//------------------------------// // Weary and Dreary // Story: The Alicorn Ring // by Dull Mist //------------------------------// Weary and Dreary We exited the palace through a narrow, dark passageway that Shining Armour showed us, that led down one of the legs holding up the castle and into the ground, hidden quite effectively from the public eye in a broom closet. I couldn't help but wonder what other kinds of secrets this place hid. Was there a button that could be pressed that would make the entire thing move on it's four legs? Did the statues that seemed to be littered everywhere come to life at a codeword? How awkward would it be, I wondered aimlessly to myself, if that codeword was accidentally spoken during some royal proceedings, and a staff wielding pony made of stone just started terrorizing the place. We walked in the dark, cramped passageway for a good, long while, the only light being coming from Rarity's and Twilight's glowing horns. Shining Armour had left us at the door, saying he had some royal duties that needed to be done, and directed us to just keep walking until we got out. According to him, the passage was an emergency exit in case the castle were ever under siege. As peaceful and jovial as a lot of these ponies seemed, they seemed to have a pretty strong concept of war. The royal guards that paced the halls certainly didn't seem like somebody I wanted to go head to head with, and they were only half my size! Rainbow Dash complained bitterly on the way out of the castle, bemoaning not being able to use her wings to whatever cruel gods that had forsaken her. Twilight offering to teleport her ahead of us, and commenting that hopefully she wouldn't materialize in a wall somewhere, shut her up pretty quickly. Eventually, we came across a door that opened to a wide green field. It was hidden under a grassy knoll with large rocks scattered around it, hiding it from every angle in such a way that one would have to be looking for it to know that it was there. Out came the stone then from Twilight's saddlebags, the impromptu compass that points only to our destination. Levitating it gingerly, Twilight put it on the ground, and we all stared at it, waiting. After a few seconds. It started to slowly inch across the ground, a bit to the left of dead ahead. I had to look away as the girls marvelled over the moving stone. Just looking at it made me sick to my stomach, and I could feel my hands clenching and twitching on their own accord. It was then that we set off, crossing the wide open plain in the direction that it pointed. In the distance, treetops poked over the horizon, and I could see snowy mountain tops reaching into the sky, their cool winds managing to reach us even here. Rainbow Dash joyfully took took to the sky, elated to be able to use her wings again, and the rest of us just shook our heads and watched as she twisted and twirled, simply happy to be alive. I only wished that I shared that sentiment with her. “OOOOH what do you do with a drunken pony, what do you do with a drunken pony, what do you do with a drunken pony early in the morning!” Pinkie Pie cried with the gusto of a bar filled with sports fans on game day, much to the dismay, and in my case, amusement, of everyone else. “Tie their tail to a chain and anchor, feed them pie with a glue based filler, leave em high 'n dry till they cough up water early in the morning!” “Pinkie dear...” Rarity said with obvious annoyance. “I'm glad to see you so...perky...and I appreciate the effort to keep us all in good spirits, but do you think you could put a hold on the singing for a while?” Pinkie stopped mid bounce. “Sure thing, Rare-bear!” she said, getting a grateful smile in return from a multitude of faces. Spike was the only one who looked disappointed, muttering something along the lines of “I thought it was good...” We'd been walking for two days now, following the movements of the black crystal the pointed our way and keeping an eye out for anything tall and menacing looking in the distance, and our nerves were starting to where. The ponies seemed to be mostly okay, although Rarity often bemoaned the lack commodities needed to maintain her good looks, but they were all faring well. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash looked as though they did this type of thing daily, not even a hint of weariness on their faces. Surprisingly, Spike also seemed to be fine despite the exertion, the only weariness he showed being mainly due to a lack of sleep, although he made up for it as much as he could on the backs of the others, curling his little tail around himself and snoozing for a few hours a day. I on the other hand was keenly feeling the differences between our races as I tried as hard as possible to disguise my fatigue with nothing but stubborn determination. I was just not built the same way as these ponies. Where they could fly and had magic and impressive endurance to help them, I was quite ready to collapse and fall asleep after walking for two days. My feet were so sore that I was starting to forget what it felt like for them to not hurt. “When I get home, the first thing I'm doing is getting a better pair of shoes.” I thought angrily to myself, ignoring the sharp pangs of discomfort