It was about 6:00 AM in Trottingham, just about the time when Celestia began to raise her precious sun, signaling another new day. Another day of investigation, another day of the shadow swallowing up the Crystal Kingdom.
It was only natural that Braeburn, being the hard-working farmer that he was, woke up first out of the group. He had slept upon a cushioned chair, letting Soarin and Lucky take the comfy beds. Now he silently stretched his limbs, waking up to his own natural alarm clock. Through the curtain, he could see the pale light of the wee hours of the morning beginning to peek through.
Picking his hat off the floor, Braeburn hollered to his companions, “Alrighty then, fellas! Rise an’ shine! We’ve got a big day ahead of us!” But to his dismay Lucky just groaned and turned over on his mattress, while Soarin snored too loud for him to even hear.
Rolling his eyes, the cowpony decided to take matters into his own hooves. Taking one end of each of his companions’ blankets in his mouth, Braeburn suddenly yanked the cloth away from his comrades. Lucky’s eyes quickly shot open in irritation, and Soarin, who slept on top of his sheets, was yanked right off his mattress and onto the floor, immediately ceasing his phlegmy snorts.
“Gah! Reporting for duty, Spits!” Soarin cried, shooting up and giving a salute. He was hit with the sudden realization of not being in training camp, and he uttered, “Oh…’sup?”
“Oi! What’s wrong with you mate? Can you see it’s…six in the morning?” Lucky chided while burying his head underneath a pillow, obviously annoyed.
“It’s much better to get this done bright an’ early, Lucky! Mah Granny always told me, ‘The early buck gets the apple!’ Err…somethin’ like that.”
Barely understandable, Lucky uttered, “Mmph...just let me sleep!”
“Ain’t you had enough sleep?”
Shooting an accusing glare towards the Wonderbolt, the gambler said, “Sleep? Not with Soarin’s snorin’!”
“Heh, clever,” Soarin said absent-mindedly. It took a few seconds for Lucky’s remark to register in the pegasus’s drowsy brain, but when it did, he retorted indignantly, “Oh come on, bro. It can’t have been that loud."
“Actually partner…it was,” Braeburn said with a slight chortle. “Luckily Ah’ve shared a room with mah cousin Big Mac. May not talk much, but hoowee! Snores way louder than you!”
Focusing on the problem at hand, Braeburn tossed a pillow at the unicorn and stated, “Enough dilly-dallying. It’s time fer you to get up an’ get yerself freshened up. We’ll be talkin’ with dirty miners all day! Wouldn’t want yer fancy vest to get smudged.”
Realizing the futility of trying to get back to sleep, Lucky crawled out of his bed, immediately making his way towards the restroom. Too tired to give Braeburn a glare, he slammed the door without saying a word.
Soarin stifled a yawn and proceeded to lay back on his mattress with his hooves behind his head. Braeburn, who was slipping into his own farmpony vest, said quietly, “Hey Soarin?”
“Yeah?” the pegasus replied casually.
“What do you think a' Lucky?”
“What do you mean?”
The cowpony moved closer to Soarin so Lucky couldn’t hear him. Then he began, “Ah mean…Ah find that pony to be a lil’…odd. He’s been actin’ mighty suspicious since we got here, not mention he ain’t told us anything about his own story. Ah’m wondering if we should be worried.”
Soarin gave a small sigh, staring up at the ceiling while he thought about Braeburn’s question. Propping himself up on the headboard, Soarin replied, “Yeah, now that you mention it, Lucky’s been acting kinda strange. Maybe a little paranoid and jumpy. But I don’t think he’s a problem. The way I see it, he’s given us no reason not to trust him. In fact, if anything, he’s been pretty reliable, even though he can be a downer sometimes.” Waving the cowpony’s suspicions away, the pegasus finished, “Just leave him, Brae. If he wants to tell us his past, he will. If not, then whatever. We’ll just keep goin' like we’ve been goin'.”
