* * * * *
To most ponies, today was just another average day in the peaceful land of Equestria. The dawn of the morning slowly faded away as time progressed, leading to the afternoon, and, eventually, the dusk. The markets closed, tools and farm equipment were returned to their proper places. Everypony had begun to close the events of their day, preparing to rest up for another regular tomorrow. But one, lone mare was far beyond the borders of this town, experiencing anything but a normal day as she wandered through the dense Everfree Forest.
The usual gloom of the evening cast an ominous shade across the forest, additionally darkening the depths within the vast span of wildlife. Trinity snapped her submerged mind from the focus of her research, glancing upwards at the approaching dusk, now realizing that her ample study window had come to a close. Her bright, turquoise form was quite dim now within the shadows, and her flowing, ocean-hued mane was dancing in the cool breeze. The unicorn's horn glimmered brightly as she magically levitated her notes and pen into the bag that hung from her backside.
The mare had been recently assigned the duty of documenting the mysteries within the dangerous forest, but she couldn't quite work up the nerve to continue her observant examinations past this point of the evening. This was only her second day and she had promised herself to face the fears that this realm caused her to feel, but she was unable to go through with this decision. Trinity shook the length of her muzzle in a slight motion from side to side, ashamed of herself for not having the courageous personality that this assignment required.
Ever since she was a young foal, Trinity had an immense fear for the Everfree Forest, but that wasn't truly uncommon, even at her age, between the citizens of Equestria. Most ponies wouldn't dare go near the forest and its numerous dangers. However, she promised to her supervisor that she could handle the job, and, instead of becoming less frightened during her time spent within the forest's depths, the mare only dreaded the realm even more. Just the sight of the entrance struck a cringe of fear along her spine.
You're a coward! She thought, scolding her own self. You have an important duty to perform, and your nightly findings are due within the week. You cannot avoid Serge's questionings about your information for much longer, so why don't you simply just get the whole dreaded task over with?
The female's head lowered down towards the soft dirt beneath her hooves, the lids of her eyes shutting tightly. There was no mental force she possessed that would persuade her to remain here a moment longer, and the growing darkness certainly wasn't easing her worry. Trinity's eyes parted opened once again as she twisted herself around and made her way out of the dense forest, the mare's fears defeating her purposeful task yet again. Hoof step after hoof step, the unicorn's mind continued to batter her ego with insults along the path back to town, but this did nothing to alter her decision in any way, shape, or form.
No matter what, the fear would not escape her imaginings, and it ever continually taunted her emotions with terror. After all, Celestia only knows what dark creatures explore the territory at night, and she didn't wish to get tangled up in any sort of dominance struggle. Rumor has it that a large, vicious dragon wanders the forest after dark, searching for gems to add to his cave horde. The thought sent shivers through her body, but she managed to free her thoughts of the haunting forest for awhile once the town of Ponyville entered her sights, calming her emotions down significantly.
Home.
As she wandered through the paths of the town, various ponies waved their hellos, to which she simply gave a weak nod in return to each one, unable to respond properly as she would normally like to. The mare had far too much on her mind for greetings at this moment. Finally, after some time, she reached the door to her small cottage and climbed the steps for the front door, wiping all four of her hooves upon her welcome mat. The length of her mystic horn sparkled and glowed in a transparent, cyan hue as the female focused her enchantments to effortlessly open the door before her, viewing the empty living room inside. Slowly she stepped within the boundaries of her home, announcing her presence to her roommate and shutting the door firmly behind her.
"Jacques!"
She waited patiently, a moment of silence passing before her call was answered.
"I'm in the back room!" A voice responded from down the hall.
Trinity trotted down the narrow hallway, skipping a few rooms before nudging an oak door which was partially open. The door swung on its hinge, exposing the room to before sight. There stood a pale, crimson stallion near a small workbench, his attention captured by something else entirely. Jacques was somewhat of an inventor, and he was, most likely, focused on another of his contraptions. He lifted his muzzle away from the table and turned around to acknowledge the mare, a slight smile drawn along his face.
