Itsy Bitsy Marble
Some ponies thought caves were scary.
Most ponies, in fact, thought caves were scary. But not Marble.
She adored them. They were quiet, calm, secluded places that clutched their secrets dearly. In that way, caves reminded Marble Diane Pie of herself.
This did not mean she was ignorant to the dangers spelunking might pose. All sorts of deadly fates lay waiting for the intrepid caver, one unprepared for the alien world beneath their hooves. Falling, getting lost, or becoming trapped were among just a few of the ways a pony could die down in the darkness.
But some argued there were worse things a foolish pony might stumble upon. Equestria was a place of magic, but magic was not always kind. In the darkest corners of Equestria, it could breathe life into things to which no mortal mind should ever bear witness.
This did not concern Marble. It wasn't that they were unfounded fears, more that she didn't venture far enough to see them realized. Her explorations rarely saw her delving down beyond a mile.
Similarly, the fortunes she sought did not dwell in the dark.
In her underground world, all was light. Crystals of shocking hues and proportions covered the walls to the ceiling, and ensured that nothing so awful or dastardly could hide behind them.
Sometimes, she traveled down here to find solace. Other times, such as now, she came to harvest.
With a backpack strapped to her shoulders, a lighted mining helmet atop her head, and a chisel and pick at her hips, she could have made a member of any excavation team. What she was in search of however was not for another pony's purposes. They were for hers, and hers alone.
Time did not often permit she come down here. The days were busy, filled with farming rocks for her rural family. When the opportunity for other pursuits arose, she typically preferred to relax than be active.
But every now and then, she would have a day off, and when she did she would cave.
After carving out a handful of crystalline chunks, purple as her eyes and luminous as the moon, she felt satisfied in her haul. They, amongst the other rocks and minerals she'd collected, would suit her artistic needs for the months to come. Once they had been used up, she would return.
She slipped the shards into a small pouch. That pouch she deposited in her backpack, alongside the others. They clinked and tinked together with each hoofstep she took.
Then, as she turned back the way she came, she spotted a stark blackness. Behind it were vibrant lights - other crystals, she surmised.
Having never noticed this fissure before, she drew close. If she ducked, and slid her backpack through separately, she might be able to squeeze through.
Unlooping the bag from her shoulders, she set it on the ground. She crouched, pinned her arms to the side, and slipped in sideways.
Once she was an inch or two deep, she reached out to the discarded pack. Her fingers curled tightly on the rightmost strap, and pulled it towards her.
She kept moving, maintaining her firm grasp on the bag. If she were to come across anything worth taking, it would be important to have.
The fit was anything but comfortable. Her shoulders were scrunched, head bowed, and she could only make progress by shuffling sideways. Some sharp rocks and pebbles scratched at her face, but the worst damage they could do was draw a little blood.
If she were any larger, the squeeze would have been impossible. It was almost like the passage were designed just for her, an invitation from the depths, beckoning her forth, urging her deeper. Perhaps they had something special to show her, if those lights were anything to go by.
Some tedious minutes later, the passage widened. There was just enough space for her to stand up fully, and carry the backpack with her, though not enough to walk head-on. From there the journey became easier, until she popped out into a low-ceilinged tunnel.
Geodes and gemstones jut out from the stony walls like colorful splinters. A few glowed, others did not, but their lights reflected off each surface all the same.
They were of different kinds than Marble was accustomed to. These came in every color of the rainbow, rather than just blues and purples.
She beamed. What wonderous things she could do with these. If only she had discovered this part of the cave sooner.
Without a watch, the only thing to keep track of time was the increasing weight on her back. Before her creative greed was sated, the straps were digging against her shoulders.
The tunnel was a network of splits and turns, the mineral growths becoming gradually fewer. At its terminus, where she found herself, it ended in darkness, one her helmet light could not pierce.
Despite having everything she needed and more, she forged on. She was curious to find the end of this cave system, more than anything. The thought crossed her mind that Maud might have come this far before her, but that couldn't have been the case. She would have told her about this place if she knew about it.
