Sea, Twilight could only see pitch black stretching all the way across the looming horizon. Not only that, but the storm clouds brought on a downpour onto the crashing waves below.

“Yeesh! That’s one heck of a storm!” Rukey commented. “Didn’t think it would be this big!”

“Hey, Rainbow? Think you could go up there and buck them clouds away?” Applejack suggested. “Might help simmer down the water a bit.”

“Are you kidding?!” the daredevil said in disbelief. “It’d take like ten weather teams to fight off those clouds! Not to mention that the winds would probably blow my wings straight off! I may be awesome, but I’m not suicidal. Besides, I doubt these clouds work the same as the ones back in Equestria.”

“Even if you were to somehow clear the clouds, they would simply return.” Tariq commented as he looked to the enormous storm.

“You know of this, minstrel?” Jodariel asked skeptically.

He nodded and began his explanation. “The Greater Titan that we saw back at the Hulk of Ores was known as Unfathomed Plurnes. Any ship unfortunate enough to attempt passage through the Sea would meet its end by the Titan’s strength. That is until the arrival of the Wyrm Scribe, Underking Ores. Realizing that he would be no match due to his small size, he used his cunning instead. He saw a ship that wasn’t completely destroyed by Plurnes’s wrath named the Dazraban. The very ship that made up the Celestial Landmark for the Rites. The Underking was able to steer the ship to the beast and impale it upon the prow. The Titan was no more, but Plurnes left one last curse upon the living.”

“The Tempest?” Hedwyn guessed.

“Aye.” Tariq answered. “Ever since Plurnes’s demise, the Deathless Tempest has yet to subside. This will prove difficult to our journey. The stars are guiding us to a destination that is on the other side of the storm.”

“Can’t we just sail ourselves around it?” Applejack suggested.

Jodariel shook her head. “That would take far too long. I’d doubt we would be able to make to the next Rite in time.”

The group then fell silent, no doubt wondering how they were going to overcome the obstacle in front of them. Twilight, in particular, was extra focused as to what they could do. There had to be a solution to this, but it seemed to be just out of their reach. As Twilight began to formulate a few hypotheses as to getting through safely, she was distracted by a noise.

Musical Cue - Quest for Honor

Just to the right of the group, it sounded as though there was something stirring in the waters. Moments later, something sprang from the water and landed right before the Nightwings and ponies. It turned out to be none other than Sir Gilman of the Pyrehearts, only he was no longer dressed in the traditional raiments. Instead, he was wearing wrappings just below his head that were held together by a small piece of metal that seemingly acted as a knight’s chest plate. “Hold, good ladies and good sirs! This knight beseeches you to hear him, if you would!” he announced and gave a slight bow. The group was admittedly taken aback by the Wyrm-knight’s sudden appearance.”

“You again?!” Rukey said in surprise. “Wait, were you following us this whole time?”

“Er…well, this knight does admit that he in fact followed your wagon covertly from the water.” he sheepishly admitted. “But it was for a just cause, this knight assures you!”

Meanwhile, Rarity finally got a good look at the Wyrm. She then winced back a bit “Oh goodness! Well, that certainly quite the most…unique creature I’ve seen. Well aside from dear Ti’zo, of course.”

“Skrrruuu…” the Imp grumbled.

Gilman paused his thought and looked in Rarity’s direction. “Oh, it would appear that you have attained a new member to your party!” Gilman noted. As he began to slither over to her, Rarity did her best to not reel away from the Wyrm-knight. “Greetings to you, fair maiden! I am Sir Gilman, former knight of the great Sea-Dominion. This knight must admit that your graceful beauty is quite stunning. Might you honor this knight by giving your name, m’lady?” He then bowed his head and politely presented his tail to her.

Rarity’s attitude changed drastically after hearing such flattery. “Ohoho, well aren’t you just the charmer.” she giggled with a small, bashful blush on her face. “You may call me Rarity. It is a pleasure to meet you.” She then took her hoof and lightly shook Gilman’s tail.

“What is it you need, Wyrm?” Jodariel dismissively asked. The Rite has ended. We have no further need of you.”

Sir Gilman withdrew his tail from Rarity and went over to the Demon. “Oh, but you do! And in turn, this knight has further need of you, good lady!” He then slithered up to the alicorn. “Lady Twilight, was it? As Reader of the Nightwings, would you be so kind as to listen to this knight’s request?”

Seeing no problem with at the very least hearing out the request, along with seeing various shrugs and nods from the rest of the group, Twilight decided to concede. “Alright, what to you want from us?”

“LET US BE JOINED!!!” the Wyrm-knight shouted in a mixed amount of enthusiasm and pleading. “Let this this knight join the Nightwings! PLEASE!”

The air was silent save for the crashing waves in the distance. A silence which was then broken by a heavy sigh from Jodariel. “Can you believe this, Hedwyn?” she asked the Nomad.

“Not really, no.” he answered back.

“Wait, you want to join the Nightwings?!” Rainbow said in disbelief. “After the hard flank-kicking that they gave you in the Rite?”

“Indeed, you are correct, prismatic one!” Gilman answered the mare.

“Rainbow Dash.” she corrected. “And don’t even think about putting ‘Lady’ in front of that, bub.”

“Er…very well then!” the Wyrm said. “As for your earlier inquiry, tis true as to what you said. However, your valor in the Rites did stir this poor knight’s soul! A chance again to light the flame of passion for battle!”

“Uh huh.” Applejack said in her voice. “And are ya sure ya won’t mind working with ‘land-walking abominations’ like us?” It was quite clear that the orange mare was still put off by the insults that Deluge had thrown at them and their kind.

“Hmph! This knight has no such prejustice towards your species.” Gilman replied without hesitation. “The judgement of one’s character should be on their actions towards others and their valor on the battlefield! If this knight was to be completely honest, he is actually quite charmed by your appearances.”

The apple farmer seemed convinced at the knight’s sincerity and lowered her guard a bit. It was then Fluttershy’s turn to ask him a question. “But what about your other friends? The Pyrehearts? Don’t you think that they would miss you?”

“THEY ARE BASE COWARDS!” Gilman hotly exclaimed. “This knight can no longer abide such spineless characters, having witness true glory in our clash upon the Hulk of Ores! It would be in this knight’s best interest to serve under a far more competent company.”

Twilight had to admit to herself, so far Gilman had valid reasons to join the Nightwings. He seemed genuinely impressed by their skills and abilities, and based on the last Rite, it seemed as though the Pyrehearts weren’t under the best of management. However, Twilight thought it best to consul with the other member just to make sure they were all on the same page. “Well, I suppose that we could consider you joining. What does everybody else think?” she asked the group.

“Actually,” Hedwyn began. “this may work to our favor in the long run.”

“What are you talking about?” Jodariel asked the Nomad. After a few seconds though, it seemed that she came to a realization. “Oh, this again. Are you most certain that Sandalwood would what this thing along?”

At the mention of the mysterious benefactor of the Nightwings, Twilight gave Hedwyn a puzzled look. He saw this and was quick to provide an explanation. “Sandalwood’s instructions said that we were to find someone for all the masks we had on hand. Seeing how this one seems eager to join already, I figure that this could save us time looking for one for the Wyrm mask.” While Twilight did find these instructions a bit strange, it did at least explain the unused raiments and masks she and Rarity saw earlier.

“Oh, I don’t know, darling,” the fashionista said. “I think we should bring him along with us. He seems like he’s willing to be quite helpful.”

“You only like him cause he treated ya all fancy-like.” Applejack countered, rolling her eyes.

Rarity pouted at the accusation. “Now Applejack, there’s nothing wrong with making a lady feel special.” When she then looked over to Sir Gilman, he gave her a smirk while giving a confident pose. Rarity giggled at the gesture and then looked to Twilight. “In any case, I vote we give him a chance.”

“Yeah, Twi,” Rainbow Dash interjected. “Let him join. He seems a lot cooler than those other Wyrm jerks. Besides, I think it’s about time a princess like you get a proper knight at her side. Makes it like, 20% more official!”

The Wyrm-knight’s singular eye suddenly went wide. “B-Beg pardon.” he shakily asked. “Does this knight’s ears deceived him, or did you perhaps say that Lady Twilight was in fact...a princess?”

Before Twilight could answer on her own terms, Pinkie suddenly hopped to her side and began to put on a dramatic flair. “That’s riiiiight! You’re in the presence of Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. All the way from the great land of Equestria! Pretty neat, right?! Of course, I would know because she’s one of my bestest friends!” The party pony then broke out into giggles.

Seeing how the Wyrm was still speechless at the news, Rainbow took the opportunity to further escalate Twilight’s reputation. “Yep, it’s true!” she said as she put a hoof around her. You’re looking at the second-coolest pony around. You know, not as cool as me, per say, but totally above Celestia in my books!”

While Twilight was still looking a bit sheepish at her friends’ boasting, the Wyrm-knight was still awestruck at the news he had heard. Before she could ask him if her new-known royal status was somehow troubling him, Sir Gilman began to cheer. “OH JOYOUS OF NEWS!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. Twilight could have sworn that she saw his pupil shift into a heart for a split second. Before she knew it, Gilman was now right before the alicorn bowing, almost groveling, to her. “Princess Twilight,” he began in an even more formal tone. “Please forgive this knight for his earlier discourteousness, as he was previously unaware that you were of royal blood! It is the stride of all Wyrm-knights to one day serve in the court of royalty, be the be of the great Sea-Dominion, or on the dry lands above! It is for this reason that this knight is now certain that our meeting was in fact fate itself! If you accept his humble request, he swears to you, upon his long-lost honor as a would-be knight-errant of the Sea-Dominion, that he shall serve you to the end!”

Gilman then bowed his head again and waited for Twilight’s answer. Unfortunately, she was a bit too flustered by the Wyrm’s pleading. It wasn’t his enthusiasm that was making her uncomfortable, rather it was the use of her title as princess. Back in Equestria, almost nopony ever showed her the level of worship that Gilman was giving her now, sans that one zeppelin cruise she took with her family. Usually, it only amounted to respectful bows or greetings whenever she attended royal events. And that was really what she was most comfortable with, as she never wanted to feel like she was more important than everypony else just because she had gotten her wings. Thankfully, Twilight was saved from the awkward situation thanks to Jodariel, who was still skeptical about the Wyrm-knight joining.

“It would hardly matter even if we add another to our ranks, as we still yet to solve our current problem.” She said as she gestured to the Deathless Tempest.

Gilman turned around and gazed at the storm. However, instead of feeling discouraged by the overwhelming obstacle like the others did, he let out a hearty laugh. “Ha ha! Ah yes, the Deathless Tempest! Truly, a magnificent force of nature left behind as a testament to the Underking’s victory over the Unfathomed Plurnes! While no issue the amphibious warriors of the Sea-Dominion, land-dwellers such as yourselves wouldn’t last a mere moment in there.” He then looked back to the group while wearing a confident smirk. “However, you are in good fortune this day! For I know a method to grant you all safe passage through the storm!”

Twilight’s interest peaked again with the knight’s claim. “Wait, you know a way to…’turn off’ the Tempest?” she asked, unsure as to how to word the method presented to her.

“Not in it’s entirely.” Sir Gilman explained. “There is a long-held secret among the Wyrms exiled to these waters. Knowledge as to how the storm works and stirs the Sea of Solis. Knowledge that this knight may exploit to grand us a path to freedom!” He then looked to Twilight again. “Though first, this knight requires your consent. Elegant Princess of Friendship, give unto this knight your blessing, in the name of the Nightwings, and thus shall he go forth!”

Twilight thought for a bit before she gave her answer. If Gilman really knew a way for them to get past the Tempest, then she figured that this would be the quickest solution to their problem. And it didn’t look as though she was going to get any serious objections from the rest of the group. Besides, this could be a way for Twilight to help another exile achieve their freedom. However, she still decided to give the Wyrm a test of some sort. She figured that giving him a challenge would help motivate him to a better chance of success. “Alright then, Sir Gilman,” she announced. “If you do find a way for us to cross the Deathless Tempest safely, then we’ll officially allow you to join the Nightwings. Is that a deal?”

Gilman gave an immediate response. “HUZZAH! This knight will not disappoint you, your highness! Now then, time to make my decent back into the Sea!”

“Oh, hold on a moment, Sir Gilman!” Rarity quickly said before he jumped into the water. “Could you wait a second, darling? Let me fetch something from the wagon really quick!” The unicorn then quickly trotted back inside the wagon. Twilight barely had any time to wonder what she was fetching, Rarity had already returned outside. As she got closer, the alicorn noticed that she was carrying some familiar cloth along with the Wyrm ceremonial mask that she found earlier on her back. “Here we are!” the fashionista said in a sing-song voice. At first, I thought that this was some sort of scarf. But now I believe that this will be the perfect fit for you! Dress the part to play the part, as they say!” She then used her magic to remove the cloth from her back and unrolled it before the knight. It was quite similar to the Nightwings’ traditional raiments, only that it was much smaller and lacked any arm sleeves. Perfect for a Wyrm like Sir Gilman.

“Why, fair Lady Rarity…” Gilman said, almost speechless. “This is PERFECTION!” He then quickly snatched the raiment from the unicorn with his tail and immediately put it on. The knight then took the mask as well and placed it over his head. Twilight found it a bit silly that he still wore his first helmet under the already helmet-like mask. But she had to admit, Sir Gilman did have the look of a Nightwing donned in the raiments like that. “A complete fit!” he said while admiring his new outfit. “Now that I am donned in the proper garb, this knight may now begin his noble mission. FOR THE GLORY OF THE NIGHTWINGS!”

With that final shout, the Wyrm-knight then leapt into the waters and swam into the depths below. That only left the Nightwings and ponies alone on the islet as they saw the heavy wind and waves before them. “Well, I guess all we can do is wait now.” Hedwyn noted. With that said, the group began to break up to do various tasks. Whether that was examining the blackwagon for any faults, feeding the drive imps or other various activities to kill time. Twilight was about to find a way to pass the time as well before she was approached by Tariq.

“Madam Twilight,” he said. “It looks as though Sir Gilman’s mission is to be accomplished somewhere beyond our sight. But perhaps not from yours.” Twilight was rather confused as to what the minstrel meant by that, until she saw him pull the Book of Rites from his robes. “I grabbed this while you were still conversing with Gilman. If you’re really considering his addition to the Nightwings, then perhaps this would be a good time to test your compatibility with him.”

The alicorn began to understand what the Lone Minstrel was referring to. She remembered back in Jomuer Valley during the Night Howler attack when she was able to use the Book to influence Mae defending the wagon. She then figured that it might be possible to do that again only with Sir Gilman instead. The purple pony then thanked the minstrel for his advice and quickly went back inside the blackwagon. After she grabbed the Book, Twilight went back outside and sat down on the shore where Gilman had left. She then took a deep breath and began to focus. She looked into her mind’s eye and tried to create a mental picture of Sir Gilman. She imagined him in the raiments, which felt as though created a stronger bond between Reader and exile. Finally, she lifted her hoof to gently open the Book. Though her eyes were closed, she knew that the pages were glowing before her. It was then she felt herself slip further into her concentration.

Musical Cue - Night Howlers

When she opened up her eyes again, Twilight realized that she wasn’t on the shore anymore. Instead, it looked as though she had a bird’s-eye view of a proper island somewhere in the middle of the Deathless Tempest. The island had a rocky terrain and covered with all sorts of foreign sea flora. Due to being right in the storm, rain was pouring down and the wind was howling. Lightning occasionally lit up the sky followed by the loud boom of thunder. Waves violently crashed into the rocky sides of the island at forces that would probably obliterate the wagon. But Twilight wasn’t really focused on the hostile environment. Instead, she was centering on the lone Wyrm on the island. Based on the body language alone, it appeared that Gilman was undeterred by the wind and rain and was focused on finding his objective. The alicorn figured that this was the best time helped him and steadied her concentration. She reached out her entire being to the Wyrm-knight and worked to make that connection that she had with the other Nightwings. She eventually cultivated the connection until it formed a proper link. Twilight knew the link was a success when she felt a small surge of astonishment from Sir Gilman.

“Hark! This feeling…” he muttered to himself. “It is almost as if there is a sort of presence adjacent to this knight’s soul. Could this perhaps be the influence of a Reader that he had heard of in brief passing? Hmm, yes. Tis seems to be the only conclusion.” A spark of determination began to flare within the knight’s soul. Though his face was concealed, Twilight could still sense a bout of fiery passion within his eye. “PRINCESS!” he shouted to the sky. “This knight is now at your beck and call! Lend this knight your guidance as he heads for his objective not far east of here! Today, we together shall bring peace to this embroiled sea! Know, however, that among this knight’s brethren, the actions that we are about to take are HIGHLY FOREBIDDEN.” The spark then grew into an inferno. “But they are HIGHLY JUST!!! Let us press onward now!”

Twilight had no arguments with the suggestion and guided the knight east. Just as back in the Rite, Gilman travel fast across the terrain. Swimming through the small aura pool around him, he could easily keep up with the likes of Rukey if presented with the scenario. His aura trailed on the ground behind him, leaving behind evidence of his path. He also leapt over any small ledges or crevices in front of him with ease. As Twilight watched on, she could see how he was diligent of his surrounding despite his speed. Years of training and discipline of a proper knight were beginning to become clear to the pony.

It wasn’t before the Wyrm had made it to the other side of the rocky island. Before him was a small clearing of similar caliber to a standard field used in the Rites. Amidst the clearing were what could be described as large, cream-colored bubbles scattered throughout. While some of these bubbles were standing alone, most of them were huddled against multiple large piles of rocks. The alicorn then realized that she actually recognized these strange orbs. They looked quite similar to the ones that were tipped on the large tentacles back at the Hulk of Ores. She then also felt a sense of recognition from Sir Gilman as well. He was quite familiar with what they were. “Hark! Yonder lies the fowl spawn of Unfathomed Plurnes! Boiling the Sea with their wrath! Exiled Wyrms within these waters long have harbored these abominations, using them to bar passage through the Downside’s channels for any save this knight’s own kind!” The knight then took on an offensive stance. “Begone now from here, fiends! This knight shall finish what the Underking Ores started!”

Thus, the Wyrm-knight charged at the orbs with the intent to eliminate them. It turned out that Gilman only had to touch them with his aura for them fade away into nothingness. To further speed up the process, Twilight wanted to try something that she saw back in the last Rite. She guided Gilman around one of the rock piles until his aura trail completely wrapped around it. Once he was completely behind the pile, Twilight issued the command and Gilman instantly teleport straight through the pillar and back to the end of his trail. As this happened, the Wyrm instantly banished away any orbs that crossed are was around his path. This ‘aura slash’, as Twilight internally dubbed it, appeared the special ability that the Wyrms brought to the Rites. Such as with Ti’zo and his implosion ability. With that knowledge in mind, Twilight and Gilman worked together banish away the rest of the orbs on the island. When the knight banished the last bubble, the effects were instantaneous. The skies above no longer boomed with thunder or flashed with lighting. All that remained were the dark gray clouds and the rain that decreased from a borderline monsoon to a much more reasonable heavy drizzle. The waves also no longer crashed at the sides of the island and began to calm down. Sure, the water still looked a bit choppy, but it wasn’t anything the blackwagon couldn’t handle now. With the spawn destroyed and the weather tamed, Twilight figured that their work here was done. However, it turned out she was quite mistaken.

No less than a minute after the storm had calmed down, Twilight saw something emerge from the shore. Multiple Wyrms jumped out from the water and began to surround Sir Gilman. But they weren’t just any Wyrms. They were wearing very familiar raiments and masks: The Pyrehearts. There was a total of five of them as they fully surrounded Gilman. While Twilight was wondering what they were doing here of all place, Gilman readied himself and stayed vigilant for any sudden movements. Finally, three more Wyrm-knights emerged from the Sea.

“GILMAN!” the one in the middle shrieked out in all too familiar voice. Twilight’s suspicions were confirmed when the Wyrm removed his mask to reveal that it was in fact the leader of the Pyrehearts, Sir Deluge. “Y-Y-You traitorous slug! H-How dare you turn your back on this knight?! To your superior?!”

Sir Gilman said nothing and instead removed his mask to reveal his face. He then stared straight into his former commander’s eye. “Superior by rank, no longer!” he countered, venom dripping from his voice. “For we no longer serve the Commonwealth, last this knight checked! Here, you hold no sway over this knight!”

“Aauuuggghh! And what have you done to the spawn?!” Deluged yelled as he looked over the clearing devoid of the white bubbles. “You have crippled our one advantage over the land-dwellers! Have you no honor left at all?!”

“This knight has done that which required doing for the Nightwings. His honor cannot sink much lower anyhow.” Gilman firmly explained. “He figured this would be an ideal time to free himself from servitude to you!”

This only served to enrage Deluge further. “Grrr! How could you betray your own brethren like this?! Did the purple one cohere you to the Nightwings?!” Twilight realized that he was talking about her. “You lower yourself to less than dirt by serving that four-legged abomination!”

“Hold your sorry tongue, Sir Deluge!” Gilman suddenly shouted in rage. “You shall speak no more ill words towards Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship! She has gifted this knight a chance once again to serve under a royal nobility! Her cause is just, and this knight will see her and her companions free from this accursed land!”

“P-Princess?!” Deluge asked, almost sounding offended. “Stars forbid that someone of her kind hold any title near royalty! Those foreign creatures taint your soul, Gilman.”

Sir Gilman was silent for a moment. “Better to serve under those ponies than to spend another second in misery serving under you.” he finally said with spite. Though the moment was hardly appropriate, Twilight had to admit she was quite touch. Thanks to the link, she could feel the surge of loyalty from the valiant Wyrm-knight. His allegiances were clear to her now.

“W-W-Why, you!” Sir Deluge sputtered out. “You dare stand against the might of the Pyrehearts for those Nightwings?! FOR THOSE PONIES?!”

Sir Gilman took a deep breath and closed his eye. “Good Sir Deluge…” he said calmly as he placed his mask back on his head. Twilight then felt him open his eye as the fires of passion began to burn again. “THIS KNIGHT WAS BORN TO DARE! Now, come and fight this knight, if you so dare, as well! He warns you, however, that he is not alone!”

“Aaaaugh! Pyrehearts! Banish him! This is an order!” the Wyrm-commander ordered in frustration.

At the command, the five surrounding Wyrms advanced onto Gilman. However, he anticipated this and quickly slithered through an opening in their formation. Noticing how they were now grouped together, Gilman slashed his way back to his original position, banishing three of the Pyrehearts in the process. The remaining two were able to avoid Gilman’s counterattack and tried to regain their footing. Twilight then quickly guided Gilman in a serpentine-like path around both Wyrms. He then slashed back, banishing them both. With all the attackers gone, Sir Gilman faced the remaining three Wyrm-knights.

“What now, Sir Deluge?” he asked mockingly. “Shall you not face this knight yourself, and leave the dirty-work unto your charges?”

Deluge did not take the taunt very well. “You would s-stand against… Grahh! Sir Marsh! Lady Seagrass!” he called to the two Wyrms next to him. “Banish now th-this trouble-maker!”

“Sire,” one of the Wyrms spoke. “Aiding us in the attack would greatly increase-“

“DO NOT GIVE EXCUSES! ATTACK!” the Wyrm commander yelled.

The two Wyrms paused for a second before deciding to enact their commander’s will. With no clear plan, they both made a full-frontal assault against their former comrade. Sir Gilman show no intimidation at this, however. Instead, he merely leapt over the first Wyrm that reached him and then quickly slithered around the other. It only took one well-timed slash for Gilman to banish both of his attackers away. Now, there were only two Wyrm left on the island. One with the demeanor of a well-disciplined knight of the sea, and other was left stunned at the sheer talent of the former. Sir Gilman then faced his former commander and took position to strike.

“This…This knight does not fear you, Gilman.” he stammered in apparent fear. “You shall rue this day that you d-d-decided t-to…to….” The Wyrm could only scream out in terror as the knight rushed forward.

Twilight was then surprised at what she saw next. Instead of seeing one, final Wyrm remaining, there were still two. Sir Gilman was mere inches away from the cowering Wyrm before him; one final flick of his tail to banish him away. His target in question was a squirming mess, not even having the courage to look his attacker in the face. It was then the alicorn a surge of new emotions from the Wyrm-knight. Disgust, distain, hesitance, pity, and then eventually resignation. Finally, he receded from his attack on Deluge. Even the Wyrm-commander looked in surprise as Gilman fully backed off. The Wyrm-knight removed his mask once again to give his former commander a stern expression.

“This knight will not banish you, Sir Deluge.” he said solemnly. “Striking down one as pathetic as you will do nothing to regain his honor. Instead, he dooms you to crawl back to your company. There they will see their leader not banished in one last bout of glorious battle but spared for his sheer lack of courage.”

“You would dare speak of honor?” Deluge said, gaining some bite back into his words. “Honor is a luxury that you can never hope to achieve, Gilman. You forfeited that right when your flushed yourself here!”

Sir Gilman shot him a dark look, causing Deluge to shudder away. Twilight felt a twinge of disappointment from the Wyrm-knight as he let out a heavy sigh. He then turned to look out to the Sea, having no fear that his enemy try a surprise attack. “You are master of this knight no longer, Sir Deluge. Thus, shatter our fraternal bonds.” He looked down to the rocky ground. “This knight would say it was an honor serving you, Sir Deluge, but that would be a bald-faced lie. And, yet another stain upon his blackened reputation.” He then put on his mask and turned to leave the clearing. However, before he left, Gilman gave his former commander one final remark. “Until we should meet again on the battlefield. Though this knight hardly doubts it. Farewell!”

The alicorn watched as the noble knight left and leapt back into the Sea. Deluge then rushed to the shore he left upon but did not dare to follow him. “W-W-Wait!” he cried out. “You lowly traitor!! Th-Th-This knight will have your head! Return here and fight him like true Wyrm! Gilman! GILMAN!!!”

Twilight could feel that Sir Gilman had no interest in Deluge’s pleading. Both him and the pony knew that sparing the cowardly commander would lead to further humiliation to his company if he returned to them unbanished. But even then, she could feel that Gilman didn’t revel in that thought. He felt no cathartic joy or moral superiority in sparing Deluge. Instead, there was just the acknowledgment that he made the right choice. Whether or not that choice would lead to further consequence bothered him not, for he was content. With his mission complete, Gilman only focused on returning to the Nightwings. Twilight realized that their task was done and also decided that it was time for her to return as well. Soon, her vision slowly began to fade out until she saw nothing but darkness.

“Twilight?”

The alicorn opened her eyes and blinked a few times. She looked around and found herself in the same place she sat down when she began to focus. The Book of Rites was also in front of her, but it was no longer glowing and was now closed. She figured that she must have closed it subconsciously when she was returning to the waking world. Finally, Twilight acknowledged the pony standing to her right. Rainbow Dash was giving her friend an odd look.

“Hey Twi, you uh…you doing okay there?” the Wonderbolt asked.

“Hmm? Yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?” Twilight asked back.

“Well, I saw you sit on the shore with your book and you didn’t move for like thirty minutes straight.” Rainbow answered, scratching the back of her head. “At first, I thought you fell asleep or something. But then you didn’t respond at all when I tried to snap you out of it. I almost tried to get Pinkie to wake you up.”

“Dashie! Are we still a go for Operation ‘Pouring a Bucket of Cold Water Over Twilight’?” the pink mare asked from afar while holding a small pail in her mouth.

“No Pinkie! She’s awake now!” Rainbow quickly answered.

“Okie Dokie Lokie!” the pink mare cheered out and took the pail with her back inside the wagon.

