Umbral Travels

by pchn00

Chapter 1: It Is Bright

Chapter 1: It Is Bright

I feel as if I am standing between worlds. My back half is still in the tunnels leading home. My front is not. It is for the first time exposed to the surface world. My first thought is that…it is bright. Tak assures me it is night and considered ‘dark’ to the creatures that inhabit this realm. I chance another quick look up at the horrifyingly ceiling less sky and see an endless blanket of black dotted with points of light so bright it stings my eyes. And there hanging like some great glowing eye is the ‘moon’ he says.

“Yup! Luna likes t’keep that baby full year round.”

Tak, my friend and companion. The curious changeling who seems to despise his own nature. One moment he speaks like this, the next his tone and inflection are educated, cultured. Not unlike my own. I am still unsure which is the real Tak, and which I prefer. I tear my eyes away from the frightening sky above, focusing instead at the white uncomfortably cold substance around my hooves. It is almost like powder, but feels wet.

“Y-you are SURE I cannot…fall UP into the sky?”

Amusement flashes across his solid blue eyes for a moment before he realizes I am not in any way making a jest. “Yeah…course I am. An if ya do I’ll just zip up and catch ya.”

I keep my attention focused on the powder about me. I feel foolish needing to be comforted like some hatchling but his words put me at ease. I know he is sincere in his promise to guide me through this strange new world. Steeling myself I step forward fully emerging from the safety of the pitch black tunnels behind me. My tail twitches in annoyance, the tip of it brushing the powder as well. “What am I standing in?”

He kicks a puff of it into the air casually. “Snow. S’always winter round these parts, so there’s always snow. Never got what you ponies loved about it so much, but every winter the bird brains churn out alla th’cold clouds they can, and dump this crap all over. S’posed t’be ‘cheery’. Y’ask me it’s cold, wet, an’ inconvenient.”

His complaining brings a faint smile to my face as I gaze out. The snow rolls on as far as my eye can see. Great spears of…something brown with green jut up from the ground all about breaking up the monotony of white. I must admit the silvery light created by this moon of theirs reflected off the snow is beautiful. The sensation of it crunching beneath her hooves was…amusing as well. I lift a forehoof and stomp it down, delighting in the sudden puff of snow that rises up.

Lifting my leg I smile at the indentation I have made. I begin to; admittedly childishly spring from spot to spot kicking up great tufts in my wake and crunching it beneath my hooves. Seized in my flight of fancy I flop onto my back and squirm in it…luxuriating in the unusual feel and coldness.

Tak is laughing while he watches, but I do not care. I am in a new world…everything is new and interesting and perhaps a bit frightening as my posture is inadvertently forcing me to look into the endless sky. I roll onto my hooves if only to stop looking up into that void. Gradually I compose myself.

“Done playin’ in th’snow princess?”

I snort indignantly and finish brushing some snow from my armor. “Yes. Lead on.”

He raises a brow. “An’ where am I leadin’ us onto?”

“Well I do not know. To ponies. You know why we are here. I must find their Princess Luna, and the thief of Bleeding Heart’s sword. So…find me ponies.”

He rolls his eyes. “Right right fine. Well we should wait til mornin’ at least. Travelin’ at night this far from civilization is dangerous. We ain’t far from onna the old pony settlements. We’ll hole up there, mebbe see if they got somethin’ t’eat b’sides mushrooms an cave goop.”

Tak begins to trudge through the snow and I follow. Ploughing through it with significantly less difficulty than Tak seems to be having. He glances back at me and his wings snap open. I crane my neck to follow his progress as he lands behind me into the path I am creating. “You take the lead yer tankiness. Jus’ keep on goin straight ahead. Ain’t far an th’castle’ll be in yer sights.”

With a grunt of ascent I begin to lead the way. It is only practical, my physical strength far out strips Tak’s after all. Though the brightness is beginning to make my eyes hurt. Below encased in near perfect blackness at all times, I could only see by using my magic to enhance my sight. I do not need that now…but I am beginning to wish I did.

