//------------------------------// // Frozen Fears // Story: Anima Mea Tenebre // by Nixus //------------------------------// Sam had fought hundreds of enemies and had always come out victorious. He could split a log in half with a swing of his sword and not even break a sweat. He held a few trophies in track and field for his skills as well as two sword championships back at the academy. He was the heir apparent for his clan and expected to master all aspects of life. Yet next to magic, he found himself partaking in the second thing most that was almost impossible for him. Cooking. The smell of it permeated the air as Sam set about working in the cottage’s small kitchen. A few tiny chopped up pieces of fish and vegetables fried in the pan as he tended to the steaming rice. He was initially surprised to see that Fluttershy possessed a large quantity of fish in her icebox. However, he realised later, that much of it was meant for the carnivorous animals under her care. He had never actually cooked much in his life. His repertoire of dishes ranged from steamed rice to slightly less steamed rice. Yet, here he was trying his best to cook up his favourite dish. A small amount of sweat dampened his forehead as he concentrated on not burning the thin sheet of egg in a third pan. He was surprised that he had not managed to destroy the meal or anything else for that matter. Out of the four, he was the second last person to ever be put on cooking duty for extended assignments. The worst cook out of them was Coppa who, in one night, had managed to create a strawberry flavored cake, while attempting to grill burgers. Needless to say, there was a reason why Moe was on permanent cooking duty . Transferring both the rice and vegetables onto the egg sheet, he quickly used a knife to fold the entire dish up. Though it looked like a half-baked eggroll, it was as close as he had ever gotten. He managed to place it onto a plate before setting the meal to cool. He searched high and low in Fluttershy’s pantry, pushing past bags of feed before finding what he needed . Grabbing the bottle, he placed it in front of the meal just as Fluttershy came into the kitchen. She was in a much better state than what he had expected. The mare had been stricken over the pup’s death the previous night, yet she was there giving him a happy smile. He tried his best to smile back a he pushed the warm breakfast in front of her. She looked at it in confusion for a few seconds before turning to Sam. It’s omelette rice. My mother always cooked it when I was depressed about something. I thought maybe you’d like to try it? In spite of recent events. Sam, why are you writing in your book again?” Fluttershy asked. He froze for a second, considering her question. He shrugged his shoulders and put his book down as he sat at the table. “I don’t know,” Sam said unsure. He had no idea of why he was reverting to his old ways. He had nothing to fear in conversing with the Pegasus mare, but something was holding him back. It confused him greatly, like a puzzle that was refusing to be solved. He had shown her a side of him that he would have preferred remained hidden and she had not pushed him away. So why was it now that he was having reservations about speaking? Did he not trust her? No, it was something more than that. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I guess it frightens me...” “You’re scared of your voice?” Fluttershy stated confused. Sam shook his head casting his eyes downwards at the table. “Why are you afraid?” “I’m afraid of what others will think of me...” Sam whispered as Fluttershy took her first bite of his meal. He never saw her face contort slightly as the first taste of the rice hit her tongue. He rapped his knuckles on the table as his feline ears drooped slightly. “I’m worried their outlook will change if I open up to them.” Fluttershy smiled as she pushed her plate forward. Sam watched as she trotted up to him and placed a hoof on his shoulder. Sam gave a halfhearted smile in return as he got up from the table and began to clean the pans he had dirtied. Fluttershy managed to swallow down the rest of the meal thanks to the ketchup Sam had placed on the table. She grabbed her plate in her mouth, careful not to let any remnants of the meal fall on the floor and trotted to him. She let the dish fall into the sink before turning to Sam. “I was like that too...” She murmured causing Sam to look at her. “It was back when we needed to create a hurricane. I was afraid of being humiliated by performing badly as a flyer in front of everyone else.” She gave a weak flap of her wings, showing off the small