Som-Mama

by Shadowmane PX-41

The Plan

Somnambula flew out of the temple and towards the town, thinking of Fwynxie and the queen trapped in the vault. If this plan of hers was going to work, she was going to need to move fast. IF she dawdled or slacked off for any second, the two sphinxes she cared for more than any other would be shipped off to the scientists and studied on, all for Howling's sick and twisted wishes of learning the sphinxes' weakness. She could already hear Fwynxie's cries as she let the thought of a baby being experimented on, and her blood ran cold as she snapped back to reality.

"My baby... My sweet, sweet baby Fwynxie... I won't let them lay a hoof on you," she whispered to herself as she nearly flew head-on into a cart on her travels.

"Watch where you're going!" The cart driver yelled.

"Apologies!" Somnambula called back before raising her altitude. "Now, where did I last remember that market being?"

Somnambula swept the city from top to bottom, until at last, she found the marketplace. There were many tents and stalls open that day, with all sorts of wares from produce, to children's toys, and even the odd incense burner. But those weren't what she was looking for. All she needed for her plan to work was one of the most simple objects she could find.

Coming in for a landing, Somnambula skidded against the ground barely with her hooves and walked the rest of the way towards a stand selling wicker baskets. Some of them had colours and patterns on them, while others were barren and lifeless. All of them shared the same purpose, though; carrying things.

"Hello, miss." Somnambula approached the desk and curled her wings up. "I would like to purchase a basket. There are some things that I need carrying."

"Ah. A busy day out in the fields, is it?" The mare at the stand asked, before picking off a plain basket from the shelves. Sliding it across the counter, it reached Somnambula's muzzle. "For that, I will accept no more than five bits."

"Five bits? That's awfully generous for something of this caliber; even if it is just an ordinary, everyday basket..." Somnambula knew that she had no money on her, but she did know where she could get some. "I'll be right back, miss. Just make sure that my order isn't hoofed off to somepony else."

"Then you had better hurry back quickly, miss." The mare waved Somnambula off as she took to the skies again. "The harvest is in mere hours, and the farmers of this town will want to reap what they've sewn."

"I'll keep that in mind." She winked back at the mare and blasted forward, leaving a slipstream behind her. Gah! Money, my mortal enemy. The one time where I need it to rescue someone I care about and I fail to have any bits on me... Mother always said to come prepared; even for the most unexpected circumstances... Why in the blazes did I not listen to her this time?

---

Somnambula quickly arrived at a small house on the edge of the town. Detached from the rest and with its' own farm of crops and vegetables, all kept watered and nourished thanks to a bamboo contraption. There was a small balcony on the back of the house with bead curtains leading to the house's interior. Somnambula flew inside through the doorless frame at the back.

"Ah, the smell of jasmine and rosemary. It never gets old, regardless of the situation." Somnambula let a smile pop onto her face as she strolled around the room. A single bed sat at the end of the room, with a golden frame and feathers in place of the covers. There were fragrance urns all over, spewing the aforementioned smells she enjoyed. Small, clean cracks formed in the walls and acted as her windows into the outside world, aside from the small staircase built into the ground and the entryway she flew in through. "I hope that this domicile of mine stays intact for a long time."

Even though Fwynxie and the queen were on the clock, Somnambula smiled as she drank in the atmosphere of her room. Ever since she was a little filly, she had been born and raised in this room, and even as she changed and grew, she never once had to leave the room behind. To her, it would be the cornerstone of her house; the finishing touch; the sunlight shining onto the fertile field that was her life.

"Now then, If my memory's correct, my money would be right over... here." She reached under the pillow on her bed and pulled out a simple drawstring pouch with purple, green, red, and golden fabric in a wave pattern. "I must have a lot of luck on my side as well as hope." She slipped the pouch underneath her headdress, where it sank into her mane.

Shooting out of her house with the money in her hair, Somnambula performed a sharp U-turn to swoop up and soar in the opposite direction. Rolling back level with her stomach pointed to the ground, she started to make her way back to the village, making sure not to fly too fast and let the money tumble out of her grasp. Now she had what she needed, all that was left was to purchase the basket and free Somnambula and the queen.