"Sorry Trinity, I've been pretty busy today," Jacques said, apologizing for any disregard he might have expressed to the mare. "How'd the research turn out? Are you heading back out for the night study?"
Trinity hesitated for a moment, dropping her gaze once again and shaking her head in disappointment as a response to his inquiry.
"Couldn't go through with it again?" The male asked, concern showing clearly in his tone of voice.
She nodded, her lips sealed in silence as she wandered out of his workspace and back down the hall, stretching herself out upon the couch within the living room. She heard Jacques sigh and noticed him approach her, taking a few steps closer and wrapping a fore hoof around her neck, exchanging a comforting hug between them both. He had originally disagreed with her line of work, stating how frightening the Everfree Forest could be, but he seemed to respect the mare's decision to face that terror.
"I don't blame you for not wanting to stay," the stallion spoke in reassurance, attempting to raise her mood, as he usually did, out of the depression she so clearly expressed. "One day you'll conquer that fear, alright? It doesn't have to be today. Why don't you lie down and get some rest for now? I'll make you something to eat."
The female nodded again, appreciating his understanding. Jacques may not possess the proper and professional behavior that she had, but he was always there for her when she required his support. The mare enjoyed his continual kindness, and he seemed to have no short supply of it. Trinity separated herself from the embrace, a tiny smile forming across her muzzle.
"That would be lovely, Jacques," she replied, clearly thankful of his offer, "I greatly appreciate it."
The male nodded this time in response, returning the smile back at her.
"Don't mention it, Trinity," he said, wandering off into the kitchen.
Her vision soon lost sight of him as he trotted out of the room, leaving the mare alone to rest in silent peace. She lowered her head and muzzle onto the soft surface of her couch fabric, her smile remaining fixed upon her expression. The unicorn mare never doubted her decision to share the home with Jacques, knowing that he would be the splendid roommate she needed within her life. She allowed her eyes to narrow and then shut, her thoughts fading slowly as she passed into a pleasant slumber.
* * * * *
When the lids of her eyes opened once more, Trinity found herself within the surroundings of a vast forest, unaware of where she was. Pulling herself to her four hooves, the mare stood up and observed the area around her, but the entire realm was silent and unmoving. A gentle breeze whistled through the trees, causing the numerous leaves to wave along each branch. Was this the Everfree Forest? The ground began to vibrate underneath her slender figure, indicating something massive was approaching. Whatever was heading this way, the female planned to avoid it, quickly turning herself in the other direction and trotting out of the path she assumed it was taking.
However, as she continued along, the vibrations of the ground seemed to increase into a more intense quaking, almost as if she hadn't gotten out of the creature's path at all. Was it possible that it was... tracking her? An ear-deafening cry blew through the forest, interrupting Trinity's thoughts, and, instantly, filling her with terror. It was the cry of a dragon, and it certainly didn't sound pleased. The mare's heart raced within her chest as she sprinted through the forest in absolute fright, the loud screeching of rage growing louder. This only caused her to increase the rate of her running, fearful for the sake of her own well-being. The earth shook beneath her hooves repeatedly, the beast hot on her trail. Trinity dared herself to twist her gaze around and peer back to get a glimpse of the dragon that pursued her, but nothing was visible through the dense trees behind. Suddenly, her fleeting progress came to a halt as her face collided into a wooden tree trunk, causing the mare to collapse briefly into a daze of pain.
The mare groaned from the impact, her head throbbing as she struggled to regain her footing. Once she could stand again, Trinity quickly darted away from the beast that tracked her, trying to cover the ground she lost from the delay. But the ground stopped its shaking, and the leaves of the forest ceased to rustle from the artificial earthquake of the creature's heavy form. Did the dragon give up the pursuit? It was difficult to tell for sure, her visibility being limited by the foliage. Panting heavily, the female slowed her run to a stand still, scanning her surroundings to search for the creature, but nothing caught her sight. Trinity sighed in relief, her legs buckling in exhaustion as she fell onto the ground beneath her, eyes shutting tightly together while she recovered from the whole chase.
