A Growing Shadow

by KorenCZ11

November

Even here, the sky is white.

When I came to this land, I’d always imagined what a place it would be. Green as far as the eye could see. Flowers and trees sprouting all around like a verdant paradise. Fruit in bushes, vegetables in the ground, bees and birds and bounty. They promised a land free from the king, free from the nobles, free from rule. A place we could finally be free.

But even here, the sky is white.

---

“Well? Do you have the toll?” the pony at the dock asked.

I did have it. I’d saved every coin I earned, worked my tail off till the braid fell out, and finally the new world was within reach. Four months by sea on the largest sailor in the harbor, we’d skip the cruel winter entirely, and once we made it there, it would be spring. They say that you can see the sun in the new world. That is something I… so desperately wish to see again.

“Here’s your payment, sir.”

The big stallion inspected the bag I offered him, carefully checking each and every coin, biting them to make sure they weren’t fakes. When he’d tasted enough of them, he seemed satisfied. “What’s a little colt like you goin’ to the new world for, eh?”

“I am no colt! I’m sixteen!” I protested. Even I knew I was on the small side for stallions, but I wasn’t that young.

The older unicorn rolled his eyes. “Sure, whatever, boy. This is not a voyage for boys. Nopony has ever said the new world was a kind place. What hopes do you have there?”

“Freedom.”

He eyed me. Looked me up, looked me down, but then met my gaze. I didn’t flinch.

He fished a couple gold coins out of the bag and gave them back to me. “You paid a little extra there, lad. Make sure you count better next time, alright?”

Extra? I barely had enough! I didn’t… He stuffed the coins in my bag and pushed me up the plank. “Go on. Ought to get to know who ya can. You’ll be spending a lot of time with the others on this ship.”

Finally, it clicked. “Oh! Thank you!” Without as much as a second glance, I ran up the plank and took my first step on The Equestrian.

---

“Four months,” the captain began, “Ahead of us, we can expect rough seas, hard winds, cold nights, and maybe even snow out there. Luckily, we’re not going far enough north to see ice, but should that be the case, there will be no passenger of any kind on this ship, savvy?”

The bearded unicorn eyed the ‘passengers’ on the deck, seemingly waiting for a response. As I looked around, it was a wonder who were the crew and who were the ‘passengers’ he spoke of. There was about one unicorn who really looked like he could’ve owned the place, but everyone else…

“Aye, Cap’n!” came from several of the passengers, which may have actually been crew members. There really was no telling who was what. From fine clothes with fancy embroidery, to… old sacks and shackles. The kind of scenery I was used to was never this… mixed. It made me a little nervous to see them without restraints. You could never tell what they were capable of. Stallions twice my size, twice the size of any unicorn. Even a mare that could shame the largest unicorn on the ship just by standing near him.

She caught me staring at her, but she just smiled at me. I looked away as quickly as I could. It… made me feel strange. I should mistrust them. That’s what father always told me, but… bah, what good has listening to that dastard ever done for me? He’s the reason I’m here. I will never forgive him.

“Good to hear! Get to yer posts and prepare to set sail. The faster we leave, the less we’ll be out at sea.” The crew and passengers, or whatever everypony was, all separated and flooded under deck. Unsure of what to do with myself, I simply moved to the starboard beam. “Doctor!” the captain called.

A tall, slender, unicorn stallion casually sauntered toward the forecastle. He stood below the captain physically, but just by the look on his face, one could tell who held the real power here. I should… get to know him. “Captain,” he spoke with an almost alluring voice.

The captain narrowed his eyes. “I don’t like that look in yer eyes, doc.”

The doctor bowed. “It would be difficult to change my face sir, but I suppose it could be done. What have you need of me?”

The captain spat. “I need ya ta check over the cargo, make sure they’re all sanitary. I don’t trust that slimy viscount as far as I could throw ‘em. If anypony’s likely ta get us killed, it’s that one, I believe.”

I felt my eye twitch. Cargo.

The doctor nodded. “As you wish, Captain.”

The Captain rolled his eyes. “Save yer pleasantries fer somepony who cares. ‘Aye Cap’n’ will do just fine.”

The doctor turned and headed toward the stairs to the galley. “Very well then. Aye, Cap’n.” Just before he went below deck, he paused, turned his head, and stared right at me. Small, cold, piercing yellow eyes made me shiver. He flashed a smile, then disappeared under deck. I swallowed. What was that?

“Boy!”

The call at the back of my neck startled me. “Sir!” I bit my lip. Far too used to that still.

The Captain circled around until he was in front of me. Up close, I could see what a stallion he was. Underneath the long coat and striped white and blue shirt, he was a gold coated unicorn with auburn locks and blonde strands running through his beard and short mane. One blue eye, one gray eye with a scar running through it. A bulky unicorn if I’ve ever seen one.

“Good response, but ‘Cap’n’ will do. You’re the one that paid the fare, didn’t ya?”

I nodded. “Aye… Cap’n.”

He smiled. “Learns quick. Good. A few things you’ll need to know about this here voyage; it’s a hard one. Sea’s a right angry bitch ‘tween here and the New World. We might need all hooves on deck from time to time along the way. You… ain’t the most strappin’ young stallion. Any talent with that horn of yers?”