The cavern's silence gave way to the sounds of water. Looking up she saw stalactites steadily dripping, from as small as her pinky to the length of her body. It should have been the perfect environment for a colony of bats, but she neither saw nor heard them, and there was no scent of guano to denote their presence.
But there was the water - that rhytmic, steady 'drip... drip... drip...'. She heard it around her, and further off to, its echoes coming to her hollow and distorted. Farther beyond, she heard the rush of an underground river.
She didn't notice until it was too late the path drop. Her boots slipped on the wet floor, and she fell.
She tried to yell out, but found she couldn't. The initial shock rendered her mute. Tumbling down, she flailed, frantically trying to grab onto something, anything. Instead, pain lanced through her palms, rocky outcroppings and pointed stones raking her skin. They opened her up, and she couldn't see it, but she felt hot, sticky warmth pour down her arms, soak into her clothes.
The ground opened up beneath her. The fall was short, but she landed front first, knocking the air from her lungs. In the impact her helmet banged hard against the surface, shattering her light.
Before it went out, it flickered, and in that brief time, something moved.
Her shaken mind raced to comprehend what she'd just seen, let alone what she'd just survived. Her body screamed for air, but she took it in tiny, clipped gasps, replaying the memory of long, spindly shadows.
Blood drummed between her ears, and puddled onto the ground. She could smell it over the cave's earthy scent - its wrenching, coppery stink.
Steadying herself, she went down the checklist of her situation.
Her light was gone, and she hadn't brought any extras. She had no rope or proper climbing gear either. She should never have explored an unfamiliar route without the proper equipment. With neither that nor familiarity, there was little chance of escape.
She held some comfort in the fact nothing had broken. All her limbs and extremities functioned correctly, but she was injured regardless. Burning scrapes and bruises screamed along her arms and legs, the worst of it on her palms, which felt sickeningly sticky to touch.
And then there was what she had seen - or thought she'd seen. At the idea of it, her heart thundered.
"Hello."
This time, she did scream.
"Wait, wait, please stop."
The voice was feminine, thin and raspy. It reminded her of wind through dead leaves, and the feel of silk against her fingers.
Marble managed to hold herself quiet. Pitch black surrounded her on all sides, but her eyes remained wide.
"Are you hurt?"
Marble hesitated. That question, and the answer she chose to give it, was dangerous.
"I could help you, if you'd like."
Marble hummed a wary affirmation.
"I understand. I can show you my face, but you must promise not to scream. Can you do this"
"M... m-mhm."
"Alright."
Hands touched her, and Marble tensed. They weren't clawed or monstrous. They were soft, delicate, dainty - larger than hers, but not inequine. Gently, they helped her to her hooves.
"I am going to reveal myself now. Remember your promise."
The light blinded Marble. As it faded, the first thing she noticed was its source - a flickering, eerie green flame burning at the end of a torch.
The second thing she noticed was the creature that held it.
Marble did not scream, because all she managed was a whimper.
She - or it - was almost a pony. From the waist up she seemed normal, if it weren't for her four arms, glistening fangs, or her eight, individually blinking eyes. Each of them was black, reflecting the eerie green fire that bounced off them.
Her fur, from what Marble could see, was a light purplish gray. Her hair, darker than her coat, were done into twin braids that stopped past her sloping breasts. She wore a surprisingly pretty top, black and purple silks that exposed her shoulders and midriff.
Below that, any resemblance to ponykind ended. She was tall, enormous, so that Marble was at eye-level with her bared stomach. Fused to it was the body of a spider, dark gray with bands of white, a frighteningly skull-shaped pattern marking her abdomen.
"I recognize the fear in your eyes. Believe me when I say I mean you no harm."
Ultimately, there was nothing Marble could do but nod. She had no other choice than to go along with what the creature said.
Smiling, she revealed more of her fangs. They were a shiny black tipped with wetness. She held out her hand to Marble. She stared at it as though it were an alien appendage.
"Do ponies no longer shake hands when meeting someone? I apologize for any rusty social habits. I suppose you may be hesitant given the blood that covers them, but it is no matter to me."
Marble shook her head. Warily, she reached out her own trembling hand, and grasped the creature's. They shook, and her smile grew wider.
