It Dwells in Darkness

by MisterNick

What Is It

The sun was high in the sky and the birds were in full voice as lunchtime came with great fanfare. The young foals galloped outside to eat their lunches which would be followed by recess shortly thereafter. Zipporwhill lagged behind her jubilant classmates, occasionally looking over her shoulder to see if that ‘shade’ had followed her. Even when surrounded by other students in class she felt as if something was watching her. She’d glanced out the window whenever Cheerilee’s back was turned and while she hadn’t seen anything she knew it was out there somewhere.

She tossed her sack lunch on the table furthest from her classmates as she sighed deeply before sitting down and emptying the bag’s contents onto the table. On most days the sight of the flautas, an apple, a box of juice and a brownie would make the young filly’s mouth water, but not today. Zipporwhill shut her green eyes and buried her hooves into her mane. “Please just let this day end,” she muttered to herself.

“Sorry to see you got detention,” said a voice with a familiar country tone.

Zipporwhill jumped out of her seat, her eyes wide in panic, her legs and wings trembling. She glanced about to see Apple Bloom standing across from her. “Oh, Celestia,” said the nervous filly as she tried to regain her composure by breathing deeply, “You scared me.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” said the yellow filly.

“I-it’s okay. It’s just been a bad day.”

Apple Bloom sat down across from her and nodded. “I’d reckon so,” she reached into her lunch bag and pulled out an apple tart, “Here, want one? Just my way of saying sorry for scarin’ ya.”

“Thanks but, I’m not hungry.”

“Well, if you say so,” said Apple Bloom as she began to eat her lunch. “So, why were you late today anyway?”

The breeze picked up as Zipporwhill explained what had happened that morning. Her eyes darted to the tree line near the playground as their branches swayed in the breeze. She wondered if it would be waiting there for her when school was out.

Apple Bloom looked over her shoulder in the direction of the playground unsure as to what Zipporwhill was looking at. “So a shadow scared you,” asked Apple Bloom cocking her head to the side.

“Yes,” said Zipporwhill as she opened her juice box, “But, like I said it wasn’t just a shadow. I heard it might be a shade that was just sitting there.”

“What was just sitting there,” asked Scootaloo setting lunchbox down that had Rainbow Dash’s picture taped to it.

“A shade,” responded Apple Bloom.

The orange filly rolled her eyes, “A shade? Don’t you mean a shadow? That’s what they do you know, just sit there.”

“Yes but this one wasn’t a part of the old mill. It was darker and moved on its own,” said Zipporwhill, who beginning to tire of repeating herself, “It was creepy.”

“What was creepy,” asked a little white unicorn named Sweetie Belle.

“Catch her up Scootaloo,” said Apple Bloom before turning back to Zipporwhill, “You don’t have anything to worry about. Shades are just shadows nothing really more than that, honestly. Maybe you let your imagination get the better of you. Oh, and don’t worry about detention either. You’ll have to bang some erasers, wipe down the blackboard, stuff like that. Miss Cheerilee will even walk you home if you tell her what’s bothering you.”

Zipporwhill smiled. It was the first reassuring thing she’d heard all day. She was about to thank Apple Bloom for being so nice when a voice from another table interrupted her train of thought. “It won’t help you. All of their well-wishing can’t help you,” said Diamond Tiara sternly.

Zipporwhill’s face dropped as Apple Bloom responded, “Oh shut up and leave her alone. You have two days of detention as is!”

Diamond Tiara gave Apple Bloom a sour glance before returning to Zipporwhill, “If you follow what they want you to do, if you do nothing, you’re doomed.”

“W-what do you mean I’m doomed,” asked Zipporwhill.

Diamond Tiara cleared her throat, “What you described wasn’t just some shadow or ghost. It wasn’t something you imagined. It was a shade and there are only five of those that we know about. They are what is left of the wife and foals of King Sombra.”

“Oh what a bunch of bunk,” shouted Scootaloo, “You’re just making it up!”

“Yeah,” chimed in Sweetie Belle.