As she flew back to the market, she witnessed a group of ponies talking to Howling Dune at the edge of the city's walls. All of which had robed around their bodies and were all stallions with differing facial hair. Stopping in her tracks by holding her wings out, she curved back and ducked behind a nearby building.

"Mr Dune, what can you offer us with these sphinxes of yours aside from research?" One of the ponies asked, lifting a brow at Howling. "Surely, there is more that can be done with these creatures, so what more do you have planned?"

"There is one thing that I want back from those brutes. The one thing that they were callous enough to take through deceitful means." Howling tightened his hoof and could feel the veins tightening as he punched the ground with it. "My home. They enslaved it and then destroyed it after I was wrapped up in one of their twisted little riddles. So, after we finish studying the sphinxes I have locked up in the vault, we will mobilize the army, capture more, and force them to give back what they took."

"Fighting the sphinx species all at once is a deathwish, and one that could lead to drastic losses if not done properly, Howling Dune." A grey stallion with a five o'clock shadow stepped up and looked him in the eyes. "For your sake, your research had better be reliable if you execute this little plan of yours."

"Which is why I plan to learn EVERYTHING about that baby and the queen she obeys so much." Even though his associates were giving him menacing looks and getting up to his face, Howling stood his ground firmly with his own hoof stomp. "How they eat and drink, where they come from, how they tap into their magic, and most important of all: their weaknesses."

"Sphinxes have weaknesses?" A third stallion tilted his head.

"Yes. Though it might not be the only one they have. All that I need is time and support, to further experiment and study these beasts." Howling nodded. "Then, by the time my work is done and everypony in Southern Equestria knows how to combat a sphinx, the world will be a much more peaceful place for all of us."

"No it won't. It will only lead to a new era of subjugation and horror. One that I won't allow as long as I live and breathe..." Somnambula shook her head and grimaced as she watched the negotiations continue. "Before you even start, I will take Fwynxie and the queen home. They'll be off with their own kind and you'll NEVER be allowed to touch them again."

"When do you plan to start?" The first stallion leaned in.

"Right this moment, actually." He smiled and turned his back. "I want to be armed and ready for this little plan of mine to work. So, are you willing to support me? To aide in my cause and bring peace back to our home?"

"If you can deliver us your research on sphinxes in full, and if it proves to be reliable, then we will support you and your endeavours, Howling Dune." The last stallion turned away and walked out. "Until then, we'll be watching you closely."

"Trust me, you won't be disappointed." He grinned back as he watched the other ponies walk out of the city and into the vast desert beyond. "For Southern Equestria." He brought his front hooves up and across his chest in a hasty slamming motion, saluting the others as they left.

Once Somnambula watched Howling and his associates leave, she immediately burst out of the roof and took off at full speed towards the market. Now that the clock had started to tick on her little plan, she needed all the time she could get. If she was even the slightest bit late, her little Fwynxie and the queen would be long gone.

She was flying so fast that she had to throw her wings out and tumble backwards, only for her to lose control of her flight and land face-first into the ground, sliding past ponies on her descent. Dazed, she saw stars swirling around above her head as she tried to stand back up, only for her legs to turn into jelly and collapse beneath her.

"Miss?" Somnambula asked as she crawled forward, combing sand into her face as she hobbled towards the stallkeeper. "I has... money. Just enough for the basket." She clutched onto the edge of the stand and pulled herself up. "Is the basket still available?"

"Oh, hello again, miss." The mare behind the counter helped Somnambula back up before hoofing her the basket. "You were quick. Nopony else came since you left, so that basket is ready and waiting for you."

"Thank the stars. Oh, and you too, miss." Somnambula pulled the pouch out from her headdress and opened it up, pouring five bits down onto it. "I trust this is enough?"

"Yes. Just enough." The mare took the bits, slipped them into her own bag, and pushed the basket to Somnambula. "I hope that it helps you out today. Especially with the harvest being upon us."

