Emberfall

by The Fluffy Ninja

1: The Deal

Twilight restlessly tossed and turned, pulling tightly on the bed sheets. She buried her head in the pillow and tried to drown out the rain outside. It did little, the constant drumming of raindrops never ceasing. The sound drove her mad. How could she possibly sleep while a rainstorm hammered away at the old house? All she wanted was a moment of peace and quiet so that she could rest and quell the knot of nervousness in her stomach.

Twilight closed her eyes and her mind slowly drifted towards the comfort of her home in Ponyville. She sat at her old wooden desk with a book sprawled open before her. Columns of books flanked her on both sides, basking in candlelight. Twilight could hear the soft rustle of branches outside as she scanned the book before her. What words that were written on the pages themselves mattered little to Twilight. She felt warmth and happiness and that was all that mattered.

However, she heard a soft yawn behind her, followed by a small, familiar voice calling her name. Twilight’s heart dropped as a rush of memories bombarded her mind. Suddenly, her home began to shake violently. Her books fell to the wayside in the ensuing chaos. The floorboards snapped out of place one by one. The walls around her cracked and crumbled. The voice yelled out her name one last time, and Twilight was pulled down into the abyss. She was swept away into the blinding maelstrom. All around her, the wind cracked and cackled. Twilight flailed wildly in free-fall, desperately trying to fight the storm. She couldn’t let the darkness take her, she would not allow it. She needed to return to the voice and her home, but the more she struggled, the heavier her limbs became. The more she fought, the harder the storm fought back. Soon enough, the voice was drowned out. There was only cold, lonely darkness, and Twilight fell further... further... further...

She snapped awake. The dream was broken. “Spike?” she whispered, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Once she had regained her senses, Twilight wiped away the single tear in resentment. She could still hear the storm outside. Twilight sighed in exhaustion. She needed some air, some room to think. The unicorn tossed the bed sheets off of her and slipped out of bed. She approached the bedside nightstand and used her magic to grab the gas lantern that sat there. Her horn glowed a little, and a tiny flame sparked inside the glass. The light from the lantern casted a dim glow on the bedroom, showing the aged and peeling wallpaper.

Twilight, with her lantern close by, opened the bedroom door as silently as possible. She cautiously tip-hoofed across the living room, careful not to create a single sound. She did not wish to disturb the other lodger in the house. When she finally made it to the front door, Twilight once again opened it as sneakily as possible. When she stepped out on the porch, she was immediately greeted by the rain.

The rain had a strange effect on Twilight. Inside the old house, the sound of the rain tormented her, but out here, it was strangely calming. The rhythmic pattering had a mind-numbing effect on her. She appreciated this greatly. Setting the lantern down beside her, she sat down on the porch. The lantern provided her warmth against the cold, night air.

Past the heavy downpour, Twilight looked out at the only world she knew for the past week. It was still considerably dark, but Twilight could see the silhouettes of the other houses. She saw the shadows of the bent and twisted trees that grew in front of the houses. They looked like the gnarled claws of a timberwolf. She yawned and fell under the spell of the rain. Her eyelids came to a slow close.

“Difficulty sleeping I presume?” a soft voice asked behind Twilight.

Twilight shot up on to her hooves like a startled cat. When she realized who it was, she rapid-fired her apology. "I‘m so sorry that- I didn’t realize- I didn’t mean to-"

The woman, with a small smile, raised a single hand to quiet Twilight. “Twilight, no harm was done, so there is no need to apologize.” The woman sat beside Twilight and invited her to sit. She accepted with a sigh of relief. “You are such an intelligent girl, but you seem to have a habit of speaking before thinking,” she teased. Twilight smiled. They both sat in silence, enjoying the peace of the rain.

Her name was Samantha, and she was Twilight’s only companion in this new world. Although she only knew Samantha for a week, Twilight felt that Samantha was someone to be trusted. She was the only one in the world who truly understood Twilight's plight. Samantha was the first to find Twilight when she came to this new world, and she was the only source of company for the lonely unicorn. Ever since then, she had nursed and took care of Twilight.

Twilight had to admit, it was strange to meet a human for the first time, but she had grown used to their strange features, like their hands or lack of fur. Samantha was always courteous and willing to listen to her. She also explained to Twilight some of the differences between Earth and Equestria, such as that ponies like herself did not have cutie marks like they do in Equestria, and there are different races that exist on Earth, like the elves, griffons, lizardfolk, and so on. Twilight was able to gain somewhat of an understanding of this world, and she was always eager to absorb more knowledge of this new place. However, she did find it rather strange that a human from a completely different world would know anything about her homeland, but Twilight elected to keep that thought to herself. She had only one ally in this strange place, and she did not wish to lose that.