“That may be yer philosophy, Soarin,” Braeburn said hardily. “But Ah just can’t let this thing go unanswered. Ah’ll be keeping an eye on that unicorn…”
xxx
After fifteen minutes of muffled complaining, Braeburn was the first to step out into the hall, looking fresh as a daisy. He was followed by Soarin, who hovered his way out of the room wearing a messily-buttoned shirt and a loose Wonderbolt tie. Finally, out lumbered Lucky, who let his unbuttoned vest hang loosely, not even bothering to knot the tie draped around his neck.
The trio ventured out into the lobby, where to their surprise, the three mares were already sitting at a table, their eyelids drooping low. “G’mornin’ fellas! How’d you girls sleep?” Braeburn exclaimed happily. Cheerilee responded with a groan, letting her head smack against the wooden coffee table. The cowpony added quietly, “I take it wasn’t very good?
“We could hear somepony snoring through the wall,” Scootaloo muttered. “At first I thought it was a...a dragon or something.”
“It was something with wings, I’ll give you that,” Lucky subtly accused, casting a sleepy yawn.
Scoots sat slouched over the table, looking utterly bored and tired. While the adults conversed over their mugs of coffee about talking about who-knows-what, the filly began to scan the room aimlessly. But her surprise, something caught her eye once again, this time visible through one of the far windows. It was only a tiny glimpse, true. But there was no doubting the filly's gut this time. It was a dark hooded figure pressing against the glass, just like the one she had seen yesterday.
Feeling alarmed, Scootaloo tugged on Soarin’s sleeve and uttered, “H-hey! I think I saw something!”
But when the orange pegasus pointed towards the window, there was nothing but the view of Town Hall. The mysterious figure had vanished without a trace, not even leaving a hoofprint on the window.
Soarin gave her a befuddled look, and Scootaloo could only reply, “I…I guess not.” But she was sure she had seen something in that window just moments before. But now…there was nothing at all. Scootaloo shook her head, hoping that she hadn’t lost her mind.
Before Scoots could make herself look even more odd, Lucky called out to a waitress, “Excuse me, miss? Can a stallion have some bagels over here?”
At that moment, she uttered probably the worst thing she could have possibly said. It was just a single sentence, and yet it propelled Lucky’s already unbearable crankiness to a whole new level. Whipping around to face the unlucky waitress, the unicorn shouted, “What do you mean, you don't have bagels!?”
xxx
The Elements of Love had begun to head towards the outskirts of town, where Trottingham Mine was located. Braeburn led the pack while looking extremely miffed, and Lucky trailed in the back, magically tying his tie as though he could care less.
Scootaloo, who was sitting atop Soarin’s back, told the unicorn, “Gosh Lucky. I’ve never seen somepony get so angry over food before. And I've met Applebloom's family."
“We’re lucky that innkeeper didn’t kick us out a’ there,” Braeburn scolded. “If we hadn’t pulled you outta that lobby-.”
“I wasn’t going to hurt anybody!” Lucky defended, interrupting his cowpony nemesis. “It’s just that…is there no place where a stallion can get a decent bagel around here?”
Cheerilee attempted to diffuse the situation, saying, “I know you love bagels Lucky, but I think we’ve got bigger problems on our plate. You know, like finding Shade and figuring out how to stop this madness.”
“Speaking of which, check it out,” Soarin piped, nodding towards a small camp located just down the road. Trottingham was built atop a group of grassy knolls, of course. The mine was carved into one of these hills, a huge gaping hole amidst piles of dirt and rock. Dust wafted out of the tunnel, polluting the surrounding air. Small make-shift shacks were built around the mouth of the cave, no doubt the miners’ quarters. A few of the miners were actually wandering around the outside, either smelting the ore they’ve found, eating their meals, or being a lazy bum.
“This place doesn’t look too safe,” Redheart commented, seeing the thick brown dirt particles being carried by the wind. “What is it they mine here?”
“Coal,” Lucky said quickly, requiring no time to think.
Miss Cheerilee looked over to the unicorn and realized he was sweating, eyeing the mine’s agape mouth anxiously. Although she couldn’t hear it, she could tell his heart was racing. The concerned teacher asked, “Lucky? Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
The unicorn snapped out of his trance, first biting his lip, then answering, “No, I’m absolutely fine.”
“He’s lying,” Braeburn uttered.
