It had begun to shift from late night to early morning by the time the viral mares made their way anywhere near the end of Tassel Mountain range. Rainbow Dash had flown up and ahead to scout out exactly where it was they were headed and where it was they needed to go.

It seemed they still had a ways to go before they reached the end of the mountain range, and according to Rainbow, there was a dense forest waiting for them at the bottom of the last mountain they'd have to cross.

The impatient cyan pegasus had suggested they all just fly over the mountains and all the way to Equestria, but the idea had been vetoed, due to the collective desire not to draw too much attention to themselves.

Rainbow Dash had been grumbling about the decision for the last half hour as the other five made their way down the final mountain. The trek itself had been relatively quiet, with each mare lost in their own thoughts.

There was only the occasional bit of conversation about their current predicament, but for the most part everypony present seemed to want to avoid the many elephants in the room.

Twilight herself had only just remembered that she had no idea what had happened to Spike during the failed attempt to do whatever it was they were supposed to do in the Frozen North, and her visible sag at the thought caught Rarity's attention -- the white mare having been trotting right beside her.

She bit her lip, wondering whether she should ask the mare what the problem was or leave her to her own thoughts just as they had all been up to this point. Eventually she gave a quiet sigh and shook her head.

In the end, she decided this terribly awkward and tense silence had to end at some point. She trotted closer and put a comforting hoof on Twilight's shoulder, making the lavender mare look up in bemusement.

"Darling, I know our situation isn't exactly pleasant," Rarity began with an understanding smile, "but you seem rather distracted at the moment," she furrowed her brow, "tell us what's on your mind, dear. You know we're all here for you?"

Twilight blinked and looked back to her other friends, all of whom had been listening and were nodding emphatically or giving vocal agreements with Rarity. She looked back over to Rarity and the fashionista raised an expectant eyebrow.

"Well?"

Twilight sighed and gave Rarity a small smile before frowning and looking away.

"It's... it's Spike," she began quietly, "I completely forgot about him during all this... insanity, and I feel just awful about it," she looked to the sky, as if trying to spot the little drake above, "I know he was with us when we went to the Frozen North to see this new 'empire', but I can't remember what happened to him."

The others looked at each other a moment before turning back to Twilight.

"Sorry, Twi," Applejack responded with an apologetic frown, "ah don't remember what happened to the little fella neither."

"Yeah, same here," Rainbow Dash added with a shrug, "the last time I remember seeing him was on the train ride, and even then, that ride's still a bit fuzzy."

"Um... I can't remember all the details," Fluttershy said quietly, "but... I think he might've ran ahead when we all got off the train."

"You actually remember getting off the train?" Rarity asked in surprise before giving a small huff, "well, that's more than I can remember at any rate."

"Come on, girls," Pinkie chimed in, grabbing Twilight and pulling her into a reassuring one legged hug, "I'm sure he's okay. He didn't end up with us--" she poked Twilight in the chest before point at herself "--but that doesn't mean he's not alright, and you and I know that dragon is tougher than he looks!"

"Yeah, I... I guess so," Twilight replied as she pulled away from Pinkie. She shook her head, still unconvinced, "we still don't know what happened in that empire, or if we even made it at all before whatever happened... happened."

"Well, there ain't no use worryin' about it now," Applejack exclaimed, pushing past Rarity to nudge Twilight in the side and give her a solemn nod of her own, "if Pinkie's right, it's been over sixteen years since we were in Equestria. Anythin' coulda happened by now, an' dwellin' on what mighta happened is only gonna make us crazier than... well... than we already are I guess."

She frowned and rubbed the back of her neck before looking away, a far off look in her eyes.

"Ah know we've all been thinkin' about everythin' that's been happenin' since we woke up," Applejack said to nopony in particular, "and ah know fer a fact ah've been worried sick fer mah family," she hung her head for a second before looking back to the others with a resolute frown, "but ah'm startin' ta think we need ta focus on what we can do somethin' about."

"I... guess you're right," Twilight conceded, albeit begrudgingly, "I just... really hope he's okay..."

"Eh, like Pinkie said, he's fine. Probably worried sick about us, but probably fine," Rainbow added as she hovered over the other two mares. She crossed her forelegs and gave a pointed look to Twilight, "more importantly right now, we should listen to AJ and focus on getting the buck off this mountain. Seriously, Twilight, why can't we all just fly out of here? It would be way faster and there's not a single griffon around! Who's gonna see--"

"Oi there!" came a deep booming voice from the path further ahead, "good to some fellow mountaineers out so early in the day!"

"You've got to be bucking kidding me," Rainbow muttered as the other girls looked towards the sound of the voice, "no really, what even is that timing?"

Making his way towards the six was a large and rather rotund looking brown and white griffon with a heavy looking pack draped over his back. As he got closer, the girls could make out more of his features.

The griffon looked absolutely delighted to see them, and if he was surprised by the fact that they were all ponies, he didn't show it. They all watched in bemusement as the jolly looking griffon stopped a few hoof-lengths away.

He frowned for a split second before his smile returned and he made the rest of the way towards them.

"So what brings ponies like yourselves all the way out to a place like this?" he asked, stopping in front of Twilight who took a step back in surprise, "I don't see many of your folk out this deep in Griffonia, let alone in an isolated mountain range like this one," he raised a talon, "ah, name's Jeger Sharp Eye by the way."

