>You are Anon
>And you're currently running for your life
>You run through the jungle, darting around trees, hurdling undergrowth
>Beads of sweat run down your face as arrows fly by
>You hold tightly to a sack of priceless artifacts, treasures that you've come to save and bring back to the Princesses
>Behind you is a swarm of angry natives, and they want their treasures back
>But you are Anon!
>You're the greatest explorer this world has ever seen!
>You skillfully weave through the brush and foliage, and the angry calls begin to fade in the distance behind you
>You think you're in the clear when suddenly, you are forced to skid to a halt
>Before your eyes lies a great cliff, a vertical plunge into a raging river
>The voices are getting closer, and you can hear the twang of bowstrings
>There was no turning back, you had to keep moving or risk ending up on a shish kabob
>You take a deep breath, and leap off of the ledge
>As you speed toward the water below, you see something that makes your heart sink
>Rocks, just below the surface
>Suddenly panicked, you begin flapping your arms
>As if that would slow you down
>In your struggle, you barely catch the movement in your peripheral vision
>As you turn to meet the source of the disturbance, you are met with a shadowy figure speeding toward you
>You feel something grab the back of your jacket and slow your descent
>Still in mild shock, you turn to get a better look at your saving grace
>Bat wings.
>Suddenly, you feel yourself falling again
>You and your would-be savior are still heading for a hard landing
>Just before you hit the water, you raise your hands up to shield your face
>A short yelp escapes your mouth as you shoot up in your bed, covered in sweat
>It was just a dream...
>You look at the clock
"Shit, I'm gonna be late." You groan as you jump out of bed and start your day
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>You were supposed to be at the docks 15 minutes ago
>As you rush through the town market, you almost knock over several shoppers
>Typical morning rush in Ponyville
>You're practically at a full sprint now, almost stumbling several times
>"Hey Anon! Your shoe's untied!" You hear off in the crowd
>You look over and spot three fillies waving at you
"Not these three again..." You think to yourself
>Glancing down, you see they were right
>Suddenly, you crash into someone
>Tumbling to the ground together, you roll and flail in a tangled mess 
>Finally skidding to a halt, you cough as the dust cloud disperses
"Oh God, I'm sorry about that, I wasn't watching where I was-"
>Your speech is cut short as you try to process just what you were seeing
>Before you was a pony, at least you THOUGHT it was a pony
>But it was...wrong
>Her wings were not like the other pegasi, they were leathery looking, like a bat's wings
>Behind her glasses, her pupils were slits like something that was meant to live in the dark
>And those fangs, you could have sworn these things were all vegetarians...
>She was frantic as she crawled around trying to gather up her belongings
>You watch her in silence as she stuffs papers back into her saddlebag
>"No, no I'm sorry!" She said, talking a million words per minute
>"This is my first time in Ponyville, and I don't really know where I'm supposed to be going, and I was looking at my map and...and..." She trailed off as she finally looked at you
>From the looks of things, she was just as confused by you as you were by her
>"I-I..." She stammers, her eyes wide
>You don't have time for this
>You look around and see another bit of her belongings
>You pick up the rolled up parchment and look at it
>It was a map, covered in all manner of scribbles, X's, and little cliff notes
>Either she'd been all over the world, or she was planning quite the trip
>Handing her the map, she seems to snap out of her trance
>"I'm Mosina!" She blurts out rather loudly as she dusts herself off and fixes her ponytail
"Anon." You say, dusting off your pants
>You look over your shoulder and see the masts of the ships at the docks at the end of the market.
"I'm late for work, it was nice to meet you." You say as you start to walk away
>"Wait! Can I ask you a couple of questions?!" Mosina calls after you, fumbling with a piece of paper and a quill 
"Sorry! Gotta go!" You say, rushing back into the crowd. 
>As you make your way toward the docks, you turn back and see Mosina the bat pony still staring dumbfounded off in your direction holding a quill and paper in her mouth.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>"Anon, you're fired." Your shift manager said as he sees you walk into the office
"What?!"
>"This is the third time this week. We need dock hands who will be here on time every morning."
>Your eye twitched
"Fine." You grumbled
>"Here's your last weeks pay, now get out of here." He ordered as he threw a small bag of bits at you
>As you leave the office, you look down at your bag of bits
>This wasn't going to last you hardly two weeks
>Definitely not before you could find another job...
>Curse your fucked up sleep schedule
>You walk back to the market, wondering just what the hell your next move was
>Maybe you could get a job on that farm on the outskirts of town...
>Nah, if you had to hear about apples all day every day you'd probably off yourself
>Maybe you could try your hand at baking over at Sugarcube corner?
>Who are you kidding, you'd end up burning the place down
>Lost in your thoughts, you didn't even notice the bat pony floating above you, scribbling away on her parchment taking notes
>When you finally feel the presence, you looked up and catch her eye
>She jumps as she realizes she's been caught, and her glasses fall to the ground
>"Oh, uh, h-hi again Anon!" She stammers as she drops to the ground and feels around for her glasses
>"Hey, c-could you help me find my glasses? I'm blind as a bat without them..."
>You crack a small smile, in spite of the circumstances
"Hello again..." You pause, realizing you'd forgotten her name
>"Mosina!" She finished, still feeling around in the dust
>She really couldn't see a thing
"I've got it." You say, reaching for the glasses
>Before you can reach them, a small pink hoof snatches them up
>"Well well well, look at that Silver Spoon, the freaky monkey found somepony almost as freaky as him to hang out with."
>You roll your eyes.
>The kids in this town, seriously.
"Very funny kid, give me the glasses." You command.
>"Oooh, look out the monkey is mad at you!" The pink fillies' friend snickered.
>"Yeah don't wanna get the freaks upset, they might try to infect me with their freak germs or something." 
>This shit wasn't even clever, you'd had enough.
>"Diamond Tiara! You give that pony back her glasses right now!" An adult voice finally spoke up.
>"Oh fine..." the filly groaned, flinging the glasses at you as they walked away with their friend.
>"What did I tell you about being nicer to others?" The fillies father said as he led them away
>Bad parenting transcends dimensions it seems.
>Turning back to Mosina, you kneel down in front of her and hand her the glasses
"Here you go, sorry about that." You say
>"Thanks Anon..." She muttered, adjusting them to her face
>She was pretty quiet, and she wasn't looking at you anymore
>Those fillies comments must have gotten to her
"Hey, don't worry about those two, they're just a couple spoiled little shits." You say, helping Mosina stand up
>"No, no, I'm used to it. Not many ponies are used to seeing my kind." She mumbled
>But she smiled as she looked to you
>"Thank you again Anon, I'm sorry for sneaking up on you, I just needed to examine you a bit." She said, a small blush crossing her cheeks.
"Examine me?" You said, raising an eyebrow
>"I've never seen anything like you! I had to get a closer look!" She said, before looking away again
>"I guess I should have just asked but I thought you were too busy..." 
"Not anymore, I've got all the time in the world now." You chuckle, coming to the realization that you now had the whole day to yourself.
>Her eyes light up at that
>"Well if you're free, would you mind answering some questions for me? It's not every day you meet a whole new species and I really would appreciate it if..."
>She really could just go on and on
>In a way you found kind of endearing, how focused she was on her work
>"Uh, Anon? You there?" She said, a look of concern on her face.
"Yeah, sure, let's go find a place to sit down, no sense letting you do your interrogation in the middle of the street." You shrug
>"Interrogation? Anon I'm not trying to interrogate you!" She cries, looking somewhat worried
"I was just...nevermind. Come on, I know just the place." You chuckle as you see she had no sarcasm detector
>After a lengthy discussion at the local diner, you learn a lot about your new friend
>Her race were normally nocturnal, explaining her batlike appearance, and came from a place call Hollow Shades tucked away in the north
>She was a cartographer, and a researcher, and Ponyville was her first stop on her trip around Equestria
>She had many questions for you as well
>You told her all about humanity, Earth, and about your old home before you found yourself here
>She was fascinated by all things foreign, and you were about as foreign as it got around these parts
>For hours you talked, and soon the sun was starting to fall below the horizon
"Well, it's getting kind of late," You say
"I think it's time to be heading home." 
>"Oh shoot! What time is it?!" Mosina cried out, just noticing the looming darkess
"About 7:30, why?" You asked, surprised at her reaction.
>"Oh no! I missed my train! I was supposed to be in Canterlot tomorrow morning but the last train left 20 minutes ago..." She cried, suddenly looking very distraught
"Couldn't you just take the next train in the morning?" You ask, not seeing the problem
>"Yes but I didn't bring enough bits to rent a room for the night, my uncle is in Canterlot and he's supposed to give me the rest of the money I need for my trip."
>You stop and think
>You couldn't just let her wander the streets all night
>Even if she was nocturnal, this was a new town to her.
"You can stay at my house for the night if you'd like." You say, trying to be courteous
>Her eyes light up once again
>"Really? You'd do that? THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!" Mosina squeals with glee as she flies across the table and hugs you
>You flinch at the unexpected contact, but soon you relax as she gives you a final big squeeze
>Suddenly, she seems to realize what she's doing and backs up a bit, blushing a bit again
>"Keekeekee...sorry." she says, rubbing the back of her neck bashfully
>You shake your head as you stand up from your seat
"Don't mention it, come on, my house is just a block away." You laugh, the gears in your mind spinning, planning for tomorrow.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The sound of a rooster's crow breaks the silence as the sun rises over Ponyville
>You wearily open your eye, your face half buried in your pillow
>You sit up groggily, stretching in in the early morning light
>Today was the day
>The day you escape this town and make something of yourself
>And your new bat pony friend Mosina was going to help you do it
>As you throw on your clothes and gather what belongings you saw fit, you think about how you're going to present your idea to her
>Maybe you should just ask her if you can come along? 
>But what if she says no?
>No, she couldn't say no...you were jobless, and in this economy it's not like there were jobs everywhere exactly
>You could be her assistant!
>Yeah, every good researcher has an assistant!
>This could work
>As you continue thinking about how to best approach the topic, a smell begins to drift to your nose 
>...Pancakes?
>You walk out into the hall and hear the sizzle of the griddle, and the smell intensifying
>Poking your head into the kitchen, your mouth drops at the sight
>On the table was a large smorgasbord of food
>A masterfully crafted fruit salad containing every piece from your fridge at the center, flanked by plates covered in pancakes, toast and all manner of things
>Mosina flutters in the air, humming a tune to herself as she flips another pancake off the griddle
>As she turns, she catches your stare, and smiles
>"Good morning Anon!" She says cheerily
"Good morning Mosina," You say
"Did you make all this?"
>She scratches the back of her neck, and makes a small smile
>"Yeah, I'm sorry I emptied your fridge. I wanted to surprise you with breakfast to thank you for letting me stay here last night!" She responds
>Under normal circumstances, you'd be upset about someone raiding your fridge, but looking at your guest you couldn't help but smile
"Well thank you...you didn't tell me you could cook?" You say as you sit down and begin piling food on your plate
>She blushes again
>So easily embarrassed, this one...
>"It's nothing, just pancakes and salad." She said, laughing nervously
>Humble too
>You dig into your breakfast, and ponder whether now would be the right time to ask to join her on her trip
"So, Mosina, when do you need to catch your train?" You ask before your mind is blown yet again
>She has a massive pile of food on her plate, making yours look like child's play
>And she's already carving through it like a knife through butter
>"Arounfth thevn." She responds with a mouth full of pancake
"What was that?" You ask
>Swallowing her food, she chuckles nervously again
>"Sorry, sometimes I forget my manners. My train leaves at around 7 o'clock." She says
>"So there's still an hour or so before I have to go. I really want to thank you again for letting me stay here." 
>Now's the time
"It was nothing, can't leave a friend out in the street." You say, bringing a big smile to your guest's face
"So, are you meeting anyone else in Canterlot to go on this trip with you? Are you going it by yourself...?"
>Her smile fades a bit and she breaks her eye contact with you
>"No, nobody else, it's just me." She says
>"My uncle said he would pay for a friend to come with me but nobody back home is really interested in seeing the rest of the world given the...less than friendly attitudes."
>Jackpot
"Well, would you want someone to come with you?" You probe
>"Well of course!" She replies
>"The Hitchhiker's Guide to Equestria says that one should never travel alone, but who would go with me?"
"Well...I've always wanted to get out of this town and see the rest of this place. Maybe I could go with you? You know, as your research assistant or something." You say.
>"Really? You'd want to come with me? But what about your job? Aren't you too busy for all this?" Mosina asked, sounding a bit hesitant
"I sort of got...fired from the dock force yesterday, there's nothing really keeping me here now." You say, producing your small bag of bits.
"This is all I've got left to my name. I can't afford to stay here, so yeah, this seems like a pretty good alternative to homelessness." 
>Mosina's eyes are wide at the revelation
>"I'm sorry about your job Anon, but if that's true then yes, you can join me. No friend of mine is going to end up on the street!" She says, the smile returning to her face
"Cha-ching." You think to yourself.
"That's great! I've already got my things packed, I can carry your stuff too if you'd like." You say, standing up and clearing your places
>"Oh Anon, you don't have to do that." She says
"What sort of assistant would I be if I didnt?" You smirk as you walk off to grab your bag
>Nailed it
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>You stare out the window of the train as the field and mountains in the distance fly by
>It was good to see something other than the dirt roads of Ponyville
>In north, you can see the spires of Canterlot peaking over the mountainside
>The two of you had been on the train for about an hour, and the restlessness was starting to get to you
>You look over to Mosina, who is scribbling away at a piece of parchment
>Did she ever stop?
>You stare at her scribbling, scratching your head and wondering what she could possibly be taking notes about on a train
>She looks up and catches your stare
>"You alright there Anon?" She asked, raising an eyebrow
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just wondering what you're writing there. Something about the experience of the Equestrian rail system?" You joke
>"Why would I write about that? Everyone's seen a train before Anon..." She answers, missing your sarcasm again
>"I'm just making some notes about the landscape. I've never been this far west before...it's different than Hollow Shades."
"Notes for who, exactly?" You ask
>"For my book!" She exclaims excitedly
>"When this is all over, I'm going to compile my research into a book, and it'll be printed all over Equestria! Everypony will know about the whole of the land and it'll be all thanks to me!"
>Well, she was ambitious, you had to give her that
>Suddenly, she stops and looks to you
>"Well, me, and my faithful assistant Anon that is." She corrects herself, winking at you
>You can't help but smirk
>Who'd have thought you'd ever be part of a grand plan to spread knowledge to the masses?
"So my name's going on the cover too?" 
>"Right under mine!"
"And half of the profits as well?"
>She snorts trying to suppress her laughter
>"Keekeekee...you're silly Anon. This book isn't to make a profit! You can't put a price on education!"
>You're suddenly mildly less excited about the prospect now
>"No sir," She continues
>"anything the book makes is going right back into the education system so schools all over Equestria will have better facilities for the next generation to learn about the world!"
>You were slightly surprised at how devoted she was to education
>Now it was your turn to be humbled
"That's very noble of you." You say
>"Hopefully they'll return the favor by paying your bills." You laugh
>She rolls her eyes at you
>"Well, if all goes well I hope to receive a royal grant for my work, that should help me continue my research, and cover my living expenses."
"Do the Princesses do that often?" You ask, wondering just how much of a long shot this plan was
>"Only for the best, but between you and I," She whispered, getting close to your ear
>"I think we're a shoo-in!" She said, giggling
>The conductor shouts back from the front
>"Next stop, Canterlot Central Station!" 
>"Oh, that's us Anon!" Mosina said excitedly
>"This is so exciting! I can't wait to see the big city!" 
"Yeah, me either." You say, staring out the window at the looming towers that were suddenly upon you.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The two of you step off of the train and into the crowded terminal
>All around are ponies, griffons, zebras, you name it
>For the capitol of Equestria, Canterlot sure was a melting pot
>You look over to Mosina and see her eyes wide and a toothy grin on her face
>This cosmopolitan atmosphere was probably sending her into a euphoric high
>You shake her shoulder a bit and she snaps out of her daze
"You wanna see the rest of the city or are you content to stand in the train terminal all day?" You ask, chuckling
>"S-sorry Anon, it's just, look at all these different ponies! And these zebras and griffons! I've never seen on up close before!" She stumbled through her words, barely containing her excitement
>You shook your head, remembering your first encounter with her
"Just try not to interrogate everyone we see, alright?" You say, picking up your bags and moving toward the exit
>"I do NOT interrogate anyone Anon! I INTERVIEW them!"
>You shake your head and smile as the two of you step out into the cobbled streets
>The view was magnificent
>Tall ivory towers were all around you, built of pearly white stone, and almost sparkling in the sunlight
>In the streets, the elite of Equestrian society were going about their business
>Shopping in the finest of boutique stores
>Riding in carriages drawn by their less affluent fellow citizens
>Living a life of luxury
>Meanwhile, Ponyville had dirt streets and farms
"Just like home sweet home." You grumble to yourself
>"What was that, Anon?" Mosina asks looking up at you
>You shake your head
"Nothing, just thinking about Earth." You say, adjusting to the environment
>"You'll need to tell me more about that place sometime, I think it'd make for a really interesting side project!" Mosina said enthusiastically
>She really had no off switch
"Sure, if you want all of Equestria to think you're nuts. So where's your uncle?" You ask
>Mosina pulls out her map of the city, and begins studying it intensely
>Almost burying her nose in it
>"He lives over on Lunar Avenue, which according to my map is about 4 blocks away." She says, rolling up her map and putting it back in her bag.
"We should probably get a move on then." You suggest, getting uncomfortable as ponies start brushing past you to get in and out of the terminal
>"Alright, would you mind taking some notes for me along the way? It'll be so much easier now having an assistant, I can keep my eye on EVERYTHING!"
>Great, now you're a living recorder.
>As the two of you make your way through the city, Mosina prattles on about this and that, commenting on every which thing going on around you 
>You struggle to keep up taking note of what she says, with her habit of speaking so quickly
>Eventually, you find yourselves on Lunar Ave, a relatively quaint street compared to the rest of the city
>There were no high towers here, but the apartment complexes were still large, and fairly luxurious
>Especially compared to what you were used to in Ponyville
>Mosina was buried in her map again
>"Ah! We're here. The Chateau D'Canterlot!" She says, stopping abruptly at in front of a particularly spiffy looking building
>"He's up in the penthouse, let's go Anon!" She said, rushing inside
>The two of you stand in the elevator as it heads higher and higher, powered by unicorns employed by the establishment
"So, Mosina, what does your uncle do to afford this?" You ask, realizing the topic had never come up
>"Oh he did a lot of work for the Princess Celestia years ago. He was a diplomat and got to travel all around Equestria and even further!" She said, her excitement building
>"He used to tell me stories about the other lands, all the places he'd gone, everything he'd seen. He's the reason I'm so fascinated by the world." 
"Makes sense." You shrug
>A rich old government worker, this should be interesting
>The elevator stops, and the door open
>In front of you, flanking the sides of a grandiose doorway, were two royal guards
>As you approach, their wings shoot out to block your entry
>"State your business." One of them says
>"My name is Mosina, and this is my friend Anon. I'm here to see my uncle Silver Tongue." Mosina says calmly.
>"Ah yes, the master has been expecting you. Go right ahead." The guard says as they retract their wings and you entry.
>Mosina curtseys, and opens the door to head inside
>Once the door is closed, you turn to her
"Royal guards? Someone's important." You say, nudging her.
>"I did say my uncle worked for the Princesses, didn't I?" She replies.
>The two of you walk further into the penthouse
>It was a breathtaking scene
>The most lavish of furniture and belongings were all around you
>Beautiful paintings, ancient pottery and all manner of things
>The large windows gave a view of almost the whole of the city
>And a roaring fire burned in the fireplace
>"Uncle! It's Mosina! I'm here!" she called out, almost immediately responded to by hoofbeats
>A mature stallion came bounding out from the other room and toward the two of you, his long flowing silver mane trailing behind him
>"Mosina! My dearest niece!" He cried in a funny accent as he wrapped his forelegs around Mosina in a bear hug
>"It has been far far too long since I have last seen you, my how you have grown!" He said, giving her a final squeeze before taking a step back to look at her
>"Years, yes." Mosina said
>"Mama and Papa send their love, by the way."
>"Bah, of course my little brother couldn't be bothered to come tell me that himself eh? Lazy sod Keekeekeekee." The stallion laughed, before his eyes turned to you
>"And who is your friend?" 
>"This is Anon, I met him in Ponyville yesterday. He's from Earth!" Mosina said excitedly
>Silver Tongue eyed you intensely
>"Earth huh? I've never heard of it."
"It's really far away." You respond, shrugging.
"I've told Mosina all about it."
>"Well it seems you two will have stories for me for a change, huh Mosina?" the old stallion laughed, adjusting his regal attire
>"And Anon is going to be joining you on this trip of yours?" He asked Mosina
>"Yes, he's my research assistant!" She responded cheerfully
>"He's already been practicing taking my notes all the way here!"
>Silver Tongue's eyes had not left you in minutes
>His eyes certainly did not match his tone
>They had a very subtle hint of distrust, you could barely pick it up
>Diplomats could be very deceiving
>"Well that's grand, I'm sure he'll make a fine assistant for a lovely young lady like yourself." He said, finally turning back to Mosina
>"You will stay the night here, I have your tickets for the 3 o'clock train to Stalliongrad for tomorrow. I'd like to have a good day and a half to catch up with my favorite niece before she goes off to see the world. I'll treat you to lunch in the castle gardens." He laughed
>"Thank you again for this uncle Silver Tongue!" Mosina said, hugging him tightly
>"Can Anon come with us?" She asked
>Silver Tongue raised an eyebrow
>"I don't know Mosina...he isn't family, I don't know if-"
>"Pleeeeeaaaaaaase?" Mosina begged, putting on her best puppy-dog eyes
>Sure enough, Silver Tongue's demeanor shifted again, and he sighed in defeat
>"Yes, my dear, of course he can come." 
>"Yay!" Mosina squealed, hugging him again
>"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she said in her million-word-a-minute manner
>"Anything for you Mosina. Now come, I'll show you two to your rooms. Your separate rooms." He said, giving you another glaring look with his piercing blue eyes.
>Well this guy was certainly turning out to be a great big ball of sunshine
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>It was a long, restless night
>Mosina and her uncle had been up for hours and hours, talking about every which thing
>Being bat ponies, it didn't seem to cross their minds that SOME people might be trying to sleep
>Still, at some point in the night, you'd managed to drown out their banter long enough to pass out for a few hours
>Your door flies open, rousing you from your sleep
>"Good mooooorning!" Mosina sang as she pranced into the room
"Ughhhhhh...." You groan burying your face in the pillow
>"Oh come on Anon, we've got a big day ahead of us!" She said, yanking the blanket from your grasp, exposing you to the morning chill
"Mosina, please, five more minutes..." You manage to grumble
>She gives you a disapproving look
>"We're leaving in 20 minutes, we're meeting my uncle at the castle at noon." She said as she trotted back out of the room
>Groaning, you force yourself up into a sitting position
>"And wear something nice!" She called from the other room
>"We don't want to look sloppy in front of the Princesses!"
>Your grogginess immediately subsided at that
"The Princesses?" You ask
>"Yes, they'll be joining us for lunch. My uncle pulled some strings to give me a chance to pitch them our research idea! Isn't that exciting?" She said gleefully
>You began to wonder if maybe you were biting off more than you could chew with this one
>Two days ago, you were a lowly dock hand
>Now you were off to meet royalty
"Yeah, that's actually really great." You said, genuinely feeling excited for the prospect
>You throw on the fanciest clothes you had managed to pack
>Admittedly, they were little more than nice looking casual wear, but you had been not been expecting something like this
>In 10 minutes, you were freshly shaved, groomed, and ready to go mingle with high society
>Eventually, the minutes begin to drag on
>Long surpassing the 20 minute deadline she'd set for you
>For having rushed you out of bed, Mosina sure was taking her time...
>You looked to the clock, it was a quarter to noon
"Mosina! Come on we've gotta go!" You call out as you wait by the front door
>"Just a minute!" You hear her call from the other room
>Moments later, she rounded the corner 
>Your eyes went wide as you saw her
>Her normal glasses were replaced with the finest spectacles you'd ever laid eyes on
>Instead of her usual ponytail, her mane was loose and wavy
>And instead of her usual pack, she wore a rather stately looking dress
>You were suddenly feeling a lot less confident in your own appearance
>She notices your stare and does a quick turn for you
>"What do you think? Good enough for royalty?" She asked, laughing
"You could BE royalty with that getup." You said, stifling a smile as you fought off your disbelief that this was the same mare from before
>"Oh shush." Mosina said, waving a dismissive hoof at you
>She eyed you up and down as well
>"You look nice! Is that human formal wear?" She asked curiously
>Looking down at yourself, you can't help but laugh
>Maybe you'd be fine after all, not like these ponies know what earthly formal wear ought to look like
"Yeah, you like what you see?" You ask sarcastically, giving her a turn like she'd given you
>She giggled and shook her head
>"Absolutely." She said, rolling her eyes
>"Now come on, we're going to be late." She said, trotting past you to the elevator
"Well who's fault was that?" You asked, nudging her with your elbow
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>As the two of you climb the steps to the castle entrance, notice Mosina is really taking in all the sights
>She talking to herself lowly, as if dictating her thoughts to an invisible recorder
"Something up?" You ask
>"I'm just trying to remember everything I'm seeing here." She answered
>"It's not often I'm without my notes, but this trip will be a very important part of my book!" 
"Yeah, I suppose meeting the leaders of the country probably would be something you could squeeze a sentences in for." You chuckle
>"Oh ha ha." She replied, sticking her tongue out at you
>"Please try to take this seriously, we may only have one shot at this."
>As you approach the great doorway to enter the castle, you can see Silver Tongue already waiting for you
>"Mosina, so glad you could make it. I was beginning to worry that maybe you'd gotten lost." He said
>"My my, you look stunning."
>"Thank you uncle. Are we going straight to the gardens?" Mosina asked, looking around again
>"Or do I have some time to look around the castle a bit?"
>The Princesses are on a tight schedule, there will be time to see the rest of the castle later, for now, we eat." Silver Tongue said as he motioned for one of the door guards to allow you passage
>As the three of you make your way through the castle toward the gardens, Silver Tongue prattles on about this and that, mostly etiquette for lunch with the royals
>"Are you getting all of this...Anon was it?" He asked 
>He'd been making EXTRA sure that you were picking up on every last detail he could shoehorn in his long winded explanations
"Crystal, sir." You say, getting slightly irritated
>"Good, it's a rare opportunity that someone in your position is allowed to interact with the royal sisters this way. You should feel honored." He responded matter of factly
>He turned to you and gave you the same glaring look he had back at the penthouse
>"So, that's Earthican formal attire?"
>Not this again
>You look down at your collared shirt and khakis
"Earthling, actually. And yes, this is standard formal clothing where I come from." You respond
>He scoffs lightly
>"Yes, well, I've forgotten how different some cultures can be." He said, no longer looking at you
>"Just be on your best behavior." 
>He was really starting to get on your nerves
>Mosina was just looking straight ahead, but you could see the discomfort beginning to spread across her face
>"Ah! Here we are!" Silver Tongue announced as you stepped through a grand opening that led out into the castle gardens
>Your irritation with Silver Tongue melted away as the party made it's way through the gardens
>The aroma of the thousands of different types of flowers was heavenly
>And the sea of colors, and great jewel encrusted fountains painted a picture of the most serene beauty you ever thought possible
>It's like you'd died and gone to heaven
>Rounding a corner, you see a round table attended to by servants and guards
>Sitting in their respective places, were the princesses of Equestria
>To your surprise, they stood up to meet your party, rather than remaining seated
>You had been told of the royal sisters, but this was your first time seeing them
>They were truly a sight to see, different than any other pony you'd encountered
>According to those who you'd spoken to, these two were responsible for raising the sun and the moon every day and night
>You thought it had more to do with planetary rotation and whatnot, but who were you to tell magic talking ponies what was possible and what wasnt?
>Silver Tongue and Mosina bowed deeply as they approached
>Noticing this, you immediately (and clumsily) followed suit
>"Sir Silver Tongue, how nice of you to join us today." The white princess said
>"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, it's always an honor to meet with you." Silver Tongue said, rising from his bow
>"Your majesties, I'd like you to meet my niece, Mosina. She's the one I was telling you about when we last spoke."
>The Princesses looked to Mosina, who had not yet risen from her bow
>"It's a pleasure to meet you Mosina, your uncle has told us much about you." Celestia said
>"T-thank you, your majesty." Mosina stammered, still not rising from her bow
>The sisters looked at each other, smirking a bit
>"You may rise, Mosina." Luna said, motioning for her to stand
>"Yes, p-princess." Mosina said, rising from her bow
>The gaze of the royals then turned to you
>"And who is your friend?" Celestia questioned, examining you thoroughly
>There was no hint of negativity in her tone, or her expression, just pure curiosity
>"That's Anon, Mosina's friend. He'll be accompanying her on her trip." Silver Tongue said
>"Is that so?" Celestia said, still eying you
>"Where are you from Anon?" 
>Ohgodohgodohgod
>You open your mouth, but words don't seem to escape
>You'd never spoken to the leader of a country before
>You clear your throat, and try again
"Earth, ma'am." You manage to get out
>Silver Tongue shoots you another glare
>"You will address the princess as "your majesty", Anon." He said sternly
>Will this guy just get off your back?
"I'm sorry, in my country we didn't have royalty..." You say
>Celestia chuckles slightly, and Luna seems to be amused as well
>"It's quite alright, Anon. We're not such sticklers for formalities." Celestia says, motioning for your party to take your seats
>As you all sit, Celestia turns to several servants
>"I think we're about ready to begin, would you bring out everything?" She asks
>As the servants take their leave, the princesses turn back to the three of you
>"So, Mosina, tell us more about your trip." Celestia says in a warm, inviting voice
>"Well...I, uh..." Mosina starts, struggling to put words together
>"Well um, tomorrow we're going to Stalliongrad, to do some more research about the history of ponies of the North." She says
>Celestia simply nods, a smile on her face
>"They're certainly a unique group. The city is ancient you know, almost predating Canterlot." She explains
>"The ponies there and all over the north can be very independent minded, and not very welcoming to outsiders. You'll have to exercise caution and try not to offend them while you're there."
>Mosina at this point is wide eyed, and nodding frantically
>"Y-yes your majesty. In what research I've managed to do I learned that they aren't exactly the most friendly. But I hope that maybe a few will open up and allow me to interview them." She says meekly
>"I'm sure you'll find whatever you're looking for." Celestia says reassuringly
>At this point, Luna speaks up
>"Where else will you be going on this expedition, young Mosina?"
>Mosina stops and thinks
>"Well, after Stalliongrad, Anon and I will probably be heading out to the western frontier, to Appleloosa, then to the southern forests, in Stableside."
>"You certainly have quite the trip ahead of you." Luna said
>"It'll be worth it for my book," Mosina said, finally loosening up
>"I want everypony who reads it to leave knowing something they never did before."
>At that, Luna gave an approving look
>"That's a very noble goal, Mosina." She said
"That's what I told her." You piped up
>The princesses' look turns to you
>"Did you? Well you'd certainly be correct in your assessment." Luna replied
>"So, Anon. Do tell us more about yourself. I do not recall ever meeting on of your kind before." 
>Tell us about yourself
>This fucking question
"Well, I'm a human, from Earth like I said before..." You start, struggling to think of what else you could really say of interest
>The table simply looks at you as you pause
"I um...I worked as a dock hand Ponyville, I've been here in Equestria for about 3 months now..."
>"And how did you find yourself here, exactly?" Luna probed
"I honestly don't remember, one day I woke up and bam, here I was." You shrug
>"I see." Luna said, looking to her sister.
>"Well we are glad to have you with us." Celestia said, nodding at you
>"It's not every day you get to meet someone as unique as yourself." 
>You? 
>Unique?
>You can't help but laugh at the notion, illiciting strange looks from the others
>Calming yourself, you notice the stares
"I'm sorry," you say, wiping a tear from your eye
"Nobody has ever used that word to describe me before." 
>"Well, now someone has." Celestia smiled at you, understanding.
>Over the course of your lunch, Silver Tongue and the royal sisters discuss current affairs, politics, other nonsense you weren't too concerned about
>Mosina was very quiet, and barely touching her food
>She caught your stare several times and simply gave you a quick smile before looking back down at her plate
>When all was said and done, the group made it's way back into the castle, when the princesses stopped near the library
>"Mosina, if you wouldn't mind, we'd like very much to speak to you more about your trip in private for a few moments." Celestia said, beckoning her toward the library
>Mosina stood there dumbfounded for a moment
>"Y-yes! Of course!" She exclaimed, trotting in behind them as the closed the door
>"Anon, I'd also like a word with you." Silver Tongue said sternly
>Great, what could it be this time?
"Yes, sir?" You say, looking him in the eye as you spoke
>"I'm going to be blunt with you Anon, I don't much care for you." He started
>Some diplomat
"I thought you diplomats were supposed to be tactful." You quipped, leaning up against a pillar
>"In cases of national importance, yes, but this is a man to man discussion." He dismissed
>"Now, I don't know you, I don't know if anything you've told us about yourself is true, but my niece trusts you,"
>Oh boy, this talk
>"Mosina is very dear to me, and I'm barely more on board with her doing this trip of hers with someone like you than I am with her going it alone." He snarled
"Mosina is my friend, you have no reason not to trust me." You reply
>Silver Tongue simply shakes his head
>"Trust is earned, not freely thrown about." He shot back
>"Regardless, if you are to go with her, I expect her to return in good health and spirits. If she is anything less than that, I will hold you accountable, are we clear?" 
>Yeah, this was definitely getting a little out of hand
"Yes, sir." You say, not breaking your eye contact with him
>"Good." He replies, as the library door opens and Mosina comes bounding out, a big smile on her face
"Good news?" You ask
>"I'll tell you on the train, but we've got to get back to the penthouse to get ready!" She said cheerily, trotting past you
>"Come on, I'll race you back!" She said with a devilish grin as she took off
>You turn back to the princesses and Silver Tongue, and bow slightly
"Thank you again for everything, but I have to go catch my colleague." You say, and off you go after her
>"A strange pairing, those two." Luna says as she looks at her sister
>"I'll say." Silver Tongue grumbled
>Celestia shook her head, and smiled at the two
>"Maybe, but something tells me that those two are right where they ought to be."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"They're giving you HOW much?!" You ask, your jaw almost on the floor
>Mosina laughs as she changes out of her regal outfit 
>"Enough to last a very, very long time Anon. Enough for two lifetimes of research I'd venture." She said, trying her mane back into it's usual ponytail
"There's got to be some sort of catch here..." You say, mildly skeptical
>Mosina just smiles and shakes her head
>"No catch Anon, all we have to do is make a couple of extra stops is all."
>You raise your eyebrow
"Extra stops?" 
