Verve

“So, why don’t ponies just… fly over the inhospitable parts of the Unexplored West, and set up a town in a safe spot?” Arin asked aloud, to nopony in particular as they walked. With the cold left behind them, they now had to make it to Mountain Cleave Pass - a split in the last great barricade between Equestria, and the dangerous territories beyond that stray ever closer to the world’s edge.

“Okay, say you did set up a town. Sure, marathon glider pegasi or a few airships could fly to it - but the most effective and well used form of travel and transport is by train. You now need to build a train station and railway, through hundreds and hundreds of miles of swamp and deadly cliff sides, just to feed your town. Sure, you could deliver supplies by air - but this is often too expensive to consider practical. You could grow your own food, but then - what would be the point of your town? It’s not able to provide any supplies or goods by train to civilization. And cargo ships won’t work, either - the ocean is extremely dangerous the farther West or East you go, as it approaches the Edge.”

Celestia was a great teacher, but sometimes, she really did make him seem dumb. A couple thousand years of knowledge would do that to you, after all.

“Well, alright. I guess you’ve got a point. But uh… you didn’t have to say it like that. Could have just said… ‘too much unsafe land to travel and no trade routes’, and I would have got it.” He scratched the back of his head. Okay, he definitely had a reason to study now. If he ever wanted to one-up Tia in something, he would have to earn it.

“Oh! Sorry, I’m just used to teaching fillies and colts, along with my now former Pupil.” She sighed, her thoughts turning to Twilight. “I hope she’s safe. Whatever Nightmare Moon has planned, it’s not likely to end well for her or her friends.”

“Do you think she’ll kill them? I mean. She seemed really blood thirsty and cruel, back on the moon.”

“Unlikely,” Tempest chimed in. “Killing the Elements would be a massive waste of potential. If anything, she’s working to corrupt them to fit her dark purposes. It’s likely that we’ll face overwhelming opposition on our return.”

“W-Will we have to… h-hurt ponies?” Pumpkin had returned to her preferred position on her magic broom, once again empowered by solar magic. With this freedom, she could clop her little front legs together nervously. A habit that wouldn’t pass with time.

“D’ohoho! Don’t worry Smol-fry! A splash of coffee and they’ll be right as rain.” Vee sipped from her mug, happily flapping along half asleep.

“I would typically ignore your reasoning, Vee - but now I’m curious. Do you have a plan to break Nightmare Moon’s control? Or are you just blathering to waste our time?” Tempest questioned, the Purple hovering her mug in her magic. With a cough and a straightening of her hat, the Pegasus put herself back together well enough to speak on equal terms with the Unicorn.

“Hmhm. My working theory is that their consciousness are infused by Lunar magic; if we could cut contact from the Lunar Plane, the Dream Plane will fade in turn. A massive flash of solar magic should be sufficient to disrupt the mind control and free the Nightmare’s intended slave, but will not prevent further interaction and manipulation through the dark Alicorn’s foci; it would also be an excessive waste of energy, as even a flare of magic would fail to cleave through the dark for long. I believe a challenge to this would be an excessive amount of stimuli to force consciousness as a followup treatment. This very same method prevented Nightmare Moon from enrapturing myself in the dream realm.”

All ponies gathered soon stopped to stare at the imposter in Vee’s skin, the Pegasus turning intelligent eyes on all of them. Pumpkin’s hat fell off in a breeze, Celestia’s marble-sized irises honed in on the Purple, a single hoof from the Princess raising Tempest’s fallen jaw off the floor to seal it shut. Arin - mid swig of his water - checked his canteen, wondering if somepony had poisoned it.

Vee winked at Tempest, before sipping at her coffee. “Well, Stern-fry? Was that serious enough for you? Thought I’d just sit around for a month and not think about your snobby snoot?”

“I-I… uh. Yes,” she eventually stammered out, “I… didn’t expect that.”

“Nopony expects the Vee-Ness Inquisition.” Vee d'ohohoho'd, fluttering her wings forward. Her hoof swirled in the air, popping Pumpkin’s hat back on her head in a swish of purple light as she passed. “Let’s keep flapping; Spooky-horn awaits.”

All eyes fell to Pumpkin for an explanation, who could only shrug. Even she didn’t know what just happened.

Their trek ever onward brought them to the split in the mismatched mountains; the great peak closest blocking the sun’s light from the smaller cliffs behind. The rugged path pushed on through this narrow channel, up a sharp incline before barreling out into a proper dip down. The landmass beyond was hidden quite well, and gave Equestria a wide berth between the civilized world and the unexplored wilds.

Even from here, the forests grew ever thinner as their path shot up. Looking north or south gave a clear view of the sea, as the long hike brought them ever upwards.