"Yes. Yes it will. Very much so." Somnambula bit the rope holding the basket together and slid her hoof through it. Once it was firmly attached to her, she turned towards the temple, ran off, and took to the skies yet again. "You have a nice day now!"

"W-wait! You're going the wrong way! The farms are on the other side of..." It was hopeless. Somnambula had already gone away. "The city."

---

Somnambula charged into the temple and rocketed down the hallways, barely having time to evade the ponies in her way. Most of them yelled at her for not paying attention to where she was going, but most of the time, she didn't pay them any attention. For it was now or never, and if her plan didn't work, Fwynxie and the queen would belong to Howling, and the rest of the species would soon follow.

"Som-Mama's coming, Fwynxie..." She whispered to herself as she finally came to the corridor where the vault was, only to find that the room was still coated in pitch-black darkness. She cursed herself for being so fast that she blew out the only means of lighting her way to the sphinxes she was trying to save. "Now what am I going to do?" She asked, stumbling forward through the shadows to try and find at least one of the unlit torches.

"Now, who blew out these torches?"

Somnambula heard the voice and immediately slipped back to one of the corners in the hall, pressing her back to it and concealing herself from sight. She heard unicorn magic charging up then being released, as small orange flares drifted to the candles and lit them all up at once, immediately coating the corridor in a warm amber flame. Once she heard his footsteps drift away, she came out of hiding and walked towards the vault door, pressing her hoof on the sigil.

"I'm here!" Somnambula ran into the room and up to Fwynxie and the queen's side. "Did you get lonely without me, little one?" And she scratched Fwynxie's belly, making her giggle giddily.

"Yay, Som-Mama!" Fwynxie chuckled, even as she was held down by the metal restraints.

"You have a plan to break us out, then?" The queen asked, lifting a brow as she jerked her head up from her sleeping posture.

"Yes, but it'll require a bit of Fwynxie's magic in order to pull it off." Somnambula looked up at the crystal above the sphinxes' heads again, the eerie and blood-red light bathing them and the room. "Even with that magic-dampening gemstome above us, magic can still be used. Let us just hope Fwynxie is strong enough to pull off the spell we need; even with the hindrance."

"What can I do, Som-Mama?" Fwynxie asked, tilting her head towards Somnambula. "Me just baby sphinxy. Me no have queen magic wike her."

"Sphinx shrink magic isn't that hard, really. All it takes is a bit of concentration. Every age of sphinx can do it, even babies like yourself, Fwynxie." Somnambula smiled and booped Fwynxie on the nose, chuckling along with her. "Just think about how you want to shrink, take the queen's paw, and just focus."

"Um... Okay?" Fwynxie lightly touched the paw of the queen, scrunched up her muzzle, and began to focus, groaning as she tried to conjure up magic from the deepest pits of her body. That, in turn, caused the crystal to glow brighter and hum as she did so.

"Come on, Fwynxie... You can do this." Somnambula watched as Fwynxie struggled and strained herself, fighting as hard as she could to outdo the crystal's might. Every last bit of her hope was beginning to show as she smiled and closed her eyes too, thinking of the happy moment that would come when they escaped together. "And don't strain yourself too much."

Even with Somnambula's words of taking it easy, Fwynxie still struggled to pull magic out from her innermost recesses. She tightened all of the muscles in her body and began to sweat as she tried to gather up magic. It was a long and hard battle, but she finally managed to get her crown glowing as her whole body was enveloped in a bright green aura that transmitted onto the queen she was holding onto. Thinking about shrinking, both she and the queen began to decrease in size, not small enough that they could fit into the basket, but small enough so they could slip out of the shackles that held them in place.

"Yes!" The queen smiled and paw-pumped as she slid her limbs out of the chains, which fell to the ground and echoed all around the vault. "That's our little girl..." She hugged Somnambula and gently tousled her hair, making sure not to brush the tiara off.

"Now you can crush that crystal and break the magic dampening powers it has on this place." Somnambula pointed to the crystal, which still glowed and shimmered even after Fwynxie had stopped channeling her magic. "And you'd better do it fast. Howling will be here any second now."

