>You are Anonymous, a human warrior
>Evening is staining the treetops crimson, and Moss Moon is just a shadow up ahead
>She crests the hilltop and smiles down at you, and when you reach her, you both look down at the village below
>After another few weeks’ journey, you’ve at last made it back to Hollow Shades
>The village is sleepy as you walk the streets; the bats here are just waking up
>You are greeted only by a few yawning ponies as you follow your companion to her grandmother’s house
>Moss Moon stops outside.  Her smile has faded
>“This should only take a minute.”
>You study the haggard lines of her face as she knocks on the door
>She’s seemed different during the trip back
>Still friendly and kind, but distant
>You’ve caught her looking at you often, only for her to quickly glance away
>That dream she’d had… it disturbed you as much as it had her
>Your own dreams have grown increasingly bizarre over these past weeks
>Strange visions of hulking creatures and vast, cyclopean courts
>You don’t know what to make of it, and Moss Moon seems troubled whenever you bring it up
>Her face is dark when the door flies open
>You are shocked by what you see in the threshold
>Grandmother had seemed old before, but now she looks ancient
>Once lush and white, her hair is now stringy and sickly yellow
>Her skin is drawn tightly over her bones, looking almost desiccated 
>Sunken, milky eyes blaze over gaunt cheekbones
>She sniffs the air, and immediately lashes out with a hoof, grabbing Moss Moon
>“You,” Grandmother hisses, shaking her.  “You’re late.  Where is it?  Give it to me, give it to me now, you worthless creature!”
>Moss Moon looks to you and nods
>Quickly you draw out one of the glowing vials – you’d split the dozen, in case something should happen to one of you – and hand it over
>Grandmother snatches it from you and drinks it as greedily as she did your blood, taking care to get every last drop
>When she finishes, the old bat pony lets out a long sigh of supreme pleasure, as if she had not drunk anything in days
>“Good,” she mutters, her entire body shuddering.  “Good.  You’ve done well.  No one followed you?  No one saw?”
>Her head turns slowly to look at you, and even though she’s blind, you can’t help but shiver
>You are unsettled when you realize that her skin is slowly becoming more supple before your eyes. 
>“No one,” Moss Moon says.  “As far as I know, only we know where the Spring is.”
>Grandmother’s head whips around, her eyes narrowing.  “What do you mean, ‘as far as you know’?  Do you mean that you do not know?”
>Your companion sighs, in a rare show of exasperation.  “We found the location using your books, Grandmother.  If there are other copies somewhere, anypony else could do the same.”
>“Don’t be ridiculous.”  Grandmother spits on the ground.  “Enough chatter.  Get back to your Stronghold and your runts before anyone remembers that you exist.  Can’t have the guards beating you to death.”
>“See you next year, Grandmother.”
>Moss Moon lifts her hoof, perhaps to pat the elder pony on the shoulder, but before she can, the mare has pulled away and slammed shut the door
>Your companion stares at it
You put your hand on her back.  “What the hell was that?”
>She looks downcast.  “Her affection for me is… limited,” she says.  “Bringing her a vial is just part of our deal.”
>You remember how seemingly kind the old nag had been when you came through the first time
>You realize now that Grandmother is more concerned with her yearly delivery of springwater than she is with the pony delivering it
>Moss Moon leads you down the path back into the village
>It will soon be night in Hollow Shades, and lanterns glow softly from almost every window
>“Do you mind if we meet up in a little bit?” Moss Moon asks suddenly.  “I have some things I want to take care of.”
>You glance at her, and notice her looking sheepishly at the ground
>You’re curious, but you decide not to pry
“Sure, where should we meet?”
>“There’s a tavern here called the Shady Trough.  The food’s good and they have real beds.”
>The mere concept of such things brings a smile to your face
“All right, I’ll see you there.”
>You stand for a moment, watching her trudge off to wherever she’s going
>It’ll be good to have some time alone
>You’ve been traveling together for what, a month now?
