Equestria Under

It was a strange thing, passing into my own dwell on an under-pony's back. I sensed that Snow felt the oddness of the action, as well, yet said nothing as we enter into the dwell. Once inside, Snow walked over to the left wall of the  dwell and began to fiddle with it. I turned my head to the other side and watched as a a perfect fraction of the wall became alight. Glancing upwards I could see that Snow was making use of his magic, somehow. Raising a hoof, he squeezed the the tip of it into the glowing crack on the wall and pulled the fraction of the wall out and downwards.

"What is this?" I asked, as Snow placed me atop the platform.

"It's called a "pull down," He informed me, the horn of his glow fading. "It's alright if you didn't know about it, yet."

I shook my head. Even after all the time I spent in my dwell, I had never come into the knowledge of any such thing even existing within it.

"What is it for?" I asked.

"It is for you to relax on it." Snow replied. I saw his eyes wondering.

"Couldn't I simply relax on the floor?" I asked, watching his eyes.

"Yes," he said, "You could do that..But why would you, when you can use this?" His eyes met mine and I decided I wouldn't ask him what he had been looking at.

"What makes it any different?" I asked, instead.

"Well, look at it." He said, motioning, eagerly, with a foreleg.

I looked down at the platform I was on. It certainly did look different than the floor... For one thing, instead of being just plain and firmly meeting the bottom of my hoof-parts, it sank in, a bit, at their touch. It had patterns engraved into it, as well as shone with a darker shade of red. All of these things I took note to, but none did cause my spirits to react.

I looked up at Snow.

"Well?" He asked.

"I see it," I said, "I can see the differences."

"And?"

"And...what?" I asked, taking a glance at the platform, before returning his gaze.

Snow shook his head, "Never mind. I supposed I shouldn't worry about that, just yet... How do you feel?"

I opened my mouth to respond but Snow quickly rephrased.

"I mean how do you fare?"

I wasn't sure how to word it, but I had somehow been put into a state of neutrality. The spirits I had gained that ray had shook me so until my essence seemed to be at its limits. I was in a state of neutrality, I guessed, because my essence needed some sort of "break" from such erratic experiences. I did the least I could do and explained to Snow that I believed that I was not able to acquire any spirits, for a while.

"My essence seems...tired," I said, "I am not sure I could tell you any more than that."

My words seemed to concern Snow, greatly, and he immediately responded with an, "I'm staying."

"You mean you will stay here?" I asked, "But for how long? I do not think I am any sort of trouble, I just...well, it is only as I have said."

"Not being able to acquire spirits is a serious thing, Pinkamena. I trust you if you believe this is the state you are in, but that doesn't mean it renders it any less important. I am willing to stay with you until you have returned to your former state." Snow rubbed at my mane, as he spoke, but then turned and approached the hearth.

"I will light the hearth, now," He said, reaching for a piece of root from the stack which st directly next to the hearth.

"Please don't." I said, my words empty. I was certain my spirit of fear would acknowledge itself, at this point, but as I have said, my essence is neutral. Every word I speak and spoke is as empty as my essence now seems to be, not a spirit stirring... I do not like it.

"Why not, Pinkamena, is there a problem?" Snow asked from where he now stood, root-piece in hoof.

"Yes." I said, "I fear it, now."

"You fear what? Snow asked, "The fire?"

"Yes," I said, responding to him as I gazed into the empty hearth.

I only half-noticed when Snow followed my gaze... and then returned his to me. A moment or so of silence passed before Snow spoke.

"Pinkamena?" He said.

"Yes?" I answered, not giving him my full attention.

"Do you believe that I am the one who has brought this fear upon you?"

I did not answer, right away, for his question was certainly one to consider. Was he the one who planted this fear into me? Surely, not. For if he had been, then wouldn't he have been present when the fear had overcome me on the fire's regard? Surely, yes.

"No," I finally said. "No, you are not."

Snow was expectantly silent, so I decided to go on, regardless of how it discomforted me to speak.

"But it was because of yourself that I gained the spirit of trust. Not long after you spoke to myself about the fire, I considered your words. I considered you. I asked asked myself and counseled with myself.... Did believe you? At the time, I did not. I did not because I did not want to. But with all of this thinking, my hoof-part -- the right one - had ended up in the fire and I did it not intentionally..."

Snow nodded somewhere in the right of my field of vision and I knew he was listening.

"Yes, so then on observing my hoof," I continued, "I realized how unlikely it was for fire to be the key. It made me feel so strange after sometime that a spark of fear was ignited within me and I have feared it ever since."

