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Character Development Part 3

By HotdogWater
Created: 2026-02-03 02:21:58
Updated: 2026-02-12 01:35:08
Expiry: Never
romanceadventuretgequestriapony tfmlpfim

  1. 1.
    >A bead of sweat traces a line from your brow to your jaw, your eyes glazed over and half-lidded
  2. 2.
    >You've been walking for hours, you think, the incessant rustling of the trees and buzzing of the insects taking their toll on your mind
  3. 3.
    >The thick canopy of the Everfree forest seems to defeat the concept of time; you have no idea how long it's actually been, and the whole damn place looks the same
  4. 4.
    >Twilight insists that you've been following the correct path, but as far as you're concerned you could have been walking in circles for hours and you'd have no idea
  5. 5.
    >The thorny vines that wind around every individual tree, shrub, and seemingly stalk of grass scratch and pull at your coat
  6. 6.
    >The air is thick; it seems to cast a suffocating pall over the entire forest
  7. 7.
    >You find yourself dearly missing Zecora's guidance
  8. 8.
    >When she had been here to lead the way, you had hardly noticed any of this
  9. 9.
    >But now, the layout of this Celestia-forsaken place was claustrophobic and confusing
  10. 10.
    >It's not just you: the other two seem similarly affected
  11. 11.
    >They both look tired and frustrated
  12. 12.
    >Still, Twilight forges ahead, determined as ever
  13. 13.
    >You sit down heavily, exhausted
  14. 14.
    "Twilight!"
  15. 15.
    >You croak
  16. 16.
    >She turns to look back at you, her eyes glazed and cheeks flushed from exertion
  17. 17.
    "Can we take a break? I... need a minute."
  18. 18.
    >She pauses, then nods reluctantly
  19. 19.
    >Midnight Spire collapses next to you with a grunt
  20. 20.
    >Twilight pulls the map out of her saddlebags telekinetically, and continues studying it without sitting down
  21. 21.
    >You glance at Midnight
  22. 22.
    >He looks about as tired as you feel
  23. 23.
    "This forest is practically a maze. How are we supposed to find this place if we can't even figure out where we are?"
  24. 24.
    >He mutters
  25. 25.
    >You pat him on the back with a hoof
  26. 26.
    "Buck up, Midnight. The Everfree is confusing, yes, but we've got a map. We'll be fine. Right, Twi?"
  27. 27.
    >Twilight laughs nervously
  28. 28.
    "Yeah... About that."
  29. 29.
    >You stare at her, unblinking
  30. 30.
    >She forces a smile
  31. 31.
    "This map relies on information from a long... long time ago. Some of the directions are a bit... Difficult to decipher."
  32. 32.
    >Midnight looks heartbroken
  33. 33.
    "You mean we're lost!?"
  34. 34.
    >He wails
  35. 35.
    >You roll your eyes, and keep patting him
  36. 36.
    "No, not lost! More like... Directionally challenged, we'll say."
  37. 37.
    >She replies
  38. 38.
    >You can't help but snicker
  39. 39.
    >Midnight looks up at you, desperately
  40. 40.
    "Can't you fly up above all this and give us some directions?"
  41. 41.
    >Now it's your turn to laugh nervously
  42. 42.
    "Yeah... I wish it were that simple. Let's just say I'm not the most talented flier, and the last time I tried flying over the Everfree I just about died."
  43. 43.
    >You wince at the memory, your wings involuntarily tucking in close to your body
  44. 44.
    >It hadn't been much more than a week ago, but it felt like a lot longer
  45. 45.
    >It was a miracle you hadn't broken anything
  46. 46.
    >You shake the memory off, and look back to Midnight
  47. 47.
    >He's staring at you pleadingly
  48. 48.
    >Twilight nods
  49. 49.
    "I'm tempted to agree."
  50. 50.
    >You breathe a sigh of relief
  51. 51.
    "Thanks, Twilight."
  52. 52.
    >She coughs
  53. 53.
    "Um... Actually, I meant with Midnight."
  54. 54.
    >You stare at her in horror
  55. 55.
    "Hear me out... You're actually not a bad flier, Nona. Like you said, it's just landings you struggle with, right?"
  56. 56.
    >Midnight snorts
  57. 57.
    "I can attest to that."
  58. 58.
    >You take a step back, your feathers ruffled
  59. 59.
    "No way. I'm just going to crash again!"
  60. 60.
    >Twilight raises a hoof
  61. 61.
    "Relax, Nona. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. But what I was going to suggest is that Midnight and I could catch you, if you fall."
  62. 62.
    >You consider her expression unhappily, trying to suppress the images of you hurtling through the trees that flash through your mind
  63. 63.
    >Trying to fly over the Everfree was just about the last thing you wanted to do right now
  64. 64.
    >You glance up at the treetops, the wind pushing the leaves around gently
  65. 65.
    >You close your eyes, and take a deep breath
  66. 66.
    >Opening them, you find Midnight looking at you hopefully
  67. 67.
    "Okay, I'll do it."
  68. 68.
    >Midnight hops to his hooves
  69. 69.
    >Twilight looks pleased... Almost proud, in fact
  70. 70.
    "Thank you. I know this isn't easy for you."
  71. 71.
    >You nod nervously, glancing up at the sky again
  72. 72.
    >The wind appears to be picking up
  73. 73.
    >Well, looks like there's no time to lose
  74. 74.
    >You look back to Twilight again
  75. 75.
    "And you're sure you can catch me?"
  76. 76.
    >She nods solemnly
  77. 77.
    "One hundred percent."
  78. 78.
    >You take a moment to center yourself, and before you can have second thoughts you stretch your wings out and start beating them, lifting off in a matter of seconds
  79. 79.
    >You try to focus on keeping yourself level, flying straight up and not building up any speed
  80. 80.
    >As strong as your wings are, lifting off this way is a lot more taxing than you had expected
  81. 81.
    >How in Celestia's name does Rainbow just do this constantly?
  82. 82.
    >You're approaching the treetops at this point, and you can already feel the wind pulling at your fur, whipping your mane around
  83. 83.
    >Despite your better judgement, you look down, and Twilight and Midnight staring up at you apprehensively
  84. 84.
    >It's already a long way down... But surprisingly you don't feel any vertigo
  85. 85.
    >You suppose Pegasi must not experience vertigo. Neat!
  86. 86.
    >You clear the treetops, and a large gust of wind threatens to knock you over
  87. 87.
    >But you've learned from your last experience here, and had seen this coming
  88. 88.
    >You tuck your shoulder slightly, drop one wing a bit... And with a harder push from your other wing you stabilise yourself
  89. 89.
    >The verdant canopy of the Everfree forest spreads out before you, miles and miles of scruffy treetops stretching into the distance
  90. 90.
    >You instantly feel a sense of relief, the tightness in your neck and jaw melting away as you're exposed to the air and sun above the canopy
  91. 91.
    >At first, the whole area looks the same... Just millions of ominous-looking trees in every direction
  92. 92.
    >But then something stirs your memory
  93. 93.
    >In the distance, maybe two dozen miles ahead... There's a craggy hill just barely rising above the treetops, and just behind that you can make out the tip of some sort of grey pillar
  94. 94.
    >You're sure you've seen it in one of your dreams, but you can't quite place where
  95. 95.
    >But that has to be it, you're sure of it
  96. 96.
    >You hear Twilight's voice drift up through the canopy below
  97. 97.
    "Can you see anything?"
  98. 98.
    "Yes! I think I've got it!"
  99. 99.
    >You shout back
  100. 100.
    "Okay, I'm coming down now!"
  101. 101.
    >Now... How to get down from here?
  102. 102.
    >Maybe if you just reduce the lift you're generating?
  103. 103.
    >You start beating your wings more slowly, and to your pleasant surprise you start gently descending
  104. 104.
    >But it seems that this method comes with a cost...
  105. 105.
    >Your stability is compromised, something that you quickly discover as you reach the height of the canopy and a huge gust of wind practically knocks you out of the air
  106. 106.
    >You try to right yourself, but it's far too late
  107. 107.
    >You plummet straight towards the forest floor like a green missile
  108. 108.
    >You squeeze your eyes shut as the ground rushes up to meet you, and...
  109. 109.
    >Nothing
  110. 110.
    >You crack one eye open to find yourself hovering a few inches of the ground, surrounded by a purplish glow
  111. 111.
    >The glow ceases, and you're dropped briskly onto your hooves
  112. 112.
    >Twilight looks at you with a mixture of pity and relief
  113. 113.
    "Told you we'd catch you."
  114. 114.
    >You sigh
  115. 115.
    "Thanks. I really thought I had it there for a second."
  116. 116.
    >She sidles over to you and bumps you with her shoulder, smiling reassuringly
  117. 117.
    "Don't worry, Nona, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Flying can't be easy, I imagine."
  118. 118.
    >You're about to respond that she would know, but you manage to snap your mouth shut before you say anything
  119. 119.
    >Right... She won't get her wings for Celestia knows how long yet
  120. 120.
    >You look away
  121. 121.
    "Right, so I think I got a good look at where we need to go. If we cut straight through this way, we should be able to get there before dark. I hope."
  122. 122.
    >You catch a glimpse of Midnight Spire's expression, and he doesn't look entirely convinced
  123. 123.
    "How are we supposed to know we're walking straight in this Celestia-forsaken place?"
  124. 124.
    >You shrug
  125. 125.
    "Just wing it, I guess?"
  126. 126.
    >He stares at you blankly
  127. 127.
    >Twilight looks thoughtful for a moment, then perks up
  128. 128.
    "I know, we'll just a leave a trail. I've packed a good length of rope into each of our bags... If we cut it into sections, we can just tie it to some of the branches we pass. Then we'll double back occasionally to make sure we're staying on course."
  129. 129.
    >You nod appreciatively
  130. 130.
    "Good thinking, Twi."
  131. 131.
    >She beams proudly
  132. 132.
    "Thank you."
  133. 133.
    >It doesn't take long to get the rope sectioned out into pieces long enough for tying
  134. 134.
    >A few moments pass, and the three of you are off, Twilight occasionally using her magic to tie a piece of rope every twentieth tree or so
  135. 135.
    >You and Midnight take turns doubling back and then catching up, ensuring you're on the right path
  136. 136.
    >This process continues for the better part of the day, and as the sky begins to darken you notice the ground steadily beginning to incline
  137. 137.
    >The trees begin to grow more sparsely and thin out as larger rocks and boulders begin appearing on your path
  138. 138.
    >After many hours, the forest opens up enough for you to see the hill you've been seeking
  139. 139.
    >It's no mountain by any means, but it's a lot larger than you had figured it would be when you had glimpsed it from a distance
  140. 140.
    >A droplet of water lands on your forehead, startling you, and you begin to hear the gentle patter of rain picking up around you
  141. 141.
    >You gaze up through the sparse canopy, letting the droplets land on your face and run down your cheeks
  142. 142.
    >After the pall of the Everfree, it felt wonderful; the cool water soothing your aching muscles and mind
  143. 143.
    >Ahead of you the terrain begins to rise more sharply, and a little further on you can just make out the spire you had spotted earlier, just barely poking out over the top of the hill
  144. 144.
    >As the three of you walk further up the hill, the sides start to fall away into a bluff, and then disappear entirely, leaving the hill shaped like a large wedge; the base behind you now, and the point in front of you
  145. 145.
    >You sidle over to the edge and carefully spare a glance down below, and you can just make out bits of ground through the thicker trees near the forest floor
  146. 146.
    >It's already a pretty long way down
  147. 147.
    >You glance up ahead again, and see Twilight and Midnight getting ahead of you
  148. 148.
    >Picking up a trot, you catch up to them quickly
  149. 149.
    >Twilight has stopped, and you barely manage to skid to a halt before you crash into her
  150. 150.
    "Hey, why have we...?"
  151. 151.
    >Your voice trails off as you follow her line of sight
  152. 152.
    >You've almost reached the top of this weird hill, and jutting out from the top of it is the stone spire you had spied from afar
  153. 153.
    >Turns out it wasn't on the other side of the hill, it was actually rising from the top of it
  154. 154.
    >There's a bunch of rubble around the base of the spire, as though it was fully buried under this hill at one point and now some sort of erosion had revealed it fully
  155. 155.
    >Now that you've gotten a closer look at it you can also see a number of glyphs wrapping around it, none of which you really recognise
  156. 156.
    >But that's not what your two companions are staring at
  157. 157.
    >At the very top of the hill, just past the stone spire you can see a faint flickering glow just barely illuminating the edge of the cliff
  158. 158.
    >A fire?
  159. 159.
    >That could only mean one of two things
  160. 160.
    >Either there's a forest fire or...
  161. 161.
    >Your heart sinks
  162. 162.
    >You brush past Twilight and creep closer to the edge, ignoring her muffled protests
  163. 163.
    >Peeking over the edge, you're met with an unwelcome sight
  164. 164.
    >The cliff face is not actually sheer, but an overhang, and it's likely that whatever the spire is connected to is the only thing keeping it from collapsing
  165. 165.
    >Unfortunately you can't really see underneath it that well from this angle
  166. 166.
    >What you do see is a small bowl-shaped clearing, illuminated by a campfire painting the surrounding trees with dancing light
  167. 167.
    >Around it, and a handful of ponies are busily rushing around setting up tents, presumably trying to beat the rain
  168. 168.
    >No! Somepony else beat you here
  169. 169.
    >Your eyes water from the smoke drifting up from the fire below, and you're forced to duck back over the ledge before you start coughing
  170. 170.
    >Twilight and Midnight are both staring at you, their eyes wide
  171. 171.
    >You stand and start walking back down the hill, giving them both a meaningful look
  172. 172.
    >They fall in behind you, the silence broken only by the increasingly heavy patter of the rain
  173. 173.
    >Once you've made it about halfway back down, you turn to face them
  174. 174.
    >Twilight speaks first
  175. 175.
    "What did you see?"
  176. 176.
    >You can see in her eyes that she already knows the answer, but she's hoping you're going to say something else
  177. 177.
    "It's a campfire. Somepony else beat us here."
  178. 178.
    >You glance over at Midnight, who looks like he's about to cry, before looking back to Twilight
  179. 179.
    "Did you see anypony down there?"
  180. 180.
    >She says
  181. 181.
    >You nod
  182. 182.
    "Maybe a half-dozen, setting up camp around the base of the structure. I couldn't get a good look further inside- could be anything in there."
  183. 183.
    >She nods thoughtfully, clearly already drawing up plans
  184. 184.
    >Midnight speaks up, glancing nervously at you
  185. 185.
    "Well, what are we going to do?"
  186. 186.
    >You immediately turn your attention to Twilight, certain she's got some kind of plan cooked up already, and Midnight follows suit
  187. 187.
    >She looks at you knowingly, her eyes sparkling
  188. 188.
    "Okay. I think I have an idea."
  189. 189.
     