The mare felt something prod her backside, invoking a scream of fear from her muzzle. Her eyes snapped open as she leapt up and scrambled to flee from the beast, only to topple from the couch and collapse onto the threaded carpet below.
Wait... couch? Carpet?
"Goodness, Trinity! Are you all right?"
She raised her muzzle upwards to see Jacques standing before her, levitating a plate of food in the air beside him. His facial appearance was a mixture of shock and concern, gazing down at her like she was a complete lunatic.
"Wh, What...?" She tried to formulate words, but her mind was quivering in confusion as much as her body was in fright. What just happened? She spoke inwardly, questioning herself.
"That must've been some dream you were having." The stallion said, pressing a fore hoof against her shoulder. "You look shaken up pretty badly."
Realizing now that her whole experience was just a nightmare, she pulled her body back into a standing position, muscles tensed tightly from the dark imaginings. For just a simple dream, the ordeal seemed rather... realistic.
"I'm all right, Jacques," Trinity replied, her voice wavering despite her reassurance, "just a nightmare, nothing serious."
"What was it about?" The male asked, clearly curious about it.
She climbed onto the couch once more, her body extending across the comfortable furniture and her mind trying to shove the whole experience from her thoughts.
Indeed, what was it about? Trinity wondered, the meaning of the dream remaining a mystery to her comprehension. She raised her muzzle and realized that the stallion was currently staring at her, waiting for an answer to his question, to which she shook her head from side to side.
"I would rather not discuss it, if that's acceptable to you," the female responded, strongly hinting that she was dropping the subject.
She was relieved to see Jacques nod and place the plate upon the table, thankful for his understanding nature. He motioned to the recently prepared food with his muzzle, indicating for her to eat.
"I hope this makes you feel better," the male said, "I'm not a very good cook like you are, but I did try my best."
Trinity smiled at his generosity, using her magic to float the plate closer to her reach, the lips of her mouth parting as she consumed the first bite of the meal. The mare nearly gagged from the flavor, but hid her dislike to protect his feelings. The whole dish was so ill-prepared that she couldn't even comprehend what he attempted to cook. In this condition, she'd rather remain unaware of what it was supposed to be. Slowly, she chewed the mouthful and swallowed the repulsive contents, showing her companion a half-hearted smile.
"It's very... unique, Jacques," the cyan unicorn spoke, attempting to give a positive remark to the best of her ability. "Th, Thank you."
"Eat up!" Jacques said in delight, a satisfied grin drawing across his expression from the complement. "There's plenty more where that came from."
Trinity expressed a mental groan of despair. This night was going to be a long one...
* * * * *
The bright sun shone through the transparent glass of the windows, casting warm rays of light unto the unconscious body of Trinity within her bedroom, causing her to shuffle in her sleep, and, eventually, awaken from her slumber. The female blinked her drowsy eyes a few times and stretched her body outwards, yawning as she dropped from the bed and onto the floor beneath her. Exiting into the corridor, the mare trotted towards the living room, heading over to the kitchen and using her magical enchantments to pull various items from drawers and cupboards.
That horrible taste still enveloped around her taste buds from the previous night's disaster dish, and she needed a proper meal to rid the bitter flavor from her muzzle. Heating up the stove to a medium temperature, she broke two eggs and placed the yokes within a pan, setting it over the burner to cook them. Once that was in process, she also levitated a few oranges and squeezed them into a pitcher, making enough juice for both her and Jacques. When he woke up, that is.
Afterwards, she diced up some peppers, tomatoes, and onions into even pieces, adding them into the egg liquid and flipping the circular mixture halfway over to form an omelet. Trinity continued to flip the omelet a few more times until the surface began to brown, lifting it onto a clean plate and setting it aside for the stallion. She repeated this whole process to create another omelet for herself, knowing that the scent of food would soon awake the lazy stallion from his slumber.
