The Järkivääristää

Chapters

The Fairytale
The Forest
The Dream
The Spiral Shrine

The Fairytale

“You have to trust your own judgement, Twilight.”

As the Sun rose beyond the mountains, the Canterlot garden was witness of Twilight’s wondrous magic training. Shining Armor explained the fine details every unicorn needed to understand for making graceful use of magic. Twilight listened to every word with attention while concentrating in the spell she had been attempting repeatedly since long before dawn. She had got up early for a long day of training and training was all she would do.

Shining Armor continued, “remember magic is just a tool. The most important part of every spell is how it affects the world around you. When you can think of every aspect of each spell, you will have a much easier time casting it.”

Twilight focused on the task at hand. She felt the earth below her reclaiming the power of long gone lifeforms. She felt the absence of the Sun’s energy in the future, where her creation belonged. She felt the water spreading, reaching to the skies in a swift cry for glory. She felt the fire of life running through each grass blade. She heard the sounds of growing and the echoes of all the animals in the gardens. A white light bathed her horn and her mind and, with the clarity of the epiphany she just had, a light beam gave birth to a majestic tree full of life where only a seed stood moments ago.

“You see, Twilight? When your logical mind is on par with the abstract world of magic, the confusing details become clear and natural, because magic is part of nature too,” the white unicorn finished. “You are progressing. I’m very proud of you.”

Twilight replied smiling. “Thank you, brother. I have learned so much from you. So many things missing in the books.”

“Keep working,” he interrupted, “and you’ll get better than Celestia herself soon. I have to get our soldiers ready for tomorrow, so I have to leave now. See you at lunch.”

The purple student nodded and promptly returned to her training while Shining Armor walked back towards the castle. The pristine beauty of the gardens embraced Twilight’s gaze again just before she made the new tree burst into flames until only a bunch of cinders were left.

* * *

“What this lunch is missing is Applejack’s fine apples,” Twilight mumbled. After a whole morning of preparations the delicacies served in silver plates Canterlot staff offered felt somewhat light. Some good apples or even apple pie would satisfy her hunger much faster. She could, anyway, as a honored guest, eat as much as she wanted.

Shining Armor was there, of course. Celestia too. And a whole cohort of renowned ponies that Twilight didn’t care about. But what was really unusual was Luna’s presence. She had made an exception in her royal duties and was attending the meeting at midday.

This was unheard of, at least for Twilight. She knew of many instances in which Celestia and Luna had filled for each other during the rising or setting ceremony, but seeing both sharing a midday meal had caught her off-guard. Her curiosity was overwhelming, but it wasn’t long until they spoke about it.

Celestia called for attention. “Welcome everypony. Please, allow me to overlook the protocol for this is a very special occasion,” she said loud enough for the thirty-so ponies present to hear.
“The matter at hand is of utmost importance and should be kept secret for the safety of our kingdom.”
A muted gasp echoed at the other end of the room.

“We have received notice of an evil beyond comprehension brewing near the frontier of our land. We, however, believe this evil to be inside our realm of knowledge, but it should be noted that hearing its name will cast disbelief and doubt. Take a moment to comprehend that this threat is real, even if its name evokes only fables and kids tales. You have seen many old tales come back to life and this is no exception. The threat in question is the Järkivääristää.”

All of the guests mumbled loudly and talked to each other. Disbelief was rampant and the ones that didn’t take it for impossible were dumbstruck. Nopony made sense. Twilight didn’t know what to think. All those soldiers and scholars knew better than to upset the Princess. Everypony trusted her and she wouldn’t lie like that, but they were calling her a liar.

Celestia sighed in defeat. Luna stormed onto the table and stomped fiercely on it. “Listen, ye, royal subjects! Thou hast to abide to our command!! For this is a big, real, problem! The Järkivääristää is not a matter of laughter! Thou hast to trust us! There is no way to prove it or otherwise demonstrate its truthness, but that is how it is!”
She marked her words stepping vehemently against the marble table leaving everypony frozen on their chairs. “Thou must act in our behalf!!”

After a silence that seemed to last forever, all the ponies but the soldiers and Twilight stood up and left, chatting about Luna’s terrible manners and the unbelievable madness that had struck their royal crown.

“Yes. Of course!” she muttered, “we wouldn’t have expected anything more from such spoiled servants.”

The blue Princess stepped down the table and walked to her room barely stopping to tell her sister. “We told thou it wouldn’t work, sister. It cannot work. Thou need trust, not logic. Logic won’t work against the Järkivääristää. We’re going to sleep now. We need to be ready if the Järkivääristää attacks sooner than expected. Or should We say ‘when’ it attacks.”

Celestia sat on the floor beneath the table with a miserable expression on her face. The Royal Guard soldiers stood still while Shining Armor lectured them. Only Twilight seemed really concerned about Celestia’s feelings.

She approached Celestia and asked softly. “What is going on, Princess Celestia? I don’t understand any of this.”
“Oh, my faithful Twilight. I knew I could count on you,” answered the colorful mare, while slowly regaining her composure. “Do you know perchance what the Järkivääristää is? I wonder if you can even begin to understand its power.”

“I know it’s an old tale,” her student replied, “about a monster that lurks in the forests and deceives with its magic to win the wills of its victims, but it’s only a story and at the end it’s slain, never to come back again... right?”
Twilight started to be more concerned about her knowledge of the tale than the monster itself.

“Yes, Twilight. That is how the tale goes, but there’s much more to it than meets the eye. The Järkivääristää is a monster that can’t be described to others. You have seen many fairy-tale monsters throughout your journey. It’s not a stretch of mind to think this particular one would exist, is it?” Celestia asked in a worried and uneasy tone. Twilight felt a slight shiver.

“Well, it wouldn’t be impossible for the Jerkberryst to exist, I guess.”

“So, do you think you could fight it?”

“Of course not. It’s just a fake monster from an old story!” Twilight bursted triumphantly.

Celestia sighed again in defeat, wiping Twilight’s big grin out of her face.

“Do you see how powerful this thing is? You can’t even believe in it if you don't actually see it. I need you to trust me. I need you to have blind faith on what I am about to tell you, Twilight.”

Twilight was feeling a mix of fear and enthusiasm, for a test of faith in her Princess was something she considered the easiest task ever. “I am ready for any test, princess.”

Celestia stood up and looked sharply at her. “Twilight, my most faithful student, today’s test won’t be a matter of knowledge. I need you to take action and go beyond the Everfree forest to banish a creature out of a fairy tale.”

Twilight was confused and scared. She thought Celestia was losing her mind. Then she thought she was losing her own mind for having thought that. She barely knew what she was signing for, but that made her even more excited. Finally she gathered all her courage and said, “yes, Princess Celestia. I will do as you say.”

“Good. Thank you. And, please, try and convince those soldiers and your brother too. I don’t want you to roam the forest alone,” added the ivory mare while writing a note for Twilight and the soldiers.

Meanwhile, Twilight asked, “should I take the Elements of Harmony with me? It seems like we might need them.”

“The Elements of Harmony are to stay here at Canterlot. I’m sorry, Twilight,” she explained serious and concerned “but even on your hooves it would be too much of a risk. If they fall under control of the enemy we wouldn’t have any chance of defending against them.”

The student looked confused and worried, but Celestia reassured her “don’t worry, Twilight. You have fought and won many hard fights before. I have faith in you, even if my sister has doubts. I’m confident you will triumph once again.”

Celestia gave her the note and retired to her other duties. Twilight called Shining Armor, who was still correcting the soldiers.

“Will you help me slay this Jarkeybarista beast, brother?” she asked lightly.

“I don’t know, Twilight. This is so weird. I have never seen Celestia order something so ludicrous. The soldiers of the Royal Guard itself are on the verge of mutiny. I trust you, and Princess Celestia, of course. But this is bigger than just us. I need to keep order here while this madness lasts,” Shining told her sister, “I will, however, order my most trusted stallions to keep you guarded, since you are going beyond Everfree. I wouldn’t let my dear sister alone on this task. And believe me, I would go with you if this kingdom could afford it.”

His sister breathed deep with a mix of pride and discontent. She understood the situation quite well, but she still wanted to stay longer with him. “Thank you, brother. I will make you proud, even if this mission turns out to be as absurd as it seems.”

* * *

She had been studying for hours. She wanted to understand. She needed to understand why Princess Celestia had made her train on violent magic spells. Why she wanted her to be even better than she was just to go look for something questionable. She needed to understand why she was going to fight something that didn’t exist and, obviously, she needed to know how to defeat something that does not exist.

For a moment, she guessed she had already defeated it. Alas, it didn’t exist! Problem solved! But she would have to go look beyond the forest to check anyway, so better be ready.

That brief moment of glory was interrupted by a pink pony who entered the room with a delighted smile.

“Oh, hello, Cadance,” Twilight greeted.

“Good afternoon, dear,” she replied, “Would you mind if I intrude a little here?”

“Not at all. I’m glad you came. I was going nuts with this weird mission.”

“Is there something in particular I could help with?” Cadance asked with a hint of worrying.

“I’m not sure. I mean... I get that I have to go check for this fabled creature, just in the off-chance it does somehow exist, but all these dangerous spells... Where do they even come from? Why would anypony need them?”

Cadance changed her expression to a crooked smirk. “Well, you do remember what happened on my wedding day, don’t you? There are some unreasonable creatures we need to deal with.”

“Yeah, I know. But that’s not the point. Even though I still think we could have reasoned with the changelings, I understand some uses of magic can be violent, but this...” she paused for a moment looking at the old books she had on the desk, “this doesn’t feel as good as the magic from the Elements of Harmony.”

“What do you mean?”

“All this array of different spells... You’d think one true power would be all that’s needed for winning all the battles, but... there’s no always-winning move here. This doesn’t feel like magic. This feels like war.”

After Twilight said that, her look still fixated on the ancient writings, a looming silence engulfed the room. For a few seconds only the crackling of the fireplace could be heard. The alicorn didn’t even breath.

“I don’t think I can help you with that, dear,” she spoke slowly, almost trembling in fear. “You are much more proficient and knowledgeable about magic than me. We are even only because I am older.”

“Oh, don’t say that,” Twilight replied cheerfully, “You only need to practice something different. If all you do all day is telekinesis, that’s all you’ll get. I’m sure Shining Armor would be more than pleased to teach you.”

“Twilight!” her pink friend giggled relieved. “You shouldn’t be so meddlesome. I’m sure he has taught me many tricks that are not in the books, you know? I hope he’s not teaching you that.”
Cadance threw herself onto a couch, blushing as the mood lightened up.

Twilight twitched a little as her look went blank when she understood what Cadance was talking about. “Why would you tell me that, you little brat?” she babbled raising her voice and a pillow in her magic grasp.

The Moon rose as Cadance and Twilight played in her guest room. Many questions lay ahead, and they didn’t know when would be the next time they’d be together, so they rejoiced in their ignorance for a while, before going to bed. The night passed and they woke up together. Twilight was finally ready to say goodbye and depart for adventure.

* * *

The palace’s courtyard was filled with mares and stallions when Twilight got there. The best soldiers of the Royal Guard awaited in formation for Celestia’s speech. On the balcony above them, the Sun Princess addressed them. “Our loyal soldiers, we have an announcement to make. We have listened to the concerns of the ponies in Canterlot. After much deliberation, we have decided to call off the mission for the search of the Järkivääristää. You will stay on duty here at Canterlot as usual. Thank you for your patience and understanding. At ease!”

After this, all the soldiers seemed relieved. The faithful unicorn needed a minute for it to sink in. Soldiers roamed past her as she tried to get up to date. Eventually, she started to feel relieved too, as she wouldn’t have to cross through the spooky forest.

“Hey, Twilight,” a familiar voice called, “what are you staring at?”

The purple student shook her head and recovered her focus, “I just... I thought the mission was firm and solid. I mean... I have this written orders for the soldiers and all,” she said to Shining Armor.

“Oh, don’t worry anymore, sister. You know this Jorkhamista issue was never too sound to begin with.”

She finally got over it and a smile bloomed on her face. “You’re right! I guess the Princess has been working too hard lately, huh?” she laughed.

“I’m sure she’ll be okay, though,” replied Shining Armor with a smirk. “Do you want to eat some sweets? I’m starving with all the excitement and the work for the preparations, but now it’s over I think we can relax together for a while before you go back to Ponyville. What do you say? Apple smoothies?”

“Apple smoothies it is, B.B.B.F.F!”

They left the courtyard and the palace stood silent as if that morning nopony had been there.

* * *

The coffee shop at Canterlot’s main square was very crowded. Twilight and her brother were sitting at a cosy table outside, far from the entrance, behind some bushes. Six empty glasses crowned their table after a morning of fruity drinks.

“And then she told me about the other one! Can you believe it?” Twilight said laughing.

Shining Armor turned red for a moment. “You shouldn’t allow her to talk to you like that. It’s so uncouth!” he said faking a hurt pride.

“I didn’t let her! She kept speaking under the pillows!” she shouted.

“Then I’ll have to keep you from seeing her. Hahaha!” Shining Armor laughed loudly. “That mare is so gossipy! Haha! Did she tell you about what happened with Luna after that?”

His sister rolled her eyes, “Well, of course! I can’t believe you didn’t get in trouble.”

“Oh, but I did get in trouble, and she forbid me to enter the kitchen at night ‘For. Ever. Again.’ She was mad! Hahaha!”
The stallion cleaned a tear out of his eye. He kept laughing for a while with Twilight.

She sighed in melancholy and changed the tone. “Aaah, I wish we could stay together longer. I’ve missed you so much these years!”

Shining Armor smiled and cheered her up. “We’ll be in touch. I promise to write more often. You know I read all your letters, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s just... I’m gonna miss these moments.”

The warm sound of the distant crowd embraced them as they kept silent for a while.

“Do you want another round?” he asked.

Twilight raised her sad eyes which opened in terror. “Oh, no, no! I’m so full! I think I’ll even have to skip lunch! Haha!” she giggled.

“Ok, then. When are you leaving?”

“Oh, I guess I could wait until later. Celestia said I could use one of the pegasus chariots whenever I needed to go back to Ponyville or anywhere else,” she answered, pausing for a moment as her brother nodded. “So... do you have another tale of terror with the adventurous Princess Mi Amore?” she smirked.

* * *

Her violet mane fluttered around her lilac horn as the pegasus landed her near Ponyville. She thanked them and got a brush out of her saddlebag to fix her hair. She breathed deep and began walking towards the library.

A well known rainbow trail slammed the path before her, however, leaving there a blue pegasus smiling in awe.

“You’re back already! I saw the Canterlot chariot and went to warn the others and came back to welcome you! Woohoo!” she jumped in excitement. “Uh... How come you’re here so soon? Weren’t you on a mission?”

Twilight took a moment to recover from the fright of Dash’s sudden appearance, then answered. “Well, the mission was over sooner than expected. There’s not much more to it. It was--” she stopped when she noticed four more ponies galloping towards them.

“Weeeelcoming partyyyy!!” shouted Pinkie as she slid past Twilight, trying to brake, leaving a trail of confetti and streamers.

“We missed you so much!” said Fluttershy, the loudest her soft voice allowed.

Applejack confirmed crying, “oh, yeah,” and Rarity spoke a tender, “we have been worrying the whole week, darling. It’s so good to see you again.”

They snuggled her in a comfy group hug and she sighed feeling their caring embrace.

