Hexachromalurgy

by SugarPesticide

III

The dream dissolves into waking as my eyes flutter open, letting in the half-light generated by the torch outside my room. Eight years have passed since that fateful night, yet at times it seems as if its unusual events have only occurred yesterday. For a moment I feel as vulnerable as I did in those days, curled up as I am beneath a thin blanket, and I can’t help but smile. Years may come and go, but memories, despite their hazy quality, are forever.

I grant an automatic glance to the other bed, but it reveals itself to be empty. I sheepishly remember that Double Delight has earned a cave of her own, which she shares with her mate. It’s been weeks since then, but I still feel a tinge of loneliness in the weight of my relative solitude. It’s a wonder that I don’t wake up in the middle of the night looking for her dim-lit figure to anchor me to reality.

But morning has come early for me. I reach for the saddlebags propped up next to my bed, recently filled during the last few days with various essentials. When I climb out of bed, I slide the saddlebags up and over my body, draping them across my back. They’re heavy, but not unexpectedly so. I should get used to it in due time.

Taking care not to create too much noise with the clip-clop of my hooves, I make my way through the hall and out into the main cavern. Nopony is here to see me at this early hour, but the echoes can still reach them in their sleeping chambers. I tiptoe across the cavern, shooting the cushion in the middle a passing smirk. It’s been worn down steadily over the years to a simple burlap cover, with bits of cotton still leaking from its frayed edges. Thorncrown won’t be able to sit about like a prince anymore, that’s for sure.

At the entrance to the passage leading to the outside, I pause and look back. My family still survives here, despite the dangers of the churning magma deeper within the mountain. It’s the lesser of two evils, I suppose. Better than being gutted by a monster, I assume. That’s about all they can claim, but it’s something, and they’re damn proud of it.

And I’m never going to see them again.

The thought is a lump in my throat, and I manage a painful swallow as I turn and begin the winding trek through the broad tunnel. It’s for the best, I tell myself. The caves were all very well and good when I was a filly, but I’ve outgrown them now. I can’t linger here for decades, growing into an old fat great-grandmother who can’t so much as take a step from her room. I have to … I have to venture, I suppose. Somewhere out there are answers amidst the danger of humanity, and it’s up to me to find them. Maybe, by some miracle, I can make the world safe for my siblings and cousins again.

After many turns I catch sight of the pale light of day, and my steps quicken in anticipation. I emerge squinting out of the mountainside, covering my eyes with a trembling hoof as I examine the overcast sky. The sun isn’t quite up yet, but a blinding whiteness in the clouds to the east suggests that daybreak is close at hoof. I take a deep breath and compose myself. I want to believe this isn’t the end, but rather a new beginning. I have to head out now, before my treacherous mind can change.

I begin to trot around the mountain, doing my best to avoid looking back at the disappearing entrance. The cool air hangs heavy with the promise of dew, and I’m mildly surprised that it hasn’t rained overnight. There might be trouble if I’m caught in a storm without shelter. It’s a good thing I’ve left so early.

The uneven earth tries to trip me, but I’ve walked these familiar slopes too many times to be caught by their tricks. New landscapes will naturally pose challenges, but strength from the ground is a ubiquitous thing. At least it’s unlikely that the swamps and plains of Equestria will be littered with boulders.

When the large field comes into view, I glance up towards the towering mountain and whistle twice. The sound bounces off the mountainside, echoing briefly before being swallowed up in the sheer expanse of space above. After that, little reaches my ears. Even the birds are quiet today.

A clatter of rocks makes me spin in place. My monster ambles down the jagged rock almost gracefully, working her large muscles tirelessly beneath her sturdy plates of armor. I smile, remembering a time when I was foalish enough to think of her as a sexless beast. Now she is mine, friend and companion, despite her intimidating appearance. A monster shaped as if hewn from the mountain itself. Halimium.

She closes the final gap between us with a dull crash, nuzzling me with practiced restraint to avoid skewering me on her horn. I scratch the leathery area beneath her chin in return. For a moment we stand there, sharing affection like the strangest dog and mistress to ever see the light of day. The past several days of longing are at last rewarded.

Soon I shake myself to attention, pulling gently away from her as I point toward the rising sun. The light streaming through the clouds is washing over the eastern forest, bathing it silver-white. With any luck we will be well in the depth of those trees by nightfall, hopefully taking shelter aside some enormous fallen log.

She watches my gesture intently, eyes lit with attention in the fading. With a quick jerking motion of her head, she begins to stomp off in that direction, bumping me slightly as she passes me. I follow right behind, eyes half shut in fending off the light. Regret can’t stave off my excitement as we begin the trek across the grassy field, turning our backs on the only place I have ever known.

Comments

[Metroid Prime]

If is not happy shouldn't it have the "dark" or "sad" tags

[SugarPesticide]

3206296
If the gore or mature themes get to be too much, then sure. Depending on the content of upcoming chapters, I may decide to stick a Dark tag on it. The thing is, at no point will it show us levels of depravity like those in Fallout Equestria. The "not happy" bit is a warning that this isn't a cute romp where X ends up as a Pokémon trainer or Y ends up as a pony because of goofy shenanigans.

It's things like this that make me wonder why there aren't separate Dark and Grimdark tags.