traveling up my shins. “You never know when you're going to get transported to another world and have to walk across a country to get back.” “This looks like a good place to take a break.” Twilight announced to the group. She's been the biggest reason that this expedition of ours has been going so well. While everybody did their part to keep morale and motivation up, Pinkie Pie making it her solemn duty to keep us all entertained for every minute of every hour, Twilight was the one who kept everything going smoothly. She's organized our time effectively between breaks and made sure we ate enough food to keep our energy up without wasting anything. She assigned roles when it came to setting up camp, making sure that everything ran like a well oiled machine. With how well these ponies worked together, each one accentuating and bringing out the best in the other, I couldn't help but be in a little bit of awe. Even the complete opposites, the quiet Fluttershy and the bubbly Pinkie Pie or the down to earth Applejack and the pampered Rarity were like sisters. I looked around, only now noticing my surroundings, as I was caught up in my own thoughts, mainly to distract myself from my aching feet. To the right of us, a small, bushy pond sat, cattails sticking out of shrubs and lily pads. The water, clear and blue, shimmered beautifully in the afternoon sun. I blinked as a strange, yet somewhat familiar sensation came over me. I felt like there was someone, or something, trying to get my attention, like there was a muffled voice in the back of my mind screaming at me. I shook my head to clear it, but that persistent niggling feeling remained, telling me that I wasn't seeing something that should be right in front of my eyes. It was, in some way, similar to the how I felt when I was in the Crystal Kingdom; Twilight said that it was because I was sensing the magical saturation, but it was very different as well. This time, it was paired with a strange feeling of dread that seemed to stem from nowhere. I pushed it out of my mind. Stranger things have happened recently than funny feelings. I was probably just tired. The girls took off their bags and sat down next to the pond with weary sighs. Spike jumped off of Twilight's back and incinerating a small patch of grass with his fire breath before comfortably sitting down on it. When I had asked him about why he did that, he said that it was just a dragon thing. My feet almost seemed to ache even more as I lowered myself down to the ground now that I didn't have rhythmic movement of walking to distract me from them. I took off my shoes and started to rub them, trying to put some feeling back into them besides eye watering pain. “Are you alright?” Fluttershy asked me, noticing my pained expression. I nodded back to her. “Yeah. Just a little sore.” I muttered. “Aw, c'mon buddy! It's only been a few days.” Rainbow Dash said rather unhelpfully, slapping me in the back. I couldn't help but grin back. She'd really warmed up to me since we left. Now, rather than bug me about being an enemy spy or some nonsense, she simply bugged me for other, more normal things, like how tall I was, or my still weird sounding name. “Well, not all of us can hover around lazily like you can, Rainbow.” I replied. She snorted and shook her head, her disheveled mane flaying wildly about. “Whatever you say, dude.” she said as she spread her wings open. “It's alright to be jealous, but don't let it get to your head.” She took off into the air, quickly shooting up so that her blue coat was a nearly indistinguishable dot in the sky. I couldn't help but chuckle and shake my head as I made to stand up. “Oh, you should sit down.” Fluttershy said hurriedly, fidgeting around me. “If your hurt, you need to rest as much as you can.” I raised an eyebrow. “Well, I also need to get a drink of water.” I said, causing her to pause and blush. “R-right.” I smiled at her. Throughout our trek, the yellow pegasus has been fussing over me like a mother hen so much so that the others were starting to give her strange looks. From what I could tell by their curious expressions, it wasn't completely unusual for her to act the caregiver, but the extent of her ministrations was. The only time I could get away from her for a moment was when I needed to heed to the call of nature and a bush was handy. I didn't mind it though. If anything, it served as a reminder that I truly wasn't alone in this world, and that there was somebody watching my back. In fact, I found myself often regretting the fact that, if I did ever make it home, I would have to leave her behind. Such is how much she has grown on me, like a cute little sister. I staggered over to the pond, my feet smarting more than ever, and knelt by the side. I cupped some water into my hands and brought it to my face, drinking as much as I could while trying not to splash it all over myself. It was deliciously cool and refreshing, and after I had my fair share of it, an idea struck me. I peeled of my socks and left them on the grass as I slipped my sore feet into the cool depths of the pond. Immediately, a heavenly feeling of relief came over me, and I couldn't stop a blissful groan from escaping. “Sweet Mary mother of God, that feels good...” I