//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Chasing Shadows // Story: Flicker // by XenoPony //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Chasing Shadows Skyjack's Log: New Horizon, April 10th Entry Three: No matter how many times we come to this damn jungle it just seems to always get worse. Had five of the crew down with bites from some kind of giant bloodsuckers, some idiot nearly got themselves eaten by a giant plant and don't even get me started with them Celestia damnd leeches. I swore the freaking things know how to get everywhere, and that's not even the worst part. The damn stripe who was supposed to be leading us got up and tried to abandon us all in the middle of the night. Luckily nopony ever gets past Raven, she got him good. I sincerely hope that whatever it is he keeps rambling about is worth all this trouble. We didn't come all this way for a stupid zebra rambling about a place so cursed he's willing to just get up and ditch us to avoid having to even step near it. I still think it's a load of horse apples, there ain't no place in this Celestia forsaken jungle that can get any worse. Still, we had to drag him kicking and screaming up the front of the temple. Whole place was huge, not to mention completely overrun by the jungle. Most of the main entrance looked like it had collapsed some time ago so we had to make our way inside through a small hole behind one of the pillars. Good thing we have some of that fire salt spare too, otherwise there's some doors we might have never made it past. As for the inside of the place? Well, it was definitely nothing new. It was dark, smelly and covered in creeper vines. Half the walls are just full of those funny looking inscriptions that no ponies ever gonna bother to read, and the images? Well, I can say that I've been to a lot of places in my time and ain't seen nothing like what was carved onto those walls. All seems to be something to do with that star mumbo-jumbo you always hear stripes going on about. I can say one thing though, there ain't no stars down there; place was pitch black. At least I think it is, some of the others kept on saying they saw something in the darkness. Don't know what, just kept saying that same something moved in the corner of their eye. Others say it's a flicker, like a candle or something. I know I didn't see anything in it but stone and tunnels, but that was before we hit the mother lode. A great big room right underneath the middle of the mountain, or so the stripe said it was when he wasn't rambling to himself. Still, treasure wasn't like anything we'd found before. Room was full of these weird crystal pillar things. Each one of them was sat on a stone pedestal and all of them were arranged in this weird ring around something in the middle. Once again can't say I'd seen anything like it before. Then again, right there and then, I didn't care. I was one of the first to climb down to take a look, and I swear each of those shards looked like they were made of diamond. Every one of them had this weird glyph thing floating over it, Raven said it was some kind of frost talisman and that if we take any of the things we should make sure they stay frozen. Of course, that meant we had to transport the crystal while they were freezing cold. That was fun, almost got frostbite in the sweltering jungle for Celestia's sake. Not only that, but the stripe was not happy. He kept rambling on about desiccation and the fact we were all doomed to die before somepony had the sense to knock him out. Only thing I know I'm destined for was a pocket full of bits when we get home, think that was what was going through everypony else's mind at the time too. Raven didn't seem all that happy about it though. She was too busy looking at the thing in the middle of all the treasure. Don't get me wrong about the captain, she's the greatest one any of us could ask for. But she's not shy on the superstitions either. She’s had somepony tossed in the brig for even scratching a mirror after all. It was the way she was looking at that thing though, it didn't look right. I didn't get a clear view of what it was before we left, looked like some kind of big throne to me. Couldn't see through the dead vines, damn things were growing all over it. Best I can say is it looked way off, and I'm just glad we left it all when we did. ****** Every horrified set of eyes was fixed on Fluttershy as the pegasus began to rapidly hyperventilate. Nopony had the nerve to condense what had just happened, nor did any have the courage to even believe it was real. But the black substance that now coated the middle of the room and the absence of Pinkie Pie forced each of them to consider what they'd just witnessed. One thing was for sure, none of them had heard a scream quite like the one Pinkie had cried before rushing from the room. It made even the blood of the bravest among them run cold. After a long moment, the still silence was broken as Rarity made her way