Verve

Packed up, sore, and still somewhat stringy, the party made their way ever westwards. Vee, the usual flappy bird she was - had switched to clopping quietly on the stony floor, using a wing to carry her coffee instead.

It was just around a corner where Arin and Celestia’s suspicions were confirmed; an old cellar door, leading up. Not just one, but several; this would surely cover the western side of the town. There was even a spillover room, where excess stock could be carried - and a few barrels still remained. Chancing a peak, indeed - they were wine casks, though obviously out of date.

“You’d think wine would taste amazing after a few thousand years, but you’d be very wrong.” Celestia’s hoof pulled Arin’s hand away from the nearest barrel. “It’s likely sour by now, and extremely bitter. Besides, I don’t think we have the tools on hoof to tap a barrel, even out of curiosity.”

Upon hearing this, Tempest trotted quietly past a cask, before lunging an armored leg in a perfect hole through the side. The red alcohol spilled across the floor, the smell making Arin a little wary.

“Oh hey, it’s your coat color, Stern-fry! D’ohoho.” Vee chuckled, sipping up her coffee with a slurp. The Unicorn raised her back leg into view; indeed, it was rather… accurate. Her coat was a bit like grape juice, or merlot - definitely a fine wine, in her own eyes.

The pathway cut off shortly after, as the group was forced to trot through knee deep water for the next several hours. Pumpkin, being a bit small for the task - was forced to ride on Tempest’s back. It was a comfy position, as Tempest made an effort to drape a blanket over her armor. Pumpkin’s leather book strap came in handy as a belt, so the bundle of cloth wouldn’t slip to the chilly waters below. It’s like she had her own mount! Great news for the tired witch.

It was a grueling experience. Arin had to choose between soaking his boots through, or stepping on smooth stones through the dimly lit tunnels. Vee and Pumpkin’s lantern were the only source of light, besides the blue magic of the Lunar Realm - and the air was freezing. In the end, he walked unprotected - occasionally cursing as his foot clunked a rock, or rolled over a loose stone. The ponies had less issues, but it was still dangerous. He even had to waste a flash of Resurgence at one point, when he rolled his ankle and nearly collapsed.

Eventually, a thin, spreading wall of Lunar magic loomed before them - which they broke through eagerly, happy to be in the warmth of the late-Prancetember air, autumn quickly approaching - if not already here.

The smooth stones underhoof became steadily smaller, as they traveled deeper under the mountain above. The damp and cold made it a horrible spot for bugs of all sorts, no wonder the spiders avoided it. That, and a lack of prey may have helped.

“I wonder how the spider population grew so big? Where did they find the food to grow to such levels?...” Celestia thought aloud, as the gravel beneath their legs grew pleasant, and the waters more tolerable.

“Well, there um… was probably a lot of ponies in their diet, at first. Then all the other wildlife. Large spiders can go a long, l-long time without food. The swamp probably stopped their spread, at some point. And the mountains helped contain it. Some spiders a-also eat each other, t-too.”

“Like we practiced, Pumpkin. Steady your nerves and speak with confidence,” Tempest chided the small mare resting on her shoulders, to help break the habit. “You were doing so well, after the Carnival, too.”

“W-Well, I wasn’t cocooned in a scary web, after the carnival. But you’re right. I’ll try.” Pumpkin breathed, squeezing the stern Unicorn close.

By now, a distant light reflected off the waters of the small underground river, the approaching sun illuminating the caverns in sparkling rays. Around them, dozens of small crystals shined softly with the glimmer of color, filling the tunnel with a natural beauty hard to put into words. The party’s eyes lingered across the formations of rocks and reflective rainbows of cascading beauty, a magic feeling washing over them like the water flowing over their hooves. By now, the current picked up - the tunnels’ mouth soon approaching. At the same rate, the curve of the tunnel dipped lower, a light rumble of a small waterfall echoing to reach them.

“Keep your hooves steady. The water is still shallow, but we may have to scale down the falls if it’s too high,” Celestia recommended, as their steps grew quick with the water’s pull. Vee gently balanced her coffee on top of her mane, flapping her wings to silently float over the water. She plucked a couple of small crystals from the wall, plopping it in her bag for ‘Vee related business’ down the road. At least, that’s what she mumbled about.

As they approached the falls, the water turned a frothy white, pouring down into the light beneath them. It took several long moments for their eyes to adjust to the sunlight, taking in the small dip below.

A pure, clean stone spring lay beneath by roughly several hooves, pooling into a shallow pond. It quickly broke off into another plunge across the way, which fed into a small river. They rested on the western side of the mountains they meant to cross, a startling sight filling the horizon. Actually, it’s what didn’t fill the horizon that was concerning.

Roughly forty leagues away, the ground had shattered into scattered, clinging pieces; ending in a toppling ledge that fell into absolute nothing. At least, nothing they could see from their elevated position. Another strange thing was the atmosphere; while the air they breathed was unaffected, the blue sky grew thin this close to the World’s Edge. Thus the normal rich color above was faded, and stars were partially visible. As if night had fallen already, despite the sun’s light filling the world.

