None of them could see even a hoof in front of their goggles, shoving through the snow that went to their chins, traveling in as straight of a line as they could manage. Nopony knew how long it had been of trekking other than it felt like the day had passed to night, then back to the morning of a new one. At the front of the pack, Applejack had the distinct displeasure of clearing the way for the rest, being guided by Rainbow Dash’s compass by the tug of the bungee line if she wandered too far off the course.

There was only one more stop they needed to rest at before their target was in sight. From the back of the group, Rarity and Spike kept an ear out for would-be predators, the rest keeping in formation as they pushed in single-file. From her leading position, Applejack felt the terrain beginning to shift, motioning the group to a slight rightward angle to move along the edge of what she believed to be the hill they would be resting.

Despite their hooves being beyond exhausted, they had to keep pushing for a while longer. The hill evened out eventually, AJ again taking them along its side, pressing down on something that gave way. The blizzard made it impossible to tell them to stop, Rainbow Dash colliding into her to send her another step forward.

The ground gave way, Applejack tumbling only a short distance into the cave before the line caught her. Rainbow entered after her, clutching at the icy outcroppings to work her way down, taking one of her spare glow sticks to crack, throwing it further into the cave.

A single ice-coated spider the size of a pony laid curled up a short distance away, whatever eyes it had a bleached white.

Fluttershy made her way down next, unhooking herself to make the approach to the creature. While the blizzard howled from the outside, Applejack and Rainbow Dash could hear her speaking to them.

“It’s okay, Mr.Frost Spider. We don’t mean any harm.” She approached closer, lowering herself to appear less threatening. The beast didn’t move, its eyes on them, unblinking and still. Fluttershy swallowed before reaching out a hoof, touching its front icicle protrusion. The beast flinched back, hissing as the pegasus backed up a bit. “See? We’re not that bad.”

It stopped its hissing, going silent and still, legs now pierced into the glacial walls around it. Rainbow got a sinking feeling as Fluttershy unveiled her face of the scarf and goggles, smiling at the creature with what would ordinarily tame bears. The spider didn’t move, didn’t blink, only stare, and that put her hoof onto her own hooks to make sure it tried nothing it would regret.

And as Flutters reached out her hoof, it pounced.

In an instant, she unleashed a blood-chilling scream. Rainbow unhooked herself to bolt at the beast, turning and kicking it off her screeching friend, it’s hisses coming accompanied by more further down the tunnel. “We gotta go!” Rainbow grabbed Fluttershy’s goggles and scarf to toss the Applejack, checking...

Crimson blood leaked from the whimpering Fluttershy’s leg as she laid curled up, shaking visibly even through the layers of clothes and the bags on her back. “Damn!” Rainbow grabbed her friend and bolted for the entrance. With the quick work of four hooves from the two, they set Fluttershy up with her gear before physically tossing her up the slope for Pinkie to grab, the mare pulling the rest of the way as Rainbow re-hooked herself and followed.

She and Applejack made quick work up the jagged ice wall, taking a moment to hook Fluttershy to the rope line before Rainbow went to her side to support her. “We’ve gotta go, Fluttershy! Move!”

She choked out a sob as she limped forward, Applejack once more passing the others to take the lead, moving toward the other set of hills that the map had showed. It was far out of their way, but there wasn’t a choice if all the spiders were like that.

“W-We’ve got a problem!” Spike’s faint voice pierced the blizzard howls, the darkness brightening up a moment as green fire spouted from their accompanying dragon.

“Dagnabbit!” Applejack turned her head back, seeing Spike shoot a second spout of flames, briefly illuminating another two frost spiders creeping from behind them. She turned her gaze back forward, scrunching up her muzzle.

It was going to be a long walk...

Ropes of vine connected the various pieces of the assembly, purple magic tying the last knots in the hide sails. Stitches crisscrossed the different pelts used in the making of the wind-catchers. While there was only the mainsail and two side sails, Sombra had produced an extra set from the animals he had been killing the past month, her thoughts about the notable absences being unintentionally answered. She knew Fluttershy would disapprove of the slaughter of so many creatures, but there wasn’t much else to use in the area. They were reserving the blankets for the trip, the prison bed covers weren’t strong enough, and everything else was too thin or infested.