>"The Princesses have referred me to people we should speak to while we're at our destinations is all. Come on Anon, this is amazing news!" She said excitedly
>You still had the feeling you werent being told something
>But that wasn't important, you and Mosina had just been given the opportunity of a lifetime, and you were going to take it
>Mosina didn't stop talking about everything the two of you were going to do and see in Stalliongrad and beyond on the way to the train terminal
>As you walk on to the platform, you see Silver Tongue waiting for you with your tickets and a bag of bits
>Beside him, was a rather gruff looking griffon
>He looks at you as the two of you approach Silver Tongue
>"I trust all of your things are packed and ready to go?" he said, eying Mosina's bags
>"Yes uncle, I checked, and double checked." She smiled, rolling her eyes slightly
>Silver Tongue frowned a little
>"You must be so, so careful Mosina. I simply couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you." He said
>Mosina simply shook her head and hugged her uncle
>"I'll be fine, uncle. Really, I have Anon to look out for me." She giggled
>Silver Tongue returned the hug, but scoffed at the mention of you
>"Yes well, regardless, I've decided to invest in a little bit of insurance." He said, breaking the embrace and motioning toward the griffon
>"This is Hugo. He's an old friend from my days as an envoy to the griffon kingdoms. He'll be accompanying you and Anon on your trip, expenses paid of course." 
>The griffon nodded at you and Mosina without a word as your gaze turned to him
>Mosina was wide eyed like a starstruck fangirl
>You nudge her lightly and she snaps out of her trance
>"Uncle, I appreciate the concern but that really isn't necessary, Anon and I can do this on our own." Mosina said reassuringly
>"I insist." Silver Tongue said, handing Mosina your tickets and bits, as well as your cash for the trip
>"Now, you three need to catch your train. Please, please be careful Mosina." He said, hugging her one more time
>Mosina relented, realizing that the additional company was not optional, and returned the hug
>"I will uncle, I'll send you word when I can." She said, breaking away
>"Come on Anon, lets get going."
"Right behind you." You say, following her as she trots off toward the train
>Behind you, the heavier, padded steps of Hugo the griffon were right on your tail...
>The air began to get noticibly chillier as your train sped further north with each passing moment
>The rolling green fields and hills of central Equestria began to give way to barren steppes
>A light snowfall had also begun in the passing moments
>Mosina had been rapping off a list of all of the monuments and historical sites that she wanted to see, and about the culture of the northern ponies
>With the amount of knowledge she already had, you almost wondered why she even needed to make the trip for her book
>She had told you that the reason for the trip was that there was a big difference between book knowledge and actual experience
>Not like you could argue with that
>For the last two hours or so, she had been asleep, one of the few times you'd actually seen her do so in the last two days
>Hugo had simply buried his face in a book for the entire trip thus far
>In fact, you had yet to hear him say a single word
>Maybe it was time to change that
"So, Hugo, what're you reading there?" You ask
>"A book." The griffon responded flatly, not even looking up from the pages
>Oh this was going to be fun
"Yeah, I can see that. Anything good?" You ask, still trying to be friendly
>"Depends on what you mean by good." Hugo responded, still not looking at you
"Entertainment is usually how I measure that, but I'm not much of a reader." You admit, still trying to get a real response out of your new companion
>"I'm not surprised." He responded.
"What's that supposed to mean?" You ask, feeling like that was a stab at you
>"That means that I took you for a simpleton since I saw you back at the terminal." He replied
>What a dick
>You werent surprised, this was a friend of Silver Tongue after all
"Well excuse me for being stuck on a dock all day every day, doesn't exactly leave much time for such luxuries." You grumble
>"I managed to read the complete works of Leo Scribefeather while in a trench during the war of the three kings." Hugo yawned
>Show off
"Do you have some sort of problem with me?" You ask, getting tired of this bird's attitude
>Finally, Hugo sighs, closes his book, and looks at you
>"My only problem is that I have a child pestering me while I'm trying to read." He says, a tone of clear irritation in his voice
"I'm not a child..." You grumble
>"To me, you are. You're lucky that Silver Tongue's niece has taken so kindly to you or I would not be giving you such patience." 
>He calls that shitshow patience? 
"Yeah, well, whatever. I still don't think you should even be here, Mosina and I don't need you to babysit us."
>"I'm not here to look after YOU, I'm here to protect my old friend's kin. He and I could care less about what happens to you." Hugo snarled
>Figures, Silver probably thought you'd end up robbing Mosina and abandoning her somewhere, Hugo was here to protect her against YOU
"Then let's just make this easier on both of us and not speak to each other during this trip. In fact, how about you just go back to burying your face in that book and keep it there for the rest of the trip?" You say
>"Fine by me." Hugo says, opening his book and resuming his reading
>Beside you, you hear a yawn as Mosina stirs from her sleep
>Rubbing her eyes, she tries to adjust to the lighting of the train
>"Hi Anon...could you hand me my glasses?" She yawns, feeling around for them
"Sure, here you go." You say, retrieving her glasses from your bag
>You'd taken them off when she fell asleep
>Couldn't risk them getting broken, not on the road with her near blindness
>As she puts on the glasses, she blinks a few times before looking out the window
>Darkness was falling, the horizon a deep red as the sun began falling behind it
>"We should be there in about a couple of hours," She yawned again, producing a map from her bags
>"we'll need to find The Red Square when we get there. It's the inn where we'll be spending the duration of our time in Stalliongrad." 
"Sounds good to me." You say bluntly
>Mosina looks at you, you can tell she senses something was on your mind
>"Everything alright Anon?" she asks, a concerned look on her face
"Peachy, I think I'll take a nap. Do you mind waking me when we get there?" You ask, laying down in your seat
>"Sure thing, I have a few things I need to read over in the meantime anyway. Sleep tight!" She says cheerfully, before producing a book and immediately scanning the pages
"You never stop, do you?" You chuckle
>"Nope!" She responds, smiling at you
>"Now get to sleep, if you don't know you might as well stay up the rest of the ride." 
"Yes ma'am." You yawn, rolling your eyes.
>Even with that jackass bird over there, you could feel that this was going to be a good trip all the same
>Within minutes, you doze off to sleep as you listen to Mosina muttering this and that to herself, your train pushing forward into the darkening sky and the snowfall getting heavier and heavier
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>You feel a hoof on your shoulder, shaking you awake in time to hear the train screeching to a halt
>"Wake up Anon, we're here!" Mosina says as she continues to try and wake you up
"I'm awake, I'm awake..." You groan, quickly standing up
"Woah, head rush..." You say, feeling slightly dizzy
>Mosina laughs at you a bit
>"Well don't overexert yourself on my account, but we have to get off the train, Hugo is waiting for us on the platform." She says, putting on a wooly looking cloak
"Great, can we leave him there and just take the train to the next stop?" You groan
>Mosina frowns at you
>"Of course not, that would require another ticket." She winked before trotting through the door
>The two of you step out onto the platform, and immediately you notice how much colder it is
"Brrrrr...why didn't anyone tell me it was gonna be this cold up here?" You say, shivering even with your jacket on
>"I figured you knew." Mosina shrugged, looking at her map
>"According to my map, The Red Square isn't far, a couple of blocks at most, over on Oblast Street.
"Hopefully they've got some heating there..." You mutter
>Hugo raises an eyebrow at you
>You stick your tongue out at him
>As the three of you head to the exit you see two large stallions standing at the gate
>They wear thick, dark military looking coats and furry hats adorned with red star pins
>As you approach, one of them raises a hoof
>"Papers please." He says
>He reeks of hard cider
>"Papers?" Mosina asks, puzzled
>"Papers." The guard repeats
>"Nobody steps into Stalliongrad without their identification."
>Uh oh
>"Well..." Mosina starts
>"We have our ticket stubs, I don't know what sort of identification you're looking for." 
>"If you do not have proper identification, you must pay an entry fee." The guard says, eying her
>"And how much would that be?" Mosina questions
>"Uhh...50 bits." The other guard answers
>"Yes, 50 bits." The first one affirms
>Hugo scowls as Mosina gasps in shock
>"50 bits? That's ridiculous!" She cries
"This is a god damn shake down is what it is." You say
>"Guards!" You hear a voice call out
>You look over and see a unicorn coming out of an office dressed in an extravagant uniform
>Her bright blue eyes and white coat stood in stark contrast to the dark fabric of her uniform
>The guards quickly salute
>Clearly she was an officer of some sort
>"What seems to be the problem here?" She says as she approaches the scene
>"These two are telling us to pay an entry fee to the city, there's never been any sort of fee for that in decades." Hugo spoke up
>The officer looks at the guards, who are now looking slightly worried
>"Both of you, into my office now." She commands, to which they promptly obey
>She sighs and turns to your group
>"I apologize for my guards. They've been pulling this 'entry fee' nonsense for weeks now, ever since the new Premier took power over the city Duma." She explained
>"She lets the local guard get away with just about everything."
>Premier? Duma? What was she talking about?
>"Well thank you for helping us," Mosina said
>"I was worried we were going to be forced to leave before we could do our research."
>The officer raised an eyebrow
>"Researchers? Funny, we don't get many visitors in general here, much less researchers. Especially not of your kind..." She said, studying Mosina's face
>"I'm Colonel Snow Sight, by the way, and let me be the first to welcome to our fair city."
>"It's good to meet you, I'm Mosina, and this is Anon and Hugo." Mosina said
>Snow Sight nodded at you and Hugo
>"It is good to meet all of you, is there anything that I can help you with at the present time?" She asked
>"We're looking for The Red Square, it's not far right?" Mosina asked
>"Not at all, simply exit the train station and make a right. Head that way for three blocks and it will be the last building on the corner." Snow Sight answered
"Do they have heating?" You asked, illiciting an elbow from Hugo
"What? It's really freaking cold here." You shrug
>The Colonel looks at you, as if just now noticing you for the first time
>"They always have a fire burning there, but one would think someone coming to Stalliongrad would have known better than to wear such...inadequate clothing." She said, smirking
"I'm a tough guy, I can handle it." You say, trying to hide your chattering teeth
>Hugo simply scoffs
>"Well, thank you again, but we really ought to get going." Mosina said, sensing the tension between you and Hugo growing the longer you all stayed still
>"It is my pleasure. Now, I'm going to go deal with those two, if any other members of the Red Watch give you trouble, just tell them your friend Colonel Snow Sight will have them thrown in the gulag."
>She wasn't playing around
>You could get used to that sort of power...
>With that, the three of you step out into the streets of Stalliongrad
>It was early evening, but torch light still illuminated the city streets
>Snow was continuing to fall, and the ground was blanketed in the powder
>Or it would be if the bitter wind was not blowing it across the streets
"You know, this isn't so bad." You manage to get out between teeth chatters
"By the end of this, I'm gonna have the strongest jaw in all of Equestria..." 
>Mosina laughs
>"Don't worry Anon, we'll find you some warmer clothes soon." She says reassuringly
>Finding human clothes in this place? 
>Something told you that was some VERY optimistic thinking
>Eventually, you can see a large sign atop one of the many, almost identically depressing looking buildings
>It was a large, red square, with a very fitting description of just that written out inside it
>"Here we are!" Mosina cheered
>"The Red Square!" 
"Gee, I wonder why they call it that." You say sarcastically
"Come on, I'm freezing to death out here." 
>Opening the door, you're greeted with a very reassuring sight
>Inside are many ponies, drinking, singing, fighting, and generally being merry
>And there was, as promised, a roaring fire in the large ornate fireplace
>In all honesty, it looked more like a bar than an inn
"Finally!" You say, rushing over to the fire and holding out your hands to absorb the warmth
>Mosina is simply looking around, already scribbling notes down as she observes the scene around her
>"Alright Anon, we're supposed to meet with the owner here, his name is Oblast." 
"Seems legit, who better to learn everything about the city from than a bar owner..." You say, relishing in the heat
>"Well, he does talk to and know just about everyone in the city. You're bound to hear a lot of stories with a job like that." Mosina says, undeterred
>She attempts to get the attention of several patrons, none of which respond with much more than a grunt, or ignore her completely
>"Excuse me? Sir? Do you know where I can find Mr. Oblast?" She asks one particularly imposing looking stallion
>He looks at her and scowls
>"Why do you wanna know, bloodsucker?" He asks
>Did he just say what you think he said?
>Mosina frowns, but continues
>"My friends and I are here to see him, and we'd really appreciate it if-" 
>"Not gonna happen, we don't take kindly to your type around here, so I'd suggest you beat it." He cut her off as he turned back to his drink
>Mosina at this point was looking distraught at this point, but asked once more
>"That really isn't necessary sir, all I need to know is where I can find-"
>"THE ANSWER IS NO." The stallion said, knocking over his chair as he stood up and began approaching her, causing her to fall back
>You stood up and took a step toward them
>"I'm not going to tell a filthy, blood sucking piece of-" He continued as her approached her menacingly
>In a flash, Hugo subdued the stallion, stopping his advance with a choke hold
>"You might want to reconsider that." He said to the stallion as he struggled to free himself
>After a few moments her began to relent
>"I-in the back room..." He gasped
>"Thank you." Hugo said, releasing him as he dropped to the floor gasping for breath
>He looked over to you and Mosina and ran a claw over his head
>"Shall we?" He asked
>In the far back corner of the room was the door labeled "VIP"
"I guess we are VIP if we were told to come meet this guy, huh?" You ask, looking at Mosina
>"I would think so, come on let's check it out." 
>She cracks the door open and you all take a look inside
>Inside is a rather large room, with very little lighting
>There are significantly fewer patrons inside than outside, which wasn't too surprising
>It WAS the VIP section after all
>There is a small stage, upon which most of the light is directed
>On the stage, is a slightly stout looking unicorn
>It looked like he was addressing the audience
>"...and since Premier Raven has taken power we have seen naught but frequent abuse by the Red Watch, our properties seized or vandalized, and our very livelihoods threatened in the name of her "social progress.""
>The three of you snuck through the door and sat down quickly in a back corner table
>"Stalliongrad is a proud city, with proud citizens. We have never been under the rule of a tyrant, but my friends, that may soon change if we do not act to unseat the Premier soon." The unicorn continued
>Muffled words of agreement ran throughout the room in the audience
"What the hell is he talking about?" You whisper to Mosina, who simply shrugs
>"Luckily..." The orator continues
>"My contacts tell me that help will soon arrive, and we can put Operation Marebarossa into effect. Until then, this meeting is adjourned, thank you."
>The unicorn steps off backstage and the patrons begin to file out back into the main room of the inn
>The three of you wait until the coast is clear, and then make your way to the stage
>"That's got to be Mr. Oblast," Mosina said
>"we need to go find him."
>She climbs the side steps of the stage and peeks behind the curtain before waving you over
>You and Hugo take your positions behind her as she pulls back the curtain
>It's dark, but there is a single door with light pouring through the cracks
>"That must be his dressing room, come on." Mosina says as she trots forward
"Mosina wait!" You whisper
>She was always rushing headlong into things
>Sneaking up on this guy probably wasn't the best idea and you knew it
>Regardless, she does not stop and you're forced to follow suit
>The three of you sit outside the door, and can hear the unicorn humming a tune to himself inside
>Lifting a hoof, Mosina knocks on the door three times
>Suddenly, the humming stops
>The entire room is silent
>Mosina knocks again
>"Who's there?" the unicorn calls from the inside
>The three of you look at each other
>"Are you Mr. Oblast?" Mosina asks
>"You've got nothing on me, I'm innocent until proven guilty, so you can see yourself to the exit."
"Well this is certainly turning out to be a friendly town..." You say
>"Who was that?" 
>Mosina shushes you and turns back to the door
>"That's my friend Anon, and I'm Mosina. We're here from Canterlot and the Princesses referred us to you."
>Hoof beats rapidly approached the door and it flung open
>The unicorn stallion stood there, an excited look on his face
>"You've finally arrived! I was beginning to wonder if maybe the Watch had hauled you off to the gulag."
>"The Watch has given us fewer problems than your own patrons." Hugo scoffed
>Mr. Oblast looked at the griffon suspiciously
>"Given that attitude I'm not surprised." 
>He motioned for you all to come inside
>"Please, sit. Would any of you care for a drink?" 
>You all shake your heads
>"Suit yourselves." Mr. Oblast said, mixing himself a drink from the minibar
>"Mr. Oblast, I was hoping we could talk about our research here in Stall-" Mosina began, before the unicorn put up a hoof, downing his drink
>"Yes, yes, your research, I'm fully aware of that." He said
>"I can tell you everything there is to know about this city." 
>Mosina gave a big smile
>"Anon, start taking notes." She said, taking out a quill and scroll form her pack
>Mr. Oblast shook his hoof again
>"Woah woah woah, hold on. I can help you with your research, but there is something that I require from you first." 
"Hey, that's not what the Princesses told us, they said you would give us all the information we need." You say
>Mr. Oblast looks at you
>"And that I will, as soon as you help me put the city's current situation to rest." 
>"What sort of situation?" Hugo asked, beginning to sound irritated
>"The Premier of the city Duma, Raven, has been taking steps that will ultimately end with the secession of the city of Stalliongrad from the rest of Equestria." 
>Oh boy, here we go
>"It is in the best interests of the citizens of Stalliongrad that this does not happen, as the Premier would then have free reign to rule us all."
"That sounds awful and all but we're not exactly the revolutionary type, so if you'd be so kind as to just tell us what we need to know we'll be on our way." You say, definitely feeling like this was getting out of hand
>"If you do not help us then you will receive no help from me." Oblast angrily replied
"That's fine, we'll just do our own research, won't we Mosina?" 
>She nods her head meekly, looking more confused by the minute
>"Ha! Good luck, you are outsiders in this place. I'd wager the Watch will have you locked up on one charge or another within the week."
>"Colonel Snow Sight said she could help us if they gave us any trouble." Mosina said
>"The Colonel is a good friend of ours, but there is only so much she can do." 
>"I can give you all the information could ever want and more about this city, all I ask in return is a little bit of help. You are the only outsiders in the city at the moment, noone will suspect that you know or care about our plight. Please, help us?" Mr. Oblast pleaded
>You, Mosina, and Hugo all exchange troubled looks
>Mosina, with a sudden flash of determination, speaks up
>"Yes, we'll help you Mr. Oblast. If what you're saying is true we can't just leave you all to suffer."
>With a hearty laugh, he grabs up Mosina in a great bear hug
>"I knew that we would not be let down! Thank you, thank you, thank you."
>"N-no problem..." Mosina said, being crushed in his arms
>Releasing her, Mr Oblast beams with new found optimism
>"You all can take the suite upstairs, it's large enough for the three of you to be comfortable. Unfortunately, there are only two bedrooms, so you'll have to work that out between yourselves." He chuckled
>Fan-fucking-tastic
>"Follow me, tonight, we party and be merry. Tomorrow, we get to work." 
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>After a long night spent by the fire, and eventually on the floor of your suite, you felt rejuvenated
>You opened you eyes and sprung up from the your makeshift bed
>Too fast, the hardwood floor did a number on you it seems
>Aching a bit, you make your way over to the large window looking out into the city
>The snow had subsided, leaving a white, glistening blanket on the ground
>The citizens of Stalliongrad were going about their business bright and early
>A chill ran up your spine as a cold draft passed through the room
>You really ought have brought a heavier coat
>A funky smell proceeds to make it's way up to your nose
>You lift your arm, investigating the source, and your nostrils are assaulted immediately
>You hadn't washed since you left Canterlot, maybe now was the time
>Not wanting to disturb your companions, you tip toe over to the bathroom
>Walking by one of the two rooms with beds, you poke your head into an open door
>In the bed, or rather ON the bed, Mosina lay haphazardly, one leg hanging over the side
>Her sheets were thrown about everywhere as well
>You laugh to yourself at the scene, as you yourself often ended up in a very similar pose in the mornings
>You turn to the other door, and see that it's closed up tight
>Hugo was a bit more private with the room that you so graciously allowed him to take, totally of your own free will
>Making your way to the bathroom, you turn on the shower and revel in the warm water
>It was heavenly, but a bit uncomfortable as the controls and the tub itself were designed for ponies, not people
>Still, you managed
>After about half an hour had passed in this sauna, you decided you'd had enough
>You pull back the curtain
>And are instantly face to face with a pair of upside down bespectacled eyes
"WHATTHEFUCK" You cry as you jump backwards, slipping and falling as you do
>Mosina simply laughs as you struggle to get back up to your feet
"What the hell are you doing?!" 
>"I woke up and heard the shower running, I had to borrow the towel last night so I brought it back for you!"
>You simply stood there, covering yourself and trying to make sense of what she just said
"Thanks..." You say, giving up trying to understand the situation and taking the towel from her hoof
"Could I get a little bit of privacy here?" 
>Mosina giggles and drops down to the floor
>"Keekeekee...sure thing Anon, I just couldn't resist."
>Minutes later you emerge from the bathroom clean as a whistle
>Mosina was back in her room, adjusting her cloak in the mirror
>She catches you standing in her doorway in the reflection
>"I hope you didn't hurt yourself too bad, we've got a lot of work to do today."
"I think I'll manage. You've already talked to Oblast?" 
>Mosina nodded
>"He came up while you were in the shower, he wants us to take a letter to Colonel Snow Sight in the city park."
"Sounds easy enough. Is he coming with us?"
>"No, he can't be seen talking to her or it'll interfere with their plans. It's okay, it's just a delivery, nothing we can't handle." She said, winking at you in the mirror
>You turn and hear snoring coming from the other room
"I take it the catbird hasn't woken up yet?" 
>"Nope! I think we can let him sleep this one off, he had quite a night last night didn't he?" 
"Fine by me, the less time we spend around him the better." 
>Mosina frowns at you, finally turning to look at you
>"He's here to help us Anon, you two should try to get along better." She said, trotting past you and toward the door
"That's easy for you to say, you're not the one taking his shit every time he opens his beak." 
>The two of you step out into the snow covered streets
>Mosina leads the way as the two of you head toward the city park
>You pass by ponies going about their daily business, going to work, coming back from night shift work
>In fact, it was hard to see someone NOT doing some sort of work
>Stalliongradians were very industrious ponies apparently
>As the two of you make your way out of the "new" city, you begin to see a break in the repetitive, dull, sameness 
>You stare in awe at the majesty of "old" Stalliongrad
>The domed buildings, the colors, the intricate architecture that made the whole area look like a piece of art
>"Isn't it beautiful, Anon?" Mosina asked, looking around in wonder
>You nod, already making notes of some of the more impressive examples
>Despite the wintery wonderland around you, something was still burning at the back of your mind
>You look to Mosina
>The smile on her face, the glint in her eyes
>She exuded an aura of innocence
>So what had that stallion back at the inn meant when he called her a "bloodsucker"?
>You wanted to ask, but at the same time you didn't want to risk offending your friend 
>No, you had to say something, you had to know
"Hey, uh, Mosina?" 
>"Yes Anon?" 
>She smiled at you
>That damn smile
"I've kinda been meaning to ask you something..."
>The smile didn't disappear as she just raised an eyebrow and looked at you curiously
>"Oh? And what would that be?"
>It was now or never
"What uh...what did that guy at the inn mean last night, when he called you...you know?" 
>The smile faded, and your stomach began tying itself in a knot
>Maybe you'd made a mistake
>She could see the discomfort on your face
>"Don't worry Anon, it's okay. You'd have to find out sooner or later." She said reassuringly
>"I don't like to talk about it much is all, I'm not proud of it."
"What is 'it'?"
>She looked you in the eye, with a look of deep shame
>"Bat ponies drink blood, Anon. We have to."
>Your stomach is almost tying itself in half
>"We don't need to do it all the time, and we can sustain ourselves on fruit, vegetables, whatever for a long time. But we eventually need to feed or it starts to mess with our heads."
>Oh, that's reassuring, so she's only a part time bloodsucker
"Oh, okay..." You mutter
>Mosina looks at you, obviously worried
>"I know I should have told you but I didn't think it was going to be an issue...is it?"
>You look at her
>She looks at you
>You look at her
>She looks at you
>You look at the ground for a few seconds, then back to her
>She's still looking at you, tears in the corner of her eyes
>You know, what difference did it make?
>You knew this pony well enough that you would be willing to go on a cross country trip with her
>You trusted her to stay in your home back in Ponyville
>So what if she had to drink a little blood every now and then? 
>With everything you'd seen, was it really that strange?
>This was your friend, and this didn't change that
>You knelt down, and put your arms around her, to which she promptly returned the embrace
"No, no it's not an issue." You say, squeezing her tight
>You can hear her sniffle a little bit in your shoulder, but as she pulls away there's that smile back on her face
>"Thank you Anon, you don't know how much that means to me..." She said, taking off her glasses and wiping away the tears
"Hey, it's nothin'."
>You ruffle her mane a bit and stand back up
"Now come on, we've got a Colonel to meet." 
>"Hold it right there!" You hear behind you, causing you to stop dead in your tracks
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>You turn slowly
>Standing behind you, is Colonel Snow Sight
>And she's laughing hysterically
>"You two, you should have seen the looks on your faces!" 
>You and Mosina share a sigh of relief
>"What are you doing here Colonel?" Mosina asked
>"I thought we were supposed to meet you at the city park?"
>Snow Sight shook her head
>"Place is crawling with Red Watch, I figured it would be better just to meet you halfway."
>"Fine by us, Anon, give her the letter."
>You reach into your back pocket and pull out the envelope, handing it to Snow Sight
>She stuffs it into her bag immediately
>"I'll read it when we're not so exposed. But I want you two to see something, follow me." 
>The two of you follow Snow Sight as she continues on the path toward the park
>She presses onward in silence as you two exchange confused looks
>As you approach the park, you can see that there is indeed a large concentration of guards there
>As you approach the gate, the guards salute
>"Good morning, Colonel." One of them says
>"Will you be joining us for the Premier's speech?"
>"Indeed I am, Private. My guests here will be joining as well."
>The guards nod, and allow you passage
>As you walk past them, you swear you can hear them whispering
>You can see a small crowd gathering around a stage, flanked by members of the Red Watch
>"The Premier gives a monthly address here." Snow Sight tells you
>"It's propaganda if nothing else. She likes to speak of all the great things Stalliongrad is accomplishing, and how under her and the Coltshevik party's leadership it will grow and prosper."
"Well, will it?" You ask
>"Of course not, they are driving the hard working ponies of Stalliongrad into poverty and slavery. It's a slow process, but it is happening." 
>Snow Sight sighs
>"I do not expect you to understand. Stalliongrad and it's people are proud. We believe in just reward for hard work, and the Premier is trying to take all we have earned away from us in some social experiment. It isn't right."
"Reminds me of some guys we had back home, heh." You laugh to yourself
>"Then maybe you understand why we're not happy with the present situation." 
>You stand at the back of the crowd and wait, the wind rustling the leaves of the park trees and the whispers of the crowd the only sounds
>Minutes later, a carriage pulls up, drawn by two guards in rather extravagant uniforms compared to their comrades
>The guards salute as a lavishly dressed pegasus steps out from the carriage
>Her long mane was tied up in a very conservative knot, and her highly decorated clothing showed either her political career started coming off of a very impressive military career, or someone had been very generous in their awards
>The crowd begins to cheer as she takes her place at the podium on the stage
>She raises a hoof, and they fall silent
>"Greetings, citizens of Stalliongrad!"
>Snow Sight nudges you
>"That's the Premier, in case you wondering." 
"Thanks, I'd have never figured that out." 
>Mosina elbows you
"What?" You whisper
"I do have two brain cells to rub together you know."
>They both shush you
>Grudgingly, you give in and be silent
>"As always, it warms my heart to see so many of my fair citizens turning out for my monthly address." The pegasus continues
>"As always, I would like to thank each and every one of your for your continued support in the efforts of the Party as we march toward a brighter future..."
>This was starting to sound a lot like every other politician you'd ever heard
>"...a future of progress..."
>Promising this and that, but did they ever follow through? No...
>"...a future of happiness..."
>Happiness for you, maybe
>"a future, of independence!" 
>The crowd cheered, and the pegasus simply looked out over the them
>A look of triumph on her face
>Her expression changed to one of utmost seriousness moments later
>"Unfortunately, there are those who seek to halt the advance of progress, to spread unequality for their own gain, and prostrate themselves to a monarchy that does not respect us."
>Boos rang out through the crowd
>Mosina looked to you with a troubled glance
>You scratch her behind the ear, reassuringly
>"These traitors will not be suffered to derail our glorious crusade, for our cause is just, and our will of iron!"
>The crowd was going insane at this point, but the pegasus did not stop
>"We will root them out one by one if we must, and we will make them see the error of their ways, make them serve as examples to those who would keep us in the shackles of tyranny forever. So keep a vigilant eye out, my fellow citizens, do your duty for your friends, for your family, for Stalliongrad!" 
>And with that, she stepped off of the podium and made her way back to the carriage to the cheers of the crowd
>"Let's go." Snow Sight said, nudging you
>The three of you made your way out of the park and back into the street
>"You can see what we're dealing with here. Premier Raven has some of the population behind her, a minority, but fanatical." 
>"So what's your plan?" Mosina asked
>"We need to take her support away from her, expose her corruption and the corruption of her entire regime." Snow Sight explained
>"But we cannot act openly, not with the Red Watch out and about. That is why we need you to help us, they will never suspect outsiders to care about the problems of the city." 
>"We understand, and we're happy to help." Mosina said, smiling at the Colonel
>"You are true friends of the people, the princesses were right to send you to help us. Now go, I'm sure Mr. Oblast has more work to be done." 
>With a nod, you make your separate ways from the Colonel and start heading back toward The Red Square
>On the way, Mosina comments on this and that, rapping off her usual million words a minute, much to your writing hand's dismay as you try to keep up with your notes
>Despite the fact that you were now technically revolutionaries, or counter revolutionaries rather, you were already enjoying this trip
>The bitter cold of the previous night was almost like a distant memory now as the sun shined brightly in the sky on you and your friend
>After a long walk, and several pages of notes, you finally make your way back to inn
>Once inside, you see Hugo and Mr. Oblast at the bar talking over a drink
>They notice you, and beckon you over
>You each take a seat, and Mr. Oblast leans over the counter
>"Meet me in the suite in five minutes." 
>That can't be good
>You and Mosina make your way up to your room, Hugo following close behind
>Closing the door behind you, Hugo speaks up
>"Did you two have fun on your little date?" 
"It wasn't a date, it was a delivery." You say
>"Any reason why you decided to leave me here?"
>"We didn't want to wake you, besides, it's not like this was something dangerous." Mosina chimed in
>Hugo looks to her
>"Everything about this situation is dangerous, Mosina." He said
>"We are acting in opposition to the leaders of the city, this is espionage, subterfuge, and they WILL come after you for it if we're discovered." 
>"It's not like we've done anything illegal..." Mosina mumbled
>"It doesn't have to be, I've seen others in your position sent to the gallows for much less." 
>Hugo shook his head
>"Do not leave without me again, I'm here to protect you by the request of your uncle, my friend, and I will not let him down."
"Fine, fine, relax, nothing even happened." You sigh as you take a seat at the table
>"This time nothing happened, but next time it might, and I will be there to make sure Mosina is not harmed."
"Who's to say I couldn't take care of things?" 
>Hugo scoffed
>"You? I'd trust hatchlings to provide more adequate defense than you."
"Alright, you listen right the fuck here-" You say before you are cut off by the opening of the door
>Mr. Oblast steps in, closing and locking the door behind him
>"We have a bit of a problem..."
"And what would that be?" You ask
>"Two Watchmen came by while you two were out. They were asking a lot of questions." 
>"What sort of questions?" Mosina asked
>"They were asking about any suspicious visitors coming through here, disapproval of the Premier or the party. I think they may suspect something."
>"Well that was certainly quick." Hugo groaned
>"Regardless, they can't prove any connection between us and the Premier's opposition, so I think it's just posturing. Did you deliver the letter?"
>"Yes, we did. Snow Sight has it and is probably looking it over as we speak." Mosina replied
>"Well, that's at least one bit of good news. For now, we'll wait for the Colonel's reply before we go forward. But, as I promised, I'll be happy to give you some information about Stalliongrad in exchange for your service."
>"That'd be very much appreciated Mr. Oblast. Anon, get the notes ready!"
>You spend the better part of the next few hours listening as Mr. Oblast regales your troupe with tales of Stalliongrad's history an culture
>You learn that Stalliongrad had developed independently of the Kingdom of Equestria, joining during a time of great crisis
>Some of the populace resented that their leaders had surrendered their total independence in merging with a larger nation, but for the majority it was a welcome decision and brought prosperity to the city
>While all benefited from the union, elements remained to this day that still wished to regain their total independence, namely, the Coltsheviks
>And that brings you to the present situation, with the city government planning and moving toward a goal that would surely isolate and cut off the city from the arrangement that had benefited it's citizens so much
>The stories went on for longer than you thought possible
>Eventually, Mr. Oblast had to return to the lobby
>The nighttime rush was beginning
>Mosina seemed very much satisfied as she thanked him and put away her writing materials
>"This is EXACTLY what we need Anon, the schools never teach this sort of stuff." She said, beaming at you
>"Hopefully we'll get a lot more before we're done here, this is absolute gold!"
"Yeah, it's pretty interesting." You say, rubbing your aching writing hand
>Mosina looks at your hand and gives you a sympathetic smile
>"I hope I'm not working my faithful assistant too hard." She chuckled
"I think I may be coming down with a little carpal tunnel, but it's for a good cause so I'll manage." 
>"Let me see your hand." Hugo said
"What for?" 
>"Just let me see it." 
>Reluctantly, you stretch out your arm for the griffon to examine it
>He takes your arm and looks it over, and using his claws, he puts pressure on two spots
"Woah what are you doing?" You say, taken by surprise
>"Stop moving so much, give me a minute."
>After a few moments and pressure points, he releases your arm
>Much to your surprise, your pain has all but completely subsided
"How did you...?" 
>"You learn certain things when you're treating the wounded in a field hospital. Your extremities also resemble those of minotaurs, for some reason, so it was an educated guess that would work."
"Well, thanks...I guess." You say, confused by the sudden act of kindness
>"Can't have you laying around being less useful than you are now."
>Well, so much for what could have been a bonding moment
"Yeah, well I think I'm gonna hit the hay. I get the bed tonight." 
>"I don't think so, not after this morning." 
"Oh come on!" 
>"It's fine Anon, we can share if you want." Mosina laughed, patting you on the back
>Oh my.jpg
"You sure about that?"
>"I don't see why not, unless you think there's a problem?"
"...You're not going to try and sneak any of my blood are you?" You joke
>You almost immediately regretted it, thinking she might take offense
>But to your relief, she gives you a sly look
>"I don't know, you laying there all defenseless and all might be a little too tempting..."
>Hugo groans in frustration
>"I think that's where I take my leave. I'm going downstairs for a drink." 
>"See you bright and early, Hugo." Mosina laughed as he waved over his shoulder, exiting the room
"Well, I'm about to pass out so I'm gonna to lay down." You yawn, moving to the bedroom
>"I'll be there in a few, I need to ask Mr. Oblast something real quick."