"That smells amazing."
Right on time.
She removed the additional omelet onto a separate plate for herself and then shut the heat of the stove off, turning to face the male.
"Good morning to you as well, Jacques," Trinity replied, clearly hinting at his lack of proper greeting.
"Oh, my bad," he apologized. "Good morning, Trinity, what are you making?"
That's much better.
"I prepared you some food to enjoy before I head off to the forest again," the mare said, pointing her muzzle at his plate and the container of fresh orange juice. "It's my way to show my gratitude for the comfort and... meal from last night."
Jacques expressed a joyful grin, clearly happy of the remark.
"Maybe I can cook for us again sometime," the male suggested.
She released a light chuckle, hoping such a time would never come.
"Sometime, yes," she answered, bringing the edible items she had prepared over to the living room table, "but let's just enjoy the meal I've made, in the meantime."
"Mm, I don't mind that one bit," Jacques replied, his eyes glazing over the food set before him. "This meal looks amazing!"
Levitating her own prepared plate, Trinity soon joined her roommate at the dining room table, standing across from the stallion and placing her breakfast upon the surface of the wooden furniture.
"I'm sure that, with the proper practice, you could learn to conjure all kinds of flavorful recipes," she encouraged him helpfully, trying to keep her distaste for the male's cooking trapped between the walls of her mind.
Jacques gave a pleasant smile at her compliment, completely unaware of her true feelings towards the ordeal of last night. However, he waved a fore hoof in a dismissive manner, not agreeing with her statement.
"As much as I enjoyed cooking for you earlier,” he spoke in return, "I don't think it's something I want to do for a career, if that makes any sense."
It makes more sense than you would believe, the mare said within her thoughts, and thank Celestia for that.
"My actual talent is with my inventions," the crimson pony continued, "and creating things to help others is what makes me happy."
Trinity had to admit that the male's contraptions were very useful, or, at least, in most cases. She recalled his latest contribution to Ponyville: a water turbine. After placing it underneath a nearby waterfall, the device transferred the kinetic energy of the turbine's movement into an additional supply of power to the town. The mayor was skeptical at first, but, after the demonstration, her worries quickly vanished, and the machine turned out to be very productive indeed. For a while, anyway...
It turns out that the device wasn't as stable as Jacques had anticipated, and this nearly caused a tremendous disaster. A few ponies reported that the machine was exhibiting signs of problems, namely, a strange amount of uneven shaking. The stallion reassured everypony that all was well, but his statement didn't really convince their disbelief. Eventually, he was persuaded to take a deeper look into the issue. Being a unicorn, rather than a pegasus, he had to be hoisted up by a rope to reach the device planted into the steep cliff.
As he neared the height of the device, Jacques had claimed to hear an odd clanking within the mechanical system, and opened up the hatch to view the problem. It seemed that parts of the machine had been dislodged from their correct locations and were spinning around wildly. The stallion then announced the problem and requested some additional aid. Two of the pegasi that were present soon flew up to him, offering whatever assistance they could. Jacques explained that the machine needed to be taken down from the cliff and repaired.
However, a loose bolt suddenly sprung from the opening hatch at shocking speed and impacted one of the pegasi in the face, causing him to fly backwards in surprise and collide into the other. They both slammed into a support beam that held the large machine to the cliff, dislodging it from the rock side. Now, with a third of the support cut from the device, the weight rested heavily on the other two beams, but the creaking of those two beams indicated that this hold wouldn't last much longer.
Jacques quickly shouted in desperation for everypony to clear the area, both pegasi grabbing onto his form and taking him safely away from the inevitable tragedy that was soon to follow. All the ponies cleared away in a hurry, watching the scene play out before them in horror. A metallic groan was soon heard from the machine as it shifted over, both beams breaking from the rock side and sending the massive device plummeting to the ground below. Thankfully, nopony was harmed during the wreck, but the major never incorporated another of Jacques's inventions into Ponyville afterwards.
