A Brew of Blood, Tears, and Brine

Chapter 2:

The Trip to Canterlot, and More Secrets Uncovered.

Live is like walking through a maze. Living beings find themselves roaming carelessly, until they reach a fork. Choosing a path, they continue with their lives. But there is always uncertainty behind each choice. Some souls reach their goal. Some others are forced to change their goals, as they found themselves in an unexpected turn of events.

Choices lead us through only one way, though...

~~ -[+]- ~/~

The rain intensified. Dawn and Caelus were chatting calmly at the library kitchen about their plans. Spike joined them after bringing a small sack of coins.

"This is all I have", he said, leaving the sack in the nearby table. "Are you sure we have enough, Dawn?"

"Of course", the unicorn answered, putting the sack inside her saddlebags. "We have enough money to stay two days in Canterlot, at least."

"I don't think we will need to stay anymore time there", Caelus suggested. "What do you think, Spike?"

"Whatever", answered the dragon, frowning softly.

Caelus frowned back at him, but she didn't say anything.

"I will leave the library open, just in case somepony needs a book", stated Dawn, trying to calm things down. "What about your work, Caelus?"

"The Cloudsdale Cloud Factory will be fine without me, don't worry", answered her, smiling at her friend.

"So, can we leave now?", Spike inquired.

"I think so", the unicorn said, glancing at the window. "But, what a weather we have tonight! Maybe we can wait until tomorrow?"

"No way!", the dragon yelled, hitting the table with a fist. "We're getting to the bottom of this as soon as possible!"

"Hey! Watch out for your manners!", shouted Caelus back. "It's your sister you're talking to."

Spike glared at her. "I'm sorry", he said, reluctantly.

"It doesn't matter", Dawn stated, patting her brother on his shoulder. "However, he's got a point. The sooner, the better. What do you think Caelus?"

"The notebook can get wet, don't you think?", the cyan pegasus answered, with resentment.

"I think not", Spike answered, smiling wryly. "Dawn protected her saddlebags with a waterproof magic spell."

"Indeed", said the pink pony, chuckling, trying to calm things down, again. "I think Spike is right. We should take the train tonight."

"I agree with Dawn. Tonight has to be the night", the dragon stated.

"I don't see why not, either", Caelus said. "Okay. Let it be tonight."

The pink unicorn nodded, and approached the door. "Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go!" She oppened the door and stepped outside, feeling the pouring rain in her coat. "Actually, I think this is kinda relaxing. Are we gonna go, or not?"

"Finally, that's the Dawn I met at that summercamp years ago!", the pegasus said, following her friend, and hugging her. "I missed you."

"Yes, I was kinda depressed, you know. It has to be the adventure smell!"

Spike raised an eyebrow. "Adventure smell?"

"Come on, Spike!", Dawn shouted, from the distance. "We're gonna miss the train!"

Spike followed the two mares, closing the door behind him.

There was no time to lose, he knew it. They were talking about the secrets of Twilight Sparkle, afterall.

~~ -[+]- ~/~

The Train Station was mostly bare that rainy night. Caelus and Spike were sitting on a bench outside, waiting for their friend to buy the tickets. The dragon was gazing at the charming lights all around, in the town, in the sky, and in the train station itself. The pegasus, however, was searching for the right words to say.

"I don't know what I have done to you", she finally spoke. "But you keep being so harsh on me. Can I ask why?"

"You can't", was the answer she got from the dragon.

"Okay, then. Do whatever you want, but please, we have to keep Dawn cheered up."

"What do you mean?", Spike asked, frowning, still staring at the stars. "Do you think I want Dawn to be depressed?"

"We have to, at least, act as friends in front of her", stated the cerulean pony. "I can get some closure with you later."

"Closure? That'll never happen", Spike said, with a wicked smile. "I won't tell you why either."

Caelus was about to complain, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Dawn approached the both of them from a side.

"I'm finished with buying the tickets", she said, pointing at her saddlebags. "By the way, what were you talking about?"

"Nothing important", Caelus answered, waving a hoof, dismissively. "I think we should get into that train now."

The three of them nodded as they entered the train, together.

~~ -[+]- ~/~

Once inside, the two ponies and the dragon took a seat and waited. As they supposed, the lights of the train extinguished, and some hints of snores reached them. Dawn lit up her horn, and took out the notebook of her saddlebags, placing it in the table in front of them.