“It hasn’t been so long, really...” she commented.

“But it sounded like such a perilous mission... and all on your own!” Rarity yelled.

“But I didn’t tell you what the mission was about. I didn’t know it when I left, remember?” Twilight questioned raising her eyebrow.

“Oh, that’s right,” the farmer said surprised, “but we worried and missed ya anyway. We didn’t know what would happen to you.”

Twilight breathed deep again. She was very mentally tired. “It has been a weeeeird week,” she told them as she began walking again.

“Don’t worry, Twilight!” Pinkie yelled trotting around her, “I’m going to call a DJ and bake a cake and the party will be ready in half an hour!”

Twilight shivered at the idea, but she tried to be polite. “Uh, Pinkie? I think a slumber party with a quiet meeting is enough, maybe? I’m too tired for dancing, really.”

“Oh... ok. It’s gonna be fuuuun!” she hollered.

They walked together to the library while Twilight explained everything that happened that week. She talked about the sinister training in the darkest of arts. She told them about the mysterious creature that tormented the Princesses. She spoke too of the blissful times she had with her brother. Upon reaching the library she asked for some alone time while she unpacked and re-sorted her tasks, leaving the meeting for the noon.

She opened the door of the library and found Spike reading a book with his feet on the table. “Twilight!” he shouted before falling on his back from the tilted chair. “Ow! I didn’t expect you to come back so soon.”

“It’s a long story,” said the mare, “I’m sure it’s not as interesting as... Lairs and Lizards?” she wondered after picking up Spike’s book and reading the title. “Is this some kind of tabletop game? Who are you playing with?”

“Oh, that’s... well... actually... I... I just like it for the pictures,” Spike answered failing to conceal his shame.

“Whatever. We will talk about this later. Listen, Pinkie has insisted we have a meeting tonight. Would you mind spending the night with Sweetie Belle so Rarity can come here? It seems their parents are away today.” she requested, dismissing the book.

“Huh? Well, of course. I’d be pleased to take care of her. Are you ok, though?”

She looked at him trying to find what he meant. “Of course. I’m all right. I’m just very tired. This week has been exhausting.”

She stepped slowly to the bathroom. “I’m going to take a bath. You can leave for Rarity’s right now if you want. I’d rather be alone for a while anyway,” she smiled.

“Hmm... fine,” murmured the dragon, “I guess you’ll tell me tomorrow if anything’s wrong.”

He shrugged and left the tree-house to go to the Carousel. Meanwhile, the purple pony slid herself between pink soap bubbles in hot, steamy water.

* * *

Twilight felt much better after a night with her friends. She had time to explain with detail each day she had passed at Canterlot and, in turn, they told her of their daily adventures in Ponyville. Pinkie made a luscious breakfast for everyone and cheered the worried student even more.

“Thank you, Pinkie. This is the best dish I’ve eaten in a long time,” Twilight complimented the chef, “even in Canterlot, with all their fancy cooks, there’s nothing as savory as this.”

Pinkie giggled. “That’s because it’s made with looove!”
Her big grin spread to the other mares. They let the silence speak. The comfy tree-house smelt of sweets, fruit and incense. The nice and comfortable feeling that filled the room had raised from nothing, through their years together, into a blooming friendship in which they could rely forever.
Suddenly, something clicked in a multi-coloured head that made her spring her eyes open as she remembered something from the night before.

“So, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash commenced, “do you think we could try out that speed spell you were talking about? If I could fly even faster than now I would no doubt win my entry into The Wonderbolts.”

“I already told you. It’s only temporary. I cannot be there casting the spell every time you need it. Besides, it’s dangerous. I haven’t really tried it on anypony,” she explained with concern.

“Oh, right. But I would like to try it anyway. Even if just to see how fast is the fastest anything can go!”

Fluttershy asked a timid question. “Don’t you think you might get hurt? What if a bird crosses your path and you don’t have time to see it?”

“Huh!? Your paranoid brain is right! Maybe I should use a wind shield spell too...” the blue pegasus pondered.

“That’s not what I meant...” replied the yellow one.
“Like that’s going to happen,” Twilight interrupted. “I’m not going to do a spell so complex for such a foolish end, you should know be--” she was stopped by someone knocking soflty on the door.

She opened with her magic and the short silhouette of the purple dragon entered the main hall.

“Twilight, I know you wanted to be alone with the ladies, but this letter has been bugging me,” Spike explained babbling.

Twilight grabbed the parchment he offered and opened it. “A letter from Celestia? When did you receive that?”

“About... midnight... this night?” he replied.

“Celestia writing so late? That’s so unusual. You should have come here right away! We were awake late anyway.”

The tiny dragon cringed at his failure. “I’m sorry. I thought you’d be upset if I wasted your party over nothing.”

“Shut up, I’m reading,” she blurted. Then she began reading the letter aloud.

“My faithful student Twilight Sparkle,

It is not without shame that I write you these words, for they mean I have

failed on my intent of safeguarding Equestria and its inhabitants, and must

rely on you for this task.

As I told you, I need you to trust my words with blind faith. I also need you to

act with haste as soon as you receive this letter.

I had to call off the search in fear of the kingdom falling into chaos, as nopony

but you could have believed the truth, but the beast is real, Twilight, and

it is still out there, waiting for the moment our guard weakens for a fatal strike.

I know it will be hard for you to believe it, but you must go right now to the

other end of the Everfree forest and accomplish your mission.

I’m sorry about the difficult circumstances. I can’t even send you any

help. If somepony else reads this letter, the kingdom would fall in disarray.

Just remember that, even with all the training and knowledge you have

acquired until now, you won’t be able outpower this creature in a direct

confrontation. I trust you will find a way to defeat it.

I trust you completely.

Celestia.”

Her heart froze and she broke out into a cold sweat when fear flooded her mind. A silence heavy as the Sun crushed her soul each second it lasted. She let the message fall to the floor and stared voidly to the infinite abyss of her fate.

“But that means... Sugarcube, are you all right?” Applejack broke the silence, her voice filled with concern. The unicorn stood frozen in place.

Pinkie grabbed the letter from the floor and looked at it scrutinizing each word. “So... what this says is... the improbable beast is quite probable? Is that it?” she asked looking at Twilight waiting for her reaction.

“Don’t be silly, Pinkie,” Rarity intervened, “that is preposterous. There has to be a mistake, right, dear?”

“Of course... that must be it. I must be mistaken. Have I read it right?” Twilight pondered, sporting a crooked smile and a twitchy eye. “Let me read that again.”

“Hey, where’s Fluttershy?” Dash commented, missing the whole point of the issue.

The host breathed deep and recovered her temper. “Ok, no. There’s no mistake. Celestia must have gone completely nuts,” she stated confidently, “but so have I. We cannot lose any more time. We must go to the Everfree forest and slay a dream creature that possibly exists only in imagination.”

“WHAT!?” all her friends yelled in unison at the shocking news.

“Think about it,” she continued, “even if Celestia and Luna are absolutely mad, we need to do something. We have to try at least. Go to the source of the problem, find it, and destroy it. Even if that means going to the other end of the darkest forest, understanding the inconceivable or... I don’t know... going into their minds and deleting their wrong memories... whatever. But we must do something. Anything!”
Her convinced look and inside anger showed in her face, but the crippling doubts and the terrible fears were kept inside, hidden with pure determination to heal her princess’ fears.

“Everything!” shouted the blue pegasus who was pulling the scared yellow mare from a pillow fort. “Right, fillies?” she finished, surprised with the lack of enthusiasm of her friends.

Rarity stepped towards her. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I have a business to run and I can’t allow me to go run after a fictional figment of a hazy story from a kids’ book. I’m sure this can be resolved without us leaving our duties unattended,” she spoke with a haughty attitude.

“What? Are you implying your dumb clothes are more important than Celestia’s head?” Rainbow replied letting go of a pink tail that rushed under a blanket.

“How dare you, you spoiled filly!? There are some adults here that work for a living, you know? Why would our beloved leader be against hard working ponies anyway?” the clothier exclaimed angrily.

“Aye! Ah have to take care of a farm and a family! I’m sorry for her majesty, but important things must go first,” the orange pony argued timidly, not really certain of which side she was on.

“Hey! You should know better than that! I also have a job, but how could we do it knowing that our princess could be in trouble? Also, I wouldn’t want to let Twilight down...” told them the pink baker, knowing she was treading on murky territory, trying to pull them out of the business talk.

“Ok, shut up, everyone!!!” Twilight exploded, “I know this is hard for you, but... what are you doing? You are not like this. Don’t you see you haven’t been this divided since Discord attacked? Can’t you see there’s something wrong?” she tried to reconcile.

“Yeah, I can definitely see that. Something is wrong with Miss Pie leaving her shop unattended!” the farmer insisted sharply.

“No! Please! Come on, girls! We have no time for this,” the student tried to explain. “We must do this... We can’t fail the princess... We need to be... together...” she whined almost crying, her eyes about to break in tears.

“Yeah, where’s your loyalty, huh?” Dash asked, letting her pride and lack of judgement show off.

“And where’s your self-preservation sense, foal?” the white mare inquired, allowing her rage out, missing her manners.

“Fine!!!” cried the other unicorn, “if you don’t want to help me, I will do it alone!! I only asked for you to trust me, but I see that’s too much to ask from you!!” With tears flowing down her cheeks she darted away and out of the tree-house.

“Hey, Twilight! I’m coming with you!” the loyal pegasus shouted, taking off and flying after her.

“You should both be ashamed, really,” Pinkie told them, throwing her apron in disgust and cantering to the door, imitating Rarity’s smug attitude, then giggling and laughing at their confused faces as she crossed the entrance.

The two mares stood dumbstruck for a while. For some reason they felt shocked by that response.

Applejack broke the silence, “Huh... I don’t know what ya think, but maaaaaybe we have been a lil’ too hard on her for no reason?” she asked, worried she had broken her friends heart.

Rarity was staring beyond the wall in front of her. “Honestly, dear... I don’t know what to make of this,” she paused to breathe deeply, “I am as confused as you are. I think what we said makes sense, but still... we should probably be on her side anyway, you know? She’s our best friend after all.”

They began to follow the others when Rarity noticed Spike frozen in the middle of the room.

The purple dragon opened his mouth and only a simple phrase managed to get out of it. “What in the sacred name of Celestia has just happened here!?”
His twitchy expression started to fade when Rarity asked him for some help.
“Listen, Spike, darling, we need you to go to each of our homes and workplaces and make sure everything is in order and everyone is up to date, ok? Tell them we are on a secret mission for Celestia and nothing else. Will you do us that favour?” talked the fashionista in a soft, sensual voice for his infatuated reptile friend to remember.

Meanwhile, the farmer remembered a detail. “Come on, Sugarcube. You are coming with us.”

“I don’t wanna,” a sweet, soft, frightened voice replied from the depths of Cushion Fortress.

“We need you, sugarcube. Our pest control group is not complete without you,” explained Applejack while grabbing the shaky filly and pulling her to the street. “Come on. You gotta do what you gotta do!”

“Noooooo!” she screamed in panic while she was dragged to her doomed fate, “I don’t want to go to the Everfree Fooooreeeeeeeeeeeest!!”

The Forest

A lilac hoof knocked on the door of the mysterious hut located in the Everfree Forest. Behind her, a pegasus reported to a pink pony. “Pinkie, I spotted the others approaching the forest. Seems they’re coming along after all. They’ll be here in ten minutes tops.”

“Good job, Dashie. You’re the best lookout I ever had! Also, you have burrs on your mane,” she replied cheerfully to the flying expert.

“Oh, no! Agh! It will take hours to clean this mess! Awww, come on!”

The hut door opened and its striped inhabitant came out of it to greet her guests.

“Greetings, my dear friend,
what brings you to the forest’s end?” the zebra asked to the worried unicorn.

Twilight was feeling very heavy, worried with the pressure of the mission. “Zecora, we need your help and we need it fast. There’s a creature called Jeerkovaritsh and it’s coming to attack us, but it doesn’t even exist and I don’t know what to do!” she blurted anxiously as she recalled she had no idea of what to expect.

“For now at least, do not fret,
have patience, for we’re not finished yet,” answered the zebra in a calming tone.

However, her words had the opposite effect on Twilight. “But there is no time left! We must hurry! We are already late!”

“The Järkivääristää is not so steady,
but when you meet him you need to be ready.
Come inside and let me explain,
there is a way to prevent this pain.”

“So you do know of this creature too? How is that possible?” Twilight asked confused.

“Against threats of the forest I always prepare.
For in this forest there’s not even a bear
which I do not know about,
and I was here the night of wonder,
the one we trapped that creature yonder,
and left it ensnared and well bound,” stated Zecora, boasting about her long past victory, leaving unclear whether she had met the princesses or not.
They entered the hut, Twilight almost shaking thinking about all the things that could go wrong.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie followed, but were distracted by a voice coming from behind.

“Pinkie! Rainbow! We’re here!” Applejack shouted, galloping to their encounter with Rarity and Fluttershy. “We’re sorry. We have thought it better and...”

“Yeah, whatever,” Rainbow Dash interrupted, getting into the hut.

“Everypony knew you’d come sooner or later,” Pinkie explained patronizing them.

“Are we so predictable?” the pale unicorn asked disappointed.

Applejack just shrugged in response.

As they entered the hut, they found Zecora explaining to Twilight some things she needed to know.

“For being successful in this mission
you will need to have true vision.
As you approach the Järkivääristää
it will try to trick your mind
and for you the way to find
an improvement with your vista
must take place, there’s no other option,
so let’s begin to make this potion.”

The zebra gathered the ingredients and put a small cauldron on the fire.

“Very scarce are the parts
like a crystal feathered duck,
but we are in so much luck
for I have the last troll hearts.”

The mix began to boil and change colours as the rhyming mare continued her improvised poem.

“Watch as I work revealing magic,
eye of the newt and phoenix song,
watch as this matter turns the wrong
into a clear transparent gimmick.”

The shaman chanted and stirred the brew. The room filled with a color-changing light coming from the cauldron. The hued ponies held their breath.

“Faithful Twilight, approach now.
In your body, this you must allow.”

Zecora brought the magic potion to the unicorn and offered her to drink it whole. The unicorn stepped back. “What if it harms me? Isn’t it dangerous?”

“You will have to swallow it whole,
if you ever want to reach your goal.
You can trust me, little foal,
there is nothing harmful in this bowl.”

Trembling a little, she found the resolution to take a step forward and drunk all the strange liquid. At first it tasted like a bittersweet rainbow, somewhat like fermented apple cider. Then it tasted like feathers and nacar. Soon after, like pink and purple and brown, like seeds of kindness and pastries of joy. It felt like a minty smell rising up to her brain and crawling deep into her emotions. For a moment, she felt all her repressed feelings coming out, but just then it was over. Her eyes glimmered with a faint green light as she opened them.

“You have drunk the potion of true vision,
now you can tell reality from derision.”

Twilight looked around her and didn’t see anything special. “But everything is the same. Nothing has changed here,” she told the zebra, but then she saw a dim shadow in the shape of a horse walking afflicted. “What is that? Is that a ghost!?” she cried fearful of the creature.

“Don’t concern you with the spirit.
It is here, but you shouldn’t fear it.
These forces of nature are not evil,
you will find they all behave civil.”

Twilight calmed a bit. She felt much more confident now. She felt there was no way she could fail her mission now. “Thank you, Zecora. You have really saved the day.”