“You blank flanks obviously don’t know the first thing about the Crystal Empire and its history,” growled Diamond Tiara, “There’s an old poem that explains all of this:

‘To grow his power, the shadow king

Did a very awful thing

His wife, the firs to face his wrath

Was melted in an acid bath.

When that wicked deed was done

He chopped his foals up one by one.

Threw them all in a wicked brew

For darker Gods, who he knew.

His powers grew over night

His family’s souls now, shunned the light.

Wicked and wrathful they became

All ponies now would share the blame.

Run, should they see you, hide if you can

For, the hunt is hardly their final plan

If they catch you, bitter strife

They will then, end your life.’”

“R-really,” gulped Zipporwhill.

“Oh please,” said Apple Bloom who crossed in front of the frightened foal, “If that were true Granny Smith would have told me that poem on Nightmare Night.”

“Yeah, and Twilight never even mentioned it either,” squeaked Sweetie Belle.

“Then why don’t you three go ask her all about it,” responded the pink pony sarcastically.

“We will and you’ll be wrong,” shouted Scootaloo.

Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes, pushed her way passed the yellow pony and sat next to Zipporwhill. “I can help you. You just have to trust me okay?”

“O-okay,” said Zipporwhill doubtfully.

“First if you stay in a well-lit area you should be safe. Sombra’s shades can’t stand the sun and will hide from it if possible. If they spend too much time in it they’ll be destroyed. They also aren’t fond of electric light either, it’s too bright. Second, and this should be obvious, they travel in darkness. One of them will travel from shadow to shadow to get to where it wants to go. The darker it is the easier it is for it to travel. Finally, you can injure or trap one of these shades with pure crystals.”

“Pure crystals,” asked Zipporwhill.

“Flawless diamonds could solve your problem permanently. However, those are rare and I don’t think you have the bits to get one of them. So, might I suggest this,” excitedly said Diamond Tiara as she galloped back to her bag and pulled out a large container of salt.

“Salt?”

“Add some butter, popcorn and a movie and we have a regular slumber party forming,” said Scootaloo sarcastically.

“Well, actually that makes sense,” responded Apple Bloom, “Zecora has used it before in her potion making and on occasion will sprinkle some about when-”

“Wait a second,” interrupted Sweetie Belle, “Why does she have a big container of salt in the first place?”

“What’s it to you blank flank,” shot back Diamond Tiara.

“Well, you say you know what it is that Zipporwhill saw. You show her how to prevent it from hurting her,” At which point Sweetie Belle’s eyes narrowed, “Why do you know any of this? What are you planning?”

You know,” shouted Diamond Tiara, “I was trying to do a nice thing here. I was trying to keep a fellow classmate safe. All you three can do is accuse me of having another reason for what I’m doing.”

“She’s right,” said Apple Bloom as she looked back at her friends shocked faces, “We’re being unfair. If she’s trying to help well, it’s up to Zipporwhill to decide whether she wants it or not.”

Zipporwhill picked up the salt and looked at it quietly and traced her hoof around the container’s top as she weighed her options. After a bit she could feel the eyes of the others on her at which point she looked up and said hesitantly, “Thank you very much for the salt Diamond.”

Diamond Tiara smiled proudly as the other three ponies were taken aback. “Well of course you’re welcome. I mean after all-“

“But,” said the little pegasus very politely, “I don’t think I can take it. Miss Cheerilee doesn’t want us bringing big containers like that into the classroom and I’m in enough trouble as it is.”

“Well then I’ll leave it by the front door and, when you can, at the end of the day pick it up. Fair enough?”

Zipporwhill nodded slowly as she looked to her other friends, “I’ll be okay, but, if you want to get Princess Twilight to weigh in on this it would be really great too.”

“No problem,” said Scootaloo, “I know all of the shortcuts around Ponyville. You’ll know the truth before you’ve even beaten your first eraser.”

“Thank you,” said the cream colored pegasus, “Now, let’s eat. All of this talking has made me hungry.”

Comments

[Clawfoot]

Seems like Diamond has been through this trouble before.