Samantha looked very young and pretty, but she possessed knowledge beyond what her age suggested. She had her beautiful white-gold hair tied up in a bun. Even in her rugged attire, Twilight thought that she had what Rarity called ‘a lady’s grace.’ However, there was one feature that caught Twilight’s attention. It was her eyes. Samantha’s eyes held a distant look, like she was staring out into the distance, waiting for something.

“So, may I ask why you are out here alone on this cold and rainy night?” asked Samantha.

Twilight shrugged. “I’m just having some difficulty sleeping.”

“I feel that there is more to it than just that. Was it another nightmare?”

“Something like that I suppose.” Twilight stood up and began to pace back and forth on the porch. She tried to collect her thoughts.

“It’s just that- I had this dream. In it, I was back home, like I had never left in the first place. I was back in my library, back where I belonged. I was happy for a moment, but then I heard someone calling my name. Before I knew it, everything fell apart. It was like the world opened up and swallowed me whole. I was falling into this dark pit with no way out. I tried to fight back, but it did nothing. Eventually, I just… gave up. I stopped fighting,” Twilight paused in hesitation.

“Maybe I deserve this. You know I’ve hurt people. I have hurt those I care for the most, all because I was so sure that I was doing it for the right reasons. And now here I am, lost.” She stood still for a moment and turned her gaze downwards. A heavy feeling gripped her heart.

Twilight felt a warm hand placed on her shoulder. She turned and met Samantha’s dim, silver eyes. “Twilight, I understand that you were in a situation with no way out. You did all you could do. Sometimes, a sacrifice is called for to protect those we care for the most, even if it hurts them.”

“But my family, my friends, and my teacher- everyone will hate me when-and if- I get back. What if ‘all you could do’ is not enough?”

“Sometimes, it is never enough.” Samantha let go of Twilight and made her way to the door. She paused at the door and looked back at Twilight. “But they will not turn their backs on you Twilight, I’m sure of it. All those who care about you loves you more than anyone could possibly imagine. I know for certain that you are going to set things right.”

As Samantha went to open the door, she stopped. “Twilight, you know what you must do. A long and dark path lies ahead of you. However, you will not be alone; the man who will accompany you will be arriving shortly after sunrise.”

Twilight turned towards her. “Are you sure he will come, that he will take the job?”

“I’m positive. There is a lot at stake for him as well, and he cannot afford to refuse.”

With that said, Twilight watched as the door closed behind her. She then turned and looked out towards the horizon. In the distance, past the stormy clouds and the lonely houses, Twilight could see the dim glow of the rising sun.

“I hope you’re right.”

***

“This is the place.”

A small old house, a faded maroon door, white walls overgrown with vegetation, and dirt-smeared windows. This house fitted the description perfectly.

Daniel slid off the saddle of his horse, Ulysses, and stood before the house. He sighed. Daniel felt… well, he wasn’t sure exactly what he felt. Nervousness? Excitement? Maybe a mix of both. Daniel had never taken a job on his own before, and he was jumping into this one as blind as a bat. The twisted knot in his gut told him this was a bad idea, and he should just take Ulysses and ride away, but Daniel knew there was no other way. There was only one way of setting things straight.

Daniel turned back towards the saddle and took only one item: his .45 handgun. He examined the grey iron pistol for a moment, and then holstered the weapon in his right pocket and pulled his navy blue jacket over it. Then, he faced Ulysses. “Alright old boy, it stopped raining, so I’m gonna leave you out here. I’ll head inside and I’ll be back in a minute. You won’t even notice I’m gone.” Ulysses shook his light brown head and neighed in retaliation. Daniel guessed he must feel the same way he did.

Daniel calmly placed his hand on Ulysses's muzzle. “Calm down boy. Look, I know how you feel, but this is our only option right now, so the sooner we do this job, the sooner we get to go back home, okay?” The horse calmed down as Daniel brushed his neck. “Trust me, if there was a better way, I’d take it. Now, I need you to sit out here in case things go bad, can you do that for me?” Ulysses seemed to nod his head in affirmation. “Okay, good.”

Daniel hesitantly took his first steps onto the wooden porch of the house. The aged planks moaned under his footsteps. Daniel found it surprising they didn’t snap under him. Once Daniel reached the maroon door, he mustered up his courage and knocked. He waited for a moment, and then he heard a slow, creaking noise as the knob turned.