cautiously around the black mass, and tried to comfort the terrified Fluttershy. Seconds later, Rainbow Dash edged towards the shattered orb and the slowly withering black slime. "Wait, don't go anywhere near it," Twilight instructed, razing a wing to block Rainbow's path. Rainbow fixed the inky mess a stern look as it began to wilt into a dusty gray sludge, but she made no effort to move past Twilight. "She's right, we have no idea what that stuff is. Don't want it gettin' on anypony else," Applejack reinforced Twilight, as both ponies studied the withering mess from a distance. Starlight cautiously made her way up to Twilight, Spike shivering furiously as he peered over her head. The unicorn's thoughts ran wild, and she could see from the mix of things welling in Twilight's eyes she wasn't the only one who was terrified. "Well?" Rainbow Dash snapped impatiently, ushering the others to look up at her. "That thing just attacked Pinkie, why are we all just sitting here?" She pointed towards where Pinkie Pie had disappeared. Thoughts once again shifted within the minds of Applejack, Twilight, and Starlight. Opposite the trio, Fluttershy merely sniffed as tears escaped her. Rarity didn't seem to be faring any better, but she valiantly held back her own horror for the sake of the mare she was trying her best to comfort. "Rainbow Dash, please stop shouting," the white unicorn scolded in a whisper, her gaze shifting nervous to the gloom about her as if she were afraid something would hear her. Rainbow Dash frowned, appearing almost angry. "Pinkie Pie was just attacked by some kind of strange thing and you're telling me to stop shouting? We need to go and find her now," she declared bluntly. "You're right, sugarcube. But Rarity's right too. Shoutin' won't get us nowhere. Now ah say some o’ us go out an’ find her while the rest make sure this damn thing don' get any worse," Applejack suggested, nodding to the shattered sphere. "You mean split up. AJ, are you insane? Every time anypony splits up it never ends well!" Spike exclaimed in panic, raising a claw to his head. Applejack shot the dragon a slightly disapproving look, but it was clear she understood what he was trying to say. Everypony else didn't seem to like the idea anymore then Spike did, and the longer they were silent the more impatient Rainbow became. Within moments she was ready to take off after Pinkie alone, then Twilight finally spoke. "No, we all stick together and we find Pinkie Pie before this get's any worse." "What, it's not bad enough already, didn't you hear her?" Rainbow asked in frustration, yet the remark only earned her a wide range of disapprovingly afraid looks. "Rainbow, you lead the way. Starlight, Rarity and I will light it, Applejack, you make sure we don't miss anything behind us," Twilight instructed, the situation molding her into the leader as she levitated Spike onto her back. "You don't leave my sight okay?" She told the baby dragon firmly. "Don't worry Twilight, I'm staying right here," he responded timidly, clinging close to her mane. Immediately her instructions were put into effect as Rainbow darted out of the room and everypony began to follow. Rarity nodded as the alicorn approached, her own blue magic sparkling to life. The moment the alabaster mare trotted away from Fluttershy, Twilight wrapped a hoof around the pegasus. Nevertheless, the best the sobbing mare could do was repeat how sorry she was. "Don't worry, Fluttershy, it's not your fault. We'll get her back I promise," Twilight told her sincerely, all the while staving off the idea that those words may not be entirely true. "That's right, don't you worry yourself about it, sugarcube, ya' couldn't have known that would happen," Applejack added, as she helped Fluttershy to her hooves. "That still doesn't mean it didn't," Fluttershy whimpered under her breath, causing both Twilight and Applejack to wince. "Hey, are you guys coming or what?" Rainbow called back from the door. "By Celestia, I swear if she shouts once more she's going to give me a heart attack," Rarity grumbled, pressing a hoof to her chest. Twilight and Applejack offered the white mare a sympathetic look before they moved out of the room after Rainbow. Rarity wasn't far behind, leaving only Starlight to glance at the now almost stone-like mass that had only moments ago attacked their friend. Her mind flashed to what she'd seen in the captain's cabin and she gulped. She really hoped she'd been right, and it was merely the forest that had ensnared those bones. ******** "Pinkie Pie! Hey Pinkie, where the hay are you!" Rainbow Dash called out into the dark expansive maze of ruined halls and corridors as everypony trotted by beneath her. Nothing but the distant roar of the storm outside responded as it echoed through the long emptiness like the call of some great beast. Shadows filled every corner and gloom loomed everywhere beyond the reach of the magical light. The darkness swarmed around them as if it were hungrily