“That’s none of your buckin’ business, mate!”
“Quit your fighting you two!” Redheart demanded, stepping between the two hotheads. “We’re fighting dark magic, not each other!”
The two stallions huffed at each other before whirling around and marching in opposite directions. Cheerilee found herself following Lucky (although she had no idea why), Redheart paraded behind Braeburn, and the two pegasi stuck together as usual.
“So where do we begin? I dunno if these miners will be willing to talk,” Lucky said, glaring nervously at a few of the helmet-wearing stallion.
“Oh please. How hard can it be?” Cheerilee said. The teacher strolled up to one of the hulky stallions leaning against a railing, who immediately leapt up to face her. With a professional tone, Cheerilee began, “Hi there. I’m from out of town, and I’m looking for somepony. He’s…”
“Look no further, sweetcheeks!” the miner rudely interrupted. Unsurprisingly, he wore a giant grin, simply unable to resist the charming looks of the fine little mare standing before him. He began to flex one of his large, sinewy legs, showing off a tattoo that read ‘Mom’. “I’ve got all you need right here!”
The two stared at each other for a moment, neither exactly sure what to do. With a bored expression and not a single word, Cheerilee sauntered away while the stallion cried, “Hey, where ya going?”
She came to find Lucky trying hard to hide an amused smirk under his hoof. The teacher muttered indignantly, “This is going to be harder than I thought.”
Cheerilee and Lucky made their way to the mouth of the cave, being careful not to inhale too much of the swirling dust. “I almost can’t bear to go back to this place,” Lucky murmured, giving a hacking cough. “I think…I think I’ll check towards the exit, thank you very much.”
While Lucky shuffled his way towards fresh air, Cheerilee continued her path forward. To her surprise however, she was suddenly stopped by a strong stallion, the very same one she had tried to ask earlier. He still glared down at her…posterior end longingly, saying, “It isn’t very nice to walk away from a romantic conversation.”
Trying to keep a calm face, Cheerilee replied, “Sorry, but I just came here for some information, not a date.” She tried to back away, only to find two other stallions, likely his cronies, stepping out from behind him. Outnumbered, Cheerilee could only stand her ground and do her best not to panic.
One of the stallions told her, “How could somepony like you pass up a fine stallion like me?”
“Ehem…I’m flattered, but really…I think I should get going.” Unfortunately for the teacher, with three stallions making their move towards her, there was nowhere to go. The leader, the one with the ‘Mom’ tattoo, seemed as though he was about to try to grab her, raising his hoof.
But the stallion didn’t get an inch off the ground before a green bolt of magic knocked him off kilter, causing his other two friends to topple over. Cheerilee glanced down the tunnel to see Lucky, who was slowly marching angrily towards the group. “Oi! Step away from the teacher, mate! She’s with me,” the unicorn said, his horn glowing.
“What’s wit the stiff, lady? He your coltfriend?” the lead miner said, rubbing his now tender legs.
“Well I am a stallion, and I am her friend I suppose,” Lucky replied smoothly, grabbing Miss Cheerilee’s hoof. “But I’m afraid that ain’t your business, mate. So I’d suggest you step away and grab some fresh air. That coal dust is givin' ya' a swollen head.”
Lucky began to escort the teacher out of the dank mines, putting himself between Cheerilee and those buffoons. Luckily, it didn’t seem as though the miners were willing to fight, and they let the duo go off towards the exit. The leader called out, “Your friend’s an asshole, miss! Kinda reminds me of a guy I knew I while back. Come to think of it, he dressed all slick like your friend there.”
Cheerilee whispered, “What did he say?”
“Good to know, mate,” Lucky shouted, pretending not to hear the schoolteacher’s inquiry. “You’re a real charmer, you know that? Just bugger off.”
The two distanced themselves from the trio of miners, standing right underneath the mouth of the cave. “Thanks for the, uh, help back there. I don’t think those stallions were planning on being very…gentle,” Cheerilee thanked for what seemed to be the umpteenth time.
