Equestria Under

There was something strange about the sky, this ray. There were a lot more rays than usual.

I sat, staring out the window of my dwell as I had become accustomed to doing. My gaze was directed at the sky and my mind wondered at the reasons for this little phenomenon.

"Perhaps if I leave my dwell, now, I could watch other fly-shadow-ponies try and make their way up, into the rays --I stopped myself, immediately. I did not want to re experience the terror that over-took me, the last time I did that. I lowered my eyes to Shadow Dwell. Yes. There were certainly shadow-ponies out and about, out there.

"Poor fools." I said, to myself, "Though I, being not much better off than they, at least I know what what could truly make one perish..."

Just then, there was someone was at the entrance to my dwell. I stiffened, the spirit of fear rising, within my essence. I turned and locked my gaze on the entrance. Who was there? Could it be possible that it was another shadow-pony? If so then why had they come?

The someone entered.

"Oh." I said, my fear-spirit retreating.

"Oh? What, were you expecting somepony-else?" The now familiar under-pony asked, as he blew a few strands of white mane from his face.

"Shadow-pony," I said, "But I would have wanted no one else."

Snow smiled, soon dragging me into an embrace.

"I am glad to hear that," he spoke into my ear-part, softly. It twitched, uncomfortably.

"Mhm." I said, as he let me go. "Why have you come?"

"To see you, of course." Snow answered, still smiling in my direction.

"To see me?" I asked.

"To be with you," Snow said, "Remember, I am here to help you, so I should think that you would see me often...Wouldn't you agree?"

I nodded and suddenly felt compelled to ask his all that what on my mind the light-time, before. Snow didn't know this and went on to invite me outside.

"Not much to do in here, at the moment," He said, "Care to join me?" His hoof was directed towards the dwell exit.

"Yes." I said, and slowly made my way towards it.

"Perhaps I will speak to him about those things, later..." I thought to myself as I took a glance at Snow and then exited my dwell.

"After some time, you will see that it feels better to just get out, more." Snow spoke as he exited the dwell.

"Will I?" I asked, taking a glance to the left and right of my dwell.

"Indeed and very much, so." Snow responded, cheerily.

"I trust you." I said, slowing turning my head in his direction, a he stepped up beside me.

"You do?" He asked. There something in his voice that disturbed me, so I decided to be more convincing.

"I do," I restated, stressing the "do". "I really."

Snow just blinked at me.

Once.

Twice.

There was  decent pause between each of his blinks, so I wondered if perhaps I had offended him, in some way.

"Have I....offended you in some way?" I finally decided to asked.

"What, who, me?" Snow began to "laugh", as he called it.

"Yes." I said, nodding, "Have I?"

Snow trotted away from me, still laughing all the while. "Of course not!!"

I waited a moment or so, before following him. I had to run a bit, in order to catch up with him.

"Why are you...laughing?" I asked Snow, once I had caught up to him.

"You silly thing, you." He said, smiling at me, his smile bigger than usual.

"....?" I didn't know what he meant, nor what to say, so I didn't say anything.

"I'm happy," Snow replied, suddenly, "I'm so glad you said that!!" He began to laugh, again.

"Why...how are you happy, about that?" I asked, my spirit of confusion, stirring somewhere within me.

"Because!"He laughed, "That is all I really need from you!"

I stopped short of the walk.

"What?"

Snow laughed  it more, but when he realized I had stopped, his laughter died and he turned and looked at me.

"What?" He said.

"That's what I said," I told him, "And what I meant was... well...what do you mean by that? That is all you really wanted from me...what does that mean?"

Snow's smile changed and he trotted back over to me.

"Aww, I didn't mean it like that." Snow pressed his muzzle up against my face.

"Mean it like what?" I asked, allowing my face to be forced to the side, by him.

"All I meant is that for me to help you in the way that I want to, then it is trust that is most needed from you, in order for this to succeed."

No spirit of mine was kindled by his words as I tried to understand what he was saying. He must've known, for he then spoke, again.

"Without you trusting me then you are subject to leave me, at anytime. Even my most honest attempt t helping you would go to waste, if this were to be so.... So we would both loose out." His tone was very serious, sparking my spirit of fear, just a little.

"I understand." I said, at last.

"Good." Snow said. "Now then, shall we?" He motioned his head towards inner Shadow Dwell. I nodded and returned to walking.

*    *    *    *   *

Snow touched his hoof to a root which bordered the edge of Shadow Dwell and marked the beginning of the root forest which I had been in, not many rays earlier. It was the place I had seen the two shadow-ponies.

"We can start with something simple," Snow had said, as we approached the forest. "A few things related to the dwell, couldn't hurt... Ah!" He had run ahead and stopped at the place we now were.

"Uhuh," he was saying, now, "This'll do it."