Inwardly relieved that she avoided a very damp wake-up call, Twilight stood back up and tucked the Book back under her wing. “I’m fine, Rainbow.” she assured her worried friend. “Let’s just say I was…keeping an eye on Sir Gilman while he was out in the Sea.”

Rainbow looked as though she was about to ask about what she meant by that, but she instead shrugged. “Eh, it’s probably a Reader thing.” she concurred. “Just glad to have you back, Twi.”

Musical Cue - Quest for Honor

Suddenly, another splash from the water caught everybody’s attention again. Sir Gilman had returned from the Sea and landed back onto the shore, all the while giving a confident smirk. “Hail! This knight returns with newfound tales to tell, and new scars to show for them!” he announced triumphantly as the group gather to him. Upon closer inspection, Twilight could see that Gilman was sopping wet and visibly shaken. Even still, it looked as though he was struggling to maintain his decorum. It seemed as though his battle with the Pyrehearts had taken more out of him than she initially thought. Despite all of this, however, he still kept on his smile and stood up straight. He was still reveling in the success of his mission. In short, he was the very image of a true knight.

“So, were you able to ‘calm’ this storm?” Jodariel asked skeptically.

“Hoho!” Gilman responded with a mirthful laugh. “This knight believes that little tempest ought no longer pose a threat for now! Behold!”

The Wyrm then gestured to the storm. As if on cue, the Deathless Tempest began to simmer and subside. The imposing waves blocking their path gradually shrank down to a more reasonable size. The storm clouds above began to soften and let down a heavy, yet gentle rainfall. While the Tempest didn’t die down completely, Sir Gilman still kept his word and softened it to where the blackwagon could safely pass through. Twilight could see that everybody was impressed. Even Jodariel seemed to have dialed back her scrutiny.

“Would you like at that,” Hedwyn said. “he really did it.”

“Well, I’ll be…” Applejack said in amazement. “That really is something, ain’t it?”

“Are you kidding?!” Rainbow Dash added. “It would’ve taken days for a weather team to buck away that storm! And he did it in about half an hour! Gotta admit, that was pretty awesome.”

“Ha ha! Twas nothing at all for this knight!” Gilman accepted the Wonderbolt’s compliment. “Though, it should be noted that he had some assistance in the endeavor.” He then gave the alicorn a knowing look.

After what she had seen, the approval of the others and how he had kept his word, Twilight had no doubt about Sir Gilman. He would make a perfect addition to the Nightwings in their quest for freedom. And considering he was at the center of attention at the moment, she figured that she was add a little ceremonial flair to his acceptance. “Sir Gilman of the Sea-Dominion,” she said aloud in an official-sounding tone. As she walked up to him, the Wyrm quickly shifted to bow before her. Twilight looked down at him and smiled. “not only have you kept your promise to quell the Tempest, but you have also quelled my doubts, as well. From what I saw during your mission, it is clear to me that you are devoted to help us in our path to freedom. The fruits of your labor have impressed everybody here. Therefore, we would be honored to have you join us in our quest. As Reader, I official welcome you to the Nightwings!”

At first, the Wyrm-knight was merely stunned at the alicorn’s invitation. It was almost as if he had just achieved a long-sought after goal that had seemed unreachable. The look in his eye showed not only growing excitement, but a sense of regained purpose as well. Finally, the excitement bottled inside him was then released outward. “HUZZAH!” he cheered out to the group. “Thank you, Princess! This knight swears by his life that he will work to free us all from this land!” He then reverted back to a much more relaxed state. “Now…if it would be alright with you, this knight could use some much-needed rest.”

And just like that, the Wyrm-knight collapsed in exhaustion. Twilight and Hedwyn were able to go and help him up. But Rarity had beaten them to it. The white mare used her magic to pick up the Wyrm and placed him on her back. “Poor dear,” she lamented to him. “A valiant knight such as yourself must keep is strength up. Let me take you inside the wagon and find you a place to rest, darling.”

“You are far too kind, Lady Rarity.” Sir Gilman said wearily as the unicorn brought him inside the wagon.

“Well then, it looks like we’re good to go now.” Hedwyn noted now that they were no longer blocked by the Tempest. At the Nomad’s observation, the Nightwings and ponies began to pack inside the blackwagon to start their next leg of their journey. Before they entered themselves though, Hedwyn got Twilight’s attention. “You sounded rather confident when you recruited Gilman to our group. You sure he has what it takes?”

Twilight smiled and answered with no hesitation in her voice. “I’m positive. He’s a bit eccentric, but I know that his loyalty stands with us.”

Hedwyn smiled back and nodded before head back inside the wagon himself. It was no doubt hard for the Wyrm-knight to go against his former comrades like he did in the Tempest. Despite that though, he held firm against them, knowing that he would much more respect in the company of the Nightwings. Content with her decision to let the Wyrm-knight join them, the alicorn boarded the wagon. Now that everybody was aboard, the wagon started up again and returned to the water. The vehicle then slowly made its way into the rain of the weaken Tempest.

Hopefully, the Wyrm-knight weaken it enough so that the Nightwings and ponies could make it to the other side. To their next destination.

Author's Note

Another chapter out! I have to say, it's nice to be back on a monthly schedule. :twilightsheepish:
Leave a rating and comment and tell me what you think!
Until next time! :raritystarry:

Feathers and Renegades

Author's Note

Slight heads up for this chapter, there's going to be a slight change in character perspective for a small part of the story. I know that up until now the story had followed Twilight's perspective, but I feel as though that the story will be stronger if I switch to another character. I have plans to do something like that in future chapters, so think of this as a sort of debut.

In any case, enjoy the chapter! :twilightsmile:

Feathers and Renegades

Chapter 18: Feathers and Renegades

Twilight looked out the window cautiously as the Nightwings’ vessel steadily bobbed up and down on the agitated waves. The blackwagon had successfully breached the front of the Deathless Tempest was now right in the midst of the storm. The clouds above were still black and allowed not a shred of sunlight through, making for a gloomy and rather ominous atmosphere. Rain poured down hard onto the roof, forcing all of the group to remain indoors lest they get soaked to the bone. The alicorn also noticed that the islets they saw further south in the Sea of Solis had evolved into full islands. Although instead of white sand and colorful sea flora, these islands were decorated in sharp, jagged rock formations. One wrong turn or push from the waves could lead to a collision and possibly devastating damage to the hull of the wagon. However, even though the conditions seemed rather perilous for the humble wagon, Twilight knew that it could have been much worse. Gilman’s efforts were not in vain as the wagon would have no doubt sunk to the bottom of the Sea by now were it not for the Wyrm-knight quelling the storm. Speaking of the Wyrm, he was already up and about the wake after his short rest. It turned out he only required 30 minutes for him to recover from his earlier fatigue, despite Rarity’s protests that he should rest more.

“Ha ha! The Tempest boils little now that its coals have been snuffed out!” Sir Gilman said with the upmost pride.

“You were true to your word, Wyrm,” Jodariel said with her usual stern tone. “I shall give you that. But now what? We are stranded in the middle of this cursed storm.”

The Wyrm-knight still stood tall and proud at the Demon’s scrutiny. “A most excellent question! And from one most fair, might this knight add!”

Jodariel was clearly not taken back the Wyrm’s flattery. “Call me that once more and I will tie you in a knot.” she said with a rather evil glare.

“Jodariel!” Rarity cried out in shock as she got in between the pair. “He was simply just trying to compliment you!”

Despite the fashionista coming to his defense, the Wyrm-knight was still not deterred by the Demon’s cold attitude. Ahh! Cease your worry, fair Lady Rarity! How could this knight take offense from one so spirited as well! Truly, he was wise to side with ye!”

Seeing how her usual intimidation wasn’t effective against the knight, Jodariel groaned and rolled her eyes. “Just…where do we turn from here? Answer the question now.”

Gilman hummed happily and complied with her request. “Very good then! Now then, there is a gentle nearby that will guide our noble party to landfall northward!”

“If I may…” Tariq added in. “I can corroborate Sir Gilman’s account. Following the current he is referring to will get us to our next destination: The Black Basin.”

“Well then, I’ll be the first to say…let’s go.” said Hedwyn.

“Hedwyn’s right, y’all,” Applejack added as she made her way over to the front of the wagon. “don’t see how we should keep on dilly-dallying. I’ll take the wheel till we hit land!”

“This knight will accompany you as well!” Gilman said as he joined the farmer. “He will guide you to where the current he mentioned earlier resides.”

While Applejack seemed appreciative, Rarity did have some concerns. “Sir Gilman, are you sure you don’t want to rest more? You seemed positively exhausted not too long ago.”

“Ha ha! Your concern warms this knight’s heart ever so, fair Lady Rarity! But he assures you that he shall be fine until dusk.” the Wyrm said in a confident tone. “Now then, let us be on our way!”

With that, the blackwagon started up again and started across the choppy waves. With the orange mare and the Wyrm-knight at the helm, the group had little to no worry of any unforeseen accidents at sea. So, Twilight decided to settle down and re-read some of the unlocked sections of the Book while the rest of the group went about their various activities. Before the alicorn could fulling engross herself in her “reading mode” as Rainbow Dash sometimes put it, she overheard a passing conversation.

“Say, uh, Tariq?” Rukey asked the minstrel with Fluttershy at the Cur’s side.

“Aye, Rukey, Miss Fluttershy, what is it?” he calmly asked.

“That lute you’re always carrying around,” the Cur gestured to the instrument with his paw. “you know how to play that thing, don’t you?”

“Why…I supposed I do.” he answered. There was some hesitance in his voice, though it didn’t sound like he was offended. Rather, perhaps it was because no one had asked about his lute until now.

Rukey subtlety wagged his tail. “Oh good! ‘Cause me and Flutters were thinking it’s a little gloomy here and that we could use a little tune to lighten up the mood. Ain’t that right, Flutters?”

The yellow blushed a bit from being put on the spot. “W-Well, I suppose I’ve been a little curious about it. I just didn’t want to bother you about it.”

“Yeah, I’m with Rukes on this one.” Rainbow Dash interjected. “You’re always fiddling with that lute, but you never actually play anything. Just play something to help pass the time while we get through this dumb storm. Am I right, everybody?”

Followed by a series of nods and shrugs from the rest of the group, Tariq gave a small ghost of a smile and took a seat in a nearby chair. “Aye then, let me see what I can do. I believe I know a song appropriate for these conditions, though it has been a long while.” Once he was seated in a comfortable position, he began to tune up his lute. With those preparations done, his hand gently along the strings of the instrument and began to pluck them to create a calming tune.

Musical Cue - Vagrant Song (Highly Recommended)

Twilight twitched a bit when as the room was filled with the lute’s melody. The smooth combination of the notes softened the atmosphere of the blackwagon. While the alicorn was no stranger to music, even she had to admit that she hadn’t heard something like this back in Equestria. The song became even more awe-inspiring as Tariq began to sing. The Lone Minstrel’s voice had always been low and quiet before this point. Now, his voice was much clearer and almost angelic as he sung out the lyrics to his song. Everybody in the wagon was completely silent, not daring to break the song’s rhythm or the minstrel’s concentration. Meanwhile, the wagon was still swaying back and forth from the ever-present winds and waves outside. The gentle swaying back and forth along with the minstrel’s soothing song resulted in a dozy atmosphere throughout.

Thus, the blackwagon sailed on in silence, save for the pattering of the rain and the voice of the Lone Minstrel. In her defense, Twilight did try to look over the Book. However, she soon found her eyelids become heavy with sudden fatigue. With her sight slowly fading in and out, the alicorn found it harder to focus in on the pages in front of her or what the others were doing. That only left her hearing unfazed as she listened closely to the song. From the few lyrics that she could pick up, it seemed as though that Tariq was singing something about the fall of the Unfathomed Plurnes. The purple mare inwardly chuckled at the irony. Here they all were, riding amidst a raging storm of the Greater Titan’s creation, all the while listening to a song that chronicled its downfall. Though if she was being honest with herself, it probably only sounded amusing due to her fatigued mind.

It was then she realized that this was probably the most relaxed that she felt ever since landing here in the Downside. Between the shock of finding herself in a new world and the hunt for the rest of her friends, the alicorn had little to no time to just stop and let her stress melt away. She supposed that it helped that she now found herself in a much secure situation than one that first rough day. She had found comradery with the Nightwings and had a solid plan forged as to how they could all get back to their respected homes. And while Spike and Starlight were still missing, the recent reunion with her five best friends filled her heart with hope and determination. There would no doubt more trials ahead, but the purple mare couldn’t help but feel comfortable as she was now surround by both benevolent strangeness and familiarity.

Twilight then let out a quiet (and rather adorable) yawn. Whether she planned for it or not, she was on her way to a deep slumber. She felt her eyelids get heavier as the song reached its climax. Ever so gently, she laid her head upon the open Book for a makeshift pillow. She finally gave in and closed her weary eyes. The last thing that she was aware of before she fully drifted off from consciousness was the minstrel playing the final notes of his song.

Musical Cue - Shattered Lands

Twilight was later woken up by Hedwyn to inform her that they had made it through the Deathless Tempest was she was asleep and had made landfall once again. Most of the others had went outside to take up camp for the night. Twilight walked over to the open doorway to see where they had landed. She immediately felt a familiar heat that she had felt back in Jomuer Valley. Only this, instead of the heat coming from the sun above, it was emitting from the ground. The surrounding area was littered with small pools of lava. The subtle orange glow coming from molten earth lit the night with a dim light. Thankfully, the wagon was parked in a location far from any danger of succumbing to a heated demise. Aside from the lava, there plenty of jagged rocks about, giving the environment a rather inhospitable feel to it. She even noticed a few rocky pillars that had lava cascading out from the top. It was clear that they had made it across the Sea of Solis and made it to the Black Basin.

Before she went outside to join the others at the camp, something else inside the wagon had caught her attention. Apparently, Rarity and Sir Gilman had decided to remain inside to have a conversation with one another. As Twilight walked up to them, it appeared as though the Wyrm-knight had just finished demonstrating a fencing maneuver to the fashionista. “Oh, good show, Sir Gilman!” Rarity cheered him with a clap of her hooves. “Just however do you manage to keep such form?”

Gilman responded with a jovial laugh. “HA HA! This knight assures you, Lady Rarity, he has trained since he was a wee hatchling to represent the finest of the Sea-Dominion’s army!”

“Hey, you two,” Twilight greeted the pair. “I see that you’re settling in quite well, Sir Gilman?”

“Hail, Princess Twilight!” the Wyrm greeted back to the alicorn. “This knight was merely demonstrating his prowess to fair Lady Rarity here! Yet do not be fooled! This knight is still determined to train even harder, having joined the famous Nightwings! He shall ensure that this triumvirate continues to live up to its most-feared reputation!”

Rarity gave a small giggle. “His enthusiasm is simply off the charts, darling! I have no doubt you made the correct choice in letting him join us.”

“THIS IS SUCH AN HONOR! And this knight has a great deal of honor to regain!” The Wyrm-knight then shifted from his excited voice to a more dramatic tone. “Having fled the Pyrehearts, this knight fully expects now to conduct the Rites in a most honorable fashion. To the fullest letter of the law, described in the Book!”

Something about the mention of following the rules to a tee set something off in Twilight’s mind that made her worry. While it probably wouldn’t lead to any future consequences, however the purple mare thought it would be best to be upfront with the Nightwings’ newest member. “Um, Sir Gilman,” she said cautiously. “I’m sure you saw what happened with Applejack by in the Rite with the Pyrehearts. Although, I’m pretty sure something like that isn’t mentioned in the Book.”

“Ah yes, your Blessing,” Gilman concurred. “This knight had already conversed with Lady Applejack on the topic. Though if he is being honest, this knight is not offended by such an anomaly. After all, you and your friends come from another world! Surely this boon is surely an unintended consequence of such an otherworldly shift.” Twilight let out a small sigh of relief at the Wyrm’s complacency with the ponies’ newfound abilities.

“Besides, these Blessings were not what this knight was referring to. Some triumvirates that this knight has met, and perchance, mentioned by name…” he continued on. “they are incline to bend the rules of the Rites, sometimes by a great margin, to prevail by any means they can.” The fire then returned in the knight’s voice. “But this is WRONG! The exile that refuses to obey the rules, as they were written by the Underking Ores and his seven friends, deserves neither his honor or his freedom!”

The alicorn nodded along his line of thinking. She gave him a smile show how appreciative she was for the Wyrm’s strong moral compass. “Oh, you won’t have to worry about anything like that here, darling,” Rarity piped in. “Twilight here has always been a bit of a stickler for rules.” The unicorn then gave a knowing smile to the alicorn, who gave a small pout in return.

“Glorious!” Gilman cheered. He then rushed before the alicorn and bowed at her hooves. “Thusly does this knight have confidence that the magnificent Princess Twilight shall resist any temptation to conduct the Rites in any underhanded fashion!”

Twilight’s smile faltered a little as she saw the Wyrm practically grovel before her. The uncomfortable feeling had when he did this before began to well up in her stomach again. “Um, Gilman? I was also wondering if you could…stop calling me Princess?”

Gilman lifted his head up in shock. “Wh-What?! For what reason would you want this knight to ignore your noble title?! Surely, you must have great pride of your royalty?!”

Twilight winced a little. “N-No, it’s not that I don’t appreciate being a princess! It’s, uhh…” the alicorn tried to explain before she let out a sigh. “I’m grateful that Princess Celestia made me a princess, but sometimes it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. Outside of royal events, I don’t really like it when other ponies or creatures treat me differently because of my title. Especially if it’s my friends. Sometimes, I don’t want everyone to see me as the Princess of Friendship, and instead see me as Twilight Sparkle.”

Sir Gilman looked as though he was what she was saying. He closed his eye in thought. “Hmm, this knight sees your point.” He then opened his eye and looked up to her again. “May you at least grant him permission to refer you as the Master-Reader of the Nightwings?”

“I think that would be much better for me. Thank you.” Twilight agreed with the compromise.

“Very well then!” the knight stated in an elated tone. Unfortunately, he couldn’t hold the cheerful bravado for long and reverted back to a sulked state. “Forgive this knight, Pri- er, Master-Reader. When it was revealed to him that you were of royalty, he was bursting with joy. It is the ambition of all Wyrm-knight to one day have the honor of serving under a crown, be it sea or land. This knight did hold this honor for a time, and he held it with great pride, until…well…” A tired sigh escaped from the amphibious knight. “He lost that privilege when they casted him down here. This knight attempted to salvage his pride by serving under Sir Deluge, but….you yourself witness how that ended.”

Twilight began to feel a little guilty about her request now. She had only thought that Sir Gilman was only trying to be polite, but now his courteous behavior made more sense. It seemed as though it was an attempt to feel needed or a chance to redeem himself for his disservice to the Commonwealth. She still wasn’t sure as to what that disservice was exactly, but it was clear that it was really eating at his self-esteem. She was about to quickly apologize and possibly make amends with the Wyrm when she was suddenly interrupted by the other ponies in the room.

“Oh, hold a moment! I think I have just the solution!” Rarity chimed out. She then quickly trotted over to the knight. “Sir Gilman, I know this might be a bit sudden, but would you perhaps entertain the thought of perhaps…being my knight?”

“PARDON?!” Gilman exclaimed in surprise. Even Twilight was perplexed by the proposition. “Lady Rarity, you want…this knight to serve under you? Truly?” the Wyrm asked again.

“I don’t see why not.” Rarity confirmed. “If you’re so interested in having somebody to ward for, I wouldn’t be against throwing my nomination in the ring.”

“Um, Rarity?” Twilight asked her friend. “Is there something you want to tell me here?”

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly say that I’ve been jealous,” the unicorn began. “but I’ve always been a teensy bit envious of the royal treatment you sometimes receive. Now, I completely understand why you would try to avoid such treatment and I respect how well that compliments your humbleness. However, I would be lying if I told you that I never once dreamed of receiving such praise and pampering myself. I suppose it was that ‘craving’ that led me to the desire to fall for a dashing prince from Canterlot. That is until…well…” Rarity trailed off as if she was remembering something rather unpleasant. She then shook her head clear. “Well, never mind all that! My point is, darling, is that I believe we have a beneficial opportunity here. Sir Gilman here can fulfill a role that makes him feel complete, and I’ll get to indulge a little bit in the attention.”

As Rarity finished her explanation, Twilight did get better understanding of her reasoning. Although, she still had some small doubts on the proposition. Sure, she knew that the unicorn had no deliberately ill intentions for the knight, but the alicorn still felt like she would be taking advantage of him. It vaguely reminded her of Spike used to be at the fashionista’s beck-and-call all in infatuated attempt to earn her love. But then she remembered that the dragon and pony eventually worked pass that romantic disconnection and developed more of a healthy friendship. Twilight also figured that this case was different in that Gilman had a desire to serve in a pretense of professionalism rather than romanticism. Eventually, the purple pony figured that the best course of action was to ask the Wyrm himself about his feelings on the matter.

“Sir Gilman? Would you be okay with that? You know, to serve under Rarity?” the alicorn carefully asked.

The Wyrm-knight had a rather blank expression on his face. It seemed as though he was also heavily thinking about the arrangement as well. Twilight couldn’t really tell whether or not was internally debating if he was comfortable serving under Rarity or if he was doubting himself. Finally, Gilman slithered up to the fashionista in question. “Lady Rarity?” he asked. “Are thou sure that you would want to accept this knight? He warns you that his character has been tainted with dishonor.”

Rarity responded with a kind smile. “Sir Gilman would you please kneel for me?” The knight hesitantly complied and lowered himself before the pony. The unicorn then cleared her throat and put on an official-sounding tone. “I, Rarity, hereby dub you, Sir Gilman, as my personal knight until the time comes when we all earn our freedom. Do you, good knight, accept these terms of servitude and swear to stand by my side?”

As Gilman lifted up his head, the ponies saw that the fire had returned in his eye. “THIS KNIGHT SWEARS UPON HIS LIFE TO SERVE YOU TO THE END, FAIR LADY RARITY!” The fashionista had a wide smile on her face, obviously satisfied with the results. “You shan’t regret your decision, Lady Rarity! Now then, if you please follow this knight outdoors? He wishes to announce our grand union to the rest of the party, so that they may bear witness to a knight in his full glory!” The Wyrm then slithered to the door and then outside, all while humming a chivalrous tune to himself.

The white mare soon began to follow her knight, but not before speaking to Twilight again. “Thank you ever so much for encouraging him, darling. This will no doubt boost his moral and keep him in peek condition.” The unicorn then winked and exited the wagon.

Twilight let out a small sigh of relief, glad to see that everything had worked out. Not only was she able to avoid any further awkward situations with the Wyrm-knight, he had found another purpose in the Downside to keep his spirits up. Though it did seem a bit uncontroversial, the alicorn was confident that the fashionista wouldn’t abuse this new bond for any selfish purposes. With that in mind, Twilight trotted outside to join the other for dinner.

It was early morning when the Nightwings and ponies decided to get an early start. Hedwyn had gathered everyone in the middle of camp to discuss what their next move should be. He explained that neither he, Jodariel or even Rukey had ever ventured this far north of the Downside, so the Black Basin was entirely new territory to them. With the exception of Tariq, the rest of the Nightwings were in the same boat. Therefore, the Nomad decided that it would be best if some of them when out in small groups to scout out the area. When no objections were raised, the teams were then formed. Jodariel and Hedwyn would scout out the path to the west. Rainbow and Sir Gilman would investigate the rocky formations to the north for a potential shortcut. Ti’zo and Rukey would check the path to the east. Finally, Mae, under Applejack’s supervision, would investigate the general vicinity for anything of interest. Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie and Tariq would stay behind to keep an eye on the wagon and pack up the camp so that they would be ready to go once they made their decision. With everyone’s roles all set, the teams went out to their planned sectors and the group remaining went to clean up the camp.

As Fluttershy began to feed the drive imps and Rarity and Pinkie began to pack up the camp and Tariq began scanning the skies, Twilight decided to go inside the wagon to make sure everything was in order. As she was looking over the room, she saw something sparkling in the corner of her eye. She went over to investigate, she saw that the sparkle was coming from her room. She saw it was the Beyonder Crystal that was giving off that green sparkle. As Twilight entered, she realized that it had been a awhile since she had spoken with Sandra. Peeking outside to make sure that no one needed her, the alicorn closed the door to her room and approached the Crystal. She then slowly lifted her hoof and touched the glassy surface. As with before, the pony’s senses dulled, and the room gave off a small green hue. And just like that, the apparition appeared before the purple pony.

Musical Cue - Forbidden Knowledge

“Long time, no see, dear Reader.” she began with a smug grin on her face. “And here I thought that you had already grown bored with me. I suppose now you are not that cruel.”

Twilight felt a small pang of guilt at the specter’s remark. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to forget you. I was…a bit preoccupied with other things.” she apologized.

Sandra chuckled to herself, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say she was chuckling at herself. “Save your apologies. I take no offence in your free choice to do as you please. Even if that luxury was denied to me long ago. It matters no to me…not anymore.” Sandra then decided to change the subject. “Now, where have you led us to now?” The apparition floated over to the nearby window and peered out to the new environment. She hummed in contemplation before looking back to the pony. “Hmm, so it appears that you successfully crossed the Sea of Solis. Impressive, I suppose. And now it looks as though we find ourselves here in the Black Basin. Flames and noxious fumes on one side, and a suffocating forest on the other. Lovely, lovely place. So good of you to take me here.” she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "You truly would pursue those blasted stars until the farthest corners of this land, it seems.”

While Twilight still had no ire for the trapped specter, she still found it important to justify her actions. “If that what takes, then so be it. I’ll do anything necessary if it means freedom for my friends.” She showed no doubt or lack of conviction in her voice with the statement. No amount of passive judgement of her choices for freedom from the apparition would sway the alicorn.

Sandra simply returned with her smirk. “Far be it from me to deny you glory, dear Reader. For perhaps I should better cease my blasphemy. Else the Scribes themselves might descend from up high and strike me down with another much-deserved punishment.” While Twilight was still unsure of the exact power that the Eight Scribes possessed, she could tell from specter’s jibing tone that she had no fear of such a divine act occurring. Instead, Sandra merely laughed at herself again. “Oh well, not as if it would be the first time they would punish me so.”

The back of the alicorn’s mind lit up again at that last statement. A memory of something she had seen and had stored away for the very purpose of confronting Sandra over. “So, it really was you then.” she muttered out loud. The apparition looked at the mare in confusion, waiting for her to explain what she had meant by that. “I read more from the Book. It mentioned how group called the Beyonders attacked Soliam Murr when he was about to die in the Downside. But he was saved when Golathanian and Ha’ub came to his aid.” She then narrowed her eyes at the specter. “You were part of those Beyonders, weren’t you? That’s why trapped you in that Crystal.”

Sandra stayed silent after the pony’s accusation. Twilight could only imagine what was going through her head as the alicorn waited for her response. However, what really caught her off guard was when Sandra once again put on that soulless smirk. “It is how you say,” she said with no shift in her voice. “But what exactly of it?”

The sheer apathy in her voice was almost startling to Twilight. To just casually admit to the attempt of murder was such a foreign concept to her. As much as Twilight wanted to overexaggerate the fact that she was conversing with an actual former assassin, she internally concluded that she would get much information from Sandra like that. So instead, she held her composure and began to probe further details from the specter. “W-Well, why would you ever do that? I realize that Murr wasn’t the greatest, but why would you go through the trouble? You don’t ever seem very…excited about killing someone.”

“To take a life in cold blood is no more benign to me as it is for you to draw breath from your lungs. It was simple just how I was raised.” Sandra answered calmly. There was no hint of either regret or pride in her voice. It was almost to a level of a professional discussing their trade that they had practiced for a long, long time. “Besides, why would that particular assignment be of your concern? You read it yourself in that blasted tome. Murr treated his people less than the dirt beneath his feet. Are you really surprised that someone would contract us to snuff out his miserable life? Hmph, if we had succeeded, our triumph would have no doubt been sung all throughout the old Empire.”

