Every Candy Cane Has Its Tumors

by Grisaille987

Prologue: Cypher's Immersion

The normal day of a human being was mundane, but easily taken for granted. It wakes up, spends at least fifteen hours awake in order to fulfill the necessities for its body and mind, deals with gripes that other members of its species throw at it everyday while dealing with their own, go to sleep when night falls, and repeats that process the moment the day starts back up again. Sometimes, it is fully ready to embrace the coming day and the challenges that befall its person. Other times, it is indifferent and bored, wanting to get their dose of daily demands out of the way. But in all instances, the human in question slowly begins to adapt and get used to that particular way of life. They stick to that path like glue, having learned no other way to go. Whatever changes that occur are small or slow, allowing for gradual adjustment when needed.

But sometimes, change can be sudden. This kind of change can take you away from the safety and shelter of what you knew, dropping you in places where immediate knowledge is ineffective and useless. Because of this, there is a state of helplessness that befalls the victim, as they are unable to comprehend just how quickly their path has curved. Their attachment to what they once held in their hands leaves them confused, desperate for understanding and maybe even mentally broken if the extent of change is severe enough. Humans have grown to understand this consequence to the point of innate knowledge, as even the likes of a newborn will succumb to the need of resistance. It is why many fear change as well as accept it.

What would happen, then, if the entire world as you knew it had changed? What if that very change wasn't something that derailed you from how you perceived, but rather, it encouraged you to a new light? Would you be afraid or confused, still? Or would your acceptance of its form come a little faster? The answers, naturally, will vary from human to human. But what we will be focused on are the answers of three particular humans who have gone through that kind of change, answering the questions that I have given you in their own ways. Perhaps you will begin to understand a bit more than you would have expected to, as well. Let us begin, shall we?

The tale starts where the second to last crisis within Ponyville ended - in a cave. It was one of the few that existed within the Everfree Forest, located near its very center. If one were to look inside, eyes would see walls of gypsum that stretched wide and seemed to go on forever as they led deeper into the cave. They would see a ceiling with clusters of stalactites pointed downward like a set of teeth within an open mouth. They would feel a constant chill in the air if they stepped too far inwards, even if the sun was unopposed in the sky. This was known as the Everlasting Maw, a cave that no casual traveler dared to step foot in. This name was not given lightly, for even if there was further progress from the mouth of the cave, it always seemed as if there was no end to its throat.

For the more tenacious traveler, risk and resolve would prove to be very rewarding. Further trek into the cave would take you underground, away from light and towards the unknown. At first, the cave walls would slowly close in with each and every step you took, and the light coming from the outside would fade. But if you walked deeper, the darkness would be replaced by the light of a shimmering pure red. It isn't unusual to stop and ask the question, "Just what exactly is causing that?" After all, the only possible cause of it would have been light from outside. But obviously, that source in particular couldn't have produced such a color. Self-preservation and logic demanded that you step away, turn back and flee the cave before you do something that you'd most certainly regret. But if you were curious, daring to push the envelope, you would keep moving forward to see just what kind of mystery lay beyond.

When you made that final step, the walls would suddenly expand outwards to a dome-like area that was illuminated with the strange light. Unlike the majority of the cave you had trekked before, this area possessed little to no stalactites or stalagmites - a trait that gave off the impression of someone having been here before. With each movement made in this area, it would feel as if something had taken you in an affectionate embrace. Goosebumps would form on the skin, shudders stemming from elation would flow throughout the body, and any possible troubles or issues that were carried with you would be pushed into the storage of your subconscious. When you stepped into this cave, you might as well be stepping on holy ground.

The very center of it was dominated by a red pond that took up a bare maximum of the ground. Although there were no winds that could have reached the area due to the depth, the red water was constantly rippling as if it was being disturbed by something. If you approached its edge and looked into the liquid, you could see a small and bright orb of light peering back from the very bottom - the source of the anomaly. It was like the pond had its very own miniature sun to compensate for Celestia's own, minus the heat. This pond, only known through the few who had dared to complete the journey to it, spawned many rumors concerning its origins and creation. Some say that the king and queen of Equestria had created it long ago for the simple purpose of relieving the stress that their rule caused. Others say that it had been created recently in the wake of the all-healing wave that washed over Equestria and repelled Discord's influence. But none of these sayings have been proven true, even by the most intelligent of Equestria's scientists. No one has been able to explain that or the unworldly aura the pool gives off to travelers that step within its boundaries. The only thing that has been found out is that it possesses a name - a sign that someone had been there before the first traveler ever did.

Cypher's Pool.

Make sure to keep that in mind, for that name will be coming back once again as I tell this tale.

Today, Cypher's Pool would know three mysteries. Each one would come in the form of bipedal, hairless creatures that lay at the pond's edge and were soaked with its waters. The surface dwellers would not know their forms and would assume that these were animals of the Everfree or some foreign, untraveled lands. But you and I know them as humans, the dominant race of another world and dimension. What they were doing here of all places was a mystery that had yet to be solved. But once they wandered into the outside, they as well as the surface dwellers would learn much more about each other that they would've never learned while in the presence of their own kind. This is the story of their birth and the start of new potential lives within Equestria.

When I return, I will grace you with the personal experience of these three humans and their first contact with the outside world. Until next time, my courteous listeners.

Author's Note:

Thanks for the cave name suggestion, Wise Cracker! Here's hoping it sticks. <3

Comments

[Cheyenne]

There goes my more direct contribution to this piece. Hope everything goes well on your end, Grisaille.

[Grisaille987]

2148409 Yeah, me too.

[RedDeadElite]

Dayumn! Dis (along with the music) gave me chills! The good kind. Do keep going.