muttered, getting a few odd looks. They still found my vernacular to be a bit strange apparently, but right now, I didn't care. For a moment, my mind cleared of all of it's worried, poisonous thoughts. I no longer worried about what was happening back home, if my mother was worrying herself sick about my disappearance, or if my apartment had been broken into. For just a moment, I let all of that go, closed my eyes, and bathed in the moment. ... “What's that?” a voice said from close by that I recognized to be Twilight's who was in the process of filling up our canteens and bottles with water. Without opening my eyes, I answered. “They're called feet.” I said easily. “I'm not talking about your feet.” she said, the eye roll she almost certainly gave being almost audible. “I'm talking about what's that in the pond.” I opened my eyes and looked down. Out in the water, near the centre of the pond, there was a black small black spot, like a pool of ink, that was gradually growing in size. I looked at it curiously. “I dunno.” I admitted with a half hearted shrug. “Probably something weird and magical.” Twilight made a thoughtful 'hmm' sound, stroking her chin with the flat of her hoof. “Hey Fluttershy,” she said after a moment of contemplative silence. “Can you come her for a moment?” The pegasus in question promptly flapped her wings and floated to over to us. “How can I help you Twilight?” she asked. “Do you know what that is?” the unicorn asked, pointing with her hoof to where the inky black spot was located, and still growing. “I've never seen anything like it, so I figured I'd ask.” Fluttershy cocked her head. “I...can't say it looks familiar.” she answered. The black spot was getting pretty big at this point, and we were all looking at it curiously. “It could be a type of water moss, but it doesn't look like it. I know that there are some creatures that can shoot ink from their bodies as a form of defence, but I've never heard of one living in a pond. Only in the sea.” Twilight made more thoughtful noises as she looked at the spot which was about a metre wide in diameter. At this point, I found myself uncaring, and I wiggled my feet underneath the comfortable water, opting to enjoy the feeling rather than concern myself with what was probably just some strange pond creature that they had never encountered before. A small plop sound made my ears twitch, soon followed by another, and then one more. Looking back the surface of the water, I noticed dark, shiny shapes sitting in the blackness. It took me a moment to realize that they were fish, and after a brief moment of examination, I realized that they were being unnaturally still. With a startled yelp, I quickly drew my feet out of the water as more fish of various shapes and sizes floated to the surface of the pond, lifeless in the inky substance. “Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy squeaked, her and Twilight backing away from the edge of the water as I scrambled to my feet. “W-what happened?” “I don't know, they just started dying!” I replied in a shaken voice as I looked at my feet closely. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, thankfully. I was somewhat expecting to see my toes start falling off. For some reason, that feeling that something was trying to get my attention, an incessant voice in the back of my mind, seemed to be stronger now. So strong, that it almost felt like it was starting to actually hurt somehow... “How...strange.” Twilight said, scrutinizing the dark stain with an unreadable look. Fluttershy on the other hand looked absolutely horrified as more and more lifeless bodies floated to the surface. “What's all this racket about?” came a voice from behind us. Applejack trotted up, casting us strange looks. “Ya'll look more antsy than a timberwolf at a bonfire.” She looked at us and followed our line of sight, and when she noticed the pond turned fish graveyard, her eyes widened. “What in the hay? “Those poor fish...” Fluttershy moaned, tears springing to her eyes. At this point, Rarity, Spike and Pinkie Pie had joined us and were peering into the pond curiously, looking taken aback. Every thing that the murky stain touched died, from the helpless aquatic creatures to the now shrivelled and wilted plants that poked up from the water. Rarity, thinking quickly, ushered her friend away from the pond with quiet words, the little dragon close behind her as he tended to stay. By now, the black spot covered half of the surface of the pond and would probably render the entire thing devoid of life in a matter of a few minutes. After a few moments of hesitation, Pinkie Pie followed, bouncing quickly away. “What's causing this?” I asked hesitantly to the air. “I don't know.” Twilight responded gravely. “But I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with Sombra.” “What do ya mean Twi'?” Applejack asked. “How could Sombra cause this?” “I...don't know.” she repeated, a heavy frown on her face. She stepped up to the edge of the pond and looked deeply within its depths. “But I've never seen or hear of anything like this. It has dark magic all over it.” I winced as a twinge of pain shot through my head. Unfortunately, it didn't go unnoticed. “What's eatin' at ya Kael?” Applejack asked