  190. 190.
    ***
  191. 191.
     
  192. 192.
    >A drop of rain lands squarely on your nose, failing to startle you
  193. 193.
    >You are hiding inside of a particularly dense bush on the outskirts of the clearing you had scoped out earlier
  194. 194.
    >A bush which still failed to fully shield you from the now driving rain
  195. 195.
    >When it had first started it had been wonderful, but now your coat was totally soaked through and you were freezing
  196. 196.
    >You shiver, observing the oddly-shaped clearing in front of the oddly-shaped hill
  197. 197.
    >It almost looks like something had exploded, shearing two huge chunks of the cliff off and leaving a big crater in front of it
  198. 198.
    >None of the ponies you had seen earlier were in sight; presumably they were all warm and dry in their shelters
  199. 199.
    >You stare at the tents jealously for a moment, before your gaze shifts to the stone structure beyond them
  200. 200.
    >It was quite impressive, really
  201. 201.
    >It was a sort of tetrahedron, hewn from stone and wrapped in vines and ivy. The stone looked ancient, weathered and cracked
  202. 202.
    >There was a large staircase in the center, leading up to an engraved doorway that was obscured by the spire, the narrow base of which started in the middle of the staircase and jutted up into the roof of the small cavern which covered the whole structure
  203. 203.
    >The same spire which you had seen earlier, and the tip of which you could just barely make out now through the darkness
  204. 204.
    >If it weren't for that spire emerging from the top of the hill, you might never know this place was here unless you glanced at it from the right angle
  205. 205.
    >You shake your head, looking around the crater again
  206. 206.
    >Where was Midnight? He should be here by now
  207. 207.
    >You were due a distraction any minute, and surprisingly he had volunteered for the task
  208. 208.
    >It still wasn't clear who, exactly, these ponies were, or who they worked for, but Midnight had seemed quite guilty when Twilight had been laying out her plan earlier
  209. 209.
    >You suppose he must still feel responsible for essentially selling the location of this “laboratory” to such shady characters
  210. 210.
    >It still wasn't clear how they had managed to beat you here, although they had had a much longer time to study the original document than you and Twilight
  211. 211.
    >The only reason you and Twilight had figured it out as quickly as you had was, of course, Princess Celestia's help
  212. 212.
    >As your mind wanders, your thoughts turn again to your unborn foal; that image of you and Blue Cross and your theoretical future family creeping its way back in
  213. 213.
    >Something you had been avoiding thinking about, obviously, and which had been precluded by the rigours of your travels
  214. 214.
    >But idle minds tend to wander, and despite your exhaustion you find yourself again wondering what a life in Equestria might look like
  215. 215.
    >What would you do here? Your job with the mayor had not been at all unpleasant or unrewarding
  216. 216.
    >And you can't imagine you would ever run out of adventures and activities to participate in in your time off… Not to mention however much time foal-rearing is going to- would take
  217. 217.
    >You're reminded of Luna's words to you last night
  218. 218.
    >Could you really make a home here? Do you really think you deserve that…?
  219. 219.
    >You sigh, still unsure of yourself
  220. 220.
    >You scan the clearing, searching for signs of that midnight-blue coat you've become so familiar with
  221. 221.
    >There is one thing you are sure of: one way or another, you need to secure the Astrolabe before somepony else does
  222. 222.
    >There's no doubt their intentions are less noble than yours, and frankly at this point you're not sure how much that's really saying
  223. 223.
    >A flicker of movement at the edge of the clearing catches your eye, and your attention snaps immediately onto it
  224. 224.
    >There he is, creeping towards one of the tents closest to the edge of the clearing
  225. 225.
    >Midnight sneaks like a true amateur: as though he read about it in one of his books and was simply doing his best to emulate it based on description alone
  226. 226.
    >Thankfully the heavy rainfall covers his clumsy hoofsteps, and he makes it to the tent without attracting any attention
  227. 227.
    >As you watch, he makes his way over to the tent unseen, and looks around dramatically
  228. 228.
    >Lowering his head, his horn just brushes the bottom edge of the tent as he stands motionless for a moment, his face set in a formidable grimace
  229. 229.
    >You watch in awe as, with a bright flash, the fabric ignites, and the fire rapidly climbs the side of the tent and flares up over the camp
  230. 230.
    >Holy shit you were not expecting that
  231. 231.
    >You can hear the droplets of rain hissing as they collide with the now raging inferno that climbs from the roof of the tent
  232. 232.
    >Midnight flees from the burning tent, disappearing back into the foliage just as the cries of alarm start to sound across the camp
  233. 233.
    >Ponies start rushing out of their tents, eyes wide with panic
  234. 234.
    >It's complete pandemonium; the camp's residents crashing into each other and milling around aimlessly
  235. 235.
    >Thankfully it doesn't seem like anypony was in the tent Midnight set on fire, as even the heavy downpour isn't enough to quench the magical flames
  236. 236.
    >Well, it looks like your window of opportunity is open, and there's no telling how long it will last
  237. 237.
    >You slither out of the bush, shivering again as you feel the rain-drenched leaves slip across your already soaked coat
  238. 238.
    >Skirting the edge of the clearing, you cast a sideways glance at the chaos in the camp, still a bit shocked at Midnight's methods
  239. 239.
    >Honestly you didn't think he had it in him
  240. 240.
    >It was a side of him you hadn't previously seen, and it was somewhat unsettling how easily he had set the tent alight
  241. 241.
    >Surely he couldn't have known it was empty?
  242. 242.
    >You brush the thought aside as you approach the edge of the camp
  243. 243.
    >Picking up a light trot, you break from the cover of the trees and quietly slip behind the nearest tent
  244. 244.
    >You're not far from the entrance to the structure already, it's a straight shot from here to the staircase
  245. 245.
    >You slowly peer around the edge of the tent, trying to expose yourself as little as possible
  246. 246.
    >Now that you're up close you can get a bit of a better look at these ponies
  247. 247.
    >All of them seem to be earth ponies, and they look... Grizzled, for lack of a better word
  248. 248.
    >Some of them have scars, and all of them seem pretty burly
  249. 249.
    >Normally these are details you could have picked up from across the clearing without breaking a sweat, but it had been too dark by the time you arrived here
  250. 250.
    >They actually seem to have regained their composure surprisingly quickly, already organising a fire line and passing buckets of water toward the burning tent
  251. 251.
    >Looks like your window is more narrow than you had thought
  252. 252.
    >Your heart feels like it's in your throat; you can hear it in your ears
  253. 253.
    >Fuck it, it's now or never
  254. 254.
    >You bolt from cover, making a bee-line for the stairs
  255. 255.
    >The landscape blurs as you gallop as fast as you can, praying that nopony sees you
  256. 256.
    >You reach the bottom of the stairs sooner than you realise, but you suddenly hear a shout from behind you
  257. 257.
    "Hey, stop! Get that Pegasus!"
  258. 258.
    >Shit
  259. 259.
    >You book it up the stairs, taking them three at a time and using your wings to propel yourself upwards as your hooves skate on the wet stone
  260. 260.
    >You don't bother looking back, but you can hear a commotion behind you as somepony gives chase
  261. 261.
    >The rain ceases pelting you as you race up the stairs and past the pillar, finally underneath the cliff's overhang
  262. 262.
    >You reach the top, and spare a glance backwards as you run towards the doorway
  263. 263.
    >Two of the earth ponies are chasing after you, slipping and sliding as they try to follow you up the wet stone steps
  264. 264.
    >Heh, no way they catch you
  265. 265.
    >You're not sure what to expect of the layout of this place but hopefully you can lose them inside
  266. 266.
    >Not quite as stealthy an approach as you had planned but you suppose you'll have to improvise a little bit
  267. 267.
    >You look back ahead, already planning out how you're gonna lose the- OH FUCK
  268. 268.
    >There's a large earth pony in the stone doorway, his face set in grim concentration, his hoof a blur as it rushes towards your head
  269. 269.
    >There's sharp pain in your jaw, and then...
  270. 270.
    >Darkness
  271. 271.
     
  272. 272.
    ***
  273. 273.
     
  274. 274.
    >Your mind swims uneasily through a sea of throbbing, aching pain
  275. 275.
    >Celestia, your head feels like it's fit to burst
  276. 276.
    >You can faintly hear voices coming from somewhere nearby, but you can't make out what they're saying
  277. 277.
    >What happened? Where are you?
  278. 278.
    *CRACK*
  279. 279.
    >Your head snaps to the side, your eyes suddenly open but still out of focus as it all comes back to you
  280. 280.
    >Standing over you is an unfamiliar pony, a unicorn mare by the looks of it
  281. 281.
    >Her coat is jet black, and her mane white
  282. 282.
    >Your gaze travels up as you blearily drink her in
  283. 283.
    >Until you lock eyes with her
  284. 284.
    >No
  285. 285.
    >Your vision snaps into focus, and you stare in horror
  286. 286.
    >Her eyes are a deep, dark purple
  287. 287.
    >You try to leap to your hooves, but your limbs don't respond
  288. 288.
    >You look down, and find you're on your side with your legs and wings bound with coarse rope
  289. 289.
    >Nononononono
  290. 290.
    >You try to fight the rising panic in your chest to no avail, gasping for air
  291. 291.
    >But no matter how much air you draw in you still feel like you can't breathe
  292. 292.
    "Man, we have got to stop meeting like this, hey?"
  293. 293.
    >She purrs
  294. 294.
    >You look back up at her, hoping, praying that this is some sick hallucination, or just another nightmare
  295. 295.
    >She peers back down at you with a faint, predatory smile, before turning away
  296. 296.
    "Leave us."
  297. 297.
    >She says
  298. 298.
    >It's at this moment you finally take in your surroundings
  299. 299.
    >You're in a large, round stone chamber littered with columns, some of them collapsed
  300. 300.
    >Across from you is a doorway, which appears to lead into a dimly-lit hall
  301. 301.
    >One of those large earth ponies you were acquainted with earlier is standing at the door, and at her words he nods curtly and walks out the doorway
  302. 302.
    >You hear the echoing "clip-clop" of his hooves slowly fade as the mare turns to face you again
  303. 303.
    >Her horn begins glowing white, faintly at first before it grows so bright it's blinding
  304. 304.
    >And then it's gone, and standing before you is a young, white-haired woman in a dark dress
  305. 305.
    >You recognise her from your dreams, of course
  306. 306.
    >This must be her true form, if she has one
  307. 307.
    >She stretches luxuriously, before looking down at you once more
  308. 308.
    "You have no idea how tiring all this cutesy shit is. Easier than explaining myself though, you know?"
  309. 309.
    >You stare at her hatefully, barely in control of your whirling emotions
  310. 310.
    >If you could run, you weren't sure you'd be able to stop yourself right now
  311. 311.
    >She claps her hands together
  312. 312.
    "So! You've been pretty busy, haven't you?"
  313. 313.
    >She leans over and peers at you curiously
  314. 314.
    "Made some friends, even found yourself a boyfriend! How cute. I bet you even think you're in love."
  315. 315.
    >Your cheeks flush red, and she laughs
  316. 316.
    "God, you're fucking pathetic."
  317. 317.
    >She takes a knee next to you, and you flinch as she puts a hand on your flank, but you've nowhere to run
  318. 318.
    >She closes her eyes, and you can feel a tingling sensation where her fingertips make contact
  319. 319.
    >After a moment she stands up, regarding you with astonishment
  320. 320.
    "Took the new body out for a spin, I see. Estrus is rough this time of year, I've heard, but I had no idea you'd be such a curious cat!"
  321. 321.
    >You look away, humiliated, but finally manage to find your voice
  322. 322.
    "Fuck. You."
  323. 323.
    >She raises her eyebrows
  324. 324.
    "Now, now, that's no way for a pony to talk. How would your little boyfriend feel if he heard you?"
  325. 325.
    >You grit your teeth
  326. 326.
    "Why are you doing this? What the hell do you want from me?"
  327. 327.
    >She looks at you then, and for a moment her smug facade falters
  328. 328.
    >She crouches down next to you, fury in her eyes
  329. 329.
    "I want you to suffer. You, and all the other entitled little shits on Earth who think they're owed the world because of some accident of birth. And with the Astrolabe, it will be easier than ever to make that happen."
  330. 330.
    >Out of weapons, you lash out with the only thing you have left: your words
  331. 331.
    "So, you're basically throwing a man-hating tantrum because I wouldn't give you some spare change? You're more pathetic than I am."
  332. 332.
    >You regret it the moment it comes out of your mouth
  333. 333.
    >There is a gleam that ignites in her eyes; a maniacal fury that you had never seen before and would count yourself lucky if you never saw again
  334. 334.
    >Her hand shoots forward and grips your muzzle, snapping your mouth shut
  335. 335.
    "You're done talking."
  336. 336.
    >Her fingers dig in, that familiar tingling sensation returning a thousandfold
  337. 337.
    >It feels like the heat is being drawn out of you; it's so cold your face goes numb
  338. 338.
    >There's a terrifying tightness in your mouth and throat as though your very breath is being stolen
  339. 339.
    >And an inescapable feeling of loss; as though she's taking something from you that you'll never get back
  340. 340.
    >And then it's gone
  341. 341.
    >She releases her grip on your muzzle and stands up, her eyes dark and cold
  342. 342.
    "And I'm done entertaining you. I will kill you, by the way, eventually. But first I'm going to find the Astrolabe, and kill your boyfriend."
  343. 343.
    >You shake your head, trying to rid yourself of the numbness
  344. 344.
    >She taps a finger on her chin thoughtfully as she regards you
  345. 345.
    "Oh, and allow me to do you a little favour before I go."
  346. 346.
    >There's an explosion of pain in your stomach as she delivers a swift and forceful kick straight to your belly
  347. 347.
    >You open your mouth to cry out in shock and horror but... Nothing comes out
  348. 348.
    >Tears stream down your face as you silently scream in agony
  349. 349.
    >In that moment, you couldn't care less about anything other than your foal
  350. 350.
    >The Astrolabe, your voice, your home, even your life; you would gladly give them if it meant saving the foal
  351. 351.
    >You hardly register as the witch shifts back to her pony form and walks out of the room
  352. 352.
    >All you can do is weep silently before you black out from the pain
  353. 353.
     