Suddenly a horrific howling sound cuts through the air and force of its roar is blowing the snow all about us into a frenzy. I scream in alarm and ready myself for whatever beast is approaching, dropping into a low ready stance. Tak’s laughter soon reaches my ears and I scowl back. “Why are you guffawing you buffoon something is stalking us!”
“Yah, th’wind is stalkin’ us kid. S’all it is, th’wind blowin’ through the mounatins.”

With narrowed eyes I relax my posture, casting my gaze about as if daring the wind to startle me a second time. “I see.” I say no more as I resume my trek. A massive stone wall rises on my side and I find myself staying near it. It is a slight comfort being so close to the stone I have been surrounded by my entire life.

Tak was correct about his ‘castle’ not being far. I could see it ahead, up a rather steep incline. I give another resigned grunt and begin the climb. Halfway up however something in the distance to my right catches my eye. I turn and feel my mouth gape. Trembling I lift a hoof. “What…what is THAT?”

My friend follows my gaze and chuckles. “That kid, is th’great city a’Pegasopolis or some nonsense. Bird brains tend t’live in city made of clouds.”

I find myself entrance by the floating city. Even from this distance I can see the dwellings faintly and they seem to be made of some sort of white fluffy material. “Is it made of snow?”

“Heh. Nah them’re clouds. Th’birdies make their cities outta ‘em. Pretty snooty I always thought, since none’a th’other tribes c’n git up to em.” He gently taps my armored flank. “Let them wings out and strengthen em up, mebbe you c’n see what it’s like.”

I scowl and turn away from the cloud city, pushing forward with more speed. “I think not.” I am a foundling princess of the spiderkin my mother the queen raised me as her own. For as long as I can remember my family has been warring with a clan of changelings within the tunnels beneath the surface. Mother explained my unusual appearance as a birth defect. Even I believed this until I met Tak in the tunnels near the surface. At first he thought I was a ‘unicorn’ pony. My wings are as black as my coat and when tucked against my sides they are nearly impossible to see. Evidently I am something called an ‘alicorn’ which from what I can gather is a very rare type of pony. With both wings, a horn, and a body shaped like the changelings I knew only shame at my assumed deformities and never once tried to use the wretched things.

Before she was murdered my mother admitted that I was not her true daughter by blood even if I was in soul. She told me my birth mother was Princess Luna, and that I was left in the care of the ponies in a village known as Colton. Some sort of falling out occurred between Luna and her sister, resulting in the former being banished. The ponies of Colton remained loyal to her, and she rewarded their loyalty by leaving me in their care. This resulted in their destruction by a creature called simply ‘the lich’. I was rescued by one of the ponies, and found by Kasson a scout of the spiderkin.

Tak lets the matter drop; he does not fully understand why but knows I am very sensitive about the wings. Soon enough we are at the great doors to the castle. I gently scrape my hoof against them. “This is odd stone.”
“Heh that ain’t stone. It’s wood. Jeez y’really dunno nothin’ do ya?”

I scowl over my shoulder. “You know full well WHY I do not know anything of this realm, if you insist on insulting and laughing at my attempts to learn I will find my own way.”

He sobers instantly; the smirk vanished from his face. “You’re right Umbra, I’m sorry.”

And like that he is the other Tak. Not physically…he can become larger with much more intriguing red eyes. I have not asked about it and he has not volunteered the information. “I accept your apology…shall we go in?”

He nods and begins to push against the door, when a shrill feminine scream pierces the air. I look at him brow furrowed. “The wind?”

“Definitely not the wind that time.” We both ram either door and burst into the entrance of the castle. I do not have time to study the odd décor about the place as another scream pierces the air. We are both running now and I recoil as a brilliant flash of light streaks across the hall ahead. I see a large shape caught in it before I am forced to look away from the brightness.