worriedly, looking concerned underneath her stetson hat. “Nothing.” I said quickly. “Just have a bit of a headache.” Another twinge of pain struck me, and my eye twitched involuntarily. “Is it bad?” Twilight asked me, her attention away from the pond for the moment. “You look sort of...pained.” “I'm alright.” I reassured them hurriedly. Twilight sighed dejectedly. “Good, because I think we're going to have to start moving again.” she said regrettebly. “We can't afford to stay here if this type of thing happens again, possibly hurting somebody.” I suppressed a groan that was coming up. I had only managed to get a few minutes of relaxation, and just the thought of walking again was starting to make my feet and legs throb painfully. I nodded with a sigh. “Alright then. Applejack, can you go and pack up? I'll go find Rainbow Dash.” the country pony saluted the unicorn before trotting away, and Twilight spared me a brief look before she went to find her feathered friend, leaving me alone by the tainted pond. I glanced at it one more time, and winced in pain. My head was really throbbing at this point, and just looking at the ominous black water seemed to make it worse. My eye twitched, and I shook my head to clear it, my thoughts just as murky as the water that many dead fish floated in. “Ow...” I muttered as I turned and walked away, resigning myself to more pain and discomfort. Unsurprisingly, I still had that vague feeling in the back of my mind that there was something not quite right. As if I needed to be told. Sunlight glittered through a sparse canopy of leaves over head as we walked through the thin woods, needles and leaves crunching underfoot. The procession was slow as we were all weary, even Rainbow Dash and Applejack seeming a bit fatigued after our very short break. We trudged on however, the ponies having enough energy to keep talking to keep their spirits light, although I didn't have the energy. Fortunately, my feet had stopped hurting, as they were too numb to have any feeling left in them. A rustling came from behind me, and I turned to see Fluttershy stumble over an exposed root before she regained her balance. Something about her made me pause though. The way her ears drooped and her eyes never left the ground didn't sit well with me. I waited for her dragging hooves to carry her forward so that we were close enough so as to not be overheard as we walked. “Fluttershy?” I said hesitantly, causing her ears to twitch as she looked up at me. “Are...are you alright?” she blinked, and gave me a weak smile. “Of course I am.” she replied, extremely unconvincingly. My brow furrowed slightly. “Are you still upset at what happened in the pond?” Fluttershy had been nearly inconsolable when she saw the the floating bodies. She was an incredibly kind and caring soul, so it didn't surprise me that she was so torn up about so much needless death, even if it was only to some fish. I'll admit, I was somewhat saddened by it as well. She sighed and looked back down. “A little bit...” she said sadly. “But...” she paused for a long moment and sighed. “But there's something else that's bothering you.” I finished for her, not needing to phrase it as a question as I could tell it was true. Unsurprisingly, she gave a despondent nod. “I'm just worried.” she said. I tilted my head curiously. “About what?” She looked up at me and met my eyes with her own. “You.” she replied. I blinked in surprise. “Oh.” I said lamely. To my horror, her big blue eyes started to tear up. “I know what Sombra is like, Kael.” she said, her voice quavering ever so slightly. “He's bad. He's very bad.” she took a deep breath. “Last time we faced him, we got lucky. I'm worried that this time...we won't.” I had to stop myself leaning down and giving the pegasus a hug right then and there. In the short amount of time that I knew her, I had come to see her almost as an adoptive little sister. When we were in the Everfree forest and she was inches away from death, I had been overcome with a protective rage unlike anything I had ever felt before, but this time, there was nothing for me to pummel. Seeing her so distressed, so afraid for my sake, felt like my heart was being torn out of my chest with a rusty knife. Instead, I had to settle for simply laying a comforting hand on the back of her neck. “Hey...” I murmured. “I don't know about luck, but I can promise you, I'm going to be fine. Sombra's not even in this world, remember? What's he going to do to me?” I still didn't know how that was going to work out, fighting somebody who was in the world between worlds, but I figured that we were going to cross that bridge when we reached it. Fluttershy sniffled a bit and looked away. “I know...but with that ring doing weird things to you...I can see it. You don't look well, and you look worse every day.” This took me aback. Truly, I did feel terrible, but I thought that I had been able to keep it hidden from the others. Every step was twice as painful as it normally would be, and every day I found myself getting tired more easily than before. It had even become a chore to eat as I never seemed to have much of an appetite. Having caught my own reflection in the occasional puddle or pond that we crossed, I had noticed that I looked unnaturally