  354. 354.
    ***
  355. 355.
     
  356. 356.
    >You turn away from the little green pony, weaving your disguise around you once more
  357. 357.
    >Her pitiful sniffling disgusted you
  358. 358.
    >You can't help but take some pleasure from the state you had reduced her to, however
  359. 359.
    >Him, really
  360. 360.
    >You knew that Anon was still in there somewhere, but it seems like this place had changed him
  361. 361.
    >A disturbing thought
  362. 362.
    >You cannot allow yourself to let this land affect you like that
  363. 363.
    >Your hand crackles with magic, passing over your face and suffusing your flesh with arcane energies as you shift back into the pony form you had chosen for this place
  364. 364.
    >This place that disgusted you so much
  365. 365.
    >All the cutesy little creatures in this gods-forsaken land were nauseating
  366. 366.
    >As you walk away from Anon, further into the bowels of the old ruin, you reflect on the last few days since you had sent him here
  367. 367.
    >As was typical with your marks, you had done a little bit of scrying to see how he was faring, and initially it had been quite a surprise to see where he had wound up
  368. 368.
    >Gods, why did it have to be here? He was supposed to end up in one of the hells
  369. 369.
    >Any one of them would have done, frankly
  370. 370.
    >And yet if he had not ended up here you never would have learned of the existence of this so-called Astrolabe
  371. 371.
    >Your mind reels, thinking of the possibilities
  372. 372.
    >Instant, precise, at will interplanar transposition... You could be a god, shifting planes as easily as you do forms, as mere mortals change clothes
  373. 373.
    >To think, a place like this was capable of producing such powerful artifacts... It's a wonder you hadn't discovered it sooner
  374. 374.
    >So much power, just within your grasp, and all you had to do was close your fist...
  375. 375.
    >So why were you still so fucking angry?
  376. 376.
    >You growl as you stalk the empty stone halls
  377. 377.
    >Anon sure had a smart fucking mouth
  378. 378.
    >You try to push the feeling away, unsuccessfully
  379. 379.
    >Your magic was always a little... Volatile, when you were angry
  380. 380.
    >Part of the problem was that despite searching this whole ruin, the Astrolabe was nowhere to be found
  381. 381.
    >There must be some kind of hidden chamber somewhere... But where?
  382. 382.
    >Nona, wake up
  383. 383.
    >The sooner you found it, the better
  384. 384.
    >You don't want to spend any more time in this saccharine hell than absolutely necessary
  385. 385.
    >Nona, wake up, please!
  386. 386.
    >WAKE UP!
  387. 387.
     
  388. 388.
    ***
  389. 389.
     