"What are we doing?" I asked, watching at his rubbed his hooves over the root. "Is it something related to the dwell, as you say?"

"Yes," Snow said, "And what we are going to do, here, is gather more root. The fire in your dwell cannot last forever, you know."

I nodded, slowly. Of course it couldn't....just like there were a lot of other things it couldn't do...

"Here we go." Snow grunted as he tor a large piece of the root away from the rest , with his magic.

"It isn't very small," I commented.

"No, no, it isn't, he said, smiling at me. "But then, if it were than you would have nothing much to do, right?"

I nodded a bit, "I guess."

Snow laid the piece down onto the ground.

"Go on, he said, "crush it."

"What?" I said, a bit confused.

"Like this." He pressed his hoof into the root. There was a creaking sound as it bent, inward, and a cracking sound as small, crinkled lines began to appear on the piece of root. As I looked down at the display, a small glow attracted my attention, upward.

Looking up I could see that Snow's horn was glowing and his eyes were alight.  I wondered about the magnitude of his efforts.

The root-piece finally gave in with a large snapping sound. I flinched.

"There we go, then." Snow said, the glow in his eyes receding to nothingness and the glow in his horn diminishing. "Now you try it."

Snow pushed the broken piece of root towards me.

"But...it is already broken." I said.

"Mhm." Snow said, but is it broken enough?"

After a moment or so of thought I said, "How can I tell?"

"Only you can tell," Snow replied, "It depends on how often you use your hearth, how much root you need for it, at one time; how much you plan on taking back with you and how small you want the pieces, which will - in turn - determine the endurance of the flame."

"That is a lot to contemplate, considering." I said, my voice timid.

Snow laughed, "Yes, it is. But when you have help, then you have help - namely, myself - then you needn't worry."

I could feel something stir within my essence when he said this, but it was very faint. I nodded my thanks and looked down at the root.

"Well," I said, "First things first, I guess... How often will I use my hearth?" Thinking a moment, I looked at Snow and said, "It is safe to say 'as much as you want me to?"

"For now," Snow replied and I could somehow tell my words pleased him.

"And how often, then?" I asked.

"If possible, I would like for you never to let one ray-time go by, without the hearth being lit with a fire."

My fear-spirit stirred and I couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

"The world below, is a cruel, cold place, Pinkamena. In time, you will come to appreciate the warmth the hearth brings."

Snow's tone had that serious ring to it, once again, and I was compelled not to press the matter, anymore, even though my question had only partially been answered and concern only mildly addressed.

"So saying..." I looked down at the root-piece. "I...we...will need a lot more of these."

Snow smiled, "Indeed we will." He went back to work on the root, carving out another few large pieces of root.

"Secondly," I continued, "How much root does it take to light a hearth, at one time?"

"Two or three of these large pieces should do it," Snow responded, not looking at me, "But the larger the pieces, the smaller the fire."

"Then that is another thing to consider," I said, sounding a it duller than I meant to.

"Are you discouraged?" Snow asked, looking at me, this time.

I shook my head no. "Just...observing, is all."

With nod and a smile, Snow went back to work.I realized that this smile had been different from the rest of them, that it had not only been directed at myself, but actually at myself.

I watched him work a while longer before saying, "Thirdly...How much are we able to take back -- I mean me." I paused when I realized I should've been asking only myself that question.

"What is wrong with "we"?" Snow asked, turning and slamming both back hooves onto the root.

"There is certainly nothing wrong with it," I said, "But...what if you are not always here?"

Snow took another swing at the root, but as I spoke these words his attempt faltered and he fell.

This shocked me and rushed to his side.

"Are you...alright?" I asked.

"I am fine," he said, his laugh as weak as his attempt, "I am alright."

"Alright," I said, backing up, as he stood.

"Pinkmena," he said, immediately after standing, "I will be with you, for as long as I can be."

I nodded, "Yes, but you do leave me, at time...have, I mean. So I assume since you must have other things to do --

He was suddenly embracing me, again. "YOU are my priority, Pinkemena," he said, "Yes, I might have something to do every now and then, but none of it - nothing - is as important to me as you are."

I shifted in his embrace as I thought to ask him about my other concern...about...who had helped him, all of this time...

He held me back and gazed into my eye-parts, "You trust me, don't you?"

"I do." I said, spark of energy within my essence, confirming that, "I will hold you to your words."

Snow smiled, "Thank you, Pinkamena."

I nodded, "You are...welcome..."

*    *    *    *

Later, after we had returned a great amount of root to my dwell, we set out, again.

"What is it we are doing this time?" I asked Snow, once we had left the dwell well behind.

"We are headed to the cves," Snow replied, "And before we get there, are there any questions about what we did, earlier?"

"Well...if you don't mind my asking, about now..."

"Mm-mm" Snow shook his head, "I don't mind."