"I suppose something is gonna happen now", Dawn whispered, oppening the black notebook slowly, to the first page. The title gleamed eerily.

"What are you waitng for?", Spike asked in a hurry.

"I'm... I'm scared", the pink pony mused, lowering his head. "I can't do it."

"Why are you so scared?", inquired the pegasus, scratching her head. "I don't think that notebook is going to attack us."

"I can't understand, either", Dawn whispered, trying to hold herself from crying. "I can't turn the page."

"OK. Give me that", said the cerulean pony, before the dragon stopped her from doing so.

"Dawn can do it. She has the magic to do it", he said in a soft voice, smiling to his little sister. "I know you can do it. I trust you."

Dawn locked gazes with Spike for a while and then nodded in agreement. "Yes, I can." She turned the pages, until she found what she was searching for.

The three of them stared at the blank page.

"It can't be", the dragon whispered, frowning strongly, as his voice raised to an outburst. "The page is completely empty!"

"Be quiet!", Caelus said, still with a low voice. "If something is going to happen, all we can do now is wait."

Dawn, however, was at a loss of words. Her heart sank as she started blaming herself. Caelus couldn't think of anything heartwarming to say at the moment. Spike was holding his wrath deeply in his chest. Caelus was right, however. All they could do now was wait.

Eventually, the neat handwriting appeared, following the scratch of an invisible quill, again.

==== (-) ====

Twilight Sparkle was walking slowly under the pouring rain that night, following the paths and alleys of her beloved hometown. Her friends were right next to her, all of them with sorrowful faces. Spike was particulary thoughtful, as he was giving worried glances to the purple unicorn. It was a really depressing sight to see.

They eventually arrived at the train station. The dragon quickly entered the building to buy tickets for him and his friend. Twilight Sparkle turned to face her five companions.

"I'm sorry this had to happen", she said, with a soft voice.

"This was going to happen anyway, darling", a white unicorn, named Rarity, mused. "I would liked otherwise, but..."

"After the news spread, it was pretty obvious this was gonna happen", the pegasus named Rainbow Dash said, smirking a bit.

"Ya'll can trust us for whatever ya want", Applejack, the earth pony, whispered, taking off his hat.

"We're going to be waiting for you, don't worry", Fluttershy murmured.

"Just try to return safe and sound, OK?", a pink earth pony said, sheding a couple tears.

The six, then, joined together in a heartwarming hug, crying as much as they could. The dragon later joined them, in the most painful farewell he had ever lived.

"Everything is going to be alright", whispered the purple unicorn, entering the train with her faithful companion.

Once inside, the two of them took a seat together. Twilight Sparkle stared at the wet window, thoughtfully.

"How do you feel, Spike?", the purple mare asked, sighing.

"Me?", the dragon answered, finding himself at a loss of words. "I don't know at all."

"Do you think we will ever return to Ponyville?", she asked again, as the train started moving.

The dragon sighed. "I hope so."

Twilight Sparkle lowered her head. "Me too", she mused, and started crying again.

==== (-) ====

"That's all", Dawn whispered, slowly. Her hown flickered softly until it turned off.

"I remember that night", Spike said, suddenly saddened. Both mares turned to see him.

"What was all that about?", asked Caelus, hastily. "Can you explain it, please?"

Spike closed his eyes and recalled. "That evening Twilight received a letter from the princess."

"What did the letter say?", Dawn inquired.

"She wanted Twilight and me to return to Canterlot for an indefinite period of time", the dragon answered, holding the tears brought by the painful memories. "Neither she nor me knew why she called us at the time. But our friends were rather sure it was because of a certain newspaper article."

"Newspaper? What did that newspaper said?", Caelus asked, tryiing to keep her voice soft.

"It said that a small group of anonymous ponies were planing on taking down the Royal Pony Sisters. That group even said that the princesses were going to refuse to rule at a point in time."

"Did that happen?", the unicorn asked, with a sudden unease.

"That's a mistery. The princesses dissapeared eventually, but nopony knows how", Spike answered yet again, letting himself to shed a tear or two. "I always wondered if Twilight had anything to do with this."

"If that notebook is what I think it is, we are going to get the answers we're searching for", mused the pink pony, before lowering her head again. "I wonder what's the trigger for the next chapter."

"I was thinking and...", Caelus whispered scratching her head. "Do you really want this?"

"What do you mean?", Dawn asked back, lifting her head a bit.

