An Undertale of Equestria

by David Silver

11 - Dark Ambitions

"You," A dark voice shouted at me before pointing a hoof down a tunnel. "Get going. Don't be late, again."

I looked up to see a strong-looking pony... He was too familiar.

He noticed me staring at him, and smiled with a smirk touching on his snout. "Yes, I know ponies like to admire me, squire, but you're needed. Go on. You can tell the others Tor gave you this assignment directly." The rough edge on his voice was gone. He was speaking kindly, as if he knew me for a long time.

I nodded quickly as I felt ears flicking on my head. Was I a pony too? I rushed past him to the tunnel, and it felt like I was running on fingers and toes. It was all wrong, but I didn't forget it was just a vision. I was there to see, and I was determined to do just that.

The tunnel sloped upwards at a gentle curve that had me going around and around as it became so steep that the slope turned into stairs and coiled tightly enough that I could barely see a foot ahead before it circled out of sight. I was panting for breath as I climbed higher and higher, just about ready to give up when I suddenly reached a big metal door. It had a handle, but I didn't have hands.

Pulling them up into view, I had two perfectly nice black hooves to go with a furry black body. Oh well, in a pony dream, do as ponies do. I grabbed the handle in my mouth and tried pulling, but the door wouldn't move. I twisted my head and it began to turn slowly, creaking and groaning like it needed a fresh oiling, but it was moving!

The door suddenly swung outwards towards me, knocking me down several steps. It didn't hurt despite the jarring blow. Then again, it wasn't my body, I supposed.

"Oh, Little Tite, there you are." A female pony, dark as the others, but with a streak of yellow that ran along the outside of her mane, smiled at me. "You're late, come on." She waved me forward with an eager hoof, then turned away. She was wearing rather ornate robes. They all were.

When I came inside what looked like a large planning room, there were dozens of ponies in similar robes, hurrying around busily. "Just think of it!" She spun back towards me. "Today's the big day! We'll reach outer space!"

Really? How was that even possible? My confused face must have been obvious to her. "Little, haven't we been over this? They proved there is a space beyond the stone, if you go high enough. It's filled with toxic fumes, and dangerous magic, but it's there. Oh, how I wish I could see it for myself."

She circled around me and nudged me forward, her snout getting under my rump and pushing me forward. "Come on now. I didn't win the lottery, you did, you lucky little stallion! You'll put your eyes on a whole new place first." She sighed dreamily. "You'll be sure to write it all down, right?"

The frantic sounding voice of another stallion rose up, "Uh, ma'am, one of the dials is going a little... crazy."

She craned her neck at the pony. "Which one?" She hurried away from me and moved to see what the problem was, leaving me in peace for a moment. Dim memories tugged at me. This was like a rocket launch, but with ponies. I was the astronaut?

"It'll be alright, go on up, Little. Our hopes go with you." She smiled at me and waved forward. "Go on."

The vision dimmed. The mare sat around a table. There were other ponies. Several looked sad, one looked furious. The angry one slammed the table with his hooves. "You murdered them! Worst of all, you poisoned hundreds of ponies." He had long dark red and black hair for his mane.

She shrank back. "I, uh, we tried our best, sir."

"Your best isn't good enough." He waved a hoof in an angry sweep. "This 'outer' space is as dangerous as we thought."

I tried to move, but couldn't. I didn't have a body. I was just a witness to the scene.

A lanky male, the one that had spotted the bad dial, stood up. "Sir, please. The mistake was mine. Don't bl--"

The angry one struck him across the snout, knocking the skinny one down in a pile. "Talk only when you're addressed. You're only here to be charged properly. All research concerning this 'outer space' is suspended. Any attempt to reach, interfere, or so much as discuss it is hereby illegal!"

She rose to her hooves with a new fire in her eyes. "You can't do this! Our future's up there, not down here!"

He stepped towards her, towering over her and glaring down at her. "You've demonstrated quite nicely what 'future' awaits us up there." He waved a hoof to the side and several guards stepped forward, spears at the ready. "Take her away. Let her rot while she considers the consequences of her actions."

They grabbed her by the forehooves and lifted her up, carting her away as she struggled and screamed. "This isn't right! You can't stop progress like this!"

When she was out of sight and hearing, he sank. "Throw the rest out. They're just pawns. Rough them up if you want, I don't care. Just get rid of them."

The other researchers went pale and tried to scatter, only to be caught easily by the trained soldiers and dragged away in a wailing mass. There was angry shouting, and noises of pain, but eventually that became quiet as well.

The angry one was the only one left, and he sagged against the table. "I'm so sorry, my son... I never should have allowed you to take part." He pulled out a picture of a black colt with an innocent grin. "I'll never get you back, but I'll make sure she suffers at least half as much as I am." He kissed the photo, and it all faded away.