  390. 390.
    >Your eyes open, your cheeks still wet, to find Twilight's concerned face looking down at yours
  391. 391.
    >Your head is pounding, and your stomach- your foal!
  392. 392.
    >You sit bolt upright and put a hoof to your stomach, fighting a wave of dizziness
  393. 393.
    >Thankfully it seems Twilight had already removed your bindings
  394. 394.
    >Your stomach still hurts from where the witch had kicked you, but not as much as it had earlier
  395. 395.
    >Your head spins as it all rushes back to you, panic once again welling within you
  396. 396.
    >You look up at Twilight and open your mouth to speak, but no sound comes out
  397. 397.
    >Her eyes are huge; her face a mask of concern
  398. 398.
    >You do your best to fight the rising panic, trying to force yourself to focus on communicating with the methods you have left
  399. 399.
    >Using your hoof, you scoop up one of hers and place it gently on your stomach, looking at her pleadingly
  400. 400.
    >She looks confused for a moment
  401. 401.
    "Nona, I don't... What's going on? Are you okay?"
  402. 402.
    >You blink away tears and gesture towards your mouth helplessly
  403. 403.
    >The look in her eyes changes slightly to something you don't recognise, and then it's gone
  404. 404.
    "What did they do to you?"
  405. 405.
    >You scrunch your eyes shut and shake your head, gesturing again to your stomach
  406. 406.
    >She looks thoughtful for a moment, and then levitates a quill, inkwell, and sheet of paper out from her saddlebags and places them in front of you
  407. 407.
    >Of course she packed those
  408. 408.
    >You pick the quill up, dip it in the inkwell and pen "my foal, please"
  409. 409.
    >She watches you form the words on the page, her eyes growing slightly wider as that inexplicable look returns
  410. 410.
    "You want me to... Check on it?"
  411. 411.
    >You're nodding before she even finishes the sentence
  412. 412.
    >Lowering her head, Twilight gently places the tip of her horn against your stomach and you begin to feel that familiar tingling sensation slowly spread through your body
  413. 413.
    >It only lasts a moment, but it feels like a lifetime as you anxiously await her response
  414. 414.
    >Finally, she lifts her head and nods
  415. 415.
    "It's okay, Nona. It's fine."
  416. 416.
    >You breathe a sigh of relief (one of the few sounds you can make now, apparently), feeling as though a tremendous weight has been lifted from your chest
  417. 417.
    >You hadn't realised how much it had meant to you until it was in danger of being ripped away
  418. 418.
    >Things had become so damn complicated since Twilight had informed you of the foal...
  419. 419.
    >You're suddenly reminded of the short-lived dream Twilight just woke you from, if that's what it really was
  420. 420.
    >It had felt unnatural and unpleasant, as though you were somewhere you didn't belong
  421. 421.
    >That glimpse of the witch's psyche was... Illuminating, to say the least
  422. 422.
    >Her anger had been almost nauseating
  423. 423.
    >You shudder, the inky sickness of her mind still lingering
  424. 424.
    >To echo her sentiment: a disturbing thought
  425. 425.
    >Your attention returns to Twilight, and you lean forward and wrap her in a tight hug, taking a long, trembling breath
  426. 426.
    >She returns it, squeezing you gently
  427. 427.
    >It's over too soon as Twilight breaks it off and steps back, looking at you with that unusual expression
  428. 428.
    "Come on, let's find Midnight and get out of here before those thugs come back."
  429. 429.
    >You look at her quizzically, and pen down "Astrolabe?"
  430. 430.
    >She shakes her head firmly
  431. 431.
    "It's too dangerous, Nona. They already hurt you, and I don't want anypony else to get hurt in pursuit of some artifact, however powerful it may be."
  432. 432.
    >It's your turn to shake your head, and you quickly write "Won't let HER have it."
  433. 433.
    >She watches you write, and studies you for a long moment
  434. 434.
    "Her... The pony that sent you here. The same one who hurt you."
  435. 435.
    >It's not a question, but you nod anyway
  436. 436.
    >She continues studying your expression, her eyes boring into you
  437. 437.
    “Nona… You're in no shape to do this. Look at what she already did to you.”
  438. 438.
    >Her voice cracks slightly at the last word
  439. 439.
    >But you hold her gaze, resolute
  440. 440.
    >It's clear that she doesn't want to risk it, but eventually she lowers her head, defeated
  441. 441.
    >That curious look is still in her eye, and finally you recognise it
  442. 442.
    >She's furious; angry at what the witch did to you, how she hurt you, and she’s afraid it will happen again
  443. 443.
    >But you know what she doesn't: that witch poisons everything she touches, and with the Astrolabe her reach will be unlimited
  444. 444.
    >And if you can stop her from hurting anypony else then, Celestia help you, you're going to try
  445. 445.
    >Twilight packs the writing supplies back into her bag, then turns to the door, glancing back at you
  446. 446.
    "Let's go. Most of the guards are still outside, and I managed to sneak past the few that are inside with us, but we'll have to be careful to avoid them."
  447. 447.
    >She sighs unhappily
  448. 448.
    "And I haven't seen Midnight since he caused that distraction and you got caught. I hope he's okay."
  449. 449.
    >You nod, and as she turns to walk out of the chamber you follow hesitantly
  450. 450.
    >Just outside the room, you find your resolve tested immediately
  451. 451.
    >The graven stone halls stretch into a dimly torch-lit darkness, far beyond what even your sensitive eyes can see
  452. 452.
    >The weight of thousands, tens of thousands of pounds of stone rests over your heads, and the air is silent and still
  453. 453.
    >And yet Twilight scans the darkness with the quiet confidence of a seasoned adventurer
  454. 454.
    >It's easy to forget how resilient some of these ponies can be, although Twilight is, of course, a bit of a unique case
  455. 455.
    >Regardless, her confidence is infectious, and you find your breath slowing and your nerves calming, bolstered just by her presence
  456. 456.
    >Celestia, you're glad you sought her out
  457. 457.
    >She turns back to look at you
  458. 458.
    “Follow me, quietly. And look sharp.”
  459. 459.
    >She whispers
  460. 460.
    >You nod in response, trying your best not to let your hoofsteps fall too hard on the ancient stone as you follow after her
  461. 461.
    >Despite this, horses, as it turns out, are not known for being the stealthiest of creatures
  462. 462.
    >You wince as your hoofsteps echo down the stone hall, feeling as though they're loud as a gunshot
  463. 463.
    >The structure of this place is vast and confusing, the hallways twisting and turning
  464. 464.
    >Sometimes you come across a seam where the stonework changes, as though somepony just suddenly gave up and somepony else completely different continued on in their place
  465. 465.
    >What exactly IS this place?
  466. 466.
    >When Princess Celestia had mentioned a workshop that belonged to Star Swirl the Bearded you had not been expecting such a massive stone structure
  467. 467.
    >The place almost seemed like more of a temple than anything else
  468. 468.
    >There was a certain reverence with which the stone had been carved… Each column you see was once a piece of art, but time had worn and broken it down until it was nothing but rubble
  469. 469.
    >You hear a sound from up ahead, and glancing up you can see the hallway has almost ended
  470. 470.
    >There is a large chamber ahead of you, no brighter than the hallway you had followed until now
  471. 471.
    >Twilight has stopped moving, and you freeze, straining your ears
  472. 472.
    >Voices, gently drifting down the hall from out of sight; the same sound you had heard just a moment ago
  473. 473.
    >You creep forward, and after a moment sidle up next to Twilight
  474. 474.
    >She gives you a meaningful look, and you both move a little further towards the chamber entrance
  475. 475.
    >The voices begin to take on shape; deep, and unmistakably masculine
  476. 476.
    “-an’ then I clocked ‘er right in the jaw, never saw it comin'.”
  477. 477.
    >A pause as they both laugh heartily; it subsides shortly
  478. 478.
    “Well, s'pose we should get back to it then. Boss sees us like this, she's gonna lose it.”
  479. 479.
    >The voice picks back up
  480. 480.
    “You goin’ to check on the prisoner, then?”
  481. 481.
    >The other one says
  482. 482.
    >The first voice snorts
  483. 483.
    “After the beating she just got? Naw, she'll be out cold.”
  484. 484.
    >The other one pipes up again
  485. 485.
    “Better her than us, eh?”
  486. 486.
    >They both laugh again, but it trails off quickly
  487. 487.
    >Beneath the bravado you can sense their unease
  488. 488.
    >They both seem to be on edge, like they don't like this place any more than you do
  489. 489.
    >You peer slowly around the corner, and can see the hulking forms of two of the earth ponies from earlier
  490. 490.
    >One of them turns away from you, heading down a different hallway
  491. 491.
    >The other one turns directly towards you, and you duck back behind the wall, your breath catching in your throat
  492. 492.
    >After a moment of silence you hear his hoofsteps again and cautiously peek back around the corner, scanning the room
  493. 493.
    >The chamber is big; much larger than the one you had been held in earlier
  494. 494.
    >Columns line the edge of the cylindrical room, most of them intact but disfigured; each one surrounded by crushed stone debris
  495. 495.
    >In the center, there is a large wooden platform suspended by a rope-pulley system; the rope stretches up into the darkness and beyond your vision
  496. 496.
    >That must be how Twilight got in here… And, you guess, how you were brought down
  497. 497.
    >The remaining earth pony briskly walks towards it, checking over his shoulder every few seconds
  498. 498.
    >He steps onto it and pulls a lever, and the platform immediately starts lifting upwards to the sound of squealing pulleys
  499. 499.
    >The sound disappears into the distance, gently echoing through the dark halls until silence reigns once more
  500. 500.
    >You glance at Twilight, raising your eyebrows questioningly
  501. 501.
    >She watches the platform disappear, before looking around the room
  502. 502.
    “This is the main chamber, I think. All other paths seem to branch out from here, from what little I've seen. If Star Swirl's workshop was going to be anywhere… I think it would be here.”
  503. 503.
    >She looks you in the eye
  504. 504.
    “Let's split up, have a look around and we'll see what we can find, okay?”
  505. 505.
    >You nod
  506. 506.
    >She goes to the left, cautiously looking around and sifting through the rubble
  507. 507.
    >You turn the other way, walking counter-clockwise around the chamber and looking for any signs of Star Swirl
  508. 508.
    >You imagine the debris tells a story... One you don't have the expertise to see, unfortunately
  509. 509.
    >You vaguely remember taking an archeology class way back in college, but you don't really remember anything of value from it
  510. 510.
    >Some of the larger chunks of stone seem to be engraved
  511. 511.
    >Although, whatever mural once existed here was irreversibly shattered after some catastrophic event levelled this place
  512. 512.
    >A fine layer of dust covers everything, marred occasionally by the hoofsteps of the witch's thugs
  513. 513.
    >You do a full circle of the chamber, finding nothing of note, and glancing over at Twilight it seems she hasn't had any luck either
  514. 514.
    >You're considering giving up and maybe looking elsewhere in the structure when something catches your eye
  515. 515.
    >The wall to the right of the doorway you had come through looks... Odd
  516. 516.
    >You walk over to it and scrutinise it more closely
  517. 517.
    >It's completely normal, the stonework fine and even; consistent throughout, actually
  518. 518.
    >Completely unlike the rest of this place, with its patchwork stonecutting
  519. 519.
    >You walk up to it and turn around, looking across the chamber to find your suspicions confirmed
  520. 520.
    >Each of the other walls has that same signature patchwork you had noticed earlier; generations of work that didn't quite match up
  521. 521.
    >You lean back against the wall thoughtfully, considering what it migh- OH SHIT
  522. 522.
    >Tumbling over backwards, you find yourself sitting on the ground, in pitch darkness
  523. 523.
    >What... Where are you?
  524. 524.
    >You cautiously stand up, trying to find your way slowly forward, and...
  525. 525.
    >Light! You're back in the chamber again
  526. 526.