“Just one last word of advice:
there is no victory without a price.
You may now find the fabled creature,
but to beat it you must have wit.
On this creature you won’t land a hit,
as such is its powerful feature.”

Twilight was puzzled by Zecora’s cryptic words, but she didn’t want to lose a second more.
Rainbow Dash, however, thought they could be better off. “Uh... Do you have something for the rest of us, Zecora?”

“I’m afraid anything I give you
will only distract you from being true,” the zebra replied with a smug expression, daring Rainbow to act on her own or know she was not really cut for it.

“Awwww...” she surrendered. Applejack chuckled at her back as they left the hut.

“Woah, look!” Fluttershy exclaimed surprised. “The whole forest is covered in poison joke! It wasn’t like this when we got here.”

Twilight’s new powers let her pierce through the annoying charade easily, “It’s all hazy and unreal. It must be an illusion. Come on, I’ll lead the way. Step on my hoofprints.”

Twilight entered the forest and only looked back once before leaving the clearing. She wanted to glance again, maybe for the last time, at the immense silhouette of a gigantic and calm deer spirit that looked at them motionless. What was it guarding or looking after was unknown to the student, but she felt a protective, kind aura beyond the terrible, ominous horned creature shape. She finally looked away to her front and trotted into the forest.

* * *

The Everfree Forest looked extremely disquieting to Twilight. The hazy shape of broken illusion spells filled the air around her, trying futilely to blur her sight and mislead her from the path. The playful and mysterious spirits of nature raised and revolted around her making a wonderful show of lights and shadows only for her. The worried pony tried to focus on the task at hand, though the wonders she could now perceive distracted her. Seeing the invisible made for a much deeper understanding of the forest’s workings than she could have ever expected.

“Ah don’t like this, Twilight,” Applejack whispered looking at all sides. “I feel like something is lurking in the dark. It’s so creepy.”

Pinkie tried to reassure her with her cheerful voice. “Don’t worry, Applejack. We’ve been here before, remember? Giggle at the ghostly, guffaw at the grossl--”

“Hush, Pinkie,” Twilight interrupted. “This is not the moment. There really is something lurking in the darkness.”

“Oh,” said the pink singer surprised.

They kept walking slowly and in silence while staring at the freakish shapes formed by the dim light the oak’s canopies let through. They began to notice some dark, skinny figures of pony-like shape moving among the trees and bushes, making almost no sound.

“What do you think, Twilight?” asked Rarity. “Maybe we should take another route to avoid disturbing the nice inhabitants of the region?”

“No. We’re almost there. The track of illusions is densest here.” She raised her tone so everyone nearby could hear her to say “if any creature of this land has anything to say, they are free to speak up. We’re not here to fight them anyway.” With that, the black shady creatures retreated to observe them from behind.

Soon they reached a big old stone wall engraved with convoluted ornaments. It reached several times taller than any pony and faded into the undergrowth, losing itself between branches and leaves. A prominent circular motif crowned the carvings with abstract and exotic symbols unknown to any of them.

“The path leads here,” said the leading unicorn.

“What do you mean the path?” observed Rainbow Dash. “There are hundreds of paths around here and we have taken many turns straight into the bushes. My mane is filled with burrs again!”

“The path of illusions preventing us to reach here ends here,” she explained. “I have the feeling we have been led here, while any other would have just lost its way into a chasm or something.”

“Then it is a trap?” the other unicorn inquired.

“Possibly, but rather... it’s a barrier we must open.”

“What do you m-mean? W-what is b-behind it?” the yellow pegasus asked scared to the death.

“It would seem this can only be opened from this side, so the Junkibaginrat needs us to open it for him, so he can enter Equestria, I believe.”

“What!?” Pinke yelled. “Then we should just go away and leave it closed!”

“No, Pinkie. Just think about it. If we don’t open this now, the Jarkevarist will soon find another unicorn and lure it here to open the gate,” affirmed Twilight. “We must end this today.”

Everypony stood in silence, scrutinizing the enigmatic patterns of the sculpted wall.

“So...” Rarity broke the silence, “does it have to be an unicorn?”

“Mmmhm... These symbols are akin to the ones in the fourth page of the twelfth chapter of the Blackstar’s Tome of Spellbinding. It looks like a powerful magic gate that prevents any spirit-bound creature to trespass the threshold.This magic wall may well run all along the Everfree Forest. It may have been protecting Equestria for centuries!” The enthusiasm in her voice increased with each possibility she discovered, but with it, also the fear of whatever laid behind.

“So... a-a-are y-you gonna o-open it?” Fluttershy stammered almost panicking at the terrible foretelling.

“Yes. Whatever is creating these illusions, whether it is the Justaebonista or something else, has devised an evil plan to open this gate. No matter what is laying beyond, we must stop it. For Celestia. For Equestria.”
The purple mare spoke with confidence to the rest and glanced at the arcane symbols. Then, as she examined the convoluted reliefs, she began to flounder about her own motifs. Was she opening the door on the conviction she would defeat the creature or was the creature playing with her to make her open the gate while it was their worst option?

“Or maybe... maybe Pinkie is right...” she began to hesitate looking at her friends. “There are other options. Dash could go to Canterlot and bring some guards. Maybe they’ll listen. I could block this with another spell. There must be a way to prevent the gate from opening from this side.”

Then Rarity took a step forward. “I don’t think this puzzle is so hard,” she muttered referring to the mystical engravings. “It has a beautiful interior, filled with gems of different kinds!”
She began to shine as she played with the hidden stones with her magic grasp and sense for jewells.

“Rarity, what are you doing?” asked Twilight in that confusing moment.

“Don’t you see? All these gems want to be together, each with their kind. It can’t be hard to realign them!” the white mare yelled excited as she shifted and turned the interior stone disks.

“Rarity! No!”

With a roar, the whole section of the wall shined in white light and disappeared leaving a big archway open to the wild.

“Oops!” whispered Rarity when she noticed her fault.

Everypony looked at her disconcerted and suspicious.
“Nevermind,” said Twilight, “let’s just get there and finish this.”

They stepped through the gate and Rarity bowed in shame.

“Come on, sugarcube. Don’t get behind.” Applejack said as she passed by her, after the rest. She was more concerned than angry with her.

“Yeah, don’t worry,” she told the blonde mare. As soon as she wasn’t looking, she extracted the gems from the gate and smiled. “Yaaay! Free gems!” she whispered to herself.

* * *

The mount beneath the gate had clearly been untrodden for years, maybe centuries. At least it was clear for Twilight. For the others it was a mess of fake walls, fake groves, fake pits of death and fake clean, well-maintained paths to fake hallowed plains. However, they managed to keep safe by listening to the truth-seeing unicorn’s advice.

The real path, however, led to an old and weathered stone staircase, its top lost behind a cloud’s hazy shape. They began to ascend the foggy hillside when an eerie howling dimmed their determination.

“What is that? Is it a wolf?” asked Dash, nervously looking around herself.

“It must be timberwolves,” Twilight said without showing any hint of fear, “but don’t worry. I’ll take care of them.”

Rarity tapped on her flank so she would look at her. “Darling, I think we have a little problem here. Could you...?” she said showing her the culprit.

It was unusual of Fluttershy to keep a grimace so forced, but it was even stranger for her to stand frozen with her four legs extended and stiff. It seemed she was completely paralyzed with fear. She looked like she wasn’t even breathing.

“Oh, come on, Fluttershy, we don’t have time for this,” the leading mare said sighing. “Listen. I know you are scared, but I promise you I won’t let anything bad happen to you, ok?”

“Ah don’t think that’s working,” Applejack commented, seeing the lack of reaction of the yellow pegasus.

A hoarse sound of grinding ground was everything she emitted as her hooves dragged through the dusty path. Pinkie was trying to force her move to no avail. “I can’t believe how hard you get when scared, while usually being the softest thing ever.”

“Fluttershy, are you even there?” her purple friend asked beginning to fear the worst. “You can count on us, Fluttershy. Even if you are a statue we will still love you,” she spoke softly, hugging her with grieving tenderness.

“Yeah, we will care for you, sugarcube,” continued Applejack joining the hug.

“Of course!” added Rarity doing the same.

They all joined in a warm group hug around the little pegasus and she promptly snapped out of her catatonic state. “Thank you, girls. I have almost forgotten the creeping shadows and the terrible sounds of the beasts that are about to devour us,” she finally told them with her delicate voice, closing her eyes, finally allayed.

“Oh, yeah, that,” Twilight remembered disappointed. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care. Let’s go.”

Step by step, aided by her friends, the scared pegasus began to move again toward their common goal.

They started to climb the broken steps as the mist engulfed them. Before them, the howling of the timberwolves grew stronger with each step. They reached the end of the staircase and saw the path fading into the fog in the distance.

They walked just a few more meters when a timberwolf concealed in the fog growled at them. Twilight stood still, but her friends hollered and gathered behind her in panic. When they looked around, they saw several more wolves. They were surrounded.

The first timberwolf faced Twilight growling. Its legs creaked like old furniture. Its breath puffed in vapor clouds in the cold haze. It stared at the unicorn and she stared back at it. A little further, another wolf howled loudly.

“Twilight, are those real?” Applejack stuttered.

“Those look real to me,” Pinkie Pie added, a little worried.

“Of course they are, but do not worry. I have just what they need.”

Twilight was worried, but her confidence didn’t fade. She focused on her magic and a scorching bolt darted from her horn to the floor before the wolf, igniting the leaves covering the ground. Her eyes shined in red light as flames danced in her pupils. The wolf moved away and barked furiously. Twilight grinned at the raising fire.

As the other timberwolves approached the scared ponies, the fire extended around them forming a circle. The flames rose higher and hotter, Twilight’s heart raced and she breathed rapidly in excitement. The wolves stopped their growling.
Soon they turned around and disappeared in the misty forest.

While the flames decreased slowly, the timberwolves howled in the distance. When the fire receded into mere smoke, the unicorn closed her eyes and let her head bow. She felt exhausted, but more for the fear and tension of the standstill than the spell itself.

“I didn’t want to harm them,” she whispered to the ground, almost whining.

“It’s ok, honey. No one got burnt. Not even those pesky creatures,” Applejack said trying to calm her.

“Woah! I didn’t know you could do that,” Pinkie claimed failing to be cheerful. She was starting to be a little scared of her fiery friend.

“Let’s keep going,” she muttered in a dry tone.

She had felt the rage of fire. The devouring need of the unstoppable flame. She had just hungered for the wood of a living animal, and she had almost enjoyed it, though in retrospect it felt like the most terrible thing to do. She didn’t, until now, understand the meaning of the offensive spellcasting, but she was beginning to comprehend.

* * *

The path through the hazy meadows, though filled with mirages, had also some authentic pieces of masonry spread along the way; mostly cobblestone statues with swirling engravings and thin wooden totems representing known and unknown creatures.
They saw the Sun shine as they reached a clearing wider than any other before. The faint mist covering the bright green pastures made for a refreshing feeling of bliss, but also an eerie and uncanny mood, as if something kept watching them from beneath the haze.
The sound of falling water alerted them to the barely visible waterfall that reigned before the clearing. Long branches filled with green leaves surrounded it, dripping wet with the mist from the waterfall and that of the clouds.

“Dash, take a peek from above,” Twilight ordered, “be quick. I don’t want you getting lost.”

“Yes, sir,” she said, taking off instantly. The pegasus darted above the clouds and looked around, then flashing again straight down. Twilight glanced at her as she landed and then went back to looking for clues in the fog. “Woah, Twilight! You won’t believe it! It’s amazing!” the blue pony cried, “the whole forest is covered in mist and there’s only that old Princesses’ castle above the clouds, and Ponyville in the distance. There’s a small tower on top of this hill, too.”

“Why wouldn't’ I believe that, Rainbow?” the unicorn asked befuddled.

“Well, I just... It’s so... awe... some... I guess...” she pouted at the underwhelming reply.

“What’s the holdup, Twilight?” Applejack inquired, noticing they had been waiting quite a while at the sunny glade.

“I’m not sure... We’ve been following a trail of delusions through the path along the mound, but here there’s no path and no illusion spells.” She looked around trying to find anything uncommon. “There are no spirits, even. Just... fog.”

“Ah don’t know about this, Twilight. It seems like all this is gettin’ to you waaay too much, honey.”

“Don’t be silly. I just need to find a clue.”

“Don’t you be silly, Twilight,” interrupted Pinkie. “We have been hours treading through bushes and mud. And there’s no sign of this path ending anywhere. It’s booooring!”

Suddenly, Rainbow came to a conclusion which she thought excellent. “Yeah! This is a chore. We should split and look for this thing faster.”

“Of course. How would you deal with the illusions if there are more ahead, then?” Twilight asked raising her tone in disbelief.

“Well, I would... uh... I’ll kick all ‘em out!” the fierce pegasus shouted proudly.

“Pleaaase... You can’t be seriously intending to do that. That’s just silly.”

“Are you calling me dumb!?”

As they were about to get into fighting stance Rarity intervened. “Girls, please. Don’t fight on such a petty matter. Twilight. How about this? We get in two groups and go each one in a different direction. Just to see what’s at the edge of the clearing. Then we come back following our steps. Is that ok?”

“No, Rarity. If we miss our path we would be lost forever. We have to stick together until the end,” she replied very worried she was losing them.

“Then what?” exclaimed the pink, bored pony. “Do we sit here forever until you find a magical mysterious mystical musical whimsical phantom spirit? Well, that would actually be pretty neat, but I don’t think it’s gonna happen.”

“I d-d-don’t want to be s-separated,” Fluttershy mumbled terrified. “This place is scaring the hay out of me. I want to stay close to Twilight.”

“Yeah, we should stick together or we’re gonna end harmed in one of those illusion traps,” said Applejack trying to keep them in a single group.

“Well, I don’t know about you, darling,” the pearl unicorn responded, “but I think I am perfectly capable of dealing with some frail spells like these.”

“Rarity, this is too dangerous. Don’t start again.” Twilight was really baffled by her friend’s attitude today. She had been messing everything up the whole day.

“I’m not afraid of no stinking mirage. I’m going with Rarity,” explained Rainbow, who was still trying to keep a cool stance while cleaning the burrs covering her mane.

“I’m not scared either. I’m going with them,” Pinkie expressed cheerfully.

“What do you mean you’re going with them!? We’re going together wherever we go!” Twilight exclaimed exasperated.

“Oh, yeah? Fine!” Rarity conceded. “Then which way do we go?”

“I don’t know. I just... want us to be together.”

“Ugh. Listen. Why don’t you just stay here wondering about the mysteries of the forest while we go there and actually solve some mystery?”

Suddenly, the idea of resting for a while made perfect sense in Twilight’s mind. “Hum. You know what? That’s actually a good idea. You go for a quick exploring and I have some time to think over the next step... but first...”

“First what?” asked Rarity.

“First let me teach you some telepathy tricks so we can stay in touch. Ok? It’s not that hard, really.”

“Oh, dear, now you’re talking.”

* * *

Rarity trotted into the fog and only the tacit bond between the two unicorns kept them in contact through the luminous ether of the mind realm. Twilight sat on the grass and breathed deep. It was the first time since the morning her brain had had a rest. Even though she had to keep the telepathic bond active, it wasn’t as tiring as listening to Rarity’s complaints.