skinny, bordering on gaunt. I smiled reassuringly at the pegasus, although it probably came off as sickly. “I'll admit, I do feel a little bit...under the weather, but we can't afford to let that stop us. Now come on, the others are getting away from us.” I said reassuringly, quickening my pace as I encouraged the pony forward, again reminding myself of a protective older brother. I just managed to catch her muttering “That's what I'm afraid of...” under her breath before she hurried forward to join me. Her dejected tone hurt more than any dark magic could. Unfortunately, the black crystal did not always lead us through rolling fields blanketed in wildflowers or green canopied forests. Occasionally, we would come across rapids that needed to be traversed and cliffs circled in order to follow its directions. In this case, it was pulling us through a wide patch of dank wetland, and as I slogged through swampy mud and muck that dragged me down with every step, I found myself feeling incredibly jealous of Rainbow Dash's and Fluttershy's wings. The trees had went from tall and thin to wide and short, much like the hollowed out one that housed the zebra that saved my life a little more than a week ago. Insects chittered and buzzed all around us, and the occasional loud squawk or rustle in the bushes kept us well on our toes. The acrid smell of swamp gasses permeated the air, sour and putrid. Adding to our discomfort was the fact that the ground was covered in slippery mosses and lichen as well as mud, forcing us to be extra careful with each step lest we take a disgusting tumble through the swamp. Thankfully, we finally found a patch of somewhat dry and flat land, and we settled down for the rest of the day, all of us agreeing that we should take some extra time to rest up. Our nerves were frayed and we were tired, so much so that Rarity even stopped complaining about how terribly dirty she was getting trudging through the mud. The poor girl just didn't have it in her anymore. We all collapsed to the ground with sighs and groans. The mud was dried here where a little bit of sun managed to poke through, making it hard and fairly uncomfortable, but it was more than enough for all of us. Even Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked grateful for the break. “I can't feel my legs anymore...” Rarity whined pitifully, stretching and wincing. Applejack chuckled as she rolled her shoulders in her joints. “Ya know Rarity, with how much you like those mud baths of yours, I would'a figured that a walk through a swamp would be right up your alley.” There were a few tired laughs all around, and Rarity huffed. “For your information Applejack,” Rarity countered primly as she attempted to fix her mane in vane. “A mud bath uses nutrient rich mud imported all the way from the Neighpon. This...” she raised her now somewhat cleaned hooves to her face and glared at them. “is not the same.” Chuckling softly and shaking her head, Applejack leaned back against her saddle bags. “Whatever you say Sugarcube.” Rainbow Dash swooped down from where she had been hovering high in the sky just moments before, grinning excitedly. “Hey guys, I can see something big in the distance!” she announced to the group. “It looks like it might be The Obsidian Castle!” Our eyes all widened at this. “Really?” Twilight exclaimed. “In which direction?” Rainbow pointed with her hoof into the trees, and Twilight murmured something unintelligible under her breath before she quickly withdrew the rugged black crystal from her pack. I quickly turned my head away as nonchalantly as I could. The mere sight of it was enough to force me to release the contents to my stomach and make me feel disgustingly sick, or at least even more so than I did right now. It was like a poisonous substance coursed through my veins, coating my skin, muscle, and bones with a putrid goop that made every movement ache and that could not be washed away. I tried to keep up appearances as flash of pain rang through my skull, but I noticed Fluttershy, who still stayed by my side, offering me water and food whenever she could, was frowning at me. “Well, would you look at that?” Applejack muttered, probably looking at the crystal as it crawled along floor towards our destination. “Little thing's movin' in the same direction Rainbow said.” “If Rainbow Dash is right, then we're probably not too far away.” Rarity chipped in eagerly. “Why, we should reach The Obsidian Castle sometime tomorrow even. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms were wrapped around me, squeezing the air from my lungs. “And then we'll be able to stop Sombra from corrupting your mind with his evil magic ring thingie!” Pinkie Pie cheered as she attempted to break my ribs. “Heh, yeah, that's great...” I grunted as I delicately tried to pry the pink pony's arms off of me. These ponies had some ridiculous strength when they wanted to. “But not if you kill me first Pinkie...” Her eyes popped open. “Oh, right.” she said, releasing me from her crushing grip and stepping away with a sheepish grin. “My bad.” I patted her on the head and laughed. “Man, you ponies are weird.” I said, eliciting a chuckle from a few of them and a loud “I know, right?” from Pinkie herself. Rainbow Dash's cocksure grin returned with a vengeance. “If you think that we're the weird ones, mister 'walks on two legs,” then you need a reality check.” I blinked and grinned, the throbbing pain in my skull mostly forgotten. “Hey, at least I don't have tattoos on my butt.” The ponies blinked and looked at one another, and to my surprise, Spike fell over clutching at his belly and laughing. “What are those things anyway?” I asked. Rainbow smirked. “I'll let you handle this one Twilight.” “Sure.” the unicorn chirped, thankfully stowing away the black crystal in her saddlebags. Strangely, my head only seemed to hurt whenever it was visible. “They're called cutiemarks, and they are an important part of pony, a symbol of who they are. When a pony finds they're natural special talent, the one they are best at, a cutie mark appears. It's a physical manifestation of that talent.” I started to go around and gather some dry sticks and twigs that we could use to start a fire, but paused with a small bundle in more arms, a small frown on my face. “So, does that mean that your cutie mark determines what you do for the rest of your life? Like, a pony with a musical talent and cutie mark can only be a musician?” Twilight chuckled and shook her head as she and the other ponies took out their bedrolls and laid them out. Unfortunately, because of my size, I didn't have one, and simply had a pillow to sleep with on the ground. “No, nothing like that. A pony could have a talent in music, yet do something completely different with their lives if they wanted.” “Oh. Well that sounds...useful. I suppose.” A symbol that told you explicitly what you were good at, preventing years of speculation and experimentation? I could really go for something like that. “Although, a cutie mark is rarely as simple as that though. There's usually more to them than 'this pony is good at this.' For example, Rarity's special talent is finding and creating beauty, and Pinkie Pie's talent is making others smile.” “Ah, I see.” I said, nodding my head. “That makes a bit more sense.” I turned to see Spike recovering from his laughing fit, muttering something about 'butt tattoos.' “Do you have a cutie mark?” I inquired to the little dragon. His eyes widened and he fell over laughing again, and this time, the others joined in with him. I just stood there with a confused look on my face. That night, we were all in good spirits, fending off our fatigue and aches by talking and laughing around a bright fire until there was nothing but embers. It was almost as though we were making an extra effort to be happy to counteract the effect of this gloomy looking swampland around us, lest it come closer and smother us under an oppressive blanket. The occasional noise could still be heard through the thick trees and foliage as the sky darkened, making me jump in my skin to the amusement of some and concern for others, but I was assured that as long as we stayed in a group, we'd be safe. The night was especially dark and eerie, the full moon overhead just barely managing to be visible through the leaves. There was precious little light in our ramshackle campsite, and as the fire dwindled, we found ourselves looking around nervously more and more often. Eventually, we all decided that it would be best to turn in. It was difficult to sleep for me, unfortunately, the thick wooly blanket I had and the small pillow doing very little to prevent the ground from seeping away my body heat. Not only that, but time and time again I found myself jerked back to complete wakefulness at the grating sound of wildlife, a snapped twig or a rustle in the bushes serving as a constant and unwelcome reminder as to where I was. Even the fact that I could barely keep my eyes open wasn't enough to put me to sleep. Even more aggravating was the fact that everybody else seemed to have no trouble if the snoring and sleepy murmurs were any indication. Shivering, I cursed under my breath as I curled into myself underneath the wool blanket, trying to cover as much of myself with it as possible. Because it was made for ponies, I found it extremely lacking in terms of size. I imagined that I was a most pitiful sight. I twitched and startled at every noise, and my eyes were probably bloodshot in the last remnants of light cast by the glowing embers, and dirt and mud caked almost my entire body. I was incredibly thankful that, before we left Ponyville, Rarity had had the foresight to make me an extra few pairs of clothes that I could wear, all simple and plain, but durable and warm. Right now I was wearing loose fitting black sweater, like a hoodie without the hood, and the jeans that I came to this world with, still in one piece, but smeared with all sorts of stuff that I would probably have to burn them when, and if, I got home. “Kael?” a small voice said from close by, startling me out of my self pity. I looked and saw a shadowy form just barely illuminated by the moonlight laying just a few metres away from me. I could just barely make out the blue in its eyes. “Are you awake?” “Fluttershy?” I whispered back. “Why are you still awake?” “I couldn't sleep...” the pegasus mumbled. I sighed in response. “Me neither.” I lamented back, quietly enough so that I wouldn't wake anypony else. “It's