“Yeah…yeah…no problem,” Lucky replied, seeming extremely preoccupied. Shuffling his legs, the gambler said, “You should stay out here, in the open. I’ll go ask around an’ see if I can get anything useful.” The unicorn whizzed off into the mine, not waiting for Cheerilee’s response. She couldn’t help but notice Lucky’s odd behavior, and something deep inside her yearned to ask him about it. But by the time she worked up the nerves to say it, Lucky was already deep inside the shaft.
The conversation was much shorter than Cheerilee had anticipated. And to her surprise, she felt just a tad bit upset.
Xxx
Two hours passed as the six wandered about the premises, interrogating the obscene amount of miners working. and after some time, they soon grew sick of it. Perhaps it was the dim cave, the coal fumes, the constant failures to get information, or even some combination of all three. Whatever it was, the Elements decided enough was enough.
Braeburn and Redheart resurfaced, meeting their friends near the miners’ quarters. Sweating, Braeburn tossed his hat on the ground in frustration, saying, “Ah can’t believe it! Nopony’s ever heard of a stallion named Shade!”
Stoic as ever, Redheart commented, “Not really surprised. Now that I think of it, an informant of dark arts probably wouldn’t go around telling everypony what he’s doing.”
“Well Ah’m glad you told us that after we asked, nurse,” Braeburn said with a twinge of sarcasm. “But really now, we’ve got no clue where to go next. If we don’t find anythin’ soon, we’ll hafta go back to Canterlot empty-hoofed.”
“Poor Cadance,” Scootaloo uttered sadly, her face smeared with coal.
Soarin patted the filly’s head, scanning the dejected faces of his comrades. Only there was one more problem. One face was missing. “Don’t mean to make things even worse,” the Wonderbolt began reluctantly. “But…where’s Lucky?”
The six had been so caught up in wallowing in despair that they hadn’t noticed Lucky was nowhere to be found. “Now where’s that pony gone sulking off to now?” Braeburn said while gritting his teeth. “The fool’s been acting weird ever since we got here!”
The cowpony began to rant, “Don’t y’all find it weird that he ain’t told us a single thing about himself ever since we started this whole journey? Please tell me Ah ain’t the only one now! Ah tell ya, Ah’m starting to wonder if we can trust him after all.”
Cheerilee, who had been quiet for the last few minutes, suddenly piped, “Of course we can!” The others gave her a strange look, and all of a sudden she felt just a tad bit embarrassed. But despite her blushing cheeks, the teacher said logically, “I mean…he’s saved my life at least now, and I know he wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t trust us. Besides, he did tell us this was his hometown. Perhaps he just feels…nostalgic.”
“Bah! Ah don’t really care what the hay he’s hidin’ behind that designer vest and thick skull of his. Ah just know that we gotta find him, because whether we like it or not, we need every one of us together,” the cowpony replied matter-of-factly, ready to go unicorn hunting.
“I’ll try to get up in the sky and look for him,” Soarin offered, priming himself for take-off.
Scootaloo quickly hopped up to the pegasus, asking, “Oh, can I come?”
“Well of course!” the pegasus answered, letting the young one jump onto his back. but before he could launch, Soarin was caught off-guard by the forceful glare Nurse Redheart was giving him. With the mare’s intense eyes watching his every move, Soarin added, “Just…y’know…make sure you’re holding on tight.”
After a curt nod from the nurse, the pegasus shot up into the air with the filly in tow while the others split up on the ground. As they shot up, the filly glimpsed a certain shape hiding in the shadows. A shape she had witnessed twice before. “Soarin!” she called out, now heavily concerned.
“What is it?”
“There’s that guy again!” she exclaimed, pointing downwards. “I keep seeing him all over the place! He’s always wearing a black hood, and he’s been following us around ever since we got here.”
But when the two pegasi followed her hoof, there was nopony there. Only the empty shade of the coal mine. “I don’t see anypony, sorry. No Lucky or hooded guy,” Soarin answered, squinting as though perhaps he had missing something. But even with this, there was still nopony to be seen.
“But I know I saw him!” Scootaloo said, visibly distressed.