The sun was getting low on the horizon, casting shadows over her work. Behind her, Sombra climbed aboard to move another set of supplies into their vessel. The effort he put into making sure she was comfortable on the trip was admirable, almost gentlecoltly. While she would like to sleep above the deck, being away from the chill-rending winds was her priority.

Heh. Chillrend-ing.

“Twilight Sparkle? Are you about finished securing the sail?”

“About done.” She licked the inside of her teeth, giving one last pull on each of the knots. “And done!”

“You’ve been a wonderful helper on the project. Thought I’d get something for you.” She turned to see him holding a board of some sort. It was smooth wood, burnt in a checkered pattern, with a wooden box on top. Twilight took it into her magic and sat down, opening the lid to her own smile growing.

“Y-You really didn’t have to. I was only helping a friend.” She closed it up and set it aside, staring at the green and purple that punctuated the darkness she had grown familiar with.

“Friends do give gifts, do they not?”

“Well, yes, but this must have taken you...” Her eyes lowered down to the board, the remark passing with her next word. “T-Thanks.”

“It is not a problem. I’ve started the fire, if you would like to retire for the night.”

She nodded back at him, getting up onto her hooves to get picked up in his tendrils and brought back to the dock. While teleporting would have worked fine, she found a novelty in the sudden chill of his shadows running up her spine. The two made their way to the nearest house, entering to a fire burning bright and illuminating the ruined living area around them, Twilight crawling up into her cot and wrapping the blankets to surround herself.

All the king did was sit and stare at the fire. It had been over forty days, maybe getting close to fifty. Two months spent with only the ‘evil’ and ‘tyrannical’ King Sombra, being ‘manipulated’ into believing he was kinder than how he really was. Then breaking free from her delusions.

Freedom... That’s what he spoke of. That he found somepony who made their own rules, who experienced true freedom. How far could she go with her magic? Could she taste the same freedom he did? What cost would she be willing to pay?

“Um, S-Sombra? Can I ask you something personal?”

“Depends on the matter.” His eyes turned up to find hers still focused on the flames.

“H-How did you become a shadow creature?”

He stayed silent for a few moments. “An unfortunate necessity of my work. The spell was far more complicated than I can reasonably describe without showing you. It took much of my training and years of study to perform. When it was over, the Crystal Empire, my glorious city, was made only mine. If you knew what I did, it may have seemed reckless, but it had to be done. For the safety of my subjects, I needed greater power than I had on my own. The consequence was it forced me to become an umbra.”

“Are there more of your kind? I-I mean, are there more of these umbras?”

“A few dozen, perhaps. You will see at least one more if you choose to sail with me. I won’t lie. It will be a hard journey filled with many dangers.”

“I’ve faced down danger before.” She straightened up her neck, providing a confident smile to the eyes that still stared her down.

“Don’t underestimate what you do not know. Is a timber wolf one of those major threats you’ve faced?”

“Of course! Ponyville is right next to the Everfree Forest. It’s rare, but I’ve seen a few and shielded one away from the town.”

“Think of what could make a timber wolf. Now think of the power such an entity wields when they can control two dozen of them in perfect synchronization. That creature, the entity controlling them, is afraid of the foes we will encounter if we’re unlucky. It’s not a matter of one timber wolf, it’s a matter of two-hundred undead skeletons charging you down with the support of a millennia-old necromancer. It’s the ancient vampire wandering the land with their thralls for more slaves to steal the souls from. It’s the fungus that eats away all living matter to make more of itself, turning you into a mindless husk or trapping you for years in crippling pain. Equinia is not like other continents. Equinia is far more peaceful.”

Twilight swallowed back the sudden dryness in her throat. Worse than... The entity that can make timber wolves? “B-But aren’t timber wolves r-runaway nature magic?”

“They are directed, focused agents of creatures deep below the ground, natural masters of nature magic. They control forests, swamps, kelp fields, jungles, and are ruthless isolationists. Never underestimate the hostile entities beyond your sight. The ursa roam mountains free and uncaring, lethal toxins pollute the fields and forests, unstable magic produces unpredictable arcane spawn or mutate the very life around it into twisted parodies. Or in the worst cases, open portals to let in malevolent entities from Tartarus or worse. Equestria may be a land of peace and prosperity, but it is by far the exception to the rule.”