>You throw yourself on the bed, surprised by it's stiffness
>Sure as hell beats the floor still
>You toss and turn for a few minutes before finding an acceptable position
>You laugh to yourself a bit as the thought of Silver Tongue's reaction if he knew you were sharing a bed with Mosina
>If it rustled his jimmies, you were certainly all the more for it
>As the moments passed you began to wonder when she was coming back anyway
>Moments turned into minutes, and soon your weariness overtook you
>You don't know how long you were asleep, but when you woke, it was still dark
>You try to move a little, but feel another presence in the bed in your path
>As your eyes adjust to the darkness, you can make out Mosina's figure, huddled up next to you
>She was sound asleep, her ear twitching a bit every other moment
>You barely contain the urge to dawh at the sight of it
>Suddenly, you instinctually put your hand up to feel your neck
>No bites, it looks like she kept her word to refrain from feeding on your defenseless self 
>You feel a pang of guilt immediately though
>You had also promised her that it wouldn't be an issue
>That you trusted her as a friend
>A cold draft passes through the room, and you notice her shiver a bit in her sleep
>In your half conscious delirium, put your arm around her and pull her closer, and soon the shivering ceases
>As you drift back to sleep, you think back to your house in Ponyville
>You think about your old job, and your old life
>And you thank whatever powers that be that you traded all that for this uncomfortable bed in a freezing inn because you got to share it with this wonderful creature beside you
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Several days pass
>Each day you spend working with either Mr. Oblast or Colonel Snow Sight
>Each day you feel like the hole you must be digging for yourself getting deeper and deeper
>But, you know that this is what you have to do
>For the Princesses
>For Stalliongrad
>...For Mosina
>The days are long, delivering messages, (mostly) inconspicuously watching and making note of Party officials
>You begin to wonder how long your troupe is going to be stuck here in this place, or when you'll continue your journey
>Finally, on the sixth day, good news
>"We've located all of the Duma's financial records for the past year." Snow Sight tells you, huddled into an alleyway as cover from not only the wind, but also the watchful eyes of the guards
>"That's...good?" Mosina says, trying to sound more enthusiastic than confused by the news, cheesing hard
"And what can we do with that?" You ask
>"With those records, we can show the citizens of Stalliongrad that the Coltsheviks are squandering their money and assets to line their own pockets, not to create equality." 
"And that's going to get the Premier voted out?"
>"Oh, it will have far more dire consequences than that. Corruption is not taken lightly in this city."
>"Great, so where are they lets go get them!" Mosina said enthusiastically
>Snow Sight's face then turned grim
>"The records are in the Duma vault, under constant surveillance by members of the Red Watch."
"Well, that sort of makes things difficult doesn't it?"
>We'll find a way around it. But this news is enough for now to start putting our plans in motion." Snow Sight said confidently
>"That's all for now, take this information back to Oblast, he'll be happy to hear the progress."
"Right away, take care Colonel."
>As you go your separate ways, Mosina looks over her shoulder to make sure you're out of the Colonel's earshot
>"We need to get those records, and soon."
>You look at her, raising your eyebrow
"Isn't that already the plan?"
>"Yes, but I mean we need to do this REALLY soon."
"I think we need to just let the Colonel and Mr. Oblast do their thing here."
>Mosina frowns a bit
>"We can come up with something."
"I'm sure they don't mind suggestions, but they probably know better than we do, don't you think?"
>"Says you!" She says, looking at you with a sly smile
>Back at The Red Square, the two of you relay the news to Mr. Oblast
>"This is fantastic! Soon our mission will be complete and Stalliongrad will be free of tyranny once more!"
>"That's great Mr. Oblast, but do you think there's any way that we could get those records sooner rather than later?" Mosina asks hopefully
>"All in due time, the Colonel knows best with these matters and we should trust her judgement." 
>The same disappointed frown crosses her face again
>But she relents
>"Alright Mr. Oblast, was there anything else you needed us to do today?" 
>"No, no. With news like this it's time for celebration! Head on upstairs and I'll join you with drinks shortly."
"Thank you, sir." You say, motioning to Mosina to follow you as you head to the stairs...
>Mosina paced to back and forth in your room
>"There has to be a way to speed this up." 
"I don't understand why you're getting so antsy, I'd think you'd want to stay here for a bit." You say, flipping through the newspaper
>"You misunderstand, I love the city. But we need to do our part in all this!"
"I thought we were doing our part?"
>"We're messengers, errand runners. We need to do something real for the cause!"
>You can't help but admire her spirit
>The lengths she was willing to go to help others, an entire city even, was truly inspiring
>"You shouldn't underestimate our work." Hugo chimed in, reading his book
>"I just wish we could do more is all. There has to be a way we can get to those records."
>Hugo sighed and sook his head
>"The Colonel and our host have both suggested that we wait and make sure this operation is carried out carefully. You'd be wise to listen to them."
>Mosina rolled her eyes and looked at you
>"Of course Hugo. Whatever would we do without your guidance?"
>"Probably end up in a gulag on your first trip to Stalliongrad." He responded flatly, closing his book and heading to his room
>"It's getting late, you two should get some sleep."
>"Good night Hugo." Mosina said, rolling her eyes and giving you a feigned look of frustration
>When his door finally closes, her eyes drift to your paper
>And they go wide
>"Anon, let me see that."
>You flip over your paper to see what she's looking at
"Why?"
>"Just let me see it please." She says, taking the paper from your hand
>Her eyes scan the page, and a devious smile crosses her face
>"I think I may have just found our plan."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Run me through this one more time so I can be sure just how fucked we are." You say, fidgeting in your crudely fitted suit
>Mosina seemed much more comfortable in her dress, tying her hair up in her "professional" knot
>"I told you Anon, the military parade today will have most if not all the Red Watch distracted, we're going to go to the Duma building, posing as rich folk looking to invest in the city. Any members of the Premier's party will see this as an opportunity to score more cash, and won't refuse if we ask for a tour."
"And you think that they'll just take us right to the vault?"
>"Of course not, but a view of the inside of the Duma will be wonderful for our research, and when we find it, we'll go from there."
>We'll go from there
>Oh brother...
"Glad to see we have this well thought out." You say sarcastically
>"Anon, it'll work, just trust me." 
"Does Hugo know about this?"
>"Of course not, there's no way he'd let us do anything remotely dangerous."
>For once, you felt like maybe the bird had the right idea
"Mosina, what are we going to do if we get caught?"
>Frustrated, Mosina finishes tying up her mane and looks at you
>Her expression turns from one of frustration, to one of a cool, unnaturally relaxed look of understanding
>"Anon, I know you're worried, but we can do this," she says, putting a hoof on your hand
>"I just need you to trust me, okay?" 
>That look on her face
>She was playing you hardcore
>Resistance is futile
"...Alright, alright, you win." 
>With a giddy squeal, Mosina hugs you
>"I knew I could count on you Anon. Now come on, the parade is about to start."
>The ground trembled slightly underfoot as the collective of Stalliongrad's forces marched through the city
>In full battle dress, they were fearsome as they were numerous
>The crowd stood looking in awe as they watched the parade march past them, amazed at the fluid and synchronized motions
>Such discipline was their strength
>As the crowd watched, you and Mosina were making your break for the city Duma
>"The parade is supposed to last two hours, we need to get the records before it ends." Mosina said
"Great, it's good to be reminded we're on a time limit." 
>Coming off of Commissar Street, you see the elegant building in which the city Duma presided
>"It's...beautiful." Mosina gasped, taken aback by the architectural marvel
>The great pillars, the domed roof, the murals of Stalliongrad's historical moments of greatness
>Stone statues of the cities heroes and leaders flanked the stairway leading to the entrance
>It was truly a wondrous thing
>Nudging her, Mosina snaps back to reality
"We're on a time limit, remember? Let's get inside." 
>The two of you make your way up the deserted stairway, normally under heavy guard
>Today, only the effigies of great heroes guarded this place
>Mosina was gawking at them them, amazed at their mere presence
>As you approached the door, you could hear the parade off in the distance
"Do...do we just open it?" 
>"Can't hurt to try." 
"...You gonna try?"
>"You try!" 
"It was your idea!" 
>Mosina just raises an eyebrow at you
>...
"Fine." You relent
>You don't know why you let her win these things
>You turn the great door handle and open it ever so slightly, quickly retracting your hand
>When no response comes, you poke your head inside and look around
>The lobby appears to be deserted
"It's empty, come on." 
>You both sneak inside the door
>The lobby is almost as impressive as the exterior of the building
>Gold and red everywhere, highly detailed carvings a in marble along the walls depicting great battle scenes
>There is a large desk in the middle of the room, not manned by anyone
>Mosina rushes over to the desk and jumps behind it, much to your surprise
"Mosina! What are you doing?!" You whisper
>"Anything that'll help us." She whispers back
>Rummaging through the drawers, she finally finds what she's looking for
>"Aha! A tourist map!" 
>Suddenly, you hear hoofsteps approaching from down one of the great halls to your sides
"Mosina, get out from behind there!" 
>Hearing you, Mosina leaps over the desk and takes a place at your side
>Still holding the map in her mouth
>You quickly grab it and stuff it in your pocket just as the clerk rounds the corner
>She looks at you confused
>"Can I help you?" The clerk asks
"I, uh, umm..." 
>"Yes! Yes you can ma'am, my business partner and I were hoping to speak to someone who worked here?" Mosina says as you stumble through your words
>"I work here, what did you need?"
>The clerk wore an ugly brown uniform, very plain and not nearly as dashing as those of the guards
>But, you do notice a red armband, indicating her membership of the Party
>"We were hoping to discuss the possibility of investing in the cities economy, we're very wealthy you see and we see a lot of potential in Stalliongrad under the Coltshevik Party." 
>"You...want to give us money?" The clerk said, sounding a bit skeptical
>"Indeed we do. But we thought maybe it would be wise to see just what we're dealing with beforehand, would you mind showing us around?"
>"...I think I'd better get my boss." The clerk said, starting to turn away
>She wasn't buying it
"There's no need for that!" You say, reaching into your back pocket
>Pulling out a bag of bits, you place them on the desk in front of the clerk
>"A quick tour, and you'll be able to tell your boss all about the huge investment you just secured for the city...and you'll get a little extra spending money to treat yourself to something nice." 
>Seeing the bag, the clerk's expression quickly warms up
>"Right this way, Sir, Ma'am."
>You give Mosina your best "That was close" look and follow the clerk as she walks off down the great hall
>She leads you through several rooms, the west wing, the east wing...the storage room
>All in all it was a pretty unimpressive tour, mostly the fault of your guide
>Finally after what seemed like forever, you pull out the map and look for anywhere the vault might be
"Excuse me, ma'am? Since we ARE looking to invest financially in Stalliongrad, would it be possible to maybe, see where your fine Duma stores its records? Don't want to go throwing money where it might get lost."
>"That's an...odd place to want to see, but I guess there's no harm in it." The clerk says
>She leads you back to the great lobby, and toward a door you had not noticed before
>It was an unremarkable wooden door, inconspicuous compared to the extravagance of everything else
>If anything you thought THIS might have been a storage room or a closet
>She opens the door, revealing a winding set of stairs going downward into darkness
>"Watch your step, most visitors never see this place, so we don't keep it quite as tidy." The clerk says over her shoulder
>You almost slip on the stone stairs immediately
>Oh this was going to be great, you could tell already
>The three of you walk down the spiraling staircase for almost ten minutes before finally reaching a well lit room, scattered with all sorts of binders and notebooks
>And in the back of the room, a small vault door
>"Well, this is it. I know it doesn't look like much but our records are incredibly well kept all the way back to our founding."
>You need to look around, but the clerk isn't going to just leave you alone
>You need to get rid of her
"Please, tell us more." You say, as the clerk moves ahead of you and begins looking through a notebook
>"Well, it all started back way before the royal sisters..."
>You look over to Mosina, trying to mouth to her to get the clerk to leave
>She looks at you like you've got two heads
>You nod toward the clerk, who's still rambling, and then back up the stairs
>Mosina opens her mouth as if finally getting it, and winks at you
>"Excuse me, ma'am, I hate to interrupt but is there any way you can show me to the bathroom?" Mosina says, doing her best potty-dance
>"Oh, of course, right this way." The clerk says, heading back up the stairs
"I'll just wait here then." 
>As Mosina and the clerk get out of earshot, you get to work
>Examining the door to the safe, you can see that there is a keyhole
>Of course, you had no key
>Suddenly, an idea
>You look around the room, through every drawer, but you find nothing
>Mosina and the clerk would be back soon, you had to get that door open
>You take the nearest chair and start whacking the door with it, hoping to maybe bust it open
>Soon you're holding a very broken chair
>You take a paper clip and try your hand a lockpicking
>It doesn't work, go figure
>After exhausting your supply of chairs, your frustration reaches a boiling point
>You punch the door as hard as you can
"FFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"
>Pain shoots up your arm, and you dance around holding your knuckles
>As you shake your hand and try to ward off the pain, you hear a small creak
>The door had opened
>Typical commie technology, if you hit it hard enough, it'll work
>You rush over and see a binder locked inside
>Taking it, you flip through the pages
>"Department of Revenue and Finances"
"This is it...holy shit this is it!" 
>Notes of property and asset seizures lined the pages, with the destinations allocated to Party officials before the trail went cold
>These notes would certainly upset more than a few citizens who'd had their property confiscated
>You take the binder and rush up the stairs, slipping several times
>You burst out into the lobby and Mosina is still desperately trying to distract the clerk
>She spots you, and the binder in hand
>"Well it was really great, thank you so much for the tour, my associate and I will surely be back soon to discuss-"
>"What is that you have in your hand, sir?" the clerk asks
>You try to hide the binder
"Oh it's nothing, we really have to be going the next train to Canterlot leaves in 10 minutes and we have to be on it. Thank you again for the tour!" 
>"Sir, you may not leave with anything from this building!" 
>You and Mosina start running for the door 
>"Stop! Guards!" The clerk shouts
>You and Mosina burst out of the building and high tail it into the street
>"There they are! Stop them!" 
>You turn and see two guardsman running down the steps after you
>Guess they weren't all at the parade after all
>The two of you rush into the nearest alleyway, tipping over cans and assorted junk to slow down your pursuers
"Which way do we go?!" 
>"I'm thinking, I'm thinking! Go uh...left left!"
>The two of you make your way through the winding dark alleys, trying to lose the guards
>You can hear a bell tolling from the Duma building now, and a voice magically amplified speaking through the air
>"Alert, alert, thieves fleeing the city Duma. All Red Watch are being called to arrest two suspects. Descriptions are as follows..."
>"Oh god they're looking for us!" Mosina cried
"What did you think was gonna happen?!"
>You find yourselves back out in the street, the bell tolls keeping a steady pace, with onlookers staring from their windows and the street
>"This way!" Mosina says, taking off in another direction
"Do you know where we're going?"
>"I think so!" 
>She thinks so
>Fucking perfect
>You crisscross and zigzag your way through the city streets as the citizens stare, and the guards chase you
>Eventually, you find Oblast Street
>Rounding a corner, you break the sight of the guards
>"Quick, into The Red Square!"
>You both duck inside the inn as quickly as possible, slamming the door behind you and locking it
>Mosina takes the binder from you, and rushes up the stairs
"Where are you going?!"
>She does not answer you as her wings carry her faster than you've ever seen her move
>Moments later, you can hear the guards outside in the street
>"They can't have gone far, spread out, search every where!"
>Fantastic, now you'd be caught for sure
>Mosina comes rushing back down the stairs
>"Anon, we can't stay here. If we do then all of this was for nothing." 
"Are you crazy? If we go out there they'll catch us!"
>"We need to let them catch us Anon, but they can't do it here." 
"What are you talking about? They'll throw us in jail! Where's the records?" 
>Mosina shook her head
>"They're safe Anon, but I NEED you to understand, we need to go now. If they find us here, they'll search the building, and get the records back. We need to be caught somewhere else to throw off the trail."
>She was right
>If they found you here, they'd take back that binder
"So much for my spotless criminal record, huh?" You say, trying to force a laugh
>Mosina smiles at you
>"Lets go Anon, we're not done yet." 
>Poking your head out the door, you see a lone guardsman standing at the far corner of the street
>His back was turned to you
>Now or never
"Go, go..." You whisper as you and Mosina rush out the door and duck into the nearest alley
>You sneak to the other end, and spot more guards patrolling up and down the way
>You give one more look to Mosina, as if to ask her if this was really the only way
>She only returned a half hearted smile, which quickly faded 
>This was it
>Stepping out into the street, a group of Red Watch see you
>"FREEZE!" they call out, rushing over to you
>"ON THE GROUND NOW!" 
>You slowly comply raising your hands above your head and getting to your knees
>Mosina simply slumps to the ground
>"I said, on the GROUND!" A watchman says, striking you in the gut with his back hoof
>You wheeze as the wind escapes you, and fall to the ground coughing
>The guards begin to beat you, and all you can hear is Mosina's cries for them to stop as you fade to black...
>You awake
>Everything hurts
>You can hear the soft dripping of water
>Sitting up, you find yourself in a very unfamiliar place
>It's dark
>Really dark
>Only a small bit of light pours through a small port to the outside of...wherever you were
>And the walls and floor around you all damp stone
>You see a single torchlight on the other side of the...bars...
>Jail, this had to be jail
>"A-Anon?" You hear from the other side of what must be your cell
>You look over, and see that it is in fact, from the cell next to you
>Mosina has her face pressed up against the bars
>Her glasses are gone, and her mane is a mess
>You force yourself up, through the pain, and make your way over to the bars
"It's me, are you okay?"
>"I'm f-fine...I thought they hurt you really bad." Mosina said, putting her hoof through the bars to try and touch you
>You take her hoof in hand, and sit down next to her
"Where are we?" 
>"The gulag...they took us here three days ago now, right after they caught us."
>It'd been three days?
"What's going on? Are they just keeping us here?"
>"I don't know, I think so...Anon I'm so sorry, I had no idea they would do that to you..."
>Tears ran down her face as she spoke
>"I can't see in here, they took my glasses, I thought you were dead."
>You wipe away her tears and put your other arm through the cold bars and try to hug her
"I'm fine, just a little roughed up, don't worry. We're gonna get out of this." You say as she continues to sob
>"It's been three days...nobody's come for us, they might not even know we're here..."
"They'll come, someone's got to come for us..." You say
>Suddenly, you remember something
"What day is it?" 
>"I-it's the 18th...I think...why?"
"Today's my birthday..." You say, you had almost forgotten with all the excitement of the last week and a half
"I'm 21 years old..."
>Mosina's sobbing halts for a moment, and she actually manages a small laugh
>She turns, and after feeling around, manages to get both of her forelegs around your neck
>After a few moments, she breaks away and gives you a genuine, if troubled smile
>"Happy birthday Anon..."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>You sit in your dark cell for hours
>In silence
>Mosina's occasional sniffles are all that break the dead quiet of your prison
>You don't know exactly how long has passed, but at this point you almost wished you hadn't woken up just yet
>Ignorance is certainly bliss
>You watch the ray of light coming through your one window as it slowly makes its way across the room
>It was a slow day, apparently
>How did Mosina do this for three days?
>Just when you felt you might to mad, you hear a door at the end of the long hall that was your cell block open
>The sound of hooves on cobblestone echoed throughout the cell block
>There were three of them
>Two guards...and a mare
>The guards carried torches, giving a little more light in this dank depressing place
>As they came nearer, you could see their faces
>Before you, in her dark, gloriously decorated uniform, was the Premier of Stalliongrad
>She eyed you and Mosina in your cells
>Much in the same way a child watches the monkeys throw shit at each other at the zoo
>A wicked smile crawled across her face
>"So, you are the thieves that stole our records?"
>You don't answer
>Neither of you do
>You simply stare blankly at the Premier
>"Well, it's not necessary that you confess to your crime, we know that it was you." She scoffed
>"How do you like your new home? I trust you've found our gulag comfortable enough?"
>Mosina is just staring at the floor
>You spit
>"Oh, but where are my manners? We've not made proper introductions yet. I am Raven Song, the Premier of Stalliongrad. What are your names?" 
"What do you want?" You ask bluntly
>"Ah, so the monkey can speak. I was beginning to wonder if my watchmen had given you too hard of a beating."
"What do you want?"
>The Premier frowned
>"I want to know where you took those documents. They are the property of the Coltshevik party and you have created a major headache for us by removing them from their proper place."
"If you came here to interrogate us, you're wasting your time."
>"My friend, I didn't come here to interrogate you. I come with an offer."
>Ohboyherewego.png
"Oh generous of you." 
>"Exceptionally. Now, if you two tell us who has those documents, you will be immediately released, and put on the next train out of Stalliongrad. No harm, no foul." 
"And if we dont?"
>"Look around, you can see Black Dolphin has no shortage of cells. We can keep you here for as long as we like. The choice is yours."
>You stop and think
>Could she be telling the truth?
>Would these crooks really let you go if you turned in your friends?
>Could you live with yourself knowing you betrayed all the people of Stalliongrad?
>...Could Mosina last in this place?
>You look over to her, and she's still staring at the ground, not making a sound
>If you turned in Oblast and Snow Sight, all of their work would be undone
>You had to keep faith that they would come get you out of this
"No, we're not telling you anything." 
>"You'd best think twice before making that decision, we're getting closer to finding your traitorous friends on our own, there will be no second chance at this."
>"He said no deal." Mosina said almost robotically
>The Premier scowls, and turns to leave
>"So be it. I'll see that the two of you rot in here for the rest of your miserable lives."
>As the door slams shut, you look back over to Mosina, still unmoving
>You sit in silence for a few moments when she speaks again
>"They're coming for us, right Anon?"
>You scoot closer to her, reaching your hand through the bars and placing it on her hoof
>She felt eerily cold
"Yeah, they are Mosina, they are."
>Two days pass
>You'd begun counting the spiders that ran across the cell floor 
>For all you knew, it could be the same one passing over and over again
>At least you hoped that was the case, otherwise you had a helluva lot of spiders in this cage
>Mosina was becoming increasingly unresponsive, often talking to herself or sobbing
>The only way to stop it was if you managed to get a hold of her when she wandered close enough to the bars for you to reach out and touch her
>You were starting to worry
>Today was no different, only she'd taken to a far corner of her cell
>You'd counted the last spider you ever wished to count just as you noticed her ears perk up
>"They're coming."
"What?" 
>She moved up to the bars and simply stared ahead
"Mosina what are you-"
>Suddenly, the door on the far end of the cell block blows open
>Six figures rush in, creating a perimeter as they do
>"Mosina! Anon!" 
>No fucking way
"Hugo?" You call out in the darkness
>The figures move toward you, slowly revealed by the torchlight...
>Hugo, and five hooded ponies
>"Sometimes I hate being right all the time." He sighed, producing a key and unlocking your cell door
"It's good to see you too Hugo." You say, stepping out into the hall
>"Can you travel?" 
"Yeah, who are they?" You ask, pointing toward the ponies
>"Old friends. You call can introduce yourselves." Hugo said as he fumbled with the keys to Mosina's cell
>The ponies step forward, throwing back their hoods...
>Revealing catlike eyes, and fanged smiles
>"You must be the "human" Hugo told us about." One of them said, stepping toward you
>"I am Captain Sterling, and this is my team. Spring Field, Tula, Izzy, and...Clip."
>"Hi!" The rearmost pony called out, waving frantically
>"We're here at the request of our associate to aid in the revolution." Sterling said
"Revolution...?"
>Outside of the gulag, was a scene of chaos
>Black smoke from a hundred fires billowed up and above the city
>The thunderous sound of hooves and shouting filled the air 
>And the glow of flames lit up the night sky
>"Beautiful isn't it?" Sterling said, staring at you with her silver eyes
>"The fires of freedom are truly a sight for sore eyes in this little piece of Equestria."
>You stood there with your mouth agape
>Mosina was seemed unaffected
>"Well, are we just gonna stand here or are we gonna go have some fun?" Spring Field said cheerily
>"Always with the rushing, this one. Is like she enjoys fighting peasants." Tula chuckled to the one that must be Izzy in an oddly...slavic accent
>"Is typical sister, they do not share the dignity of the old country." 
>Oh god they were both doing it
>"Black Talons, move out!" Sterling commanded as the bats rushed flew toward the chaos
"So, where'd you find this crew?" You nudge Hugo
>"We go back." He said
>"Let's go, the Colonel and Oblast are waiting for us." 
>Walking through the city streets, piles of burning garbage line the alleyways
>Angry citizens marched through the streets wielding farming tools and homemade weapons, chanting and beating lone members of the Red Watch
>Hugo led you and Mosina through the scene with a steely determination, back to The Red Square
>Inside, Mr. Oblast and Colonel Snow Sight were looking over maps of the city, with all sorts of lines and markings meaning god knows what
>"We got 'em." Hugo announced, grabbing their attention
>"Anon! Mosina!" Mr. Oblast said excitedly, rushing over to meet you
>"I'm so glad to see you both okay, we had worried that the Premier would have you executed!"
"Nah, nearly bored us to death though."
>He looked at Mosina
>"Is she okay? She looks...off?"
"She spent the last few days in a prison cell, she's pretty shaken up."
>"She looks it. I hope you're both okay to get moving, we're about to put an end to this once and for all."
>"Yes, the rebels are amassing on Commissar Street for one final push to the Duma building. This rebellion will be over before daybreak." The Colonel said, stepping toward you
>"Now, let us go pay a visit to the Premier."
>You do not march alone, as the citizens of Stalliongrad fall in line with your group
>Mr. Oblast explains that after they returned to find the documents hidden under your mattress, they began publishing the records and distributing them around the city
>Quickly, citizens demanded answers, and the Duma began trying to crack down on the growing dissent
>Massive protests sprang up, riots and strikes followed
>Yesterday, the crackdown became violent, and so the resistance did as well
>They were to march into the Duma and force the Premier and the Coltshevik party to abandon their positions and surrender
>And as you reached Commissar Street, you saw that the ponies of Stalliongrad were more than read to do just that
>Colonel Snow Sight stood in front of the crowd, holding up a hoof to silence their chanting
>"Ponies of Stalliongrad, comrades, neighbors, friends; today is the dawning of a new era for our great city. An era of freedom from oppression, freedom from tyranny, and fair treatment for all ponies of the North!"
>The crowd cheered as the Colonel waited for them to quiet again
>"Today, we show the Premier and her cronies that we will NOT be enslaved, and we will NOT let them control our destiny!"
>Turning to the Duma building, the Colonel points her hoof forward
>"Forward comrades!"
>The crowd rushes forward, shaking the ground beneath them
>What members of the Red Watch had been brave enough to watch from the steps, abandoned their posts and fled into the great domed building
>You struggled to keep your footing as the crowd rushed past you
>Mosina seemed to be struggling as well
>Suddenly, great fireballs began raining down from the roof of the Duma
>Unicorns of the Red Watch were hurling them with magic in an attempt to scatter the rebels
>Around you, they crashed into the ground with great force
>They were close, but not close enough to harm you
>You just kept pressing forward through the heat and the smoke
>You stayed beside Mosina as she seemed to stumble along, even with her new glasses
>You look at her
>Something is clearly wrong
>"Incoming!" You hear through the noise
>Suddenly, you're thrown from your feet
>You tumble to the ground as fire rages around you
>You lay there for a moment, forcing yourself to your knees as your ears ring
>You look around and see wounded ponies on the ground around you, crawling away or desperately struggling to their feet
>Then you see Mosina on the ground, not moving
"Mosina!" You scream, struggling to your feet and taking heavy steps 
>Your vision blurs, as does your mind
>You don't remember how, but you somehow managed to pick up Mosina and duck into a crater from one of the fireballs
>You shake her, trying to get a response
>It doesn't work
"Mosina wake up!" 
>Slowly, she opens her eyes
>"A...get the...with the pancakes..."
"What? Mosina what are you..."
>Suddenly, it comes back to you
>Blood
>Mosina hadn't fed in days
>Maybe a week
>She told you what happened to bat ponies when they didn't feed
>They lost their minds
>Her eyes closed again, and she continued to ramble nonsensically
>Looking around, you find a piece of broken glass in the ditch
>You look at the glass, and you look at her
>You put the edge to your palm, and drag it across
>A deep red begins to flow from the cut
>You hold Mosina's mouth open with your other hand and let the ruby red droplets fall into her mouth
"Please work..." you beg
>She continues to lie motionless 
>You squeeze your wound over her mouth, ignoring the pain shooting through your arm
>As more of the blood flows from your cut, she begins to cough
"Mosina? Wake up, please!"
>Her eyes open and she looks up at you
>"Anon..?"
"Shhh, don't talk, here." You say, putting your hand in front of her mouth, holding her head up to reach it
>At first she resists, but she soon takes a lick of your wound, and then another, and another, ravenously
>It hurts, but you know that this is what she needs
>After a few minutes, she pulls away, exhaling deeply
"Feel better?" You say smiling down at her in your arms
>She doesn't respond, only wraps her hooves around you without a word
>You sit there for a minute, before taking her in your arms and carrying her out of the crater and back out into the street
>The crowd has already reached the Duma and have begun breaking through the door
>They seem to be struggling when suddenly, you see a lone flyer crash into the door at top speed
>"Clip! I said to wait!" Sterling called out from above, Tula and Izzy laughing hysterically as Spring Field facehoofs
>"Sorry!" The young recruit calls back
>You carry Mosina up the steps just as they force their way inside
>You hear the shouting
>You hear the crashing and rummaging inside
>And then, cheering...
>When the morning came, the fires had all been put out
>And while the city had been damaged in the uprising, none of the damage was permanent
>The rebels had captured nearly all of the members of the Coltshevik party, huddled in their offices
>They were paraded through the street for the entertainment of the citizens, who booed and threw garbage at them
>The Premier, chief among them, sat in her new carraige...a cage on wheels
>All of the Red Watch had been forced into the cells of Black Dolphin gulag, replaced with volunteers of the citizenry
>By popular demand, Colonel Snow Sight would preside over the provisional government until elections could be held
>Following a night of celebration, you, Mosina and Hugo stood waiting for your train on at the terminal in the cool, snowy morning, Colonel Snow Sight presiding to send you off
>"My friends, I and the city of Stalliongrad thank you for everything that you've done for us. Without you, all of this would have never been possible."
"Ah, it was nothing." You said
>"It was not nothing, thanks to the three of you, Stalliongrad remains a free city, and for that, we thank you. You are all welcome here any time, and will be met with the praise worthy of heroes."
>Mosina blushes
>"H-heroes?"
>Snow Sight smiles, placing a hoof on Mosina's shoulder
>"Among the greatest we've ever known."
>The train pulls up behind you, and ponies begin filing out of it with construction materials, arriving from Canterlot to help rebuild
"Well, I guess this is goodbye." You say, holding out your hand
>The Colonel takes it and gives it a firm shake
>"Hopefully not for too long. Where did you say you were going now?"
>"Out west, to Appleoosa. We've still got a long trip ahead of us." Mosina said
>"Well I wish you luck wherever it is that your travels take you." Snow Sight said, bowing deeply
>You return the gesture as Hugo takes you bags onto the train
>"Lets go, we're holding up the train." He grumbled
>You and Mosina step onto the train as well
>"WAIT!" 
>Rushing through the terminal doors, Mr. Oblast crashes into the train door
>"Mr. Oblast?" Mosina asks, confused
>"I'm coming with you." He replied, shaking his head of the blow he'd taken
"W-why?" You asked
>"Eh, I think after all that, a little vacation is in order." He laughed, turning to the Colonel
>"Besides, the city is in perfectly capable hands now."
>"Oh Oblast, you're too kind. It was a great pleasure working with you." She smiled
>"The pleasure was all mine, ma'am." He said, dragging his saddlebag onto the train
>"Okay, well...the more the merrier!" Mosina said, still processing what was happening
>The doors closed and the train began pulling away
>The Colonel waves as you slowly leave the terminal and pull away from the city
>Soon, you're cruising along the rails, and the towering buildings and domes of Stalliongrad are fading into the distance
>After hours of riding, Hugo and Oblast have taken to exchanging stories of this and that
>You sit in your compartment, thinking back on the last few days with Mosina by your side
>She had not spoken to you much since the night of the uprising
>She was just buried in her notes
>You decide that enough was enough
>Nudging her, she looks up at you
>"Yes, Anon?"
"Something up? You've been giving me a bit of a cold shoulder since the other night."
>Sighing, she puts away her notes and looks at the floor
>"I told you I'm not proud of what we do." 
"The blood drinking?"
>She nods
>"I'd never have asked you to do what you did for me."
>She looks at your hand, your wound bandaged
"I had to, for you."
>"I'm sorry, I just didn't want to say anything and-"
>You put you finger up to her mouth
"There's no need to be ashamed. Not with me. If you ever need help, I'm happy to." 
>For the first time in days, you see that smile that can light up a room come to her face again
>Expecting a hug, you brace yourself, but something else comes
>She stands up and plants a peck on your cheek
>"Thank you Anon, you're the best..."
>You sit there stunned as she giggles and jumps off her seat
>"Come on, lets go bug the guys." She says, walking off toward Hugo and Mr. Oblast's compartment
>Rubbing your cheek, you fight to hide the dumb looking smile on your face
>You stand up, shaking your head as you chuckle
"S-sure, right behind you."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The train sped through the night, cutting through the air like a knife through butter
>The occasional bump on the tracks the only disturbance as the inhabitants of the compartment slept soundly
>Except, for you
>Staring out the window, the night sky twinkled with stars
>For some reason, tonight more than any night in recent memory, it looked like a night sky back on Earth
>Memories run across your mind like a movie reel
>Memories of home, your family, your old friends
>Your old life
>For the most part, this new arrangement was a happy one
>But there were always those days when the heart yearned for home
>Lost in thought, the sudden voice behind you gave you quite the shock
>"Is something wrong Anon?" Mosina asked, rubbing her eye as she lifted her head from her makeshift bed of seats
"No, just thinking about home."
>She gives you a curious look
>"You mean Earth?"
"Yeah. I guess I'm still coming to terms with the fact I'll probably never see it again."
>Mosina rests her chin on her hoof, propping up her head to see you better
>"I'm sorry Anon, I can't imagine how that must feel."
>Sighing deeply, you stare intently at the brightest star you can find in the sky
"You know, I don't either. I'm happy here but...something just seems off. This place is so much like it in some ways, and completely different in others. It's hard to get used to."
>"Well lucky for you, you have friends to help you along the way while you do." She said, giving you a tired smile
>You finally peel your eyes away from the sky and return the gesture
"You know, for a bat pony you have a fairly normal sleeping schedule. Shouldn't you be wide awake at night?"
>She laughs a bit
>"I'm really more of a morning pony, have been for as long as I can remember. Easier to read a map or see the sights in the day than at night."
"I bet the others get a hoot out of that back home, yeah?"
>"Oh I'm sure they would, if they were ever awake to see it."