Marble fought the urge to call it disturbing.
"I am called Inky Rose. It is nice to meet someone new. What is your name?"
Marble tapped the inscription on her helmet.
"Marble. A cute name for a cute pony. Do you speak, Miss Marble?"
"Mh-mh."
"I shall note this. May I investigate your injuries?"
"Mhm."
Inky drew close, and Marble shuddered. The way her spindly, shiny legs carried her around twisted knots in her gut.
Crouching down, Inky took hold of her arm and brought it up for examination. Marble half expected the creature to bite her, but no such thing happened.
She hummed, and examined the other. After that she crouched lower, and looked at her legs.
"You have many deep cuts that need tending to. I can bring you to my lair and fix them."
Marble hesitated. Spiders had lairs. Lairs were where spiders caught their food.
As if reading her thoughts, Inky said, "I do not intend on eating you, if that is what you fear. Ponies are not a part of my diet."
Marble thought. Ultimately, if she tried to run away, what point would there be? She had no light and no guidance to navigate this space. If Inky wanted to catch her, she could, easily. And if Inky was telling the truth, what did that make Marble?
Reluctantly, she nodded, tipping her head forwards as though to say 'Lead the way'.
"Follow me, then."
As Inky crawled ahead, Marble kept several steps behind. Her initial terror had somewhat waned, but not fully disappeared. The oddly-tinged torchlight offered plenty guidance either way.
Abruptly, the two stopped at a sheer wall. Marble was intially confused before Inky scaled its surface, and offered her hand. Marble took it, and with surprising speed and strength was hauled upwards.
The room she wound up in was expansive, round and end to end roughly the size of her living room. That, however, was not the impressive thing about it.
It was tall, immensely so. From the floor to the ceiling it must have been fifty feet, giving the impression of a vast, spidery cathedral. Every surface was made of web, bound and woven with such tightness it did not stick to the touch, but felt instead like wool.
Torches lined the walls from top to bottom with the same glinting green as the one in Inky's hand. Together with the structure's material and Inky's appearance, it could have served as a top of the line Nightmare Night attraction.
Instead, it was a lonely creature's home.
On the floor, there was nothing to sit on directly, but there was furniture. Crafted of polished black wood, engraved with gothic patterns and imagery, it seemed ripped straight out of a haunted house. There were desks, shelves, and tables, many of which were populated by linens, dyes, and the tools needed for drawing, others by aged books and knick-knacks.
"I apologize for the lack of seating, As you might imagine, I don't tend to receive guests down here. In the meantime, you may rest against the wall. It is designed for comfort as well as structural support."
Marble took the offer gladly, leaning against the wall and reveling in its softness. As she sank into its mild give, her back slid until she was sat on the floor, curled up into the grand web.
"Rest there for now. I will spin you some fresh bandages."
Marble wondered what Inky had meant by that, but she was too tired and in pain to think on it. She closed her eyes, letting the cozy embrace of the spider silk lull her. While she waited, she faded in and out of sleep, occasionally feeling the prick of Inky's legs reverberate through the web.
Some length of time later, she sensed Inky's approach. Her eyes cracked open to reveal her host carrying two folded bundles of gossamer, one in her upper arms, the second in her lower.
From one of the cloths, she noticed a stray line of silk. It ran down, connecting to a point behind Inky's backside.
She didn't wonder what Inky meant by 'spinning' her bandages anymore.
"Would you mind removing your clothes for me? If it's easier, I could remove them for you."
Marble's cheeks grew hot. In response, Inky's eyes first widened - all eight of them - before a blush of her own spread across her features.
"Ah, I do not mean anything untoward. It simply makes the job of wrapping your wounds easier."
Marble nodded once in understanding, before slipping off her backpack. She tugged at the hem of her dusty, sweat-stained shirt and tugged it upwards, revealing her petite frame and small chest. Following that came her boots and pants, until she was clad only in her plain white undergarments.
"Thank you."
Inky set down the two piles, and with one set of hands held Marble's arm. With the second, she began to wrap the silks from Marble's wrist up to her elbow.
