I won't fall like Luna did in the past. Even if my friends abandon me—even if I have to save Equestria alone, I won't be tempted or give in to any dark desires, whatever they might be...

The first thing I was aware of were two haunting golden yellow orbs that seemed to fill my entire world with their baleful glow. Then, all at once, they were replaced with images that flashed across my mind far too quickly to comprehend with any sort of clarity. All the while I could only hear the too-slow and steady beat of my heart and the sound of blood pumping in my ears. As the beat of my heart gradually began to increase, so too did the pain until it was almost unbearable.

I wanted to cry out, but I couldn't make a sound, and for a moment, I was absolutely terrified—unable to understand who or even what I was. The flashing images, my heartbeat, the pain, and my own mixed emotions all clashed and melded in a chaotic torrent of madness for what felt like an age... then, in an instant, everything suddenly snapped into place.

My eyes shot open and I tried to suck in a breath to scream, but the pain made my voice catch in my throat and I could only make a strange half grunting, half choking sound. Whereas initially I couldn't place the exact pain I'd been feeling or where it had come from, I could now feel it everywhere, though thankfully it wasn't as strong as it had been. It took a long moment for my senses to reassert themselves, and in the interim, I continued to wince, shake, and gasp for breath, each inhale as painful as the last.

Slowly but surely, my heartbeat settled back into a normal rhythm, my breathing steadied, the agony dulled down into something I could tolerate, and my thoughts began to clear enough for me to start trying to figure out what was going on outside of my own body. The first thing I noticed was that I was laying on my back and staring up at a flat dark ceiling dimly illuminated by the soft amber glow of an unseen light source.

There was absolute silence save the for the slow and constant tick of a clock somewhere off to my right. My body felt oddly restricted and there was a sort of slightly painful pressure felt when I breathed in and out. Strangely, there was a coppery sort of taste in my mouth, though it faded quickly and left my tongue feeling somewhat dry.

I swallowed a few times before attempting to turn my head so I could take in more of my surroundings, but another painful twinge, this time in my neck, stopped me cold. Not wanting to exacerbate the experience, I allowed the back of my head to rest back onto the pillow beneath me. That was when I realized I was lying on a pillow, and with that realization, my brain instantly put the rest of the pieces together.

I'm... in a bed?

Indeed, past the odd tightness in my chest and and limbs, I could feel the tell-tale softness of a thick cotton blanket above and the slight give of a plush mattress below. I blinked and frowned as I continued to stare at the ceiling, trying to recall what it was that had happened to me before I woke. The first thing I remembered was an elegant dining room, an even more elegant equine creature with alabaster fur and a flowing rainbow mane, and a troubling conversation I'd had with said creature.

The memory seemed oddly out of place in my mind, and it didn't take long to figure out why as other, vastly different and altogether far more horrifying memories came flooding back. The initial memory of that equine creature—Princess Celestia I remembered—had been one of only two memories I had of a time before everything had changed.

Before I changed...

The rest of my memories consisted of what had happened to me as a human in this horrible world I knew nothing about. The images—especially of what had occurred just before I blacked out, made my stomach churn violently and my mouth go even drier than it already was. I found myself shaking all over again, and could once again hear the blood rushing in my ears. My eyes widened in horror and in an effort to keep the pain in my chest to a minimum, I tried not to hyperventilate. I had some success there, but that didn't stop the tears that started to spill down my face at the thought of what I'd done.

Don't dwell on it, came another thought from seemingly nowhere, focus on the here and now. All of that was in the past, you're here in the present and have no idea what's going on or where you are.

But it wasn't so easy to dismiss the horror, the guilt, the endless questions, and above all, the fact that I had more or less died. I was alive now—hurt, but alive—and from what I could gather based on observation, I was safe... at least for the moment. My own mind tried to tell me again and again that that was enough, but it wasn't—not by a long shot. I lifted my head as much as I could muster without making the dull pain in my neck any worse and looked down at my body, trying to see what had been causing the restrictive pressure.