When the door opened, Daniel had expected Samantha, the mysterious white haired woman to be standing in the doorway. This was why Daniel was taken aback when the door revealed a purple unicorn, wide-eyed and looking up at him. She was equally as confused as he was. “Uhm, hi.” She croaked after a moment. It sounded more like a question rather than a greeting.

“Hey,” Daniel answered back. Both of them stood there in awkward silence. This must be the wrong place, Daniel thought to himself. He didn’t remember anything about a unicorn. “I’m looking for a woman named Samantha, is she here?” Daniel asked.

“Yes, she’s here. You are Daniel, right?”

Daniel nodded.

“Okay then, she told me you would be here. Come inside,” she politely said.

As Daniel stepped into the living room, he saw the multiple candles strewn about the room. The candles provided some light for a mostly gray, empty room. The carpet was torn to pieces and the walls were cracked. The only pieces of furniture in the room were two, ripped up chairs set near a coffee table. It seemed that this place hadn't been a proper home for anyone in years, save for wanderers and scavengers.

"Sorry about the mess, I would have tidied up the place and made it more… homely, but Samantha said a lot of places are like this, so I just-" The unicorn trailed off when she saw Daniel giving her a quizzical look. She let out an anxious cough.

“Uh, just try to make yourself comfortable, I’ll be right back with her,” the mare insisted with a fake smile. She then dashed off.

As Daniel took a seat in one of the chairs, he saw out of the corner of his eye a quick glimpse of the unicorn. It was very brief, but Daniel saw as she looked back at him before ducking into another room. She had given him a strange look, as if she was analyzing him. She was probably sizing him up to see if he was capable for the courier job. Daniel decided to pretend it was nothing and leaned back in the chair. She seemed a bit off anyways.

The chair was unexpectedly cozy except for the odd bump in the chair that rubbed uncomfortably against his spine. Still, this was a welcome reprieve from the muggy weather outside. Plus, Daniel needed a break from sitting on the saddle all day.

Daniel decided to take this time to relax. He took his glasses off and wiped away some of the fog that had collected on the lenses with the sleeve of his jacket. His vision was much clearer when he returned the glasses to their rightful spot.

Daniel took a second look around the living room and noticed two books lying on the coffee table in front of him. They were in surprisingly good condition. Only a few creases marked the bindings of both books. One book was titled The World Atlas and was accompanied with a picture of a globe. The other book, which was noticeably thicker and had more creases, had no picture and was titled A Brief History of Humanity in gold lettering.

Huh, kind of ironic, Daniel thought to himself.

“I see you found your way here,” a soft voice spoke behind Daniel. The young man jumped in his seat, his hand pressed firmly against his pocket. When Daniel saw a familiar pair of silver eyes, he relaxed. It was Samantha.

“Sorry about that, just a little jumpy,” Daniel apologized, his face a slight pink color now. Samantha suppressed a chuckle. She took her place in the seat across from Daniel. Daniel also noticed that the purple pony had returned. He watched as she curled up near the coffee table and casted a violet glow around A Brief History of Humanity. She then opened up the textbook and buried her nose in the pages. She didn’t seem to mind sitting on the floor.

A silence had settled in the room of three. Only the occasional rustle of pages broke the spell. Finally, Daniel spoke up.

“I’m here for the job,” Daniel stated plainly. He wanted to get through this as quickly as possible.

“I expected as much,” Samantha stated matter-of-factly. “You didn't venture out here for a social call I assume.” She picked up the atlas lying on the table and gingerly flipped through the pages. Then, Samantha returned the open book onto the table. When Daniel examined the page it was open on, he recognized the map it displayed. The knot in his stomach became tighter.

“The North Frontier,” Daniel whispered to himself. This did not bode well. The North Frontier was one of the most hostile places in the wastes. Year after year, the North is constantly assaulted by massive and unpredictable storms. Winds strong enough to break bone and blinding blizzards that froze travelers in mere seconds. Also, there had been rumors that some of the most predatory monsters of the wastes stalked the land.

Daniel tried to hide his anxiety behind a brave face. He didn’t want to appear afraid and weak. When he had broken away from his thoughts, he could see the mare out of the corner of his eyes. She was giving him the same calculating look from earlier. Daniel had a feeling she could see past the ruse on his face. She turned away when she noticed he was looking at her.

“You want me to deliver a package to the North?” he asked Samantha. He avoided eye contact with the pony.