Sprawling forests rose up from the break in the hills, towering trees that seemed impossibly tall, hundreds of hooves high. And there, in the distance, they spotted it - a single Air Ship, stationary to the farthest edge of Equestria. It bore a massive blue balloon above, to typically meld into the sky - but against the black it stood out quite well. It seemed docked to something below, which was simply too hard to spot from their current vantage point.

“We did it,” Tempest mumbled, her cold, tired hooves near frozen in the rolling waters. “We’re finally here. The World’s Edge. In all my travels, I never thought I’d see something like this.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it, either,” Arin mumbled; how could a world just… stop? End? The horizon had nothing beyond it, save the distant stars. He was tempted to drop everything, strip to the nude - and fly as far as his wings could, just to see what was there. Or really… what wasn’t.

“I’m more interested in the forest. L-Look how big the trees are! They’re huge! G-Gosh, I wonder what lives there?...” Pumpkin tilted the brim of her hat, looking at the impressive spires of wood and leaf that shot through the roots of the earth. These trees alone must have kept this massive piece of the world from falling into the molten core, far far below. The were hundreds of hooves tall, and thick with branches near the top - traveling higher as you left the mountain’s embrace.

“I’m just here for the coffee and tax benefits,” Vee said, retrieving her cuppa to sip. “Maybe I’ll find some gold or jewels here. Shiny rocks to keep the bit-snooters at bay.”

Arin had begun to strip his Fey Glass armor and jerkin, much to the confusion of Celestia - before tossing it into the water below. It splashed into the clear pond, as the Seraph dived forward with an elegant flick of his wings. With a splash, he swam through the sun-warmed waters to the shallow end, snatching - and roughly scrubbing - his clothes and gear along the way.

“Well? What are you all waiting for? I’m not swimming alone am I?” He laughed from the cool water, pedaling backwards to look at the rock face he fell from. “By the Feathers! You should come look at this! It’s beautiful!”

Vee, in need of a good cleaning - shrugged, chugged her coffee, then belly flopped the short drop in her purple leather armor. Pumpkin hopped off Tempest’s back, helping return the blanket and belt to her bag and hat separately, before diving straight in - her marefriend not far behind. Celestia, laughing - threw herself backwards into the cool water below with a splash.

She floated beneath the surface for several moments, simply basking in the lovely, clean spring. The Princess threw her head back with a gasp, cascading water in a stream against the far rocks from her hair, before turning to look at the short falls they plunged from.

A spike of a large quarts pointed from just above the cave’s mouth, almost like a Unicorn’s horn. The shimmering crystals and beauty of the cavern radiated with light, almost like a glowing eye. It looked like a unicorn, if you squinted hard enough. With the trees leaning over the water, they had ample shade to work with for privacy and relaxation both.

“I think we’ll camp here for a while, before we start making headway towards the airship,” Tempest called to the party, a collective sigh of relief following. After their nearly fatal run-in at Driderhold, a break was very well deserved.

Tempest - being rather strict even when relaxing with her mare - guided Pumpkin towards the bend of a tree’s branch; the leaves a perfect cover to set up their tent. The soft sand was cushy and cool, and the reflected sunlight from the water made pleasant lights in the canopy’s boughs.

Vee, floating lazily in the water - heard the call for a break and was much too happy to exploit it. The waterfall, after all, was essentially a giant birdbath to her. With a few flicks of her tired wings, she made her way lazily to tumbling falls - letting it pummel her mane beneath the tide.

Celestia and Arin didn’t rush to pitch a tent or start a fire. Near immediately, the first thing they did - was dig around in the Princess’s own pack for her shampoo. “Let’s clean up before we set up camp. I know you’re dying to get that gunk out of your mane, and I’m desperate for a wash, too.”

“Are you sure you’re not my soulmate?” she chimed, leaning in for a quick kiss. Arin eagerly returned it, humming quietly as the ‘quick’ kiss turned out to be much longer than intended.

All of the tensions over the last few days could finally start whittling away - the marshy bog and its undead hooves, the Carnival and its strange, surreal reality, the horrible webbed forest and all the spiders within… It could all, finally, come to a rest - even if only for a while.

The serine pond twinkled in the waning day, as Celestia viewed over the approaching cosmos in the distance. “When night comes, I dip the sun beneath the distant edge of Equis. That’s when the Solar Plane is at its weakest, as the long ancient magic keeping the world from scorching away into a fiery collapse strings the broken fabric of reality together, on this ledge. At night, from the highest point in Equestria - you can just see the edge of the sun hiding beyond the horizon awaiting my call.”

“Mm? So you’re saying that once you move past that edge, reality stops, or?...”

“No, you simply move out of the sphere of magical influence. But seeing it this close worries me of what will come if the Lunar Magics fully eclipses it. Nothing like this has ever happened before. The sun wouldn’t blink out, but… if the last of the ambient Solar Energy fades, and I’m too weak to tug it from beyond the horizon - will I ever be able to raise the sun again?” Celestia aired her worries to Arin, who now became anxious as his fingers dug through her soapy mane.

“Princess, you’re kinda making me nervous here. Are you saying there’s a deadline? You mentioned it before, but...”