>You grin a bit, and turn back to the window
"How much further to Appleoosa?" 
>Mosina sits up and groggily opens her bag, producing a map of your planned course
>"About four hours, you really ought to get some sleep for the rest of the ride, you look exhausted."
>You nod
"I think I will, wake me when we get there, alright?"
>"Of course. Oh, and um, Anon?"
"Yes?" You ask, settling down into a comfortable sleeping position
>"I'm feeling a little hungry...do you mind if...?"
>You chuckle at her embarrassment 
"Knock yourself out, just don't bleed me dry. I kinda need some for myself you know." 
>She responds with a roll of her eyes
>"Goodnight Anon." 
>You roll over, still looking up toward the night sky through the window
>Closing your eyes, you go back to the images of home
>In minutes, you're fast asleep
>In what feels like almost an instant, you are shaken awake
>You rub your eyes of the grogginess and expect to see Mosina's face
>Nope, just Mr. Oblast
>"Morning, Sunshine. Mosina asked me to get you up."
>Not the first thing you were hoping to see this morning, but whatever
"Thanks Mr. Oblast." You say, jumping up to your feet
>Out on the platform, you're greeted with Mosina and Hugo's warm faces
>Or maybe it was just Mosina
>Or maybe it was that blazing sun above you
"So nice of you to wake me."
>Mosina scratches the back of her neck with a guilty look on her face
>"I'm sorry Anon, there was an issue with the tickets and I had to take care of it. I won't forget next time." 
>Looking around, the train station wasn't really...existent
>Just a wooden platform and a ticket booth
"Not much out here is there?"
>"Nope! And that's the beauty of it. Vast, untamed wilderness, sprawling desert sands-"
>"Ridiculous heat?" Oblast said, pulling his bags out of the train
>"Oh it's not that bad." Mosina said, sounding slightly frustrated
"Speak for yourself, I'm sweating like a dog." You say, shedding your jacket
>"Well excuse me for not having packed everyone climate friendly clothing." Mosina groaned, throwing her hooves in the air
>"Leave her alone." Hugo said
>"With how much she packed she couldn't POSSIBLY be expected to consider her companions too..."
>"Very funny, Hugo." She said, her cheeks slightly reddening
>She begins walking to the edge of the platform, and you look around at the expanse of desert in all directions
"So, where's the town? Somewhere a ways out?"
>Mosina shakes her head
>"Nope! It's right here!"
>Behind the ticket booth, is a setting straight out of a John Wayne movie
>If John Wayne liked magical pastel horses
>Saloons, ten gallon hats, and tumble weeds galore
>Ponies and even a buffalo here and there went about bartering, working, living the lives of settlers
>It was truly a PG Wild West
>Mosina holds her hooves out, as if trying to grab hold of the whole scene
>"Welcome to Appleloosa!"
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Walking through yet another cloud of dust, you could feel it starting to fill your lungs
>You'd been coughing and hacking since you left the train station
>It didn't seem to bother Mosina, who again came prepared with a head wrap to shield herself from the dust and sun
"So, the princesses have someone for us to meet here too?" 
>She nods
>"Yes, we're to find a one "Desert Rose"."
"Well, that shouldn't be too hard, this doesn't look like a big town."
>"I wouldn't even call it a town, more like a street." Oblast said
>"Hell compared to even one street in Stalliongrad this place is a joke."
>"Well we're not in Stalliongrad anymore, things are different all around Equestria you know," Mosina replied, buried in her map
>"that's the whole point of this trip, show everyone how different ponies live."
>"You want them to pity these country folk living in squalor?" Oblast laughed
>"She wants you to respect their way of life." Hugo said flatly
>"Hey, I respect it, I just think it's kind of...you know, primitive." 
>You groan as the two bicker back and forth over the meaning of the word "respect".
"So, Mosina, where do you think we can find this pony?"
>"Well, it IS a small town, we can probably just ask someone."
>Looking around, you spot a mare leaning against a fence, watching everyone as they went about their day
>Well, she doesn't look busy
>Walking over to the mare, you cough to try and get her attention
"Excuse me? Ma'am?" 
>She tips up her hat and smiles at you warmly
>Then you see her badge
>Must be the sheriff
>"Well howdy there, stranger. What can I do ya for?"
>Her voice was sweet, it oozed friendliness
>If this was any indication of the rest of the population's attitude, this would be light years ahead of Stalliongrad
"Yes, we were just wondering where we might find a pony by the name of Desert Rose, any idea where she might be?"
>She scratches her chin, appearing to be thinking intensely
>"Yeah, I reckon I know where you could find her. She's got a few places 'round town she like to post up. Why? Who wants to know?"
>Better be careful, she might think you're up to some funny business
>Should you mention the princesses' order?
>Like a small town sheriff would believe that
"Well, a uh...mutual friend, told us to meet her here. We'd really appreciate it if you'd tell us where we could find her."
>Nailed it
>She eyes the group
>Scanning over each one of you as if trying to uncover something hidden beneath the surface
>Moments later, her demeanor becomes friendly again
>"Well shoot, ol' Rose is always happy to meet friends of friends. And what might those friend's names be?"
>She was probing, definitely probing
>Mosina decided now would be the time to speak up
>"Well, I'm Mosina. This is Hugo and Mr. Oblast, and that's Anon." 
>The sheriff looked over to her
>"Well thank you for the answer little missy but I was speaking to the talking monkey." 
>Mosina's cheeks went red and she back up behind you
"She's right though, and I'm not a monkey, I'm Human." 
>"Never heard of it, but we get all sorts of crazy critters comin' through from out in the desert so it's not the strangest thing I ever saw."
>This was going nowhere
"Right, well, can you help us find Desert Rose then?"
>"Well, I would, but there's a bit of a problem with that there plan ya see."
>Oh great, problems already? So much for the improvement over Stalliongrad
"What's that?"
>"You already found her!" She says cheerfully, taking off her hat and taking a slight bow
>"Sheriff Desert Rose, at your service."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>At the Watering Hole Saloon, Desert Rose spent explained the current situation her frontier town was dealing with
>She told of the renegade buffalo tribe that had rejected the agreement between Appleloosa and Chief Thunderhooves' Tribe
>They would not tolerate the presence of Equestrian citizens on what they considered to be sacred land
>This rogue group had been conducting raids on vital trade routes between the fledgling frontier town and the rest of Equestria
>Supply stocks were beginning to dwindle and if these raids continued, they would soon be gone entirely
>"And that's where you folks come in. The Princesses saw fit to answer my request for help it seems in our most...dire, of circumstances."
>Mosina sat looking at her drink in contemplation
>"I don't understand, what are we supposed to do? If these buffalo weren't convinced when even Thunderhooves was, what more can WE tell them?" She asked
>Desert Rose finished her drink with an impressive swig
>"Well that's for us to put all our heads together and find out, now ain't it?"
>"You boys have any ideas?" Mosina asked, looking for some sort of guidance
>"I think that if we were supposed to reason with these buffalo, they'd have sent your uncle, Mosina." Hugo said
>Oblast, finishing his 4th glass of cider, belched loudly
>"The bird's right, I mean look at Stalliongrad, there's no reasoning with some folks. We'll probably need to force them to stop somehow."
>You couldn't believe what you were hearing
>The group has been here for barely an hour and there's already plans for another conflict?
"Didn't you you get enough of all that in Stalliongrad? There's got to be another way." You say
>Mosina looks over to you with a thankful smile
>You can read her lips as she mouths a grateful "thank you" for your reluctance to resort to force
>Desert Rose does not look so enthused
>"Well then sonny, what's your alternative?"
>This must be how all those hippies feel when asked how they're going to "change the world"
"Well..." You start, drawing a massive blank
"When's the last time anyone TRIED talking to them?"
>"'Bout a month ago, since then there's been three raids. What, you wanna try again?"
"Maybe they just need to talk to somebody different for a change, you know, a third party."
>The sheriff laughed heartily
>"Hooey, you're a funny one Anon. You really think they're gonna care who's asking them to kindly let us use land their consider "theirs"?"
>"Maybe they're just tired of talking to the same people, a different approach can't hurt to try right?" Mosina suggested
>"Well I hate to kill your enthusiasm but I reckon that's a waste of time. We've tried it and they ain't much for talkin'."
"I just think we should give it another try before we do anything rash."
>"Listen to the sheriff Anon, she's been in this situation longer than any of us. She should know what works and what doesn't." Hugo said
"The Princesses sent us to help, clearly that means that SOMETHING different is necessary."
>Hugo stood up from his seat
>"How dare you disrespect our host like that, you might as well be calling her incompetent."
>"Settle down there big boy, ain't no offense taken. Anon here just doesn't understand how things work 'round these parts."
>"I think he understands perfectly, and so do I. We want to try talking to these buffalo before we rush into something we might regret." Mosina said, putting a hoof on Hugo's shoulder to bring him down to his seat
>Desert Rose shifted her eyes between you and Mosina for a few moments, frowning
>In the blink of an eye, she's back to her cheery self
>"You know, maybe you two ARE onto something. Alright, ya got one shot. Tomorrow mornin' my deputy will take y'all to these bandit's camp and you can work your city charms on 'em."
>Mosina's eyes go wide
>"You mean, you're not coming with us?"
>"Heck naw, if they see me with y'all any shot at talking them down is goin' right out the window."
>The sheriff laughed at first, but slowed as she saw the four looks of "are you kidding me" plastered on your faces
>"Oh don't worry y'all gonna be fine. They don't attack folks, just our supply lines. Now let's get a move on, I'll show you where you'll be staying."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>For a dirt poor town, Appleloosa had some fine accommodations for visitors
>Despite your insistence, Desert Rose had graciously taken it upon herself to reallocate funds from other sources to put up the group in the town's finest bed and breakfast
>Originally planning to take up four of their six rooms
>Not wanting to accept too much unnecessary generosity from your host (the town's people, rather), Mosina declined to take up a fourth room
>Given that Hugo and Mr. Oblast were not too keen on sharing a room, you and Mosina would be bunking together it seemed
>Not that you minded
>With the sheriff gone, and the rest of the house asleep, the two of you are soon the only ones still stirring
>You lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling while Mosina pours over her notes on Buffalo culture
>"One chance? We just get here and they're giving us ONE chance to talk to the buffalo?" She says, fuming
"It doesn't seem right, does it?" You ask
>"Not at all. If they were going to give us one chance they could have at least given us time to properly prepare."
"Like you allowed us to properly prepare our baggage for this trip?" You joke, trying to lighten her mood
>With an audible groan, she covers her face with her notes 
>"This isn't the time for jokes Anon. This is serious!" 
>She flutters down and takes the space beside you
>"In a few hours this town and that entire tribe will be in our hands, and the sheriff doesn't seem to be taking this seriously at all."
"Yeah, it seems a little rushed doesn't it? Something doesn't sit right with me about all this."
>Sighing, Mosina puts her notes on the night stand and lays back, covering her eyes with her hooves
>"Anon, what are we going to do?"
>Her voice is trembling
>You can tell she's getting more worried about this by the minute
"We're going to go talk to these Buffalo, and we're going to find out what it'll take to make some peace around here."
>You put scratch her behind the ears, and you can feel the tension melt away
>You drag her closer to you, your arm around her
>She uncovers her eyes and looks at you
>Her eyes are shimmering
>"How are you so sure?"
"I've got faith in our fearless leader." You say, winking at her and ruffling her mane a bit
>She snorts as she laughs, burying her face in your shirt trying to muffle the sound
>God that's cute
>Soon, her laughter begins to subside and she lays her head on your shoulder
>"You always know exactly what to say Anon. I love that."
>You can feel your cheeks burning as the blood rushes to them
"Well, might as well make myself good for something what with Hugo having the tough guy angle cornered and Mr. Oblast being...Mr. Oblast."
>She looks at you with a riased eyebrow
>"You're good for a lot of things Anon."
"Yeah, I'm an excellent blood dispenser." You chuckle
>She rolls her eyes
>"Hugo and Mr. Oblast didn't take me into their home, Hugo and Mr. Oblast weren't there keeping me sane in the gulag, Hugo and Mr. Oblast didn't carry me out of that crater or bleed themselves for me in the middle of a battle." She said, repositioning herself to nuzzle your neck
>"And Hugo and Mr. Oblast don't know how to make me laugh when everything seems to be crashing down around me."
>Your face is on fire
"Yeah well, you know how I am." 
>Suddenly, you hear a gurgling stomach beside you
>Mosina chuckles bashfully
>"It's uh, been a couple days."
"Didn't you get any blood on the train?"
>"I decided to let you sleep, it's okay, no need to worry."
"Oh no, we're not letting you go hungry again. Take whatever you need."
>She gives you a worried look
>"Are...are you sure?"
>You smile at her
>"I insist."
>Reluctantly, she shifts beside you and moves her mouth to your neck
>You shiver a bit as you feel her breath on your skin
>"This might pinch a little." She warns 
"I've had shots before, I'll be fine." You say, trying to be reassuring
>"Okay Mr. tough guy." She chuckles nervously
>A moment later, you feel the pinpricks of her fangs as they plunge into your neck
>You grab the sheets of your bed as you adjust
>The suction is a strange feeling, but not really that painful
>Coupled with her warmth so close to you, it actually wasn't that bad at all
>You sit there for about a minute when Mosina finally breaks away, a satisfied gasp escaping her lips
>Reaching up and feeling your neck, two little holes are present, a small trickle of blood still escaping
>Noticing this, she give the small stream a quick lick, and grabs a tissue from off the night stand
>She dabs the spot carefully in silence
>For a few moments, the two of you just sit there as she cleans your neck up
>Finally, when she seems satisfied, she throws the tissue into the trash, and returns to your side
>At first, she nuzzles back into your shoulder
>But after a moment's thought, she pops back up and pecks you on the cheek
>"Thank you, Anon."
>Despite this probably having been one of the most invasive moments of your life, you couldn't help but feel a little warm and fuzzy about that
"Anytime..." you say, wrapping your arm around her once again and pulling her close
>You lay there for a while before finally, you both drift off to sleep
>As the sun begins to rise, a loud knock on the door stirs you from your sleep
>Mosina is still out like a light
>The door swings open, and in comes Mr. Oblast
>"Rise and shine comrades, the-oh my." He cuts himself off, feigning embarrassment as he spots Mosina cuddled up next to you
>"I can see you've got your hands full there, lover boy, sort yourself out and meet us downstairs for breakfast, the sheriff will be here in a half hour."
"Yeah, thanks Oblast." You groan as he snickers out of the room
>You peek down at Mosina, her head resting on your chest, snoring lightly
>Disturbing such a sight ought to be a crime, but there was business to be done
>Scratching her behind the ears, you attempt to wake up the slumbering bat pony 
"Mosina, wake up...wake uuuuuup." You say, shaking her a bit
>"Hnngngng no grandmother I don't want any biscuits...huh, what?" She says, opening her eyes before quickly shielding them from the morning sun
>"Anon?"
"Well I'm not your grandmother." You laugh
>At first she looks confused, but then she face-hoofs
>"I was sleep talking, wasn't I?" 
"Oh yes. Oblast says it's breakfast time."
>Mosina picks up her glasses and flutters toward the bathroom
>"Did he say what it was?"
"No, but don't worry, I'm sure they don't have biscuits."
>She turns and gives you a funny look
>"..Shut up."
>After scarfing down what you could in the meager amount of time you had, a carriage pulled up out front
>As the crew files out of the house, Desert Rose is waiting for you
>"Mornin' folks, hope y'all are ready to meet with the "finest" bunch of buffalo this side of Equestria."
>"We could really stand to take a couple days to learn more about this whole-" 
>Desert Rose cut off Mosina with a dismissive hoof
>"Now now, we don't have all that kinda time. I'm sure y'all have done your research just as fine as we did."
>She turned back to the carriage
>"Now, I know I told y'all I wasn't able to come with ya, but I DID promise that one of my deputies would."
>Pointing toward the front of the carriage, you notice for the first time that it's being pulled by...
>A buffalo?
>"Fillies and gentlecolts, this here's Deputy Featherhoof. She joined our little town a few months back when her old tribe took off to the southlands."
>Featherhoof had the strong, dignified look expected of buffalo, but the pony style clothing in place of traditional dress just seemed...off
>"Well it's nice to meet you Featherhoof Mosina said, trotting over and extending a hoof for a shake
>"Likewise," she replied in a gruff voice
>"The sheriff tells me you all plan to talk this tribe down from their raiding, I think that it's a good idea."
>Desert Rose laughs out loud
>"Your sentimental feelin's toward these savages never ceases to amuse me, deputy."
>"Well, they ARE buffalo, sheriff. I can't be too hard on them."
>"And THAT is why I'm the sheriff, and you're the deputy. Gotta put the town before our personal loyalties don't we?"
>Featherhoof stared at the ground, suppressing a reply
>"Yes, of course sheriff. If you folks want to jump on into the carriage, I'll take you to the tribe's encampment."
>One by one, you each climb in
>Desert Rose steps up to close the side door
>"Now you folks be careful, if everything goes south, there ain't much we can do to help ya."
"But you said they didn't care about anyone but the traders heading here?"
>"As far as we know, that's correct. I forgot to mention we don't know too too much about these troublemakers."
"...Gee, thanks."
>The sheriff waves you off
>"Don't worry your pretty little head about it. Y'all have a safe trip!" 
>And with that, Featherhoof sped forward, out of town and toward the horizon
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The sun rose high in the sky
>Featherhoof had been pulling your cart for hours
>With no sign of progress
>You reach for your canteen and try to take a drink
>Dry
>Like everything else out in this desert
>Mosina has taken to trying to shield herself from the sun
>She glances up at the sun, shielding her eyes with a hoof
>She takes off her glasses and reaches into her bag, pulling out a darker pair
>You give her a quizzical look
>"What? It's bright. They're prescription, I can still see with these." She says
"Just something about a "bat" pony owning a pair of shades is funny to me." You chuckle
>"Well when a bat pony spends most of her time in the daylight, it behooves her to protect her eyes."
>She tips her dark shades just low enough to look at you uncovered
>"Or do you WANT me to go blinder than I already am?"
"It was just a joke. Didn't Desert Rose say this camp was close?"
>"She said a lot of things, I'm starting to wonder how much is true and what she's just blowing smoke about."
>You turn around, facing Featherhoof
"Say, Featherhoof, any idea how far off we are?"
>"Not far. We had to take the long way there. Avoids the scouts." She replied shortly
>The long way
>In the desert
>Brilliant
"So, uhh...any idea when we're gonna be there?"
>Suddenly, the carriage comes to an abrupt halt, almost throwing you over the railing
>You feel the wind leave you as you're hit in the gut in the impact
>"Right about now."
>As everyone files off the carriage, fall to the ground trying to catch your breath
>Just over the hill, the buffalo encampment was bustling
>Mountains of supplies, things stolen in their raids, lay all around the camp
>The five of you lay in prone position overlookin the camp from your spot on the hill
>Nobody had noticed you yet
"So, what's the plan?" You whisper
>"I thought you two would have one, since this was your bright idea after all." Hugo said
>"Oh cut the kids some slack." Mr. Oblast chided
>"Would you two be quiet? You're going to let the whole tribe know we're up here." Mosina scolded both of them
>She looks to you
>"What do you think we should do Anon? Just walk right in?"
>Something about that seemed like a bad idea
>Walking into a bandit camp like it wasn't a big deal?
>Then again, they might not care
>You weren't Appleloosans after all
"You sure that's a good idea?"
>"Well I don't know, the sheriff said they wouldn't attack us..."
"But we both know that's a gamble at best."
>You look down at the camp again
>If it weren't for the stories you'd been told, you could swear these were just normal buffalo, living normal lives
>Maybe if you treated them like that instead of bandits, they'd respond a little better
>Well, here goes nothing
"Follow me." You say, standing up
>Hugo's mouth is agape as you proceed to walk down the hill toward the camp, Mosina and Oblast right behind you
>"Is he insane?"
>"No, he's just got a little more faith in folks than you do." Featherhoof replied
>"Well you and I are staying right here, if anything happens we swoop in immediately, got it?"
>Featherhoof nods reluctantly
>As you approach the camp, you notice buffalo starting to stop and watch you
>Your knees start to feel weak as more and more begin to sit and watch the advance
>Maybe this was a mistake...
>20 meters from the camp, a large buffalo with an ornate headdress steps out of the crowd
>"Stop! Who goes there?" They call out in a booming voice
>The three of you look at each other
>"Just uh, travelers." Mosina  says, trying to sound inconspicuous
"Yup, just passing through. Ain't that right Mr. Oblast?"
>No response
"Mr. Oblast?"
>He's taking a long drink out of his flask, before finishing up and letting out a fierce belch
>"What? Oh, oh yeah. What he said."
>The buffalo look at you skeptically
>"What are you doing in my village?"
"Oh this is YOUR village? It's a nice place, very quaint."
>Mosina nods in agreement
>"I like your..teepees."
>"What do you want?" The buffalo leader asks
"Maybe something to drink? We've been out in this heat all day with nothing."
>The buffalo leader stares at you hard
>Moving closer
>Soon he's right in front of you
>You can feel his breath
>Cheesing as hard as you can, you begin to wonder if maybe it was time to run
>"Very well. Come, sit. We have water to spare."
"...Why thank you!"
>In the Chief's tent, it was surprisingly roomy
>Roomy enough for several buffalo to join you...
>"You say you're travelers...where are you from?" The chief asks
"Ponyville." You gasp as you polish off your third jug of water
>"Ponyville...that's Equestrian territory, is it not?"
>Uh oh
"Well, yes, but I just moved there recently. I'm from a land far, far away." You say quickly
>"What brings you to our lands?"
>"Just exploring, we're writing a book on the different cultures of the world." Mosina said enthusiastically
>"Is that so? Perhaps you should write about the theft of buffalo lands at the hands of your Princesses' imperialism."
"I assume you're referring to Appleloosa?"
>"The very same. Their presence on sacred Buffalo lands is a mockery to our ancestors, and Chief Thunderhooves' peace treaty is yet another betrayal of our people."
>Harsh
"Well, is there anything that would possibly make it okay to share the land?" 
>The chief sat in thought
>"We would be open to negotiation, but the leader of Appleloosa has rejected all of our past efforts. Now we have been forced to try and coerce them into talking."
>Desert Rose didn't mention anything about the buffalo trying to negotiate
>Maybe they just wanted different terms than Thunderhooves' tribe did
>Why would Appleloosa reject their offers?
"Is that what all those piles of supplies are about?"
>"Yes. We stop their trains and ask them for their cargo. They comply and we let them pass, no one is hurt."
>That doesn't sound like much of a "raid"
>"We would stop if the Appleloosans would speak to us, rather than ignoring our requests."
>These guys sound a lot more reasonable than the sheriff made them out to be
>Maybe you could work with this after all
"Well, what if we try talking to them for you? Maybe they'll listen to us on your behalf?"
>"You would do that? For us?"
"I don't see why we couldn't, it's better than standing by doing nothing." You say
"We'll go to Appleloosa and tell them your side of things, try and work something out."
>The chief turns and speaks to a few of the other buffalo, deliberating
>"My advisers and I find this agreeable. Very well, we shall compile a list of our reasonable demands for you to take to the Appleloosans."
>The chief stands up and walks over to you
>"On behalf of my tribe, I thank you for your gracious offer."
>You hold out your hand for a hoofshake
"We're happy to help, chief..." 
>"Longhorn." 
>After refilling on water, the three of you wave to the buffalo as they see you off
>At the top of the hill, Hugo and Featherhoof are sitting on the carriage
>"You're alive, that's a good sign. How did it go?"
"We're going back to Appleloosa, the buffalo are willing to negotiate but apparently someone has been turning them down every time they've tried." 
>"That cannot be, the Sheriff has personally met with their envoys at every occasion, she wouldn't just send them away if it meant the raids would continue." Featherhoof said, confused
>You all raise your eyebrows at the deputy
"Well, it looks like we're gonna have to have a talk with Desert Rose, as soon as possible."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>"Now tell me again, these buffalo say that it was ME that turned them down?" Desert Rose ask, astonished as you told her of your encounter
>"It's true, they say that the "leader" of Appleloosa keeps turning them down whenever they try to talk to you." Mosina affirmed
>The sheriff leaned her seat back, smoking her pipe and thinking deeply
>Tense moments pass
>"C-could someone else be turning them away?" Mosina asks
>"It's that or those buffalo are just flat out lyin'." 
>She stands up and looks out the window of her office overlooking the town
>"This can't go unanswered. I need y'all to go back to the tribe. Tell Chief Longhorn I'll be happy to speak with him and his, but that they need to come here and meet me personally." 
>You and Mosina exchange excited looks
"I think they'll be very excited to hear that, we'll go first thing in the morning."
>"Oh I bet they will. Then we'll find out who's been turning them away after we've done our business."
>After meeting with the sheriff, you and Mosina meet with the rest of the crew at The Watering Hole
>"Ish strange that Deshert Rose washnt more concerned about whoever wash turning the buffalo tribe away..." Mr. Oblast slurred, downing his 7th cider
>"I think she knowsh more 'an she's tellin' us."
>"She did say we'd look into it after meeting with Chief Longhorn, that's something. And don't you think you should slow down Mr. Oblast?" Mosina asked
>"Ahm fahn jusha liddle...slee-hic-py..." 
>And with that, Oblast slipped forward onto the table, snoring
"Did anyone else notice that he drinks a lot?" 
>"He owned a bar in a frigid wasteland for how long? What else is there to do but pick up drinking." Hugo said
>"But, I agree with him. If I were the sheriff I'd be making that my first priority."
"And yet not a day ago you were telling us to just go with what she was saying." You grumble
>"You can't just assume the powers that be are wrong as soon as you show up."
"It'd be nice if you would just give us credit for being right this time, Hugo."
>"Don't count your chickens before they've hatched, Anon. Things can turn around at a moment's notice." 
>This bird was a real fucking class act
"Alright Hugo, you win, as always."
>"I'd take more comfort in sincerity, but that will have to do."
>Fuck you Hugo
"Either way, tomorrow we need to head right back over to the camp and bring Longhorn back, same time same place, Featherhoof?"
>"Can do Anon. Are you going to need assistance getting your friend back to the inn?"
>You look at Mr. Oblast, snoring and drooling onto the table
"That would be greatly appreciated, thank you."
>Hugo begrudgingly slung Oblast over Featherhoof's back, and back to the inn you went...
>The next morning, Featherhoof drags the carriage back to the buffalo camp, where you relay the news to chief Longhorn
>"So that's the gist of it. The Appleloosans are willing to hear you out, but they'll only talk to you Chief. We assume that's why they turned your envoys away." Mosina explained in the chief's tent
>"First they ignore our requests for negotiation, then when they will it requires me to leave my post. The audacity!"
"It's not the most convenient deal but it's something, isn't it?" You say, trying to sound enthusiastic
>Chief Longhorn sighs deeply
>"I suppose that this is more acceptable than being ignored again. Very well, when do they wish to hold this meeting?"
>You scratch the back of your neck 
>"Um, today?"
>The chief's eyes go wide
>You brace for another wave of anger
>"Now this is good news, we can end this squabble this very day. Lead on, my friends!"
>At the top of the hill, Chief Longhorn spots your carriage
>And Featherhoof pulling it
>"What is this? A buffalo pulling an Equestrian cart like some sort of cattle?"
>Featherhoof frowns
>"My name is Featherhoof, I'm a sheriff's deputy in Appleloosa. I escorted these travelers here."
>"A buffalo working for Appleloosa? Times are certainly changing...and not in a good way." Chief Longhorn said, giving Featherhoof a look of utmost contempt
>Featherhoof's eyes drop to the ground
"She's great at her job! I mean, I hear she is..." You correct yourself
>"It matters little. A true buffalo would never be held to the service of foreigners."
>Featherhoof's eyes are closed, but you can see a single tear fall
>"That's very interesting Chief Longhorn, but what do you say we get going? They'll be waiting for us." Mosina says, drawing his attention away from the deputy
>The ride back to Appleloosa was a quiet one
>The chief simply stared straight ahead stoically, while Featherhoof avoided looking at him
>Mosina several times urged you to try and break the tension in the air
>You weren't going to stick your nose into that mess, you knew better
>After an eternity, the town finally comes into view
>"I see the Equestrian expansion has halted to some degree, I guess our train stops have been working after all." The chief said, somewhat proudly
>"Ponies are running low on food, if this situation isn't resolved soon, any who stay may starve." Mosina said solemnly
>"Such is the price for their arrogance."
>"Don't you care if they're suffering?"
>Longhorn stared straight ahead toward the town
>"I do not wish harm on the ponies who have no control, but my own must come first."
"Well hey, that sounds reasonable." You say
>Mosina frowns as you pull into the town
>"I understand how it's hard to sympathize Chief Longhorn, but we're all here to try and find the best solution for everyone, remember?"
>"Yes. As long as my tribe gets a fair deal, we may all find a way to coexist."
"Great! Now all we...have to do..." 
>You trail off as you notice deputies moving into position behind your cart
>And on your flanks
>In front of you, in the middle of the street, Desert Rose stood, deputies at her sides
>Featherhoof stops drawing the cart as you all look around
>Chief Longhorn is visibly irritated
>"What's going on here?!"
>Desert Rose steps forward, an evil glint in her eye
>"Chief Longhorn, you're under arrest."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>As deputies led Chief Longhorn away, Desert Rose looks to you all with a look of satisfaction
>"I'd like to thank y'all so much for delivering this criminal to us. The town of Appleloosa is a much safer place thanks to you." 
>"You lied to him! And to us! You said you were willing to talk!" Mosina barked
>Desert Rose laughs
>"And it worked mighty fine didn't it?" She chuckled
>"No, no Appleloosa don't negotiate with no terrorists that's for sure."
>To your surprise, Hugo seems just as upset with this turn of events as the rest of the group
>"If you wanted him arrested, you should have said that. You used used like pawns."
>"Birdbrain, I thought you would be understanding here. I have a duty to these folk to protect them, and that buffalo was puttin' 'em at risk."
>"Well you can use your own to do your dirty work, not us." Mosina said
>Desert Rose put on an exaggerated pouty face
>"Oh I'm sorry, did I upset the jolly band of freaks by making them useful?"
>Jaws collectively hit the ground as the venom of her tone sinks in
>"That's what I thought. Deputies, take these folks to their rooms. We'll be seeing them off in the mornin'."
>Back in your rooms (now guarded by Desert Rose's cronies), you sit in awe of what you'd just witnessed
>Mosina simply stares out the window as you lay looking at the ceiling
>"Something's just so wrong about this." She mutters
"You don't say?"
>"Desert Rose was so nice and welcoming to us when we first arrived here. What's changed between now and then?"
"She got what she wanted. We got played, it happens." You shrug
>Mosina keeps her eyes on the window
>"It's more than that. I doubt a small town sheriff doubles as a professional actress...she was just too convincing."
"Comes naturally sometimes. Look, Mosina, they're kicking us out of town in the morning anyway, lets just get some sleep. There's nothing more we can do here."
>She sighed and walked over to the bed, climbing up beside you
>She laid her head on your chest and you stroked her mane
>For minutes, you both just sit there in silence
>"I just wish we could have stopped this..." She says as she drifts off
>You feel your stomach twisting at her words
"Me too." is all you can muster up to say
>You sit there as time seems to crawl by, listening to Mosina's steady breathing
>It had to be into the wee hours of the morning
>The guards probably weren't even watching your door anymore
>Suddenly, a knock 
>You glance over to the door, wondering if maybe your lack of sleep was getting to you
>Another knock
>Nope, definitely real
>Carefully, you slide out from beneath the sleeping pony on your chest, and tip toe over to the door
>Through the peep hole, you can see a large eye staring back
>"Anon? Mosina? Are you there?"
"Featherhoof?"
>"Yes, I need to show you something now!"
"...It's like, 3 in the morning."
>"It's important."
>Might as well take her word for it, why else would she be here?
>You open the door and step into the hall
"What is it?"
>"Come with me, it's at the jail."
>Sneaking through the inn, the two of you make it out the door in silence
>It's still dark out, the only light that of the few street lamps in the town
>You and Featherhoof stay in the shadows as you move toward the town jail, the sheriff's office
>There's a light on inside
"There shouldn't be anyone in there...should there?" 
>"No, the jail closes at midnight."
>As the two of you approach, you can hear voices inside
>Desert Rose was clearly speaking to someone
>A strangely familiar voice...
>"What do you two think you're doing?!" 
>Startled, you almost stumble backward at the voice above you
"Mosina, Jesus Christ..." 
>Hanging upside down from the jail roof, she'd snuck up on you, yet again
>"Anon what are you thinking sneaking around out here, they're going to lock us up!"
"It wasn't my idea, trust me, I'll explain later. Get down here!" You whisper
>She begins to dismount from her position when you get an idea
"Wait wait wait hold on..."
>Hanging by one hoof, Mosina gives you a stink eye for your indecisiveness
>"What is it?"
"Mosina, could you take a peek through the window from where you are? Who is Desert Rose talking to in there?"
>She looks confused at first, but ultimately starts shimmying toward the window
>Lowering herself just enough to see, a look of shock lights up her face and she covers her gasp with her hooves
>"It's Chief Longhorn! They're sitting there laughing!"
>You could feel your brain melting a bit
>"I needed to be sure that I wasn't simply going mad." Featherhoof said
>"Shhh, I'm trying to listen!"
>"...and they bought the whole act! Now all there is to do is get you back to the tribe and our plan will be one step closer to fruition." Desert Rose said
>"We've waited a time for this, the payoff had better be worth it." Longhorn replied
>"Of course it will, dingus! Two new populations to harvest from? This has been our best plan yet!"
>You didn't know what they were talking about, but with words like "harvest", it couldn't be good
>You hear a small "eep!" above you as Mosina loses her grip and falls down on top of you
>The talking ceases immediately
>Shit
>"Go!" Featherhoof whispers, pushing the two of you away
>You and Mosina scramble to your feet and bolt back toward the inn
>You can hear the door to the jail open behind you
>"Deputy Featherhoof...what a nice surprise..."
>You didn't want to leave the deputy behind to take the heat, but stopping wasn't an option
>Getting thrown in a cell a second time was not high on the priority list
>Slinking through the shadows, you eventually make it back to your room
>A tense, sleepless night passes, wondering if and when the sheriff might come knocking
>When the morning light finally came, it seemed as if maybe the ordeal had been forgotten
>The group packed their things in silence, readying to leave Appleloosa for good
>You thank the owners for their patronage, and walk out the door
>Only to be greeted by Desert Rose's friendly face
>Featherhoof was there as well, a small measure of relief
>"Mornin' y'all. Turns out I've got one last thing for you to do before I can let you go."
>"What makes you think we want to do anything for you?" Mosina said, glaring at the sheriff
>Desert Rose looked almost hurt
>"I figured y'all might be happy to know I've had a change of heart, and decided to release the Chief."
>As she spoke, Chief Longhorn stepped out from behind the carriage
>"I feel awfully sore about what I did yesterday, but I need you folks to escort him back to his tribe." 