We all make mistakes, and we all eventually learn a thing or two from each one. Most ponies harbored ill-will towards the stallion, knowing that the entire situation was nothing more than a simple error. Albeit, a huge, life-threatening, near-death-experience error. His other, smaller inventions functioned well, though, and Jacques reasoned with himself not to attempt anything too large and beyond his skill again.
"So," Trinity spoke, breaking from her thoughts and gazing across the table at her roommate, "what are you currently working on now?"
"Hmff mngh." The stallion attempted to speak, but a large mouthful of the omelet was still being chewed within his muzzle. He raised a fore hoof to indicate her to wait while he swallowed, able to respond properly once he did so.
"Sorry about that," he replied, his mouth now empty at this point. "I actually was working on something to help you out with your research in the forest."
The mare's head tilted to one side, her curiosity peaked when she heard this. "Is that so?"
Jacques nodded and shifted his snout over towards the hall in a pointing motion, the female assuming he was referring to the workspace where he constructed these devices.
"Would you like to see it? It's not ready yet, but I can still show you."
Trinity smiled gratefully and stepped away from the table, trotting down the hallway and entering the male's room. Once inside, she took a few moments to examine various devices that were planted upon the wall, a delighted grin spreading across her expression in admiration of the stallion's hard work. She sensed him proceed into the workspace behind her, twisting around to face him again.
"I must say, you've been very busy, as of late," the female remarked, still in awe at the number of machines the pony had produced in such a short time. "I don't remember there being this many inventions here when I last entered."
"Heh, well, I had to show everypony that I wasn't a total failure because of that... disaster."
His joyful mood quickly morphed into a frown by just the mentioning of the event, and, this time, it was Trinity's turn to express some comfort. Without hesitation, she gently brushed her lengthy muzzle against his cheek, showing her concern for the male and hoping to cheer him up. And, thankfully, the contact seemed to brighten his facial tone, reviving the pleasant smile along his lips.
"Thanks," he responded, "I really needed that."
"You honestly shouldn't take things so hard, darling. It was only an accident, after all."
"Easy for you to say," the male countered, sighing and shaking his head from side to side. "I almost got ponies killed during that so-called 'accident.' Some of them won't even speak to me anymore."
He does have a point, the mare pondered silently to her own self. And, though I hate to admit it, the whole situation was rather severe. I certainly wouldn't want the burden of knowing that I nearly killed somepony haunting my thoughts day in and day out.
"Listen, Jacques," Trinity firmly addressed the stallion, her gaze burning deeply into his eyes, "nothing in your power can reverse those mistakes. You simply have to move on and learn from them, alright? You can't change the past, but you can always alter the present."
Her hooves moved her body closer towards the male, and she curled her neck around his shoulder in a comforting embrace. "Never forget that fact."
The cyan mare could feel him press further against her, a sign of his enjoyment from the friendly contact. Her fluffed mane brushed across the side of his face, a lovely sensation that brought a joyful smile across her muzzle. Trinity could feel a tinge of an additional element within the hug, though she couldn’t quite comprehend what exactly it might be. The female pushed the thought away from the depths of her mind, deciding she’d rather allow this delightful moment to last a moment longer than to pick the situation apart with her overly analytical mind. However, the male soon disengaged the embrace and separated his form from hers, causing a disappointed emotion to drift along her expression. It only lasted briefly, and, thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice.
“Are you ready to see it now?” Jacques asked eagerly.
“Oh, uh… sure,” Trinity replied, her mind readjusting to the purpose of this meeting. “Please, bring it out for me to see.”
The crimson stallion raised his head upwards, his enchanted horn pointing to the ceiling as it glowed brightly, a lone object upon the wall beginning to glimmer a deep red hue as it shifted from its position and floated down unto the workbench. The device was small and circular, baring some peculiar markings that she didn’t understand. Her face tilted slightly in curiosity as she examined the tiny mechanical object, but her mind was unable to figure out the workings of the device on first glance.