I came to with a sudden gasp, just to be bowled over as a shadowy pony fell over on top of me. I quickly remembered the fight I had left. The black ball was gone, and with it, it seemed, much of their power. The shadow ponies were in full retreat, turning to vapor as they jumped into the cracks of the walls to vanish away.

Trixie clopped a hoof on the ground. "And stay gone!"

Pinkie hopped over to me and sat down. "You alright? You were just kinda staring there all googly eyed while we were playing with the other ponies."

I sat up and nodded to her. "Yeah, I'm alright. I saw more of them."

Trixie gave a sweeping scan of the room before she lit up her horn and sat across from me. "You will tell us everything. Trixie wishes to hear this."

I tried to put all the pieces together. "I was a shadow pony who won the right to get blasted into 'outer space', which I think was what they thought of the outside world, you know, beyond their caves. It went wrong, I, uh, the pony I saw through, he died. The scientist in charge took all the blame and the head pony sent her to jail and punished all the ponies involved. I think I might have been the head pony's son or something."

Trixie raised a brow. "You are saying many things too quickly for Trixie to fully understand. The shadow ponies were that organized? They had science?" She leaned forward. "They had love? Why did they wish to reach the surface, to spread and conquer?"

Pinkie snorted. "No, that'd be silly! " She nudged me with a hoof. "They just got scared huh?"

"Yeah, scared..." I stood up from where the flying pony had bowled me over. "They made it illegal to even talk about going outside."

Trixie tapped her chin. "Do you know what went wrong?"

I didn't, and said as much. "Just that a lot of ponies died or got sick from the attempt."

Pinkie stuck out a tongue. "That's a major downer. Twilight'd be super sad if one of her experiments hurt ponies."

Trixie rolled her eyes. "She's exactly the kind of pony that'd try something capable of it. No matter. Familiar, that's two down. We just need to reach the surface again."

"No." I pointed into the dark. "We have to find her. We can't leave her down here as a half monster. She's sadder than she ever was before, and it's our fault."

Trixie looked across at Pinkie, who shrugged. "Hey, he's your familiar, not mine. I agree with him though. We should try to help her."

With a sigh, mother relented. "Very well. Trixie understands. We will find Sweet Tooth. What will we do once she is calmed? Can she even come with us? She can't very well remain here alone. The shadow ponies may hunt her."

We began walking down alongside the river, deeper into the depths. "I don't know, but we'll get to that. First, we reach her, and we do what we can. She doesn't deserve to wallow in pain without even knowing why."

Pinkie perked an ear before she jumped ahead. "I think I hear somepony!" She dashed off, leaving us to hustle after her. We reached a small cliff just steep enough that Trixie and I had to climb down carefully. How had Pinkie just gotten past? She was still up ahead. "Come on, guys!"

Trixie huffed as she stomped forward. "That pink menace. Come, familiar, we need to go faster if we're to keep up with the likes of her." Her magic grabbed me and soon I was riding mother into the darkness. The idea of riding my mother around made me giggle, and a glimpse of someone came up.

My mother. She was a nice woman. Human, not pony. She always invited me and my roomie to come by for the major holidays. She didn't bother me about not having a hugely successful life. "You make your ends meet, and you're happy. That's all I can ask from anyone." She gave great hugs, and cooked even better.

She lived with someone else... my father? I couldn't remember it. As I struggled to do so, I was shaken out of my thoughts. Trixie was looking over her shoulder at me. "Familiar, I've lost her. Do you hear her inane prattlings?"

I tried to listen, but listening wasn't really an active thing. I didn't hear her. "Nothing but us."

Trixie grunted and sat down on her haunches, with her magic holding me up against her. "She makes a better court jester than a traveling companion... Sometimes, Trixie swears..." She stood back up and shook her head. "She is sorry. This has been a long day. Shall we?"

I reached around her and gently tapped her nose. "Let's."

She wriggled her nose and raised a brow at me before continuing forward, with the lantern and her magic to ward off the darkness.

Did Pinkie have another light?

Author's Note:

2 down! We have this quest in the bag! Maybe... kinda?

The typos say they like it in the dark.

Comments

[TheShippingJR]

You sure are a quick writer

[David Silver]

6639385 Thanks. 2k/day is my goal. Shame on me I have 4 fics going at once.

[UsurperBronyZant]

Temmie Village better be in here. Or at least something similar.

36.media.tumblr.com/fc71e94f964cc20a388a43d4228238a7/tumblr_inline_nwn9dd8kR11ra20ef_500.jpg

[Fistfire]

She hurried away from me and moved to see what the problem was, leaving me to peace for a moment. Dim memories

In peace

I think I found a pesky one

[David Silver]

8766490
Fix'd!