>You looked around at your companions
>And you can see the looks of confusion on their faces as well
>This should be a happy moment, but it feels so...wrong
>The sheriff gives you all a questioning look as you stand there
>"Alright, we'll do it." Mosina said, breaking the silence
>A toothy grin crossed Desert Rose's face
>"I knew I could count on you."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"I uh...really appreciate this!" Chief Longhorn said nervously as you trudge through the desert
>The chief had been going back and forth between silence and nervous cheeriness
"It's nothing, chief." You say
>He smiled at you and looked around feverishly
>As if he'd never been out here before
>Mosina noticed his behavior as well
>"Everything alright there Chief Longhorn?"
>He didn't respond 
>"Chief?" She asked again, trying to get his attention
>Still nothing
>"CHIEF!" 
>He suddenly realized that it was him who was being addressed
>"Yes my friend, what is it?"
>"I asked if you were okay, you seem a little distracted?"
>"Oh no, I'm fine. How much further do you think we are?"
>You look at him quizzically
"You mean you don't know where your own village is?"
>He laughs nervously
>"Oh, uh, of course I know! I was just, uh....making conversation."
>Mosina shoots you a skeptical look
>You continue onward, regardless
>After some time had passed, Mosina whispers something in Featherhoof's ear
>The wagon comes to a halt
>"What's wrong, Why are we stopping?" Hugo asked
>"I feel like we're getting a little off course." Mosina said, looking at her map
>"Chief, you know this area better than any of us, which way do we go?"
>Longhorn stood there in shock, his eyes wide with sudden terror
>Quickly, he  attempted to regain his composure
>"Oh, well, I haven't really been paying attention. I'm sure you know the way."
>"But chief, you've lived around here your whole life. You know this land like the back of your hoof, don't you?"
>He begins getting noticeably uncomfortable
>"Of course I do, but I thought I was the one getting an escort, not the other way around."
>"We're just asking for a little help, chief. Now please, I know we need to go east or west here...which one is it?"
>He stopped and looked to the left, and then to the right
>Longhorn was getting angry
>"Do we really have to play this game? Let's get going already!"
>Mosina stood her ground
>"We need you to tell us which way to go, east or west?"
>"Fine! West!"
>"You know, chief, you've been acting strange ever since we left Appleloosa." She said
>"What's you're point?"
>Calmly, Mosina rolls her her map, and puts it back in her bag
>"Going west takes us straight back to Appeloosa. The real Chief Longhorn would know that."
>Longhorn didn't say a word
>He ran
>"Hugo! Stop him!"
>The griffon spread his powerful wings and took off after the speeding buffalo
>He swooped down on top of the chief, dragging him to the ground
>Struggling in the dust, Hugo tried to restrain the chief...
>Until a powerful kick struck his temple, knocking him out
"Hugo!" You cried as you took off in the direction of the struggle, Mosina on your tail
>Longhorn staggered up and continued running
>But in the blink of an eye, it was no longer Chief Longhorn
>He'd been replaced by a small, dark creature
>With insectoid wings and eyes
>The creature took flight as you reached your fallen comrade
"What the hell did we just see?"
>"Changelings..." Mosina said under her breath
"What the hell is a Changeling?"
>"Shape shifters, they disguise themselves as other creatures and feed off of the love of a population."
"Chief Longhorn was a shape shifter?"
>"That one was. The real chief must be back in Appleloosa...there's never just one Changeling though, they're a hive."
>Your heart skips a beat as your mind puts the pieces together
"Desert Rose..."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>"Desert Rose" paced back and forth in the town jail
>"They cornered me, what else was I supposed to do?" The changeling said
>"You were SUPPOSED to keep your mouth shut and not blow your cover. There's no way that those freaks won't figure this out." She sneered
>"I'm sorry, you know I'm nervous around new ponies and-"
>The sheriff slapped the changeling on the back of the head
>"Shut up Flik. Now if they come back our whole plan is shot."
>"But Twik, you're a good actress, you can fool anyone! Who's gonna believe them even if they do tell?" Flik said, nursing the back of his head
>"Your faith in me is flattering, dear brother. But with enough noise anyone in this hick town will start asking questions. It will make our endeavors that much harder."
>Meanwhile...
"How long do we have until Hugo and Mr. Oblast get here?" You ask Mosina as you both watch over the town from your vantage point
>"Hopefully not long. We need all the help we can get."
"We've got 6-2 odds, what's the plan?"
>"Just follow my lead." She said, standing up and moving toward the town
>You roll your eyes
"You know, we don't have the best track record with that."
>The two of you stroll into town
>Pedestrians flee into the nearest building
>You think you saw one jump into a barrel
>How cliche
>Standing in the dirt road ahead, you see the sheriff, flanked by her deputies
>You stand with Mosina and stare back at them
>"We've been expecting you." Twik said
>"What have you done with Chief Longhorn?" Mosina replied
>A devilish smile crawled across Twik's mask of a face
>"I should be asking you the same thing, after all, you left with him."
>"We know what you are, "sheriff". Let Desert Rose and the chief go."
>Ponies watching from the windows began murmuring to each other
>Twik looked around with a scowl
>"You're insane! Clearly your kind isn't suited to being in the sun this long."
>Mosina narrowed her eyes at the imposter
>"This is your last chance, whoever you are. Release the sheriff and the chief, or face the consequences."
>Twik looked at the deputies to her left
>Then the ones to her right
>They burst into a cacophony of laughter that could be heard far away in space
>Minutes pass as the laughter continues
>At this point it's just getting rude
>Twik wipes a tear from their eye as they finally bring their laughter to a halt
>"Arrest them." 
>The deputies move toward you
>Backing away slowly, looking around on the ground around you, and spot your weapon
>A broom
>You glance over to Mosina, and in a brief moment of eye contact, you can almost hear each other thoughts 
>She gives you a knowing smile as she understands what you're about to do
>You reach your leg back, digging it into the red dirt and dust below
>The deputies are almost upon you
>Quickly, you swipe your leg in an arc
>The dust and dirt flies into the air in a thick gritty cloud
>Your opponents hack and cough while trying to remove the grit from their eyes
>In an instant, you grab up the broom and bring it across the face of one of the deputies
>Mosina seizes the opportunity and whisks herself over the brawl, flying straight toward Twik
>Apparently she wasn't expecting this turn of events, because she was on the ground in an instant
>You continued swinging your mighty broom wildly, striking your opponents wherever you could, steeling yourself against their yelps of pain
>Mercy was never an option 
>Through the cloud of war, you see the imposter and Mosina struggling on the ground
>You start toward them but are stopped by a deputy jumping on your back
>His hooves cover your face as you continue to swing your broom in this new world of darkness
>Twik pins Mosina to the ground, bringing her face right down to her level
>"Did you really think you could overpower me? All of us? You're not as smart as those little glasses make you look."
>"Not everyone...just you." Mosina said
>With as much force as she could muster, she headbutted Twik with an audible crack
>For a moment, both saw stars, and then passed out
>You hurl the deputy off of your back, and spot your friend out cold on the ground
>Your blood runs cold
"Mosina!" You cry, scrambling over to her
>You kneel down beside her, shaking her
"Wake up!"
>Your opponents surround you, closing in
>You're forced to tear your attention away from Mosina and take up a defensive stance, trying to ward them off
>Slowly, Twik struggles to her hooves
>She laughs weakly as she notices her cronies have you surrounded
>"A...valiant...effort. But it appears the game...is up."
>Suddenly, the ground shakes beneath you
>The sound of powerful hoofbeats rumbles through the air
>A stampede was coming
>And it's herald was a voice you never thought you'd be happier to hear
>"YEEEEHAW!" Mr. Oblast's voice rang out as a wall of buffalo stormed into town
>They plowed into the deputies surrounding you, and encircled you all completely
>Hugo landed in the middle of the circle, taking a spot between you and Twik
>"It's over, changeling. We have you surrounded."
>Twik looked around angrily
>"Citizens of Appleloosa, the buffalo are attacking! Don't just stand there!"
>Mosina groaned as you helped her stand up
>The citizens of Appleloosa looked on in horror at the scene before them
>"Don't listen to her! This is not your sheriff that you know and love! This is a changeling who has invaded your home!" Hugo called to them
>"Lies! Prove it!" Twik spat
>"Have it your way." Mosina said, having snuck up behind her
>Grabbing her waist, Mosina flew upward carrying Twik into the air
>"Let me go! Put me down!"
>Mosina chuckled
>"That's the idea!"
>In that instant, she let go, letting Twik plummet toward the ground
>She screamed as she fell, and so did the spectators watching from the windows
>And just before she hit the ground, in a poof, Desert Rose was gone, exposed as Twik, the changeling taking flight
>The collective jaws of Appleloosa dropped
>The deputies looked at each other, and they too revealed their true forms and took flight
>There was only silence as you watched the changelings flee into the distance
"Well, that's not something you see every day."
>Desert Rose and Chief Longhorn were both found locked up in the basement of the town jail, along with the sheriff's deputies
>They were shaken, and a bit thin, but it was nothing serious
>Apparently, Twik and the changelings had been attempting to take over both Appleloosa and the Buffalo tribes as sources of infinite energy
>The real Desert Rose thanked you greatly for your service to Appleloosa, and the Mild West as a whole with your efforts
>The buffalo and Appleloosans, as a gift for ousting the changelings, regaled you all with stories of their histories
>Mosina listened in awe, while you were sure you were doomed to a future of carpal tunnel of the worst degree
>When the morning of your departure came, the whole town decided to turn up to see you out
>The true Desert Rose stood with you on the platform waiting for the train
>"Thank you folks again for everything, ain't no knowing what would have happened if you folks hadn't rolled into town."
>"We were happy to help sheriff, you have a great town here with great ponies in it." Mosina said, smiling at the sheriff
>They hugged as the train pulled up 
>"Y'all come back now, you hear?"
"Oh we will!" Mr. Oblast said, carrying a keg of cider onto the train
>You laugh as he struggles to get it through the door
>As the train pulls away from the platform, the town waves and cheers until you're out of view
>"Well, that was quite the visit, wasn't it?"
"Never a dull moment with our crew, is it?" You chuckle, laying back in your seat
>"It was mag-NIFICANT! This calls for a drink, who wants one?" Oblast said
"I'll take one." You said, it would be nice to take the edge off
>"I could stand to cut loose a bit." Mosina said
>"Hugo?" Oblast smirked, ribbing the griffon
>Hugo, buried in his book as usual, actually gives Oblast a glance
>With a heavy sigh, he closes it, and for a moment, appears like he doesn't have a stick up his ass
>"Under normal circumstances, I'd say no, but I think right now I can make an exception."
>"Alright! The old grump's gonna party with us!" Oblast said 
>He held a mug under the barrel's tap and twisted it
>Only air
>"What the heck?" He said, smacking the barrel
>To which the barrel responded by shaking
>You all stand back as it continues
>Finally, the top pops off
>And out comes a lone changeling
>"You all have NO idea, how uncomfortable that was!"
"Stop the train!" You shout
>"No! No! Wait, just listen to me! I'm not here to hurt nobody, I want to help you."
"What?"
>"You all do some traveling? Might come in handy having someone like me along, yeah? Blend in a bit?"
"I don't think so, I'm getting the conductor."
>The changeling leaps from the barrel and at your feet
>"Please! I'm not like the others! We can get along, just like the ponies and the buffalo!"
"I don't think so." You say.
>He looks around to the others
>"Won't any of you believe me? I'm sorry about all that back there. It wasn't my idea! It was Twik's! I like everypony!"
>You don't know why, but you can feel a sense of sincerity in his voice
>You all look at each other 
>"You've got one chance." Mosina finally said
>The changeling looked exstatic
>Hugo shook his head, Oblast only stared in disbelief
>"I'll be in the other car for a few miles." Hugo said, walking toward the door 
>"You won't regret this! I'm gonna do whatever I need to to show you guys I'm good! The name's Flik."
>You and Mosina look at each other
>She smiles at you 
>A smile plagued with a hint of uncertainty
>What a long, strange trip this was turning out to be
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>You had no recollection of where you had been or why you were here
>Where was "here" anyway?
>It hot, humid
>A thick blanket of moisture coated everything, even the air
>A vast expanse of the most exotic flora and fauna surrounded you
>In every direction
>Not good
>Where was Mosina?
>Where was ANYBODY?
>You pushed your way through the brush, braving the oppressive atmosphere
>Wandering for what feels like hours, hope begins to dwindle
>Pushing through what must have been your thousandth bush, you nearly stumble
>Before you is a clearing with a roaring fire in the center
>Surrounded by minotaur
>They sat around the fire, chanting before a great stone doorway
>You didn't know what they were doing, but you really wanted to leave
>"Don't fear, Anon. They cannot see you."
>You recognized that voice
>Turning to meet it, you are greeted with a glimpse of a dark, starry mane
"Princess Luna?" 
>Luna smiles softly, and bows her head
>"Yes Anon, as your princess of the night, I make it my personal mission to visit my subjects through their dreams when the need arises."
"This is a dream? Well, that explains a lot..." you say, piecing together the unusual circumstances
>"This is not a dream Anon. This is a glimpse into your future."
>What
"I'm sorry, your majesty, could you run that by me again?"
>"Mostly, dreams are simply pictures, a figment of your sleeping mind's imagination." She said
>"But on occasion, the mystical forces of our universe grant us with clues to what we may come to experience."
>Turning back to the minotaur, you try to make sense of what you're hearing
"So...my future is in a jungle with THESE guys?"
>"It is possible, yes. Now watch."
>Together, you watch as one of the minotaurs, dressed in distinctly ceremonial garb, walks toward the doorway
>Using his staff, he chants an incantation, and words appear, engraved in the stone above the door
>"Let us get a closer look." Luna said, striding forward
"Princess don't!"
>She looks back at you and chuckles
>"This is your dream, Anon, nothing can hurt us here. Now come."
>Well, she's the expert
>You follow her, walking right through the ranks of minotaur and straight up to the doorway
>You notice something peculiar about it that you hadn't been able to see before
>Cut into the stone, is a hand
>A hand in a land of hooved creatures
>You can feel your mind's gears grind to a halt
>The minotaur with the ceremonial dress speaks
>"The inner sanctum, sealed off from us for a thousand years, may only be opened by whosoever is both great in deed, and pure of spirit. One of you may be the one to reclaim our lost treasures from within come the night of the Blood Moon, but you try at your own peril. Should you be found unworthy, the curse upon this door will strike you down, robbing you of your life force."
>The minotaur in the crowd began to whisper amongst themselves
>"In addition, the door shall only open for one who is native to this land, a foreigner who tries will suffer the same fate as the unworthy."
"Someone really didn't want that door to be opened, did they?" You ask Luna
>"It was done in the days following my exile, the unrest took it's toll in the form of groups exacting revenge on others while Canterlot was weak. Powerful magic users, rivals of the minotaur, were responsible for this."
"So what does this have to do with me?" 
>"I do not know, Anon. I am not able to predict the future, only help you interpret it."
"Wait wait wait, you can't just show me this and then expect me to just figure it out, that's crazy!"
>Luna simply smiled and put a hoof on your shoulder
>"You're more capable than you know, Anon. Look at all you and your friends have accomplished already. My sister and I have absolute faith in all of you."
>They knew what you'd been up to?
>"Now, before I go, I have something for you." She said, her horn glowing
>Out of thin air, a small glass object appeared in front of you
>You took it in your hand and examined it
>It resembled a cat's eye, and reflected a fiery light from its deep blue surface
>It was beautiful
"What is this?"
>"It is the Eye of Shadowstep the Unender, a powerful relic of the old age. Should you need in your moment of greatest peril, it will then, and only then, act on your behalf. Now I must go, you will wake soon. Good luck, Anon."
>You had so many questions, you couldn't just let her leave
"Princess, wait!" you say, before you feel yourself being ripped from your dream world...
>"Anon, are you alright?"
>You open your eyes, and see Hugo sitting beside you
>Funny, you were expecting Mosina
>You sit up and see you're still on the train
>It's nighttime, and everyone is asleep, save for the two of you
>"Troubled dreams?"
"You could say that."
>What was with the sudden concern?
>Hugo stared out the window at the crescent moon
>"Troubled dreams lead to lack of sleep, we can't have that now, can we?"
>This was getting a little strange
"I guess not. Was there...something you needed?"
>He continued to look out the window
>"You and I need to have a serious discussion, Anon."
>Oh boy
"About...?"
>He peeled is eyes away from the moon and nodded toward Mosina sleeping in her seat
>She was snoring slightly, wrapped up in her winds like a blanket 
>Occasionally murmuring something about mangoes
>"Her, and you."
"I think Silver Tongue made all that perfectly clear back in Canterlot." You said
>Hugo shook his head
>"What happened back in Appleloosa was an eye opener for me. I'm getting old, Anon. I'm not as spry as I used to be."
"Please, you can run circles around any of us." 
>"And that's what I'm afraid of. Should something happen to me, none of you are capable of defending the others adequately."
>His eyes locked onto yours, piercing right into your soul
>"I need you to be ready to keep her safe should I fail in my duty."
>Hugo admitting vulnerability? 
>You must still be dreaming
"Birdman, that ain't gonna happen. And even if it did, I'd do whatever I could to protect Mosina."
>"I have no doubts that you would try, but your ability is lacking."
>Great, back to his condescending self
"Well there's not a whole lot to do about that, now is there?"
>"On the contrary, there is quite a bit to do. I'm going to teach you everything that I can so that you may defend this group should anything happen to me."
>You couldn't quite believe what you were hearing
"I'm sorry, you're going to teach me what?"
>"How to stay alive. We start in the morning, so I suggest you get some decent sleep for the remainder of the night." He said, standing to walk back to his corner
>You were still processing what he meant, but your weariness began to overtake you once again
>Resigning to whatever plan he had in store for you, you lay back down on your seat
>As you lay there, you felt something in your pocket pressing on your leg
>You reach a hand in and feel a glassy object
>Pulling it out, your heart skips a beat
>The small, blue crystalline token from your dream shone in the moonlight pouring through your window
>Those princesses sure had more than a few tricks up their sleeves
>As you sat there, looking at the relic, you can see Mosina in the reflection off it's surface
>You stared at the image, just thinking
>Luna told you that the Eye would aid you in your moment of greatest peril
>You hoped for the sake of not your self, but for that pony in the reflection that such a thing would not be necessary
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Your remaining night was restless
>Whatever it was the Hugo was planning plagued your mind
>Before you know it, the sun was poking over the horizon
>You feel claw on your shoulder
>"Get up, it's time." Hugo says
"Do we have to start this right now?"
>"Yes, before the others wake up. Follow me to the other car, it's empty."
>Against your better judgement, you grudgingly force yourself up and follow the griffon
>Sneaking a look back at Mosina, she's still sound asleep
>You stood there for a moment, just watching her
>"Hey, keep your head in the game." 
>Snapping out of your trance, you follow him into the next car
"So, what's the first lesson Birdman?"
>Hugo responds, stone faced
>"Hit me."
"What?"
>"Hit me."
>You weren't exactly sure you understood the question
"Hit you?"
>"Yes."
>Was this a joke?
"Hugo I'm not really-"
>"Assume that if you don't hit me, I'm going to beat you into a bloody pulp."
"Please, you're not..."
>He began advancing toward you
"Look, Hugo I'm all for learning whatever but I'm not-"
>Suddenly, he takes a swing at you
>You duck out of the way just in time
"What the fuck, Hugo!?"
>"You have good reflexes, use them and hit me!"
"No!"
>He takes another swipe at you with his claw, cleaving through the air just above your head
>This was insane, he was going to take your head off
>You had to do something
>You readied yourself for his next attack, backing down the aisle
>He charged, throwing a high strike
>You slid under the attack, aiming to hit his exposed stomach...
>But are caught around the throat by his offhand
>"You're predictable. Predictability will get you killed."
>He releases you, and you fall to the floor
>"Don't think so much about how to hit me, it slows you down. You know what to do, just do it."
>What kind of matrix-tier bullshit is that?
"Sure thing Morpheus." You groan, standing up
>You spend most of the next hour being tossed around the room
>As you hit the floor yet again, the door to your car opens
>"Uh, what are you guys doing?" Mosina yawns, rubbing her eye with her hoof
"Oh you know, just practicing." You say, still dazed from the impact with the ground
>"Practicing what?"
"Dancing, what else?"
>Nailed it
>"You know I don't mind if you can't dance Anon, don't overexert yourself..." Mosina said playfully
>You roll over and push yourself up to your knees and face her
"Ain't you sweet." You say sarcastically
>"We all have our moments, we're almost at the station, you boys can continue your dance lesson later."
>As she walks back into the other car, you feel Hugo's claw rest on your shoulder
>"Don't be discouraged, we've only just started." 
>Encouragement? 
>That's new
"Discouraged? Me? Naw..."
>You might be crazy, but you swear you see an almost grin on the old griffon's face
>"May you be so lucky as to stay that resilient." He said, walking out of the car
>As you check your belongings before disembarking at Stableside, you notice Mosina's previous cheeriness has given way to detachment
>Normally around this time she's buried in a map, or a book, but instead she just stares into space
>Had you let her feed lately?
>Yes, you remembered that pretty clearly, your neck was still a bit sore
>You stare at her for a little while, waiting to see if she'd notice you
>She does not
"Something up?"
>Snapping out of her trance, Mosina puts on the most convincing smile she can
>"Oh it's nothing, Anon. Just thinking."
"About what?" You say, taking a seat beside her
>She take a deep breath and looks at the floor
>"There's one night out of the year, called the Blood Moon. It...changes us. There's ways to control it but it can be a very dangerous time to be around my kind."
"...It's soon, isn't it?"
>She nods
>"This month."
>You remembered the minotaur from your dream mentioning the blood moon
"But you said it can be controlled, right?"
>"To a degree. There's a plant called "Mended Soul" that will negate the moon's effects, but only for a while."
>You put an arm around her shoulder and pull her in for a quick squeeze
"Then we'll get enough to last you the whole night while we're here, no worries." You say
>She looks to you with an expression of absolute adoration
>"Thank you."
"For what?" You say as the train came to a halt
>"Being you." She says, nuzzling your neck and jumping off the seat
>"Now come on, we've got work to do."
>As she walks off onto the platform, you feel like you're forgetting something
>You turn and look in the corner
>Flik is still sleeping soundly
>For a brief moment, you consider leaving him there to go wherever the train would take him
>"Come on Anon!"
>You kick Flik's seat, and he jumps up with a gasp
"We're here, let's get a move on."
>"Wow, that was a short ride. Alright just one second." 
>In a poof, he'd disguised himself as one of the deputies from Appleloosa
"Reusing disguises? Gonna have to work on that one buddy." You say, walking off the train
>Flik looks at himself
>"What? Ponies are ponies are ponies..." He says as he scrambles off the train after you
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The smell of salt filled the air
>You could hear the waves crashing against the shore of Saddleside's beaches
>The backdrop of the lush forest just outside of town stood in contrast to the sandy shores on the other side
>Nestled between two of mother nature's most glorious creations, the sleepy town of Saddleside seemed like a paradise to those looking to get away from the world
>"Oooh! A beach! I've always wanted to go to one!" Flik said excitedly, looking out at the water
>"Too bad we're not here for your dream vacation, bug." Oblast said, taking a swig of his flask
>"I'm just sayin'..." Flik replied, a sullen look on his face
>Mosina frowned at Oblast
>"I'm sure we'll be able to make time for a day trip to the beach, don't be rude Mr. Oblast." 
>He scoffed
>"It's too hot for me, I think I'll pass." 
>"Buzz-kill." Flik mumbled
"Ladies, please, you're both pretty." You say
>With a poof, Flik changes himself into the image of Desert Rose
>"Why thank you~" He cooed sarcastically, striking a model-like pose
>Your eye twitches slightly as your brains gears grind up
>"Anyway...where to, captain?" You say, nudging Mosina
>"Let's see..." She says, pulling out her notes
>"It says here we're supposed to find a zebra named Shaleek. She's a powerful shaman and a community leader here."
>"A zebra? Leader in a pony city? That's something you don't see every day." Mr. Oblast said, almost contemptibly
>"Is that a problem?" Mosina asked, raising an eyebrow
>Oblast took another long drink
>"Nope, just surprised is all."
>"Mhmm. Just try not to offend our host when we get there, okay?" She said with a smile
>As the five of you walked along the uneven cobblestone roads, ponies greet you warmly
>It was a welcome change of pace from the usual bigotry and xenophobic attitudes you'd been encountering thus far
>The entire atmosphere of Saddleside was one of relaxing, peaceful
>The inhabitants and somehow the ground itself resonated with positive energy
>It made you feel...good
>You could see the effects of this place on your companions as well
>Mosina was grinning ear to ear, taking in the unique architecture and beautiful landscape
>Flik was asking her questions about everything under the sun, like he'd never left his hive before
>Even Mr. Oblast and Hugo were being relatively chummy, talking about how this place was "pretty nice".
>That's more enthusiasm than usual, take it or leave it
>As you sit there, absorbing the good feels, you feel a tug on your arm
>"Isn't this town beautiful Anon?" Mosina asks, looking up at you
"Yeah, yeah it is..." You manage to say, feeling yourself almost floating in the peacefulness
>"It's incredible, the ponies are friendly, the buildings are amazing...why doesn't anyone talk about this place?"
>You shrug
"Beats me, wheres this shaman anyway?"
>"There's a tower overlooking the town on the outskirts, to my knowledge she lives there whenever she's not doing her...shamaning."
"Is that even a word?"
>"It is now!" She laughed
>You playfully punch her shoulder before you notice something on the cliff side hanging high above the water
>It's white stone walls covered in vines and flowers all the way up,ending in a spectacular spire
"I think I've located our host."
>About 4 o'clock when you finally arrive at the tower
>It was smaller than you expected, yet still grand in it's appearance
>It blended contemporary styles with nature, like the earth had chosen to bond specifically with this place
>Shamans, figures
>You all stand there, silently
>"So...do we knock or something?" Mr. Oblast asked
"No, I'm sure she'll use her telepathic shaman powers to sense our presence." You say sarcastically
>"Oh, well she's taking her sweet time..."
"That was a joke, Mr. Oblast."
>"Not one of the better ones I've heard, you're slipping Anon."
>You roll your eyes, and walk up to the door
>*Knock, knock, knock*
>Suddenly your mind is feels like it's in a fog
>You're disoriented 
>"Only you and the mare may enter." You hear a voice in your head say
>And as suddenly as it began, the fog was gone
>The door in front of you creaked open
>"Well, in we go shall we?" Hugo said
"Only...only Mosina and I can enter." You mumbled
>"Anon, this isn't the time for games, this is business."
"I think, Shaleek just told me...through her shamanism...telepathy...thing."
>The others simply stare at you
"Don't give me those looks..."
>"Alright Anon, we'll go make sure she's home and ask her." Mosina said reassuringly
>What a gal, standing up for you
>As you made your way through the door, you glance back to see her making a "koo-koo" motion with her hoof
"I saw that." You said flatly
>Mosina spun around sharply, her cheeks red and putting on a big cheesy smile
>As you stepped inside, the doors behind you closed
>The interior of the tower was much like the outside
>A complex mingling of pony-kind's engineering and nature's magnificence
>Wild flowers and vines grew down the walls, except for a spiral staircase leading up to the top
>A large cauldron sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by all manner of ingredients
>As the two of you look around, a voice calls from above
>"I've been expecting you."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>You and Mosina stand there, frozen
>"Well come on! I don't have all day." The voice called from above
>"Shaleek?" Mosina asks, her voice echoing off the walls
>"Who else? Get up here!"
"She's a bit of a grump, isn't she?" You whisper
>Mosina shushes you
>As you start up the stairs, you can hear the flipping of pages and frantic shuffling of paper
>At the top of the steps, you find a frazzled zebra surrounded by all manner of documents
>"I swear this place is a bigger mess every day!" 
>You and Mosina exchange confused looks
>"Shaleek?" she asks
>"Who else would I be?" Shaleek responds with a snap
>Mosina noticeably recoils at the hostility
>For living in such a nice town, Shaleek sure seemed kind of aggressive
>"Well don't just stand there, come here!"
>You both step forward cautiously
>As you approach, Shaleek turns and scans with her eyes
>You in particular
>"I was hoping for someone...different, but you'll have to do." She said, turning back to her work
"Did you tell me that everyone else had to stay outside?" You ask
>"Yes. I don't need more distraction than absolutely necessary. Too many people is an annoyance to me."
"Okay then..."
>Mosina nudged you
"I mean, yeah, I understand that completely!"
>"Don't be such a suck up, boy." Shaleek said dismissively
>"SO...where will we and our friends be staying?" Mosina asked before you could respond
>Shaleek groaned deeply and turned to face you two again
>"You could stay on the lawn for all I care, I'll let your friend there know when I'm ready for you."
>"The lawn...but ma'am we-" Mosina started, confused
>"If you're competent enough to be here then you'll figure it out. Now go, I'm not yet ready for you."
>You were starting to think that this was a joke
"Shaleek was it? We've been provided with shelter from the last two contacts we met, you can't just-"
>In a flash, Shaleek whipped around and blew a hoof full of a strange dust into your face
>You cough and wheeze, and feel consciousness slipping away immediately
>When you open your eyes, you're out in front of the tower with your party surrounding you
"What happened...?" You groan
>"You got tossed out on your ass by a grumpy old zebra from the sound of things." Mr. Oblast chuckled as you struggled to sit up
>"So, where to?"
"Well I'd like to go right back in there and-"
>"Anon, stop." Mosina says
>"There weren't any inns or anything in town, we've got nowhere unless somepony in town wants to let us stay with them."
>Hugo scoffed
>"Lucky for you all, one of us is capable of living outdoors."
>He looked over to you
>"Anon, you're with me."
>For hours into the night, you and the others toil away, gathering materials from the forest and, under Hugo's direction, crafting shelters
>From wood and foliage, you eventually have three passable huts
"Well, it's not pretty, but it'll do." You shrug, looking at your companions
>"I didn't plan on this being a camping trip really..." Mosina grumbled
>You smile and ruffle her mane
"Come on, it'll be fun!" 
>She raises her eyebrow at you, but her expression changes to one of optimism
>"We'll see..."
>"Flik, Oblast, you two take a hut, Anon and Mosina, you take the other." Hugo ordered
>"Why do I have to bunk with the bug?" Oblast cried out
>"I'm sure you'll find a way to deal with it." Hugo said, striding into his hut
>"Now go to bed, all of you."
>Restless hours passed
>For you, anyway
>Mosina fell fast asleep almost as soon as she hit the ground
>Soon the sun began peeking over the horizon
>You lay there with your eyes closed, and just as you feel you might pass into sleep, you feel a claw shake you
>You open one eye and see Hugo standing next to you
>"Get up, it's time for your next lesson."
>As you stand up, you hear the shifting beside you
>"Where are you two going?" Mosina yawns
>Standing out in the hazy field, you stare at the target
>Holding the arrow back on the string was proving more of a challenge than you thought
>"Focus, take a breath, and release." Hugo instructs
>You let your arrow fly
>And miss spectacularly
>Again
>Mosina stifles another laugh
>At least she was TRYING to spare your feelings
"Can I stop now? This isn't going anywhere." You groan in frustration
>"Not until you put an arrow on that target." Hugo said
>You sharply exhale, shaking your head an staring back at your target
>"Remember, relax, visualize your arrow hitting the target."
>You draw the arrow back, but thoughts creep into your mind, blocking your focus
>Mosina senses the internal struggle and an idea pops into her head
>Motivation
>She flutters up to your ear and gets really close
>You can feel her breath on your neck
>In a tone you'd never heard her use before, she whispers in your ear
>"If you make this shot, I'll have an extra special present for you tonight~"
>Suddenly you become VERY focused
>All distractions are gone
>You let loose your arrow and watch as it flies
>Striking the center of the bullseye
>Hug's face shows pleasant surprise
>You almost couldn't believe it yourself
>He pats you on the shoulder, then walks back to his hut
"So...about this present?" You say slyly, turning the the pony fluttering beside you
>"Oh don't you worry, you'll get it...tonight." She said with a wink before landing and walking back toward your hut
>You grin, turning back and drawing another arrow
>You strike the bulls eye again
>Oh yes
>This was going to be a good day
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>You and Mosina walk through the town, taking note of this and that
>This was the most note taking you'd done since Stalliongrad
>The archery training from this morning wasn't helping the wrist pain
>But you persisted, for her
>"Oh, Anon look! An alchemist! We can get some Mended Soul here for sure." She said cheerfully, pointing to one of the storefronts
>You read the sign out loud
"Cloudy Concoctions...something about that sounds...subpar."
>"Oh it's fine, come on!" she dismisses as she trots inside
>The shelves are lined with bottled liquids and baggies full of substances you could never begin to identify
>Behind the counter, a mohawked unicorn sat, snoring slightly
>Excellent customer service
>You and Mosina walk up to the counter
>You knock on the counter and he wakes up with a gasp, almost toppling backwards out of his seat
>"Oh, I uh...can I help you?"
>Mosina chuckles at the clerk's confusion
>"Yes, we'd like a few bags of Mended Soul, please."
>With a groan, the clerk gets up and heads into the back room
"Guess not everyone in this town is a bright ball of sunshine eh?" 
>"Maybe Shaleek got to him first."
>You stifle a laugh as the clerk comes back with two bags
>"This is all we have in stock." he said, throwing them on the counter
>Mosina suddenly looked troubled
"Is that going to be enough?" you ask her
>"Maybe...if I space it out. Is there going to be more coming in?"
>"Not till next month." 
>With a frown, Mosina reluctantly accepts the circumstances
>"Alright, we'll take both of them."
>Once back outside, you can see the worry on her face still
"Hey, it's gonna be fine. We'll make it work." You say reassuringly, putting your hand on her shoulder
>She looks up and smiles at you
>"I know, thanks Anon." she says
>Eventually, your path takes the two of you to the edge of the dunes, just beyond which lay the beach
>You couldn't remember the last time you'd been to the beach, here or back on Earth
>Mosina catches your stare
>"Do you wanna check it out?" she asks, knowing the answer already
"I do, you sure though? You don't strike me as a beach pony." You ask her with a crooked grin
>"It's a little bright, but I'll manage, just one little thing." She says, reaching into her saddlebag and pulling putting on her sunglasses again
>"There! Now I'm ready." She says happily, starting up the sandy path
>The two of you walk along the beach, examining sea shells, skipping stones across the water
>She laughs as you seize up when the cold water hits your feet
>But she's not laughing as the next wave catches her hooves, illiciting a shriek and quick take off into the air
>As the sun hangs high in the sky around noon, you find yourselves just sitting there on the (dry) sand, looking out at the ocean the ponyfolk call "Eternity's Crossing"
>Its perfectly blue water glistening like diamonds in the sunlight
>"It's beautiful isn't it?" She asks after a few minutes of silence
"It is. Much nicer than the ones we have on Earth." You say.