    >Twilight is across the way, turned away from you and examining something on the floor
  527. 527.
    >You look down, and rather disconcertingly can't see your legs
  528. 528.
    >Your head is sticking out of the wall, your neck cleanly ending at the precipice
  529. 529.
    >You step back fully out of the wall and turn around, finding it completely undisturbed
  530. 530.
    >Interesting...
  531. 531.
    >You turn around again, facing Twilight, and rap your hoof sharply against the ground, twice
  532. 532.
    >She looks up at you, alarmed at first, and then relaxes and trots over
  533. 533.
    >Using your mouth, you grab a torch from a nearby sconce and toss it directly at the wall...
  534. 534.
    >And watch it vanish straight into the surface
  535. 535.
    >Twilight gasps softly
  536. 536.
    "An illusory wall! Great work, Nona. After you?"
  537. 537.
    >You smile at her, then follow after the torch
  538. 538.
    >Stepping through the wall, you can actually see what's in the room now
  539. 539.
    >It's quite cramped
  540. 540.
    >There's a crowded desk with some sheaves of paper and a small stack of books, right next to an alembic and some other chemistry (alchemy?) equipment
  541. 541.
    >A mouldy bedroll is shoved into the corner, as though sleep was an afterthought
  542. 542.
    >Twilight walks over to the desk and starts carefully scouring through the pages immediately, her eyes bright with wonder
  543. 543.
    >You roll your eyes and start searching the rest of the room, testing each section of wall and tapping the floor in various places
  544. 544.
    >If there's one illusory wall, why not more?
  545. 545.
    >Sadly your effort prove fruitless, the rest of the hidden room seems to be solid
  546. 546.
    >The only thing out of the ordinary is a group of glyphs tightly woven together on the far wall, which you can barely make out in the torchlight
  547. 547.
    >Maybe Twilight will recognise them...
  548. 548.
    >You walk over and join her at the desk, brushing up against her gently as you eye the book she's reading
  549. 549.
    "It's another one of Star Swirl's journals. Encoded, of course."
  550. 550.
    >She breathes, not looking up
  551. 551.
    >The sheaves of paper on the desk seem to be unsalvageable; the slightest touch sees them crumble and fall apart
  552. 552.
    >Twilight looks up at you
  553. 553.
    "From what I can tell this book documents Star Swirl's study of this location, but..."
  554. 554.
    >She sighs, and tucks the book away in her pack regretfully
  555. 555.
    "I suppose I'll have to look at it later. Did you find anything?"
  556. 556.
    >You shrug, and walk over to the glyphs you had found earlier, pointing them out with a wing
  557. 557.
    >She follows you curiously, her eyes lighting up as they find the runes
  558. 558.
    >It's pretty clear that despite the circumstances she's having the time of her life right now
  559. 559.
    >Moving closer, she examines the stone closely
  560. 560.
    "It... Looks like Old Equestrian. I'm a bit rusty but I think it says... 'Only a true student of Star Swirl will find the way', or something to that effect."
  561. 561.
    >She stares at the wall, thinking as you watch her with mild amusement
  562. 562.
    "Star Swirl was a master at many different categories of magic..."
  563. 563.
    >She murmurs, more to herself at this point
  564. 564.
    "But he was most well known for his work on teleportation."
  565. 565.
    >She looks over at you
  566. 566.
    "I think... If I can teleport to the other side of this wall, that's where we'll find the Astrolabe."
  567. 567.
    >You smile and nod encouragingly
  568. 568.
    >She takes a deep breath
  569. 569.
    "But if there's only solid stone there... Well, it won't go well for me."
  570. 570.
    >Your eyes widen and you take a step towards her
  571. 571.
    >She smiles nervously
  572. 572.
    "I'm going to try it, though. We're out of options, so if I don't come back... Just try to get out of here safely, okay?"
  573. 573.
    >You shake your head firmly, stepping towards her again and putting a hoof on her shoulder
  574. 574.
    >You stare at her intensely, trying to make your meaning clear
  575. 575.
    >We either do this together, or not at all, you think to yourself
  576. 576.
    >Twilight observes your expression carefully, and after a moment asks
  577. 577.
    "Are you sure, Nona?"
  578. 578.
    >You nod without hesitation
  579. 579.
    >She smiles, and gives you a quick hug
  580. 580.
    "Okay. Let's do this."
  581. 581.
    >She turns to face the wall, and closes her eyes
  582. 582.
    >Taking a breath, her horn starts to glow, sparks being thrown from it as the glow intensifies
  583. 583.
    >A glowing purple sphere surrounds the two of you as you start to hear a high pitched whine, and then...
  584. 584.
    >Nothing
  585. 585.
    >Oh shit
  586. 586.
    >Are you dead? Is this what being dead is?
  587. 587.
    >Where are you? Where is Twilight?
  588. 588.
    >You start to feel that rising panic that has become far too familiar recently, and then there's a bright flash of purple light
  589. 589.
    >Twilight is right next to you, her horn shedding a soft light that illuminates a small, cramped room
  590. 590.
    >But not the hidden chamber you were just in
  591. 591.
    >This room is... Unworked, more like a small cave
  592. 592.
    >Clusters of white crystals grow from the ceiling and walls, and as the light from Twilight's horn hits them they begin glowing faintly
  593. 593.
    >The gentle glow reveals a stone pedestal in the center of the cave, and resting atop the pedestal...
  594. 594.
    >Is a small, metallic gold disk, with a fine chain draping over the side
  595. 595.
    >It glimmers darkly in the pale glow cast by the crystalline structures around it
  596. 596.
    >You and Twilight walk towards it, neither of you daring to make a sound
  597. 597.
    >You've finally found it
  598. 598.
    >Your way home, the only thing that can guarantee you safe passage back to earth
  599. 599.
    >And yet all you feel is... Dread?
  600. 600.
    >You reach forward slowly and scoop the Astrolabe up with a hoof, half expecting the whole structure to start collapsing around you
  601. 601.
    >But nothing happens
  602. 602.
    >The silence in the small cavern is deafening
  603. 603.
    >The Astrolabe sits in your hoof; far, far heavier than you had ever expected
  604. 604.
    >Twilight breathes a slow sigh, her eyes fixed on the artifact
  605. 605.
    >You shake your head, clearing it of the unwanted feelings creeping into your heart
  606. 606.
    >You look over at Twilight for direction, holding the Astrolabe out to her
  607. 607.
    >She stares at it, entranced, for a moment, before looking up at you
  608. 608.
    "I think you should hold onto it."
  609. 609.
    >She smiles softly and levitates the Astrolabe out of your hoof, slipping the chain over your head and releasing it, letting it rest right over your breast
  610. 610.
    "Congratulations, Nona. You're going home."
  611. 611.
    >You smile at her, falteringly
  612. 612.
    >This was what you wanted, wasn't it?
  613. 613.
    >You try to cover up your indecision by turning and facing the wall, then glancing back towards her questioningly
  614. 614.
    >Twilight nods
  615. 615.
    "Right. First, let's get out of here."
  616. 616.
    >One short, slightly terrifying teleport later you're back in Star Swirl's hidden study
  617. 617.
    >And you can hear the sound of squealing pulleys coming from the room beyond
  618. 618.
    >You look at Twilight again, tilting your head towards the illusory wall
  619. 619.
    >She nods, and you both creep up towards it
  620. 620.
    >The sound of the makeshift elevator stops, and you hear a single set of hooves step onto the stone floor
  621. 621.
    >They're silent for a moment, and then they start slowly coming towards the wall
  622. 622.
    >Clip, clop, clip, clop, closer and closer...
  623. 623.
    >It sounds like they're heading towards the doorway to the left of your little hiding spot
  624. 624.
    >But you're not about to take any chances
  625. 625.
    >You flare your wings out, preparing to pounce, and as soon as the hoofsteps are right next to the wall...
  626. 626.
    >You launch yourself through the illusion, propelling yourself with your wings and crashing into the pony on the other side, a silent warcry on your lips
  627. 627.
    >You feel them crumple underneath you with a surprisingly effeminate grunt, the breath knocked out of them immediately
  628. 628.
    >Leaning back, you raise a hoof, prepared to strike
  629. 629.
    >Only to halt mid-attack
  630. 630.
    >A familiar midnight-blue unicorn lies underneath you, his shock and terror obvious in his eyes
  631. 631.
    >You hop off him immediately as Twilight steps through the wall next to you, horn glowing
  632. 632.
    "N-ona...?"
  633. 633.
    >He wheezes, then looks over at Twilight
  634. 634.
    >You pull him to his feet and dust him off bashfully
  635. 635.
    >Twilight seems pleased to see him
  636. 636.
    "Midnight! I thought I had lost you somewhere after that stunt you pulled. Where have you been?"
  637. 637.
    >He wheezes again, trying to catch his breath
  638. 638.
    "Distracted guards... Again... Came to... Find you."
  639. 639.
    >He looks to you
  640. 640.
    "You... Okay...?"
  641. 641.
    >You nod, a little touched by how much he cares, especially after you just walloped him... Again
  642. 642.
    >His eyes drop to your chest, and he gasps softly as he sees the treasure hanging around your neck
  643. 643.
    "Is that...?"
  644. 644.
    >Twilight interrupts him
  645. 645.
    "Yes, it is. I'm sorry, but we've no time to explain right now, Midnight. We got what we came for, now we need to get out of here."
  646. 646.
    >He looks over at her again
  647. 647.
    "Can't you just use it to whisk us out of here?"
  648. 648.
    >She shakes her head
  649. 649.
    "Too risky. I'd need some more practice first, and I want to study it before we try anything like that. Now, is the path out clear?"
  650. 650.
    >He nods slowly, his eyes lingering on the Astrolabe
  651. 651.
    "Yeah... Like I said, distracted the guards. They chased me into the woods and I lost them. If we go now, we can sneak out of there without being seen."
  652. 652.
    >Twilight nods, and you can see she's a little impressed
  653. 653.
    >You are too, frankly
  654. 654.
    >Again, you didn't think he had it in him
  655. 655.
    "Okay, lead away, then!"
  656. 656.
    >Twilight says
  657. 657.
    >Midnight turns and leads the two of you to the wooden platform
  658. 658.
    >Looking around to make sure everypony's on board, he flips the wooden lever and the platform starts ascending
  659. 659.
    >The silence is broken by the sound of creaking ropes and squealing pulleys once again
  660. 660.
    >The stale, dusty air of the temple is replaced by the fresh, fragrant scent of the Everfree as you start to approach the top of the shaft
  661. 661.
    >The elevator reaches the top with a shudder, and the three of you step off gingerly into the hallway that leads to the temple entrance
  662. 662.
    >Ahead, you can see it's still a torrential downpour outside
  663. 663.
    >As you approach the entrance, you carefully look around outside
  664. 664.
    >The camp is empty, save for the campfire in the center which has burned down to a dull glow of embers
  665. 665.
    >You wince as a blinding flash illuminates the sky, and the crack of thunder rolls in shortly after
  666. 666.
    >You look back at your two companions questioningly
  667. 667.
    >Twilight scans the camp and then nods
  668. 668.
    >Midnight looks at you curiously, but before he can say anything Twilight interrupts him again
  669. 669.
    "Okay let's move quickly, and stay together. We'll find the ropes we laid out on the way here, and put some distance between ourselves and this place. Sound good?"
  670. 670.
    >Midnight nods
  671. 671.
    "Right! I forgot about that. Sounds good to me."
  672. 672.
    >You look at him, puzzled, but Twilight heads out the doorway before you can articulate the thought
  673. 673.
    >Midnight brushes past you after her, and you follow suit
  674. 674.
    >The three of you descend the steps quickly but carefully, trying to avoid slipping on the slick stone
  675. 675.
    >You reach the bottom, the driving rain quickly soaking into your coat as the cold wind whips at your mane
  676. 676.
    >Rounding the corner to the right, you follow the base of the cliff as it slowly inclines, climbing up the bowl as you slip and slide in the rain-slicked mud
  677. 677.
    >It's slow going, and you can't shake the feeling that something is off...
  678. 678.
    >You drop behind a little as Twilight and Midnight forge ahead of you, cresting the ridge of the bowl and climbing onto solid ground once more
  679. 679.