“Yes. More specifically, here.” Samantha pointed at a large mass of land in the northwest corner of the map. Her finger was placed on the coast of the Bering Sea. “You will find a small town called Port Concord. Once you’re there, go to the lighthouse and deliver the package. My contact will be waiting there. Once the job is complete, you will return here for your payment.” She looked up from the map and met Daniel’s gaze with her piercing silver eyes.

“Will you take the job?”

Daniel sat quietly and stared at the map. It was the question that he had been asking himself the entire time. He had thought long and hard about this before coming here. It would be a long journey, probably take him three to four months to reach the destination alone, and he would be trekking across some of the most dangerous lands in the wastes. It was risky, but it was a risk Daniel had to take. The reward was too important to pass up, and there was simply too much at stake. Besides, it wasn’t like he had a choice anyhow. This one's for you, Susie.

He took in a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

Samantha leaned back in her chair. Although she seemed pleased with herself, there was a faint sadness in her eyes. “Good.”

“So where’s the package?” Daniel inquired.

“The package? Well, she’s sitting right next to you, and her name is Twilight.”

***

Twilight watched as Daniel hovered around the horse. He circled the horse, inspecting and tightening the saddle straps and the various objects attached to it. She could see a bed roll and a few saddlebags clinging to the saddle.

The horse was tall and well-built. Its smooth, light brown coat made it look graceful but also tough. However, the owner seemed to be the exact opposite. Daniel had a thin frame and seemed to have no apparent muscle strength. Twilight remembered the shy, blue eyes that hid behind the man’s glasses. When Twilight was told she would have a guide, she had expected someone strong and gruff, a survivor of the harsh wilderness. She had expected someone that was like the heroes from those old cowpony stories her brother read when they were children. Daniel was less like a cowpony- er, cowboy, and more like a librarian. Now, Twilight had to trust this complete stranger with her life.

Twilight tried not to dwell on this and turned her attention to more important matters: her luggage. Twilight would be taking her saddlebag with her on the journey. The only item inside the saddlebag was the package. Samantha had made her promise to not open the package until she had reached the lighthouse. Twilight knew very well the burden she carried with her and the risks that came with it, and Twilight swore to Samantha that she would complete her mission no matter what.

Twilight returned to the spot on the porch where she had talked with Samantha that morning. She found the lady sitting alone on the steps of the porch. She was looking out towards the horizon, like she was looking past where the sun rose. Samantha turned and smiled towards Twilight, but there was a twinge of sadness in her smile.

“Come to say goodbye to the old hermit lady?” she joked.

Twilight smiled back at her and spoke sincerely. “Well, yes, but I also wanted to thank you. You saved my life and have given me a second chance. I will never forget the kindness you have shown me.”

“That’s good Twilight, but you don’t need to thank me. Your company has been enough. Oh, it’s been such a long time since I had someone to talk to. Almost all of my friends had moved on…” Samantha hung off of those last few words. There was a tone of regret when she mentioned her friends, but this moment lasted briefly before she stood up and dusted herself off.

“But there is no point in clinging on to things of the past. It is time we move forward, especially you Twilight.” Samantha crouched down and embraced Twilight in a warm hug. “Goodbye, Twilight. May you find your way home.”

“Goodbye, Samantha. Thank you for everything.” Samantha let go of Twilight, and Twilight walked towards Daniel and the horse, her saddlebag slung over her back. Twilight gave one last glance at Samantha and saw her wave and smile towards her before disappearing into the aging house. Twilight hoped that she would see her again one day.

Twilight paused before the brown horse and looked up at the rider. Daniel was already seated on the horse and looked ready to leave.

“You ready?” he asked.

“Yeah, you?”

“’Bout as ready as I’m ever gonna be. Climb on up.” Daniel lowered a hand and helped Twilight on to the saddle. When she was seated, Twilight began to slip left and right on the saddle and nearly lost her grip.

“Whoa, how do you ride this thing?!”

“Try to keep yourself balanced on the seat. If you need to, put your hands- I mean hooves around my waist.” Twilight squeezed her hooves around Daniel’s waist, forcing the air out of his lungs.

“Not that tight,” he croaked.

“Oh, sorry,” the mare apologized. After a few more seconds of squirming, Twilight managed to situate herself in a somewhat comfortable position.

“Are you good now?” Daniel asked. Twilight nodded back.

“Alright then, try to hold on, this is going to be a long ride.” Daniel urged Ulysses to move, and the horse began to trot down the street. Twilight looked back and watched her little corner of the world disappear in the distance.

Comments

[Kman]

Very interesting! I like it so far!