My eyes fell. “W-well, I…”

“Speak up, boy! I’m an old sailor, ain’t got time for mumblin’ little fillies!”

Body snapped straight, tail tight between my legs, I answered, “I-I was never trained, Cap’n!”

He stroked his beard and sized me up again. “Never trained? How old are ya?”

I swallowed again. “Sixteen, Cap’n.”

He tilted his head to look at my side. I was wearing a coat and pants, anything I could’ve grabbed to keep the truth hidden. He stared at my flank for a long while, and for a moment, I thought I was found out. But, as luck would have it, he shrugged. “Odd, but ya paid, so I won’t question it. Any experience on a ship?”

I shook my head. “No Cap’n.”

“Can ya read?”

I looked away. “No… Cap’n.”

He frowned. “You’re a fair bit shady, aren’t ya? Well, Shady, I believe the best use of ya would be ta shadow the good doctor around and learn a bit of his trade. He’s just a bit strange too, but pleasant enough… when he feels like it anyway. If he takes a liking ta ya, he might even teach ya a thing or two, eh? You’ll find an open room aft the berth deck just before the stairs ta the hold. Once you’ve done that, find the doctor and tell him what I told ya. Savvy?”

“Aye, Cap’n!”

“Good ta hear!” In a quick, sweeping motion, the captain slapped my flank. “Now get to it!”

“Aye Cap’n!”

---

“He wants you to shadow me? Ha! What an apt choice of words. Very well then, Shadow. I’ll teach you what I can. In four months, you could learn much and more. Of course, that depends on you, though.”

“Depends on… me?” I asked.

The doctor nodded. “Oh yes, very much so. You see, magic is a strange thing. The magic I practice, however, is even stranger. Manipulating the body, targeting and destroying disease, regenerating flesh… there are many ways to go about it. Some, more frowned upon than others by the scholars at large. If you learn my ways, you may see magic in a new light.”

I scratched at my cheek. I hate this feeling. “Sir, I… I don’t really know any magic to begin with…”

He hid his mouth behind a hoof and raised a brow. “No magic? You can at least use levitation, can’t you?”

I chewed on my lip. The doctor’s snout raised and a sharp smile crossed his face. “Now that is simply fascinating. Sixteen years without so much as using the very thing that elevates you above the lower species? I can’t possibly fathom how you’ve gone so long without magical release…”

The doctor stood from his desk and then circled me. His horn went alight, and a yellow aura as bright as his eyes covered my body. “W-what are you doing!?”

He put a hoof on my muzzle. “Silence boy! I need focus!”

And so silent I was. It was difficult. It felt like I was being pricked by needles all over. No part of me was safe from the doctor’s probing magic. Before too long, the tingling was unbearable. My horn was feeling the worst of it. A strange heat began to build up inside it. Like a wall squeezing against my head with sickening force, something inside me was threatening to let go. And all at once, everything stopped. The doctor’s magic vanished in an instant, and I was dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

“Ow…”

“He he he… ha ha ha!” The Doctor picked me up by the neck and brought me within an inch of his snout. “You, my boy, will learn everything I know. We’ve always assumed that it was purity that made powerful unicorns, but you are far from that, aren’t you?”

I swallowed. H-he knows?

“Come now, speak! If you wish to learn, to put that boundless capacity of yours to work, then you must submit to me. Your fears, your desires, your sense of self. Give me your all, and I will give you everything.”

My all? What does that mean? He’s… creepy, but… he really seems like he wants to teach me. If I could learn… The new world could be even more to me… A chance to be free, a chance to be more than… one of them. I nodded. “Okay.”

He set me down, then ran a hoof through his short orange-red mane. “Wonderful. We’ll start immediately. Come with me, Shadow.”

---

November 6^th, The Year of Our Goddess, 607.

It has been four five days since we set sail. The d-o-k-t-o-r has been teach-ing me how to wright write. He says I should keep this journal to praktise every day. He says I learn quik. There is some-thing strange about my magik. It takes well to what he does, he said. I do not quite under-stand it. But, after sixteen years, I kan finally use my horn. If only I kould show father now. I’m not d-e-f-e-k-t-i-v-e.

Letters are strange. Some-times, when I use my horn, I see them in my head around sirkles and patterns. The doktor says that is normal. My magik is red. The doktor says that is not normal. He says, “Most magik kor-re-spon-dz to eye kolor. But, even when that does not happen, it is us-ual-ly klose to eye kolor. My eyes are green.”

He said he might buy one of the ‘kargo’ from the vis-kount to test a the-o-ree. That it might kome from my hi-bird nature. It makes me sik. There were a few mares a-mung them. One pegasus looked my age. And there was a little earth pony who was maybe six or younger. It is strange to be on the other side. Look-ing at them makes me sad.

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

Most curious. I wonder where you're going with this. I have a few guesses, but I'll need to see more to be sure. Looking forward to finding out.

[KorenCZ11]

9991215
Daily updates until the 22nd, so you'll get there. I do love guesses though, so please, guess away.

[AstralFlare42]

There are slaves on the ship, isn't there?

[Cheshire Heart]

Something about the phrase "magical release" feels particularly slimy or maybe that's just the doctor.