"Will you like the truth? Seeing how this is turning out, I don't think you will", the cerulean pony answered, locking gazes with her friend.

"But...", Dawn lowered her head even more. "My granny... She told me... She wrote this book for me, right?"

"The truth is not always pleasant", Spike said, frowning at the pegasus. "If we had gone this far, we must continue."

"I don't want Dawn to be depressed", Caelus striked back. "We can stop now, before going any further."

"It's her choice to make", the dragon said, poninting her friend with a finger. "What do you think, Dawn?"

"I... I...", the unicorn stammered, unable to find the right words. "I trust her... Granny, I mean... I trust her. We must continue."

Spike smiled wryly. "I'm OK with her choice. Caelus?"

"I'm not going to let her down", the pegasus said. "I will help my friend, even if I'm not sure what she is searching for..."

Dawn soon found herself in her friends embrace, and she know she wasn't alone.

She smiled, because she knew friendship was magic.

~~ -[+]- ~/~

The unicorn yawned, as she saw the first morning lights enter through the window. In front of her, a snoring pegasus and a rather quiet dragon were sleeping in very uncomfortable positions.

Dawn smiled at them, and then, focused her blue eyes on the window at her side. Attached to a mountain, Canterlot gleamed softly, reflecting the sunlight coming from the east.

"It's beautiful, don't you think?", a voice said. Dawn turned her head to meet a certain cerulean pegasus watching the landscape through another window.

"Indeed", Dawn answered, smiling mischievously. "Isn't dawn the most beautiful thing in the world?"

"I suppose", Caelus answered, chuckling a bit at her friend's pun.

An awkward silence fell between the two. Only broken by some snoring noises in the background.

"I missed you, Dawn", the pegasus said, scratching her head. "I tried so hard to cheer you up. I'm glad you're happy and perky again, but I'm still afraid..."

"I'll try to not disappoint you", answered the pink pony. "I don't like being deppresed either."

"I'm still not sure about this", Caelus whispered. "I'll help you, but..."

"Que será, será", the unicorn answered, lifting her head a bit. "I'm afraid, of course, but I can't sit here if Granny wanted me to do otherwise. I trust her. She wouldn't lead me the wrong way."

Spike stretched his arms and woke up, yawning. "We're there now, right? In Canterlot, I mean."

"Not yet, bro", Dawn said with a wide smile. She hadn't called Spike her bro for a while now. "We'll arrive in five minutes or so, I guess."

"OK, sis", he answered, yawning again. "Now, you should get that notebook back in your saddlebags, don't you think?"

"Yes, I suppose... Wait!", the unicorn answered, starting to sweat.

"What is it?", Caelus asked, worried. "Where is the notebook?"

"It isn't here!", Dawn answered, searching for it frantically.

"What!?", Spike yelled, frowning, his claws turning into fists.

"Where did it go? Oh my gosh, I'm done for!", whispered the pink pony, crying, head in hooves.

"Maybe someone took it!", Spike suggested, unable to hold his wrath.

"Don't be silly", Caelus said, waving a hoof dismissively. "Why would someone take something that doesn't belong to them?"

"Nopony would do that now, but before, taking something that isn't yours was called stealing", the dragon said.

"Stealing?", Dawn's head perked up in curiosity. "Why would someone do that? It's stupid."

"It may sound stupid right now for you, but it wasn't before", the dragon stated.

"But, as you said, nopony would steal now", Caelus said. "I guess most ponies don't want their things stealed."

The train slowed down until it stopped. Dawn smirked in panic. "What're we gonna do?", she said, sweating again.

"We can't do nothing now", the pegasus stated.

"No!", Spike yelled, as most ponies started leaving the train. "We... we can't let the thief slip away like this."

"What's a thief?", Dawn asked, but nopony answered her.

"Alright. We have lost the notebook", Caelus stated, exiting the train. "All we can do now is wait... again."

"You!", Spike pointed a finger towards the pegasus, following her. "You hid it, didn't you?"

"I told you already. I will help Dawn in whatever she wants", she answered. "I wouldn't hide it, OK? By the way, where is she?"

"I'm here!", Dawn said, leaving the train, at last.

"Do you feel better, sis?", the dragon asked, worried.

"I guess I can't do anything now, can I?", she answered, sighing. "I hope we find the notebook somewhere, however."

Caelus saw it. She saw the happiness draining from her friend's heart. Again.

She was going to recover that accursed notebook, for her friend's sake.