Tak is more used to the light than I am, and he is not hindered. He dashes around the corner and I follow at a more subdued pace, working to clear the spots obscuring my vision. I examine the creature laying crumpled against the wall. It is massive, heavily muscled and covered in filthy shaggy fur. It also smells unpleasantly. I scowl as I begin to note it vaguely resembles the thief I seek, with two long arms and legs ending in humanoid hands.

Another bright flash illuminated the hallways and I hear Tak cry out ahead. “Umbra I could use a hand!” His voice spurs me to action and I charge ahead ignoring the throbbing pain in my head. Rounding the corner I see Tak engaging one of the huge furry brutes, while another has…a unicorn cornered. Her fur is a pale blue and her mane silvery like the moon outside. I hesitate a moment. This is the first pony I have met aside from the ancient ghost Bleeding Heart. She looks terrified her horn glows brightly emitting light a color of which I have never seen before. The bright garment clinging to her back flaps in the magical winds her power is generating but the beast is pushing against it, reaching for her with a large hand.

My hesitation flees at that. I charge forward ignoring the one Tak is engaged with, I know he is more than capable of dealing with such trivial threats. The unicorn, despite her downing of the first beast seems to be tiring however. I coil my hind legs and jump, kicking off the wall and hurling myself at the brute’s head. Twisting in mid-air I line my hind hooves up and snap them out with as much force I can muster. There is a crunching crack as I connect and the thing drops like a stone.
Landing I turn to watch Tak with a bemused expression. “Are you not done yet? Mine is slain already.”

“Ha ha…what happened to ‘oh please don’t laugh at me it hurts my delicate pony feelings?’ Does that not apply to me either?” His own horn flares with the noxious green color that is his own magical aura, and he launches a beam of energy from it and through the towering creature he is engaging with enough force to lift it off the ground. I turn my head to prevent the ensuing spray of blood from covering my face.

I snort and paw the floor with a hoof in my discomfort. “You are right. I apologize.”

His irksome smirk returns. “Aw I was just messin’ with ya kid.” As does his irksome speech pattern. “I know ya don’t mean nothin’ by it. How’s our filly in distress?”

I shrug and turn to regard the unicorn. She has forced herself back into the corner of the room as tightly as she can gazing at us with as much fear as she reserved for the creatures we saved her from.

“Y-you had best leave! The great and p-powerful Trixie is not to be trifled with!” She does her best to salvage some of her dignity; attempting a pose I assume is to look impressive. In confusion I look back to Tak.

“Is this usual behavior for ponies?”

“Eh…not that I ever seen. What happened then filly, ya hitcher head? Onna these besties knock a screw loose?” Tak approaches grinning, but the pony…I assume she is called Trixie recoils.

“A changeling! Just…just leave me alone! Please I don’t have anything you’d be interested in really I’m just…I’m…” She trails off looking away. “I’m nopony.”

I step forward blocking Tak from her view, if anything my appearance seems to frighten her further. I slowly lift a hoof and remove my helm letting my mane fall free about my head. “We do not wish to hurt you. We merely seek shelter for the evening.” I force a smile on my face and hope it looks comforting.

To my surprise it seems to work. Her posture relaxes and the terror leaves her eyes…a little. “Y…you’re a pony! But…you’re travelling with a changeling.” Her eyes dart to Tak again.

“Yes, but Tak is not like most of his kind. He is a dear friend and he has no wish to harm any if it can be avoided. Surely you do not intend to give us a reason to defend ourselves?” The familiar green flash of Tak changing his form goes off at my side. I look and see a grey coated winged pony…a pegasus he told me they were called though he seems fond of calling them ‘bird brains’…standing in Tak’s place. It is curious; I can recognize my friend’s features in his new shape even if he looks like an ordinary pony now.

“There, this might help a bit. Not so scary eh?” His smile goes from the usual smirk to a warm comforting one.