awaiting its chance to strike. What had once been unsettling was now nothing short of terrifying, and it didn't seem that anypony was afraid to admit it. Something awful had happened to one of them that much was clear, something that nopony understood. Still, they'd been wandering the ruins for what felt like hours, and there was still no sign of Pinkie Pie. Despite their previous visits, none of them truly knew how large the castle's interior was, and only now did they all seem to reconsider just how expansive the vast maze of tunnels and halls actually were. Standing on either side of the walkway were faded paintings, each one of them a ghostly portrait of a pony who seemed to watch their every step with one looming eye. In the magical light that illusion only seem more prominent, everypony just hoped it was their minds playing tricks on them. Occasionally the darkness was torn apart by a bright flash as lightning shone in through the rain-strewn windows, followed swiftly by the angry boom of thunder. "Pinkie Pie, come on Pinkie where are you?!" Rainbow continued to call, but this time her shouting did not go unanswered. There was a shifting ahead, and in the ghostly light, one of the wall tapestries fluttered. There was another bright flash of lightning and in the wake of the brief image it offered, everypony was left wondering whether the sickly looking black figure they'd glimpsed was real or just another trick of the mind. It almost seemed to look up at them with a weeping expression of black tar, but before anypony could even consider the stark sight, however, it was consumed by the shadows. "Pinkie!" Rainbow shouted quickly before moving to dart ahead. She was abruptly pulled to a halt by Applejack as the farm pony grabbed her tail and yanked her to the floor. Whatever was ahead of them gave another weak shuffle then fell utterly silent as Rainbow turned towards Applejack with a glare. "Hey, what gives AJ?" She asked bluntly. Spitting Rainbow's tail from her mouth, Applejack responded with a firm tone. "Nopony's goin’ running off, not alone." Rainbow crossed her forehooves with a huff as her brow furrowed. Meanwhile, everypony else seemed to be agreeing with Applejack. "Fine, but I'm only staying because you guys are too chicken to go by yourself," Rainbow stated as she trotted forwards, everypony else close behind her. "Ya know ya can admit y’all are scared, ah' ain't gonna hold it against ya this time, sugarcube," Applejack offered, but Rainbow shook her head. "I'm not saying I'm not scared. But I'm scared for my friend, not myself," Rainbow conceded, giving the farm pony another stern glare. "You're not the only one Rainbow, I can promise that," Twilight assured her, but once again the words did little to soften the terrified determination in Rainbow's eyes. "Quiet please, the sooner we find Pinkie Pie and get out of this dreadful place the… ." Rarity interrupted, yet her timid words were cut off by a shocked yelp. Everypony turned to the white unicorn in an instant, horns, and hooves ready for anything that may leap out from the darkness, only to see Rarity frantically shaking off one of her boots. But as the shimmering purple attire hit the floor nopony relaxed. Covering its bottom was a splash of squirming black slime that writhed as it tried to gnaw its way through the purple rubber. Rarity backpedaled from the boot in alarm as the black slime swiftly began to wither. "What in Equestria is that darn stuff?" Applejack shouted, the light smell of burning rubber filling the air as the slime sizzled, before finally dying. "I have no idea, but everypony watch your step," Twilight responded, panning her horn's light outwards to reveal a trail of vague, black hoof prints upon the aged carpet. "Pinkie!" called Rainbow again, as she peered off to where the prints vanished into the gloom. "Rainbow Dash that is it, I have had enough of your…" Rarity cried in a panic, only for her words to wander off once again as a distant sound echoed up from the darkness. "Sush, all o’ ya'. Don' ya' here that?" Applejack asked, motioning for quiet with a raised hoof. Everypony's ears stood tall as their eyes scoured the shadows, then that sound drifted forward again, the sound of a weary moan. It sounded strained and wet as if forced from a sore throat clogged by a cold or flu. Most unsettlingly of all, however, was the fact it sounded very close. Both Twilight and Applejack were the first to creep forwards before they were swiftly joined by Rainbow as the pegasus encouraged Fluttershy into the air and away from the ravenous trail of black slime. The trail went on for a few more meters down the corridor, each step seeming to become more sluggish until whatever had made them looked be desperately dragging itself along the floor. With each passing step, the stuff seemed more fresh and alive, as if it could not survive on its own for more than a few minutes. Then there was another garbled moan and everypony paused as something