Around them, the mist raised leaving them isolated in the green pasture. The sun dimmed further with each passing minute. Fluttershy rested on the floor, trying to calm her nerves. Applejack wandered around impatiently, munching some grass here and there to keep herself busy. Twilight closed her eyes, freed her mind of thought and, afterwards, began reconstructing again all the pieces of the Järkivääristää puzzle.

“It’s weird. We have been seeing illusion spells all the way here, but there’s still no proof of the Jazzinavista existing. Do you think it’s a masquerade of somepony trying to hide behind a fable?” concluded Twilight, asking the light mares for their opinion.

“Ah don’t know, sugarcube. This whole business has smelled fishy from the beginning,” The orange one commented. “It ain’t like a smart pony couldn’t pull it off, actually.”

The yellow pegasus stuttered in her place, looking nervously around. “I think it’s too scary to be real. It cannot exiiiiIIIIIIHHH!!!” Fluttershy yelled when she noticed a pony standing beside them, appeared out of thin haze.

“Oh, please! Don’t shout!” whispered the light amber mare crouching scared. “I’m sorry I startled you.” Her saffron mane curled wildly around her face where her brown hood let it spread. She looked like a very small earth pony, but her brown cowl reached her flank, covering her mark and, possibly, a pair of wings. “My name is Fuzzymane... it’s nice to see somepony again.” Her raspy voice sounded like she hadn’t used it in a long time.

“Mah name’s Applejack. Sorry about the crying. She’s Fluttershy. She is a little nervous. And this here is Twilight.”

“Pleased to meet you,” the amber pony replied to Applejack.

“So... how come you’re here in this forgotten land... all alone?” asked the farmer, perplexed by the mysterious newcomer.

“Don’t listen to her,” Twilight interrupted, “she’s not real.”

“What!?” murmured Fluttershy. “What do you mean?”

“She’s an illusion. A living mirage. She’s not tangible.” She approached the fuzzy silhouette and tried to push a hoof through it, but she reacted like a real being would, although Twilight couldn’t feel her touch.

“Ow! Please, don’t do that,” said Fuzzymane, moving away. “I think I have a curse on me.”

“Yeah, Twilight. That was sorta rude...” Applejack pointed out. “What a curse you’re talkin’ ‘bout, sugarcube?”

Fuzzymane bowed her head hiding her yellow eyes and began telling her story. “Well, I was at the Spiral Shrine when a beam of ligh--”

“No way! Stop listening to that! It’s an illusion!” Twilight interrupted. She was starting to get anxious about the fake mare.

“But Twilight. What if what she’s saying is true?” inquired Fluttershy, attempting to calm her friend down.

“Yeah, Twilight. This filly looks pretty real to me. Are you sure you’re not messing up your judgement?” Applejack added, doubting the clairvoyance was all they had been told.

“Really? Then I guess she wouldn’t mind explaining how come she’s here while this place has been sealed for decades?” the student questioned vehemently.

“Uh, I think I might be able to answer that, Ms Twilight,” the saffron-haired spoke politely. “I come from a small village on the far side of the Everfree Forest from Canterlot. We live peaceful lives there, away from the troubles of big cities. It was only recently that we discovered the gate to the accursed hill had been opened. Thus, I came here days ago to investigate.”

Twilight didn’t quite believe that story and her face showed it clearly with a skeptical sneer. “Neeeeigh... I’ve never heard before of such a place beyond the forest. And I know a bit of geography, mind you.”

“Twilight, stop it. Yer being too harsh. She’s just a lost mare.” Applejack was becoming more upset with each of Twilight’s words.

“Poor little thing,” Fluttershy muttered, “how long have you been lost in this terrible forest?”

That sentence cued Twilight to something she had almost forgotten. Her other friends had been away for about five minutes already. They weren’t supposed to be that long, so she contacted Rarity through their mystical link.

“Rarity. Are you ok?” she spoke straight to her friend’s mind. “You should be back here already! What happened?”

“It’s ok, darling,” she replied. “Nothing to worry about.”

“You’re lost. Aren’t you?”

“No, of course not! We are just... say... a bit off-track?”

“You are lost,” Twilight confirmed emphatically.

“Nuh-uh...” Rarity responded shyly hiding the truth.

“Of course you are,” her friend finally asserted, very disappointed. “Stay where you are, do you hear me? I’m going to find you. Just don’t wander around.”

She stopped focusing on the magic bond and looked back to her near-standing friends.
They were talking to the amber illusion and, when Twilight called for their attention, they lined up with her. The unicorn was puzzled and could only ask, “what the hay are you doing?”

“We’re gonna help her, Twilight. She needs us. We can’t leave her all on her own!” stated Applejack.

“Yeah, and you should be kind to her. She’s such a frail and beautiful mare,” Fluttershy added.

Fuzzymane spoke, “I am so glad you are going to help me. I was so lonely and...”

“Shut up. Just shut up,” Twilight cut her sharply. “You are not real. You shouldn’t be talking.”

Fuzzymane’s heart shattered in a thousand pieces and she began whimpering. “But... but... Why are you being so cruel to me?”

“Blah, bluh, blah... I’m not listening. You don’t exist.”

“But...” she sobbed as tears dropped from her cheeks, “but I thought we could be friends...”

Twilight sighed deeply. Her friends were astonished. They couldn’t manage to say a word. Twilight was certain she was correct, but she was starting to doubt herself. Still, she wasn’t allowing such folly on her watch. “Listen, peach, I know you’re part of a major plot for deceiving us and making us lose time, so let’s make a deal. You stop chatting with my friends and let them follow me or I will have to test how strong is that mirage of yours and see how you explain vanishing in thin air, fine?”

Fuzzymane looked at her with her angriest expression and just said, “fine,” and smiled.
Then, Applejack and Fluttershy seemed relieved.

“Thanks Celestia we have fixed this so easily,” Fluttershy commented.

“Yeah. For a moment Ah thought you had gone mad, honey. Ah’m glad you’re finally accepting this lovely piece of applepie to come with us,” said Applejack stroking Fuzzymane’s hood without noticing she was trespassing her hypothetical skull.

Twilight shook her head, whinnied and turned around to follow Rarity’s trail, pursued by Fuzzymane. Her enthralled friends followed the amber illusion disregarding most of Twilight’s actions. They left the clearing and went deeper into the forest.

* * *

“Hey, purplebutt,” said the amber filly, “how come you never get mislead like the others? You should be rolling down a hill by now.”

“Your mirages are but flimsy foggy images to me. You cannot deceive my senses.” Twilight wanted to smack her stupid face, but first, she wasn’t even real, and second, she had no time to waste. She had to find her other friends.

She spoke to Rarity again through their mind link, “Rarity, where are you? Describe me what you see.”

“What do you mean, darling?” she replied promptly. “We are all here.” She seemed puzzled, but Twilight already knew just what was going on. “You said I should go upwards. Always upwards to the tower. And here we are, together again. You’re so smart, dear.”

“Rarity. I didn’t say anything to you for a long time. I didn’t tell you to go anywhere. I told you to stay put!”

“But if you are not here... and I have been following a fake... uhm... wait, no. How do I know you are the real one and not the fake one, and you’re trying to make me think the real one is the fake one? Uuuh... I’m feeling dizzy. It’s hard to think and speak through the aether at the same time.”

“Uuuurgh...” Twilight focused again on galloping and began climbing the hill through bushes and rocks, ignoring the spiral path that led to the summit.

Her hooves scratched by the thorny shrubs and her mane full of burrs, she reached the tower and contemplated the ruins in awe. Sunlight bathed the big clearing atop the hill, but all around layers of white clouds covered the valley and beyond. Blue light sparks came from inside the tower, filtering through the old windows and the half-fallen walls. The tower didn’t even have a ceiling and a piece of spiral staircase could be seen from outside, raising to the cloudy skies.

On the courtyard before the tower’s entrance Twilight found her missing friends, sleeping on top of old marble benches. They seemed alright, but something was clearly wrong. She stepped through the broken iron gate that once separated the garden from the wild.

The round benches rested in a circular division, surrounded by the remains of ancient marble statues of renowned ponies. After that, a short stone path led to the main door of the tower. A big wooden one, with a smaller split door in it. The upper part of the split door was half open, and blue light intermittently shined through the thin hole.

Twilight approached the door to see what was going on inside, but then a voice called her from behind.

“Twilight!” cried Applejack’s voice. She turned around and ran back to meet her friends again.

“We were so worried. We didn’t know where you were going,” explained Fluttershy.

“Yeah. You don’t need to run. See? All your friends are perfectly fine,” added Fuzzymane’s raspy voice.

Twilight noticed a soft glow in her friends’ eyes before they fell asleep with the others. She knew what that was. A simple sleeping spell. Nothing she couldn’t clear away, but she just couldn’t concentrate on it.

“You know, violet-witch, It was incredibly easy to fool you into opening that gate, but you are so stubborn...” the amber pony commented, “it would have been nice if you had stayed away from the Spiral Shrine. However, now you are here and there’s no turning back. Are you ready to meet your friends in slumberland?” She stepped towards Twilight slowly, with a menacing gait.

“Shut up. Your lowly tricks have no power over me,” she bluffed, “and I will smack you out of reality once and for all before you can even try.”

“Oh, really? Well, I’d love to see that. Let’s see how fa--” she rambled on as a hundred icicles stormed through her ethereal body, dissolving and vaporizing her image.

The ice-covered garden remained silent for a while save for some pony snores. Twilight breathed deep and tried to wake up her friends, though they were deep into the magic effect and the task exhausted her.
She managed to bring back Applejack and Fluttershy, but soon they fell again. She had prevented Fuzzymane from casting another spell, still, they were bound with powerful magic. Twilight knew how to cast it out, although she was too exhausted to do it.
She needed to rest too, but what was the point if what she wanted was to wake everyone up?

Then, she remembered about the silent tie she was still holding with Rarity. She could drop it to regain some strength or she could try to contact her and convince her to lend her magic to wake everypony up. It was a close call either way, but she opted for the later, as Rarity would still have power enough to help her wake everypony at once, she believed.

“Rarity, answer me,” she spoke through the boundless mind realm, “I need your help.”

“What are you doing, Twilight? You are right before me. Why don’t you talk to me like a nice, well mannered pony?”

“This is important, Rarity. You are asleep!”

“What?” she exclaimed surprised. “I’m perfectly awake. Where is this silliness coming from?”

“You have to believe me! I need you to help me cast a dispelling wave so everyone wakes up!” Twilight tried to reason with her, but it was pointless. She was deeply enthralled in an illusion within her dream.

“Listen, Twilight. If I am sleeping, and I am sure I am not, how am I supposed to fight this swirling-black-hole looking demon?” Rarity inquired, believing her friend was joking at the worst of times.

Twilight stopped for a moment trying to grasp her puzzling words. “What? A black hole?” Then it struck her. It was a trap and she was right in the middle of it, still, she couldn’t leave without trying. “Rarity, don’t look at it.”

“Don’t look at what? The shiny opalescence of the lethal growth in the middle of the evil demon’s billion-pronged dark silhouette?” she asked, her voice dumbing away with each syllable. “But it’s so shiny... and pretty...”

“No, Rarity! We are still linked! You’re going to drag me to the abyss!” she thought, loudly.

“I’m going to make the biggest onyx tiara ever...” she babbled, her voice fading away in the background noise.

Twilight started feeling dizzy and her mind lost focus. She fell on the wet garden’s grass and opened her eyes, trying to escape the curse, but it was too late. She faded away, watching the Sun set behind the misty forest.

The Dream

“Oh, look,” said Fluttershy’s feeble voice, “I think she’s waking up.”

“Finally,” mumbled Rainbow Dash.

“Don’t be rude, Rainbow,” intervened Rarity, “I bet she’s exhausted from all her training.”

“Wha... what happened?” she asked her friends confused.

“You fell asleep, sugarcube,” Applejack whispered. “On top of your player sheets.”

“Huh? Player sheets?”

“Yeah, silly!” said Pinkie Pie. “The character sheets for Lairs and Lizards. The game Spike brought this morning.”

Spike sat on a big armchair, dressed with dark robes, a pointy hat and a fake beard. “Yeah, Twilight. You fell asleep before the big final battle. We have advanced some without you. Do you want me to fill you in?”

“Hmmm... no... I think I need some coffee,” she replied, walking to the treehouse kitchen.

Spike took off his clothes and followed her. “I think we’re out of coffee, Twilight. We probably drank too much today. How about some tea?”

“I don’t care, Spike,” she continued. “It’s pointless anyway. Nothing of this is real.” She spoke softly, knowing she couldn’t convince them by shouting.

“What did you just say? Are you sure you’re all right?”

Twilight came back from the kitchen with a hot, steamy cup of delicious coffee and sat again on her chair. “Dear friends, I am in the obligation to inform you that this world is not real,” she spoke ceremoniously.

“Well, of course,” Rainbow said, “it’s just a game.”

“Y-you mean the game, right?” asked Fluttershy doubting and fearing for her own existence.

“No, Fluttershy. I mean this world in which we are standing,” Twilight replied calm and condescending.

“But darling, that is preposterous!” insisted Rarity. “How can you possibly deny our very existence? Am I misinterpreting something here?”

“Well, Rarity, tell me,” continued Twilight, “how can you explain the gigantic elephant that has been standing in the middle of the room the whole time that we can all clearly see?”

“Hey, Twilight! How come ye’re bein’ so inconsiderate now?” Applejack scolded her. “He’s my friend Jack! Show some respect. He came from far away to see me, ya know?”

“I-I’m sorry if I’ve bothered you, Ms Sparkle,” said the big elephant with a tartan shirt.

“No, don’t worry. It’s not about you, really. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.” Twilight apologized.

“You are being kinda weird, you know?” Pinkie told her with her high-pitched voice.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s gonna be weird, but you gotta listen.” She sipped the coffee. It tasted delicious like no other coffee she had had before. “We have been enthralled. This is a
mirage inside our dreams, preventing us from waking up. We have to fight it to wake up, but don’t worry.” She paused to pace her discourse, looking at her worried friends. “I think I can prove to you that this is not real and that we are all dreaming the same dream.”

“Ahm not so sure about this, Twilight. I think ya had a bad dream and confused the game with the real,” Applejack stated firmly.

Spike inquired some more. “Yeah, that sounds a lot like the story we were playing, don’t you think?”

Twilight rested on her chair for a moment pondering what had been real and what a dream and, if the dream was real and what she thought real a dream, what was part of the dream and what was real for her friends? She knew this place was a dream, but she couldn’t prove it even to herself except for that crystalline sensation of surprise lack. No matter what happened next, she felt it was bound to happen, even if it was absolutely ridiculous. But her friends seemed to be oblivious to the nature of this experience and they just kept looking at her, wondering what was wrong.

Finally, she broke the silence once again to try and put things in order. “I... I don’t want you guys to be scared or anything, ok?” she said now with some doubt in her voice, “but I want to find a way to prove that I’m not completely mad. Just give me the chance. You won’t let me do something stupid and I will try my best to come up with proof. Is that alright? I will comply with whatever you decide.”

Applejack was concerned and a little angry, but she tried to be polite and humor her. “Ok, honey. Tell us what you need to do.” All of them wanted to know exactly what had happened to their purple friend.

The unicorn continued talking to retell the story, looking for a fault. “So we were atop the hill, at the Spiral Shrine, right?” Everypony nodded. “Then something went wrong and I tried to reach you, Rarity, but it was a trap.”