“Look Tall-fry, all I’m saying is - you pick up Stern-fry, I’ll carry Sun-fry in my magic - and Small-fry will bumble along on her broom behind. It’s not that hard, I tell ya. You’re all just lazy. If we just take my suggestion, we can snoot our way over to Umbra in a single preening session.” Vee mumbled about fries continuously for the next several minutes; Arin wondered if she meant the fish, the potato fry, stir fry, or the ponies and Seraph around her. Really, it was hard to tell with Vee.

“Tempest, how much do you weigh on a good day?” Arin said, the crunch of coarse stone trampled under his boot.

“Fifty five heaps of unbridled martial prowess and dignity. Touch me with a broom and I’ll break it off in your a-”

“That’s why,” Arin cut her off, the grape-colored mare rolling her eyes.

“Ohoho! Then tell you what - you carry Angry-fry, I’ll carry Tax-relief-fry, and then Small-fry can make us lunch or something,” she offered with a sip. Celestia rolled her eyes, but said nothing as they marched.

“S-So um… I didn’t get a c-chance to ask, Tempest, but… what did you think of Silversun?” The fall-themed mare smiled, hovering lazily alongside the imposing Unicorn.

“I thought it was-...” Her eyes locked to Pumpkin, who leaned into every word she said. Perhaps then, she changed her opinion to be a little more… tolerable. Not just a dismissive ‘acceptable’. “It was beautiful, Pumpkin. Are you ready for tonight’s lesson?”

The little mare clapped her hooves, squeaking as she nearly lost her balance. A gentle bump from Tempest kept her upright, making her smile. “Yes! A-And again, thank you.”

“Lesson? Who’s teaching who, Pumpkin?” Arin asked, the small mare blushing beneath her hat.

“Well, Tempest is teaching me to b-be more… confident, and n-not stutter so much. And I’m teaching her h-how to channel Solar magic without a Foci! We started back in Silversun, when V-Vee was recovering. I-I um… wanted it to be a surprise, but I guess the word i-is out now, huh?” Pumpkin spun around on her broom - Tempest neatly stepping out of the way as the handle nearly smacked her leg. That very same leg shot forward without a second glance, catching the broom’s bristles before she spun too far and lost her balance.

“That’s very kind of you, Tempest. Sharing knowledge and learning to accept help from others is a key step in making friends.” Celestia smiled, bowing her head in appreciation.

Tempest, usually strict and firm - couldn’t resist a faint blush. “...I suppose so.”

Breaking the gap in the mountains, they turned into the pass proper - the waft of decay from the valley’s stench something foul as it could reach their noses unbidden. The very breeze itself carried a none-too-friendly scent of death, the road leading deeper under swampy branches of willows and spruce. Moss hung low, a humid breeze stirring as pecks of rain trickled across the mire before them.

“From this point onwards, things will be a lot harder. Steel your nerves, or head home. There may not be a return journey,” Tempest said, adamant in her independence.

“D’ohoho! We’ll do no such thing, Stern-fry. Face it, you’re stuck with us whether you like it or not.” Vee landed within preening range of the Unicorn, a purple wing soon whittling feathers to the floor.

“I’m not going to lie, Tempest. It’s been around several hours since we started, and I’m not fancying a camp out in the mud. Think we should stop and rest for a while; catch a nap?” Celestia offered, looking to the looming muck ahead of them with trepidation.

She gazed onward over the trees of the deathly mire. “I’m wary of wasting any more time. Umbra wouldn’t settle now, nor should we.”

“Yes, but if I know anything about swamps, it’s that the mud drags your hooves down, the bugs suck your blood from your veins, and the rain whittles your resolve. I know she’s your friend, but dying on the way from quicksand and sleep exhaustion isn’t going to solve her problems.” The Princess raised a hoof in worry; pressing on in the muck and gloom when tired didn’t seem… wise.

Tempest sighed, eventually nodding. “You’re right. I would rather not be challenged on this matter; I prefer to lead unquestioned, but if the dainty Princess needs rest… fine.”

Celestia wrinkled her snout in dissatisfaction; it was one thing to disagree, but calling her dainty was an insult she didn’t take very well.

“Besides, Stern-fry! How are you two such good friends? Did you boop snoots? Snoot boops are very good for the feathers, despite the ruffling, d’ohoho.” Vee puffed a feather from her muzzle, snorting in frustration as the sickly wind tumbled it back into her coffee. Not a good sign; a bad omen, in fact. One she didn’t like. Not one snoot.

“What? No, you… Look. Umbra and I have both walked the same path. I have never held a bond so close with anypony in my life, and dare I say it - in another world, she would be my sister by blood. I see her like family, in the short time we’ve spent together. And I wouldn’t abandon her, not now. Not when the world is threatening to crumble to pieces. Canterlot, the ponies and even Twilight and her friends - would never hold a candle to the passion that burns within me now. I would never see her as anything but a friend. That would be like… loving a clone of myself. I feel disgusted just thinking about it.”