Twilight tried to speak, but the words died in her mouth. Even she had to admit that Sandra had a point. Murr was no saint, and everything that had happened to him was obviously an act of karma for his transgressions. However, she then remembered reading about the mercy both Golathanian and Ha’ub showed him in his darkest hour. From there, her values began to surface from her heart again. “It’s…It’s still wrong.” she eventually managed to say.

Sandra raised one of her eyebrows. “Am I to take the meaning of right and wrong from one not of this world? Who are you to question my values?” Twilight remained silent at this, as she wasn’t sure if she had an answer to that. The specter then began to laugh at herself again. “I suppose it matters not. What is done has been done. I am trapped in this damnable Crystal and you are stuck in this wasteland. Arguments over such morality will do nothing to change that.” She then looked to the Crystal. “I grow weary of this conversation. See me again soon, and I may have another Trial ready for one of those idiots out there. You know where to find me, dear Reader.”

The specter then banished back into the Crystal and the alicorn’s senses soon then returned to normal. As she slowly began to readjust, Twilight felt slightly troubled. She sighed as she thought about what Sandra had said. Though she was clearly against the idea of killing others for money, a small part of her reminded her that she hadn’t considered Sandra herself. What exactly did she mean when she said that it was just ho she was raised? Was her past bad enough that it would lead her down a dark path filled with blood and murder? Twilight wasn’t sure, and she doubted that she would receive any answers soon consider how dismissive the specter was about the subject. Instead, she would just have to settle with the arrangement they had now. True, it was possible that Twilight would be able to fish more information from the apparition, but she would have to be cautious about it. The mare’s ears then perked up when she heard Pinkie explain something excitingly. Curious, the alicorn left her room to see what exactly was going on. Twilight stepped outside and saw that everyone had returned from their reconnaissance. The alicorn was relieved to see that everyone seemed unharmed and in relatively good spirits.

Musical Cue - Shattered Lands

“Hi, everyone! I’m back, I have come back!” Mae cheered as she ran towards the wagon. Applejack ran also to keep close to the girl. “we didn’t find anything out of the ordinary though. Other than that the glowing rocks are very, very hot!”

“Had to makes sure that she kept herself away from all that lava.” Applejack added.

“THIS KNIGHT AND RAINBOW DASH YET LIVES!” Sir Gilman triumphantly announced as the pair arrived back. “Although…he has little else to report.”

“We checked the northern path, but there’s no way that the wagon will able to get through all those rocks.” Rainbow explained. So that path’s out of the question. Although we did learn that knighty-boy here is afraid of heights.”

Gilman put on a face of outrage. “F-F-FALSEHOOD! This knight has no such fear of something so trivial!” he quickly denied.

“Kinda hard to believe that when you were shaking like a leaf on my back when we were doing some air recon!” the cyan mare shot back. The Wyrm knight looked as though he was going to retort, but it seemed that the memory left him visibly shaken.

Thankfully, Rarity was quick to comfort her knight. “It’s quite alright, Sir Gilman. We all have one flaw or two. All of which makes us better for having them and yet stand successful!”

The Wyrm began to come down a bit. “Your wisdom is as bountiful as your beauty, Fair Lady Rarity.” he complimented, causing the fashionista to giggle a bit.

“Ooookay,” Rukey attempted to change the subject. “well anyways, me and Ti’zo found a path to the east. Good news is that there doesn’t seem to be any major hazards, save for a few lava pools. Bad news…it’s super wide open. Like ‘begging for someone to ambush us’ wide open.”

“Kraa-Hreeawk..: Ti’zo chirped in a disappointed tone.

Everybody turned to Fluttershy for translation of what the Imp said. “Ti’zo seems disappointed that there doesn’t seem to be any fish to find here.” The shy pegasus blinked as everybody continued to stare as to how that related to their current situation. “Well, you asked.” she meekly said.

“Enough.” Jodariel said in an authoritative voice. “There is a western path that seems traversable…provided we proceed with extreme caution. If we leave immediately, we can use the shadows from the light of dawn and the crags to cover our advance against…whomever may be watching.” The Demon then shot a glare up to the sky.

Before Twilight could begin to contemplate as to which path they should take, Tariq spoke up. “Begging your pardon,” he said to the Demon. “I do not wish to contradict your strategy, madam. Though, in my experience, we shall not remain hidden for long during the climb north towards the Nest of Trista. Therefore, I would believe it wise to not risk the unnecessary danger and take the much safer eastern path.”

Jodariel leered at the minstrel. “I’ve seen the shadows in the sky, minstrel. We are clearly in their presence.”

Tariq maintained his calm demeanor. “Aye, the exiles of the Highwing Remnants. I understand that you may hold no love for them, inherently, but they have no such qualms with me, for now. I may be able to negotiate safe passage.”

“NEGOTIATE?! WITH THEM?!” Jodariel shouted in anger. “Those winged filth have no notion of diplomacy!”

“Umm, the Highwing Who-now?” Pinkie Pie asked ever so innocently.

Though the foreign name was lost on all of the other ponies, that was not the case for Twilight. Memories of the night she chatted with Hedwyn flooded back into her head as she remembered him make mention of the Remnants once or twice. When she looked over to the Nomad, she saw him casting his gaze towards the ground in an attempt to show ignorance. While the alicorn initially thought it wise to share the knowledge with her friends, the troubled look on Hedwyn’s face reminded her that their conversation was a rather private one. If she spoke up now, there would no doubt be questions as to how she had come across the name. Therefore, the mare reminded silent in order to feint ignorance.

Thankfully for her, the Lone Minstrel was more than willing to explain. “The Highwing Remnants is the name for the army of Harps that are waging war with the citizens of the Commonwealth. Just like with any other criminal in the Commonwealth, prisoners of war are also sent to the Downside. But not before they clip their wings, forever crippling their flight.”

“Clip…their wings?” Rainbow asked in a somewhat shaky voice. Her folded up wings began to subtly ruffle themselves at her sides. When the minstrel gravely nodded at her, the pegasus remained silent.

“A far too generous fate, in my opinion.” Jodariel interjected. “I will not under any circumstance risk my life or any other in this party to try and compromise with those winged-heathens. If I must force that sense into your head, minstrel, I will not hesitate to-“

Before things got to heated, Hedwyn quickly stepped in between the Demon and minstrel. Tariq, for his part, respectfully bowed and backed away. The Nomad then turned to the imposing woman. “Jodi, remember what we all agreed to at the start of this journey.” Jodariel then slowly looked to Twilight before huffing through her nose and backed away herself. With the situation successfully diffused, Hedwyn addressed the alicorn. “You have two options, my friend. Whatever path you decide we will take. We still trust your instincts.”

Twilight slowly nodded in confirmation at what she was tasked to do. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes to help her focus more on the decision making. On one side, Jodariel wanted to take the more dangerous path to the west to conceal their movements from any Highwing Remnants. On the other side, Tariq suggested taking the more exposed eastern path in the hopes that he could negotiate safe passage with any potential threats from the Remnants. Both options were rather risky, and a number of things could go wrong in either scenario. However, instead of thinking about the potential pitfalls, she thought about who was proposing the options. Jodariel was usually the level-headed, if not also strict, guide to the group, and Twilight usually had no hesitation in trusting her instincts. However, the mare had an inner feeling that the Demon was putting her prejustice ahead of the whole safety of the group this time around. Meanwhile, Tari remained as calm as he normally was. Though there was no guaranteed promise, she still felt that the minstrel was assured that he would be successful in a situation that would require negotiation.

With all of that in mind, Twilight opened her eyes and announced her decision. “I think it would be best if we take the eastern path. If we want to make it in time for the Rite tonight, we need to keep a constant pace. We won’t be able to do that if we have to slow down due to caution.” She then looked to the minstrel. “Besides, I trust in Tariq’s ability to compromise with the Harps. It might even save us some trouble in the future as well.”

Tariq gave a respectful bow to the alicorn. “I very appreciate your trust in my abilities, Madam Twilight.”

Jodariel, meanwhile, looked far from happy about the decision. However, a quick glance from Hedwyn silenced any objections she would’ve raised. She sighed heavily and made her way onto the wagon. “This is an unwise decision.” the Demon muttered before stepping inside.

“Welp, looks like we have our answer. Let’s get back on the road.” Hedwyn announced to the group.

With that, the Nightwings and ponies piled back into the wagon to take the eastern path. Before Twilight saw a shadow on the ground quickly pass over her. When she instantly looked up to the sky, she saw that it was absolutely clear of anything that would cast such a shadow. With growing concern, the alicorn quickly went inside.

The sun had begun its descent to the horizon by the time the blackwagon had made much progress on the eastern path. Tariq had mentioned that this area of the Black Basin was known as the Highwing Cove, a namesake that was soon becoming more and more prominent. Every time Twilight looked out the window, she saw more winged shadows pass quickly over them as they travelled. The rest of group soon also became aware of these shadows, no more so than Jodariel. All day, the Demon was placed on high alert and constantly surveyed the sky. Tariq, on the other hoof, was as quiet and tranquil as he always was. Eventually though, the Lone Minstrel ordered that the wagon come to halt. He explained that now would be the optimal to confront the Harps to allow them safe passage. Only a few members of the group went outside with the minstrel while the rest remained inside for relative safety.

Tariq, Jodariel, Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash stepped outside onto the dusty trail of the path. Rukey was correct in his report when he said that were little to no hazards in terms of lava. Although, the wagon now found itself in a rather vulnerable state. The party was surrounded on all sides by tall bluffs and crags colored deep in burnt sienna. Large cracks peppered the sides of the cliffs, making for excellent hiding places for ambushing groups. Finally, the tailwinds were quite strong in this area, blowing gusts of hot air all around the purple mare that then seem to rise upward. Twilight had the creepy feeling that they were all being watched. More specifically, she felt stares boring into her at all direction from high above along the craggy tops of the cliffs.

“They are here. Studying us from high above.” Jodariel finally said in a low voice.

“But I thought ya said they all had their wings clipped?” Applejack whispered in confusion.

“Their flight was severely limited, but they can still flap their wings and make use of the winds to fly to great heights.” Tariq calmly explained.

Finally, it seemed as though Jodariel’s patience had finally run thin. She took a few steps from the group and shouted out into the sky in an authoritative tone of voice. “Show yourselves, you frightened little birds!”

Tariq walked up and gently placed a hand on the Demon’s shoulder. Jodariel immediately removed the hand and glanced back at him. Despite the absolute fury in her eyes, the minstrel continued to keep his calm demeanor. “Perhaps I should communicate with them. Believe me when I say, madam, that your enmity towards the Harps had best be held in check here.”

Though her anger showed no sign of diminishing, Jodariel let out a heavy sigh. She granted his request with a silent gesture and backed away with the three ponies. As Tariq took a few steps farther, Twilight noticed that Applejack and Rainbow Dash had shimmied to a defensive position on both sides of her. The Demon and ponies then looked on as the Lone Minstrel called out to the heavens. “Good Sisters! We are humble traveler, such as you, and beg your leave! We journeyed by the sea and seek safe passage through your lands! We shall not disturb your hunting, or your nests!”

Silence hung in the air as they all waited for a response to the minstrel’s plea. Twilight saw that Tariq still stood exactly where he was in a clear sign of fortitude. For a whole minute, the alicorn heard nothing but the sound of the howling winds around them. Just when she thought about suggesting that they either call out again or move on though, the minstrel finally received an answer. A lone figure swiftly landed to the ground in front of him and slowly stood up. The creature was a female humanoid, standing tall on two legs with her arms held closely at her sides. She was donned in light gray chest armor and the upper portion of her face with a helmet that resembled the head and beak of a conventional bird topped with a plume of three dark feathers. Before the minstrel could have a chance to communicate with the Harp, the tailwinds picked up again and the Harp outstretched her arms to reveal the countless long, dark feathers that protruded from both appendages. The Harp took flight with a flap of her wings, but not before she grabbed the Lone Minstrel by his shoulders using the claws at her feet. Before Jodariel could do anything, Tariq was already swooped up by the Harp and was out of sight above over the cliffs. The only thing that remained of the Lone Minstrel was the white lute that he carried everywhere with him on the dusty ground where he once stood.

“TARIQ!” Twilight called out in panic. Without even thinking, Twilight spread her wings to take flight as well in order to catch up and find the abducting Harp. However, that plan was starched with she felt the familiar aches in the feathered appendages. Her prior injuries still left the alicorn’s wings in a tender state, meaning that she was still grounded and could in no way catch up in pursuit.

“Damnations!” Jodariel shouted in anger as it seemed as though her suspicions were proven correct. “Wait here, I shall go find him!” Before the Demon could proceed with the adamantly trivial search, she was stopped by an unexpected individual.

“Wait! I’ll go!” Rainbow Dash announced. “Trust me, I’m fast enough to catch them both.” To emphasize her point, the pegasus outstretched her wings in a powerful manner. “You stay here in case others decide to show up!” Though still riding high on adrenaline, the Demon complied and went over to take a defensive stance in front of the door.

While the Wonderbolt’s plan did seem sound, there were still some concerns. “Rainbow, I ain’t denyin’ that yer quick enough. But are ya sure it’s a good idea to after them alone?” Applejack asked in hesitation.

“There’s no time to argue!” Rainbow replied while shaking her head. “Just trust me on this one! I think I might have an idea. But I have to go now if it’s gonna work!”

Twilight felt somewhat conflicted. While she had no doubts over her friend’s abilities, Rainbow’s brash thinking combined with the foreign nature of the situation left the alicorn worried. However, the pegasus was ultimately right. They would have to work fast if they wanted to ensure the safety of the Lone Minstrel. “Okay, Rainbow,” Twilight said in reluctant agreement. “Just try to be careful when finding him.”

Rainbow looked back with a smug grin. “Come on, Twi. When am I ever not careful?”

That did little to subdue the worry the purple mare felt as she could provide many answers to the daredevil’s rhetorical question. With no other objections left, the cyan mare shot up into the air with a few flaps of her wings and quickly flew past the cliffs where the Harp had disappeared to.

Calm collectiveness was one of the skills that Tariq was glad have honed over his vast experience. It gave him a sense of approachability that was quite useful in interacting with individuals from all forms and creeds. Not only that, but it was also beneficial for his own sake as well. He had determined that a clear mind was always the superior state of mind, even in the direst of situations. That mindset was being tested at its fullest at the moment as he glanced down to the long drop below him.

After the Harp had swooped him up, they were in the air for only half a minute before he was roughly dropped back onto solid ground. The minstrel had no time to recover as the Harp had grabbed him by the neck with one of the hand-talons located at the end her wings. She had apparently flown them to the very top of one of the cliffs and then began to hold him over the edge. Tariq had managed to limit his struggling and held on to her outstretched wing with all of his strength. The strong grasp on his neck did limit his breathing, but he was well aware that loosening the grip would have he plummet to his demise. The Harp was literally holding Tariq’s life in her hand, and he would have to act quick so that she would toss it away.

“Mercy, Sister.” he managed to choke out. “We truly mean you no harm.”

The Harp did not seem swayed by his plea. “Perhaps you should have thought of that before crossing into our territory.” she said in a cold, cruel voice. Though her face was partially concealed, the minstrel could feel the dark gaze that she was giving him. Aligning yourself with that Commonwealth filth and those…foreign creatures does you no good here.”

“Surely a resolution can be met.” Tariq continued. “I have yet to have done anything to stoke you or your kind’s ire. The party I travel with share the same sentiment.”

“That may be true,” the winged woman pondered. “however, you have also yet to earn our favor as well.” The minstrel’s heartbeat increased as he felt the grip around his neck begin to loosen. “We may be scattered, but the Highwing Remnants will in no way tolerate such intrusion. Perhaps your splattered remains will make a fine example for-“

“WAAAIIIT!”

Both the minstrel and the Harp looked to the sky to find the origin of the unknown yell. They received their answer not a second later when a familiar cyan-furred and rainbow-maned pony appeared just a few feet away from where they were at the ledge. Tariq’s panic rose again as the brash pegasus landed. While her intensions were no doubt noble, the minstrel felt as though Rainbow’s presence was an unfactored variable that could end with his demise at the claws of the Harp. “Cease yourself, Rainbow Dash!” he pleaded with the mare. “I assure you that I have everything under control! Please don’t-“

The minstrel was cut off when the Harp silenced him with the tightening of her grip. She then looked over to the invading pegasus. “It was unwise of you to intrude upon this meeting, creature.” the winged woman said in a dead serious tone. “Gives me all the more reason to drop this pathetic welp to his demise.”

To her credit, Rainbow Dash complied with the minstrel’s wishes and stood as still as a statue. She had a look on her face that said that spoke of self-restraint but also spoke of one that wouldn’t back down. “I’m not moving an inch.” Rainbow calmly said. “But please, just take a second and listen to what I have to say. No tricks, I just want to talk.”

The Harp stayed silence for half a minute as she was no doubt contemplating the pony’s request. “Speak clear and quick.” she finally agreed.

With the Harp’s consent, the prism-maned mare began to slow unfold one of her wings. The movement was slow and direct, giving the Harp ample to process what she was doing. However, the Harp still began to tense up just in case the pegasus would suddenly try to pull a fast one on her. When the cyan wing was completely stretched out, Rainbow then slowly bent it forward toward her face. She then leaned in and then carefully took one of the primary feathers between her teeth. After a small twist, the pegasus yanked the feather out in one swift movement. Tariq saw her face wince in a flash of hot pain before it faded just a second later. He also saw a small drop of blood forming on the wing where she plucked out the feather, though it was far from anything serious. With the job done, Rainbow Dash looked to the Harp again. “Here.” she said with the feather still in-between her teeth.

Rainbow let go of the feather and allowed it to float with the wind towards the Harp. The winged woman quickly snatched the feather from the air with her other claw. She then held the cyan feather to her face, closely examining it for any unforeseen dangers or tricks. When she finished scrutinizing the feather and confirmed that it was harmless, she looked back to the pegasus. “And what exactly is this supposed to mean?”

“It’s…a peace offering.” Rainbow explained. “It’s like a traditional thing where I’m from. I don’t really remember when or who started it, but I understand the concept. When a pegasus wanted to show that they wanted compromise or peace with the warring faction, they would pluck out one of their primaries and offer it to them.”

The Harp did not seem placated by this reasoning though. “What makes you think that your foreign traditions will mean anything to me or my sisters?”

Rainbow lowered her head. It was clear that she was struggling to say something that was on her mind, but eventually managed to speak it out loud. “I heard about what happened with your wings. How they…they clipped them.”

Tariq choked a bit when the Harp’s grip tightened around his neck. “Then you should understand why it would take a mere feather to convince me to not to toss down this filth who would dare align with those Commonwealth dogs. You have no idea of the rage that boils within all of us from how those flightless ruined us to the point where we can barely hover off the ground!” she said in a venomous tone.

Rainbow, however, was not deterred by the intimidation and took a few steps closer. “Look, I get why you’re angry. What happened to you and your sisters really, really sucks. “If something like that every happened to me…If I could never fly again…I…” The mare trailed off as Tariq could here the pain in her voice as she really began to consider the hypothetical scenario. “It would probably ruin my life. But that’s why that feather means so much.” She gestured to the feather with her hoof. “That feather, it represents something that I cherish more that every other part of myself. My whole life is centered around what that feather stands for. And that’s why you can believe me when I say that me, Tariq, my friends and all the other Nightwings don’t want any trouble from you and just want to pass safely.” The pegasus then felt more comfortable to take another few steps closer. “We’ve already ran into to shifty characters in the Downside, but I haven’t done something like this with any of them. I figured that you of all creatures would understand what it means when somebody with wings would offer one of their feathers.”

Silence permeated the air and was only broken by the winds. Minutes felt like hours as the Harp continued to hold Tariq over the edge while staring at the cyan mare. The grip around the minstrel’s neck neither tighten nor loosened as she was planted where see was. The winged woman looked to the feather in her hand and then to the pegasus, who continued to hold a determined pose. The Harp then looked to the Lone Minstrel. For his part, Tariq continued to hold his calm demeanor despite the severity of his current position. Wordlessly, he pleaded with her to accept the pony’s peace offering and spare his and consequentially the rest of the group’s lives. While he believed that Rainbow had made a strong case, there was still a small part of him that was unsure if it was enough to convince a member of the Hiighwing Remnants. Finally, Tariq realized that the Harp had made her choice when he felt her jerk her arm.

Twilight continued to pace back and forth as she waited for her friend to return. It had been a good while since Tariq was swooped up by the Harp and Rainbow Dash had flown off in pursuit. The alicorn had tried her best to remain calm, but her inner panic was starting to boil over. She did have full faith in the Wonderbolt’s abilities, but her faith began to crumble when she thought how they had little to no idea of what the Highwing Remnants were capable of. Applejack was also beginning to show signs of worry, though she was doing a better job of keeping a neutral status. When one of the Nightwings or ponies attempted to step outside to see what was going on, Jodariel was quick to inform them to stay inside and keep silent. The Demon herself continued to keep her scowl on her face and scanned the surrounding sky every other minute.

“My patience is running thin.” Jodariel finally announced in frustration. “Your friend has taken far too long for my comfort. It may be already too late.”

“Give her time, Jodariel.” Applejack reasoned. “Dash might not be the sharpest tool in the barn, but she ain’t stupid and certainly not slow. If’n she’s taking her time on something, that’s how ya know she’s proceedin’ with caution.”

As much as Twilight wanted to be convinced by the farmers words, her worry just continued to grow. “Okay, here’s what we’ll do,” she rationalized out loud. If Rainbow is still gone after a few minutes, me and Jodariel will spread out to look for them. If we still can’t find them, then we’ll just have to-“

The alicorn’s ramblings were cut short when the three heard something coming from the sky. When Twilight looked up, relief filled her heart when she saw two familiar forms descending to them. There was Rainbow Dash flapping her wings with all of her might as she carried Tariq with her front forelegs. Seconds later, the pair reached the wagon and the pegasus placed the minstrel on the ground where she soon followed looking rather exhausted. Tariq dusted his cloak and went to pick up his lute.

“Geez,” Rainbow said in between huffs. “You’re heavier than you look, you know that?”

“My apologies, Rainbow Dash,” Tariq apologized as he adjusted the strap of the instrument around his shoulder. “though I am quite grateful that you were able to return me on your own.”

“Rainbow! Tariq!” Twilight exclaimed as she quickly trotted over to the pair. Applejack and Jodariel were quick to follow as they also wanted to check their status. “Are you two okay?” the alicorn asked worryingly.

“Twi, it’s all good.” Rainbow assured her friend. “Me and Tariq here handled things with those Highwing Remnants. We should be good now.”

The sound of flapping wings was then heard overhead. The group looked up as quick as they could only to find the sky empty yet again. Although, Twilight was wise enough now to figure that one of the Harps did one finally flyby over the Nightwings. “We thank you for your hospitality, good Sisters!” Tariq cried out to the heavens. “We shall be on our way!”

While Twilight was quite satisfied that this was all settled diplomatically, Jodariel was still far from satisfied by it all. “What exactly did they say to you?” she asked skeptically.

“Thanks to Rainbow Dash’s quick assistance, we were able to negotiate safe passage from the exiles of the Highwing Remnants…for now, at least.” Said Tariq. The look on the Demon’s face clearly spoke that she wanted more details, which the minstrel was glad to provide. “It would seem that they are having disputes among their ranks and wish no further troubles for the time. However, the Harp that we spoke to warned us to keep caution. While she promised to spread good word for us amidst her Sisters, she could make no promises from one of the dividing factions.”

The Demon huffed angrily. “A warning, then.” she muttered. “I’ve should have known. We never should’ve wasted our time with those treacherous birds.”

Before Twilight could comment on Jodariel prejustice, her attention switched over to Applejack. “Landsakes, Rainbow! What the hay happened to your wing there.” the orange mare said in shock.

Twilight looked to where Applejack was gesturing, and her eyes went wide as she saw a spec of blood on her right wing. “Rainbow, what happened?!” she asked as she inspected the wound closer. Her mind then went to the worse case scenario. “Did they attack you?! Did one of those Remnants-“

“What?! No, Twilight!” Rainbow interrupted her as she took a few steps back. “They didn’t do anything to me.” Despite her sour mood, Jodariel still courteous enough to offer a small cloth in her possession to Applejack. The farmer then trotted over to cyan mare’s wing and put pressure on the injury with the cloth. Rainbow winced at the slight pain and continued to tell what happened. “I…offered up one of my primaries to the Harp as a peace offering.”

Twilight was rather perplexed at what the pegasus had done. “Rainbow why would you ever do something like that?”

Rainbow brushed off the cloth Applejack was using and inspected her wing. When she saw that the bleeding had completely stopped, the cyan mare made her way back into the wagon. “It’s fine, Twilight. It was just something symbolic, okay. No harm done. Now, we have to get rolling again if we want to make it in time for the next Rite.” The Wonderbolt then nonchalantly walked back inside the wagon. Applejack then followed behind as well as Tariq after he gave a small nod to the alicorn. Jodariel also then went inside, looking none too happy about how things went down with the Highwing Remnants.

That only left Twilight alone outside. The alicorn was still in thought at what her friend had done. She vividly remembered a few days ago how Rainbow had stressed the importance of pegasi offering their feathers to others. Sure, negotiation for safe passage was indeed a serious situation, but was it necessary to use a primary instead of a secondary? Twilight would have to discuss with Rainbow when the opportunity arose. Hopefully she would have an explanation for her friend’s contradictory actions. For now, Twilight climbed aboard the blackwagon so that they could finally make their way to the next Celestial Landmark.

Hopefully, the Nightwings would not have to deal with any unforeseen threats, winged or otherwise.

The Rite of the Treacherous Essence

Author's Note

I am SO sorry that this chapter took so long. The transition to online classes combined with the piled up school work since it's the end of the semester has taken a lot of my time. :twilightblush:
But in any case, I hope you all enjoy the chapter. I'm going to try to return to a regular monthly schedule so that I can get more chapters out in a timely fashions. We're about to get into some of the really interest bits of the story soon. :raritywink:

The Rite of the Treacherous Essence

Chapter 19: The Rite of the Treacherous Essence

With the threat of the Highwing Remnants defused for the time being, the blackwagon continued its journey north to the next Celestial Landmark, The Nest of Triesta. There was a subtle incline in the path as the humble vehicle trekked along, getting ever so higher and higher from seal level. Even as the sun began to set upon the western horizon, the sky was still colored in a gentle orange hue thanks to the many lavafalls and pools that dotted the Basin. At last, the wagon came to a halt in a small clearing atop of a rocky hill. No time sooner, as the stars had started to pepper the night sky above. As per routine, the Nightwings and ponies exited the wagon to set up the campsite before preparing themselves for the Rite.

As Twilight stepped off, she was once again taken aback at the gigantic remains of a creature before her. While she already knew that she was going to see another Greater Titan, just as with the other Landmarks. However, this particular Titan was quite peculiar. The first thought that came to mind was that it looked like a unicorn. Upon a closer look, it appeared that the flank and back legs of the equine had sunken into the ground while its front legs were kicked up in the air no doubt in an effort to save them from a similar fate. Although, there was something off about how the creature looked, other than the fact that it was a thousand times larger than any pony.

It looked as though that all parts of the body appeared to be elongated to some extent. Both the barrel of its maroon body and maroon legs were far longer and much narrower. The head of the creature was also elongated, paired with enlarged nostrils and heartier muzzle for its face. It’s flowing mane was locked frozen in place and a long, golden horn protruded from its head. However, the most bizarre feature was in place of the neck where the head and body would meet was what looked to be a human torso that had no arms.

