Title:           Hunting Hope 14
Author:          EgomaniacalMonkeyMan
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/QAdSSKBH
First Edit:      Tuesday 11th of June 2013 02:21:37 AM CDT
Last Edit:       Tuesday 11th of June 2013 02:21:37 AM CDT

>Birds chirped as a wind played across Hope's misshapen form and rustled the grassy fields.
>Gone was the magical hemisphere, the campsite, the ponies; even the desert and its arid sands had disappeared as if they had never existed at all.
>In their place, Hope found herself sitting in a small crater, surrounded by ancient oaks and small clearings of waist-high blueish grass.
>A sense of heat and a sizzling sound below her caused Hope to spring up from the small crater, leaping back as she stared at the source.
>Her pipes, red hot but apparently unharmed, sat at the center of the crater, cooling as they smouldered in the ash.
Best to let them cool down, seeing as they'd already apparently burnt through the leather strap which normally kept the pipes slung around Hope's neck.
>She had been captured, no, defeated; she had given in to an inescapable foe... yet now Hope was not only free, but far, far away.
And safe. She didn't know why she felt so, but something about this particular clearing in these ancient woods brought comfort to her weary heart.
>As she stared around, the rustling of small animals and fluttering of birds inspired a new song to burn in her blood, and as it grew understanding blossomed in Hope.
This was the clearing. This was *the* clearing.
>Where it had all started.
>Hope looked around again at the trees, perfectly encircling the small, still-smoking crater. Her blood humming silently with fey music, Hope finally noticed what had been staring her in the eye this whole time.
>This clearing had been formed by an older, much larger crater.
>A magical discharge from a spectacular, neigh, world-changing event.
The arrival of Anon, all those years ago.
 
>"How?" Twilight bellowed into the sky, frustration venting out her mane and tail in a short blast of fire, leaving both frayed and burnt at the edges.
>"How in Equestria did she teleport? She's not even a unicorn! She doesn't even have magical powers! How, by Luna's starry mane, did. She. Escape!"
The last of this outburst was now focused precisely, not at the sky, nor her friends, but at the tiny charred circle of glassy sand where Hope had, moments before, played her final song.
>"Now, Sugacube," Applejack interceded, attempting to comfort the overexcited mare, "There's no point in getting yerself up in a tiffy. Weh'll-"
>"What, find her? Again? Capture her, again?!" hollered Twilight desperately, her voice reaching an impossibly high note with her increasing incredulity, "So that she can escape? Again?!"
>"We've failed! I've failed. I didn't account for every option, didn't factor in every variable! Somehow she escaped, and it's my fault, and I've failed Celestia, and she'll probably banish me next!"
>"Now, Twilaht, ya know that wohn't happen."
>"Yeah!" interjected Rainbow Dash, pantomiming a boxer's stance mid-air and glaring at the sun rebelliously, "We won't let her!"
>"Dash, darling," admonished Rarity, "That's hardly the point."
Rarity continued, now addressing Twilight. "Listen, Hope has escaped this time, but we'll only have to try again. You haven't failed while a single one of us is still standing. And Celestia knows that as well."
>"*snort* You aren't standing right now, silly!" Pinkie Pie laughed, lightening the mood as she appeared, suddenly, directly under Twilight and stared intensely at Rarity, wiggling her eyebrows goofily, "You're sitting! *giggle*"
>"Rahrity's raght, Twi. We're still here for you, ahnd that's ahl that matters."
The ponies gathered around Twilight for a group hug, all tensions dissipating in the evening's desert breeze.
>"I'm sorry, girls. I feel better now, thank you." Twilight finally responded, finally calm.
>"So..." Twilight finally continued, addressing Rarity, "Do we have a heading?"
Rarity sighed melodramatically, muttering to herself that all she, a famous and esteemed fashion designer and beautician, had been degraded to the simple task of compass, before responding.
>"She's East, and very far. I'm afraid I can't get any more precise than that."
>"Then we'll take the next train to Canterlot, and check the direction again once we're there."
A chorus of *yays* and *wohoos* filled the air, and Twilight grinned despite herself.
>"Besides," Twilight added with a studious tone, "we need to check the library to get some real information. Our briefing on Hope and the human was woefully inadequate, and I want to know *exactly* what we're dealing with!"
Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash both responded with *awws* and *boos*, while Rarity seemed not to notice.
>"And I'll be able to check up on Spikey Wikey in the shop, and buy a new hat, and sweet Celestia do I need a hooficure right now, and there is dust in my mane that simply will not do..."
The six traipsed off back towards the town of Baltimare, appearing to be in good spirits.
Yet behind her smile, Twilight worried and fretted. The satyr appeared to be resistant to her magic, and her music had a downright hypnotic quality to it.
As she thought back to the moment of Hope's disappearance, oblivious to her friends' conversations as they boarded the train to Canterlot, one detail continued to bother her.
Hope hadn't cast a spell. It was Twilight's magic that had caused the teleportation, yet outside of Twilight's own control.
How, and why, was an unsolved mystery.
And Twilight Sparkle hated mysteries.
 
 
 
After much deliberation, I settled on Hope's music having a mystical distorting effect on magic. That way, she can't cast spells exactly (which would be far too formulaic for something as soulful as music), but when surrounded by powerful spellwork she'll not be entirely unable to react. Should lead to some interesting encounters without being too powerful. Hope you liked it! [spoiler]Stay frosty![/spoiler]
 
Pic related, it's what I somewhat based my geography off of... with some very generous approximations, of course.
 
For anybody catching up on Pastebin, HI! I LIKE YOU! YOU ARE A COOL GUY!
Er.. anyways, the picture was a photo of "Map of Equestria" Just google it if you're curious, it's the Hasbro one... although I may deviate from it in the future just because it "defines" the locations of some places a bit oddly.