amount of muscle. She looked back up at him with a determined gaze. “ We all needed to have 10 wingpower but all I could do zero point five. I thought I would never get better but I kept trying. I trained with my animal friends for days, trying my best.” “So you managed to get ten before the big day?” Fluttershy averted her gaze and scratched at the floor with her hoof. Sam tilted his head as she hid behind her mane. She whispered something inaudible that sounded like a no but he wasn’t sure. Shrugging he grabbed her plate and began to wash it. He looked at her as she attempted to push pass her embarrassment. “I think I know how this ends though.” “Y-you do?” “Yes, even though you weren’t able to reach your intended goal, you kept trying. Whether or not you succeeded did not matter. You proved yourself to your friends and gained a new appreciation for yourself.” He patted her head as he looked outside at the clear sky and the shining sun. “What you are trying to tell me is that I should try regardless of my feelings. I must seize the day and open myself up to others. Even if I cannot do something right in one area, it doesn’t hurt to try and try again. If you try hard enough eventually you will come out on top.” Fluttershy’s ears perked up as he finished. She nodded slightly as he put away the last of the dishes on a drying rack. She spared a glance at the clock and promptly gasped as the hands read just past nine thirty. “Oh my goodness!” “What?” Sam asked slightly alarmed by the mare’s sudden change in demeanor. “Is there something wrong?” “I need to feel the animals,” She said hurrying to the pantry. Sam watched as she dug around in the various bags of animal feed. He chuckled slightly over how flustered she got over her animals. He stepped into the doorway watching as she measured out various amounts of feed and vegetables. As Fluttershy came forward he carefully took hold of the bags. In an instant, she watched as Sam disappeared then reappeared at one trough. He did this four more times, startling the mare when he suddenly reappeared in front of her. Her jaw dropped as she looked out the open door to see every bowl and trough filled with food. “Oh my goodness...” She regained her composure before gesturing to the troughs. Sam looked back and shrugged as he sat back down at the table. A few beads of sweat graced his forehead while his breathing strained slightly. Fluttershy looked at him concerned as he chuckled slightly. “Tired from just two slash runs... I’ve been slacking off.” “A slash run?” “It’s a technique used by Samurai. It triples a warrior’s speed for a slight duration but is very strenuous. I can only do four before I need to rest. The greatest samurai however, can do upwards of six.” “Really?” “Yes, I’m hoping to reach at least five before I reach my peak. Without magic I’ve been able to focus more on that.” “Does it still bother you?” Sam tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling, inspecting each groove and notch in wood. He closed his eyes as last night’s event ran through his mind. Was it still bothering him? Deep inside he still felt conflicted. He could summon the magic around him but it was a matter of directing it. Before the previous night, the idea would have bothered him to no end. Now it only seemed like a minor problem. The disappointment was still there, but the shame and sadness was gone. He knew it was only because of the mare in front of him. “No. No, it is not a problem anymore. Thank you for asking.” “Oh that’s good.” She breathed a sigh of relief before noticing the now empty pantry. Sam followed her gaze. “Oh my... I better go and pick up some more food...” She murmured before going and retrieving her bit bag from its spot in the cupboards. Sam got up and followed her closely attaching his bag and sword to his belt before taking his place at the door. Fluttershy hurried towards the door thanking Sam as she went outside. They both breathed in the fresh air as the sun’s rays warmed their skin. Fluttershy took the time to greet and bid each of her animals a good morning while Sam followed suit. A few animals shied away from the cold tone of his voice but were reassured by a kind word from their caretaker. The moment when they had instantly attacked him searching for scraps even managed to bring a genuine smile to his face. It was tranquil, like a scene out of the ink paintings his mother loved. There was so much here he was unsure of. Why was he brought here? Did someone like him, who was built to take life, deserve to even set foot near it? Yet despite it all, Fluttershy had taken him in, given him shelter and comforted