Arin shrugged. He didn’t truly believe that - Umbra had to love someone, and so did Tempest. But she seemed genuine enough; maybe they really were on the verge of becoming good friends? “I mean, it makes sense. You act a lot like her, I can definitely see you two being close. I’d buy that.”

Even Celestia gave a nod, acknowledging it. “It takes a special bond to make a friend so quickly. It reminds me of when Twilight first made friends in Ponyville. If she had stuck to her old ways, we wouldn’t be here right now. If anything, Nightmare Moon would have won, and Leotoln would have likely swooped in after the fact and cleaned up the mess, seizing the throne of Canterlot. Oh heavens, he would have dealt with Anonymous in the Castle. That strange creature nearly ran me up the wall in anger over his brutish behavior.”

“Anyway, back on topic. Tempest. Are we going to camp first, or chance it? We’ve been moving for well over half a day - and with our handy dandy portable sunlight,” He winked to Celestia, “we’ll be well set for the road in the morning.”

Tempest thought quietly for a minute; looking at the vast swamp before them and the rough route they’d have to take. “I don’t suppose you intend on keeping it day all the time?”

“It’s the only sign that we’re fighting the Nightmare.” Celestia bowed her head sadly, her eyes wandering to the distant moon and the creeping darkness. “A short rest to sleep and shelter would be wise. At the very least, it will give us more time to find a safe place in inhospitable lands.”

Tempest frowned, nodding. “Very well. We’ll break here. But we move in the cover of sunlight. When the Lunar magic seeps close, we’ll travel to stay free of the cold.”

Their short rest was just that; much too short. With the cold creeping closer, they had at best a scant few hours of sleep to catch up on. At least they had a chance to try their tents in fair conditions; elegant and light, it provided splendid cover from the elements. The pillows and bedding included was more than sufficient to supplement their short rest.

Vee, as per usual, sat outside by a hastily made campfire to fix a new pot of coffee. Not wanting to set up a third tent, Pumpkin was bold enough to ask if she could rest with Tempest for the hours ahead - which she kindly agreed. They were getting along nicely, at least.

As the night hung deadly cold to the east of them, their bags were packed and the path was set upon once again. Past the mountains, not only did the road become worse and near untouched - but the very trees often blocked the roughshod path, a dim gloom hanging in the stale air. Trunks and branches from free weather were strewn about the rough muck of the swampy floor, bubbling heat dragging moisture from the mud and into the soup-like stifle around them. The mountains blocked the sun overhead, aided by the overgrown canopy that almost made the daylight seem pointless.

What’s worse was the swampy grime, as one misplaced step could send a pony like Celestia chest deep. This actually happened, as it took Arin and Tempest both to pull the shocked Princess free.

“When I imagined going on an adventure, I thought of fresh, cool breezes, vistas to view the beauty of Equestria, and exotic food. Not heat, sucking mud and shocking stenches.” Celestia grimaced, shaking her once pristine white hoof to drip mud across the broken stones.

“W-Who even built this road?” Pumpkin mewled in the dim light of the overhead sun.

“Ponies from ages past, though if they lived here, they’ve moved on by now. Keep moving. We’re fighting time here. If you look back along the road, you can quite clearly see we’ve got at best ten minutes until night falls.”

Indeed, through the wretched muck and decaying trees, the thin white line of chiling magic had kept pace with them. Slowed by the fauna, their path began to curve around what looked to be a full blown swampy mire. The soft earth sucked at one’s hoof or leg, the water deepening to feet in front as the treeline broke.

“Oho! Look! A light on the water! Hmhm, and a boat as well!” Vee pointed a hoof, flapping away at the feather-ruining breeze. The treeline broke as the path fell apart here, and just across the near blackened water was a slow moving ferry. The distance across the massive swamp was roughly a half league or more; a bit too much for Celestia’s wings, with the water-heavy air sucking away one’s endurance. Even worse, normal magic seemed to be less abundant. If they wanted to walk around it to the Western side, it could take hours - as there simply wasn’t a trail to follow.

“Is it h-heading t-this way?” Pumpkin stuttered, nervous on her broom. By now, she had to kick off the ground to keep afloat every so often, the Sun Witch’s magic distant behind the heavy, light-fading clouds.

“Perhaps they’re friendly?” Celestia offered, hopeful of some good news.

“Doubtful. We should move; I believe during the night, the creatures here grow rabid. Unless you want to slay hordes of shuffling dead, it wouldn’t be wise to stop.” Tempest turned to their left - intent to keep pace.