Another thing that caught Twilight’s eye was what seemed to be the cause of the Titan’s ultimate demise. Along the landscape near the beast were a multitude of giant, purple arrows that stuck out from the ground. The arrows appeared to be translucent which explained why the fletchings twinkled and sparkled from the light of the moon and lava pools. A few of these gigantic arrows must have hit their mark, as there were large holes that peppered the torso of the Titan. Through one such hole was an arrow going right through the body.

“Oh goodness!” Rarity commented out loud. “That’s certainly the most…unique unicorn I’ve yet to come across. It’s certainly making me feel a bit self-conscious.” The unicorn then unconsciously rubbed her horn.

“You need not worry, Miss Rarity,” Tariq assured her. “ Xilvias Horse-headed was far less sophisticated than you ponies. The Harp Scribe, Saint Triesta Tithis subdued the beast into the state you see it now.

Twilight was broken from the titanic spectacle when Rukey caught her attention. When she saw the Cur had a familiar looking parcel at his side, the alicorn needed no explanation as to what he wanted. Together, the pony and Cur ventured out from the developing campsite in search for a certain merchant. In no time at all, they had found that Falcon Ron had somehow found a way to cross the remaining half od the Sea of Solis and had once again made it to the Celestial Landmark before the Nightwings. It seemed that the opportunistic merchant had made a temporary shelter in a large crack at the foot of one of the many cliffs, where Ron’s father was sorting through a various number of items in his bag. After the usual greetings were exchanged, Ron excitingly led the alicorn to his wares. He informed her that him and his father had collected a few more items of interest since their last meeting.

The funds that the Nightwings possessed were still quite hefty, so Twilight had no qualms of looking through the merchandise. She started by purchasing some more stardust from the merchant just in case she felt it necessary to amp up the strength of some of the other talismans already in her possession. As Twilight continued to look through the stock, a flicker of light caught her eye. The item in question was a small flame incased in a blue, crystalline bottle of some sort. It was called a “Righteous Flame”, as Ron called it, and he was more than willing to part ways with it…provided that she could match the price. Despite the merchant’s transparent stinginess, Twilight still sensed value in the talisman and decided to purchase it. With that, the pony and Cur bid Ron farewell, at least until next time.

As Twilight returned with Rukey to the campsite, she was surprised to see that the Nightwings had yet to don their raiments for the Rite. Rather peculiar considering that they were usually all prepared by the time she returned from the Slug Market. Nevertheless, the alicorn paid it no mind and wandered through the camp to check up on everyone while Rukey stashed away the Talismans for later use. Twilight was happy to see that both the Nightwings and ponies were in relatively high spirits as they finished setting up camp. Save for one, however. Jodariel was motionless and had her gaze glued to the sky, a stern glare cemented on her face. Ever since the confrontation they had with the Harps back at the Highwing Cove, the Demon was agitated and even more cold than she normally was. It was clear that the “diplomatic” approach that Tariq and Rainbow Dash use to gain safe passage through the Black Basin was not ideal for her. Most likely stemming from her very apparent distrust for the Harps. While Twilight was still unaware of why the Demon held this prejustice towards the winged women, but she couldn’t really approve of it either. Morality aside, it would most benefit the Nightwings if they made as little unneeded enemies aside from the adversaries they had in the Rites. It was for this reason why the alicorn walked to the imposing woman in an attempt to reason with her.

“Jodariel.” Twilight calmly addressed the Demon, who continued to stare at the sky. “I know that you weren’t too happy with how we dealt with the Harps. “But I think you can calm down now. As long as we don’t agitate them in the future, then I think that we should be fine.”

Jodariel broke her gaze from the sky and looked down at the pony. The look she gave didn’t exactly spoke of anger, but rather frustration. “Reader, keep in mind that you have earned my mutual respect for getting us this far.” She then paused and took a long, tired breath. “With that said, I feel that I should remain you of your still-apparent ignorance of our history. The Highwing Remnants will take advantage of their enemies’ weaknesses. I know from personal experience. The day I lower my guard against those cretins is the day the Scribes themselves come down and end the conflict.”

Twilight lowered her head a little at this. If she couldn’t lighten the Demon’s thoughts on the Harps, perhaps she could convince her to be more formal with them. “Alright, clearly you’re set in your thoughts about them, but just promise me you won’t start anything with them. If not for me, at least do it for the safety of the others. Mae included.”

That last remark caused Jodariel to raise an eyebrow. It was a somewhat lowbrow move, but considering the Demon’s previous experience running an orphanage and how she treated the moon-touched girl when they first picked her up, Twilight figured that mentioning Mae would trigger some maternal instinct in the horned-woman to temper her rage. However, it seemed as though Jodariel was well aware of this tactic. “Reader, when trying to make your case in the future, I would suggest that you not drag in the names of others to strengthen your resolve.” This, of course, caused the alicorn to lower her head ever more in shame.

Before Twilight could raise another argument, she and the rest of the group’s attention were driven to the skies. Multiple whooshing sounds were heard above, causing everybody to look up to find the source. After half a minute of searching, three burred shapes were seen swiftly flying above them. Sir Gilman quickly took a defensive stance near Rarity while Applejack did the same with Mae. Even Jodariel moved to stand defensively around Twilight, despite the small argument they just had, which Twilight inwardly appreciated.

Musical Cue - Talon Sheath

Finally, the shapes descended to the ground before the Nightwings and ponies. They were Harps, although it appeared that they were all donned in raiments colored in a mix of brown, purple and sea green. One major difference that Twilight noticed was that it seemed that their raiments were altered to allow the wings along their arms to flap freely. Their masks were rounded but curved to a tip on both the top and bottom. The trio of Harps kept their distance, but that didn’t stop Sir Gilman, Applejack or Jodariel from keeping their guard up. One of them finally took a few steps forward from the other two. The Harp then removed her mask, giving the alicorn a better look of her features. Her long, teal hair cascaded down to her stomach, though it was positioned to where it covered one of her eyes. The one eye that was visible was blood red with one black pupil, resulting in a rather intimidating look. Other notable features included her pointy ears poking out to the sides and the bird-shaped helmet she wore that was accented by some purple feathers on top.

The winged woman took a quick glance over the Nightwings and ponies and grimaced in disgust. “This, then, is what passes for the Nightwings now? Such rabble…” she insulted. Not even dressed for the occasion yet. It seems the Scribes have little pride in their traditions.”

Twilight was unsure as to how to respond to such a confronting greeting from these new adversaries. Although Jodariel had no query shooting back her own response. “Hold your tongue, little bird. We did not come here to talk.”

“No. You have come on behalf of your…Commonwealth.” the Harp quickly shot back. Her gaze then focused on Twilight. The scowl on her face seemed to deepen as she looked to the purple pony. “You…creature…” she called to the alicorn. Though her nerves were slowing creeping on her, Twilight decided to step from Jodariel’s protection and fully faced the Harp. She even decided to fluff up her wings a little in an attempt to show that she wasn’t intimidated. Unfortunately, this did not have the effect she’d hope for. “You dare mock us!” the Harp growled at her.

Twilight immediately folded her wings and took a few steps back. “I…I didn’t…what?” she said, unsure as to what exactly she had done to cause such offense.

“Why is it that such a lowly cretin such as you were allowed to keep her wings while the dreaded Commonwealth clipped ours.” the woman explained as she held out her own wing, which seemed to shake as she continued to hold it outward. “These wings are what makes us superior to those ground-dwelling filth!” She then decided to take a few more threating steps towards the purple alicorn. “Seeing such gifts on the back of such a lowly creature like you filled me with indescribable rage.”

“Hey!” A blue blur dashed right in front of Twilight before the Harp could get too close. When the dust settled, Twilight saw that it was Rainbow Dash who had flew in before the threating Harp. The prismatic pony was hovering off the air with her wings and glared daggers at the adversary before her. “Why don’t you just back away before you do something you’ll regret.” she warned her.

“Hmph!” the Harp said dismissively. “Another insulting abomination. What foolishness gives you the-“ She was interrupted when one of the other two Harps behind her walked up behind her and whispered in her ear for a few moments. When she was done, she returned back behind with her other sister. “So, you’re the creature that I’ve heard from one of our renegade sisters.” the lead Harp said.

“Yeah, that’s right!” Rainbow confirmed. “So then you know that I made a deal with one of your friends so that all of you would leave us be. So, why don’t you-“

The pegasus was cut off by a subtle, but still insulting chuckle from the Harp. “Foolish cretin! You honestly believe that I would hold such honor made by a rogue sect of the Highwings?! As if I would be so moved by such a waste as one of your worthless feathers.”

Rainbow Dash said nothing for a moment, but she then spoke again in a voice so icy and unlike her usual rhetoric that it surprised Twilight a little. “What did you just call my feathers?” she asked slowly.

The Harp did not relent in her cruelty. “If I were forced to wear your feathers instead of mine, even if it gave me back my gift from Saint Triesta, I would no sooner plunge myself into one of these nearby lava pools. You and your kind are a disgrace to the skies and deserve nothing less than to have those wings torn off…slowly.”

“Say that again…to my bucking face!” the cyan pony yelled at the Harp. Twilight was starting to worry again. Even though the Harp’s insulting words were too far, the last thing that she wanted was for a fight to break out. Thankfully, Tariq was there to defuse the situation.

“If I may remind you, sister.” he said in his usual respectful tone. “The sacred laws of the Rites dictate that no blood will be shed before, during, or after the ceremony. Lest you risk…permanent disqualification.”

The minstrel’s words seemed to have worked as the Harp’s expression seem to shift somewhat. She then eventually put on a calmer look as she backed away with her other two sisters. Twilight then walked up to Rainbow’s side, only to see that she was still livid. “No matter then.” the Harp muttered. “We shall prove our superiority elsewhere. We will deal with you…ponies later.” She then looked over to Jodariel. “As for you. Mark my words, you horned filth. When we at last free ourselves…your home shall burn.”

With that last ominous threat, the three Harps swooped away, seemingly going to where the Rite would be held. The atmosphere was then left tense for a few moments before Jodariel finally spoke up. “Feathered-abominations.” she cursed under her breath.

“Ugh! I can’t believe that crap!” Rainbow Dash yelled out in frustration as she stamped her hoof to the ground.

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy exclaimed as she flew over to the disgruntled pegasus. “You shouldn’t have to use such language!”

“Are you kidding me, Fluttershy?!” Rainbow said to her fellow pegasus. “Did you hear how insulting she was, even after what I did for that other Harp?! You know much of a big deal it is to give up a primary! And she went ahead and practically spat in our faces!”

The yellow mare gave an understanding nod, as it seemed that she was also aware of the pegasi tradition. “I know, Dashie. And what you did back there was very big of you. But just because that mean Harp doesn’t understand how important that was, doesn’t mean that you should let her get to you.”

“Yeah, well,” the prismatic mare dismissed. “that doesn’t give her the right to crap all over our traditions. And who the buck does she think she is for saying that we don’t deserve our wings?!”

“Lady Rarity,” Sir Gilman muttered to the fashionista from the side. “Is it normal for Rainbow Dash to become this agitated over such matters?”

“To be honest, darling, I’ve actually rarely ever seen her this worked up over something.” Rarity explained to her knight. “I’m by no means an expert on pegasi traditions, but this must be quite serious.”

“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight finally intervened as she walked over to her frustrated friend and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Just take a minute to calm down her. For all we know, she was only just trying to rile us up to get an advantage in the Rite. I can’t imagine how anybody could be so intentionally vile.”

“She is quite serious, I assure you.”

Once again, the group looked to the skies to see where the sudden new voice was originating from. They didn’t have to look very long as another figure sprang from the shadows of the many cliffs. The mysterious stranger then landed before the group to fully reveal herself. She was another Harp, although this one appeared to be far less intimidating than the previous three. Her armor looked bland, light and a dark shade of brown, when compared to the striking crimson feathers that decorated her wings. She also had a dark purple scarf around her neck and had pointy ears. She had short, teal hair which was particular similar in color to the previous Harp. She also wore a helmet as with the rest of her sister, though this one was topped with a single large, red feather. Her teal eyes also stood out quite well from her tan complexion. “Tamitha isn’t exactly known to joke around.” she then spoke again. Of course, I could always help you sort her out. It’s in our mutual interest.”

At first, Twilight was unsure how to respond to this new Harp, mostly out of confusion as to what exact did she mean by that last statement. However, Jodariel was not as reserved. “You know naught of my interest.” she said in a hostile tone.

The Harp merely chuckled. “Mm, let’s give this another shot. Hi, my name is Pamitha Theyn!” she finally introduced herself with a mock bow. “The surely one that you met earlier was my blood-sister, Tamitha. I know she’s a bit rough around the edges but try not to judge her too harshly though.”

“Hold on,” Rainbow said as she flew right up in front of Pamitha. “you’re telling me that jerk is your sister?!”

“Indeed, my fine equine.” the Harp confirmed. “And although we’ve just met now, I must say that something about you and that lovely Demon over there reminds me of her.”

“What?!” the Wonderbolt asked, clearly taking that as an insult. “And what exactly do I have in common with that feathered-brained jerkwad?!”

“How dare you implicate that I have anything in common with your ilk.” Jodariel added.

“Rainbow!” Twilight said firmly to her friend. “Just…back down a bit for me. Okay?” The pegasus gave the alicorn a frustrated look, but she did eventually follow through with her wishes. Rainbow lowered herself back down to the ground with Twilight and Fluttershy, though she still looked far from satisfied with the Harp’s presence. With that settled, Twilight then addressed the Harp directly. “So, if I’m hearing this right, you would like to join the Nightwings? Might I ask why?”

“Oh, for a few reasons, actually.” Pamitha answered. “For starters, a way out of this hellhole wouldn’t be so bad. Although, I suppose the main reason revolves around my sister. We have some…unfinished business between us, but Tabitha has preferred to avoid me as much as physically possible. But, if I were her adversary in the Rites, she’d have no other choice but to listen to me!”

Hedwyn then walked over to Jodariel and whispered something in her ear. Twiight couldn’t pick up exactly what they were saying, but judging by the darkening expression on the Demon’s face, it was rather unpleasant to her. “No, Hedwyn. You cannot be serious about this.” she protested with the Nomad.

“Jodi, I’m asking you to trust me on this one.” he gently pleaded.

“Am I interrupting something?” Pamitha asked. “And by the way, however did you make it across the Sea? Didn’t see you fly in.”

“Oooo! I have the answer to that!” Pinkie suddenly cheered out. The excited pink pony then rushed over to the Harp. “So we were back in the Flagging Hands and we realized that we had to cross the Sea but the wagon couldn’t so we went over to Big Bertie’s place where she would make our wagon all floaty and she let me help which was really nice of her and even though she was really grumpy the whole time I knew that she appreciated my help, so once we fixed up the wagon we were able to cross the Sea!” Pinkie then took a deep breath after her rather long explanation. “So that’s how it went, long story short!”

Pamitha just smiled and knelt down so that she could give the pony a few head pats. “Well, aren’t you just the amusing little one. I certainly wouldn’t mind travelling with you, darling.” Pinkie giggled at the praise and appreciation.

Despite the warm action of the Harp, Jodariel still had a face of scrutiny. “Trust is something that I am loath to give away, Hedwyn.” she muttered to the Nomad. She then sighed heavily after taking a glance at the alicorn. “But, you have set our course thus far, and I have followed. Your intuitions have been sound so far. So…do as you must. That Sandalwood had better have an explanation for all this.”

The Demon then stormed off, seemingly to go retrieve her raiments. Meanwhile, Hedwyn turned to Twilight. “Here’s the situation, my friend.” he explained. “Our informant wants someone for each mask there is. I hadn’t expected us to run into a Harp so soon, yet here she is. That’s where you come in. As a Reader, what are you getting from her?”

The revelation of the mysterious Sandalwood’s intentions for the Nightwings was certainly a surprise for the alicorn. One that would raise many questions from her when they eventually meet with the benefactor. For now, though, Twilight took in Hedwyn’s advise and looked to the Harp. It appeared that she had finished her interaction with Pinkie was now watching with bemused interest. “Ah, so you’re a Reader, are you? Not many of your kind still around. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” she said to the purple pony. “Well, here I am, darling! Gaze upon my beauty as intently as you like and tell your comrade here the truth of it, why don’t you?”

As she looked at the Harp, Twilight felt something peculiar occur in her head. It was as if the world around her slowly faded from her perception, leaving only her and Pamitha. Speaking of the Harp, Twilight also felt something almost emanating from her. The inner thoughts and feelings of the Harp was revealed to the alicorn through some unknown mental capacity. While she couldn’t explain what was happening, Twilight was able to figure out what Tamitha was really planning. The purple pony could sense that the Harp was conflicted about something, thought she couldn’t place her hoof on exactly what that was. Despite this, however, she could tell that Pamitha’s motives, here and now, were earnest.

The rest of the world then returned to Twilight as she looked back to talk to Hedwyn. “I…I think we should give her a shot.” she answered. “I believe her when she says that she wants to help us in our journey.”

“My thoughts as well.” Hedwyn agree. “I think, and therefore, hope that Joderiel will eventually come around as well.” He then turned his attention to the Harp. “The name’s Hedwyn. We’ll accept your offer. However, we have few conditions in return.

“Ooo, conditions! Well, I do love a good condition or two. Name them off for me, handsome.” Pamitha cooed with a flirtatious smile.

A small blush formed on the Nomad’s face, but he quickly shook his head and got back to business. “F-First, after we’re finish here tonight, you come along and make sure that your blood-sister and her friends don’t give us any trouble when we’re heading out.”

Pamitha scratched her chin. “Hmm, might be a bit difficult to cool Tamitha down, but I’ll think I’ll manage. Deal.”

“Second,” Twilight added. “You have to promise to get along with everyone on our travels. Including Jodariel, whom you met earlier.”

“Brilliant!” Pamitha cheered. “I certainly have no qualms getting you ponies. You’re all just too adorable! And as for your Demon friend, we’ll no doubt we’ll get along famously!”

“Well, okay.” the alicorn said. “Welcome to the Nightwings, Pamitha!”

“Glad to be along for the ride.” the Harp said with a smile. “Now, I don’t suppose you have an extra set of raiments I could use for the ceremony?”

“Oh! Allow me, dear!” Rarity said as she trotted to the Harp. “Following me inside, Pamitha. I believe I have some garments that are just your size!”

“Well then, lead the way, darling!” Pamitha said with a smirk.

“Of course, er…darling.” the fashionista flubbed a bit before leading the Harp to the wagon. On the side, Applejack stifled a small chuckle at how the two seem to share similar speaking mannerisms.

“Well, I think that went pretty well, all things considered.” the Nomad said optimistically.

While Twilight was glad that Hedwyn agreed with taking in Pamitha, not everyone was on board. “Seriously, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked incredulously. “We seriously gonna take her along with us?”

“Is there a problem with that?” Hedwyn asked.

“Her sister is the Harp jerk that practically spat in our faces! Don’t you find that just a little bit suspicious?” The prismatic mare then turned to her friend. “Twilight, you know I always have your back, but can we really trust this chick?”

“Rainbow, I…” Twilight trailed off as she was tried to figure out how to explain what she just experienced with Pamitha. She could always go with the “magic explains everything” route, but she knew even Rainbow Dash was smart enough to know that magic was far more complex than that. “I just need you to trust me on this one. I can’t exactly explain it, but I just have this feeling inside that she’s earnest. I really don’t think she’s like her sister. Would you please just give her a shot? For me?”

The stern face on the pegasus didn’t give Twilight much hope. She was clearly still quite offended by how Tamitha had not only insulted her but her traditions. However, relief washed over the alicorn when Rainbow relaxed her face and took a deep breath. “Whatever.” She muttered as she then turned towards the wagon. “Do what you have to do, Twi. I’m just gonna go chill in the wagon tonight to cool off.”

Twilight’s guilt started to well up again. “Rainbow. I didn’t mean-“

“Twilight.” Rainbow interrupted politely, yet firmly. “Don’t worry about it. Good luck with the Rites.” The pegasus then headed inside the blackwagon and gently closed the door. Even though she got her to agree to take Pamitha, the bad feeling weighing inside Twilight’s stomach was still there. It was clear that the Wonderbolt still had hesitations for the Harp and was bottling it up. The purple pony couldn’t tell why, but it nonetheless worried her.

“Madame Twilight.” Twilight’s focus was cut off when she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard Tariq address her. When she turned around, she saw that the minstrel had knelt down to her eye level. “I believe I shall follow Rainbow Dash’s example and take rest in the wagon this eve.” He then stood up and made his way to the wagon, but not before looking back. “Perhaps the solitude will give me some time to quell her uneasiness. Best of luck to you in the Rites.”

Twilight watched on as the minstrel entered the wagon, no doubt going to go sit in his usual spot and strum on his lute. She really hoped that whatever Tariq talked about with Rainbow would help quell her suspicion of Pamitha. It was bad enough that Jodariel’s temper was on thin ice already, the last thing the group needed was more tension between one another. Regardless, the alicorn decided to refocus her thoughts on what was in front of her for now. She looked to the night sky and saw the stars glow as the constellation formed. A soft, blue light shined down on an area not too far from their location. It appeared that the Rite was about to begin.

Musical Cue Continued - Talon Sheath

“READER. I THOUGHT FOR SURE THE STARS WOULD HAVE ELUDED YOU BY NOW. YET HERE YOU ARE, SOMEHOW, UPON THE NEST OF TRIESTA.”

The Voice’s cynical words echoed above as Twilight and the rest made it to the field where the Rite would be held. They were now closer to the remains of the Greater Titan; the horse-like creature towering over the rocky terrain. As the alicorn scanned the field, she noticed in the middle that there were two, large crevices running parallel to each other. At the bottom was a river a lava that pooled just below the rocky cliffs. A plummet like that would no doubt be fatal, if not for the protective enchantments set in place for the Rites.

“AND YOU’VE SWELLED THE RANKS OF YOUR TRIUMVIRATE NOT MERELY BY ANOTHER, BUT WITH THREE!”

“ONE FROM THE PYREHEARTS, NO LESS. AND THEN ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR KIND TO TAINT THIS ALREADY BLASTED WASTELAND.”

Twilight turned her head and saw that the rest of the group had arrived as well, save for Tariq, Rainbow, Pamitha and Rarity. The Nightwings had at last donned their raiments and were carrying their masks in tow. After one final check that the Book was safely tucked under her wing, the alicorn gave a satisfied nod that everything was in check. As if on cue, two fireball fell from above and struck the two sigils on the field, forming the respective pyres.

“AND FINALLY, THERE’S THAT HARP THAT YOU RECRUITED NOT A MERE FEW MOMENTS AGO. IT SEEMS THAT SHE SEEKS FAVOR FROM THE ADVERSARIES WHOM YOU’LL IMMEDIATELY FACE:”

“THEY ARE THE ESSENCE! WINGED TERRORS, AS YOU WILL SOON SHALL SEE.”

On the other side of the field, the three Harps from earlier landed near the sea-green flames of their pyre. Although they were all wearing their masks, Twilight could almost feel the piercing stares that the three of them gave her and the rest of the Nightwings. The one in the middle, Tamitha most likely, took one of her talons and mimed it across her neck in a threatening manner.

“CAN YOUR LONGING FOR FREEDOM MATCH THEIR HATRED FOR THE VIBRANT COMMONWEALTH AND ITS ALLIES? WE SHALL SEE THIS NIGHT.”

“Twilight.” The alicorn turned around to see that Rarity had returned from the blackwagon, though she wasn’t alone. Beside the fashionista was Pamitha, donned in the Nightwings raiments and her mask securely on her face. “I must say that those feathers complement the outfit quite well!”

“The outfit is marvelous, darling.” Pamitha told the fashionista as she made her way to Twilight. The Harp then stopped and looked over and saw the Essence around their pyre. She was silent for a minute before started to flap her wings. “Read-Darling, would you be so kind as to follow me?” she asked Twilight as she took off toward the center.

Twilight didn’t have time to ask her why before she was gone. She then fluffed her own wings to catch up to her. While her wings still ached from her injuries, she still had enough strength to catch up to the Harp as she landed right before the Essence. Both Twilight and Pamitha said nothing as the three other Harps stared daggers at them. “Disgraceful.” Tamitha muttered as she removed her mask and looked to Pamitha. “You. What sort of heathen Harp would dare take wing against us?”

Pamitha then loosened the bindings on her mask to fully reveal her identity. “Hello there, Tamitha.” she said matter-of-factly.

A flash of surprise appeared on Tamitha’s face and then returned back to a rigid expression of scrutiny. “What in the Saint’s name are you doing here, with them?” she growled. “Doubtless come to dig your talons in my back again.”

Pamitha shook her head at her sister’s accusation. “No sister, I’ve come to have a word with you.”

“Save it.” Tamitha sneered. “I cannot help but share your poisoned. But I shan’t ever count you as my sister. You expect me to believe that you came all this way just for talk? You waste your time as ever!”

“What is life if not a waste of time, dear sister?” Pamitha countered. “Give me a chance, why don’t you? What do you have to lose anymore?”

“My dignity, for one.” Tamitha shot back. “If only you could see yourself now. Once again consorting with my enemies. And now it seems you want to dwell with such…pathetic creatures.”

Twilight was finally starting to become irritated with the cruel Harp’s barrage of insults, almost to the point where she was beginning to understand how Rainbow felt earlier. Pamitha, however, appear to remain cool under pressure. “Your speciesism is as subtle as ever, sister. Always the one to speak bold words, but never want to prove those words with action.”

Tamitha did not take the taunt well. “Fine!” she yelled. “Savor their defeat with them. But I warn you, stay away from me when this is done!”

Pamitha was silent as her blood-sister turned her back to her. The other two members of the Essence followed their leader in now ignoring their adversaries. Pamitha merely signed and gestured Twilight to follow her back to their pyre. As the alicorn walked with the Harp, she couldn’t help but think if that exchange could have gone better. It was clear that Tamitha had no desire for making up with her sister, but on the other hoof, it seemed that Pamitha was still eager to fight on the Nightwings’ side. She also wondered what Tamitha meant when she mentioned how Pamitha was working with her enemies again.

Musical Cue - The Eight Scribes

As the pair returned, the Nightwings and ponies were gathered by the flames, waiting for Twilight to give them a debrief of what her plan was for tonight. Before Twilight could say anything, however, Pamitha got her attention. “Reader-darling,” she began. “Not to demean anyone’s abilities here, but most of you here are ill-equipped to navigate this place.” The alicorn realized what the Harp was referring to. The huge crevasses would make it quite difficult to traverse to the other side, but no problem for Pamitha and her wings. “Let me conduct this Rite on your behalf, and my wings will bring you victory.”

“Dear Lady! Your words ring true!” Sir Gilman pronounced. “This knight is still quite flattered that you have not eaten him as is the tendency among your kind. This knight herby volunteers his post in the triumvirate for thee!”

“Oh, Sir Gilman,” Rarity said to the knight. “that’s quite chivalrous of you to do. But are you really sure you want to do that?”

The Wyrm-knight shook his head. “Kind of you to worry, Lady Rarity. But it is quite clear that this Harp is determined to face her blood-kin. A feeling that have related too not long ago. This knight will gladly give his post so that she may as well find clarity.” The fashionista then gave a hum of appreciation at her knight’s chivalry.

Jodariel gave an irritated huff. “If the little bird is going to conduct the Rites for us, then I shall not.”

“Jodi…” Hedwyn remised at the Demon’s stubbornness.