"B-Bandages?" I croaked weakly, "what—"

Immediate regret over my surprised outburst filled me as my throat briefly seized up in muted agony. I rode out the pain and focused my attention on the fact that my wounds had been tightly bandaged, meaning someone had been taking care of me. As far as I could tell, the bandages were completely clean, free of any residual blood that might've seeped into them from my wounds, and I surmised that they may have either been changed recently, or that I'd stopped bleeding some time ago.

At the risk of hurting myself again, I tried to move the rest of my body and found that the bandages had only been applied to the majority of my chest, stomach and arms, and I could actually move my lower half without any real pain. I didn't remember my arms taking any significant damage during... whatever had occurred back at the camp, but even now, things were still somewhat fuzzy near the end, so it was possible something may have happened and I didn't realize.

Still, that got me thinking about everything that had transpired, and I began to panic again, which only led to more rapid breathing, which in turn led to more pain. I desperately tried to will myself to calm down, but I couldn't escape the memories of my rampage. Deciding it was futile to try, and not wanting to be crushed under the guilt and horror, I instead tried to rationalize both my current situation and what had happened before. Thankfully the little voice of reason in my head had returned to help with matters.

Okay, think... from what I can remember, there'd been mention of me being infected by some kind of poison from the Headhunter... but wait... who was it that—

Welcome back to the land of the living, my child...

My heart leapt into my throat at the sudden and all too familiar voice. It was a voice as deep and fathomless as the ocean—a voice as cold as the grave and unearthly as I'd ever heard. It came from within, yet reverberated throughout the entire room somehow, filling the air with its otherworldly presence. This was a voice to be feared and awed by.

It was the voice of Owlowiscious, and I was beginning to suspect that I'd only be able to remember the creature when he willed it. It was an unpleasant idea, only made worse by the fact that he seemed to be speaking directly into my mind. With my limited movement I couldn't see his form, but I had a feeling he wasn't physically there to begin with, not this time. The amount of questions I wanted to ask were piling higher and higher, but Owlowiscious only laughed that strange chirping, coughing laugh, as if dismiss my desire for answers as a joke.

Always questions with you... always a need to know, though I suppose that is what some would call a charming trait... and I also suppose your unique... situation does warrant some explanation.

"W-Why... are you here?" I rasped weakly, before frowning up at the ceiling, "no... what... w-what happened to me? Where... am I? Where's..." my eyes widened in realization, "where's... Mauri?"

You've done exactly as I hoped you would, child. You've met my expectations; I daresay you've exceeded them in fact. It was only a brief moment in time, but in that moment, you fully embraced the path set before you, taking your first step toward a harrowing, but ultimately necessary future in this unforgiving world.

Now the wheels of fate can truly begin to turn, and wherever they might take you, there is no going back, child. Perhaps, in time, you will find the past you seek, but know that it will bring you neither happiness nor closure. Whatever friends or allies you may make along the path to the truth, hardship and violence will be your truest and closest companions. Best to accept it now and save yourself some heartache in the future. That, child, is my advice to you.

I listened to his words, but couldn't fully comprehend them—or rather, it was more that I didn't want to. I wanted to deny everything he said, but then I thought back to everything that I'd experienced up until now. From the very moment I'd woken up in that white nothingness, my life had been full of hardship and violence, and, realistically, it hadn't even been that long since I'd first awoken. I opened my mouth to reply, slowly closed it shut as I ruminated on both past and present events and the portentous words Owlowiscious had spoken, then opened my mouth again.

"W... where am I?" I asked again instead, wincing at the effort it took to talk, "and w-where's Mauri?"

The thing in my mind never actually answered the question of what had come over me back at the camp, but I knew he wouldn't tell me outright, so I chose to set the thought aside for now and move on—something I found I could do now that I had Owlowiscious and his words to focus on. I was also beginning to wonder about the pain and whether or not my healing factor had taken affect. It must have at some point, because I was fairly certain I should've been dead after what that blonde woman had done to me... yet the pain remained. My worries, once again, seemed to amuse the alien creature, who laughed his strange laugh.