"What are the caves?" I asked, "What are you referring to?"

"The fields are a place also known as "The Caves." Snow replied, "They are a place just within Shadow Dwell, only hardly anyone even knows about them."

"I understand," I said, "And why do we go there, now?"

"If you don't mind my saying -- it is when we get there, that you will understand." Snow answered me, bluntly.

"I...do not mind." I said. "May I ask other questions, now?"

Snow laughed, a little - a chuckle, I think it was - saying, "Of course, you needn't ask."

I nodded, though he couldn't see it, and the proceeded with  question.

"About earlier," I began, "Why did we go from one root all the way to another? Could we not have just made  greater use of the first one or...is that not even possible?"

"Oh, it's possible," Snow replied, "But what of the other shadow-ponies?"

"Other...shadow-ponies?" I said.

"Yes, the others," Snow said, "Did you not see them?"

Processing his question a moment I said, "I know there are others....do you mean to conserve, for their sake?"

"Well, that wasn't really my concern..." Snow said, quietly, but then  raised his voice to say, "But it was you who I was thinking of."

My essence jolted with the realization that I had just made an assumption...the better one....and for other shadow-ponies, at that.

I guessed that Snow saw my discomfort and said, "Is something the matter?"

"It is nothing," I said, "And do tell me...how was it that you were thinking of me when you mention the shadow-ponies, now?"

"Your words tell me that you did not see them standing there, during the end," Snow said, his voice dropping, in volume.

"During the end? I I repeated him, "Where...what...when?"

"During the end of our gathering-of-the-root session." Snow replied, maintaining his pitch.I nodded, for he had mentioned the title a little while back, while we were in the dwell. "There were shadow-ponies who had come and started to watch us."

"And is this a bad thing?" I asked, slightly concerned.

"Yes and no." Snow replied, his tone rising to a more serious level.

I looked at him, now, "How do you mean?"

"Their eyes..." he said, softly, yet not loosing the powering his voice, "Their eyes...the way they looked at us...at you...such hatred..."

"Hatred," I repeated, "Just to assure I had heard, correctly. (Snow nodded, as if he knew this) "But I have done nothing to them...and I would assume you had not, either."

Snow nodded, again, "Thank you for believing that." He said, "For I have not. Regardless..." he trailed off and looked way from him.

"Regardless?" I  said, meaning to urge him on.

Snow sighed. "Regardless... I think you understand why they did so."

I nearly tripped over myself with surprise, when he said this. My spirits became unsettled.

"Why...do you say this?" I asked, certain that my questioning would give him the hint that I had not an understanding.

"It is because you know hate Pinkamena." He said, looking at me, now. His gaze darker than I had remembered. "You have felt hate, before. It is with you...always. And not just because you are a shadow-pony... but because...I know... I know what you think about."

"How do you know?" I asked, my tone noticeably quieter.

"Because you trust me." Snow said. "You trust me and you know why you do. Knowing this, there is no doubt that you abhor what you are. You want more for yourself and have taken the first few steps to gaining just that. But not only do you abhor what you are. You abhor what your aren't.... I know you do... And it is just how those shadow-ponies felt looking at you.... Looking at me...They look at you the way you once looked at me..."

Snow's eyes were no longer dark. There was something else there...something...enticing about his eyes... a flame... A flame in his eyes!

I guess I had not responded to him, for a time, because he turned from me and it was then that I was broken out of the trance set on me by his eyes.

"Snow," I said, before I knew I was speaking, "You are right. I have...I do know hate." I truly do know hate...but..."

Snow looked at me. "But?" He repeated, his expression one of sadness.

"But even though I know hate, please do not think that I...please do not think that I still hate you...I don't hate you..." I stopped walking. Something about movement just didn't seem right, just now. I had to tell him this and I had to tell him it, now. "I did not believe in you, the first time we met...nor a little while, after. I did not trust what you said about the fire, when you told me, now did I really believe you cared about me. Because you are a creature more than I, you are higher that I. You are closer to the place that I want to be. And at one point I truly abhorred you for it...But...but now...now, Snow...now I know better -- believe me, I do! I'm...I'm being honest with you... I'm being honest with you about all of this so please, please believe me..."

My words were the spark for what happened next. A fire roared to life within my essence, vibrating me hard enough for me to explode! But I didn't. I just shook. And trembled as not open, but two spirits came to life within me -- almost at once! Lights danced around within my hollow self, burning brightly until dying, slightly...fading...until I was once again myself. My essence suddenly felt weak and I collapsed where I was.

Snow approached me and lifted me onto his back, with his magic. I tingled with the touch of his powers.

"That is alright," He said, "We can continue on to The Caves, tomorrow."

"Alright," I said, "Just...do you believe me?"

"Honestly? I do." Snow murmured, "And I couldn't have asked for better proof."