>"I've always wanted to see it, the ocean. And now that we're here...it's humbling."
>You look at her, mesmerized by the sight
"Makes you feel small, huh?"
>She nods
>"The world's a big place, Anon. There's so much out there, so many countries, so many cultures...there's nothing more fascinating."
"It's pretty cool." You say, imagining the world beyond these shores
>She finally peels her eyes off of the water and looks at you with a small smile
>"You don't sound as enthused as I am."
>In reality, you werent
>It was interesting, the world
>But even back on Earth, you never occupied yourself with thoughts of anything beyond your own town
"I guess I just never thought about it much. Before I came here I never left my hometown."
>"Why not?"
>You shrug
"I don't know, never saw a real need."
>She looks at you with a quizzical look
>"Do you need a reason?"
"Well, why leave when I have everything I need right where I am?"
>She frowns slightly, and looks back out to the water
>"I guess that's where we differ. I never felt that way back in Hollow Shades."
>Now was your turn to ask the questions
"Like what?"
>"Like I had everything that I needed. Bat ponies are a unique group, we live for the night, keep to ourselves, and devote our lives to being hunters, soldiers..." she said
>"But not me. I'm out and about in the day, I love to experience other cultures, and anyone can see my talent is anything but what is expected of us. My parents, even my siblings saw that. And I was a black sheep because of it."
>She pauses for a minute
>"I guess I just never really felt like I belonged back home." She said, her voice cracking ever so slightly
>You felt a mighty feel in your heart
"So you travel to get away from home?"
>"Traveling is the only time I really feel home."
>You reach over and pull her closer to you, rubbing your hand on her shoulder
"Well I think you're right here at home with us."
>She lays her head on your shoulder, and you can feel her melt in your embrace
>The two of you sit there silently for a while, just taking in the moment
>As the late afternoon rolled around, you head back to your camp, where Hugo and the others were cooking over the campfire
>"You two were out for a while." He noted as you approached
>"Sorry Hugo, we were just getting a few supplies from town." Mosina said her mood greatly improved from earlier
>"No harm done. Dinner will be ready soon." He said rather pleasantly
>Normally he'd be irate at your tardiness
>But you weren't about to complain
>As night fell, you sat around the fire
>Listening to Mr. Oblast tell stories of Vladmare the White, a great Stalliongrad heroine of the Old Age
>He had a way of captivating an audience when he really wanted to, stirring up emotion and commanding attention
>Of course, it was hard to listen to all of it while simultaneously taking notes for every part Mosina asked for
>As the night drew on, the others eventually went to sleep, until only you and Mosina were still at the fire
>When suddenly, a realization dawned on you
"So, it's nighttime, where's this present I was promised this morning?" You ask, a shit eating grin on your face
>She chuckles at you and rolls her eyes
>"Not going to let me forget about that, huh? Alright, close your eyes. No peeking!"
>Obediently, you close them nice and tight
>Who were you to ruin the surprise?
>You hear her scurry over to your hut, but still you sit there and wait patiently
>Soon, you hear the soft sound of hoofsteps on the grass behind you
"Oh, trying to be sneaky are we?"
>"Hey, you want this to be a surprise or not?" 
>A grin on your face, you keep your mouth shut as she approaches
>She climbs up right behind you, you can feel her brush up against you
>But suddenly, you feel something cold, metallic slip over your head and around your neck
>"Okay, you can open your eyes now." 
>You do, and when you look down, you see a small medallion hanging around your neck
>You pick it up and examine it
>It was a pretty thing, an intricately engraved image of a crescent moon and star in the silver metal
"Mosina, what is this?"
>"It's from Hollow Shades, it's called a Ward. It's supposed to bring good luck to whoever carries it. I've had that one since I was just a filly. Do you like it?"
>You looked deeply into the medallion
>Strangely, it felt warm to the touch
"If it brings luck, why give it to me?"
>She chuckled 
>"With how Hugo's been working you? You'll need all the luck you can get. Besides, I feel like it's done more than enough for me already."
>More than enough luck?
>Was there such a thing?
"Thank you, it's great Mosina." You say, smiling at her
>She beams at your acceptance of her gift
>"You're very welcome. Now, it's getting late, think we should be hitting the hay?"
>You were feeling pretty tired
"Yeah, I'll put out the fire and be right behind you." you say
>"Okie dokie!" 
>As she walks off into your hut, you watch her disappear into the shadows
>You grab up the water bucket with a sigh
>Just before you throw it onto the flames to douse them, you look at the Ward one last time
>Not quite the surprise you were expecting, but for some reason, you were okay with that
>You tuck it under your jacket and throw the water over the flames, shrouding the area in darkness
>As you turn to head into the hut, a familiar grouchy voice invades your mind
>"In the morning, we begin."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>"They were spotted just off the coast on Whinnypeg Island. Such a presence profanes this place, and the spirits won't shut up about it." Shaleek said frantically as you and Mosina stood there in her study
>"Who's they?" Mosina asked
>"Vice Grip and his minotaur clan. Foul creatures, always causing me headaches."
>Minotaur...perfect
"What are minotaur doing here? A whole clan for that matter?"
>"This is the month of the Blood Moon, once a year they come to Whinnypeg Island and attempt to reopen the Sanctum."
>You and Mosina just give her a confused look
>Shaleek groans audibly
>"Many, many years ago, this land belonged to the minotaur. During the Equestrian expansion, a powerful agent of Celestia came here and banished them for their support of Nightmare Moon. The Sanctum was their holiest site, and this agent effectively shut them off from it forever by hexing the door."
>That's...slightly different from what Luna had told you
"So, why do they keep coming back?"
>"Because minotaur are stupid. They think that they can break such magic with their primitive rituals, they know nothing of the things they play with. They may no longer be our "enemies", but they cannot open this door. Only one can."
>"Who's that?" Mosina asked
>"We don't know. It will only open to a native born, one great in both deed and pure in spirit..." 
>You'd heard this before
>The minotaur from your dream...
"-and that is what I need you all to do."
>"We'll get right on it, Shaleek." Mosina said, bowing her head slightly before tugging your arm
>"Come on Anon, we've got work to do."
>"If I may borrow your monkey friend for a moment, he'll be right behind you." Shaleek interrupted
>Mosina looked slightly taken aback, but you tried to be reassuring
"Go tell the others, I'll be right out."
>Reluctantly, she trotted down the steps, sneaking glances back at you until the line of sight broke
>You turned back to Shaleek
"Is there a problem?"
>"Don't be smart with me, boy. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't be giving you the time of day."
"I take it these aren't normal circumstances then." You chuckle
>"The spirits, they have taken a particular interest in you. They speak to me of things that may yet come to pass."
"Such as...?"
>"I cannot say, nothing about the future is written in stone. Be wary, and mind your actions in the coming days. Now go."
>Well, that was kind of abrupt
>As you exit the tower, you can see the others packing
"So, what's the plan?"
>"Shaleek wants us to do a little scouting over on Whinnypeg Island, the boat is waiting for us at the beach." Mosina said
>"What did she have to tell you?"
"Just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, you know."
>She gave you a skeptical look
>"Okay then...we should really get going, maybe if we get there early we can get in and out before they're even awake."
"Sounds good to me." 
>"Anon, Oblast, Flik, a word please." Hugo said, emerging from his hut
>You look over to the unicorn and changeling
>They look as surprised as you
>Shuffling over to the griffon, Hugo gives you all a stern look
>"These minotaur are not to be underestimated. They are a savage race, and if we're not careful they won't hesitate to gut us like fish."
>Flik visibly struggled to swallow the lump in his throat
>"No pony of the north is going to fear a bunch of cow-folk. We can handle this." Mr. Oblast boasted
>Hugo shook his head
>"While I admire the courage, this is no joke Oblast. We must exercise absolute caution on this mission."
>He turned to you
>"Anon, you need to stay with Mosina at all times, never leave her exposed."
"Got it, do what I always do."
>"Oblast, changeling, you keep a decent distance from those two. Traveling in a large group will draw too much attention. I'll provide over watch for the both of you in case you need assistance."
>"I have a name you know." Flik grumbled
>"I'm sticking to changeling." Hugo said dismissively
>Muttering to himself, Flik walked away to gather the rest of his supplies
>"I cannot stress enough how important it is that you two be on your guard, I'd hate to lose anyone to those barbarians."
>Mosina shouted over to you
>"Lets go! we're wasting time!"
>As you turn to rejoin her, Hugo catches your shoulder
>"Remember your training Anon."
>You nod, and you all start off toward the beach...
>The waves crash underneath your boat as the wind pulls you toward the Island
>You hadn't been on a boat in ages, and it was doing its toll on your stomach
>"You alright Anon? You're looking a little green there."
"Oh I'm fine I'm just-BLAUGHHAUGH"
>You vomit over the side of the boat
>"Eww....Anon!" Mosina says
>She quickly removes a towel from her bag and wipes your mouth
>"Can't have you barfing all over yourself today."
"I actually feel a lot better now..." You say
>"Two minutes to landfall everyone." Hugo announced
>You feel a tug at the back of your jacket
>Turning, you see Flik
"What do you need?"
>"I just wanted to let you know, I've got a plan, check this out I-"
>You lurch forward as the boat hits the sandbar near the shore
>"Everybody off! Into the woods!" Hugo said, taking the lead
>Quickly, the rest of you hope off the sides of the boat and follow him onto the shore, rushing into the brush
>Mosina has her map ready to go
>"We're on the south side of the island, where to?"
>"These three know what to do, I'm heading up. Just follow their lead." Hugo says, flying upward toward the canopy
>Mosina looked shocked
>"What the...?"
>You ruffle her mane
>"We've got this, lets do some recon." You say, drawing your bow
>As you crawl through the brush, you look for any sign of the minotaur
>In the dense forest, it wasn't the easiest task
>After an hour or so of walking through the forest in silence, you were beginning to think there was a mistake
"Have we been going in circles or something? This all looks the same." You say
>"I don't think so, but it doesn't look like there's much of anything here, does it?" Mosina said, almost disappointingly
>"Seems like it...maybe Flik and-OOF!"
>You stumble down and slide down the slope hidden by the brush
"Son of a bitch..." you say, standing up and brushing yourself off
>"Anon! Are you okay-"
>Mosina trailed off as she stared at the scene before you
>A large ring of stones, before a large flat faced stone...with a doorway carved into it
>...and a hand in the center
>"The Sanctum..." Mosina gasped, rushing forward to investigate the door
"Mosina, wait!" You say
>You hear the twang of an bow 
>An bolt strikes right in front of Mosina
>She freezes
"Get back here now!" You say, drawing an arrow and looking for the attacker
>Mosina quickly rushes back toward you, dodging another bolt
>You see the assailant for a moment emerge from his tree cover
>Minotaur
>You let fly your arrow, and it sails over his shoulder
>Mosina ducks back into the brush behind you while you stand your ground
>You hear a screech like an eagle from above, and your attacker flees from his cover, Hugo in pursuit
>You let loose another arrow, and it strikes the minotaur in the chest
>"We need to go!" Hugo shouted
>More bolts began to fly as several minotaur charged out of the cover of the brush wielding hammers and axes
>Hugo turned to face them
"Hugo come on!" you called to him, firing another arrow, striking one of them in the crotch
>He stood his ground, striking the closest attacker with powerful claws
"Mosina! Go back to the boat!" 
>"What about you?!" She called from the bush
"We'll be right behind you now go!"
>You watch her hesitate as she takes flight, looking back at you before heading to the safety of the skies
>Turning back to the battle, you see Hugo struggling to evade the onslaught of two minotaur
>You rush forward and grab up a fallen warrior's blade
>Whelp, here goes nothing
>You lunge forward slashing with all your might
>And it connects!
>...With the minotaur's tail
>He howls in pain, and turns to face you, red in the eyes
"Uh oh..."
>As you duck and dodge powerful swings of his hammer, bolts from their crossbows fly overhead
>With every passing second, it looked like this might be the end
>You feel your back hit a tree as your attacker takes another swing 
>You hit the ground just in time , hearing the hammer smash right through the ancient trunk
>As you roll onto your back, you look up and see him preparing to lay the hammer down square on your face
>Your life flashes before your eyes as the hammer begins to fall
>You shut your eyes and wait for the end...but it never comes
>"YEEHAW!" Mr. Oblast cries out as he emerges from the brush upon a very angry looking rhino that you knew must be Flik
>He crashes into your attacker, sending him flying
>Upon his mighty steed, Oblast wreaks havoc on the minotaur ranks
>You stare in awe at the absurdity of the scene
>"Take that you dirty sow spawn, why I oughta..."
>A claw grabs you by the neck and pulls you up
>"On your feet Anon, we are leaving!." Hugo barked, dragging you through the brush
>You stumble through the forest, trying to keep up with Hugo, dodging stray bolts from all directions
>Whether Mr. Oblast and Flik were getting out, you didn't know
>But you ran for your life
>You fell flat into the sand as you finally broke free of the brush
>The ocean was in sight
>Mosina was in sight
>She was struggling to push the boat off the sandbar
>The two of you rushed over to her
>"I can't move it!" She cried
>"Where's Oblast? And the changeling?" Hugo barked
>"I told them you two were in trouble, they rushed off to help you!"
>Just then, you heard the maniacal laughter typical of a certain Stalliongradian friend
>"You're lucky we got bored, 'else we'd take the whole lot of ya!" He cried back into the fores
>As he and the rhino approached, Flik quickly shifted back into his normal form
>"What are we waiting for? Let's get out of here!" 
>"The boat's stuck, we need to-AHH!"
>Hugo was cried out in pain as a bolt tore into his wing
>You turned and fired an arrow at the assailant, hitting them in the stomach
>"I'm okay...we need to...push the boat...off the sand." Hugo gasped
>"Oblast, Flik, get on it...Mosina, get in the boat."
>Suddenly, a large dark coated minotaur, covered in red paint emerged from the forest and began making his way down the beach
>A massive war hammer in hand
>Hugo glared at him
>"Vice Grip." He muttered
"You know him?" You asked
>"Anon, listen carefully to me, you cover these two while they free the boat. This is my fight."
"Hugo this isn't funny we need to-"
>"You've been a good friend Anon, I know you're going to be fine." He said, patting you on the shoulder and, smiling at you
>You're lost for words and can only stare dumbly and nod
>He turns back to the minotaur leader and walks up the beach to meet him
>You snap back to reality and begin firing at crossbowman still trying to hit your friends
>"Hey Flik, can't you help out a little bit more here?!" Mr. Oblast shouted as he pushed against the boat
>Flik, almost oblivious of the situation, cheered at the use of his real name
>With a poof, he took the form of what appeared to be a gorilla
>Not sure where he saw that, but you werent complaining
>As those two continued to push on the boat, you watched the scene unfolding on the beach
>Was Hugo...talking to that guy?
>They were, but they were too far to hear the conversation
>Then you watched as Vice Grip swung his hammer at Hugo suddenly
>He missed, and Hugo made an attack of his own
>You and the other minotaur stop and watch the battle
>The minotaur made powerful swings, some missing, others connecting, but Hugo slashed viciously with all his might
>You fought the urge to run up there and help your friend and mentor, but he'd ordered you to stay here
>You watch, as Hugo trips up the minotaur
>You watch, as he takes up his weapon, raising it high, ready to deliver the killing blow
>And you watch, as a bolt from the brush strikes Hugo in the heart before he can
"HUGO!" You cry out, taking a few steps forward
>Mosina quickly flies forward and grabs you
>"Anon, dont!" she pleads
>Suddenly, the boat jerks free of it's resting spot
>"Let's go, let's go!" Oblast ordered
>You drop to your knees in the shallows, unable to look away 
>You feel yourself being picked up by powerful arms and thrown into the boat
>The world seems to spin as you hear Mr. Oblast and Mosina yelling in muffled speech
>A million thoughts, sounds and feelings flood your mind
>The sensory overload was too much to handle
>And you fade into black
>When you wake, you're laying in your hut
>Had it all been a dream?
>You sit up, and see the early morning mist still floating just above the ground
>It's unusually quiet
>Emerging from your hut, you see Mosina, Mr. Oblast, and Flik sitting around a small camp fire
>They all look immediately to you
>Mosina smiles, though her eyes are full of tears
>So much for it all being a dream
>"Good morning Anon..."
"Mornin'..." 
>"You doing okay, son?"
>You shrug
>"I'm still here." 
>"That's my boy." Mr. Oblast said, a forced smile on his face
>"When you're ready, there's something in Hugo's hut that you need to see."
>You look over to the hut
>Well, whatever it is, might as well get it over with
>You walk into the hut, and see a small book on his makeshift bed
>He rarely put that thing down whenever he had a moment of free time since that first day in Canterlot
>You never knew what it was, might as well find out
>You pick it up, and crack it open
>No title page, the first page contained only a date, and handwritten words
"A journal?"
>You flipped through the pages
>Apparently he'd started the journal when he first shipped out to war
>He wrote of his friends, of his expectations, his experiences
>His family...
>As you read on, most of the pages were occupied by thoughts of them, a wife called Olga, and a son named Viktor
>Every day he wrote of his desire to return to them as quickly as possible
>But as the war dragged on, against the griffons, Hugo's entries became more grim
>The loss of friends, comrades, in innumerable numbers weighed heavily on Hugo
>And one day, there was but one entry: "We've lost, they're gone. Olga and Viktor...gone...were it not for Silver Tongue and the Equestrians, I might have perished as well. I wish I had."
>The next entries were recent, speaking of arriving in Canterlot at the request of Silver Tongue
>Then they spoke of Mosina, and you
>At first, he wrote unfavorable things about you
>Lazy, incompetent, an accident waiting to happen
>But after Stalliongrad, things began to change
>He spoke of your surprising courage, your resourcefulness
>Then, after the defeat of the changelings in Appleloosa, he expressed his resolve to teach you his skills
>On your last day in Appleloosa, there was only one entry
>"The order came out better than expected, I hope it was not a waste of bits."
>He wrote of your promise in training, and his pride in your success es thus far
>Then there was the entry from yesterday
>"After this mission, I'll give Anon his gifts, I think he's earned them."
>Gifts?
>You put down the journal, and see the pack in the corner
>Digging through it, you find an ornate wooden case, and lay it to the side
>You stare at it for a moment, wondering what it could be
>Slowly, you flick it open, and raise the lid
>Your jaw drops to the floor
>In the case lay two percussion cap pistols
>You pick one up, examining it
>It was elegantly simple, though this was your first time seeing that such technology even existed here
>While admiring it's workmanship, you don't notice Mosina standing in the doorway
>"They're based off captured minotaur technology. Hugo had the armorer in Appleloosa make them for you."
"You knew?"
>She nods
>"He wanted to surprise you."
>You put the pistol back in it's case with it's twin
"I should have saved him."
>Mosina walks up beside you, putting a hoof on your shoulder
>"You did everything you could Anon, he asked you to stay with us."
>You can't respond, you only shut your eyes as they burn with the onslaught of tears 
>Mosina sits down beside you, and hugs you tightly
>In the gray mist of the early morning, the two of you sit there and cry in each others arms
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>"If what you say is true, we don't have much time." Shaleek said, pacing back and forth
"I wouldn't make this up."
>She stops pacing and stares at you
>"I know. The loss of your friend is unfortunate, but now we have a clear idea of what we're dealing with, and how to proceed."
>You couldn't believe your ears
"What do you mean, proceed?"
>"We can't let those minotaur have whatever is behind that door."
>Your eye twitches 
>"We have one week until the night of the Blood Moon. That means we have one week to formulate a plan."
"You want to send us back...?"
>"I MUST send you back. You might not understand how important this is, but I do, and the princesses do."
>There were no words
>Turning and walking back down the steps, you hear Shaleek call down to you
>"Don't wander far, I'll be calling for you sooner than you think."
>Mosina is waiting outside as you storm out
>"I'm guessing your talk didn't go too well..." 
"Nope."
>She frowns, following you
>"What did she tell you?"
>You stop, sighing deeply
"She needs us to go back to Whinnypeg. We're not done here." 
>Her eyes went wide and she stopped in her tracks
>"No, no no no...you TOLD her what happened right?"
>You stop, turning to look at her
"No, I told her it was a god damned blast. Of course I told her."
>Mosina recoils at the sting in your words
>"There's no need for the sarcasm Anon..."
>Your frustration was getting the better of you
>You took a deep breath, trying to relax, before kneeling down in front of her
"I'm sorry...I just can't believe this. We're in way over our heads and that witch is sending us on a suicide mission."
>Mosina walks up and nuzzles you
>Her touch was soothing, and you return the gesture, scratching her gently behind the ear
>She made the cutest sound when you did that...
>"We're going to get out of this Anon...I know it."
>You had to admit, she was a fighter
>How else could someone be optimistic about a situation like this?
>When you arrived back at camp, Mr. Oblast and Flik were putting out the camp fire
>"That witch have any good news for us this time?" Oblast asked, noticing you and Mosina as you approached
>"Don't ask." Mosina said
>Oblast scoffed
>"I'll take that as a no."
>You keep walking to Hugo's hut as the others talk about your next move
>Taking up the pistol case, you set it on the bed and open it
"Two guns...no ammo..." 
>Not like Hugo to be so unprepared
>You take out both pistols, laying them aside, and examine the box
>It felt far too heavy to be empty
"There's got to be something..."
>Flipping it over, the velvet inner case shifts
>Jackpot
>You pull it off and reveal the hidden compartment underneath
>Roughly fifty paper cartridges, and a bag of caps
>You can't help but smile
"Thanks, Hugo..."
>Donning your new weapons on their belt, you rejoin the others outside
>"All I'm saying is that we don't NEED to stay here..." Flik begged
>"The princesses asked us to do these tasks for their contacts. We don't have a choice." Mosina said
"She's right, Luna and Celestia are counting on us to get this done."
>Flik grumbled
>"I don't remember signing anything agreeing to that." 
>"You signed your life away when you drained my cider out of that barrel, son." Oblast said, punching Flik's shoulder
>"So while we wait for Shaleek to formulate her master plan, what are we supposed to do?" Mosina asked
>You look over across the water, Whinnypeg Island in the distance
"Why wait?"
>...
>"Shaleek said that the door will only open for a native born, great in deed and pure in spirit...where are we going to find somepony like that?" Mosina asked as you all sat in the local pub
"I was hoping you would have some sort of idea, actually." You say as Mr. Oblast comes back with your drinks
>"I'll do it, I've done my fair share of debauchery but my soul's clean as a whistle." He said, sliding you each a mug
>Mosina chuckled and shook her head
>"Sorry Mr. Oblast, but that door needs someone with hands. We need a minotaur or..." she trailed off, looking at 
your hands
>You snap your fingers
"Hey, I'm from Earth, remember?"
>"Oh, yeah, sorry." She says, chuckling embarrassed
>You give her an understanding smile, and she returns it
>"What about me? I can just take the form of a minotaur and get hands!" Flik suggested
>You think for a moment
"Somehow I don't think a disguise is going to fool a spell. I could be wrong but it's too risky."
>"It could work! If I can fool living things why couldn't I fool a spell?"
>"We've seen your acting, soon as someone talks to you ain't nobody getting fooled by that." Oblast laughed
>"It's not that bad..."
>Mosina pulled out her notes from her bag
>"In my research I couldn't find anything concrete, but there are rumors of a hermit who lives here in the southern Everfree. They say he's a great warrior, that he voluntarily fought in the Great Crusade in Cervidas, fending off the abominations that came from beyond and the Fringe, saving millions."
>"A great deed for sure, but that would make him very old." Oblast said
>"Which is cause for concern, if he's out there he could be our ticket through that door, but he may not even be alive for all we know."
>You down your cider, and stand from your seat
"Well then, gentlemen, lady, let's get hermit hunting."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The depths of the Everfree were tranquil
>Bird songs danced through the air, bouncing off of the trees as they spread through the forest
>Under the shade of the canopy, all manner of life co-existed in the purest, untouched wilderness
>A grasshopper hopped along, before stopping to chew on a leaf close to the ground
>In a flash of black, two velvety wings swoop down upon it, the bat flying away to enjoy its dinner
>As it disappears into the forest, your blade carves a path through the undergrowth
"So you're SURE this is the right way?" You ask, cutting through more brush
>"The rumors say he lives on the bank of a small lake to the north east. If we keep going this way we should be able to find it."
"Should?" You ask
>Mosina gives you a nervous smile
>"Well it IS only a rumor..."
>You roll your eyes
"I trust it's at least somewhat credible if it got your attention."
>"I sure hope it's a bit more than "somewhat"." Flik said, unsnagging himself from another vine
>"Don't worry, I have a good feeling about this." Mosina said, trying to be reassuring
>You cut through another overgrown wall of foliage, coming into a small clearing
>You feel your arm aching, you'd been chopping your way through for an hour
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm pooped. We'll make a fire and camp here for the night."
>Mosina gave you a cockeyed look
>"Wait a minute, you didn't say we'd be staying out here!"
>Laying down your pack and blade against a tree, you chuckle to yourself
"Would you prefer to stumble around this place in the dark?"
>She furrows her brow at you, accepting the reality of the situation
>As the sun drops from the sky, the darkness quickly grows around your small campsite
>Only the light of the fire illuminates a small circle around the four of you
>For hours you listened to the other three talk
>You weren't listening too much, instead you sat, staring into the fire
>The events of the last few days played in your mind, and things yet to come left you strangely numb
>As Flik and Oblast bantered on, you notice Mosina staring at you out of the corner of your eye
>Snapping out of your trance, you look up at her and force a smile
>She does too, but you can see that typical inquisitive look in her eyes
>But she doesn't say a word
>After the others had gone to sleep, you sat up keeping watch
>The sound of crickets chirping and the crackling of the fire the only noises around
>As you threw another log onto the fire, you hear someone creeping up behind you
>Almost instinctively, your hand reaches for your blade, crudely slid through your belt
>"So, you want to tell me what's bothering you?" Mosina asks, sitting down beside you
>With a sigh of relief, you relax
"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that you know." 
>She chuckles
>"You know me better than that Anon, you should expect it by now." She said with a playful attitude
>"Now, what's on your mind?"
>You wanted to tell her
>But in reality, you couldn't piece it together in any meaningful way
>You had no words for what it was that you were feeling
>Only one way out of this...
"It's nothing, really." 
>"Uh huh, and you expect me to believe that?"
>This pony...
>You grin and go back to poking the fire
"No, not really."
>She puts her hoof on your knee
>"Are you still thinking about Hugo?"
"Sort of. That's not really it though."
>"Then what?"
>You sigh deeply
>The persistence never ceased to amaze you
"I don't know, maybe I'm just a little overwhelmed. Everything is changing so fast, it's a little scary, you know?" You say as you stare back into the flames
>You feel Mosina's hoof on your chin, pulling your head to face hers
>You look into the eyes staring back at you
>Those eyes...
>It's been said that the eyes are the gateway to the soul
>And looking into these...you believed it
>You felt a warmth wash over you
>"Oh Anon..." She sighed, moving her hoof up to your cheek
>You feel yourself moving closer to her, slowly
>Lost in those longing eyes...
>Then you hear a twig snap
>You freeze as the growling begins
>Green eyes shine through the darkness
"Oblast, Flik, wake up!" You call out, drawing your blade and taking a back to back stance with Mosina
>Oblast is the first to stir, shaking his head of the weariness
>"Anon? What's with all the..." as he begins to understand the situation, he hops to his hooves immediately
>Flik snores loudly
>Mr. Oblast kicks him, and he quickly comes to
>"Ow!"
>"Get up you idiot!" Oblast said, dragging the changeling over to join the two of you with his magic
>Shambling into the circle of light emitted from the fire, you saw them
>"Timber wolves..." Mosina gasped
>"Close your eyes!" Oblast said, his horn glowing bright white
"What?" You say in disbelief
>"Do it!"
>You obey, shutting your eyes as Oblast fires his flare into the air
>In a blinding flash of light, the flare exploded
"Run!" You shouted, taking off into the woods
>With the others close behind, you jumped and carved your way through as fast as you could
>After a few moments, you could hear the growling and barking coming from behind
"Flik, a little help here?!"
>He seems to think for a moment, before a flash of brilliance crosses his face
>Suddenly you're running beside the angry rhino again
>"Get on!"
>Far be it from you to argue
>You hop up, reaching your hand out to pull up Mosina
>She grabs your hand and you pull her up behind you
>"Mr. Oblast come on!" Mosina calls out
>He's visibly struggling to keep up
>"Slow...down!"
>"I can't! Flik shouts, charging through the brush with ease
>He needed to keep up his momentum 
>You get an idea
"Grab his tail!"
>"WHAT?!" Flik said in disbelief
>With his last bit of strength, and the timberwolves breathing down his neck, Oblast leaps forward...
>And bites down on Flik's stubby tail
>"OWWWWWW!!!"
>"Qwith cryng pussthy!" Oblast shouted with a mouth full of tail
>Into the darkness you continued to charge, the timberwolves falling behind
"I think we're losing them!" You say
>"Yeah but now we're-" 
>Mosina is cut off as you all burst through the tree line
>Your heart sinks as you see the ravine just ahead
>There was no time to stop
>Flik tries to skid to a halt, but you all go over the edge
>Through the panicked screaming of your friends, you see there is a flowing river at the base of the ravine
>Well isn't that lucky...
>After a moment of free fall, you hit the water like a ton of bricks, and you black out
>When you open your eyes, you feel yourself being pulled out of the water and onto the river bank
>You cough up water violently and just stare up at the sky when your lungs were finally cleared
>After catching your breath, you look to your left and see the others have also been pulled ashore and were in varying states of recovery
>As you try and remember what happened, you hear heavy hoof steps move toward you before a towel hits your head
>"You all took a pretty nasty fall back there, you're lucky I had my fishing net here or you might not have stopped."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
>You pull the towel off your head and freeze as you see the towering figure before you
>A white minotaur
>You panick and quickly try to scramble to your feet, reaching for your blade
>It's gone
>You reach for your pistols
>They're gone too
>"Looking for these?" He asks, his hand holding both of your weapons easily
>Well, shit
>As you begin silently preparing your anus, he laughs heartily, tossing the pistols to you
>"Relax, I pulled them out of the water for you." 
>You fumble with the weapons, almost dropping them 
"Th-thanks..." You stutter
>The minotaur grins and nods at you
>"Check on your friends, when everyone's ready you can all come up to the house." He said, walking up the hill 
>You watch as he disappears over the top of the hill, then rush over to your friends
>Mosina nursed Flik as he continued to cough up water
>"Who was THAT?"
"Just how many minotaur do you think are living out here in the wilderness?" You chuckle, kneeling down beside them
>You shake Flik's shoulder as he draws a deep breath
"You okay?"
>"Crystal..." He gasped
>"Next time, stop me before I run off the side of the cliff, okay?"
>Mosina laughs
>"Hopefully there won't be another cliff to run off of."
>You both help Flik to his hooves
>"Yeah, that would be nice too."
>Mr. Oblast walked over, cracking his neck
>"Next time we need to escape, why don't we try flying, eh bug boy?"
>As you reach the top of the hill, you are greeted by the sight of a silvery lake, a small cottage on it's shore
>"How's that for credible?" Mosina says, nudging you
>You approach the cottage door and stand outside
>"Come in!" A voice calls from within
>The four of you look at each other
>Cautiously, you push the door open and step inside
>The inside of the cottage is surprisingly roomy
>It reminds you a lot of your old home in Ponyville
>...Minus the animal skins on the wall
>Apparently your friend here was a hunter
>You noticed him standing in front of his fireplace, stirring a pot
>"It's not often travelers come this deep into the forest." He said, not looking away from his stew
>"We're uh...not your average travelers." Mosina said nervously
>"Clearly, I would not have expected you to make it here otherwise."
"Well, we wouldn't have if you didn't save us." You say
>He waved a hand at you
>"I couldn't have you tangling up my net. A minotaur needs to eat after all."
>He turns and looks to the four of you
>"And so do certain travelers whose names I haven't been told yet, despite saving their lives."
>"I'm Mosina, and this is Anon. That's Flik and Mr. Oblast."
>"Well it's nice to meet you all, even considering the circumstances. And what brings you out here?"
"We're looking for someone, a hermit." You say
>Your host chuckles
>"You move out of the city and suddenly you're a hermit these days."
"You're the one from the stories? Who fought in the Great Crusade?"
>The minotaur smiles, still minding his stew
>"Steel Toe's the name. Now, let's eat!"
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>That night you all slept on the cottage floor
>Steel Toe was generous enough to provide you with dry blankets while all of your belongings dried by the fire
>Which he also stayed up to tend to while you slept
>This guy was...really nice
>Like, the nicest minotaur you'd ever met
>Not that you'd met many minotaur but all the same...
>You were still restless, tossing and turning for hours
>Frustrated, you sat up with grunt
>Steel Toe looks to you, before turning his attention back to the fire
>"Something troubling you, Anon?"
"You don't know the half of it." You groan
>He smirks
>"I might know more than you think." 
>Remember who you're talking to, dumbass
>"I've seen too many like you before. Boys and girls coming back home from the war had the same look."
"What look?" You asked
>He turned to you, a faint look of sadness on his face
>"Like you're damaged, tainted. Ponies are a peaceful race, mostly. The war took it's toll on all who made it through. I don't know where you come from, but it seems to have done a number on you too."
"I'm not sure I understand."
>Steel toe shakes his head, and looks back at the fire
>"Those pistols of yours, they're of minotaur make, yes?"
>Where was he going with this?
>You picked one up off your belt beside you and inspected it
"Based on, yeah." You said
>"Even for copies, they are fine weapons. Where did you get them?"
"They were gifts, from a friend."
>He smiled again
>"That's a good friend, I hope you plan to return the favor."
>A pang of guilt shot through you
>He must have noticed as you sat there in silence, because he instantly changed the subject
>"Do you know how to use them?"
>Come to think of it, you really didn't
>You had an idea, but you hadn't exactly used muzzle loaders before
"I'm not really sure, no." 
>"Would you like to learn?"
"You'd teach me? You asked, surprised at yet another offering by your host
>He nods
>"It would be criminal to let those pieces of art go unused."
>That was the first time you'd ever heard someone refer to a weapon as "art", but looking at the pistol, you could see it
"Well sure, if you wouldn't mind." You said, handing him the pistol
>"It'd be my pleasure."
>For hours Steel Toe explained the manual of arms of your weapons, interlacing it with the history of the minotaur and their advancements
>He told you of great cities, thriving metropolises that were hubs of science and culture
>And he told you of the dark ages that fell upon the minotaur, reducing their great cities to ruin, scattering them
>You made sure to take notes of it all, Mosina would appreciate this extra effort from her assistant
>Soon, the darkness outside began to give way to the light of the sun
>Steel toe doused the fire
>"You should get a couple hours of sleep, I have some work to do in the meantime."