him in his weakest moment. He wasn’t sure if he could ever repay her in his lifetime, but he would do his best to try. “Sam are you ready to go?” Fluttershy’s voice broke him out of his contemplated state as she waited for him. He hurried over, his bag swinging wildly as he loped towards her. The majority of the walk from that point was spent in a hushed silence. Sam kept his eyes trained on the forest edge, ears swivelling at the slightest noise. He kept his hand at the ready, clamped tight on the hilt of his weapon. He could not shake the feeling that something was watching them intently. Fluttershy in the meantime kept humming a tune as the town began to come into view. Every now and then, she would break the silence and tell Sam about the different animals that lived in the forest. Sam tried his best to pay attention but his focus was on whatever was following them. The loosened dirt turned hard and packed as they neared the outskirts of the town. The sun had begun its afternoon rise, shining brightly through the clear sky. Yet Sam kept his gaze on the forest as they neared the town’s outskirts. He heard a rustle in the bushes and caught the faint glimmer of some creature before it disappeared into the undergrowth. He felt a chill run down his spine as he waited for something to happen. He could see Fluttershy waving to something and he could hear the faint noise of someone calling his name. “SAM!!!” Coppa’s voice rang out next to his ear almost scaring him out of his skin. The fur on his tail frazzled as he stepped back slightly. His surprised expression was replaced by a look of annoyance as Coppa and Moe stood in front of them. The dwarf wore an amused grin while Moe simply stood there, palm glued to his forehead. “Coppa you nearly gave him a heart attack,” Moe stated flatly. Sam kept quiet as his heart slowed, he silently cursed as he straightened out. Moe stepped over as Coppa let the grin devolve into an honest smile. “Are you okay Sam?” He opened his mouth to reply, but a sudden fear struck him as he tried to form the words. I’m afraid of what others will think of me... The thought resonated in his mind as he shut his mouth and simply nodded. Moe and Coppa gave him a confused stare before they turned towards Fluttershy. Sam lowered his head saddened by the failed opportunity as well as the look on her face. “We were hoping to run into you guys!” Coppa said loudly as he scratched his head. Sam walked in the front of the group as they walked into the marketplace. Ponies were just beginning to set up their wares. Vendors had their fresh produce waiting in the sun as the first wave of customers began to trickle into the square. Sam could see Applejack and Big Mac setting up their stall, the element of honesty looking slightly peeved that they were no doubt missing a member. Nevertheless, Coppa continued to ramble on. “Dante said he wants to see you two. Something about how we’re all adjusting and coping.” He shrugged his shoulders as Sam continued to walk forward. Fluttershy kept in stride with Coppa and Moe, waiting for the right time to speak as Coppa finished. “You know, the basic stuff.” “Oh Sam and I are doing just fine!” Fluttershy said with more enthusiasm than anyone expected. The three looked at her causing her to shrink back slightly. “Sam and I have been talking about a few things. He’s been really helpful around the cottage. Right Sam?” Sam nodded, and felt a strange sense of pride in the mare’s words. Coppa stared at Fluttershy while Moe looked towards Sam. He tensed as Coppa began to burst out laughing, gritting his teeth as Coppa fell to ground and began rolling fitfully. Moe kicked him slightly prompting a slight cry of pain from the Dwarf who picked himself up. “I’m sorry,” Coppa said wiping a tear from his eye. Sam let his fist relax as Moe hit Coppa over the head for good measure. The dwarf instantly stiffened, clutching his wounded head. “Ok I’m sorry! It’s just that we all know Sam never speaks. I mean why would he start now?” He gestured towards Sam who glared at him. Fluttershy sat there, taking sudden interest in the ground to avoid speaking. “What? I’m just saying the truth! He’s never spoken to us and we’re his friends.” “Yes, well despite whether or not Sam spoke,” Moe said while still mainting his annoyance towards Coppa. “Dante wants to see you two-” A sudden shout drew all their heads towards the centre stall. Sam’s eyes caught a lone figure running from the stall, a large bag of bits in its mouth, galloping straight towards them. Sam could have sworn the stallion was taking his job way too literally. He wore a black and white striped