Make no mistake, child, if that foreign woman hadn't arrived when she did, you'd very much be a corpse beyond saving. You may have the power to resist death's embrace to an extent, but you are far from immune to it. As it stands now, you have limits, and given the severity of the injuries you've suffered, those limits hinder you from complete recovery. You can rest easy though, no harm will come to you... for the moment.

He chuckled again.

As for the foreign woman, she is nearby. I imagine she is feeling rather foolish for what she let happen to you, as well she should given all the reassurances and talk of mutual trust... but that is not for me to concern myself with. My interests lie in you and you alone, my child.

There was a pause in which I heard a distant door somewhere outside of the room I was in creak noisily open. The sound was followed by muted footsteps against hardwood flooring. They grew steadily louder as whoever was outside approached and I couldn't help but grow a bit anxious, helpless as I was at the moment.

I will leave you to your own thoughts for now, but we will meet again, child. You have done well, and now that your trials have truly begun, I will remain a fixture in your memory from this point on, though you will not and cannot speak of me to anyone.

Take my final bit of advice to heart, Miss Sparkle... rise above those who would seek to tear you down and become something to fear... something to worship. Only by ascending to a goddess among these mortals will you be prepared to confront the truth that awaits you at the end of your journey...

And with those final words, the voice disappeared. It was like a weight lifted from my mind, and I couldn't be more glad that it was gone. Still, just as Owlowiscious had said though, I could still remember his voice; I could recall his strange presence and everything he'd told me from the very first night we'd met back in the cabin up to his cryptic speech of only moments ago. He'd definitely left me with something to think about—a great many things to think about, and as I lay there, waiting for whoever it was to reach the door to the room I was in, I replayed the conversation I'd had over again.

By the time the door creaked open and the hesitant, grim faced form of Mauri stepped inside the room, my thoughts had once more turned to the slaughter of the three bandits at my own hands. So distracted was I in trying to make sense of what had come over me and what that voice in my head had been, that it took me a second to realize it was actually the green haired woman that had entered.

When I heard the door click shut I craned my neck as best I could and spotted Mauri standing in front of the door, tray in hand and her icy blue eyes widened in surprise as she saw me looking back at her. From the looks of it, she'd shed her armor and was wearing a simple dark brown short sleeved tunic that revealed her thin, but incredibly toned arms, black leggings similar to those I'd worn originally, and a sturdy looking pair of knee-high traveling boots.

I smiled at the sight of her—an inexplicable wave of relief washing over me as our eyes met, but Mauri only winced and looked away with a heavy frown. My own smile slipped as I realized what she must be feeling, and it hit me then that she probably expected me to be angry or feeling betrayed about what happened and the fact that she wasn't there.

After the conversation we'd had back at our campsite and how things had turned out in the end, I couldn't blame her for her reaction. The visible guilt on her face told me it was exactly as Owlowiscious had said, and to be honest, I had every right to feel the way Mauri most likely thought I felt, but I didn't. I was just happy to see she was alive and well. I was just happy to see a familiar face in this unfamiliar world I was stuck in.

"Mauri," I whispered with some effort, "I'm..."

But I stopped partway as she walked further into the room and to a point where I couldn't turn to see her, not saying a word all the while. I heard her move to the left of the bed and set the tray down onto what I assumed was a table or dresser next to me. Steam rose steadily from the large, fancy looking porcelain bowl on the tray and an unfamiliar but mouthwatering smell filled my nostrils.

I didn't know what was in that bowl, but I knew I wanted some. I heard the sound of wood scraping against wood and looking slightly to the left, I was just able to spot Mauri pulling up a simple wooden chair I hadn't seen before. She adjusted the chair so that it faced the bed and I heard her plop herself down before taking back up the tray.

"Mauri?" I tried again, attempting to watch her out of the corner of my eye, "what's going on? Where—"

My pitiful whisper was interrupted by a gentle shush from the other woman. I was confused for a moment before feeling something shift on the bed near my head, and before I could say anything more, my head was slowly and carefully lifted up and I felt something slid beneath the pillow. The pain spiked slightly at the sudden but gentle movement, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle, and after putting two and two together, I realized Mauri was propping my head up using another pillow so that she could feed me.