“Yes, and just when I was about to get us out of the trap, you started to snooze on the table. We will not retrieve the amulet of Yenop if you keep slumbering at the better parts,” replied Rarity, showing her discontent with the game interruption. It looked like she was enjoying it.

Twilight’s face cringed for a moment when she noticed the recurrent confusion. She sighed and accepted her defeat for now. “Ok, you know what? I think I need some fresh air. Let’s go for a walk, ok? We can continue this... game later.”

Everypony agreed and they walked out of the library to the sunny street. Twilight felt the warm sunlight on her coat and the warm, dry dirt under her hooves. She looked back and saw her five friends and the big elephant before the tree-house. She wondered how the elephant could have passed through the small door. He obviously had come through it, but he clearly didn’t fit. It was weird, but nopony cared. Even her. She knew how it worked. She just stepped ahead and ignored the irrelevant details.

* * *

Ponyville shined in a light Twilight had been missing the whole day. Dozens of butterflies danced around between the cheerful ponies that filled the square. The smell of sweets and fruits from the market surrounded her in a tantalizing embrace. The lively food stands were crowded and their merchants worked hard to serve everypony. The chatter of the customers buzzed in the purple unicorn’s ears as she walked among them. She remembered many days like that, but today she didn’t want any hay for dinner. She headed straight to the Sugarcube corner, followed by her friends.

She didn’t know exactly what to expect, because as far as she knew, spacetime inside a dream was not exactly linear. It was more of a messy mass of mousse stringed together by memory, but she wasn’t concerned. She had to try at least.

“What do you intend to do exactly,” Pinkie Pie asked with a worried expression on her face.

“Simple,” Twilight replied with a smile on hers, “we’re going to bake a cake.”

Mr and Mrs Cake greeted her when she walked in through the bakery door.

“Good afternoon,” she said without even looking at them, “may I use your kitchen for a while? We have to make a... special cake.” She continued to their kitchen without waiting for their response.

“W-w-wait! What are you--” Pinkie tried to ask her.

“Will you help me or not?” Twilight interrupted from behind the counter.

The unicorn began to float ingredients from the shelves and sorted them by size on the kitchen’s table. Then she grabbed a big bowl, breathed deep and, for once, forgot about recipes and procedure lists. This is just a dream, she thought, so it won’t matter what I do, this won’t affect real life.

She started breaking eggs and putting them whole, shells and all, in the bowl. She stirred them with a whole bag of flour. She made a mound of sugar and put the bowl on top, then she threw in some spoons and added a load of whipped cream to the lot. She wrapped it all in present paper and shoved it into the oven.

Her friends watched the show speechless. The Cakes looked at her like she was the product of a hallucination. Pinkie was on the verge of breaking down, but just couldn’t find the words to speak up. The rest were just too impressed to react.

Just twenty seconds later, the oven ringed. Twilight cheerfully exclaimed “oh, look! It’s done already!” and proceeded to open the oven’s door and pull out with her telekinesis a magnificent four stories cake perfectly decorated in pink and white with a cherry on top.

“You see?” she said, “it’s easy to bake if you don’t know how. You just need to be dreaming!”

All the other ponies looked at the cake astonished, but Rainbow Dash just gaited up to it and directly took a bite raising no hoof. She munched it for a second and then stated her verdict.

“Mmm... this,” she swallowed, “this is actually very good, Twilight.”

Mrs Cake approached it and took a bit with her hoof to taste it. “Oooh, miss Twilight, you have to explain me your secret. This is impressive,” she said.

Pinkie grinned again and asked, “is this what you’ve been learning at Canterlot? I don’t know about magic, but this definitely looks like the best kind of it!”

Twilight started to worry a little, as her plan didn’t have the impact she had at first devised. Not only didn’t they care for the careless methods she had used, they were even believing it was just a new spell she had learnt. At least she knew for sure she still was in control of her own dreamscape. Dreaming things into being was just as easy as it had always been before. However, that didn’t matter if she couldn’t actually reach her friends awareness.

As they gobbled down the delicious cake, Twilight sank into her own thoughts. She was trapped in an imaginary world and the creature repressing her influence was too smart. At least, smarter than her. She was in command over her own mind all right, but she couldn’t get the others to notice anything strange because the concept of strange was simply wiped out of the scene whenever it was applied to try and make them see beyond the horizon of reality. She needed to look at it somehow else.

* * *

“Is something wrong?” asked Fluttershy’s gentle voice to the violet fur ball Twilight formed on the bakery’s floor.

“Well... It’s just...” she stuttered in response.

“You can tell me. We’re friends, right?” insisted the yellow mare.

The purple ball unfurled and incorporated to talk. “It’s...” she paused to think what exactly she wanted to say. “You know when you have a... mentor that keeps insisting that you are mistaken, but you know you are right, but still you can’t prove it?”

“Oh, yes. I had a teacher who always insisted I should fly instead of walking,” she answered, ”but I always thought walking was safer, and I haven’t had any flying accident while walking so--”

“No, it’s nothing like that...” she interrupted Fluttershy’s recounting.

The timid pegasus recoiled in surprise and ashamedly let out an apology. “Oh... sorry.”

Twilight sat down, immersed in her own train of thought. Her friend looked at her from every angle, trying to guess what the real problem was. She was frustrated, though; the unicorn’s troubles were inscrutable for her.

“It’s strange,” Twilight finally spoke, “when you go fighting big, ominous, seemingly invincible creatures, going back to the daily routine seems more than ever like a chore.”

“Even if the fight is a game and the enemy a fairytale?”

“Yeah. Even then. And even when I never really wanted to fight. Not ever,” she told her yellow friend with a weird, frightening tone on her voice, “but that feeling of adventure. That sensation that something is really at stake... that’s very powerful. Books can only barely convey that emotion.”

Fluttershy tried to understand her friend, but she just didn’t find danger interesting at all. “I don’t know, Twilight. I would rather stay at the forest with my animals,” she explained, “I wouldn’t like to go risk my life out there foolishly. I get enough fear from those scary books you lend me sometimes.” She covered her mouth with her hooves as she recalled the horrors from the literature.

“You mean the Caring Bunnies books?” asked Twilight remembering the bland and infantile series her friend had been borrowing.

“Yes. Those have a lot of frightening conflicts,” she remarked.

“And who would withstand that much conflict, right?” the unicorn asked sarcastically, failing to hide a smirk, “you are so boring sometimes...” She paused for a moment to think and then exclaimed, her eyes opening wide, “Fluttershy! You just gave me the best idea!”

“Oh! Really? I mean... What was it?” asked Fluttershy worried, “I hope you’re not starting a conflict. Unless... If you think that’s right, I guess.”

Twilight smiled again as she walked towards Pinkie, who was still eating cake while trying to decipher what in the ingredients made it taste so good. “We are going to make more cakes,” said Twilight.

Pinkie was muttering to herself, “it tastes like cinnamon and cherries and glory, but the recipe had none of that,” when she noticed Twilight’s words. “What? You want to make more of this? I can’t say I’m opposed, but is it really sanitary to make them like that?”

“Oh, don’t worry,” replied her purple friend, “we will make just regular cakes, ok?”

“You mean you have a better recipe you want to try?”

“Not really. What if you teach me how to make some cupcakes? You know... the old way? Maybe Mr and Mrs Cake could even take a day off?”, proposed Twilight.

“Uuh... well,” Cup Cake commented, looking at her husband, “actually, that’s not such a bad idea. What do you think, dear?”

Carrot Cake pondered the situation for a moment and finally agreed, “Yes, we could take the day off, go with the kids to the park and relax. I trust Miss Pie to keep the shop in order.”

“Don’t worry, Mr Cake. Everything is under control.” The pink pony smiled and winked at them.

“Very well, then,” said Carrot Cake, smiling and nodding. He then pushed a stroller with the baby Cake twins in it through the main door, followed by his wife.

“That was annoyingly easy,” Twilight muttered to herself, a bit surprised by the power her wishes had upon everything. Then she asked, “would the rest of you leave too? You have been so helpful, but I think I want to do this with Pinkie. Alone.”

“Do you think we should leave you alone?” Rarity asked Pinkie, “I think she has been acting a bit weird this afternoon.”

“Don’t worry,” she answered, “we may have a bit of work before us if she wants to learn to bake, but I believe it will be good for her to take her mind off that game, you know?”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right.” Rarity nodded and approached the others. “So what shall we do now? There’s still some time left before night.”

“Oh, we could go have a tea party at my home,” intervened Fluttershy with her soft, delicate voice, “we could all relax there, surely, I mean... if you want.”

“I say that sounds like a plan, dear.”

“Yay! Come on,” she said. Then she turned to talk to Twilight. “We will be right here, Twilight. If you need anything, just knock, ok?” She opened the back door of the bakery that leaded directly to her house’s main hall and waited for her friends to get in.

“So what’s it gonna be, Twilight?” the baker asked her purple friend.Twilight turned around to look at her, but then Fluttershy interrupted again.

“Well,” she said from behind the door, only her head showing, “we will be here, really. If you want to join us, just get in, ok?” Everyone was already in Fluttershy’s home, so she just waited until Twilight nodded and then closed the door.

“Sooo,” began speaking the unicorn, “nothing weird with that door leading to her house instead of the street?”

“Well, it’s the back door, silly,” answered giggling the pink pony, “the front door is the one that leads to the street.”

“Of course,” she admitted, “let’s begin baking, ok?”

“Fine,” Pinkie replied with a smile, while grabbing some ingredients, “let’s start with something easy.” She put down some tiny bowls, a flour bag and some eggs on the table and began singing, “All you have to do is take a cup of flour!”

“Ah, no, no, no,” interrupted Twilight, “no silly songs, Pinkie. This is serious.”

“What? But... how are we gonna bake without a song?”

“We just will, Pinkie, and we will do a hundred cupcakes...” she paused for dramatic effect, “one at a time!”

Pinkie cringed at the thought and her face reflected it, but she eventually agreed, as it would maybe be better for learning. “Ok, Twilight. As you wish.”

* * *

“Wake up, Pinkie,” Twilight whispered softly at Pinkie’s ears, “it is done!”

“Huh? What?” she slowly recovered from her slumber, “What is done?”

“The cupcakes, silly,” replied the unicorn. “A hundred cupcakes made one by one.”

“Oh, really? Did we finally make all of them?”

“Well, not really,” she said, changing her tone to a plain explanation, “you do know what an ellipsis is, right?”

“Duh. Of course I know, Twilight. Who the hay do you think I am? You’re not gonna teach me anything about ellipsises,” she purposefully misspelled.

“Then listen. That’s what just happened. An ellipsis. That’s how we made it. We skipped ahead in the narration!” Twilight exclaimed triumphant.

“Are you nuts!?” Pinkie cried, “how is that an ellipsis? We made cupcakes the whole night and then I fell asleep. That’s no ellipsis!” She was starting to feel a bit scared and worried of her friend.

“But don’t you see, Pinkie? Just look at me. I’m as fresh as a daisy! Do I look like I didn’t sleep at all the whole night?” Twilight approached her and looked straight into her eyes, opening hers wide so she could see them, white, not tired at all.

“W-w-wait a minute...” she gibbered, “I can’t believe a thing you’re saying! Even if it was true, I didn’t see it. And I just... I can’t get this from you! Specifically you! I think you’re going mad...” she slowed down and turned to a worried question tone, “You were always the most rational, Twilight... What has happened to you?”

Pinkie pushed her away and they sat down on the flour filled floor.

“Pinkie...” Twilight doubted for a moment. She had been so self-centered the whole time. She hadn’t given thought to how her meddling would affect her friends. “I’m sorry, Pinkie. I know it’s hard to understand, and I know it doesn’t seem rational, but I need you to trust me. I know you can’t see it, but there is something wrong with this world. Not with me. I’m not mad, ok? Just... trust me on that.”

Pinkie kept silent for a while, looking with a worried face at her friend. Then she calmly concluded, “I trust you, Twilight. You are one of my best friends. How could I not?” she sighed deeply to regain some courage and then started stuttering, “b-b-but how can I t-trust you when you keep saying nonsense like that? I mean... I don’t mind nonsense. You know I love it. But you can’t be serious about it. It’s not... sane.”

Twilight sighed a long and deep sigh, longer and deeper she would have thought possible and much beyond what would be comfortable for anypony to watch, but Pinkie didn’t blink an eye to that. “Ok, Pinkie. This is what we are going to do,” she explained in the tamest, most condescending tone she could, “we are going to go to Applejack’s and see if we can help her today. Is that all right?”

The earth pony bowed her head and conceded the discussion. “Fine. At least we will be distracted and among friends. I’ll tell Mrs Cake.” She paused for a second and then asked, “did you see them come back yesterday?”

Twilight just shrugged.

* * *

“Did you notice that?” Twilight commented on the path to Sweet Apple Acres. The sun of the morning warmed her skin and the soft breeze slightly lifted her mane. Only the chirping of birds could be heard so soon and far from the main streets.

“What? I didn’t see anything,” answered Pinkie.

“Oh, it’s the elli--... uh, nothing. Just... the elements... It’s all so calm and nice,” Twilight dissimulated.

They approached Applejack’s farm and found her packing some hay in front of the barn.

“Howdy, Twilight, Pinkie,” she greeted them, without stopping her work. “How come ye’re up so early? Is something the matter?”

“Oh, no, no,” Twilight explained happily, “we just woke up early and thought we could lend you a hoof. That’s all.” She smiled sincerely and tilted her head a bit awaiting her reaction.

Applejack raised an eyebrow and commented, “ah, that’s very nice of you,” while she finished loading the hay on a cart.

“So... what can we do?” asked Twilight, “are there some apples to buck?”

“What? No. It ain’t apple season yet.”

“Oh,” the unicorn said, confused by the news and her own lack of perspective.

“What do we do then?” their pink friend asked impatient, hopping in place, warming her legs.

“I think I know what we could do,” Twilight quickly blurted preventing Applejack from saying anything, “we should count the apples! That way you will know beforehand how many you will get this season!”

“Huh? Do ya think that’ll really be useful?” Applejack asked in disbelief.

“Yeah! You’ll see!” she replied with a big smile. “After this you won’t want to pass another season without... pre-counting...” She smiled harder after making up such dubious concept.

Pinkie Pie approached the farmer and whispered to her without stopping to smile. “I think she might be lacking some task-sorting practice from the weeks she’s been at Canterlot. Also, I think she might be nuts.”

“Ah, uh...” babbled Applejack. “I... I guess it’s not a bad idea anyway. I’m sure you will do a good job on it.”

“Fine!” Twilight shouted before dashing up to the trees and beginning counting apples.

“What is up with her?” Applejack asked visibly disturbed.

“Ah... I don’t know, but I will find out. Don’t worry,” Pinkie told her. “At least she will be distracted for today. I’ll keep an eye on her. I’ll tell Rarity to find a good doctor at lunch.”

“Ok. Ah hope she won’t harm herself at least,” the orange pony said, “keep her away from the animals just in case.”

* * *

“Two thousand, six hundred and forty seven!” proudly stated Twilight.

Pinkie Pie fell flat on her side as she entered the Sweet Apple Acres barn. Applejack was fixing a pair of shears helped by his brother after a day of hard work. The sun, hanging right above the horizon, bathed the place in a reddish orange light. The soft smell of wet hay and wood was unmistakable. Applejack stopped working to look at her friends. Pinkie was completely wasted after a hard day of work, her mane full of sticks and burrs. Twilight was just as she had seen her that morning. She even had the same smile and cheery attitude.

