//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Split // Story: What a wonderful world // by a touch of sparkles //------------------------------// The level of unease throughout the tribe was something even a butterfly could pick up on. Their heads were down, hiding the soft skin of their necks. Sombra and the twins were surrounded by the adults. Even so they didn’t feel quite safe. All of them were staring in between trees, only Vulmon who was leading the group looked forwards. Sombra could swear he heard extra hoof steps. All around them. Much quieter and smaller than theirs. There was a new smell that he couldn’t quite identify. He could smell it all around him. They eventually came to an edge, a mini cliff in the forest. “Let’s stay here. It’s a decent viewpoint but still sheltered. Someone can stay up and keep watch” Vulmon told them all as they made a makeshift camp. Everything but a campfire was made. They were already too warm in a place without snow. “I’ll go find some food” Folre told them. He was staring through the trees, he had spotted game. “Not on your own. Rabia, look after the twins” Amarilla asked her. Rabia nodded already sitting next to the three foals. However the twins jumped up and trotted over to their parents. “Stay here. I love you two ok. So does your sire” she said sweetly as she hugged them, when she lifted her head she looked at her mate, huffed to get his attention, then motioned to the twins. Breaking out of his watching he also gave his twins a hug, in the form of lowering his head so they could grab his neck. Then the two parents parted from the tribe of to hunt. What the the young foals noticed within a few hours was that the sun moved faster where they were. It had started to set and the sky was turning dark. “The sun doesn’t usually do that does it?” asked Sombra as he looked through the treetops at the golden sky, three crows flew from tree to tree sticking out in the bright sky, the odd bird or two swooped down. “The days and nights shift faster the further South you go” Nevada informed them. Within the hours the sun set they become more and more aware of Amarilla and Folre not returning. The twins were the first to notice. “where’s dammi and siry?” Yesric asked as they became unsettled. The combination of disappearances and their parents not returning brewed into a toxic mix in their mind. “I’m sure they’ll be back soon. just try to sleep” Rabia comforted them as they huddled tighter to her. Sombra cowered into his sire’s forelegs, he didn’t like being out in the open with no solid walls to cover them. Especially with their predicaments now. Slowly however they started to sleep, with Folwin offering to stay up. Deep into their sleep however Folwin nudged them all awake. Within moments of their ears adjusting they heard the faint hoof steps again. Heads turned on pivots, staring through the blackness between the trees. Everything moved even if it didn’t in the dark, they felt they were watching shapes that didn’t exist. There was a creak and a crunch in the black. From in that darkness sprung forth a figure. It latched onto Vulmon’s neck, he thrashed around to try and shake it off. Then another came and clasped around Nevada’s neck. As more and more came the group became flustered and panicked. As Sombra turned to see his dam grabbed another jumped on him, his nose covered by a thick liquid soaked fabric. A sweet smell set in, almost putrid. The thing on his back was too heavy for him, he watched through blurry eyes as his family collapsed, then unnatural sleep hit him to. When he woke it was dark and damp. His neck and legs felt heavy, he found large metal chains wrapped around them. Sombra could hardly breath as something tight clasped around his neck. He thought he was in a cave, but the walls were too straight and uniform to be natural. But the front was made out of bars, he could see into an equally dark place made of the same damp stone. “Get the next one” he heard a voice call out, but he didn’t know what it said. “Which one?” another called back seemingly annoyed. “The Princess wants one of the foals. Either one will do” A very small almost umbrum like creature appeared before him. It wasn’t very large though. It was a least the same size as him yet it seemed fully grown. Its fur was a bright turquoise and its hair was yellow. It was so abrasive on the eyes, the only nice things were the gemstones that seemed to grow out of them. Another couple of them appeared beside it. They unlocked the door in the bars then the extra two forced Sombra against the wall harshly. Sombra kicked at them and wriggled but they held him firm, one shoved a hoof under his chin forcing his head against the wall, shutting his mouth. The other attached a chain to his neck then yanked it pulling his over. “Shift it” with a yank of the chain Sombra walked reluctantly alongside the creature. He thought back to what his grandsire said about “pitiful ponies” all those years ago. Are these ponies? He thought to himself. The pony that was leading him was eye level with Sombra, if he was in his usual state of mind he would be wondering how small their foals were. Sombra was lead down the dark corridor then he was guided to a slightly brighter room. It at least had torches in it. In it there was a much taller pony, peachy fur and a long curled mane that faded from pink to purple. She was a unicorn, but her horn was dead straight. She too had crystals growing out of her, just far more. “I asked for one of the large ones did I not?” she said sternly to the pony leading him. “They have been taken already princess, the ones that looked like twins were inseparable, so they went together” Replied what Sombra now knew was a stallion based of the deep voice. “Fine. Give it here” The unicorn scowled as she forcefully, with golden magic, took the lead chain connected to Sombra’s throat. She tugged it even harsher to the point he was nearly pulled of his hooves. This “princess” wore a blue crown and necklace with golden hearts. He was dragged by the neck into another room where he was dumped. In that room there were three umbrum. One of the chieftains from the other tribes, a stallion and then… “Dammi!” Sombra attempted to sprint over too her only for the chains to hinder him. But he stumbled into his dams forlegs and they held each other tightly. He could smell blood. He looked down his dam’s side to see lacerations across her back, shiny silver blood had slightly dribbled down, creating silver droplets. “I’ll be fine” Despite that she didn’t sound fine, her voice was shaking ever so slightly. She also wore the heavy chains around her neck and legs, weighing her down. Sombra shuffled and laid down next to her, she wrapped his tail around him. The door clanked open again, the princess was there again. She strode in, chains floating around her. One zipped over to the far stallion and wrapped around his mouth tying it shut. The other pulled his legs out from under him. A strange container was then drifted over his legs, it tipped and a liquid poured out, drenching his legs. There was a quiet hissing and sizzling, his legs turned bright white. He screamed through gritted teeth as the bottle moved from leg to leg and finally his neck. The princess wore a twisted smile. The stallion collapsed as his legs burnt while she moved to the chieftain. The same process repeated as they were drenched in the corrosive acid. After he collapsed she moved to Sombra. The chains wrapping around his much smaller figure. His dam then let out a petrifying roar, all her teeth bared. Ones built to rip and tear meat from flesh, all on display in that princess face. She barely flinched as she swung the bottle over, dumping acid in his dam’s eyes. she grimaced as she screwed her eyes shut. But even so she didn’t stop trying to protect her son, despite being unable to see. A chain flew over and wrapped itself around her then she was pulled against the wall. The princess took that chance and drenched Sombra. He felt the searing pain in his legs and neck as the acid bit and gnawed away at his skin. He could barely focus when she finished and started on his dam.