cold, it's scary, and frankly, I can't help but think...” I trailed off, the words dying on my tongue. “Yes?” Fluttershy said, prompting me to continue. It took me a few seconds before I was able to compose myself enough to go on. “I can't help but think about my mom, and what would happen to her if...something were to happen to me. She lives by herself you see, and my dad...isn't around to help take care of her. If I don't make it back home-” “Kael?” Fluttershy interrupted, her voice surprisingly strong, if still quiet and soft. “Yeah?” My mouth was dry, and my voice was hoarse. “You're going to go home.” I was silent for a while as I processed this. “Thanks Fluttershy.” I replied, trying in vain to stop a few tears from leaking out of the corners of my eyes. “You're welcome.” Minutes passed in silence between us as we tried to succumb to our fatigue and get some much needed rest. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that Fluttershy had managed to do the impossible, but that allusion was broken when I heard her squeak when the peal of what sounded to be a frog cut through the air. “Hey Kael?” She asked for the third time that night. “Hm?” “Would it...be alright if...I slept next to you tonight?” she asked meekly. My mouth twitched into a small smile as I felt those brotherly instincts kick in yet again. “Sure thing.” There was a rustle of activity, and a moment later, I felt movement as the pony lay down right next to me and curl herself into a little ball on her stomach, almost as though a cat would. With her wings, she managed to drape her blanket over herself as she looked at me. “Thanks.” she whispered gently, and I felt a sharp tug on my heartstrings as I was once again wondered if this was what it was like to be an older brother and slightly regret the fact that I never was. “You're welcome.” I whispered back as I closed my eyes once more and slowly drifted off to sleep. “What are you walking towards, human?” A deep voice rasped at me. “Where do you think your feet will take you? To salvation?” My eyes shot open as I sat bolt upright where I lay only to find myself alone, surrounded by thick darkness and indistinguishable shapes and figures that made up my surroundings. For some reason, the fire was crackling once again in the same spot where it had been mere embers just before. The others were nowhere nowhere to be seen. “You know as well as I what good that will do you.” A dry laugh, like concrete rubbing on concrete in its roughness filled the air. “Absolutely none.” “W-who are you?” I asked the disturbingly familiar voice, looking around frantically for its source. In the trees? For some reason, I couldn't make out any more than a metre through the treeline which was so smothered by darkness that a grizzly bear could hide without any difficulty. “Where are you?” I demanded in a shaky voice. The laugh came back, echoing from all sides. “As for where I am, the answer is everywhere...and nowhere. As for who I am...I suspect I don't need to tell you that." My blood ran cold with realization. “Sombra...?” I whispered. There was a sudden gust of wind through the camp, sending the flames waving and sparking in the air while throwing up jagged shadows across the ground. Strangely, the light seemed to grow dimmer even though the fire itself was the same size. “Yes Kael...” The voice said, as deep and dark as an empty well. Suddenly, in the time that it took to blink, a figure, vaguely equine in shape yet made out of what seemed to be a dark mist, appeared across from the fire. A pair of glowing green eyes opened over a widening smile of fangs. “It is I.” I flinched as his penetrating gaze bore into me, sending a pang of sharp pain through my head. I frantically scrabbled away from it; or should I say, away from him, kicking up dirt and mud until I was suitably far away. “What are you doing here?” I breathed, shivering. The tenebrous form tilted its head as Sombra smiled in what I guessed he thought was an endearing way, but only looked more menacing. He made a soft crooning noise, as though slightly disappointed. “And here I thought you would welcome me as you would a friend.” he thrummed pleasantly. I shook my head in disbelief. “Why would I do that?” I asked, bewildered. Somewhere, in a logical and rational part of my brain, a little voice was screaming at me, telling me that it was probably not the best idea to insult the one who held the knife that would cut the rope holding the guillotine blade over my head. “Because I know more about you than any other, Kael.” he replied easily. “And as such, I'm probably the only friend you have in this...unfamiliar world.” My mouth hung open for a second as I struggled to find the words to reply. “You...you know nothing about me!” I retorted angrily, flinching back at the loudness and strength of my voice. “Indeed?” The ghostly pony asked with another tilt of its head, sounding very amused this time. “We are of the same body and mind, Kael. I know of the land you lived in, of the technological wonders that inhabits your world. I know of your past,and of the crushing insecurity and fear that plagued you from such a young, innocent age.” His eyes seemed to flash with excitement. “And I know of your present, you're dismal existence