>Yawning, you decided he was probably right
"Will do, thanks again Steel Toe." You say as he walks out of the room
>Your restlessness actually seemed to have subsided, and you feel yourself slipping into sleep almost instantly as you lay your head to the floor
>Hours later, you feel yourself being shaken awake 
>Your eye cracks open, greeted by Mosina's smiling face
>"Wakey wakey sleepy head!"
>You sat up and rubbed your eyes, feeling surprisingly well rested
>"You look better than you have in days Anon, sleep well?"
"Yeah, actually I did. Steel Toe and I had a little talk last night, speaking of, these are for you." You say, grabbing the notes from last night out of your bag and giving them to Mosina
>She scans the pages, reading them with lightning speed
>"Anon...these are fantastic! I've never seen this much information on the minotaur!"
>You smile as she excitedly looks over your notes
"It's all from Steel Toe, I thought you might like a little something extra for the book."
>She looks over the notes to you, her eyes shining with absolute joy
>She throws her arms around you, squeezing you with surprising strength
>"Thank you so much Anon!" She says
"No...problem..." You gasp, fighting for air 
>She loosens her squeeze and pulls her head back, looking you in the eyes for a moment
>"How did I ever get so lucky to have such a great assistant?"
"Yeah getting steamrolled by a stranger in the market place turned out awfully well, didn't it?"
>She rolled her eyes at you, still smiling
>"So it did. Steel Toe said he wanted you to meet him out back, I'm going to wake these two up and then I'll be right out to meet you."
>You stand up, cracking your back, bending over to get your belt
"Have fun..." You chuckle, walking to the door
>"Wake up Mr. Oblast..." You hear as you walk outside
>"No babushka! Not the paddle!"
>As you walk around the cottage, you see Steel Toe leaning up against a post marked "0"
>Looking beyond him, you see more posts, marked in intervals of ten, with targets near each one
"You called for me?" 
>He smirked
>"I did. Now, let's see if you remember what I told you last night. Take your best shot."
>You hesitated momentarily
>But you draw one of your pistols and step up to the line
>You pull a paper cartridge from your pouch, biting off the top
>Using the ramrod you force it down the barrel, and stick a percussion cap on the nipple
>You cock the hammer and take aim
>The sights were surprisingly easy to line up
>Aiming for the center of the ten meter target, you pull the trigger
>With a bang and a cloud of smoke, you feel the recoil through your arm
>You stand there in awe, until the smoke clears and you see no mark on the target
"I missed..."
>You feel Steel Toe's hand on your shoulder
>"Don't worry, you'll get it."
>You hear hooves rushing toward you
>Mosina rushed over to you frantically
>"What was that?! Are you okay?"
>You laugh
"Jeez, relax I'm fine. It was just the gun."
>"Oh...that's a lot louder than I expected."
>You look at the pistol in your hand
"Yeah, me too."
>"Can I watch? Almost nopony gets to see this sort of technology in use." She said excitedly, already pulling out her notebook
"Oh, you want to save my failures for posterity to read about?"
>She smiles slyly at you
>"Consider it motivation!"
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>For a straight hour Steel Toe molded your technique until you could put your rounds on the target
>For a straight hour Mosina snickered at the difficulty you were having
>She took note of everything Steel Toe told you, every detail of the function and proper use of your weapon
>You hoped that the readers of this future book would actually care about the workings of a tool they couldn't even use
>Regardless, your frustration was building as you still missed your target
"I'm starting to think these sights are jacked, Steel." You say as you load another round
>"Unlikely, they're tested before the gun is put into service." He dismissed, scratching his chin
>"Maybe you're just not that great of a shot?" Mosina suggested, having finally put away her notes
>You furrowed your brow at her
>"I'm just saying..."
>You sigh, and take aim again
>"Anon, I want you to clear your mind, don't think about your other shots. Just focus on your target." Steel Toe said
"What do you think I've been doing?"
>"Getting upset at your failures. Your fear is consuming your focus, throwing you off. Let go of the fear."
"Maybe I could use a little more positive "motivation", huh Mosina?" You wink
>She rolls her eyes at you
>With a smirk, you turn back to your target, lining up the sights
>You stop, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath
"No fear..." You think, slowly exhaling and opening your eyes
>Your vision fixated on the center of your target
>Slowly you squeeze the trigger, careful not to jerk it
>The hammer falls, and the shot rings through the air, smoke billowing all around
>When it clears, there is a small hole just right of the bullseye
>"Well would you look at that." Steel Toe said, slapping you on the back
>That night you all sat eating around the table
>Though Steel Toe was being as hospitable as ever, you and Mosina were beginning to feel like you were overstaying your welcome
>"-and that about sums up my first, and last visit to Stalliongrad, Mr. Oblast." He said, wrapping up a rather lengthy story for your companion
>"Well I think you just got a rough deal, it's a rough city, but we're fair up in the north you know." Oblast said, digging back into his food
>You and Mosina discussed it earlier, you would ask Steel Toe to accompany you to Saddleside tonight
>Mosina cleared her throat, trying to cut in
>"Everything alright over there, my dear?" 
>She blushed slightly at the word
>"I'm fine Steel Toe, sir. But, we kind of need to tell you something."
>Raising his eyebrow, Steel Toe looks at her with interest
>"Go on?"
>"Well...we haven't been entirely truthful with you I guess you could say..."
>"Mhmm..." Steel toe hums
>"I...uh, we..." Mosina stutters
"What she means, Steel, is that we weren't just coming for a visit. We came to ask for help." You say
>He pushed away his bowl
>"What sort of help?"
"On Whinnypeg Island there's a place, a place sealed off by powerful magic-"
>"The Sanctum..." He muttered
"Yes, but none of us can open it, we need your help."
>The old minotaur sits silently
>"And why is it that you think it should be opened?" He says after a few moments
>Mosina speaks up
>"Saddleside's shaman Shaleek said that we needed to recover whatever is in there, it's too dangerous."
>"Shaleek...that's a name I haven't heard in many years."
>"You two know each other?" Mosina asked curiously
>"You could say that. I was her adviser once upon a time. Very tenacious that one. Decided she'd be better off on her own."
"And that's why you came to live out here?" You ask, putting the pieces together
>He nodded
>"Rest assured, she will not take kindly to me waltzing back into town on her operation."
>"She doesn't have to know! She doesn't even know that we came out here looking for you really." Mosina pleaded
>"All the same I don't believe that this is my business. I'm happy to give you all food and shelter, but I am an old minotaur, my adventuring days are behind me."
"Steel, we need your help, without you Vice Grip and his-"
>"Vice Grip?" Steel Toe said, surprised
"Let me guess, you know him too?"
>"I should know my own nephew."
>You felt your heart hit the floor
>"N-nephew?" Mosina asked, her voice cracking
>Steel toe nodded sullenly
>"Yes, always the trouble maker. Ever since his parent's died I'd raised him like my own son, but his anger...he blamed the world for the accident. He left this place years ago."
>He sighed
>"Last I'd heard, he was in a reformatory...I take it that's changed?"
>You all look at each other
>"He's running a band of rogue minotaur, they want to steal whatever is in the Sanctum." Mosina said
>Steel Toe grew very serious, and rose to his feet
>"Everyone get to bed, tomorrow you will take me to Shaleek."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>At the crack of dawn, the five of you headed out the door immediately
>With a singular determination, Steel Toe pushed forward through the forest toward Saddleside
>It was actually surprisingly difficult to keep up with him
>His previous cheery demeanor had disappeared as well, replaced with a cold focus
>He hadn't said more than a few words all morning
>You decided it would probably be best to let him lead the way, he knew what he was doing
"Everything okay up there, Steel?" You say eventually, breaking the awkward silence
>"Quite alright Anon. We should be in Saddleside soon."
"Okay, sure we don't need to look at the map or anything?"
>Mosina nudges you
>"We're doing fine Anon, we're headed in the right direction."
"I forgot, you're our living compass." You say
>Mosina beamed brightly at you
>"You know it!"
>She turns to Flik and Oblast trailing behind
>Mr. Oblast was observing a bug that had landed on Flik's back intensely
>"It's like I'm seeing double..."
>"Oh hardy har har...for the thousandth time I'm not a bug." Flik grumbled
>"You sure? This guy looks like he could be your cousin or something."
>"Oh leave him alone Mr. Oblast, Flik's been a great help." Mosina called back
>Flik smiles a toothy grin
>"I'm not saying he hasn't, just saying he looks an awful lot like a bug..."
"He's got a point." You chime in, snickering
>Mosina furrows her brow at you
>"Don't encourage him."
"Why? It's not like-"
>You bump into Steel Toe, who'd stopped walking
"Steel why are we stopping?"
>"Shhh." He says, kneeling down, motioning for you all to do the same
>You sit in silence for a moment, listening
>"Into the tall grass, all of you!" Steel Toe commands
>As quickly as you can, the five of you pile into the grass, prone
>You listen for any sound, trying to pinpoint whatever Steel Toe was
>But for minutes, nothing
>Then, you hear the steps through the brush
>You all go completely silent as a group of minotaur approach
>"This is a waste of time, Vice Grip sends us out to wander around in the woods looking for some hermit who probably doesn't even exist...we should be just bashing that door open." 
>"It's magic you idiot, you can't just bust it down. The boss said we need someone special to do this, and I'm gonna take his word over yours."
>You look to Mosina, covering her mouth with her hooves trying to stifle any sound
>Mr. Oblast had worked himself on top of Flik, suppressing his panic underneath
>The minotaur moved along, back toward the ravine
>Steel Toe remains in the prone position, motioning with his hand for you to do the same
>When the enemies voices finally disappear, he is the first to rise
>"We have to hurry, they'll come running when they realize I've left with you."
"But that's like, an hour away..." You start to say
>"They're lollygagging, as soon as they see I'm not there they'll come running, now lets get out of here."
>You all start crawling out of the grass and brush the dirt off
>"What the hay was that Oblast? You nearly suffocated me!" Flik said, gasping for breath
>"I wouldn't have had to do that if you weren't about to lose your mind." Mr. Oblast chuckled, seemingly unphased by what happened
>For the first time, you began to notice something about those two
>The growing relationship between the two, especially on Mr. Oblast's part
>It's something you thought you'd never see, a pony taking an almost brotherly role toward a changeling
>It was pretty inspiring
>Mosina catches your stare, and smiles at you as you walk
>"You noticed it too huh?"
>You nod
"Really is something, huh?"
>"It's exactly the type of thing I'm hoping for out of all this. More compassion, more understanding."
>You chuckle
"What, we're gonna get rid of hate and prejudice with a book?"
>She shrugs
>"There have been plenty that inspired them, who's to say the opposite won't work?"
>You just shook your head and smiled
>Back on Earth, this idea would be nothing short of crazy
>But in this land of magical talking horses, it might just be crazy enough to work
>And you'd humor the idea for her
>No matter how hard you found it to believe...
>You all marched through the forest as quickly as you could
>Soon, it became less dense, like you were approaching the tree line
>A voice suddenly pierced your mind
>"Where have you been?! I couldn't sense you or your friends in the area for days!"
>Shaleek...
>You still hadn't figured out how to respond when she does these little mind invasions
>There was one idea, worth a try...
"We had to go take care of something, we think it'll help with our dilemma." You think
>"Well, here I was thinking you'd forgotten all about the job we have to do. What "something" did you have to take care of?"
"Oh, nothing major, just getting our key to opening the Sanctum..."
>There was a pause, but you still felt her presence
>"In the Everfree?"
"Yes ma'am."
>Another pause
>"I really hope this isn't what I think it is. Get here, now!"
>And with that, she was gone
>"You alright over there Anon? You look like something's on your mind?" Mosina asked
"More like IN my mind." You sigh
>You slap Steel Toe on the shoulder
"Hope you're ready for a warm welcome home."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>You, Mosina, Mr. Oblast and Flik sat outside Shaleek's tower while she talked to Steel Toe
"I don't think she's very happy with us."
>Mosina looks at you, putting on a feigned look of utter confusion
>"Gee, I wonder why?"
>You just chuckle at her
"Really though, what else were we going to do? I bet she would have ended up just telling us to do the same thing. We just saved a lot of time."
>Mosina rolls her eyes
>"Think about it, Shaleek basically runs this town, has for Celestia knows how long. I can see how she might be a little miffed that somepony went around her on something so important."
>You shrug
"I guess. Still, now we have a couple of days until the Blood Moon to prepare, she could at least be a little bit thankful."
>"I'm sure she is, kinda seems like she's always putting up a front to me." Flik said
>Mr. Oblast laughed
>"The kid has a point, he would know better than any of about putting up fronts."
>Flik waved a hoof at Oblast
>"Yeah yeah, changeling , we get it. I just don't see why she's gotta be so high strung all the time."
>"Have you ever run a town, changeling? Or should I say hive?" Shaleek said, seemingly having materialized behind you all with Steel Toe at her side
>"Town is fine, thanks..." Flik grumbled
>"It's not a position to be taken lightly, so excuse my occasional shortness."
>Steel Toe smirked
>"You hear that? The old girl's just a little stressed out from work. Cut her some slack."
>Shaleek glared at him, but that shit eating grin didn't falter in the least
>"After discussing it with Steel Toe, we have concluded that you cannot go back to Whinnypeg Island alone."
>You breathed a sigh of relief
>But Mosina looked confused
>"So who's coming with us?" she asked
>"I've sent for additional resources from the Princesses, from what my friend here tells me you've worked with them before Mr. Oblast."
>Oblast raises his eyebrow and smirks
>"Captain Sterling and his crew? Well I'll be damned."
>"They will arrive on the night of the Blood Moon and escort you to the Sanctum. Those minotaur won't stand a chance." Shaleek said, rather cheerfully
>Finally some good news
>"In the meantime, we will prepare."
>Days pass
>You spend them going over every detail of the plan, or training with Steel Toe
>All the while, the thought of your last trip to Whinnypeg clawed at the back of your mind
>The night before the Blood Moon, you toss and turn in your sleep
>You're back on the island, the sand beneath your feet
>The others rush past into the forest ahead
>You struggle to keep up with them, your legs like weights beneath you
>Stumbling, almost falling, your friends fade into the distance
"Wait!" You call out, breathless from trying to keep up
>Stumbling to your knees, you gasp for breath
"Guys! Come back!" 
>Your voice echoes through the trees, to no response
>Then the twigs behind you begin to snap
>Turning to face the noise, you're greeted by the looming figures of Vice Grip and his minotaur
>And they were closing fast
>You try to run, facing them alone would be certain death
>As fast as your legs could carry you, you tried to flee
>You barreled through the brush, still hearing them behind you
>In the dark it was hard to see, but you pressed forward
>Suddenly, the trees gave way, and you skid to a halt
>There was no more ground to run, only a bottomless abyss, and a red moon in the sky
>The trees break behind you, and the hoofsteps approach
>You draw your blade and turn to face them
>Vice Grip silently approaches, wielding his war hammer
"Come on you son of a bitch..."
>He raises his hammer and swings it at you
>You try to block it but the force sends your blade flying from your hand and into the darkness
>Drawing a pistol, you point it at the minotaur's chest and fire
>But to no avail...
>Before you can react, Vice Grip has gripped you by the neck, crushing your wind pipe
>Struggling makes no difference as you try to break his hold
>You feel consciousness leave you as Vice Grip hurls you over the ledge into the abyss
>The Blood Moon seems to get smaller and smaller as you fall, and just as it appears as a small dot of red in a sea of black, you hear a voice in the darkness
>"Don't be afraid..."
>Stirring from your sleep, you feel your head being cradled and someone brushing through your hair 
>"Don't be afraid Anon, everything's going to be okay...it's just bad dream...." Mosina continues to whisper as she attempts to comfort you
"W-what happened?" You manage to grumble
>With a small gasp, Mosina locks her arms around your head in a hug
>"Anon! Thank Luna you're awake, you were having a nightmare. I've never seen somepony so distressed while they slept..."
"Distressed?" you asked, shaking your head
>She nodded, her eyes shiny
>Was she crying?
>"You were all over the floor, rolling around, talking to yourself, I didn't know what to do so I just started talking to you and hoped that you'd hear me."
>You look at her with mild disbelief
>She got that worked up over that? Even knowing it was a dream?
>"I know it's stupid, I was just worried, you probably could even hear me in there and-"
>You put a finger up to her lips to silence her, and pull her in for a tight squeeze
>She nuzzles into your shoulder as you stroke her mane
"Don't worry, I heard you..."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>You sit with Mosina on the cliffside overlooking the beach and ocean below
>A slight breeze whisked through the air, chilling you as you looked toward Whinnypeg Island in the distance
>The light morning fog that hung over the water obscured it completely
>But even though you couldn't see it, you could feel it calling
>"Do you think it's gonna be alright Anon?"
>You cock an eyebrow
"Hmm?"
>"Tonight, when we go back. Do you think everyone's going to be alright?" Mosina asked again
>You are silent
>Your mind flashes with images of your dream from the night before
>Had it been a sign of things to come?
>Luna had said that they were sometimes visions of the future...
>But then again, she also said that most times they meant nothing
>You put your arm around Mosina
"Yeah, I think we're all going to be just fine."
>"You promise?"
>You turn and look back over the ocean
"Everyone's going to be fine Mosina."
>"That's not what I asked-"
>"Good to see you two up bright and early!" Steel Toe called from behind you
>"Shaleek wants everyone in her study for one last briefing on the plan before tonight, Oblast and Flik are making breakfast now if you want some."
>Mosina looks at you, still waiting for your answer, but eventually gets up and walks back toward camp
>You follow suit, and Steel Toe catches you by the shoulder as you pass, stopping you in your tracks
>"It's wise not to make a promise if you know you can't keep it. I'm glad to see you understand that."
>You look him in the eye, and are met with a knowing smile
>You nod, and continue toward camp to join the others...
>"...and they will meet you on the island, arriving shortly before you and establishing a safe landing zone. We don't want a repeat of last time with you all getting caught on a sandbar."
"You're positive they're going to be there?" You ask Shaleek
>She glares at you
>"Captain Sterling and his team are professionals, and this is a simple operation. I'm sure they'll be there on time and you should trust my judgement." 
>You put your hands up, signalling your concession
>"Are there any other questions?"
>Mosina slowly raises her hoof
>"Yes?" Shaleek says, irritated
>"When do we go?"
>The air was still as you all stepped onto the boat
>The sky was beginning to darken, soon the sun would completely fall
>Shaleek had come to the dock to see you off
>"Do not take longer than you absolutely must. The minotaur are many, and even Luna's guard will not be able to withstand a prolonged conflict."
"Thanks for the words of encouragement." You said sarcastically, shoving off from the dock
>She cocked an eyebrow, and you couldn't be sure, but you thought you saw her grinning
>"I hope to see you all very soon."
>As the boat drifted away, you all look back toward the dock
>"That was a little weird..." Mosina muttered
>"Everything about that zebra is weird." Mr. Oblast laughed
>Steel Toe frowns
>"She never was one for socialization. Don't blame her too much for being so...unrefined." He said
>You watch the sun as you drift toward the ialdns
>Slowly, you can almost see it falling below the horizon
>The moon was already in the sky...a pale pinkish color
"The Blood Moon..." 
>You look to Mosina, who'd been quiet for some time now
>Watching the same moon...
>Tapping her shoulder, she turns to you slowly
>Her eyes met yours, but they looked almost empty
"Mosina, when do you need to take this Mended Soul? The sun's gonna be gone soon."
>She just stares at you
>You snap your fingers in her face
"Hey, stay with me! When do you need to take this stuff?"
>Shaking her head, she seems to come out of her trance like state
>"W-what? Oh, oh the Mended Soul! Yes I, uh, need to...should probably take some of it now..."
>Quickly, you remove your bag and rifle through it, looking for the plants
>Finally, you find it in the depths of the pack, and pull it out
>As you remove it from it's container, Steel Toe takes notice
>"Hold on a second Anon." He says, taking the plant
>"You only need the flower of the Mended Soul plant for this." He said, producing a knife and cutting off the flower and handing it to you
>"This stuff is past it's prime, I wouldn't expect the best results. But, it'll have to do."
"Since when did you become an expert on bat ponies?" You asked, give Mosina her medicine
>"During the crusade, I served with several of them. It was a long conflict, we dealt with the Blood Moon and it's effects. Twice."
>He adjusted the sails, catching what little wind there was
>"We have to make damn sure that our little Mosina doesn't go without this stuff for more than a couple of hours."
>You feed Mosina the leafy flower, making sure she eats all of it
"Feel better?"
>For a few moments, she continues staring blankly 
>But then, her eyes light up like a switch got flicked on in her mind
>She gives you a smile, and a small nuzzle on the nose
>"Thank you Anon, I was getting a little out of it there."
"No kidding, staring off like a zombie. Stick close to me when we get there, okay?"
>She nods happily at you
>"I'm glad to see my assistant taking such a clear interest in my well being!"
>You roll your eyes
"You mean like always?"
>"Five minutes until landing!" Mr. Oblast called from the front
>The waves crashed against the boat, and the sound of thunder rolled across the sky
>You leaned over the side, squinting at the shoreline
>You can see noone on the shore waiting for you
>Uh oh
"Hey, I don't see Sterling or the others on the beach!"
>Steel Toe laughs and shakes his head
"Well I'm glad you think this is funny..." You grumble
>"Anon, do you really think they're just going to sit out in the open waiting for us?"
"...Good point."
>He puts a hand on your shoulder
>"They'll be there"
>Minutes pass, and soon you're right at the foot of the island
>"Alright! Everybody off!" Mr. Oblast called out, throwing the anchor out rather than riding up on the sandbar again
>You jump off the side of the boat, landing knee deep in the water
>You turn to Mosina, and flash her a cocky smile, reaching out your hand
"Shall we?" 
>She smiles back at you nervously, but takes your hand as you help her out of the boat
>The others follow suit as you trudge up onto the shore
>When your feet hit the sand, you still see no sign of your reinforcements
>You turn to Steel Toe with an skeptical look
"You still sure they're here, Steel?"
>"I don't know, why don't you turn around and find out?" He says
>When you turn back to the beach, you almost bump into the five bat ponies that had apparently snuck up on you
>"So good to see you two again. You're looking well, better than in that prison anyway." Captain Sterling said, a cheeky smile on his face as he looked at you and Mosina
"How did you...?"
>"Masters of surprise, Anon. Where is Hugo?"
>You open your mouth to speak, but no words come, and you just stare at the ground
>The smile fades from Sterling's face as he comprehends the situation
>"I'm sorry, he was a good friend." He said
"Yeah, he was."
>You all stand there in silence for a moment
>"Well, time to get moving, yes?" Sterling says
>Mosina nods excitedly
>"Lead the way!"
>You all walked through the forest, alert and ready in case o an ambush
>Sterling and his squad formed around the rest of you, providing protection from every corner
>The thunder had become nearly constant, and a light rain was falling through the canopy
>Above you, through the holes in the trees, the Blood Moon was very much living up to it's name
>Sterling and the others had already taken their dosage of Mended Soul, thankfully, and Mosina still seemed to be holding up
>You thought so at least, you were all silent as you move, trying to not to attract any attention
>Unable to ask her, all you could do was give her a look once in a while, to which she'd return the gaze with a knowing smile before looking back into the brush
>Still, it seemed that maybe, just maybe, there was no ambush waiting for you
>Soon, you can see the Sanctum clearing in the distance
>A fire burning in the large pit...
>And many minotaur seated around it...
"Great, what now? There's way too many of them." You whisper
>Sterling stops and thinks
>"Spring Field, Tula, Izzy, Clip, come with me. The rest of you stay right here and let us take care of this. We're going to give these minotaur the run around."
>Clip looked a little confused
>"Run around, sir?"
>"You'll figure it out real quick son. Follow me." Sterling said, taking flight with the others 
>They flew in a silent formation, just above the canopy until they were right above the minotaur
>After a few moments you see several small orbs dropping from the trees
>You watch as a minotaur picks up one of the orbs that landed next to him, and inspect it
>Suddenly, it bursts in a flash of light
>And another, and another
>The minotaur panic and scramble to their feet blindly
>Sterling and his squad fly down from the trees at top speed and cut through the crowd
>The hollering and confusion of the minotaur escalated as they tried to locate their enemy when their blindness faded
>Sterling and the others made another run through the crowd, cutting down several more minotaur
>"There they are! Get those flying rats!" One of them called
>The crowd took chase as the bats took off into the forest, away from your position
>Soon, the clearing is...clear
>You all sit there, astonished
>"That was a little easy, don't you think?" Flik said
>"You're gonna complain about easy? Enjoy it while you can boy!" Mr. Oblast chastised him, standing up and walking into the clearing
>"He's right..." Steel Toe said
>"If your attack is going too well..."
"You're walking into an ambush..." You finish
"OBLAST GET BACK HERE!" 
>He turns around to say something when an arrow comes flying from the brush, striking him in the leg
>"AH!!!" He cried out, falling to the ground
>You draw your blade and stand to rush to his aid
>But Steel Toe stops you
>"I've got him! You stay here!" He ordered
>Bursting through the brush, Steel Toe rushes to Mr. Oblast's side and picks him up
"Shit, shit!" You say to yourself, looking for your attackers
>Another arrow flies by your head
>Steel Toe carries Mr. Oblast through a sudden hail of arrows
>"He's gonna make it!" Mosina said
"Come on Steel!" You cry, taking a shot with your pistol
>He's almost upon you when suddenly he too cries out in pain, dropping to a knee
>You see as he turns, an arrow had struck him in his lower back
>There was no time to waste
>You ran out and with all your strength lift Steel Toe up to his feet, and continue toward cover
>"Hold!" You hear a voice call out above the commotion
>But the arrows stop
>Steel Toe drops Mr. Oblast into the bush with your companions before collapsing back to his knee
>You turn back to the clearing and see a large minotaur, adorned with red paint standing atop the Sanctum door
>Vice Grip
>"Anon, I need you to break the arrow." Steel Toe gasped
"W-what?" 
>"Break the arrow, we can remove it later." 
>Your hands shaking, you grip the arrow shaft and can see it's lodged deep in your friend's back
>As carefully as you can, you snap it in half, illiciting a grunt of pain
>"Thank you..." Steel Toe said
>"Mosina, Flik, watch Oblast, let none of them take him."
>"Y-yes sir!" Flik stammered, looking at Oblast's wound
>"Now might be a good time to use some of that shape shifting of yours, son." Steel Toe suggested, before turning to you
>"Help me up."
>Once again, you pull Steel Toe to his feet, and turn to face Vice Grip, who leaps from his perch to meet you
>"So nice of you to join us, uncle." He boasted, striding toward you
>"Vice Grip, this has gone on long enough. Stop this." Steel Toe said, struggling through the pain of his wound, that was beginning to bleed profusely
>Vice Grip laughed
>"Uncle, we've only just begun. This is the start of a new era for our people, you should be honored to see it."
>Steel Toe shook his head
>"What would your parents say about all this? This isn't the future that they wanted for you, leader of murderous bandits."
>Vice Grip scowled
>"They would be proud of what their son accomplished, I hoped that you would be too, but I see you've thrown in your lot with our enemies." He said, pointing his hammer toward you
>"I will ask you one time Vice, lay down your arms, and let us retrieve the treasures from within the Sanctum. If these folks aren't leaving with it, nobody will."
>The two stood for a moment staring at each other
>"So be it." Vice Grip said, raising his hammer
>Steel Toe, with sudden strength, pushed you out of the way and drew his sword to block the blow
>You rolled on the ground, and rose to your feet with your own
>But as you looked around, you could see the other minotaur readying their weapons
>"These two are mine!" Vice Grip shouted, his voice booming through the clearing
>Seeing them drop their weapons, you take your opportunity to help your friend
>You take a swing at Vice Grip, only to be met with a hoof to the face, sending you to the ground in incredible pain as the back of your head struck the ground
>Steel Toe, fighting through the pain, launched into a flurry of attacks
>It was incredible watching the fluidity of the blade as it cut through the air
>Vice Grip seemed unaffected though, evading them skillfully
>You struggled to maintain consciousness, laying in agony on the ground
>Rolling over and pushing yourself up to your knees
>Time seemed to be moving in slow motion as you watched the battle
>It was almost unreal
>So much so that you could believe it when you saw Steel Toe drop to his knees, and Vice Grip standing over him
>"I'm sorry uncle, but the new order has no use for traitors." He said, raising his hammer
>Steel Toe spit blood up as his sat there
>"No, Vice Grip, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I couldn't help you avoid the path of evil. But I'm glad my brother didn't live to see his son become a monster." 
>Vice Grip's face contorted with rage, annd as you got to your feet, he brought his hammer down upon Steel Toe's head
>The old minotaur seized up, and fell to the ground
>You have no words
>A flame within you lit as you charged toward Vice Grip
>You take a powerful swing at him, but he reacts with supernatural skill, deflecting your attack and gripping you by the neck
>"So, the monkey has returned to die like both of his friends."
>"No!!!!" Mosina cried, charging forward from the bush
>She leaps and bites Vice Grip's arm with all her might
>"Damn rats!" He growled, giving his arms a powerful flick, sending Mosina flying into a nearby tree
>You struggle against his grip as you feel harder, before he throws you several feet away
>You hit the ground with a hard landing, knocking the wind out of you and causing your sword to fly from your hands
>As you struggle to regain your footing and your breath, you can feel Vice grip approaching
>He yanks you up again by the back of the neck and stares into your eyes, eyes burning with absolute hatred
>"You lose, human." He said cheerfully
>You feel a cold, sharp pain in your gut
>Looking down, you can see the hilt of your blade jammed into you...the blade piercing all the way through
>Vice Grip yanks the blade out, and throws you to the ground
>You gasp for air as you look over to Mosina who was struggling to get up
>"Now you, my little pony...what shall we do with you...." He said, yanking her up by her leg
>She struggled and struggled, until her eyes met yours
>Even as the darkness consumed your vision, you could see her eyes change
>They looked instantly bloodshot, and you watched as she loosed an ear shattering screech, barring her fangs and viciously attacking Vice Grip
>She broke free of his grasp and began attacking all of the minotaur with an unearthy ferocity
>You could feel yourself slipping away, a warmth washed over you
>And then, nothing
>...
>You open your eyes, and see only white
>Quickly, you hop to your feet as if you hadn't just been stabbed in the stomach
>In fact, there was no trace that you had been at all
>You felt all over to see if you were dreaming
>It didn't feel like a dream
>Where were you?
>"Hello Anon." 
>That voice...
>You turn and see a young adult griffon who looked oddly familiar
"Who are you? How do you know my name?"
>The griffon laughed
>"My apologies Anon, I shouldn't have expected you to recognize me in this state."
>It couldn't be...
"H-hugo?"
>He smiled and nodded
"But...you're dead!"
>He rolled his eyes and sighed
>"Yes, that was a bit of an inconvenience wasn't it?"
"But...if you're dead, and we're both here..."
>Hugo nodded slowly at you, waiting for you to finish the thought
>But the words didn't come
>"Yes, Anon. You're dead. Luckily, you won't be here for long, I only have a moment to speak with you."
"This can't be happening..."
>He scoffed
>"Are you listening to me? I said you won't be here very long. Now listen to me, that Trinket of yours, the Eye, it's going to revive you. But I think we both saw you can't defeat Vice Grip the way you were before. So I'm going to help you."
>The eye
>You completely forgot
"I'm sorry, this is a bit overwhelming..." You say
>"It's okay Anon, before you go back, I'm going to give you one last gift. A piece of myself."
>Now you were confused
"You, what?"
>"All of my martial prowess, I know you Anon, I know you're not a warrior at heart. But I don't need that knowledge anymore, and so I'm passing it on to you, to defeat Vice Grip."
"This doesn't make any sense..." You say
>"It doesn't have to." He says, holding out is claw, a stream of energy flowing forth, passing into you
>The sensation is almost overwhelming, your mind racing with an influx of knowledge and experience
>Almost as soon as it began, it ended, leaving you standing there in shock
>"Now get back there and finish the job Anon." Hugo said, turning to leave
"Wait, Hugo..." You say, causing him to stop and turn around
"I just wanted to say thanks, for everything. And...I'm sorry I couldn't save you."
>Hugo smiled a knowing smile
>A portal appeared behind him, and beyond it you could see a young adult female griffon, and beside her, a little boy
>"Don't be." Hugo said, stepping through to join them
>You watched as the portal began to close, the griffons waving at you
>Suddenly, a falling sensation, like you were being dragged at lightning speed
>Your vision blurred, and in a flash, you opened your eyes gasping for breath
>The ground of the clearing beneath you was warm from the fire burning in the pit beside you
>You cough as you feel for your wound
>Your shirt was stained with blood, but your wound was gone
>"Stop running you cowards!" Vice Grip called out as his minions retreated into the forest
>You got to your feet and looked around for your blade
>"She's just one pony!"
>You find your sword, covered in your own blood, and a dropped shield
"Hey, Vice Grip!" You shout
>He tenses up, turning slowly to face you
>His jaw dropping at what he sees
"I didn't hear no bell." You say, raising your shield
>In his rage, Vice Grip charges you once more
>He swings his hammer, but you dodge it with new found agility
>You deflect his counter strikes with your shield, sneaking in cuts here and there with your blade
>Blood begins to stream from his wounds, but his rage keeps Vice Grip coming
>He takes a powerful swing, knocking your sword from your hand
>You brace behind your shield with both hands as he brings another strike down from high above his head, the spike of his war hammer piercing your shield, inches from your face
>He pushed against you, toward the fire pit
>Try as you might, you couldn't stop his pushing
>He was too strong
>You were so close to the fire, you could feel the flames licking your back
>Vice Grip was giving his all into one final push
>"It's over, human!" 
"Yeah," you gasped, reaching into your holster
>You drew your second pistol and cocked it, aiming for his kneecap
"for you."
>You pull the trigger, and the shot tears through Vice Grip's kneecap, ripping his leg in two
>Vice Grip cried out in pain, releasing his grip on the hammer and falling to his knee, trying to hold himself up
>You dropped your shield
"That was for Steel Toe." You said
>Still howling in pain, he starts grasping wildly for his hammer
>You flip your pistol around, holding the barrel, feeling the heavy grip
"And this is for Hugo." 
>With all your strength, you swing the gun like a mace
>With a gut wrenching crack, it contacts his temple, and Vice Grip falls over lifeless
>You stand there for a moment, watching the blood pool around his head
>Reaching into your pocket, you pull out the Eye
>In it's place, you find only a small black pebble
>Fucking magic, how does it work?
>"Anon!" You hear Flik call from cover
"Feel free to step in any time bud." You call back
>From out of the bushes, Flik emerges helping Mr. Oblast along
>"How the hell did you do that?! You were dead! And then you just...you just..."
"I'll explain later, believe me, I'm still figuring it out myself. Where's Mosina?"
>"She fell under the Blood Moon's spell, she's gone batty...no pun intended." Mr. Oblast said, seeming to have gotten the pain under control
>"She chased away the other minotaur, I've never seen anything like it." 