    >Something had really bothered you about what Midnight had just said
  680. 680.
    >The pony with the photographic memory just forgot about how you found your way here?
  681. 681.
    >Oh no
  682. 682.
    >Oh FUCK no
  683. 683.
    >Your stomach drops as the realisation hits you
  684. 684.
    >That's NOT Midnight
  685. 685.
    >You curse yourself as you scramble up the rest of the bowl, madly clambering through the mud as you desperately try to catch up to the two of them
  686. 686.
    >How could you not have seen it earlier?
  687. 687.
    >Celestia help you if that witch so much as touches her...
  688. 688.
    >With the help of your wings you crest the ridge, and find Twilight and the witch standing opposite you, the latter still disguised as Midnight
  689. 689.
    >It seems she doesn't realised she's been unmasked yet, but the moment you look at her, your eyes meet
  690. 690.
    >And you can't hide what you know
  691. 691.
    >You charge straight at her, Twilight looking surprised and confused as you dash towards 'Midnight'
  692. 692.
    >The witch, for her part, improvises admirably
  693. 693.
    >Her horn glows for a second, and suddenly she's in her human form again, standing twice as tall as you or Twilight
  694. 694.
    >Twilight stares at her in shock, and the witch seizes the moment; grabbing Twilight by the neck, she hurls her towards the treeline, and you watch in horror as Twilight crashes into a tree trunk and falls motionless to the forest floor
  695. 695.
    >You feel that familiar, rising panic set in; as though you can't breathe and your heart is being constricted
  696. 696.
    >But you stuff it down, using it to fuel your fury; the witch turns to face you, but dealing with Twilight had given you just enough time to reach her
  697. 697.
    >Using your wings to propel yourself as hard as you can, you channel your rage into a flying drop-kick that lands squarely on the witch's stomach
  698. 698.
    >Her eyes go wide as the breath is knocked out of her, and she's thrown onto her back, gasping for air
  699. 699.
    >You turn away from her and rush towards Twilight, memories of your dreams haunting you as you imagine Twilight's battered body lying on the forest floor
  700. 700.
    >Please, please, please be okay...
  701. 701.
    >You're on her in a second, and you place your ear on her chest, listening for something, anything...
  702. 702.
    >She's still breathing, thank Celestia
  703. 703.
    >You lift her up, slinging one her legs over your neck as she stirs groggily
  704. 704.
    >Shaking with adrenaline, you half-lift, half-drag her up the wedge-shaped hill, away from the witch
  705. 705.
    >Looking behind you, you can see your escape is cut off already
  706. 706.
    >The witch has recovered, and a blinding flash of lightning illuminates her infuriated face as she stalks up the hill towards you
  707. 707.
    >You stagger up the hill, the rain pouring down the incline and turning the slick grass into a slippery morass
  708. 708.
    >You're nearly at the top, but you've nowhere else to go
  709. 709.
    >What can you even do here? Your options are all exhausted, you've nowhere to run and nowhere to hide... But you can't think of anything else to do
  710. 710.
    >But you refuse to just lie down and die, you won't give that witch the satisfaction
  711. 711.
    >You take another step, but you slip on the mud and Twilight falls out of your grasp
  712. 712.
    >You stretch out a hoof to catch her but she tumbles out of your reach, slipping down the hill and over the edge into open air, nothing below her but a hundred-foot fall
  713. 713.
    >Before you can react a hand shoots out and seizes her leg, holding her suspended right on the edge of the cliff
  714. 714.
    >You look over to see the witch, her eyes gleaming with amaranthine cruelty
  715. 715.
    >Rain runs down her face in rivulets, her hair plastered to her forehead as she glares at you
  716. 716.
    >She raises her voice over the rain and thunder
  717. 717.
    "You care about this thing, don't you? Well, now we both have something the other wants."
  718. 718.
    >You stare back, your emotions competing with each other in a tumultuous whirlwind
  719. 719.
    >Anger, fear, hopelessness, all swirling around until you feel like you might pass out
  720. 720.
    >She speaks up again
  721. 721.
    "Give me what is mine, Anon. Give me the Astrolabe, and this creature lives. If I'm feeling particularly generous, maybe I'll even give you your voice back."
  722. 722.
    >For a second, a singular, fleeting moment, you consider it
  723. 723.
    >You know what you have to do
  724. 724.
    >You glance over your shoulder, the campsite below you barely visible in the driving sheets of rain
  725. 725.
    >And in the center, the cooling embers of the firepit a dim glow in the darkness
  726. 726.
    >You look back to her and close your eyes, leaning forward and letting the astrolabe slip off your neck, over your head and onto an outstretched wing
  727. 727.
    >The witch's eyes are locked onto it greedily, her grip loosening slightly on Twilight's leg as she slips a little
  728. 728.
    >Twilight gasps, awake now and staring at you fearfully
  729. 729.
    >You extend your wing over the edge of the cliff, the Astrolabe perilously dangling from its thin chain over the edge, the ground beckoning from a hundred feet below
  730. 730.
    >The look in the witch's eyes changes from triumph to fear in an instant
  731. 731.
    >Celestia forgive you, you're going to savour that look until your last breath
  732. 732.
    >The witch looks at you, her eyes wide, her confidence faltering
  733. 733.
    "You wouldn't... That's your only way home. You'll be stuck here, forever. You'll never speak again."
  734. 734.
    >The storm of emotions within you quells, calming into a serene peace
  735. 735.
    >Because you know what the witch doesn't; what she'll never understand
  736. 736.
    >You've come to finally realise what you knew for a long time
  737. 737.
    >You knew it the second Zecora saved you, and asked for nothing in return
  738. 738.
    >You knew it when Ponyville welcomed you with open arms
  739. 739.
    >And you knew it the moment that Twilight told you about your foal
  740. 740.
    >You already are home
  741. 741.
    >You turn sharply, and heave the Astrolabe with all of your might, aiming for the campfire below
  742. 742.
    >The witch shrieks in wordless fury, releasing Twilight and leaping past you, after the Astrolabe and over the edge of the cliff
  743. 743.
    >Twilight drops like a rock, screaming in terror as she plummets towards the ground
  744. 744.
    >You pivot and dive off the cliff, tucking your wings in and hurtling straight after her
  745. 745.
    >You clear your mind, settling into that strange sense of calm as you let your body do what it was meant to
  746. 746.
    >Time seems to slow as the ground rushes up to meet you, the gap between you and Twilight closing
  747. 747.
    >Ten feet... Five... Three... Two... One...
  748. 748.
    >You hook your hooves under her front legs, flaring out your wings and holding on with every scrap of strength you have left
  749. 749.
    >Pain shoots through your body as your muscles lock, the entire weight of you and Twilight placed onto your wings in an instant
  750. 750.
    >For a moment you feel as though they might be ripped clean off, and then...
  751. 751.
    >You're soaring, skimming the ground with barely six inches to spare
  752. 752.
    >Just as you think you're in the clear, there's a piercing sound from behind you that cuts through the air like glass shattering
  753. 753.
    >A white glow illuminates the whole camp, and for a moment it's as bright as day outside
  754. 754.
    >You can see rocks slowly lifting up from the ground, as raindrops stand suspended in midair
  755. 755.
    >And then a shockwave ripples outward from the campsite, accompanied by a deafening boom which pushes the trees on the edge of the clearing nearly over
  756. 756.
    >You're thrown forward, hurtling into the trees as you close your eyes, wrap yourself around Twilight and do your best to shield her from the inevitable crash-landing
  757. 757.
    >A crash-landing that doesn't come
  758. 758.
    >You open your eyes to see you're surrounded by a shimmering purple sphere, and even as you watch you and Twilight crash through the trees, breaking them cleanly in half
  759. 759.
    >The sphere cracks as it hits the first tree, nearly shatters as you plough through the second, and disintegrates entirely as you hit the third
  760. 760.
    >But by that point you're ready, and you spread your wings again, slowing yourself and coming to a stop, gently dropping Twilight on her feet and then alighting on the ground next to her
  761. 761.
    >It doesn't even occur to you that that was easily the best landing of your short career, and you weren't even trying
  762. 762.
    >The two of you stare at each other in shock, exhausted and out of breath
  763. 763.
    >She looks at you, speechless
  764. 764.
    >There are no words that can express what she's feeling right now; you know that better than anypony
  765. 765.
    >But no words are necessary
  766. 766.
    >You smile at her, and Celestia does it feel good
  767. 767.
    >For the first time in a long time you feel completely unburdened, and that smile says it all
  768. 768.
    >You don't have long to enjoy it, however
  769. 769.
    >You and Twilight come to the realisation at the same time as you hear the sound of rocks crumbling
  770. 770.
    >Midnight!
  771. 771.
    >Looking back at the clearing, you can see the ancient hill collapsing, falling apart as the explosion proves too much for it to bear
  772. 772.
    >You can only watch as it breaks apart, the hill disintegrating as the stone structure underneath gives out under the stress
  773. 773.
    >You and Twilight share a brief look, and then you're both running towards the rubble-filled crater
  774. 774.
    >Thankfully it's so wet out there's no dust, just a muddy mess of debris
  775. 775.
    >You and Twilight split up, picking through the rubble and looking for any signs of life
  776. 776.
    >Most of the tents were crushed, by the looks of things, but two avoided most of the destruction
  777. 777.
    >They had both collapsed, but were otherwise unharmed
  778. 778.
    >You start digging one out immediately, but you hear a groan from the other one
  779. 779.
    >Without a thought you shift your focus, moving to the other tent and lifting what debris you can despite your exhaustion
  780. 780.
    >Twilight sees and immediately comes over to help
  781. 781.
    >With her help you're able to lift the larger chunks of stone off and peer underneath
  782. 782.
    >Inside, you can see Midnight Spire, bound and beaten to hell, and not moving
  783. 783.
    >Twilight holds the tent up while you drag him out
  784. 784.
    >You stare at him, worry gripping you as he lies motionless
  785. 785.
    >And then he groans, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as you look down at him
  786. 786.
    >You breathe a sigh of relief
  787. 787.
    >His eyes open, and he looks at you blearily
  788. 788.
    >You're about to remove his bindings and then think better of it
  789. 789.
    >You look at Twilight and flick your eyes over to him, then look back at her expectantly
  790. 790.
    >She looks at you, confused for a moment
  791. 791.
    "What? I... Oh, I see. Surely there's no way she tied herself back up?"
  792. 792.
    >You stare at him suspiciously, but you can't help but feel guilty seeing how beat up he is
  793. 793.
    >You slip his bindings off, and you and Twilight help him over to the edge of the clearing, where the three of you collapse, exhausted
  794. 794.
    >The rain has largely stopped, and looking up you can see there's a large gap in the clouds centered on the remains of the camp, as though that explosion blew a hole in the sky
  795. 795.
    >Midnight coughs, lying back against the tree with his eyes closed
  796. 796.
    "Thought... Thought I was a goner, there."
  797. 797.
    >You're lying flat on your back, your limbs feeling like stone
  798. 798.
    >You don't think you could move a muscle if your life depended on it
  799. 799.
    >Tears form in the corners of your eyes, borne of exhaustion and relief, but most of all; happiness
  800. 800.
    >Despite everything, you can't imagine doing anything differently
  801. 801.
    >He cracks his eyes open and looks at you, then at Twilight
  802. 802.
    "What's... With her?"
  803. 803.
    >Twilight laughs softly, the laugh of a pony who's almost delirious with fatigue
  804. 804.
    "Celestia, where do I even start?"
  805. 805.
    >You giggle silently, tears still in your eyes
  806. 806.
    >Twilight looks down at you admiringly, and then slowly, stiffly stands up
  807. 807.
    "Tell you what; you stay conscious until I can find some firewood, and I'll tell you all about it."
  808. 808.
     