Snow did respond for a while and a long stretch of silence followed my words.

"I advise against your fear, Pinkamena." Snow's finally spoke, his voice so solemn and demanding of me that I could do no less than give him my full attention. It seemed that with myself being so neutral it was his spirits that I could make more sense of. Of course, being an under-pony he actually has "feelings" and his actions are not governed by spirits, necessarily. It's just that whatever he was feeling was perceived so well by myself that I felt subject to the dominant being that he was. I couldn't possibly ignore him.

"How do you mean?" I asked, my voice so empty that it almost made me sick.

"Do your best to rid yourself of this fear, Pinkamena," Snow admonished me, "I beg of you -- If you do not, then sometime, soon, you will most-likely allow the spirit of curiosity to entice you back into giving fire a try. When you hit a hard spot or for some reason think you do not have what it takes to go on, you might do this. And it is then. It is then that you will fail. Please, I beg of you, do not fear the fire!" I hadn't know it but Snow had raised a hoof and before I did notice that hoof hit the floor, hard. I interpreted the display as emphasis on his part, but I couldn't react properly. My spirits still did not move.

Turing my face slowly from him, I considered his words. I then expressed to him how fearing the fire, I believed, would help me keep away from it...not eventually lead to my "fall", if tried it, once again.

"Nevertheless, I believe you," I added, "I trust you and if you could take my rather... hollow words for it... I will do my best not to fear the fire...any fire." I looked back at him, waiting for a response.

"Thank you, Pinkamena," Snow finally said, "Thank you for trusting me...I will hold you to your words, regardless of how "hollow" they may be." He smiled.

I nodded and felt something stir within my essence.

"Are you any better now, at all? Snow asked, rubbing one hoof over the other.

"A little, I think." I said, "Something is moving within me...." I looked down at essence.

"That's good." Snow said, "I am glad to hear that."

Looking over at the empty hearth I asked, "May you now light a fire?"

"Certainly." Snow said, turning to prepare the hearth.

As I watched Snow summon the flames I couldn't help thinking on how the flame and I were alike.

The root-pieces were neutral, now. They were dull pieces of nothing. But being piled together like that...being set firmly in place...A spark from the horn is set upon them and fire is summoned. One by one they fall to the flames...one by one they ignite and transform into a medium for light...

Suddenly I felt myself fall and make contact with the floor.

"Oh!" Snow whipped his head in my direction, are you alright? What happened?"

Picking myself up into a sitting position, I looked myself over. I could feel the spirit of gratitude being ignited by Snow's words.

"I am alright." I said, "I even think my essence has returned to normal..."

"That's wonderful," Snow said, softly, sending the last piece of root in his hoof back to the pile with his magic. He turned and approached me, "You look as if you are glowing..." He pressed his muzzle against my face...a lot gentler, this time.

"I am sure it is just the fire," I said, "I don't think I'll ever glow."

Snow chuckled and instead of pressing his muzzle -- pressed is lips against my face. "You will," he said.

"I hope so," I said, gazing into the fire, "If it is by your hoof, then I know I will..."

*    *    *    *

"Alright, Pinkamena. It is time for me to go, now...Are you certain you are alright? -- will be alright?" Snow had stayed with me a good portion of the ray, even though I was sure my essence had returned to normal.

"I believe I will be alright," I said.

"Good. I will hope to see you, soon," Snow rose up from where he rested, next to me, in front of the hearth.

"I hope to see you, soon, as well." I said, looking after him.

Snow, now at the dwell's exit, smiled back and me and said, "Good-light to you."

"....Good-light to you, as well," I said, after a pause. Snow exited and I turned back to watching the fire.

Snow. An under-pony. He was the first creature to ever wish me good-light! I never thought it would happen to me, yet it has!

In Equestria Under, when any one of a company would leave the rest -- if during the light-time -- to be polite would be to wish the other or others good-light. Fore see, other than the fires that might occupy the dwells of any learned shadow-pony, there is no light in Equestria Under, save fore the dim glow given off my the surroundings. During the light time, mist descends to the ground, below. The mist that settles during the light-time is the only source of light, during this time. The mist is unlike the most of the morning, though. It is more like a thin veil than a thick fog; once can see straight through it and nothing within one's range of vision can not be seen. Nevertheless, some portions of the mist are brighter than others and if one happens to be in an area where the mists are dim then my they tread with caution. Anything can reveal itself from the dark that with evidently surround them, otherwise. Even in shadow-dwell one isn't safe...Woe be unto those who happen to be where no mists settles.The dark there will be greater than night and everything that is anything could be there, sitting and waiting for prey...