Celestia tilted her head back, a single magenta eye locking to his golden irises. “Tia.”

“Oh! Right, yeah. Sorry. Just worried, that’s all. But Tia, are things really that dire?” His digits worked through a single knot of soapy pink hair, tugging gently at it - before it finally gave in and untangled. A soft ‘ow’ from his lover meeting his ears, the Seraph giving an ear scritch in compensation.

“Well, yes and no. It’s just a theory. With the sun no longer able to provide Solar Magic to counter the overwhelming Lunar Magic raining across Equestria, the moon could ‘wash away’ the last remnants of sunlight. So while the sun may still exist, it would be outside the sphere of our atmosphere’s influence. Or! I’m simply fretting too much about the finer details, and in reality, I could just move it through the sky, as per usual.”

Arin dug around in his waterproof Feywild pouch for a clean pot, slipping the cooking utensil out to scoop up a rough gallon of water. With an unceremonious splash, the Princess gave an adorable ‘eep’ as the clear liquid washed away the suds.

“Let’s just hope it’s the second option. I don’t even want to think about an adventure off the cliffs. As Vee would put it, that sounds ‘terrible for the feathers’.” The Seraph smirked, the alicorn snorting under the cool water.

Vee poked her head from under the waterfall, glaring. “That’s five bits in royalties, Tall-fry. I’m docking it from your pay.”

“What?” the Seraph called back, the crash of the waterfall muting Vee’s neighs from the far side of the pond. Better yet, how could she even hear him talking about her? Was it some kind of sixth sense?...

Eventually, Vee slid her head back under the water - using a hoof to dictate her eyes were always watching Arin. How? Did she… stare at him, through the pouring falls?

“Let’s move under some tree branches, for a little more privacy.” Celestia eventually offered, “We’ll finish up our bathing there, and move on to more… sensual matters. I won’t lie, Arin - if I don’t have a personal touch soon, I’m going to snap and pin you down.”

“That’s a bit much, don’t you think? Shouldn’t you ask me first?” He chuckled, swatting after her flank. The morning mare blushed, but gently returned it with a whip of her tail.

“No, I’m saying that neither of us would be able to trot afterwards. And we have a lot of trotting left to do. Forty leagues, by my guess - that’s a sixteen hour march at a quick, tiring pace. I think even Tempest would collapse if we attempted that in a day.”

“Where’d you learn that?” he asked; the leaves above them shed away any prying eyes, as the Princess presented her mane for conditioning.

“It’s part of Equestria’s military initiation for the Earth Pony front line. Even my royal guards know how hard it is to keep a pace like that for long, when wearing a full set of heavy gear. Luckily, we’re not nearly as armored as a Hoof Battalion. It should be doable over two days, at best. And if we’re lucky, we’ll put plenty of distance between us and the impending wall of Lunar Magic.”

He worked his digits in small circles across her scalp, thinking. “I think I heard that before. Years ago, back when I lived in the Castle with you and Luna. Now that I think about it, it was Vapor Cloud who told me, before we entered the knight tournament. Did you know he was promoted to Guard Captain in your absence? I think Luna gave him the title because you were, well… out of commission. Bless his resting pinions.” Arin sighed. Celestia cracked an eye at that.

“He’s not dead. At least, not yet. Vee’s foresight is really spot on. Almost as good as my own. It’s a skill that comes with time.” She hummed, using her magic to draw the still-sheathed blade at her side. The enchantments on it prevented rust and wear, but it could use a cleaning. The ichor had dried, leaving it sticky and unpresentable. She tossed it into the water, letting it boil for several moments with a swish - the Solar Magic within heating the water rapidly around it, at her whim.

“You know, I never prodded much into the Knight swords, and how they worked. Think I’m worthy of knowing?” the Seraph eventually asked, Celestia withdrawing the polished blade with a smile.

“It’s a two part spell that makes them function; as a blade, it absorbs ambient Solar Magic, much the same way I do. But as a tool of devotion, the spell of protection requires a full ceremony to perform. If you skip over the details, a Knight may easily betray you - it’s the words that carry the burden of the enchantment, after all. I temporarily entrusted the blade to Tempest, but since we rushed the ceremony… Well, she didn’t have to listen to my orders.”

Arin brushed through her mane one more time with his fingers, massive wads of hair filling his hands. He quickly dipped his digits into the cool, shaded waters, letting the stream pull the matted light red mess free.

“One more question then, Tia… how do you have so much hair? It’s endless! By the Feathers, how are you not bald after one shower?”

“The hairs of my mane are very, very thin. It’s why it animates so easily in magic. And before you ask - it changes color based on how much magic I carry within me. Before I was touched by harmony, it flowed and gleamed with a soft, subtle crimson - to match my pink eyes. My horn is much the same, shining from pink - to red, and finally, gold when I’m empowered.”

As he finished up with her mane, and turned to her coat - her voice became quiet. Embracing the touch of his hands, feeling him delicately scrub away the grime from their forest trek. It was heavenly, and soon, other thoughts began to stir. In a nearby brush line, a battle-scarred Unicorn had much the same mindset with a little mare; which she would finally embrace under the boughs of branches and leaves with her lover.