“Are ya ok, Pinkie?” asked the farmer.

Pinkie laid on the ground like a mop, her eyes wide open in a mix of terror and disbelief. “I... I can’t believe... we actually counted... all... the... apples... one by one...” she muttered from the floor.

“Yeah, Pinkie helped me a lot, keeping track of which trees we had already counted,” Twilight confirmed, “she has an excellent memory. Your farm has two thousand, six hundred and forty seven apples, by the way.” She smiled softly. She was getting some actual fun out of the whole situation.

“Oh,” Applejack replied a bit surprised, “that’s a bit more than we expected. We’ll need to make some more barrels.” She paused for a moment, noticing all the implications of that information. “Thank ya, Twilight. Without ya we’d have to delay the shipments a day or two, or maybe drop some of the apples to rot. Did ya see, brother? She actually made us gain something!” she shouted a bit excited.

“Eeyup,” answered Big Mac.

“So, do ya want some dinner already, sugarcubes? Ya look tired, Pinkie.”

“Huh? Dinner?” she promptly regained her strength and stood up with a surprised grimace on her face, almost twitching. “How long have we been out there? I lost track of the time! I didn’t even notice I was hungry! It was... SO... BORING!!” she yelled to the ceiling.

“Oh, come on, Pinkie,” said the unicorn, “it was an edifying experience. Did you notice thirty seven per cent of the apples were green?”

“I... just...” she stuttered, “can’t... I can’t believe you’re not tired at all.”

“You should take a shower, Pinkie,” Twilight proposed, “your mane looks like Rainbow’s.”

“What do you mean? Colourful?”

“No. Full of burrs.”

“Aaaaaugh!” Pinkie yelled, “I had to pay for that lame pun, huh? Stupid karma...”

“Don’t fret, Pinkie,” said Jack, the elephant, hugging her softly as they walked out the barn, “you will be perfectly nice after a good bath.”

* * *

After dinner, Twilight felt very comforted. She had been thinking of all the weird patterns and missing pieces in that puzzle. She was sure her next move would be the last, no matter how capricious her captor was. Pinkie was feeling much better too. After a shower and a bowl of hot soup she had regained her strength, and after playing some games with Applebloom she had recovered her cheerful attitude.
Applejack was happy to see her friends back in shape. She hadn’t said anything, but she thought Twilight looked much more sane than before.

Pinkie and Twilight left the farm some time after the moon had been raised. The calm and dark night caressed their skins in silence with a gentle breeze. They walked under the moonlight until they reached the white fence that surrounded the farm.
Twilight stopped at the gate.

“Pinkie,” she began, with a serious face, “I have to do something before going back home.”

Pinkie turned around and blinked a few times. “Uh... right now? Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

“No,” she replied in a very calm voice, bowing her head a little, “I have to do it now. I was hoping you would come with me.”

“You want me to go... where?”

“Pinkie, please. It’s not far, I promise.” Twilight looked at her like it was a life or death secret.

The earth pony started to feel anxious and agitated. She looked around, but only Twilight’s eyes required her attention. “N-no... No, Twilight. I refuse to feed your madness further. Enough is... enough,” she doubted. Then, a bit scared, she asked, “what... what will you do if I don’t want to go with you?”

Twilight sighed and her sad face melted Pinkie’s heart. “I guess I’ll have to go there alone...”

“Uuuuuhhhh...” Pinkie struggled to restrain herself from conceding this battle again, but ultimately failed, “all right, Twilight. If that’s so important to you, I’ll go. But I’m going just to keep an eye on you. I’m not going to allow you to hurt yourself more.”

“Thank you, Pinkie!” Twilight cried as she launched herself towards her friend to hug her like a bear.

Pinkie hugged her softly and whispered, “it’s ok, Twilight... Everything will be ok.”

* * *

Under Princess Luna’s mantle, they walked for a while across the road near the forest. The path seemed to go on forever, for a while extending far beyond any reasonable length. The farm seemed way far away, much further than they had walked, and the other end of the road was lost far beyond the mountains. However, after some more steps, they looked back again and saw the farm right under the hill they had just climbed. And just behind the hill, there extended an enormous quarry, a small valley filled with grey stones of every size.

“Is it still too far away, Twilight?” asked the pink pony, “we’ve been trotting for hours and we’re just a few hundred steps from home. It would be so easy to just get home right now...” She pointed at a door that was embedded in a rock. It was Sugarcube corner’s door. The sweet smell of fresh pastries and honey floated out from it, mixing with the wet air from the prairie that laid in front of it.

“It’s right here, Pinkie. This is the place,” replied the purple one, pointing to the quarry.

Pinkie looked around, but she only saw rocks and more rocks. “Uh, right here? Are you sure?”

“Yes, Pinkie. I know I said it wouldn’t be like this, but trust me. It’s the only way,” Twilight tried to explain serenely.

“What? What is this, Twilight? Are you saying you lied to me?”

“Listen, Pinkie. This is really important. I know it doesn’t make sense to you, but... we must count these rocks.”

“What!?” Pinkie hollered, losing her nerves, “what is with you and counting things? What the hay are you thinking!?”

“Calm down, Pinkie, please.”

“Calm down? How could I calm down!? You bring me here, far away from Ponyville, in the middle of the night! And for what!? Counting!? Counting rocks! You can’t do this to me, Twilight! Rocks are the most boring thing there is! I hate rocks!!” she shouted angry at her friend. She stared directly into Twilight’s eyes and firmly declared, “you are crazy, Twilight.”

The unicorn felt a bit out of control for a moment. Was she doing the right thing? She doubted, looking at her usually imperturbable friend all hysterically out of her mind. Then, just then, it struck her. Like a cog that just had snapped back to it’s place, she found the last piece of her puzzle. “Fine!” she said vehemently, “if you don’t want to help me, I will do it on my own.”

“Are you serious?” she cried.

Pinkie’s shrill voice pierced the unicorn’s ears. “I am already starting to count. One... Two... Three...” she said, picking rocks from the ground with her magic and dropping them behind her.

Pinkie stuttered at the unbounded display of madness. “I... I... I-I’m g-gonna go back h-home and... I’m leaving you here, Twilight!” she bluffed, approaching the pink door.

“Four... Five... Six...”

“If you’re like that, I’ll call the doctor and make him put you into an asylum!” Pinkie insisted.

“Seven... Eight... Nine... Ten!” Twilight counted triumphantly, “Did I count this one already? You should help me. You have better memory than me. Specially for rocks.”

“You are being so unreasonable, Twilight! You are going to stay here all night!?” Pinkie yelled, not believing her own eyes.

“Eleven... Twelve... Thirteen...”

“You have to be kidding...” slowly said Fuzzymane’s raspy voice.

Twilight turned around to see the saffron mare standing where her pink friend was a moment ago, with the most annoyed look in her eyes. “Finally!”

“You are the dullest, most stubborn and boring creature I have ever met!” the little brat barked from within her hood. “I couldn’t stand you going through all that quarry stone by stone. Funny, because I won’t need to. Not anymore.”

“Say what you want,” coolly pointed out Twilight, “I told you your powers were no match for mine.”

“Ah, so you still think so?” Fuzzymane asked. Trees in the forests around them began to fall and the mountains in the horizon started to crumble like cookies.

“Well, for starters, you barely even concealed the fact that this is a dream, and then you tried to go as if the last day hadn’t happened, but then you clearly picked on a joke that only existed after we went to the forest,” explained Twilight, “Also, I noticed you didn’t quite get how Pinkie’s mind works, so you must not have our dreams connected. You are only using her memories. She would never get mad at madness.”

“You are so proud because you solved a little puzzle,” responded her enemy, “but you still don’t know half of the game board.” The sky cracked and the clouds got swallowed through the rifts, but not even a breeze blew around them.

“You sound like a loser. Now I’m sure my friends are not here I’ll be out in a flicker.”

“Whatever. You can leave if you want. The time is over,” finished Fuzzymane, “it doesn’t matter if you are asleep or awake anymore.” Then, she vanished in a puff of yellow dust.

“Ok. Fine!” yelled Twilight. As the ground around her disintegrated in a blinding white light, she muttered, “Let’s see... dispelling wave spell... here I go!”

The Spiral Shrine

A vibrant dissonance of magic energy in bright pale yellow and green exploded from Twilight’s horn. The shrill sound of the spell resonated around the six mares for a few seconds. Even the stone of the round benches and old statues screeched under the effect of the luminescent wave. Twilight stood up and looked at her friends. They woke up all at once and started standing and babbling confused words.

“W-what happened?” said Rainbow Dash, then proceeding to stand up in a quick jump, ready to fight.

“We have fallen into a trap,” Twilight explained angry, “a mind trap. I tried to get you out, but I think I was too slow.” She regretted having fallen for it so easily, but now she felt refreshed and full of energy. The only thing that she didn’t understand was why their enemy hadn’t taken advantage of the situation and just had left them lying there.

“Don’tcha worry, Twilight. We are all ok and that’s what counts,” Applejack told her.

“Yeah!” Pinkie’s cheery voice hollered behind her, “whatever comes now, it won’t be worse than waking up from the dream I just had!”

“Huh? What do you mean?” asked Twilight, curious of Pinkie’s priorities.

“I dreamt the whole world was made of chocolate and sweets, and no matter how much I ate, I never got sick! It was perfect!”

“Oh, yeah. I dreamt I was in the Wonderbolts,” replied Rainbow, “hanging with them and flying faster than ever. Pretty standard dream, actually.”

Fluttershy intervened excited, “ah, I dreamed such a good thing too! Every animal, big or small, fierce or tame was at my tea party, and all of them got along well. It was unbelievable!”

“That’s cute, sugarcube,” continued Applejack, “ah dreamt all mah family was together at the farm. All of them! Like back when Ah was young,” She sighed nostalgically.

A chilling silence filled the place as they looked at Rarity, awaiting her experience.

“C’mon, sweetheart. What did ya dream about?” Applejack directly asked her.

She blushed and raised her snout, “Hmph! I believe what a lady dreams is private and it is very uncouth of you to ask such a thing!”

Twilight interrupted the conversation. “Hush, girls! Focus. We still are in enemy territory. Let’s see what’s inside the tower and keep our eyes open. We must be careful now.”

“And what did you dream, Sparkle?” spoke Fuzzymane’s familiar voice. She was standing between them and the tower, staring at them menacingly. “Won’t you tell your friends?”

“Maybe later,” she answered while firing a bunch of magic missiles straight to her.

The impacts of the bright sparks were gracefully absorbed by a blinking force field that had suddenly surrounded the little mare. Twilight heard five surprised ponies gasp behind her.

“That is so mean of you, Ms Sparkle!” cried the amber pony, “attacking a sweet, fragile creature like that!”

“I’ve been wondering this whole time,” she said loud enough so her friends would hear, “how can you be using so much magic? You are an earth pony, not a unicorn!”

“Oh, it works like that?” Fuzzymane replied, “maybe I should have noticed. Who cares?”

A fireball started forming before her and Twilight barely had time to cast a shield spell when she noticed it was not just an illusion. She didn’t expect to get ambushed by a mirage. Her friends ran for cover behind the statues just before the impact, shivering and trembling after the shock. The fireball dispersed around Twilight and left her surrounded by smoking embers.

She stood still and held her focus on Fuzzymane. “How did you cast a spell if you are not even here? What the hay are you if not a unicorn? Show yourself!”

“Really? You don’t think I’m alone? How cunning...” she replied sarcastically.

“I don’t know what kind of unicorn... or creature is behind this, but you are just a puppet.”

“You are so smart!” Fuzzymane yelled. Then she began to laugh stronger and stronger. Her villainous, manic laughter echoed magically as she began to change. Her robes turned dark and blue, and her fur a dark grayish brown. She grew three times as tall as Twilight and her body elongated and slimmed like a big, long tentacle. She now had fangs and claws and small, black eyes. She didn’t look like a pony anymore. She looked like an overgrown otter in a ragged, old, dark hooded robe. But Twilight now knew very well what it was.

“The Järkivääristää!” she muttered, opening her eyes wide at its sight, “I thought you were a legend, but there’s no doubt. You are the Järkivääristää!”

“Oh, am I?” it replied in a raspy, deep and grave voice, “I believe you are confusing me with some... fairytale.”

“Shut up!” Twilight shouted at it, then turning to her friends, “girls, we have to get into the tower! Come on! Get near me!”

As the ponies approached her, she casted a new, bigger shield around them. “Don’t worry. This creature has fooled everypony in Equestria with it’s sorcery, but I don’t think he has a chance now we know it’s real. It can no longer make us believe what it wants us to, you see? And of course, since no magical energy can get through our shield, the illusion of the Järkivääristää can’t touch us,” she explained confidently as they walked towards the main door of the tower, “it is quite simple. If, however, it was a real thing, it could just step into this kind of shield, but it’s not. Now, Rarity, be a dear and open the door.”

“What a smart move!” sarcastically said the Järkivääristää in a sharp tone. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. The ritual is already finished,” it commented as it’s body vaporized in a cloud where it touched the magic shield.

The brave ponies, although scared, walked into the darkness of the ruined stone tower. The phantasm of the Järkivääristää dissipated in puffs of blue and grey smoke, laughing maniacally behind them.

* * *

“Now, be very careful,” Twilight whispered, “we don’t know what may attack us here. Stay near me.”

They stepped slowly through the shadow until, above them, they glanced the moonlit clouds in the sky, through the missing roof of the circular tower. The stone floor had barely any debris on it, indicating somepony had cleared it after the tower collapsed.

Suddenly, a blue spark right in front of them, at the other side of the room, allowed them to see for a brief moment the silhouette of the robed creature they had defied. However, this time Twilight saw clearly that the thing standing before them was not at all an illusion. It was the real one.

“Rarity, light up!” she said, and Rarity obeyed, casting a mystical shining from her pearled horn.

The walls of the tower illuminated, sharing their secrets. Filled with dull engravings of scribbled runes and arcane symbols, the stones of that place told the story of a mad being trying to harness the powers of beyond. The sinister figure of the Järkivääristää was no longer a fantasy, but a living evil in flesh and bone. Everypony shivered at the shady sight. Soon, they started to feel the dark pulse of its magic, like a loud, grave note pressing against their whole bodies.

“I-is t-that real, Twilight?” Applejack stuttered, “is this a nightmare?”

“Yes, yes it is,” she answered.

She trusted on the shield to protect them from magic, but she couldn’t count on it to last much against other things. The evil otter gestured in the air and they saw it carried a long walking stick decorated with a bunch of figurines hanging from its top by threads. Then, a dark mist began to filter through the cracks in the walls and the floor, filling the air with an unyielding darkness that even Rarity’s light couldn’t overcome.

Twilight started feeling the pressure of leadership. The responsibility she had on her friends. She couldn’t risk it. There was no time to doubt in the middle of enemy ground, with no idea of how to defend. They couldn’t attack without seeing the target and they didn’t know what other kind of attacks to expect. On top of that, she didn’t know it the black smoke was magical in nature or not. “Step back,” she said, “retreat. Back to the door. Don’t stray now.”

“What is going on?” cried Fluttershy in the darkness, among the clopping sound of their hooves. They barely could see each other.

“Don’t worry! Just get out! Now!” Twilight shouted.