shifted in the gloom. This time the movement was sluggish and rough, the breath rasping and watery. Just ahead the prints took a sharp turn into a small side arch and slowly everypony crept up to it. Who, or what, was inside gave another weary moan, that was swiftly followed by a pained shriek. An acrid smell filled the air, and those that didn't gag at the stench perked their ears as a sound akin to many wet rags being torn in two bubbled up from within the room. Then there was a horrific. reverberating cry of pain. That was abruptly silenced by a sickening loud splash, then a soft thud as something wet hit the floor. This time there was no stopping Rainbow from rushing into the room, and both Twilight and Applejack rapidly followed her. Nor did the others think twice about it, if only to avoid being left alone in the darkness. Starlight and Rarity came in behind the others only for their hearts to stop and their innards to churn with sickening disgust. One of the rooms crumbling walls was marred by a gruesome black stain that bore the faintest hints of red. The substance was sprayed out over the walls as if it had erupted outwards in one great burst, like some kind of horrific zit that had sprouted from the stone itself. Almost every piece of furniture close to it had been covered in a fresh coat of writhing black slime, yet that was far from the worst part. Splayed out in the epicenter of the horrid expulsion was the mangled form of what appeared to have once been a pony. Now reduced to naught but a ragged black rag of tattered meat clinging to the frail bone as it was pinned to the wall by the slick slime. Anything that may have identified what it once was, was gone. Fur, skin, even blood, and innards had been corroded into nothing but inky blackness. Everypony gasped. Fluttershy fell to the ground, unable to even weep as she desperately tried to look away. This time there was no Rarity to comfort her. Instead, the white unicorn was overcome by disgust and vomited into a corner. She didn't look like the only one who was struggling to keep down their last meal. Starlight had to swallow a bile churning in her gut and straighten as she trembled violently. Twilight covered Spike's eyes with a wing, as her own eyes bravely studied the gory black mass. Rainbow Dash was forced to the ground beside Applejack as both the acclaimed iron ponies were hapless to comprehend the gruesome sight before them. "Twilight?" Applejack finally asked, her voice only a few levels above a whimper. "Please tell me ya' don't think that's… ." The alicorn looked back solemnly. "No, Celestia damn it, that's not her!" Rainbow lurched forward only to be pulled back before any of the slime could touch her. "Let go of me, AJ!" she snapped as she turned to face the farm pony holding her tail. "No, Rainbow, now ya’ listen here this ain't no kind of game... This, this… ," Applejack’s words fell flat as she looked at the tears massing in her friend's trembling, magenta eyes. "This is what, AJ?" Rainbow demanded dangerously. Before anypony could respond however, there was another shift in the room. A light, animalistic clicking sounded to the left of the gory fountain. Everypony froze, before Twilight slowly crept towards it, horn lowered to attack. Then she jumped as the stained furniture shifted with a loud bump. Within seconds Twilight turned the far right corner of the room into a lavender bonfire with her magic. For a long moment, there was nothing other than the flickering of the flames. Then there was another in-equine call and slithering movement under the furniture. The blackened tables and chairs shuddered loudly as whatever was beneath them dashed for the door. Fear summoned another set of magical assaults from the alicorn, but once again all they did was mar the walls with scorch marks. "Woah, Twilight," Applejack finally said, placing a hoof on her panting friend's shoulder. The flustered princess looked back at her friend with shimming tears in her quivering eyes. Yet before she could say anything Rainbow Dash flew over to the edge of the room and called out. "Hey, look at this." She pointed to the carpet with a hoof, where a long trail of sleek, black slime snaked its way out from the splattered mass and off through the door. Its worm-like movements were far from that of any equine. "Come on, we gotta get the hay out o’ here an’ figure out what ta do," Applejack muttered, as her eyes nervously followed the slimy trail. "You have to be kidding AJ, we can't just go what about…?" "Ah can see that, Rainbow. But what do ya want me ta do?" the farm pony snapped, gesturing to herself firmly before the pegasus could finish. Rainbow's dangerous glare returned as she looked between her friends and the sickening mark on the wall. There was a mix of emotions more turbulent than the thunderstorm raging outside behind her eyes. "Look you're both right, we can’t stay here and we can’t just let whatever this is stay here either," Twilight suddenly