shirt along with a bandit mask tide around his head. Before any of them could react, the stallion slammed into the group and directly into Fluttershy. She cried out as she fell hard into the ground. The stallion wasted no time before he grabbed her bag and took off. “Are you ok?” Sam heard Coppa ask as he helped Fluttershy to her hooves. She nodded, small tears in her eyes. Sam felt a fiery anger light up in his chest as he turned his head around. He caught sight of the stallion just as he turned around a corner. “Stay here I’m going after him. Take Fluttershy to the library.” “What?” Coppa looked at Moe before Sam bolted off. Fluttershy’s mouth set in a faint smile as Sam bounded after the stallion. Moe ‘s face reflected his shock while Coppa stumbled over his words. “Did he just... He just-” “I can’t believe it...” Moe said shocked. They both looked at Fluttershy who simply nodded, giggling at their expense. ***** Sam’s boots pounded against the cobblestone as he finally neared the stallion. His breath was starting to become ragged as he narrowly dodged cross-eyed Pegasus and her unicorn filly crossing the road. He cursed as the thief turned into an alley, disappearing from sight. The thief had noticed Sam soon after he had given chase. A few other ponies had joined in the hunt for the thief, but had fallen behind when the stallion began using the alleys in his escape. Sam had managed to stay on the stallion’s tail, using his natural agility but was beginning to feel his muscles tire. Either he ended this now or he was never going to be able to catch up. Instead of turning the corner, Sam propelled himself forward. His legs coiled like springs before launching him upwards towards a balcony. His hands grabbed onto the railing and quickly pulled himself up using the momentum. He somersaulted onto the roof of the building, exhaling and rolling forward as his feet touched the tiled roof. He balanced precariously as he ran across the roof beam and jumped over to the next house. A few tiles slipped off as he landed, nearly causing him to slip off the roof. He caught sight of the thief just as he righted himself. A cloud of dust blew out as Sam raced towards him. His eyes locked on his prey, narrowing as his speed increased further. He ground his teeth as his legs burned fiercely. It felt like the sheer speed at which he was going was threatening to tear every fiber of his body to pieces. He persisted, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood as the length of the roof began to end. He had one shot for this to work and his window was beginning to close rapidly. He gripped his swords hilt just as his body became a blur. Just one more... His body passed over the edge of the roof as he vaulted towards the thief. He floated in the air before he angled himself at the thief. He prepped himself, concentrating on his target. He flew forward, shooting towards the ground at a speed that would rival that of Rainbow Dash. He let go of his sword hilt as he crashed into the stallion. To Sam’s shock, the thief dissipated under him. He found himself on his back, in a puddle of oily liquid. Sam watched as the puddle shifted and boiled, oozing away towards the outside of the town. Even the liquid which was covering him managed to slide off like glove. His head took a moment to wrap around what happened before it finally clicked. That thing... It’s still alive! He thought as he scrambled to his feet. Without hesitating he ripped his sword out of its scabbard before taking off after it. How had that thing survived? His mind raced to think up of any probable reason. Had Dante not burned the rest of it? Was it just a sliver of the greater piece? Or did another one spawn from a different source? Either way he pressed on, disappearing into the forest. Deep down, he knew that he should have gone back and gotten help but he could regret that later. He kept running, making his way closer and closer to the cottage. For some reason it was leading him back to that place. But why would it do that? Nothing about this creature made sense. Then it dawned on him. The Timberwolf... It was only a hunch but it was the only one that made sense. The creature had attacked the pup and had somehow implanted its essence into it. Now it was simply returning to its source, luring Sam to it in an attempt to pick the group apart one by one. If he could get to the source before it did he could cut it off, maybe even kill it without magic. Either way he needed to get to the grove before it did. He just hoped he could reach it before anything else was hurt... ***** “Fluttershy! You’re here!” Twilight exclaimed as she