“I take no offence.” Pamitha complied. “I’m sure we’ll be the best of friends by the time this is all over.”

Twilight sighed. “Well, with Sir Gilman and Jodariel forfeiting their places, I suppose that will narrow down my decisions.” She then turned to her friends. “Now all that’s left to decide is who’ll assist me with their Blessing.”

The alicorn got an answer to her question almost immediately as a pink hoof started flailing in the air. “Ooo! I’ll do it! I’ll do it! I’ll do it!” Pinkie Pie started chanting at an excited rate.

“Pinkie?” Twilight asked. “You want to go spectate with me?” She knew that she had hypothesized that each of the Elements would have some time of Blessing with them, but she also didn’t expect Pinkie to show interest without her asking.

“Sure! You know how much I like to be helpful! I bet it’ll be super fun to do the Rites together, Twilight. Besides, I haven’t had my turn yet!” Pinkie said with a kind smile.

“Uh, Pinkie? You sure about this?” Applejack asked the baker. “It’s not exactly as easy as it looks.” Fluttershy also gave a nod in confirmation.

“Oh psssh, AJ!” The pink mare nonchalantly said. “It’ll be easy-peasy! So long as I have a sudden epiphany on how the Blessing works midway through the Rite, I’ll be A-Okay!”

“Well, okay then.” Twilight finally accepted the pink mare’s strange logic. Her gaze then looked upward to find a suitable vantage point of the field. It didn’t take long for her to find a decently tall cliff that would give her a full view. She then pointed out her hoof to show the rest. “I think that cliff right there will give us a good view of things. Though normally Rainbow Dash would help me get up to high places, so I’m not exactly sure how me and Pinkie are supposed to get up there.”

“Oh, allow me, darling!” Rarity sang out. “I think I should be able to levitate you two up there.”

Twilight gave the fashionista a quizzical look. Being a unicorn, she knew that Rarity naturally had the ability of telekinesis. However, she still wasn’t sure if she had the magical strength to get both her and Pinkie up so high. “Rarity, are you sure you can lift us all the way onto the cliff?”

“Oh, pish-posh, dear,” Rarity said with a slight wave of her hoof. “I may not a ‘magic wiz’ like yourself, but I am confident in my own abilities. Now, get into position while I concentrate!”

Somewhat reluctantly, Twilight nodded and stood completely still while Rarity closed her eyes. The white horn began to spark a light blue and Rarity’s magical aura began to surround the alicorn’s body. Ever slowly, Twilight was lifted up higher and higher towards the top of the cliff. The purple pony remained calm and put trust in her friend that she wouldn’t be dropped suddenly. Finally, Twilight had reached her destination and the aura around her quickly dissipated. She took a few gentle steps and looked downward at the rest of the group. She saw Rarity open her eyes again and then looked to Pinkie for her turn. The blue aura surrounded the baker and began floating her up to Twilight, albeit at a slightly slower pace. Nevertheless, Pinkie made it safely and she gently landed her hooves onto the cliff. The alicorn looked down and saw that Rarity broke the spell but was looking a bit winded. “Rarity, are you okay?” she asked out, concerned.

“I’m…quite fine, darling!” Rarity called out between breaths. “You were no trouble at all. Pinkie Pie was just a bit heavier than she looks!”

The baker gave her friend a sheepish smile. “Sometimes a sneak a few extra sweets when I’m on the job at Sugarcube Corner.” The pink mare then dug into her poofy mane and finally pulled out a tiny flag that had the Nightwings’ sigil printed on it. Where pinkie was able to acquire something such as that in the Downside was beyond Twilight’s comprehension. “WOOO! GO NIGHTWINGS GO! LET’S GO KICK THOSE MEANIES’ BUTTS!” she cheered out while waving the flag.

“CEASE YOUR GALIVANTING AT ONCE!”

Both Twilight and Pinkie Pie froze in shock at the booming Voice.

“READER! PLEASE REMIND YOUR IDIOTIC COMPATRIOT TO CEASE HER TOMFOOLERY! THESE RITES ARE A SACRED RITUAL THAT IS NO PLACE FOR IDIOTIC SHENANIGANS. HAVE SOME MODESTY!”

“Well,” Pinkie huffed as she stored the flag back in her mane. “I’ve met a lot of party poopers in my day, but he is easily the poopiest!” The pony then tried to stifle her giggles at the unintended (and rather juvenile) joke she made.

Twilight, however, was feeling far less jovial. “Pinkie Pie,” she said. “maybe you just listen to him for now.”

“WHAT?! But Twily…” Pinkie pouted.

The alicorn gave a heavy sigh. Even though she found her friend’s bubbly attitude amusing and sometimes even encouraged it, this was a notable exception. The last thing she would want from the Nightwings would be for them to be disqualified because of her or one of her friends. “Pinkie, listen. That Voice up above, he’s the one that proceeds over the Rites. We have to respect the customs here, or else we might be disqualified. So,could you please, just this once, tone it down a bit?”

Twilight didn’t like the disappointed look that Pinkie was giving her, but she did feel some relief when she did eventually nod in agreement. The baker then plopped down on her haunches and simply looked to the feel, all while having a rather unreadable expression. Twilight still felt a bit bad that Pinkie had to suppress her personality like this; she made a mental note to somehow find a way to make it up to her later.

With both her and Pinkie in place, Twilight trotted over and looked over the whole field. The crevices were much more notable from this vantage point, as well as the perilous lava below. On the far right, the Essence were waiting patiently by their pyre for the ceremony to begin. Their sigil, Twilight noticed, had an image of what appeared to a closed eye crying a few circular tears

“WHO SHALL CONDUCT THE RITES?”.

From under her wing, the Book of Rites floated out before Twilight and opened its pages. Though all the names of the Nightwings were before her, the alicorn only had one in mind. Right under Sir Gilman was Tamitha’s name freshly etched in the black paper. She then looked to the other page and noticed that the new talisman she had recently bought was also added to the list. It seemed that the Righteous Flame would restore the pyre’s flames by a small margin if the holder doused the adversaries’ pyre. Seeing this as quite useful, Twilight focused on Pamitha’s name along with the Righteous Flame.

“PAMITHA”

The Harp then instantly appeared onto the field. The alicorn then slowed her thoughts and focused to connect her mental link with winged woman. After she felt the positive feedback, Twilight opened her eyes and smiled knowing that the connection was made. Pamitha, for her part, hummed in return. “Hmmm, very interesting.” she mused out loud. “So this is what it’s like when two minds connect. Certainly something I wouldn’t mind getting used to.” She then looked upward at the pair of ponies. “Now then, if I’m to be at your mercy in all this, I’d like it very much if you could minimize how often I’m to wallow in a state of banishment. Quickly, let me show you what we sisters of the Highwing Remnants can do.”

Pamitha then began to move on her own accord to demonstrate her abilities to the alicorn. Just as with the Witch Udmilde, the aura that surrounded her below was wavy, far from a perfect circle. True to her word, the Harp was able to flap her wings and fly higher into the air, easily going over the crevasses in the middle of the field. Although, she eventually did have to return back down and gently hovering from the ground. Along with her flight, it also appeared that her movement also included a few agile dashes that would most definitely help with maneuvering around opponents. Finally, Pamitha showed off on finally trick up her sleeve as she began to take a charging stance. Then suddenly, she rushed forward into a sort of tackle. During this attack, it appeared that all of the aura around her feet went up and formed a protected bubble around her. Once the Harp had stopped, the aura returned back to the ground around her. Twilight was rather intrigued by this “aura tackle” as she was now referred it. She figured that the shield around her would no doubt be useful in protecting her from the aura from the other adversaries.

“READER…YOU PUT YOURSELF AMIDST A FEUD BETWEEN TWO SISTERS?”

“THAT SEEMS ENTIRELY UNWISE, EVEN FOR YOU.”

“TREAD LIGHTLY AROUND THAT EXILE PAMITHA. HER KIND’S ALL BUT FORGOTTEN SAINT TRIESTA’S GRACE.”

“NOW, IF YOU ARE DONE WASTING OUR TIME HERE, CHOOSE YOUR REMAINING TWO EXILES SO THAT TONIGHT’S CERAMONY CAN GET UNDERWAY.”

“See, darling? We Harps, we’re not so bad!” Pamitha boosted as she made her way back to the front of the pyre. “Now, why don’t you go ahead and pick two others so that we may finally confront my sister.”

Satisfied with Pamitha’s abilities, Twilight looked to the book in front of her to choose two more Nightwings. With both Sir Gilman and Jodariel’s refusal to participate, that only left her to decide between Hedwyn, Rukey, Mae and Ti’zo. The alicorn’s interest peaked at the latter, as she remembered that the Imp did also have the ability of flight. Have Ti’zo on the field would no doubt be useful in dealing with those crevices. She then focused on the Imp’s name along with the Tailwind Crest to give him an extra speed boost.

“TI’ZO”

“Hree-ree-kree!” Ti’zo chirped out as he was summoned onto the field. This then gained the attention of Pamitha.

“Ti’zo, is it?” she asked. “Tell me something, you know how to fly?”

“Kree-hiii!” the Imp confirmed.

“Then listen up,” the Harp said as she gestured to the Essence. “my blood-sister there, she’ll swoop right past you if you’re careless. But, we Harps cannot get much altitude down here. So, if she goes for any unfair tricks, just jump for it and catch her in the act. She always hated when I used to do that to her!” she capped off with a hint of mischief in her voice.

Finally, Twilight had to decide the third member of the triumvirate. Not exactly clear-cut as none of the other Nightwings could fly. The alicorn’s gaze then stopped when she looked over Hedwyn’s name. Though he never spoke of it, she had a sense that the Nomad felt a tad guilty over not being able to participate in the last Rite due to his untimely sickness. This time, however, Hedwyn seemed ready to go and would no doubt jump at the opportunity. So, Twilight focused on Hedwyn and also decided to pair him with the Moon Crest talisman.

“HEDWYN”

The Nomad appeared elegantly onto the field and took his stance. “No sea sickness to keep me out of this one! Time for my time to shine!” he said with determination.

With everyone on the field, everything was set for the Rite. All that was left to do was to wait for the Celestial Orb to fall from sky and commence the ceremony. Pamitha, however, took the moment to call out one last time to the Essence. “Sister,” she called out. “Perhaps when we are finished here, you’ll finally spare a moment of your time!”

Tamitha gave a growl of disgust. “I shan’t be tricked by you again, Pamitha. How poetic that we meet here in the Downside…I can think of nowhere else where I would rather see you rot for what you did.”

Though she didn’t show it, Twilight felt a small twinge of emotion coming from Pamitha when her sister uttered that last sentence. It was now more than clear that something had occurred in the past that had caused a rift between the two sisters, and something told Twilight that Pamitha would not reveal it so easily. However, Twilight didn’t have much time to think on that as she then saw a pillar of light shine down onto the center of the field. A second later, the Celestial Orb came crashing to the ground.

“COMMENCE!”

Musical Cue - Sky Dance

“To the skies, sisters! Talon formation!” Tamitha cried out to the rest of the Essence. The other two Harps then spread to the sides of the field one at a time. Meanwhile, Twilight decided to send Hedwyn in first to grab the Orb. After maneuvering around the crevices, the Nomad was about to acquire the Orb before Tamitha tackled him with her aura. With Hedwyn banished, the cruel Harp was free to grab the Orb and toss it over to one of her sisters on the side of the field. As the Harp with the Orb came closer to the Nightwings pyre, Twilight tried to position Pamitha for defense. But to her surprise, that turned out to be a trick. The Harp quickly passed the Orb to Tamitha while the path to the blue flames were clear. There was nothing stopping her from then taking flight over the crevice in front of her and then dashing herself into the blue flames.

“A CLEVER TRICK. FOR A BUNCH OF HARPS, THAT IS.”

Twilight shook off the first hit and got her head back in the game. The Nightwings and Essence reappeared on the field and resumed after the Orb fell to the ground. One of the other Harp made a beeline for the Orb. However, Twilight anticipated this and waited for her to grab it. Once she had the Orb, the Essence Harp took flight to get over the crevice. That was when Twilight sprung her trap. Pamitha flew up and intercepted the other Harp, causing the Orb to fall to the ground. Hedwyn saw his chance and raced over to grab the glowing sphere and started to maneuver around to the other Pyre. Meanwhile the Essence Harp that had stayed back tried to block the Nomad from landing a hit, but Hedwyn was able to leap around her and right into the sea-green flames.

“THE NIGHTWINGS FINALLY ASSERT THEMSELVES.”

As the Essence returned, Tamitha looked far from pleased that the Nightwings were able to get a hit on their pyre. Such irriation is what probably led her to take a full-on assault on the Nightwings themselves. The cruel Harp flew right over where the Orb was and tackled Ti’zo into banishment. This especially caught Twilight off guard, as the adversaries she and the others had faced so far had always prioritized grabbing the Orb first before making any offensive takes on the Nightwings. Now, however, it appeared that Tamitha wanted to completely banish all of the Nightwings before working to snuff out their pyre.

Thankfully, it seemed that Pamitha was all too familiar with her sister’s tactics. The cheeky Harp launched an aura tackle and banished her sister from the field. Hedwyn then ran to pick up the Orb and tossed it over to Pamitha before he got banished by one of the other Harp. With the Celestial Orb in her possession, Pamitha took flight towards the other end of the field. The other Essence Harp attempted to block her midair, but Pamitha was simply too agile for her. The cheeky Harp went from the sky right into the pyre.

“GLORY TO THE SCRIBES!”

“Pinkie,” Twilight said to the mare beside her as the field began to reset. “Do you think you can start helping out here?”

The pink baker was sitting on her haunches with her forelegs crossed and her eyes closed. “I don’t know, is that meanie Voice in the sky gonna yell at me again for being myself?” she asked with some attitude in her tone.

The alicorn did have time to argue with her friend before the Celestial Orb fell to the ground again. This time, Twilight decided to try stay on the defensive since there were only two Nightwings on the field. She positioned Ti’zo to guard the pyre and then had Hedwyn approach the Orb carefully. Unfortunately, Tamitha was far from being careful as she launched a full-on assault on the Nomad, banishing him with a single tackle. The cruel Harp grabbed the Orb and, in a strange twist, tossed the Orb and intentionally missed the pyre. While Twilight still had her eyes on the Orb, Tamitha took her chance and tackled into Ti’zo. With the field clear of Nightwings, Tamitha picked up the Orb nearby and dove straight into the Pyre.

“THE TERM “EYES ON THE PRIZE” SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LITERALLY, READER.”

Twilight internally scolded herself for losing focus like that as the field reset. With all three of the Nightwings back, at the very least they had the advantage again. And Twilight had all intensions of taking it. Influencing Ti’zo, she led him to flutter over both the crevices and the Orb. The Imp landed between the remaining two Harps and charged up his aura implosion, banishing all three of them in the process. This was the opening Twilight needed. Now all she needed was a little more help to seal the deal. Which meant that she needed her friend to tap in to her inner “Pinkieness”.

“Pinkie,” she then pleaded with her friend. “I’m…I’m sorry. Just…don’t worry about what anyone else says. What I want right now is for you to be just you. So…go ahead and give it all you got!”

Finally, the pink mare opened up her eyes and gave the alicorn a smile. “Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie then reached into her mane again and began to wave her flag. “WOOHOO!!! GO NIGHTWINGS! FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! Show those meanie Harp what for and show’em who’s boss!”

Twilight watched in awe as her friend started to glow a light blue. She then looked to the field to confirm that Pamitha was now covered in the same hue. This was all the confirmation Twilight needed to realize that Pinkie had finally activated her hidden Blessing. The only question was what exactly this Blessing entailed. The alicorn soon got her answer as Pamitha began to cross the field. When the Harp took to the skies to cross the crevices, she instantly darted forward at incredible speed. She easily cleared the two pits, grabbed the Orb and made to the other side of the field in a quarter of the time it would usually take for one of the Nightwings to get across. None of the other Essence reappeared from their banishment before Pamitha delved into their pyre.

“HM, I SUPPOSE IT WOULD MAKE SENSE THAT YOUR HYPERACTIVE FRIEND WOULD BESTOW A BLESSING OF QUICKNESS. THOUGH I STILL DOUBT THAT IT IS ENOUGH TO TOLERATE HER.”

“Pinkie, that was amazing!” Twilight commended the pink mare.

“Twilight, did you see me?! I was all glowy for a second! That was super-duper amazing!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “Can I do it again?! Can I, can I, can I?!”

“Not yet, Pinkie,” Twilight said as she looked to the field. “But, don’t worry. I’ll give you a signal when I need you.”

The field reset again, and all of the Essence returned this time. But even though they were down one Nightwing, Twilight felt more confident that she could handle whatever Tamitha threw at them. Said Harp was quick to dash from her pyre and make a direct assault on her adversaries. Twilight quickly moved Ti’zo out of the way of her attack, leaving Hedwyn to be suddenly banished from the field. However, the cruel was caught off guard when the Nomad’s talisman activated, and he was instantly returned back. Tamitha had no time to respond as he casted his aura to banish her away. Ti’zo then fluttered over to pick up the Orb and then tossed it back to Hedwyn. The Nomad then made a dash to the right side of the field only to be blocked off by one of the Essence Harps. He quickly passed it back to the Imp, who then fluttered over the fissure before him. He would have made it, if the other Harp guarding the flames hadn’t jumped and knocked both him and the Orb out of the air. But by some unknown grace, the Celestial Orb landed near the right side of the field, right in Hedwyn’s vicinity. The Nomad casted an aura blast to banish the Harp in front of him and then dashed to pick up the orb. Before the last remaining Harp could stop him, Hedwyn tossed the orb straight into the pyre.

“HEDWYN DOUSES THE FLAMES!”

The field and participants reset again, and Twilight took an assessment on both sides. While the Nightwings pyre only burned at half intensity, the Essence’s pyre was nothing more than a tiny flame. One more hit from the Nightwings and the Rite would be over this night. However, before Twilight could get a chance to strategize their next move, something unexpected happen.

“Damn you, Pamitha!” Tamitha yelled to the other side of the field. “You are no true Theyn. To think that you have the gall to call me sister still, after everything you have wrought upon us!”

Twilight, along with everyone else on the field was confused as to what was going on here. Pamitha, for her part, remained silent at her sister’s accusation. But thanks to their connection, Twilight was able to feel that the cheeky Harp had what felt like a pit in her stomach as she listened to her kin’s insults. “…I hate to break it to you, Tamitha, but I don’t think my actions, however much they hurt you, had any affect on our familial status.” she finally retorted back. Look, I know I wronged you in the past. But you at least owe it to me to hear my side of the story.”

“Your side of the story?” Tamitha spat. “If I wanted to hear more lies and deception, I ought have asked the Commonwealth to stay my sentence for a while. Well, if you have come all this way to face me, Pamitha, then come and do it. YOU AND ME!”

The alicorn was even more perplexed by the cruel Harp’s proposition. Apparently, she wanted to face Pamitha alone in the Rite. Her suspicious were confirmed when she saw how the other two Essence Harps followed their leader’s orders and disappeared from the field. Why would Tamitha pull something like this? Her triumvirate was far behind the Nightwings, and Pamitha would only need to get the Orb in the pyre only one more time to win. Would she really risk the whole thing for pride over her own sister?

When Twilight looked over to Pamitha, she noticed that she was subtly shaking her head, as if she was expecting something like this from her sister. “Everyone…stand back. This is a family affair now.” she then said to Hedwyn and Ti’zo behind her. The Nomad and Imp looked to each other and then to the Harp. Eventually, they silently agree and stepped away, vanishing from the field and returned back to the rest of the group. Now, the ones who were left in the Rite was Pamitha and Tamitha.

“WHAT IS IT THAT THOSE TWO THINK THEY ARE DOING?!”

“DO THEY TRULY INTEND TO TURN THE SACRED CERAMONY OF THE RITES INTO A MERE SIBLING SQABBLE?!”

Despite the Voice’s protest, the two sisters moved at full speed towards the Orb between the both of them. The two jumped into the air to clear the crevasses, only to then collide into one another midair. While Tamitha landed on the ground, Pamitha unfortunately fell into the fissure and was banished away before she hit the deadly lava below.

Surprisingly though, Pamitha instantly returned back to the field instead of the usual wait after banishment. Twilight wasn’t sure if it was because Pamitha was the only Nightwing on the field or for some other reason, but she supposed that it ultimately didn’t matter. What did matter was that she was back in time to aura tackle Tamitha away before she could make it to the blue flames with the Orb. Pamitha picked up the Orb from the ground and made her way to the other side of the field. Unfortunately, Tamitha also instantly appeared from her banishment and was determined to stop her sister.

What followed was two minutes of a back-and forth fight between the two Harps and the Orb. Every time one of them managed to obtain the Celestial Orb, the other would quickly banish her away, only to then return back to restart the cycle. Eventually though, Twilight began to get frustrated at the stalemate. Either both the Harps were equally skilled or just too determined to let the other one get the best of her. The alicorn realized that she needed to think more creatively if she was going to get Pamitha to strike the finishing blow. And she remembered that she had all the creativity she needed right beside her.

“Pinkie,” she said to the pony besides her. “when I give you the signal, I want you to try and use your Blessing on Pamitha. Think you can do that?” The pink mare gave the alicorn a salute and glued her eyes on the Harp, ready for the signal.

Back on the field, it seemed as though Tamitha had stepped up her brutality and went on the extreme offensive on her sister. “You disgrace us, Pamitha.” she said as Pamitha just barely dodged one of her attacks. “You once had a home within the Revenants, and you through it away! You were dead in my eyes the very moment you betrayed me.”

Pamitha said nothing as she stood still with the Orb in her possession. “Tamitha…beg you, please list-“

“Enough!” the cruel Harp screamed. “Defeating you now will prove once and for all how worthless you really are!”

As Tamitha charged at her again, Twilight was scared that she would let herself get banished based on her stillness. However, the alicorn felt another swell of emotion within Pamitha and felt relief when she saw her dodged her sisters attack in the nick of time. “Very well, sister.” she said solemnly. “I hoped that you would listen on the battlefield. But if you intend not to, then I suppose I’ll end this…with a little help.” The Harp then looked directly at the Essence’s pyre. This was the opportunity Twilight was looking for.

“Pinkie, now!” the pony signaled her friend.

Pinkie then squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated hard. Sure enough, the pink mare’s body started glowing light blue again along with Pamitha. The cheeky Harp then shot off like a bolt of lightning towards the other end of the field. Tamitha had no hope of catching up in time and could only watch on as her sister reached the sea-green flames and jumped right in. After the explosion, nothing else remained of the smoldering sigil.

“AND IT IS DONE!”

Pamitha, along with Hedwyn and Ti’zo, reappeared on the field in time to see the blue flames of their pyre shoot up into the night sky. The Nightwings’ symbol lit up the sky for a few seconds before dissipating into nothingness.

“ANOTHER VICTORY FOR THE NIGHTWINGS…OH HOW I SING WITH JOY….”

“LOXALAS!” Pamitha, Hedwyn and Ti’zo cheered at their victory. There was also a bout of cheers from the rest of the group on the side.

Back on the cliff, Pinkie Pie gave Twilight a tight, celebratory hug which Twilight greatly appreciated. Now all that was left to figure out was how the two ponies would get down. Just as the alicorn was about to look down to the group to see if Rarity could possibly levitate them back down, Pamitha was able to glide up to their position and offer them a ride down. Although Twilight was first a bit skeptical that the cheeky would be able to lift both ponies, she grabbed them both by her talons and gently glided them back to the ground. Pinkie then trotted over to the group to receive the praise she gained from her contribution to the Rite. However, right before Twilight joined in, she turned around and saw that Tamitha had returned back to the field. She had her mask off as she slowly walked to where her sister was still fuming over the loss. As Twilight trotted slowly behind her, she overheard the venomous words Tamitha began to spew.

“You are nothing more than Commonwealth filth, Pamitha.” the cruel Harp belittled her sister. Tamitha then took notice of the pony behind Pamitha. “It was only through these outsiders’ help that you have beaten us this night. However, you merely postpone the coming of our liberty. We are ever patient, and our sister on the other side shall have their day, with or without my help.” She then pointed to Twilight menacingly. “And when the Commonwealth is burnt to the ground, your land will be next.”

Twilight recoiled back at the Harp’s threat, even if it did seem unlikely to become true. As for Pamitha, she simply looked down and sighed. It was clear that she was highly disappointed in the results of finally speaking to her sister again. “Tamitha,” she said. “If you have even a shred of belief in our sisterhood, you’ll listen to my plea.”

Though it may have been a trick of the eye, but Twilight could have sworn that she saw hesitation in Tamitha’s face. But before the alicorn could confirm her suspicions, the malice quickly returned to the Harp’s face. “You’ve found good company there, Pamitha. May you wither here with them. I hope sincerely that we shan’t ever meet again.” With those stabbing words, Tamitha took flight, along with the rest of the Essence. Leaving the remaining Harp and alicorn alone on the field.

Pamitha stood motionless as she watched on as her sister departed on such harsh words. Twilight couldn’t even really begin to understand what the Harp was feeling right now. Sure, she had her own sibling spats with Shining Armor in the past, but they never escalated to the point where she wished to never see him again. That’s what left Twilight wordless as well as she just stood there. As much as she wanted to provide the exact words of comfort to the muted Harp, she just couldn’t think of any. Instead, she decided to provide words that would help move on. “Pamitha,” she said gently. “Why don’t you come back to the wagon with us. Our offer still stands for letting you travel with us.”

Pamitha still remained silent for a moment until she let out a soft sigh. “Sure. I don’t see why not.” She murmured softly. The Harp then turned away from where her sister left. Her expression was temporarily blank as she left the field along with the purple pony. Though Twilight was sure that Pamitha wasn’t over Tamitha’s words, she hoped that including her had at least helped.

However, before anyone was able to leave, three pillars of light shined down on Hedwyn, Ti’zo and Pamitha. Twilight had nearly forgotten the Enlightenment they had earned from their participation in the Rite.

Musical Cue - A Step Closer

“THE EIGHT SCRIBES BLESS US IN THEIR WAYS.”

Though Pamitha and Hedywn remained the same, everyone watched as Ti’zo attained a slight glow for a few seconds.

“THE IMP TI’ZO APPEARS TO HAVE A CERTAIN DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE.”

“Hraa-krii-riii!” the Imp chirped in celebration.

After Ti’zo enlightenment, the lights dissipated and the stars above ceased to glow. Just like that, the night sky returned to normal.

“UNTIL THE STARS ALIGN.”

Musical Cue - Shattered Lands

As the group walked back to the blackwagon, Twilight felt a noticeable tension between some of the members. Pamitha seemed to have shaken off her previous somber mood and hade returned to her cheekier demeanor, shooting the alicorn a sly smile. In contrast, Jodariel was staring daggers at the Harp. Despite being victorious in the Rite, the Demon clearly still didn’t trust the new Nightwing.

“Well then, Pamitha,” Rarity finally cut the silence. “I must say, you and the rest were quite spectacular in the Rite. Not to mention how absolutely stunning you all looked moving around in those raiments!” The fashionista then looked to Pinkie Pie. “And Pinkie, darling, I cannot say that I fully understand this whole Blessing business, but you’ve clearly gained a handle on it.”

The pink mare giggled at the compliment. “Hehe, thanks! To be honest, it wasn’t really any harder than the other times I’ve made myself glow on command!”

After a small stretch of silence, Rarity cleared her throat and changed the subject of the conversation. “Well, um…In any case, Pamitha, it’ll be a pleasure travelling with you for the time being.”