  809. 809.
    ***
  810. 810.
     
  811. 811.
    >It takes about a full day to get back to Ponyville, after spending the night at the ruins you created
  812. 812.
    >You would have expected it to take longer, considering how slowly everypony was moving
  813. 813.
    >But the rope markers you had put in place yesterday made getting lost on the way back a lot more difficult
  814. 814.
    >You had stopped many times to rest on the way back, with Twilight and Midnight trading stories on what had happened since everypony had been split up initially
  815. 815.
    >It turns out the witch had been telling the truth, sort of
  816. 816.
    >Midnight had come back after you had been captured, and he had successfully run the guards off into the woods with his second distraction
  817. 817.
    >However, he hadn't counted on the witch, and she had, of course, captured him and beaten him black and blue
  818. 818.
    >She then stole his identity and the rest was history...
  819. 819.
    >You can't help but feel responsible, given that he didn't really know what he had been walking into
  820. 820.
    >Maybe if you had told him and Twilight more about the witch before going into that situation, none of that would have happened
  821. 821.
    >But to be honest, you hadn't really expected her to actually be there, in the flesh
  822. 822.
    >You do your best to express your apologies to Midnight, but he waves it off, claiming he "wouldn't have believed you even if you had told him"
  823. 823.
    >He's in surprisingly good spirits despite the whole debacle
  824. 824.
    >Thankfully, when you arrive in Ponyville it's already dark, sparing you the audience that would no doubt go along with a group of battered adventurers appearing out of the Everfree forest
  825. 825.
    >You and Twilight drop Midnight off at the hospital, and Twilight accompanies you to Blue Cross' house
  826. 826.
    >You had insisted on going alone, but Twilight had refused any negotiations, stating that she had to be there to help you communicate
  827. 827.
    >In spite of your objections, you're sincerely glad she's coming with you
  828. 828.
    >Not just for the moral support but because you genuinely will need her help
  829. 829.
    >When you knock on the door, Blue is initially quite surprised to see you, but he can't hide how happy he is
  830. 830.
    >After your last goodbye, it seems he genuinely hadn't expected to see you again
  831. 831.
    >He listens raptly as Twilight recounts the events of the last few days, evidently moved by the sacrifices you made to save her
  832. 832.
    >It's very late by the time the story is over, and Twilight excuses herself, leaving you and Blue alone in his living room
  833. 833.
    >She was thoughtful enough to leave her writing supplies with you, and as Blue considers you, the weight of your story settling between you, you pen him a message
  834. 834.
    "I know this is a lot to take in, and perhaps this really isn't the best time for this but... I don't care: I'm pregnant, and I love you."
  835. 835.
    >You fidget nervously as his eyes pore over the note, widening as he reaches the end
  836. 836.
    >He looks up at you, his heart in his eyes, and you know immediately you made the right decision
  837. 837.
    "I wouldn't trade you for Equestria, Nona."
  838. 838.
    >You leap on top of him, wrapping him in a tight hug and beaming
  839. 839.
    >Several hours later, you drift off to sleep, and for the first time since you arrived in Equestria, your rest is easy, peaceful, and completely untroubled by a single dream
  840. 840.
     