noticed Fluttershy, Moe, and Coppa enter the library. The entire library was filled with discarded piles of books. A few remained open in the centre of the room with piles of notes resting next to them. Dante was situated in the centre, his white hair in a mess and bags lining his eyes. He was busy scribbling notes down in his book as he compared various books to Starswirl’s journal in front of him. His red irises were less pronounced now, blending in with his bloodshot eyes. Nevertheless, he glanced up and gave the three a tired nod. “Where’s Sam? He said yawning. Coppa and Moe looked at Dante with excitement as he played with the bandages on his arms. He flipped a page on the book as he kept his attention on the three. “I thought I asked him to come too?” “Dante you’re never gonna believe this!” Coppa said accidentally knocking a pile of books over. They all heard a familiar drake groan upstairs as volumes clattered on the floor. A dead silence followed as Coppa waited for Dante to reply. Fluttershy sat down next to Twilight as Dante continued to not answer. “Come on man! Try and guess!” “Did Berry Punch let you have free reign over cellars and bed?” Dante said with a smirk causing Moe to laugh. Coppa blushed in embarrassment as Dante prodded further. “Did you find out just how much she loved soft things?” “I’m not interested in her!” Coppa retorted, his face flushed as he regained himself. “No Sam actually spoke!” Now it was Dante’s turn to look surprised. He dropped his book as hsi head turned towards Fluttershy. She let out an ‘eep’ as she hid behind her mane when Dante approached. “Fluttershy is this true?” “Y-yes...” She whimpered suddenly anxious and feeling vulnerable without Sam around. “He spoke after I found out he couldn’t use magic-“ She gasped, cutting herself off as she realised her mistake. All three looked at her as if she had said something impossible. “oh no... I shouldn’t have said...” “That’s impossible...” Dante said as he scratched his chin. A furrowed line ran across his forehead as he began to pace. He mumbled incoherently as the rest watched perplexed. Fluttershy secretly wished she could hide herself under the mountains of books. She regretted having spilled his secret, something which he had confided solely to her. Now she feared that he’d hate her for it and resume not speaking ever again. She didn’t know why but the thought of that pained her more than she thought possible. “I need my bag...” Dante muttered as he ran to his room. The sound of crashing materials, breaking glass and the occasional curse could be heard coming from the teenager. He came back out a minute later, a book grasped firmly in his hand. “Sam’s enrolment papers,” he added as he sat down and began to flip through them. He stopped at one of the early pages and scanned the words written on it. “Why do you need those?” Twilight asked as she trotted next to Dante and peered over his shoulder. He said nothing, his eyes trained solely on the words written down. Moe instead was the first to offer an explanation. “As students of Particus Academy, we all have specific files which tell the teachers exactly what our abilities are. You can’t get in until your given an evaluation and your student file is completed and registered,” Moe explained as he looked over Dante’s shoulder. “If Sam isn’t able to do magic then he should never have been allowed into the academy.” “Here it is...” Dante said as his eyes focused on one block of text. “Samuel Higen Moritsugu. Magical capability score... wait that can’t be right.” He flipped through the pages searching frantically for something. “Where is it?” “What is it?” Coppa asked approaching, his voice going low for a moment. Dante put the report down as he came upon a single signature. He groaned as he rubbed his face, distress evident. “It said his magic was never tested.” “What? Who conducted the tests then?” Moe said as he picked up the report. His own face fell when he saw the familiar signature written at the bottom of the page. He passed the book over to Coppa who took it quickly. “Why would he do that?” Moe questioned before noticing Coppa shaking the report. “What are you doing?” “There’s something wedged between in the spine...” Coppa replied as he shook it violently. As if on cue, a small red crystal plopped onto the ground. It was one of the smallest gems any of them had ever seen. A multifaceted ruby with edges covered in what looked to be like some sort of metal. Fluttershy picked it up and gasped as it began to glow, projecting an image of an elderly man in the middle of the air. “Hey look it’s the principle!” Coppa said enthusiastically. “It