She lowered herself back into her blankets. How dangerous could the wider world be? Sombra makes it sound as if he was traveling to some unspeakable land of horrors. Unless he is traveling to a land of unspeakable horrors. Are the Chillrend Mountains like that? Wait, no. More questions!

“Y-You said your final destination isn’t in our old homeland? If not, where is it?”

“A continent shielded from those disallowed to see it. It is the second largest continent in the named world, home to the most powerful and skilled magic users in all of pony history, and where I once called home. It is the first and last places one is free to pursue their own life without chains, an anarchic wasteland of the damned. Or an opportunity for salvation and enlightenment. There was where I found my freedom. I will always look back on my training with fondness, but it wasn’t where I wanted to continue my life. I would prove myself to my future mentors and find my own path forward under their tutelage. A trail I wish to show others toward.”

“H-How is it possible to hide an entire continent?” Twilight gulped.

“Magic and technology. It is the last continent where the old empire’s advancements can still be produced. And where I must go to restore myself back to full strength.”

“A-And, um, i-is it possible for me to learn about this magic and technology too?” She put on her sweetest smile, his eyes searching hers.

The king remained silent, his horn bubbling with dark magic as she kept her eyes focused on him. “If you are willing, yes. Lesson one: Cast light from your horn.”

Twilight focused on the beginner’s spell that’s taught to all unicorns, her eyes widening as it never came. Her hoof moved up to touch her horn even as he doused his. She tried again, it not coming. “W-What did you do?!”

“Look under you.”

Her head peeked beneath her cot, seeing a dark crystal with flowing lines of purple along it had grown directly underneath her and spread onto the base of her bed like vines through wooden beams. “H-How did you–“

“Cast the spell without you sensing it? In as simple a manner as you casting light from your horn.” The shadows moved over to go under her cot, the crystals breaking apart to be taken into his tendrils. “Watch.” He released the shards into the flames, changing the fire to a deep blue as the temperature dropped straight to freezing and frost began forming around it. “Each discipline of magic can be mixed with any of the others to produce a wide range of results, including the contradictory. By casting, rituals, enchantments, alchemy, belief, and knowledge, your soul can make use of the world to achieve the apparent impossible.”

His horn lit up, the dark blue turning to a bright blue that sent a wave of heat around them before it died back down to the orange and red it was before. All Twilight did was stare at the green eyes and purple wisps, trying to understand how shallow her understanding of magic was. Why didn’t any of the textbooks talk about combining magic types in a single spell? Why is the field of casting so far ahead of rituals, enchantments, and alchemy, but still an entire league behind what Sombra knows? How can believing something cast magic? Is it an aura that exists around every pony already? Seen but not felt?

Dismissed as ‘background noise?’

“I-I... don’t know what to say.”

Sombra let out a chuckle, breaking into his dark laugh to fill the nighttime sky. She cracked up a bit with her own giggle to add to it. Star Swirl came the closest to Sombra in terms of pure skill. He must have known some of what the king was talking about. Something to check out when she gets back home.

“You humor me, Twilight Sparkle.” A piece of bark floated from next to him as she scrambled back on her cot, staring at it as it floated up next to her. There was no field around it, her breathing shallow as she stared at the tree-skin being moved with nothing. “Ignite your horn.” She gulped as it lit up, casting a spell to observe magic flow. Several thaumaturgic tendrils extended direct from Sombra’s form, unseen but still real. “Magic needs not a horn on one’s head to manifest. That isn’t something they teach, now is it?”

“I...” The words failed to come to her open mouth, her hoof reaching out to grab the piece of bark, feeling its gentle weight as his magic ceased to hold it. Her gaze shifted back up to his eyes. “C-Can you t-teach me? I-I want to learn h-how to cast magic like you do.”

“Hmm...” He picked up a stick and floated in dirt from outside, laying it on the floor to draw ritual markings. “Yes. You must come with me on my journey, however. It could take months before we return. You won’t see your friends or speak to others except me until we reach our destination. Is the sacrifice worth it? If so, cast raw mana into the sigils.”