>She’s been a great friend and companion, but she’s probably tired of dragging you around everywhere
>You can’t shake the feeling that you didn’t really contribute much to the adventure
>Coupled with your near-death, you’ve been mostly just a hindrance more than anything else
>On top of that, you’d told her about your past as a mercenary, and your involvement with the torture of her kind
>She’d accepted you anyway
>And when she’d had that dream – in which you became some kind of monster – she’d taken that in stride, too
>She’s putting a lot of faith in you, you realize
>More faith than anyone ever has before
>You don’t know how someone like that, who’s been stepped on and kicked around all her life by everyone, could muster that kind of faith
>And yet she’s betting on you
>You don’t know if you’re worth it, but you don’t want to let her down
>You make an oath that you’ll stick with her for as long as she’ll have you
>For now, though, she’s off by herself, and you’ve been wandering aimlessly through the village, completely lost in thought
>The calls of merchants bring you back to reality
>You wander over to the market, where you find a green-maned trader with a funny accent selling goods from the eastern continent
>Fruits, mostly
>You decide to buy a present for Moss Moon and ask for directions to the tavern
>With your purchase tucked in your pocket, you make for the Shady Trough
>It’s mostly empty when you get there, just some bat ponies eating breakfast
>They eye you coolly, but otherwise don’t react to your presence
>You imagine that they don’t see many humans this far south, but they’ve likely heard stories
>If the tavern’s mistress has, she doesn’t seem to care; she’s happy to take your coin for a night’s stay
>You ask about a bath, and she tells you that there’s a spring behind the building
>The air is cool on your skin, but the water at least is warm
>With a yellowed chunk of soap you scrub off weeks of accumulated filth, the lye burning your flesh
>You wash your clothes, too, cleaning as much blood and mud off the fabric as you can
>After hanging them up to dry, you sit down to soak for awhile, and end up dozing
>You’ve lost track of time when you remember that you were supposed to meet Moss Moon
>Leaping naked from the pool, you snatch up your gift and head back to the tavern’s main room
>The other ponies don’t pay any mind to your makeshift garb – just some blankets wrapped haphazardly around you – but Moss Moon gives you a funny look
>“I, uh… I like the look.”
“Thank you.”
>Laid out before her is a simple but delicious-looking repast
>Raw meat, fresh apples and carrots, and a tankard of hot toddy
>The tavern mistress shrugs when you ask her to roast your portion of meat, but she shuffles off to oblige you anyway
>You and Moss Moon eat in comfortable silence, focused intently on the meal
>This is the first break from trail rations and paltry game that you’ve had in ages
>Your companion is absolutely ravenous; she eats more than you’ve ever seen any one creature consume in one sitting
>You’re worried at first that she won’t be hungry for the present you got her
>Her eyes widen with surprise when you set it on the table
“The trader called it a ‘mango.’  Said it grows on the island of Sun-Ne’er-Set, I think.  It was a little hard to understand her.”
>Moss Moon is blushing furiously as she examines the fruit
>Its flesh is golden with a red flush and a tinge of green
>“Th-thank you, Anon… why did you…?”
“It’s a gift.  A thank-you for letting me travel with you.”
>Your companion gently holds it in her hooves
>She presses her fangs into it and drinks some of its juice
>Immediately she smiles even wider
>“Anon – it’s really damn good!”
>Suddenly she looks around, then slides out of her seat
>She looks up at you conspiratorially, her eyes bright
>“Hey, come with me.  I wanna show you something.”
>The next moment she’s heading out the door, and you have to jog to keep up
>She takes you on a circuitous path through Hollow Shades, ducking through alleys as she leads you to the edge of the village
>You pass under a dilapidated stone arch and head out in the woods
>Night has fallen and it’s impossible for you to see anything
>You stumble around until Moss Moon grabs you and pulls you onward
>After a few minutes you have no idea where you are, but when you ask, her response is muffled; she’s holding the mango in her mouth
>Up ahead something forms out of the darkness: a white splotch
>As you get closer, you realize that it’s a reflection of the moon in a pool of water
>Moss Moon guides you over to a nearby rock and makes you sit down
>You’re shivering from cold
>“Pah!” The mango rolls into your lap.  “Put your feet in, it’s a hot spring.”
>You do so, and feel wet heat soak into your bare soles
>Moss Moon leans into you, solid and warm
>She’s quiet for little while as she shares the mango with you
>The reflection of the moon ripples as your feet disturb the water’s surface
>Crickets chirp all around you; the air smells crisp and clean
>“When I was younger, this is where I’d come when Grandmother was in one of her moods,” Moss Moon says, once all that remains of the fruit is the pit
>“Out here I could be alone, and no one knew I was a bound.  Sometimes I felt like I never wanted to leave.”
 “Why did you?”