“No doubt you’re wondering what this is,” the male spoke, clearly noticing her bewilderment. “I think this will come in handy during your travels.”
Trinity removed her vision from the contraption and aimed it at Jacques instead. “What does it do, exactly?” She asked.
The stallion shone an amused smile in return, reaching a fore hoof upon the table and scooting the object closer towards her. “This will detect the presence of those around you,” he began to explain, “not smaller animals, but larger, and, possibly, more threatening ones.”
Her eyes soon returned to the mechanism upon the workbench, amazed with the potential of such a tiny device. However, that didn’t explain the unknown markings that seemed to completely cover the surface. She focused her magic to levitate it within the air before her muzzle, taking a closer look at the object. If it did work the way the stallion claimed, then it may ease her worries of the Everfree Forest. But…
“How does it work?” The mare inquired.
The pupils of the male grew wide at the question, pausing before he stammered a reply. “How does-? Wha-? And reveal the secrets of my machine?”
Trinity exposed a mocking grin, her eyes rolling upwards. “Oh, my apologies,” she replied in a sarcastic tone, “I mustn’t ask about the sacred workings of your inventions, otherwise everypony might steal your wondrous ideas.”
“That isn’t funny…” Jacques responded, clearly not amused with the joke.
* * * * *
So began another evening in the Everfree Forest, and so traveled another chill along the length of her spine. The cyan mare wandered slowly through the dense trees, gazing cautiously around the ominous realm. The device her roommate provided gave her no additional sense of comfort, even though it clearly showed zero signs of larger creatures. She held the mechanism aloft in mid-air beside her as she trotted ahead through the foliage, an anxious prick of fear enveloping her emotions. The female couldn’t stand the suspenseful feelings that dwelt within the reaches of her mind, and, strangely, she wished that the haunting figures of her imaginings would simply reveal themselves rather than waiting out in the shadows.
She quickly shook her muzzle to scatter the thought, realizing that the fright was overcoming her logical mindset. There was no reason to feel afraid, after all, when the male’s device wasn’t showing any of the signs that he described to look for. The object levitating beside her didn’t shake or wobble to indicate a nearby individual, as Jacques explained it would, so any worrying beforehand was simply absurd… right?
Still though, the mare thought to herself, I can’t help but feel frightened for all the possible dangers that lie out here. And what makes it even worse is that I have to document each and every one.
Trinity shivered nervously as she considered this, not knowing exactly what beasts might expose themselves in the dark shadows of the night. Her muzzle twisted over once more as scanned her surroundings, unable to push these dreadful thoughts aside as the possibilities continued to flow into her mind.
What if those terrible rumors are true? She wondered silently in her thoughts. Does a dragon really lurk within the depths of this forest? Will I fall victim as its latest prey? Oh, dear Celestia, please don’t let it come to pass!
A rustle of leaves jolted the unicorn back into reality, causing her to freeze in place as she stared at the location of the sound in absolute terror. The shifting of the bushy plant continued, and Trinity dropped her form upon the ground beneath her and shielded her eyes with both fore hooves, anticipating the creature’s emergence and quivering in fright. But, thankfully, the mammal that appeared was only a lone squirrel, and the female removed her hooves to gaze happily at it.
“Goodness, you gave me quite the startle, little guy,” she spoke to the squirrel, smiling in relief as it bounded over towards her. “I’m certainly glad I encountered you and not something less friendly.”
Using her magic, the female brought out one of the walnuts she had packed for a snack, setting it before the squirrel to enjoy and giggling in amusement as it cracked the walnut open against a small rock. The sight caused Trinity to notice her own growing hunger, and she pulled out a bright, red apple to munch on beside her new friend, taking a short, and much needed, break. Once she had the time to ponder it, the experience in the Everfree Forest after dark really wasn’t as terrible as she made it out to be, and she had gained plenty of the notes she required for her research task. Perhaps the forest wasn’t all that bad after all. The stallion’s device soon pulsed and shuddered against the terrain, her thoughts interrupted by the movement.