"If it's not too much for me to comment," she said, switching to Marble's right. "You are an attractive mare."
Marble's flush deepend, but after that, Inky was silent. She worked with swiftness and purpose, bandaging the whole of Marble's legs as she'd done with her arms.
When she was finished, there remained a small number of silks pushed aside. Marble looked at them curiously, then to Inky.
"These are for cleaning your face. There is much dried blood and dust." She picked them up, and plucked along towards the room's entrance. "I will return in a moment with these wet."
She disappeared behind the ledge, her back legs and spinneret the last things to leave. Short moments later she reappeared, holding the dampened cloths.
"There is an underground river near this place," she explained, dabbing at Marble's cheek. "You might have heard it before your tumble. I have not explored where it is sourced from, but the water is clear as any fresh spring's. I always look for such attributes when searching for a new home, seeing as I require the same hydration needs as any normal pony."
Inky finished clearing off the grime, then dried it with a fresher cloth.
"There, all done," she said, and smiled. "Is there anything else you require?"
On cue, Marble's stomach rumbled.
You are hungry," Inky stated, matter of factly. "Would you like something to eat?
Marble nodded.
Inky left for a corner of the room. Sitting in a pile were several white blobs - cocoons, Marble realized - as she took one and brought it over. She split open the casing, and retrieved the limp, dangling body of a rabbit.
Marble could not have shaken her head any harder.
"Mmh. I'm afraid my diet is a purely meat-based one. Is there anything else you eat, Miss Marble?"
Shaking slightly, Marble gestured to the various small rocks that littered the ground. Inky tilted her head curiously, but gathered them up and brought them over.
Marble took the largest one, and bit into it with a resounding, grinding crunch.
Inky blanched.
"How, ahem. Interesting. Do... do all ponies consume rock?"
"Mh-mh."
When Marble finished, Inky examined Marble's bandages. Where scarlet had begun to bloom, she pressed down, making Marble wince.
"On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your current level of pain?"
Feebly, Marble held up eight fingers.
Inky frowned. "I have a proposition that may aid you, but it is rather..." She chewed her lip. "Unorthodox. I understand if you wish me to not perform it."
Marble jerked her head, signaling for Inky to continue.
"I am capable of controling how much venom my fangs pump into someone's system. If I were to inject you with a very small dose, it should act as a numbing agent and muscle relaxant,"
The proposal hung in the air between them. Inky, still frowning, shifted on her legs, fiddling with her fingers.
Marble considered, and nodded. Inky was significantly more agile and powerful than she was. If she had meant to take her as prey, she would have done so already.
"Thank you. Your trust means much."
She drew close, bringing her muzzle and those venom-dripping fangs inches from Marble's exposed, vulnerable neck. Based on pure, animalistic instinct, her muscles tensed.
"I will warn you, this will hurt - very briefly - but it will hurt. Are you certain you want me to do this?"
"Mhm."
Marble closed her eyes, so she wouldn't have to see it happen. She felt Inky's nod, before her lips brushed tenderly against the skin. She held it there for a moment, as though giving Marble the time she needed to adjust and grow more comfortable with the prospect.
It was funny. For a spider, Marble might have expected her to be cold, but she was surprisingly warm.
"I will bite on the count of three. One... two..."
Marble's body jerked. Twin points of molten fire burnt at her flesh, making her cry in uncontrolled agony. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished, leaving behind a soothing numbmness in its wake.
She barely felt the fangs slide from her flesh.
"I do apologize for the tactic. I've heard it makes such things better when you cannot predict it."
Marble nodded, weakly.
"I just want to thank you for your company. I know it is not much, but every pony I've met in the past has either run from me screaming, or tried to kill me. In fact," her face gained a look of sadness that Marble struggled to see through her blurring vision. "It is why I have come here. I've been chased out of too many caves in the past. Not even my last home in... free Forest... was raided by a band of... chased out... came here... down where nopony could find..."
The conversation became increasingly difficult to keep track of. Her consciousness dipped in and out, resurfacing for a few words before being swallowed up by sleepy darkness.
The tingly warmth in her veins was spreading fast. Her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. It was hard just to keep her eyes open, so she let them shut on their own.