He floated the stick to the fire to throw in. Twilight took a deep breath in, fighting back the emotions. For days, she had been deliberating on traveling with him. Days spent going over her doubts and fears. Wait, was this the trap Celestia and Luna were worried about? What did the symbols mean? They were like the ones used by Sombra on the log. It could be a trick if he was manipulating her.

But if he wasn’t...

Green never seemed to look as pleasant as now. The six stopped at the first trees not coated by snow to take off their travel parkas and check what they had left. They ate through all the food the night before, their canteens now empty and stomachs growling. The cave they crashed in didn’t provide any comfort or safety, Applejack having only gotten about an hour of rest last night.

Celestia was right. This far north wasn’t like Equestria. The ice spiders were feral, chasing them back into the wastes to try another nearby hill that, gratefully, had an empty, frozen cave to sleep in. Fluttershy was the most distraught of them all, having cried herself to sleep the night before as the poison worked its way from the bite wound on her leg. A bloodied scarf donated by Rainbow Dash now kept the blood from flowing out. A band-aid solution until they picked them up in a few days’ time.

Why would somepony live this far north? From the looks of the terrain, grass would be scarce, and berries were nonexistent. What crops could they grow here? What sorts of animals did this land have?

Still, they made it. They could only hope Twilight was still kicking or the journey would have been for nothing.

“I’m going to check out the town from above.” Rainbow Dash took flight, leaving Rarity to her work.

Their unicorn friend unwrapped the scarf from around the foreleg, taking a peek at it. “Most of the bleeding has stopped. It’s not looking pretty around the edges, though.”

“Let me see.” Applejack walked over and peeked in, wincing at the green bits around the wound. “We’ll need to cut some of that out if it keeps gettin’ worse.”

“W-What if we, uh, burned it?” Spike asked, shuffling on his feet, both medically aware friends glancing at one another. Un-holstering the knife from the side of her bag, Applejack passed it to Rarity who floated it into the area.

“Sorry, Flutters. This is gonna hurt.”

The mare bit her scarf, whimpering as the knife began carving the infected edge from her body, pus forming and being wiped away by the other edge of the knife. Applejack motioned Spike over, the dragon standing back until Applejack removed the cut out flesh by hoof and Rarity moved away. The farm pony lowered Fluttershy’s pant leg, motioning her head forward. He gulped as he stepped up, seeing the bleeding wound surrounded by veins and blacked bits, covered in either blood or a yellowish-green fluid.

With a deep breath in, he blew his flames into the opening, Fluttershy’s scream muffled by the scarf, tears dripping down her face to soak into the fabric. Applejack used her scarf to cover the cauterized wound, sitting back and taking a deep breath. “Fluttershy? Do you need a few?”

The pegasus nodded her head, Rarity throwing the strips into a nearby bush before going over to where Pinkie was sitting, the mare having covered her eyes. The farm mare took a tree and closed her eyes, resting from the trek through the wasteland. When they saw their friend, it would be all worth it. After a few minutes of waiting, Rainbow Dash descended on them, landing next to Fluttershy. “It bad?”

“It’s better now.” AJ leaned forward from the tree she and Spike had claimed. “See Twi?”

“She’s at the dock on the far side. Didn’t see Sombra, but it looks like he’s been using her to build a boat.”

Fluttershy spat the scarf from her mouth, straightening up determined. “L-Let’s g-go get her.”

Rainbow helped her friend up from the ground, staying at her side as they began the rest of the trek down the hills. Crystal stones marked the paths leading into the town. However, they stayed along the outskirts until they got to the coast. What buildings they passed were overgrown in vines and moss, made of either stone, crystal, or only a pile of metal bits that survived from the formerly wooden homes.

When they started walking near to the shoreline, they took one street to move into the town, each keeping an eye out for the king. While they had the six elements on them just in case, if he attacked before they could get Twilight on their side, there would be no stopping him.

Around the corner on the next street, they spotted Twilight levitating several metal boxes onto the boat that bobbed with the light waves. Applejack halted the others, taking a moment to whisper back to them.

“Alright. Rarity, remember the stories?”

“Of course, darling.”