The pain lessened once I'd settled into my new position and I could finally get a better look at the room I was stuck in. I'd wound up in a well kept bedroom with wood paneled walls and and expensive looking furniture here and there. Various paintings depicting scenery ranging from the mundane to the fantastical and surreal lined each wall, and to my right, there were large maroon curtains drawn over singular window. Judging by the lack of daylight shining through, I surmised it was either fairly late or very early.

The constant ticking that resounded through the room turned out to be a large grandfather clock near the window. From my new position I had an easier time moving my head around, and a careful turn to my left showed Mauri sitting beside me, the tray with the bowl on her lap and a spoonful of some kind of thick amber soup with small chunks of something in it in one hand. She watched me expectantly and once I'd turned my attention to her, she grimaced, looked away and lowered the spoon slightly.

"It is... good to see you awake," she finally said in a low voice. Her words sounded forced, like she was pushing herself to speak—to say something she felt she had no right to say, "I had a feeling you would wake soon, so I brought you something to eat... just in case."

I swallowed, painfully aware of just how dry my throat was, and smiled, trying to ease her obvious remorse. It didn't help any, but I continued to smile anyway as I spoke.

"It smells good," I replied softly, "what is it?"

"Mauntis soup," Mauri answered, holding up the spoon again, "Mauntis wolf meat, chicken, replea herbs, and breneliv spices. It is a bit spicy and kind of burns a little going down and coming out, but it helps a good deal with recovery."

"Oh," I replied, wishing I hadn't asked, "well... i-if it helps, I guess."

Mauri moved the spoon forward and I nodded before letting her feed me the soup. Contrary to what I'd feared, the soup was fairly good, but Mauri hadn't been lying when she said it was spicy. There was certain a kick to it, but thankfully it wasn't too bad, and as Mauri continued to spoon feed me the soup, I ate in silence for a short time.

It was a peaceful sort of quiet at first, but Mauri's continued discomfort and silence was beginning to get to me. Eventually I told her I was full and she dropped the spoon into the halfway empty bowl before setting it aside. I wanted to say something to her—to tell her it was okay and that everyone makes mistakes, but she spoke first.

"Hey... listen," she began before stopping and taking a deep breath. She let it out in a heavy sigh and looked me in the eye with a solemn frown, "I am.. actually not very good at apologizing, so just... before you say anything, just let me explain, okay?"

I opened my mouth to say she didn't need to, but closed again and nodded silently. To me at least, it seemed like she needed this more than I did, and I'd be lying if I said a small part of me didn't feel betrayed and wanted at least an apology for what I'd had to go through without her there. She nodded in return and spoke again, her voice a little stronger than it had been before.

"Not all that much to explain really," she continued, "you fell asleep, I kept watch, and after awhile, I heard something in the woods. I went to investigate and was ambushed by bandits," she sucked in a breath through her teeth, "about six or seven of them came from the trees and attacked. Not sure why there were so many, but it might have been a patrol of some sort. I tried to wake you, but you slept like the dead, and by the time I dealt with the bandits you were long gone."

"I figured that might've been what happened," I whispered, though it came out as more of a quiet croak that still stung my throat, "I doubt you would've just let them drag me off like that."

I said that, but a small voice in my head questioned whether or not what Mauri was saying was entirely true—questioned what her actual intentions were in bringing me so close to that forest. It was only an instant, and I made note of the thought, but quickly pushed it to the back of my mind when I remembered what I'd seen just before I nearly died.

"It should not have happened at all," Mauri replied with a scowl. She looked down at the clenched fists in her lap, "I would happily hold onto the title of the strongest swordswoman in the area, yet I fail when it counts most."

She looked back up at me, arctic blue eyes shining wetly and full of self-loathing. I still couldn't say for sure if what she'd said about being as old as she was was true, but in that moment, she seemed every bit the child that she looked—lost, upset and vulnerable.

"I am well traveled, but in truth, my little Amethyst... you are the first person I have ever had to protect in such a manner," she wiped her eyes, sat back in her chair, and gave a mirthless chuckle, "you are the first charge I have ever taken into my care and with my experience I was certain this task would not be a problem... but it seems I am not quite the nigh peerless warrior I thought I was."