“Well, I very much appreciate the sentiment. But I won’t be staying longer than it takes. I like my air fresh, so I can sleep up on the roof.” Pamitha responded politely. She then turned her gaze to the dim stars above. I trust the Rites will cause my path and Tamitha’s to cross again before long.”

“The sooner, the better.” Jodariel mumbled under her breath.

“Jodi…” Hedwyn lightly chastised his companion for her lack of subtlety. He then looked to the Harp. “You’re welcome to stay with us for as long as you need to, Pamitha. Trust is what got us this far. Isn’t that right, Rukey?”

When Twilight looked to Rukey, it seemed as though he hadn’t heard the Nomad’s question. Come to think of it, she realized that the Cur was awfully silent ever since Pamitha arrived at the camp. He had this baffled expression on as he continued to look at the Harp. Pamitha took notice of this and shot Rukey one of her smiles. This act shocked Rukey out of his stupefied state and a dumb grin soon spread across his face.

“Oh goodness, Rukey. Are you alright?” Fluttershy asked the Cur with worry. “You seem all shaky all the sudden.”

Rukey sobered up again and rapidly shook his head clear. “Wha..?! Uh…Oh um, I’m good, Flutters! Just uh…thinking about checking the wheels when we get to the wagon! Yeah, that’s it. Hehe…Hey, look at that! We’re already back!”

True to his word, the group had in fact returned to the campsite. The Cur quickly ran ahead of the group and got to work checking the wagon wheels. Seeing how Rukey had apparently snapped out of his stupor, Fluttershy smiled and decided to follow him just in case he needed any help. As for Twilight, she couldn’t help but subtly roll her eyes the quite apparent infatuation the Cur had for the Harp. As the rest of the group arrived at the campsite, the alicorn noticed that Tariq was sitting outside with his lute. The minstrel looked up from his instrument as Twilight walked up to him while the rest went about checking on other things at the camp.

“I trust that the ceremony was successful?” he asked the alicorn.

Twilight nodded and a reserved satisfied smile spread on the minstrel’s lips as he nodded back. The purple pony scanned the campsite and noticed that a certain cyan pegasus was missing. “Where’s Rainbow Dash?” she asked.

“She decided to spend more time alone in the blackwagon to think.” Answered Tariq. “Though her and I had a conversation after you left. I do believe she now has more perspective.”

As if on cue, the door to the wagon opened and Rainbow Dash appeared in the doorway. The Wonderbolt did appear a lot less agitated than the least Twilight saw her, though her expression was far from positive. Her eyes scanned the area until she spotted Pamitha near the fire. She then stepped out of the wagon and began to walk over to the Harp. Twilight intercepted the pegasus and was about to ask if everything was okay with her, but Rainbow raised her hoof before she could say anything. She gave the alicorn a small nod and looked her friend in the eyes. Twilight could see that there was no trace of anger or frustration in Rainbow’s expression. Only determination in those magenta eyes that she was able to recognize after a long time of knowing the pegasus. Twilight the nodded back and stood aside to let Rainbow walk up to Pamitha.

“Uh…Hey.” the prismatic mare mumbled to the Harp.

“Well hello. Rainbow Dash, isn’t it?” the cheeky Harp said as she knelt down to look at her directly. “Look’s like someone has cooled down a bit. Still don’t trust me because of my sister Can’t say that I haven’t experienced that before?”

“Look,” Rainbow said she let out a deep sigh. “I’m…sorry that I wasn’t the most welcoming to you. I really hate to admit it, but what your sister said really got to me and…I guess I just took it out on you. But Twilight seems to trust you, and I know that Twilight is a big enough egghead to know what she’s doing. So, let’s just start over. Are we cool?”

Pamitha watched as the pegasus lifted one of her forehooves to her as an act of good will. The Harp smiled back at the mare and used the talons at the end of one of her wings to bump the pegasus’s hoof. “I’m not a petty Harp, darling. Anyone could hardly doubt you for showing a bit of mistrust in this wasteland. I accept your apology.”

Rainbow put on a relieved smile and retracted her hoof back. “Awesome. Glad we worked this out.”

Twilight smiled as she saw the pegasus and Harp work out their differences. A feat that was no doubt difficult for Rainbow, given her prideful attitude. It was rather heartwarming to see acts of friendship in such a harsh environment like the Downside. Whatever Tariq had said to her must have rather eye-opening to the pegasus. She supposed that she would just have to ask her friend what the minstrel had told her at a later time. As the alicorn was about to walk over to the pair and make sure that everything was patched up, she noticed that there was something peculiar out of the margin of her eyesight. When she looked up, her eyes widen as she recognized the anomaly above.

“Everyone,” Twilight announced to the camp. “You all might want to all look up!”

The Nightwings and ponies followed the alicorn’s suggestion and looked to the night sky. It was then they all saw the blue twinkling that was coincidentally suspended high right above the campsite. Everyone instantly knew the meaning of this phenomenon; another resident of Equestria was about to be dropped into the Downside.

Another pony is about to arrive.” Jodariel plainly stated.

“Or dragon,” Rarity quickly corrected the Demon. “Spikey was in the room when that mirror exploded.”

Meanwhile, Twilight was already forming a plan in her head. The portal would be opening right above them, so they would have ample time to catch whoever would fall out safely. And she already had somepony in mind to pull off said rescue. “Rainbow,” she said to the prismatic mare. The second that portal opens, I want you to fly up and catch whoever falls out. Think you can do that?”

“Pfft, come on, Twi!” Rainbow assured her. “This isn’t like at the Sea. I’ll be able to fly up there and pull off a rescue in ten seconds flat!”

The pegasus’s cocky claim would soon be put to the test for just after she finished speaking, the twinkles then suddenly opened up into a blue, swirling portal. A second later, something fell out and the portal instantly disappeared from the sky. Based on how the body was pony-shaped and was letting out a feminine scream, it was clear that whatever had fallen out was a mare. Meaning that there was only one possibility on who it was.

“STARLIGHT!” the ponies screamed out in unison.

“Don’t worry, I got this!” Rainbow affirmed right before she spread her wings and shot up into the sky.

Twilight watched as the pegasus continued flying up to catch the falling unicorn. As she looked on, she thought she saw a light blue spark of magic coming from Starlight, only for it to flicker and die. Before the alicorn could get too concerned about her former student’s safety, Rainbow was successful in catching her in the air. Everyone watched in relief as the two ponies gently flew down to the ground. Once Rainbow returned, she gently let the unicorn get back on the ground. Though her purple mane was slightly frazzled, she seemed to be unharmed.

“You alright, Star?” Rainbow asked.

“Ugh…Uh yeah, I think I’m good.” she said as she began to properly take in her surroundings. “Thank you, Rainbow. Where are we? This doesn’t look like-“ The unicorn interrupted herself with a gasp when she noticed Twilight before her. “Twilight!”

Starlight quickly rushed forward to tightly embrace her former teacher. Though Twilight was certainly caught off guard by the sudden hug, that didn’t stop her from hugging back. “Starlight,” she said as she pulled away from the hug. “It’s so good to see you again. Thank Celestia you’re okay!”

“I’m okay? Twilight, I’m relieved that you’re okay!” the unicorn said in relief. She then took notice of some of the alicorn’s bandages. “Although, it seems like I was right to worry. I was really nervous about how close you were to the mirror when it exploded. Please tell me you weren’t seriously hurt by the blast!”

“Starlight, it’s okay. I’m okay.” the purple pony assured her. While it was true that whatever happened with the mirror had left her with some serious injuries, Starlight didn’t have to know that right now. The only thing that mattered now that the unicorn was safe and settled in. Speaking of which, Twilight then remembered that she had to do something before she could introduce her to her new friends. “Hold still, Starlight. Let me do something real fast.” The alicorn charged the translation spell in her horn and casted it on the unicorn. “Perfect. Now with that out of the way, I’d like to introduce you to the Nightwings.”

It was then Starlight finally noticed the other Nightwings that were surrounded around her. Initially, she looked taken aback at the strange variety of foreign creatures that made up the Nightwings, but she eventually settled down. “Uh, hello.” she said with an awkward smile as she waved her hoof a little. “Nice to see that Twilight made some…interesting friends so fast.”

“She has a certain charm to her, I would say.” Hedwyn said with a friendly smile.

“Hark! Equines falling from the sky!” Sir Gilman pronounced in fascination. “And just when this knight thought he had seen it all.”

“Hmm, are you sure you are not hurt.” Jodariel asked the mare.

“Yeah, I think so.” Starlight said as she scratched the side of her head. “Physically, I’m fine. It’s just…I don’t know. My head feels a bit funny. I don’t know if it was because of the blast, or…” Starlight trailed off as she rubbed her temple in frustration.

“Come on now, sugarcube,” Applejack as she got to the unicorn’s side for support. Let’s get you inside the wagon. You can rest up while we all let you in on what’s going on around here.”

The unicorn then nodded and followed the farmer and the rest of the ponies inside the blackwagon. Meanwhile, as Twilight watched as Starlight went inside, she felt relief that the unicorn appeared unharmed by her unexpected trans dimensional trip. Although, there was still something that bothered her. She was well aware that Starlight was well adept in magic, she should have had plenty of time to teleport or levitate herself to safety. She even saw her attempt to do just that when she saw the spark of her magic. So why did it suddenly just fizz out? Before the alicorn could contemplate further, she was interrupted by a small tap on her shoulder.

“Madame Twilight,” Tariq said after he got Twilight attention. “Might I pull you aside for something?”

“Sure, what is it, Tariq?” the purple pony asked.

The minstrel pulled his gaze upward. “I would like you to read the stars.”

Twilight immediately understood what the Lone Minstrel was referring to. “Oh, so that we know where to go next for the next Rite.”

“Partially.” Tariq corrected. The mare tilted her head a little in confusion as to what the minstrel meant by that. She was quick to receive her answer when he looked back to her with a serious look.”

“I believe if the stars are correct, we will soon meet with my client…Sandalwood.”

Trust is Key

Chapter 20: Trust is Key

Musical Cue - Shattered Lands

For a second, Twilight had to do a double take in her mind to make sure that she heard the minstrel correctly. Sure enough, though, she didn’t mishear him. Tariq stated that it was almost time to finally meet Sandalwood. The mysterious benefactor of the Nightwings responsible for Hedwyn finding the blackwagon and beginning this whole journey to freedom in the first places. The alicorn’s curiosity was working overtime now. She was already formulating the dozens of questions she would ask Sandalwood as soon as they find him. However, while Twilight was encompassed in her mind palace, she was snapped out of it when Tariq politely cleared his throat.

“I understand that the news of meeting with my client must be sudden for you, Madame Twilight. But if you would please check the stars so that we may plot our next course.” The Lone Minstrel then gave a polite bow.

Twilight blinked a few times before she was well aware of the minstrel’s request. She turned her gaze upward to the hundreds of twinkling stars in the night to find the one that would guide the Nightwings to the next Rite. After half a minute of searching, she found what she was looking for. A bright red star shone stronger than its neighbors and revealed itself to the alicorn. She focused more onto the red star to confirm it was the one she was searching for. Sure enough, Twilight felt the same, mysterious feeling deep inside her that confirmed that this was the right star. She then directed Tariq’s gaze to the star in question.

“Lu, the Vernal Star.” he muttered. “It shall take us to the Glade of Lu, due west of here. Just as my client indicated.”

“Sandalwood.” Both Tariq and Twilight turned around to see Hedwyn had overheard the minstrel speak of his client. “Our informant. He entrusted us with this wagon. This quest. My question is why he did so and what does he want from us?”

Tariq began to scratch his chin. “I…cannot say for certain. Although I trust him enough that he has no ill-intensions.” His gaze then turned west. “He resides somewhere in Wakingwood, the suffocating forest that takes up the western portion of the Black Basin. Our path to the next Celestial Landmark will take us through the forest; there he will await us.”

“That seems simple enough.” Twilight stated, before her inner doubt caused her to speak again. “Too simple.”

Tariq nodded at the alicorn. “Wakingwood is by no means a simple forest. It is a labyrinth of trees and vines that one could easily get lost in if caution is not adhered to.” Twilight took in the warning with compliance. The minstrel’s description reminded her of the Everfree Forest back in Equestria. So she was well aware of how dangerous a seemingly simple forest could be.

“How will we know where to find him then?” Hedwyn asked.

“Quite simple,” Tariq explained before he left for the inside of the wagon. “He will find us.”

As the minstrel left on that cryptic note, Twilight felt an even greater burning desire to satisfy her inquisitiveness. Just how many moves was this Sandalwood ahead of the game? She couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit of suspicious, but that was probably just her inner doubt speaking. Hedwyn, for his part, shrugged his shoulders at the alicorn, indicating that he was in the dark as much as she was. Twilight then gave a long, and rather adorable, yawn which was probably a good signal that it was time for bed. All of that strategizing during the Rite left her mentally tired and in need of a good night sleep. A desire that was definitely shared by the rest of camp. Everyone began piling into the blackwagon to get some much-needed rest for tomorrow. All except for one, that is.

Twilight was the last to enter the wagon, but just before she headed inside, something on the roof caught her eye. It turned out to be Pamitha who, true to her word earlier, had made herself comfortable on the roof of the wagon. The alicorn then figured it would probably be polite to at least check up on the Harp. With that in mind, she then flew up to the roof, thankfully a short enough flight for her sore wings. Pamitha didn’t notice the mare’s appearance as she was busy preening some of her feathers. Twilight was about to politely speak up before the Harp turned her head an saw her.

“Reader-darling! How generous of you to check up on me.” the Harp greeted in her usual cheeky tone.

Twilight was still trying to figure out if she was being facetious or not, but she decided that the Harp meant well enough. “Pamitha, you don’t necessarily have to sleep outside if you don’t want to. I know Jodariel hasn’t…exactly warmed up to you yet. But you’re still welcome, nonetheless.”

Pamitha gave a small laugh at the alicorn’s offer. “You’re quite adorable when you’re being sincere like that. But don’t worry, it suits you!” Once she collected herself, Pamitha gave her more serious response. “I enjoy the sky, both soaring through it and gazing up to it. I’ll be fine up here. Besides, you’ve already done enough for me.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked as she slightly cocked her head.

“In those first moments when we met, that vote of confidence in me which you relayed to that nice Hedwyn boy. I’m grateful that you were willing to see past these wings.” Pamitha stated plainly. “Here you are in an unfamiliar land, an ancient enemy that your new friend no doubt warned you about just inserts yourself into your group, and you just go with it? That level of trust is quite the rarity for my kind.” The cheeky Harp couldn’t help but lightly laugh at such a notion.

Twilight did recall that taking in the Harp was a huge risk, considering the sour references that Jodariel was always so keen to spout about her kind. However, Twilight felt as though Pamitha’s addition was a correct call, for mainly two reason. The first reason was the memory of Hedwyn recounting with a Harp. The story with his winged sweetheart was proof enough that not all of her kind were war-hungry mongrels. As for the second reason, it was that sense Twilight had when she first examined Pamitha closely. The alicorn still wasn’t sure what exactly that feeling was, either just a gut feeling or something else unknown to her, but it told her that the Harp was legitimate in her goals. “Well, I for one try to make it a habit to at least give other creatures a chance. Despite your reputation, I didn’t sense any deception from you.” Twilight then explained to Pamitha.

Pamitha didn’t immediately respond to the alicorn’s vague reasoning and opted to give a soft click of her tongue. “Well, whatever be the case, you have nothing to worry. I assure you my motives here are plain. I’ve business with my blood sister Tamitha, and nothing more.”

Twilight’s ears perked up a bit at the familiar name. “Tamitha…the leader of the Essence.”

“Yes, I believe you briefly met before my introduction. Quite the catch, isn’t she?” Pamitha let out a heavy sigh. “I do apologize if she offended you or that blue friend of yours. The girl has little in a filter for her words, especially towards her enemies.”

Twilight remembered very well how hostile Tamitha was upon their initial meeting. She also remembered how ruthless she and her comrades were during the Rite. Specifically, towards her sister which had led to that one-on-one confrontation between the two of them. That combined with the words they exchanged clearly indicated that they had a rough history. A history that Twilight was unfortunately curious about. “Pamitha, what exactly happened between you and your sister before both of you sentenced to the Downside?”

As the alicorn waited for an answer, Pamitha looked straight into her eyes. Gone were the subtle signs of mischief and suaveness and in place was a serious gaze. “That…little quibble between us, well…it’s a long story. One’s that’s no one’s business but hers and mine. It’s not personal to you, Reader darling. It’s just something I have to deal with.”

Twilight ears flattened a bit out of guilt from poking a sore subject for the Harp. “I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean to-“

“Calm yourself, darling.” The usual cheekiness had returned to Pamitha’s face. “We’re bound bond to run into her again at some point. Hopefully then she’ll be more cooperative. Happy to aid you in your quest home, until such time. Especially to the point where it aids me in my quest. A simple exchange.”

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly define it as some exchange,” Twilight reasoned. “I’d like to think of it as something along the lines of, giving each other a helping hoof during times of crisis.”

“Hm, what ever helps you sleep at night, I suppose.” Pamitha then took notice of how the alicorn let out another long yawn. “Speaking of which, I think it’s time you get some.”

“Yeah, I think you might be right.” Twilight said wearily. “Good night, then, Pamitha.”

Just as the pony was about to hop off the roof, she heard the Harp say one last thing to her. “Sweet dreams, Reader darling. Remember to stay vigilant. After all, we Harps have a saying: ‘Liars abound.’”

Twilight wasn’t exactly sure if that ominous saying was serious or if that was just another one of Pamitha’s cheeky jokes. She supposed that it ultimately didn’t matter, as the Harp still seemed genuine in her desire to aid the Nightwings. Whether or not she was wanted to do some teasing along the way was beyond the mare’s power. Right now, she just wanted to focus on getting some well-deserved shut eye. The alicorn went inside the wagon to get some rest for the upcoming morning.

Musical Cue Continued - Shattered Lands

The wooden wheels of the blackwagon steadily crunched the black, cragged path below it as it made its way west. Among the wagon’s occupants, Twilight was sequestered in the private study Pinkie had made her during the renovations of the wagon. The alicorn was in the process of reorganizing the study for the third time when she realized how bored she was. The Book of Rites hadn’t revealed anymore pages to her, leaving the purple pony to merely reread the pages that were already available. It was then Twilight decided to leave her study and check with the rest of the Nightwings and ponies. As she stepped out into the common area, she saw that most of the group were preoccupied with various activities. Hedwyn, Jodariel and Rukey, the original trio of Nightwings, were focusing on updating a hand drawn map that made of the Downside, no doubt adding in the areas they’ve yet to explore until now. Mae, Applejack, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Ti’zo were sitting together at the large table occupying themselves with a sort of arts-and-crafts project with Mae’s sticks and leaves that she had collected. Rarity was, as expected, fiddling with the Nightwings’ raiments to ensure that they were in pristine condition. Sir Gilman was nearby the fashionista, either to stay vigilant for potential danger or to offer feedback at Rarity’s request. Twilight was then able to hear both Pamitha and Rainbow Dash chatting on the roof. Though the voices were muffled, it seemed as though the two were engaged in a friendly conversation with one another.

That left all but one of the group left accounted for. Twilight eventually found the pony she was looking for after a quick scan of the room. In the corner, Starlight Glimmer was sitting alone fiddling with something or the other. She appeared to have frustrated expression on her face as her horn appeared to light up with magic for only a second. This concerned the alicorn a tad bit, thus she decided to walk over to her former student to check up on her.

“Hey, Starlight.” Twilight tried to cover her worry with a casual greeting.

Starlight snapped out of her concentration to look over to the alicorn. “Oh, um, hey Twilight! How are…things?” she awkwardly asked with a nervous smile.

This did not go unnoticed by Twilight. “Starlight, is there something wrong?”

The unicorn relented and let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, something’s definitely wrong here. Look over here.” The mare then moved aside a bit so that Twilight could see what she was fiddling with. On the floor was a lone stick that Starlight must have borrowed from Mae’s collection. Twilight was about to ask what was so interesting about the stick when she then notice Starlight’s horn lighting up with magic. The stick was then engulfed in light blue magic and began to float in the air. At first, everything seemed normal to Twilight, par for the course for course for a typical telekinesis spell. Then, the alicorn noticed the magic aura began to flicker along with Starlight’s horn. The magic eventually evaporated completely, causing the stick to clatter to the ground.

“Starlight,” Twilight said with great concern in her voice. “is there something wrong with your horn?” The alicorn reasoned that most stunts in a unicorn’s magic was often caused by an injury or dysfunction in the horn.

“It’s not that, Twilight.” Starlight said as she shook her head. “I’ve checked and double checked, but nothing seems wrong with my horn. It has to be with my magic. The moment I fell out of that weird portal, I tried to cast a teleportation spell, but it didn’t work! All I got was a killer headache. If Rainbow hadn’t been there to catch me, I just don’t know.”

“Oh, Starlight.” Twilight said with sympathy as she placed a hoof on her former student’s shoulder. If she was being honest with herself, she ha know idea what was wrong with the unicorn. Rarity had no problem using her magic after arriving at the Downside. And the only reason Twilight was limited in her magic was due to her injured state, even then she could still cast the translation spell. Therefore, the alicorn reasoned that if she couldn’t provide an answer immediately, she could at least provide some optimistic comfort. “Listen, let’s look at the positives right now. Your magic is on the fritz, but it’s still there. Meaning that there’s still the possibility that it’ll eventually recover. For now, we’ll take it one day at a time. I’m sure everything will work out.”

The talented unicorn looked to her former mentor with a small hint of doubt. She turned her gaze downward as she scratched the side of her head. Before Twilight could get too worried that her pep talk didn’t get through, Starlight looked back up with a small smile on her face. “You might be right. Let’s just give it some time and maybe my magic will get back to normal. Thanks, Twilight!”

The purple mare felt great relief in knowing that she helped her friend feel a bit better. “So, is there anything else bothering you while you have me? Any questions on what’s going on here?”

“No, the other mares pretty much filled me in on everything with the Downside and the Rites. Though I’d be lying if I said that I completely understood it already.” Starlight mused. “To be honest, I’m really more concerned with you.” The unicorn then gestured to the alicorn’s bandages. “It looks like you got really roughed up when the mirror exploded.”

The mention of the inciting incident that had landed her and her friends in the Downside sparked a reminder in Twilight’s mind. In her previous attempts to piece together what exactly happened with the mirror that would lead to such a catastrophe of events, Twilight realized that Starlight might have more insight since multiple accounts from her friends indicated that the unicorn was one of the first ones present with the alicorn.

“Speaking of the mirror,” Twilight sheepishly attempted to change the subject of the conversation. “do you mind if I ask you what exactly happened back in Equestia? I’m afraid my memory is a little…hazy with what happened.”

Starlight scratched the side of her head again. “That blast must have really done a number on you, huh?” The unicorn began her explanation when she saw the concerned look on Twilight’s face. “From what I recall, you called me into the library to help you with a little project you were working on. Apparently, you were curious about the transmogrification process that occurs between the human world and Equestria.”

Twilight nodded as that did line up with her inquisitive nature. “So, what exactly did we do with the mirror then?”

“I’m not entirely sure, to be honest.” the unicorn answered. “You ask me specifically to provide a stability spell while you casted the spell you created yourself. You showed me your notes, but…” the mare then trailed off.

“But…?” Twilight urged her to continue.

The talented unicorn tried her best to hide her growing blush. “I…couldn’t exactly follow it since your hoofwriting was a bit…messy.”

“What?!” Twilight said in shock. “I don’t have messy hoofwriting! Do I?”

Starlight finally found the courage to look at the alicorn again. “For the most part it’s fine. But whenever you get in one of your “study moods”, it’s not as neat as it usually is. So, I’m not exactly sure what the spell that you casted actually is. It could possibly be a combination of two or more or even something entirely new.”

This was quite troublesome. With the alicorn’s temporary amnesia combined with Starlight’s misunderstanding of what was really going on, Twilight was no closer to figuring out what she did to the mirror that would cause them all to be transported to the Downside. Worse part was that she was running out of leads. Twilight and Starlight were the first ones in the library messing with the mirror when Rainbow found them, followed by Applejack and Fluttershy walked in with Rarity and Pinkie entering last. That only left…

“Spike!” Twilight called out in realization. She then directed an inquiry to the unicorn. “Starlight, do you remember if Spike saw the notes I showed you?”

“Umm, I think?” Starlight answered unsurely. “But knowing him, he probably got a looksie at it. And I think you probably told him at some point too, considering that he’s your number one assistant.”

“So, if we manage to find Spike,” Twilight mused. “then we’ll finally be able to figure out what exactly happened!”

“I suppose that could work.” Starlight mused as she scratched the side of her head again. “And from what the others told me, we just have to complete this next “Rite” and Spike should appear in this world. Is that right?”

Twilight almost considered the possibility that the trend that they have been experiencing after each Rite could break, but she quickly banished that from her mind. The alicorn figured that the last thing her friend needed on her mind along with her faulty magic was even more doubt for the future. “I’m positive, Starlight. So long as we keep our course, we’ll find Spike and finally figure out what happened in Equestria. Finding the answer to that could very well help us get home.”

The mares’ conversation was then interrupted as the blackwagon came across a particularly large bump and then came to a sudden halt. At first, Twilight merely thought that the wagon hit a snag in the path and would simply move itself along once again. However, this notion was dispelled when she felt the wagon lunge forward a few times without moving from its original position. It was clear now that there was a problem with the wagon from the outside. Therefore, Jodariel ordered everyone out of the vehicle as she went out herself to inspect what was wrong. Twilight stepped outside to the volcanic atmosphere of the Black Basin. She was informed earlier that morning that they would be traveling along a path known as the Sulfur Mane to reach Waking Wood. Finally stepping outside, the alicorn could see the reason for the namesake of the path. No more than a few meters was a large stone sculpture of an equine head, complete with a single, yellow-glowing eye. From the top of the statue, plumes of yellow liquid cascaded down into what appeared to be a small river. To the left of the golden stream was the path that the wagon had been travelling on, a road that was made up of entirely black crags. It was there where the unintended stop originated from. One of the wooden wagon wheels was caught deep in one of the large cracks in the blacken ground.

Twilight and the rest of the group’s attention was caught when Jodariel let out a deep growl. “First, that blasted little bird. And now this!” the Demon grumbled as she made her way to the back of the wagon and grabbed hold. Pamitha and Rainbow Dash quickly flew off the roof so that Jodariel would not have to lift their weight combined with the wagon. With a heave and a mighty roar, Jodariel used all of her strength to slowly lift the blackwagon from the crack. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. As the horned woman had to relent and dropped the wagon. Frustrated by the failure, Jodariel took out her aggravation by rushing over and punching a nearby boulder. As her fist removed itself from the cracked stone, Jodariel lowered her head and sighed heavily. It was then Twilight saw Applejack cautiously approach the Demon.

“Hey, sugarcube,” the farmer said gently to grab the woman’s attention. “come on, let’s go try again together this time.” Jodariel said nothing to the mare and simply looked down at her until she gave the pony a curt nod in agreement. As the pair walked back to the wagon, Applejack looked to Twilight. “Hey, Twi? Mind usin’ some of yer magic to help us out a bit?”

Twilight smiled and joined the pair, more than happy to help anyway she could. When she got to the back of the wagon, the alicorn focused her levitation magic on the two back wheels. Twilight immediately understood why Jodariel was having trouble lifting the wagon on her own. The vehicle was much heavier than it looked. Jodariel grabbed the back once again while Applejack turned around and steadied her back legs to the back. At the count of three, the ponies and Demon began to lift. With the combined effort of Twilight’s magic, Applejack’s hind strength and Jodariel upper strength, the blackwagon was finally lifted from the crack and dropped back on even ground.