  841. 841.
    The End.
  842. 842.
     
  843. 843.
    ***
  844. 844.
     
  845. 845.
    Epilogue: One Year Later
  846. 846.
     
  847. 847.
    >You lie back on the picnic blanket, your mane splayed out on the flannel fabric as you lazily gaze up at the clouds overhead
  848. 848.
    >Your head rests on Blue's flank, a comforting warmth that you had grown accustomed to over the last year
  849. 849.
    >As you watch the clouds drift by, your ears twitch at the sound of foal's laughter
  850. 850.
    >Your own foal's, naturally; it was a sound you had grown very familiar with
  851. 851.
    >Celestia, if you had been half as much of a pain in the ass as your foal, you're not surprised your mother abandoned you
  852. 852.
    >You cringe at the thought even as it passes through your mind
  853. 853.
    >You don't really mean it, of course, but your sense of humour had not at all been dulled by this place nor the passage of time
  854. 854.
    >You really had to watch your mouth, some of the things you think would be beyond mortifying to your average pony
  855. 855.
    >You sense your foal's approach before you feel it; a sort of sixth sense you had developed VERY shortly after he was born
  856. 856.
    "Mama! Look at this flower I founded!"
  857. 857.
    >Opening your eyes, you raise your head and look at him
  858. 858.
    >His golden eyes beam back at you earnestly, a daffodil in his mouth
  859. 859.
    >You smile warmly, using your hooves to sign back to him
  860. 860.
    "It's beautiful, honey. Is it for me?"
  861. 861.
    >He drops it at your hooves and nods vigorously
  862. 862.
    "Thank you."
  863. 863.
    >You sign, and pick it up, tucking it behind your ear
  864. 864.
    >He giggles and trots off like a little gremlin
  865. 865.
    >Celestia help you, you're going to be in trouble when he gets a little older
  866. 866.
    >Blue chuckles softly from behind you, and you can feel the reverberation through your head as you lean back against him once more
  867. 867.
    >Your voice had never come back, of course, as the witch had promised
  868. 868.
    >You feel a pang of sadness thinking about it
  869. 869.
    >Part of you is heartbroken knowing you'll never be able to speak to your foals with your own voice
  870. 870.
    >But you knew what you were giving up when you decided to stay, and you had never regretted it for a second
  871. 871.
    >Between you, Twilight, Blue Cross, and Midnight, you had devised a sort of sign-language appropriate for equines that you could use to communicate without needing to speak
  872. 872.
    >Many of the residents of Ponyville had been happy to learn it, and you were infinitely grateful to be able to communicate with the locals without having to use a quill and paper
  873. 873.
    >Although, honestly, you rarely had any time for shopping or idle chatter with the locals these days anyway
  874. 874.
    >Between foal-rearing, working for the mayor, helping Twilight with her adventures, and guest-lecturing for Professor(!) Midnight Spire at the Canterlot University, you barely had any time to sleep lately
  875. 875.
    >And that's not to mention the fact that there was another one on the way
  876. 876.
    >You gently press a hoof to your stomach, feeling the enervating and yet invigorating warmth from within
  877. 877.
    >You had a feeling this one was going to be a filly, although you didn't exactly know why
  878. 878.
    >Blue chuckles again, as though reading your thoughts
  879. 879.
    "If you think he's a hoofful, just wait until you have a filly."
  880. 880.
    >You turn and look at him, raising your eyebrows
  881. 881.
    >He smiles nervously, blushing
  882. 882.
    "Uhm... Because they're a delight, honestly!"
  883. 883.
    >You roll your eyes, lifting your head and setting it down none-too-softly on his stomach again, revelling in the winded grunt he lets out
  884. 884.
    >Yeah, it was a pretty tough life to tell the truth
  885. 885.
    >You sigh happily, closing your eyes as the warmth of the sun suffuses you from one side and Blue's body from the other
  886. 886.
    >But it was certainly one worth living
  887. 887.
     
  888. 888.
    ***

Character Development Part 1

by HotdogWater

Character Development Part 2

by HotdogWater

Character Development Part 3

by HotdogWater