"That's... that's not fair," I replied, shifting slightly to face the downtrodden woman, "it was one against several, you couldn't have possibly taken them all on and protected me at the same time."

Judging by the look on Mauri's face, that was the wrong thing to say, but before I could apologize, she just sighed and slowly shook her head.

"No... you are right," she conceded, "I managed to kill each and every one of them, but I lost you in the process, and for that, I am truly sorry. Chal ei lenöa feyn gu teöh... I have grown arrogant and complacent over the years, and in my hubris I failed to keep you safe... but I will not fail again."

She stood from her chair and looked at me again, but this time there was conviction in her eyes that hadn't been there a moment ago; she stood by my bedside with a determination befitting a hardened soldier going to war.

"I wish to atone for my failure by joining you on your journey—not as a client, but as someone you can trust to be there for you whatever might happen. By the Night Mother and all she stands for, I will not let what happened before happen again. Tahm fha alagem, you have my word, my little Amethyst."

I looked at her, completely nonplussed and touched at the same time. I didn't know what to say; by all rights I should've refused, and that little voice in my head was telling me to, but I ignored it and considered Mauri and her request. There was certainly conviction in her eyes, but I could also see a kind of desperation there too.

I was of two minds regarding Mauri's proposal; either she was desperate to get back into my good gracious and continued traveling with me for some nefarious purpose I could only guess at, or she was genuinely broken up about what happened and wanted to atone just as she said. Doubt and distrust warred with hope and an almost overwhelming desire for a friend I could rely on and confide in. I laid back into my pillow and closed my eyes as I thought. I heard Mauri shuffling next to me, but I was gone, thinking back to Rosalyn's advice.

You need to find some trustworthy people to help you—or that you could help along the way... Who knows, girl? You just might find some folk who'll watch your back no matter how bad things get for you...

Mauri was hardly what I'd call trustworthy, especially after what had happened, but I had to start somewhere, and as much as I would've liked to travel with someone like Darmund or Rosalyn instead, neither of them were an option right now. I no longer wanted to travel alone, and whatever Mauri's intentions, she really was distraught about the whole thing.

Well... I was the Princess of Friendship once I suppose... apparently. Trust or not, I'm fairly sure the same thing would've happened either way... it might've been worse in fact.

I shivered at the thought before finally opening my eyes and turning back to Mauri, my neck cracking painfully in the process. I ignored the pain and gave Mauri the best reassuring smile I could muster.

"I'd be happy to have you travel with me, Mauri," I said, and realized after the fact that I meant it too. Despite everything, I was genuinely glad to have someone willing to join me, "what happened was... horrible, but hey, we're both wiser for the experience, right?"

"Yes," Mauri breathed, sagging back into her seat with apparent relief, "yes we are, and I thank you, Sparkle, you will not regret this choice."

"I hope not," I replied, wincing at my own words but unwilling to take them back, "and... um," it was my turn to hesitate now, but I pushed on after a moment, deciding it was probably for the best, "there's some things you should know—about me I mean. I can't tell you everything, and some of it I don't understand myself, but if you want to keep traveling with me, I think it's best to tell you now."

"Is it about what happened when I found you in that bandit camp?" Mauri guessed, "I wanted to ask you about that, but I felt it would not be... prudent."

"I appreciate that," I replied, "and some of it is—a lot of it is actually, but that's not all. Before I go into it though, can you tell me where we are exactly?"

"Oh, right!" Mauri exclaimed suddenly. Her brows shot up, but quickly furrowed again in concern as she continued, "I suppose I have a few things to share with you as well, and you may not like some of what you hear."

"I know you're not going to like a lot of what I have to tell you," I countered with a weak and rueful chuckle, "so I guess that makes us even... but please, go ahead."

"Well, as it turns out, that bandit camp was not far from the Seeker's mansion," Mauri explained, "after I chased that blonde woman off, I..." she faltered and grimaced at the memory, "...I did what I could to help you. I found a few medical supplies in your bag and managed to staunch the bleeding somewhat, but it was a close thing.