“Rainbow, you wanna do one last look above?”

“On it!” She bolted up into the sky.

“Pinkie, ya got the letters?”

“Y-Yup!”

“Alright. Now we just need Rainbow Dash and we can get goin’.” She took another glance around the corner, their unicorn friend being none-the-wiser about their presence. If she was mind-controlled, they had the elements to break it. If she was being manipulated, they had the stories. And if she was genuine, they had the letters to show how much she was being missed by her friends and family.

It was everything they needed, and as Rainbow swooped down to land next to them, they set out as six. The unicorn turned their way, shock crossing her face as she looked at them for the first time in almost two months. Rarity chewed her inner lip, somewhat envying Twilight for losing weight while out here, even if it was because she was being starved.

“G-Girls?! Spike?!” Twilight galloped toward them, bringing her little brother into a bone-crushing hug as the other five gathered around. “I-I’ve missed you so much! What are you six doing here?” She turned her eyes up onto the others, the nervousness on them pricking at her own joy to put her on edge.

“Twi, remember what happened last autumn?” Applejack stepped forward, Twilight nodding.

“My brother’s wedding was attacked by changelings and Queen Chrysalis. I’m not mind-controlled, by the way.” She let out a giggle, stepping over to Fluttershy. “What happened? Are you feeling alright?”

“I-I’m fine, Twilight. A-Are you?”

“Yeah?” She tilted her head, looking to the other five that seemed to still be expecting something. “What’s wrong?”

“Twilight. We need to get you out of here and back home.” Rainbow flew up, taking a quick check around before descending. “King Sombra hasn’t been telling you the truth.”

She straightened up, marching over to her other friend. “And what is the truth?”

“That he’s evil!”

Rarity sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Twilight, darling, Celestia and Luna told us what he did. He killed the old ruler of the Crystal Empire in cold blood, enslaved ponies to do his bidding in mines, and has performed ghastly experiments on other creatures. He’s not as nice as he may seem, and it might appear that way right now, but he will show you his true colors when he returns to take the Crystal Empire.”

Their friend winced a bit, looking around at the others. “W-Well, I don’t know if any of that is true. M-Maybe the experiment part, but I don’t think he’d use slaves for labor and murder his opposition.”

“Twi. I know you want to believe the best in him. I know you want to redeem him, but there’s no fixin’ a rotten apple.” Applejack took a breath in as Pinkie moved forward.

“T-Twilight, we brought some letters from home for you.” She reached into her bags to take out a bundle of envelopes, passing them to their friend who stared at them.

“T-Thanks...”

“It’s time to go home.” Spike put his claw on her shoulder, Twilight still staring blankly at the letters.

The silence persisted, the nervousness of the six getting worse with every passing moment. They were in the middle of the street. Easy to spot down either direction, and easy to close the distance. If Sombra saw them...

“No.” Twilight said, breaking their quiet. “I-I’m not going home. Not yet.”

“UGH!” Rainbow plopped on her rear, rubbing her eyes. “Why not?! We came all the way up here to see you!”

“A-And I appreciate you doing so, but there’s something else I need to do before I come back. I’m making progress on King Sombra and I can make him see a better way than conquest. Believe me, I’d love to go back home with all of you, but there’s something wrong that I need to get to the bottom of. I’m sorry you came all this way only to give me my mail. But I’m happy to see you before Sombra and I go across the ocean.”

“Across the ocean? You aren’t seriously going to travel with him, are you?” Rarity let out a scoff, rolling her eyes as the others tried to think of another way.

“What’s across that there ocean that isn’t at home?” Applejack asked with uncertainty.

“Answers. Celestia and Luna are liars. The world is much larger than we know, with history we’ve been misled about.” She moved over to Spike, kneeling down. “I-I’d love for you six to come along, but I don’t think Sombra will let you onboard.”

“Twilight. P-Please don’t go with him.” Fluttershy’s voice was near total faintness. Rainbow took one glance back to spot King Sombra moving the last boxes onto the boat as if he was in a rush.

“I’m sorry, I can’t. I promise, I’ll be back before you know it.” Twilight noticed the lack of attentiveness of her friends and turned around to see Sombra unhitch the boat, adjusting the sails and pushing his tendrils against the dock to send him off. She bolted forward, the others calling out after her.