So yes. It is a good thing to wish others "good-light", in hope that they find themselves where the best or better light is, during the light time. Of course, it is not as though when I learned of the words "good-light" that I expected any creature, to say it to me -- let alone an under-pony! Why, if no shadow-pony would so much as look my way, how t all possible would an under-pony speak to me?! Such thoughts were nowhere on my mind. Regardless, Snow has made one of the greatest events impossible a reality in my world. In this world!

These things drew me deeper into thought and awe...Of all that had happened to me, this event most-certainly was the greatest! It never dawned on me 'till now how fortunate I was to have an under-pony dwell with me...only how strange it was...

I will be sure to thank Snow, whenever it is that I see him, again.

*    *    *    *

I exited my dwell to find a mist-less Shadow Dwell.

How strange! I thought, There was always mist in Shadow Dwell... I couldn't even see any farther off into Shadow Dwell. Everything was so clear...

I decided to start off with a trot in the direction of the Everthorn Forest. In case I did not mention, that is the name of the forest I was in when I witnessed those two shadow-ponies being together. I decided I would start there and then just make my way round Shadow Dwell -- just walk around, a little. Reason being is that I knew I would be doing a lot of walking with Snow, in the future, so I wanted to get myself ready. I decided I would continue this as long as Snow I walked together.

On my way to the forest, I came to a lump in the path - an incredibly small hill, if you will. I could not see over it but decided to proceed, anyways. Every step was a cautious one, that ray, since I no longer wished to run into the INspector whom I had met at that memorable gathering, a few rays before now. I poked my head up over the hill.

"Hello there," a voice said. My fear spirit surprised me as it sprang to life all too suddenly. I looked up only to come face to face with another shadow-pony.

I did not say anything to her and just continued to stare.

"Ah well, it was worth a shot." She said, and made her way around me.

I reached the top of the small hill, turned, and looked after the shadow-pony.

"Hold on." The thought finally struck me, "Did that shadow-pony just speak to me? Willingly? Voluntarily?"

"Wait." I called after the shadow-pony in a small voice.

"Hm?" The shadow-pony turned, "Do my ear-parts deceive me? I thought for a moment, there, that I heard you speak."

I wasn't sure if should really say anything to the shadow-pony, but I did not want to miss the opportunity to see if any other shadow-pony could truly hold a conversation.

"I...I did." I said, as the shadow-pony turned and approached me.

"Well don't look so surprised about it, dear." The shadow-pony laughed -- and what more, actually gave a SMILE!  I was completely and utterly surprised at this and my spirits confirmed this.

"O-oh..." I stuttered in surprise, not at all certain what to say next. To see a shadow-pony actually smile --!!

"Well, can you say anything else?" The shadow-mare asked.

"I...I can." I said, "I am convinced I can say a lot more..."

"Then why don't you, sweetie?" The shadow-mare asked.

"What?" I said, taken aback by her name-calling.

"Pardon me," she said, "But I am in the habit of calling names, every now and then...and you do look like a sweet one." She was smiling, again.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"What does it mean to be sweet?" The shadow-mare asked.

I nodded my head.

"Aww, that's so cute!" The shadow-mare gushed, squeezing her face between her hooves. What made it even more strange was that the shadow-mare's voice was much too lively to be coming from herself, as a shadow-pony.

"What's cute?" I asked.

"Why, YOU, of course!" The shadow-mare exclaimed, happily. "A torch of light, compared to so many other's I've seen around here!"

I was almost afraid by the way this shadow-mare acted...almost. But, at the same time, I was intrigued and wanted to converse some more.

"Well...thank you..." I said.

The shadow-mare gasped, "And thankful, too! Oh, you are very welcome!" She suddenly had me in an embrace. It didn't feel like much, but I knew it would've been a lot different had any ordinary shadow-pony touched me, in this way.

"Oh! So sorry about that, dear!" The shadow-mare said, holding me away from her.

"It is alright." I said, quietly.

"Oh?" The shadow-mare said, making a face, "But haven't you heard? When a shadow-pony --

"I know." I said, "But that is not true."

"Oh no?" The shadow-mare asked, "And how do you know? How are you so sure of yourself?"

I realized that her words were just as mine had been, when I had first met Snow. Just how was he so sure of himself? He never told me, but at least I knew that if I could not trust myself I could easily trust him.

"I am not," I finally responded, "But I am completely sure of the one who told me."

The shadow-mare did not answer right away -- only when I had focused on her, and left my thoughts did she say anything.