The unicorn has calmed further now that Tak’s appearance apparently meets some unknowable standard. “I suppose not. And thank you for your help, those things would have killed me I’m sure.” She carefully steps around one looking quite ill at the blood pooling around the bodies, and retrieves a large hat patterned much the same as her cloak which she settles upon her head.

“Heeey I recognize you now! How could I forget. “Behold as the great and powerful Trixie performs feats of magical might beyond your meager minds comprehension!” Heh…good show butcha come off as kinda a jerk.” Tak was leaning against the wall casually now.

A pained look flashes across Trixie’s face at Tak’s words. “Ah…yes that’s me. Trixie Lulamoon showmare extraordinaire!” She lifts a hoof striking a pose…for a moment I see genuine happiness in her eyes, then her face falls as her leg lowers. “Was me.” She regards us for a moment. “I’m just squatting; this isn’t my castle of course. You can come or go as you please it makes no difference to me. There are bedrooms upstairs lining the halls, I’ve been sleeping in the one at the far end so I’d appreciate you keeping out of it.”

“Tak go make sure the creature she disabled is dead and toss them outside. They have a very offensive smell.” I do not always mean to sound so demanding, particularly with Tak but I cannot always help it.

He takes it with good cheer as he does most anything. “Tak kill this. Tak dump the bodies. Tak, Tak, Tak.” But he’s ambling off to do just as I commanded. I make a mental note to soften my approach with him.

The colorfully garbed Trixie has a look of undisguised disgust on her face. I frown and regard her in confusion. “What?”
Delicately she waves a hoof at me. “It’s nothing I suppose. I know they were going to eat me but the idea of killing them…” She shivers.

I regard her earnestly. “Go on.”

She opens her mouth to speak then stops. She stares at me hard now, taking in every inch. “…who are you?”
I blink. “I did not introduce myself, I apologize. I am pr…I am Umbra.”

She begins to walk toward a staircase leading up. “We can talk upstairs if you don’t mind. Being around these…things is making me a little sick.”

Perhaps she has a stronger sense of smell than I do? I certainly find the odor offensive enough that prolonged exposure would likely make me ill as well. I follow her wordlessly, glancing back to see Tak in his natural shape levitating the bodies toward the doors.

I find myself growing more and more uncomfortable as I follow Trixie upstairs down a corridor lined with wooden doors. This is the first living pony I have met and I somehow feel as if I have offended her. I do not know how this is possible. Could my association with Tak be the cause? Perhaps she simply does not like other unicorns, but this strikes me as odd. Tak told me ponies are very social and enjoy one another’s company. If this is so why is she here, on her own?

The door at the end of the hall glows gently as I assume Trixie opens it with her magic. She enters the room leaving the door open for me to follow. The room is very large. It could easily fit my chambers at home within it several times over. I lift my hoof with a soft gasp. The ground is oddly plush. Stepping on a bed of mushrooms is the closest comparison I can make. It is soft, plush, and a dull red color. Strange furniture made of wood like the doors fills the room. As I look about I am struck by the amount of colors. More colors than I could have imagined exist in this one single room. It is illuminated by gently burning candles set along the walls.

I feel Trixie’s eyes on me as I move about examining this or that. I tug at a handle on one of the pieces of furniture and yelp in surprise as the wood pulls out revealing a hidden shelf! With a playful smile I push it closed…then pull it open again. Closing the small shelf I turn to something new. A pool of very still water is sitting upright against the wall but it does not ripple or sway. I approach eyes wide with wonder at my unblemished reflection. I turn my face this way and that, examining myself curiously. I have seen my own reflection of course, but always in the stark black and white my dark vision provided, or with the reddish light my horn provided when I used it. And always it was distorted the ripples in the water I would use.
I poke it gently with my hoof and jerk it back at the soft ‘tink’ sound my actions elicit. I look back at Trixie unable to hide a smile of wonder. She is watching me with her head tilted to the side, but I see the beginnings of a smile threatening to appear on her face as well. “…WHO are you? Not just your name. You’re…odd.”