Twilight looked back at the others, who looked just as confused as she did, before turning back to Jeger. Rather than take the offered claw, she took another step back, an odd feeling making her wary of the griffon.

"It's ah... nice to meet you, Jeger," she replied, giving the griffon an uneasy smile, "my name is Twilight, Twilight Sparkle--" she gestured to each of the other girls in turn "--and these are my friends, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy."

Jeger suddenly reached out and grabbed Twilight's outstretched hoof, causing her to yelp in surprise as the griffon shook the hoof vigorously.

"Pleasure's all mine, little lady!" the griffon replied jovially, "I gotta say, it's a shock to see anyone on these mountains this early, let alone ponies," he gave a boisterous bark of laughter, "the sun isn't even up yet and yet you all don't look the least bit groggy. Real go-getters I take it?"

"I guess ya can say that," Applejack muttered, before shaking her head and eyeing the griffon suspiciously, "listen, it's nice ta meet ya an' all, and ah'm sorry if ah'm comin' off as a mite rude here, but we got places we need ta go."

"Oh?" Jeger asked, releasing Twilight's hoof. He stared at his own claw for a second before giving Twilight an odd look as he spoke, "and where you all headed?" he finally turned to face Applejack, "because from where I'm standing, you all seem a bit lost as to where to go."

"Well, that's..." Twilight trailed off and her eyes widened in sudden realization, "...that's not entirely true, actually," she finished slowly. She turned to the others, giving them a significant look before looking back to Jeger and giving a small nod, "I believe we know exactly where to go."

Jeger eyed them all with that same odd look he had given Twilight before his smile returned once again, albeit a bit more slowly this time.

"Alrighty then," he replied with another laugh, "I suppose I should leave you all to it," he adjusted the large pack on his back and started back up the mountain as he spoke, "be careful out there, ladies. The mountain path can still be pretty dangerous this early out."

He gave one last wave before walking past them and continuing on his way. They all watched him go, and once she was sure the griffon was out of earshot, Applejack frowned and adjusted her stetson.

"Ah don't trust him."

"You said it," Rainbow Dash agreed, narrowing her eyes, "something about that guy just... rubs me the wrong way."

"Yeah," Pinkie added, rubbing her chin, "my Pinkie Sense might be wonky right now, but I don't even need it to tell there was something reeeeaaalllly fishy about that griffon."

Fluttershy merely nodded in agreement and Rarity huffed before turning away.

"Well, hopefully we won't run into him again," she said before turning to Twilight, "moving on from that, what was it you were talking about, Twilight? You said we already knew where to go?"

"I do," Twilight confirmed with a nod, "I hadn't even thought about it until Jeger brought it up, but I already know the way off this mountain -- in fact, I've known ever since we fought off the griffons earlier."

The others looked at Twilight in confusion before Rainbow's face lit up in understanding. She face-hoofed and shook her head, groaning in frustration and a bit of embarrassment.

"The memories," she muttered, "I can't believe we forgot about the memories."

"The..." Rarity's eyes widened, "oh!"

"Right," Twilight replied with a smile, "when we consume others, we gain their memories. The first time Rainbow and I had done it, it was... an intense experience," she looked over to Rainbow Dash, who frowned and looked away. Twilight sighed and continued, "ever since then though, I've mostly been trying to ignore the memories I've been gaining because they come in flashes and can be really disorienting."

"Ah get it," Applejack replied, furrowing her brow, "so when ya ate all those--"

"Consumed," Twilight corrected. Applejack rolled her eyes.

"Consumed all those griffons," the orange mare continued, "ya got ahold o' their memories, and now ya know where ta go?"

"Pretty much," Twilight replied, "I just can't believe I hadn't thought about it until now."

"Well then, what are we waiting for, darling?" Rarity responded, motioning for Twilight to move, "as gorgeous as these mountains are, I'd rather wash my hooves of this place given what we've done here," she raised a hoof and looked at it in disgust, "I'd also like to wash my hooves in a more literal sense as well."

"I'm with Rarity on this one, Twi," Rainbow Dash agreed, "let's hurry up and get the buck off this mountain."

"Right then," Twilight said before turning back into Asger and spreading his wings, "the safest path down the mountain is also the longest, so we'll do what Rainbow Dash suggested and fly the rest of the way. Once we reach the bottom where the forest is though, we're hoofing it again. I don't like the idea of flying over a dense forest when we can't see what's in the trees."

"Thank you!" Rainbow Dash cried, throwing her hooves up in exasperation, "finally, something that actually makes sense!"

As Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie took the proper forms suited for flight -- the orange earth pony now a griffon hen, the fashionista now a pegasus mare, and Pinkie now a thestral mare -- Fluttershy stood a bit away from the others.

She turned and looked back the way they had come, her ears twitching slightly. She frowned in confusion as she tried to place the odd feeling she was getting, but ultimately shook her head and took off after the others, who had just taken flight.

It's probably nothing to worry about, and even if it was, we won't be coming back here again anyway.

There's different themes I wanna focus on during this story. The first was about their twisted and unstable mental states, and the next will focus more on their actual abilities.