>She laughs quietly
>“I don’t know.  When I was young, I was afraid.  Grandmother was the only one who spoke to me, and so I listened to what she said.  It wasn’t until I got older that I started to think for myself.”
“Is that why you decided to go to the Stronghold?”
>Moss Moon nods.  “Before she got too old, Grandmother would go there sometimes to take care of the orphans.  But even her best treatment couldn’t save the ones that got the wasting sickness.  That’s when I thought of using the Spring…”
>She pauses for a moment, staring into the water
>“She refused at first.  She didn’t want anyone else using its magic.  But she was old, and weak, and I realized that… she couldn’t stop me from going there anymore.  So I stole some of her salts and left.”
>“When I came back, she cursed me and called me a betrayer.  She chased me from town.  I had no money, no tools, no supplies.  I knew then that if I wanted to keep helping the foals, I had only one place to go.”
>The crickets chirp, and a frog begins to croak
>Silence hangs between the two of you
>You know that the common Asperi law prevents known bounds from leaving the enclaves in which they have residence
>Getting caught outside the Stronghold is a serious crime
>Moss Moon is risking a great deal to do what she does every single year
>“What are you going to do now that we’ve made it back?” she asks
“I’ll go on with you to the Stronghold, of course.”
>She laughs again, but her voice is quiet.  “I don’t know if the guards will be too happy about that…”
>You slap your palm against your forehead as you suddenly remember that you were almost killed trying to get out of that damned place
“They must’ve forgotten by now, right?”
>“Not many humans come this way, Anon.”
>An ill feeling creeps into your gut, as you realize that keeping your oath might not be possible after all
>These next few days might be all the time you have left with Moss Moon 
>You suddenly feel as if you’re going to be sick
>She seems to be waiting for you to say something
“I’ll see you up to the Stronghold, then.  It’s the least I can do.”
>She noses your side, and keeps her face there
>“Thanks Anon.  For everything.”
>You put your arm around her and stare into the pool
>The night is quiet
>And cold
>“You’re shivering,” Moss Moon says.  “Let’s get back to the inn and have another hot toddy.”
>You toss the mango pit away and stand up
>Another staggering, shambling walk through the woods and you’re back at the Shady Trough
>You clink tankards with your sturdy companion and drink down the warm, sweet, spiced beverage
>Soon enough you’re feeling woozy, Moss Moon is half-dragging you to your room, and somehow you both are talking about the dreaming
>“You have to focus on it,” she’s saying, her speech slightly slurred.  “Open your heart so that you can see the dream for what it really is.”
>You both fumble with the door and step into the tiny chamber beyond
>The floor creaks underfoot
>Inside is a small window, a chest, and an honest-to-god bed
>The white sheets and pillows call out to you
>“What I don’t get,” you mumble, sinking onto the mattress, “ish what she meant by… y’know… ‘power.’  The ‘power’ of the dreaming.  Is that diff… different from what a dream normally is?”
>Moss Moon climbs in beside you, pressing up against your chest
>“I dunno!” she says brightly.  “Maybe you’ll be able to see dreams, even when you’re not sleeping.”
>Your head feels fuzzy
>That sounds like it could be right, but maybe not
>You wrap your arms around her warm body and hold her close
“Maybe…”
>Her mane brushes your chin as she nuzzles your neck
>“Open your heart up,” she says.  “Can you see what I’m dreaming?”
>She trails off, and your eyes close
>You feel her soft breath on your neck
>You’re suddenly vaguely aware that you’re practically naked, cuddling with Moss Moon, and more than a little drunk
>A wet nip at your neck sends a shiver down your spine
>Your pulse quickens, and heat rushes into your face
>She kisses your neck again, harder this time
>Instinctively you run your hand up her face, brushing her cheek
>You feel her trembling against you
>She pulls back, blushing hard
>“S-sorry,” she stammers.  “I… I…”
>She lets out a short gasp when you kiss her ear, before tracing down to her cheek
>She looks up at you, her gaze flicking between your eyes and your lips
>Her breath comes heavily, hot on your face
>You feel her heart thumping in her chest
>Slowly, you lower your head, and kiss her lightly on the mouth
>She shakes violently, then relaxes
>You pull away for just a moment before kissing her again, harder this time
>She seems unsure of what to do with her hooves; you guide her to embrace your neck
>Your noses keep bumping together but she doesn’t seem to notice
>Her fangs catch your lower lip, drawing blood, but you ignore the pain
>She squeezes her eyes shut and presses into you, hugging you with her strong forelimbs
>Her soft stomach presses up against yours
>You control yourself, kissing her slowly and gently, not wanting to overwhelm her
>It’s obvious how new this is for her; how good it feels
>She moans softly, whimpering a little, her entire body trembling
>Her eyes are wet when you finally stop
>She looks almost as if she’s in a happy daze, her mouth curled into a wavering smile
>You kiss her forehead
“You okay?”