Before they did, she saw the vague shape of Inky's face hover over her. She thought she saw worry there, but couldn't be sure.
"Oh dear. Are you all right?"
'I must have used too much venom', was the last thing she heard, before passing out.
Sleep dispersed from Marble's eyes in the same fashion a cobweb broke on somepony's face. It fell apart slowly, and even then left clinging stragglers.
Blinking herself to better awakeness, she first registered a tightness around her. She thought it must have been the bandages, before she realized it was all encompassing. She tried to move, but discovered she couldn't.
Squirming in fear, her eyes shot downwards. She was cocooned, from the tips of her hooves to the bottom of her chin. Below her, several stories away, was the floor of the webbed room.
At eye level, she saw Inky. Her eight eyes were closed, and the spider half of her body hung from a single strand attached to the ceiling.
With slow, careful consideration, she tried to break her bonds. Perhaps she had misjudged the creature, and it had only treated her kindly to lull her into a false sense of security.
She wondered what purpose there had been in doing so, but it made no difference. What possible reason could there have been to wrap her up and stick her to the top of the web?
Her movement, however slight, stirred the spider. It opened its eyes, eight glittering voids staring deep into her. It smiled, retracted itself onto the ceiling, and crawled towards her.
Marble tried pushing herself away, but it did no good. Inky's smile only grew wider.
"Good to see you're awake, Miss Marble. I hope you had a lovely sleep."
It was right above her now. Its four hands were poised like claws, ready to rip her apart.
Instead, they settled on her cocoon, unwinding them thread by sticky thread. Once she was free, Inky hauled her up with both sets of arms and carried her down.
Now she just felt guilty.
"I must admit, I took a liberty or two while you were asleep. I hope it wasn't too much a breach of privacy going through your backpack, but I was curious what you had in there that made it so heavy."
Once on stable ground, Inky put her down, then went to her discarded bag. It stood on one of Inky's tables, zippers undone and jewels glinting from within.
She reached inside and pulled out a faintly luminescent gemstone, roughly the same color as Inky's strange, magical torches. She then picked up Marble's chisel and pick, spinning them about in her lithe fingers.
"I was curious what it is you do with these, if it's not too much to ask."
Marble's smile arrived unconsciously. More than happy to show her passion to another, she walked over and took the objects from Inky's hands. Then, as she observed behind her, Marble chipped away at the stone.
A few minutes later, she produced the result. The cut was rough and uneven - a quick job to display her abilities more than anything - but it had clearly been made to resemble the shape of a spider.
Inky's lips pulled upwards, and her black eyes somehow shone with excitement.
"You are a creative! This is wonderful. Come, see."
She led Marble to another corner of the room, gestured to a set of old and worn ponyquins. On them were dresses, all of them dark or gothic in some way or another, yet each more beautiful than the last.
"Sadly," she sighed. Her shoulders slumped. "I lack any models for my clothing, nor do I possess another pair of eyes to look upon them."
Marble perked up. Grinning, she went to one of the ponyquins, pulling the dress over its blank face, and wrapped it loosely around herself.
Inky's eyes widened. "Oh! Yes, I... I suppose I had not thought of that. But I am all the way down here, and you up there. Would this not be a problem for you?"
"Mh-mh."
"And you are... certain you would like to model for me?"
"Mhm!"
Inky claped all four of her hands together, jumping from each spindly leg to the other. It was a strange and perturbing sight, but one Marble didn't get the chance to long observe before Inky rushed over and threw her up, pulling her into a tight embrace.
"You have no idea how much this means to me. I have so terribly wished for another's companionship. Us driders are a solitary species, but without another, it has so often felt pointless pouring my heart and soul into creations that no eyes but mine should see. Thank you, thank you, ever so much."
With a final squeeze, pushing the air from Marble's lungs, she set her down.
"But, oh. I do wish I could have you help me now, but it's been long enough time away from your home, I would think. Come, follow me. I know a shorter way to the surface."
Marble gathered her various belongings, and pulled on her clothes. When she was done, Inky offered her hand.
For the first time, Marble took it, without any hesitation.