"You have a nice smile, sweetie."

"What?" I perked up.

"Your smile, dear," The shadow-pony said, "You did not notice, did you?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

The shadow-mare touched my face, "Don't worry about it, dear." She walked around me, back towards the way she had first come. "Come. Join me in my dwell, won't you? It seems we have much to talk about."

After a moment of hesitation I said, "Yes," and made ready to follow her to her dwell.

*    *    *    *

"Go on," The shadow-mare said.

We now stood outside of her dwell. It hadn't been too far from the hill -- or the forest, for that matter. I was certain that if for any reason I -wanted to see this shadow-mare, again, I could easily do so.

I touched my hoof to the dwell entrance in order to pass through, only to be forcefully repelled backwards. I landed, hard, on the ground, my essence vibrating, uncomfortably.

"Oh, my embers! Dear, I am so sorry! I had no idea that would happen!" The shadow-mare called, from where she stood, "Do you fare well?"

"I am well." I said, my fear spirit humming round inside of me.

"That is good," the shadow-mare said. "Here, now. Let me go inside, first...maybe that might change things..."

I had already gotten to my hooves, as she spoke, and nodded for her to go head and give it a try.

After she slipped inside, I walked up to the entrance and looked through to the inside.

"Try again, dear," the shadow-mare said, from the other side.

I nodded, slowly, at her, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to...

"How do we know if it will work, this time?" I asked.

"We don't," the shadow-mare responded, keeping her gaze steady.

I was still hesitant, but soon moved to try again. Lifting my hoof-part I slowly pressed it into the barrier. My hoof-part vibrated as some sort of energy buzzed through it. It wasn't too long before my whole essence had passed through the barrier.

"Very good!" The shadow-mare squealed, apparently delighted at my feat.

I nodded. Something was still buzzing through my essence, making me feel the least bit uncomfortable, but I decided to try and ignore it.

"Oh do speak up, dear," The shadow-mare said, "It is, after all, why we came here."

After a moment or so I finally decided that an "alright" was a good enough response, for the time being. The shadow-mare didn't seem so bothered by this and approached the hearth.

After a few quiet moments of fiddling around, she finally said, "Well I was going to save these, as an excuse to go out to the caves, once again, but I suppose not. Besides, I could easily use this as an excuse not too!" She smiled back at me and then began to tend the hearth.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Why, making a fire, of course! Do you know what a fire is, dear?"

I nodded, only the shadow-mare did not respond...not for  while.

Finally, a fire blazed into existence and the shadow-mare turned to look at me.

"This, here, is a fire." She said, motioning to it. "Don't get to close! I hear it can have many effects on us shadow-ponies!" She blinked on eye at me.

I looked over at the fire nd then to her...Oh yes! Now I got it! I had never answered her!

"Oh...yes...I've heard that, as well." I said.

The shadow-mare smiled,once again "Now then, dear." She settled down in front of the hearth, "Talk to me."

I approached the hearth and lowered myself down next to the shadow-pony. I looked into he fire and immediately remembered Snow....I wondered if I should tell her about him...

"Go on, dear!" The shadow-pony encouraged me, "I want to hear everything! Why were you out, this ray? Were you looking for the mist? What about yesterday? Are you out, often? Perhaps after this ray we might be able to speak with one another, sometime? Just how many more of you are there?"

The plethora of questions from this shadow-mare brought me back into her world and I decided it was best not to speak about Snow until I asked him. I would dance around his existence in my world, until further notice. I decided to speak to her about other things.

*    *    *    *

I spent a long time at the shadow-mare's house. The shadow-mare, whose name I learned was "Coalette" even invited me to stay over. I simply had to decline the invitation, though. The buzzing from earlier grew greatly, within my essence and I was in great discomfort.

"Perhaps another time, dear?" She said, hopefully, as I stood at exit to the dwell.

"Yes, perhaps another time," I said.

"Before you go," she said, stepping up beside me - she held me in an embrace, squeezing me more than I thought necessary. "Good-bye, Sweetie." She said, still squeezing, "Mmm-mm!"

"Good-bye," I said, as she let me go, and finally stepped out into Shadow Dwell. Many of the rays had gone and I knew it was becoming light-time. Such a long time I had spent with this...shadow-pony. This creature who was actually my own and whom I had never met until this ray! But I liked her company...and I realized I liked to talk, too... Oh, I would have so much to discuss with Snow when we met, again. But for now, it was late... so it was time to head on back to my dwell and await the next ray.

I was and forever will be certain that I had never a stranger encounter than with my own kind.