>She nods and buries her face against your neck
>She takes a deep, shuddering breath
>“Yeah.”  She swallows.  “Yeah, I am.”
>You fold your arms around her, holding her tightly, feeling her warmth, the softness of her body
>You’re unsure of what the future will bring, but you know that in this moment she is happy, and so are you
>The two of you fall asleep, and for the first time in many days, you dream of nothing at all.

_____

>You are Hunter Killer, and you are infuriated
>You’ve been wandering around this backwater for weeks, suffering all manner of indignities, with absolutely nothing to show for it
>Rashes, gashes, starvation; swarms of insects, disease, poisoned water
>Your hair even fell out at one point, and only now is it coming back in
>If you weren’t such an educated, erudite stallion, you would suspect some kind of foul magic was at work
>But that would be foolish; no, it is quite clear to you that the blame for this disaster rests solely on the shoulders of your incompetent followers
>Finding this so-called “magic spring” should’ve been a simple task; you’d read all about it in that stupid book, and you knew it was somewhere in these godforsaken mountains
>And yet here you are, barely alive, and you’ve made no progress at all
>You’re not about to give up, though
>You’re a graduate of the Imperial College!  A special officer of the Asperi!
>And a leader of ponies
>Yes, leadership
>That, truly, is your talent
>If it weren’t for your brave and sober command, these two morons would have been long dead
“Holtz!  Niebler!” you shout.  “What did the hero Arid Star do, when she was faced with great adversity, and all hope seemed lost?”
>“Slept in a cave,” said Holtz, the fat one
>“I think she started crying helplessly?” said Niebler, the other fat one
“Wrong and wrong,” you say proudly.  “She charged blindly into danger, and found that the path to victory was just waiting to unfold before her.  Now what can we learn from this?”
>“I don’t know,” said Holtz
>“Nothing?” said Niebler
“No!  What we can learn from Arid Star is that fortune favors the brave.”  You lift a hoof to point through a thicket blocking the path ahead.  “So one of you – and I’m looking at you, Holtz – jump through these and see what’s on the other side.”
>The fat bastard hesitates, in clear violation of your orders, so you shove him through
>He screams and falls out of sight
>You hear the sounds of him falling down an unseen incline, thumping down until he hits solid ground
“What is your status, Holtz?” you shout
>It takes a moment for your underling to reply, and his voice sounds choked when he does
>“Captain, you need to see this.”
>Sighing, you brace yourself, and run through the thicket
>Almost immediately you find yourself falling off a cliff
>With great grace you land on your flank, utter an inspiring cry of pain, then stagger to your hooves
>Elation fills you as you see the road, running in either direction as far as the eye can see
“A-ha!  I knew it!  I knew it all along!  Here I am, and here I have found the road.”
>Niebler comes through a moment later, against all odds managing to land upright
>You lazily buff your hoof against your scarf
“Not bad, but you could use more grace, Niebler.”
>He doesn't respond, his mouth merely hanging agape
>You’re about to admonish him for his slack jawed stupidity, when you realize that Holtz hasn’t said a word either
“Just what is the matter with you two –”
>You step around, and that is when you see it
>Tracks on the ground, dozens of them, all heading in the same direction
>Human tracks
>And ahead, you see something that makes your skin crawl
>The blue banner of the Asperi, planted in the skull of a pony
>You curse under your breath
“Holtz, Niebler, change of plans.”
>They look at you, dazed
>You slap them
“This is no time for cowardice!  It seems the schedule has moved ahead without us.  These tracks will assuredly lead us back to that podunk excuse for a fortress.  We will go there now and see what can be done.” 
>Their expressions harden, and they nod, falling in behind you
>You strut forward, head held high
>You do not show them your fear, for you must lead by example
>For now the Asperi have sent a warband to occupy the Stronghold, and all your lives are in danger.