“Tempest, wait. If we try to walk around all of this, the night will catch up. Maybe we should at least flag them down? If they see us and come swords drawn, then we can slay them and take their boat, at the very least.” Arin crossed his arms, as the Unicorn idled by the shore.

“It would be faster to risk the waters…” Her thoughts stirred for several moments, before nodding. “I’ll accept your idea, if the risk is low. I will not perish from a foalish mistake.”

“Anything to get out of this mud.” Celestia sighed, flecks of the earthy substance whipped off of her once pristine hooves with a flick. “I almost miss the waterfall near Canterlot, now. Nothing cleans off three years of grime like hundreds of tons of water.”

Tempest closed her eyes, channeling the now distant magic into her horn; ember draining its power to channel. With a blast of light, she shot a low-hanging chaotic bolt past the trees and into the sky. The magic rippled and cracked, exploding into a shower of sparks. The small ferry - which was idling near the center, immediately began to move their way. A single pony pushing a stick roughly into the muddy waters to meet them.

Vee’s expert eyes scanned the water, wary of the dangers that might lurk beneath. “Hey Stern-fry, are you sure about this? I’m getting the bad tingles. Not the good kind you get with expensive coffee beans. The bad kind. The kind that’s definitely not good for the feathers.”

“If we weren’t carrying all this gear and two flightless ponies across the way, we could just fly to the other side. But we’re not so lucky; it’s this, or traveling in heavy snow and life stealing mud. With the occasional undead to nip at our heels, probably,” Arin came to the defense of Tempest’s leadership, who nodded her thanks.

Vee wrinkled her snooter, not exactly pleased with the situation. Out of caution, her hooves touched down to a nearby stone. Popping her witchy hat off, the long, green tipped lance slid out of it. She hooked it under her forehoof and wing, strictly out of caution.

“...Nervous?” Tempest asked, her ocean green eyes examining the Purple with curiosity.

“If you had feathers in your brain like I do, you’d be as feathery smart as I. And you’d know not to snoot in the business of strange ponies in swamps.” Her expression turned into a glare over the water, coffee hovering ominously close to her purple leather armor.

The wide boat’s lantern gleamed as it slung in close, an old stallion rocking the pole in wide circles towards the shore. The boat seemed in good condition, which was a bit of a surprise given how dead and decaying everything was around them. The clouds above bathed the world in a soft gray, leaving the light well appreciated from the shade of the moss-heavy trees.

“‘Hoy there!” A gruff voice called out to them, the pale yellow stallion locking eyes with each and every one of the party’s members. “Travelers? In these parts? Hoho! Welcome, welcome! I bet you’re looking to make it to the Carnival, eh?”

“Carnival?” Tempest questioned. Her eyes ran along the far shoreline. “I don’t see a Carnival.”

“Oh? Well, it’s still daylight - do you expect the lanterns to be out and about? Not yet, not yet lass! I am the Ferry Stallion; I bring ponies across. Say - have you heard of this year’s show? ‘The Lights of Life’ they call it! Great stuff, great stuff - haven’t seen this act before! You’ll be dead if you miss it!” He clopped a hoof against the sturdy boat chuckling, grin nearly tearing his cheeks from how wide it was.

“It’s just across the mud, and the show is about to start. Here - tickets are free if you buy a drink on the way in!”

Even Arin felt uncomfortable, though it was his idea; second thoughts were often important. “I don’t know about this anymore. It may be faster, Tempest, but this guy looks shady at best,” he whispered just out of earshot of the tall old man.

“I’ve never heard of a Carnival in these parts. But a fresh drink does sound tempting; maybe we’re overreacting. Besides, I’d like to stay at a local Inn over the cold, muddy ground if there is one,” the Princess remarked, beyond tired of the stench of death.

Tempest thought hard on it, weighing the risk. “This is the fastest way across. Every minute is valuable; the moments we waste put Umbra in danger. I’ll chance a ride on your boat, but we have no time for a ‘Carnival’.”

The elder stallion laughed. “Very well! It’s not something you just miss, though. Hop on, and we’ll be on our way.”

Arin’s danger sense tingled - and even through the heat, he stepped closer to Celestia’s side out of trained habit. She felt his alarm bells ringing, and the Princess hugged the staff tighter in her wing.

The boat was rocked partly to shore, allowing the ponies a chance to climb on board. Pumpkin bounced her broom on first - before stuffing her preferred transport into her hat for safe keeping. Strange how they could fit so much inside, maybe one day Arin will take a look to see what the witches keep beneath their brims.

Vee joined close by her Sister’s pinions, a protective wing settling over her back. Tempest hopped on without any complaints, and Arin - in company of his Princess - joined the group last. The old Ferry Stallion maneuvered around the slick mud with a shove of his rudder, whistling into the humid bog air.