declared. "Why not, there's plenty of dangerous stuff out here?" Starlight offered, fear demanding she do everything she could to get out of the situation as quickly as possible. Twilight just shook her head. "No, whatever this thing is it's not from the Everfree forest. We have no idea what it could do if we just leave it here. This…" She reluctantly pointed a hoof to the blackened wall, and her words faltered. "This stuff could completely overrun Ponyville, maybe even all of Equestria for all we know," she finished weakly. "So what y'all sayin’ is we have ta..." Applejack began, but Rainbow was swift to finish her words for her. "Destroy it, sound's good to me." At that, the brash pegasus made for the door, tears breaking her fearsome determined look as she tried her best to maintain the brave facade. Applejack looked at Twilight, sadness in her own eyes as she reluctantly nodded. "Come on you two, stay close," she told the otherwise silent Fluttershy and Rarity as she followed Rainbow Dash. Neither of the pair seemed willing to argue as they slowly followed. The best Twilight could do was offer Fluttershy a sympathetic glance, even if her expression was marred by tears. "Go with them Spike, I'll be out in a second," Twilight asked, and without a word the baby dragon leapt from her back and moved to the door. Starlight's eyes followed him as he went, then she looked at Twilight. "Twilight?" she finally asked as she put a hoof on her mentor's trembling shoulder. "Twilight, I'm sorry." Twilight didn't respond for a long moment. "We can't let this stuff get out, Pinkie wouldn't want this to happen to anypony else. We…" she began, her horn sparking to life as her words trailed off. It wasn't hard for Starlight to see what Twilight had in mind, and without a word she nodded, her own horn beginning to spark with vibrant blue fire. The best either could do was close their eyes as the fire burst from their horns and the mass of black slime was burned to nothing but ashes. Along with the little it had left of their beloved friend. ****** "Everypony watch your step. Rainbow Fluttershy, first sign of anything dangerous you two get up high and out of harm's way, everypony else behind me or Starlight so we can put up a shield spell," Twilight instructed firmly as everypony cautiously made their way through another dark corridor. "No offense, Twilight, but I'm not just running away," Rainbow responded firmly, flying just a few inches ahead of everypony else. For all the leading experience she had, Twilight knew how futile it was to tell the pegasus otherwise after what they'd found. She was having great difficulty keeping her own emotions in check, never mind that of the rest of her friends. Nevertheless, there was no way she'd let anything like that happen to anypony else, and right now that demanded far more of her attention than the memory of Pinkie’s gruesome fate. All she knew for sure was that she had to find whatever had taken their friend and stop it before it could escape and attack anypony else. "Ah don't think she's telling ya' ta runaway. Rainbow, please just listen," Applejack asked, her eyes fixed upon Rainbow. The cyan pegasus spun in the air to face Applejack, hovering close to the farm pony's face as she did so. "Just listen? Something did that to Pinkie, AJ, how many other times has anything like this ever happened?" she shouted in frustration. "Do ya' think ah don' know that? Ah saw just as plain as y’all did what happened, an’ ah ain't sayin’ ah'm any less eager ta find what the hay did this an’ put a stop ta it before it happens to anypony else," Applejack responded, eyes narrowing as she pressed her muzzle to Rainbow's in a snarl. "Just be quiet, both of you! We need to stick together, there's no point in fighting." Twilight stepped in, but with fears and frustrations flared her words were met with resistance. "For Celestia's sake, you're all acting like foals,” Rarity snapped as she too entered the verbal scuffle. “Will you all just stop your ridiculous squabbling and please listen to Twilight!" Spike just put his claws over his ears and pressed his face into Twilight's mane. Meanwhile, Starlight and Fluttershy just watched the argument with growing concern. The latter had only just managed to break free of the wave of guilt that had washed over her. That wasn't to say that the remorse wasn't still eating away at her every thought, but for now, she knew she had to be strong. She'd caused this, the blind kindness she'd shown that horrific thing had resulted in the horrid death of her friend, and now she had to help fix it. "Hey, Fluttershy, you alright?" Starlight asked weakly, trying not to think about the futility of those words. "No, no I'm not alright," Fluttershy responded simply. Starlight just nodded, knowing there was nothing she could tell Fluttershy that would absolve her of the guilt. All she could do was express her sympathy with a small smile, the likes of which was undermined by mounting