“No! Don’t go!” “W-We miss you, Twilight!” “Don’t you dare get on that boat!”

Rainbow flew in front of her, tackling her friend to the ground. “You’re not leaving with him!”

“Get off!” Twilight lit her horn and shoved the pegasus from her, getting back to her hooves as Fluttershy landed ahead.

“Please stop!” Her tearful eyes sent a numbness from Twilight’s throat to tail, magic shoving Fluttershy aside to continue galloping. A light blue glow surrounded her body, briefly lifting her before her magic broke it, hooves hitting the ground running.

Or they would have if a pony didn’t grab onto her back leg and trip her over. Twilight flipped over to see Pinkie having been the culprit, the party pony giving a shy smile to her glaring eyes before letting go, her friend rolling back over to jump to her hooves. A bungee line landed over her head not a second later and briefly choked her before her magic cut it.

“Darn it, Twi!” Applejack called from behind, the sound of hooves getting closer.

As Twilight got onto the dock and the hoofsteps were a second from tackling her into the water, she lit her horn and teleported the remaining distance to the boat, crashing onto the deck face-first. “Ow!”

“TWILIGHT!” Rainbow and Fluttershy came flying over, the unicorn putting up a purple shield.

“I Pinkie Promise, I’ll come home in one piece! I left a note in the house near the dock! Please read it and understand why I have to do this!” she called back to them, both pegasi hovering in place, watching the boat move further and further away. Twilight held the shield until it started straining her, seeing that they weren’t following. Her heart ached to see them so close, yet so far. She forgot the mail in the rush too, leaving her to only wonder what has been going on while she was away.

“They are a caring sort. Perhaps too indoctrinated to see the wider truth.”

“S-Sombra. A-Am I making a mistake?” She turned around to face the shadows directing the rudder with the wheel they made.

“Want me to turn around so you can spend more time with them?” His eyes bobbed in the shadows, her heart stumbling as she stared at him.

“N-No. I-It’s fine. We need to get to the Chillrend Mountains, a-and they need to go back home.”

“Very well.” His eyes moved to gaze at the stuff he tossed aboard. “Would you like to get setup below the deck?”

“Y-Yeah. And thank you for offering to turn back.”

He let loose his maniacal laughter, Twilight giggling along with him. Eventually, he calmed down, staring her down.

“What else are friends for, Twilight?”

“I-I can’t believe it.” Applejack got out of the frigid water, pulling herself back onto the deck to stare off at the boat that kept getting smaller with every passing second.

The two pegasi returned, Fluttershy landing at the end of the dock to fall to her haunches, tearing up. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash landed next to AJ further down, staring off at the same ship. Pinkie burst out crying behind them to get comforted by Rarity and Spike, none knowing what to say.

“S-She said she left a note around here.” Rainbow cleared her throat, turning away and looking at the ruined town. “Hey, uh, how are we going to feed ourselves? Doesn’t look like there’s much grass and I doubt there’s a garden in there.”

“S-She left a note?” Rarity asked as she and the remaining two approached, receiving an affirmative nod from her chromatic-maned friend. “Pinkie? Would you–”

“YES!” Pinkie snapped out of her tears and ran off for the buildings, Spike following behind.

Applejack got up and walked to the furnace along the coast and sat down, heating her body in its warmth while the others did their own tasks. Luna wasn’t messing around when she said Twilight would resist. What was Sombra going to do to her? She would be gone weeks or months, with only him to provide her company. But there was time to grieve later. For now, they needed to get the essentials in order. Food, water, and somewhere to–

“Hey! Check this out!” Rainbow called from above, Applejack turning and galloping into the town toward her friend’s voice, seeing... “It’s like it’s some freaky monster!”

Potatoes. Lots of potatoes all over a house, growing on vines. “Well, I’ll be...”

“I know! This is what Twilight must have been eating!” She descended into the backyard, Applejack moving around to see the small field worth of crops.

“Heh.” She cracked a grin, her friend providing a smile her own. “I guess we won’t go hungry?”

Author's Note

Credits to Nebbie for the chase sequence idea.