“Great work, y’all!” Applejack commended Jodariel and Twilight.

Jodariel huffed once again in frustration. “May this Sandalwood be worth all of this hassle.”

“Thank you, you three.” Hedwyn said to the Demon and ponies. “I’m guessing Sandalwood doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

“He is quite patient, on the contrary.” Tariq informed them. “However, I would still find it prudent to keep a steady pace. From what the stars read last night; we have until tomorrow night until the next Rite will begin.”

“All the more reason to stop wasting time and get a move on.” Jodariel insisted as she began to walk back to the wagon door. However, she was stopped when a certain yellow mare blocked her path.

“Um, excuse me?” Fluttershy meekly said as she looked up to the menacing Demon. “It looks like that the drive imps got a bit…startled by all the commotion. I can calm them down again, but it might take some time.”

At first, Twilight was nervous that Jodariel would explode on the shy pegasus. However, the alicorn was relieved when the Demon huffed once again and stormed off to a nearby small boulder. Instead of punching it this time, she sat herself down on it. Fluttershy then turned around to tend to the drive imps so that the journey could continue on again. This then left the rest of the group to either wait around or perform other tasks to pass the time as the pegasus did her work. Twilight watched as Ti’zo and Rukey went to help Fluttershy, while the other opted to take the opportunity to relax and take in the environment. As the alicorn was decided what she would do with her time, a certain pair had caught her eye. Rainbow and Pamitha were chatting amongst themselves in what appeared to be a friendly repertoire. Spotting the cyan pegasus had remained Twilight that there were some things that she wanted to discuss with her.

“So yeah, she might not look like it right now, but Twi’s become quite the flyer since she got her wings. Of course, she didn’t exactly start out as a pro. She could hardly stay in the air for more than a minute!” Rainbow bragged to the Harp as she reminisced about how she taught the alicorn how to fly. “But luckily she had me to show her the ropes, Equestria’s fastest, most awesome flier!”

Pamitha warmly chuckled at the pegasus’s story. “That’s quite the tale. Would have loved to see her taking her clumsy first step in flying, all in good nature, of course.”

“Ehh, it was a little funny seeing Twilight trying to figure it out, but it honestly didn’t take too long for her to get the hang of it.”

“Hey, guys,” Twilight greeted the two. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Wha-? Oh, nothing, Twi!” Rainbow quickly responded with a faint blush of embarrassment on her face. “Just chilling with Pamitha here!”

“Indeed. She was just telling me some rather interesting stories back in your world. Care to listen as to what she’s told me?” the Harp asked the alicorn with a wink.

“No!” Rainbow quickly interrupted before the Harp could speak forward. “It’s nothing, really! Just average, every day, non-embarrassing stuff! Hehe!”

“Whatever you say, Rainbow darling.” Pamitha nonchalantly said. “I hate to cut our chat short, but I think I’ll go ahead and scout ahead for any more bumps in the roads that we could run into. I’ll leave you two to whatever you need to discuss.”

The Harp then flapped her wings to catch an oncoming breeze so that she could glide up to the upper cliffs. As the two ponies were left alone, Rainbow turned back to her friend, still with a bashful look. “So, uh, there something you wanna talk about, egghead?”

“Actually, there is.” Twilight replied, deciding to avoid further questioning about the previous conversation. “I just noticed that you seem to really be getting along now with Pamitha.”

“Oh yeah! We’re getting along great!” Rainbow replied enthusiastically. “After all that awkwardness from our first meeting, sorry about that by the way, we got to talking. Turns out she’s just as fond of flying as I am. She’s a heck of a lot better than her sister, I’ll tell ya.”

Twilight gave a small giggle. “I’m glad that you two are getting along now.” She then glanced to the side and saw Tariq, who was sitting down while resting his eyes. “Um, Rainbow? I don’t suppose that this change in attitude was thanks to Tariq while we were at the Rite, would it?”

Rainbow’s expression turned serious for moment. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess you could say that. We kinda had a chat and he…helped me realize a few things.”

Twilight decided to fish a little more to satisfy her curiosity. “Would you be okay with…telling me what he said exactly?”

The Wonderbolt lowered her head in thought. She then looked over to Tariq to see that he was still sleep. After she looked around one last time to make sure that no one would eavesdrop on their conversation, Rainbow sat down. “Yeah, why don’t you take a seat and I’ll tell you what happened.” The alicorn eagerly complied and sat down so that she could listen to pegasus’s story. Rainbow took a deep breath and began. “Alright. So, after you guys left, you could say that I was a little bit…peeved.

Musical Cue - Shattered Lands (White Lute)

“UGHH! Stupid winged…bird lady!”

The prismatic maned mare continued to yell as she stomped her hoof onto the wooden floor of the wagon. The seething anger that she was bottling up for the sake of her alicorn friend was now starting to surface. The gull of that first Harp to swoop in and throw such disrespect to both her and the rest of the pegasi race and treat it like nothing. After what she did for one of her sisters? Then her sister tries to act all chumy with her and her friends and just brushed off what her sister said? It just pushed Rainbow the wrong way. And it certainly didn’t help when Rarity invited that dumb Harp back in the wagon just to try out some robe. Rainbow, of course, said nothing during their brief visit, opting to merely sulk in the corner. Long after they left, Rainbow was free to release her built up rage in a loud, but non-destructive, manner. She was left completely alone with her enraged thoughts for the Harps. Well, almost alone.

“You seem troubled, Rainbow Dash.”

The Wonderbolt turned her head to see that Tariq was sitting in his usual corner strumming some sort of tune on his lute. She wasn’t exactly sure why the minstrel had decided to stay behind as well, but she was too busy stewing in her anger. Now that she thought about it, how was it that he was always able to stay so serene? The pegasus admittedly hadn’t known the Lone Minstrel for long, but she had yet to see an emotion from him that was greater than calm or collected. In her aggravated state, Rainbow began to feel a bit ticked off by that.

“And why exactly are you so calm?!” she asked accusingly.

The minstrel continued to play on his instruments. “Perhaps the better question is why you seem to be so agitated?”

“WHY?” Rainbow asked, appalled that Tariq would ask such a question. “Did you not hear what that Harp said?! She practically spat on all of pegasi culture by both suggesting that we don’t deserve to fly and by mocking what I did with my primary with that other Harp! Who the buck does she think she is?!”

Tariq nodded. “Tamitha Theyn is not known to be the most sensitive, most especially towards outsiders such as yourself.”

Rainbow raised her eyebrow in suspicion. “You actually know that jerk?”

“Not personally, no.” Tariq explained. “Her reputation is quite well known in these parts of the Downside.”

“Well, I don’t give two damns about who she is, doesn’t give her any right to insult me like that!” The pegasus gave another huff of frustration. “But you know what’s even worse?! The fact her sister decided to swoop in acting all buddy-buddy and Twilight let’s her join us on the spot! It’s just so…so…Augh!”

After the cyan mare shook her head clear and looked to Tariq again, she saw that he had stopped playing on his lute and was now looking right at her. “It would appear that the source of your frustration originates not from the Harps, but rather Madame Twilight.”

At first, Rainbow Dash thought about denying the minstrel’s claim, but the more she thought about it, she realized that he might be right. Sure, she was still quite angry at what Tamitha had said to her, but it was Twilight’s insistence of letting Pamitha join them that had really stirred up her emotions. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s right. I’m upset with Twilight.” she eventually admitted. “It’s just…I just don’t get why she just decided to take in Pamitha like that. After the way her sister insulted her and me and the rest of the pegasi, you’d think she would be a little bit suspicious of her. I mean, she has those beautiful wings, and she barely flinched at how Tamitha insulted me when I told her I gave up one of my primaries! I really don’t want to be mad at her for this, but I just…I don’t know.”

Silence filled the room after Rainbow vented the last of her frustrations. She first expected Tariq to say something either in defense of Twilight’s actions or that she was overthinking things, but he remained quiet. Was he waiting Rainbow to say something else? Continue to spout her doubts of both the Harps and Twilight’s decision of letting one join the Nightwings? Was this some kind of weird method to make her feel worse? Rainbow honestly didn’t know and was dead curious as to what was going through the Lone Minstrel’s mind now.

“If I may ask, Rainbow Dash,” Tariq finally broke the silence. “did you happen to tell Madam Twilight in detail what happened back at the Highwing Cove?”

At first, Rainbow was somewhat perplexed at such an out-of-the-blue question, but she eventually decided to answer. “I…haven’t really gotten around to telling her, no.”

“And it is true that before she achieved her alicorn station, she was originally a mere unicorn?” Tariq then followed.

“Y-Yeah, what’s your point?” Rainbow then asked back.

Tariq then temporarily closed his eyes in thought. “My point is that it would appear that Madame Twilight would not be aware of how important it was that you gave up one of your primaries. How would she then understand the sheer importance of how Tamitha insulted your gesture?”

The pegasus’s eyes widened at the realization of what the minstrel said. Immediately, she quickly tried to find some justification that would defuse the mistake that she made. “W-W-Well, that shouldn’t matter! Twilight’s a huge egghead, so she should have known about that! She should have known how much that primary meant to me! I told her that back at the Flagging Hands! She should have figured all of that out! Right?!”

The minstrel said nothing and instead gave the Wonderbolt a look. A look that conveyed that she was making large leaps in logic in an attempt to make herself feel better. That was when Rainbow realized how much she bucked up. She had a bad habit of jumping to conclusions. A habit that, while has improved over the years, was still lingering on her character. Sure, she was still made at Tamitha and still didn’t understand why Twilight recruited, but she couldn’t exactly blame the alicorn for disregarding her strong feelings. “Oh Celestia, I am such an idiot.” the pegasus muttered as she rubbed her temple in frustration, only this time it was directed to herself.

Rainbow half expected Tariq to give some condescending lecture about jumping to conclusions or some other nonsense that she heard a million times before. However, she was surprised once again when she looked over and the minstrel was still silent. “Well?” Rainbow asked sarcastically.

“Hm?” Tariq hummed as he looked up from his instrument. “Do you require something, Rainbow Dash?”

“Don’t give me that.” the cyan mare retorted. “Just get it out of your system and tell me I was in the wrong and that I should know better! Go on, I can take it.”

Again, the Lone Minstrel was silent. “Well, I suppose if I were to give you advice,” he said as he put down his lute and stood up. “I would say to try and put in more trust in both Madame Twilight and yourself.” Tariq then walked to the pegasus and knelt down on one knee to have direct eye contact with her. “One or two instances of miscommunication is nothing to be completely ashamed of. It only means that there’s room to improve with your friendship with Madame Twilight. She will no doubt accept any apology from you for your brief frustration. As for her decision, I urge you to urge to take the opportunity to trust in it. While it may be difficult to explain, I truly believe that Madame Twilight examined Pamitha’s character to the fullest.”

Rainbow Dash took in the minstrel’s words slowly. It was clear now that the minstrel had no intensions to make the pegasus feel bad for her mistake. Rather instead, he wanted her to learn from it. True, Rainbow’s frustration and offense taken from Tamitha might have clouded her judgement. But that still didn’t mean that she couldn’t make some amends with Pamitha. Even though she knew next to nothing about Harp aside from rude sister, Rainbow had to suck it up and put her trust in Twilight. A feat that, in all honesty, was far from difficult for her.

“I…Okay, maybe a was bit harsh.” Rainbow admitted to the Lone Minstrel. “When they get back, I’ll try to patch things up with Pamitha. You’re right, Twilight hasn’t steered me wrong in the long while I’ve known her. So, I’ll trust her on this too.”

Tariq smile and stood back up. “That is all I ask. Now, if you will pardon me, I think I will be stepping outside for some fresh air. It appears that you have some more thinking to do, but do not hesitate to come see me if you need to talk again.” Just as the minstrel stepped into the door frame to head out into the night air, he turned to the pegasus and said one last thing to her. “Trust is a cherished thing here in the Downside, Rainbow Dash. Believe me when I say that breaking it can lead to disastrous consequences.”

Rainbow then watched as Tariq went outside after uttering that cryptic statement. The mare was now alone in the blackwagon with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company. She considered thinking about what Tariq had meant by “disastrous consequences” when it came to breaking trust, but she decided to chalk it up as another instance of his stoic eccentricism. For now, the cyan pegasus laid down and got comfortable on the floor. She closed her eyes and began to think. Think of ways to apologize to Pamitha for her behavior. Think of ways of how her and the Harp could strengthen their acquaintanceship.

And think of ways of how to apologize to Twilight.

Twilight was at a loss for words when Rainbow finished recounting what happened. A swirl of emotions fluctuated in the alicorn as the pegasus went on, ranging from confusion, pity, guilt and sadness. True, she was quite thankful that Tariq was able to offer such kind advice to the Wonderbolt, but that still didn’t excuse what she did to her friend.

“Rainbow, I’m…sorry. I didn’t realize that Tamitha pushed you that hard.” the alicorn apologized.

“It’s not your fault, Twi. I realize that now.” the pegasus quickly assured her. “Even still, I didn’t tell you how important that primary was. How else were you supposed to tell how much that offended me?”

“I know, but…maybe I should’ve been more aware of your feelings. I was admittedly kinda caught in the moment.” Twilight explained sheepishly. “When I was contemplating on letting Pamitha join, I looked at her and I…felt something. Something more intricate than just a gut feeling. It’s like I got a glimpse into her soul. That’s when I knew we could trust her, at least for the time being. Does that make any sense?”

Rainbow tilted her head in confusion. “Not…exactly, Twi.” However, the Wonderbolt’s demeanor quickly changed when Twilight began to show a dejected expression. “B-But, who care’s if it doesn’t make sense to me. We’re all in a whole different world here, so I’m pretty sure anything is possible!” The pegasus then put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “I trust you, Twilight. Me and the rest of the girl know that you would never steer us wrong on purpose. You just continue being the same old egghead you usually are we’ll be back in Equestria in no time.”

Twilight felt a warm feeling deep inside her as Rainbow professed her trust in her. The alicorn was filled at great relief in knowing that her worries over the pegasus’s behavior were finally put to rest. She supposed that she had Tariq to partially thank for helping the cyan mare work out her feelings, but she was still thankful that she could finally talk with her. It was that feeling that drove Twilight to pull Rainbow into a quick hug.

“Thank you, Rainbow.” she said to her dear friend. “I promise that I won’t let any of you down. And when we get back to Equestria, I think I’ll do some deep reading into pegasi tradition.”

As the two ponies separated and smiled at each other tenderly, their attention was drawn away when they heard Applejack holler from the distance. “Come on, y’all! Fluttershy says the drive imps are all ready to go. Hop in the wagon and we can get on goin’!”

The pair then saw as the rest of the ponies and Nightwings were piling back into the blackwagon, with Pamitha settling back in on the roof. Rainbow then looked to Twilight and nodded while giving one of her trademark smirks to the alicorn. Twilight nodded back and the two mares trotted back and boarded the wagon. Once everybody was safely onboard, Applejack took to the helm and started up the vehicle. The blackwagon then continued its journey west towards Wakingwood.

Where the Nightwings would hopefully finally meet their mysterious benefactor, Sandalwood.

Author's Note

Thank you for all of your patience for the next chapter.
Hope you are all doing well and don't forget to tune in for the next chapter in the near future. :twilightsmile:

Of Nomads and Secrets

Author's Note

Well...it certainly has been awhile since the last update of this story, huh? :twilightblush:

I hope some of you didn't mind the hiatus while I worked on the other stories I wrote in the meantime. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this new chapter of The Pyres of Friendship!

Thank you for your continued support for this story and for your patience. :twilightsmile:

Of Nomads and Secrets

Chapter 21: Of Nomads and Secrets

The Nightwings and ponies had spent the rest of the afternoon travelling west after the slight hiccup on the road. Thankfully, the wagon experienced no further accidents on the path as they went on. Along the way, the group passed by a series of black crags that Pamitha had shown great interest in. The Harp had even persuaded Applejack to briefly stop the wagon so that she could swooped up to a nearby peak. Her reason for doing so was quickly made apparent when she then returned with something in her claws. It turned out to be a talisman known as a Titan Tooth. As its name implied, the item resembled a large, decaying fang that undoubtedly belonged to a large creature of sorts. Pamitha then explained that the Highwing Remnants stashed many such items around and figured that she would “borrow” one of the coveted items. The boon was greatly appreciated by Twilight, although Jodariel continued to keep a cold attitude towards the Harp. With a new talisman in tow, the blackwagon continued west.

Eventually, the wagon halted in its tracks just as the sun was about to dip below the horizon. Twilight Sparkle stepped outside to see what had caused Applejack to stop, only for her to be completely flabbergasted at what she saw. At a sheer contrast of the molten, craggy environment that she had spent the last two days travelling through, in front of the alicorn was a huge, suffocating forest. An extensive variety of alien flora made up the dark forest, although Twilight noted that there were quite a number of them that sported sharp, deadly thorns. There was no doubt in the alicorn’s mind that this was Wakingwood, the location where they were to meet Sandalwood. Although, there was something bothering her about the strange location. Something about the close proximity between the heavy forest and the free-flowing magma that just seemed…off. Almost as if it was unnatural, even for the Downside.

Regardless of the reason, Twilight still knew that they would have to traverse the heavy forest if they were to both make it to the next Rite and to also find Sandalwood and get some much-needed answers from the mysterious benefactor.

“Woo-nelly!” Applejack commented as she and the rest of the group exited the wagon. “That is some thick brush right there!”

“It’s…really uncanny.” said Fluttershy. “It really does remind me of the Everfree Forest. Dark, mysterious and…rather foreboding.”

“We really gotta cut our way through that? I’m not even sure if there are any paths for the wagon!” Rukey said as he scanned for some sort of dirt path.

“If there is no path for us to take, we will have to forge our own.” Jodariel said plainly. “We’ve travelled this far. I refuse to have a simple forest stop us now.”

Pamitha flapped down from the roof and added her own thoughts. “Hmm, this doesn’t seem to present a problem to those of us blessed with the gift of flight. Although, I suppose the rest of the ground dwellers will have to trudge through the hard way.” The Harp shot Jodariel a smirk in hopes that her teasing remarks had struck a chord with her. It had apparently worked too well, as the Demon was now giving her a deathly glare. “However, I think I’ll decide to trudge along with you lot. Share the misery and what not.” The last-ditch attempt from Pamitha did little to subdue the Demon’s subtle rage.

As the group each gazed at the imposing forest, Twilight noticed something from the corner of her eye. She saw Tariq, only that now he had a look of concern as opposed to his usually neutral one. Curious as to what was troubling the usually calm minstrel, Twilight trotted up to him. “Is there something wrong, Tariq?”

The Lone Minstrel said nothing for a minute before he let out a hum of concern. “Most puzzling…He ought have met us here.”

At first, Twilight was confused as to who Tariq was referring to, until it finally came to her. “Sandalwood? He was supposed to meet us here just outside the forest?”

As the minstrel nodded to her in confirmation, the alicorn began to worry. She was so sure that they would meet Sandalwood by now that she hadn’t even thought about the possibility that he would be a no show.

Overhearing the conversation along with the rest of the group, Hedwyn made his way to the minstrel and joined the conversation. “You said yesterday that he would find us himself?” he asked recalling an earlier conversation.

“Aye, he said that he would find us on the edge of these woods.” Tariq looked down in thought. “Most strange. He is usually quite punctual.”

“So then, what’s our next move?” Twilight asked the minstrel. “Do we just…wait around for him until her arrives?”

Tariq shook his head and then looked to the darkening sky. “He would desire for the stars to be your guide as always. The Rites beckon, and the Rites take precedence above all else. Surely, he will find us yet.”

With the plan set in motion, the Nomad turned to the forest. “Alright then, what’s the best way to get through these woods?”

“Hold it, Hedwyn.” Jodariel interrupted the young man. “Navigating through these deep woods in the dark would be most ill-advised. I cannot even begin to fathom the nocturnal beasts the reside within.”

Twilight then heard Ti’zo give a small series of chirps as he nestled deeper into Fluttershy’s mane. “Oh dear,” the shy pegasus said. “Ti’zo says that Jodariel’s right. He senses a lot of scary creatures in those woods.”

Sir Gilman straightened his posture and gazed intently at the forest. “This knight will glad confront any creature foolish enough to cross our path!”

While the alicorn had no doubt in the Wyrm knight’s abilities, she couldn’t help but agree with Jodariel. While she had explored the Everfree Forest in the dead of night before, she also knew that Wakingwood could be vastly different. Especially with creatures and dangerous plants that she nor the other ponies knew how to deal with.

“Tariq,” she then asked the minstrel. “do you know exactly when the next Rite will be?”

He scratched his chin in thought and then nodded. “Judging on the stars, I would say the next evening from today.”

That was all Twilight needed to know to make her choice. “Then we should camp here for tonight. I’m sure Sandalwood wouldn’t mind if we’re a bit late in our meeting if it meant that we didn’t put ourselves in immediate danger. Is everyone okay with that?”

There were hums and murmurs of agreement from the Nightwings and the other ponies was all the confirmation Twilight needed. Thus, the campsite was set just as night began and the sky was once again peppered with the stars. The group unanimously agreed to move a few feet away from Wakingwood, seeing how the nightly darkness made the forest even more ominous. The bonfire was then lit and the Nightwings and ponies settled down for some dinner before they would head to bed. Rations were admittedly scarce as only a small percent was made up of stored food while the rest was scavenged from the immediate area.

However, Hedwyn’s amazing cooking skills was able to make the dinner edible, if not borderline tasty. Even though the food was subpar, Twilight was still smiling. The reason behind this bout of joy came from how all of her friends were interacting with the Nightwings. There was a strong sense of comradery within the group, even though the ponies had been in the Downside for only a few weeks. In a wasteland full of outlaws casted out by a high-strung civilization, the alicorn was thankful that she and her friends were able to come across such friendly beings. Hedwyn, Jodariel and Rukey had been essential in both her survival and the beginning of quest for freedom. It was thanks to the trio’s initial kindness that led Twilight to finding not only her missing friends, but others such as Mae and Sir Gilman that were more than deserving for freedom.

Speaking of her friends, the alicorn was also satisfied with how well they were adjusting to the sudden predicament that they now all found themselves in. While Starlight, being the most recent arrival, was still in the process of settling in with the Nightwings, her other friends had already began making bonds with the denizens of the Downside. Applejack with Mae, Fluttershy with Rukey and Ti’zo, Rarity with Sir Gilman and even that short time with Pinkie and Big Bertrude back in the Flagging Hands. Of course, there were some bumps in the road, such as with Rainbow Dash’s initial suspicions with pamitha, but overall, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

In summary, Twilight was content that the ponies and the Nightwings were joint in their quest to find freedom and return home.

As Twilight put down her plate, she felt something in the back of her head. She instinctively swiveled around until she was facing the slightly ajar entrance of the blackwagon. The tingling in the back of her head was now gone, only to then be replaced by something in front of her perception. It was almost as if there was something emanating from inside the wagon that was mentally drawing her to its source. Being the ever so curious mare that she was, the alicorn politely excused herself from the group and headed inside. She entered the main room and scanned around until she felt that mental pull coming from her private room. The purple mare cracked the door open and her eyes widen as she discovered the source of what was calling her. The Beyonder Crystal was glowing and sparkling vividly as it radiated an invisible energy that she could only sense. Thinking logically, Twilight figured that there was only one cause for this; Sandra was calling out to her. The alicorn looked behind her to make sure everybody was still outside and then went to touch the crystal. The second her hoof touched the glassy surface, the atmosphere shifted around her. Not a second later, Sandra appeared in front of the pony wearing a snide grin.

Musical Cue - Forbidden Knowledge

“My, my, took you long enough to answer my call.” she replied teasingly. “And here I thought you were trying to forget little ol’ me. You wouldn’t be the first one, of course.” The spirit let out a laugh, although it was more like she was laughing at herself.

I…wasn’t aware that you were able to summon me like that.” Twilight replied unsurely.

“A power given to me when I was entrapped in this blasted Crystal. I suppose the Scribes thought it well to give me such to better serve the Nightwings and their beloved Reader.” The phantom then gave the alicorn a mock bow. “And thus, here I am to serve my masters until you grow bored of me.”

Though Sandra may have found some humor in her self-deprecation, Twilight didn’t exactly feel comfortable to treat her as a lowly servant. “If it’s any consolation, I do appreciate the help that you’re giving us. I honestly don’t think of you as just a mere tool.”

At first, the phantom said nothing at the pony’s compliment. Her face was just a neutral expression that was difficult to read considering that her eyes were still closed. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, Sandra cracked a smirk.

“You are quite the amusing one, dear Reader. Lying through your teeth just to appease little ol’ me. While you are not the first to do so, you certainly are the most adorable.” Twilight flattened her ears after Sandra clearly misinterpreted her words. Before she had a chance to correct her, the phantom stopped the pony before she could. “Enough of your empty flattery. There was a reason that I called you here.” She gestured to the door leading outside. “It seems that another one of your group is ready for a Scribe Trial. Simply look and see who it is, and we can get started.”

Twilight perked up again when Sandra mentioned a Scribe Trial. It had been a while since she was first introduced to the strange ritual and remembered how Rukey was the first to participate. The alicorn then figured that it would no doubt be beneficial for another one of the Nightwings to perform in the Trial, gaining much needed training and a special talisman for succeeding. So, the purple mare gently closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Just as before, she saw a small ball of light that slowly began to morph. Eventually, the light eventually stretched out into a bipedal figure, one of medium build and had what appeared to be short scruffy hair. Twilight then opened her eyes for she now knew who was ready for the Trial. “Hedwyn is ready, Sandra.” she simply stated.

The phantom raised one of her eyebrows. “Oh, you must mean that Nomad boy…so innocent, that one. I should have a lot of work to do with him. Then let us bring him forth.”

Following the apparition’s instructions, Twilight exited to the main common room and stuck her head outside. She called out to Hedwyn to come inside for something important. The Nomad was initially perplexed, but he entered the wagon with the pony, nonetheless. Once the pair had entered the alicorn’s private dorm, Hedwyn finally spoke up. “Mind telling me what’s going on, my friend?”

Twilight didn’t have time to answer him before she suddenly felt a bit woozy. Her vision soon began to darken, and the world slowly faded around her.

Musical Cue Continued - Forbidden Knowledge

When Twilight blinked her eyes open again, she once again found herself within the endless limbo that was contained within the Book of Rites. She was now floating in empty space looking down on the field that held the Nightwings and Beyonders’ sigil on both sides. The sigils erupted into their respected pyres, with the Beyonders at little over half its intensity. The alicorn saw as Hedwyn then appeared on the left side of the field, fully donned in his mask and raiments. Through their connection, Twilight could sense the initial confusion the Nomad had for the new environment. However, for one reason or another, he quickly calmed down and looked to the other side of the field. There both he and Twilight saw Sandra appear by her lonesome. She unfastened her mask and looked to Hedwyn.

“Listen well, boy.” she addressed the Nomad. “You answer to me here. Your dear Reader insisted that I give you a test of sorts. So now you face me in this Trial.”

“…Understood.” Hedwyn answered back in a calm, steady tone.

“Do not talk back to me, you fool!” Sandra reprimanded him. When it was clear that the Nomad would stay silent, the apparition continued her rant. “Your reliance on your friends during the Rites is such a burden upon them. Let us see what you can do without their aid…save for your lovely Reader there.” Before the Trial officially began, however, both Twilight and Sandra heard Hedwyn quietly chuckle to himself. “And what, may I ask, is so amusing to you right now?!” Sandra demandingly asked.

“Nothing really,” Hedwyn answered. “it’s true that I may not be the most adaptive on the field. But with Twilight on my side, I feel invincible. And I plan on proving that right now by dominating your test.”