"Which way did she go?" You ask
>You hear a deafening screech, chilling you to your core
>The ground behind you shakes as something lands at breakneck speed
>The dust settles, and the three of you turn to face it
>It had elongated ears, blood red eyes, and fangs that looked like they belonged in a saber tooth tiger
"Mosina..."
>Her glasses were the only thing that reminded you of her in this beast
>"Anon, stay away from her." Oblast said, his voice shaking
>You stepped toward her, ignoring the growls and snarling
"Mosina, it's me, Anon."
>"I know who the fuck you are, you little shit. You're the cowardly monkey that lets his friends die!"
>Her words cut you like a knife
"I know you're not yourself right now, but I can help you...we just need to get you that Mended Soul and-"
>"Don't you ever get tired of being so useless? I don't even know why I brought you along, I can't stand you!"
>"Ouch." Flik said
>You look to your bag laying on the ground about ten feet away
>The bag with your last nit of Mended Soul hanging out
>You look back to Mosina, who was crouching into a charging position
>You lock eyes, and dash for the bag
>In less than a second she's on top of you, gnashing at your face
"Flik! A little help please!" You gasp as you wrestle with the surprisingly strong bat pony on top of you
>Flik quickly takes his rhino form
"No not that, we don't want to hurt her!" you shout as she begins to get the better of you
>Thinking fast, Flik takes the form of a gorilla, charging forward and pulling Mosina off of you
>"I can't hold her for long! Get the bag!"
>Catching your breath, you stagger to your feet and stumble over to the bag, pulling out the Mended Soul
>"I cant hold her!" Flik cried
>You turn in time to see Mosina cast Flik off of her 
>She locked on to you and let out another screech, it was like needles on your brain and you could feel it assaulting your senses
>You nearly drop the Mended Soul as she tackles you to the ground
>With one arm, you try and keep her fangs at bay, and with your free hand you rip the flower from the plant
>She opens her mouth for another screech and you quickly shove the flower in her mouth, holding it shut until she swallows it
>Taken off guard, she stumbles off of you, hacking and coughing before falling and writhing on the ground
>You sit up and watch as she slowly stops moving, save for the occasional twitch
>Crawling on your hands and knees, you get to her side, cradling her in your arms
>"Anon! Stay away from her! You don't know if she'll attack again!" Oblast called
"I don't care." you say, looking down tat the lifeless pony in your arms
>You touch your forehead to hers, and sit there in silence
>Suddenly, you feel her shift in your arms
>You watch as her features return to normal, and she begins to open her eyes
>She looks up at you in disbelief
>"Anon? How are you-?"
>You don't let her finish, you pull her close and lock your lips to hers with a passion you'd never felt before
>Her eyes shoot open in surprise, but Mosina quickly melts into your embrace 
>Flik wanders back over to Mr. Oblast, and flops down next to him
>"Sure looks nice..."
>"Don't get any ideas, bug boy."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Eventually, you and Mosina break your kiss
>You look into each others eyes, catching your breath
>"Well, that was better than I imagined..." Mosina said, blushing
"Yeah well, you know...heat of the moment." You said
>"If you two are finished canoodling over there, I don't think we're done just yet." Mr. Oblast called
>Sighing, you help Mosina up to her feet and walked over to your wounded friend
>"Steel Toe's dead, what are we going to do about getting through that door?"
>You walk over to Steel Toe's body, lifeless and bloody, and kneel beside him
>A pang of guilt hits you
>Placing a hand on his shoulder, you close your eyes and pray
"Rest easy, big guy." You say under your breath
>"What can we do? We have no way of opening that door without him..." Mosina said
>She was right, Steel Toe was your key, without him neither you or the minotaur had any way in
>You start walking toward the door, Mosina following 
>The two of you approach it together
>"What are you thinking?" 
"I'm thinking that this really isn't the most important thing on my mind right now."
>She looks at you curiously
>"Then what is?"
>You look at her and wink
"I think you know."
>She rolls her eyes at you, but you can see the smile she was fighting
>"Anon, this is serious. We can't just go back empty handed, can we?"
>You shake your head
"No, we need to find another way." You say, looking back over to your fallen friend
"This can't have all been for nothing."
>"But what other way is there? You heard Shaleek, only a native born can open it."
>You stare at the hand on the door
>And you felt...drawn to it
>Something was pulling you to it, begging you to lay your hand on the door
>Before you knew it, you were standing right in front of it, hand extended
>"Um, Anon? What are you doing?" Mosina asked, concerned
>Your hand was only inches away from the imprint in the door
>"Anon!" Mosina cried, flying forward to stop you
>As she knocked into you, you stumble forward and your hand falls into imprint
>All of your faces freeze in horror as the door begins to glow, and the ground shakes beneath your feet
>The door begins to lower into the ground, dust and the sound of stone scraping together assaulting your ears and eyes
>And then all was silent as the dust cloud dissipated around you
>Where the stone door had once been, was a tunnel leading down into the earth
>You all stood in shock, jaws on the floor
>"How the hay did you do that?" Mosina asked, dumbfounded
"I...I don't know."
>From behind you, Flik helps Mr. Oblast limp to the entrance
>"Forget about it, the door's open. Let's get what we came here for and get the hell off this island."
>As he and Flik push by you into the tunnel, You glance over to Mosina
>She still looks like she can't quite believe what just happened
>You smile at her, scratching her behind the ear, just the way she likes it
"You okay?"
>She coos a bit at your touch, but quickly regains her composure
>"Yes Anon I'm just...it's all a little overwhelming..." She said, looking at the ground
>You kneel down to her eye level, lifting her chin to look you in the eye
>You adjust her glasses, crooked from your scuffle, and give her a quick kiss, which she quickly returns
>Her face is bright red
>"THAT is gonna take some getting used to..." she chuckles, embarrased
>You put on the most devilish grin you can
"We've got a long train ride back to Canterlot for you to get used to it. Let's finish this and go home so your uncle can throw me in the dungeon me when he finds out." You laugh, as you two start into the tunnel
"I could use the vacation."
>You catch up to Flik and Oblast quickly, limping along 
>The light from the fire pit did not penetrate much further into the tunnel, but toward the end you could see a light
>"What do you think it is?" Mosina asks
>"What we came for I hope, this leg is killing me." Mr. Oblast groaned
"We'll get you out of here and fixed up soon Oblast, don't worry." You say
>"I'll be fine, I got my crutch here." 
>"Hey, I'm not a crutch!" Flik protested
>"You are now, son." Oblast laughed
>You get closer to the room at the end of the tunnel, and you can see the source of the light
>Four small pyres, giving off an unnatural amount of light for their size
>You approach one of them, and feel no heat from the flames
>Even putting your hand directly next to it yields no feeling of warmth
>In the center of the room stands a lone pedestal
>The four of you approached
>On top of it, sat what appeared to be an old book, leather bound and covered in centuries worth of dust
>"A book?" Mosina said, perplexed
>Brushing off the dust from the cover, you see no title, nothing
"I was expecting a sword or something, a bit disappointed really." You chuckle halfheartedly
>As you do, you flip the book open...
>And are immediately blinded by a flash of green light, the room filled with an otherworldly howling
>"Shut it shut it shut it!" Mosina cried, shielding her ears
>You fumble with the book, desperately trying to stop the assault on your senses
>Unable to focus, you flail wildly at the book, swiping it off of it's pedestal
>It lands on the ground and closes shut, extinguishing all light in the room, and silencing the howling
>You all stare dumbfounded 
>"What do you say we not do that again?" Mosina says rubbing her ears
>Book in hand, tied tightly shut, the four of you walk back through the forest toward the beach
>As you break through the treeline you see Captain Sterling's team waiting beside the boat, minus Sterling
"Where's the captain?" You ask
>You notice the young one, Clip's lip quivering
>Spring Field cleared her throat
>"Captain Sterling...didn't make it. Hostiles caught him when he flew too low to save Clip from capture. He ordered us not to stop or we might all have suffered his fate."
>She looked at your companions
>"I see you're one short as well."
>You look down at your feet solemnly
>Spring Field frowned, but nodded with understanding
>"He will be honored as any of us would." she said reassuringly
>You feign a smile
"Thank you. For all your help."
>The bat ponies bow
>"Until next time, friends." Spring Field says, signaling for the others to take off
>As they flew away, you turn your attention back to the boat, and the shore of Saddleside off in the distance
"Come on guys, it's time to go home."
>You hit the sandy beach of Saddleside just as the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon
>"I'm going to take Mr. Oblast to the town doctor before this leg falls off from infection." Flik said as you all hopped off the boat
>"By Celestia kid, quit your worrying, I'm fine."
>"He's right Mr. Oblast, you've been walking through all sorts of crud since you got hurt. You need medical attention." Mosina said
"Yeah, we can handle dropping off a book. We'll meet you guys at camp later."
>Mr. Oblast grumbled
>"Kids these days...you don't know how rough we used to get when I was your age. Fine, onward bug boy!"
>Flik rolled his eyes and made a little grin
>"Just try not to drag your feet too much old man..."
>As the two walked up the sandy path to town ribbing each other playfully, you can't help but chuckle
>You and Mosina took the opposite path, leading up to Shaleek's tower
>The two of you walked slowly, enjoying the early morning atmosphere
>By the time you reached it, it was mid morning, the sun hanging in the cloudless blue sky
>You looked down at the book in your hands, still wrapped tightly shut
"Think she'll be upset about Steel Toe?" You ask Mosina as you approach the door
>"She didn't exactly seem like she was very attached, does it matter?"
"Maybe..." You say, knocking on the door
"Maybe not."
>The door creaks open
>It felt strange not hearing from Shaleek before that happened, like usual
"Hello? Anybody home?"
>You're met only with the echo of your own voice
>You look to Mosina, who only shrugs in response
>Together you step inside
>"Shaleek?" 
>Mosina's voice bounces off the walls
>The two of you start up the steps and notice there is a light shining from Shaleek's study
>As you reach the top of the steps, you see Shaleek sitting silently before a small shrine
"Shaleek? You okay?"
>She didn't turn away from her shrine
>"The spirits told me you had succeeded. They told me many things."
>There was no need to ask, you knew what she meant
>You step toward her, placing the book on the floor behind her
>"You are to bring the book to Canterlot, for safekeeping in the palace archives. Your work here is done, and the notes for your book are on the table to your left."
>You were slightly in shock
>Shaleek had never been to engaging but now she was just outright dismissing you
"Fine." You say, picking up the book and turning to leave, grabbing the notes she'd left off the table
>But you stop as you hit the top of the steps
"How did I open the door?" You ask
>Shaleek sighs deeply
>"You were reborn on Equestrian soil, the taint you carried from your past life was erased, that is how."
>She looked over her shoulder to you and Mosina
>"Or so the spirits say."
>You were speechless
>Magic was a strange thing
>She smirked, and turned back to her shrine
>"Was there anything else? If not, I'd like to be left alone."
>"Thank you Shaleek, it was a pleasure working with you." Mosina said, pulling you toward the stairs
>"Lets go..." she whispers, and together you descend the steps
>When you close the door behind you, Shaleek listens to make sure that you're gone
>She opens her desk drawer, and pulls out a small frame with a black and white picture inside
>She places the picture at the center of her shrine, surroundedby candles
>In the picture, there was a young looking minotaur and a zebra filly, both posing for the camera looking happy as could be, and a middle aged minotaur behind them, his arms around them both and beaming with pride
>She sat and stared at the picture in silence
>"Rest in peace, old friend..."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The four of you sit on a bench at the train platform
>Trains come and go, taking ponies off to wherever in Equestria they wanted to go
>The train that would take you back to Canterlot would be arriving shortly
>"That doctor doesn't know what they're talking about. "You need rest! You're lucky you kept the leg!" Things made in Stalliongrad don't break so easy." Mt. Oblast said
>"Better to be safe than sorry right?" Mosina asks
>"Eh...I don't much care for going back to Stalliongrad while you call get to go rub elbows with the bigwigs in Canterlot."
>You chuckle
"Don't worry Mr. Oblast, they'll hear all about you."
>"Oh I've no doubts about that, be it from you or from the papers, they'll know that this son of Stalliongrad did his part in all this."
>He pulled a flask from his bag, and took a swig
>"So what do you all plan to do after this?" 
>Mosina raised an eyebrow
>"Aside from my book? I hadn't really thought about it..."
>You shrugged
"Me either...Ponyville's probably condemned my house by now."
>Mosina frowned
>"We'll find something Anon, my uncle will help."
"Oh yeah. When he finds out about our situation I'm sure he's just gonna be all open arms."
>She puts a hoof on your knee reassuringly and smiles slyly
>"You let me take care of that."
>Oblast turns to Flik, who'd been sitting there silently
>"What about you kid? Where are you off to now?"
>Flik looks up at the rest of you with a weak grin
>"I don't know. My hive is long gone, not that they'd take me back anyway."
>He stared off into space
>"I'll find something..."
>You think for a moment
"Why don't you stick with me, Flik?" 
>He looks to you with hopeful eyes
>"Really? You mean it?"
>You shrug
"Sure, why not? Seems like we're in the same boat, might as well go at it together."
>He beams at you
>"I'd like that, thank you Anon."
>As he finishes, a train pulls up
>"All aboard for Stalliongrad!" The conductor announced as ponies began filing off and into the train
>Mr. Oblast sighs and stands up with obvious difficulty
>"Well kids, this is where we part ways, for now."
>Mosina jumps off the bench and gives him a hug
>"Thank you again Mr. Oblast, come visit us as soon as you can, or we'll come see you!"
>He chuckles, returning the hug
>"We'll work something out I'm sure."
>You extend a hand, and shake his hoof
"It was a pleasure." You say
>He nods at you, before turning to Flik
>"Flik?"
>The changeling looks a bit confused at the use of his real name
>"Yes?"
>Oblast stares at him for a moment, before putting his arm out for a hug
>Flik smiles excitedly and moves in, but is caught and put into a headlock, and noogied mercilessly
>"You take care of yourself kid, you stick with these two and you'll be alright."
>Flik struggled against the onslaught to no avail
>"Alright, alright! Knock it off!"
>Oblast laughed and released him
>"Do good by your kind bug boy, show those hoighty toighties in Canterlot what you're capable of."
>"I will, you just try to rest that leg of yours old man till we meet again." Flik said
>With that, Mr. Oblast bowed slightly, and limped onto the train
>He waved as it begins to pull away, and you all do the same
>Soon, the train is far off in the distance
>And eventually, it was gone
>"I'm gonna miss that guy." Mosina said
>You grin and ruffle her mane
"Oh don't worry, I'm sure we'll see him again real soon."
>The three of you sit for an hour, watching the trains go by
>Eventually, you hear it
>"All aboard for Canterlot!"
>Mosina shoots you an excited glance
>"Well boys, lets go home."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>The wheels of the train squeak loudly as they grind to a halt at Canterlot Central Station
>The hustle and bustle was very much like your first day there
>Like every day there
>Ponies, zebras, gryphons, all going about their business, contributing to the organized chaos that was Canterlot
>Giving the city a life of it's own
>Into the crowds, you and Mosina scan for familiar faces
>Shaleek had sent word ahead, Silver Tongue would be waiting for your arrival
>At least that's what you were expecting
"See him?" You ask, still searching through the faces in the crowd
>"Not yet, it's crazy in here." Mosina said
>"Maybe it'll be easier once we get off the train?" Flik suggested
>Suddenly, as if the train had been listening, the doors opened
>"Canterlot Central Station! All disembark!" 
>You all quickly gathered your bags, and made for the door
>You stop, taking one last look around
>It seemed like just yesterday you were stepping on the train to start your adventure
>Now it was all coming to an end
>With a sigh, you step out of the train and onto the platform
>The noise all around you overwhelmed your senses for a moment
>You'd gotten too used to the quiet of Saddleside apparently
>"Anon, over here!" Mosina called through the crowd
>You push through the crowd ad rejoin her and Flik, once again disguised as one of the deputies from Appleloosa
"You guys trying to lose me or something?" You say sarcastically
>Mosina smiles
>"Wouldn't dream of it." She said
>"Mosina!" 
"Looks like our ride is here." You said, spotting Silver Tongue approaching through the crowd, flanked by two royal guards
>"Uncle!" Mosina cried cheerfully, rushing over and giving him a bear hug
>"How I missed you, I'm so happy to see you okay." Silver Tongue said
>"Of course I am, I was in perfectly capable hands." Mosina chuckled, finally pulling away from the hug
>Silver Tongue laughed
>"Well I'd expect nothing but the best from old Hugo." 
>He looked over to you and Flik
>"Where is he anyway?"
>Mosina opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it as no words came
>Silver Tongue looked at the three of you, waiting for an answer
"There was an incident, back in Saddleside. I'm sorry, sir."
>The old diplomat looked at you in disbelief
>"What do you mean, "incident"?" He said, stepping toward you menacingly
"We were attacked while running an errand, Hugo saved us." You said, not flinching away
>He was trying his hardest to look intimidating
>"And where were you during all this?"
"Protecting Mosina and my friends." 
>"He's telling the truth, uncle." Mosina said, stepping to your side
>Silver Tongue glared at you
>"We'll deal with this later."
>He turned to Mosina
>"We have a date at the palace, come."
>"Tell me again why we have to follow the carriage instead of riding?" Flik groaned as the two of you trailed Silver Tongue's carriage
"Mostly because he hates me." You say, patting him on the back
"My bad."
>"What did you do to make him so mad?"
>You shrug
"Exist? He's never been what I'd call friendly since I first met him."
>"Well that's not very nice..."
"Yeah, well, it's not all bad. He did fund the whole trip anyway."
>The two of you walk in silence for a moment
>"Think he'll be mad when he finds out about you and Mosina?"
>You grin
"Flik, my friend, I think he's gonna be furious."
>Soon enough, you're climbing the steps up to the palace
>Silver Tongue hadn't said a word since stepping out of the carriage, as Mosina had rejoined you and Flik, following behind Silver and his guards
"How's he holding up?" You whisper
>"He'll be fine, just give him time. I took care of it." Mosina said
>You raised an eyebrow
"Took care of it?"
>She nodded
>"I gave him something to read on the way here, don't worry."
>The massive doors opened as you approach
>You still had the same amazement at the beauty of this place since the first time you saw it
>"The princesses are expecting you in the library, they're eager to hear all about your trip." Silver Tongue said
>"Well, they've got a lot to hear about!" Mosina said
>"So it seems. They wish to speak with you and your friends privately, I trust you can find the library on your own while I attend to some business?"
>"Of course, you go do what you have to do." Mosina said, hugging her uncle
>"I'll see you as soon as you're finished up."
>Then he looked to you
>"I suppose that includes you as well."
"Can't wait." You reply
>He scoffs, and walks off down the hall with his guards
"He'll be fine, huh?"
>Mosina rolls her eyes
>"Hush. Lets go, the princesses are waiting."
>The three of you walk into the library and can see the three princesses chatting
>"...and so I told Discord-" Celestia was saying before she noticed you enter
>"Ah, our guests have finally arrived. I trust you're all well?" 
"Most of us, your majesty." You say, bowing slightly
>The princess of the sun frowned slightly
>"I heard about your guardian, Hugo. You have my condolences."
>"He wasn't just our guardian, he was our friend." Mosina added
>Celestia nodded
>"Of course. But to my understanding his sacrifice was not in vain. Shaleek sent word ahead that you would be bringing us an artifact of some sort?"
>You reach into your bag, and pull out the book from the Sanctum
>Twilight and Luna's eyes go wide
>But Celestia stays calm, collected
>"Twilight, Luna, take it to the archives. Quickly."
>"Right away, princess." Twilight says, trotting forward and lifting the book from your hands magically
>"Thank you for getting this, you have no idea how important it is." She whispered to you before hurrying away with Luna
>For the next hour, you, Mosina and Flik sit with the princess, relating everthing that happened over the course of your journey
>From the rebellion in Stalliongrad, to the exposing of the changelings in Appleloosa, and to the battle for control of the Sanctum
>Leaving out certain, sensitive details
>Celestia simply sat and listened, occasionally asking a question here and there, but otherwise sitting silently
>"And that brings us to where we are today." Mosina said, wrapping up the story
>Celestia read over her notes a little bit more, and smiled
>"It sounds to me like you've all had an incredible journey, accomplished things most ponies only dream of." She said
>"But most importantly, you've done an incredible service to Equestria, and the fruits of your work will teach a valuable lesson to us all."
>The three of you looked at each other confused
"And that would be?" You asked
>She smiled at you
>"You and your friends have shown that when we all put our differences aside, no matter how great they may seem, we can accomplish great things together. No matter if you're a pony, gryhon, minotaur..."
>She turned to Flik, her horn glowing
>With her magic, she dispelled his disguise, exposing the changeling
>"Or otherwise..." She concluded
>You and Mosina sit there in shock, Flik was frozen to his seat
>"Princess...we can explain..." Mosina gasped
>"There is no need, from what you've told me this your friend here is not our enemy." Celestia assured her
>"For your service to Equestria, I thank you, Flik. You are as welcome in Equestria as any other."
>Flik sat with his mouth agape
>"T-thank you, your majesty...Celestia...ma'am." He finally managed
>She nodded to him, smiling
"Is that why you had us go through all that? To prove a point?" You ask
>"I believe in your cause, and I think that the book that you all are compiling could be a refresher for us all. I wanted to see to it that you had the most compelling experiences to make sure the lesson sticks."
"Also took care of a few political problems, didn't it?" You say
>Celestia smirks slyly
>"I like to think of it as killing two birds with one stone."
>She was a devious one, no doubt
>"Mosina, I'm giving you whatever assistance you may require from our royal scholars in collaborating all of your notes into the finished product. When it's complete, we'll begin the publishing process immediately."
>She stood from her seat
>"In the meantime, you're all welcome to use the palace facilities as you wish. It's the least we can do, for heroes."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

*Eight months after the end of your journey*
>You rubbed your temples, groaning with exasperation
>The papers strewn about the table in front of you seemed more daunting with each passing minute
>And it seemed like every day the pile just got bigger
>You push them aside and stand up from your seat, wandering over to pour yourself a drink
>This may not be your ideal job, but it was stable, and that's what mattered
>Following the publishing of the book you and Mosina had compiled, it sold like wild
>Across Equestria, ponies flocked to buy the book that Celestia herself (and the Canterlot nobility that followed shortly after) declared an awe inspiring piece of work
>As promised (much to your dismay), Mosina donated almost all of the profits to schools all around the country
>New additions were built, more rooms added, materials and supplies updated
>In a matter of months the profits of you and your friend's work improved the quality of education for Equestria's students ten-fold
>And while you were proud of that, acts of charity, even on this scale, did not pay the bills
>Thankfully, Mosina had planned for that...
>In a surprise move, after a month of hell staying with Silver Tongue, she told you that she had paid off the remainder of your Ponyville home with a bit of the profits
>Miniscule compared to how much the book made, but you weren't complaining
>Together with Flik, the three of you moved back to Ponyville
>You and Flik quickly found a job as aides to Mayor Mare, paying well enough to support the home
>Still, it was hard work
>Every night, you came home mentally exhausted
>But for your new found stability...you thought it was worth it
>"Still working on those tax forms?" you hear Flik say as he enters the room, observing your mess on the table
>You put down your glass and sigh
"It never ends Flik, it never ends."
>He smirks
>"Why don't you let me handle this stuff? You look like you're about to pass out and I don't feel like getting chewed out again because you couldn't stay awake long enough to get your work done."
>You shake your head
"I can't ask you to do that." 
>"I insist. I'd prefer to keep the money coming in if you don't mind. I'm sure Mosina would too." He chuckles
>"Where is she by the way?"
>You shrug
"Said she was going to the market. I'm sure she'll be back soon enough." 
>Almost as if on cue, there's a knock at the door
"Speak of the devil." You say, walking over and opening the door
>You're greeted by Mosina, red in the face, flapping her wings with great force trying to carry several bags 
>Like any real gentleman, you quickly take them from her, taking the burden for yourself
>"Wheeew...thank you sweetheart." She gasps, planting a peck on your lips and fluttering past you
>"Still working on this stuff? You started this before I even left!"
>You shrug
"You know number crunching isn't my thing, dear."
>She gives you a sympathetic smile
>"At least you have Flik to help you out when I'm not here." She said
>"And he doesn't even thank me half the time!" Flik joined in, feigning distress
>Mosina puts her hooves up to her mouth, gasping exaggeratedly
>"Anon! How COULD you?!" She chuckled
>Through all the banter, you could feel your stress melting away
>No matter how down you got about work, these two always had a way of reminding you of all the reasons you had to be happy
>Mosina yawns
>"Well, I'm beat. I've been on my hooves all day. Anon, mind if I get a snack before bedtime?" She asked
>You roll your eyes
"Getting greedy these days aren't we? You're gonna bleed me dry!"
>She smiles and winks at you, walking off toward your bedroom
>"Yeah, yeah, I'll see you in a few minutes, 'kay?"
>You down the rest of your drink, sighing as you finish
"Sure, I'll be right there." You say, moving to follow her
>As you do, you see Flik whipping his hoof toward you, mouthing snapping sounds
>Walking into your room, you find Mosina already sprawled out on the bed
"Don't tell me you passed out already?" You chuckle, getting her to lift her head up from the pillow
>"It's been a really long day." 
>You climb into bed beside her, pulling her close
"Everything okay?"
>She nuzzles your chest, breathing deeply
>"Yes, I just...feel like something's off, you know?"
"All too well." You say
>She looks up at you, her eyes meeting yours
>She moves in and gives you another kiss
>"I'm just feeling a little cooped up I guess." She said, moving slowly down to your neck
>She'd gotten really good at making this ritual of yours actually enjoyable
"Cooped up?" You say, wincing only slightly as you feel her fangs pierce your skin
>"Mhmm." She sounds, her voice muffled as she begins drawing blood slowly
>You stroke her mane as she feeds, considering her words
"I know what you mean, but we've got a good thing going here...a home, stability, an income...nothing trying to kill us."
>After a few moments, she releases your neck with a small pop, sighing with satisfaction
>"I know Anon, I'm not complaining, I love it here. I guess I'm just being a little nostalgic about our adventure."
"Nostalgic?" You chuckle
"It hadn't been that long!"
>She wipes her mouth and nuzzles back up to you
>"Well it feels like it." She says, working herself into a comfortable position
>In reality, you understood how she felt
>She loved traveling, exploring
>It was her nature
>Sitting in one place for too long, especially Ponyville, it couldn't be easy for someone with a passion like that
>You continue stroking her mane as her breathing becomes softer, slowing to a steady pace
>Maybe you could take her somewhere on vacation...when you got the chance
>Anything to get her out of this funk
>Soon, you hear a soft snoring as the batpony in your arms falls asleep in your embrace
>You give her a peck on the top of the head and lean back, before long passing out as well
>You awaken, finding yourself alone in bed
>Sitting up and stretching, you hear commotion in the kitchen
>And smell a heavenly aroma
>Your stomach growls
"Time for breakfast I guess..." You say to yourself, walking out into the hall toward the kitchen
"You trying to sneak me breakfast in bed or somethin-" You say as you walk into the kitchen, before a familiar voice calls back
>"Comrade!"
>You shake your head
"That is not who I think it is!"
>"The one and only!" Mr. Oblast says, leaping from his chair and striding toward you, with a bit of a limp
>You hug your friend, still in mild shock seeing him here in your home
>Mosina was hard at work making a large breakfast for all of you
>"I'm so sorry Anon, but Mr. Oblast showed up so early and I didn't want you to miss out on your sleep." She said, juggling different skillets and plates
"It's fine, don't worry." You say, turning to Oblast
"What brings you all the way down here?"
>"We will discuss business later my friend, I want to hear all about what my friends have been up to, aside from what I've seen in the papers!"
"Well...Flik and I have been working for Mayor Mare, that's pretty much-"
>Oblast laughs heartily
>"You? A paper pusher? Color me surprised Anon, never would have expected that from you. Maybe the bug boy but not you."
>You grin and take a seat beside him
"Yeah, well a job's a job. What about you?"
>Oblast beamed proudly
>"Well, following our free and fair elections, the good Colonel-sorry, Premier Snow Sight has made me her chief adviser."
>"That's amazing! Congratulations!" Mosina says cheerfully as she puts plates of food in front of the rest of you
>Mr. Oblast tries to look nonchalant
>"Thank you my dear, I suppose it's the least I could do to serve my fair city, given this hobble of mine." He said, shaking his leg
>"Thing just doesn't work like it used to, the ladies dig the scar though. You know how it is Anon haha!"
>Mosina raises her eyebrow at you
"Can't say I do, only one lady for me." You say, winking at her
>Oblast chuckles
>"Suit yourself, more for me then!"
>The four of you spend the day together, showing Oblast around town, exchanging stories of your exploits since the end of your trip, just enjoying the company of good friends
>That night, Flik lay asleep on the couch, and you Mosina and Mr. Oblast sat around the table once again
"So, you ready to tell us what brings you down here?" You ask
>Oblast takes a long swig from his flask
>"What, a pony can't just feel like visiting some friends?" he said, wiping his mouth
"Sure he can, but usually he doesn't drop in out of the blue for that." You say
>He smirked
>"It is my great pleasure to inform you both that the glorious Premier has extended an offer..."
>You and Mosina look at each other
>"An offer of...?" Mosina asked
>"Adventure." Oblast says, grinning ear to ear
>Mosina's eyes brightened
>Ohboyherewego.png
>"The Premier is seeking to open up new trade routes with Gryphonia on behalf of Equestria, marking yet another Stalliongradian contribution to our great country, and procuring a few extra bits for ourselves as well." He said proudly
>Mosina looked like she was deep in thought
>"So, what do you need us for?" Mosina asked, not making  a connection
>"I will be the one making the trip to the Gryphon royalty, negotiating the terms. It's rare that one gets to see such places, and I knew you would be interested in joining me."
"Just coming along for the ride then?" You ask
>"Well, Mosina would be coming along for the ride, maybe interview with some of the Gryphons if she sees fit. You, I would have another job for."
>You raised your eyebrow
"Such as?"
>"Protection. Gryphonic cities are some of the most secure in the land, but the roads between are treacherous, untamed. I find my personal guard somewhat lacking, and thought maybe you'd be able to show them a thing or two. So, what do you say?" Oblast said
>You lean back in your chair
>Surprisingly, even to yourself, you didn't know
>Mosina looked like she'd already been sold, you could see it on her face
"I...I don't know Oblast."
>Both of the ponies at your table looked at you incredulously
>"What do you mean? I thought you two would jump at the chance to come along?" Mr. Oblast asked
"I mean, as much as we'd like to, we're still getting settled in here. Flik and I have stable jobs, we have a home...surely this would interfere with that."
>"I'm sure they would excuse you for something this important, Anon..." Mosina said
"It's not just that, it's not safe. We lost our friends not even a year ago, or have you forgotten?"
>Mosina furrowed her brow
>"You know I'd never forget about that Anon."
"Then you'll understand why I don't think this is a good idea."
>You turn to Oblast
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to count me out of this one Mr. Oblast. I'm hitting the hay, I'll see you two in the morning."
>That night, you didn't rest well
>At no point did Mosina come join you as she normally did
>When the sun poked over the horizon, you were exhausted
>Laying in bed, you could hear a pin drop
>And the conversation going on out in the other room
>"...I'm sorry Mr. Oblast, but I won't go without Anon, I'd love to but I can't just leave for that long without him."
>"Mosina, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Anon will be fine here, you don't have to hold back on his account." 
>"It's not on his account, it's mine. I don't think I could stand to be away from him for that long." 
>"You two are getting pretty serious then I see."
>Mosina snickers
>"What can I say, I'm in love."
>You feel your heart skip a beat when you hear those words, and then it sank as you realized what it meant
>She cared about you so much that'd she would pass up the opportunity to do what she loves just to be with you
>The day seemed to drag on, in your zombie-like trance
>When the night finally came, you all gathered around the table one more time before Mr. Oblast would have to catch his train back to Stalliongrad
>Mosina yawned, standing up from her seat
>"I'm beat, I think it's time for an early night. It was so great to see you again Mr. Oblast, when you're back from your trip come visit us again." she said, hugging the unicorn
>"I absolutely will, I'll even send some word in advance next time!"
>She smiled and wandered over to you, kissing you on the cheek
>"Good night Anon." 
"Night Mosina, I'll be there shortly."
>When she was out of earshot, Mr. Oblast stood up with a sigh
>"It's about that time, Anon. The train won't wait on my behalf."
>You walk your friend to the door, and stand in the doorway as he steps out into the night, before turning at the bottom of the steps
>"You're sure you don't want to join me?"
>You stop and think
"I don't know Mr. Oblast, I just don't know."
>He gave you a hopeless smile
>"Well whatever you do, you hold on to that girl. She really cares about you."
>You chuckle a bit
"Yeah, I had a feeling."
>He stuck out his hoof to shake your hand
>"You tell Flik I said goodbye, make sure he keeps his head on straight."
"I'll let him know first thing in the morning." 
>Oblast nodded, and turned to leave
>"I leave the morning after tomorrow, just in case you were wondering." He said, walking off into the night
>You lay in bed beside Mosina all night, the gears in your mind running like mad, weighing the options, and the risks
>You turn and flip the Ward Mosina had given you in your hands, lost in your own reflection
>Some time around 4 AM, after hours of internal deliberation, you'd made up your mind...
>Mosina groans as she wakes
>"Just a few more minutes..." she thought to herself, searching for her pillow to no avail
>"Anon..." She grumbled. figuring you must have hogged it again
>She reached over to feel for you, but her hoof met something else
>Her eyes shot open and she jumped to attention
>"Flik! What the hay?!"
>The changeling yelped and jumped in surprise
>"Sorry Mosina, Anon just told me to watch you while he went and got coffee and-"
>"Coffee...what?" She asked as she looked around and noticed that they were not in the house
>"Flik, where are we?" 
"The train, headed north." You say as you enter the car, carrying three coffees
>"Train...Anon why? How?"
>You sit down beside her and smile
"Got up early, had a little talk with the mayor. She gave us permission to go help Stalliongrad in their efforts, spun it as a sort of an act of solidarity sort of deal. Everything's been taken care of."
>She looked dumbfounded
>"Anon, I thought you didn't want to do this?"
"Yeah, well, you do. It's what you do, and I can't be so selfish as to make you miss out on this experience because of my issues." You say
>When it sank in that you were serious, her face lit up the room, and she flung herself onto you, nearly squeezing the life out
>"THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!" She squealed as she snuggled you nearly to death
>You endured the onslaught for a time before she pulled away to look at you
>"You know you didn't have to do this for me..." She said
"I wanted to." You replied, brushing her hair out of her eyes
>She gave you the same smile like she did so long ago, on that first day
>"I love yo-" She starts to say, before you lean in and your lips meet hers
"I know." You say, smiling slyly
>"Oh jeez, I'm gonna get some air." Flik said, hopping up to walk out of the cabin
>You and Mosina laugh together as your train heads northward, off to your next adventure
>...
>You are Anon
>And you've never been happier
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________