Something his mind told him it was just a filly’s overactive imagination, so Soarin just replied calmly, “I’m sure ya did, kiddo. But for now, keep an eye out for Lucky, okay? I’ll make sure that hooded stallion won’t follow us!” Then the Wonderbolt began to playfully twirl though the air while Scootaloo screamed in delight.
xxx
Meanwhile, somewhere in a far corner of Trottingham, there was a tiny fenced off field. Among the field were large white stones popping out of the ground, all of which were inscribed with names. It was a graveyard, a modest little area of solemnity and reverence. A calm breeze blew through the lush, green grass, adding to the calmness of the humble little field.
Sitting on a bench underneath a thin sapling was a unicorn stallion. He stared down at one of the gravestones, clutching a small daisy he had taken out of his designer vest. With a sigh, Lucky levitated the flower gently to the foot of the stone, next to the multiple remains of the same flower, wilted as though they had been there for years.
Lucky couldn’t take his eyes off the grave. The image of this field haunted his memory ever since the group had arrived in Trottingham. His thoughts went back to last night, to the horrible nightmare that kept him tossing and turning and drenched him in cold sweat…
~~~
He was a colt again, running through an alleyway in the dead of night. There were voices calling out to him, ragged and low. But none of it made sense to him; it was just random gibberish. He ran on into the endless darkness, not caring about where he was going. Only that he was getting further away from where he was…
At least, so he thought. But no matter how fast he galloped, the image kept following him. Even inside the pitch-black darkness, he could still see that horrid thing. Pale…limp…stained with red…
Suddenly, his legs were unable to carry him any further, and the colt collapsed on the ground. His legs seized up, and he curled into a tiny ball as warm tears streamed down his dirty face. He had no idea how long he had run, or how far. At the moment, all he knew was the searing pain deep inside his chest. The colt saw the torturing image of the thing rotting deep inside his head. He sat in that darkness, the biting cold pricking his uncovered skin. At that moment, Lucky buried his face in his hooves, realizing that this lingering agony was the feeling of being truly alone.
And no matter how many times he closed his eyes, he just couldn’t wake up.
~~~
“Lucky?” a voice from behind him said. Hearing his name, the unicorn snapped out of his trance, turning to find none other than Miss Cheerilee beckoning him.
“What-oh! Oh, hello Cheerilee. I was just…taking a bit of a walk,” Lucky said, moving away from the headstone he had been observing. “The coal dust was really…making me woozy, you know?”
“Lucky…” Cheerilee began. “Why would you take a walk through a graveyard?” She eyed the surrounding graves nervously, certainly not expecting to wind up in a place like this. And she most certainly didn’t expect to find her unicorn companion here as well.
“Umm…I’ve been to places?” Lucky stammered, giving a tense grin. “Sooo…why don’t we just head on back, shall we?” He began to shove the mare against her will, trying to push her away from the headstone he had just visited.
Before the two could stroll out of the graveyard, Cheerilee tried to get a look at the stone Lucky had been standing by. Carved into it were the words “Justicia Ragsnout-Dime: Rest in peace”. Whoever this Justicia was, Cheerilee didn’t know. But one thing was for sure, Lucky had wandered off without telling anypony. And that in itself was a bit shady.
She was unable to get a further glimpse at Justicia’s headstone, as Lucky had managed to push her back out onto the road leading back to Trottingham. Here, the teacher planted her hooves, not wanting to move another step.
The duo stood there at an impasse, with Lucky struggling to move, and Cheerilee being able to stand her ground. Finally, after a few minutes of struggling, the unicorn gave up and leaned against a lamppost. There the two stared at each other silently, the sun already beginning to set once again. The setting ball of fire cast an orange hue on the couple, and the cool breeze sweeping through the tall grass provided the only sound.
Finally, unable to take the silence, Cheerilee whispered tenderly, “Lucky…we’ve all noticed you’ve been acting…different since we got here. Braeburn’s been complaining the most.”
Rolling his eyes, the gambler replied, “I’m not surprised.”
The teacher walked closer to the leaning stallion, who kept his eyes trained on the ground. Cheerilee asked, “Tell me…are you…okay?”
“Well I ain’t sick if that’s what you’re asking.”