I Turn away from the still pool and settle on my haunches to regard her, my face returned to its usual neutral expression. “It is…complicated. And likely hard to believe.”

Her eyebrow rose in a fair imitation of one of Tak’s favorite expressions. “I find a unicorn in horrifying spider armor travelling with a changeling, both of whom can slay yeti effortlessly hard to believe. Yet here we are.”

I nod slowly at that. She is correct of course this is already an unusual situation I am sure. I wonder just how much I should tell. “As I said my name is Umbra. Days after my birth the village I lived in was destroyed and I am, so far as I know the only survivor.” She gasps at that and looks genuinely horrified. Ponies truly do seem very emotional. “I was found by Kasson, a scout of the spiderkin.”

Now the look of incredulity returns. “What’s a spiderkin?”

“Tak tells me you have spiders in your realm?” She nods. “Well they are a spider-like race divided into castes. The workers, scouts, and warriors look like ordinary if enormous spiders. The royal caste have lower bodies like a spider, and humanoid upper bodies. Arms, hands, a straight torso…it is hard to describe.”

Surprisingly she shakes her head. “No I can picture it quite clearly. I’ve had experience with such a creature, even if her lower half wasn’t a giant bug. Please go on.”

“I was taken in by Queen Spinnerette, ruler of the family as we called ourselves. She raised me as her own hatchling. Not long ago I met Tak, and it was only then I learned I was not some badly deformed hatchling, but a pony.”

“Wait wait. You were convinced you were just a mutant…spiderkin?”

I shrug. “I had never seen another living pony. I had no way to contradict her, and no reason to suspect what she said was not truth. I have been feeling a strange sense of…unrest recently. Some unpleasantness at home spurred my decision to leave. And so with Tak guiding me, I have come to the surface to learn of my kind. This is my first evening on the surface world.”

Her eyes widen and she sits very quietly for several moments. “Well…I think I’m not the best example of a pony for the first you meet, but here we are. I guess it’s a pleasure to meet you Umbra, and welcome you to the surface?”

“Thank you Trixie. It is a strange place but I am finding much to be intrigued by.” I look around the room for a moment. “You may depart this place with us if you like. We do not plan to stay long. I have much I wish to see.”

She looks away. “No. Thank you but no. I’m not the best company and would only be a hindrance. Besides everypony gets sick of me before long.”

This is a surprise. From what I have heard from Tak these ponies are almost ridiculously welcoming and forgiving. “Why is that?”

I can see she is struggling to speak the words that are in her heart. Her response does not surprise me; it is almost comically easy to see her emotions after spending my entire life learning to read the subtle inflections and facial tics of my impassive family. In contrast this pony’s eyes hold absolutely no mysteries for me. I see pain, despair, and resignation. “It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry but I’m very tired…would you mind letting me get some sleep?”

“Yes of course. I am sorry to have kept you awake. Sleep well Trixie. I hope we may speak more before we depart.” I leave the room and gently shut the door behind me. Tak is in the corridor waiting.

“C’mon kid there’s plenty’a rooms fer us to bed down in. Yer in fer a treat.” He turns and leads me to a door at the far end from Trixie’s room, opening it for me. It is much smaller than the unicorn’s chambers, but has many similarities. Curiously I approach the bed. I wanted to examine Trixie’s in more detail but felt it may be seen as an invasion of her privacy. I had a bed at home of a sorts. Smooth flat stones with thick moss coating them.

I work the clasps of my armor and let it fall away on the floor stretching and shaking myself out. Then I hop up to the bed…and yelp in shock as I sink in. “It is so soft!”

Tak laughs, but I cannot get angry at him this time. “I thought about warnin’ ya but figgered it’d be cute t’letcha find out th’hard way.”

I am too busy attempting to stand on the soft unsteady surface to get upset at his words. I rise to my hooves but the bed shifts and I tumble onto my side. Still it is…very soft. Very comfortable. I find I do not wish to rise. Tak’s horn illuminates the room as he closes the door behind himself. “So whaddya think’a yer first pony.”