fear. Then she moved towards the others, her dread demanding she try and stop the arguing so they could all move on as soon as possible. Left alone just behind her squabbling friends, Fluttershy looked down at her hooves, tears rolling down her cheeks and falling to the worn, old carpet. With a timid little shiver, the pegasus gave a small sniff. Despite all she was doing to stay strong there was no way she could stop thinking about Pinkie Pie, there was no way she felt she had the right to not think about her beloved friend either. After what she'd done she couldn't help but feel to remember her was an insult. It was like misusing the memory of a pony she'd murdered. At that thought, her head stooped and she released a pained gasp of sorrow, ever more tears streaming down her face. Then something shifted in the corner of her eye, almost as if the shadows themselves were moving. Instinctively her eyes shot to the source of the movement, and her sadness reseeded as her heart began to race. Ahead the others were to entrapped in their argument to see the small flicker of blue light that flashed down one of the side corridors, its glow like that of a star in an empty night. "Urm... Girls... I think there's…" she muttered in a faint whimper, but her meek voice was hopelessly overwhelmed by the shouting. In the gloom, the pulse of light flashed again. This time it was more akin to the bright glare of a lightning bolt. Yet there was no thunder, just the silent darkness as the light faded again. Fluttershy made one last effort to get her friend's attention. Meanwhile, the light seemed to creep further away. Then with a bright flicker, it died altogether. Straightening, Fluttershy bravely put a hoof forwards, then another, swallowing her fear as she looked for the source of the glow. She would make this right, she had to make this right, maybe if it was some kind of monster it would be like a Cockatrice. Maybe it could reverse what it had done if she made it. Regardless, that idea filled her with very little confidence as the light ahead failed to show itself again. Instead, the air became cold as a small wind blew through the ruins, carrying with it a strange sound. At first, it sounded like the air whistling as it moved, yet then it began to warp and twist into a sound unlike anything she had ever heard. The closest thing she could compare it to was a ghostly whale, heralded by a series of sharp, whistling clicks. The sound seemed to snake about the silence as if it were some kind of dark serpent in its own right. It bore a hissing depth to it and resembled something far more tangible than a simple spirit or specter. All the while offering no clue as to where it was coming from. Shivering violently, Fluttershy glanced back at the way she'd come, the shadows of her friends still arguing silhouetted against the far wall. Then she caught a whiff of a vile rotting smell and felt something wet against her forehooves. Before she could even think she jumped back with a sharp gasp, brushing at her hoof frantically to get whatever it was off. Every aspect of her terrified mind told her it was more of the black slime. Yet there was no smell nor pain in her affected limb, and finally, she looked down at it. In the dim light, the clear slime shimmered. Yet it was nothing more than that, certainly no black goo trying to devour her as it had done Pinkie. The relief that found her then was only minor, however, and she glanced ahead to see something on the floor before her, the likes of which glistened like a wet rag. Once again it wasn't black, but a weird fleshy color, nor was it any kind of black slime. Approaching tentatively, Fluttershy studied the thing carefully. It was almost familiar, like the transparent scaly skin of a snake or lizard after they'd shed, only wet and smooth. Then her eyes winded as the realization hit her. Her head shot up and she turned to gallop back to her friends as fast as she could, only to stop in her tracks. In the gloom before her, a set of three blue lights slowly moved, almost like glowing fish swimming slowly through the darkest ocean. Fluttershy gulped, yet the neon light was captivating. It was strangely beautiful, like a hopeful lure at the end of a dark and terrifying tunnel. Slowly the light swam and shifted around her head, each movement deceptively slow and calm. That urge to run back to her friends faded as the light drew her eyes away from their distant shadows and back to the darkness in which she had first glimpsed it. Two of the magnificent blue orbs flickered out and all she could think was how majestic the final bastion of light looked as it sat calmly in the air before her. Then it coiled back swiftly and flashed forwards at an impossible speed. All that Fluttershy could do as she was blinded by the intense blue glow was scream. A burst of red-hot pain wracked her whole body, its sting like the lash of a hundred cracking whips. Then it all faded as the light abruptly flickered out.