“You know what I’m asking, Lucky,” Cheerilee said caringly. “Are you really okay?”
The mare slowly placed her hoof underneath Lucky’s chin, who surprisingly didn’t put up a fight. She turned his head so that he met her gaze, and she asked again, “I mean, really okay?”
Lucky stared into her gray-blue eyes, unable to resist the passionate twinkle he found in them. Gently taking her hoof in his own, the stallion bit his lip hesitantly. Then, he began to whisper, “Well Cheerilee…I…I…”
That was as far as he got when the teacher was sent crashing to the ground, a magical bolt impacting into her side. Lucky watched her hit the ground, sliding up against the fence of the graveyard. But the stallion had no time to react, and before he knew, he found himself pressed up against a lightpost, held there by some kind of spell.
Lucky looked down to see a figure whose face was mostly obscured by a dark hood except for his gritted teeth. The gambler had no idea who this pony was; for all he knew, it could be another one of thos shadowy creatures who had come back to kill them.
Cheerilee scrambled to her hooves and began to charge at the figure. But the hooded pony turned his head and commanded, “CALM!” For some reason, although her mind still screamed to keep running, Cheerilee felt her legs turn to mush. She involuntarily lied down on the road, unable to will herself to get back up.
With the teacher incapacitated, the mysterious figure turned to the levitating unicorn. Through clenched teeth, he whispered angrily, “Why are you asking for me, huh? Are you planning to steal my research? Kill me?”
“Who-who are you?” a panicked Lucky stammered.
The hooded pony shook the unicorn quickly, replying, “Who do you think I am, you nit-wit? I’m the one you’ve been looking for, the one you call Shade! Now the question is…who are you?”
“We’re…travelers, f-from the Crystal Kingdom. We…want to know about that book you uncovered here.”
The mysterious stallion tilted his upwards, and Lucky could see just a smidge of purple eyes underneath the hood. “Really? You don’t look like any crystal ponies I’ve ever seen,” the stallion uttered suspiciously, bringing Lucky’s face close to his.
Realizing his lie had failed miserably, Lucky quickly said, “Listen mate, we’re not here to fight or kill, all right? We just know that that book is full of bad things, and we need your help in order to stop it!”
“We’re not the bad ponies, sir. Please don’t hurt us,” Cheerilee added.
The stallion continued to hold Lucky in place, and the gambler could feel the stranger’s eyes burning straight through his hood. Lucky tried his best to hold his gaze, trying not to look as scared as he really was.
Finally (and suddenly), the magic surrounding Lucky dispersed, and he fell to ground, bumping his head on the light post. Cheerilee found herself freed as well, and she rushed over to help her unicorn companion up, who was rubbing his noggin vigorously. The hooded pony backed away from the two, keeping his horn trained and ready. He uttered, “Fine. I suppose you may be telling the truth. But we’ll meet later, at a place more secluded.”
He suddenly shot a beam at the duo’s hooves, causing them to leap back. When the dust dissipated, there was a small glowing message that read 23 Baluchi Place. “Tomorrow at noon, at this address. You’d best memorize this now, because it’s not going to be here the next day.”
He explained, “When you get there, tell the one at the door, 'The shadows, my brother'. Then he will let you in. Bring the rest of your group too, I don’t like repeating myself.”
Lucky, whose temple was still aching, said, “Wait! So that’s it? You’re just going to tell us where to find you, just like that? No catch?”
“Listen, mate,” the figure began mockingly. “Frankly, I can’t tell whether to trust you or not just yet. But if what you’re telling me is true, that you wish to stop that book and you really aren’t seeking to abuse its power… then it is my duty to assist you.”
As he turned to trot away, he added one final statement. “But if by the off chance you are lying to me, and you try to pull anything stupid, remember this. I can obliterate all six of you in a heartbeat.”
With that, the figure galloped down the road, his cloak blending into the night. Cheerilee and Lucky crouched by the lonely streetlamp, thinking about “Shade’s” final warning. For although the mysterious stallion couldn’t tell if they were lying, the two were positive that he was telling the truth.
Without wasting any more time, the two hobbled towards Trottingham, eager to tell their comrades the news.