"I thought I was going to lose you," her face suddenly scrunched up in bemusement as she looked at me, "I was able to carry you the rest of the way to the mansion—that is where we are now, and I was able to convince Qaedis to put us up until you got better, but..."

She trailed off and simply stared at me with befuddled frown. I returned the expression with a confused and nervous look of my own.

"What?" I asked, "did something else happen?"

"Well, it is just..." she paused again, trying to find the words, "I was panicked before—not in my right mind, so I did not notice it at the time, but with your wounds, you should not have survived half as long as you did even with my help, yet here you are, only a little over a week later and making a full recovery."

I continued to stare at Mauri for another moment, almost wanting to laugh at the nearly identical outcome of my nearly fatal encounter to what had happened when I first arrived here in this world. As it was, I couldn't help but let out a painful chuckle, much to Mauri's confusion.

"It has to do with those things I was gonna mention," I replied when she'd asked what I was laughing about, "I'll tell you later, but you said we were in the mansion?" I asked, to which she nodded. I took another look around the room, then turned back to her, "and... Qaedis let us stay here?"

At this, Mauri winced and scratched a shoulder nervously. She looked like she was searching for a response, and after a second she just shrugged and gave me a helpless and apologetic smile.

"The thing is... Qaedis, he..." she frowned and turned to the closed door opposite the bed, "...he agreed to help us, and even provided food and nice rooms to stay in... but like everything else when it comes to him, there was a price to pay—or rather, a few favors we now owe him."

"Favors?" I asked, not liking where this was going, "what... what kind of favors?"

"Well, I took the liberty of asking him about a traveler's permit," Mauri explained, her tone oddly weary, "he has a stock of them and is willing to part with one for each of us, but that has only increased the debt we must pay, and he will not relinquish them until we have completed whatever tasks he asks of us."

My heart sank at the news, but it wasn't anything I didn't expect from Qaedis. I knew there was a price to paid, but now that the man had put us up for over a week, I was deathly afraid of what he'd ask us to do, and wondered what he'd do if we just refused. Somehow I got the feeling it would be very unpleasant. It was when I tried to open my eyes again and had some trouble that I realized just how tired I still was. Mauri's arrival had distracted me, but now I could feel the call of sleep pulling at my eyelids.

"Did he tell you what these tasks were?" I asked quietly, "did say what kind of favors we owed him?" I frowned, "it's nothing... weird, is it?"

"He did not say," Mauri replied, shaking her head, "I asked him more or less the same thing about his favors, and he assures me he is not the kind of man to take advantage of a woman in that way, but I wonder..." she fell silent for a brief second before shrugging, "well, in any case, he says he will let us know what we owe him once you are fully recovered."

I nodded slowly, my eyes still closed and already drifting off into sleep. I think I said something in response, but it was getting harder to pay attention to the outside world, and it took Mauri a few tries to regain that attention. I sluggishly opened my eyes to see her looking back at me with a worried frown.

"Hmm?" I croaked sleepily, "I'm sorry, what were you saying, Mauri?"

"You are still unwell and need rest," Mauri decided, furrowing her brow. She looked towards the window on the other side of the bed, "it is very late... perhaps we should pick this conversation back up when you have recovered enough to move around," she turned back to me with that same bemused frown from earlier, "and judging by how quickly you've recovered so far, that should not take too much longer I think."

I nodded again, grateful for the chance to sink back into slumber. My eyes opened again at the sound of a shifting chair and the clank of the spoon within the porcelain bowl. Mauri had returned the chair what I confirmed was a desk and taken the tray back up. She made her way back to the door and stopped before it, turning to look back me with a soft smile.

"Öidhe mhtat... goodnight, my little Amethyst, and thank you once again for your compassion and understanding."

I mumbled another response out of reflex, but by the time I'd registered what Mauri had said, she was already gone. The last thing I heard before sleep overtook me, was the gentle click of the bedroom door as it closed behind the smaller woman.

---

---

Next Chapter: Episode V – The Mansion ~ Part I Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 10 Minutes