of servitude of and shame.” There was another gust of wind, and with it carried the whisper of my own voice. “Yes Mr. Hardis...” it said, meekness clear. It made me flinch. Disturbingly, Sombra, or this twisted fabrication of him, started to pace from side to side, never taking his eyes off of me and never getting a step closer. “I know how much you fear for your mother's safety after your father's untimely demise. I know how you ache for the acceptance of others, but can not bring yourself to seek, or even deserve it. I know the songs that lulled you to sleep as a babe, and which sights and sounds that bring the most joy to you.” His smile seemed to grow even more predatory, if that was even possible. “I even know the dread that festers in you, growing stronger and stronger with each step closer to my former domain.” I breathed deeply in an effort to calm my racing heart. Sombra's smile turned pitying. “But it needn't be that way, Kael. I am not your enemy. The ponies that you travel with are.” I blinked, just struck with a frightening realization. I looked left and right searching for blue wing or a purple mane hiding somewhere in the trees. “Where are they?” I asked, surprised to find a shred of heat in my voice. “What have you done with them?” “They should be none of your concern.” Sombra snarled, briefly losing his composed smile before quickly regaining it. “What should be of your concern is the delusions that you have been put under by them.” “What delusions?” I asked, shaking my head before he could answer. “You know what, I don't care. Just bring back the others.” His expression turned ugly. “Fool! Can't you see the what they are doing to you? They are trying to destroy you!” He took a step closer, and a sharp pain rang through my head, making me wince. “The alicorn ring makes you strong! It makes you swift! It makes you as fierce as lion!” ghostly images of myself, standing bleeding and bruised in front of a group of timberwolves appeared around us. My lips were pulled back into a snarl, and my eyes glowed red. “They wish to remove you from that power so that they may dispose of you!” He took another step, tears springing to my eyes as my head felt like it was being split by an axe. “Y-you honestly think I believe that?” I mumbled through a haze of fear and pain. Sombra's form paused to let out a low, rumbling chuckle. “You fool human...” he said softly. “It is only by the ring's power, by my power, that you are still alive.” I gaped at him. “What-” was all I managed to say before he took another step, causing my hands to fly up and clutch at my skull as I fell whimpered in pain. “The moment that ring is taken off, you're body will be torn apart as the magical energies of the world of the world rush through you with nothing to inhibit it.” “B-bullshit...” I panted from where I lay on all fours, sweat beading down my forehead to fall into the dirt. “They lied when they said that it was killing you. They lied when they said that it was cursed. And they lied when they said that you could return home.” Sombra said pityingly. “To them, you are a threat to be annihilated with no remorse.” He paused for a moment, letting it sink in as I gasped in pain. “But they needn't succeed.” I looked up at him, but said nothing. He seemed to take this as encouragement as he smiled at me once again. “Stand with me, Kael Maalouf, and I will teach you the ways of this world. I will show you how to harness the power you now wield, and we will rule Equestria together, as allies. As brothers.” A look of pure desire filled his ghostly features. “It will be glorious...and all that you need to do...is submit yourself to me.” I took a moment to think, as well as I could in my pain filled haze, my brain feeling like it was being jabbed by red hot pokers. Many different responses went through my head, and I considered them all, and I decided which one was the most important to say. Gritting my teeth, I met his green, earnest looking eyes head on. “Where...Are...The...Others...” I managed to choke. His smile vanished and his eyes were filled with fury. “If you miss you're precious ponies so much...” he growled. “Then you can have them!” Before I could react, he moved towards me, almost faster than my eyes could follow. One more searing blast of pain consumed me before everything went black. I awoke in a cold sweat, panting and rasping for breath. My hand immediately went up to clutch at my head which was throbbing painfully, and I noticed that the ring on my finger was glowing an ominous red, and held my hand in front of my face and stared at it. Pretty soon, the light faded until I could barely see my hand anymore in the sparse moonlight. The sound of gentle breathing nearby caught my attention, and I looked to see Fluttershy curled up next to me, my arm draped over her body protectively. She snuffled in her sleep and let out a little pained whine, probably reacting to me waking up so suddenly. Not wanting her to wake and get worried at my sweaty, panicked state, I ran a hand down her mane, hoping it would soothe her. Thankfully, it did. With a tired sigh and another shiver, I lay my head back against the pillow, the extremely vivid dream running laps through my mind as I fell back into a fitful sleep..