"Don't need to tell me twice." The queen spread her wings and charged at the crystal, ramming against it with her legs. It took a few hits, and she had to be careful not to prick herself on any of the spikes jutting out of the sides, but after a few strikes, it began to crack. "Come on, body. Even if you're smaller, you can still fight!" With one last, triumphant charge, she barreled into the fractured geode and smashed it into shards, which trickled down around her and Fwynxie.

As the light began to disappear from the room, Fwynxie's tiara began to glow, giving some small light to the dark and bleak cell. Giggling and squealing like a little schoolgirl, she started to shoot off more spells, all of which lit up the room even more.

"Calm down, Fwynxie." Somnambula smiled and petted her back. "Now that you have your powers back, you should be able to shrink you and the queen down without so much hassle and concentration. Go on."

"Okay, Som-Mama!" Fwynxie beamed and cast the shrinking spell again, tapping on the queen as she did so. Together, they both began to shrink down further and further, until they reached Somnambula's height. But that wasn't enough for them or the plan, as Fwynxie made them even smaller, much to the point where they were even smaller than her own hooves. "Now me teeny-tiny!"

"Yes. Yes you are. And just the right size for my basket here." Somnambula smiled again and picked both of the microscopic sphinxes up with her forehooves, making sure not to drop them as she opened the basket up and slipped them both inside of it. "Now, all we need to do is get out of here as fast as we can, before Howling comes back and finds out that you've escaped."

"You lead the way, Somnambula. Once you get us somewhere safe, we'll turn back to normal. Then, that Howling Dune will never be able to perform one of those sick and twisted experiments on us." The queen laid down at the bottom of the basket, curling up with Fwynxie.

"Alright. Just make sure you tell me if I'm making it uncomfortable for you, alright?" Somnambula gave them one last grin before she closed the basket up and walked out of the vault as the door began to close again. Now she had what she needed, and all that was left was to escape the palace before Howling Dune caught wind of her jailbreak.

Comments

[Viper Pit]

something is gonna go wrong i know it

[SuperPinkBrony12]

Here's to hoping Somnambula can make it out before Howling arrives.

[Golden Fang Ryu Shenron]

"My baby... My sweet, sweet baby Fwynxie... I won't let them lay a hoof on you," she whispered to herself as she nearly flew head-on into a cart on her travels.

Som-Mama to the rescue!

"I'll keep that in mind." She winked back at the mare and blasted forward, leaving a slipstream behind her. Gah! Money, my mortal enemy. The one time where I need it to rescue someone I care about and I fail to have any bits on me... Mother always said to come prepared; even for the most unexpected circumstances... Why in the blazes did I not listen to her this time?

Probably because you weren't expecting to need any bits now.

"No it won't. It will only lead to a new era of subjugation and horror. One that I won't allow as long as I live and breathe..." Somnambula shook her head and grimaced as she watched the negotiations continue. "Before you even start, I will take Fwynxie and the queen home. They'll be off with their own kind and you'll NEVER be allowed to touch them again."

Go Somnambula!

Even with Somnambula's words of taking it easy, Fwynxie still struggled to pull magic out from her innermost recesses. She tightened all of the muscles in her body and began to sweat as she tried to gather up magic. It was a long and hard battle, but she finally managed to get her crown glowing as her whole body was enveloped in a bright green aura that transmitted onto the queen she was holding onto. Thinking about shrinking, both she and the queen began to decrease in size, not small enough that they could fit into the basket, but small enough so they could slip out of the shackles that held them in place.

Yay they did it!

"Alright. Just make sure you tell me if I'm making it uncomfortable for you, alright?" Somnambula gave them one last grin before she closed the basket up and walked out of the vault as the door began to close again. Now she had what she needed, and all that was left was to escape the palace before Howling Dune caught wind of her jailbreak.

He's gonna catch her isn't he?

[The Bricklayer]

Too easy, that just went over too easy. There's always a hitch coming up in plans like this, there always is.