must be a message crystal. Old magic but pretty cool.” “What do we do with it?” Twilight asked poking at the holographic image. It warped around her hoof, distorting the image. “Wow...” She added as she stared in amazement “Ask it a question Fluttershy” Dante said quietly as he stared at the image. “It’ll only accept commands from you since you opened it.” “Oh! Uh umm could you please play?” She asked nervously. “If that’s okay with you...” Playing message... The recording said in a static monotone. Suddenly the image of Feinman began moving, as if he were just recording the message for the first time. They watched as he took a seat in a chair, eyes trained at them. He coughed into his hand before his voice became apparent. Hello, I am Principle Feinman. If you have accessed this message, than the issue of Samuel’s magic or lack of in this case has become apparent. It is true, I falsified the records pertaining to his grades in magical classes. My reasons for doing so are my own, but are in the absolute best interests of Sam. Before we start though, I must warn you this. Sam does in fact posses a substantial quantity of magical ability. It is the nature of his magic that poses difficulty to him harnessing it. I had hoped to remedy this issue before Sam went out into the world of adventuring but I assume events have dictated otherwise. It is pertinent that you realize this. Sam’s magic is dangerous and if left unchecked, it poses an extreme risk to both him and those around him. ***** Sam reached the clearing, panting and sweating as he scanned the area. Nothing moved, as though any twitch could break the dread silence. Had he made it in time? The grave looked undisturbed, no signs that anything had dug in or out of it. As much as he wanted to relax, there was still the fragment to deal with. Turning around, he froze in place as his fears were confirmed. In front of him stood what once was a timberwolf pup but now... now it was something entirely else. Black sludge dripped from every crack and pit in the pup’s body. Two streams poured from its eyes, now hollow and without their usual glow. It poured from the pup’s wounded side like mock blood. He took a step back as the pup trudged towards him each step staining the ground with liquid. It was disconcerting how the creature was using the body as a puppet, mocking life as it imitated every natural function of the pup. He raised his sword waiting for the first strike. Yet the pup stopped halfway, simply standing there in the centre of the clearing. Sam waited, unsure as to what the creature was doing. It stood still, not even twitching as the moments passed. Then suddenly it began coughing, hacking up great globs of black. It shuddered as it began to fall apart. Black goo and sticks clattering to the ground like blood and bone. Disbelief overcame Sam as the creature seemingly died in front of him. Maybe it had taken too much power to possess the body and its energy had simply run out. Sam kept his grip on his sword as he approached the pile of wood. He nudged it with his foot, testing to see if it was still alive. The pile fell apart, giving way to his prodding. He sighed as his muscles relaxed, giving way as a feeling of fatigue took root. Then he felt something underneath him. The ground rumbled and began to split beneath his feet. Sam jumped back as the ground crumbled away into a pit of inky blackness. More and more dirt fell away, leaving a hole the size of a fully grown elephant in the ground. The trembling gave way to silence while Sam stood there perplexed. There must have been an expansive network of cave running under the forest. An old stench of rotting leaves and wood came from the hole as he approached. He was unsure of what he expected to happen. Maybe the creature had sensed the cave below and had wanted him to fall to his death. Maybe it was just a freak occurrence. Either way, Sam knew he would need to tell Dante and the others. There was something coming from the cave that reeked of familiarity. That feeling turned to dread as Sam found himself flying through the air as a gigantic fist burst out of the hole. He stayed airborne for a few seconds before he landed in some bog nearby, sinking as his body hit the water. He righted himself and began to swim through the murky water towards the surface. Yet as he tried to move his limbs, he found them immobile, trapped in growing pieces of ice. He stared in horror as the water around him began to freeze solid, trapping him in the dark depths of the bog. A giant shadow came into view, looming over the freezing bog as Sam began to sink to the bottom of the bog.