While Twilight couldn’t help but smirk at the Nomad’s confidence, Sandra seemed far from amused. “Your overconfidence will be the death of you one day, boy. Let us commence.”

With that, Sandra disappeared from the field, only for the shadows of a Nomad, Demon and Cur to appear by the green flames in her place. Hedwyn took his stance to begin the Trial, his determination to show Sandra what he could really do being strongly felt by the alicorn. The Celestial Orb felt from the sky right in the middle of the field. Hedwyn acted fast to rush towards the field and successfully gained the Orb in his possession. Unfortunately, the Nomad was unaware as the phantom Demon casted its massive aura at him. The blast hit, banishing Hedwyn from the field. Twilight could only watch as the Demon picked up the Orb and slowly made its way to the Nightwings’ pyre. Thankfully, Hedwyn’s banishment was short-lived as he once again appeared on the field to quickly cast his own aura to banish the phantom. Twilight directed Hedwyn to pick up the orb and attempted to flank the remaining two apparitions by rushing to his right. The plan almost worked, if it wasn’t for the Nomad phantom flanking Hedwyn and banishing him quickly. The phantom swiped up the Orb and rushed right into the blue flames.

The field reset and Hedwyn appeared by the slightly damaged pyre along with the Cur and Demon phantoms by their own. It was then Twilight decided to take a more defensive approach with scoring this round, considering that the more direct approach wasn’t working. As the fast-paced Cur effortlessly crossed the field and the grabbed the Celestial Orb, Twilight positioned Hedwyn closed by the pyre. The apparition then moved in a zigzag motion to hopefully disorient Hedwyn and dive into the pyre. However, the alicorn was expecting this and quickly moved Hedwyn a few steps to the right. A well-casted aura blast hit the Cur front the side, giving the Nomad plenty of opportunity to grab the Orb for himself. When Hedwyn made it halfway across the field, the Demon shadow moved itself before the approaching adversary. The purple mare was well aware of the Demon’s slow movements, so maneuvering around the hulking apparition was rather simple. The round concluded as Hedwyn leaped into the green flames.

The next round began, only now Hedwyn had to face all three phantoms at once again. The Nomad and Demon shadows huddled closer to their pyre, using their collected aura fields to create a large obstruction for Hedwyn to cross. Twilight figured that was a problem that could be dealt with later. Right now, they had to get the Orb in their possession. The phantom Cur rushed for the middle of the field, while Hedwyn took a more laxed approach towards the center. All according to plan, for as soon as the Cur picked up its prize, it was in perfect range for Hedwyn to cast his own aura to banish it away. With the offensive clear, Hedwyn was free to swoop up the Orb and rush for the Beyonders’ pyre. However, the remaining two phantoms remained steadfast near their pyre, no doubt waiting for their Cur to return from banishment. At first, the alicorn was unsure as to what to do to break this defense until she gained an idea. Hedwyn threw the Orb above the two phantoms and then quickly casted his aura to banish away the Demon. The Beyonder Nomad was left in dazed state from the bait-and-switch strategy, giving Hedwyn plenty of time to quickly dash behind it to reclaim the Orb and jump into the green flames.

The alicorn noted that one last hit to the pyre and Hedwyn would be victorious in his Trial. However, it seemed that the apparitions were well aware of that fact, as well. For as soon as the Orb fell to the middle again, the Beyonders took on a heavy offense towards the Nomad. One after another, the Demon and Nomad continued to cast their aura near the stationary Orb, preventing Hedwyn from picking it up without the risk of being banished. The phantoms only stopped their assault to allow for the Cur to rush forward to grabbed hold of the Orb. Well aware of its abundant mobility, Twilight decided to withhold Hedwyn from immediately attack the phantom and decided to see what it’s next move would be. Her patience was rewarded when the Cur made the unexpected move of jumping right over Hedwyn. His reflexes were fast enough to quickly turn around and cast his aura to banish the Cur just as it landed on the ground. With the Orb on their side of the field, Twilight directed Hedwyn to grabbed it and make his way to the other side.

By the time Hedwyn had made it to the middle of the field, the remaining two Beyonders had set up for his arrival with the Demon at a defensive position near their dying pyre and the Nomad going on the defensive. However, Twilight expected this move and had Hedwyn toss the Orb, intentionally missing the Beyonders’ pyre and having it land right behind the Demon. The defending phantom couldn’t help but abandon its post and slowly make its way to the fallen Orb. The alicorn couldn’t help but smirk as everything was going according to plan. After jumping over an aura cast by the Nomad, Hedwyn sprinted forward and casted his own aura to banish away the Demon while it was distracted. That left the Orb free for Hedwyn to pick up again and went forth to finally end the trial. The remaining phantom was too late to stop Hedwyn from slamming the Orb into the remaining licks of flames of the Beyonders’ pyre.

As the Beyonder Nomad faded from the field and the flames of the Nightwings’ pyre shot up in the air and exploded, Hedwyn reappeared at the center of the field and removed his mask. Twilight shared the same smirk he had on from their shared victory.

“LOXALAS!” he shouted in triumph into the empty space.

“Hmph, I suppose I can’t help but be impressed, boy.” Sandra simply said as she appeared before Hedwyn. “You passed my test with a sufficient performance.”

“It was as I said before, I feel invisible with my Reader at my side.” the Nomad said in confidence.

“I admit, you and that lovely Reader of yours make quite the team.” Sandra admitted. “However, I suggest you not make a habit of relying on others too much. I speak from personal experience.”

Before Hedwyn could inquire further on what exactly Sandra meant by that, she had already turned her back to him. “Congratulations are in order. To you and your lovely Reader, now begone from here.”

As the apparition faded away, Twilight’s vision also began to black out until her vision was all but complete darkness.

When Twilight managed to open her eyes once more, she once again found herself back in the Blackwagon in her personal dorm. She turned her head and saw Hedwyn slowly picking himself off the ground. Other than looking a bit groggy, he seemed relatively fine as he shot the alicorn a soft smile.”

“Good to be back after all of that.” he said as he got back on his feet.

Twilight gave him a sheepish smile. “Yeah, sorry about springing that on you all the sudden. The apparition in the Crystal Tariq gave wanted to test you.”

“I certainly felt tested, but I’m happy with how well it turned out.” Hedwyn said. He then looked to the ground. “Hey, what’s that there?”

Twilight looked down and saw what he was referring to. On the ground was what looked to be a finely crafted bracer with a softly glowing orange gem in the center. Twilight picked it up with her magic to examine it finer details. The metal looked worn, with multiple nicks and scratches etched into the armor. However, that did little to mute the luster coming from the gold trimming along its sides. Remembering what had happened in the last Trial, Twilight smiled and levitated the bracer to Hedwyn.

“Here,” she said as he grabbed it from her magic. “This is your reward passing the Trial. No doubt it’ll be useful in the Rites.”

After inspecting it himself, Hedwyn went ahead and adjusted the bracer on his right arm. When he was satisfied that it fit, he extended his forearm and displayed his new Talisman. “Fits well.” he said.

“You earned it.” Twilight said.

“I think it’s more appropriate to say that we earned it.” he countered. “We wouldn’t have made it this far without you, my friend. This right here proves it.”

As the Nomad gestured to his new bracer, Twilight could help but give a small bashful blush. He then excused himself to go back with the group outside while she promise to join him in a small bit.

After the Nomad left the wagon, Twilight once again felt her senses dull. Sure enough, Sandra appeared once again from the corner of the alicorn’s vision. She turned to see that the phantom had her arms crossed and had an expression that was a mix of snugness and disgust.

Musical Cue - Forbidden Knowledge

“It seems that fool Gol deemed the boy worthy of wielding one of his tacky bracers.” she said as she looked to where Hedwyn had left. “I hope for your sake that he doesn’t become tainted with a bloated sense of superiority.”

The sheer disrespect the apparition had for one of the Eight Scribes from the Book of Rites was not lost on Twilight. However, given from what she read in the tome and from their last discussion, the pony wasn’t too surprised by this. That didn’t stop her from being curious though.

“Was Gol the one who trapped you in the Orb?” Twilight asked as she sat down on the floor.

“Him and that blasted Imp that accompanied him.” Sandra confirmed. “Me and eight others of the Beyonders, or the Sisters of the Arch as we were once known, knowingly tossed ourselves into the river to hunt down the Emperor in this damned place. When we eventually found him, he was…different. A man transformed both in body and character. He kneeled to us, begging for to spare his pathetic life.”

Twilight felt a pit deep in her stomach that was becoming larger and larger. “But…you’re in the Crystal. Meaning that…you still tried to…”

For the first time since the alicorn had met her, Sandra took a more defensive tone. “You knew not of what it was like to live under his rule! I was certain that it was another blasted trick of his. So I struck! The anger I felt made me drop my weapon so that I could take his life with my bare hands! My other sisters could only stand by as I struck him again and again. A fine time to develop a conscious.”

Sandra then took a few non-existent breaths and calmed down, her mood much more dower. “It was then that blasted Master General sprung from his hiding place along with the Imp. Despite all of my skills and training, I was no match for someone who’s soul was forged in war. He badly injured me…and also did this.”

Whenever the spirit had appeared to Twilight, Sandra had always lidded her eyes closed. It was the one feature that the alicorn had yet to get a good glance at. Of course, Twilight had assumed that Sandra had them open a tiny crack, as she was able to comment on her appearance the new environment around her whenever the blackwagon travelled to a new location.

However, all of those assumptions flew out the window as soon as Sandra opened her eyelids. Twilight couldn’t stop herself from letting out a shocked gasp at what she saw…or rather, what she didn’t see. Instead of whites and pupils like Twilight expected to see, there were only two black voids on the apparition’s face. The lack of the ocular organs gave Sandra an even more eerie feel than she already had. Eventually, Sandra shut her eyes again and resumed her tranquil appearance.

“He…” Twilight tried to say, as if her brain was still catching to what she just saw. “Golathanian blinded you in his attack.”

“No mercy for the one who attacks his precious Emperor.” said Sandra in a venomous tone. “My sisters and I made a hasty retreat after that. I used that time to mend my wounds and heal. Sometime later, we encountered Murr again, only this time he was accompanied by the rest of those Scribes. One of them possessed the very Crystal that lies in that corner. For our crimes, Murr banished us to that Crystal, and I was forced to serve as guidance for participants of those blasted Rites.”

Sandra then let out a bitter laugh. “I suppose it was not all bad. As this form did grant me back my vision again. Well, a substitution for my vision would be a more appropriate term.”

“I…” Twilight stuttered out, only to find that she was at a complete loss for words. Simply put, she had no idea what to say to the phantom without coming off as either condescending or hypocritical. She was a foreigner to this world, meaning that she had no context as to what the Emperor was like before and after his experience in the Downside aside from what was written in the Book. Part of her wanted to believe that Sandra deserved what had happened to her for talking so casually about taking another life. However, Sandra seemed far from prideful about it, acting as though it was inherited instinct instead of something she willingly pursued. Conflicted by the moral dilemma, the alicorn decided to fall back on her usual tactic and acquire more information. “How long have you been imprisoned in there?”

“837 years,” she answered bluntly. “according to my count, at least. It is possible that I have lost track. Although, given my state I can assure you that I’ve had ample time to verify my arithmetic.”

Sandra stood silent for a time. More likely to let the reality of what she had just said to sink in for the pony. Something that had not gone unnoticed to her as Twilight’s ears went flat against her head. Over three-quarters of millennia trapped in the Crystal no doubt explained the phantom’s cynical behavior.

“I grow tired of this.” Sandra eventually huffed out. “Before I leave you this night, I shall grant you some advice I learned the hard way. If you decide to kill the Emperor, make sure you achieve what you set out to do. I expected my own death, regardless of the outcome of my task. I was not expecting this…certainly not to be telling a small pony about it 837 years later. Or however long it has been.”

With that, Sandra vanished without as much as saying goodnight and Twilight’s senses returned to normal. Leaving her alone to think on what the phantom had told her. The alicorn had to admit that aside from the need for survival, this world was truly testing her moral compass. Sandra used to be a killer and moral logic dictated that she did indeed got what was coming to her. Then again, according to the Book the Emperor had changed from the hungry tyrant that he once was from his time in the Downside. Did he really deserve death so soon after turning a new leaf?

Twilight then thought about what Sandra had said about the time of her entrapment. Nearly a thousand years trapped in that Crystal. The thought of the number couldn’t help but remind Twilight of somepony she did know that was also trapped for such a long period of time. Somepony who had also gone through a great change from that entrapment. That pony had also appeared lost to the darkness, although that didn’t stop the then unicorn to try and save her. Though far less experienced in such matters, Twilight remembered how she was able to get through to her despite of that. Would she be able to do the same for Sandra and her cynical outlook on her existence?

Eventually, Twilight shook her head clear of those deep thoughts. It was far too late to be thinking about such moral quandaries right now. She figured that it would be better if she sat on that thought for a while and bring it up to Sandra the next time they speak. She hoped that sharing the identity of a pony that experienced something similar to her would ease the spirit into trusting her more. For now, Twilight let out a deep breath and went to head back outside. She was glad that at least her friends were here to help soothe her soul from dealing with everything here in the Downside. And she was certainly glad that she could add the new friends she had made here in this world to that sentiment.

A set of purple ears flicked up in the air for a bit as Twilight opened her eyes. The initial grogginess made it difficult for the mare to take in her surroundings. However, she eventually gained enough coherence to realize what was happening. She was in the bed located in her quarters wrapped up snuggly in the blanket. The room was dark, save for the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the shutters of the small window in the room.

It didn’t take long for Twilight to remember that after having gone outside to have dinner with the rest of the group, she decided to turn in a bit early and go to bed. She must have been more exhausted since she didn’t remember lying down in bed before she must conked out. As she continued to retrace her steps, Twilight couldn’t recall experiencing a vivid nightmare, so that wasn’t the source of her sudden wake up. She then reasoned that it simply must have been those moments where ponies would wake in the middle of the night for some unknown reason.

As Twilight squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to gain a few more precious hours of sleep, her ears gave another twitch. This time, however, it was caused by a creaking sound. The pony was well aware that the blackwagon tended to give off the usual creaks as the vehicle settled on the ground it was on. But this time, Twilight could have sworn that this noise was from the door to the outside opening. Her mind lit up with activity as she heard the same creak again not two seconds later.

Finally, Twilight’s mind was active enough to allow her to crawl out of bed. After the creaks that she had heard, she had a hunch that someone or something had opened the door of the blackwagon and quickly closed it. Indicating that either someone was exiting, or more worryingly, someone had entered uninvited in the dead of night. Fearing for the latter, Twilight cautiously approached her door and carefully began to open it. If there really was an intruder, she wanted to at least maintain the element of surprise.

Twilight peeked through the crack in the door and carefully scanned the main room. She then eased the door further open when she saw nothing out of the ordinary. As the alicorn stepped out, she saw that everything was as it was the last she remembered. The only sound being the series of soft snores that can from the bunks on the other side of the room. Twilight relaxed a bit at the realization that there was no sign of an intruder.

The alicorn then noted that if no one had entered the wagon, then the sound she heard earlier must have meant that someone had left instead. She confirmed as much when she looked over and saw that one of the bunks was empty. Save Pamitha, who was soundly sleeping on the roof, Twilight counted the ponies and Nightwings to see who was missing. Eventually, she counted that everyone was here, with the exception of Hedwyn. It seemed that the Nomad had woken up in the middle of the night and had decided to wander outside. Twilight could have spent more time wondering why he would do such a thing, but then ultimately decided it would be easier to ask Hedwyn directly.

Twilight stealthily made her way to the main door and slowly opened it to make as little noise as possible. She then slid through then opening she made and slowly closed the door again. The night air was pleasantly cool for the alicorn, a much need respite from the heated climate of the Black Basin. However, such pleasant thoughts were cut short as Twilight saw what was before her. If Wakingwood was intimidating during the day, then the dense forest was downright nightmarish in the dead of night. In the back of her head, Twilight couldn’t help but feel a sense of twisted nostalgia when she had to confront the Everfree Forest to find the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon all that time ago.

The alicorn was broken from her reminiscing when she heard a branch snap nearby. She immediately readied a spell and faced where the sound originated from. Nothing appeared to be there as she looked to the dense forest. Twilight then ceased her magic and took a few steps forward towards the trees. While it was plausible that it was some wild creature, she noted that she still hadn’t found Hedwyn yet. As she reached the very edge of the woods, she pondered if this was the best idea. She then heard another twig snap, only this time she felt a little less alarmed. She figured that she would follow her gut and stepped through into the forest.

Twilight casted a light spell through her horn to help illuminate the area. The trees above were so dense that only a few beams of moonlight were able to pierce through and provide limited illumination. The alicorn’s worry only grew as she made her way deeper and deeper into the woods. If the Nomad really did decide to venture in Wakingwood alone in the middle of the night, Twilight could only wonder how he would ever find is was back. For now, the alicorn continued to carefully move forward.

It was after moving a few meters forward that Twilight heard another noise nearby. Her first reflex was to call out to Hedwyn, but she immediately considered how bad of an idea that would be if it turned out to be some vicious creature instead. She was caught off guard after she heard what sounded like another branch snapping, this time closer. Whatever was out here with the alicorn, it was closing in on her position. Twilight reacted first and increased the power of her light spell and illuminated the whole area around her.

Twilight immediately looked to where her potential transgressor was and then felt an immediate wave of relief wash over her when she saw that it was indeed Hedwyn. The Nomad was still shielding his eyes from the sudden flash from Twilight’s horn, so she decided to dim the light now that she wasn’t in any immediate danger.

“What are you doing out here?” Twilight asked him in a hushed tone, just in case there were any creatures nearby that might hear them.

“I suppose I could ask you the same question.” Hedwyn answered with a sheepish grin as he scratched the back of his head.

Twilight cocked up one of her eyebrows at such an obvious deflection. “I woke up in the middle of the night and I heard what sounded like someone opening the door. I went out of my room and noticed that you were the only one not in bed. So, I went outside and heard something coming from the woods. That’s why I’m here, now why are you here?”

Realizing he was caught in the act, Hedwyn relented and let out a soft sigh. “I couldn’t seem to get to sleep, so I’d thought I’d scout ahead for tomorrow, that way we might be able to find Sandalwood sooner. Old habit I picked up back in the war, I suppose.”

While it did explain a lot, Twilight wasn’t very satisfied with the Nomad’s answer. She turned around from where she was walking and couldn’t even see the edge of the forest through all the thick trees. “Hedwyn, not that I don’t appreciate you trying to help, but I don’t think that this was the best idea.” she told him. “You can barely even see anything at night.”

“Relax, the moonlight’s plenty for someone like me.” Hedwyn replied in a confident tone as he turned around and moved deeper into the forest. Twilight quickly kept pace with him to keep him within range of her light. “I’ve been in the Downside for a long time now, so I’ve grown accustomed to thriving in environments where I’m not supposed to.”

The Nomad’s confidence did little to quell Twilight’s worry. “Still, I wished that you would have waited until morning. I know you’ve been in the Downside a lot long than me, but I still think it’s risky.”

“Twilight, it’s fine.” Hedwyn again reassured. He looked back to her as he was stepping over a particularly large vine on the ground. “So long as we keep our wits about us, we’ll take a quick look around and see if we find any clues to-“

The alicorn was immediately caught off guard as the Nomad suddenly tripped and seemingly fell into the ground.

“Hedwyn!” she cried out as she rushed to where she had fallen. Thanks to her personal light, Twilight saw that over the large vine was a steep slope that ran further down into Wakingwood. She heard a few more crashes and grunts of pain, indicating that Hedwyn was still tumbling down. Her first thought was to use her wings to fly down there safely, but a few movements of the appendages confirmed that they were a bit too tender for use. So, with deep breath, Twilight took a few careful steps forward and tried to control her descent down the slope.

The alicorn kept her hooves planted to the ground as she slid down the slope. She was careful to keep her balance as to not suddenly lurch forward and tumble down just as Hedwyn did. Along the way, she also had to avoid any overhanging branches that would potentially hit her in the face. On one of those branches, however, was something Twilight recognized. She stopped her descent and saw Hedwyn’s blue bandana that he normally wore wrapped around his forehead. It must have been removed from his person during his tumble down. She grabbed the cloth with her magic and continued downward to find the Nomad.

Eventually, the slope ended, and Twilight was back on even ground. She ended up in a small clearing with the forest that allowed the full moonlight to illuminate the area. She only had to look a few meters ahead of her to see that Hedwyn was in the process of picking himself off the ground. Despite a few small tears in his clothing here and there, he seemed to be fine.

“Hedwyn! Thank Celestia you’re okay!” Twilight exclaimed in relief.

Instinctively, the Nomad turned around to face the pony after calling his name. He was frozen for a few seconds before his face shifted into panic as he quickly brought his forearm up to cover his forehead. But it was too late. Twilight had already saw what had caused her to let out a sharp gasp and freeze in place. The bandana in her magic dropped to the ground as her focus was suddenly shifted.

“H-Hedwyn. You…Are those…?” the alicorn tried to say.

The alicorn witnessed a plethora of emotions shift through Hedwyn’s face in a short amount of time as he glanced away from her gaze. The initial shock shifted into panic, which then slowly morphed to burning shame at the situation he had gotten himself in. Finally, the Nomad experienced resignation and lowered his arm in defeat. Twilight now could fully confirm what she had saw.

Two tiny horns protruding from Hedwyn’s forehead.

Twilight thought back to what Jodariel had once told her during her first days in the Downside. How years of exile turned Nomads would begin to grow horns and begin transforming into Demons. Back then, she only thought of that tidbit as a rather interesting phenomenon of this world. But now that she was seeing the beginnings of the process before her, with one of her new friends at that, it felt rather eerie. She took a few steps towards the Nomad, only for him to step back in response.

“Twilight,” he said, fear laced within his tone. “Please…”

The alicorn hesitated at first and then tried a more delicate approach. “Let me see, please. I promise I won’t do anything. I just want…a better look.”

Though he was still resilient for a minute, Hedwyn eventually complied and knelt down to her level. Twilight continued to gently approach until she was right before him. She didn’t call attention to how he continued to not look at her and investigated his horns. They were quite small, maybe about half the length of her singular horn and nowhere near as large as Jodariel’s. But there were clears signs that they were continued to grow at a slow, yet steady pace.

“How…long have they been there?” she asked, being a bit probative.

“…They started growing in sometime last year.” he answered. “About four years after I was exiled.”

“Does…Does Jodariel know?” Twilight asked cautiously.

“NO!” Hedwyn said suddenly and grabbed her by the shoulder. “Twilight, you have to promise me that you won’t tell anyone about this, especially Jodariel! Please promise me that!”

Given the urgency in his voice and the panic flooding his face, Twilight was more than convinced that this was a dead serious matter for the Nomad. “Okay, Hedwyn. I promise that this will stay between us.”

“Good! Good…” Hedwyn said, relief returning to his voice as his shoulders relaxed. He removed his hands from the alicorn’s shoulders and looked away again. “I’m…sorry if I was a bit intense there for a moment.”

Twilight simply nodded her head and kept on her sympathetic look. While she was more than fine with keeping this secret for Hedwyn, that didn’t mean that she didn’t have quandaries of her own. “Hedwyn, can I ask why you don’t want Jodariel to know about this?”

The Nomad didn’t answer immediately; he continued to remain silent as he looked away. “When I eventually found Jodariel here after I was exiled, she looked…upset. I thought she was upset at me for being sentenced here. But as the years went on, I realized that she was upset at herself. I never talked to her about it, but I think she blames herself for me being here.”

Twilight gave him a confused look. “Why would she blame herself? No offense, but it was clearly something that you did yourself that got you exiled here.”

“I’ve known Jodariel for a long time, Twilight. She may always appear stoic, but I can read her expressions easily. And for those first few years, she was experiencing nothing but guilt.” The Nomad let out another sigh. “I mentioned that she tried to stop me when I went to war for the Commonwealth when I was finally old enough. I believe that she blames herself for how I ended up in the Downside. What scares me is that if she sees these horns on me….I don’t want to see how that would affect her.”

“Hedwyn,” Twilight said. “You know that those horns would eventually grow large enough to the point where you wouldn’t be able to hide them, right?”

“I know.” Hedwyn admitted shamefully. “I just wanted to buy some time so that I would know how to break it to her. Although, I still have no idea how to tell her without breaking her heart.”

Twilight was silent for a moment as she processed the Nomad’s conundrum. She honestly had no immediate solution as to how she could help Hedwyn bring up this sensitive subject to Jodariel. What she could do now, however, is try her best to soothe her friend’s melancholy.

“Hedwyn,” she said, gaining his attention. “I…can imagine that telling Jodariel about this would be easier said than done. I don’t think that keeping this from her is a good idea, but it’s ultimately your choice. That being said, I still think that everything will be okay.”

The alicorn then used her magic to levitate the bandana from where she dropped it and tied it back around Hedwyn’s head, concealing his horns.

“Once we complete the last of the Rites and we all gain our freedom, hopefully those horns should start go away. We just have to keep working together with everyone else and we’ll finally be free of this place. I would still recommend that you one day tell Jodariel about this once we’re free, but for now I think we can just focus on the problem right in front of us. Okay?”

Twilight’s heart lit up when she saw the sullen expression on the Nomad’s face shift into the hopeful one that was common for him. “You always seem to know what to say, Twilight Sparkle. How ever do you do it?”

The alicorn gave a sheepish smile. “I can’t that I always know the right thing to say. But I do know that I have to at least try for my friends.”

Twilight was then caught off guard as Hedwyn suddenly pulled her into a hug. She gave no resistance and simply wrapped her hooves around him to return the embrace. For just a moment, she tuned out the potential danger of Wakingwood and focused on this very moment that was now sharing with Hedwyn. It was quite comforting to feel this level of safety with someone who she come to learn to trust and respect. It made her feel quite hopeful for the journey ahead.

Eventually, the embrace ended and Hedwyn stood back up and looked to the slope where they both slid down. “Well, hopefully it’ll be a little less dangerous getting back to the wagon, if not difficult.”

Twilight thought for a moment and an idea popped into her head. “Stay close to me. Let me see if I can teleport us back.”

Hedwyn nodded and stood by the alicorn. She then closed her eyes and channeled her magic into her horn. She then focused on where the blackwagon was in relation to Wakingwood and how she and Hedwyn ended up in their current position. Once she had everything cleared up in her mind, she activated the spell and the pair instantly disappeared.

When she opened her eyes again, Twilight saw that she and Hedwyn were out of the woods and about a meter away from the wagon. She let out a sigh of relief as she was glad that the teleportation worked as she intended.

“Impressive.” Hedwyn noted in a hushed tone, as to not to disturb Pamitha on the roof. “You ponies sure are full of surprises. You sure you can’t just teleport all of us out of the Downside?”

Though she guessed by the inflection of his voice that Hedwyn was only half kidding with that last question, Twilight still felt a sheepish grim spread upon her face. “It’s…a little bit more complicated than that. I have to be able to picture where I need to go to, meaning I usually have to have been there before. Plus, I can’t exactly teleport anywhere super far without it taking up a lot of my magic.”

Hedwyn chuckled. “Still a lot more than I can do.” He then knelt down to give the pony a few pats on the head before getting back up. “I think we should try to get some rest before morning comes. What do you say, my friend?”

Twilight looked up to the Nomad and smiled. Whether he had the bandana around his head or not, he was still the same kind soul that had saved her life all that time ago. The pair then quietly entered the wagon to get some much-needed sleep. No doubt they would need it for tomorrow when they would finally meet the mysterious benefactor of the Nightwings.

The one who had started them on this journey to freedom.