They stormed out of the tower and watched as the black haze engulfed it. Twilight looked at her friends, trembling after the rush. Fluttershy cried, tightly hugged to Pinkie. Rarity shivered staring at the overflowing door with her eyes wide open, fixed in the darkness. Applejack nervously stepped around and kicked the air, and Rainbow Dash... “where is Rainbow!?” the leader cried. She was nowhere.

* * *

Inside the tower of the Spiral Shrine, amidst an opaque black haze, Rainbow Dash struggled to find her way outside. She was scared and lacked her usual confidence. She could only hear the sound of her own hooves against the stone and a loud, deafening silence pulse that repeated incessantly every few moments.

Blinded by the dark smoke she hesitated to take off. She then touched a stone that was not level with the rest. Feeling around she managed to discern the shape of a stair. Frightened and confused, she began ascending it. She started hearing a faint breathing noise behind her.

Hurriedly, she climbed the steps, soon reaching a height that the mist didn’t cover. After crawling upwards some more, she looked back to the pit of blackness, where the spiral staircase began. She saw a grim figure raising from the smooth shades. The hooded creature, hiding her head under the clothes, climbed the cobble rungs right after Rainbow’s hasted retreat.

Down below, on the garden, Twilight debated what to do, not daring to enter the certain doom of the black trap. She tried to dispel the magical cloud, but it didn’t work. She tried to calm down and think, but it didn’t work either.

Then she breathed deep and, by feeling the weight of the clouds above her, she heard the hissing of the air in the cracks of the stones. She gently pressed against the atmosphere and channeled a gust of powerful wind through the tower’s gate. As she beamed the wind spell, it cleared out the blackness in the round room, the smoke flying upwards, rushing through the hole. She looked upwards to the high end of the tower where the staircase ended in mid-air. There she saw Rainbow Dash, crawling backwards towards the edge, her wings closed tight.

“What is she doing!?” yelled Twilight, “Why isn’t she flying away?” Everypony looked upwards. They saw the blue pegasus cornered at the broken end of the tower, acting scared and unbalanced. Through a window that rested open on the tower’s wall, a few steps below Dash, they glanced a dark blue silhouette, creeping slowly towards her.

Twilight didn’t need a second more to make up her mind and instantly shifted through space in a bright flash to reach the top of the ruined building. She felt the air condensing and heating around her, she smelt her enemy’s cloth and fur igniting and she turned that sensation into a violent ball of burning gas, launching it straight to the fearsome creature. The explosion knocked it against the wall and the staircase trembled with the impact.

The unicorn turned to look at her blue friend. She saw her trembling and terrorized. Instead of the usual brave and eager pegasus, she acted like a young and brittle filly. Something dark and sinister floated around her. Twilight had seen that before. It looked like a curse.

“Get up, Dash! It’s time to fly!”, she said firmly, trying to make her confront her fears to dispel the terrible aura.

“Twilight?” asked the confused pegasus, “what’s going on?”

“Come on, Rainbow. You won’t get into the Wonderbolts like that,” she replied sharply, “Open your wings!”

The scared pony looked down to the far lower ground. “But it’s so high!” she cried.

“Listen, Rainbow,” she whispered, looking back at the unsightly creature who was standing up again, “do you remember that spell I told you I wouldn’t let you try because it would be too dangerous?” She felt her fur start to stand on end. The air surrounding them getting denser.

“Y-yeah...” Rainbow stuttered.

“Well, I think it will be more dangerous not to use it right now, so... are you ready?” Rainbow Dash nodded worried. Twilight focused on her friend. She carefully went all over her skin, covering it with the strong protection of a caring friend and the powerful shield of her motherly rage. Every inch of the blue pegasus was softly embroidered with Twilight’s red-tinted magic, bit by bit, in a matter of seconds. Then she proceeded to rend the winds, making room for Rainbow’s body to pass unhindered through the air, and she imbued her wings with the power of pure light and its speed, allowing her to soar through the skies with unreasonable swiftness.

Twilight kissed her in the cheek and whispered at her ear, “go fly.”

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and suddenly departed like an exhalation, leaving only a faint red glowing trail from the shield and a soft hissing echo in the air.

Twilight looked back at her enemy. The enormous otter, its clothes burnt and its pride hurt, looked at her with calm rage, gesturing to the skies with its stick. Twilight could feel clearly now the powerful charge that bathed the air around her. It made a vast shiver to cross her whole body. She knew what it meant. She had trained for this the last week. She was ready to counteract.

When the Järkivääristää’s stick touched the ground, a fast spark descended from the clouds above, brainlessly seeking the unicorn. She felt it approaching in an instant, crackling through the air in quick steps. Her magic was just fast enough to divert only the last step, making the spark land right in front of her. Immediately, a massive burst of energy, channeled straight through the spark’s path, deafened all her senses. She cried in horror. She had just avoided a thunder, but the spell hadn’t protected her completely. Blind and deaf, she shouted to the skies.

“RAINBOOOOOOOOW!!!”

Up in the air, far above the clouds, Rainbow Dash heard the call of her friend. In a few moments, she had described a wide arc, diving away into the clouds and coming back at the level of the tower, aiming for the hideous creature. She saw the tower broken in half by the thunder, a black burn mark going all down to the ground where the rock hadn’t split. She observed the creature raise its stick and a purple hazy ball come right at her face. She tried to avoid it, but it was useless. Just a moment later she slammed right into the wall under the broken staircase, causing the whole building to start collapsing.

Twilight felt the shock under her hooves and then the pull of gravity. She fell for a few seconds and then she received an impact. She didn’t know what was happening, but she noticed the warm embrace of one of her friends. Then she touched the fresh, wet grass again, softly leaning against it.

The unicorn breathed relieved. She really thought it was her end.

She started to atone her mystical power to the primeval forces that reigned inside her. She communed her past and her future, tying them in an unnatural bond, compelling the flow of nature to revert into a healthier state. She perceived the dainty breath of life inside and the tender caress of the loving spirits around. She recovered her hearing and sight, then she rested.

“Twilight! Are you all right?” commented Rarity nervously staring at her, lain down by her side.

“I don’t know what happened!” sobbed Fluttershy, “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

Confused, Twilight stood up, helped by the other unicorn, opened her eyes and, trying to calm her, told her, “don’t worry, Fluttershy. I’m ok.” She then noticed the yellow pegasus wasn’t looking at her.

“I-it’s not o-only you, Twilight,” she stuttered, “when I p-picked you up, I didn’t see Rainbow anywhere! A-and now the tower’s gone!”

Twilight looked around. She hadn’t noticed, but they were no longer inside the garden. They were outside, right besides the forest. The ancient building had crumbled and where it barely stood before, there was only a dust cloud now.

“Come on, let’s go find Dash,” she ordered with determination to the scared ponies, “we can’t leave her alone in there.”

She looked at the shivering pegasus. Her blue eyes were full of tears and her yellow wat face showed only worry and fear. She was about to break down.

“Fluttershy,” the purple mare tried to comfort her, “you don’t want anything bad happen to Rainbow Dash, right?”

“No.”

“Then we have to be strong and go find her! There’s no time for crying.”

“Y-yes. Y-you’re right...” she replied, “I guess...”

They approached the ancient ruins of the Spiral Shrine, now far more ruined than before. The cloud of grey dust that had covered the place was settling down, making the grass appear as if it was made of rock too. Only a few pillars still stood upright. Stepping on the the fresh layer of dust left evident hoof marks. Their steps resonated in the silence of the night, barely filling the empty space between them and the growing, swirling clouds above them.

Twilight had a creeping sensation for a moment. She looked behind to contemplate an immense mass of thick, interlaced trunks right besides the garden door. It had grown in a moment and it kept raising all around the place, blocking all possible escape paths by land.

“Well played, pinkspells” shouted around them the deep, magical echo of the Järkivääristää’s voice, “but the games are over!”

“Do you have to be so cliché?” yelled angry Pinkie Pie, looking around trying to localize the sound source. The only response came as a rumbling noise from the shaking earth.

“Get ready!” Twilight warned, “keep away from it! It’s influence is stronger nearby!” She was struggling to find a way to defeat the Järkivääristää, but she just didn’t know what to expect. She didn’t want to try random things until she had found the right one, still, it seemed like the only option. Taking a defensive strategy wouldn’t cut it either.

The rumbling receded and a grey cloud began to rise from the floor. It grew taller and wider until a figure emerged from it. A magical shield protected him from the sparky projectiles Twilight had immediately fired. The hideous otter grinned and giggled. “You won’t get me now. I am already finished sending this land to its doom!” it rambled in its sharp, maniacal tone.

Twilight didn’t hesitate. She grabbed one of the stone statues that laid broken near her and swiftly levitated it towards the creature, launching it with all her might. It shattered against the protective sphere, but she managed to notice a small crack in it before it flickered renewed.

“Rarity! You have to help me!” she shouted, “keep throwing rocks at him!”

“On it, dear!” Rarity replied, grabbing the nearest rocks and raising them in the air, launching them in an arc, hitting the otter’s shield. It laughed at the puny projectiles.

When Twilight concentrated all her rage to make the air around her heat up and flow into a scorching ray of fiery plasma, the Järkivääristää had already sorted the humid air into a reflective plaque of ice that diverted the hot blast onto one of the remaining pillars, which exploded in a loud boom along with the ice plaque. The creature laughed even more, hysterical and proud, with a shrill and loud roaring that almost hurt in everypony’s ears.

“Rarity, keep at it!” the unicorn ordered, thinking about a way to overcome the purple force field. She kept being surprised at the masterful use of magic of the unholy mustelid, but she didn’t flinch. She had an idea that didn’t involve magic nor physical contact. It only involved Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy! I need you here,” she told her, closely evading a fireball from her rival. The terrified pegasus crawled to her while she skewed the earth with her telekinetic powers to make a temporary protection against direct attacks.

“You have to use the Stare. It’s the only way to get through,” she explained whispering loud under the noise of rocks shattering and magical missiles of all kind exploding around them.

“But... what if it doesn’t work?” timidly asked the yellow pony.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure it does,” Twilight told her shaky friend, “just use it on him. Otherwise he’s going to hurt us! And Rainbow! You’re not going to let that happen, are you?”

“Never!” Fluttershy yelled, standing up and jumping in front of the dreadful magician.

The righteousness from her heart boiled in her eyes thanks to Twilight’s magic. When she looked into the eyes of the beast, the combined strength of her knowledge and the the kindness of Fluttershy dragged the creature to a halt, forcing it to bow its head to meet the pony’s eyes. Twilight looked at the incredible scene, her shy friend bending the will of the terrible being and holding it still in place.

But she noticed something was wrong. She saw the Järkivääristää and her friend before him, motionless, but around them a hazy mirage of themselves in reversed positions covered the standoff. She got it too late. Rarity was still throwing rocks at the shield, but to her it appeared they had changed positions.

“Rarity, stop!” she cried, but a rock had already hit Fluttershy’s head, sending her flying unconscious to the ground.

Twilight incessantly rained hell on her enemy for the next few minutes, throwing rocks, fireballs, trees, thunder and hail at it, but the Järkivääristää limited to laugh and laugh, evading each attack with an unnatural swift motion or an exactly adequate protection, literally rolling on the floor while laughing with its insufferable voice, mocking the unicorn’s blind rage. Rarity, and Applejack watched astonished the unending display of mystical might. They couldn’t do anything but look at it. They didn’t dare cross the line of fire, not to talk of the literal lines of fire that spread everywhere.

Pinkie had managed to stay on the same side of the battle as Fluttershy, so she picked her up and dragged her out of the danger. She stayed with her for a while, making sure she wasn’t badly hurt, but she really couldn’t tell.

Twilight had stopped her ambush. She breathed fast and deep. She was exhausted. However, the histrionical wizard still laughed. “That was amazing!” it finally spoke, “you were so close of killing me... of laughter! HEEHEEHEHEHEHEEEEE!!”

The ground started trembling again. “I told you. There’s nothing you can do now. I’ve been trapped on this place for years, learning to contact the greater powers from beyond. And now... Just don’t waste your precious energy,” the Järkivääristää told Twilight, “it would be a shame if you weren’t awake to see the end of Equestria.”

“Shut up!” the lilac unicorn cried furious, “this ends here and now!”

The mad otter grinned at her and claimed, “oh, you are so right, you have no idea.”

The earth shook violently and started cracking under their legs. At the centre of the former tower, a hole opened in the floor, letting a reddish and orange glow through. Terrible sounds like those of molten rock and the profound roar of an unimaginable creature came out of it. For the first time, the ponies realized the kind of apocalyptic fate they were fighting against.

* * *

Rarity left her orange friend on the grey tinted grass and approached Twilight, evading burning patches and poodles of unknowable perilous fluids. The furious unicorn was exhausted, her mane turned into a mess and her eyes fixated on her unsightly nemesis. “Don’t falter now,” Rarity commenced, “we have to bring this fiend down. We have put up with many before and we have overcome every hurdle. We will triumph this time too, Twilight. Together.”

“Yeah...” she softly replied, “we just need to figure out why it has an advantage over us.” She looked around for a clue. There was something missing. It was clear the Järkivääristää’s power matched hers, maybe even surpassed it, but she knew there had to be a source for that kind of magic, and a weak point in the seemingly perfect defense.

“I am going to help you in this fight, Twilight,” Rarity confidently stated.

The loose earth under their hooves crumbled against the broken rocks that once formed the floor. The wind blew around them lifting their manes to their side. Above them black clouds swirled in a spiral, reflecting the crimson and orange tones that shone from the breach in the tower’s floor. Before them, the spellcaster in greyish blue rags stared at them, calmly smiling, awaiting their action.

Twilight picked up a small stick that laid around and threw it against the Järkivääristää. It hit the protective sphere, making it gleam for a moment, then dropped to the floor harmlessly, leaving the creature with a puzzled expression.

The unicorn released her insubstantial mastery, her horn and eyes shining in white, infusing the broken branch with the life forces in its surroundings. Grass withered and the wall of plants blocking the place dried while the small fragment turned into a lush creeping vine that quickly covered the mad wizard’s shield, forming a dense leaf sphere.

It reacted igniting the flora with a blazing heat spell, but Twilight quickly responded by applying the spirit of the cockatrice’s gaze, turning the vines to stone in a whim. She then yelled at the pearl unicorn, “raise him! Don’t let him leave!”

Rarity pulled the structure with her ethereal grasp and the creature inside tumbled and fell. When the stone shell was high up into the air, Twilight condensed the power of the storm above, calling for a powerful thunder that fell right on the target.

However, when she checked again, she noticed the jail had been turned into a metal cage, which in turn had protected the otter from the electrical current, leaving it totally unharmed. Somehow it had also avoided the shock and blinding light. Still, the unicorn hadn’t said the last word yet. From the embers that remained where the lightning had struck, she raised a searing flame. A hellish column of sizzling energy bound by her furious vengeance hunger that was doused by a dense, sudden rain before it reached the floating prison.

The creature started to laugh again as the water drops turned into hail, hitting the ponies like pebbles. Rarity felt the creature fight against her grasp as it forced open the metal mesh, turning it into a shield right before a brutal aerolith, evoked by Twilight’s dominion over the cold drops, impacted against it.

The Järkivääristää fell laughing into an enormous pile of cotton that had grown from the remains of the vines, landing comfortably, then raising a wind that sent it flying right into the unicorn’s faces.

Coughing and blinded by the cotton storm, Twilight could only hear the impact of the metal plaque falling right onto her friend, knocking her down.