I lift my head to regard him. “She is…not what I expected. Do all ponies carry such…pain inside of themselves?”

“Nah…I heard a little about her, she’s had a rough time’a it. Her own fault but still. She’s a showmare…travels around puttin’ on shows t’entertain y’see?”

I am unfamiliar with the profession but I grasp the concept. “Yes, go on.”

“Well…she made a name fer herself pretty much from lyin’ through her teeth ‘bout everythin’. Which is a shame cause the kid really DOES have talent. Not alotta unicorns with special talents bein’ magic specifically y’see? So she rolled inta this little burg, Ponyville. Did her song an dance, got called out by the local savant or somethin’. I dunno the details but I know she got run outta town.”

“For lying? That seems extreme. Is this a great crime?”

“I doubt it was just fer bein’ a big mouth. Ponyfolk might think yer a jerk but they ain’t gonna shun ya fer that. Anyway she comes back bigger an’ badder. Now this part I heard a bit about. Kid found some kinda trinket that upped her magic t’pretty amazing levels. Showed up her rival from last time til she of course got beat again. After THAT well…it weren’t just that she was a liar, but that she was dangerous started t’get around. Now she couldn’t set hoof in ANYtown anywhere.”
Slowly I nod. “She is an exile from her kind then.”

“Yup. That sounds about right. Dunno how she found her way out here, we’re pretty far from anypony else. Mebbe that’s th’point though I guess.”

“You told me ponies crave contact with one another did you not? She must be in great pain to be so isolated.”

Tak shrugged. “Yeah it’s sad kid but what can we do? We dunno the whole story, for all I know she’s dangerous an’ we’d be better off puttin’ as much distance b’tween us an here as we can.”

I frown as I consider this. “I do not think so. She seems very…sad. That is all. I offered to let her join us but she turned me down. Perhaps I will try again before we leave.” I yawn as I finish speaking. I had not realized how tired I was.

“Heh…well we’ll see. I’ll letcha get some sleep kid. I’ll be in th’room ‘cross th’hall if ya need anything alright?”

At my nod he departs. I roll about on the bed for a few moments to get comfortable. Another of the large reflective pools is on the wall of my room. Gingerly I force myself to sit up on my haunches again. I reach within myself and call forth the magic I rarely use, bathing the room in a soothing crimson glow. For so many years it was the only color…the only light I knew and I am most comfortable in it. I look across the room to my reflection and ever so slowly flex the badly neglected muscles of my wings. The appendages slowly spread and I scowl at the image. They are thin and sickly looking, I hastily snap them shut again and fall on my stomach in the bed.

Gazing out the large window to my side I look at the moon. So bright my eyes begin to water soon. I am told that is Luna’s moon. My birth mothers. What is she like? Will she even wish to speak with me? Has she known I was alive all along? So many questions, most of which I am not sure I wish to know the answers.

It is very easy to fall asleep on this bed. I do not know how long I slept but when I wake…something wondrous is happening outside. The moon is gone and the sky is…changed. I do not see the twinkling lights, the stars Tak called them. It is not the deep black but…a brighter color. I will have to ask Tak to educate me on what the colors I keep seeing are called. To my astonishment it seems as if more and more colors are appearing. Something is happening over the horizon and I rush to the window, pushing it open eagerly. There, ever so slowly some…sort of great glowing disc is rising. It slips over the horizon line and bathes the world below in an unimaginable golden glow. Transfixed I watch as the light races across the ground and reaches the castle…and than my room.

And then I scream.

Comments

[That One Guy]

:D yes! It has begun!

[pchn00]

2185826
Your enthusiasm gives me strength. :o

[Perteks]

Duh Alicorn? Whyyy he was good at unicorn D:

[LostUmbrella]

First meeting with the sun: trauma.
Poor Umbra doesn't even know her auntie and already has a reason to hate her

[damnaion]

hummm and the gorny starts