“Grraaawugh!”
The mare quickly recognized the familiar roar. It was the same as the one within her dream: the dragon. As the earth quaked beneath her form, she gazed downwards to notice that her furry companion had already scattered from the cry, and she didn’t intend to remain any longer as well. Gathering her supplies back into the pack and pulling herself back up on all four hooves, Trinity sprinted away from the direction of the roar at full speed, trying to increase the distance between her and the dragon’s presence. But no matter how fast the pace of her running was, the continual shaking of the ground only seemed to grow, and when the dragon screeched from behind her figure, it seemed only ten meters away.
Trinity could vaguely remember bits and pieces of her nightmare, recalling her impact with one of the trees when she reversed her gaze behind her. If she kept her eyes locked forward, she should, in theory, avoid the occurrence. But at this point, not only was the quaking of the earth increasing, but the sounds of the massive dragon’s steps were heard now, indicating it was closing in on her.
I’m not going to make it, the female realized in dread. It’s only a matter of time before I’m caught.
She raced through the dense forest, panting heavily as she pushed herself to the limit. But the shaking soon ceased altogether, another important detail that the mare remembered. She reasoned with herself that the dragon must have taken flight, but this didn’t cause her to feel any relief. Within the air, the dragon would find it much easier to locate her position, having a vast viewpoint from such a height. She would need to find some hidden cover to avoid the vicious beast. However, this thought strayed from her mind when a tremendous impact shook the entire ground just a few yards ahead, another immense roar sending waves of sound blazing through the forest.
Quickly looking around, she noticed a small cave nearby and bounded towards it, hoping that its shelter would prevent the beast from locating her. Her hooves continued to vibrate as the earth quivered beneath them, and she twisted her gaze around to see the trees shaking violently as the dragon approached. Desperately, Trinity strained her exhausted form to dash ahead to the mouth of the cave, her eyes clenched shut in a blind retreat. The frightened mare refused to lock her sight with the terrible creature, and her only concern at this point was reaching the safety of the tunnel.
Finally, after the long pursuit, the unicorn launched herself forward and into the protection of the rocky canal, gulping down large breaths of air to relieve her aching lungs. She soon regained her footing and headed down into the deeper regions of the cave, her ears listening to the frustrated beast as it scratched at the rock surface. Trinity could hear a loud, angered screech from the dragon, who must have realized his prey was lost beyond recovery, and she revealed a victorious smile. Her horn glowed slightly to provide a dim source of light once she entered the cave’s depths, examining the oddly smooth rock tunnel as she trotted through it. It wasn’t long before the tunnel led to another outside opening, a bright light causing the female to squint her eyes from the contrast of the dark cave.
Trinity soon found herself in a massive, underground aquifer and the intense light nearly blinded her as it shined outwards from a single, spherical mass that floated within the area. The walls within the cave were filled with all sorts of strange markings, which seemed strangely familiar to her. Removing the pack from around her backside, the unicorn pulled out the device that Jacques had given to her and examined the writing. The style of it matched the markings on the walls, and that could only mean that this mechanism wasn’t created by the stallion at all.
Her eyes soon adjusted to the brilliant light that filled the vast space, wandering over to examine the swirling mass that seemed to constantly fold into itself. But what was this object? Cautiously, the cyan mare approached the light source until her muzzle was only inches away from the surface, her mind trying to comprehend what she was gazing at. It looked like a vortex of some sort, flexing and pulsing brightly. She raised a fore hoof and slowly extended it towards the mass, reaching to touch the surface. Her hoof seemed to disappear completely into the vortex, and, utterly shocked, she quickly retracted her leg, but noticed no signs of damage to it. Trinity’s curiosity got the better of her logical reasoning.
She took a deep breath and hesitated before plunging herself through the swirling mass, uncertain of what consequences lay ahead for this action, but accepting the risk completely. Trinity felt her slender form become engulfed by the vortex. Her vision blurred to pure white, and everything faded away into a deathly silence.
* * * * *