She reached Rarity and tried to wake her up, but she looked very hurt and didn’t respond. In that moment, Applejack rammed the Järkivääristää, knocking it down. It cried and yelled some strange words and a bright flash sent the orange pony flying against the wooden wall that had magically grown before. She was hurt, but she stood up and got ready to attack again.

She was charging already when the earth started trembling once more, interrupting her run with a fiery breach before her. The land shifted and roared, but among the loud noise, it still could be heard a furious bellow of an otherworldly nature.

From the depths of the earth, a long, black cylinder shape, streaked by red and orange cracks, rose upon the skies, almost reaching the clouds from the tower’s floor gap. The immense and thin appendage bent and plunged to the ground while its other side, still underground, raised even more. A second one followed on the same pattern, just before a big, burning hot shadow emerged from the earth. The head of the gigantic quadruped exposed only a jagged mouth and circular orange eyes, both filled with pure blazing fire from the magma inside.

The nightmarish creature posed its paws on the grass, flames instantly consuming the land around it. Its long neck reached the clouds and its head and body disappeared above them, leaving only the legs visible, black, cracked columns under the storm. It finally left the bowels of the earth and stood on it, its burning mane and tail, shining dimly through the clouds, flowing under the soft rain, sizzling with each drop in an ominous arrangement of noises. It roared once more as thunder struck around it on the skies. The ponies stared speechless at the black giraffe-like immense burning creature and wished it would have never been.

An intense glow up beneath the dark swirling dome pierced the night. Suddenly, a canyon opened in the clouds, letting moonlight through, allowing Twilight to see beyond, far in the horizon among the mist. A yellow trail of dense energy lead to a shiny explosion that cleared the clouds. Then a loud booming sound followed by the noise of a million glasses breaking at the same time, far in the distance.

Twilight tried to see better, but she could barely see anything between the treetops while standing on her hind legs, so she jumped and tried to hold herself on the air with her own magic. She had time enough to see the rooftops of Canterlot far away before falling back down. The city was surrounded by a broken red sphere, similar to a broken snow globe. She knew what was going on. She knew the next strike would be fatal.

The unicorn called her orange friend. “Applejack! We have to stop it!”

“But how!?” Applejack asked in panic.

“Buck it! Buck it like it’s the last apple tree on the world!”

The energy and strength of the fiercest animals surged through Twilight’s horn into Applejack’s body; spirits summoned by the unicorn, making a pact of peace for the sake of a promised balance, the wolf communed with the lion, the bear with the bull and every beast with each other to bring the will of the unicorn forth. Then Twilight called upon the deepest, most simple forces of nature, and gleaming in the dark night on the Spiral Shrine, under the raging storm and the fiery glow of the abyssal creature, stood Applejack, impervious to heat and cold, imbued with the might of a thousand wild beasts.

She charged against one of the blazing black legs and kicked it with an unfathomable force, breaking its thick crust, which started leaking hot, flowing magma. Meanwhile, Twilight directed thunder, ice shards and raw magic at it, trying to break its balance. The mighty beast roared loud as ever, barely muffled by the storm’s noise.

The ground around Applejack ignited and melted as the slow rivers of bright molten rock flowed through it. She stepped fearless on them and the scorching magma didn’t reach her. She kicked the black rocky pillar again and again, and soon the zone filled with a black mass of solidifying magma. It seemed like Twilight’s massive strikes barely affected it.

Then she noticed. She looked at the Järkivääristää and it wasn’t moving a muscle. The nightmarish otter just smiled under its old blue hood, giggling at the farmer’s fight. Twilight didn’t understand. It could have kept attacking them, but it didn’t. It was only looking. Twilight asked herself why would it contemplate the battle while doing nothing to win. Then she felt a chilling shiver when a loud thump shook the earth.

Beside a hardening mound of magma, the black leg of the immense flaming beast rested now on top of the orange pony, leaving only a part of her head on sight. Rivers of bright melted stone dripped harmlessly around her face, slowly covering it. Struggling against the weight of the black mountain on her, Applejack got up, black rock cracking and smearing lava all around. With an exhausting effort, she got out of the burning leg, leaving a hole in it that quickly filled and repaired itself with more dark stone. Applejack walked a few steps over the steaming obsidian, melty fragments of magma still dangling on her body.

Twilight was shocked and dizzy. She felt all the weight of her responsibility on her back. Carefully, she wiped the last fragments of hot rock from her friend’s body with her magic grasp. The orange pony fell exhausted on a patch of grass that had survived the hard fight. The unicorn, feeling she had lost control of the fight, tried to overturn some of the damage. She focused on a healing spell.

“Watch out, Twilight!” screeched Pinkie Pie’s high-pitched voice.

Twilight looked back just in time to teleport away from a blazing current that burned the air and ground all around Applejack’s unconscious and imperturbable body.

“Pinkie!” cried Twilight after appearing right beside her. “Where have you been?”

She replied while taking cover behind a rock, “I found Rainbow Dash! I brought her to a safe side of the Shrine with Fluttershy and...” she paused for a second as her brain updated with all the madness that surrounded them, “what is that giant thing? What happened to Rarity? Oh, no, no, no. Don’t answer that. How do we stop these beasts!?” Her face was stuck between an immense fear and steel determination. Twilight shed a tear when the pressure managed to overcome her panic. A thunder struck with a deafening shock on the rock they were hidden behind, splitting it in two.

“Don’t falter now, Twilight!” the earth pony whispered on her friend’s ear, hugging her, trying to comfort her. “We are not finished yet. We still have a chance to win. And we must!”

Twilight ceased sobbing and opened her eyes. She teleported away with pinkie just before a levitating boulder smacked the place they had occupied.

From behind the remains of one of the garden’s statues, Twilight pointed, speechless, to Rarity’s inert body, laying on the dirt path beneath the old stone benches. Pinkie looked at it and her worries rose to new levels, but she insisted, “there has to be something we have overlooked. We just gotta focus and find it.”

“All right,” whispered Twilight, “we’re going to try something very difficult, but it might be our only chance. I don’t want to lose you, Pinkie, so you must stay out of danger, ok? Just remember that. I need you to help while staying safe.” Confidence on Twilight’s eyes shined through her worried expression. Fire began raining around them, briefly igniting the wet forest where the flames landed. The giant roared once again.

“Ok,” said Pinkie Pie while receiving the warm touch of her friend’s magic. In an instant, space warped around and in that place time bent to the purple unicorn’s will. A dizzying, trippy sensation filled Pinkie’s mind for a brief time, letting her see through the dimensions, beyond the realm of mundane position and duration. After that, she was at many places at once, all around the Spiral Shrine. She looked at Twilight, concentrated on holding the magic, her friends laying defeated on the ground, the infamous otter commanding the elements, trying to hit the remaining couple of ponies, and the immense legs of the scorched colossus disappearing into the obsidian black stormy sky. She saw them all at the same time, and yet, with different consciousness for each one.

“Hey, rabid vermin!” she shouted at the furious mustelid, “you and I are gonna have some words!” A mystical spark from the creature’s stick impacted on her pink body, launching her violently against the burning trunk of a fallen tree, turning her into pink swirling bursts of ethereal light that dissolved into the air.

On the floor of the Shrine, she cried again, “that was rude, you scum! I’m gonna have to scold you right up!” just before a projected flame consumed her image into nothing.

“You’re being unreasonable! And a jerk!” Pinkie told it once more from behind a piece of a stone column that remained around.

“What the--” the Järkivääristää managed to babble when Pinkie bit it in the ankle from behind, “argh!”

Pinkie Pie dissolved once more when the mad creature struck her with its stick. The fury of the otter wizard showed in a growing ring of fire that consumed everything around it. Falling from the skies, crying “Geronimo!” Pinkie Pie landed a hit right on top of the insidious spellcaster.

Clutched under the Järkivääristää’s bony hand, Pinkie’s throat turned into a flimsy thread of pink energy as she coughed and disappeared, vaporized in its hand. Jumping from beneath the flaming wall, Pinkie landed a flying kick right on the creature’s neck, knocking it down.

“I did it!” whispered Pinkie to the entranced unicorn seated in front of her.

Still holding the powerful spell active, Twilight carefully stepped out of their hideout to look at the raging combat. “Pinkie,” she commented worried when she saw several copies of Pinkie fighting near the remains of the tower, “you are hitting a tree.”

“What!?” screamed Pinkie from all her bodies at once.

Twilight looked back at the Pinkie seating behind the old statue and let out a deep gasp when she saw the real Järkivääristää standing next to her, its stick pointed straight to her pink head, loaded with the electrical charge of a storm. The replication spell faded into nothing when the spark struck Pinkie Pie, leaving her unconscious and a bit burnt.

Twilight looked in terror at the sinister figure of the dark wizard, rising menacing against the apocalyptic background. “It’s impossible!” she yelled, “you couldn’t possibly know where we hid!”

The hideous otter giggled manically.

“Unless...” she noticed through her unreasoned fear, “are you reading my mind?”

“Your suffering has been my best pastime today, unicorn,” responded the Järkivääristää with its high-pitched voice and a grave magical echo, “but in a moment Canterlot will be gone, and you’ll follow.”

“No! I won’t let you!” she screamed confident and fearless, with nothing left to lose. “I won’t see my land destroyed by a shameful wretch!” she cried, building all her energy and focusing it into her magic horn. “You miserable renegade of the natural order! Say your last words!” she shouted, levitating over her enemy’s height, colorful energy flowing all around her, her eyes shining brightly, ready to blast him with an unending stream of pure light.

“Whatever,” said the unconcerned otter as an immensely powerful plasma cone obliterated all matter around it. The Järkivääristää, barely interested, waited patiently inside its unyielding shield.

Twilight fell down to the scorched ground when the magnificent display of power took its toll. She was exhausted and she hadn’t even scratched the evil pest. It was too late now.

She faded out.

* * *

Twilight woke up and she felt quite relieved. She finally noticed the dream was over and reality had finally settled in. That unmistakable feeling of being awake after a confusing dream stayed with her, calming her and soothing her fears until she opened her eyes.

She saw the forest, not calm, but burning. She heard the roar of the maddening beast. She felt the dry ground under her skin and the cold rain falling on her. But she still felt relieved.

The dream she had woke up was not a nightmare. Not like the common ones anypony can have at night. What she had been freed of was a piece of the Järkivääristää’s spell. She had figured it couldn’t be so easy to avoid her attacks. Even the most powerful magic had flaws, she had learned back at Canterlot.

The books never mentioned an unbreakable barrier or an unavoidable attack, but they did hold many traps of the mystical bindings. She couldn’t have noticed before because it was the work of the mind trap to prevent her to do so, but a mind trap wouldn’t work without a mind. She had betted her consciousness on the chance of that one possibility being the culprit, and she had won.

But it wouldn’t have been enough to turn off her mind. She wouldn’t have had a chance if she had just flicked the switch of her awareness. The mad spellcaster was reading her mind, so she needed to flood the ethereal link with useless information while she worked on the cleaning step.

Still, it would have been useless if she lost too much time on it. She needed every second to her advantage. If she had calculated correctly, she programmed her brain to reset just half a minute after the cutoff. That was the hardest part. She needed to figure out how to do that, and it seemed like it had worked.

Now everything was all much clearer. She was ready to make her move. Silently, she looked at the hooded otter, who walked away slowly through the garden door and a hole it had opened on the wooden overgrowth wall. She felt the earth trembling as the mighty blazing giant stepped ahead towards Canterlot, readying a second hit.

She felt the earth under her hooves and the rain on her mane. The cold winds around and the hot currents from the titan’s legs. She felt the storm up above, pressing with its electrical static charge against the ground. All the forest spirits shined at her sight through the truth-seeing spell. The trees breathed and the ponies’ hearts beat. She felt it all and saw the pattern. The magic was calling for her.

In that brief moment, the elements obeyed. The trees held their breath and the earth rumbling halted. The storm calmed and focused and the air started to heat. It was the moment her brother had foreseen. The one she had been training harder than ever for. She had trusted her own judgement and communed with her inner forces. Projected her being onto the land and commanded the natural force. The moment her horn shone, the vile creature looked behind, but it was too late for it.

A spark, fast as light, descended from the clouds above. It touched the Järkivääristää’s head and then it was done. The mother of all thunders struck right on it, lifting the ground and leaving crater, disintegrating the flesh and carbonizing the bones. Sending just a burnt, dead carcass flying down the spiral road.

He didn’t even get time to laugh, Twilight thought.

The majestic beast above her roared louder and louder, slowly turning its brutal screams into a thin echo of a whimpering howl. It soon dissolved into the air without the support of its summoner, leaving only cinders flowing into the air.

Twilight walked back to her friends and healed them each at a time. She only spoke to say “it’s over” a few times and barely any other word was said on the way back home. Even the spooky Everfree felt tame after that battle.

* * *

Back at the tree house, even after the long and tiresome day, Twilight found strength to write a letter to her mentor in the solitude of the library, while the rest slept.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I guess you already know we triumphed in our efforts to defeat

the Järkivääristää, since the world hasn’t ended.

We are all alive and whole, although this has been very hard for

all of us. I think we will recover from it just fine.

I have learned a lot about magic, the forces that rule over it and

how to commune with them. Not just from your training, but

from the whole experience as well.

However, there is something that keeps tickling me and I

don’t think I will be able to unravel on my own. I fear I won’t

sleep well until I get to the bottom of this issue.

As we fought this being of unfathomable powers, we were

for a while trapped into a dream that looked quite real.

I wonder, and it bugs me incessantly, if it’s possible that we

are bound to a similar dream image of reality, relegated thus

from our free will and even the actual actions of our body.

Is that too crazy of a thought? Are we a mere illusion of a

different life form? How can I tell if I am the real me or just

a projection of the being I really am, bound under the spell

of this mighty creature?

Is it even possible that I failed my mission and am just trapped

inside the illusion that I won?

Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.

She woke up Spike and asked him to send the letter immediately. He complied grunting and soon, she received a response.

Dear Twilight,

I am glad you are fine and feel very proud of the result of

your mission. I will await your arrival to Canterlot tomorrow so

we can discuss the details of the matter further.

About your inquiries, I’m afraid what I’m about to tell you will

leave you unsatisfied.

Even if the body of the Järkivääristää has been excised of life,

the creature is not yet defeated. It certainly will not bother us for

a very long time, but I know it will come back again.

It is the nature of this being to play tricks of the mind, lasting

even beyond the immediate interaction. We will always have

the doubt of whether we won or not. All of the ones that have

fought it will. There will always be a lingering feeling of unease

related to this creature’s meddling.

You will see, however, that as the days pass, you find less and

less logic to back such claims. Hold on to that feeling of reality

you get when you wake up from a dream, because that’s all

we’ll get. You cannot tell if you are truly asleep or awake during

a dream, but still when you are awake, you know without doubt

that the dream was just an illusion of your mind.

That is the only way of knowing the truth. Because even if you

were trapped inside a dream, it will be the only reality you’ll

ever have. Don’t despair and just try to make the best of this

truth presented to you.

With time you will find it’s the only one, and matters beyond it

won’t mean more than what a dream does.

Trust me and your own mind.

Celestia.

When Twilight finished reading the letter for the fifth time, she felt all her memories from the last week weighing on her. She couldn’t keep thinking on the matter anymore. She climbed the stairs to her room, got into bed and went to sleep, fearing whatever her dreams might bring or take away.